Why I love/like/agree with Guild Wars/Anet team.

Lately I’ve been reading many hate threads about how Anet is slowly but surely killing the game, it’s economy, and the “fun” factor that used to have us all hooked. So after getting tired of hearing all the hate I wanted to make a “Why I love/like/agree with Guild Wars/Anet team" thread.

Feel free to post anything positive but no negative hate posts.

Personally I like Anet because, even though others don’t see it this way, they have made a game which is fun for everyone/anyone to play. You can now be decently new at the game and have a nice weapon without having to grind a lot to get the money needed. Also Anet added something for those of us who like a challenge(or grind) by introducing titles.

In conclusion I understand, and I think so should many others, that Anet is a company that needs to earn it’s money, by changing the game so new players can go online and play and making things easier for some while keeping the difficulty for others is a good way to make everyone happy.

To the poster who began this grand quest for beauty in a realm gone mad, who looks to the flowers when others hunt for thorns, who with eyes unglazed by the passing days looks upon a freshly minted world with sweet innocence and glee, I salute you and pray that the best find you this day.

Do not worry yourself with the words of those whose time has been ill spent, who find great pleasure in the torment of those whose hearts are still intact, for they never knew what you've never forgot. Sing on, brave soul, and let none who say nay nay say you, for truth oft comes from the mouths of babes, and experience is death to every virtue.

Basically, we love Anet for making this game

/thread

Pretty much by definition people who post on the forums are "hardcore players" - the vast majority of people who just play the game as a game are not regular posters. At best they may pop on here from time to time if/when they have a question, but that is about it. These people are also the vast majority of the people playing the game.

As such you are going to have a disproportionate amount of those players like or want "hardcore player" rewards - after all that is what they are. You will find some, like me, that are kinda in between (according to my /age I average around 1.5 hours a day - however I have not logged into the game in a week due to other commitments, then next week I may play 3-4 hours a day, I never know). GW has never been about that, for some that were around in the early days they *could* differentiate themselves, but Anet did everything they could to stop that and continues to do so.

Even now, look at the complaints - any noob can now clear DoA, any noob can purchase FoW, any noob can get an Eternal Blade - notice the trend here? Of course, this is a certain amount of exaggeration, any noob can't do those things (though that has never slowed them down claiming it), however what they really mean is people like me and lower can do it. They have nothing to differentiate themselves from people like me.

I would be interested in knowing what it is now, but a little before the release of Factions there was one of the ever so often posted "what is rich" threads where Anet actually spoke. The discussion was about how many hundreds of plat one needed to have to be anything other than "normal", the general forum conclusion was that 100k was very much in the "poor" category. Someone from Anet spoke up and pointed out that the "average" GW player had less than 20k in the bank (I suppose they meant median, though it would be even more skewed if they truly meant "average gold" of the player base). The next arguments were that those people had *at least* several hundred ecto and probably a set of FoW (yea, uh huh). It is similar to builds that assume you are close to UAS. It's amusing how many forum posters give warriors in Kryta builds that need Hundred Blades - especially before you could even unlock in PvP and use a skill tome.

Though I would agree that they need more high end skins and feel they *should* be some of the best looking ones - there is no reason to lock out the truly hardcore players. Normal player skins shouldn't be fugly and everyone should have access to max weapon upgrades (again, within reason - 5-10k is reasonable for a max upgrade or sup rune and not terrible if some runes, such as a vigor, go into the 20k range), but nothing wrong with distinct and very detailed/nice skins to be only available for a high cost/grind. Especially true given the current title grind to reach max (no problem here either - the minimum rank to be effective is trivial to get in all of them and you are able to get close just by playing through the main story line).

As for my thoughts, I appriciate the gj anet has done with gw from day one. What was crafted was a game and game support model that other developers can look to and say "damn, these guys hit the mark". The continual effort and subsequent updates/fixes to gw have kept the game fun/fair/balanced as it was always intended. The game isnt slowly dieing due to a misjudgement, or unintentional falicy on anets part, imo the game isnt dieing at all, at least not yet.
As veteran players who have done all they wish to do, and gotten thier fullfillment out of the game stop playing, more new players keep coming in. Around the time of GW2 release is when I believe we will see the sharp decline of gw1. Once again not from a screwup on anets part, but simply they did so damn good that gw1 players will undoubtedly switch to gw2.

If you think im full of it, flame away. First I would suggest you put gw into perspective though. If you think anet screwed it up, go play archlord... once you see what true indifference, corner cutting, and a complete lack of talent can do to a game with so much potential, then you will understand how well gw has been taken care of.

On a side note, kudos to Aeon for his poetic posts, they are quite refreshing.

