Vaunri Steelrain and the Land of the Dead

I said the other day that I would be throwing up a few more thoughts on Land of the Dead…but I haven’t really spent enough time there to form a valid opinion yet.  So I’ll just go over a few highlights and save my analysis for later.  There will be a certain someone reading this who was in my thoughts the entire time I explored here.  The screenshots will reveal why. 

As I mentioned already, I really do love the design and atmosphere of the zone.  It’s a lovely change of pace from Warhammer’s normal style.

The in-game map for Land of the Dead only lays out the basics…with the Destruction Warcamp in the top right of the zone and the Order Warcamp in the lower right.

One thing I think we can all agree on is that Land of the Dead came out during a time when it was not needed.  I am enjoying the zone thus far, but it was not what WAR required when the decision was made to divert a bunch of development time to creating it.  I think Mythic did a fine job with the zone itself, but WAR was suffering so many other problems at the time Land of the Dead was released that it only served to pour salt on the wounds.

That being said, I am happy we have Land of the Dead and feel that it serves its purpose well.  Lotd opens up to players in the 30s, and is an open RvR (PvP) zone where both Order and Destruction vie for entry.  Both sides gather resources in a race to unlock travel to the zone.  When one realm wins the race they may enter and run Public Quests and Tombs to their heart’s content.

However, after a short period of time the opportunity to open the travel route begins again…and if the opposing side gains access then they may enter while their enemies are still in the zone.  This gives Land of the Dead a wonderful quality of suspense, as you know that you could be beset upon by your foes at any time while you are doing PvE.  Each realm’s Warcamp can also be assaulted by the opposing faction, furthering the level of general animosity in the zone itself.

Apart from the RvR available here, there are 16 different Public Quests, 4 Tombs, and 1 Dungeon…the infamous Tomb of the Vulture Lord.  The Tombs require you to earn Glyphs from the PQs, each requiring different Glyphs in order to enter.  Lotd also has its own currency drops that allow players to progress and earn some very nice loot during their trips here.  So there is plenty to keep you busy in Lotd, as I promptly learned when I came upon a lone Squig Herder while he was hunting monsters.  I promptly laid him to rest and sent him back to the Inevitable City. 

I haven’t had the opportunity to run Tomb of the Vulture Lord yet, though I do hear that it’s getting some much-needed love and attention from Mythic in the next patch.  Once I have a chance to experience more of the zone’s content I will be back with my thoughts!

A decent little Land of the Dead preview vid from G4…

Be back tomorrow with more commentary

I just wanted to throw up a quick post to let you guys know that I will be back with some more commentary over the weekend.  I’m just settling in and getting used to my Shadow Warrior again.  I made my first foray into Land of the Dead today, so I look forward to exploring it some more and sharing my thoughts.  I really like the aesthetic feel of the zone so far, with its howling winds and sand blasted temples.  It’s a nice departure from the current designs we have in the mainland.

I will also be sharing my updated thoughts on the Shadow Warrior class once I feel things out a bit more.  I have noticed some surprisingly good changes thus far, but I still feel like there is something missing and I hope to offer some suggestions.  Until then I can only say this…Warhammer Online is rocking and rolling these days, so whether you are an Endless Trial player or a regular subscriber I suggest you get out there and WAAAGGGHH!!!

WAR – Dreading Tier 3?

As I continue my journey back into the heart of WAR, I am constantly reminded of just how much I enjoy Tiers 1 and 2.  The “war is everywhere” statement truly applies to the game here, and there is a wonderful sense of joy and discovery as you plow through the early levels.  WAR bombards your senses with tips and tutorials, peeling back the veil on each layer of gameplay that Mythic has constructed for your enjoyment.

WAR pits you against the opposing faction almost immediately, giving the player no doubt that there will be blood and it will be glorious.  But something happens to Warhammer Online once you hit level 21 and pass into Tier 3.  I remember feeling that sense of foreboding back when I first played the game…the slow, gradual feeling that things are all too familiar and Warhammer Online has little left to show that you have not already experienced.

In short…WAR is far too eager to reveal its hand, so to speak.

By the time you hit Tier 3 you have participated in a plethora of scenarios, run Public Quests until you were blue in the face, sieged Keeps, tussled over Battlefield Objectives, and roamed the RvR lakes in swarming, blood-thirsty zergs.  You have done just about everything there is to do in Warhammer Online.  Oh sure, the Keeps get bigger and you get to run a few dungeons later on.  But dungeons are not the focus of WAR…it’s a PvP-first kind of game after all.

The only thing you have left to look forward too are the City Sieges, which have been so ineffective at delivering a compelling, endgame RvR experience that Mythic has gone back to the drawing board and will be launching the retooled City Sieges in the next patch.  I’m excited as anyone to hear what they have in store for us, and if they play their cards right I truly believe we could be looking at the beginning of WAR’s comeback.

The only other bit of content that is different past Tiers 1 and 2 is Land of the Dead.  But to quote another WAR player, “Adding Land of the Dead was like throwing water to a drowning man.”  It did nothing to alleviate the problems Warhammer Online was going through, and only served to exacerbate the issues of an endgame RvR system that just wasn’t working properly.  We have already been told that some major bug fixing is on the way for the Tomb of the Vulture Lord, and from what I hear that will be most welcome…as the bugs in there can be as nasty as the monsters.

But the point still stands…WAR starts off with guns blazing and then does little to surprise you past the first two Tiers.  My past experience with Warhammer Online showed me that WAR was a joyful, fun, and vibrant MMO for 20 levels.  Then a sense of “been there done that” began to set in and the whole experience became a little sour.  WAR still has a ton going for it and it stands as the best PvP MMO on the market right now, in my humble opinion anyway.  And yet I can’t help but feel a sense of dread as I slowly get closer and closer to Tier 3.

So how is it these days?  Does the bloom still fall off the rose when you transition into Tier 3?  Let me know your thoughts!