Warhammer Online hits 500k

[Cadaverine]

http://war.mmolecule.com/articles/id/1653

500k new accounts in the first week.  Of course, half of those are gold spammers. 

I wonder how many will actually stick around after the first 30, though. 

[Hawkbit]

Today after work, I stopped into my local Gamestop and chatted it up with the only guy I can stand that works there.  He was comparing the launches of AoC and WAR.  He said with AoC there was this huge hype machine, they sold all their preorders and then two days after launch they never sold another copy again. 

With WAR though, he said they had a pretty quiet launch outside of the initial launch, but the copies are selling consistently every day.  He seemed to think that the same could be said across all the branches in my city.

[Lakov_Sanite]

loooooooooots of gold spammers.

[schild]

Honestly, I'm not worried about the gold sellers. It's going to go away, gold means fucking nothing - NOT A FUCKING THING - in WAR. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTHING.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Honestly, I'm not worried about the gold sellers. It's going to go away, gold means fucking nothing - NOT A FUCKING THING - in WAR. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTHING.

...yet.

[ShenMolo]

The gold spammers don't bother me much. The blue chat just kinda comes and goes, like the annoying chattering NPC's that infest Altdorf. Its like background noise by now, like commercials on the radio, I just tune out and don't even see it. Maybe if I was having less fun I would be annoyed about it. Or chatted more often.

LESS CHAT MORE SPLAT

[Lantyssa]

I'm using the spam to get my Snob titles.

[sam, an eggplant]

I wonder how many will actually stick around after the first 30, though. 

Yep. AoC had 600k players in month one.

[rk47]

majority is probably staying for the Tier 4 content promised by mythic, namely Capital City siege. Once they've done that and depends whether it's a complete lagfest or a complete deadlock or one side gets completely zerged with no chance, then people may or may not resub. As of now, Population are majority in Tier 2-3. Tier 4 people have nothing but quests for EXP or cap objectives or keeps for RP level ups which takes a hell long time.

[Simond]

majority is probably staying for the Tier 4 content promised by mythic, namely Capital City siege. Once they've done that and depends whether it's a complete lagfest or a complete deadlock or one side gets completely zerged with no chance, then people may or may not resub.

It's going to be option one, three, or (more likely) both one and three. There's no way in hell world PvP works when one side is outnumbered at least two to one on all bar a couple of servers.

[Nebu]

There's no way in hell world PvP works when one side is outnumbered at least two to one on all bar a couple of servers.

When it's still that way when a large number hits 40, that's the time to show concern. 

I think a few people are already realm hopping to avoid queues.  As time passes, there may still be a population advantage on Destruction, but it's not going to be as severe.  Also, it isn't unlikely that a well organized warparty that's smaller won't be able to still beat a larger zerg.  I'd be a huge fan of playing on the underdog if it meant a larger number of targets and shorter queues.  I don't think I'm alone.

[cevik]

If the solution to population imbalance is "force people to reroll" then I bet Blizzard are a bunch of happy campers right about now.

[Oz]

I almost wonder if mythic will have to "beef up" the order classes to compensate for the being outnumbered.  Would be an interesting way to counterbalance unfair population discrepencies. 

Make order classes OP to copensate for being outnumbered.  If destruction players reroll on order side, scale back order.  Would be tricky in scenarios were both sides are even numbers....

[Threash]

I almost wonder if mythic will have to "beef up" the order classes to compensate for the being outnumbered.  Would be an interesting way to counterbalance unfair population discrepencies. 

Make order classes OP to copensate for being outnumbered.  If destruction players reroll on order side, scale back order.  Would be tricky in scenarios were both sides are even numbers....

It's as simple as adding a realm wide damage or health or exp or whatever bonus directly based on population.

[Oz]

It's as simple as adding a realm wide damage or health or exp or whatever bonus directly based on population.

exp only helps to bring in new fish.  (exp don't mean jack at 40)
dam/health have the same problem in scenarios...

mmm not sure how to solve the problem.  Could make world RvR zones instanced with population caps (which brings in the whole instance vs. open debate), which would eliminate the advantage destruction has in world RvR.

