First impressions of Warhammer 40k Eternal Crusade

First impressions of Warhammer 40k Eternal Crusade

I feel as though I should admit upfront that I am a huge Warhammer 40,000 made by Games Workshop fan. I was first introduced to this grim game in 2007 by a friend of mine. I spent an entire paycheck of $160 on a Chaos Space Marine battle set which is their starter kit. I struggled through piecing the miniatures together, covered them in a terrible paint job, before joining in a triple threat match with my buddies who had flawless armies, custom paint jobs that looked like works of art and they had memorized various rules and strategies to use in battle. Despite the high cost, incredibly high learning curve, and the excessive set up time before even getting into a match, I was in love.

Around this time, I discovered that their sister game, Warhammer Fantasy, had it’s own MMORPG called Warhammer Online that seemed to be Games Workshop’s answer to the massively successful World of Warcraft. On paper it looked wonderful. Their cinematic looked incredible. This was a gritty world that promised death and glory. Then the game actually came out and it’s entertainment value had proven to be a fraction of what WoW was. As time went on, changes had been made but not enough to save it.

Years passed and with it came a rush of games centered around Warhammer 40k, ranging from great(Space Marine) to terrible. Suddenly, rumors of a Warhammer 40k MMO called Dark Millennium Online emerged. Just looking at the trailer I could tell that I was going to be let down hard. Still, a bad MMO was better than no MMO at all. I already knew that I’d throw my money at it when it released. Then the news came that the project had been cancelled due to THQ filing for bankruptcy. This also resulted in the cancelled sequels for Space Marine. Hope of being a warrior in the 41st millennium seemed slim.

Then this man entered my life:

 

His name is Miguel Caron and he is the Studio Head for Behaviour, the company that oversees the creation of Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade. Only in hushed whispers that this was the new Warhammer 40k MMO. Seeing how the fall of Dark Millennium occurred  I, along with many others in the Warhammer 40k community, had been skeptical of a company we’d never heard of taking on the project of making a great game where all others had failed. I’ve watched from the very beginning as their Facebook page grew with time, as did cosmetic changes to their website and information regarding the game.

Unlike Warhammer Online and Warhammer 40k: DM, the crew from Eternal Crusade kept close relationships with the community. From simple gestures such as answering a questions to grand gestures by making changes to their game due to the feedback by the community. It is this act of generosity towards the fans that really got to me. In the past, many developers will tell you that they listen to their fans but in reality, they have their own agenda and will see it through, even if it’s a train wreck. This, however, is not the case at all with Eternal Crusade.

Almost every week their crew streams their progress, answering questions, gathering input, and introducing who is working on what so you know who is responsible. They are always kind, fun, relaxed and very down to earth. They’ve turned down potential publishers because they knew it would hinder their ability to create a game that would please the community. The fact that they have the spine to stand alone amazes me. They completely have my respect and I honestly could not have said it better than Angry Joe:

 

They are not doing pay to win, it’s a one time purchase and you have the game forever, your efforts are rewarded and displayed for all to see. Don’t have the game? No worries! It’s free to Waagh where you can play for free due to being able to play as an Ork. Want to buy the game? Good! It’s only $40! Know you’ll play it and want to help them stay independent and help fund them? Get a founder’s pack!

For the first time in my life I have found a group of people working hard to make a video game that the community wants to play and allowing them to have a voice in it’s creation.

So far my though, my first impressions of Warhammer 40k Eternal Crusade(Alpha) is out of my mind with excitement and happiness. I have been introducing my friends to this game and I strongly believe the team, led by Miguel, is creating a wonderful game.

For more information on this game feel free to check out their website: https://www.eternalcrusade.com/