Guild Wars 2

[Silirien]

Mike asked for some more information about upcoming GW2 (currently scheduled for 2011) that I am looking forward to at the moment.

Unlike original GW, most of the world will be a persistent world rather than instanced (much like LotRO or other MMOs).
Some exciting features:

Uh, I wrote all the stuff below but you should just watch this video first....
http://www.guildwars2.com/en/media/videos/
And maybe read this interview because what they aiming for is amazing:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/04/29/guild-wars-2-interview-part-2-a-major-event/

event-driven world
rather than traditional quests picked up from NPCs, players will have to react to world unfolding around them, and their decisions will influence the quest chain.
Example: you get to a village attacked by centaurs, if you help and succeed to drive them off, the village will survive and other future events willtake that into consideration, ie farmers will ask for something etc etc
Otherwise, the village will burn and you might have to find something or avenge the falled etc etc

Holy-trinity of MMOs abandoned
There will be no dedicated healing class!
Each profession should be able to keep themselves alive (you will have to have a skill that can heal you equipped) and healing others will be less potent than the self-heal.

Synergies with other players
GW2 skills are said to work in synergy with other players, ie. same skill might damage enemies and help your allies by buffing them.

real-time scalable events
Events and the whole world will scale up or down according to how many people participate, and in real time.

payment model
Subscription free, based on box sales and microtransactions (only for fluff, additional character slots, storage space, name change and so forth)

Here you can find a complied list of everything that is known about GW2 so far:
http://www.guildwars2guru.com/forum/f-q-read-before-posting-t6480.html

[Haleabor]

Sil..I will have a look, baring in mind that Lotro is my first and only MMORPG I'll find it hard to adjust.

Also, i'd be keen to know about lifetime subscriptions. A whole shitload of money leaving my account in one go is easier to "manage" that paying a monthly subscription.....

Hal

[Raedwulf]

Weird. Video wouldn't play properly at first, just stills; downloaded two different versions of it, neither would play; then went back to the embedded... adn it played fine!

Looks good, I expect I shall be there. Funnily enough I was actually talking the other night in GLFF about world ecology (AKA persistence, amongst other aspects), and I've commented on the notion of persistence before. How can I not try it out? But those detestable little cutesy WoW type things (Asura?)? No! Absolutely not! They die at every available opportunity!! :evil:

I also decline to join GW1 just to grind shite in anticipation of an advantage in GW2. Git your ass creepside, girl! :P

And yes, Hal, LOTRO was my first MMO too. So what? And there are, as far as I can tell, no monthly subs in GW1, and there won't, seemingly, be any in GW2 either. BTW, I think we'd all rather you bear with things, rather than bare *anything*!! :P

[Silirien]

Sil..I will have a look, baring in mind that Lotro is my first and only MMORPG I'll find it hard to adjust.

bla bla subscriptions bla

HalRead the FAQ Berry... GW model is subscription-free!
As for adjusting, I think every player will have to adjust as they (are promising) are changing so much.

Asura are actually totally awesome, they have your sense of humour, you would get along great!
The annoying race for me are the elf-like things.

As for GW1, I only grind because I have noone to play with. I'd gladly go through the campaigns on my alts but don't feel like doing it alone, so if you wanna spend the little money GW campaigns cost nowadays to have some fun, I'll gladly take ANY company. Even yours. But beware, heavy armour hleaves naked neck between shoulder guards and helm in EVERY set.

[Haleabor]

Urrgghh....if those are the in game graphics I'm going to need a PC the size of a small house to cope....look unbelievably amazing.....must read more...grrrr

[Silirien]

GW1 was knows for it's relatively low requirements compared to how it looked.
It still looks stunning after 5 years! ANet has said that they will try to make GW2 efficient as well.
But yeah, I am also putting money aside for a new rig ;)

[Hirion]

Also, i'd be keen to know about lifetime subscriptions. A whole shitload of money leaving my account in one go is easier to "manage" that paying a monthly subscription....
Does manage read as 'hide from the Ms. Hal'? :P

Well they did at first, 4 years ago, announce GW2 as a subscription game, but I guess the business moved on since then. They had a bit of microtransactions in the original game - buying skill packages you would have to otherwise go all across the world(s) to gather, but in GW this made good sense as one of its main strengths/focus was PvP - anyone could basically buy the game and have a top-level character ready to PvP in a day.

I'm a bit divided when it comes to subscription - my original reason for not planning to return to do GW2 was that it would be subscription and that I didnt want to pay for it; however since they changed it that is no longer an issue and now, ironically, what worries me is how the community will be. Truth be told GW1 was terrible in that aspect. Sure I met some nice people, even made some friends (one of them bringing me to LotRO), but other than that it was full of people only out to provoke or ninja - a result of it being totally free and it having an extremely immature audience in general. I fear something similar might happen with GW2 and though it might not be a reason not to play it, it might be good to both bring friends and plenty of patience.

