War of the Roses Message Board

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. 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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

Warriors in Paradox Interactive's War of the Roses can expect a free content update on December 19, aptly titled "Winter Has Arrived." After all, that is generally what happens after it's been established that "Winter is coming."

Winter Has Arrived brings two new snowy maps based on the battles of Wakefield and Towton, new armor and new weapons. Two additional, new weapons will come at a price on Decemeber 21, based on medieval depictions of the Virgin Mary - the Dagger and Sword of Mary for Christ's Mass. They will be sold at a discount through December 26, when they will transform to full price.

“Winter has arrived”, says the press release for War of the Roses next batch of free content, and here was me thinking Old Jack Frost would turn out to be the Godot of seasons. December 19th is the date that winter officially arrives in the multiplayer stab ‘em up, bringing “new armor and weaponry, plus two brand new snow-covered maps based on the historic battles of Wakefield and Towton.” There’s also a balance patch on the way, which appears to be primarily targeted at armour tweaks. Sandal Castle, on the Wakefield map, may also be the focus of a new game mode, although that addition won’t be in the initial download. You can see a brief glimpse of snow and blood below, and there will be a livestream of the maps on December 20 at 7pm GMT on the Paradox TwitchTV channel.

(more…)

I played War of the Roses, and I liked it pretty well. I also died a lot. But before long, I found my ornate steel shoes sloshing through syrupy pools of repetition. There’s only so much frantic deathmatching and all-over-the-place point-capturing you can do before you start to see cracks in War of the Roses’ armor, and that threshold is woefully low compared to other multiplayer fight-o-fests. Fortunately, Fatshark’s throwing its oh-so-characteristically sharky girth into setting things right, and we’re finally about to see the results. Come Wednesday, you’ll be able to take the exceedingly high-stakes Pitched Battle mode for a spin.

(more…)

Paradox's new permanent franchise team is getting straight to work. Next month, War of the Roses will get its first content update, adding new weapons, armor and color customization options to the multiplayer-based title.

At some point this "winter," Paradox plans on injecting two new game modes across a pair of new snow-covered locales. The first new mode is called 'Pitched Battle' and will go into beta "soon," though Paradox hasn't revealed any exact details on the mode.

The two new War of the Roses maps will be modeled after the historic winter battles at Wakefield and Towton. The November update is the first of monthly content releases Paradox has promised for War of the Roses.

Q. Is that headline pun the main reason I am writing this story? A. If you had to even wonder, YOU DON’T KNOW ME AT ALL

So yes: Fatshark’s meaty, crunchy, splattery, well-received medieval action game War Of The Roses is due to have a lanceful of new content rammed into its armoured face. Sounds like a strange hybrid of free’n'paid, dependent on how many, I dunno, Tudorpoints you’ve managed to accrue in the game, and it’s due to fatten up the game next month.(more…)

And so, the War of the Roses was won when the Lancastrians jumped their bikes over the flaming pit.

#review Despite the blockbusters out this week, and other more than worthy time-killers like Retro City Rampage, the game I've spent most time with lately is a multiplayer PC game called War of the Roses. More »

Paradox Interactive has announced its recently released War of the Roses will receive a permanent franchise team to support the series, led by executive producer Gordon Van Dyke.

"The game's reception from players has exceeded expectations and we are truly grateful for the continued support from the community," said Van Dyke, who had previously been a producer on the Battlefield series for six year before joining Paradox in May of 2011. "We'll continue to improve the game and add substantial content for all players."

We reached out to Paradox CEO Fredrik Wester and asked why he has such faith in this series less than a week after launch. The executive told us, "It's based on the fan feedback and the sales numbers so far. Our goal is to continue improving the game together with the fans."

War of the Roses, which launched at a value price of $30, is expected to have monthly content updates. If you know nothing about this game, check out our previously recorded JoyStream.

And lo, the king did gain a killstreak, and vanquished his foes with the Keyboard and Mouse of Conquest.