[Mrbloodworth]

Something, clearly, is just not attractive about the order classes. OR Something is very attractive about the destruction classes. Start there. Inflating Health, EXP and all that wont help.

[tazelbain]

The imbalance might not have been so bad if empire had a tank.

[sam, an eggplant]

Something, clearly, is just not attractive about the order classes.

Have you tried playing an order elf? Check out the white lion class. They prance around like nancy boys in dresses. The animation is cardboard, awkward, and just plain awful.

[Mrbloodworth]

The imbalance might not have been so bad if empire had a tank.

Perhaps the old rules do not apply, why do you think you need a basic "Tank" class, I haven't played order yet, but really... A lot of the classes on the order side seem to be able to take a ton of damage.

I dunno, i think attempting to try to apply the "Tank, healer, DPS" rules to this game and its classes may be a mistake. Most of the classes in this game are a hybrids.

You (and others) say you have no tanks, whats an iron breaker? or the priest guy in full plate? (i haven't played any of them). I get that there is no stright up "Tank" on order side like on destruction.... but i bet the other classes make up for it.

Something, clearly, is just not attractive about the order classes.

Have you tried playing an order elf? Check out the white lion class. They prance around like nancy boys in dresses. The animation is cardboard, awkward, and just plain awful.

Nope, thats my favorite class to kill however (with my DOK and Squig herder).

[Sobelius]

Something, clearly, is just not attractive about the order classes.

Have you tried playing an order elf? Check out the white lion class. They prance around like nancy boys in dresses. The animation is cardboard, awkward, and just plain awful.

Yep. Classes people like in Order: BW and WH. Because while they may be on the Order side, they still have something "sinister" about them. People like to play classes with a tough, sinister or just "strong" look/vibe, especially in a pvp game. No one wants to be thought of as pvp roadkill because they 'wear a dress'. I do like the swordmaster's big-ass sword (which maybe makes me a size queen?). BW and WH have cool looks. I like the WP as well -- hefting a two-handed hammer is great. But almost all of the light elf toons are lamentable in appearance. None look or feel "tough" to me. I wish the art style of the light elves had been less "grocery store vanilla cake with white and blue frosting" and gone for something stronger like "bloody veal cutlet". To their credit, the faces of the light elf toons are battle-scarred and somewhat un-pretty, but no one sees that level of detail in a fight. I agree the animations could have used less "prancing pony" and more "mad-as-hell juggernaut".

[Hawkbit]

At least for PvE PQs, not having a tank in Empire T1 and T2 is frustrating.  I took my swordmaster to Empire in my mid-teens and I was the only tank I ever saw over there.  When they get to stage 3 in a PQ it becomes a graveyard zerg because Empire doesn't have a tank and without having a tank, their healers have learned to only heal themselves.  

I'm not saying the sky is falling, but the game never should have released without at least one each of the holy trinity (tank, healer, dps) from each region.  

Luckily, somewhat in T2 and T3 people begin to move around outside of their faction's storylines so the tanks get spread out a bit more.  But T1 its a pain in teh butt.

[Riggswolfe]

It doesn't help that several of the Destruction mirror classes are stronger than their Order counterparts.

[Phred]

I'm not saying the sky is falling, but the game never should have released without at least one each of the holy trinity (tank, healer, dps) from each region. 

Dwarves have a very good tank. Sounds like no one is playing one though.

[Rasix]

When have dwarves ever been a popular realm/race choice? The Destro tank choices look mean and imposing.  The order tanks either fail as a roadblock due to stumpiness or wear a dress and look like they're not getting enough sun.

[tazelbain]

Shadow Warriors are the best "Legolis" class ever created.  I am surprised more people haven't latched on to it.  (A great counter to those damn sorcs too)

Perhaps the old rules do not apply, why do you think you need a basic "Tank" class, I haven't played order yet, but really... A lot of the classes on the order side seem to be able to take a ton of damage.