Silirien, I might just return to GW for a bit at some point - not that I'm planning on grinding out that hall of triumph as such, though my main was a very long way along the meta-deeds (though nothing compared to you - I'm just a regular "People Know You" guy), but simply to play through the Eye of the North, which I never really finished - and maybe to enjoy the music and the vistas a bit. But then I'm also looking to play Fallout 3's 5 expansions and to trying out Dragonage - all of that and starting studies and work again within the month, it might not be just around the corner, but at least, I hope, before GW2 is out.

Oh and the old one did run rather smooth - I guess being so very focus on competitive gaming necessitated it too. By the way, do you know how PvP focused the new game will be...?

Also, if you want to add me in GW1 my main is Brother Girion Tsar - and the rest you'll get from it being account-based friends' list I reckon.

[Silirien]

Hirion, they've always said that GW2 will be subscription-free!
I have no clue where you got the idea if would have a subscription... That's one of the announcements that never changed!

The thing they did announce up front that would change was making most of the world persistent.

Community in GW - this was never really a problem for me, you went out into your instanced world and all the kiddies would be gone!
Will it be worse now? Anet states that they do everything in their power to make the game non-qq. With the real-time scaling events, they've said you don't even need to join up for a party and you still play in co-op with everyone participating, and that everyone gets reward as goals are always common. Not sure exactly how that will play out but it seems more that interesting.

As for PvP, I think GW2 will be less focused on this aspect, but again, read the FAQ - pvp will be present and you'll be able to participate right from the start with all skills and items unlocked.

If you visit GW1 at any point let me know, I am really dying for someone to play with!

[Hirion]

Their very first press release mentioned subscriptions, I don't have the links as it's nearly 4 years ago, but I'm very sure if it.

And it's not necessarily bad that it's PvP - I did find it fun in GW1 - though of course it does seem to make a community, or the lack thereoff, a bit more hostile.

[Hirion]

And I got inspired - so I'm ingame now.

[Haleabor]

....and I'm downloading a trial game now....

...and "yes" @ Hirion

finally...does it matter which guild I join if I want to play with you guys?

[Silirien]

Well I'm inwork atm so I can't join you T.T

@Hal no it matters not! But I am in a very friendly, though not exactly active, British guild atm so I can invite you.

PS. Hal you do need to know that GW1 is very different from what they announce for GW2, so if you're aiming to see those real-time events, you'll have to wait a year or so!
Other than that, I still think GW1 is the best MMO I've ever played.

PS2. What's your ing Hir?
Mine is Perilous Liaisons

[Hirion]

This is really wierd - I feel like stumbling where I used to rule - just figuring out running is tricky :P

Sadly all my saved skill/equipment templates are gone - and my main monk is set on a rather complicated protection enchantment template which probably necessitates being able to read the fight (and I can barely respond to it hehe), so refamiliarising myself with my Ranger-Elementalist for now (Tara Freckles) letting my Heroes heal.

My "ing"?

If you're speaking of Meta-deeds, it's People Know Me on my monk - with 11 maxed out I think.

[Silirien]

I mean name of one of your characters so I can add you to my friend list. Tara Freckles is it?

As for builds, you'd have to make new ones anyway, so much has changed.

[Hirion]

Her too - and mentioned my old main earlier Brother Girion Tsar.

[Raedwulf]

As for guilds, if they work the same way as they do in here, I imagine I'll be setting up The White Company as soon as I can in GW2... ;) Incidentally, has Rhy designed the new website for GW2 release yet? ;)

[Silirien]

In GW1, your account joins a guild, in GW2 you are to be able to join different guild with each of your characters. Still, it doesn't really limit you really neither in PvE nor in PvP.

No he hasn't. Yet.

[Haleabor]

Well..I kinda got into the game earlier and picked up 1 quest.... before losing connection on the train..... looks OK...

Character name is (unimaginitively) Haleabor Longshanks (R1)

[Haleabor]

I'm getting a strange bug when I exit Guild Wars (I'm using the "trial" version) and every time I exit it launches Media Centre .... :)

[Hirion]

A small update:

"It's still 2011 - we don't have a confirmed date yet, even internally."

As mentioned I'm expecting a press version of GW2, as I've got contacts with media for which I've reviewed a few games in the past (and who got me stuck in MMOs in the first place :evil: hehe).

Anyway said contact has been pulling his strings with the game's developers to hear on the GW2 release and the above quote is taken from their response.

Looks like it might be a bit of a wait still. I just pray they get it right - a lot of living-up-to needed :)

[shieldwall101]

I just want them to reveal the Assassin already!