Guild Wars
by Randall · in General Discussion · 10/29/2004 (4:21 pm) · 26 replies
Ya know, if there was one genre I had to pick that I hate above all others, it would probably be the RPG or MMORPG. Don't get me wrong, I was a big AD&D fan 15 years ago, and I still poke around in games like Diablo2. I think the main thing is that I simply don't "get" the RPG. I think I dream of the days where virtually anything was possible with AD&D: it was basically up to the Dungeon Master to determine.
I was uber-bored today, and discovered "Guild Wars" has some free dealio going on between Oct.29 - Oct.31. So I DLed the game and gave it a shot. It was very simple to set up- probably too simple because there aren't very many options available for your character. (5 different hair-dos, 5 different skin tones, 5 different faces, male/female, and 5 different classes) Oh, and you can adjust your height.
Well, I always like a challenge, so I chose an uber-petite female elementalist/ranger (with blue spikey hair). Yeah, she's just looking for an ass-whoopin :)
Guild Wars still doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and most people tend to gather in the main city (Lions Arch or something). There is a heavy focus on building a guild/team, although players can wander into the wilderness by themselves. Which is a hell of alot of fun for me. I don't bother anyone else and I don't screw up a good campaign. I tend to get myself into trouble, as I "test" the engine. Sometimes I get the opportunity to help another NPC wail on a couple Larvae thingies. So I kick their butts and get mauled by some big ugly orc thing.
Luckily I end up back in Lions Arch (somehow) with all my equipment, prepared to go cause more trouble with the big uglies in the wilderness. I have yet to join a campaign/guild until I learn the tricks and effective attacks.
Of course this game has a ton of noobs that ask constant questions. What online game would be complete without that?
One side effect is that entering new areas requires a DL, which could be painful for people on slow connections. But once you DL it, you can pretty much move back and forth between the areas- a DL menu pops up for a second in between and "pops" to 100% download complete.
This game looks like it could have been done in Torque. I have no idea what engine was actually used, and netcode is kind of spotty but that is understandable considering the 100+ players that were in one tiny area (Lions Arch). I really don't know where this game stands compared to other games in the genre. But for "free", I'll be playing this until Oct. 31.
I was uber-bored today, and discovered "Guild Wars" has some free dealio going on between Oct.29 - Oct.31. So I DLed the game and gave it a shot. It was very simple to set up- probably too simple because there aren't very many options available for your character. (5 different hair-dos, 5 different skin tones, 5 different faces, male/female, and 5 different classes) Oh, and you can adjust your height.
Well, I always like a challenge, so I chose an uber-petite female elementalist/ranger (with blue spikey hair). Yeah, she's just looking for an ass-whoopin :)
Guild Wars still doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and most people tend to gather in the main city (Lions Arch or something). There is a heavy focus on building a guild/team, although players can wander into the wilderness by themselves. Which is a hell of alot of fun for me. I don't bother anyone else and I don't screw up a good campaign. I tend to get myself into trouble, as I "test" the engine. Sometimes I get the opportunity to help another NPC wail on a couple Larvae thingies. So I kick their butts and get mauled by some big ugly orc thing.
Luckily I end up back in Lions Arch (somehow) with all my equipment, prepared to go cause more trouble with the big uglies in the wilderness. I have yet to join a campaign/guild until I learn the tricks and effective attacks.
Of course this game has a ton of noobs that ask constant questions. What online game would be complete without that?
One side effect is that entering new areas requires a DL, which could be painful for people on slow connections. But once you DL it, you can pretty much move back and forth between the areas- a DL menu pops up for a second in between and "pops" to 100% download complete.
This game looks like it could have been done in Torque. I have no idea what engine was actually used, and netcode is kind of spotty but that is understandable considering the 100+ players that were in one tiny area (Lions Arch). I really don't know where this game stands compared to other games in the genre. But for "free", I'll be playing this until Oct. 31.
