Warhammer implements an "open-party" system.
DateTime:7/8/2009 5:21:12 PM

Which lets you browse through all groups near you and join one at your will. This means players need not ask around for an invitation to such a group, and makes forming a party to tackle a tricky dungeon far easier than on other games. Players in a party they wish to keep private can choose to do so as well with the merest tick of a box.

Another innovation that seems glaringly obvious only after it has been invented is that of the public quest. These are huge-scale events that happen across the environment, such as defeating an oncoming charge of enemies or collecting resources to build a battering ram.

Anyone in the area will see the objectives on their screen and can choose to take part or not, whether they are grouped or alone. Any help a player does give to the completion of the quest will result in influence points that they can spend on items.

Also, upon the completion of a public quest, which can sometimes be very challenging, the players who contributed the most will win rare treasures, such as new weapons and armour. These public quests are a fantastic idea, as they allow solo players to contribute their part, while at the same time naturally shepherding players together into groups, without the hassle of looking for one.

Warhammer Online seems to take the best bits of previous MMOs and improve on them, as well as adding many little innovations of its own. Granted, there are some flaws, such as a few remaining bugs or slight imbalance between the different player classes, but these really are few and far between. The intense focus on PvP will put off some players, and attract others. If you enjoyed World of Warcraft, or any other MMO game of the last few years, you would be well advised to try out Warhammer Online.