The Future of Guild Wars and its Tech-Engine?

Sooner or later it will happen, I am very sure - but will it still be Guild Wars? How will compatibility to the older series be guaranteed if GW is ported to a modernized environment? Or won't there be any (update) at all and ArenaNET starting a new game based on a new engine?

The current engine seems a bit limited and trends towards (if that could be said in a game) unrealism, like trapping on a bridge and triggering them traps standing below it, or hitting foes below you, invisible borders etc...

ArenaNET does have huge success with the current technology they are offering but considering that we're hitting 2007 I believe an evolvement is needed some day. Of course you can't compare it with Unreal Tournament 2007, Crysis and similar "next-gen" games. Online games need to be less complex in order to offer stable connections, ping-times.

I am very aware that these questions might be a little too early but I am very curious on what ArenaNET might have in mind.

from those comments you have made it is obvious you havent a clue about the engine.

were you aware that it has already been upgraded recently for direct x 9 effects?

this engine can be upgraded on the fly as needed so it will not become obsolete as you worry.

Persistant Online games, and online games in general, are often less demanding in terms of physics and other aspects you describe. This allows the game to maintain the thousands of connections it does. Any increases in the demands on the client side would end up being reflected server-side, with more processing required to manage complex tasks. Secondly, most of these games deliberately put themselves below those 'next-gen' games in order to meet the specifications of a wider audience. Striking a balance between performance and features is one of the most complex tasks when designing these games I'm sure. Even tiny decisions like whether to allow bodies within the game (ie characters/mobs) to be solid to each other has large ramifications beyond the gameplay itself.

While MMOs and similar online games do evolve over time, it's a much slower rate in terms of those technical upgrades than other games. Look at games like EQ, which has been out for what, six years now? Much of the way it handled technical aspects hasn't really changed that much.

These style of online games aren't really sold on their technical features (well, EVE online looks pretty awesome...), rather the gameplay itself.

Long story short, Anet is in a position where they probably have more room to move in terms of a new game with a new engine than other MMO companies, with their multitudes of paying subscribers. But I doubt they have any immediate plans to ease out of support for Guild Wars as is. And there is always the possibility reasonable changes to the engine as is.

Umm anyone can play games made 10 years ago on modern equipment. They've alreay *upgraded* the canthian engine over the prophecies one. It's a dynamic system and if anyone is in a position to keep up with hardware changes then it's GW.

Yeah, because adding DX9 Shader support prevented Iway trappers to trap the bridge and burn, cripple, bleed those standing below.

Geez...

That's a very well thought out posting. Thanks. I wasn't thinking of changing the gameplay drastically and bringing it into FPS-Levels with detailed collision, physics-engine. It would shrink the audience definitely. Not what an MMO would plan to achieve. "Minor" ideas like altitude differences are issues they could solve though.