Friday Nights @ the X

Leave your weapons and inhibitions at the door. The Xtasy Lounge hosts the most radical parties on Lok. Nestled in a abandoned Imperial Outpost, Lawless Valley is its own law, so things like illicit gambling and smuggling are not illegal. Lawless Valley is a Roleplay atmosphere, please take this into account before deciding whether or not to attend. Also, there is a non-combat policy inside the Lounge. If you are at war, please take any fights outside. Role Playing inside The X-tasy Lounge is preferred, but not required. Please be respectful of the Role players and vice-versa. As always there is a strict no weapons / fighting policy inside The X-tasy Lounge.

What's the level requirement to enter Northrend?

Players of any level who have purchased the expansion can visit Northrend. However, all of the content is designed for players level 68 and up.

Do you plan to continue with the 25-player model for raids?

Yes. We've been pleased with the tactics, intensity, and variety of the 25-player raid model, and plan to continue with it.

How many new dungeons will be in the expansion?

The first dungeon players will enter is Utgarde Keep, which is intended for five players around level 70. Utgarde is inhabited by the Vrykul, a Viking-like race bent on proving their strength to the Lich King, who will raise the most worthy of their warriors to serve him beyond the grave. We intend to provide a variety of dungeons comparable to that in The Burning Crusade and will be revealing more details about some of these in the months ahead.

US Players' Level 1 Race Today - Race Details

The first of our level 1 US player races takes place later today. All you need to do to take part is have a naked level 1 character at the time and place listed below. The first two players to the finishing line today win a beta key and Tyrael's Hilt [http://wowdigger.com/i/39656]. Here are the details:

The race will begin at 18.00 (server time), at the entrance to the Ruins of Lordaeron on the US server Boulderfist (You are advised to be there a few minutes early, as we will not be delaying the race for late-comers!).

You must be level 1 Undead and have no weapons or armor equipped.

Anyone seen to be wearing anything will be politely removed from the raid group. If you die during the race, you will be removed from the raid group.

The destination and details of how to win will be revealed at the start of the race.

We will be running another race at the same time tomorrow, so if you miss this one, you get another chance then. Good Luck!

Wow Power Leveling http://Goleveling.com/

WOW Lich King Collector's Edition: Details

As suspected, WotLK will have a Collector's Edition! If you tried to get your hands on one of these for TBC, you'll know these will be in short supply around the release date, so make sure you pre-order one as soon as they become available.





Here's a sneak peak at what will be in the Collector's Edition:

World of Warcraft: The Wrath of the Lich King on DVD-ROM.

The Art of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, a 208-page book featuring never-before-seen images from the game.

An exclusive in-game pet: Frosty, the baby frost wyrm.

A behind-the-scenes DVD containing over an hour of developer interviews, the Wrath of the Lich King intro cinematic with director's commentary, and more.

The official soundtrack CD, containing 21 epic tracks from the game, along with exclusive bonus tracks.

A mouse pad featuring a map of the newly opened continent of Northrend.

Two World of Warcraft Trading Card Game March of the Legion%26trade; starter decks, along with two exclusive cards available only in the Collector's Edition.

The behind-the-scenes DVD will offer developer interviews and commentary on all aspects of the creation of Wrath of the Lich King, as well as trailers and cinematics from the game, and even footage of panel discussions from BlizzCon 2007.





Collector's Edition owners will also be able to take their adventures from the computer to the tabletop with two starter packs for the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game -- one for themselves and one to share with a friend. In addition, Collector's Edition owners will receive two exclusive tournament-legal World of Warcraft Trading Card Game cards to incorporate in their decks or trade with other World of Warcraft TCG players.





With the Collector's Edition-exclusive in-game pet, Frosty the baby frost wyrm, you'll be the envy of your guildmates and other players as you roam the expanses of Northrend.





A soundtrack CD with stirring music from the expansion pack, a beautiful coffee table book with exclusive concept art, and a Northrend-themed mouse pad round out the wealth of bonus items available in the Collector's Edition of World of Warcraft: The Wrath of the Lich King.

Age of Reckoning: Part 4 - The Dark Powers March

Two months after the fall of Karak Eight Peaks, the High King's army sets out to drive the invading greenskins from the World's Edge Mountains. As the Dwarfs march south along the slopes of the great volcano Karag Dron, the world suddenly grows dim. In the sky above, the sun begins to darken and the landscape is bathed in an eerie, unnatural light the color of deep crimson.

From atop the tallest spire in Naggarond, Malekith watches the Chaos moon, Morrslieb, eclipse the sun. His spies in the Old World have relayed messages confirming the success of the greenskin attack on the Dwarfs. The Witch King's plans are unfolding precisely as arranged.

Far to the north, out of sight of the eyes of men, a great black warhost erupts from the tempestuous Chaos Wastes. Swarms of grotesque creatures march in ranks alongside regiments of warriors and marauders, all led by a Chaos Lord bearing the banner of Tzeentch.

In the Empire, terror and panic erupt at the sight of the red eclipse. Riots and fires break out in every district of Altdorf. The city guard is hard-pressed to contain the situation, but the eclipse soon passes and by nightfall, order is restored. The event is not forgotten, however, and many citizens of the Empire, shaken by what they believe to be an omen of terrible events to come, pack their belongings and depart their homes hoping to find shelter in the mountains to the south and east. A growing sense of doom hangs over the people of the Empire, and hope for any respite from the plague is smothered by the fearful sight of the red eclipse.

For the Dwarf army marching to reclaim the fortress at Karak Eight Peaks, the eclipse seems to confirm a dread that has been growing within them. The black sun in the crimson sky is a stinging reminder of the loss of Karak Eight Peaks to the Bloody Sun Boyz, and seems to be a symbol of the inevitable victory of the greenskin horde now gathering there. Have the last days of the Dwarfs finally come? Resigned to their doom, the grim-faced warriors trudge across the harsh, mountainous terrain.

In Altdorf, the Emperor receives the High King's message and orders several regiments into the mountains to assist the Dwarfs. Though he sorely needs the troops to secure his borders and combat the spread of anarchy in his realm, Karl Franz is honor-bound to respect the pledge made by Sigmar never to refuse aid to a Dwarf. Just then, an outrider delivers a report from the north -- a great Chaos army is on the march, and will reach the Empire's borders within a week.

Assessing his deployments in Nordland and Ostland, Karl Franz realizes that the picture is desperately bleak. The plague has thinned the ranks of his armies, wreaked havoc with supply lines and decimated the morale and industry of his people. The Empire is ripe for conquest, and will fall quickly without help. The Dwarfs cannot possibly send warriors to protect the Empire. If they do not recapture the fortress at Karak Eight Peaks quickly, they might never do so again. Only the High Elves can save his people now.

Prince Tyrion


%26copy; Games Workshop 2000-2006

Summoning his most trusted Griffon rider, the Emperor composes a letter beseeching the ruler of the High Elves for assistance. When the messenger arrives in Lothern, Finubar, Phoenix King of Ulthuan, is already well aware of the Empire's plight and has been making preparations to send troops. Finubar summons Prince Tyrion, a warrior and general without peer among his people, and charges him with the defense of the High Elf lands. Confident that his realm will be secure , the Phoenix King sets sail at the head of a flotilla of Elven warships. From the Straits of Lothern the vessels pass into the Great Western Ocean carrying hundreds of the most skilled warriors among the High Elves. When word of the Phoenix King's departure reaches Malekith's ears, the Witch King gives the order to begin the invasion of Ulthuan.

In the dead of night, a great fleet of Black Arks sets out from Naggaroth. As the floating fortresses approach the shores of Ulthuan, the invasion force splits in two, with one half bearing down on the Blighted Isles while the other steers south for the Straits of Lothern. Soon, legions of Dark Elf warriors spill forth onto the shores of their ancestral homeland.

In Karak Eight Peaks, a great greenskin Waaagh! is building. In the northern reaches of the Empire, the servants of Tzeentch have already marched deep into Ostland and are laying waste to everything in their path. Prince Tyrion's army has raced north to engage the marauding Dark Elves, only to learn that a second invasion force has begun a siege of Lothern.

Recognizing that the only way to counter the threats arrayed against them will be to combine their strengths, the leaders of the Empire and the nations of the Dwarfs and the High Elves convene a great Council of Wisdom in the Imperial capital of Altdorf. At this summit, the three rulers forge a pact that their peoples shall fight as one and strike back at the enemies who would conquer their homelands.

The Age of Reckoning has begun.

Age of Reckoning: Part 2 - Dark Omens

Meanwhile, in the Dark Elf kingdom of Naggaroth, the Seers of Ghrond continue their unceasing study of the distant Chaos Maelstrom. Suddenly, there is a marked shift in the nebulous swirls of color and shape. The Seers watch intently, studying the ominous new patterns. When they are confident of their readings, the Seers dispatch a messenger south to Naggarond aboard a swift Black Pegasus. Great events are about to unfold in the world, and the Witch King must be informed.

Malekith, Lord of the Dark Elves


%26copy; Games Workshop 2000-2006

Days later, Malekith, Lord of the Dark Elves, reads the dispatch from Ghrond. The Chaos god Tzeentch has found himself a new Champion. The followers of the Changer of Ways have assembled a great warhost for his herald and are preparing to launch a massive incursion into the lands of men, the Empire his likely target.

