PC Gamer May 2007 Information - "Guild Wars Reborn"

I have to ask since... The question was posted as to what kind of support the first guild wars could expect when GW2 comes out. I just happened to notice 2 posts by Gaile Gray since then and not a word was mentioned about it. It is a better question to respond to than some of the others that I have read and I am sure it would even set aside some concerns that many people have about they way things will be at that time. So if the question could be answered it would most likely go a long way to making some fans of the game not feel so left out to dry so to speak

I'd like to see these "logs" that supposedly show that people want guild wars 2 features by hw they played. what did they do, count how many times the JUMP emote was used to decide to add jumping? or maybe some young kid without brain cells tried fruitlessly over and over to push into the water to swim? Really, and I don't mean to exaggerate here though it obviously is an exaggeration, this sounds a lot like the intelligence that iraq has weapons of mass destruction. just a quick "we know people want this, but we won't tell you how specifically we know. and if you 3 million people dont want it, too bad."

as for the article.... unfortunately stores around here tend to not get hot issues of game magazines. too much of that People and Vogue and all that other paparazzi crap fills the shelves.

clone means exact copy.

and if you read the article, it says that tehy even dont want to copy wow. Its only copying if the game is inspired by wow, but its still very possible for ideas to be similar even if you arnt aware of things wow does.

AND it would still only truely be copyig wow if they copied a distinct unique feature, and nothing they said so far about GW2 is even close to being unique to wow.

I have played many mmo's and i can tell you huge single server worlds, and multiple races are commonplace in online rpgs.

huh. likewise one could ask, if you were allowed to keep your fame but not xp or skills, how is that fair to the pve crowd? Really, I say either allow everything to be transferred, or nothing. well not nothing. Let mini-pets, and only mini-pets, be transferred, but make them non-tradable so they don't imbalance the economy right out the door. Oh, and guild capes, once the guild is recreated. maybe a button in gw and gw2 "import/export design"

clone /kloʊn/ noun, verb, cloned, clon·ing.
–noun
1. Biology. (yadda yadda not talking about biology)

2. a person or thing that duplicates, imitates, or closely resembles another in appearance, function, performance, or style: All the fashion models seemed to be clones of one another.

doesn't have to be exact copy, just closely resemble.
anyways....
Obviously the features aren't specific to WoW. WoW is just the current popular pick for [GENERIC WASD GRINDFEST MMO]. which is really what people are saying, that it is going from Guild Wars to yet another generic MMO (such as WoW, Everquest, or a cornucopia of others). Take, for instance, the example sentence in the definition. replace "fashion models" with "MMOs".

You assume that cape creation will be done exactly the same way in guild wars 2....
But anyways, I don't really care about that point, just added it in there as something that could be allowed to transfer.

I have a few questions for Gaile Gray since she is so helpfully perusing the thread.

What type of function will the in-game store now offer? In GW1 it has just been a place to buy campaigns and PvP unlocks. Since PvP will now be UAX, what use will it be serving; what services does the tech team expect it to offer?

I also worry over character flexibility. One thing I hated about these super level games is that if you make a character the "wrong way" you're either stuck with it or you get to re-make it correctly...from level 1 up.

I have really liked GW games because there is no one "right way" to build a character. They are designed to mix and match armor, weapons and most importantly skills and attributes. Attributes can be moved around to best suit the role you want to play today and you can change them to play something else tomorrow.

Will GW2 keep this flexibility in its skill and spell use and attribute setup? Or, to put it another way: if my healing monk wants to go prot, can she still do that? If skill balances make Mo/Mes less useful, will I be able to go Mo/W at will still?

If you can't answer these questions because they are in the works or you don't want to give stuff away, I will understand. Thank you in advance for reading this and I hope you can reply.

GGs

Dang, soon WoW will be obsolete to gw. Amazing how much effort A-net is putting into GW2. I will be looking foward to this.

Maybe for levels they could allow you to lvl up depending on the difficulty mode(if implemented in GW2)

ie.

