I will be really disappointed if this game does not have real-time 3rd person combat, like Global Agenda. Somehow, I just don't see W40K with MMO-type auto attack combat.
 

"he game will feature relatively in-depth fire-fights with player-formed squads as well as cover and flanking mechanics, within the MMORPG format. However, being true to the setting, war and battles will be a big feature of Warhammer 40,000 Online and Vigil Games are promising to deliver battlegrounds of epic proportions. Controllable vehicles have not been confirmed, but the developers have said that they are aware of how important vehicles are to the setting.

The game will be set in the 41st Millennium, well after the Horus Heresy, and all races important to that period in the setting will be represented, although it has not been revealed which ones will actually be playable. Details about characters are still largely unknown and what's been said so far is only that there will be no non-combat classes in the game, as that would not fit with the background, and that the characters will be highly customizable with things like weapons, books, scrolls and chains hanging from their armour.

Although war and battlefields will be a large part of Warhammer 40,000 Online the scope of the game will include more of the setting than that; Vigil Games’ General Manager David Adams mentions being able to visit "cities (of all scales, types and sizes), exotic alien temples, Chaos shrines, deserted battlefields, mysterious ruins, ancient structures, drifting hulks in space, etc..." and that they will be populated with all manners of non-player characters.

Grouping with other players will not be required to advance through the game although it will be beneficial for tackling both the harder PVE and PVP content of the game."   -wikipedia.org

I underlined the important parts

-Prays- Please be decent.... I'm so sick of junk.

Originally posted by xtoaster

 

"he game will feature relatively in-depth fire-fights with player-formed squads as well as cover and flanking mechanics, within the MMORPG format. However, being true to the setting, war and battles will be a big feature of Warhammer 40,000 Online and Vigil Games are promising to deliver battlegrounds of epic proportions. Controllable vehicles have not been confirmed, but the developers have said that they are aware of how important vehicles are to the setting.

The game will be set in the 41st Millennium, well after the Horus Heresy, and all races important to that period in the setting will be represented, although it has not been revealed which ones will actually be playable. Details about characters are still largely unknown and what's been said so far is only that there will be no non-combat classes in the game, as that would not fit with the background, and that the characters will be highly customizable with things like weapons, books, scrolls and chains hanging from their armour.

Although war and battlefields will be a large part of Warhammer 40,000 Online the scope of the game will include more of the setting than that; Vigil Games’ General Manager David Adams mentions being able to visit "cities (of all scales, types and sizes), exotic alien temples, Chaos shrines, deserted battlefields, mysterious ruins, ancient structures, drifting hulks in space, etc..." and that they will be populated with all manners of non-player characters.

Grouping with other players will not be required to advance through the game although it will be beneficial for tackling both the harder PVE and PVP content of the game."   -wikipedia.org

 

I underlined the important parts

Thank you for posting that. I have to admit that I cant help but feel hopeful about the upcoming WH40k mmo. The highlighted stuff in your post helps to reinforce that feeling. It indicates to me that Vigil and THQ are making an online game that fits with their gameworld rather than trying to fit their gameworld into the predictable format that all the other standard mmos seem to keep following. WAR is a prime example of how copying others doesnt work. I am also looking forward to seeing game ideas from the Dawn of War series (squad composition and cover & flanking mechanics for example) appearing in an mmo as I really enjoy those games.

I also totally agree with Gylfi and Pilnkplonk above me. This game needs to be full of choices that the players can make. No-one should be forced down particular pathways. DevilXaphan mentioned that there will be two worlds with 29 zones each. It would be a real shame if all the players are led on a linear path through these zones as they climb the Levelling Ladder of Predictability. Again the crappy design of WAR springs to mind. I dont want to be led through a story. I want to be able to choose which sectors on the planet I can help to invade or liberate.......and know that if I fail then the players of an opposing race will gain a strategic foothold on the planet by claiming that sector and whatever benefits it might bring them. I want to play an mmo where the players arent just focused on gaining levels for their characters and instead have an in-game purpose to fight for. I want a giant stategy game basicly with dynamic story elements that pop up as things occur........rather like the campaign in Dawn of War 2.

