Guild Wars 2: The One Thread

[Kickbuttmario]

It takes more than "it's Star Wars" and "it's Bioware" to convince me a game is good.

Its funny. I never really enjoyed Bioware's video games. I tried getting into Dragon Age Origins but it felt 100% unbalanced to me. My brother defeated the final boss in the game just by going into stealth and going to the catapult and damaging the boss while the boss didn't know my brother's characters presence. Another is how I never really liked how we the player, are forced to make decisions that impact the game's future and relationship with comrades. There is a pro/con for every decision you make, just like when trying to make the correct decisions in life as well. I don't like stressing if I made the correct/wrong decision in the game. It was like in GTA4, where I was forced to choose to kill a dick or some loner. I killed the loner and I got nothing out of it. I went back into the game and killed the dick and got a new house, car, friend, phone and weapons. It felt to me that this is a mistake on the developers part.

[Deleted]

Is there any info yet on Norn elite racials (those forms) and what they do (besides the changed form)?
I know bear increases health but what will raven, snow leopard and wolf forms do?

Currently thinking of going for Snow Leopard or Raven for my upcoming epic warrior.

You don't have to pick. They are elite skills, you just can have one at a given time.
I know this answer won't satisfy you but in GW1 bear blessing gave you increased HP and boosted movement speeds, wolf blessing was more about lowered cooldowns, attack speed and deep wound and raven blessing was about knockdown immunity, blinding, bleeding and crippling. I'd expect the forms to be similar in GW2. Snow leopard will probably be some kind of a stealthy guy because snow leopard pet has stealth.

[Korao]

Just out of curiosity what is it that swayed you GW2 fans in this direction rather than jumping into the SWTOR bunch?

Like many have said before, GW2 is way more innovative then SWTOR will ever be. We are now in a new decade, so I'm looking for new mechanics, new way to see games, new way to play them. That's exactly what Guild Wars 2 is all about right now, innovations and creativity. On the other hand, we have Star Wars The Old Republic, another so-called "WoW clone", reusing old ideas coming from the early 2000s and even before that. It can be a good thing, because theses ideas was proven to work and it's also what the actual clients are familiar with. Sadly, for me, I'm tired of playing the same games over and over, I stopped WoW for that reason, so I will not go back to the old system I left before only because it's new skins and names. So at the end I will try SWTOR, but Guild Wars 2 is the game I want to play to begin this new awesome decade.

Also, I always have been a Guild Wars fan. I've been playing this game a little bit before Factions release and still played sometimes even after starting playing WoW. At the moment I play Guild Wars again mainly for HoM, but I still enjoy a lot doing PvP, doing mostly CM and AB just for fun.

[Deleted]

This isn't a thread to bash swtor in. You are aware that nearly every dialogue in guild wars 2 is voiced over right?

i didnt bash anything, lol. he asked for the reason, that was my reason. what else should i say than the truth? i felt like that and its ofcourse ok, so dont blame me on bashing something...and about the voiceovers...well i read that swtor is very proud of it and spend a LOT of mone yinto that and believe that players will drive the voiceovers to their game...so its my right to say something about this. dunno what problem you have...and if u dont wanna hear opinions, dont go to a forum...

[Deleted]

Just out of curiosity what is it that swayed you GW2 fans in this direction rather than jumping into the SWTOR bunch? I figure most will pick one or the other, but for me the animations and art in GW2 sold me on it. I play for immersion to explore a fresh new world. An already existing IP MMO and, in my opinion, lesser animations and art is what turned me away.

Still torn between Thief, Necromancer or Warrior. All I know is Norn is gonna be my race, I love snowy northern Viking races whenever applicable. (Barbarians in EQ1)

I have alot of faith in ArenaNet, not as much in BioWare.

[Deleted]

I have alot of faith in ArenaNet, not as much in BioWare.

for me it was the fact that i hate Star Wars and most sci-fi things in general.

[Deleted]

Also, if anyone is interested. Pyre recently joined the guild I am in already, might be a fun idea for people that are busy with their HoM, or are still playing Guild Wars in general, to join us as well.

