WAR (Warhammer Online)

Wow, I couldn't have put it better myself.  Even though all the trolls that instantly become active if you trash talk their game will come out.  I whole heartedly agree with your statements and as much as I wanted to think this was the greatest MMO I spent 50 bucks on, its falls very short of that.

Originally posted by invsblmn

WAR is a good game, no doubt about it. It has some great ideas to contribute. But its problem is not that it lacks big ideas. Rather, it falls short in the details and the polish that makes WoW so fun to play (or even to grind).

Yes, I believe the WoW comparison has to be made. WAR is clearly influenced by WoW and is simply begging for that comparison. Now, on to the points:

1) The combat just doesn't "feel" good. I think it's a combination of subpar sound effects and the poor animation not synchronizing well together. Grinding mobs with my warrior priest is half as fun as tearing through mobs with my warrior in WoW. Here's the thing. I'm a big fan or games like Minesweeper and Tetris. They are addictive not because they have groundbreaking graphics or epic ideas but because they are satisfying. There's just that "click" when you clear a line. Just like how combat in WoW simply had that satisfying feel to it - from the charge to the devastate. Everything clicks. It feels like a mini-game in its own way. I actually like grinding motes in WoW. It's therapeutic just like playing Tetris. No joke. 

2) Questing is so easy it's trivial. I don't feel like any of it matters because I can get much better experience doing scenarios anyway. I know you will say that's the point but it really trivializes the feeling of exploration. The WoW quests ARE time-sinks but it is because of that that completing a quest actually feels like an accomplishment. As it stands, the current ultra-fast questing system is fine were it not for 1). Grinding is no fun, either with a Black Orc and especially with my Warrior Priest (my main). 

3) WAR is basically an amusement park, where you are ushered through a set path and wait in line for the rides. Everything is geared toward your satisfaction - the experience, renown points keep rolling in, at every moment upgrades geared specifically for you are shoved in your face, the PQs dole out rewards suitable specifically for your class. The game basically bends over backwards to make sure you, the gamer, is having a good time and feeling rewarded. Frankly, it feels a bit patronizing.

WoW is a time-sink and is also linear, etc. But its brilliance lies in its ability to create the illusion that it is free and open. The difficulty (i.e. raids and the harder 5-mans) and grind and time commitment needed to advance in WoW is not NECESSARILY a bad thing - just like accomplishing things in real life, raiding takes effort (PvP is a different matter). In WAR I can just stand around in scenarios or RvR and half-assedly do some damage and healing and I'd come away with a healthy stream of points. 

I did not regret buying WAR at all. But I probably won't resubscribe and will take WotLK instead. I don't mean to insult WAR - I'm just stating that its design goals and philosophy doesn't really suit my playing style.

To summarize: WAR feels contrived. The gameplay feels like the game world is designed for the gamer and not your character, if that makes any sense. 

In my view of MMORPG history, WAR represents another step taken on the road away from UO and EQ (when MMOs were a fringe hobby). Now it's all about instant gratification, FPS style. I'm interested in MMOs for the stories - both the ones written in-game and the ones you make for yourself. Of course, many of us are looking for a game that returns to the roots of the genre - a sandbox, no hand-holding game that takes commitment and effort to learn. A game that has an element of risk and you might actually get screwed over by other players or if you get unlucky.

WoW took that first step on the road, of course, but it disguised it so well that the game felt perfect. Speaking of which, I really should go get my warrior alt to 70 in time for WotLK. 

This is not a flame nor is it a review. Just some thoughts. But feel free to disagree and get angry like some in this community likes to do.

 

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ADDED:

To elaborate: I think the Tome of Knowledge is brilliant. The idea of tracking quests, lore, exploration is fantastic. The ToK would fit a game like WoW perfectly. But in WAR, when there are so many mindless 3-minute quests the greatness of the ToK idea doesn't fit with the forgettable nature of the quests themselves. The ToK feels less like a record of what I've done as it  does a record of what I don't know I did but might read up on afterwards if I'm bored. You know what I mean?

I would say that WAR contributed a few genuine innovations to the genre:

Public quests - though the 3-step pattern in WAR is far too predictable, but the concept can be expanded on in future games

Tome of Knowledge - a logical next step for MMOs that I'm sure Blizzard will catch onto (in WotLK)

Permanent RvR-style war-effort effects on your capital city - of course this is actually due to DAoC

Collision detection - minor but of great tactical significance

Originally posted by DuraheLL

Originally posted by IcoGames

Request that the thread gets moved then, or don't reply to it and let the thread die. : )

No thread dies easily on this site. You can bring up "Game X is better than game Y" a million times a day and they will all be equally carefully discusses back and forth over and over forever.

Of course the OP is saying WoW is a better game in comparison with his/her experience with WAR.  In other threads you decry that 'trolls' do nothing but post simple comments; well here's an example of well explained reason why the OP doesn't like WAR and you reply in your first post ... well like a troll by your own definition lol. 

 There was nothing to say really, who can blame?

 

Then why say anything?

Also, why should any thread die that has an ongoing discussion? The OP had some valid points; some agreed, while others didn't.  Nothing wrong with having a discussion on a discussion board.

OP is spot on ....war is a damn good game,i'l give it that  but  ...BUT it's  still nothing close to WoW in terms of quality ,game world etc.

to all you fanbois

One week versus 4 years.

Of course there will be more polish and interesting gameplay.

To the OP: Run along little fanboi and quit trolling.

If you love wow (more like "meh") so much, do us all a favor and go play it.

I bet the OP will still be playing WAR cause he cant get his pvp fix in WoW.

Originally posted by battleaxe22

OP is spot on ....war is a damn good game,i'l give it that  but  ...BUT it's  still nothing close to WoW in terms of quality ,game world etc.

to all you fanbois

Yeah, WoW's had 4 years to polish and make their gameplay interesting and fun. They've failed for me. I find it to be repetitive and, frankly, non-imaginative with them 'borrowing' ideas from all of the other games out there. Wouldn't be so bad, but I've played all the games they've stolen from, so I don't find the ideas new and exciting, but old and overdone.

War has been out for less than a month and has caught my interest far more than WoW ever did. And it will, hopefully, only get better as it becomes more polished and has expansions released.

i think if you really liked WOW more, you would have just put down warhammer and went back to WOW. obviously you are unsure by making this thread. it screams controversy as anytime the 2 games are compared. i couldnt get pass level 50 in WOW it was too repetative, the same thing. you would constantly revist old areas for new quest that matched your level. lame, in WAR im always moving forward.
 

Originally posted by neonwire

I agree with your description of WAR as it does indeed seem to throw endless rewards in the players direction without any real effort being required to obtain them. It is very clearly an amusement park and isnt really intended to be a world you can explore as such.

Funny thing about this. I