I dunno, i think attempting to try to apply the "Tank, healer, DPS" rules to this game and its classes may be a mistake. Most of the classes in this game are a hybrids.

You (and others) say you have no tanks, whats an iron breaker? or the priest guy in full plate? (i haven't played any of them). I get that there is no stright up "Tank" on order side like on destruction.... but i bet the other classes make up for it.

The tank role in PvP isn't to tank.  It is get into people's faces and disrupt what they are doing and maybe get some kills.  The extra survivability just allows them to survive behind enemy lines longer than most.  Teams without Tanks are continual forced to retreat because the enemy tanks and mdps will go straight for you weakest members and eat you up.

I don't think we have no tanks.  I think we have no Empire tanks which is a fact.  IB and SM are great tanks.  But they aren't popular.  They aren't cool.  Warrior Priest are Hybrids closer to mdps than anything.  Sadly the issue is about look and feel.  Order just isn't badass looking so people just aren't as keen to play them.

[Oz]

Order just isn't badass looking so people just aren't as keen to play them.

This. 

I 100% believe that the destruction imbalance is due to them being "cooler" to most males between the age of 12 and 30 that play video games (and the occasional girly).

they are metal.  they are goth.  they are gritty and mean and sinister.  they Rock.  Order is pop and 80's hair bands... (imho)

If Mythic added that one lizard-man good race they might see better balance...who knows.  race/style is lacking something.

[sam, an eggplant]

It's not just coolness, they're flat out inferior. Start up a white lion and imagine looking at those animations for the next 20 days /played. You'll delete that character right quick.

[Merusk]

You all keep saying "people" when you mean "PVPers."   I predicted this imbalance a long, long time ago and you laughed, LAUGHED at me while pointing to WoW.  It's good to know I still know people's behaviors pretty well.

Yes, the "man in a dress" aspect drives PVPers away from Order elves.  Nobody likes dwarves any more than they like gnomes (fucking gnomes).   So you've got humans who lack a tank and look pretty flouncy - except for 2 classes- vs an array of badass-looking humans and half-naked elf ass. 

I really haven't clue one how to counter this within the WAR lore, but you need to offer a whole race that looks MUCH less effeminate on the Order side. (and no, the paladin-likes with the headdress wouldn't have helped)  Funny that the answer is the exact opposite of what WOW faced 4 years ago.

[Cadaverine]

I've been playing arround with the Destruction classes lately, and visuals aside, I don't think they're that much different vs their Order mirrors.  Playing on Iron Rock, there are few, if any, healers in the scenarios at T1.  Those few that do queue up heal themselves only.  Order, on the other hand, have plenty of healers, and they heal others.  Destruction generally gets it's ass kicked in the scenarios.

Between the two sides, they feel pretty much the same.  Fighting an Ironbreaker with my Chosen felt the same as fighting a Chosen with my Ironbreaker, given that I didn't generally get heals either way.

[sam, an eggplant]

It's not just that they look feminine. Light elf animation is just plain shit. To clarify, it's fucking terrible on both technical and artistic levels.

[Lantyssa]

You (and others) say you have no tanks, whats an iron breaker? or the priest guy in full plate? (i haven't played any of them). I get that there is no stright up "Tank" on order side like on destruction.... but i bet the other classes make up for it.

It might look like it, however the Disciple/Warrior Priest is only medium armor.  Disciples are mainly HoT (haven't played a WP, but will assume it's similar).  1-on-1 it's powerful.  Against groups or in a PQ with Hero mobs and their champion retainers that shred any non-heavy armor wearer, they cannot stand up for long.

I've been playing arround with the Destruction classes lately, and visuals aside, I don't think they're that much different vs their Order mirrors.  Playing on Iron Rock, there are few, if any, healers in the scenarios at T1.  Those few that do queue up heal themselves only.  Order, on the other hand, have plenty of healers, and they heal others.  Destruction generally gets it's ass kicked in the scenarios.