Malekith ponders the message. He is well aware of the terrible plague sweeping through the Old World. If the forces of Chaos launch an attack while the Empire is weakened by the plague, the Emperor will have no choice but to call upon the nearby Dwarfs for reinforcement. With the aid of the Dwarfs, it is possible the Chaos host might be turned back. If, however, the folk of the mountains are unable to come to the Empire's defense, Emperor Karl Franz will be forced to turn to the High Elves of Ulthuan. Malekith is doubtful that his kinsmen will abandon the great nation of men in its hour of need, for doing so might deprive the High Elves of a valuable ally. No... the High Elves will respond, and will likely send several legions of warriors to repulse the Chaos attack, leaving Ulthuan vulnerable.

When the Chaos moon eclipses the light of the sun, the dispatch concludes, the forces of Chaos will begin their march southward. Time is short, and there is much to do.

The Witch King commands that every forge and furnace in the realm be brought to bear in the crafting of weapons, armor and siege machines. The Beastmasters of Karond Kar are ordered to select the strongest and most ferocious creatures in their pens and ready them for battle. The fierce Witch Elves of Khaine prepare for bloody sacrifice to the Lord of Murder. Morathi, the Hag Queen, summons forth the most powerful Sorceresses from the Convents and trains them to lead the armies of the Dark Elves. As his people prepare for the coming war, Malekith draws up his plans against the Dwarfs.

A party of the finest hunters and warriors in Naggaroth are dispatched to the lands of the greenskins with a single directive: bring back the most powerful Orc Warboss that can be found.

When the hunting party returns with both an Orc and a Goblin, Malekith is surprised. It seems the two are inseparable, jointly leading a powerful new tribe calling themselves the %26quot;Bloody Sun Boyz%26quot;. The goblin shaman, Gazbag, provides the brains while the towering brute of an Orc, Grumlok, supplies the muscle. For each, Malekith forges a magical amulet that greatly amplifies the wearer's abilities. In addition, the Witch King secretly includes a spell of command that will compel the two leaders to gather their tribe and march east into the World's Edge Mountains. There, they will capture the fortress at Eight Peaks and build a mighty Waaagh! to eradicate the Dwarfs. This being done, he commands his warriors to return the captive greenskins to their home.

His plan set in motion, Malekith waits for news from the World's Edge Mountains. With the Dwarfs occupied by the fight against the coming greenskin Waaagh!, they will be unable to answer the Emperor's call for help when the Chaos army reaches his borders. The High Elves will sail east for the Old World, and Malekith will launch his attack. At last, the Witch King will claim the birthright denied him for millennia by his weak-blooded kin. The Throne of Ulthuan will be his.

Age of Reckoning: Part 3 - The Bloody Sun Rises

In the Badlands, Gazbag and Grumlok are reunited with the Bloody Sun Boyz. Immediately, the two set out to fulfill Malekith's magically-implanted command. Led by their newly-empowered Warboss and Shaman, the Boyz begin their march to the World's Edge Mountains, assimilating any greenskin tribe they encounter and destroying those who will not join. Never before have the Orcs and Goblins seen such strength and power from two of their own kind, and the ranks of the Bloody Sun Boyz swell as rumors of their deeds spread.

As the greenskin horde approaches Karak Eight Peaks, the Dwarfs gather within its walls, confident the impregnable fortress is in no real danger. When Gazbag uses his amplified magic to blast a hole in the impossibly thick wall surrounding the city, the Dwarfs are dumbstruck. Never before has an invading army broken through the perimeter of Karak Eight Peaks. As a wave of snarling, bellowing greenskins pours through the breach, the dour but determined defenders of the doomed city prepare to make a last stand.

The news spreads like a shockwave. How could one tribe of greenskins capture the seemingly impenetrable fortress? Though few will admit it, many Dwarfs are badly shaken by this impossible defeat. In Karaz-a-Karak, High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer vows revenge, commanding every Dwarf in the city to make preparations for a great war.

Privately, the High King is gravely concerned. Rumors that the greenskin forces are led by a Warboss with the strength of ten Orcs and a Shaman with magical abilities never before seen would not normally concern him, as Dwarfs are prone to exaggerate. However, the fall of Karak Eight Peaks cannot be ignored, nor can its effect on the morale of his people. Secretly, the High King dispatches a rider to the Empire to alert Karl Franz of the possible danger to his own lands should the Dwarfs fail to halt the greenskin invasion. Though the High King is too proud to ask the Emperor for help, he hopes the urgency of his message will result in just that.

Meanwhile, far to the south, Squig riders and Boar Boyz set out in all directions from Karak Eight Peaks, spreading word of a great Waaagh! gathering at the fortress. Legions of Orcs and Goblins begin streaming into the captured stronghold and the lands surrounding it. Each Orc and Goblin Boss pays homage to Grumlok and Gazbag, pledging his %26quot;ladz%26quot; to the destruction of the Dwarfs.

On both sides, great armies are assembled. The Dwarfs are determined to retake Karak Eight Peaks and avenge its loss, while the greenskins care for nothing but the elimination of as many Dwarfs as possible.

armiesofWAR

The greatest nation of men in the Old World, the Empire is composed of the human descendants of Sigmar, who united the tribes of men at the Battle of Black Fire Pass. Sigmar was deified after the battle and his promise of eternal aid to the kingdom of Dwarfs still stands today. This action solidified the relationship between men and Dwarfs and planted the seeds for the burgeoning Empire through trade. Today, the Empire is led by Emperor Karl Franz, who rules from his seat in the city-state of Altdorf.

The life of a citizen of the Empire is a perilous one, for there are foes within every shadow and enemies around every corner. Secret cults abound, or at the very least, there are rumors of them running rampant. No one is certain who is trustworthy, and fear and paranoia are omnipresent in the isolated settlements that dot the Empire's provinces.

As the Empire rots from within, it is constantly under assault from without. Chaos Marauders from the north frequently mount massive campaigns into the Empire, pillaging and destroying all that they can. In the Age of Reckoning, such a warhost has attacked the Empire's northern borders under the leadership of a powerful Champion. The timing of the invasion is particularly ill-fortuned, for the Empire is being ravaged by a mysterious plague that is transforming the populace into murderous fiends.

Faced with such desperate circumstances, Emperor Karl Franz has been forced to call upon the Dwarfs and High Elves for aid, lest his lands be transformed forever into a nightmarish domain of Chaos.

The Order of the Griffon

In the Age of Reckoning, the Empire is ravaged by a strange and terrible plague that transforms its victims into savage murderers. Soon after the appearance of this vile disease, a great Chaos warhost assaults the weakened Empire from the north, crushing what little resistance remains in the plague-wracked villages of Nordland.

In the face of these dangers, many of the Empire's citizens have given in to fear and panic. Some have abandoned their homes to settle elsewhere, believing the battle to be a lost cause. Others have embraced the powers of darkness, thinking it best to side with foes that cannot possibly be defeated by force of arms. Too few have found the courage to stand and fight, and even with the help of the Dwarfs and High Elves, the greatest nation of men in the Old World is perilously close to destruction.

Seeking a solution to the many difficulties arrayed before him, the Emperor summons forth the Grand Theogonist of the Cult of Sigmar, the Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic, and the Grand Master of the Reiksguard. Together with these advisors, Karl Franz devises the Order of the Griffon, a military force made up of highly skilled soldiers, Wizards and devotees of Sigmar's cult who will be charged with facing the gravest threats from within and without.

Receiving their orders directly from the Emperor, the leaders of this new regiment will act as an extension of his will and authority, free to take any action necessary to protect the Empire from threats of any kind. Also, the regiment will serve as a proud example of the glory of the Empire and its ruler, meting out swift justice to those who would betray their countrymen or abandon their duties in these desperate and dangerous times.

Age of Reckoning: Part 1 - An Empire In Chaos

When the first reports of the Chaos Plague begin to appear in the fringe settlements of the Empire, they are dismissed as fanciful tales conjured to frighten away unwanted visitors. When the plague appears in the streets of Altdorf, however, the situation changes completely. By the time the Emperor issues his first quarantine order, the vile disease has already spread across most of his lands. The Empire's doctors work day and night to combat the sickness, but the plague defies all efforts at a cure.

Map of the Empire %26copy; Games Workshop 2000-2006

Victims of the Chaos Plague first experience tiredness, aching, soreness and extreme thirst. Bouts of nausea follow, but it takes nearly a month to reach the final stages of the disease. It is only then that the horrific nature of the plague is made clear; those unfortunate souls who have experienced plague symptoms for three to four weeks begin to change, transforming into fiendish Chaos mutants that savagely attack any living creature that they see. Those lucky enough to avoid contracting the plague are often killed by the savage monsters spawned from it.

With each passing month, the death toll mounts. Quarantines and martial law fail to slow the spread of the disease, and paranoid fear grips every village and town within the Empire's borders. Militiamen in plague-wracked cities are forced to combat the hordes of Chaos mutants roaming their streets, leaving their walls undefended against threats from without. Emboldened gangs of brigands roam the countryside, looting, burning and killing at will. The scope of the tragedy is almost unparalleled in the history of the Empire, but the Chaos Plague is merely a precursor to a much greater evil yet to come.

Meanwhile, in the Dark Elf kingdom of Naggaroth, the Seers of Ghrond continue their unceasing study of the distant Chaos Maelstrom. Suddenly, there is a marked shift in the nebulous swirls of color and shape. The Seers watch intently, studying the ominous new patterns. When they are confident of their readings, the Seers dispatch a messenger south to Naggarond aboard a swift Black Pegasus. Great events are about to unfold in the world, and the Witch King must be informed.

