WAR (Warhammer Online)

 If you are to imagine WAR six months or a year from now - what would it look like?

My wish list:

1) larger overall server population cap

2) better balance between the realm populations, DUH

3) better animations, synchronized with cast bar

4) Scenario wait times sorted out

5) Quirks like randomly missing health bar sorted out

6) Scenario-wide or region-wide in-game voice chat

7) Improvements in keep sieging so they are harder to take and will not fall when Destruction zergs you ten minutes after you've captured it.

8) Mob and pet aggro quirks, animations, getting stuck, etc.

These points are, I think, fairly minor and entirely fixable - it's just a matter of time. They are not problems with the core concepts of the game. (Though fixing 1 and 2 is, I think, easier said than done). 

What might not be fixable are, IMO, problems with the basic design concepts of the game. I.e. the lack of "soul" or the feeling of a "world." OK, you may disagree, but I think more and more of us are starting realize that the PvE portion of the game is vastly, vastly inferior to this other game we know. Yes, I do feel the sense that I'm in a war. But you know what, that other game made me feel more than just that: there was a sense of variety - many interesting atmosphere and stories, whereas the only atmosphere in WAR is war war cannons hacking slashing dying war war - which I gather is the point but also becomes extremely bland and simpleminded after a while. 

Scenarios: the problem is that they detract considerably from any kind of atmosphere because you can instantly be plucked out of this world and placed into another. Also they don't bring anything new to the table. No coordination. No communication. Little healing. If everyone is just allowed to do scenarios all the time - then what's the point of having the "real" world anyway? Why not just make WAR a bunch of mini-games like Guild Wars. I really hope that other game doesn't adopt the queue-from-anywhere approach in their Wrath of the Beatle Queen expansion.

In order for a pvp-based game to be fun, you need to have good players. Players who understand their class, how to win that particular scenario or siege, and, most importantly, how to COMMUNICATE. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of MMO players are at that level of skill or intelligence. Which is why the whole thing may not hang together.

FINALLY, I wish they would think about making sieging keeps more impactful and long-term, so that capturing one is more than simply a matter of gathering a large group to zerg. Capturing and relinquishing should be rarer events, even in the lower tiers. It should take CONSIDERABLE effort to coordinate an attack, and once taken, more NPCs and defensive mechanisms should be present to prevent it from being retaken. I.e. an uncoordinated pick-up zerg groups should not be able to storm your keep ten minutes after you have captured it.

Basically I just want to hear your wish-list of what they ought to fix in six months or a year. Plus any comments on whether the overall direction established thus far is actually going to work int the long-term. As for me, I've enjoyed my short-stay and will be going back to that other game to fight the Beatle Queen.

Well thought-out review.  I would like to add that cross-realming the scenarios might sort the queue times out.  I agree with most of your points here.  I also find it amusing that I made a rather unclear and undeveloped thread titled "This Game Is Crappy" which got 40+ replies, while this one is much better and has none, until now.  I guess people are more attracted to trolling than constructive reviews.

What would make me come back ? drastic changes:

- double server pop cap ;
- hard cap on Destruction numbers based on Order Number;
- put the missing classes in;
- completely review the High Elf characters looks;
- REMOVE SCENARIOS COMPLETELY;
- Triple RvR points gains from defending forts;
- Multiply RvR zones areas by 2 in most Tiers, with dedicated RvR objective (capture a FLAG and bring it back to the city, infiltrate a city and take an object back to your base, kill a NPC…);
- Completely redo the way RvR zones flags are working, they must work more like a real time domination system, right now they are either bugged or untakable for 15 minutes;
- Don’t give an ability every lvl, give 3-4 every 4/ lvl rather;
- Make renown gear > PQ gear;
- Remove the Exp bar and only leaves the Realm points bar in;
- Add another Door inside tier 2 keeps;
 

In its current state, this game is simply unfun.

Originally posted by Omega3

- REMOVE SCENARIOS COMPLETELY;

I think I can dig your other points, but this one makes absolutely no sense.  Scenarios are the only thing that makes this game somewhat interesting for me.

Originally posted by invsblmn

 If you are to imagine WAR six months or a year from now - what would it look like?

My wish list:

1) larger overall server population cap

2) better balance between the realm populations, DUH

3) better animations, synchronized with cast bar

4) Scenario wait times sorted out

5) Quirks like randomly missing health bar sorted out

6) Scenario-wide or region-wide in-game voice chat

7) Improvements in keep sieging so they are harder to take and will not fall when Destruction zergs you ten minutes after you've captured it.

8) Mob and pet aggro quirks, animations, getting stuck, etc.

These points are, I think, fairly minor and entirely fixable - it's just a matter of time. They are not problems with the core concepts of the game. (Though fixing 1 and 2 is, I think, easier said than done). 

