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A tale of two gamers

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A tale of two gamers
By James Matson, David Hollingworth
Dec 15, 2008 | 16 Comments
Tags: A | tale | of | two | gamers

Two of Atomic's biggest MMO nerds get their geek on about the state of massively multiplayer gaming.

DH: I’ve made the decision. As much as I loved – and I mean thoroughly enjoyed – Warhammer Online when it worked, I recently cancelled my subscription. There’s just too many other games, and on top of that, the new Lord of the Rings Online expansion has just hit my hard drive, and boy is it rocking. How are you finding WAR – still digging it?

JM: I’m still digging War despite the bite sized flaws surrounding it. It’s obviously expansion season in the MMO world, because I’ve had to devote some time to the latest EverQuest 2 expansion myself, but it hasn’t torn me away from War. I class them as two completely different games loosely associated by genre. Very loosely. Think Pamela Anderson loose, and you’re there. So why didn’t WAR keep you hooked? It’s a Player-versus-Player dreamland! Not your thing?

DH: Man, that’s loose!

You’re right, it’s PvP excellence, no doubt. But as much as laying the smack down on Chaos Warriors is a joy unto itself, I’m also a long term fan of the Warhammer world. I’ve wargamed and roleplayed in that background for more years than I’d like to count, and it just felt like the world I’d come to know so well had been… watered down a bit. Plus, trying to find a properly populated Roleplaying server, so that there’s enough players to make the awesome PvP actually happen was bit of a challenge. In the end, as much as there was a lot of like about WAR, there just wasn’t quite enough to keep me hooked. And, as I said, the new Mines of Moria expansion is just too good to ignore.

Speaking of which, how is EverCrack these days?

JM: It’s odd, isn’t it - that the core appeal of Warhammer isn’t for the fans who’ve carefully nurtured the Warhammer universe, characters, factions and conflicts, but for those who really are just after a Warhammer ‘skin’ to a PvP MMO. Fortunately, War does the latter so damn well that I’m still happy to see Mythic suck monthly withdrawals from my credit account. War is watered down, that’s for sure – but I think for you it might be a case of incompatibility between user and game.

War takes the MMORPG, amputates the RPG and leaves the MMO intact sprinkled with an emphasis on action. I’m strangely hungry now.

Roleplaying servers are – by and large – the oddity of the MMO world. Ordinary gaming folk see a ‘Roleplaying’ server in EverQuest 2 or Warhammer Online and immediately concoct vicious ideas in their heads of a game world festering with an ‘I live in the basement’ population. Roleplaying servers are fated to be lower population when stacked up against normal servers. On a standard ‘Core’ ruleset Warhammer server however population isn’t an issue and the gamers online are in tune with the concept of Mythic’s small slice of War. As far as a pure PvP game with a global population is concerned, Warhammer has the perfect mix of balance, class diversity and engaging scenarios to make it worth my bucks. Realm-Versus-Realm needs some major tweakage, but nothing insurmountable.

Anyway, EverQuest 2 is going marvellously, in my books it’s the gourmet meal to World of Warcraft’s ‘Cheeseburger’ approach. Incredibly rich landscape, intricate storyline, lots of classes and races and a 3D engine that was designed back in 2005 to run on 512MB GPUs that didn’t even exist then – it’s aged well. The latest expansion (seems to be the season huh?) doesn’t raise the level cap, but extends the ability to tailor individual skills and abilities of your characters, plus chucking in a generous helping of new zones, dungeons and raids, most of which I’m yet to touch. So what would it take to bring you back to Warhammer? Something? Anything? Or have you put down your Elvish blade for the last time?

 
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16 Comments
Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.
iamthemaxx
Dec 15, 2008 2:25 PM
Neeeerds!
Hawkeye
Dec 15, 2008 2:42 PM
Don't judge us, man!
Fat_Bodybuilder
Dec 15, 2008 2:52 PM
too late >.>
Hawkeye
Dec 15, 2008 2:55 PM
Damn.
Amiga4eva
Dec 15, 2008 3:06 PM
Judge us. Harshly.

For we know not how to engage the world of life without a pocket full of D20's, or how to talk to a female without our Wizard's hats on.

We are spell casting, critical hit scoring, chips & gravy swillin Nerds.

Yeah. YEAH!
Hawkeye
Dec 15, 2008 3:15 PM
You're not helping.
Amiga4eva
Dec 15, 2008 3:21 PM
Sorry man, I'll try to keep it under wraps from now on.

But, while I've got you here, are we still on for that costume dressup recreation of the Battle of Helms Deep tonight at your joint?

I couldn't find the chalk colored tights you wanted for the Elven costume, so I had to settle for a light grey color. All good?
Truckasauras
Dec 15, 2008 3:23 PM
I note a distinct avoidance of talking WoW (other then the odd comment). Do you guys not play WoW?
Amiga4eva
Dec 15, 2008 3:29 PM
Truckasauras, I played it, enjoyed it for a while but gradually discovered it just didn't compare to EverQuest 2 on a whole range of levels that resulted in me ditching WoW for EQ2.

I'm sure my Undead Mage is still stored in the Blizzard vault for Bloodscalp somewhere.
Hawkeye
Dec 15, 2008 3:36 PM
I played a Night Elf warrior to 60 (oh, Thellazaron, you dark angsty Prince of Darnassus, you!), then came back for a few levels of Burning Crusade (and a Blood Elf Paladin), as well as numerous alts. I'd been playing pretty much from launch, but, like A4A, I got pulled away from WoW.

Though, for me, it was LotRO online that did the damage.
Truckasauras
Dec 15, 2008 5:00 PM
For the record, I love your name Amiga4eva. My first computer was an Amiga 500 and I loved that thing to bits (still do).

As for WoW. I stopped playing to pick up War but have been drawn back in with the release of WOTLK. Such a wonderful expansion.
Amiga4eva
Dec 15, 2008 6:03 PM
Truckasauras, you love Amiga's?

Well, you're a WoW'er I can respect! :).
Elfarch
Dec 16, 2008 12:35 AM
Way to many better games than WoW.
I'm spread way to thin between 4 atm plus hellgate and RL.
donkeyruler
Dec 16, 2008 4:48 PM
I play WoW too, loving the expansion, though I would really like to play LOTR
Hawkeye
Dec 16, 2008 4:59 PM
LotRO is really worth it - very different feel, though essentially similar dynamics. It's also one of the best looking MMOs graphically. Simply stunning.

- DH
dsagill
Dec 17, 2008 11:37 PM
I used to help sell Amigas and other Commodores in a local computer shop when I was 15/16 :)

Oh and (jock voice) NERRRRRRDDDDDDSSSSS :p

An accurate discussion though - I haven't ventured into anything other than WOW which I chucked in around 4 months ago. It just became a big yawn and I don't really give a crap about the new expansion or whatever.

I'd like to check out the others mentioned here but I'm getting so much done in my extra time now :)
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Issue: 107 | December, 2009

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