Malekith, Lord of the Dark Elves


%26copy; Games Workshop 2000-2006

Days later, Malekith, Lord of the Dark Elves, reads the dispatch from Ghrond. The Chaos god Tzeentch has found himself a new Champion. The followers of the Changer of Ways have assembled a great warhost for his herald and are preparing to launch a massive incursion into the lands of men, the Empire his likely target.

Malekith ponders the message. He is well aware of the terrible plague sweeping through the Old World. If the forces of Chaos launch an attack while the Empire is weakened by the plague, the Emperor will have no choice but to call upon the nearby Dwarfs for reinforcement. With the aid of the Dwarfs, it is possible the Chaos host might be turned back. If, however, the folk of the mountains are unable to come to the Empire's defense, Emperor Karl Franz will be forced to turn to the High Elves of Ulthuan. Malekith is doubtful that his kinsmen will abandon the great nation of men in its hour of need, for doing so might deprive the High Elves of a valuable ally. No... the High Elves will respond, and will likely send several legions of warriors to repulse the Chaos attack, leaving Ulthuan vulnerable.

When the Chaos moon eclipses the light of the sun, the dispatch concludes, the forces of Chaos will begin their march southward. Time is short, and there is much to do.

The Witch King commands that every forge and furnace in the realm be brought to bear in the crafting of weapons, armor and siege machines. The Beastmasters of Karond Kar are ordered to select the strongest and most ferocious creatures in their pens and ready them for battle. The fierce Witch Elves of Khaine prepare for bloody sacrifice to the Lord of Murder. Morathi, the Hag Queen, summons forth the most powerful Sorceresses from the Convents and trains them to lead the armies of the Dark Elves. As his people prepare for the coming war, Malekith draws up his plans against the Dwarfs.

A party of the finest hunters and warriors in Naggaroth are dispatched to the lands of the greenskins with a single directive: bring back the most powerful Orc Warboss that can be found.

When the hunting party returns with both an Orc and a Goblin, Malekith is surprised. It seems the two are inseparable, jointly leading a powerful new tribe calling themselves the %26quot;Bloody Sun Boyz%26quot;. The goblin shaman, Gazbag, provides the brains while the towering brute of an Orc, Grumlok, supplies the muscle. For each, Malekith forges a magical amulet that greatly amplifies the wearer's abilities. In addition, the Witch King secretly includes a spell of command that will compel the two leaders to gather their tribe and march east into the World's Edge Mountains. There, they will capture the fortress at Eight Peaks and build a mighty Waaagh! to eradicate the Dwarfs. This being done, he commands his warriors to return the captive greenskins to their home.

His plan set in motion, Malekith waits for news from the World's Edge Mountains. With the Dwarfs occupied by the fight against the coming greenskin Waaagh!, they will be unable to answer the Emperor's call for help when the Chaos army reaches his borders. The High Elves will sail east for the Old World, and Malekith will launch his attack. At last, the Witch King will claim the birthright denied him for millennia by his weak-blooded kin. The Throne of Ulthuan will be his.

Warhammer The Making Of...

The Making of the WAR Cinematic Trailer - Part Four: Empire vs. Chaos battle

From storyboards to concept art to animation test, go behind the scenes for an insiders look at the making of the WAR cinematic trailer. This month we take an in-depth look at the making of the Empire vs. Chaos battle.

















The Making of the WAR Cinematic Trailer - Part Three: Elf Fight

From storyboards to concept art to animation test, go behind the scenes for an insiders look at the making of the WAR cinematic trailer.

















The Making of The Assault on Lothern

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the WAR-inspired painting by Paul Dainton.

















The WAR Cinematic Trailer - Part Two: Orc vs. Dwarf

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Orc vs. Dwarf battle from the WAR cinematic trailer with storyboards, concept art, animation tests, and more.

















The WAR Cinematic Trailer - Part One: The Catapult Sequence

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the opening sequence of the WAR cinematic trailer with storyboards, concept art, animation tests, and more.

















The Making of The Fall of Karak Eight Peaks

From Inspiration to Completion and Everything in Between - Take a behind the scenes look at the making of The Fall of Karak Eight Peaks by acclaimed Games Workshop artist, Alex Boyd.

















The Decimation of Praag

Take a behind the scenes look at the making of the WAR-inspired painting The Decimation of Praag by Karl Kopinski.

















A Magazine Cover

Take a behind the scenes look at the making of the image gracing the cover of PC Gamer and other magazines around the world.

Warhammer De Neuigkeiten zu Hotmail

Uns wurde mitgeteilt, dass einige von euch, die bei uns eine Hotmail-Adresse nutzen, Verz%26ouml;gerungen haben, wenn sie einen Account erstellen oder einen Code eingeben wollen. Daher empfehlen wir euch, bei der Account-Erstellung wenn m%26ouml;glich eine andere Adresse zu benutzen. Es kam bisher noch zu keinen Problemen seitens anderer Webmail-Anbieter.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Interview 3

VideoGamer.com: Are there any licenses you'd fancy having a crack at in terms of an MMO?

PB: Space Hulk. I'd rock if I did that.

VideoGamer.com: Do you think you'll get the chance one day?

PB: Well I don't know I think the license is with THQ (laughs). Not unless I suddenly transfer to THQ, no!

VideoGamer.com: It's a shame. There's a lot of fans who would love that.

PB: Oh I tell you what Space Hulk would tear it up. I wouldn't do 40K straight because it's too complicated. But Space Hulk that's a great start.

VideoGamer.com: Why is a 40K MMO too complicated?

PB: Personally, it's a very very broad license, it's a very very big world. It's an entire galaxy and it's hard to realise something so enormous. So I would realise a part of the 40K world. You'd do Inquisitors, or you'd do, well I'd do Space Hulk, if I could do anything. It would still be 40K, it would still rock, it would still be awesome. But it would be of a scale that I could tackle.

VideoGamer.com: Does Mythic have capacity to try its hand on another MMO at the same time as Warhammer Online?

PB: Oh crikey. I don't put anything past the force of will of Mark Jacobs. If he suddenly decides we're going to do something else then we'll do it. We basically take all our guidance from his volcanic creativity. When he decides we do something we do it.

VideoGamer.com: Has he ever indicated to you a license that he'd like to try next perhaps?

PB: Mark plays all of that pretty close to his chest. He generally doesn't want to talk about something unless he wants to commit. I've talked to him about several ideas he's talked about but nothing that I think he wants to talk about publicly yet.

VideoGamer.com: Are you guys going to do a boxed expansion model like WoW or will you make everything available through downloadable content.

PB: I don't know. Thankfully as creative director I know very little about commerce, profitability, the law. Yeah I'm sure we will do whatever is necessary to maximise shareholder value while increasing content for long term subscriber life cycle. How's that?

VideoGamer.com: That's very good. You mentioned you've got an expansion team. How long before we might see something from them?

PB: Probably in keeping with standard internet MMO logic. WoW said 12 months, it took two-and-a-half years. Other teams do them every couple of months. It will be what fits for purpose, would be the answer.

VideoGamer.com: You guys already have ideas about what's going to be in the expansion?

PB: Well we have more than ideas, we have people working on it. Concept art, areas being built, careers, all sorts of stuff is being done.

VideoGamer.com: What about classes? Is that something that could come in an expansion?

PB: Definitely. There's a whole world of Warhammer out there. I love the Skaven. We haven't gone near Lustria, we've got vampires, Bretonnians, there's all sorts of crazy bonkers madness out there and we intend to dig through all of it.

VideoGamer.com: When am I getting my console version?

PB: We had a good look at the console about two years ago. The position we ended up with was it would have to be a different game. That's basically where we ended up with our thinking. And then Mark basically went 'I don't want to think about it yet. Stop thinking about it'. If Mark wakes up and decides we're going to do a console version then you'll get one as fast as possible. Just write a letter direct to Mark. 'I would very much like a console version. Please please please make one. Make it for this console'. He'll probably write back to you then and let you know. He's very good like that. Read his blog.

VideoGamer.com: I have been. It's been entertaining reading in the last month or so.

PB: He's an entertaining guy!

VideoGamer.com: This close to launch there will still be some people who are still on the fence. What message do you have to those people?

PB: Are they WoW heads?

VideoGamer.com: Not necessarily. They might have played it in the past and might be waiting for the next expansion.

PB: It's easier to get into than ever. They're fun and compelling but they're definitively a hobby. It's a hobby experience. If you've got the time and you've got the inclination then they're great great fun. Give it a try.

VideoGamer.com: And if they're WoW heads?

PB: If they're WoW heads then I would say no item damage, no graveyard running, your bag gets bigger, you can customise your UI, the PvP is awesome, the PvE experience is still really really good, there's lots of cool dungeons, there's lots of grouping, and there's Squig Herders darn it, Squig Herders I say!

VideoGamer.com: That's great Paul thanks for your time.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is due out for PC this Thursday.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Interview 2

VideoGamer.com: So you would prefer reviews to come out after a month or so?

PB: I think that people need to say here is our experience of beta, or our experience of how are they as a developer, how are they as a company who give a damn about their game. Here is our experience about launch. It was bumpy, it was smooth, the servers were up, the servers were down. And then the third part is if you ever thought of migrating, now the game's up and playing, here's what we think about it.

VideoGamer.com: Now that the open beta is coming to an end, how many people applied across the world?

