Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online Info

[Culgore]

Inquisitor Engel... if all this is true... you have made my week...possibly two weeks

[M'ichal]

it could work if the gameplay is addictive, something like Diablo. it'll be hard to do but who knows. lets see

[VorpalDoom]

Well that sounds promising, Eldar yay! I don't get the choice of Eldar classes though. Melee tank, ranged dps, better ranged dps, healer/buffer?

I think it's safe to assume that avengers will have abilities to compensate for the lack of fire power compared to a reaper. If you've played SpaceMarine, you'd know a bolter can be just as deadly, if not more-so, than a lascannon in the right hands.

I feel that it would be fairly easy to keep one class from appearing far superior to another, through abilities and equipment.

Maybe the avenger gets grenades, better melee and so on.... now the Reaper isn't just "better"

I'm sure the Warlock will have dps based abilities as well.

There's a lot we don't know, abilities are supposedly very WIP... maybe when we start hearing about some in the future, we can make more sense out of the class choices.

[eldargal]

Oh I'm sure in game terms they will be changed to make it work, I assume:

Scorpion: Melee tank
Avenger: Ranged crowd control
Reaper: Ranged dps
Warlock healer/buffer.

But it still seems a bit of an odd choice. Because really a warlock is a melee dps/buffer, not healer, and avengers just shoot decently and that is about it while reapers are the ones that kill things (theoretically). The problem being, obviously, that the Eldar have no known combat healer archetype so while it makes sense from a game perspective to lump it in with warlock from fluff sense it really doesn't. Of course I could be completely wrong so whatever.

[Gingerwerewolf]

They missed the boat with Dark Millenium - they could have done an MMOFPS, but Planetside2 is going to own that market:

http://www.planetside2.com/

I am looking forward to it!

QFT

The 40k MMO should have been a FPS.

[Gingerwerewolf]

Oh I'm sure in game terms they will be changed to make it work, I assume:

Scorpion: Melee tank
Avenger: Ranged crowd control
Reaper: Ranged dps
Warlock healer/buffer.

But it still seems a bit of an odd choice. Because really a warlock is a melee dps/buffer, not healer, and avengers just shoot decently and that is about it while reapers are the ones that kill things (theoretically). The problem being, obviously, that the Eldar have no known combat healer archetype so while it makes sense from a game perspective to lump it in with warlock from fluff sense it really doesn't. Of course I could be completely wrong so whatever.

I will dislike it immensely if they do something as simple as this. Why does everyone have to have a role?

However on the other side of the coin, as you say it makes sense for Warlocks to have it. Im sure it will be appropriately retconned

And Dawn of War PC Game inventions have made it into the Fluff. Bonesingers and Blood Ravens for example?

[Inquisitor Engel]

I will dislike it immensely if they do something as simple as this. Why does everyone have to have a role?

Because they want people other than 40k die-hards to play it. And with the combination of abilities, there's nothing to say you won't be able to have some flexibility within the role.

[theJ]

Oh I'm sure in game terms they will be changed to make it work, I assume:

Scorpion: Melee tank
Avenger: Ranged crowd control
Reaper: Ranged dps
Warlock healer/buffer.

But it still seems a bit of an odd choice. Because really a warlock is a melee dps/buffer, not healer, and avengers just shoot decently and that is about it while reapers are the ones that kill things (theoretically). The problem being, obviously, that the Eldar have no known combat healer archetype so while it makes sense from a game perspective to lump it in with warlock from fluff sense it really doesn't. Of course I could be completely wrong so whatever.

The gameplay was supposed to be similiar to Space Marine, wasn't it? Haven't you played it?

There is NO healer. There is NO tank. What you've got is more akin to a FPS or fighting game in terms of gameplay than an RPG.
If the gameplay is akin to Space Marine, then the classes would probably play out something like this:
Scorpion: Melee + Stealth (In SM terms, an assault marine who switches the jump pack for stealth)
Avenger: Mobility + Flexibility (In SM terms, basically a tactical marine)
Reaper: Raw ranged firepower (In SM terms, basically a devastator)
Warlock: Support (focuses on activated abilities more akin to what you'd get in a traditional MMO)

What we've got from the above rumours doesn't point towards a traditional MMO, it points towards 'Space Marine Online' with progression elements, and I for one am happy about it.

[VorpalDoom]

If the startrek online bit is for sure, and we have warhammer-ish kind of roles...

I could see the traditional "healer" class having minimal actual heals.
Abilities that reduce damage from certain sources, add temporary hit points, increase a regeneration rate, etc. The traditional RPG, target something, activate ability would lend itself to that.

Similarly, with the friendly/hostile target options availalbe in WarHammer Online would make that increasingly interesting, and lend it's hand towards keeping abilities in-line with what we're all familiar with, as well as keeping it interesting and understandable enough for people familiar with RPGs, but not WarHammer 40k. I have full faith in Vigil Games, they've got their stuff together.

[Morax]

Who says every role has to be present in every race? The warlock could be dps/support and rely on the imperium for the healer archtype. Or you could have:
Scorpion: Melee + Stealth (In SM terms, an assault marine who switches the jump pack for stealth)
Avenger: Mobility + Flexibility (In SM terms, basically a tactical marine)
Reaper: Raw ranged firepower (In SM terms, basically a devastator)
Warlock: Support (focuses on activated abilities more akin to what you'd get in a traditional MMO)
like TheJ suggests. The flexability offered by 40k is both wonderous and dangerous for a game developer in an MMO. Go to far and you lose game balance, go to shallow and you lose vast potential.

