Guild Wars 2, Get HYPED Options

[AC9breaker]

My fellow AT'ers there is a game that I feel strongly deserves our attention, and that game is guild wars 2. Prepare to get hyped.



So what the hell is Guild Wars 2 you ask? Well it's the sequel to the highly successful MMORPG title Guild Wars. "Cool I like MMO's AC9Breaker, but why should I play this one when I'm already playing WoW?"
"I hate MMO's AC9Breaker? Why the hell should I give this game the time of day?"

Two perfectly fine questions and I shall explain. First off

No Commitment, No subscription fees.
One of the unique things about the original Guild Wars was that it was one of the first MMORPG titles at the time to not have a subscription fee which most MMO's use to require. In keeping with this they are applying their success with this business trend to this installment. No cumbersome unituitive sign up page to enter a credit card and register for, no extra charges after you've already bought the game, and before you think this effects the quality of service no, the game still has a strong GM and carefully monitors the servers for any problems and promptly address any issues that may arrise as well as also providing updates and events.


Candy for the eyes
Not only do we want to play a good game, but we also want to play a good looking game. Guild Wars 2 has that in spades. The game has taken a drastically beautiful approach from their original work that carries over strongly to their in game models. Towns and worlds are alive and breathing and look hand crafted and environments are alive and dynamic as the landscape changes based on actions of players and events happening in the world. Explore beautiful areas captivating areas and eviroments you could not have imagined such as underwater areas! Yes underwater areas. The developers are hoping to make underwater exploration easy and exciting for players and eliminate some of the traditional limitations (i.e., drowning) to aquatic travel found in many games. The underwater zones open up exciting new possibilities and greatly expand the explorable areas in Guild Wars 2.

But now for the meet and potatoes and why you really should give a damn about Guild Wars 2.

Dynamic experience
I think one aspect that most of us appreciated out of FF11 was the story and it's world. However it wasn't very personable when everyone else is treated as "the hero" and are the only able to take down the "shadowlord". In GW 2 however the story of the game is the story of you and your characters actions in the world. You fill out a biography at character creation time that defines your background and your place within the world, and that starts you on your path. Then the choices you make will take the story in different directions. Each time you play through the game, you can experience a different storyline. GW2 tells story by allowing the player to befriend and adventure with key characters, by presenting him with moral dilemmas that will impact the lives of the people around him, and by having him live through world-changing events and all the key moments of the storyline. But more interestingly, that some choices may not only just effect you, but also effect the online community and other players as it should. You literally shape the world and the events around you.

Combat tiem!
In keeping with the dynamic theme of the overall game, combat is has been structured so that it is always engaging and full of limitless choices and possibilities. This is done by allowing each of the 5 races to approach the 8 planned professions in a different manner, Some races have their own innate abilities and specials. (think beasts and Casts from PSU with their SUV's and Nanoblasts) Then you also throw in the cross class cooperative attacks. (think Chrono Trigger and their team attacks) One elementalists casts a a fire wall spell while a Ranger class uses his volley ability effectively doubling his power by shooting through the fire and giving his arrows fire properties and causing each shot to explode on impact. Then there are environmental weapons such a rock found in the field could very easily be turned into a meteor shower by an elementalist or your in a bar and a fight breaks out, yeah, pick up that bar stool and crack it over your enemies head. Effectively making a great club. Each profession is being made so that they are all unique and balanced and don't fret about need worrying about having to party with other classes as you will totally be able to effectively solo a major portion of the game if you deem it so but as well keep in mind that some challenges will be designed to be taken on with groups. There in also lies another beauty of the game. GW2 has great support for parties, but they just don’t feel as necessary as they do in other MMOs, because your interests are always aligned with all other nearby players anyway. When someone kills a monster, not just that player’s party but everyone who was seriously involved in the fight gets 100% of the XP and loot for the kill. When an event is happening in the world – when the bandits are terrorizing a village – everyone in the area has the same motivation, and when the event ends, everyone gets rewarded.



The Races:

Humans - Of course



Asura - Tarus?