The classes play the same to me as well.  The visuals are what draw me though.  There is a little too much skin for my tastes, but I love the look of all the Dark Elves.  The higher tier Chaos armor looks awesome.  Greenskins feel brutal, even if they're not to my taste.  All of the Destruction architecture gives an appropriate vibe.

Order has the appropriate feel, but in all cases it's pretty boring or not something which really draws people.  Nothing other-wordly.  Dwarves, Elves, and Humans.  No 'Oomph', just standard fantasy.  Witch Hunters have the only outfit with style.  Well, elves get some neat ones later on, but I'm not sure that's a huge draw.

[tmp]

I 100% believe that the destruction imbalance is due to them being "cooler" to most males between the age of 12 and 30 that play video games (and the occasional girly).

Didn't it fail in WoW  though, to the point where they had to clone night elves for the "cooler" side?

Although oddly enough, in WAR where the population issue is reverted it's the 'dark' elves that are better looking. Maybe it's all and universally about elf tits in the end.

[pants]

I 100% believe that the destruction imbalance is due to them being "cooler" to most males between the age of 12 and 30 that play video games (and the occasional girly).

Didn't it fail in WoW  though, to the point where they had to clone night elves for the "cooler" side?

I think the point which Merusk highlighted is that WoW's and WAR's core audiences are slightly different.  WoW is more PvE focussed, with PvP tacked on.  WAR is PvP focussed, with PvE tacked on.  The slight change in focus brings a more PvP-centric crowd to WAR, who tend more towards stereotypical 14 year old boys (note - I said tend, I realise there are plenty of 65 year old grandmother gankers "Would you like a cup of tea dear?  Or a slice of cake?  Corp Por - lol azzrape").  Remember, for a long time WoW's PvE servers had a strong alliance bias, and the PvP servers were pretty even Alliance-Horde.

There were also a couple of extra points.  Alliance had a common view as being more complete early on with better quests etc.  Warhammer's style has been 'Chaos spiky pointy death is kewl' for years now.  Horde had no elves, which hurt their numbers (helped quality of players IMO - the place has gone to the dogs since they let the elves in).  Warhammer has good elves and bad elves, and everyone knows bad elves are kewler than good elves.  Except for Drizzt, who was bad before he became good.  etc etc.

[Lakov_Sanite]

I 100% believe that the destruction imbalance is due to them being "cooler" to most males between the age of 12 and 30 that play video games (and the occasional girly).

Didn't it fail in WoW  though, to the point where they had to clone night elves for the "cooler" side?

I think the point which Merusk highlighted is that WoW's and WAR's core audiences are slightly different.  WoW is more PvE focussed, with PvP tacked on.  WAR is PvP focussed, with PvE tacked on.  The slight change in focus brings a more PvP-centric crowd to WAR, who tend more towards stereotypical 14 year old boys (note - I said tend, I realise there are plenty of 65 year old grandmother gankers "Would you like a cup of tea dear?  Or a slice of cake?  Corp Por - lol azzrape").  Remember, for a long time WoW's PvE servers had a strong alliance bias, and the PvP servers were pretty even Alliance-Horde.

There were also a couple of extra points.  Alliance had a common view as being more complete early on with better quests etc.  Warhammer's style has been 'Chaos spiky pointy death is kewl' for years now.  Horde had no elves, which hurt their numbers (helped quality of players IMO - the place has gone to the dogs since they let the elves in).  Warhammer has good elves and bad elves, and everyone knows bad elves are kewler than good elves.  Except for Drizzt, who was bad before he became good.  etc etc.

I play with a bunch of roleplayers and only casual pvp'ers that came over from wow and the overwhelming majority was simply not interested in order at all. Granted we all played horde first so may have been pre-disposed to chaos but the order races are just so damned generic as to be boring. Hell personally I find the dark elves generic myself with choas being truly interesting and greenskin at least being an excellent take on those races.

[rk47]

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