We need better instructions!

ArenaNet/Gaile/whoever,

Maybe it's just me, but as much I love Guild Wars, I hate how some major things are so unclear.

For example, when I first started playing Prophecies, the manual said to hire henchmen that are found 'in towns'. There was nothing saying that they were only in post-searing, and I spent a long time asking around and researching, trying to figure out how to get henchmen with me. All we needed was something in the manual (or from an NPC) to say that henchmen wouldn't be available right from the start, but the implication was that they would be.

Another example is with GW:EN. There was nothing to say how to get to the far north, so I just picked a character and found myself in Ascalon City (post-searing, of course). There was nothing to say how to get into GW:EN areas, so I had to check on-line to find out that there was a passage in Lion's Arch.

The point is that with *one sentence* to explain these kinds of things, a lot of frustration would be saved. It's easy to look back on this and say it's no big deal, but I remember being very frustrated with the lack of information that I felt was important and I wasn't able to get from the game or from ANet. I don't think I should have to go to Google to learn how to play the game, and it soured my "Prophecies" experience significantly.

Please, no namecalling/flaming. I have already imagined all the 'it's simple', and 'I had no trouble figuring it out' comments.

While I would agree with your reasoning on henchmen, I cannot agree with access to GW:EN. That information was GIVEN, and it was on their site. If you refuse to check out their site (which is not a good idea, given how the game can change fairly quickly), it is your fault.

In addition, many fansites LINKED from the Guild Wars site mirrored the same information.

So while early on, ANet may have not seen the implication (being that pre-searing was intended to be a tutorial which lacked the features, and they didn't say that outright at the time), the more recent additions (Factions, Nightfall, Hard Mode, and now Eye of the North) have been fully detailed where needed.

Furthermore, one of the very first missions in post searing (in fact, THE FIRST, I believe) teaches you how to use henchmen. If you where having trouble getting through the first part of presearing ascalon by yourself... shrug.

And this was settled by having henchmen required quests teach you about them early on in NF and Facions.

And LA, Kamadon, and KC are the main cities for every single event, and should be the first place to look for new events and content. As GW:EN is a level 20 only expansion geared towards experienced players, I figure a.net thought it would make perfect sense. I can understand though that many people don't live and breath GW, so yeah, maybe a.net should have included something in the manual. Still, online games change so often that such manuels are often quickly made out of date. That's why a.net no longer has Prima Strategy guides, because they end up promoting stuff that's more trouble then it's worth.

I think they even had it on the little announcement scroll you see before you even log in.

When in doubt, follow your arrow, ask in Local, or check the wiki. Some of these locations, especially on the Asura side, are a little confusing to get to; it looks like whoever did the mapping had a hell of a time working new areas into such a well-known place as Tyria.

Hi Andrew

I think gw manuals are pretty good, even if due the changes to the game, prophecies' one is becoming old. I appreciate also the lore on manuals. (Some game publishers are starting to put it only on a pdf, like Warcraft III)
and Nightfall tutorial is extremely exhaustive.

You can also ask in game if you have troubles.

Anyway who reads manuals or doesn't skip tutorials?
I'm glad to see I've found another one

Well, I understand perfectly the reasons. They just want to make a more fluid and natural way to introduce players to concepts. Rather than make a 'how to play guild wars' tutorial which reminds a player that they're pathetic enough to have to use a tutorial, they integrate it in the game so that you learn as you go. It's more fun this way and for most people, it's also the easiest.

Though, it isn't always so simple either, I'll give you that. The problem is the simple fact that where would you put such information? You can't give a quest in Ascalon having to do with GWEN so that players will know, nor can you put a quest in Cantha. It is a bit out of place. It is a little out of place as it is putting quests for the other campaigns in Lion's Arch.

So they could either break their style of 'tutorial' and flash a message on the screen telling you what to do, or they could put the information on their web site and hope you can figure it out on your own.

presearing tells you all the basics. As far as henchmen. The first thing you get in Post searing, tells you to pick up a hench (alesia will help) and go talk to the krytan. If you would take the time to read the script you would know what to do.

~the rat~

First of all, I know how the game works - I'm not asking for more instruction from ANet because I'm stuck, I'm asking because I was frustrated at the time with the lack of clarity.

My point is that when I buy a game, I don't want misleading information. If ANet said "you'll get henchmen eventually", I'd be fine. When they say 'go ahead and hire them any time', I start looking for them right away. It's not that I NEEDED them - it's that it was implied that they were there, so I was looking for them.

Finally, if I have to ask around and check the wiki for how-to's, then the game/manuals are failing me. Since when should you have to ask a friend (or a stranger) how to do something because the provider of the product/service won't explain it to you? I check the wiki pretty much every time I play, to see what I'm missing, but when I FIRST STARTED playing, I didn't know about fansites, the wiki, etc. You can't assume your entire customer group is that savvy - there are a lot of people who just want to play a game and relax, not get confusing messages from a manual and have to do on-line research to play a game.

All I'm asking for is a little more clarity in future manuals - not so much for me (I found all the answers I wanted), but for others who are like I was when I first started.

I have never played a game with so many unexplained abbreviations, vague references to effects (i.e."increases strength" - what does that mean?), etc. I'm used to games being intuitive, and going from "+20 damage" to "does more damage" is frustrating. I don't even bother with a lot of skills because the extra couple of damage doesn't make any significant difference.

I gave up and just accepted Guild Wars for what it is and am enjoying it on that level, but I still wish for a little more clarity and information from ANet.

It's not a lot to ask.

The skill descriptions are pretty clear, in fact, I can't think of anything that says "does more damage". Everything is +damage, +%damage or +%armor penetration. Also, pressing f10 opens ingame help, which just so happens to be a wiki. Not that hard to find IMO. What exactly are you having trouble with?

Guild Wars is actually the best MMO I've found in this particular regard. I don't know anywhere where they don't spell the numbers out, nowadays--could you cite an example?

And what on earth does this mean?

I agree with Kakumei. The OP clearly does not have much experience with RPGs in general, because GW's is VERY straight forward and intutive compared to say.... Neverwinter Nights.

Two Words. Guild Wiki.

That's why the wiki exists.

Guys, I'm asking that ANet add a couple of scentences to a manual. Whether GQ manuals/processes are better or worse than any other RPG is meaningless; I'm talking about GW, period.
Again, I'm not having trouble with anything. I'm saying this because it WAS frustrating once apon a time, and will be for others who don't have time to run around researching the real meaning of something in the manual. Just because a group of people have the time/interest/inclination to do what you do (i.e. go read the wiki regularly), that doesn't mean the casual gamer does. I'm asking for something that is almost perfect to be VERY easily made a little better.
If that's a problem for you, don't post in this thread. Go be elitist somewhere else.

Gee, you make a simple request/suggestion, and people have to jump all over it. I see that for other people's suggestions, too. HERE'S A NEW SUGGESTION: let people post ideas without posting all your perceived flaws in their ideas! This is for ANet, not you.

I gotta admit, with my first Guild Wars campaign being Factions, it was very fascinating exploring the world of Cantha without checking wikis and websites for information, managing to defeat difficult missions and quests by myself or in a PUG.

I rarely bother to read the manual of any game unless I've got extra time to spend so I learn things as I go. If you read what the NPCs have to say and you pay close attention to the menu, there shouldn't be a reason something was made unclear.

I understand your frustration but you can't expect to know and experience every aspect of a game in the first few hours of game play. The manual will highlight a games controls and features, perhaps adding a bit of background information to the plot line and characters, but it isn't an encyclopedia of knowledge.

This is called a forum, Sir.

Learn to play. It's not hard.