Ask The Magic WAAAGH! Ball

For all my wordiness, right now I’m probably the *worst* person to talk to about All Things Warhammer. I’ve spent 95% of my beta experience in the Chapter 1 newbie zones, I’ve only once played a character over level 7, and I’m deliberately ignoring a bulk of videos, guides and other info gluts out there in exchange for having a richer, perhaps more surprising gaming experience next month. I know from history that sooner or later I’ll be up to date on every skill and nuance of the game, but why rush it?

This is why I’ve shied away from opening myself up to questions, not because I am soaring in the clouds of knowledge while you tread on the surly earth of ignorance, but because my knowledge is pretty patchy in spots. For example, the article I posted on Public Quests? Read the comments. People out there are SO much more knowledgeable on the whole deal that it’s kind of embarrassing to even try to talk about it.

But, again, I’m wordy, so I’m compelled to do so anyway.

I recently received an e-mail from Johnny “Koala Bear of Doom” S., and he asked me a whole bunch of questions that my limited one month of newbie zone beta experience probably can’t handle. Let’s see:

1) Zoning and instances. Please, above all else, go into depth about how the game is zoned, load screens, instances, If there are different instances of each zone, etc,etc. Also, when will I encounter a load screen? and in your opinion and that of your fellow podcasters, how badly do the load screens and gameplay overall break immersion? And what are the biggest immersion killers?

The only load screens I’ve seen are (a) when the game initially loads up, (b) when you log into the game, (c) when you take a flight path to a completely new zone (but not when you run from one zone to another, (d) and when you zone into a scenario. They have tips or lore on the loading screens, so at least there’s something to read. I’ll ask about “immersion killers” on ChaosCast #6.

2) Pre-Scripted PVP: aka battlegrounds, PVP where, well….how do I explain it? Its…premade for you? Such as arenas and battlegrounds. How are they setting that up? also, any special pvp deal such as arenas at lvl 40? Dont get me wrong, I think arenas are the wrong way to go, but I do enjoy some prescripted pvp.

Scenarios, scenarios, scenarios. If you want set up, structured PvP (verses the often-chaotic open world PvP), queue up for a balanced scenario. No arenas that I know of (thank God).

3) I’m confused about Raids….I like raids. I like pvp. I just do pvp more because I can pvp within 5 minutes of logging on. I cant get a raid together if I log on out of the blue. I enjoy both. How are they doing raids (if any) in this game?

Never done a raid, outside of joining a warband for a PQ.

4) Can you do a class review of the Black Orc for me? please 🙂

One is upcoming 🙂

5) I was interested in playing the shaman class, and I enjoyed the direction MYTHIC is taking it, where you are encouraged to heal and nuke. I played a shaman in wow, my biggest drawback was how I needed to go respec everytime I wanted to heal, and I needed different gear. The shaman class is not sounding too hot since I’m hearing its the most overplayed class. This leads me to my next point..

MYTHIC! Okay, I do know this: WoW Shaman != WAR Shaman. Sure, they both sort of nuke and sort of heal, but WAR’s shammies are much more vulnerable, with no melee value to speak of. I don’t think they’re going to be “overplayed” — healing classes rarely are — and while they’re fun, they’re reportedly not as durable as Runepriests or even Archmages.

6) Talent Trees(Mastery branches?). How are they doing ’em? What do I have to do to respec? And final question….

Mastery Paths, actually. You have three paths to choose from, one for each specialty in your career. It’s very linear, you just plug points into them (which boost the skills affiliated with that branch), and then an extra point for new skills, morales, or tactics along the way.

You can respec, I’m not sure for how much though.

7) Shaman mastery branches….If they are being encouraged to nuke AND heal, how do they choose a branch that dictates which one they will be better at? How are they doing the talent trees for the shaman?

You know what, go check out this article by Keen. He’s got it pretty well covered 😀

So, see? What do I know! I’m just a small town girl living in a lonely world.

(and I took the midnight train going anywaaagh…)