Given the below, would GW1 appeal to me?

[DSRilk]

I tried GW1 way back in the day, but not for very long before the invisible walls and no jumping put me off enough to play other games. However, I really enjoy GW2, so I was debating giving GW1 another try. What I enjoy most about GW2 are the stories and dynamic quest/event system. Given that, would you recommend I play GW1? Also, is it possible to solo the entire game? I heard something about being able to "hire" NPCs to fill out groups for dungeons and such. Is that correct? Thanks in advance for the input.

[Deleted]

Guild wars 2 and guild wars 1 are completely different games, to the point where they can hardly be compared.

that said, the storytelling in gw1 is a lot better. It doesn't have a dynamic event system as far as I know.

also yes it's completely soloable and the npc hiring is true

[Valeron]

GW1 is nothing like GW2 mechanically. The only thing the two games share is the lore.

I do think the story is better presented in GW1 due to the mission structure, but that is just my preference. It is a party based game but you do use "NPCs" as you say to fill out the party. The heroes, customizeable npcs, are more powerful due to having more control. And yes, you can solo through everything, most people do.

I don't think the storytelling is a lot better. Better perhaps due to the presentation they use but not a lot better.

[DSRilk]

It looks like there are multiple versions. I see Prophecy (which seems like the base game), Factions, Nightfall, Eye of the North, and Beyond. Is there a bundle to get them all? I can only find one that gives Prophecy and Eye or one that gives Prophecy, Factions, and Nightfall without Eye. And I don't see anything that seems to offer Beyond. Any suggestions or pointers?

[Valeron]

Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall are all standalone games. Eye of the North is the only true expansion.

Beyond is content that is downloaded with the game, depending on which campaign you get.

About what bundles there are, not sure. Just know that Beyond isn't sold, it is automatically given with what game you get.

[Soul Hermit]

Usually there are bundles on steam, the Guild Wars Trilogy, which I think comes with Eye of the North expansion.
I got mine for 10$ on a sale, and finished the campaigns, although with a lot of help from a guild.
Beyond is a downloadable content from their site, and usually varies in price, and include side missions that support the lore (like Saul D'alessio encounter with the mursaat which lead to the White Mantle, etc).

If you enjoy GW2 you won't necessarily enjoy GW1, as they are very much different from each other. In GW2 the combat is dynamic and feels fluid, and in GW1 the combat is kinda like an old RPG, but with a lot of skills and builds.

[LilSaihah]

Usually there are bundles on steam, the Guild Wars Trilogy, which I think comes with Eye of the North expansion.

Trilogy has Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall. You'll need to get Platinum or standalone EotN as well as Trilogy.

[Deleted]

What I enjoy most about GW2 are the stories and dynamic quest/event system. Given that, would you recommend I play GW1?

Yes, though it works rather differently than GW2. Each campaign has it's own storyline, and they're worth a play. The main storyline is a pretty much a linear sequence of missions, and each area has more traditional type of side quests.

Also, is it possible to solo the entire game?

Yes.

I heard something about being able to "hire" NPCs to fill out groups for dungeons and such. Is that correct?

Yes, you can hire Henchmen to fill out your party in any campaign, those are preset NPCs. You need to have Nightfall or Eye of the North to have customizable controllable Heroes.