Warhammer: Mark of Chaos (and Warhammer general)

[Bob the Insane]

I did a quick search and could not find anything on this so here it is...

Anyone else heard of this?

See:

http://www.namco.com/games/warhammer/

and:

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/...ml?sid=6135652

Sounds pretty cool eh??

[King Ragnar]

I had seen a small preview of it in pc gamer some while ago, looks very cool.

[drone]

It came up in the Dawn Of War thread, which I promptly tried to send off-topic with the Gamespot article. I hadn't seen the official Namco page though, hopefully they can finally get this done. Screenies look nice.

Edit-> They have a forum up already for the game, speculation and discussion abounds....
http://warhammer.namco.com/forums/

[Geoffrey S]

There's a pretty lengthy thing on it at gamespot.com. Looks neat, though I've yet to hear the local Warhammer fans commenting on it.

[drone]

Some new screenshots on Gamespot, some of these look pretty sweet. The scenery detail looks great.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/...reenindex.html

(Please Namco, don't f this up. Make sure the gameplay is good. Please, please, please, please.....)

[BDC]

Looks good. I'm seriously tempted to buy some new models and paints... I need some sort of time consuming, relaxing hobby. That I can easily put away and do homework. Gaming is just failing in that regard totally...

[lugh]

Looks very interesting. Read the gamespot article for more, it's quite a good informative interview.

I particularly like the idea of moving from small scale skirmish/scouting/expeditionary forces to large scale full battles. When I still played we had a system for campaigns like this, and it added a lot of colour to the game.
Hopefully when seiging, you'll be able to manually send assasins in, controlling a small band, infiltrating defences, all that jazz.
I'm impressed, this is the first GW pc game that's interested me since Shadow of the Horned Rat, I'm not mad about RTS so this seems like a nice advancement.

[doc_bean]

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/warhammer/news.html?sid=6145679

The key thing to keep in mind is that Mark of Chaos isn't a traditional real-time strategy game by any means. As Namco Bandai senior producer Chris Wren explained to us, most real-time strategy games are about 75 percent resource gathering and base building and about 25 percent combat. Mark of Chaos looks to switch those numbers around, and the focus is very much on the battlefield, where you'll maneuver battalions in different formations and try to break the enemy's will to fight by killing enemy units as efficiently (and as ruthlessly) as possible.

In fact, you can't help looking at Mark of Chaos and thinking of Creative Assembly's acclaimed Total War historical battle games, and in many ways, there are similarities between the two....

[English assassin]

try to break the enemy's will to fight by killing enemy units as efficiently (and as ruthlessly) as possible.

heh heh heh heh.

The game's physics engine will ensure that bodies fly through the air in an appropriate manner once enough force is applied,

Heh heh HEH.

Ahem. Sorry. Looks promising. But, wot no dwarves?

[drone]

I like the fact that they are going for a Mature rating. It just wouldn't be Warhammer without the blood, and the gore, and the killing and the maiming. Sounds like it will have a warbands-type of feel in the campaign. Gaining units for successful missions, equiping heroes with items, etc. Not as much of a resource gathering RTS.

The multiplayer section sounds promising:

Of course, multiplayer will be a big part of Mark of Chaos. Warhammer fans who spend hours, if not weeks, painting and collecting their miniatures armies will be able to customize their own virtual armies in the game, thanks to the powerful editing tools. You can paint your units just how you'd like and even import your own sigils. The game will feature skirmish modes for one-versus-one, two-versus-two, three-versus-three, or four-versus-four gameplay, and players will be able to save the replay so that others can download and see how a battle turned out. There are also hints of some kind of online campaign, where you'll be able to play against your friends in multiplayer on the campaign map, which sounds like it could be an epic-length experience, considering that the single-player campaign is supposed to last 40 hours or more.

If they really implement a multiplayer campaign mode, sweeeeeet! They will have some units from the "unplayable" races (like dwarves, EA) in the single-player campaign, I wonder if you can use these in multiplayer skirmish.

[Black Prince]

Just had a look at the screenshots on Gamesport - looks amazing, but this fall - that's ages away. Will it ever happen. Bit worried that it might go the way of Warhammer Online and not happen. Although I see that has been resurrected, but now looks a bit naff in my opinion.

