"WAAAGH!

We now bring you the final part of our FAQ series on this past Friday’s announcement. This FAQ focuses on capital cities and what these changes mean for the campaign and you as players.

These answers are in direct response to many of the questions we’ve seen throughout the community and should help to address any confusion that’s out there.

You can find yesterdays FAQ on Careers and PunkBuster by Clicking Here.

Thank you,
- The Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Team

How will the RvR endgame work now with only 2 capital cities?

Actually, it works out even better than we had originally designed. Our game still has complete tier 4 RvR content for all three racial themed pairings.  At the end of each of these tiers is a heavily fortified fortress for that race, which must be taken in order for one realm to claim victory for that pairing.  Imagine a giant wall cutting across the horizon line that separates you from you enemies and their fortress.  Players prepare their siege weapons, casters and archers line up on the ramparts and hill sides, as your realm clashes against the foreboding gates wielding a mighty battering ram and dodge scalding oil spilling from the turrets above.

These fortresses can only be assaulted once a realm has pushed their enemies’ resistance back to the fortress itself. This requires them to capture two zones in the Tier 4 Campaign for that pairing. Players must then capture the fortress to lock down the pairing and seize control. Once one realm claims victory over any two of the three pairings, their enemy’s capital city becomes vulnerable to attack.  Players can then rally and unite to focus their efforts on taking their enemy’s city.  This keeps the action intense and helps funnel the players together for the “battle of all battles” as players clash in the streets of the capital cities to claim victory for their Realm.

Does Empire vs Chaos have an advantage because the 2 capital cities fall in their pairing?

Not at all. Like I mentioned above, you must capture two pairings first before gaining access to the capital city.  This means that each Tier 4 RvR territory is just as valuable as the next to the culmination of the final battle.  For example, as a destruction player, capturing both the Dwarven fortress Stonewatch and the High Elf fortress Shining Way will open the opportunity to knock down the gates of Altdorf.

So you cut 4 of the 6 cities, does this mean I will be enjoying WAR with only 1/3 of its original content?
We did not cut 2/3 of our content; far from it.  Before, when our goal was to do six of them, WAR cities were the typical places to go for player services and to just hang out.  By focusing all of our energy and effort into two capitals, we have managed to add so much more content than we would have if we had continued pushing to launch all six.  Our capital cities are now packed with content and places to explore including:  Guild taverns, dungeons, quests, PQs, King encounters, player services, and the most exciting thing of all--now they act as battlegrounds to fight over and protect when under attack. Beyond this, the list goes on and on.  WAR now has more content than ever before, and by focusing our efforts we have been able to create a unique experience far beyond our plans when we first set out to make a great game.

Won’t I get tired of the RvR endgame by fighting over the same city every time?

If pushing through 3 separate dynamic campaigns scattered across 3 racially themed pairings, capturing battlefield objectives, claiming keeps for your guild, slaughtering your enemies in an open field, making a name for yourself by dominating in any one of our many scenarios, or helping to take a fortress for your realm to only then flood into the streets of your enemies’ city is your definition of getting tired, then maybe.

Once you get access to each city, so many new challenges await.  The RvR game doesn’t end at the city gates, it really just begins.  Outsmart your enemies as you take the fight to the streets, capture battlefield objectives within the city, partake in invader or defender-based quests, challenge any of the 3 massive city dungeons, join in on the city scenario and finally burn and pillage through a city wide PQ event.  

After all of that, should you capture the city (remember--you can get kicked out!), then prepare yourself for two of the most challenging PQs yet! Conquering them will lead you to your enemy’s throne room itself, and their king within!   "