NO Nightfall guide by Prima, thanks ANet - Guild Wars Guru archive powered by Guild Wars Legacy

PhineasToke

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2005

in a house

Phantom Menace

W/Mo

16 Dec 2006 at 08:41 - 1

I was concerned that there was no Nightfall guide to this point. I enjoy them, especially when looking closely at new weapons when they are being sold by players.

So I typed a note to Arena Net to see when it is available.

This was their reply;

Hello,

Thank you for contacting the Guild Wars Support Team.

We did not produce a Guild Wars Nightfall Strategy Guide, and one is not planned. While prior to the release of Guild Wars Nightfall we considered creating such a guide, we found that with the rapidly changing nature of the game, it was not be possible to produce a guide and release it within a reasonable time frame. Therefore, the project was cancelled and no guide was created.

We appreciate that players enjoy a strategy guide, and we have some ideas for a future project that will help fulfill that desire. We do not yet have formal plans in place, but we will share those with the community if we should make a decision to move forward with such a project.

Regards,

The Guild Wars Support Team

What crap. EVERY edition of Guild Wars is constantly changing. And there was NO problem releasing guides for the first two. I hate bull crap and condescending responses when I am willing to (along with tens of thousands worldwide) pay my good money for a guide.

I hope monkeys fly into their lunch room and piss in their lunch.

Shadowspawn X

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

Fellowship of Champions

R/E

16 Dec 2006 at 08:54 - 2

Old news Gaile addressed this about 2 weeks into Nightfall cause the Prima site had mentioned it was canceled. You must have missed the threads, it just wasnt feasable anymore. do to the "just in time" development schedule.but yeah it sucked but then again so did the last guide. The Factions guilde was horrible just a glorified skill list. So they probally did us a favor rather than producing another crap guide.

N E D M

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2006

Officer's Club

Gameamp Guides [AMP]

16 Dec 2006 at 09:00 - 3

leaf through your copy of prima's guide for the first guild wars . . . . .
the only useful portion is the maps of the missions . . . . .
EVERYTHING ELSE is different, including the enemies in the missions.
After a couple updates the guides just produce misinformation.

EPO Bot

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2006

Mo/N

16 Dec 2006 at 09:01 - 4

Who needs paper guides when you have this wonderful litlle thing called INTERNET?

Kaane

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

Seattle, WA

I Righteous Indignation I [RI]

W/A

16 Dec 2006 at 09:06 - 5

Um, why the hell would you want that?

http://gw.gamewikis.org/

That's all you need.

noblepaladin

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jun 2005

16 Dec 2006 at 09:10 - 6

The strategy guides become outdated and inaccurate right after they go to print, I have no idea why you want to buy one. Players who have played Prophecies and Factions know better than to look at a printed guide for information, because they realize how much the game gets updated. It is so much easier to go to guildwiki or some other site and get much more comprehensive and accurate information.

Also, they probably receive a lot of complaints about inaccurate guides, and they know that this guide will probably sell worse than the first two. Anybody who uses the guides will quickly find that it is based on a pre-release version of the game. Usually strategy guides get a "final" version of the retail game and help from the developers to make the guide before the game gets released to stores (because it takes a long time to edit and print the guides). However, Guild Wars games usually have major patches the day the game gets released, so already the guide contains inaccurate information.

realoddsman

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2005

16 Dec 2006 at 09:18 - 7

The only gameguides ive ever bought were for Final Fantasy 7 (that guide was so flawed, but the pictures were nice), and Riven (That game was insanely puzzling).

Other than that, I was willing to buy the Prophesies guide to find out where to get Conjure Flame/Lightning via a quest, and it was listed as attainable. But alas, that was an error.

shardfenix

Banned

Join Date: Dec 2005

Il Power Overwhelming Il [HaX]

16 Dec 2006 at 09:27 - 8

Luckily, there's a player's guide you don't have to pay for.

www.guildwiki.org

Cacheelma

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jun 2005

The Ascalon Union

Me/Mo

16 Dec 2006 at 09:40 - 9

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhineasToke

What crap. EVERY edition of Guild Wars is constantly changing. And there was NO problem releasing guides for the first two.

