Posts Tagged ‘War Of The Roses’

RPS Feature No Nonsense, Just Norse Sense

Interview: Adding Shieldmaidens To War Of The Vikings

War of the Vikings, Paradox Interactive’s sequel to the gritty and gruesome War of the Roses, is about to receive its first expansion, a relatively modest addition that adds one new class: the Shieldmaiden. Executive producer Gordon Van Dyke, a veteran of multiplayer development who can trace his history back to some of the early Battlefield games, says it’s an opportunity to not only shake up the way the game is played and the patterns that players are falling into, but that it might also be a chance to challenge a few assumptions about gender.

At Paradox’s annual convention in January, Van Dyke spoke to me about his plans to introduce women warriors to the game and how it was important to him that they be dressed in realistic, practical gear rather than sporting the tired trope of stylised “boob armour,” the sort of curvy breastplates and chainmail bikinis that have plagued video games for decades. He explained how this expansion is his chance to make good on his ambition, why there should be women warriors in his game and how he relishes a chance to challenge some of gaming’s sexist conventions.

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Norsey Weekend: War Of The Vikings Free Weekend


What are you doing this weekend, readers? That’s just a general question you should feel free to answer in the comments, btw. I like hearing about your plans. If you feel the need to acquire something to do, then you might want to think about dropping into War Of The Vikings. Fatshark’s beard-and-beating sim is still a Steam Early Access title, but they’ve decided to allow people pile-in this weekend: it’ll be all yours to try from Dec 5th to December 8th.
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More Afjordable? War Of The Vikings Early Access

Axe beats Shield?
Fatshark is hastily putting a final lick of paint onto the longboats, tightening the braids on their beards, and making sure all the fish has plenty of salt for the people who they hope will buy into Early Access of War of the Vikings on Steam. It’s their follow-up to the generally well received War of the Roses, and as the title suggests, the battles here aren’t over who gets the last Tangy Orange Creme, but instead about vikings with axes disagreeing with other vikings. I wonder how they’ll come to terms over their differences?
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Customisable Beards: War Of The Vikings

I don’t know if I’d be more disappointed reading ‘customisable beards’ as ‘customisable bears’ or vice versa. Either way, elaborately braided face furniture is the stand-out feature of the newly announced War of the Vikings. Or perhaps it’s the brutal melee hacking that should give this newly announced game in the War Of The [blank] series an identity of it own. Thrown weapons, including the axe that stars in the teaser trailer below, and a greater emphasis on rapid, vicious bludgeoning and chopping, as shields splinter under the force of beard-powered blows. As with War of the Roses, Vikings follows the ‘pay to prettify’ rather than ‘pay to win’ formula, with longboat-loads of customisation options.

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Richard Rising: War Of The Roses Free Trial

That whole deal with Richard III’s bones hiding under a carpark? A publicity stunt, I reckon. The perpetrators? Paradox. While the people of York are creating petitions to have the skellington buried in their fair county, multiplayer sword ’em up War of the Roses has unleashed its free trial, which you can download now by selecting the demo option on its Steam page. The trial doesn’t segregate players into separate games, but there is a limit on classes and equipment. Any ‘coin’ earned in the trial will carry across to the full version if purchased. Mark my words, we’ll know when the release date for The Old Gods DLC is due because someone will find Harthacnut’s preserved face on the shelf of an Aldi, next to the baked beans.

War Of The Roses Getting Free Version, Brian Blessed

Kingmaker. Not to be confused with the new hit reality show, King Makeover. It's actually quite heartfelt, if you'll believe it.

War. War never changes.

OK, actually, no. Now look here, ominous Fallout guy: I know what you’re trying to say, but I don’t think you’re accounting for any sort of subtlety or nuance. Sure, we’re still talking about people killing each other, and that’s a nice, grim sentiment, but small changes make ripples in the blood-soaked killing fields too. I’m talking, of course, about thunder-voiced narrators. Case in point: Brian Blessed‘s involvement with Paradox’s War of the Roses. As part of an upcoming DLC pack, these things will happen: “Blessed’s booming voice will inspire knights by announcing in-game events and warnings, giving new meaning to the iconic command to ‘Kill the enemy!'” That’ll cost money. But a stripped down version of the game? That, my friends, is completely free.

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Scots, Free: War Of The Roses Gets Huge Update

I’ll admit that I haven’t been back to War of the Roses since shortly after it launched, but maybe now’s finally the time for me to de-rust my steed and feed my armor some of the good carrots. Or wait, no, the other way. Feed my carrots some armor. There we go. Anyway, Paradox’s medieval melee’s seen yet another free content drop – this time taking the form of armor and weaponry forged in the image of the Scottish Gallowglass mercenaries. Apparently, they “brought brute force and fighting spirit to the battlefields like none could,” so probably get ready to smash first and ask only the most necessary of questions. But, even though the update’s named after them, the mercenaryfolk aren’t the main event of today’s update. Rather, it’s complete reworks of core systems – for instance, armor, weapon speed and power, and movement – that stand to make the Middle Ages feel young again.

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