With two crafting abilities (Apothecary and Talisman Making) and four supporting gathering skills (Cultivating, Magical Salvaging, Scavenging and Butchering), the MMORPG incorporates an innovative crafting system to aid players in their fights on the battlefield's of WAR.

"Crafting is a beloved MMORPG element for many players, however, it can often feel like an unnecessary addition to the game," said Mark Jacobs, general manager of EA Mythic and WAR's lead game designer. "The crafting system I've envisioned for WAR is innovative, fun and doesn't require hours and hours of grinding materials, items or recipes in order to succeed. It is a system that is tied directly to your Realm's ongoing war effort whether you are a player who loves PvE, RvR or simply crafting in general."

The Apothecary crafting ability allows players to create all manner of useful potions, lotions and powders to heal, enhance stats, or cause damage to others. By combining various ingredients, players will even have the opportunity to "design" their own potions according to their needs. The second crafting ability, Talisman Making, will allow players to make useful items imbued with magic powers to be worn by a character.

WAR's gathering skills produce the raw materials required for Apothecary and Talisman Making:

• Players can train themselves in Cultivating, and plant seeds and spores in order to harvest weeds and fungi, components frequently used in Apothecary creations.
• Magical Salvaging lets players break down magical items, converting them into fragments and essences that can be used in the crafting of Talismans.
• Scavenging and Butchering are used to collect unseen resources off of the corpses of slain creatures – Scavenging allows players to recover hidden items from more intelligent creatures, while Butchering allows players to collect meat, skin and bones from non-sentient beasts.

Crafting in WAR is not about grinding for raw materials to create beneficial items, but about using developmental processes that don't interfere with the Realm vs. Realm™ battles that are central to WAR. For example, a character with Cultivating training can continue to grow weeds and fungi even while laying siege to the enemy's city.

War is everywhere in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR), the new MMORPG from the creators of Dark Age of Camelot. Based on Games Workshop's popular Warhammer fantasy war game, WAR features next generation Realm vs. Realm (RvR) game play that will immerse players in a world of perpetual conflict.

Upon entering WAR, players must determine their allegiance and join an Army. Those inclined towards the side of good may fight for the Armies of Order as an obstinate Dwarf, noble High Elf, or loyal human soldier of the Empire. Those inclined towards darker deeds may side with the sinister Armies of Destruction as a savage Greenskin (Orc or Goblin), corrupt Dark Elf, or marauding human worshipper of Chaos.

RvR combat takes place on three fronts where ancient foes wage an unending war – Dwarfs vs. Greenskins, High Elf vs. Dark Elf, and Empire vs. Chaos. Players begin the game fighting their ancestral enemy, but are free to journey to other fronts to help their allies in their ongoing struggles.

The ultimate goal in RvR combat is the sacking of an enemy's capital city. To do this, an army must invade and take control of the opposition's homeland. Deciding battles take place on objective-based battlefields and in instanced scenarios - point-balanced battles that make use of NPC mercenaries known as Dogs of War.

For the first time, WAR's RvR system integrates both Player vs. Player (PvP) combat and Player vs. Environment (PvE) quests on the same map. Every aspect of the game, including PvE missions, is geared towards the greater war in some important way. However, players are not required to participate in PvP combat, and may aid in the RvR war effort and enjoy the game in its entirety via PvE content.

Features :

• Based on Games Workshop's popular Warhammer fantasy world. Dominated by force of arms and magic, this world provides a rich setting for hundreds of thousands of players to experience the epic nature of war and the glory of battle.
• Join one of six Armies and fight for the Armies of Order (Dwarf, High Elf and Empire) or the Armies of Destruction (Greenskin, Dark Elf, or Chaos). Wage war across three unique battlefronts.
• Next generation Realm vs. Realm game system integrating both PvP combat and PvE quests on the same map in support of the greater war.
• Engage in four levels of RvR combat:
  • Skirmishes: Incidental PvP combat
  • Battlefields: Objective-based battles in the game world
  • Scenarios: Instanced, point-based battles balanced with NPC Dogs of War
  • Campaigns: The invasion of enemy lands culminating in the assault on their capital city
• Undertake a wide variety of PvE quest types related to an army's war efforts, including:
  • Public quests that benefit from the participation of the entire army
  • Conflict quests that pit players against an enemy with opposing goals
  • Branching quests that let you choose the outcome of the quest and your reward
  • Xmas quests that reward exploration with high value loot
• A robust combat system introduces Player Tactics (earned powers you equip prior to battle) and Morale Skills (combat options that increase in power when the momentum of battle is in your favor).
• Player models that change to reflect the relative power of a character (i.e., Orcs grow in size and Dwarfs' beards get longer). Customizable armor and a visual guild system allow a player to make their character truly unique.
• Embark on an epic quest to complete the Tome of Knowledge and unlock Warhammer lore, detailed monster information, and major story plotlines.
• Online play requires a subscription and Internet connection.

This premium, limited edition of EA Mythic's massively-multiplayer online role-playing game will be packed with bonus in-game content and unique collectibles unavailable elsewhere, including an exclusive Games Workshop miniature. Only 60,000 copies of the Collector's Edition will be available in North America, and those who pre-order the product will receive additional exclusives. The WAR Collector's Edition carries an MSRP of $79.99, and is available for pre-order in North America at Best Buy, GameStop, EBGames and GameCrazy retail stores, and and EAStore.com.

The WAR Collector's Edition will include:

• From the Age of Reckoning to your tabletop battle! Based on original characters from the MMORPG and designed by Games Workshop specifically for the Collector's Edition, this official Warhammer metal miniature depicts the Greenskin warboss, GRUMLOK, and his shaman, GAZBAG, in rich detail. (Assembly and painting required.)
• The forces of Order and Destruction collide under the red Chaos moon! Commissioned exclusively for the Collector's Edition, Warhammer Online: Prelude to War is a full-color, 128-page hardcover graphic novel that sets the stage for the start of the game. Written by acclaimed Games Workshop writer Graham McNeill, the oversized book is richly illustrated by Chad Hardin, Joe Abraham, Rahsan Ekedal, Tony Parker, and Kevin Hopgood. Each of the graphic novel's six chapters tells a unique story about the armies in the game, and together they detail the events leading up to the Age of Reckoning:
• A stunning collection of art that gave birth to the Age of Reckoning. The Art Of Warhammer Online is a 224-page hardcover collection of original art from the game. Each of the glossy, full-color pages showcases the talented work of our concept artists and offers a glimpse at a world in the making.
• Wisdom is its own reward. Readers of the Librams of Insight are granted special insight into their own actions and earn experience at a higher rate for a limited time. (XP-gain modifier for 60 minutes, 3 uses, 90 minute reuse timer.)
• New adventures and just rewards await players on the battlefields of WAR! Purchasers of the Collector's Edition will begin their adventures in the Age of Reckoning with twelve (12) bonus quests awaiting them in their Tome of Knowledge. Each quest offers an exciting in-game reward, as well as a unique character title, to those that complete the challenges before them.
• Stand out in a crowd with a look unlike anyone else's! The WAR Collector's Edition includes twelve (12) bonus heads for additional character customization options. Each race gets a truly distinctive look (with male and female versions) that is sure to turn heads on the battlefields and be the envy of everyone in the army.

As an added bonus, players who pre-order the Collector's Edition will receive two exclusive in-game items, guaranteed access to the Open Beta, and special early access to the live game.

EA Mythic moved the ship date for the US and Europe to fall 2008.