Future Aim for GW - personal opinion

As few might already notice, I am a frequent poster in the suggestion forum. To me, Guild Wars is a great game, yet, it still has so much potential that could be filled (mainly its ability of instantizing the play area). In this thread, as a semi-suggestion/opinion, I will present my idea on the possible direction, or the “aim, that GW could go for.
(of course, this will be just focusing on the PvE aspect of things, and nothing on PvP part, which could be another post)

The easy way to look at it would be what game GW should be more like. While it could take some good parts from the typical MMO genre, in whole, it would be sad should GW become yet another MMO clone. I think GW should be more like a “single player RPG that can be play with other”. The Instantizing would allow this, in which the world would be “build” to your point of view (and not a common one share by many), depended of your progress. This allow for a richer environment and more memorable characters, as well as a more involving story. It is a world tailor to you.

While having the ability to play the game with friends is fun, I do think it should be downplay a bit more (less emphasis on missions), or rather, a more separation between the two. Since often it is un-fun to be force into grouping with strangers. I would encourage smaller group explorations, which take advantage of teamwork and communication within the group. The area can be made where one would experience different experiences depend on if you are group with NPCs of if you are group with other players.

More content and randomness in the maps, which would encourage people to explore more and replay it over again, and not just for farming reasons.

Pre-sear is a good demonstration of the open world style of gaming, while Furnace is a good example of “amusement park ride” type of style. I think those two are good styles to follow and should be expanded more, and less of Point A to Point B linear plot lines. (I have a bit of bias toward mission type of game style)

Knights of Old Republic, I think, would be a great aim for GW in the area of NPC and character developing. Zelda, FF, and number of J-RPGs also have some good aspects that GW should draw upon, practically the exploration aspect of it (in which many of them have those Open world that is full of things to do and collect). The game should not be just about killing things one after another to gain a higher in stats or gold, but rather surprises around every corner.

Well, that is my general philosophy of the game I want to see. I am sure few will disagree, but since it is a personal opinion, blow me! (just kidding of couse, and in figurtive term) Some bullet point summary conclusion:

• - More story and NPC interaction
• - More things to collect (not necessary things that would make you more powerful)
• - More randomness in exploration
• - Less the need to deal with other players (beside socializing)
• - More replay value.
• - Less missions. (reduce the linearness of things)
• - More Personalization Gameplay

for some examples, maybe see this thread
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=84686
titles
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=81595
collectibles
http://www.guild-hall.net/forum/show...hlight=collect

This one by Hidden Agenda also mirrior some of my opinion as well
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=89549

Feel free to C&C on what you think, or write what is your personal hope for GW gaming style.

agree with all you said, also ide like see making towns more interactible maybe like implementing a bar were you can drink dwarven ale and play some little minigames.

I totaly agree with u that this game needs some personalization touch.. so players could use their imagination and came up with some good ideas and put em into use in a game...

Actually i agree with everything u posted above, except maybe when u wrote:
"More things to collect (not necessary things that would make you more powerful)"... if they r not ro be usefull why to add some more when there is already so many that r useles...

But otherwise good ideas, especialy with PvE improvment.

I agree as well. One thing that I thought rather odd (though I see the reason behind it) was the point to point quests. I mean, you know right where the quests go and are hand held through the whole thing. Missions don't point you and you have to actually work through them the first time. Removing the "go here" markers in quests would make for some exploration of an area.
Example:
Quest A says you need to find person X in area D. Now you and a group (or henchies) get to go explore of person X in area D and see if you can find him/her.
It wouldn't make it much harder as you can still use the alt key too see items/people that you can interact with, but would give a reason and a need to explore.

Randomness. Yes please. Randomize monsters with skills within a class more, make them not spawn in the exact same place each time.

An aggro system would also be great for the AI. As far as I can tell (and this is with henchies) the AI is built to b-line to the monk. I have dashed/sprinted far ahead of my henchies to see if monster AI will hold to me. In most cases, they ignore me and head straight after the monk. I would love an aggro system where the first they see gets aggro and then agrro is further gained by hitting, spell casting against it, and healing on a point to point basis. In other words, the more damage you do, and more you heal the more aggro you get and the more likely you are to be the target. This would also open up some warrior "taunt" skills in the shout list. This could also be varied on a class basis for the AI. Enemy rangers/archers could be more likely to switch to hitting casters and healers faster for example.

Hey, thx for poster's agreement. It is good to know that few other share my view.... /tear

-On quest: actually, before (I think it was in beta...) there was no arrow pointing to the location of quest goal. I do like pointy arrows, especially as how much skill aquirization is link to quest, it make life simpler. However, I would also want to see another type of quest that is not as direct as "Go to Point A and Do this", or the SECRET QUEST!!! Gotten by talking to NPC (but with out that big mark on their head), they Hinted more of what to do than actually telling you want you must do. Can be open by selective conditions, or by time of day or just by randomness (random NPC in exploration area). While not like "You now have power glove, you can now go lift rocks and get into more places in place where you been before!", but in similar thinking.