About the author
#2
As far as gameplay, I like the idea of the henchmen that they introduced, a major help for players who want to do a co-op mission without having to worry about get stuck with a bunch of schmucks who either don't know what they're doing or look down their noses at you like you somehow are inconveniencing them. They've made the item drops a little more generous, but it's still a little obscure in spots as to what items are needed to make other items and where you can obtain them.
It's not a bad game. Just needs some work.
10/30/2004 (1:15 pm)
I was playing an earlier version during ArenaNet's "E3 for Everyone" event. Strangely enough, that version seemed to be better than this one. The textures didn't seem to do their weird little shift like another alpha channel was being added, and the controls didn't feel quite as stiff as they do now. Though both versions seemed to be lacking an actual "Quit" button.As far as gameplay, I like the idea of the henchmen that they introduced, a major help for players who want to do a co-op mission without having to worry about get stuck with a bunch of schmucks who either don't know what they're doing or look down their noses at you like you somehow are inconveniencing them. They've made the item drops a little more generous, but it's still a little obscure in spots as to what items are needed to make other items and where you can obtain them.
It's not a bad game. Just needs some work.
#3
Useless criticism that I would expect from someone whos own RPG failed to get off the ground?
10/30/2004 (1:52 pm)
Its still in pre-beta or something. There was a period last night when a new build was being announced every half hour. That didn't seem to bother the thousands of players online.Quote:
This game sucked. It's game play was horrible. More like single person with multi person added on as an after thought. Waste of a download
Useless criticism that I would expect from someone whos own RPG failed to get off the ground?
#4
So far i have had a lot of fun with this preview and the previous E3 one. It is very newbie friendly for a mmorpg. Although its not a casual game to pick up as the coop missions can last hours it seems. The PvP is also pretty fun. They're doing some good things with the genre especially dealing with player deaths and looting. I think it will turn out good especially considering there doing away with a monthly service fee.
Definately not a waste. Gameplay is pretty excellent right now.
10/30/2004 (1:58 pm)
The game is still in beta and most of the guild features are currently missing. And graphically speaking i think it is the best looking mmorpg that is currently playable and it runs perfect for me. the contect streaming feature is there to keep installation files to a minimum and is also a viable way for them to change content on the fly.So far i have had a lot of fun with this preview and the previous E3 one. It is very newbie friendly for a mmorpg. Although its not a casual game to pick up as the coop missions can last hours it seems. The PvP is also pretty fun. They're doing some good things with the genre especially dealing with player deaths and looting. I think it will turn out good especially considering there doing away with a monthly service fee.
Definately not a waste. Gameplay is pretty excellent right now.
#5
10/30/2004 (2:38 pm)
I'll second that, this game is a blast. PvP is just plain awesome
#7
I shouldn't FEEL like I just wasted a couple of hours, but I did. In games I like, I can 'Lose yourself' (or myself in this case).
10/30/2004 (4:12 pm)
I didn't like it. I downloaded it yesterday and wasted a couple of hours.I shouldn't FEEL like I just wasted a couple of hours, but I did. In games I like, I can 'Lose yourself' (or myself in this case).
#8
Community is very good and helpful. Good graphic and engine - adjusting to my crappy notebook on fly, so I can play it even with 30-50 players/NPC on screen. Preety good work.
Concept is very good for a wage slave ;)
10/30/2004 (5:39 pm)
My two cents.Community is very good and helpful. Good graphic and engine - adjusting to my crappy notebook on fly, so I can play it even with 30-50 players/NPC on screen. Preety good work.
Concept is very good for a wage slave ;)
#9
I liked the fact that I was levelling and didn't feel like I was treadmilling. Also like how it downloaded content on demand.
It's very user friendly which is nice too, so the average user doesn't get bogged down in stats and details.
Graphics are beautiful.
Personally, it's not really my kind of game, but I can see it being a success, although the name is kinda silly. :)
10/30/2004 (6:48 pm)
I thought it's was simple & cool, and will be a big hit to fans of the Diablo series, especially Battlenet as I find it very similiar.I liked the fact that I was levelling and didn't feel like I was treadmilling. Also like how it downloaded content on demand.
