new server rule set: original release GW build

So this one was inspired by an article I read here,

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09...ets/#continued

specifically, #3, which some Everquest players may recognize as a separate server that played the game at the original build, no expansions.

While this probably isn't the best suggestion of all-time, the article did get me thinking. It would be cool to go back and play GW with the original HUD, very first live build, no expansions, original classes, no PvE skills, cute things like unconditionals and clay bricks and such.

Of course doing so would require a ton of resources the Live Team DOESNT have, and a new character slot for anyone wanting to play on it.

So I know this has 0% of happening, but it would be fun.

i would /sign if it didn't have any advantages whatsoever to the regular servers, kind of like a pre game-type. so no exploiting or w/e you can think of goes on,otherwise, i think it would be great, i never got to play in the very first huds of gw and would love to experience it.

i agree- going back to beta playing where we all had to run with our rangers or such and actually touchdown the res shrines to activate em and get the old pre beta items.

/signed

but werent the clay bricks just a rumor no actual screenshots?

I agree with the OP, even if i did not play the beta, i was in early enough to go trough Proph with henchies only.

That was back in the days when i use to use a bow.

I honestly think the only thing such an idea could be good for is PvP.

/unsigned

Waste of resources so some players could get a quick nostalgia fix.

I would sign up for that in a heart beat. It would be nice to play the game back when it was a real challange, as long as they keep the exchange points out of it.

Oh, and Clay Bricks were real (http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Clay_Brick), mine disappeared from my inventory years ago.

To go and abuse old broken AI to farm.
To abuse broken mechanics in the HOH.

I'd be in for a slice of that.

@KZaske - wouldn't make much sense to go back and not have the Refund Points. That was part of the initial game and challenge. I also believe that while the RP was in the build, you could also swap skills out while exploring. I would much rather spend more time with that original build since it wasn't around all that long and made for quite the learning experience.

Hanok

Refund points are a terrible idea. I have no idea why anyone would think they're a good thing to have.

Agreed. Launch day prophecies was pretty terrible. PvP wasn't even very good until it reached its peak right around/before Factions launch.

right, shady........I'm not suggesting GW2 network devs be taken off task to get something like this going, just if it's something people would play if offered. Most Sardelac suggestions don't take resource/personnel requirements into consideration one bit; I admit it's not worth it, because it would be a big task.

Anyways, there were mud bricks and clay something-or-others. There were a few material crafters scattered across the Southern Shiverpeaks (one in Tasca's, the other in the big zone outside Droknar's Forge) that crafted them from common mats + a few gold. I had a few personally, and why would I bother taking a screenie of something I wouldn't know would later be taken out of the game?

Not exactly related, but back then there was no materials tab in storage (so no extra spots for them ever existed).

Regarding refund points, yes they were a stupid idea from the get-go and were axed for good reason. But I'd like to play the game exactly as it was from launch, ugly parts and all.

That would be impressive since they never were in anyone's inventory to begin with
To quote the wiki "A Clay Brick was a rare crafting material available from artisans in exchange for 1 Brick of Mud, 1 Pile of Glittering Dust and 20 gold. As there were no known sources of Bricks of Mud, it was impossible to craft Clay Bricks."

GW has no separation between servers. And it should be kept that way.

Having a deprecated, old, broken, retrogade version would mean having to manage and support it, while keeping the characters in there separate from the ones in the current version, because there's no way you could have characters jumping between both with their items and money earned with overly effective farming gimmicks.

Going back to 'old times' is for some reason alluring for some people, but it's never really a good idea.

I don't know about that. I regularly go back to the games of old - white or green-lined dungeons; 8 bit music; pixilated monsters - you don't know the meaning of the word grind unless you played RPGs back in those days. Heck, when I am really feeling the urge, I fire up my old IBM PC XT and pull out my 5.25"ers.

Certainly this is not a thread of true seriousness, but a good one of "what if?". I wouldn't see a problem with developing a single-player version of the game where you can flip between the classic and current versions of the game (sort of what Guybrush re-releases did with their graphics). Heck, why not even let us host our own servers? There's a ton of classic on-line games that are still going thanks to player-based servers.

Hanok

I think it would be interesting to have the option of playing the game when it was an adventure RPG more so than a "look at my ossim numbers and titles r'nt i so l33t?"

Ah yes it would.

But of course people are going to say it would be a boring waste of time and they are right to say so. Every time I try and play just (JUST) prophecies with [NO] heroes, NO power leveling in factions, straight hardcore progression from start to finish, I get bored the second mission in post-searing ascalon and go play an FPS like left 4 dead or call of duty. It always seems like a good idea at the time, you figure... "hey I haven't played in a while, this'll be a tasty nostalgia cookie." and then it fails. It's the sad cold truth. It's only fun the first time, when you didn't explore every forsaken inch of the game and didn't know what was next, but that's gone now. It's never as good as the first time.

Why don't we look forward more so to Guild Wars 2, where we can literally relive the "first builds" of an MMO for 6-12 months and then in 6 years we can have the same discussion on 9/10/2017.

Those are old games. It's different than 'old versions', or 'old customs'.

When most people install old games, they also install all the patches for them.

Also, when there's a remake of those games, people usually prefer the remake, like with the Special Edition of the Monkey Island games.

The fun of a game lies in the rules of the game and the people you play the game with.