Yeah.....and god knows what CRAPS the first two guides have become a few weeks after released.

I'm glad they don't bother to waste time on it this year.

twicky_kid

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

Quite Vulgar [FUN]

16 Dec 2006 at 10:00 - 10

What's the point everything is on fansites for free? I'll keep my money.

Riotgear

has 3 pips of HP regen.

Join Date: Aug 2006

The Objective Is More [Cash]

W/

16 Dec 2006 at 10:45 - 11

Quote:

Originally Posted by twicky_kid

What's the point everything is on fansites for free? I'll keep my money.

I dunno, evidently there's still a market for them. Even with practically everything you ever wanted to know being on GameFAQs (or in WoW's case, Thottbot), game guides still sell. Some people want something they can flip through without alt-tabbing or spending an hour printing, I guess. How that's worth $20, I dunno.

zankoku

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jun 2005

Teh Academy [PhD]

16 Dec 2006 at 11:58 - 12

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhineasToke

What crap. EVERY edition of Guild Wars is constantly changing. And there was NO problem releasing guides for the first two.

Exactly. They produced the first two guides and realized the constantly changing nature of the game didn't make sense to produce a third.

As other posters have already mentioned, www.guildwiki.org has pretty much everything you need from the guide, including mission walkthroughs, skills info, weapon and armor skins, runes and upgrade info, NPC info, and obviously more. AND, it's constantly updated AND FREE.

PhineasToke

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2005

in a house

Phantom Menace

W/Mo

16 Dec 2006 at 14:06 - 13

Sorry, I didn't realizre that my preference for a guide was so absurd. Next time I'll keep it to myself.

Knightsaber Sith

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Aug 2006

Few Fallen Heroes [FFH]

W/E

16 Dec 2006 at 14:10 - 14

Here's Prima's take on the situation:
http://forums.primagames.com/showthread.php?t=62

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prima mod

Hi all,

Sorry for the belated reply. We've all been busy here crunching through the holiday titles, but we should have posted an explanation earlier.

While we had high hopes for publishing a guide on this title, both Prima and Arena Net agreed that it would be impossible to get an accurate guide created in time to release with the game. The heavy emphasis on PVP action in Guild Wars is the key component of the game, and it requries constant tweaking and balancing, even after the game master has been sent off to duplication. For Arena Net, this means providing Prima with massive daily updates on changes to the statistics, abilities, and spells. Even with a high level of quality control, it's impossible to ensure 100% accuracy, as changes are made after the book goes to print.

We are currently working to evaluate continuing publishing opportunities, and this thread would be a great place to get some feedback from you guys. What would you find useful? Mission walkthroughs and maps for Nightfall? Spells and abilities compendium? A reference book for character builds?

Your feedback is important to us, and we need it in order to provide you with the most useful books possible. Communication is a two-way street, and we apologize for letting this thread go unanswered for so long.

Now post your wish lists for the ultimate Guild Wars strategy compendium!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prima mod

Yes, we are indeed listening, and are working on something now. As you're probably all aware, these machinations are always top secret in the games industry until all of the paperwork is done. I have tried to respond to everyone who sent me an e-mail personally, and am keeping a list of the people I'll be sending guides to. You can hopefully expect a formal announcement shortly.

We can understand the frustration, but please keep in mind that we licensed this product and did everything within our power to get a guide published at the time of the release. We were just as disappointed as you guys were when the guide was cancelled.

The feedback on content has been valuable, and we look forward to incorporating these suggestions into our future Guild Wars products.

Happy holidays, everyone. Sorry we put a lump of coal into your stockings.

FalconDance

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Sep 2005

...deep within the sylvan splendor...

Order of the Migrating Coconuts [ALBA]

16 Dec 2006 at 14:16 - 15

Sorry, Phineas. Most people whine and complain because the Prima guides are so inaccurate (for GW)!

