Guild Wars 2
2012-Jul-31, Tuesday 12:50 amThis new game is due for release on August 28th. I've already pre-ordered my copy of GW2. It's the kind of online game that's called "free to play". You pay only for the initial program and the program updates, not for monthly subscription. This kind of "free" is within my affordable price range. This game looks interesting to me because it changes some rules that are common to most MMO (massively multiplayer online) games.
No more competition. Most MMOs require competition with your fellow players, even on your own team. You destroy enemies so you can collect their "loot" (money and trophies), but the typical game awards that loot only to those players who attacked first or did the most damage. Instead, GW2 assigns loot to everyone who participates. I'm told there's also bonus experience, so everyone benefits faster as more people become involved. The server scales combat to the number of people, so it's always good fun. Everybody wins.
No more quest log. Most MMOs arrange a long set of quests for your character to join. The resulting "quest log" becomes massive. Instead, GW2 keeps only one quest (your primary storyline) visible to you. All of the many secondary quests become visible only temporarily and only when you are already within range of their location. So wherever you happen to be in the world, you may suddenly receive notice of a new opportunity as marauding creatures appear nearby. This simplicity keeps the graphic interface very "clean". Very nice.
No more holy trinity. Most MMOs break down the functions of characters into one of these three: tank, healer, or damage. Instead, GW2 uses the "new trinity" of control, support, and damage. GW2 creates every character profession with the full range of those abilities. Each profession can be built to focus on a particular aspect, but it still has all 3 available. Damage in GW2 seems less focused on immediate harm and more on slow conditions like bleeding, poisoning, and burning. How you manage conditions can dramatically affect the outcome of combat. You can inflict conditions on your foes (control), remove them from your allies (support), and damage. Also, everyone can heal. A good example of this difference is the guardian. It ties for the lowest health in the game, so don't think of it as a traditional "tank". Its defense is amazing for different reasons. Think outside of the old trinity.
I've participated in beta testing a few times, and the game looks nice. I'm not sure which server I'll be on, though. Many of us had decided on Eternal Grove, but then they took away that server name as they decided to increase the number of players per server instead. I've already planned out the kinds of characters that I want to try. To help get GW2 out of my head for a while, I decided to post my intended characters so I can come back to them a month from now.
Oh, and![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ogam might be amused to learn that the Sylvari territory includes a forest called "Ogham Wilds".
No more competition. Most MMOs require competition with your fellow players, even on your own team. You destroy enemies so you can collect their "loot" (money and trophies), but the typical game awards that loot only to those players who attacked first or did the most damage. Instead, GW2 assigns loot to everyone who participates. I'm told there's also bonus experience, so everyone benefits faster as more people become involved. The server scales combat to the number of people, so it's always good fun. Everybody wins.
No more quest log. Most MMOs arrange a long set of quests for your character to join. The resulting "quest log" becomes massive. Instead, GW2 keeps only one quest (your primary storyline) visible to you. All of the many secondary quests become visible only temporarily and only when you are already within range of their location. So wherever you happen to be in the world, you may suddenly receive notice of a new opportunity as marauding creatures appear nearby. This simplicity keeps the graphic interface very "clean". Very nice.
No more holy trinity. Most MMOs break down the functions of characters into one of these three: tank, healer, or damage. Instead, GW2 uses the "new trinity" of control, support, and damage. GW2 creates every character profession with the full range of those abilities. Each profession can be built to focus on a particular aspect, but it still has all 3 available. Damage in GW2 seems less focused on immediate harm and more on slow conditions like bleeding, poisoning, and burning. How you manage conditions can dramatically affect the outcome of combat. You can inflict conditions on your foes (control), remove them from your allies (support), and damage. Also, everyone can heal. A good example of this difference is the guardian. It ties for the lowest health in the game, so don't think of it as a traditional "tank". Its defense is amazing for different reasons. Think outside of the old trinity.
I've participated in beta testing a few times, and the game looks nice. I'm not sure which server I'll be on, though. Many of us had decided on Eternal Grove, but then they took away that server name as they decided to increase the number of players per server instead. I've already planned out the kinds of characters that I want to try. To help get GW2 out of my head for a while, I decided to post my intended characters so I can come back to them a month from now.
| Name | Race | Profession | PvE focus | PvP focus | Craft1 | Craft2 | Weapon1 | Weapon2 |
| Tewa The Tracker | Norn snow leopard | ranger | pet | trap | leather | hunter | longbow | sword, warhorn |
| Tewa The Stout | Human | warrior | defense | armor | chef | mace, shield | sword, warhorn | |
| Tewa The Reckless | Asura | elementalist | pbaoe | tailor | artifice | scepter, focus | summoned shield | |
| Tewa The Scavenger | Charr | necromancer | shroud | weapon | jeweler | staff | dagger, warhorn | |
| Tewa The Entheogen | Sylvari | mesmer | clones | n/a | n/a | scepter, focus | staff |
Oh, and
ogam might be amused to learn that the Sylvari territory includes a forest called "Ogham Wilds".