Easy mode : Only allows you to lvl from 1-25
Normal mode: Allows you to level from 25-50
Hard mode: Allows you to level from 50-75
Insane/crazy mode: Allows you to level from 75-100

This way it will be fixed so ppl wont be too far ahead and it will still be quite similar to guild wars. Once ppl reach lvl 25 on easy they gain skill points but not levels(they have to play on Normal mode to lvl up more). The mobs will be more clever(hopefully), be more of them and be higher level to give more of a challenge(to the experienced players). The grind needed(ie sunspear rank/faction - could be reduced for easier modes) So this means that the average player will be able to get the end of the storyline and finish it quite quickly, but the harder levels will take longer and true pve grinders can have what they want too . Problem solved!

I just have to say something to everyone that keeps making the "WoW clone" comments. This is just like that episode of South Park where Butters, as Professor Chaos, kept trying to enact his evil schemes but abandoned them when he realized they already did it on the Simpsons. Just because it's been done before, doesn't mean others can't do it too. And that doesn't make it a rip-off.

WoW did it! WoW did it!

And the thing is, that WoW was never the first to do anything. It just took some good ideas and did them better. You people need to widen your frame of references.

It's like when Factions came out and people were saying how the warrior armors were ripped off from Dynasty Warriors. I mean come on! The armors were based on tradition chinese/japanese armor! But I guess the Chinese ripped off Dynasty Warriors eh?

Now no where did i say anet or anyone else couldnt do it.
I was merely pointing out how people were saying it was similar and pointing out why they are calling it a WoW clone. And i didnt say they were ripping it off.

Hell if i had my way. I'd have anet clone Daggerfall and make it an MMO first.

I aggree and i stated that fact too.

Dear Gaile!

Could you please give a reply to this post: http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ostcount=1640?

It's about naming system (RP restrictions) in GW 2.

I'd be very grateful for your answer, as this question keeps hammering inside my head all the time .

Thanks!

I didn't say anything about you. That was just directed to everyone that has ever commented on GW copying WoW in general. I haven't even read whatever post you're referring to.

wouldnt it be more appropriate to have one discussion thread for GWEN and one for GW2.
imo gw2 is so far away not even anet will know for certain what the game will be like. they are bound to chenge things as they go on...

What Legacy? PvP characters have always been throw away, and they still are, even with the new 'J' Menu

So you want a very PvE Oriented feature, like the hall of Monument, for your PvP character?

Oh, however when mentioning all your PvE gear, why not, as you have the game beat, go and use all that nice skinned loot you use on your PvP character on a PvE character and recreate teh character through one of the campaigns, then it'll have more to go in the Hall anyway

Umm... Ok

this thread is for the pc gamer issue. in this issue there news about gw2 AND gwen so this thread is about both. still i wuld be clearer for a lot of people to starts sepparate threads

To Gaile Gray: It's nice to see you're reading this thread, good luck with sorting through all the dribble. So while you're here... an auction house or some form thereof will be in GW2, yes?


I agree it's a depressing and negative image, but I'm pretty sure PC Gamer had a whole lot more to do with it than ANet did. As Gaile mentioned, it's sensationalism... a common ploy to draw more readers (buyers) into picking up the mag, regardless of how it makes the fan base feel.


Are you being serious? It's a simple read and puts out some simple views. Maybe you want to be able to say "I'm all that because I was the first to reach Level X," or maybe you don't care about developing a feeling of veterancy, which is perfectly fine as it's an opinion and your entitled to your own, but that hardly makes it the "stupidest thing ever". I've seen a lot better candidates on these forums, and in this thread, for your supposed title.

Right, Gaile, I'm back with another question.

In all fairness, I've asked the same questions several times but haven't received replies.

How will the expansion affect the Factions and Nightfall campaign - what will it add to them?

[QUOTE]WRONG........JUST WRONG

that is where you and every other wishful thinker is wrong.

