With all the awesome new things coming to GW2, it might feel very fresh at release, and capture new and old players straight away... Most people will be thrilled. Oh how much we love this new awesome MMO that changed the genre forever.
But do you people all realise that despite all the nice new features GW2 will feel just like a traditional MMO after a few months of playing it? Once you can look passed the new mechanismes, there is just another MMO beneath that blanket. I hope you like MMMO's enough to survive this .....
If you grew tired of current MMO's and dont like the current mechanics very much chances are big that in the end you will grow tired of this one too sooner or later. People that dont like current MMO combat mechanics might also grow tired of GW2 in a few months. Maybe they just don't like MMO's enough...
I think by the time people realise this, they will start trashing this game like they do now with all other current MMO's and a few popular future ones. Saying that the game was far less revolutionary as promissed. But the only ones that promissed themselves a revolution is their own kind of people. People that just dont like the MMO genre enough....
I am not sure that OP realise that he could have a valid point that still doesn't matter at ALL anyway.
And thats because it doesn't matter a second if people grow tired of GW2 after some time, as long as they had a blast before that happend. In fact this has happend for alot of GW1 regulars. Because the game is b2p what matters is that you have a great time, then no matter how burned out you suddenly feel, there is all the chances in the world that you come back later,. It's all part of the buisness model. Just before new content shows up there have been a huge raise in activity from old burned out players coming back to gw1. And there is no reason not to expect this to happend in GW2.
So whats the problem of growing out of the MMO format, if you still can have a good time and come back when you want!
With all the awesome new things coming to GW2, it might feel very fresh at release, and capture new and old players straight away... Most people will be thrilled. Oh how much we love this new awesome MMO that changed the genre forever.
But do you people all realise that despite all the nice new features GW2 will feel just like a traditional MMO after a few months of playing it? Once you can look passed the new mechanismes, there is just another MMO beneath that blanket. I hope you like MMMO's enough to survive this .....
If you grew tired of current MMO's and dont like the current mechanics very much chances are big that in the end you will grow tired of this one too sooner or later. People that dont like current MMO combat mechanics might also grow tired of GW2 in a few months. Maybe they just don't like MMO's enough...
I think by the time people realise this, they will start trashing this game like they do now with all other current MMO's and a few popular future ones. Saying that the game was far less revolutionary as promissed. But the only ones that promissed themselves a revolution is their own kind of people. People that just dont like the MMO genre enough....
Replace "GW2" in your whole post above with "SW:TOR or Rift" and I think you'd be on to something.
There are fundamental, vital differences between GW2 and previous MMOs in some of the most basic and foundational elements of the game. Although these changes may not be as flashy or as easy to market as buzzwords...they are what will matter in the long run.
The focus on social play from the ground up, the changes to how story is delivered and how it's integrated into the game play, the changes to the most basic content mechanism, the flat leveling curve, the scaling of events and of player level to the content. I could go on and on. These are the types of changes that will make GW2 "FEEL" different, because it actually IS different. Wait and see. Once people get over their programming from years of WoW-formula games and start enjoying the journey and the game play, rather than just chomping at the bit for the next release of stale content to chew through in record time...this whole genre is going to shift.
Will some people put the game down after a few months and do other things? Sure...but I think the people who stay will be staying for VERY different reasons than what we typically call "retention" in this genre. Players aren't going to stick around in GW2 because there's some little carrot continually taunting them to grind the same content one more time, and then one more, and one more...or some arbitrary time sink or gate forcing them to play hundreds of hours simply to see what's behind door number two or get a 1% chance of the next layer of meaningless gear. Players will be staying because they are enjoying themselves and feel like a part of a community, and because they feel an attachment to the world and their character that other games just don't provide.
It's all about the fundamentals. Wait and see. I'm not saying the genre is going to change overnight and that all WoW-formula games are going to get swallowed by a big chasm in the earth...but I do think that the direction of the genre is going to change in some really crucial ways...that the seeds are going to be planted, and that we might take the first several baby steps on the road to the potential this genre offered in the beginning.
With all the awesome new things coming to GW2, it might feel very fresh at release, and capture new and old players straight away... Most people will be thrilled. Oh how much we love this new awesome MMO that changed the genre forever.
But do you people all realise that despite all the nice new features GW2 will feel just like a traditional MMO after a few months of playing it? Once you can look passed the new mechanismes, there is just another MMO beneath that blanket. I hope you like MMMO's enough to survive this .....
