I just think for some people, they will pick fault with anything, since it's easier to destroy than create. Hell I do it sometimes, but I also like to offer suggestions of fixes when possible.

But they released when they did, thinking that the end game would be engaging enough to play, while they filled out the flesh on the bones. Unfortunately there wasn't enough time, the games release date was poor and the games performance for a lot of people was dire.

Anyway heads have rolled and there have been changes. It's just sad that the vast experience that Mythic had with DAOC was not fully realised.

Regardless of the issues in the last 12 months, I will still be around for a while more. A MMO is not just for Christmas, it's for life (Ok, a good couple of years).

The big mistake they made IMO was dimensioning their game such that it really needed one massive server and not a lot of little ones, and not realising it. It's such a brilliant MASSIVE game that needs the numbers to get it moving.

It's been like watching a child learning to walk as the child's uncle. I can't help but want to comment on how the child should be put one step at a time, instead of letting it run and fall, but I am too polite to scream at the child's parents. That said, the child is well-grown, his footwork is improving, and his parents are kindly talked to so they now try to encourage it to walk properly.

I have an upcoming article coming on Warhammer Alliance on this whole situation as well. It's not AS positive, but it's sobering enough to put things into perspective.

I've played WAR since launch and still am quite active in it today. It's my first MMO so I didn't have any preconceived notions of what it should or should not be. I wasn't plugged into the hype machine that I've read was so close to bursting, people couldn't wait for this game to launch.

To me, it is a lot of fun and I never knew I'd be a diehard PvPer. That's what I truly enjoy about it. There are class imbalances but Mythic tries to tweak here and there to achieve some semblance of equalness but there will always be whiners. And from what I understand, WoW has some OP classes and apparently many games do. Achieving balance doesn't seem like something so easy to implement. Some whines are warranted while some are not. Some classes have not received the love they deserve while some seem to be favored. It's a good, group PvP game that is just that: you need to group up. There are solo opportunities but playing as a coordinated team is what makes WAR fun. So being in a fun and active guild is also important.

Large-scale conflicts are sure to attract zergs and they do happen … often. But in between getting steamrolled there are many fun skirmishes at keeps and battlefield objectives that I walk away from — winner or loser — saying "that was fun"! And that's what it's about for me, fun. It's not my life. It's not the end-all-be-all for me. So when people complain that crafting stinks … I just can't imagine it to be fun simply sitting around crafting things. My toons each have two crafting skills but I look at them as a means to getting something, not as something fun. But that's just me. Then there are those who say the PvE in WAR stinks … that it's so much better in WoW. Sorry, PvE is PvE and once you figure out how to beat it, it's not really a challenge anymore. If folks stop to read the Quest text and do follow the story … it's actually pretty good. Each race's pairing has different unique quest chains that tell a story all the way to the end. That's if people take the time to read them. Sorry but the lore of Warhammer is way better than the lore of WoW and there's way more of it. But all people do is read what they need to kill or where they need to go and that's it. (I finally decided I'm going to try the WoW 10-day trial so I can experience how much more awesome the PvE is … so we'll see if I'm bowled over.)

Mythic has put in a lot of work to make the game better and I feel it's on the Road to Wellville. They made the end game more PvP focused which is what the players wanted. And having taken part in it … it is worlds more fun than before. Once they remove Forts from the overall campaign things should be even more fun. Sure flipping zones back and forth can be a grind, but find me one MMO that doesn't have grind in it. From what I've been told all MMOs have grind. If you don't like grind you shouldn't be playing one. Play consoles or single-player RPGs. To me the grind is about progression and there are multiple ways to progress in WAR.

My first few toons were done via a mix of PvE and RvR. I've since stuck solely to RvR on other toons as it's more fun. You can also just run scenarios. Must be a good idea since WoW recently announced that folks will get XP for PvP. How could that not have been in WoW prior? So Blizz isn't perfect after all.

Many people like to take a crap on WAR … why? … probably some feel jilted that WAR didn't meet their expectations. Others perhaps felt it wasn't WoW. Some complaints are warranted while some I feel are too critical. The game is not perfect and it needs work. Probably the biggest mistake made was releasing it too early … was that a Mythic decision or was it pressure from EA? Theories abound.

Should be interesting to hear the raves and then complaints now that Champions has launched and soon with Aion. My one-year tour in MMO land has taught me that the typical MMO gamer is a fickle one … not easy to impress and quick to draw ire. Shame … folks should just learn to relax more and accept these for what they are: a game.

Having past observers playing the new offerings is one thing, but I'm slightly concerned at the amount of current players that will also be taking a trip, even if it's only brief (1-2 months). I'm talking about threads like (http://www.warhammeralliance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=293119) this and screenshots like this (http://twitpic.com/hxwz5).

The first is a Phoenix Throne server forum discussion 121 pages long about people wanting to try out Aion. The second is a screenshot of current WAR guild leaders/officers chatting in Vent about their move to Aion.

That's just one server and it doesn't bode well imho. I'm quite sure at least half will come back, but still. Aion is really going to hurt WAR in terms of ongoing subs.