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The 1.0.5 patch for Warhammer Online hits live servers today and with it comes various small fixes and changes, mainly focused on RvR improvements. But that's probably not what everyone's the most excited about. No, that would be the fact that 1.0.5 is the start of the Heavy Metal event for players interested in trying out the new Reikland Factory Scenario and getting a chance at playing the Black Guard and Knight of the Blazing Sun a week earlier than everyone else.

We're sure that everyone is going to be quite busy playing around in the new Scenario for the next week or two, hopefully it won't be much longer now before some of those career and open RvR improvements come down the line. You can find the full patch notes after the break.

Mythic dev Mark Jacobs writes that the combat and careers patches for Warhammer Online will not be appearing in patch 1.0.5 as previously planned and are instead being rescheduled for patch 1.0.6. "Our plan was that no patch would make it through the [Public Test Servers] until we were sure that it was tested thoroughly and properly." writes Jacobs, "It was evident throughout the testing process that some of the changes needed to be reconsidered and some changed outright."

Patch 1.0.5 is going to deploy to live servers tomorrow (Tuesday, 18 November), with fixes/improvements to the Realm War system, and the "Heavy Metal" Live Event that sets the stage for the Knight of the Blazing Sun and Blackguard.

Apparently, folks aren't too pleased with the way GOA is handling Warhammer Online over in Europe. If this is news to you, welcome to two months ago. Yet, in their defense, GOA has been working to remedy these concerns and address many of the issues that have been alienating European WAR players since before launch.

In a recent forum post, GOA's Community Manager, Magnus, confronted these problems and let players know that they're not only aware of what's going on, but they're working to fix it. This wasn't quite enough for one blogger at Books of Grudges who described their frustration at what they say "smacks of PR." If the on-going issues with GOA have been affecting you lately, check out the Magnus post and the Book of Grudges response. You may find that you share their opinion.

There was a time when the western MMO market was flooded with imports of popular Korean titles. While there's still a steady influx of Asian games reworked to fit western playstyles, there's also a growing number of western MMOs being exported to Asia, particularly Korea. The obvious title that succeeds anywhere it goes is World of Warcraft, whose Asian following is legion. But smaller games have also been making inroads. EVE Online has been operating in China for years and Hellgate: London gained a new lease on life in Korea. They're not alone in this. Turbine has its eyes set on expanding into Korea with Lord of the Rings Online, and we know that Age of Conan is marching eastward, too. The latest successful western title to look east is Warhammer Online, which will soon be played in Korea as well.

Electronic Arts and Hangame are partnering to bring WAR to South Korea. In a related press statement, Mythic's Mark Jacobs said, "By partnering with Hangame, we hope to provide Korean gamers with a fresh, new fantasy experience and years' worth of Realm vs. Realm adventures on the frontlines of WAR." You can see the full announcement about WAR's attempt to capture Korean gamers over at The Earth Times. Given how PvP-centric Korean MMOs tend to be, do you think Warhammer Online would be a natural fit for gamers in this market?

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	Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

Isn't it fascinating to think of the people behind the toons you see running around your screen? Do you ever just find a quiet spot next to a busy marketplace or popular crossroads in game and just people-watch? Although it's sometimes fun to venture a guess at the real lives behind the virtual ones, we may overlook the increasing number of families who play these games together. Husbands and wives. Fathers and sons. Mothers and daughters. The combinations are almost endless.

In a recent article over at Game Set Watch, Michael Walbridge takes a look at the inner dynamics of the family gaming habit. He tells an all-too-familiar story of one family member (in this case his wife) who wants nothing more than to play Wrath of the Lich King upon release, yet he has sworn off WoW for good, in lieu of Warhammer Online. When his wife finally realizes that swearing off WoW for good really means "for good" this time, it nearly brings her to tears. Will he give in and rejoin his wife at Wrath's launch? Will he continue with WAR, crushing his entire family dynamic? You'll have to check out the story to find out!

It's perhaps a slightly underhanded tactic, but if it works, why not? Today's Warhammer Online One Shots comes to us from ScytheNoire who unleashed a small flood of Warhammer Online shots on us. Sadly he didn't give us a note to go along with this image. Of course we think it fairly well speaks for itself - if you want to get the attention of the opposing force and flummox them, why not head into battle wearing only the barest slip of armor and see what happens. It certainly got our attention!

If you've snagged a screenshot of a massing army, a central city, or a battle, we want to see those screens! All games are welcome, from the large-name titles to indie games. Just email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and a quick description. We'll post it for everyone to ogle.

It doesn't matter how you slice it -- even if the big bad guy is on your side, standing next to him can sometimes still make you feel really tiny. Not sure what we mean when making that statement coupled with the above fiery screenshot from Warhammer Online? Well, if you look very, very closely (or check out the full-size image) you can see ScytheNoire's wee teeny orc standing between the hooves of this enormous Bloodletter. As ScytheNoire noted, [This is the] Bloodletter of Khorne with my Black Orc. I feel small and insignificant. We'd probably feel the same, except we'd probably be more concerned with that whole "on fire" thing first. Ouch!