It's very user friendly which is nice too, so the average user doesn't get bogged down in stats and details.
Graphics are beautiful.
Personally, it's not really my kind of game, but I can see it being a success, although the name is kinda silly. :)
#10
10/30/2004 (8:33 pm)
Very beautiful game! I just played it for an hour or so and enjoyed it....not much of the "treadmill" feel to it as Tim pointed out. I enjoyed Dungeon Siege so this was right up my alley. I also liked being in an MMO environment but being able to use henchmen as part memebers so I didn't have to be social right out of the gate while I was still trying to learn.
#11
The gameplay got kind of old once I got used to it. There are some really cool monsters in the last level and it's free-roaming/exploration area, though. Also tried the tournaments, and that was pretty fun, although with all the players on screen at once my under-powered rig would sometimes come to a complete halt.
I like the AI "henchmen" to fill in for real people, but I would have liked to have seen a way to "Matrix" into one of these bots if a guildman was already playing a level when you come online. It would have also been neat to figure out a way where the players would occasionally run into other players from time-to-time, at least in the exploration parts.
Not a bad game, but I really doubt I'll buy it when it gets released.
10/31/2004 (6:42 am)
I've been playing it since Thursday. It's very pretty, even though I don't have all the settings maxed out. I haven't noticed any texture shift that Alex talks about on my Radeon 9500. The gameplay got kind of old once I got used to it. There are some really cool monsters in the last level and it's free-roaming/exploration area, though. Also tried the tournaments, and that was pretty fun, although with all the players on screen at once my under-powered rig would sometimes come to a complete halt.
I like the AI "henchmen" to fill in for real people, but I would have liked to have seen a way to "Matrix" into one of these bots if a guildman was already playing a level when you come online. It would have also been neat to figure out a way where the players would occasionally run into other players from time-to-time, at least in the exploration parts.
Not a bad game, but I really doubt I'll buy it when it gets released.
#12
Eric, your Radeon 9500 is far better then my GForce Go MX :) with 16 Mb. What was nice is - when there were too many textures/objects to render, the engine was adjusting framerate by reducing texture and mesh quality. Once I saw simple shaded ragdolls without texture when FPS dropped to 5, I've instantly remembered first Elite and Mechwarior graphics :) Guild Wars devs've found a good solution!
10/31/2004 (1:07 pm)
Yes, henchmen is a great idea, because not all people want to role-play. :)Eric, your Radeon 9500 is far better then my GForce Go MX :) with 16 Mb. What was nice is - when there were too many textures/objects to render, the engine was adjusting framerate by reducing texture and mesh quality. Once I saw simple shaded ragdolls without texture when FPS dropped to 5, I've instantly remembered first Elite and Mechwarior graphics :) Guild Wars devs've found a good solution!
#13
Someone said this game is like single player with multi-player "thrown in" and another said the gameplay "got old". I suspect that neither players really spent much time exploring the game mechanics and most likely only touched the very surface of a very deep and engaging combat system. In fact, the combat system is geared very much towards multi-player cooperation and allows for many different gameplay possibilities. It reminds me of playing Magic The Gathering, with each player in the group bringing along 8 cards to create a deck. When your group is setting up to go out on a co-op mission or PvP you must communicate and set up your skills so that you support each other and can create combos. If you were using henchmen or playing solo you would not have had a chance to experience the depth of this system.
By giving each character access to 150+ skills, but only allowing them to take 8 skills with them into a mission the designers have opened up many unique gameplay opportunities. Players can modify their characters to match a particular role that best suits the group they are currently in and the enemies they expect to face. Of course, this means you can set up some pretty powerful combos, and once you figure this part out you can take your gameplay to the next level. I never took exactly that same skills for each mission I played.
