Prima Strategy Guide - Worth it?

Hey all...

I started playing GW shortly after it came out, but quickly lost interest. It wasn't that GW was bad or anything, it was just that I'm already into WoW and FFXI and my mind simply wouldn't stretch itself around a new game.

I recently saw an ad for a Prima Strat guide for GW that (I think) just came out. It sounds pretty good ...

I'm just wondering - is it worth the $30?

(This is obviously an opinion question - any opinions would be appreciated)

No, its not.

First of all, you should never waste any money on guide when you have the internet (only exception being a really artsy guide with lots of exclusive artwork).

Second, the information on it is probably already outdated since the last 2 patches, and you'll just be wasting you're money on wrong information.

Third, don't ever buy a guide when you have the internet.

I have the internet, yes. I have a laptop right next to my gaming PC... But looking stuff up on the internet is great AFTER you get the hang of the game.

I say the same thing to people about FFXI - everything's on the internet. But when I was a newbie the strat guide was invaluable. BUT - I got the strat guide when I was a WoW newbie, and I almost never looked at it at all ...

So ... Without saying "just use the internet" (because I did find this forum, didn't I?) is the strat guide good for a new player?

Well, it may provide some basic helpful things like what quests to do, where to go, what skills there are, what weapons there are, etc, but information like that is not worth 30 dollars. The devs made this game to be fairly straight forward and most of the times there will be an arrow pointing to where you need to go. Skills are introduced slowly, and with attribute reset, you'll never fear having made a wrong decision on your build. If you have 30 dollars to blow, then go ahead and buy it. However, since you found this forum, you can easily find anything you want to know about the game here by using the search function. If you can't find it, just ask the question here, and it'll probably be answered within a couple minutes.

I got the e-guide from Prima and its only $15 plus they will update it as the game changes with patches. I like it because I dont have to sort through 300 posts that have my search string in it just to find the one thing I needed.

I like it, but that's just me. I love having the pull out map beside my comp, and having the minimaps in the guide for the coop missions to show me through them without having to minimize GW (which makes my computer grumpy). but, I was willing to pay $30 (Canadian) for it.

Yeah, pretty much you are paying 30 dollars for a printout of most of the information you need which is available online.

I paid $14 for it on amazon. Where are you guys getting $30? Anyhoo... a poster sized map is cool. Having all the skills and where you can get them is cool. Having all the quests listed for you is cool. Worth $14? It depends on what you can get for $14. In California here it will barely get you a pizza. It won't buy you a bottle of wine. In Ethiopia it might feed a family for a month. Price is all relative.

Got the Eguide. Its nice to be able to search a collector and find out exactly where he is and what he wants. In fact its nice to be able to search anything in the game and not have to sift through different sites.

nothing compares to it online for listing which skills can be quested

I found it worthwhile

14 $ for a PDF file?!!?? Come on!! What good is that, unless you empty out your printer cartridges printing it??!!

The small mini PDF they allowed us to download/preview seesm to me it would be better to buy the physical book -- unless you just WANT to spend 14$ for a 224 page PDF file. Yeah, you can search it, bookmark it --- but 14$ for a PDF file?!

Preference I guess. I supposed the so called updates are what make it "relevant". But how often are the updates?

From Prima's site:
"Prima may release an updated eguide that reflects these changes."

But still 14$ for a PDF file??

I was going to buy the E-Guide BUT when i read that each additional update is 10$ i decided to go with paper back

I bought the paperback strat guide even tho it doesn't tell u where all the quest are it tells u great amount of information on class's and skills..where the collectors are, armor amounts, pet stats, henchmen.. and the map is great, it tells u where the boss's are if ur lookin for a skill to cap as well. like EXACT locations

Yeah u can find all the info online, but having something to read while ur bored waiting on a mission or goin out and just need something to read its a great guide to bring.

I dont think its worth it, I dont think any guide is. But I guess if you find these types of games challenging maybe it would be a good idea. The thing is, its easy to find any information you need with the net, or with players ingame. Why pay for something you just dont need?

While I wouldn't buy this, I would like to see all the skill quest locations. Is there somewhere on the internet that list these?

I bought the book (both my husband and I use it) and find it usefull. I like being able to look up where to get the skills I want, not that I mind doing it the good old fashioned way too, but there have been a couple of skills that we have looked all over for and just couldnt find, that is where the book comes in handy. Mainly we got it for the maps. I like to explore, and when I think I am dont in an area I look at the map to double check, and there have been a couple of times that there will be a corner I have missed.

Ist off, i dont know where you find this strategy for 30$...anywhere in the US its 19.99, and if your not in the US (sorry about your luck). The Guild Wars Official Game Guide is a must have for any GW Hardcore player. I use the internet, this forum and the Guide as a quick reference to maps, what max dam on all the weapons are, (so i know what to keep and what to salvage). My favorite part about the book, is the Class Breakdowns, tells what mergers work, and dont work. Skill listing for every class is a bonus, right there so when im tryn to cap an elite spell i can open the book, read what spell it is, what it does so i can equip it or not. Also tells you what drops monsterous fangs, lists all weapons and bonuses, what materials craft into what with a salvage kit. There is SO much info jammed into 225 pages. Its mostly acurate on what things cost, cept for the dye section..but heck--that fluxuates everyday. If your the type of person that wants to know stuff like "the Horn bow has a range of 142 feet" or how damage is applied at different armor levels or How Divine Favor works, then yeah..you want this book. Yes a lot of info is on the web...but this book takes 80% less time to find, its more like a cross reference guide (or a code book for GW). I use the Strategy Guide every day. The 3 foot x 4 foot wall poster is great for planning where your guild will be on saturady afternoon. Looking at the size of this book, and the quality of print, im saying 19.99 is very reasonable for this book. I dont know who has to pay 30 for it, because its 12.99 euro. So you might want to fed-x it from someplace cheaper.

PS--This is not a picture book, its an info book. The picture book came with the collectors Edition and was much smaller.

I bought it and I love it. It has a few short comings and type-o's but other than that I find it invaluable. One thing that did bug me though was it listed the skills "Meteor" and "Fire Attunement" as being capturable in the "Kryta - The Wilds" mission. Now I'm not saying they aren't there, but when I looked for them all I could find for a skill was "Rust". And the guide has it listed as only being obtainable at a vendor in Port Sledge. I'm confused.

I suppose my query to those naysaying the guide (and I am one of them) is: would you rationalize paying for the guide if it were bound with paper and glue rather than 1s and 0s?

Personally, I enjoy getting game guides, even if they're made obsolete after a patch or two.
-- Scaper-X

I think it is worth what I paid for it ($20us). Guess that makes me in the minority. I have found the maps have helped me at times. I do agree you can minimize the game and do a search but I find having the printed guide before me more useful. I do think the printed guide will be dated as changes are made and the online guide can be updated as needed so in the long run the e-guide might be of better use. I think though the devlopers should take time to give the guide inside info on what is really going on with some items/equipment/pets etc.

Judge for yourself. Prima got a large preview on their site:

http://estore.primagames.com/eguide_...?prodid=NC2100

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