Out of the Frying Pan and into the WAR-fire

So, I've been meaning to post this for over a week, now. None of my WoW toons have seen any love whatsoever since I installed Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning two weeks ago.

http://dwarfpriest.com/2008/10/07/patch-302-priest-survival-guide/: This is going to be what brings me back to WoW, at least to try it out. It just seems so damn cool, like a complete overhaul of the game I've loved for 2 years. Hell, it may turn out to BE a completely different game, you think? I think it's possible.

So, WAR v WOW. Yeah, I know, but anyone who's played them both is going to be comparing them. You just can't help it.

Cute Factor: WOW, hands-down. There is no dancing in WAR. No hugging, or blowing kisses, or any of that happy crap. If you see a half-naked Dark Elf hanging out, rather temptingly targeting you, don't fall for it! She's not checking your "gear," my friend, she's just waiting for her friend to engage you from behind so that she can unload on your carebear-nightelf-druid ass.

Questing: WAR has the definite edge here. Some guy wants you to go gather lion flanks? Cool. He's circled the area on your map where they can be found. And get this - EVERY freaking lion has a flank. You don't even have to loot the lion - just whack it with something sharp and the flank will detach from the beast and jump into your backpack. It's unsettling, yeah, a little bit. But oh so very efficient. WAR also has a thing called PQs, or Public Quests. They're 3-stage open-air "events," not instanced, that anyone can join in and help out with. Loot distribution at the end of these is based on the player's percentage of contribution plus a random roll of chance. And even if you don't win a loot bag, every bit of contribution is filling up an "Influence" bar that eventually provides 3 stages of rewards; for instance, a potion, a pair of bracers, and perhaps a sweet new staff.

Grouping: WAR, no doubt about it. Say you're on a quest for drops from Archers and some other player comes running up with the same quest. In WoW you'd be cursing that guy's name right about now, having to share your mobs and take twice as long to get your required 30 cufflinks or whatever. In WAR, however, you just invite him. That Archer will drop cufflinks for everyone, no problem. And if you're the new guy running up to a crowd of people working where you need to be - still no problem. You can add yourself to their group without having to wait for their leader to stop and do the invite-thingy. LFG is officially DEAD.

/dance on LFG's grave.

Gear Smexiness: My main is only 16, so I can't really comment on how cool the gear eventually gets in WAR - but I CAN say that if you're all decked out in purple and a sweet new pair of boots drop in DAY GLO ORANGE - you can simply dye them to match for 2 silver. Whatabargain, mirite?

PvP: Known in WAR as RvR; I hated pvp in WoW. You guys know that. I HATED it. Guess what? I think it totally rocks in WAR. I love the scenarios, which are like WoW's BGs. I love the fact that I can roll on a "Core" server and go about my merry way unmolested... but then I can simply cross that red line on the map and be ass-deep in some hawt Empire-killing action. D was especially sceptical of this, until last night. We jumped over into New Emskrank to knock out a couple of quests in the RvR zone, and he had an absolute BALL. We especially enjoyed setting up Marshmallow's Pink Horror minion to fire-bomb the Order players perched on the roof of a nearby house while she - Marsh, that is - controlled him from safe under the eaves. D's Zealot was doing the D-thing, that being hopping around waving his skull at people and spamming heals on any Destruction players in reach.

In the interest of unbiased reporting, I should probably mention that WAR, being brand-spanking-new, has a few bugs to be worked out. I once got stuck in a casting animation and had to run through an entire Scenario all hunched over like Igor. D had several "black-screen-crashes" until we underclocked his graphics card, and they're still trying to get the /ignore-report-gold-spammer thingy working right.

So - yeah, I'm hoping that WotLK brings me back, I've loved WoW for so long, and it's loved me back so very well. But for now, dear friends, if you've fallen to the siren call of WAR... Hit me up on the Destruction side of the Bretonnia Server. Hazanevyl the Dark Elf Sorceress, Zoey the Chaos Zealot, or Marshmallow the Chaos Magus.