Is Guild Wars free to play online?

[Zappo]

It's free to play online. They'll release expansion packs, probably for around 30$, but I don't expect more than one or two per year, and you will not be required to buy them to keep playing. They have even assured us that the expansion packs will not cause power inflation (so you won't have to buy them in order to stay competitive).

Beware that it isn't really a MMORPG. GW is more like the idealized version of Diablo. Take Diablo (2), fix everything that you don't like save of the game concept itself, and you get a pretty good approximation of GW. Good graphic, excellent balancing, no grinding for levels, highly tactical PvP, player skill more important than character level, equipment a lot less important, a lot of interface advancements - but, still, Diablo at the core. The main difference in gameplay is that you spend most of your time either doing quests or doing PvP (rather than grinding monsters which is the definition of boring IMO). That, and the fact that you will always play in a party; after the tutorial, the monsters are way too powerful to kill by yourself with any efficiency.

 

[Zappo]

At least that was free too, until Blizzard started charging fee for their battle.net server, then I stopped playing it.

Euh? Unless I'm missing something very strange, that's false. I've logged on Diablo right now, and I never paid a dime.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Euh? Unless I'm missing something very strange, that's false. I've logged on Diablo right now, and I never paid a dime.

All I can think is that he's upset about World of Warcraft, which is on different (i.e. not peer-to-peer connection) servers and charges a monthly fee, like every other commercial MMORPG has to do.

 

[Bagpuss]

Yes, Free to play, but you have to pay for updates, so figure anywhere from $5 to $30 every month or so to get the latest content.

Actually the press says are going with a 6 to 9 month release schedule. You still get all patches and some updates, for free (well included in the original box price).

I've been playing it since its release and there have been a number of minor updates for free in that time.

It's hardly a Diablo 2 rip off (and even if it was would that be such a bad thing?), it seems both more tactical, and more quest based than any MMORPG I've played before. It has some really great ideas that get round the stuff I've hated about MMORPGs in the past.

- There is NO spawn camping, because there is no spawning a monster stays dead until you enter the zone again, and some quest based monster stay dead for good.
- Or annoying shouts of people selling stuff or noobs while you are trying to fight.
- Its easy to find groups.
- Its easy to communicate what you are doing with Ctrl-Clicks.
- There is no need to spend ages walking from A to B, but you can if you want.
- No harvesting monster for XP (since most give very little), as XP mainly comes from quests.
- When questing you do so only with your party, and you won't see anyone else.
- Most quests can be completed in a sensible time frame, 30 mins to an hour.
- Story evolves (with the help of movie like cut scenes) it isn't a static environment.
- And of course no monthly fee, so you arn't still paying even when you can't play.

 

[cmanos]

yes it is. Pay your $50 and join the addiction. They will be putting out optional expansion packs as well, but still, thyere is no monthly fee for playing. The downside of this is when you get a quest, and go outside the city with your party, you don't have 2 billion other people running around competing with you for the same quest. Once you are outside the cities, you are in a world to yourself. The cities are the only true community spaces.

Things to remember. Find a GOOD guild. Don't be concerned over how cool their cloak is. Be concerned over how cool the people are.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It's hardly a Diablo 2 rip off (and even if it was would that be such a bad thing?), it seems both more tactical, and more quest based than any MMORPG I've played before.

MMORPGs have finally gotten religion about questing. City of Heroes, EverQuest II and especially World of Warcraft move it center stage in a big way.

Having said that, I still think City of Heroes should have been built with a peer-to-peer model like Guild Wars, instead of as an MMORPG. My game experience isn't enhanced one iota having hundreds of other superheroes running around in the same neighborhoods I am.

 

[Bagpuss]

yes it is. Pay your $50 and join the addiction.

Or if you live in the UK £17.99 which is about $32.

The downside of this is when you get a quest, and go outside the city with your party, you don't have 2 billion other people running around competing with you for the same quest. Once you are outside the cities, you are in a world to yourself (and your party).

That's an upside surely?

 

[Nifelhein]

And that downside (???) makes your game be free of spams, which are a plague in Diablo II right now...

 

[Banshee16]

It's just a Diablo 2 ripoff.

And Diablo 2 was a Dungeon Hack ripoff with graphics added on.

What's the difference?

Guild Wars has a lot more going for it in many ways. ie. Guilds, alliances, guild halls, ladder system...a lot of stuff initially discussed, but never implemented, for Diablo II. Plus, better graphics, full 3D engine etc.

Banshee

 

[Banshee16]

At least that was free too, until Blizzard started charging fee for their battle.net server, then I stopped playing it.

I'd rather be a Guild Warrior than an EverCrack Whore 4 life.

Blizzard started charging money for Battle.net? Since when? Even for Diablo II? And here I was thinking of re-installing it for the first time in about 1-2 years..

Banshee