GAILE WILL CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG

this level increase is stated as a huge level increase possibly unlimited with details to be hammered out.

this will be a NEW game which is set in the Guild Wars universe taking the best features and tossing those that are not appropriate to the NEW GAME (low level cap for one)

FREE PLAY IS THE TOP ITEM WITH LOW LEVEL CAP NOT IN THE RUNNING (as proven by virtually everybody stating they would stop playing at any fee/month)

there is no point in raising the cap cosmetically as all the people who level up to improve their characters would simply say

*i wont level up just for a meaningless number i need to see progress in my character*

those *MAXED OUT WEAPONS* in great gramps monument case will be great low level starter weapons but nothing more than starting level.

you wont be bringing over your wealth to start out GW2 as *im a rich big shot*

you wont be bringing over top of the game maxed out weapons either

get used to it as the great big fish in the small GW1 pond are about to be reduced to an equal status with all the others starting fresh in the much bigger GW2 ocean

Ok seriously wtf. If Anet plans to stick with the primary focus of skill>timeplayed (for most parts) why punish players who worked hard to get their rare items if they again are purely cosmetic? Why not just translate that armor and that weapon to gw2 as the translated version of the basic weapon in gw2 except to preserve its skin and such? The same for armor? Truly, I don't see why cosmetics such as armor and weapon skins make people go into such a rage, and why Anet put a severe limitation on them. Anet this was the only flaw in gw2 imo.

from my asura/disney post here:
well, guess what? excerpt from the 3/22 scribe article regarding asuras:
"Words like "adorable" and "precious" and "too cute for words" have been uttered upon seeing these creatures. But, don’t let their benign appearance fool you; I have seen the little fellows bare sharp teeth and assume a ferocious stance when their owners' backs are turned."

this still bothers me. from the images i've seen and the personality descriptions i've read, the likeness is far too similar. asura is a blatant ripoff of disney's stitch, even down to the sharp teeth. copyright infringement?

[QUOTE]then why not simply bring all your wealth whatever form its in over as well?

they state this is a new game from the ground up.

they are not going to punish the majority of players moving to GW2 by a *Heriditary* rich elite class from GW1

they are not going to punish all the new customers who buy GW2 at the start with a * Heriditary * rich elite that got a big head start from GW1

it is a new game and they will not be giving some players a head start over others.

I never mentioned cash, I was talking about cosmetic armor and weapons. They have no advantage to greens and such.

Well i congratulate the GW team
I'm happy with the no fees and this is the reason i went with guild wars
I agree with the idea of an auction house and multiple races. One thing that would be nice would be if you were able to change primary profession
What i think would be cool also would be to have it like a world feel.

While in outposts you can change worlds and you can also have your private world, just like in GW1.
ie:like in towns there are districts that are for each world. while in an explorable area your are still in that "world" unless you choose to change it to your own private copy, which you would do right after you got into the area

That's exactly right, who wouldn't want to take their shiny fancy skinned stuff over? It has no advantage to any other weapon, they just look nice.

Because some sad individuals believe everything in life,including video games,is a rat race.

[QUOTE=Loviatar]I'm not a wishful thinker, just reciting what I've read. And if you've been following my posts and position on character/item transfer, you'll know that I wish that you would be able to transfer nothing to Guild Wars 2, not even a name hold. Please stop yelling at me.

In the article, in the Hall of Monuments section, it says "special weapons we earned through Guild Wars 1 may be in a display case in the hall of monuments, and your Guild Wars 2 character can use them" (29). So will it just refer to the skin, or will it have the same stats? It doesn't say.

And I should've been more specific in my earlier post: I didn't mean PvP characters, but PvP accomplishments, the most notable being Fame. My earlier post is void because it states that all titles will be carried over.

Exactly, the same thing for armor as well.

Or possibly, you can simply have the armor skin template with you in gw2, and for instance whenever you acquire an armor of different stats you can apply that armor template on that statistical armor. Same idea I would think for weapons, this idea would be ownage!

