WAR (Warhammer Online)

Now this is my very personal report, I kinda feel I have to write this down in order to sort my thoughts and feelings. I never had played much PVP, and I was the classic PVE gamers, loving stories and adventure. But I had played and loved strategy games, and I thought, maybe a RVR battles is kinda like that, only you are one of those small soliders. Boy was I wrong.

Somehow I had hoped the WAR PVP would be more accessible, less "demanding" and maybe when you are about to become 40 (years) some forms of hectic and rush rush rush are just too fast, I dunno. I must admit, the entire uber fast hyper going ons around me in PVP zerg are just a few numbers too fast for me. In strategy games I used to place tanks in the first row, archers behind and the enemy just could not run through tanks as if they were nonexistend. As the usual WAR scenario works, 14 people make a warband and run into 6 different directions. If we place tanks in front and my BW stands FAR behind I usually have the time for 2 or 3 spells, then the entire horde of Destro is toe to toe with me and just ignore the tanks and crush the many squishies behind. It kinda kills all my sense of a) realism and b) strategy. There is a total dvoid of crowd control of ANY kind, and people run like angry bees all around. Maybe I am just too old for that, but it feels more like team fortress or whatever such kid games are called.

I mean, I didnt expect chess, ok, but somehow I miss the strategical element, the more slow paced and team coordinated action. Now open RVR is fun often, but it just happens way to rarely. 80% of all the time our open RVR raid conquers undefended keeps (as do they) and the few happy open RVR battles where really raid against raid fights over a keep is rare, and pays almost nothing for the long, hard effort.

I have learned to hate scenarios. They are the epitome of not-fun, chaotic, pointless zerg. I guess 90% of all player entering those scenarios dont even KNOW what the objectives are. But unfortunately beyond 20+ anything else pays CONSIDERABLY less XP and reknown, especially given the fact there are much less people playing quests and PQs now, for whatever reason.

Now this entire RVR seems so... pointless. We conquer a keep, they conquer it back as soon as we are gone. But whats the point? Both sides prefer to attack undefended keeps, and there is practically zero benefit and zero reason for anyone to defend it. They sacked our capital? What should I care... The keep control has way too less influence on realm control anway. We capture the flagpoint, they capture it back. I kill the enemy X, he dies, but runs back into the fight as if there was no tomorrow. No penalities, nothing. (I mean, seriously, I NEVER thought I would once call for harder death penalities, but I do!) He just runs back and as a result most people just zerg zerg zerg. For whats there to loose? I die? bad luck, but run back 10 seconds later. We loose the keep? I dont care, we conquer it back 15 minutes later. A circle of pointless zerg all of it.

Somehow I maybe chose a bad class, maybe BW is not for PVP noobs. My initial plan was to play Knight of the Blazing Sun, before they cut that. And I just dont play Dwarfs or Elves, so no tank for me. And BW... there is just no tactics. None at all. You just stand, fire and hope they dont spot you because if they do you are dead meat and nothing saves you. It feels so unbelievable un-tactical, it really annoys me. Now additionally to all that I feel the levelling and reknown levelling has reached a slowness which is in no relation to the unexciting quest and scenario grind. Or in simpler word: it takes just WAY too long to level. I would not mind, if the pathway would be more exciting, but it isnt. When I heard reknown is 70 long levels, I realized its something I am definitely never going to see anyway. It also kinda kills the casual chance I thought WAR had, when I was new to the game.

Plus, the fact that the performance has dropped and I am crashing since the last patch every 45 - 60 minutes does not really help to heighten my fun. Or that the loadscreens take too long. Or that there are even loadscreen when you are rezzed in the same zone. Or that I am wearing the same looking robe for many weeks now.

All in all, I will wait for the 1.1 Patch. That really has to show some considerable changes in terms of XP and reknown output and skill rework. I start to think its really a very mediocre game, something which in the long run may indeed be for very few only. I am not entirely sure, maybe they can pull it off to improve it, but I really feel my patience is getting thin and that Zergfest it mostly is, feels quite disturbing.

I pretty much agree with every point in your post. When I mention that there is barely any open RvR battles occurring  (WAR is definately not everywhere), avid WAR fans jump all over me and assure me that everything will be fine in tier 4. Even if there is a butt load of open RvR action in teir 4, if there's no strategy involved, what's the point? This game doesn't exactly lend itself well to strategic maneuvers. Collision detection? What collision detection? If collision was working the way that Mythic said it would, it would still only be a drop in the bucket, stategically speaking.

Unlike you, I have already ended my subscription. I may try WAR out again if I hear that things have improved and I hope they do, and fast.

exactly, this game is a waste of time if it doesn't reach over 1 million people. I didn't like it, there was just something wrong with it, it just didn't have that feeling, ya know?

Originally posted by Xenosaiyan

exactly, this game is a waste of time if it doesn't reach over 1 million people. I didn't like it, there was just something wrong with it, it just didn't have that feeling, ya know?

Its a sub-par game I think most people are realizing that... however whats subscribers gotta do with it?

It's definitely not a sub-par game.

Also, to say strategy can have no role is ridiculous. I haven't encountered many guild pre-mades in scenarios, but when I have they have completely steamrolled the other side.

The most successful RvR Warbands I've been in have all had clear leadership following a definite strategy.

If you are going to join or form a successful guild and then prove your self as a capable leader, you can definitely put strategy to good use. You can try it in PUGs or mixed groups, but sometimes people will listen, sometimes they won't.

As far as class tactics, there is a huge difference between someone who plays a class well and one who plays it poorly. This is NOT a game where you tune out your surroundings and spam a few buttons to reach top form.

If you need to feel "in charge", but are expecting to jump in and direct strategy through telepathy or be recognized as a leader with out earning the respect and reputation needed to lead, then sure,  you will find the game lacking.

If you can't through tactics, situational awareness, adaptability and experience learn to play any class at a much higher effectiveness than a newb button masher, that's definitely not the game's fault.

I learn something new every day and improve my tactics continually. Some good leaders are emerging and strategy is playing a bigger role.

There is a great core game here for casuals and an incredible frame work for smart, organized play to take advantage of. The game is a month old. Trails are being blazed, strong guilds and alliances being formed. The player base will eventually raise to the occasion.

There is plenty of opportunity here, but not everyone can be "a General" and not all those who desire the role are suited for it.

I'am playing Atlantica online beta at the moment and getting alot more enjoyment out of it than I ever got out of WAR and i'am a person who's played the table top game for nearly 20 years.