Warhammer Online Interview

[Lyion]

http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/558/558312p2.html

October 20, 2004 - To innumerable aficionados of tabletop war games around the world, Warhammer is a very familiar name. Indeed, it's likely that many observers would rate Games Workshop's property the dominant one within the category. It
takes place in a dark, violent fantasy universe where stalwart warriors, powerful mages and ferocious beasts find themselves almost constantly fighting to survive. Within the Old World, the foremost realm and probably the most affluent is the Empire, a confederation of independent provinces and city states. Ruled by an Emperor and various Elector Counts, it is also a potent military force; its armies play a critical role in holding at bay the ever-threatening legions of darkness such as marauding Orcs, the vile rat-men called Skaven, and the barbaric followers of Chaos. The battles among these and more are played out by gamers using legions of figurines.

Not surprisingly, there was substantial interest when Warhammer Online was announced. Fans were naturally eager to experience the persistent state world version, where they would be able to see and explore a substantial segment of the Empire including its three great cities, Marienburg in the northwest, Nuln in the southeast and the Imperial Capital of Altdorf at the center. The initial playable races, all typical of this region, would be Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, Halflings and Ogres, with Warrior, Academic, Rogue and Adventurer starting archetypes plus opportunities to specialize later on. As further information became known, the level of anticipation rose steadily. Consequently, the news in June that development had been discontinued evoked considerable disappointment. Happily, developer Climax chose to carry on. Recently, we received the chance to explore this decision and the related circumstances with Climax Online President David Nicholson.


Jonric: What circumstances led to the announcement in June that Warhammer Online had been canceled, and what has happened since?

David Nicholson: After a very detailed and extensive review of the costs to complete the game and bring the full massively multiplayer online service to market, Games Workshop decided that it could no longer justify the costs involved. No one ever wanted to stop development; it was simply that looking at the cost to deploy the game.

Games Workshop made the right decision at the time to cease direct funding. Since that day in June, Climax has continued funding the development of Warhammer Online, and it's going very well. Obviously, we're still in regular contact with the guys at Games Workshop and they are very pleased with what we're doing.

We've been amazed and touched by the depth of feeling from the people out there truly eager to see Warhammer Online deployed.

Jonric: What has happened to the joint venture that had been set up with Games Workshop to develop the game?

David Nicholson: With Games Workshop no longer funding the project, it was decided that the joint venture should be dissolved. We're actually still in regular contact with most of the guys from it, and we discuss the progress of the project on a weekly basis. Andy Thomas, the CFO of the joint venture, actually came to the Austin Game Conference with us and helped demo the latest builds on our stand there.

Jonric: Did development actually stop? Did you have to downsize or relocate the development team?

David Nicholson: We never actually stopped developing the game and I've not had to let any of the dev team go. We're still in the same place, and development continues as we speak.

Jonric: How and why did Climax' decision to continue development and to fund it come about?

David Nicholson: After putting so much effort and soul in to the game, we decided that we had to do all we could to find another partner, allowing us to bring this game to market. So many people have said so many great things about the game that we really wanted to get it out there and into the Warhammer community. We've been amazed and touched by the depth of feeling from the people out there truly eager to see Warhammer Online deployed.

Jonric: How can you justify the same launch costs now that you couldn't in June, especially with Games Workshop no longer a financial participant?

David Nicholson: Warhammer Online benefits from the 25-year heritage of the Games Workshop Warhammer universe - where the world, the characters, the races, the combat structures, the stories, the whole universe basically have been lovingly crafted, developed and evolved by hundreds of thousands of dedicated gamers and hobbyists. This isn't a new universe created purely to be exploited by a computer game. Every day, hundreds of thousands of people already play in the Warhammer universe all around the world, whether that be table top gaming, fantasy role playing or miniature modeling. The depth and history give Warhammer something no other MMORPG has.

Warhammer Online will be the ultimate expression of that universe. For those reasons, everyone involved wants to make sure that Warhammer Online is released, and that's why we're actively looking for a new partner, someone with the experience to assist us in making sure that the subscribers get the highest quality service possible. It's very clear that deploying an online world successfully is just as important as developing one successfully; the combination of a great game and a great service will ensure that Warhammer Online is a success and give the players the level of service they deserve.


Jonric: Are you making any changes to the game compared to what you were working on in June?

David Nicholson: At the moment, we're continuing with the design and content that we were working on in June. We'd had such a great response from everyone who had seen and played the game that we saw no reason to change it. Obviously, since then, the game has moved on and we've got more great stuff - it's just a shame we can't tell anyone about it just yet.

We speak with Rik Priestley, the 'father of Warhammer'. He is such a valuable mine of information, and great fun to work with. We all want this game to be a great success and make it the ultimate realization of the Warhammer universe. This is a huge challenge to all of us, but the great response we received at E3 and on the forums shows that people are very pleased with the way that world is being realized.

we won't be rushed in this, and we won't release a game that does not meet all the strict quality criteria we place upon ourselves

Jonric: Regarding the status of development, have you determined a target launch date for the game?

David Nicholson: We're not ready to talk about specific release dates at this point. We want to assure fans that we won't be rushed in this, and we won't release a game that does not meet all the strict quality criteria we place upon ourselves and placed upon us by the guys at Games Workshop.

Jonric: When are you likely to have further news for members of Warhammer Online fan community?

David Nicholson: Hopefully we'll be able to make an announcement very soon so that we can keep all the Warhammer fans up to date with our plans.

Jonric: Is there anything else you'd like to tell the fans at this time, or something to ask them?

David Nicholson: Nothing, other than to thank them for their continued interest and support. As soon as we're able, we'll be giving them some more news.

The best news the Warhammer Online community could possibly receive is exactly what has come about, the game's continued development. Having tracked the highly intriguing project closely in the past, we certainly intend to continue doing so over the months to come. In the interim, our thanks definitely go out to David Nicholson of Climax Online for bringing us up to date and giving us cause to look forward with a renewed sense of anticipation.

[Naginataka]

WOOOO!