PB: We had over a million people who signed up for it. I don't know the exact number. That's one of the irritatingly not at my fingertips numbers.

VideoGamer.com: But over a million is an amazing amount. You must be thrilled.

PB: Oh yeah. We're actually really really pleased with loads of stuff. We're pleased with the length of time beta players are playing our game. We're pleased with the amount of people who have logged in who have then subsequently logged in over 10 times in a week, showing that they're returning. We're very pleased with the sticky factor - people who log in and play over four hours are on the whole playing for tens of hours to hundreds of hours. We're pleased with the longevity of the careers. People are taking just a little longer to level in our game than people are used to and combat is a little bit more tactical than people are used to. And that's because quite a few of the modern games that are out are very mature. If you have a mature game you effectively need to speed build characters. WoW's latest one allows you to get to level 70 in something absurd like two days. But that's because they're trying to get you to their end game. When you're actually playing a proper MMO that's new, there is a longer period of time it takes to level because you're supposed to be playing it and enjoying it. We're pleased with the fairness we've been getting off reviews. No complaints there.

VideoGamer.com: Were you expecting over a million people to apply to the open beta or did the number exceed your expectations?

PB: Oh wow! As a creative director, I have a completely different view of the game to almost anyone else. I believe that it will take us to the moon, solve climate change and probably cure every form of cancer known to man. So I'm not surprised. Businessey people, I think they're just very happy. EA shareholders will hopefully be very happy as well. As long as we can convert them into sales and then convert them into long term hobbyists, I'm happy.

VideoGamer.com: What's the conversion rate from people who buy to people who subscribe you're expecting?

PB: I believe Camelot worked on 70 per cent. I would hope that we would do at least that well or improve on it.

VideoGamer.com: So you're looking at a fairly healthy amount of paying subscribers then.

PB: Millions and millions if I have my way!

VideoGamer.com: What's your immediate post-launch plans?

PB: There are two different answers. We have three teams at the company, we have a core team whose job it is to make the servers work better, make the plan work better, put new features in. We have a live team, which is the team that works on the game that's live, fixing bugs, adding new content, making it a better extended hobby. We have an expansion team. They're busy working on the next expansion for the game. All three teams exist right now. All three teams have existed for quite a long time. The expansion team has been working on expansions for ages. The live team is already up and running and core tech are already on the core systems. That's how you protect these games when they get out of the door.

VideoGamer.com: The studio lead of Stargate Worlds told us in a recent interview that in order to challenge WoW you need a license. Do you subscribe to that belief?

PB: I would say that it's like Premier League football. If you want to be in the top four then you probably do. But there's nothing stopping a small team coming up from the lower leagues and surprising people. But there's definitely a chasm and to cross that chasm requires several things. Timing, license, tech, luck, presence, force of will and cups of tea.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Interview 1

WAR is almost upon us. This Thursday one of the most anticipated MMORPGs ever will be released - Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. And to celebrate this momentous occasion we caught up with creative director Paul Barnett to get the low down on a game that developer Mythic hopes will prize players away from the behemoth that is World of Warcraft. Will the launch of the game go smoothly? Will there be a console version? Will it be better than WoW? Read on to find out...

VideoGamer.com: Your fans are loyal but also vociferous in their comments. How have you gone about tackling how vocal they really can be?

Paul Barnett: We've been in beta for a long long long time. We do targeted beta where we open up very particular parts of the game and get feedback from it. We get feedback from the forums and we also get feedback in the game. We also take a load of statistical data so we can tell the difference between anecdotal evidence and actual proof. People say things like 'we don't like the dungeon in chapter three'. Then you check and find out that actually it's always populated, there's always people in it, it's got a huge turnover. So we're able to counterbalance what they say with what we've actually proved.

What we then do is we're brave enough and smart enough to go 'players really don't like that, we should change that'. So we've been changing the whole thing, and tweaking and testing and cutting and ditching things throughout the entirety of the beta to try and make it better or worse. We try and put all the information on the Herald. We try and put really cool patch notes in that explain what we're doing. We try to do interviews like this. Examples of new stuff that we've been doing is we've improved our AI pathing. When we improved it we totally broke it so it was crap. And then it was up in beta, quite rightly people said 'what's wrong with the AI pathing? It's gone crap'. So we quite rightly fixed it again. We went 'oh sorry about that'. We changed the way RvR rewards were put into the game because people were saying they didn't like them and as soon as we changed it everyone said 'oh no bring the old one back'. We try to moderate everything with fairness and fun factor.

VideoGamer.com: What's the most important lesson you've learnt from the beta testing of the game?

PB: Tell people what you're doing. Tell them often. Admit when you've done stuff that's stupid. If you're going to allow people to talk to you then prove that you're listening and give them feedback. That's the lesson with the community. With the actual game, keep soft launching the game so you can bang out all the crazy bugs.

VideoGamer.com: European players have experienced some difficulties regarding getting into the open beta...

PB: Very generous of you to use the word difficulties.

VideoGamer.com: And there are some concerns that there may be similar difficulties when the game officially launches this Thursday. Is there anything you can say to reassure fans that everything will work?

PB: Are you talking about things like the signing up validation issues?

VideoGamer.com: Indeed.

PB: That was one of those things where you go 'it's definitely going to work, everything on paper says it's going to work, oh my God it's melted!'. It's better that it happened in the sign up beta period than it happened live. What it did do was make a lot of humble pie, and a lot of knuckles got wrapped and a lot of people were told to make sure it never ever happens again. So thank the lords, the Lords of Chaos, that it didn't happen on live live, it only happened on pretend live. Everyone's working really hard, and if it happens again we're going to feed people to sharks. Probably German sharks because they would be very efficient. We're very unhappy that it was bumpy. We're happy that we've punished people and tried really hard to do it better.

VideoGamer.com: With Age of Conan there was somewhat of a miracle patch when the game was finally released. Is that something that Warhammer Online needs?

PB: The nature of these games is they're always getting tweaked and changed and altered and mixed around with. There will almost definitely be a patch on launch day. It's not like a normal game. In a normal game you go gold and then you go bye game, bye players, we'll never see you again. What happens with our game is you have to go gold because you've got to make a product but actually you never stop working on the game. There won't be a miracle patch because the game is actually all right. What there will be is tons and tons of the usual free content, update stuff and there will be one on launch day I have no doubt.

VideoGamer.com: We've seen the first reviews filtering through online. I've seen an 8/10. Are you pleased with that?

PB: No. You can't review a game before it's out, giving it 8/10 is peculiar. I would prefer people to do a preview, out of the box, buy the game, we think it's this, and then do a review later on where they go 'if you're expecting to pay money for this for the rest of your life we rate it as blah blah'. You've got to have a launch which has got to go well. You've got that huge spike where you get too many users in the areas and it doesn't really feel very good. You get server queues, it doesn't matter who you are. And the proof of the pudding of a long term subscription is whether or not they kept their promises. Is there enough of the game built? Are they doing updates? Do they actually give a damn? Do they actually hang together properly? These are the things that really matter if you're going to take up these hobbies. So I'd prefer the reviews to wait a little bit. That's where I am on that one.

VideoGamer.com: From our point of view reviewing MMOs is problematic because the interest is during launch week, but it's hard to judge it before the players have bedded in. Can you understand these difficulties?

PB: Oh absolutely. I've got a ton of sympathy - your readers are expecting information, they're expecting it early, you're a point of reference, you're a part of their moral code of conduct, you're an influence into their purchase habits, there's a lot of trust and faith gone into you and a lot of people don't want to wait, they want it here, now, what you think. I think it's really really difficult. I think if you judge our game as a launch game then I would say certain things are true. One, it's very stable for a launched MMO. Two, we have a track record in our beta of doing a lot of updates, a lot of improvement. Three, we've got a good track record of listening to people and applying fun factor changes rather than bizarre designer changes. Four, if you already play these games and it feels comfortable, there's a lot of user friendly stuff that you expect from other games, like that Woah game I keep hearing about. Five, if you're already a Woah player then I would say our game at launch versus their game at launch, we're a better game at launch than they were. Our game at launch compared to their game now? Well, it's a little unfair. We've got a little more running to do, but we have brought lots of cool innovation.

So the sort of stuff I would expect reviews to pump out would be stuff like 'if you're a WoW player why would you change? There's no item damage, because that's dull. There's no running back from graveyards, because that's dull. Your inventory bags get bigger as you fill it so you don't have to go buy one from some pretend plastic famous person. That's quite cool. Our PvP is actually very jolly. You can customise our interface. You don't want a map up there then move it or delete it. We've got mods obviously'. Stuff like that. I think that's basically all you could really review right now. Oh and public quests because they're new and cool.

warhammerMark: A nice late night, pre-launch update

Looks like Mark is counting down the hours, ere will minutes now!!! He just stopped by our Warhammer General Board with a late night update:

Folks,





Well, it's less than one hour till the full launch of the game and I've got three very good bits of news to share with you.





(1) First, let's start with a change to our Code of Conduct. After reviewing the CoC, we've decided that it is not necessary to have you click through it every time you enter the game. However, you will need to continue to scroll through the EUALA for the foreseeable future. While we are making it easier to do that it will remain as it is. I'm truly sorry that it is necessary but for now, due to legal reasons, it will still need to be scrolled through and accepted when you enter the game.





