Warhammer 40K MMO

If you dont know, I am a huge Warhammer 40k fan. I loved WH40K Dawn of War1 and 2. So I was pretty stoked when I found out that a MMORPG was planned for WH40K.

Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium

Game Info:

On the very edge of the galaxy lies the Sargos Sector. For centuries it was rendered uninhabitable and isolated by volatile Warp Storms. Even now, deep within the sector the very fabric of reality is unraveling. Only the ancient Sentinel Devices hold the Warp at bay.

But the ravages of time and meddling of humanity have weakened the Sentinel Devices-and now, the battle for these lost worlds is at hand. Drawn to the conflict, the great races of the galaxy descend upon the Sargos Sector, seeking to preserve reality-or to tear it asunder.

Side with the forces of Order, or the vile hosts of Destruction, in a war that will unlock ancient secrets, reveal dark purposes, and determine the fate of the Sargos Sector. For in this dark millennium, there is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter.

Here is the kick ass trailer:

Release Date: TBA of course.

Developer: Vigil Games

APB Key to the City

I figured out this morning that AB Key to the city is over. They failed to post this on their website, which still reads “There is still time to get your Key to the City!”.

As can be gathered from my last APB Review, I was less than impressed. But despite the game being a let down, I still feel vaguely wanting to still play. This is the draw of MMOs. Beyond the actual gameplay, there is the virtual social experience of taking part in an online network. The in-game rewards that came from leveling up and unlock upgrades, made for quickly addicting RPG.

I am really hoping that they tweak the game prior to live launch.

Well I got my “Key to the City” from Real Time Worlds. I figured this was better than nothing. I had signed up for the beta tester a year ago. I was hoping to have some serious game time clocked by now. Unfortunately I got my Key last week.

Verdict?

In my previous blog post about APB, I mentioned the game was picked up by EA. This came as good news to me, because I was really looking forward to this title. After my experience with SA-MP , I was looking forward to the idea of APB becoming a updated version of the now classic GTA mod.

A little history of SA-MP

I first got into San Andreas after playing it on the xbox while on vacation in Dearborn, Michigan. I was visiting in-laws and it was a great way to connect with my unrelated family.

As soon as I got back home I started downloading the PC version of the game. After I made considerable progress in the game I discovered a thriving modding community. My attention immediately turned to SA-MP, or San Andreas multiplayer. SA-MP incorporated all the fun of SA into a huge MMO. The first experience was all about shooting up the other players. Add all the vehicles and absolutely huge virtual gaming environment, it was easy to get lost in SA-MP. I eventually moved into the RPG servers, after spending some good times flying around with jetpacks (or helicopters) blasting other gangs and basically raising hell.

My favorite RPG server was Italy Mafia. I know the name sounds cheesy, but it really was fun. The SA-MP RPG servers attempted to separate the hooligans, from the gamers. The RPG servers felt like free roam, but included missions like selling drugs, selling guns, driving cabs, or any other means to make money. In addition Italy Mafia included gangs, or families that had access to elite equipment and you could make serious warfare on other gangs or players. To balance gameplay there were police that could arrest offenders and place them in jail for a set time limit. There were no NPC (non-player characters).

Without good moderation these RPG servers would go wild, and a few times I saw this chaos occur.

So my hope for APB, was for basically an updated version of SA-MP.

Let me say APB is no SA-MP.

My first impressions of APB were not good. The graphics were unimpressive. The training missions were dull. And worst of all the gameplay was sub par. I was hoping for a full blown FPS. After experiences like Borderlands and Fallout 3, I was hoping that a true FPS/RPG MMO was possible.

Despite my initial feelings for APB, I pushed on. Once I passed the “Training district” I moved onto the actual districts. There are three to choose; Social, Financial, and Waterfront.

Players can choose from two sides, Enforcers or Criminals (or crims). I chose Enforcers.

The two actual gameplay districts have no significant features. They are basic urban environments that resemble San Andreas or other generic GTA cites.

You can either be assigned to a group or roll solo.

The basic concept is for contacts to assign missions, like investigating or raiding. As the missions are carried out you get increased rating points and money. There is also an opportunity to unlock all types of stuff, like weapons, equipment, vehicles, clothing, symbols, emoticons and upgrades.

I admit that initially your character really sucks, but there is great potential in molding your character into an individualistic ass kicking character. The social district lets players mold their characters into unique virtual avatars.

APB supports full VOIP, so gameplay can really be enhanced by the audio capabilities. In addition to talking to groups or other characters, within earshot. There is also an option to add your own music tracks to the game and listen to them in your vehicle or just walking down the street.

The character customizations add whole new layer of gameplay. In addition to dressing your character in all manner of garb, there are also tattoos and the ability to create custom symbols to be added to clothing, bodies and vehicles.

Players can also sell their gear in an ebay like setting with the opportunity to earn points or cash that can be applied to gameplay.

The payment model is a bit strange if you ask me. The Pre Order is $50 for 50 hours of gameplay. Then players will have to purchase additional hours or buy unlimited 30 day gameplay.

This was a big turn off for me, as I am accustomed to buying a game and having unlimited online gameplay.

As I mentioned the graphics were terrible. My machine is not top of the line, but it can handle most modern games. Unfortunately Real Time Worlds took it upon themselves to decide that 32bit Windows OS were too inferior, and they disabled the high quality textures. This was stupid on their part. Fortunately some gamers took it upon themselves to remove these phony constraints.

Although the beta game turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I still feel there is great potential in this game. Real Time Worlds has promised to continue to add “content” to APB over time. If this is true then they have an opportunity to right the wrongs and perhaps grow the game into a truly unique online experience. If  the developers do as they promise and don’t abandon the game, then APB could be a great success. If they don’t hold true to their promise then the game will go into the dustbin with other lame MMOs like Huxely.

So my verdict is give APB a chance, and perhaps the gaming community could show EA and RTW that it is worth investing in MMOs.