I’ve been playing a bit of War of the Roses lately, and it’s… interesting. I’ve told friends, family, and one very confused flower shop owner that it’s “deeply flawed and disappointingly barebones,” so it seems only proper that I reiterate that sentiment here. There is, however, tremendous fun to be had in the heat of battle – even if it’s fairly short-lived and clunky at this point. One thing that really sticks out, though, is War of the Roses’ death mechanic. In short, getting killed doesn’t actually, well, kill you. Instead, you’re often left bleeding out on the battlefield, waiting for either an enemy to finish the job or some kind soul on your team to use whatever lost-to-time medieval medicine allowed knights to recover from having their spines severed in three seconds. Not only do the mechanic’s nuances create some tremendously silly moments, they also run parallel to many of the game’s ups-and-downs. So let’s explore that via the eyes of a living, breathing, constantly dying pun: my own Tyrion Lancaster.

(more…)

War of the Roses is now available on Steam!

War of the Roses is a team based third person action game set in 15th century England. Two rival branches of the Royal House of Plantagenet - the house of Lancaster (the reds) and the house of York (the whites) fight over the throne, and the player is thrown into the fray. Players go toe-to-toe with their opponents using authentic and visceral weapons of the time period including broad swords, long bows and battle-axes.

Regardless of the final product’s authenticity, it’s pretty easy for, say, Medal of Honor, Battlefield, or Call of Duty’s developers to get an inside look at how their subject matter really works. The real War of the Roses, on the other hand, took place roughly six centuries ago, and time travel either hasn’t been invented yet or was wiped out by someone who traveled back in time to destroy time travel. And so, the War of the Roses team did the next best thing: they ran around England in authentic medieval armor. Hilarity, as you might expect, ensued. You can now view the entire four-part behind-the-scenes saga (which also contains some pretty fascinating info) via the modern sorcery that is streaming video after the break.

(more…)

War of the Roses, FatShark's multiplayer melee combat game set in the Middle Ages, launches on Steam on October 2. Today, we're sitting down with Paradox Interactive senior producer Gordon Van Dyke to talk about the famous conflict that inspired his new game and his transition from working on big-budget Battlefield games at EA to his first project at Swedish publisher Paradox Interactive.

From 10am until 11am PT (1-2pm ET), we'll be streaming some multiplayer matches with the QA team and Gordon Van Dyke. Feel free to lob some questions at us and Gordon by following Joystiq on Twitch, or you can drop your questions right into the comments section of this very post.

You can watch the stream on the Joystiq Twitch page, or in an embed after the break. Follow our Twitch page for future streams and giveaways.

War of the Roses, FatShark's multiplayer melee combat game set in the middle ages, launches on October 2 on Steam and I was able to get some hands-on time with the game alongside senior producer Gordon Van Dyke. We waged war together and even fought each other a few times.

But as we fought in a server full of the QA team, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen after launch? Would Fatshark and Paradox continue to support War of the Roses? Van Dyke was all too happy to confirm that work on the game would continue well after launch.

Pre-orders for Fatshark's bloody medieval brawler, War of the Roses, are now open, publisher Paradox Interactive has announced. There are two special editions up for pre-order, the House of York Deluxe Edition and the House of Lancaster Deluxe Edition. Each comes packing several faction-specific bonuses, including a plate cuirass, royal helm, charge, sword and crest. Both editions also include the soundtrack.

The House of York Deluxe Edition is available from a number of download services, including GameStop, Green Man Gaming, GamersGate and more. The House of Lancaster Deluxe Edition, on the other hand, is available only on Steam. A pre-order for either edition will set you back $30. War of the Roses will take to the field of battle on October 2.

War of the Roses is an interesting prospect: a multiplayer-driven action game set in the Middle Ages with large-scale combat for (up to) dozens of players. And at its core, War of the Roses features a deep customization system ensuring each of the soldiers on the battlefield is incredibly unique.

Battling other LAN-connected attendees at a recent event, I was given a taste of the the chaotic skirmishes featured in developer Fatshark's upcoming title. Before long, I was gleefully fighting with and falling under sword and spear.