[Deleted]

Things that can not be proved to me until the game is live. I am in that crowd who believe that removing instanced raiding will cause more problems then it solves.

Can you give few examples of these problems that removing instanced raiding can cause?

[Deleted]

Can you give few examples of these problems that removing instanced raiding can cause?

maybe serverlags, not enough stability. maybe a guild want to "solo" some content and maybe guilds wanna compete in pve. the problems will show up if the game goes live, but these are only examples..

[Odeezee]

1) WoW has refused to do this for the most part, disappointing. SW:ToR is doing this, so that's good.
2) I just explained to you how easy it is to be decked out in PvP gear. Sure, if one player has full PvP gear and another has blues, then the former will win. But if both players have PvP gear, then it becomes a skill based fight (assuming of course the classes are balanced). It IS based around skill, but you have to have the gear to test your skill.

how is SWTOR separating PvE/PvP skills? if there a source link because this is news to me?

[braxx]

i have a few questions concerning the 5 utility skills on the right action bar and keybinding to an other extent:
_when can we switchs those 5 abilities? during combat?
_are thoses locked after entering a pvp game?
_can we keybind a spell to shift+something or ctrl+something ? (i expect someone to have test it at gamescon/pax)
_can we expect mouse utilities or programs like autohotkey being used to remap lateral mouse boutons in windows (to shift and ctrl for example) and not being blocked in game ?

thank you in advance

[Rork]

Those "problems" won't exist they didn't exist in GW why would they in GW2.

The ones that views it as a problem just won't play GW2, not every game is for everyone.

I can understand these concerns .... aion big fights were unplayed for some ppl, don't know if they've fixed it now.

[Deleted]

i have a few questions concerning the 5 abilities on the right action bar and keybinding to an other extent:
_when can we switchs those 5 abilities? during combat?
_are thoses locked after entering a pvp game?
_can we keybind a spell to shift+something or ctrl+something ? (i expect someone to have test it at gamescon/pax)
_can we expect mouse utilities or programs like autohotkey being used to remap lateral mouse boutons in windows (to shift and ctrl for example) and not being blocked in game ?

thank you in advance

You can have 2 weapon sets equip at one time, and can switch between them during combat, which will swap your first 5 skills depending on the weapons you'ree using. I beleive there's a small CD on swapping, but I'm not sure.

Your abilities will be locked in competitive PvP, but you change you utility skills outside of combat in other modes, aswell your weapon sets.

We don't yet, nobody changes keybinds in the demos, it's a waste of your demo time.

No info on that yet.


Hope that helps.

[Deleted]

i have a few questions concerning the 5 abilities on the right action bar and keybinding to an other extent:
_when can we switchs those 5 abilities? during combat?
_are thoses locked after entering a pvp game?
_can we keybind a spell to shift+something or ctrl+something ? (i expect someone to have test it at gamescon/pax)
_can we expect mouse utilities or programs like autohotkey being used to remap lateral mouse boutons in windows (to shift and ctrl for example) and not being blocked in game ?

thank you in advance

_when can we switchs those 5 abilities? during combat? Yes.
_are thoses locked after entering a pvp game? No
_can we keybind a spell to shift+something or ctrl+something ? (i expect someone to have test it at gamescon/pax) Yes
_can we expect mouse utilities or programs like autohotkey being used to remap lateral mouse boutons in windows (to shift and ctrl for example) and not being blocked in game ? Yes

[Deleted]

The utility skills are swappable outside of combat.

In the competative 5v5 PvP they will be locked along with your weapons sets once you enter the game, but any other time you change them aslong as you're not in combat.

[Deleted]

Also, if anyone is interested. Pyre recently joined the guild I am in already, might be a fun idea for people that are busy with their HoM, or are still playing Guild Wars in general, to join us as well.

Interesting, should probably check it out if I get to install GW again at some point.
Have to get a new computer before that, my current one is going pieces a bit by bit.