Navaros

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2005

Mo/Me

16 Dec 2006 at 14:16 - 16

Don't know why anyone would be angry that Anet had the goodwill this time to save them $20 - 40 (depending on your currency) of real money on what would essentially have been a useless piece of crap guide.

Rakeris

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2006

Illinois

Feners Reve

16 Dec 2006 at 14:52 - 17

I don't see the point of a guide either, I never buy them. Why buy one when you can get all the info and then some in a few clicks...

Shadowfox1125

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2005

PST

W/

16 Dec 2006 at 15:02 - 18

GW is constantly changing through the updates, so the paper guides are inaccurate.

Yanman.be

Banned

Join Date: Dec 2005

Belgium

[ROSE]

A/

16 Dec 2006 at 15:08 - 19

Oh em gee! I got an idea!

I'm going to be famous because I'm going to invent paper that updates itself if you plug it in to the internetz!! Oh wait...that's www.guildwiki.org...

CyberMesh0

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2005

Charter Vanguard [CV]

N/Me

16 Dec 2006 at 15:16 - 20

While I'm not as... energetic about the issue as the OP, I happen to prefer to have a paper copy of such a guide that I can take elsewhere, where the internet might not be available :-p especially for nightfall, there are plenty of things that do not change significantly that I would have readily paid the $20 for. (let's not forget the MAP- the collectors edition one is nice but it pales in comparison)

Alya

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2005

European servers

RTFM

16 Dec 2006 at 15:22 - 21

I understand the frustration of the OP, though.

I still read and flip through the old GW Prophecies guide, with great pleasure, even though its information is greatly outdated now. Possibly I am one of those few people who like to hold in their hands a beautifully published book.

Knightsaber Sith

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Aug 2006

Few Fallen Heroes [FFH]

W/E

16 Dec 2006 at 15:35 - 22

I think everyone needs to stop saying why they have a grudge against the prima guides and posting a link to wiki. We know all that; it has nothing to do with this thread. If you see that a bunch of people have already said it; don't jump on the bandwagon and say it again as though it were the latest fad >_<

Myria

Banned

Join Date: Aug 2005

16 Dec 2006 at 15:59 - 23

You can't take the wiki out with you to read whilst waiting for an appointment, at least not easily.

You can't take the wiki with you to the restroom... Again, at least not easily.

The wiki is often excruciatingly slow to load, and not always wholly trustworthy or clear.

Often when I've needed to look something up I didn't care about the exact details, I wanted a general idea of what a skill does or where I've got to go to finish a secondary. A lot of things in the game don't change, but even for those that do the guide most often still sufices quite nicely. Or, at least the Prophecies one did, the Anet-written Factions one is so atrociously written and poorly edited that it can really only be recommended for the art and lore.

Speaking of art and lore, for myself those alone make the books worth having.

Anyone who thinks there is no Nightfall guide because Anet and/or Prima suddenly discovered that the game changes so they were going to do you a favor and not print one... Well... Please seek help. Clinical Naiveté can be treated these days, generally with extensive ECT, regular administration of Thorazine, and hourly Three-Card Monte sessions.

Rusty Deth

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2005

Woodland Realm

Mo/N

16 Dec 2006 at 17:50 - 24

After Factions I said to myself " why they even make this guide?"

Even Prophecies guide was messed up after the game was out a month.

Truth be said I got mine for Factions cause it was discounted for buying the game too. But I just liked the maps. Same for the Prophecies one.

But being the owner of both guides I always used the search engine at guildwiki. Thats faster then paging thru a guide you got no room for on your desk.

In conclusion I too was kind of pissed that there was no Nightfall guide, but honestly all I wanted was the big poster sized map to hang on my wall.

XvArchonvX

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

R/

16 Dec 2006 at 17:55 - 25

I always find it sad when people start bashing A-net for little meaningless things, especially when they don't comprehend what it really takes to make a game like GW. It's even sadder to see that the OP is crying over a guide that would inevitably be worse than Guild Wiki (even with the flaws that it might have). Every Prima guide made to date has really been next to useless. Take into account that GW is an online game that is constantly changing and it becomes clear that a guide that never updates for a game that constantly updates is really just a waste.

