Guildwars - Yay or nay?

[trancejeremy]

I have Guild Wars and the first expansion and as hard as I try to like the game, I can't. Maybe it's because I am spoiled by the willingness of people to team up in City of Villains, but Guild Wars comes across as very much a game of cliques and World of Warcraft/Everquest washouts. I haven't found a single player that was friendly or willing to help a newbie. Most had rather rude comments to say the least. An unfriendly player base spoils the game real quick in my book.

I would tend to agree with Steve about that. My experiences aren't quite so bad, but that's largely why I quit playing - I couldn't find any online to do the later missions with.

 

[Sir Brennen]

Disclaimer: GW is the only MMORPG I've played, outside of a couple of weeks of Everquest a couple of years ago. I just *hate* monthly fees.

I've got all 3 chapters of GW, and have only played PvP a couple of times (there's a couple of mandatory fights in the 1st chapter storyline, and a few snowball fights for their Wintersday event ) Otherwise, I've been playing PvE(nvironment) for months. The intial comments about the game being PvP focused don't hold up as well with the expansions, as the company tries to appeal to a large number of play styles.

However, each chapter does continue to expand the options for PvP as well. I think it was GW:Factions which introduce Guild vs. Guild battles, so you can battle with teammates you know, rather than just random. There are also "Hero" battles introduced with GW:Nightfall, where you can lead a group of customizable NPCs into the arena.

While you can play PvP right out of the box, it is somewhat dependent on the PvE aspect of the game; beyond an initial set, you only have access to skills and equipment you've unlocked by exploring the world.

It's also interesting in that PvP battles influence the roleplaying world - some quests can only be accessed when your region has "favor", meaning , for example, North America PvP's are currently in the lead. There are statues of the gods scattered across the landscape that appear "alive" and can be solicited for PvE bonuses while your region has favor as well. Factions actually has a border between two countries that you can see shifted on the map depending on which country's PvPs have the most points.

If you're not into the storyline that much, definitely skip Prophecies, as it as a long "preface" story you need to adventure thru before you get much of anything.

Also, re:Elitists - I found a group of players, known as The Older Gamers, who cater to ... well, older gamers... who are a really nice, helpful bunch. Casual, no pressure, several PvP players and PvE as well. Formed mainly to avoid the immature attitudes and antics which often plague these sorts of games. There's always quite a few on to help out with missions and the like. Their site is located here:

http://www.theoldergamers.com/

There is a subforum there dedicated to PvP, scheduling events, help with builds, ect. Also, there are a few allied guilds which they can have Guild vs Guild battles with, so you're gaming with/against people you "know".

Lastly, check out GuildWiki for the most info on the game on the web.

BTW... if you're online and see a character with "Tribek" as the last name (Aris or Fiora), give me a holler, add me to your friends list, whatever; I'll be glad to help out with any missions or explorations.

 

[Bonzi]

I liked GW for about the first week but then grew tired of it. Also, like a couple others have said the player base for the most part were rude and unhelpful in my experience.

 

[Banshee16]

I would tend to agree with Steve about that. My experiences aren't quite so bad, but that's largely why I quit playing - I couldn't find any online to do the later missions with.

Funny was that I found WoW that way, but didn't find that in Guild Wars. Had tonnes of people offering to join me into their guilds, invite me on quests etc.

Overall, I'm somewhat underwhelmed by MMORPG's in the first place. Generally there's little direction, and once you get past the beginner areas it gets harder and harder to find people to play with.

Banshee

 

[Vocenoctum]

BTW... if you're online and see a character with "Tribek" as the last name (Aris or Fiora), give me a holler, add me to your friends list, whatever; I'll be glad to help out with any missions or explorations.

I've only gotten to Yaks Bend so far, since I keep tinkering with new PC's. So my PC names vary somewhat.

That said, I wanted to tinker with cloaks, so I formed my own guild, of which I am the only member.

So, now I have the Church of Noctology.

 

[trancejeremy]

Funny was that I found WoW that way, but didn't find that in Guild Wars. Had tonnes of people offering to join me into their guilds, invite me on quests etc.

Overall, I'm somewhat underwhelmed by MMORPG's in the first place. Generally there's little direction, and once you get past the beginner areas it gets harder and harder to find people to play with.

Banshee

What class did you play? Everyone loves Monks. But still, I would have this sort of game I would play when I logged into GW - how long would it talk before someone called someone else a name. Usually under 30 seconds.

 

[Garboshnik]

Ive been playing it off and on for a year and had a lot of fun with it. I have stuck to PvE but the PvP stuff looks interesting enough that I might try it sometime.

Not having a monthly subscription is a big plus; without one there is no pressure to squeeze in mere hours of play and you can do everything at a leisurely pace. I still haven't made it through the original campaign but I like it enough to pick up an expansion when I finally finish.

 

[Sir Brennen]

I still haven't made it through the original campaign but I like it enough to pick up an expansion when I finally finish.

I've got one mission to complete before I reach the last area with my original character. I have, however, picked up both the Factions and Nightfall expansions already, and, as I mentioned above, have been able to take advantage of some of the benefits those chapters offer even in the Prophecies storyline.