You know, I agree with you. They are certainly too similar.

Honestly, a copyright lawsuit against Anet might be the best thing to happen to the Asura...

Too be fair, I have no problem with a miniature subterranean race of evil geniuses. I do have a serious problem with their appearence... their huge forearms in particular ruin any chance of them being realistic (small eyes, big ears make sense to an underground race. But the fact that it's a blatent rip off of Stitch is just too much!)

Odd choice for the first new race to be unveiled as well... just a guess, but I think a bear-transforming Norn mini-pet would not have been so derided, and would have been a huge plus for Anet's PR department.

Just saying...

Am I the only person who has absolutley no interest in carrying equipment over? I want to see new weapons and armor, not the same old stuff I've been seeing for 2+ years now!

I've taken a strong stance against that whole thought ever since people started speculating about it. A new game is a new game, there is no space for old weapons and armors.

Alright wich genius guy thought up that level = grind?

Level is a number! Nothing more.

If it makes you feel better imagine that the 100 is actualy a 10.0.

If an MMO with a level cap of 3 would come to the market but it would require a year of 24/7 player to go up one level then it wouldn't be a grind?

If an MMO with a level cap of 500 would come but it would require 2 months of casual playing to reach max level it would be a grind?

Suddenly Anet is a satanic evil company bend only on money because changed a single freagin number that means nothing? What's next? Boycot GW2 because the beta is in '08 and you don't like the number '8'?

Levels are a number. Nothing more. It's the design beneath them that matters. And we know nothing of that design. They could have said that the level cap was 99999 or 5. It wouldn't have mattered at all to the game.

I mean, seriously, why do all of you have to go play victim of the big bad gaming industry again. If you feel so insecure about yourself that you have to victimise yourself in order to feel good I really think that they way Anet is designing this game isn't your main problem.

And ofcourse the did I waste my time building my character stuff going on.....

There's this mysterious thing called 'fun'. It's actually what most people play games for. Not to make their characters special, that's only a method. But to have 'fun'. That's the goal. So why should you buy GWEN? Fun. If you don't think you'll have fun then don't buy it. Very simple. Why should you start over in GW2? Fun. If you don't think it will be fun then don't buy it.

Like one of my favorite game designers, Paul Barnet, said.
'This isn't the game for you. Just click away and leave. Don't even leave a post on the forums saying how much you hate this game. Just leave. This isn't the game for you.'
( may not be an accurate quote )

If you were playing GW for the level cap, we'll be glad not to have you aboard next game.

Maybe we'll see less mending/healing breeze wammos.

yes yes, a new game very nice for you who didn't try to accomplish anything
however, some of us spent invaluable time and effort to get items, armor, and minipets. The thing that bugs me most is minipets... they'd actually care enough to transfer those over but not some of the fow armors and tormented weps we've earned?! some of these "unique" weapons it speaks of transferring sounds like it wont just be a run of the mill weapon and that anyone in GW:EN could get them. I am seriously disappointed that what I worked for in Gw1 will essentially become obsolete and stuck in the dying half of guildwars.
One more thing... gaile please clarify this "Hall of Monuments" and transferring! There needs to be like a scribe issue or some official in depth thing from anet issued. Thank you and have a nice day!

A level cap is a number, but it creates discrimination against those with lower "numbers"

Kinda like why I don't have the patience to do HA.

Hi Gaile,

Is there already a date for the Hard Mode because within a month ok, but no date???

Is it also possible to switch between hard mode and normal mode???

About the expansion The Eye of the North , holiday 2007, which holiday is it, summer, christmas???

Thanks for a reply in advance

Do not assume.

I'm in full support of having nothing transfer, and I've spent a *lot* of time on this game. New game= new stuff = no old stuff. And it's two years away, so calm down.