Someone also mentioned that there were not many visual options during character creation. My girlfriend complained about this as well. However, she still enjoyed the different looks of armor, the dye, and the ability to pick out guild symbols to wear. You have to keep in mind that this is a very early beta and this game will not be out for months! I suspect much more content will be added by then. Also, this game has no monthly fee and is designed to be supported with expansion pack releases every 6 months, which will surely include new content.
For my friends and I this game should be a perfect fit. No monthly fee. Emphasis on PvP, but with co-op missions included. A multitude of character and group combinations to try out. Great graphics, stable engine, low lag. What more could you ask for from an MMO? And this game is still in early beta!
10/31/2004 (8:42 pm)
This game is amazing. I just got my wireless network up and my friends and I decided to break it in by having a weekend long LAN party at my place trying out Guild Wars. We always play MMOs together as a guild and enjoy PvP.Someone said this game is like single player with multi-player "thrown in" and another said the gameplay "got old". I suspect that neither players really spent much time exploring the game mechanics and most likely only touched the very surface of a very deep and engaging combat system. In fact, the combat system is geared very much towards multi-player cooperation and allows for many different gameplay possibilities. It reminds me of playing Magic The Gathering, with each player in the group bringing along 8 cards to create a deck. When your group is setting up to go out on a co-op mission or PvP you must communicate and set up your skills so that you support each other and can create combos. If you were using henchmen or playing solo you would not have had a chance to experience the depth of this system.
By giving each character access to 150+ skills, but only allowing them to take 8 skills with them into a mission the designers have opened up many unique gameplay opportunities. Players can modify their characters to match a particular role that best suits the group they are currently in and the enemies they expect to face. Of course, this means you can set up some pretty powerful combos, and once you figure this part out you can take your gameplay to the next level. I never took exactly that same skills for each mission I played.
Someone also mentioned that there were not many visual options during character creation. My girlfriend complained about this as well. However, she still enjoyed the different looks of armor, the dye, and the ability to pick out guild symbols to wear. You have to keep in mind that this is a very early beta and this game will not be out for months! I suspect much more content will be added by then. Also, this game has no monthly fee and is designed to be supported with expansion pack releases every 6 months, which will surely include new content.
For my friends and I this game should be a perfect fit. No monthly fee. Emphasis on PvP, but with co-op missions included. A multitude of character and group combinations to try out. Great graphics, stable engine, low lag. What more could you ask for from an MMO? And this game is still in early beta!
#14
10/31/2004 (8:53 pm)
I also forgot to mention collision detection for players. Finally! I have been waiting for this since I first got into DAoC years ago. Warriors/Tanks can now be utilized properly by setting up lines of defense and surrounding opponents. I remember getting surrounded by three guys and trying to flee using my sprinting skill. Well that didn't work, I was trapped! The same tactic was used to kill our healer once as well. If your opponent manages to surround your healer, game over. Also, no more sprinting right through the warriors to get to the casters, a tactic I found to be very annoying in other MMOs.
#15
This makes people compare it to existing MMORPG when it would be truer to describe GW as a massive multi-player online first person- fantasy -shooter/action game with rpg MECHANICS.
Now compare it to other MMOFPS and you can see its merits.
10/31/2004 (8:59 pm)
I think that the biggest problem with the game is how its being described:Quote:Join a New Generation of Online Role-Playing.
This makes people compare it to existing MMORPG when it would be truer to describe GW as a massive multi-player online first person- fantasy -shooter/action game with rpg MECHANICS.
Now compare it to other MMOFPS and you can see its merits.
#16
This may make the logistics harder--since there'd probably have to be more monsters, but it would lend itself better to the massively multiplayer feel if the player actually ran into other fighters while exploring.
10/31/2004 (10:48 pm)
It doesn't really seem to me like the multiplayer was an afterthought, but it does seem like the massively multiplayer was. I can understand the quests being limited to six players and no other teams, but the map seems big enough where they could put in a few teams so you run into them and gives it more of that feel. This may make the logistics harder--since there'd probably have to be more monsters, but it would lend itself better to the massively multiplayer feel if the player actually ran into other fighters while exploring.