Continuious Quest and Spliting Quest and Henchman Quest are also good possibility to add on to the game.

-On randomness: There were few ideas on that. Maybe will post it out more in another thread.

-On Mob AI: Yes, various and smater mob AI is needed. And have a same mob but with differnt AI is part of randomness too (where each battle willl feel differnt)

-On Collectibles: Well, more mods and runes are needed. But I also would agrue on the positive effect of adding "Fun" collectibles. But remeber, such Fun but unless will but strictly optional, and only for those who wants them (and even have some "serect" to them). I am sure few people still have Gwen's Taperstry with them.....

-Yes on Bars and getting more Drunk.

I don't think the idea of LESS missions are going to be very popular. the missions to me is what make this game. the story is good and the missions are playable with friends or solo.. so it opens many possibilities...

I think you will like the new faction world "domination mode" in chapter 2. basically each faction will have opportunities to control regions of the game map. the more you control the more areas you have open access too and the cheaper you may be able to get things in controlled areas... I say word domination cause thats what it sounds like from the press release, but they have yet to define it totally in public. so we will see...

But less missions? naw I like the number of missions for the PvE side. thats what they enjoy after all so why mess with the one thing in the game that works well without question...

I really like your alls ideas. one id also like to add is increase henchmen AI meaning the casters dont rush into the middle of combat -.-

Hey i wanted to go on a point you where talking about wich would be the map thingy.

I really like the idea of having no minimap, and to have to open the map and chek out places and so forth. I would also like the map to be created from what you know OR to buy pieces of the map for gold or by helping an npc who then gives you a piece of map as a reward.

I also think it would be just lovely if the map would have like names on it for locations and when an npc (like the hench talking about the sister) tells you about a place you can just chek it out on the map.
[and maybe put a little "search" funktion so that you dont have to scroll around the map for hours if you forgot where a place is]

He meant the following:

"I went once with my buddies on a farming run. We where all into the farming when one of the beasties dropped a rare Urthas "Charr Slayer" Windomhopper collectible card. I was looking for that card. So I offered to trade my uber rare Grruff Grugght Charr Commander collectible one for his."

In other words drops that are fun to collect.

Actually it would seem Chapter 1 carters more to the PvP side while Chapter 2 carters more to the PvE side. Just a crazy guess.

The missions are the core of the story in the game...... they are the only times when you hear voice overs, and the deciding events which take place in the game...

Wile I think more exploration type content would be great, and more character developement for multiple NPC with several quests and such, I don't think anything that some people already enjoy in the game should be reduced.

The universal improvement for any game is add, not nerf or neglect, there are bound to be players who enjoy certain contents which you don't or things that you don't even participate in. For instance, some players play only PvP, and others only play PvE. No matter which has the majority, both should be expanded significantly in aspect all players would enjoy, instead of focusing on the one which has slightly more support.

I personally wouldn't like any less missions content in the game then there is now, adding more of something else would be great, but dont neglect an exsisting feature just because something else might be more popular.

Basically Im PvP. But Id love to see lots of new additions to PvE, enough so when I do PvE I can enjoy it.

Right now Id love more story sub quests/arcs that affect the story line depending on decisions made on earlier missions. So that way playing again through missions is a blast.

Id love to see some parts in the map be open and explorable.

Id love to see a more dynamic game. With improved AI for henchman and mobs and that maps are always suprising no matter how many times you go in.

Id love to see the farming/questing issue solved so both farmers and adventurers can be happy.

Id love to see farming solo or in team be equally rewarding experiences.

Id love to see Quests being able to be played out over and over with random high end stuff as rewards like green items or even 1 or 2 ectos.

Id love to see other collectibles and perhaps honorary badges for killing or doing uber quests: "Sweet dude you killed that Goblin King?!"

Id love to see a PvE game that is so enjoyable that it actually pries me away from PvP more often

On something about Missions....

The one major dislike I feel about the missions is the Mission Stuck. (I got stuck in the desert and TK for few month) It is just way too long, and left a disatsifying feeling when failing a mission after spend hour on it, gaining nothing. (especially since I am a casual gamer, which can only have 1 or 2 hour of playing per night) X10 time it, added to the frustration of random PUG, and I hate it.

Mission is good, in where it help carry out the major story line, and chance to show case some more unique scrippted levels, as well as the movies and the voice. But again, it is also very linear, and after 3 or 4th try, it just get tiresome.

I want it to be smaller, shorter. Also make it where the mission story is not the only way of story telling. All other stuff... the NPC, the enviroment, the mob, etc, should all contribute to the plot as well. I mean.. you have a mission where the Charrs army are bursting down the gate, but in the exploration area, everyone is still all cool and feeling no threat. Need a closer tie between the two. thats my opinion on that issue.

As taken from Wikipedia on Matrix Online:


Perhaps Anet should "proactive redistribution of knowledge" (READ Steal some of Matrix ideas ) concenrning making their missions more interactive. Maybe have special players with the ability to log into NPCs (READ Gwen, Aidan, Devona, and the whole slew of others) to start off cool real life rewarding quests!