Yep thats a lot of things I want to see. Oddly enough I actually think Vigil has a good chance of delivering it.

Just thought about this with respect to the 2 worlds, 29 zones bit.

That really is starting to sound like they are going to take the same route Mythic did with Warhammer and have armies (or races if you prefer that semantically) "team up". My gut feeling really, really says that's not a good idea if true. Having each army remain independent  and maybe having 3-4 armies fighting each other per world seems a better approach. Sure, add in a zone or better yet make it a dynamic happening that in random zones the NPC commanders for two sides decide truce to face a larger foe and then turn on each other after that is dealt with.

Looking forward to seeing Ultramarines called IpWnzJoO and WtfBbqSorz.

I really really hope this is successful because we might just be able to get an MMO based on the Inquisition - now that would be an MMO.

The odds that they will do ANY justice to this franchise are so slim as to be virtually non-existant. I have very little hope for this game.

Originally posted by Khalathwyr

Just thought about this with respect to the 2 worlds, 29 zones bit.

That really is starting to sound like they are going to take the same route Mythic did with Warhammer and have armies (or races if you prefer that semantically) "team up". My gut feeling really, really says that's not a good idea if true. Having each army remain independent  and maybe having 3-4 armies fighting each other per world seems a better approach. Sure, add in a zone or better yet make it a dynamic happening that in random zones the NPC commanders for two sides decide truce to face a larger foe and then turn on each other after that is dealt with.

2 sides sucks, yes. Temp alliances would work and maybe a few permanent allies based on the lore but more sides makes more balanced and fun PvP. Too bad  Mythic forgot that (the lore was something they couldn't forget since they never really knew it).' 

Originally posted by Loke666

Originally posted by Khalathwyr

Just thought about this with respect to the 2 worlds, 29 zones bit.

That really is starting to sound like they are going to take the same route Mythic did with Warhammer and have armies (or races if you prefer that semantically) "team up". My gut feeling really, really says that's not a good idea if true. Having each army remain independent  and maybe having 3-4 armies fighting each other per world seems a better approach. Sure, add in a zone or better yet make it a dynamic happening that in random zones the NPC commanders for two sides decide truce to face a larger foe and then turn on each other after that is dealt with.

2 sides sucks, yes. Temp alliances would work and maybe a few permanent allies based on the lore but more sides makes more balanced and fun PvP. Too bad  Mythic forgot that (the lore was something they couldn't forget since they never really knew it).' 

You nailed my point if fewer words than I. +5 to you. That's my fear. As closely as I have been involved with GW I shy away from ideas of non-traditional alliances. Put them as they are, let people choose a side (of many, not just 2) and then let them go after each other. Give them some incentive to fight, not a "leaderboard" but let them gain and lose territory, bonuses, etc.,  in game.

I mean, I'm versed enough to know there have been times when agents of the Imperium have worked with the Eldar. That said, the Space Marines don't like sharing the battlefield with other chapters, much less the Imperial Guard, much much less any Xenos. And Orks...are about as dependable as allies as counting on diving in a pool full of sharks with your wrists slit open and surviving.

Another guy mentioned that this will be good because THQ has made the DOW series. I dunno. You'd hope they knew the ebb and flow of the Grim Darkness of the 41st Century and let that "War!" be played out with the charm that makes the table-top game so fun.

Originally posted by Khalathwyr

Just thought about this with respect to the 2 worlds, 29 zones bit.

That really is starting to sound like they are going to take the same route Mythic did with Warhammer and have armies (or races if you prefer that semantically) "team up". My gut feeling really, really says that's not a good idea if true. Having each army remain independent  and maybe having 3-4 armies fighting each other per world seems a better approach. Sure, add in a zone or better yet make it a dynamic happening that in random zones the NPC commanders for two sides decide truce to face a larger foe and then turn on each other after that is dealt with.