Oh, and by the way. If anyone could recommend "the easiest way" without spending too much money to get to 25 points, it would be appreciated.
Maybe some vanquishing... I don't care if it takes 2 months to do. Ascendant just sounds too awesome to not have.
I've never been good with money in Guild Wars.

[Deleted]

maybe serverlags, not enough stability. maybe a guild want to "solo" some content and maybe guilds wanna compete in pve. the problems will show up if the game goes live, but these are only examples..

Well... all these are suppositions You said it yourself, in your previous post, that it can only be proved, when the game goes live, but we can analyse some of the "problems" you mentioned:

- server lag/stability: NCSoft has done open server pvp (Lineage 2 for example) and did pretty well at it. The fact they are openly promoting WvWvW pvp, in open field, without any restriction on number of players involved, makes me think they have considered server stability. Lets face it... if they are working on server versus server pvp, where the numbers can easy rise up to 500 players on the same field, i don't think 100 ppl killing a boss will be a concern. But time will tell.
- Guilds wanting to solo for pve kudos: That isn't the focus of the game. If you are looking for that, this game isn't for you. Guild kudos are given in competitive pvp (maintaining a keep on pvp, for example) or achievement wise. This game is more about playing as a server community, not playing against it, in a pve competition.

On a positive note, i would add some issues that make ME excited about no instanced raids:
- less dependency on scheduled raids. If you can team up with anyone, at any given time, by just walking to the event, you can pretty much raid any time you want, with people with the same schedule as you have.
- less focus on mathematical aspect of the boss fight, and more on the fun factor of the fight. Most raiding games right now, focus more on "how much damage can you mitigate" or "how much heal per second can you do" or "how much damage can you output". With a less competitive, more cooperative environment, this is old news. Sure everyone will have to try do their best, but having fun while doing it.
- instanced raids are usually limited in number of players involved. Anyone that has spent 3-4 hours outside a raid instance portal, as a replacement for the raiding team, knows how boring this is. On the other spectrum of this problem, spending 3-4 hours waiting for that extra member that was supposed to show up and didn't, is over as well. Making instanced raids with a fixed number of involved players, is more trouble that fun (anyone that has played vanilla WoW can identify with this problem).

So as you see, for every aspect of the game, there are pros and cons. Is just a matter of measuring what is important for you.

[Deleted]

Interesting, should probably check it out if I get to install GW again at some point.
Have to get a new computer before that, my current one is going pieces a bit by bit.

Oh, and by the way. If anyone could recommend "the easiest way" without spending too much money to get to 25 points, it would be appreciated.
Maybe some vanquishing... I don't care if it takes 2 months to do. Ascendant just sounds too awesome to not have.
I've never been good with money in Guild Wars.

Do the vanquisher titles and you'll pretty much get the explorer titles while your are it.
Get Kurzick or Luxon armour aswell.

[Deleted]

maybe serverlags, not enough stability.

Server lag and stability is always problem that developers need to worry about no matter if the game have instanced raiding or not. It's possible to have that problem even in games with instanced raids (like wow instance servers lagging/crashing or not able to hold enough players).

maybe a guild want to "solo" some content and maybe guilds wanna compete in pve. the problems will show up if the game goes live, but these are only examples..

That's problem caused by players for themselves for wanting game to be something it's not even planned to be. Thing people need to realize that guild wars 2 is not trying to be that game with competitive raids same way as WoW is, so someone who like competitive raiding like in wow should just keep playing wow or maybe try rift or any other mmo that have that instanced raiding. Also not having instanced raiding means more players will be out in world doing these events instead, which is opposite of what wow is like where world is pretty much death.

[braxx]

The utility skills are swappable outside of combat.

In the competative 5v5 PvP they will be locked along with your weapons sets once you enter the game, but any other time you change them aslong as you're not in combat.

damn i deleted my last post by accident. thank you to both Pyre and thejekyll as i said.

and yes i think the whole gameplay will be defined by how thoses swappings are handled. I'll keep an eye close to this.

for my concern about mouse utilities in general was because of my experience during early Aion ToE release where it was completly blocked by the game because of the built-in cheating protection...made me quit the game pretty fast lol