(2) On a much lighter and even more important note, as you know one of main priorities for our engineering team over the last few weeks has been to reduce the number of crashes to desktop (CTDs) that are experienced by a small percentage of our players. We applied a client patch yesterday and over the last 24 hours, the aggregate number of CTDs per play hour has decreased by 50%. We are applying another patch that we hope will take the numbers down even further but for now, even with the 50% reduction, the number of CTDs is now at its lowest ever.





(3) Finally, we have some even better news for a large number of our players. Since we launched the Head Start program, we have told people that after launch we would allow them to move characters from a high population server to a low population server free of charge. Tomorrow morning, we will begin a process to essentially clone (who says you can't mix sci-fi and fantasy) all character, Auction House and guild information of several of our high population servers to brand new servers. Players and guilds can choose which server (old, new or both!) they wish to play on. Nobody's characters will be deleted and because they are being copied to clean servers, everyone gets to keep their names and their guild names. As far as we know nobody has done this before in the MMORPG industry and we are proud to be the first to offer this to our players. So, it is up to you, whether you are just an individual player or guild to stay on the existing server or to move to the new server. Here are the servers that are being moved and the names of their clones.





Phoenix Throne =%26gt; White Tower


Skull Throne =%26gt; Tower of Doom


Volkmar =%26gt; Magnus


Badlands =%26gt; Mordheim


Dark Crag =%26gt; Eerie Downs





Once again we have shown our commitment to make WAR the best MMORPG on the market both through our commitment to game development and customer service.

WARHerald Update: Server Cloning Maintenance - Multiple Servers

James has posted over on the WARHerald this morning regarding the cloning of characters from the high pop. servers.

Greetings!





As mentioned by Mark in this post:





http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=292





We will be cloning 5 servers in order to improve player experiencing on servers with high populations.





The five selected servers will be brought down for maintenance and a copy will be made of the current existing data, including characters, items, guilds, the auction house, and more. These copies will be loaded onto brand new servers.





Once the copies are made the two servers are entirely separate, if you choose to play on the new server any achievements earned there will not carry over to the previous server and vice versa. You will always be able to return to your character on either server at any time.





Below are the servers being cloned and the names of the new ones they are being copied to, these servers will maintain the same ruleset as their parent:





Phoenix Throne (RP) =%26gt; White Tower (RP)





Skull Throne (Core) =%26gt; Tower of Doom (Core)





Volkmar (Core) =%26gt; Magnus (Core)





Badlands (Core) =%26gt; Mordheim (Core)





Dark Crag (RvR) =%26gt; Eerie Downs (RvR)





The cloning process will require several hours of downtime, Phoenix Throne will be cloned first, our anticipated downtime is approximately 7AM EDT this morning. We will then begin cloning the other servers once Phoenix Throne and White tower have been brought back online.


A new herald post will be created for both of these maintenance windows. Thank you and as always watch the Herald for important news and information!

This means Mostly Harmless will have to wait a little while longer before hitting 40 (they're currently 37/38). Maybe you guys could get some sleep, or eat, go outside, or something ;)





Kidding, I %26lt;3





Thanks to James, as always, for the update!

Welcome to Warhammer & Warhammer Vault!

The day we have been waiting on is finally upon us!! WAR has arrived! For all of the new people to Vault Network Welcome!! The Warhammer Vault Staff have been hard at work putting together some cool features that players new to Warhammer Online will not want to miss!





I have put together a list of some of our most popular features for everyone to take a peek at:





Warhammer Vault: Warhammer Online Forums- The place to be for Warhammer Discussion


Warhammer General- Your number one stop for Warhammer Forums! Frequent Dev postings and a ton of fun!!


Warhammer Server Boards- US/EU/Oceanic Server Boards for Warhammer Online. Non stop action and up to date happenings for your server!


The Wasteland- Off Topic Community Forum for Warhammer.


Tech Support Board- Got problems? Odds are someone here has an idea how to help!


User Interface Board- Custom UI's Rock! Come here to find one or share yours!


Guild Board- Looking for a guild? Got a guild looking for more players? This is your board!


Warhammer Boards- Full listing of our Warhammer Boards.


Missy has posted a new update on the WAR Herald to let us know how the process on server cloning is going.

Status: Badlands, Skull Throne, Volkmar, and Dark Crag are currently down





Greetings!





At 12:00 Noon EDT, Badlands, Skull Throne, Volkmar, and Dark Crag will be coming down in order to clone the server over to their respective cloned servers. As mentioned in this previous announcement multiple servers will be cloned in order to better spread budding populations and reduce queue times across the board during peak playing times.





Please be sure to read the following thread for the full details:





http://herald.warhammeronline.com/warherald/NewsArticle.war?id=297





We anticipate the downtime to last 4 hours and return by 4:00 PM EDT. Please watch this post for information and updates. Thank you!





UPDATE 12:05 PM EDT: The servers listed above have been brought down as planned.

Maintenance des serveurs

Afin d'effectuer une mise %26agrave; jour, l'acc%26egrave;s aux serveurs de jeu sera coup%26eacute; demain matin, vendredi 19 septembre. Les serveurs seront mis hors ligne %26agrave; 10H CEST et leur retour est pr%26eacute;vu avant midi.

Nous vous informerons %26eacute;videmment de l'%26eacute;volution de cette maintenance.

MAJ : les serveurs sont d%26eacute;sormais hors ligne. Nous vous informerons de leur retour au cours d'une future %26eacute;dition de cette news.

MAJ 12H CEST : la maintenance s'av%26egrave;re plus longue qu'initialement pr%26eacute;vue. Nous vous informerons de l'heure de retour du serveur bient%26ocirc;t.

MAJ 13H : l'ouverture des serveurs d%26eacute;bute d%26egrave;s maintenant. Tous les serveurs sauf Athel Loren sont d%26eacute;sormais accessibles. Son retour devrait se faire rapidement, nous vous en informerons sur cette news.

MAJ 13H20 : Athel Loren est accessible %26agrave; son tour. Bon jeu %26agrave; tous !

Warhammer online De Die neue FAQ

Seit der Ver%26ouml;ffentlichung des Spiels haben wir unsere FAQ-Seite aktualisiert, um es einfacher zu machen, auf die Informationen zuzugreifen. Sie ist vollgepackt mit allerhand Informationen zu technischen Problemen, Fragen zum Spiel und zu Accounts.

Hier k%26ouml;nnt ihr die am h%26auml;ufigsten gestellten Fragen finden:

Ich bekomme die Nachricht, dass die Datei d3dx9_34.dll fehlt %26ndash; was bedeutet das?


Wenn ihr euch die neueste Version von DirectX holt, ist das Problem behoben.

Wie muss ich meine Firewall konfigurieren?


%26Ouml;ffnet im Konfigurationsmen%26uuml; eurer Firewall die Ports 80, 6881 bis 6889 und 6969 (TCP) und erlaubt dem Patcher (warpatch.exe) %26uuml;ber diese Ports auf das Internet zuzugreifen.

F: Ich erhalte eine E-Mail zu einem Registrierungsfehler und einen Link zu einem %26quot;Mit dieser E-Mail-Adresse ist kein Account verbunden%26quot;-Fehler

A: Diese Fehlermeldung kann durch die folgenden zwei Situationen entstehen:

Situation 1: Ihr erhaltet die Registrierungsfehler-E-Mail auf der gleichen E-Mail-Adresse, die ihr auch beim %26quot;Code registrieren%26quot; verwendet habt:


Stellt sicher, dass ihr einen Konto registriert habt und dass ihr diese Registrierung best%26auml;tigt habt.

Situation 2: - Ihr erhaltet die Registrierungsfehler-E-Mail auf einer anderen E-Mail-Adresse, als jene die ihr beim %26quot;Code registrieren%26quot; verwendet habt:


Ihr habt den richtigen Login und das richtige Passwort eingegeben, aber die E-Mail-Adresse geh%26ouml;rt nicht zu diesem Konto. Stellt sicher, dass ihr in das %26quot;E-Mail%26quot;-Feld auch die E-Mail-Adresse eintragt, die zu diesem Konto geh%26ouml;rt.

F: Ich erhalte eine E-Mail zu einem Registrierungsfehler und einen Link zu einem %26quot;Authentifikation fehlgeschlagen, bitte %26uuml;berpr%26uuml;fe Login und Passwort.

A: Dieser Fehlermeldung bedeutet, dass das Passwort, welches ihr beim %26quot;Code registrieren%26quot; verwendet habt, nicht mit dem von eurem Konto %26uuml;bereinstimmt.

Euer Passwort muss zwischen 8 und 16 Zeichen lang sein, und mindestens zwei Ziffern enthalten. Dar%26uuml;ber hinaus achtet es auf Gro%26szlig;- und Kleinschreibung. Bitte stellt sichert, dass ihr das Passwort genau eingebt, wie ihr es auf der Webeseite tun w%26uuml;rdet.

Wenn ihr mehrere Registrierungsfehler-E-Mails wegen eures Passworts erhaltet, k%26ouml;nnt ihr ein neues Passwort mit dem %26quot;Passwort vergessen%26quot;-Link unter dem Einlogg-Fenster in der linken oberen Ecke unserer Webseite anfordern.

Bitte beachtet: Der %26quot;Passwort vergessen%26quot;-Link wird in den ersten Tagen nach dem Release nicht sofort verf%26uuml;gbar sein, sondern erst am Montag wieder funktionieren. Wenn ihr euch an euer Passwort nicht erinnern k%26ouml;nnt, wartet bitte bis dahin.


