Warhammer Online's latest patch, v1.3.2, continues to address many of the long-standing obstacles the MMO has faced since its launch. As we reported in October, 1.3.2 brought about the removal of forts, the New User Journey, the Apprenticeship system and more. Many fans consider the recent changes—and those upcoming in 1.3.3—vital to WAR's continued survival in today's cut-throat MMO market. One of the newest additions to the patch 1.3.2 is the Endless Trial, offering new players the chance to "try before they buy" without the former 10-day time limit.

Mythic's new Endless Trial essentially changes WAR's entire Tier 1 experience (Ranks 1 through 10) to a free-to-play MMO. We here at ZAM think it's an ambitious move, and a great way to offer potential subscribers the time they need to make an accurate, informed decision; a trial model that many other subscription-based MMOs could learn from. In an effort to learn a bit more about the details of the Endless Trial, ZAM held a Q&A with Mythic producer Josh Drescher. Read on to learn more about the free-to-play trial, as well as the New User Journey that Mythic added to help new players.

Warhammer Online Producer Jeff Skalski has written a letter to follow the one Mythic Executive Producer Jeff Hickman wrote to address the recent layoffs that hit the company. Skalski wants to "reaffirm that our support and dedication to making WAR the best RvR experience in the market has not changed."

Skalski said the team is currently working on patch 1.3.3 to get it ready for the test server. The patch will include bug fixes and enhancements to RvR, as well as updates to the graphics that include improved lighting options and bloom. "Over the course of 1.3.3 you’ll get to enjoy three live events including the return of the Battlebrew Backpack in Keg End and the much beloved Night of Murder event in addition to an all new event in the new year," he said.

You can read Skalski's full letter after the jump. What are your thoughts on the future of Warhammer Online?

Poor Warhammer Online; it just can't seem to catch the break it so desperately needs to get that real second chance it's been waiting for. Earlier today, Gamasutra broke the news that EA's latest round of layoffs hit Mythic Entertainment particularly hard; 80 of its employees were recently laid off, which consists of around a staggering 40 percent of its total workforce. Gamasutra claims Mythic is expected to make an official announcement in its quarterly report, although the website quotes several Twitter postings from former employees. What's all this mean for Warhammer Online? Nothing too positive, unfortunatley. The Gamasutra story quotes an industry analyst:

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said in an EA investor note on Monday, "Recent industry weakness will likely cause the company to lower its full year industry growth expectations to negative 'mid single digits' from 'flat' previously. In addition, we believe the company may take a more proactive role in additional cost cuts and may announce additional restructuring initiatives."

While the MMO hasn't specifically been addressed in light of EA's newly-focused agenda, any long-time Warhammer fan should know that the game already needs all the help it can get from a publisher's resource pool―one wrong move could push WAR over the edge, doomed to another year of dwindling subscriptions. On the other hand, we can only hope that WAR's new Endless Trial will attract both new and returning players, and that many of those players will stick around for the MMO's upcoming expansion, whenever it's released. In the mean time, let's hope Mythic keeps up the trend of continuing to patch and fix WAR, as it's been doing. Praying couldn't hurt, either.

The WAR Herald is full of interesting news today, from City Siege hotfixes to a dev diary on combating hackers. To start things off, Mythic has officially introduced the endless free trial. It should come as no surprise since we reported on it earlier this week, but you can now play the free trial for as long as you like if you remain in Tier 1 content, below Rank 11. Check out the FAQ for more information.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's look at today's hotfixes. According to the notes, Mythic is "making a number of changes that will improve the overall Capital City invasion experience for all players." For example, guild halls, the Emperor's Palace and the Eternal City will now remain open to players at all times, regardless of the city's current rank. You can read all the changes after the jump.

Lastly, Development Manager John Cox has written a diary entry explaining how Mythic deals with hackers. While it doesn't contain and earth-shattering news, it is an interesting read. "Believe it or not, any of you hackers out there, we’re members of your online communities, sometimes silently listening, sometimes actively participating. The best place to figure out what hackers are trying and what they’ve figured out about us is to hide among them," he said.

