About Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online was announced on the 1st March 2007 by Vigil Games, a game development studio owned by THQ. THQ’s Relic studio where behind the Dawn of War series, a Real Time Strategy based within the Warhammer 40K universe.
The following is from the official website about the setting of the game:
On the very edge of the galaxy lies the Sargos Sector. For centuries it was rendered uninhabitable and isolated by volatile Warp Storms. Even now, deep within the sector the very fabric of reality is unraveling. Only the ancient Sentinel Devices hold the Warp at bay.
But the ravages of time and meddling of humanity have weakened the Sentinel Devices-and now, the battle for these ost worlds is at hand. Drawn to the conflict, the great races of the galaxy descend upon the Sargos Sector, seeking to preserve reality-or to tear it asunder.
Side with the forces of Order, or the vile hosts of Destruction, in a war that will unlock ancient secrets, reveal dark purposes, and determine the fate of the Sargos Sector. For in this dark millennium, there is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter.
The Warhammer 40K universe was created by Games Workshop in the UK in 1988 and was originally a tabletop sci-fi title which soon expanded to other types of media including books, comics, computer games and movies.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online is an action based RPG (Role Playing Game) with PVP (Player vs Player) and PVE (Player Vs Environment) missions.
The original game announcement can be found here.
The Warhammer 40,000 Online FAQ
What are the key features on the game?
The following was taken from the Vigil Games website after the 2010 E3 conference:
- The World of Warhammer 40,000 - Games Workshop's brutal world realised like never before in this MMORPG.
- Genre defining visuals - A combination of Games Workshop's fantastic characters with a strong graphics engine and design from Vigil make this one of the best looking MMORPGs ever seen.
Source: Vigilgames.com
What type of MMO genre is it (FPS, RPG, RTS etc)?
The game will be an RPG in the typical perspective that we are used to with popular MMO’s (third person). The following clip was from an interview with Vigil Games’ General Manager David Adams on Games Radar.
To preface, let me say that this game will be an RPG. That needs to be said, because when someone thinks of a Warhammer 40,000 MMO there is definitely some question as to the style of play: will it be an FPS, an RTS, or some other genre altogether? Relic has the RTS angle covered with the awesome Dawn of War series - we are making an RPG.
Source: Games Radar
When will it be released?
The games initial release estimate as of E3 2010 is Q1 2013. The following was posted at Massively.com from an interview at E3 2010.
We're shooting for right now to have the game shipped by the end of Quarter 1 of 2013.
Source: Massively
When will it enter beta?
The beta for the Warhammer 40,000 MMO has yet to be announced however you could estimate that with a Q1 2013 release date that closed beta would start sometime in mid to late 2012 with an open beta a month or so before release in 2013.
Who is developing the game?
The game is being developed by Vigil Games which is a studio that is owned by THQ. Vigil Games created the Console (and later PC) title Darksiders.
Vigil Games was founded in 2005 by David Adams and legendary comic artist Joe Madureira. Everyone at Vigil is dedicated to creating ground breaking next generation games. Vigil Games is a division of THQ.
Source: Vigil Games
What are the playable races?
The Imperium of Man playable race was first to be announced in August 2010 and more details on the other race(s) will be released later in the year. The first race was announced at GamesCom along with a video.
After the start of E3 2010, the official Dark Millennium website was launched which contained the first details about the setting/lore. Within that description was the following line:
Side with the forces of Order, or the vile hosts of Destruction
This may point towards a dual faction title however the general consensus is that at least 3 or 5 playable sides should be in a PVP title to avoid realm dominance.
The following clip was from an interview with Vigil Games’ General Manager David Adams on Games Radar.
Rest assured, all of the races important to Warhammer 40,000 lore (not to mention the fans) will be represented
Source: Games Radar
What are the classes?
No details have been released about classes at this time.
Will there be PVP?
In a word, yes. What kind of Warhammer 40K game would it be without PVP!
The following clip was from an interview with Vigil Games’ General Manager David Adams on Games Radar.
We’ll have a large number of solo, party, and PvP missions. We are not going to try to force grouping, as some games have tried to do - that’s just annoying. MMORPGs are about giving the player options, and that means letting them play the game how they want to. Though, while it will be possible to solo for the life of your character, you’re definitely going to want some buddies watching your back in some of the missions, especially the PvP ones. Yes - there will be PvP and bloodshed. After all, this is Warhammer 40,000 - and there is only War!!!
Source: Games Radar
Will there be PVE?
PVE will be included in the game and it sounds like these are encased within missions for both solo and group players. We expect more details about the PVE aspects of the game at E3 in 2010.