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| So... Guild Wars. by Long, Shuddering Spurt Over Druids 04/28/2005, 8:12pm PDT | ||||
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| Random observations:
Will be called a MMORPG or MMOG or MMPW but has so little to do with the genre it's probably not even worth coining a new acronym that starts with MM. Instancing EVERY combat area is just fine by me. It automatically means there will be no bullshit when it comes time to kill people/things. Theoretically you are giving up the ability to make new friends and build bridges when your hands accidentally touch when you both try to kill the same zombie. No potions, no scrolls, no ammo. Wish they'd ditched inventory as well. All armor needs to be "crafted," which is just getting ingredients and money. Everything besides armor is found. Most characters will not be that focused on equipment, since their damage/healing is not linked to their stuff. Warriors and rangers are the exception. Storyline is weak but completely skippable. Runs great on my somewhat aged system. Never crashed, even in beta. The "Each guy takes eight skills from two classes" system makes each character just limited enough. There are no automatically gimped classes, although some notably self-sufficient combos are easier when starting out (namely Warrior/Monk). Each skill has a short description, including it's type and attribute it relies on. Guild Wars uses it's own definitions of words, like hex. Your spell removes hexes, but it's not working on Weakness. Why? Because Weakness is a condition, not a hex. If you just thought that was totally retarded, this is probably not your game. You can create a max level PvP only character at any time, but they will only have the skills you have acquired while playing a regular character. You do not have to build every character to max level. Unless you know about 8 other people who will be buying it, you will have to join a guild where most of the members have either Evangelon or Something Awful inspired names. Protip: You still need ReiAyanami TheCutie to remove hexes and conditions, so whenever you start to say something that ends in "pretentious bullshit," try to make it about Ghost in the Shell instead. Gushing about guild vs guild: Best PvP I've ever seen in a RPG-based game. The guild fights are usually flag or kill-enemy-npc based, sometimes both. Things happen fast and chaotic. Interrupts, punish-attack, punish-spell, hex removal and stun skills that are nearly useless on monsters are suddenly requirements. Little things like color coding the skill graphics so you know if you're under a Mesmer or Necromancer hex make it easier to keep up. Another nice one is all of a classes skills have similar sound effects and colored auras when cast, making it easier to keep track of who is doing what. I haven't played a RTS since Starcraft, but Guild Wars is the first game I've played where deception is so important. Skills that make you appear weaker are amazingly effective. Skills that affect a third party, so they don't show up on the screens of people targeting them, are good too. Delayed damage was the central part of my build. Any good team has brought a counter to everything with them. Physical damage, elemental damage, hexes, enchantments, they've got it all covered. You win fights by breaking the other team's life support system before they break yours. The way skills stack between classes mean you will probably start designing your team like you usually design your character. Trying to do this with your guild will probably get stupid quick if there is not somebody in charge or at least a democratic vote. Verdict: People who REALLY like Everquest/WoW might not find what they like here. You WILL want to join a guild eventually, and if you just can't take the anime/pwned crowd, pass. If you wanted a 3d sequel to playing Diablo II on Battle.net focused on team combat, and then a lot more team combat, this is your game. |
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