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."

With update 1.3.2, Mythic introduced a host of new features.  Today they answered some questions regarding two of those features, the New Player Guild and the Advice channel.

Q. Is it okay for my guild recruit players from the New Player Guild?

A. Yes! And we absolutely encourage you to do so, but we do ask that you do not spam the New Player Guilds with recruitment chat. The best way to recruit from the New Player Guild is to create a Rank 1 character and invite new players to group up for Scenarios, Public Quests, or guild recruitment events.

Check after the jump for the full Q & A.

The latest Dev Diary examines a host of Game Performance changes in the 1.3.2 update, which is now live. Large scale RvR battles are where WAR truly shines, but lag has a way of destroying the experience for many players.  Players have frequently cited lag as the major reason they stopped playing the game.  Why did it take so long to address this issue, and will these newest changes have a significant effect? 

You might ask why it has taken us over a year since we launched in September 2008 to make these dramatic improvements and discoveries. That’s a fair question. The short answer is: we're human and we're learning day-by-day how to improve our products. The longer answer is that WAR has literally hundreds of thousands of lines of code in both the client and server. We're balancing the demands of adding new features and functionality to the game, with a focus on performance and stability improvements.

Read on to see the big steps that Mythic is taking to keep addressing this issue!

Game Update 1.3.2 is now live in Warhammer Online and includes the removal of Fortresses from the campaign, a new Keep difficulty system, and the introduction of the New User Journey and the Apprenticeship system. You can check out the full patch notes in our wiki section. Also, don't forget that the Daemon Moon Rising Halloween event is set to kick off on Oct. 23.

In addition, Producer Jeff Skalski has written a letter about 1.3.2 and beyond. Skalski said the focus of 1.3.3 will be "on career balance, RvR campaign enhancements, and performance, but if I had to pick a theme for 1.3.3, I would go with 'Bugs and Polish.' " For example, players will finally get the ability to walk and sit. Skalski also touches open the upcoming underdog system, which "kicks in on any server to help aid the Realm that’s consecutively being pummeled." You can read the full letter after the jump.

MMOCrunch noticed an interesting post on the official Warhammer Online forums that suggests the PTS client includes information on an unannounced expansion. According to forum user Fozee, the information is an "accidental inclusion" on the test server. Fozee wanted to bring the information to Mythic's attention to avoid any leaks "before it's anywhere near finalization."

While some readers may question the validity of the post, forum moderator Marty quickly jumped in and locked the thread because the topic is "not reallllly something to be discussed on the forums." Marty edited the post to say that "the info has been passed uphill to those who can check 'er out."

While this news is certainly not confirmation of an upcoming expansion, it can be filed under the rumor category. What would you want to see in a Warhammer Online expansion?

Want a chance at one of those nifty rare mounts?  Join the Mythic dev team on the PTS server tonight for a Mass Test of update 1.3.2.  Still leveling?  This is a great chance to take a level 40 version of your class for a spin!

This Sunday, 10/11/2009, starting at 8:00 PM EDT the WAR dev team will be hosting the final 1.3.2 Mass Playtest! So the gauntlet has been thrown, will you answer the challenge and line up on Warpstone with your fellow testers for a shot at the Imperial Griffon (Order) or the Enslaved Manticore (Destruction) mounts? Not 40 yet? Not to fret as templates will be provided as they have been for all of our testing events for 1.3.2.

See you on the battlefield!

Mythic Entertainment just recently announced that they would be attending GameX 2009 from October 23rd to October 25th to "meet fans and showcase the latest and greatest updates to WAR." The game convention itself is being held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, and members of the development team will be on hand to let everyone check out the latest Halloween Live Event and Daemon Moon Rising, which includes the Daemonball Rally Public Quest and the Daemon Mask Event Quest. In addition to meeting developers and chatting about new additions to Warhammer Online, the team is also promising lots of in-game swag to lure players over:

• Face of Condemnation - Gaze into the unforgiving Face of Condemnation! Order and Destruction alike know heresy when they see it, and, with the Face of Condemnation, they can wear their reproach for all to see!
• Shroud of Imrathepis - Linens taken from the burial shroud of Prince Imrathepis. Those who wrap the burial shroud about their body are protected from harm regenerating minor wounds and injuries.
• Chompin Teef - Exclusive Steel Jaw Customization option for Orc Choppas - Da best teef! CHOMP!
• Snorri's Spikes - Exclusive Spike Mohawk Customization option for Dwarf Slayers - Brightly orange painted gromril spikes, said to be the same spikes that were driven into the skull of the famous Slayer Snorri Nosebiter!

So if you're in the area, try to stop by and visit the Mythic booth for some great rewards!