I love the brilliance of Anet's design & dev team, how they balanced the various aspects of the game, still being able to provide new stuff. Though I'm sure that, as strcpy very well explained, hardcore players are bored with many aspects of the game and some people hate the grinding, GW still offers the best MMO experience on the market, not the least because there's no monthly fee! I think that Anet was right to target a very specific part of the MMO genre, rather than target the big portion of the market to make big money (I heard that Blizzard merged with Activision, it's going to look like the Microsoft of MMOs and I prefer to stay with the "Mac of MMOs", namely Anet ). I think that they are honestly true to their values, though it has been very difficult given the evolution of the GW population, and they still feel happy about their product.

We still have: beautiful graphics & sound, great game mechanics, special events, tons of things to do (unless you are not a casual gamer), a community (with its good and bad aspects, as always). I've never enjoyed a game like GW in my entire life, never had it been possible to play for a few hours here and there (or entire week-ends), progress during months of quests and missions, always learning new stuff (and I have GWG to thank for that also!) and almost as happy as 1,5 years ago when I started, enjoying the landscape and the music, immersing myself into the story.

GG Anet, I hope you read this thread!

Thanks Aeon221 for your great posts!

I love how Gaile Gray has replied to all my questions when I see her, everytime I see her! I must be favored!

But, I do appreciate the game, otherwise I wouldn't play it. It's still going strong for me.

Why I like Anet? Simple, I've seen what the rest has managed to do.

Fury? Doesnt have anything on GW.
Hellgate? Buggy, memory leaks galore and not very good.
Tabula Rasa? Not even close to GW in any category.

None of these games even matched the review scores of GW's 'worst' campaign, so yeah, Anet isnt perfect but compared to the rest they're almost godlike imho.

I'm happy with what ANET has done as a whole. I haven't played since the very beginning, but those that have seem to think most of the additions ruined the game - titles for example. I happen to think titles are the best thing in this game, it gave me goals, a reason to keep playing.

Sure they have got (alot) of things wrong, but what they've got right outweighs it.

So, thank you ANET.

P.S. Just a shame that this thread was meant as a positive thank you, but other idiots ruined it. Hopefully won't happen here too.

Despite all my quibbles with Izzy's idea of "balance" (Nerfing the Ox dagger attacks? What the hell?) Guild Wars blows every other MMO (okay, so GW isn't technically MMO) out of the water. Dark Age of Camelot's PvP was awesome at times, but imbalances between the 3 realms and now an extremely low server population have made me decide to /uninstall it. Lord of the Rings Online's PvP is a joke. City of Villains' PvP isn't much better IMO. The list of competitors in PvP online games goes on, and GW either beats or breaks even with the best of them. As for PvE (which is surprisingly strong in GW), the only MMOs who can compete are WoW and POSSIBLY CoH/CoV (I kinda liked CoV, anyway) and LotRO (which my friends swear up and down is utterly peerless in PvE).

Also: I had seriously high hopes for Hellgate London... hopefully Age of Conan won't disappoint as well.

I thank ANET for great PvE skills that make unwanted professions wanted and goals for us to work for, as well as better incentives to group with other players.

I also thank ANET for loot scaling, which has been around the best thing Guild Wars economy has seen. Now everyone can afford those superior vigor runes and max weapon mods, not just solo farmers.

I forgot to thank the fantastic artistic team at Anet, those that not only populate the GW world with awesome graphics and lore (the BMP being the cherry on the cake), but who also offer us great artwork that stands on its own. There is a lyrical ambiance to GW that is quite unique, mixing great stories (not only the 3 from the campaigns and the 3 from EotN) with jokes. Voices and books in EoTN were a great addition.

And we should also thanks devs and CRs to continue, for more than 2 years now, to read the fanforums, and discuss on the official GWiki.

That was really odd.

/Concur with stuff.

I have liked Guild Wars from the beginning. I fully expected the game to change and evolve over the years and it has done so. Keeps the game fresh and the additions keeps replayablity high. Anet are all players of Guild Wars and the game shows that. Good job Anet and congrats on making one of the best games ever.

Guild Wars has kept me occupied for nearly 2400 hours. I average 4 hours a day, managing 3 PvP slots, a main character with 14 maxed titles, and 10 other PvE characters. I don't think I'll stop playing even when GW2 comes out, albeit not play as much (if you haven't realized how much potential is in GW2, you really need to start comparing lore and feature lists. ANet DOES have a WoW-killer on their hands if they pull it off right).