[Butcher]

In fact, you can't help looking at Mark of Chaos and thinking of Creative Assembly's acclaimed Total War historical battle games, and in many ways, there are similarities between the two....

Bad A.I, screaming women etc etc :)

[drone]

New official webpage is up:
http://www.markofchaos.com/index.php

Not too much content yet. Interesting read in the "Features" section though:

* MASTER THE ART OF WAR: Warhammer®: Mark of Chaos™ is about WAR, focusing on the armies and battles while de-emphasizing the tedious aspects of base and resource management.
* EPIC, VISCERAL BATTLES ON A MASSIVE SCALE: Epic sense of both scale and detail where big demons and huge beautifully rendered battalions clash with thousands of characters battling on screens in intricate detail.
* USE ENVIRONMENTS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE: A variety of buildable features and randomized, destructible terrains such as forests, swamps, plains, and tundra change the shape of the battlefield and add a layer of strategy that provides infinite replayability.
* COMMAND HEROES AND CHAMPIONS: As armies move from battle to battle in an epic war, Heroes and Champions learn new tactics, unlock new abilities, command larger units, even challenge other Champions in a duel to the death.
* CUSTOMIZE YOUR ARMY: Warhammer®: Mark of Chaos™ takes customization to a new level by allowing for body part swaps, weapon and armor enhancements, and more powerful controls to paint units and customize banners. Additionally, players can accent armies with mercenary "Dogs of War", augmenting the look and play of their army for a unique game experience.
* VARIETY OF PLAY MODES: Dynamic cooperative campaign mode and a full assortment of multiplayer modes for both casual and competitive gamers.

Multiplay campaign, woohoo!

Some of the screenies show blood, so I guess Khorne is happy.

[English assassin]

Warhammer®: Mark of Chaos™ takes customization to a new level by allowing for body part swaps

You see, this is why I want dwarves. Nothing like Dwarf heavy infantry for inflicting some involuntary body part swaps on orcish scum...

[Black Prince]

This looks fun - had a look at some of the videos but couldn't see much detail on them really - the thing I do like is that the models look like the actual metal soldiers I used to buy when I played Warhammer as a kid. As did the houses - just like the card ones Games Workshop provided for you to put together. Cool!!!

[drone]

Some E3 previews from various sites. A few days old, but here they are:

http://www.got-next.com/previews_read.php?id=282
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/warhammer-m.../707391p1.html
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/...ml?sid=6150891
http://pc.ign.com/articles/707/707698p1.html

[Einherjer]

i am not sure if this topic belongs in this section, but i am not sure where else to post it. MTW2 is coming soon, but so is Warhammer:MOC. i have not played the previous warhammer. does anyone have an opinion on how the 2 games compare? my 2 main questions are:
1. does warhammer have a compaign map and the turn-based compaign itself on par with total war?
2. does strategy on the battlefield have the same depth as total war or is it your regular clickfest rts?

[The_Doctor]

1. does warhammer have a compaign map and the turn-based compaign itself on par with total war?

Yes, sort of. There isn't much info about that part of the game.

2. does strategy on the battlefield have the same depth as total war or is it your regular clickfest rts?

I would somewhere in the middle leaning more towards TW than clickfest.

Here are some previews:
http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/warhammer/news.html
http://uk.pc.ign.com/objects/773/773711.html

[The Spartan (Returns)]

this should be in The Arena.

[econ21]

I agree - I am moving this to the arena. I hope MOC is like Total War, but the video I saw of the gameplay suggests it will be closer to an RTS. (Move a group of units, encounter enemy, click some special attacks, move on to next enemy etc).

I play the actual tabletop Warhammer game and it is like Total War. Although I think that comparison shows how good Total War is - IMO the TW engine has much better modelling of archery, cavalry, spears, etc than the Warhammer rules and the computer brings so many advantages over the tabletop.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

warhammer is very much like RTW. i played it on PS1 and its really fun. if it was freeware id download it in a second!

