Author Archives: SynCaine

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About SynCaine

Former hardcore raider turned casual gamer.

Aldorf must burn: Destructions first city siege on Monolith.

Posted on February 18, 2009 by SynCaine

Monolith saw its first siege of Aldorf last night, and I’m happy to report members of Casualties played a key roll. The unplanned nature of the event, and how smooth the execution was towards the end really encouraged everyone on … Continue reading →

Posted in MMO design, RvR, Warhammer Online | 1 Comment

Long list of SOE hate.

Posted on February 17, 2009 by SynCaine

Can someone explain to me why some people think SOE is going to push the MMO genre forward? I keep hearing about how SOE is the company that is going to finally get us out of the WoW-too rut the … Continue reading →

Posted in Console Gaming, EQ2, MMO design, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Ultima Online, Vanguard | 29 Comments

The need for alts in WAR, and back to Oblivion

Posted on February 17, 2009 by SynCaine

Perhaps it’s just me, but I don’t think oRvR is something I can do day-in, day-out as my main MMO activity. Not because oRvR is subpar or poorly designed, but because it just takes more out of you as a … Continue reading →

Posted in RvR, Warhammer Online | 7 Comments

The next Bliz MMO, bye bye raiding, and a WAR 1.2 observation.

Posted on February 13, 2009 by SynCaine

How much of a debate is there over what the next MMO from Blizzard will be? Originally Starcraft was a solid guess, but since StarCraft 2 will take 3+ years to be fully released, you can’t really launch an MMO … Continue reading →

Posted in MMO design, Patch Notes, Random, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 11 Comments

Some quick thoughts on WAR’s 1.2 patch notes.

Posted on February 12, 2009 by SynCaine

The Warhammer Online patch notes for 1.2 are now available; if you have a few hours to spare check all 55 pages out. Its jaw-dropping how many changes are set to go in, the new systems being added, and just … Continue reading →

Posted in Combat Systems, Patch Notes, RvR, Warhammer Online | 10 Comments

Blood and Bile dungeons in WAR

Posted on February 11, 2009 by SynCaine

Having now been a part of four complete Bloodwrought Enclave and Bilerot Burrow runs, I figured it would be a good time to break down why I think both dungeons do a great job filling their role in Warhammer Online. … Continue reading →

Posted in Warhammer Online | Comments Off on Blood and Bile dungeons in WAR

Dear forum troll, a few questions.

Posted on February 10, 2009 by SynCaine

This is what happens when you take a break and read some forums. You have been warned. If you did not enjoy a city siege, did any of the following happen? Get ganked on your way to the city entrance … Continue reading →

Posted in Rant, RvR, Warhammer Online | 22 Comments

Why the ward system in Warhammer Online is great.

Posted on February 10, 2009 by SynCaine

Mythic announced the ward system in Warhammer Online sometime before launch, and unanimously the system was viewed as a gear check/block for the PvE content. You can only kill the king with 6 wards from the highest set, have fun … Continue reading →

Posted in MMO design, RvR, Warhammer Online | 21 Comments

The Inevitable City under siege!

Posted on February 9, 2009 by SynCaine

This weekend I had more fun in an MMO than I can remember in a long, long time. I logged into vent around 8pm EST on Saturday just to see what everyone was up to, and right away it was … Continue reading →

Posted in RvR, Warhammer Online | 18 Comments

Storms, tourist, and failure: The MMO market

Posted on February 6, 2009 by SynCaine

2009 is not 2004, yet after reading this post over at TAGN, it sure seems that way. Let’s define the environment WoW launched in first, because John’s recount seems to have forgotten a few minor details. 1) EQ2 launched just … Continue reading →

Posted in Asheron's Call, Console Gaming, Dark Age of Camelot, EQ2, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO design, Rant, Ultima Online, Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft | 49 Comments