Have you snapped any fun shots of your character up against (or hanging out with) a particularly big, nasty monster? Slaying or praying, we want to see those screenshots! Just send them in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and a quick description. We'll post them out here for everyone to check out and marvel at your daring -- or impending death.

The clarions of battle sound; some will stand, some will fall. It is the way of Warhammer Online. As a warning to the allies of Order, the Destruction forces have strung the remains of their Dwarven foes across the landscape. This dark and gritty One Shots was sent in by our regular contributor, Snacky, who plays this particular Greenskin on the Iron Claw server. Snacky writes in: Even as a Destruction Greenie, I still have some sympathy when I see how these Dwarfs ended up. I'll never admit it, but I do say a silent prayer that I don't end up like that!

Many players love the PvP scenarios in Warhammer Online, but we know it's not the only place with gritty details like these. As such, we're sending out a call to all players -- send us your battle shots! Corp war, battlegrounds, Monster PvP, raiding, we want to see your screens. Just send those to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and a quick description. One Shots needs your screens, so send them in and enjoy your moment in the blog-sun!

Aside from answering a variety of user questions and reporting on the latest tidbits of Warhammer Online news in the usual Grab Bag style, this week's regular feature focuses on the basics of Zone Control.

If you've ever made the mistake of assuming that your realm has captured a zone by controlling all Battlefield objectives and Keeps, you'd be wrong. That's exactly what this Grab Bag feature aims to do: help the players understand what exactly is involved in controlling your Zone. Check out the entire article for more on Zone control and the answers to a few important player questions.

We just put up notice of the Warhammer Online 1.0.5 patch hitting the live servers, and the advent of official test servers. But what what does the patch mean? How is it going to affect your character class? Spinks over at Book of Grudges has done a fantastic job of breaking down the notes and clearing the decks for each archetype. According to the blogger, it sounds as though Healers, Ironbreakers, and classes relying on roots were the big losers. Heal over time spells recieved a big nerf, and the Ironbreaker 'grudge' mechanic has gotten a big slapping down as well.

Meanwhile pet classes have come out as the big winners, and all users of the damage over time-style spells will see an increase in their damage. Be sure to let us know in the comments what you think of the new changes as you begin to see their impact on gameplay!

This is the big one. This is the megaset that was the talk of the MMO community during Warhammer Online's launch. We profiled this behemoth in our very own unboxing feature, and it was kind of like opening the vaults of King Solomon. Only, you know, with orcs. Find out everything that's in this pack by checking out our feature or by hitting up the official CE page on the Warhammer site. This thing retails for $79.99, and one lucky reader is going to get it for the low, low cost of free just because she or he reads Massively.

All you have to do to win this big fella is leave a comment here on the post declaring your allegiance to one of Warhammer Online's races. This blogger fights for the Empire, tips his hat to Karl Franz, and swings a hammer with the rest of the Sigmarite clergy. What about you? You'll need to comment before 7:00 AM EST Sunday, November 9th. You can only enter once per person, and after the contest closes we'll ship out the prize to one randomly-selected winner. Give us at least a week to ship out this massive pile of swag, though. To win you must be age 18 or up and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). For full eligibility details, we suggest you read our official rules. Good luck!

The race to the finish for our week of MMO giveaways has begun! This is one of our last giveaways of the day, and it is a once-in-a-lifetime offering! This giveaway offers up to one lucky winner the chance to get a full-sized Warhammer Online poster - offered originally at PAX 2008 - signed by several members of the Warhammer dev team! Check out what the full poster image looks like by clicking through. The dream team of Josh Drescher, Jeff Hickman, and Paul Barnett all pressed ink to paper for this prize, arranged by Massively's own Kyle Horner. Thanks to Kyle, you get the chance to win this unique prize! We estimate it's worth about $35.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post with a possible use for the unique topping known as Bacon Salt. Bacon Salt was the personal passion of Josh Drescher back at this year's PAX event, and you can hear all about this one-of-a-kind condiment in the Big Download pocast recorded then. You'll need to comment before 7:00 AM EST Sunday, November 9th. You can only enter once per person, and after the contest closes we'll ship out the prize to one randomly-selected winner. Give us at least a week to ship out this massive pile of swag, though. To win you must be age 18 or up and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). For full eligibility details, we suggest you read our official rules. Good luck!

This is our second chance this morning for you to explore the lore of Warhammer Online! Our first pack was all about text. This time around we're focusing on art. This pack consists of another copy of the Warhammer graphic novel Prelude to War, plus a copy of the Art of Warhammer Online - both featured heavily in the Collector's Edition of the game. Estimated retail value for this pack is about $50. To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite zone in Warhammer Online is.

Do the soaring buildings in the Inevitable City grab your attention, or do you prefer the natural beauty of Reikland? You'll need to comment before 7:00 AM EST Sunday, November 9th. You can only enter once per person, and after the contest closes we'll ship out these fantastic prizes to one randomly-selected winner. Give us at least a week to ship out this massive pile of swag, though. To win you must be age 18 or up and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). For full eligibility details, we suggest you read our official rules. Good luck!