Warhammer Online: Exclusive Interview #13

In our latest Warhammer Online Q&A, we talk to Joshua Drescher, Adam Gershowitz and James Nichols of EA Mythic about preparation for the latest Beta phase, whether they’ll shut down again, careers and – of course – RvR.

WarCry: As you prepared the latest Beta for release back to the testers, how would you rate your progress towards your stated goals at the time of the pause?

EA Mythic: The two month polish phase has been an overwhelming success. The challenges that were placed in front of the team were, to be frank, extremely daunting and everyone across the board stepped up and delivered on all of them. The improvements to the RvR and Career systems, in particular, have been extremely impressive.

WarCry: Are there any plans to halt the beta again before release?

EA Mythic: That’s always an option that’s on the table, but we haven’t currently scheduled an additional closure. We’ve done it twice now (once with the EA-only beta and again with this most recent closure) and both times it’s been very helpful. If we saw an opportunity to use another closure to respond to beta feedback, we’d definitely consider it.

The beta community was outstanding during the beta downtime, staying active and engaged on our internal forums. They remained in constant contact with us and continued to provide valuable and constructive feedback.

WarCry: Which career are you currently enjoying and why?

EA Mythic: I am currently playing a Dark Elf Disciple of Khaine. It’s a fantastic class to play that’s unlike any other I’ve played in another MMO. It is a melee damage healer that uses the soul of its enemies to heal and buff yourself and companions. It sums up the pure wickedness of the Dark Elves and is a blast to play.

WarCry: When you sack an enemy city, what type of bonuses and rewards will you get for doing so, and are these only for those who sacked the city?

EA Mythic: To get to the benefits of capturing an enemy city requires a tremendous effort from your entire Realm. We’re still working on the exact rewards you get for capturing an enemy city, but expect to see buffs and items you can only get through siege and events that help to encourage Realm pride in all players.