Their art: beyond compare. People try to rag on me for being pretty much the only guy at my college they know who plays Guild Wars and not WoW, then I show them the graphics. I've made active comparisons between the concept art Daniel Dociu provides for regions (you see it at loading screens), and the end result the fantastic art team has put in place. I actively hate the Realm of Torment not just because of the ridiculously overpowered enemies, but how ugly and screwed-up it looks.

And the PvP? Yes it has its screw-ups. Yes, the balance has been a little slow in getting adjusted from time to time *coughpreLoDnerfcough*. But GW PvP is accessible at the lowest levels, and it scales up to the top. I used to play StarCraft, more specifically a map called "Snipers." You have never seen a more elitist community than there. If you weren't awesome, nobody liked you. You were either one of the best, or one of the worst, no in between. Hardcore PvPers rag on "all those PvE nubs in RA and AB", but consider what a blessing it is that they are able to even try. THAT is different from most other PvP out there.

And how about the storytelling? My only complaints on it is sometimes atrocious voice-acting (must...restrain...fist of death...from...Danika...) and cheesy lines *coughFactionscough*. Each campaign has a cohesive and believable story. Granted, some are more replayable than others (I'll redo Prophecies and Eye of the North any day, but Factions and Nightfall got old fast), but the first time I did it, the story and the play took me away (except Minister Cho's Estate, which is the most ridiculous mission ever created).

So feh on all you QQers who proclaim the protracted death wails of GW. Go play some other game and let me enjoy the awesomely fun and well-crafted product that ArenaNet has gifted us with. Oh, and did I mention there's no monthly fee?

why do I love them?

Because no matter how much we beat them, they love us back, unconditionally.

For the money, this game has more value than any other game. You pay a one-time fee, and you get some of the best graphics, fight mechanics and skill combinations in the industry. On the PvP side, you have casual and hardcore, separated not just by choke points like TA, but by the players themselves. Instead of just jumping on the nerf bat, the devs give things a chance to play themselves out, then make adjustments as necessary. Judging from the adjustments, Anet show they listen to the hardcore players, while keeping in mind the casual players' gameplay.

In pve Anet truly excels for the casual player. Remember, pve was originally made to introduce people to the game and develop skills for pvp. As casual gameplay came to dominate, they did a good job in adapting to the casual player. As shown from the UB nerf and AoE scattering of foes, they try to keep it from getting too ABC, but it is pve, and it's hard to get immersed in a world when you are getting your butt handed to you all the time.

As to the looks of the game.....I look at WoW, Evercrack II and Lotro and think, I can't believe they charge a fee when GW looks as good, if not better, than those games. The scenery is gorgeous and original. They do a great job with setting the atmosphere for the storylines. The foes use many of the same mechanics over, yet manage to look unique to their environs. It's the only game where I actually will sit in one spot and admire the vistas. That's immersion at its best.

As to those who complain about the game, I don't worry too much about them. If they didn't like the game, they wouldn't be on these forums. They would be too busy playing Evercrack II or WoW. There have been some good adjustments because of those "QQing".

Love the game, the flexibility of it, the combat, the regions, the cutscenes, and the overall design, etc., etc.

Most of all ... perhaps... the humor.

I was just working through the quests involving Goren and his "stuff" and Norgu and his play and I have to say I laughed out loud more than once.

and

The whole thing was just, well, very, very funny.

Thanks, ArenaNet, for the chuckles!

I'm shocked. Lots of posts and no complains up to the point.

And as for the topic...
I love GW for the freedom it gives me.

• Freedom to try and make builds without annoying rerolls in case I've screwed the build up.
• Freedom of going wherever I want through the whole world without long boring runs from town to town or paying for teleports
• Freedom to play whenever I want and as long as I want without "gotta play more for my monthly fee" thought buggering my mind.
• Freedom of getting the best stuff (stat wise) without any significant grind.
• Freedom of playing with hero-hench team that lets me go afk or stop playing when RL calls me.

I hate ANet, because I spent so much money on buying other games and eventually realized that they are all inferior to GW. Because of GW, I am not able to play any other games without having the urge to thrash them after 2 weeks of playing and being bored or annoyed!! Argghhh....

Anet, you know I love you guys!

Very very nice!

Its great that we have so many nice replies up till now, keep it up guys!

P.S. I agree with every post so far, this game is great, and Anet, keep up the good job.

....from my wife, who likes to play the Sims and so on.

GuildWars was my first RPG/MMO etc....and the scenery, the story, the endless playing with the skills, the various arcs, the art, and the professions...all just blew me away. 3,500 hours later, three complete campaigns and an expansion later, I'm still playing.

Let's not forget the whole guild idea: some great people to talk to every day.

THEO YOU ARE TOO NICE!

and for your niceness ill edit this thread.

Doesnt change my views tho.

Whoot a positive Thread for once !