Unless you've been living under the weight of an ogre's buttocks, you've probably heard of Dragon Age: Origins. Today marks the release of Dragon Age: Origins on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. We're impressed by BioWare's immersive RPG, as can be seen in our hands-on preview and our interviews with the co-founders of BioWare and Executive Producer Mark Darrah. You can now join the Grey Wardens and fight the gritty, dark, violent battle with your swarthy brethren.

And there are even some surprises to be found in your brand new game! If you're a devout purchaser of EA products - or if you just happen to be an owner of Warhammer Online - you'll find a code that unlocks the "Adventurer's Handbook" (which gives you a 10% XP Bonus when used) and the "Skaven Skin Cloak" (allows your to take on the appearance of the ratty Skaven).

That's a pretty sweet deal, especially for folks that own both products. I certainly do, so it was a pleasant addition to an excellent package.

We all knew Mythic Entertainment was getting desperate for new and returning players in Warhammer Online. All the signs were there; massive server merges, "re-enlistment" campaigns, even drastic retail price drops for the game client...but who could have ever imagined the MMO would partially turn free-to-play? That's right, as announced in the latest edition of the WAR newsletter (a footnote in the Patch 1.3.2 article intro), Mythic will be extending its 10-day free trial to unlimited playtime as long as you're still in Tier 1 content, below Rank 11:

"We’ll soon be lifting the 10-day restriction on our Free Trial! You'll be able to enjoy the trial experience and New User Journey for as long as you like!"

This is a pretty drastic move to encourage new player retention, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. The new trial system will undoubtedly allow players to get a better sense of what WAR offers, at their own leisure, instead of trying to get the most informed opinion possible within a mere week and a half. Full details have yet to be announced, but it's safe to assume that some of the restrictions listed in the "Trial Accounts" section of the official FAQ may carry over, such the inability to create auctions or send mail.

Today marks the launch of the official Warhammer Online Mac client in North America. Current subscribers can download the client for free on the official WAR site, while new players can purchase a digital download of the client through GameTree Online for $19.95. You can also try out the Mac client for free by signing up for a 10-day free trial.

The Warhammer Mac client FAQ can be found after the jump. The Mac live client will be available in Europe soon, so keep on eye on the official WAR Europe page for more information.

The recent implementation of patch 1.3.2 brought some changes to the way Action Points work, so Combat and Careers Team Lead Nate Levy has taken the time to answer some questions about the bug fixes that affected AP regeneration.

Basically, the team needed to address a couple of bugs that were causing many players to have infinite AP. The fixes corresponded with patch 1.3.2, which is why some players have noticed a difference in their AP regeneration. "Right now, Action Point recovery works exactly as it was designed: You gain 25 AP per second (and we fixed the issue which heavily tied AP rates to server performance, so that fixes the second bug and means AP will be more consistent), and you do not gain AP while you're in the middle of a combat action (which fixes the first bug)," Levy said.

Levy feels this change should actually have a positive affect on game balance since it should increase the amount of time players can survive in RvR and makes AP efficiency a factor in ability decisions. You can read Levy's full letter after the jump.

Grab Bag No. 23 has been released and Mythic decided to use the oppounity to answer questions about the Daemon Moon Rising live event, which kick off tomorrow, Oct. 23, at 9 a.m. EDT. The team answered 13 questions, which seems fitting for the Halloween festivities.

So what's changed from last year's The Witching Night live event? Well, everything! "In fact, the only thing the same from last year are the masks. This year there's a new, unique RvR Public Quest, a event Scenario, a special daemon encounter, and unique quests, to name just a few."

The full Grab Bag Q&A can be found after the jump. Enjoy the live event! Waaagh!

Mythic implemented four hotfixes today on Warhammer Online servers that include bug fixes and a change to Realm vs. Realm scenario populations. The team has made sure that Action Points and Morale will regenerate at a consistent rate regardless of server load, and Summoning Stones can no longer be used to teleport players into areas they can't normally enter. This will stop trial players from using the stones to leave Tier 1.

As for RvR scenarios, Mythic has listened to players and adjusted on scenario population minimums and maximums. This means players will see scenarios launch more frequently. Also, "players will once again be able to post item links to the Party and Guild chat channels."