There are several entrants to the MMOscene later this year, the most anticipated of which is Mythic Studios EA published Warhammer Online, based on the popular tabletop game. Seen by some as the first game in some time with the capability to take down World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online is worth checking out for any MMORPG fan.

Each of the races has four classes that are either tanks, melee DPS, ranged DPS, or healing, but some race’s have better versions of each class than others. In total there are 20 character classes available, each with strong distinction from the others. Not unlike the Rune-Keeper in the Lord of the Rings Online expansion I talked about before, the Greenskin’s healer has to constantly juggle to roles of powerful damage-dealer and healer. However, unlike the Rune-Keeper the Greenskin’s healer actually enhances their healing by dealing combat damage.



The game has two different factions that are each separated into three sides. High Elves and Dark Elves, Empire and Chaos, and Dwarves and Greenskins each start in their own section of the world and are locked in battle with eachother. These Realm Versus Realm (RvR) battlegrounds are separated into three sections where the races are constantly at arms, but players can choose to travel to their allies’ battlefields in hopes of turning the tide against the enemy. Greenskins might travel to the Dark Elf battlefield and help push back the High Elves, creating a strong sense of faction and brotherhood on the battlefield. It is especially necessary because Mythic recently announced that each of the factions would be short two classes at launch, needing to rely on their allies to fill the role. There can be huge battles with siege weaponry, controllable bases, and large scale RvR combat with a point, something missing from much of the MMO world.

The game feels very typical for MMORPGs, not too far removed from World of Warcraft or Everquest. Players gain experience and level up their class, gaining different items and abilities as they progress. The real difference in the game is the scale of PvP and the huge selection of classes, both of which are important in competing with a behemoth such as WoW. Visually it is also right in line with its opposition, while not reaching the graphical heights of Age of Conan. It’s a shame, because I really wish the game looked better, as it would then successfully outplay every competing game in every aspect. Either way, I’ll be there when the game launches later this month, anyone else interested?

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