That old RPG "feel"

[Deleted]

I'd like it if they'd have a setting that would ALLOW you to be immersed:
- no hearts, vistas, points of interest, icons on the minimap
- no overhead icons, floating map-thingys, etc in-game.

Let me be mentally slip into the world, and stop reminding me that I'm sitting on a computer playing a game.

This is already in the game. If you open your world map you will see a small eye icon in the bottom left hand corner where you can disable every map icon, apart from the waypoints.

[Mavecryst]

No I don't think GW2 has that old RPG feel, but then again, I don't think it's supposed to. Leave that to the RPGs. I feel the same as in the OP, very few games give me that feel anymore (Tales of Vesperia did a good job though), and I agree with those saying it's partially nostalgia, but also partially the "art" behind alot of games now. Whether accidentally or intentionally, old school RPGs that didn't have alot of graphics to work with had to use other means (silence, specific cuts to a scene, various sprite expressions, even that weird "perspiration emote" thing) to convey feelings and other things.

And it worked, because imagination. It actually appealed to more people because imagination is both diverse and common and at the same time. Most people have it, even if what we imagine is different. But in being able to imagine, we are personalizing the experience for ourselves. Nowadays, there is nothing left to imagination, and that makes things boring.

[leafs43]

A disappointing ending doesn't make a game bad. Move along and stop raging, it's overdue already.

A disappointing ending doesn't ruin an entire franchise.

Mass Effect 3's ending did just that. Mass Effect 3's ending is one of the biggest epic fails in video game history.

[ThisWillNotStand]

OP I agree with you, it's why I love games like Legacy of Kain: Defiance and Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War, and the original WoW (since I was coming from a Warcraft 1, 2 3 background filled with great lore). I feel like GW2 is more alive because the NPCs are a lot more alive, but that's as far as it goes so far. When players will start gathering I'm sure it'll feel even better.

[terrahero]

It basicly boils down to aestethic vs fidelity. A game with a high fidelity can look like total shit, while a game with crappy fidelity can look amazing because it fits. Gw2 has a good aestethic to it, and thats what makes it look good. Because it all fits together quite nice.

just as i look up from Terranigma on the SNES.

You're alright

[oplawlz]

Can't really agree with this. Tolkien's writing was actually fairly complex, unless I'm misremembering.

GW2 story is full of mustachio-twirling villains and paragons of justice and giant world-destroying dragons to slay. The only thing missing is that our characters aren't wearing colorful tights emblazoned with a logo representing their moniker.

Not that Sauron wasn't a gigantic evil and obvious villain, nor his armies, but the story had plenty of intricacies. GW2 plot would do well on, say, Power Rangers.

I can see where you're coming from with this, but is moral ambiguity really necessary for a great story? I kinda like that evil is evil in most of the class story lines in this game, and the heroes are pillars of righteousness. It should be noted, however, that the sylvari story blurs the lines a bit . . . I actually found myself wanting to join the nightmare court for the limited exposure I had in the last bwe.

[styopa]

This is already in the game. If you open your world map you will see a small eye icon in the bottom left hand corner where you can disable every map icon, apart from the waypoints.

Ooh, cool - thank you, I didn't know that existed. Kept looking in options, video settings, etc.
Terrific.

[DrakeWurrum]

I can see where you're coming from with this, but is moral ambiguity really necessary for a great story?

I think it makes stories less boring and less predictable, at least. I don't mind evil being evil, but I like it when the evil is sensible.

[worprz]

I don't really understand this old rpg 'feel' you are talking about. I don't know if its because I'm tired and sick or maybe I just wasn't around when there were 'old rpg's'

Anyway Dragon Age was a game that didn't draw me in at all. When I played it the opposite happened, I really had no drive to play any games after playing that game and felt like I had to go running for 3 hours.

On the other hand The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is the most 'alive' game I have ever played. I love that game so much and most games don't even come close to how much I enjoyed it.

But honestly I don't like most video games. It is really hard for something to grab my attention. For example I can't get into FPS games because all it is to me is mindless combat with no great story. I can't get into many final fantasy games because it is like an interactive movie to me. I like the story but the rest of the game is too slow for me. Assassins creed is a game I like but its not my favorite. The game has beautiful cities for me to explore, a decent story but the game is repetitive. Also the people didn't feel real or alive other than they react to you killing people.

For me an rpg needs a decent story, a beautiful world (I don't mean good graphics, Maarius' video is a good example), and good strategy/action combat. To me guild wars 2 has all these things and that is what draws me in. What I want is an action/adventure platformer rpg I guess

[fishious]

During this last BWE I started getting that same feeling of exploring a new MMO world like I did when I was younger and playing EverQuest. It is a really great sense of adventure, and I'm going to be playing GW2 with people that I met playing EQ more than a decade ago! It makes me feel very nostalgic indeed.