Syp’s Altdorf or Bust Tour – part 1! of 2!

Despite being in a leveling craze the first week — or perhaps because of it — Syp the Engineer decided to take a break from PQ’s, scenarios, questing and (most of all) dying to take a long-delayed trip to the mightiest city in the Empire: Altdorf. There’s just so much to see and do and more ways to die in this town, that it actually took me the better part of four hours poking around in all the nooks and crannies — and I’m pretty sure I still missed a lot of it!

If you’re visiting for the first time, it helps to think of Altdorf as a wheel, with the Market Square (where you arrive) at the center, and spokes radiating out from it to the other major sections: the Emperor’s Palace (north), Docks (northeast and east), Bright Wizard College and slums (east), Emperor’s Circle and War Quarters (south), and Library, Lord’s Row and Sigmar’s Temple (west). It looks big at the beginning — and it is! — but after a while you get very used to the layout and where you are in relation to everything else, even with the twisty-turny streets.

Here is Syp fresh off a flight from the dwarf T1 zone… for some reason, when I think “gyrocopter airport” I don’t immediately think “checkered floor”. It’s like someone landed a helicopter in a kitchen.

I tooled around the Market Square for a while and came across one of the bankers. I think he’s doing 10-20 for manslaughter.

Of course, no trip to Altdorf is complete without seeing Hans the Sausage Vendor, and his amazing lack of sausages. I really don’t want to think about that any longer.

The centerpiece of Market Square is the gallows. I didn’t get to see these guys actually drop (M rating anyone?) but the little notice up there is that they violated Mythic’s EUALA.

Walking up to the gallows, I spied this pleasant gentleman: THE EXECUTIONER. Ooh, he’s all fierce and stuff. Hey, Mr. Executioner, want to take a picture with me? Yeah? Awesome.

For people who claim WAR looks “WoW-like”, pfft. Just look at how gorgeous and detailed everything is, leading up to the Emperor’s Palace. I was quite amazed with the level of detail and small touches in the city.

Unfortunately, with Altdorf being City Rank 1, this is as far as I got to the palace. I think Jabba wasn’t seeing any Jedis that day.

Forget the powerful and wealthy, then — Syp felt more comfortable exploring the Slums. Here you see one of dozens of identical houses with minor variations on the theme.

The entrance to the sewer dungeon, with a dog peeing on it. It gives it that quaint country charm, don’t it?

Life in the slums being what it is, a crazy lady had constructed a pen for rats. A rat pen. My mind reeled at the thought of rats dumb enough not to get out of this. Oh, and there’s a plague going on in town — can’t imagine how it’s being spread. Thanks for the death, crazy lady!

Hey! A curious barrel! Why is it so curious? Is George in there?

Nope, just a Rattled Skaven, which I found to be a delicious pun on the race.

The Bright Wizard College, belching smoke, sparks and flame into the atmosphere. I think L.A. has a few of these to account for the smog.

Um, Mythic? You need to update this NPC’s text. WAR already launched.

Two dogs growling and snapping at each other. I called them “Order” and “Destruction”.

Poor Lukas. The strain was too great for him to bear.

“Bring out yer dead! Bring out yer dead! …I’m not dead! What’s that? …I said, I’m not dead!” Heh, I love doing Monty Python.

And in this quaint abode, an angry man is pumping his fists while a cowering woman stands on a chair. …Awkward.

Well that’s it for part 1! Tune in tomorrow for the rest of Syp’s adventures, including How Many Times I Could Get Ganked In A Capital City!