Warhammer lore is seamlessly infused into each quest
DateTime:7/8/2009 5:21:12 PM

From the text to the set pieces, the essence of each zone shines through. While the Elves might have the player sneaking about using cunning and finesse, the Orcs will load him (or her) into a “lobber” (catapult) and hurl you over the enemy defenses for some “stunty smashin”. Even though the quests in each tier are fundamentally the same, the changes in theme help to keep the gameplay fresh. The Greenskin zone is particularly enjoyable, and its quest text laugh-out-loud funny.

The most significant questing innovation Mythic has made is the implementation of Public Quests (PQs). These quests are repeatable world events that are broken up into stages, which upon successful completion lead to a mini boss fight. After completing the Public Quest all of the participants get a random roll on a treasure dropped by the boss, though the extent of the player’s participation determines the roll bonus. Players that don’t win anything have increased chances of winning should they stay and participate in the Public Quest again. This is great for those who prefer solo leveling. However, it hurts the communal nature of an MMO. There is little communication and with fights designed for public play, they are not overly complex and tend to turn into zergfests.In general, questing never requires a group and this can lead to a sense of isolation. The lack of group focus in PvE means fewer bonds are formed and, in general, less social interaction takes place. This is a shame because Warhammer Online has a fantastic, user-friendly group system.