Charr - wolf/lion doods




Norn - lawl Beast Rangers





Sylvarri - Elfs, of course


So Far only 4 classes have been announced Necromancer, Elementalist, Ranger and Warrior. Expect more in the coming weeks!
Here's the link with all the info. http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/

TL;DR
So if you love MMORPGs, you should check out Guild Wars 2. But if you hate traditional MMORPGs, then you should really check out Guild Wars 2. Because, like Guild Wars before it, GW2 doesn’t fall into the traps of traditional MMORPGs. It doesn’t suck your life away and force you onto a grinding treadmill; it doesn’t make you spend hours preparing to have fun rather than just having fun; and of course, it doesn’t have a monthly fee.

[donkeybeatz]

I'm not convinced.

[Crushinator]

All I see are a bunch of paintings. This isn't Magic: The Gathering.

WHERES THE GRAPHICS?!?!

[AC9breaker]

Added a vid.

[Retehi]

It does look nice, and theres some good art involved. . seems they put a lot of care into that department. Problem is everyone I know personally didn't know, or gave a damn about the first Guild Wars, so I'd be pretty hard pressed to find some friends to game with most likely for this next installment.

Could be wrong though, and suddenly everyone here loves it out of no where. If it isn't some nasty grindfest like it claims to not be, might try it out.

[HC82]

If its free to play I see no harm in picking it up. The game certainly looks good visually. After FF14 I can't see this game being any worse.

[AC9breaker]

Interesting article. I thought I would add it to help keep the hype up for this game.

http://www.tentonhammer.com/gw2/features/e...you-should-care

[Crushinator]

Tags: GameTrailers.com, Guild Wars 2 - GC 11: Epic Struggle Trailer HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Are we still interested in this game? The graphics are nice, but I still don't know about how it actually plays. How many players simultaneous?

[Crushinator]

Console release confirmed:

http://www.guildwarsinsider.com/conference...sion-confirmed/

Will this beat FF14 to the punch as the first true MMO to hit modern consoles?

[Crushinator]

http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/ar...r-guild-wars-2/

Beta sign up is available for Guild Wars 2 now... or at least it should be... the page seems to be broken now.

[AC9breaker]

Anyone signing up? I would but I know I wouldnt have time to play it and dont have a gaming PC.

[HC82]

This game is out now via those who pre-ordered. For us non-pre-ordering folk, the game comes out in three days. Anyone considering to pick this game up? PSO2 is some time away and I was thinking of giving this game a try.

[AC9breaker]

Yeah HC, get Kaz and to play and hype this game up. Then Crush will follow then joey then other folks and b the time I'm ready to play most of us will already be on it!

[Crushinator]

Will there be any free trial or buddy pass things with this game? I'm still skeptical.

[AC9breaker]

Will there be any free trial or buddy pass things with this game? I'm still skeptical.

Are you high or something?

No Commitment, No subscription fees.

[Crushinator]

Yeah but the game still costs $60 right?

Aaah who the fuck am I kidding, I've spent more on games I've never even played.

I'll get it.

[Scan_Man]

I ended up picking it up Sunday. Pretty damn good game imo. You have to shed the typical MMO mindset of "I am going to level up and do some endgame PVP or raids." It's not that type of game. It's more like a fast paced, log in and do whatever you want type of game. The point of this game is to get EXP and it's satisfying to do so. There is no pressure to play a certain way because you gain from doing any activity in the game. It's very addicting and has that "just one more quest/event" feeling that WoW had when it was new.


It's very nice to have a MMO that encourages exploration in a way that is better than the original WoW release (WoW has since become more streamlined and directed with the questing in recent expansions). There will be stuff you come across and won't be there again the next time. Also there are a few areas that you can't get to and require you to figure out how to gain access. In the typical MMO you would assume you just have not found the quest yet. Not so here. One example comes to mind was this locked gate with a sign that says it only lets in "Threatening people." It's awesome to figure stuff out like this yourself instead of looking up in a guide.

It being free-to-access means you can play as much or as little as you like. You will have fun in the time you spend with Guild Wars 2.

[Crushinator]

I jes wanna know where da guild's at.

Gib me da guild.

[AC9breaker]

I say you be the motivator that I know you are and start up the AT guild on what ever server you land on Crush.

