From WoW to Warhammer

**JoeThePlumber** · 08-29-2008

I wont compare WAR to WoW, just explain the mechanics in WAR!

First I will state, before anything else, this is NOT a 'WoW killer.' Because of the massive fanbase of Warcraft, no game can truly kill WoW; the only people powerful enough to kill WoW would be the fans themselves or Blizzard. No other game will be able to touch it. WAR is an entirely different game suited for a different audience. While WoW is mainly a PvE game with a PvP game inside it, WAR will majorly be a PvP game. However, that is not saying that WAR is not PvE, either. There is just a higher, better emphasis on PvP, seeing as how PvP will be built into the game at launch, unlike how WoW's PvP grew after its launch.

WAR will be mainly a PvPer's game, for those who are looking for no resilience, no gear based, no ultimate class PvP. From my experiences with each Archtype (Tank, Healer, Melee DPS, Caster DPS) they are ALL equal in PvP, each with their own pros and cons. PvP is available from level one, both open world and Instanced PvP (At least 18 at release). If joining an Instanced PvP zone (BGs, basically, only joinable from a button on the mini-map, and not being transported to where you signed up at. Placed right back down where you were questing or killing when you accept the queue) your stats will instantly be increased to level 8 for the duration of the match, but once over you be replaced back to your normal level, unless higher than 8, then the battleground buff has no affect and you keep your stats. The combat is remarkable, there is no 'overpowered' class from my experience, and it is not gear based in the least. Not to say someone with bad gear against someone with high gear wont have a disadvantage, but it wont be a huge disadvantage. With knowledge of what your class can/can't do, along with the opponent's class, you can still win.

The open world PvP (in WAR, all PvP is called RvR) even in beta has no lag for those with a high speed connection. Their servers have been built from the ground up in order to keep a high amount of players in both open and instanced PvP lag-free. The server I played on, I managed to get into a keep siege in open RvR, where one realm (their term for faction, Destruction is one realm, Order is the other) defends a keep while the other attempts to take it over. Once taken over, the realm's positions switch. Keeps are nearly always available for sieiging except for ten minutes after a capture. There will always be massive battles for the keeps, which have vendors inside for Renown (WAR's PvP ranking system. It gains experience from player kills just like experience for levelling.) gear which is what will give players a slight edge over their opponents, but as I've said, nothing huge.

More coming!