[drone]

We do have a buried Arena thread on Warhammer:Mark of Chaos right here....
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=55895

Judging from what I've read on the forums and game sites, the combat map will be similiar to TW, on a smaller scale but with better scenery. The campaigns will be similiar to Dark Omen, with a progression scale and army upgrades based on previous performance. It doesn't seem to be any resource gathering per-se, and once you are in combat you can't create new troops (although the campaign will probably have reinforcements coming at certain time), so it doesn't seem like a standard RTS click fest. There are also RPG aspects with your heroes, they gain experience and can specialize in different aspects of warfare as you progress through the campaign.

There is also supposed to be a form of multiplayer campaign, which will be nice. Overall, I get the feeling that this will be a computer version of a Warbands campaign, with larger armies.

[Einherjer]

i really hate mission based strategy games. i much prefer the games that have a campaign mode. that is one of the reasons i like the total war series. i liked what i have read so far about the warhammer but i am not entirely convinced it is going to have a campaign mode similar to the one in total war.

[x-dANGEr]

is the Warhammer you're talking about different from the 40k one?

[drone]

i really hate mission based strategy games. i much prefer the games that have a campaign mode. that is one of the reasons i like the total war series. i liked what i have read so far about the warhammer but i am not entirely convinced it is going to have a campaign mode similar to the one in total war.

I'm not a fan of them either, I'm hoping that they give you more options than a linear progression of missions. There are supposed to be campaign map tasks you can perform, I don't know if this is teching up buildings and spending cash for troops as well as picking your battles. From what I've heard there are 2 campaigns, one for the good guys and one for the bad guys, so I doubt you will be able to just pick a faction and take over the map like in TW.

@x-dANGEr: Warhammer:Mark of Chaos is based on the Warhammer Fantasy Battle game, which is sort of a Medieval-style game in the Warhammer universe. 40K was created afterwards, and uses a lot of the same ideas behind the fluff.

[Ituralde]

Another difference between Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k lies in the scale of the battles, meaning the numbers of troops involved. 40k revolves around smaller squads acting more ore less independently, while Fantasy focuses more on the aspect of a whole contigent of troops and how it acts in regards to formation and such.

So the Warhammer Fantasy scenario is very close to the TW style of play. I haven't made up my mind yet about MoC. The first I heard about I was amazed at the possibility of a Warhammer TW, but with every preview I read about the game I tend to place it more and more in the RTS-genre. I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out though. If it's more like Rome, it's gonna be great otherwise it could become another RTS with an excellent setting.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

the ones i played: were Horn-Tailed Rat, and Dark Omen. it has monsters (which i hate) but its very fun still.

[econ21]

I haven't made up my mind yet about MoC. The first I heard about I was amazed at the possibility of a Warhammer TW, but with every preview I read about the game I tend to place it more and more in the RTS-genre. I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out though. If it's more like Rome, it's gonna be great otherwise it could become another RTS with an excellent setting.

I agree. I don't think anyone has successfully cloned Total War yet, so I would be amazed if MoC does. I suspect it will be like Battle for Middle Earth and Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War - a good RTS, but still an RTS. However, we'll see - from the little I saw (the graphics burnt my eyes) Shadow of the Horn-Tailed Rat was close to a Total War prototype, at least the battle side.

[Watchman]

I do hope that new WHFB game is more akin to Horned Rat and Dark Omen than, say, Dawn of War. Although it had its issues Dark Omen was great fun and captured much of the kooky attitude of the tabletop game; DoW was ultimately just a Starcraft copy with a clunky interface and some rather questionable deviations from the tabletop, and not enough of the sheer cheerfully unabashed lunacy of the 40k setting.

The Warhammer Fantasy setting doesn't seem to lend itself too well for TW style strategy though unless you make the scale really small, so I'd be rather surprised if MoC included it.

[English assassin]

For reasons I can't quite put my finger on, I just think this one is going to be fun. Not fun in a "I just pulled of the most brilliant tactical manoeuver since Hannibal" sort of way, but fun in a "My dwarves just decapitated 50 Orcs in glorious technicolour and are now playing football with the heads, now lets see what the cannon can do" kind of way.

In short, I want eye candy and I want warhammer OTTness and I will be happy. Oh, and I probably want to wait until its a mid price game before buying it, sorry GW.