Also:
http://www.destructoid.com/impressions-gui...-2-233601.phtml

[HC82]

Well, I just beat Diablo III Act IV on Inferno mode, so I have no reason to really play that game any further unless PVP comes out. I maaaaaay give this game a try. Also there are currently no buddy passes available for GW2 as of yet.

[Crushinator]

I bought this game last night, but the download was 17 GB so it didn't get a chance to play it.

I'll fire it up after work today with full Crushinator impressions to follow.

[HC82]

Me and Kaz are picking up a copy as well. The irony is if AC9 never actually gets this game, lolz


EDIT: Installing the game as we speak.

[Oddies da Nerfed]

Since a bunch of peeps are getting in on it ill probably have mine installed by noon maybe even before i finish work.

[Kazicht]

Crush, HC, and I are on US server: Dragonbrand

[Crushinator]

This game's pretty alright.

I hopped on the same time as Kaz and HC did last night, kinda diving in blind. We didn't even know the classes or what the differences between each race were I ended up going with a

I'm not the biggest fan of MMOs, but there's a few things this game does right which I like so far:

+No class/race restrictions. You can be whatever/whoever you choose with no real penalty.
+Great minimap/map screen

+It shows a dotted line/chevrons to indicate where you need to go for your quest
+It tracks the blip of specific monsters you need to kill for a quest, and also highlights the area you need to be in to find whatever stuff you need to kill
+You can move while you're on the full screen map

+You auto lock onto the nearest enemy when you hit the attack hotkey, so in general you can just hit the key for any move to start fighting
+Combat involves combos and finishers, the different actions on the hotbar do different stuff depending on whether its your opening, combo, or finishing attack. You can also complete these combos with other players, so its kind of like a skillchain deal from FFXI.
+You can warp to any waypoint you've been to for a small fee of gold from anywhere on the map.
+"Last Stand" mode where if you die in combat you have access to some desperation moves to try and kill the enemy. If you manage to kill them you get a second wind and come back to life, like in Borderlands.
+The dynamic quests are great. You'll just get a message on your screen that an event is happening nearby, then it will draw it out on the minimap. Anyone can join in and get credit/loot if you contribute, you don't have to group up or find a posse or anything. Its similar to the big group quests on WarHammer Online.

Some of the things I don't like:
-The graphics are just blah, it looks like most other current MMOs. Which is disappointing mainly because the artwork for the game is great, but the character models and zones just don't do it justice.
-Story "jibber jabber" cutscenes are just 2 character models facing each other like some weird japanese style-rpg low budget cutscene. They're fully voiced, but there's no action, just guys talking. If you're going to go to the effort of voicing everything, add some animations or something!
-The story is totally generic fantasy crap anyways... but you can skip every cutscene/dialogue and just get to the quest so i guess this is also a plus.
-It feels like you run really slow. I don't know if there are mounts or some speed boost that you can get later, but it just feels like i'm not going as fast as I should be.
-The game has a weird queuing system where you keep playing the game as normal while you're in a queue... but to connect to what I have no idea. I says you're in the "overflow" area or something on the server. Maybe this is also a good point because you can keep playing as normal while waiting to get into the main area... but to what end I don't know since the game seems just the same either way.

All told its not bad, and for basically being the same gameplay you'd get from a monthly subscription MMO without that additional cost its a fair deal. I haven't really touched crafting or even been able to party up yet, so take it as you will.

[Oddies da Nerfed]

Crush, HC, and I are on US server: Dragonbrand

Edit: They added new servers and seemingly increased the max pop on older servers so I was able to transfer over to Dragonbrand now.

[HC82]

My impressions of the game are similar to Crush. The game reminds me a lot like Rift, in that there are constantly dynamic events going on. The difference is that in this game, there are only dynamic events going on. There is no quest structure really, it's just, go out and explore the environment, see a new vista, do a skill point challenge, kill some giant troll that pops up out of nowhere and 1 shots a dozen people.... just have fun

I do find the game environment to be a generic fantasy game, but there's still a lot to explore. The game really isn't forcing you to play a certain way and it has none of the typical MMO restrictions or grindy based objectives. You get full exp if you show up at the last minute for a quest or if you just tag an enemies once with a spell, so it's certainly a stress-free type of MMO. The only thing that baffles me is the whole being in a queue. I remember grouping with someone and getting the pop up to enter the queue, so I am like "ok, sure." My game reloads and my party member is gone, "I am like, WTF?" So, how do I get back to my PT member and how do they find me?

