Analog Gamers Gaming From a Slightly Different Perspective

I received an interesting email today. Apparently, Mythic Entertainment is attempting to pull players that have left Warhammer Online back into the fold.

To do this, they’ve put together a package offering ten days of free game time and a unique quest line that rewards returning players with special items. They’re also touting all the new changes and improvements in the game. If you’re wondering what those might be, there’s a list after the break. They’re even releasing an expansion to the game (conveniently titled Call to Arms) that will be released over the coming months free of charge.

The big question all this raises is, should I go back? For that matter, should anyone? To be honest, I loved Warhammer. I love the setting, the classes, and I really enjoyed the dynamic of the Open RvR Keeps. The Scenarios were a ton of fun, and the classes were unique and fun to play.

The only reason I quit playing Warhammer in the first place was a simple one: Everyone else quit first. Warhammer suffered a fair bit from its own success. By that, I mean that the game was very successful at launch, having had something like a million players in the beta test. The servers were packed at launch, and many nights just getting logged in required waiting in line.

Mythic responded to these issues by opening many new servers, allowing transfers to alleviate the crowding, and generally expanding as best they could to accommodate the demand. Unfortunately, the timing of the launch could have been better, and the launch of Blizzard’s Wrath of the Lich King expansion pulled a ton of players away from Warhammer. I watched servers I had fought for a spot to play on become veritable ghost towns almost overnight.

Recently, Mythic has been addressing this problem by consolidating servers together. I’m sure this is both to cut hardware costs and to improve the player experience with larger server communities. The only downside to this is that the consolidation of servers means that people start expecting the game to fail. I hope Warhammer doesn’t, because it is the best example of how good a PvP focused MMO can be.

So, will you go back and answer the Call to Arms? A free expansion is certainly an incentive, but since my MMO playing is more social than competitive, I imagine I’ll be staying with my colleagues here in Middle Earth. Still, I hope that some players do return. Warhammer is far too good a game to fall by the wayside.

(The list of updates to the game can be found after the break)

• Benefit from major improvements to overall performance and server stability!
• Investigate two new tank classes: Knight of the Blazing Sun and Black Guard
• Check out easy, medium, and hard PQs designed for different group sizes and skill levels
• Enjoy major improvements to Fortress and Keep stability and performance
• Gain rewards from Influence earned in Open RvR
• Participate in our exciting new Live Events
• Enjoy increased experience in Tiers 3 and 4
• Wrest control of Tier 4 zones via our new Domination system
• Earn new and improved Guild rewards
• Explore three completely re-itemized dungeons
• Check out the many user interface improvements for parties and warbands
• Earn free game time and exclusive in-game rewards by recruiting friends and family
• Enjoy the fruits of our labor: over 1000 bugs squashed!