Character creation
From HammerWiki
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[edit] Overview
Character creation is the single most important aspect of any online RPG. It determines what your game experience will be like, what skills and abilities your character will have access to, and with whom you will be adventuring alongside.
[edit] Server selection
The very first thing you must choose when starting out is what server you wish to play on. Servers are separate worlds, meaning that a character you create on server A will not be able to interact in any way with a character created on server B. As such, to play with your friends, make sure you choose the same server that they are playing on. It is often a good idea to agree on a server selection strategy, with the people you are going to play with, before launch. It is also wise to choose a server which is closest to the computer you will be playing WAR on, as this will give you a low ping (latency between your computer and the server) and allow the game to run smoother and reduce lag.
There are 2 server types currently confirmed for release:
- Core Ruleset - PvP flagged when in enemy zones (although consensual in PvE "protected" areas)
- Role-playing (RP) - Players are encouraged to 'roleplay' their character, acting (& speaking) as the lore & their character backgrounds dictate they would in certain circumstances. (ie Dark Elves would be ruthless in the extreme and Witch Hunters would treat magic users with suspicion etc.)
Third and fourth server types are under consideration:
- Open Realm vs Realm - Kill ANY enemy you meet (aside from new characters, obviously).
- Open-RvR-RP - which naturally combine the characteristics of RP and Open-RvR server types.
It will be very important to keep in mind what type of server you wish to join, before creating characters, ie people who have no wish to act as their character in WAR should avoid RP servers, whereas those who wish for a more intense RvR experience might be best served in an Core Rulset server.
[edit] Realm and army selection
The next thing you must choose upon creating a new character is what realm you wish to fight for. The choices are Order and Destruction, and whichever you choose limits your further selections to those attributed to your realm. For inspiration on what realm to choose, have a look at the Age of Reckoning background article.
You will not be able to have characters from both realms on any one server, so make sure you choose the same side that your friends are on. If you later find out that you wish to try out a character on the opposing realm, you will either have to delete all your characters on the server or -- more likely -- simply choose a different server where you have no characters.
Once you have chosen your realm, you must choose your army. There are six different playable armies, three for Order and three for Destruction. See the main army article for an overview.
[edit] Career selection
With all the high-level choices out of the way, it is time to choose your characters career. Each character can only have one, and you cannot later change your mind without having to create a new character, so make your decision carefully. You can read more about the different careers here on the wiki to help you decide.
Careers fall into one of 4 archetypes:
- Melee DPS - For those who like to be in the front lines of the action at all times.
- Ranged DPS - For those who prefer to stay out of the fray and pick off enemies from afar, using missile weapons and magic.
- Support/Healer - Team based players who support and enhance other characters.
- Tank - Hard to kill characters who place themselves in the line of fire to draw damage away from other players.
[edit] Avatar creation
This stage is the creation/selection of the actual in-game avatar. You will have to select the name under which your character will be known to others in the world. No apostrophes or spaces are allowed in the name, although it will be possible to give your character a last name. Next you will choose the physical appearance your avatar will have in-game. WAR will not employ a morph/slider system to customize appearance, opting instead to have a selection of options for avatar features such as hairstyle and body types.
Once all these decisions are made, they are final, with the exception that you can always delete and re-create your character from scratch. You will be able to create multiple (up to ten) characters on a server.
When you select the final option, your character is created and enters the game world in your army's starting zone. Welcome to WAR!