#17
From the FAQ:
"Rather than labeling Guild Wars an MMORPG, we prefer to call it a CORPG (Competitive Online Role-Playing Game)."
11/01/2004 (2:00 am)
Guildwars has never been intended to be a MMORPG. It's not marketed as such and it's not payed for in the usual monthly manner. It has far more parallels with diablo style games. Nothing about guildwars is massive except for the graphical quality. It's a beefed up diablo made for the massive hack 'n slash casual gamer fanbase by the people behind diablo. From the FAQ:
"Rather than labeling Guild Wars an MMORPG, we prefer to call it a CORPG (Competitive Online Role-Playing Game)."
#19
My son is a hardcore RPG fan, and still plays MUDs. He thoroughly enjoyed Guild Wars (it is a silly name), which I think says something about the game. If a noob like me, and a hardcore user like him can enjoy the game, then something must have been done right.
I was simply amazed by the depth of the graphics. Sure there were weird artifacts, and rendering problems. But the worlds were simply beautiful. Our party travelled to the most obscure places, and the level was detailed throughout as far as the eye could see. Screenshots don't do justice for this game.
PKing is the thing I hate most about other games. Guild Wars seems to have avoided that completely by giving each party its own map. This greatly simplified the game mechanics and allowed a party to go through the entire level as it was intended. Some will complain that this isn't realistic, or its not fun. My suggestion is that there are literally hundreds of other games that DO allow you to play in a true MMO environment- so go play those instead.
The fact that this game DOESN'T require a monthly fee is almost a sure sale for me and my son. It can be pre-ordered, which allows you to participate in the beta "weekends". You'll get a passcode to invite a friend for ONE beta weekend. Depending on where you preorder, you'll also get a free item.
I may be pre-ordering soon (first beta weekend is Nov. 6th). If anyone wants the passcode for the free invite, shoot me an email. I'm mostly looking for people that have already played the game and enjoyed it, so that they will get the most use out of it.
11/02/2004 (1:31 pm)
Well, I spent the entire weekend playing Guild Wars with my son. We both maxed out at level 20, and maxed out one of our skills. We really overplayed this game, because we were on such a limited schedule of a couple day preview.My son is a hardcore RPG fan, and still plays MUDs. He thoroughly enjoyed Guild Wars (it is a silly name), which I think says something about the game. If a noob like me, and a hardcore user like him can enjoy the game, then something must have been done right.
I was simply amazed by the depth of the graphics. Sure there were weird artifacts, and rendering problems. But the worlds were simply beautiful. Our party travelled to the most obscure places, and the level was detailed throughout as far as the eye could see. Screenshots don't do justice for this game.
PKing is the thing I hate most about other games. Guild Wars seems to have avoided that completely by giving each party its own map. This greatly simplified the game mechanics and allowed a party to go through the entire level as it was intended. Some will complain that this isn't realistic, or its not fun. My suggestion is that there are literally hundreds of other games that DO allow you to play in a true MMO environment- so go play those instead.
The fact that this game DOESN'T require a monthly fee is almost a sure sale for me and my son. It can be pre-ordered, which allows you to participate in the beta "weekends". You'll get a passcode to invite a friend for ONE beta weekend. Depending on where you preorder, you'll also get a free item.
I may be pre-ordering soon (first beta weekend is Nov. 6th). If anyone wants the passcode for the free invite, shoot me an email. I'm mostly looking for people that have already played the game and enjoyed it, so that they will get the most use out of it.
#20
It's just an immersiveness factor for me. Others may enjoy the solitude. :)
11/02/2004 (1:41 pm)
I was just suggesting that it would lend better to the feel of the massiveness of the game and world if we ran into other players from time-to-time in the exploration area. It doesn't have to be a lot, and doesn't even have to allow for player killing, which is better served in their tournaments. It's just an immersiveness factor for me. Others may enjoy the solitude. :)
Torque Owner Eric C. Tomlinson