The fact that the game has 2 worlds with 29 zones doesnt really give me that impression personally. I suppose it could happen that way though, which of course would be terribly dissapointing. I certainly dont want to see a repeat of Wankhammer Online. From the little we know about the game I kind of have an impression of all the armies being hostile towards each other and fighting each other to gain control of each zone......and ultimately the entire planet. I'm perhaps seeing it a bit like the strategic map in DoW: Dark Crusade except bigger and with two planets instead of one. Of course no particular side will ever manage to gain full control of a planet permanently but it would still remain the source of conflict in the game. Such is the nature of mmos I guess. Perhaps I'm being too optimistic though. Afterall I cant really think of any mmo that has been designed really well.

As for alliances, well I actually dont want there to be any allowance for players to ally with members of another race at all. I'm all for player freedom but only to a certain degree. I know that in some of the novels certain human characters have allied with the eldar but for the purposes of this game I think it would be a travesty. Oh and no I dont give a crap if little Johny the Orc is upset because he wants to play with his best mate Timmy the Space Marine. They picked opposing races so its tough luck. Its not Vanguard or EQ2 where racial animosity = lets all be friends.

Grrrrr.

Read a couple of the Warhammer 40k books and to tell you the truth, it is lousy sci-fi.

Never understood why this was so popular.  Certainly, won't be on my watch list.

Originally posted by Ozmodan

Read a couple of the Warhammer 40k books and to tell you the truth, it is lousy sci-fi.

Never understood why this was so popular.  Certainly, won't be on my watch list.

Heretic!

Originally posted by Pilnkplonk

Originally posted by Ozmodan

Read a couple of the Warhammer 40k books and to tell you the truth, it is lousy sci-fi.

Never understood why this was so popular.  Certainly, won't be on my watch list.

Heretic!

Oh, so perfectly matched with the lore! +1 for roleplay!

Originally posted by Ozmodan

Read a couple of the Warhammer 40k books and to tell you the truth, it is lousy sci-fi.

Never understood why this was so popular.  Certainly, won't be on my watch list.

Which books? A good deal of W40k books are notoriously lower class and nothing to write home about.

Originally posted by Ozmodan

Read a couple of the Warhammer 40k books and to tell you the truth, it is lousy sci-fi.

Never understood why this was so popular.  Certainly, won't be on my watch list.

The unpure shall burn in the flames of ignorance!

.....but generally speaking you are actually correct. A lot of the Warhammer 40k novels are in fact a load of boring old bollocks. I'm currently struggling to make my way through the 4th book of the Horus Heresy. Incredibly boring stuff. One repetitive battle scene after another punctuated by predictable gumph about how mighty the primarches and their meat head space marines are......and then back to another dull battle which the space marines always win.

However I would recommend you at least try any of the Gaunts Ghosts or Eisenhorn series by Dan Abnett as he is a pretty good author and usually manages to come up with some interesting characters and situations.

Originally posted by Ozmodan

Read a couple of the Warhammer 40k books and to tell you the truth, it is lousy sci-fi.

Never understood why this was so popular.  Certainly, won't be on my watch list.

I have to agree... But then that's to be expcted: most of the novels based off IPs like games and movies are not very good at all. 

It's a pity that good science fiction literature is typically not seen as good material for games, barring adventure games  - whereas the adventure game adapted from Harlan Ellison's I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream was pretty good in my opinion. I also loved the Gateway games, but I digress. :) 

I'm also not particularly fond of the 40K universe itself, but I'm positive it's a very good IP to make computer games out of, seeing as how Space Hulk was sort of awesome. :)

Well so far thats all the info i have seen but between 4 races  and the zones, we won't know which zones will be invadable and which ones are not., plus we don't know what else they will be adding or changing. Best bet so far is to wait til E3 and then comment.

He must have read the C.S. Goto novels.

Happy.

Since I'm playing Dawn of War II, why not? "Show me what passes for gaming amongst your misbegotten kind!"

Originally posted by Comnitus

Happy.

Since I'm playing Dawn of War II, why not? "Show me what passes for gaming amongst your misbegotten kind!"

Will be interesting to see if they'll focus on Ultrasmurfs as playable SM chapter. :D