Clearly I need to read the help guide and check out a wiki, but otherwise this game is very easy to play and is a good MMO diversion that isn't costing me a monthly fee.

FYI, guildwars display name is Dyne.2451

[Scan_Man]

Just to clear up some with the overflow server, it's where you go when the area you are in is over capacity. The content is balanced around a max amount of players in a zone. So if the zone is over capacity you get moved to a new server "shard." The players you meet in an overflow are a mixture of players from other servers and yours. Therefore, if you change zones or move to another queue you could move to another server "shard" where your groupmates won't be. Arenanet is working so these oddities will not happen so often. Also, when the guest feature is released you can play on any server you like, but you will still represent your home server for WvWvW purposes.

[Oddies da Nerfed]

Crush been slackassin so I made the guild. Can catch me as Oddies.7862.

[Crushinator]

If I can describe this game in one word, it would be "efficient."

Wherein most other games, and especially most other MMOs, you'd find minor annoyances or time sinks, GW2 seems to just do away with all that and make things happen immediately. Fast travel from anywhere, sped up crafting when doing large amounts of crafts, accessing the AH from anywhere, dumping shit to your bank from anywhere...

No quest lines, no need to group to share exp or complete events, automatic level syncing when playing in a lower level area, flat leveling curve, "required roles" for any partying.

ts very generous with rewarding you for actually exploring, trying new things, and killing enemies outright is easily the least profitable thing you can do in the game (both experience and reward-wise), so its good at discouraging grindy gameplay.

It doesn't feel like it breaks a lot of new ground, but what it does it does well enough, and the game is fun. Knowing that if I get tired of it, I can come back at any time and not worry about subscriptions makes it a satisfying game to own.

[Kazicht]

If I can describe this game in one word, it would be "efficient."

I'd choose a different word... like "farmville."

[HC82]

If I can describe this game in one word, it would be "efficient."

I'd choose a different word... like "farmville."

Farmville has close to 40 million active users and generated close to a billion dollars in revenue for 2010. I would say it's more like Lego Batman.

[Crushinator]

If I can describe this game in one word, it would be "efficient."

I'd choose a different word... like "farmville."

You're just mad because someone stole your name.

[HC82]

You're just mad because someone stole your name.

True story Bro...


The game is definitely just simple fun. I am enjoying it just for the sake of enjoying it. I don't really see myself doing silly raid or anything of the sort. I don't think the game even revolves around those types of focus. FYI, we need more Guild Points so we can create a bank (also you can belong to many guilds).

[Crushinator]

What's the best way for us to earn guild points?

[Oddies da Nerfed]

What's the best way for us to earn guild points?

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Influence


The design is more for big numbers of members more than anything. So we need moar AT peeps. Like Faux Kaz.

[HC82]

Been playing this more so now in the 40's and the game is developing more so now. Once you get enough skill points and unlock all your utility slots, the combat opens up for more diversity with your weapons. The combat is definitely better now because of it; although, more weapon moves would still be better. The dynamic events are definitely a lot better. They layer together quite nicely and are multi-tiered. Raid a centaur camp and cause the chief to pop up. Kill the chief and cause a new two new NPCs to spawn who will jointly attack two other camps. Attack those camps and it off shoots into an all out war between you defending your human camps and killing this final war lord. All the while a totally unrelated world-boss pops up, that's totally separate, which leads to a side quest that allows those who participate, to find a secret back entrance to the main centaur camp. All of these happen naturally as the many player choices unlock each of these events, ending up in a massive fight against the area boss and world chest as your reward (this is in the Highlands, btw).

This game is certainly shaping up much better in the later levels then in the early levels.

[AC9breaker]

awesome! Glad to hear, I gotta get my gaming laptop ASAP.