Danke f%26uuml;r eure Geduld und euer Verst%26auml;ndnis.

F: Ich erhalte eine Email und die Fehlermeldung %26quot;Dieser Key ist ung%26uuml;ltig%26quot;

A: Diese Fehlermeldung wird angezeigt, weil ihr euren Code im Code-Registrierungsformular falsch angegeben habt.

Aufgrund des Drucks ist es m%26ouml;glich, dass es zu Verwechslungen verschiedener Zeichen kommt.

Hier ist eine Liste von h%26auml;ufig auftretenden Verwechslungen:

%26quot;G%26quot; kann wie eine %26quot;6%26quot; aussehen


%26quot;S%26quot; kann wie eine %26quot;5%26quot; aussehen


%26quot;B%26quot; kann wie eine %26quot;8%26quot; aussehen


%26quot;V%26quot; kann wie ein %26quot;U%26quot; aussehen


%26quot;I%26quot; kann wie ein %26quot;L%26quot; aussehen


%26quot;0%26quot;, %26quot;O%26quot; und %26quot;Q%26quot; k%26ouml;nnen wie ein %26quot;D%26quot; aussehen

Die Zeichen %26quot;0%26quot;, %26quot;O%26quot; und %26quot;Q%26quot; sind nicht im Key, wohl aber im Pr%26auml;fix, enthalten.

Note pour les possesseurs de I'Edition Collector

Nombreux sont ceux parmi vous %26agrave; avoir re%26ccedil;u aujourd'hui leur bo%26icirc;te de l'Edition Collector et parmi le contenu d'exception se trouve la figurine en %26eacute;dition limit%26eacute;e de Grumlok et Gazbag, cr%26eacute;%26eacute;e par Games Workshop. Veuillez noter s'il vous plait que cette figurine est fabriqu%26eacute;e en plusieurs parties et doit %26ecirc;tre assembl%26eacute;e - les colles %26agrave; maquettes sont parfaites pour cela ! Il est notamment normal de retrouver les armes s%26eacute;par%26eacute;es du corps dans le blister, inutile de retourner votre bo%26icirc;te %26agrave; votre revendeur, toutes les figurines sont faites ainsi.

Serverwatung am Freitagmorgen aktualisert

Morgen vormittag um 10:00 Uhr deutscher Zeit werden wir alle Server herunterfahren, um ein %26Uuml;bersetzungsupdate aufzuspielen. Die Server werden um die Mittagszeit wieder erreichbar sein.

UPDATE 10:00 Uhr: Die Server sind jetzt wegen der Wartungsarbeiten nicht erreichbar.

UPDATE 13:00 Uhr: Die Server wurden erfolgreich aktualisiert und neu gestartet. Ihr k%26ouml;nnt euch nun einloggen und spielen.


Bei den deutschsprachigen Servern wird lediglich Averland noch etwas l%26auml;nger brauchen.

UPDATE 13:15 Uhr: Auch Averland ist wieder zu erreichbar. Viel Spa%26szlig; im Spiel!

Do you plan to continue with the 25-player model for raids?

Yes. We've been pleased with the tactics, intensity, and variety of the 25-player raid model, and plan to continue with it.

What's the level requirement to enter Northrend?

Players of any level who have purchased the expansion can visit Northrend. However, all of the content is designed for players level 68 and up.

Chilton: We want "to outdo ourselves in every respect"

Gametrailers hit up Tom Chilton for an interview at Leipzig and here's the video. His main point is that Wrath is bigger and better than before -- more, better, cooler content. Intercut with lots of cool video from the beta (though some of it was seen as far back as BlizzCon last year), he lays down what's up with the next expansion.





He says that Wrath is meant for high-end players, but that there's lots for lowbies as well: recruit-a-friend was actually designed as part of the Wrath feature set, and Blizzard thought it was better to release it earlier. Inscription is also seen as a %26quot;whole-game%26quot; feature, since you can pick it up right at level one, and Achievements will work for everyone as well.





He also talks about how the new gameplay features Blizzard is building in let them do all kinds of things with quests and instances -- he specifically mentions one encounter in the Oculus where you'll get to choose a ride with different abilities, so it'll be a different experience than your normal class play. There's some great footage of air combat in there as well, and even a little tidbit about the official threatmeter. Nice interview, and it sounds like Blizzard is rolling right along with their progress in the beta.

Friday Nights @ the X

Leave your weapons and inhibitions at the door. The Xtasy Lounge hosts the most radical parties on Lok. Nestled in a abandoned Imperial Outpost, Lawless Valley is its own law, so things like illicit gambling and smuggling are not illegal. Lawless Valley is a Roleplay atmosphere, please take this into account before deciding whether or not to attend. Also, there is a non-combat policy inside the Lounge. If you are at war, please take any fights outside. Role Playing inside The X-tasy Lounge is preferred, but not required. Please be respectful of the Role players and vice-versa. As always there is a strict no weapons / fighting policy inside The X-tasy Lounge.

EVE Fanfest 2008 - PVP Tournament and Jita

Yet again you will have the opportunity to blow stuff up in front of a big crowd at the Fanfest, as you read in a dev blog earlier, there is a new element to the tournament - mining! We have now put up the full set of rules for this year's tournament which you can see here.

usage of third-party tools or cheats, or engaged in RMT (Real Money Trading) activities.

We would like to report the termination today of multiple accounts held by players involved in the usage of third-party tools or cheats, or engaged in RMT (Real Money Trading) activities.





Based on the results of our investigation, around 5760 PlayOnline accounts were terminated while around 420 accounts were temporarily suspended.


Additionally, we have increased the number of mass bannings against certain PlayOnline violations in order to prevent illegal acts.





Details of the violations are as follows:





- Usage of tools that allow enhanced character movement.


Week of July 20, Approx. 240 cases


Week of July 27, Approx. 330 cases


Week of August 3, Approx. 210 cases


Week of August 17, Approx. 340 cases


Week of August 24, Approx. 150 cases





- Usage of tools that circumvent game mechanics with respect to the timing of ability use, etc. in certain areas or at points where Notorious Monsters appear.


August 26, Approx. 20 cases





- Using cheats to automatically repeat a particular action.


Week of July 20, Approx. 160 cases


Week of July 27, Approx. 60 cases


Week of August 3, Approx. 140 cases


Week of August 17, Approx. 240 cases


Week of August 24, Approx. 30 cases





- Gil and item exchange for real world money.


Week of July 27, Approx. 20 cases


Week of August 3, Approx. 20 cases


Week of August 17, Approx. 200 cases


Week of August 24, Approx. 150 cases





- Instances of areas or monster monopolization.


July 24, Approx. 190 cases


August 7, Approx. 200 cases


August 25, Approx. 160 cases





- Usage of synthesis and auction houses for RMT activities.


July 22, Approx. 650 cases





- Involved in compromised accounts


Week of July 20, Approx. 420 cases


Week of July 27, Approx. 810 cases


Week of August 3, Approx. 700 cases


Week of August 17, Approx. 680 cases


Week of August 24, Approx. 60 cases





The termination of these accounts has led to the removal of approximately 2.5 billion gil from circulation.





We would like to remind players that as well as adversely affecting game balance, the use of third-party tools or cheats can also have consequences that are not immediately obvious, such as introducing damaging viruses, and comprising the security of private account details. Usage of third-party tools will not be tolerated within FINAL FANTASY XI, and we will continue to severely penalize any players found to be in violation of the PlayOnline Member Agreement.





As we continue to ensure a fun and balanced environment for FINAL FANTASY XI, we hope that our players enjoy the game as it was intended and take care to avoid involvement in activities that violate the PlayOnline Member Agreement.





Thank you for your continued cooperation and understanding.

Maintenance and Ataraxia

Hello Hero Online Players, Tomorrow (9-3-08) we will be having server maintenance from 5pm to 9pm pst.

We would also like to announce that the Ataraxia Quest and areas will be available after the maintenance.



Starting this Friday (9-5-08) players will also be able to gain Coupons from Event Manager Mae (Stackable with all exp items). These Coupons will last 3 hours and will give players another bonus of 10% Exp and Drop rate. The Coupons can only be gained once a day and can not be moved. (Ex. If a player already has a coupon they can not gain another until the following day.) If previous day's Coupon is still in the inventory then another Coupon will not be gained from Mae but you should finish it off before you get another one at that day, This event will last for 1 month as well as an additional Exp event that will be added soon.



If a player gains Coupons for 30 consecutive days Mae will grant them with a Sculpture of Sacred Tiger (Small)

** Level 100 players will be able to start the Ataraxia Quest at 50% Exp. Once the quest is complete the remaining 50% will be awarded to the player and they will become level 101 and transform into their Divine Status.

Chronicle: And To Live In Peace

Our new story is about murder, abduction and hard ethical choices. Which is why it's a farce.

This is a new EVE Chronicle. They are short-stories written by CCP Abraxas, published every other Monday, and intended to examine the various aspects of life in New Eden.

[Notice] Patch Notice v.177

The following changes will be included to the v.177 patch for August 26, 2008 maintenance period.





Monster Balances


- Xita Refuge


Adjusted Sikuku Elite Fighter spawn.





- Sikuku Underground Prison


Adjusted Executioner Kera spawn.


Executor Kera has also been added to the small middle room of the Sikuku Underground Prison.





