I've been harsh on WAR lately, but here's one area where Mythic has shined: community support.

A lot of game companies (MMOs and others alike) have difficulties exciting their fanbase, or even finding it in the first place. Common attempts usually involve just throwing up some forums and an info site, maybe some fancy flash apps and web-based minigames. They may do the rounds with the press, giving 'exclusives', holding contests, pretending to care about player feedback-- That's the usual stuff.

That formula can work really well. Turbine is a good example. With good community managers they rally their fanbase like troopers and as Brasse points out, that effort can be credited for the game's accolades, almost as much as the game's own merits. Turbine is also going the walled-garden route with my.lotro.com, where players can create LOTRO blogs on Turbine's own (Wordpress-powered) blog system.

Mythic's approach:

Mythic took a different turn for WAR. They shunned official forums, pointing people to 3rd party sites instead. They visited blogs and posted comments, just like regular folk. Of course they didn't get treated like any face in the crowd. Mark Jacobs and Paul Barnett elevated into austere figures within the fanbase, like good Generals on their horses in the frontlines with the troops. They spoke, they conversed, they ranted and often. Aimed directly at the playerbase, skipping the traditional media middleman.

The center of the WAR universe isn't even www.warhammeronline.com. It's located at your blog, your forums, your interviews. Mythic didn't just beckon the fans in, they reached out to them in their own local haunts.

It's not just a question of working with the 'new' media. Lots of companies are trying that, they've got their Myspace and Facebook pages, maybe even a blog or two and some fiddling with their own Wikipedia entries. But Mythic sought out and found where players were really hanging out, specific to their game. They did right to encourage folks like Keen, Syp and Snafzg, plus a host of others (a full list would be huge). They sent out whimsical press kits. And they created viral videos of Paul Barnett ranting like a fool, but somehow everyone loves him, even when he misses the mark or swallows his entire foot. Perhaps because he does.

Mythic gave themselves a human face and the fans are giving back because of it. A whole host of blogs just celebrated an "Age of Blogging" event that was completely fan initiated. It was more successful for WAR's promotion than anyone could have imagined.

Being a Warhammer player means being part of a community and that keeps people in, always looking for the best parts of the game.