Help
What has changed for the Mac version? The answer: not a whole lot. “We wanted to make sure this wasn’t a second-class game,” explains Josh Drescher. Though the PC version launched over a year ago, a Mac version has always been in the works: “We wanted to bring this to the Mac platform.” Through their collaboration with Electronic Arts (Warhammer Online’s publisher) and TransGaming, they’ve been working on this project for a while. Drescher says that they wanted the Mac version to be released as close to the initial launch as possible.
Drescher and Jeff Skalski explained that even though Mac users rarely are thought of as gamers, Mac users are just as passionate about gaming. Though it’s the first time they’ve developed a title for the Mac platform, “We’ve been looking forward to launching on the Mac,” explains Drescher. The game itself was ported via TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine. According to the Cider Website, the engine acts as a "wrapper" around the game software, enabling it to run seamlessly on Intel-based Macs. Mac users will be playing against and with their PC counterparts on shared servers.
“We wanted to make it a welcoming experience,” explains Drescher. That said, Skalski was quick to point out the mantra for the game, “War is everywhere.” When you first begin the game, if you’re an agent of Chaos, you’ll first start out by trying to burn down a village. If you’re an agent of the Empire and its allies, you’re trying to protect a village. “There isn’t a safe place for playing with drums and poking wood nymphs in the eye,” muses Drescher, chiding some of the more peaceful fantasy MMORPGs on the market. While most MMORPGs will lead you into the more intense aspects of the game slowly, Warhammer Online offers no hand-holding. “We wanted to make sure when you started game, you were in the middle of combat. From start to end game,” adds Skalski.
Drescher and Jeff Skalski explained that even though Mac users rarely are thought of as gamers, Mac users are just as passionate about gaming. Though it’s the first time they’ve developed a title for the Mac platform, “We’ve been looking forward to launching on the Mac,” explains Drescher. The game itself was ported via TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine. According to the Cider Website, the engine acts as a "wrapper" around the game software, enabling it to run seamlessly on Intel-based Macs. Mac users will be playing against and with their PC counterparts on shared servers.
“We wanted to make it a welcoming experience,” explains Drescher. That said, Skalski was quick to point out the mantra for the game, “War is everywhere.” When you first begin the game, if you’re an agent of Chaos, you’ll first start out by trying to burn down a village. If you’re an agent of the Empire and its allies, you’re trying to protect a village. “There isn’t a safe place for playing with drums and poking wood nymphs in the eye,” muses Drescher, chiding some of the more peaceful fantasy MMORPGs on the market. While most MMORPGs will lead you into the more intense aspects of the game slowly, Warhammer Online offers no hand-holding. “We wanted to make sure when you started game, you were in the middle of combat. From start to end game,” adds Skalski.
Visit the site below to read the full interview.
Return to Full Article - InsideMacGames News