- Some issues with monsters spawning inside of walls or objects has been corrected on the following maps:


Sikuku Underground Prison


Marsh of Ghosts


Mana Snowfields


Crystal Snowfields





- Junon Clan Field


Doonga Type Monsters have been removed from the 70-89 Clan Field and replaced with Krawfy Type Monsters.


Kaiman Type Monsters have been added to the 'Normal' Section of the 70-89 Clan Field.


Golem Type Monsters have had their spawn behaviors adjusted to provide an increased challenge.





- Reduced the attack power for all non-King/Boss Monsters under level 75 by 7~15%.





- Reduced the attack power for all Candle/Electric Ghosts by 20%





- Lowered the skill power and frequency of the skill for the Crack Fighter.





- Experience for monsters adjusted in Attack Power has been affected based on the changes above.





Quest


- Adjusted Stockpiling Quest so that it is now a set hunting amount and reward.





Skill Balance


Double Scratch


MP cost increased from 2 to 12.





Item Mall


Item Mall Berries are no longer able to be vended in a personal shop. Additionally, to prevent accidental loss they are also unable to be sold to the NPC.





Bugs


- various NPC, Item and Dialog updates and corrections have been made.





- Terrain and object adjustments made to the following maps for better mobility in certain areas.


El Verloon Desert


Kenji Beach


Canyon City of Zant


Magic City of Eucar


(Terrain discoloration will be corrected in a future update)

Last Hero Standing War Canceled

Hello Hero Online Players,


The Last Hero Wars will not count for this weekend due to an issue that we have recently discovered. We will be fixing the problem in a future maitenance. Thank you for your support.

SOL Tips: Five Interesting Jobs in SOL

SOL has sixteen classes branched off four archetypes - combatant, mage, monk, archer. So often we hear people asking: which class should I play锛焀ell, We can not tell you that because each class is unique on its own way, and each has its own weakness and strength, just like all of us:). However, we can share with you about five interesting classes in SOL.





Die unaware: Shadowy Errantry

They are Archers, except that they have extremely good speed, critical strike rate and excel at camouflage and blitz raid. For these reasons, they can easily snatch lives in shadow. So never try to fool around in front of them.

Die Stunned: Flaffer


They are combatants who are known for stunning. Even their normal attack could have stunning effect. One can't move or counter attack when stunned. Flaffers with high agility can even stun others until death. Therefore, it's wise to turn around whenever you bump into a Flaffer, as quickly as possible.

Die Depressed: Demon Hunter


They are archers, but unlike the Shadowy Errantry, demon hunters are more of defensive type, for they have the ability of increasing their stats and reducing damages, and their Bimanual Bladeedge skill can reflect damages to attacking opponents. For these reasons, it would be very difficult to kill demon hunters with high hp, and often time, you are the one who drop dead at the end.

Die Impossible: Telekineticist


The Telekineticist, being well-versed in transformation, can often crack people up in a moment of heat. A war is turned into a farce when Telekineticist changes an opponent into turtle and rabbit.

Die Framed: Shadow Hunter


They're experts in setting up traps, able to produce more than nine-fold damage with a fortified trap. The Devil Incendiary is even rumored to crush any magic and shut up the opponent, as well as enforcing massive damages. Don't mess up with them as long as you can.

One more tips: in SOL, you can change class with talent reset stone and super talent reset stone. Sweet, hah?!

The Tuesday Morning Post: Treadmills, Bambi, and keyloggers in space

Good Tuesday morning, everyone! Most of us will be getting away just a quick set of rolling restarts at 5AM PDT today, but there is a handful of servers that will be going down for extended maintenance from 3AM PDT to 11AM PDT. Those servers include Azjol-Nerub, Bloodscalp, Bonechewer, Boulderfist, Bronzebeard, Crushridge, Daggerspine, Darkspear, Draenor, Dragonblight, Dragonmaw, Dunemaul, Eldre'Thalas, Feathermoon, Firetree, Frostmane, Gurubashi, Nathrezim, Perenolde, Scarlet Crusade, Shadow Council, Shadowsong, Silvermoon, Skywall, Smolderthorn, Spirestone, Stonemaul, Stormscale, Suramar, Terenas, Uldum, Windrunner.

As always, for those who play on the affected servers, or those who are unable to play WoW at the moment, let me suggest some articles from the past week. There was certainly a lot of news to discuss, with build 8885 going up on the Wrath Beta servers and a good smattering of con news as well. Let's check it out:

Hot News and Features

If you haven't done your WoW Crossword for the week yet, it's a perfect way to waste time while waiting for your server to restart.





1-60 in 20 minutes? It's no joke. Welcome to the brave new world of WoW leveling, courtesy of Refer-A-Friend!





It seem like most retailers are expecting Wrath to come out on November 4th. Still, it's best to take any release date not officially announced by Blizzard with a huge grain of salt.





Ever wondered how much work it is for our characters to run everywhere in Azeroth? These folks hooked up a treadmill to find out for themselves.





Raid stacking will be getting a huge overhaul come patch 3.0.2. We're talking massive, game-changing stuff here. If you raid or plan to raid at the 10 or 25-man level in the future, you should check it out.





Breaking News: Bambi invades Wrath of the Lich King! We're serious.





Tons of new character titles are coming with Wrath of the Lich King.





Comcast has announced a bandwidth cap, it's true, but don't worry. It probably won't affect your WoW playing.

Maintenance Extension

Maitenance wIll be extened for one hour. Thank you for your patience.

Play Age of Conan with your XBox 360 controller

Blue Orb, creators of the intuitive SwitchBlade%26trade; application that allows gamers to play PC games with an Xbox 360 controller, demonstrated their latest Blade for Age of Conan at the Funcom booth during this year's Games Convention.

SwitchBlade is an easy to use application that brings a fully configured game controller interface and experience to any PC game. Once SwitchBlade is installed, it provides a console gaming experience for the gamer looking for a new way to play popular PC games. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is the latest PC game supported by SwitchBlade, and the application's preconfigured key bindings map the Xbox 360 controller buttons to the most commonly used Conan controls.





Key Features of SwitchBlade are:

Provides all the gaming functions of a mouse and keyboard

Brings Xbox 360%26reg; controller support to Age of Conan

Use one of the many richly pre-configured controller layouts, or...

Create your own customized layout

You find more information about SwitchBlade at http://www.switchbladegaming.com/aoc/where you can also download the application for free.

LoA Server Maintenance - 8/12 2pm CDT

The LoA server will be down for server maintenance on Tuesday, August 12th beginning at 2pm CDT / 3pm EDT / 7pm GMT. During this time, we will be working to improve server stability on this server. The estimated downtime for this maintenance is 3 hours.

Thank you!

360 degree Screenshots on PanoGames

PanoGames offers 12 amazing screenshots taken in Age of Conan. What makes these pictures truly special is the fact that they show a 360 degree view of the scenery!





You find these 12 screenshots at PanoGames right here.

Tuesday Night at Club U-foria

Server: Sunrunner


Date: 09/10/2008


Time: Every Tuesday at 6:00 PM PDT


Contact: Guyanna', Elli


Location: Sanctum City, Talus (-6331, 2011)


Description: The X-tasy Lounge's sister club, Club U-foria is one of the Galaxy's best places to kick back and relax. In addition to the dance floor and lounge Club U-foria has an indoor pool, a hot tub, and a Sauna! Weapons and fighting are not permitted inside Club U-foria so please leave your weapons at the door and take any fights outside. Roleplaying inside Club U-foria is encouraged but not required please be respectful of those that do roleplay and vice-versa.

A Sneek Preview to Equip. Upgrade in 2.5D SOL

You're caught in the whirl of turmoil of Agnes, what to do? Try to be smart, rely on your virtue, or call for sworn brothers? Yes and no. These approaches can help, but will not work if you don't have a set of empowering weapons and armors.

On the Agnes land, you get equipments through purchasing, looting and crafting. No surprise, those sold at NPC are really banal and the looted ones are better only if you have the luck. Therefore, people rely on their hands to build dream weapons. SOL has an extensive crafting system for this purpose: players can craft five grades of armors and weapons distinguished by colors: green, blue, purple, orange, and still counting. Randomization is used for bonus attributes, which makes the process very interesting.

To make the crafting more interesting, 2.5D SOL is introducing a new equipment upgrade system, with which crafting ultimate equipments is made possible at all levels. This system upgrades equipments of all levels with increased defense and damage, up to 100%. The defense increase is applied to equipments of defense type, including hats, chests, pants, and shoes. The damage increase is applied to equipments of offensive type, including weapons, waistbands, and gloves. Upgraded equipments are ranked from 1 to 10 stars, with 10 stars being the maximum. That is, one can continuously upgrade an item until it is 10 stared. However, each upgrade may have a small chance of failure, in which case the equipment is 0-stared. No additional materials are needed but an Enhancing Stone for each upgrade.

Set-based bonus rewards are available for those who have done well. The rewards include increased hit rate and dodge, along with colored glowing on equipped characters.

2.5D SOL is coming at the end of September, with many new features and enhancement. Stay tuned:).

Lineage II Lookalike Contest

Do you think you bear a striking resemblance to your Lineage%26reg; II character? We want to hear from you! Grab a camera because now's your time to shine in the Lineage%26reg; II Lookalike Contest! Send us a screenshot of a Lineage%26reg; II monster, NPC, or your character alongside a photo of you for a chance to win some fabulous Lineage%26reg; II prizes!