It’s easy to feel cynical about DLC. John took a stroll through that particular minefield a couple days ago, and while he found plenty of good buried beneath all the righteous fury, worrisome practices still abound. Day-one DLC, season passes, and the like litter the current landscape, and – despite what some might claim – business models do influence game design. It’s unavoidable. With some fervent passion, Paradox senior producer (and former Battlefield maestro) Gordon Van Dyke, however, argues that this doesn’t have to be a bad thing, and lets rip at others who make it one. It’s only when companies lose sight of what’s best for their communities, he told me during a recent interview, that we have a serious problem.

(more…)

In order to promote its upcoming 15th-century combat game, War of the Roses, Paradox Interactive sent a senior producer over to jolly olde England to experience some of the history for himself. It's interesting, but if you're looking for either Michael Douglas or Kathleen Turner ... well, best to look elsewhere.

War of the Roses is now open for beta registration, Paradox Interactive recently announced. The medieval combat game for PC went through a private alpha stage before hitting its beta test period, with the full game set to launch in Q3 2012.

Those interested in signing up for the beta program can do so here. The entry form notes that by referring five friends to the program, you are guaranteed access to the beta version of the game.

Show full PR text Paradox Lowers The Drawbridge For Beta Testing War of the Roses
Medieval Multiplayer Accepting Applications for Early Access

NEW YORK - July 6, 2012 - Paradox Interactive and Fatshark announced that, after recently completing a successful closed alpha, sign-ups for a chance to participate in beta testing for upcoming medieval multiplayer combat title War of the Roses has now opened to the public. Starting today, players can enroll to be a Knight in the King's army and help restore order to England by visiting the following link: http://www.waroftherosesthegame.com/

When signing up to guarantee their access to enter the beta, future knights will obtain a unique referrer URL from the King that can be shared across social media channels. When five friends use this player-specific link to sign up for the beta, the player who is linked to the URL will be granted a secure spot in the beta.

#waroftheroses Gordon Van Dyke can go on and on about how sword-fighting was really done back in the middle ages. More »

#theshowdowneffect The first morning of E3, I sat down to talk with Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. Paradox has, in the past, generally specialized in careful, strategic games with historical settings. But their upcoming titles all deviate from that scheme in some way. More »

Contrary to what Ron Perlman might tell you, war changes a lot. What is fought today with guns and drones was once fought with pointy sticks and horses. War of the Roses hopes to remind us of this fact, bringing home the ancient, raw brutality of hoof, blade, bow ... and electric guitar.

Sharpen your skills as knights in the War of the Roses.

The latest trailer for Paradox’s medieval combat title, War Of The Roses, is below. In it you can see horse-based combat for the first time. Players are going to be able to fight from horseback, wielding axes, sword, lances and so forth. There’s plenty more footage of archery, swordsmanship, and general stabbery, too.

Take a look!(more…)

Of all the games I played this year at PAX East, two unlikely contenders stood out. They weren't indie darlings or supported by the donations of Kickstarter enthusiasts. And they weren't first-person shooters, nor character action games set against historic backdrops. Both games - Fatshark's War of the Roses and Torn Banner's Chivalry: Medieval Warfare - are about as far from my usual radar as games go. That was until I played them, of course.

Both Chivalry and WotR are set in (you guessed it) medieval times, though neither employs its setting much beyond a backdrop. The games are multiplayer-focused affairs; neither has any sort of single-player campaign. Given the backdrop, you might assume multiplayer to be of the Mount & Blade variety. You'd be wrong.

Both games are vicious, fast, and, most importantly, accessible. These are not the sim medieval combat affairs of many Paradox Interactive-published games. These are arcade-style medieval combat games, presented in first- and third-person perspectives, and they're like nothing else I've played in the past few years.

#videopreview In the video game War of the Roses you're a medieval mauler. You're a person with sword, mace, or bow-and-arrow. You might be on a horse. You might have a lance. More »

Every time I see War of the Roses it appeals to me more. A multiplayer game that features knights killing each other instead of space marines? Yes, that’ll do. And that’s knights killing knights, by the way, not knights killing space marines, miraculous as such a thing would be. Here is a developer diary that handily features the developer floating in front of in-game footage, thereby managing to be informative and entertaining at the same time. It’s all about ranged combat, with Gears of War cited as an influence, although for its active reload mechanic rather than its chainsaw-guns. Observe.

(more…)