Warhammer Expert

Greetings,

As announced in the last Community Update we are working on version 1.4.3, which is still scheduled to go live in June. We expect to bring the version to the test server ‘soon’ (which in this case translates to ‘within the next two weeks’) to give you a chance to look at the changes, including a new accessory set.

One of the main things introduce with the next patch is the upcoming event ‘Sigmar Tide’. As it will not be available on PTS – nobody wants a spoiler – we want to use this update to give you a bit more information.

Greetings,

We’ve been thinking about the core strengths of WAR, and talking to the designers and wanted to share some inside perspectives with you. WAR is hardcore RvR, kill or be killed. Let’s make no bones about it, unless they’re the bones of your enemy. The combination of skill and aggression that players bring to bear in RvR in WAR is remarkable. RvR is at its most competitive amongst organized groups, however it is often its most fun when players are thrown into the mix in open warbands. Steven Engle and Keaven Freeman share some of their thoughts on careers and class balance and the campaign system of WAR’s RvR.

Greetings,

With Night of Murder winded down and people no longer marked for death, we can look forward towards Spring and the promise it holds.

First of all though I’d like to take time to encourage people to check out the forums here. We’ve been trying to increase the communication in there and encourage open discussion, notably in the Developers Corner. A few of them were directly related to patch 1.4.1 and revolved around the Renown Cap and armor set progression. As well, we’ve started some hypothetical threads – one about a new scenario type with waves of NPC spawns; the second about the campaign and possible changes you want to see. With 1.4.1 just out the door, a feedback post about the new scenario lineup has been started so we can gather feedback to tailor the lineup further in subsequent patches. The idea is to change them up more often (every few months) so that the action will stay fresh.

With our first patch of the year (1.4.1) wrapped up, we were able to squeeze in nice things and make adjustments to the game and how players will advance through the game.  This includes tweaks to our Renown Rank caps, rearrangement of the armor sets, and adjustments to the costs and methods to buy armor and weapons.  One of the things we are continuing to take a look at are how the armor sets and innate power of the levels and Renown Ranks are interacting in the world as players rank up in every tier.
 
Looking forward, we’ve been working hard on finishing up some tweaks to Grovod Caverns and we want to get that out there with its new Skaven twist in an upcoming patch as a Warfront and if it is received well, as potentially a permanent feature.  Likewise, as hinted at before in the previous letter and in my posts on the forums, we want to bring back the Ironclad from Scurvy Dogs.
 
As far as Live Events go, the working title for our newest Live Event is SigmarTide and we are pushing forward on that for this Summer.  More news on this as we get through Spring, although you might find some hints about the event in Lore.
 
As promised in the previous Producer Letter, I want to also hit upon some stuff we have in the works.  When we started work on the Verminous Horde, we had a number of thoughts and initiatives that were in the works.  We opted to move one or two of these from being tied into that patch and instead concentrate on them after the booster was out and make them free features.  One of these features is the addition of new options for crafting.  Conceived as ‘advanced crafting’, it will build upon that foundation, but with new and exciting options.  The idea behind it is to introduce new mechanics and flesh out the offerings available via player crafting.  As we get closer to testing and launch, we’ll give more information and start discussions in the afore-mentioned forums.

Just so you know, we have a full year of Warhammer Online planned out, from events to patches, including features and fun stuff.  Along with that plan, we are looking at a number of other hypothetical things that we’d love to work on; we’ll be getting feedback on these as we move forward through the year as well.  Plus, finally, we’ll continue to look at the topics and trends that concern you, adding tweaks, changes, of fixes as we go.

Finally, I’d like to give you a teaser on some upcoming events around the EA store.  If you haven’t bought the progression or personality pack, we have an upcoming promotion around the combination pack I think you’ll like.  Keep an eye on Facebook for details about this. Plus, these guys…

Thanks again for reading, see you next month, in the forums, and most importantly… on the battlefield!

It’s a brand New Year! For many, this is a chance to reflect, for others a time to look ahead. Some make resolutions. Sometimes they stick to them, sometimes they don’t. Regardless of your personal view of the New Year and what it brings, it marks a time for change.

This month’s Producer Letter is being brought to you by James Casey. James has been a Producer on the project for some time and has run a number of WAR initiatives (New User Journey, Endless Trial, Verminous Horde, etc.) in tandem with Carrie. Carrie is still working on WAR, but is looking at a different aspect of the game. This new focus will be revealed in due time.

Greetings!

The temperature is dropping and we hope that, as you sit huddled around
the glow of your monitors, our fall offering of The Verminous Horde,
Skaven-themed RVR packs will keep you warm. There’s so much to share
that we wanted to make sure everyone is up to speed on what’s been going
on the month of October, and what to expect in the near future.

A tall, lithe figure steps into the green light radiating from the pile
of Warpstone recovered from the recent purging of a newly found Skaven
Lair. His staff glows with an ancient, powerful magic, protecting those
gathered here from the taint. He reaches out with his hand, extending
his fingers towards the warmth coming from the rocks, gracefully weaving
the air as if wrapping the magics around his fingers.

“You’ve seen how they covet this stone. They crave it, it is all
consuming.” He says, his eyes widening at the power he feels present in
the Warpstone “They are also, with few exceptions, weak willed
creatures. We can use that to our advantage. As this rock has the power
to corrupt, it can also be corrupted to allow us to dominate them,
albeit for short time.”

Greetings!

Greetings all,

September is an extra special month here in the studio. As of September
18th, WAR is officially two years old! All players celebrating two years
of a Warhammer subscription will be rewarded for their service with
extra special gifts; an endless firework, the WAR Double Aegis (it means
we like you!), and a special two year anniversary cloak. Any player who
reaches one or two years cumulatively (it does not need to be
consecutive months), will receive their celebratory gifts via in-game
mail.