Silicon Valley Icons to send DNA into space

NCsoft's%26reg; Operation Immortality%26trade; has added three of Silicon Valley's most celebrated minds to the growing list of notable names who are sending their digitized DNA into space. Kevin Rose, creator of the social-bookmarking website Digg, Robert Scoble, one of the world's most popular tech bloggers and Tim Draper, founder of the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson, have agreed to send their DNA to orbit along with celebrated game designer Richard Garriott, who is traveling to the International Space Station (ISS) on Oct. 12.

Operation Immortality Extended!

Operation Immortality has really taken off, with some of today's top athletes, artists, and musicians signing on to have their digitized DNA preserved on the Immortality Drive. And now, there is even more time to join them!

Creative Ferment in Worlds That Never Were

THERE was a time not too long ago when creative ambition and commercial success seemed mutually exclusive in the video-game industry. Every year the same doleful procession of seen-that-before sports games and churn-'em-out Pokemon sequels dominated sales charts. And every year scattered motes of inspiration languished without sufficient support from publishers too myopic to see that games can appeal to everyone, not just some mythological slacker.

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Multimedia

Video

Trailer: Gears of War 2









Related

Video Game Review: Playing God, the Home Game (September 5, 2008)

Not now, though. Propelled by growing mainstream acceptance and by the maturing of both the audience (the average age of today's gamer is in the early 30s) and that audience's tastes, games are enjoying a moment of creative possibility not seen since the early 1980s.

It will all be on display this fall. Even though some of 2008's top games, like Grand Theft Auto 4 and Super Smash Brothers Brawl, have already been on shelves for months, the fall lineup appears both deep and broad. Here are some products to watch.

FALLOUT 3 It may not be everyone's cup of radioactive pekoe, but old-school gamers may savor Fallout 3 more than any other game this fall. The Fallout franchise, set in the wasteland of an America ruined by nuclear war, is one of the most illustrious, beloved role-playing series still in production. Bethesda Softworks, the series's new owner, is one of the few American developers still making single-player role-playing games. Put together, Bethesda and Fallout should be a fine combination. If they fall short, there will be howls of disappointment. To be released in October for PC, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

GEARS OF WAR 2 AND RESISTANCE 2 The first Gears of War was the high-octane science-fiction shooter Microsoft needed to provide an early tent pole for the Xbox 360. The first Resistance was the high-octane science-fiction shooter that Sony needed to provide an early tent pole for the PlayStation 3. Both games delivered, and the two games are more similar than either of their developers would care to admit. Much the same can probably be said of their coming sequels. As befit their roles as champions for their respective systems, they fill the same niche in the marketplace. Expect excellence but little risk-taking in their design. Publishers: Microsoft (Gears of War 2), for 360; Sony (Resistance 2), for PS3. Both to be released in November.

GUITAR HERO WORLD TOUR AND ROCK BAND 2 The battle of the bands continues in the genre perhaps more responsible than any other for enticing baby boomers and young professionals back into gaming: the rock %26lsquo;n' roll simulator. By now the concept is familiar: press buttons on a plastic guitar or tap a plastic drum kit in time with the riffs and snares in famous rock songs. Rock Band's big draw this year is an expansive menu of downloadable tracks, while the new Guitar Hero will include powerful tools to let players record and share their own creations. Most of those creations will be unlistenable. But rest assured that a few genuine YouTube stars will emerge. Publishers: Activision Blizzard (Guitar Hero World Tour), for 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's Wii; MTV Games (Rock Band 2), for PS3, PS2 and Wii. Guitar Hero World Tour to be released in October. Rock Band 2 to be released this month for 360 and later this year for PS and Wii.

LEFT 4 DEAD Zombies are in this year, and it doesn't look as if any game will deliver the satisfyingly putrid stench of the undead better than Left 4 Dead. Valve is best-known for Half-Life, perhaps the premier single-player first-person shooter franchise. With L4D, Valve is trying to meld some Half-Life-style characterization with lessons gleaned from the popular multiplayer Counter-Strike and Team Fortress projects. That means that as you battle the ravenous zombie hordes, the game play will boil down to one concept: teamwork. Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software, for PC and 360. To be released in November.

LITTLEBIGPLANET Thinking broadly, LittleBigPlanet is a bit akin to Spore (below) in that both games focus on allowing players to invent their own virtual creatures and share them with others. Granted, Spore tries to cover eons of evolutionary biology while LittleBigPlanet is about madcap animated beanbags, but you get the idea. As a sheer creativity engine, LBP may in some ways actually prove more robust because it allows users to make and share entire levels with other players. And unlike Spore, LittleBigPlanet includes a real-time multiplayer mode, so you can tackle challenges with friends. Publisher: Sony, for PS3. To be released in October.

SPORE Absent some hysterical sex or violence controversy, never has a game attracted as much prerelease mainstream hype as Spore, the latest creation from Will Wright. In this case it's warranted. Mr. Wright could have retired years ago, and his seminal franchises, SimCity and the Sims, would already have landed his face onto gaming's Mount Rushmore. In carrying out the journey of your own unique species from primordial soup-swimmer to interstellar hegemony, Spore really does have something for just about everyone. Publisher: Electronic Arts, for PC and Mac. Released Sunday.

WARHAMMER ONLINE Give Electronic Arts and Mythic Entertainment, Warhammer's developer, a lot of points for moxie. It takes a fair bit of gumption to go up against World of Warcraft these days in the massively multiplayer segment. But then to do so with a game that at least superficially resembles Warcraft in so many ways (high fantasy setting complete with orcs and dwarves, cartoony art style, similar server size, similar basic game mechanics) must be a supreme act of either lunacy or confidence. I hope the finished product bears out the confidence. To be released this month, for PCs.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WRATH OF THE LICH KING All right, so Activision Blizzard has not said that Wrath of the Lich King, the second major expansion pack for World of Warcraft, is definitely being released this year. The last expansion was released in January 2007, and that worked out fine, so it is quite possible that Wrath could slip past New Year's as well. No matter. Closing in on its fourth birthday, World of Warcraft remains the leviathan of the massively multiplayer realm, with more than 10 million subscribers. Almost all of them will buy the new expansion, no matter when it arrives. The big question is whether Wrath can attract a cadre of new fans and seduce the few ex-players who have conquered their Warcraft addictions (for now). To be released when Activision Blizzard feels like it, for PCs and Macs.

ZENG Han and YANG Changhong Soul Stealer

m97 Gallery Shanghai is pleased to present %26quot;Soul Stealer,%26quot; an exhibition of photographic works by Zeng Han and Yang Changhong. %26quot;Soul Stealer%26quot; is a mysterious four-part series of portraits and landscapes, evaluating a theatrical and spiritual connection of modern and traditional role play between characters in ancient Chinese operas and those of global popular culture. The Soul Stealer series are: Part I: %26quot;Landplay%26quot; (from Anshun, Guizhou Province), Part II: %26quot; Cosplay%26quot; (Shenzhen), Part III: %26quot;Mulian Opera%26quot; (Shaoyang, Hunan Province), and Part IV: %26quot;World of Warcraft%26quot; (Chongqing).


The images from Part I: %26quot;Landplay%26quot; depict local villagers from Guizhou province acting out traditional characters from the Chinese historical Dixi Opera, meaning Earth Opera or Open-Air Opera. In these traditional performances, local villagers and farmers perform not on stage, but occupy vacant land near a village while the audience watches nearby. Still performed today, Dixi Opera is considered to be one of the oldest operas in the world, and is said to be the %26quot;living fossil of opera art%26quot;. Part III: %26quot;Mulian Opera%26quot;, photographed in Hunan Province, illustrates the characters in this operatic troupe performing the legendary story of Mulian, who journeys through the trials and tribulations of purgatory in order to save his condemned mother. Dating back to the Tang Dynasty, %26quot;Mulian Opera%26quot; illustrates aspects of ancient society while also incorporating acrobatics and mythological religious lore.





In contrast, Part II: %26quot;Cosplay%26quot; and Part IV: %26quot;World of Warcraft%26quot; document the modern versions of costume-based entertainment. Cosplay originated in Japan as a role-play game based on manga and anime characters, while %26quot;World of Warcraft%26quot; is currently the most popular online virtual role-player fantasy game with some 10 million global online subscribers. As juxtapositions to Parts I and Parts III (%26quot;Landplay%26quot; and %26quot;Mulian Opera%26quot;) the %26quot;Cosplay%26quot; and %26quot;World of Warcraft%26quot; series of photographs are illustrations of modern-day avatars interconnected in a global popular culture beyond a specific time or local tradition. At the same time when viewing all 4 series of characters in role play, we realize there is a timeless desire of these performers to slip out of ordinary existence and embody other identities in a fantastic alternate reality. A direct reference to the book of the same title by sinologist Philip Kuhn, %26quot;Soul Stealer%26quot; is an invocation to the souls and spirits that come to play in all these timeless performances. It is also perhaps a lament for the erosion of the %26quot;soul%26quot; of ancient China, whose culture and traditions are left in the hands of the old generations while the young rush to urban metropolises awash in the latest trends of current global popular culture.





By using photography as a portal to another dimension, Zeng and Yang steal a glimpse of the soul of someone from another place and time, while documenting each character's personal transformation. For them, this body of work allows a platform where %26quot;time becomes mingled and under such conditions, ancient spirits can gather together from all different times, where the performers in these monumental characters find themselves being transformed into an invented being or spirit of heroic proportions.%26quot;