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Guild Wars Launches
NCSoft's newest edition to their ever expanding stable of games, Guild Wars, has launched in North America and Europe. From what I saw while in-game things seem to be working well from a technical standpoint. Commentary from the player base is already available from the fine souls at f13.net and Grimwell.com. More specific commentary comes from AFKGamer, who has commentary about the title a few days ahead of time, and on day one of play.
Guild Wars is a pretty sweet game. I had a preorder, so I was able to play for several weekends over the past 6 months or so.
It's a 3D RPG-style game similar in design to Diablo II. The PvP, the best part IMO, is really fast-paced and fun and team-oriented -- it's similar to a lot of FPSs in that regard, you play a brief round and if you die, you can be resurrected but you don't respawn automatically.
It's loads of fun; the drawback is that if you are playing alone, it gets boring quickly, because you are playing with random people who you don't know, and you usually get crushed if you don't have a decent amount of coordination.
To fully experience the game, I highly recommend joining a guild that uses a voice chat system to talk to each other during battles. It makes a huge difference in the quality of your organization, and you get to know your guildmates pretty well.
Another drawback of the game is that it runs only on Windows. Windows makes me extremely sad and I dearly hope they port it, because my Windows machine is several years old and it hates everything.
... You need to play this game. Guildwars has literally taken every element I dislike about MMORPGs and fixed it.
Never actually owning the game, just renting it via monthly fees? Nixed that, since there is no monthly fees.
Down time between battles? Nixed that, since after your out of combat your health/mana regen shoot through the roof.
Crowded dungeons, trading spawns, etc.. Yep, every zone is intanced. You will only be playing with friends and never have to worry about your adventure getting interrupted by anyone else.
Like PVP occasionally, but hate getting griefed or risking losing items/time from death penalties? Well your in an instance so your safe from griefers, and if you do want to PVP just go to an arena and battle your heart out.. when you leave it is as if you were never there (save for the gained rank points).
Even the smaller things I never even really knew I hated until they were not there.. Spending half my time running from location to location - Gone (just open up map, click on destination, and bam you teleport). Spending the other half of my time trying to form a group - Much easier now, since a 'gathering stone' type system is built in.
There are some other things I really like, but it might irk some MMORPG fans.. For one your power in the game is mostly dependent on your playing skill. You will get a bit stronger by gaining levels, but by and large it is a skill based system. Combat is skill based and very fast paced, as most debuffs/buffs last for about 15 sec. PVP is ruled by a balanced group, rather then 4 people spamming the template of the week.
I would encourage everyone to give it a try, this is not like any MMORPG you have seen yet.
--- "End Of Line" - MCP
Awesome - thank you.
Their site does not make it clear AT ALL. But if you download the 71k client and run the setup, it downloads some additional files. Once loaded, you have a chance to create a new account. That then directs you to a site called PlayNC.com - from there, you have the option to purchase the game online and get a key (no box).
Exactly what I was looking for.
Maybe PVP will be entertaining. Who knows, you have to do this overhead to get there.
Actually, no, you don't. You can create a PVP only character that is max level, but you can't ever take that character anywhere but the PVP areas. You can't even go to town. Also, you're stuck to preset skills until you find skills via the PvE game.