What might not be fixable are, IMO, problems with the basic design concepts of the game. I.e. the lack of "soul" or the feeling of a "world." OK, you may disagree, but I think more and more of us are starting realize that the PvE portion of the game is vastly, vastly inferior to this other game we know. Yes, I do feel the sense that I'm in a war. But you know what, that other game made me feel more than just that: there was a sense of variety - many interesting atmosphere and stories, whereas the only atmosphere in WAR is war war cannons hacking slashing dying war war - which I gather is the point but also becomes extremely bland and simpleminded after a while. 

Scenarios: the problem is that they detract considerably from any kind of atmosphere because you can instantly be plucked out of this world and placed into another. Also they don't bring anything new to the table. No coordination. No communication. Little healing. If everyone is just allowed to do scenarios all the time - then what's the point of having the "real" world anyway? Why not just make WAR a bunch of mini-games like Guild Wars. I really hope that other game doesn't adopt the queue-from-anywhere approach in their Wrath of the Beatle Queen expansion.

In order for a pvp-based game to be fun, you need to have good players. Players who understand their class, how to win that particular scenario or siege, and, most importantly, how to COMMUNICATE. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of MMO players are at that level of skill or intelligence. Which is why the whole thing may not hang together.

FINALLY, I wish they would think about making sieging keeps more impactful and long-term, so that capturing one is more than simply a matter of gathering a large group to zerg. Capturing and relinquishing should be rarer events, even in the lower tiers. It should take CONSIDERABLE effort to coordinate an attack, and once taken, more NPCs and defensive mechanisms should be present to prevent it from being retaken. I.e. an uncoordinated pick-up zerg groups should not be able to storm your keep ten minutes after you have captured it.

Basically I just want to hear your wish-list of what they ought to fix in six months or a year. Plus any comments on whether the overall direction established thus far is actually going to work int the long-term. As for me, I've enjoyed my short-stay and will be going back to that other game to fight the Beatle Queen.

*Pukes*

Originally posted by invsblmn

 If you are to imagine WAR six months or a year from now - what would it look like?

My wish list:

1) larger overall server population cap

2) better balance between the realm populations, DUH

3) better animations, synchronized with cast bar

4) Scenario wait times sorted out

5) Quirks like randomly missing health bar sorted out

6) Scenario-wide or region-wide in-game voice chat

7) Improvements in keep sieging so they are harder to take and will not fall when Destruction zergs you ten minutes after you've captured it.

8) Mob and pet aggro quirks, animations, getting stuck, etc.

This is pretty much the exact same list of issues  for me. I underlined the parts that are more important than others, though, and for 6., I'd much rather just have an overall better chat system. Also, I'd like to see more benefit from participating in open RvR and sieges over scenarios, as I find anyone rarely out in the open. The reason this game interested me in the first place was the thought that PvP would be a major part of this game other then scenarios.

Originally posted by Omega3

What would make me come back ? drastic changes:

- double server pop cap ;  Double the size.  No don't think so.  1.5 max.
- hard cap on Destruction numbers based on Order Number;  Matters what you mean by Hard cap.  Hard cap meaning no one can make characters on that server.  I don't think so.  There are some servers that Order actually outnumbers Destruction so both sides should a max amount of characters which they do.
- put the missing classes in;  Definatly put the missing classes in.  Its fine being out, for now.
- completely review the High Elf characters looks;  Again No don't think so.  They look like Warhammer high elves.  Thats the way they should look.
- REMOVE SCENARIOS COMPLETELY;  Again NO they are super fun and a blast.
- Triple RvR points gains from defending forts;  Why????  I get enough RvR Points from scenarios.
- Multiply RvR zones areas by 2 in most Tiers, with dedicated RvR objective (capture a FLAG and bring it back to the city, infiltrate a city and take an object back to your base, kill a NPC…);  That would be WAY WAY to much RvR area for me so again NO!
- Completely redo the way RvR zones flags are working, they must work more like a real time domination system, right now they are either bugged or untakable for 15 minutes;  They are untakable for 15 minutes on purpose why would they change that?
- Don’t give an ability every lvl, give 3-4 every 4/ lvl rather;  That would make a very boring game so again NO!  I could see maybe 1.5 every 2 levels but not 3 or 4 every 4 levels.
- Make renown gear > PQ gear;  Again NO!
- Remove the Exp bar and only leaves the Realm points bar in;  Again OH GOD no!
- Add another Door inside tier 2 keeps;  Ok I got to say yes to this one but this is not a HUGE deal.
 

 

In its current state, this game is simply unfun.  For you but for 90% of the other people its a fun game.

My advice would be just to stay away.  Since most people like the way it is.  If they did change all the stuff you wanted.  Most of the people would leave the game.  We will see if this is a trolls post like the other 2 guys above or not.  :)

My wish list to be done in six months.

1) Fix the lower end computer users problems.  (I don't have a problem but I know some guildmates who do.)

2) Put at least one City Group in.

3)  Put in at least 2 of the 4 Classes taken out of the Start.

4) Don't listen to trolls that want things changed even