* Looks around for cats *

They are evil you know. They have been known to hi-jack threads.

If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all.

Remember the “good old times” and you'll see there are not many differences, and what has changed has not changed enough to bother what really matters, that we have fun, meet fun/entertaining/different people and have fun exploring/adventuring/questing/slaying and even taking pictures of exhilarating new places/scenery.

well, I am happy that they made a game that I only had to buy some software for and now can play until they turn the servers off-----it made the decision of which online game to get into a simple math equation ....pay once and play whenever you want for as long as you like vs pay and pay and pay and play and pay.....not a hard decision to make!
thanks!

I love ANet for making a game that I paid for once and then giving me free access to an MMRPG. It's been a great experience, and whenever they 'nerf' something, I love it, because it forces me to think differently and new about my play style. Way to go ANet! Keep it up!

Love this post
/agree

For creating a wonderful game...

The game was kidnaped by those who left WoW or other games because of getting bored or not being able to pay the fees or anything else.

Most games are just a ladder, where those that play more are the ones enjoying more, and those that play less are 'second class', that are there to fill gaps and make the place look like there are people playing there.

But not GW. Every single step they make, is to make things more 'average'. You can't find the item you were looking found with perfect stats no mater what you do? Inscriptions! You have to mae 4 sets of armor? Insignia! You can't find many allies in the timezone you play? Heroes! The last boss in that horrible area keeps you from being able to vanquish it? Consumables!
You are unlucky in PvP and can't manage to find a good team to HoH? Zaishen chest! People pretend you to pay more than 100K for a weapon? Zaishen Chest! Nothing to spend Balthazar faction or Tournament Points in? Zaishen Chest! Have only the PvP version of the game, but want Sweet Tooh and Drunkard? Zaishen Chest! XDDD

See the drill?

The Zaishien Chest was a nice addition, and just when I finished unlocking everything in PvP...Bang! A new way to use extra Balthazar Faction, a great addition all the way, but then again everything you have added is good so far, once again Good Job Anet!

I love anet, they've saved me loads of money i'd have spent on other games!

Plus they keep throwing us free stuff, holiday events are awesome, so are weekend events as a nice little bonus' despite the regular tuesday thread (zomgwtflamezorzweekendeventplox).

Plus they listen to us, be it a good thing or a bad thing.

/tip my hat to anet

Here's why I love ANet:

I feel like my ideas are being listened to. I love the fact that ANet makes an effort to pay attention to what is said on community forums like this, and even though I can't say I've agreed with everything that ANet has done with the game I can still enjoy it all; I know that my ideas and concerns have at least been listened to, even if my thoughts are terrible or completely unfounded. And when ANet does use our suggestions from the forums, we can feel a more personal connection with the game world which turns the enjoyment factor up even more

For all the frustration of the seemingly endless whining and complaining about it, I will always cherish Guild Wars for the outright guffaws that it has elicted.

Example: The Cowbell quest in the Jade Sea. The various quotes from heroes and henchies in explorables. Wintersday. Mad King Thorn. And the few times when complete strangers have come together in the same district, at the same time, purely by accident, to have one of those late night philosophy BS sessions that can be so fun.

So, maybe he gripes get more airtime than the praise, but afaic, I'll remember the praise - I'll hold on to what I love the most about all of GW - before I'll let a few disgruntled opinions change my tune.

Aeon, you are an artist of the written word. Well said!

Three words: No. Subscription. Fees.

I have been a PC gamer for over 10 years, but have been "successful" in avoiding the MMORPG, mainly because of the pay to play aspect. I've played online leagues in various other games for over 10 years. But when one of my old teammates showed me GW after having talked about it for over a year, I was sunk. I bought GW Proph last month and after playing for most of a week, I went right out and bought all the rest.

I have uninstalled all of the other games I had been playing and now GW is the only game I play. Every aspect that can make or break a game is well represented here.

I see a lot of spare time going down the drain. Thank you very much Anet.

I have to say I love this post.

Guild Wars is not perfect, but even with its faults it comes much closer to perfect than any other game I have tried. It is the game I want to play ... and keep on playing.

Comparatively speaking, this game is simply the best. Having tried them all, there is currently no comparison. The others are designed for addiction, Guild Wars is designed for clean fun.

And the game just keeps getting better and better.

Agreed,

people who say the 'fun factor' is gone is mainly they've played the game so much. When you start a new game(considering that you like it) your hooked, but you get less interested as time rolls on. I do congradulate anet for making balances and changes to make the game more interesting.

Thanks A-Net for all the hours of fun that I've had playing GW!

I love the art and Design in this game. A-Net's artists are unmatched in the indsutry!

HugZ...