WWII Online, like Ultima Online and Everquest before it, had a disasterous launch. Server difficulties, program bugs, and a company seemingly unprepared for the sheer volume of network traffic made it almost impossible for most of the

However, a few months and several patches later, the game is approaching a more finished state and is simply an amazing playing experience. Unlike the first "Big Three" MMORPGs, there are no monsters, no dungeons, no loot, no quests, and no experience points......just competition between the two sides for control of towns and bases.

Like Asheron Call's Darktide PvP server, the game is very group oriented. A lone infantryman, truck, aircraft, or armored vehicle can only accomplish so much....but a well coordinated group of players using a mixture of the available vehicles and troops with a pre-set plan can sweep a larger non-coordinated force from the field.

Screenshots (click to enlarge):

The sheer level of immersion is amazing. Tanks rumbling across bridges under anti-tank fire, bullets whining past from concealed enemy infantry, the drone of aircraft engines overhead as the bf109s fight to protect the Stuka divebombers from Spitfires, the calls for support over the radio from other players, and the "PING" sound as a enemy tank round glances off the armor of the tank that you're using as cover all add up to a great time.

More screenshots (click to enlarge):

If you're like me you play online games to have fun, and since the initial patches its great fun.

They say that Alexander the Great wept when he reached the borders of India and defeated their armies...for he had no more worlds to conquer.

Fortunately for me and my Axis comrades on Server #2, this wasn't the case :)

Having helped to subjugate the eviiil Frenchies and their Brit lackies on Server #2, I popped on over to Server #4 where the Allies were putting up a better fight.

I appeared as a Half Track at the forward base to Hevelange just north of Mean, and started to tow an 88 to the rally point where the axis group there was gathering for an assualt on Havelange.

Just as I arrived at the rally point towing the 88, and hooked up with the 7 or 8 Panzers and a dozen or so Infantry that were there, we all gasped in astonishment as a Bedford traveling at full speed comes zooming over the hill right at us..with a half-dozen or so Allied infantry in the back.

He saw us, and began to swerve off the road and turn around...but it was too late; The 88 quickly deployed and opened fire on the hapless truck, along with 3 or 4 of the Panzers, and the Bedford was soon in flames...and no infantry made it off alive.

Remember Allies, leave Opel Rushes to the professionals ;)

Since our sneak assualt was now compromised, the mixed force of panzers and infantry rushed at the hapless town, with support of the 88, and another town fell to the Axis.

Some of us despawned and respawned over at Huy, which looked like it needed some help.

I spawned as a Rifleman this time, and wandered over to the bridge...where the Allies kept trying to cross with tanks and Bedfords.

I went down under the bridge next to the bridge supports, figuring that any Allied infantry who tried to sneak across on the water would get a little surprise :)

After about 30 or 40 minutes of defending, panicked yells came over the radio that the Army Base in Huy had fallen.

Then the strangeness began.......

Two of our Axis guys who had been in the process of spawning when the town fell reported over the AXIS ORIGIN CHANNEL that they had spawned as Allies (!!??) when trying to spawn as Germans.

One had spawned as a Char, and one as an Allied infantryman. The guy who had somehow spawned as a Char...and was still on the Axis Origin Channel talking (with the little iron cross next to his name) started blasting away at the REAL chars in the garage and said he was able to damage them.

Over the radio, I heard confused reports of Panzers firing at Panzers, and Chars firing at Chars...but soon, the talk on the Axis origin channel for Huy died out, and soon I was (dramatic music here) alone. Trapped behind enemy lines....with no one even aware that I was still alive.

The Allies soon shifted their attack to the far side of town, where Axis reinforcements from Boulemont were pressing them hard.

Night fell, and I crawled up out of the river and slooowly began to crawl towards the army base, inch by inch...knowing that I was the last survivor of the proud Huy defenders...I had to get that flag.

I froze behind a bush as a French Panzer III rolled by out of the AB and right past me towards the road...at least, it looked like a Panzer 3, but it had no name above it, and none of the eviiil Frenchies appeared to be firing at it.

I crawled slowly, bush by bush, and even crawled past an A13 close enough to touch his tracks. He didnt see me.

I crawled into a hedgerow along the fence and watched the AB; I couldn't see a darn thing in the dark.

So, I crawled around the dge of the fence, headed for the gate, and spotted a french sapper running my way. I raised my rifle and shot him dead....and then crawled back towards the second hedgerow along the fence.

I knew I was doomed now. They knew I was here. An A13 and two chars rolled out of the AB and began to lace the first hedgerow with MG fire, and a HE round or two.

I lay silently, not moving. After about 5 minutes, they all stopped firing and lumbered away towards the front...amazingly, I had survived detection.

So, I began to crawl the other way, to get in the other gate. I reached the end of the fence, and began to round the corner...and there were three French Infantry running towards town, and too close to ignore.

I fired my entire clip, reloaded, and fired another clip. Two died, and the third bolted for town...none of them returning fire. Maybe they hadn't seen where I was?

Panicked...knowing that I couldn't survive if more infantry came, or if a Char discovered me, I crawled away from that corner, back towards the gate that I'd first planned to enter.

I made it all the way to the gate, and could see an A13 parked next to the CP, with his turret facing the other way. Inside the compound, I could see three allies standing near the barracks.

Just then...the sun began to rise. "Crap!" I said to myself. With the sun up, even the silly Allies would see me crawling around.

I'd have to run for it. I lept to my feet and dashed in the gate and into the AB CP. No one was firing at me. The Infantry 30 feet away hadn't been looking at the CP!!!

I looked around the CP building and couldn't find the radio. There simply was no radio in any of the rooms.

I lay down in the CP, and wondered what to do. With no radio, I couldnt seize the base for the Axis.

I stood up to look out the windows, and the A13 next to the CP fired a burst of MG fire and wounded me badly.

I fell to the floor, blood pooling from my body, and then...there was the radio table where it simply hadn't been before.

I stood up, grabbed the radio table, and the flag changed to German.

I went prone again, and shot the lone Allied infantry who came running in the door. Where were the others? Who knows.

Finally, my blood level reached zero, and I faded away...dead.

I quickly jumped onto the main radio channel and shouted "Spawn Huy!! Spawn Huy!!", and then popped into the origin channel for Boulemont and let them know that I'd just seized the flag in Huy and to spawn immediatelly.

By the time I respawned in Huy, there were 4 other Axis Infantry already there, and two Panzers pulling out of the garage...a brief and deadly fire fight errupted, but soon the eviiil frenchies were overwhelmed by Axis might :)

That's now TWO towns on Server #4 fallen to the Axis forces....let's get them all :)

~Zang

As you can see, WWII Online is a very immersive and fun experience. No endless leveling, no wasted time attempting to gather spell components or items, lots of player interaction and cooperation......and great online warfare training for all those aspiring future Atriarch Empire-Builders out there.