For those who don’t know, I am an officer in the Army currently deployed to Iraq. I am returning to the states in approximately three weeks. I am in the middle of out-processing, training up my replacement, packing up my crap and shipping most of it home. After I return to the states,  I have one month to pack up my household goods, rent out my house, move to a new duty station, buy a house, get settled in, and start work. As you might have guessed, I’m slightly busy.

I haven’t been able to be as active with this website as I would have liked. Part of the problem is that our turnover for writers is extremely high. Maybe that’s because we started at launch, and as people played and realized they didn’t enjoy the game as much as they thought they would, they lost interest. But whatever the reasons, we lose more writers each month than we hire. I have a growing list of bloggers that I would like to ask to join us, but I simply haven’t had the time to contact them.

As a result, you’re going to see a couple changes. Hopefully our current writers will remain.  I will be giving them access to post directly to the website rather than waiting for my review.

I will also be opening access for everyone to submit posts. That means even if you aren’t on our payroll, you are still free to write a post on current events, your thoughts, in-game experiences, or whatever to share with the community. However, due to the dubious nature of humans, these posts will be reviewed by yours truly before publication to the front page.

I’ll post another update once these changes have been put in place. To our regular readers: thanks for sticking with us.

Each week, I will post a list of the top 10 articles that I found while exploring the tubes of the internet and blogosphere. This list is purely subjective and based on my opinion alone, so take it for what it’s worth.

1. Syncaine talks about server transfers, the importance of high population, and the lack of a need to rush to the end game in Warhammer Online.

2. Sans gives Theerivs some excellent advice on how to level a Chosen.

3. Mark Jacobs gives us a sneak preview of patch 1.05 over on the VN Boards, and the next day they show up on the Herald.

4. Thulfs lists some of the endgame epic quests for Destruction.

5. Admin points us to some awesome guides to pocket items.

…Click here to read more

On October 1st, we announced our Grand Opening Screenshot Contest. Thank you to everyone who entered. Our panel of judges spent hours toiling over the plethora of entries that we received. After a long night of grueling debate, we reached a consensus. The winners are as follows:

Third Place

Rattata is Evolving! Rattata’s screenshot looked like a dude with a horse’s head and a Swordmaster riding on his shoulders. Interesting use of the camera angle for special effects. Enjoy your Warrior Priest miniature.

Second Place

Fight on Flag? In Norsca, flag capture YOU! And Dante walks away with a Prima Player’s Guide and Atlas combo pack.

First Place

Drumroll please…

It’s a beautiful world! Sunspots’s shot of Mannslieb and Morrslieb beautifully hung upon the sky above Talabecland takes the cake. Enjoy your 60-day game card and 86,400 minutes of Warhammer Online on us!

The winner’s will be contacted via email so we can send their prizes. Again, thanks to everyone who entered, and congratulations to the winners.

Each week, I will post a list of the top 10 articles that I found while exploring the tubes of the internet and blogosphere. This list is purely subjective and based on my opinion alone, so take it for what it’s worth.

1. Malitas teaches us the art of an AoE tank as a Black Orc. Great for grinding out levels, public quests, or whatever.

2. Syncaine recommends reducing the amount of content available in Warhammer Online in order to make the game seem more populated and alive.

3. Syp made a list of the 50 small attractions of Warhammer Online.

4. Witching Night, Warhammer Online’s online version of Halloween, is live from October 29 to November 2.  Get the official details on the Herald, or check out Massively’s write-up for a closer look at what’s available.

5. Alex reminds us that if you’re looking for war, it’s waiting for you in tier 4 in the form of several large, roaming warbands of both Destruction and Alliance facing off in the open RvR lakes.

…Click here to read more

Each week, I will post a list of the top 10 articles that I found while exploring the tubes of the internet and blogosphere. This list is purely subjective and based on my opinion alone, so take it for what it’s worth.

1. Spinks reviews the latest change to renown for healers in scenarios. Previously, healers got renown for any healing they did in a scenario. Now, they only get renown for healing members of their team that were involved in killing a member of the opposite team. Bottom line: you get less renown for healing tanks and other healers and more renown for healing the high DPS classes. Lame.

2. In an interview with Ten Ton Hammer, Mark Jacobs revealed that after the Black Guard and the Knight of the Blazing Sun, we will see the return of either the Hammerer or the Choppa…one of them may be replaced with a different career. Most are putting their money on the Hammerer being replaced with the Slayer.

3. For Halloween, Warhammer Online will feature an in-game event called Witching Night. Boss monsters with phat loot will be lurking in the RvR lakes. Not only will you have to down the boss, you’ll have to contend with the opposite faction, too.

4. Thanks to Draegan for pointing us to a post on F13.net in which Mark Jacobs discusses Mythic’s plans to get players out of the scenarios and into open RvR and RvR lakes. He says, and I quote, “We are going to boost RvR like crazy, it’s going to be the place to be.  You’d have to have 10 tons of brain damage not to go open RvR.” It’s a long thread but worth the read. I suggest skimming it for Mark’s responses, which offer a lot of insight into the future direction of Warhammer Online.

5. Ainilome asks, “Why can’t we pass on PQ loot bags?” Good question.

…Click here to read more

Each week, I will post a list of the top 10 articles that I found while exploring the tubes of the internet and blogosphere. This list is purely subjective and based on my opinion alone, so take it for what it’s worth.

