Alright, I’ve before I start let me say that I really do love this game; as with any love there comes a matter of those “cutesy things that get on your nerves” those flaws that eventually stand out like a festering wound on your lovers face. Guild Wars is a great game, you can tell that it is oozing with hours of blood sweat and tears, and it is this fact that makes certain glaring issues even that much more in need of that same tender loving care to remedy.
After playing Guild Wars through and through (on my third character to unlock all the skills) I’ve seen the good and the bad. There is plenty of good, however it is not about the good that I am posting. Below is my personal opinion of major issues that need addressing. Now, I’m not going to just whine and complain without offering any effort to a remedy, so with each problem I will present one of the many possible solutions that might be available. Without further ado I bring you...
***The Top Ten Serious Problems with Guild Wars***
10) ***Extremely limited travel: ***
Problem) Ok, let me get this one point across. The graphics and art work in Guild Wars is simply f***ing amazing. I bought the collectors edition simply for the art book. In game the graphics remain equally awe inspiring, which leads to a major gameplay flaw--- Why on EARTH are we so limited on where we can walk and what we can do?! It literally turns traveling across terrain into a simple game of “You can walk here, but you can’t walk here.” sometimes without any apparent reason. Without cause certain 15 degree slopes are unmanageable to climb, yet a 80 degree wall is able to be simply walked up with no effort? Why can we not walk and explore a little, maybe some sort of interactivity with the map. Sooo much of the graphics and world are wasted to be nothing more than a pretty picture. The pretty pictures are for the art book, the gameplay and functions of the pretty pictures are inside the game.
Solution) It is so highly embedded in the game it would be extremely difficult to fix this problem. However, at the very least reconsider these inappropriate limitations on movement, and let us EXPLORE more. A more reasonable solution to the current time frame is give us more “little things” to do in town. There are some GORGOUS towns to visit, but nothing at all to do in them separate from other towns. At least in towns, cut down our restrictions on movement, give us objects to interact with; items to use, mini-games to play, or any reason to interact with the environment and other players in the town. To expect a rehaul of the whole world is unreasonable, but at least look at the towns.
9) ***In-game trading:***
Problem) My god, I have never seen such a horrible in-game system for trading items and selling wares in any pseudo MMO to date. I’d mention Diablo 2 (which isn’t really an MMO but shares similarities to Guild Wars with this problem), but even there trade seemed to take place easily on chat channels and deals could be set up. We have 70 freaking billion districts, each with their own trade channel that scrolls by so fast no one is able to read it unless they spent 5 years learning to speed read. My storage is full of great stuff, but the idea of trying to find a way to even sell it puts me off.
Solution) There are a couple reasonable fixes to this problem. Official trade boards, unified in-game message boards. However, I think the best is to have two out-post towns specifically designed for player trading. These towns would contain a higher than regular player cap, and allow for some of the regular merchant and trading npcs. In these towns would be two specific features. Trade boards, where one could post if they are looking for certain items to buy or sell, and auction NPCs. For those who have played World of Warcraft, the auction system just works far too well and some sort of set up like this is desperately needed in Guild Wars. We need a place to sell and buy… desperately.
8) ***Armor and weapon designs.***
Problem) The armor suits look great; all 3 similar palettes of them that is! You can tell a lot of work was put in to give the designs a unique flavor, but we are FAR too limited by our selections. Weapons could use a little help in this area as well, but it is in armor that we are the most restricted.
Solution) Give us something more than just dyes! A few more new pieces of armor styles that we can mix and match, some type of items that we can use to customize our armor outfit further like medals, pads, jewelry, heck anything. Maybe these options could be won in PvP, or maybe special quests in roleplay. Give those annoying 500 exp quests a real reward such as a armor attachment for customizing your look.
7) ***1 Million skills, but you can use… 8!***
Problem) Ok, limiting the skill so you have to plan ahead is a good idea. However, limiting the number down to 8 is a bit too much. I know some of you may say that this number is just perfect, and I once thought that too. However, once you start getting those “complimentary” skills, the little ones that are extremely specific to circumstances that cannot be planned or expected, you start wondering why you are so limited. You pretty much are cut down to 7 slots technically, because unless you are a blithering idiot, you ALWAYS bring a resurrection signet, even if you are a monk for a full res. They are too valuable (almost too valuable).
Solution) 10 slots. You heard me, just 10. I’m not talking about a major increase, but just enough to allow a couple more options. Give us a use for that 9 and 0 key, they are just begging to be used. This increase would not be enough to unbalance the game, and would be just enough to give us more options and a better experience. 10, no more and no less.
6) ***Monsters… the 80th incarnation of the same version!***
Problem) I am so… f***ing sick of scorpions, or those damn mite like critters. Yes, they are nice… well actually, the monsters aren’t all that unique at all, they are just “drawn” well. However, after killing the same totally mindless monster, that follows the SAME brainless no AI attack charge pattern it gets boring. In fact, it gets boring in the first few play sessions. If you are going to have us killing and wandering THIS much, then don’t give us 90 types of bugs to kill.
Solution) More monster types. Heck doesn’t have to be that much just something to keep the bordom off. AI is in serious need of help as well. You could leave many monsters alone, such as the mindless critters, but other than the monk class enemies, they all play the same mindless way. Give SOME flare to things, maybe move around, give some attack pattern changes. We will take anything that gives us something to plan for instead of mindless plowing, and the only challenge being who to plow first.