TheSonofDarwin

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2005

The Black Hand Gang [BHG]

Mo/

16 Dec 2006 at 18:07 - 26

If you want a guide, do this:

Have your brother, wife, mother, etc. take a piece of tape and cover up Prophecies or Factions (whichever guide you currently own) and write Nightfall on it. Can even wrap it up and put it in the mailbox if you want to go all out.

When you receive your now Nightfall guide, force yourself to not look at it for a week.

After that week, go to town reading it. It is now just as accurate as any Nightfall guide that could be produced and you just saved yourself some money (minus the cost of the tape).

Scutilla

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2005

Tyrian Explorers League

R/P

16 Dec 2006 at 18:57 - 27

I have to agree with the above posters. The Prophecies guide was based on a beta version of the game, so it wasn't even accurate when the game first came out, never mind a month or a year later. The skill descriptions are horribly out of date, the mission guides are vague to the point of uselessness, and the appendices are so full of misinformation you have to wonder just what beta version they were based on.

The Factions guide was a little cleaner (plus it had a nice beefy lore section), but the same complaints remain. The mission guides are even worse than in Prophecies (with maybe 1 paragraph of useful info), and the skill and item lists are similarly out of date.

One of the few good things about the guides were the maps, both the individual area maps in the guide and the poster maps (I currently have both hanging on my wall). However, any fansite worth its salt will have a maps section, and we got a Nightfall map in the CE (smaller than the Prima maps, unfortunately), so I'm not complaining.

I'm glad ANet figured out how useless the things were- why make people pay for a printed guide, when they have a loyal army of fans willing to compile this information for free on fansites which are a hundred times more complete and updated within hours of a new build going live? (Of course, I think the fact that past sales were poor due to most people using those online fansites instead of the Prima guides in the first place had something to do with it as well

)

SamuraiKai

Banned

Join Date: Dec 2006

16 Dec 2006 at 19:19 - 28

Truth be told. The only time game guides are any use is when the game is static and doesn't change. Only online information sources like GuildWiki are ever useful for online games since the information can be updated regularly. I mean with the Domain of Anguish were a game guide released when Nightfall came out, there would have been a whole load of threads complaining about how out of date their guides are now.

Myria

Banned

Join Date: Aug 2005

16 Dec 2006 at 20:04 - 29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scutilla

I'm glad ANet figured out how useless the things were- why make people pay for a printed guide, when they have a loyal army of fans willing to compile this information for free on fansites which are a hundred times more complete and updated within hours of a new build going live? (Of course, I think the fact that past sales were poor due to most people using those online fansites instead of the Prima guides in the first place had something to do with it as well

)

Ummm, or, far more likely, as with the Factions manual itself the guide that was written included areas and features not included in the released version of the game. Releasing a complete guide for an incomplete game would have been problematic at best, thus the guide was canceled. Since the only time the guides would sell well is around game release, it's highly unlikely there will ever be a guide even assuming the game now includes everything that was in the guide -- and, frankly, it would be foolish to take that assumption as a given.

While we will likely never know the particulars for sure, that is a far more plausible scenario.

generik

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jun 2005

16 Dec 2006 at 20:04 - 30

Guildwiki.org

kthxbai

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhineasToke

I was concerned that there was no Nightfall guide to this point. I enjoy them, especially when looking closely at new weapons when they are being sold by players.

So I typed a note to Arena Net to see when it is available.

This was their reply;

Hello,

Thank you for contacting the Guild Wars Support Team.

We did not produce a Guild Wars Nightfall Strategy Guide, and one is not planned. While prior to the release of Guild Wars Nightfall we considered creating such a guide, we found that with the rapidly changing nature of the game, it was not be possible to produce a guide and release it within a reasonable time frame. Therefore, the project was cancelled and no guide was created.