1. Altdorf apparently “fell” on the Averheim server, this time for real. Coincidentally, this is where I’m playing my Rune Priest. Normally, I stay away from most forums, as they generally tend to consist of insults and barbs thrown by civilized people devolved into internet idiots. However, there’s a pretty good thread over on Warhammer Alliance about it. Mark Jacobs gives his response on the VN Boards, and the WAR blogosphere is consumed by the subject. You can find some of the better coverage by reading these posts by Tobold, Thulf, Rog, and Heartless. Br3ntbr0, however, points us to a follow-on post by Mark Jacobs, which further clarifies how Altdorf fell so quickly. Leo also points out that Altdorf did not fall; it was merely thrown into a contested state.

2. Great write-up on trophies and bestial tokens by Thulf. I must have missed the memo, because I didn’t know what the hell bestial tokens did until I read his post.

3. Syncaine implores you to slow down and enjoy Warhammer Online. Unlike most MMORPGs, there is plenty of content throughout the levels. If you race to the end-game, you’re going to miss out on a lot. This is one of the reasons I don’t feel that frantic need to hit the level cap.

4. Not much blogging about WAR dungeons going on, but fortunately Arbitrary doesn’t disappoint with his overview of Gunbad, a three-wing public dungeon in the Badlands.

5. In an interview with GameIndustry.biz, Blizzard’s COO states that over half of those who cited Warhammer Online as their reason for leaving World of Warcraft have returned. Whether that means over 25,000 out of 50,000 or 25 out of 50, we shall never know, but I’m betting it’s closer to 25.

…Click here to read more

Unfortunately, this week’s AddOn Roundup is cancelled, and there is a strong possibility that Boatorius will be unable to write a post next week as well. He sent me an email on Saturday letting me know that he is going to be without internet-crack for the next 7-10 days. You can read the details of his woes on his blog.

I would have loved to fill in for him. Unfortunately, I am currently deployed to Iraq and working 14-hour days, seven days a week. With my limited free-time, I don’t think I would have been able to do the AddOn Roundup justice. Instead of spewing out a half-assed product, this week I’ll be writing the first UI Showcase article. UI Showcase is a user-submitted column where readers can submit a screenshot and description of their user interface and addon selection. This week, I’ll take a look at my setup for a Rune Priest.

As you can see, I’ve moved both my mini-map and and my player and target frames to the bottom-center of my screen. I like to have all of the combat specific aspects of my UI close together so my eyes have less distance to travel when the pace picks up. Rather than glancing all the way up at the top-left corner of my screen, the health bars are located right by my character so I can watch the battle, my health, and my action bars with minimal fuss. My morale abilities are right below my player frame so I can easily notice when they light it up.

…Click here to read more

Each week, I will post a list of the top 10 articles that I found while exploring the tubes of the internet and blogosphere. This list is purely subjective and based on my opinion alone, so take it for what it’s worth.

1. If you want just a small sample of the epic proportions of keep raids, check out Keen’s post about Happy Fun Guyz’s battle to reclaim their keep.

2. Syp gives a good tutorial on tactics, explaining the difference between Career Tactics, RvR Tactics, and Tome Tactics.

3. Thade offers some helpful advice on how to use the global cooldown to time spells and ensure you have a virtually limitless supply of action points.

4. Alex sets up a great rotation for taking down multiple mobs simultaneously while questing as a Black Orc.

5. Ulfryk teaches you how to counter a Witch Hunter attack as a Zealot…

…Click here to read more

I’m down in the Marshes of Madness with my Squig Herder turning in a quest when, lo and behold, I check the map and see a bunch of crossed swords icons lighting up the RvR lake like a Christmas tree around the keep in Fangbreaka Swamp. For those of you who might not know, these symbols show you where realm versus realm combat is happening.

They tell you where the action is.

The map also tells me that the keep, currently controlled by Destruction, is under attack. I hadn’t gotten the chance to participate in any real RvR (that is, RvR outside of scenarios) because one, I am only able to play for a couple hours at a time during the off-hours and two, my internet connection is so bad it makes me envious of the good old days of dial-up.

But today is a rare day of generally lag-free gameplay, so I run into the RvR lake and begin trucking down the road toward the keep. Without warning, something explodes beneath my feet and throws me forward, and as I fly through the air, I see three dwarves come tearing out from behind a hill toward me.

A perfectly laid ambush.

…Click here to read more

The passes through Mount Bloodhorn, the Dwarf versus Greenskin Tier 1 zone, were once inhabited by Dwarfs and hoped to be the beginnings of a prosperous trade route to the lands south of the Empire. Now those hills and forests are infested with Orcs and Goblins, and those travelers lucky enough to survive the hordes of Greenskins are likely targets for the bandits that prowl the road.

Surrounded by a swath of carnage and sparkling stumpies, Gorkazatan of Volkmar server fame lets out a battlecry and prepares for his next opponent. The sight of this Black Orc charging across the battlefield would make even the bravest of warriors leak a little in their pants.

No MMO experience is complete without sprinkles of gold seller spam, and this screenshot doesn’t fail to disappoint in that department.