OK (I recalled the remark that Anet might be posting here - an overreaction on my side! =;-) ):

1) I heard that the guys who started GW were actually unhappy WoW employees. To me it looks like Product Management is either missing in the company and Development is directly talking to Finance.
2) ArenaNet seem to forget 1 very important asset that is not on their balance sheet: Player Loyalty. In fact it is true currency if you treat it right.
3) I just hope that someone realizes that GW is more than some stupid puppets you create inside the game. The nice thing about these games is that it creates a form of identity with the player for the characters he/she creates. If you think these achievements are something you can easily dispose of, you are slapping your customers in the face.
4) Stop calling for Gaile. He/she does not know more than what is in the article and seems to occasionally get some more info.
5) Gaming is for fun, but yes: playing the game is fun but playing with something you have built with lots of effort is also fun.

SITUATION APPRAISAL - ECONOMICS
Companies designing a game like Guild Wars do this because they want to earn money. Money is the driver of the game. There are several concepts and Guild Wars choose to follow a model where they hope people want to buy extensions, while playing them for free.

This is a model that is different from the model World of Warcraft follows for example, where you sell the game for a low price and ask people to pay for each month they want to play.

And these models have an effect on game play: In WoW you see that the game wants to capture you and keep you online as long as possible. In GW you see that the game wants to interest you in new features that are available in upgrades/new versions.

I assume that ArenaNet wants to keep the model of paying for upgrades. This means:

• Upgrades should be interesting to buy for existing players
• Upgrades should be interesting to buy for new players
• Previous versions should be interesting to buy for existing players
• Previous versions should be interesting to buy for new players
• New upgrades should be made available frequently (to ensure steady cash flow)

To achieve this, Prophecies, Factions and Night Fall have met most of these requirements. But, with Prophecies/Factions/Night Fall, GW as a game became bigger and bigger. I read the term “bloated” somewhere.

Therefore, something else has to happen to ensure the future of the GuildWars company owners.

I will use a Strength/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats (SWOT) analysis to come to a conclusion of the future as I see it.

As has been mentioned before, everyone is well aware that it is not just WoW.

There are 2 main reasons, however, why WoW-comparison is being overwhelmingly used on these forums. First and foremost, it has been GW's biggest rival the past two years, and both GW and WoW players have felt very near and dear to the game they were/are playing. The second reason is for it's world renowned cartoonish figures, much like the Asura (posterboy for GW2) is very cartoony. Little facts like races and high levels are other little reasons to point fingers at WoW and say "oh! look at the similarities!", but there are many other games that hold these characteristics, characteristics that GW broke free from.

As for the Dynasty Warrior thing, I've never heard that at all. o.O The armors are designed as a reflection of actual and very real historic pieces. I do not, however, see any asura-type figures hopping around the backyard or in my history books, and if they are in yours, you might want to check what you've been eating and drinking, or perhaps lower your intake on Disney movies.

As mentioned many times before, Anet are a business and GW is their product. Anet will tailor/sellout to provide customers with what they are searching. However, just because WoW and similar games are also largely popular, does not in any form mean that Anet should conform with these "rules" on making a computer game. Why is everyone stuck on the whole "races" part? Is it really necessary to make one game like the next? GW1 is a unique game in many many ways, part of the reason the majority of us, all GW players (both "optimists" and "pessimists"), are proud to play GW. So why sellout now? It's just what we, the "pessimists", are asking ourselves at this point. If Anet can pull this off and create a game that is once again unique, etc etc, and does not require "grind" to create levels, and where one can keep achievements and names from GW1... if they can do all of that and perhaps even improve on their mistakes from GW1 (ie removing 8v8 arena even though it proved to be more popular, include GvG tournaments that have yet to be implemented into the new ladder, etc), then I will definitely be there at the end to commend them. However, the outlook on the game is rather bleak; perhaps the announcement was very premature, leaving far too much room for speculation. Perhaps Anet wanted it this early, to see what their current GW audience feel and get an initial reaction. They have it. Even though the game is already being developed as we argue here in the forums, there is still a lot of changes that can be made.