Warhammer Online

I'm very interested in WAR (Warhammer: Age of Reckoning) for a number of reasons. I'm starting to find WoW raids too tedious. In a way raiding is difficult because so much effort is required. Maybe it's just because I'm in a leadership position and doing a lot of work. I find arena so enjoyable because you really enjoy WoW in its truest form, even though the current PVP mechanics are broken here and there. It's a bit like an escape from WoW. That just sounds so.. wrong.

WAR is undoubtedly the most anticipated game in 2007. But I really doubt that it can be better than WoW. WoW is so complex - too complex. But a complex game is good if you take time to understand its complexity. Game designers and critiques often say simple games are the best, and cite Tetris as an example. They should shoot themselves in the fase. Not everyone is a simpleton. Well kids are, and therefore games targeted at kids are always exploitative.

I really don't know what class to choose though. I appreciate Warrior-like classes. Paladins are OK, but smashing fases right-on is always fun. Assassins always seem to be overpowered in Asian MMOs, but that's just Asian Game designers and their fascination with the bow and arrow, and ninjitsu etc.

I played a Paladin in Prince of Qin. It was a fantastic game, but PvP was too limited. You get marked and can't enter cities, so it kills the game. You can however, duel. So a lot of time was spent duelling day in and out. I didn't like a Barbarian because yeh, I don't like being fat. I think like an anorexic, but dont act like one. In RiskYourLife, I played a mage. So it seems like I'm not so cornered to make a decision, but 2.5 years of WoW seeps in quite hard.

The over-expressed feature about WAR is that classes are not role-based. Meaning, there is no designated healer like a Priest, or a DPS class. But if WAR doesn't encapsulate hardcore healing, the game will be gimped, at least from an RPG point of view. Fights will be short unless players have a lot of health and defenses. And if they do, fights will be unnecessarily long. Maybe PvP in WAR will be CC-based, which will take some skill and effort. Heals however add an immense dimension to an MMO, and this is why I suspect I might not enjoy WAR.

I'm looking forward to playing one of the Elf races, or Chaos. But really, information is scant and I don't expect myself to make a decision any time soon. I'm not saying I won't play a Dwarf or a Greenskin, but it's just not me. I think aside from preference, I'm looking at what my friends want to play, and see if I can fill in the gaps. Some of my classmates have expressed much interest in WAR, but to be honest I don't know if I want to play with some of them. I do doubt their skill in some way or another, but it's more their style. I haven't played an MMO with them, so I might be completely skewed. They don't have the credentials or a track record to show their commitment to an MMO, so this is one reason why I might not play with them. It's going to cut me deep if we play 2 months into the game, and they opt to pull out. This has not happened to me, but some my guild mates have experienced it.

Perhaps the largest factor might be whether I can join an existing powerhouse guild. I'm aware that Curse for example is interested in completely migrating to WAR, but their hours are different I think. I'm not surprised if hundreds if not thousands of WoW guilds want to migrate to WAR. I might start to check various forums soon. But yeh, I don't think I want to create and lead a guild. I'm busy as it is and it's taking a toll on me mentally.