We appreciate that players enjoy a strategy guide, and we have some ideas for a future project that will help fulfill that desire. We do not yet have formal plans in place, but we will share those with the community if we should make a decision to move forward with such a project.

Regards,

The Guild Wars Support Team

What crap. EVERY edition of Guild Wars is constantly changing. And there was NO problem releasing guides for the first two. I hate bull crap and condescending responses when I am willing to (along with tens of thousands worldwide) pay my good money for a guide.

I hope monkeys fly into their lunch room and piss in their lunch.

PhineasToke

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2005

in a house

Phantom Menace

W/Mo

17 Dec 2006 at 05:15 - 31

Sorry, I enjoy the guides. Cyas.

Griff Mon

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Nov 2005

In the Elfen Forests of Washington State

Damage Radius

N/

17 Dec 2006 at 05:48 - 32

I like the shiny fold-out map with the scary girls with knives on the back.

Lady Lozza

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

Oz

Angel Sharks

Me/N

17 Dec 2006 at 06:18 - 33

What people don't seem to be getting about this is that you can't take the internet to the toilet!!! The Prima guide was basically my Cleo (my bf's Ralph). Not having one makes my long bathroom visits very boring...

Rainith

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Feb 2006

W/

17 Dec 2006 at 07:41 - 34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady Lozza

What people don't seem to be getting about this is that you can't take the internet to the toilet!!! The Prima guide was basically my Cleo (my bf's Ralph). Not having one makes my long bathroom visits very boring...

Um, laptop w/wifi?

Sanji

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2005

Mo/

17 Dec 2006 at 08:54 - 35

Hate to say it, but it -is- pretty absurd in this day an age to want a game guide.

I don't think I've ever immediately needed to know where to cap an elite at while going to the bathroom.

Nor can I say I've had to scout the layout of Hell's Precipice while waiting in line at the grocery store GEARING UP FOR AN OBLIVIOUSLY EPIC BATTLE.

Dr Strangelove

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Dec 2005

Wasting away again in Margaritaville

[HOTR]

17 Dec 2006 at 09:04 - 36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sanji

I don't think I've ever immediately needed to know where to cap an elite at while going to the bathroom.

What, you're going to tell me you've never animated a flesh golem in there?

gasmaskman

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jun 2006

None, I don't play anymore.

Mo/W

17 Dec 2006 at 09:13 - 37

I want mine - it helps me remember how the old skills used to be.

blkadr

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Sep 2006

Shingletown Slayers

R/Me

17 Dec 2006 at 09:23 - 38

maybe one for the sardelac...maybe instead of a strategy guide, there could be something published with artwork/lore/big posters/maps and other things that don't change with updates. I don't just read on the bathroom, there is a noticable difference between reading something a flickering screen, and on paper, and I certainly enjoy reading from paper far more than with a laptop burning a layer off of my legs. I'm sure there's lots of lore and art that was made for nightfall but never made it to the manual. I don't think that guides are 'outdated,' just that the material they carry may need to change.

Kotetsu Rain

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2006

Utopia

D/

17 Dec 2006 at 10:07 - 39

I always liked the lifezised maps...

Jade

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2005

Canada...... Eh!

17 Dec 2006 at 12:11 - 40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kotetsu Rain

I always liked the lifezised maps...

Hear Hear! This is the main, and one of the only, reasons I buy the guides. Sure I could download a .bmp version of the map, load it up and then load GW. But like many of us out there, I don't have an uber leet computer that allows for fast alt tabbing. It still alt tabs, but it takes its sweet ass time doing it. How about, at the very least make a guide that has a map and a list of builds or something, maybe even strategies for maps and pvp? And before yet another "ooo lookit me I know about wiki" guy crops up, I know about wiki. I use wiki and enjoy wiki. But wiki ain't got no map I can hang on my wall for quick and easy access. I know that I could print out a map as well, but think about it before you suggest that. It's be something close to 10 sheets of paper that I would have to either tape together on my wall or have it laminated or something. Problem is, I'm lazy and more than willing to pay the $20 for the game guide just for the map.