5) ***Instances. What a waste!!!***
Problem) Instances, they allow you to party and explore your own world, free from empty battle grounds of newbies killing rats or rabbits. Yet, in Guild Wars, they are repeating land patterns with little to no variety. The key virtue of instances is to allow scripted sequences, a story to be told. Maybe planned monster ambushes and attacks. Special triggers that are set off. Despite the huge opportunity for this chance to be exploited, instances are wasted and become lonely waste lands filled with no AI monsters, with the occational cut scene that is skipped once you’ve seen it. Gameplay folks, you could have really had something. I mean, if anything you could have had a limited number per instance or something if you aren’t going to have anything else for us.
Solution) When I first saw the catapult part in one of the beginning missions, I had my hopes up. This sort of thing was what instances were for, unique content. Boy was I let down, as it ended up to be wave after wave later. The siege worms were something new at least 60 missions later. The best solution I can think of is to not make the same mistake twice, in the expansion, open things up a bit. USE the advantage of instances in the game that you have. Heck, maybe allow more than just one group in an instance. Give us scripted sequences and events that are worth caring about, any game can have cut scenes. Guild Wars isn’t an MMORPG, so exploit that opportunity.
4) ***Pets… SUCK.***
Problem) Why not just change the skill title to “Tame meat shield?” This is literally all they are for, you can’t even control their actions, and the second the die you lose your skills for a few seconds. Come on people!
Solution) We don’t need much to keep the game balanced. If they are going to be an attacking meat shield at least let us TELL them what to attack effectively. Create a small creature window that lets us tell them who to attack and if to return to their master, or freeze their location. Some sort of options to control it. And remove the skill timer reset when they die. Keep that for when you res the pet only.
3) ***Where the hell is 1 vs 1???***
Problem) This is a heavily oriented PvP game. Based on balance, and combat against players. How on EARTH does this game not have the option to duel or fight another player one on one?!?! I could have swore I even read somewhere on the box that this option existed. There are many times where I just want to show my skills alone, or take out an annoying little prick who thinks he’s so hot; yet we can’t have the chance of getting this satisfaction. This has nothing to do with game balance, we have so many options on skill choices available that there is nothing wrong with letting us duke it out. The argument that it was effect the game is absurd due to it being at heart focused on PvP.
Solution) One on one arena, complete with some type of token that you killed the player. Ears, toes, anything… one on one is about ego and PvP at its most core nature. Know a little prick who screwed up your group and thinks he’s hot stuff? Take him out to the ball game, take HIS balls. (Now that I think about it that isn’t a bad PvP award token… but it isn’t ever going to get in due to those f***ing ESRB restrictions). This game desperately needs one on one combat.
2) ***PvP content… where is it?***
Problem) So much effort has been put into attempt to give a balanced system that allows for team and guild based combat. PvP in the game is quite well done… Too bad you don’t see much of it except repeating the same battle in the same arena over and over! When I bought this game, I expected PvP. Not a mindless build up till we can PvP in a restricted arena! It is not like you even lose anything, this game was created for combat and a focus on such.
Solution) Give us PvP. Remember that first mission at the beginning of the game where you were set up against another team before starting your first instanced mission? Where is that later in the game? Give us key missions in the game that depend on killing another team trying for the same mission; half mindless AI, the other half competition against another team to complete the goal for that 1k exp. Give us unsafe travel zones that must be traveled where players are open to attack each other for exp bonus or small rewards. Maybe a mission where one side plays the bandit and the other team must escort the NPC while the others respawn. Give us something to play with instead of just the same sort of Arena’s and HoH matches over and over. Hell, give us one mission where it is a free for all travel to the middle. We need a reason to have enemies to even declare war on, and people to have as rivals besides just ditching our group half way through an RP mission. Give us purpose; give us a reason for passion in a fight! Give us a reason to despise a rival guild and fight them.
1) ***Guild Wars…What wars?!?***
Problem) My biggest issue, this is slightly connected to problem 2, but more specific. The name of the entire game implies combat between player guilds, however in reality we are limited to one very minor section that guilds even participate in true Guild Vs Guild content. Even then, it is extremely limited and minor. For the entire title of the product to be 2% of your game content or less, there is beyond a slight problem here. It isn’t even a war! Heck, it would be like the United States going over to England and asking “Hey, dude! Wanna fight for a bit in Hawaii and see how we do?” “Okay! Sounds fun, but then we gotta go back to running around aimlessly in the country side.” Come on! Be true to your name, we didn’t see and read about the game thinking about how we want the smallest aspect of gameplay to be related to the title of the game. I don’t know about you, but I expected actual wars…
Solution) Wars, actual fights! I want to see 20 player caps for each side on a huge battlefield, with tactical points, catapults, keeps and points of control, with maybe even some npc soldiers to bring into the fight or guard certain areas. The land would be much larger than the basic arena or guild war map, and be worthy of a war. Bases to take, mission objectives as well. Most of all, something to win and lose! Guild Wars could require a decided money wager, the winning side having the amount distributed among the victorious contestants, maybe even some sort of spoils of war or items up to play for. Wars are fought over a purpose, give us something to fight for and something to protect from losing. Most of all, expand this aspect of the game greatly. It is what the game was truly about originally.
(Conclusion) Well, that is my two cents. Love it or hate it. Hopefully, something good can be taken from it and benefit the game. Remember, the game just started, and there is a whole future ahead for this type of genre that is the first of its kind. Let us hope that it is given a true chance for a good future of care, and not neglect.
-Gance Trandonson E/N20
G
(IMO either better skills, or a control system is needed)