As to massive pvp oppertunities, RF online has one with high player attendance every 8 hours. It can be done and done well. The gameplay elements just need to support it properly, treating it as an integral part of the game rather then an add-on.

The rumors so far sound good enough for me to give it a go and that is what I think most 40k players will do, give it a go. Ultimately my interest in an MMO is centered around my friends that are playing it and how fast they fix bugs that crop up.

[Voss]

The order vs. destruction thing is more than a little disappointing. Not sure why MMOs want to stick with just a pair of factions. Its more than a little limiting, and in this particular case, not really background appropriate. Imperium, Eldar, Orks and Chaos all working toward their own ends would be far more fitting and far more interesting.

[Inquisitor Engel]

Another update:

March 2012. More BIG announcements are for Spring 2012, which makes more sense given the tight-lipped-ness.

[VorpalDoom]

March announcement goes well with the upcoming Wii-U release, and Darksiders 2 as a release title for the new console -- having played Darksiders 1, I feel that makes a LOT of sense, interviews at PAX, GDC-Online(Austin), E3, and elsewhere hint at Vigil doing just that.

Also, GDC in San Francisco makes sense for Vigil (publisher, THQ also) to make an announcement at that time.

I sense a Darksiders 2 release date, news of the entire Vigil team switching over to DMO, and lots more info, perhaps a playable demo much like what has been done with Darksiders 2 at previous gaming conventions... if not playable, a flushed out zone and a class or two with abilities being shown...

Exciting news in any case!

[Culgore]

The order vs. destruction thing is more than a little disappointing. Not sure why MMOs want to stick with just a pair of factions. Its more than a little limiting, and in this particular case, not really background appropriate. Imperium, Eldar, Orks and Chaos all working toward their own ends would be far more fitting and far more interesting.

Eh, I think it is fairly background appropriate. Orks hire themselves out as mercenaries. Eldar and Imperials work together from time to time (Imperials tend to get killed at the end of those partnerships). If it were Eldar/Chaos pairing... that would be different. I think if they treat these alliances with enough suspicion (and with a small amount of backstabbing) it will feel very 40K to me.

As for two factions... If you have ever played Age of Conan you can see what a free-for-all everyone against each other game can turn into. That is to say gankfest forever. You get killed by a random mob... now you have to fight your way out of the resurrection area. Lame...as...hell.

[Fable]

Thought I was safe to let it pass by until I saw the Eldar classes with both Scorpion and Warlock listed. Dang it, they may get me into playing this yet.

[Voss]

Eh, I think it is fairly background appropriate. Orks hire themselves out as mercenaries. Eldar and Imperials work together from time to time (Imperials tend to get killed at the end of those partnerships). If it were Eldar/Chaos pairing... that would be different. I think if they treat these alliances with enough suspicion (and with a small amount of backstabbing) it will feel very 40K to me.

Orks don't hire themselves out as mercs all that often. When they do, its just as often for Imperials as it is for Chaos. Similarly with the Eldar and Imperium. (And of course, as far as the Imperium is concerned, the general attitude is Xenos = kill it) There are sometimes temporarily alliances against a worse threat, but the Eldar view the Imperium as stupid, dangerous children. They don't wander openly around Imperial worlds, taking jobs or quests. Especially not any of the warrior aspects. You might find Rangers on the fringes, but it isn't Happy Joint Questing Time.

Major themes of 40K include Xenophobia and Cooperation is Bad. The rewards of tolerance are treachery and betrayal.

As for two factions... If you have ever played Age of Conan you can see what a free-for-all everyone against each other game can turn into. That is to say gankfest forever. You get killed by a random mob... now you have to fight your way out of the resurrection area. Lame...as...hell.

4 factions instead of two is a far cry from a free for all.

[Freak Ona Leash]

As for two factions... If you have ever played Age of Conan you can see what a free-for-all everyone against each other game can turn into. That is to say gankfest forever. You get killed by a random mob... now you have to fight your way out of the resurrection area. Lame...as...hell.

But I LOVE Free-for-all PvP...

[Raibaru]

Sigh... 50 man raids is fail. I will never hardcore raid like I did in WoW again. Hopefully that's a PvP raid or something. Even Blizzard caught on that people only want, and they can only reliably balance around, 10 mans.

And not sure about the classes. I would presume each race has the same archetypes which means the scorpion is the rogue? Avenger tank? Seems odd.

[Haunter!]

Hrm, Techpriest, Mekboy, or Striking Scorpion... Looks like I'll have to have multiple characters. Especially if Dark Eldar get put in.

Here's hoping Vigil doesn't drop the ball like Mythic did.

[Chem-Dog]

Dark Millennium Online

I was just today wondering to myself what had happened to it, cheers for the timely info.

It's a bad sign for console Players aswell... as long as there are more than 10 commands they will be screwed.

Have you seen any console released since the SNES?
With two Analog sticks capable of (for argument's sake) 5 different commands each, the standard four buttons taking a command each, the non analog D-Pad servicing another four and those shoulder buttons satisfying yet another four, I think your average console can manage a few more than 10 functions or commands.

Gameplay related notes:

• Players will be able to dual weild things like pistols and melee weapons... yes that means two chain swords.
  .....
• Melee combos - dual weilding gives new moves

Imperial Guard Dual Wield Chainfist frenzy coming SOON!

Ranged weapons have infinite ammo, but there is reloading, overheating, venting, and reloading.

And Reloading too, I'll warrant...
This is a shame actually....because I absolutely love spending endless hours crafting ammo.