If you grew tired of current MMO's and dont like the current mechanics very much chances are big that in the end you will grow tired of this one too sooner or later. People that dont like current MMO combat mechanics might also grow tired of GW2 in a few months. Maybe they just don't like MMO's enough...
I think by the time people realise this, they will start trashing this game like they do now with all other current MMO's and a few popular future ones. Saying that the game was far less revolutionary as promissed. But the only ones that promissed themselves a revolution is their own kind of people. People that just dont like the MMO genre enough....
I am not sure that OP realise that he could have a valid point that still doesn't matter at ALL anyway.
And thats because it doesn't matter a second if people grow tired of GW2 after some time, as long as they had a blast before that happend. In fact this has happend for alot of GW1 regulars. Because the game is b2p what matters is that you have a great time, then no matter how burned out you suddenly feel, there is all the chances in the world that you come back later,. It's all part of the buisness model. Just before new content shows up there have been a huge raise in activity from old burned out players coming back to gw1. And there is no reason not to expect this to happend in GW2.
So whats the problem of growing out of the MMO format, if you still can have a good time and come back when you want!
Offcourse it does not matter....
WE all know that GW2 is the most innovative game under development, and we know that allmost all critics and people that have hands-on experience just loved the game.
But that does not make it the holy grail of MMO gaming... because as said before in the end its just an MMO, probably the best ever made, but far from the holy grail of MMO gaming... Its just another step, and everyone that buys this rediculous hype and starts expecting way to much has a huge chance of getting disspointed in the end.
People calling me a TOR fan have not been reading much on these GW2 boards over the last one and a half year, they didn't even read my signature. I am a firm beleiver in the quallity of GW2, just be warned not to expect to much as it will get you dissapointed.
So where did i get this knowledge, 12 years of MMO's combined with common sense teaches you a lot about a gaming genre.
The fresh feeling will wear off, and then the game will be nothing more then a high clas MMO....
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
Well finally after 5+ years of playing Guild Wars I was burnt out on the game but I Must say that GW2 will have a brick ton of more pve content. People are going to be playing GW2 for a long time.
With all the awesome new things coming to GW2, it might feel very fresh at release, and capture new and old players straight away... Most people will be thrilled. Oh how much we love this new awesome MMO that changed the genre forever.
But do you people all realise that despite all the nice new features GW2 will feel just like a traditional MMO after a few months of playing it? Once you can look passed the new mechanismes, there is just another MMO beneath that blanket. I hope you like MMMO's enough to survive this .....
If you grew tired of current MMO's and dont like the current mechanics very much chances are big that in the end you will grow tired of this one too sooner or later. People that dont like current MMO combat mechanics might also grow tired of GW2 in a few months. Maybe they just don't like MMO's enough...
I think by the time people realise this, they will start trashing this game like they do now with all other current MMO's and a few popular future ones. Saying that the game was far less revolutionary as promissed. But the only ones that promissed themselves a revolution is their own kind of people. People that just dont like the MMO genre enough....
I am not sure that OP realise that he could have a valid point that still doesn't matter at ALL anyway.
And thats because it doesn't matter a second if people grow tired of GW2 after some time, as long as they had a blast before that happend. In fact this has happend for alot of GW1 regulars. Because the game is b2p what matters is that you have a great time, then no matter how burned out you suddenly feel, there is all the chances in the world that you come back later,. It's all part of the buisness model. Just before new content shows up there have been a huge raise in activity from old burned out players coming back to gw1. And there is no reason not to expect this to happend in GW2.
So whats the problem of growing out of the MMO format, if you still can have a good time and come back when you want!
Offcourse it does not matter....
WE all know that GW2 is the most innovative game under development, and we know that allmost all critics and people that have hands-on experience just loved the game.
But that does not make it the holy grail of MMO gaming... because as said before in the end its just an MMO, probably the best ever made, but far from the holy grail of MMO gaming... Its just another step, and everyone that buys this rediculous hype and starts expecting way to much has a huge chance of getting disspointed in the end.
People calling me a TOR fan have not been reading much on these GW2 boards over the last one and a half year, they didn't even read my signature. I am a firm beleiver in the quallity of GW2, just be warned not to expect to much as it will get you dissapointed.
So where did i get this knowledge, 12 years of MMO's combined with common sense teaches you a lot about a gaming genre.
The fresh feeling will wear off, and then the game will be nothing more then a high clas MMO....
Some people see the holy grail as a carpenter's cup while others see it as a magnificent, golden chalice. There is no holy grail of gaming because there's no single, valid definition of what that means.
WE all know that GW2 is the most innovative game under development, and we know that allmost all critics and people that have hands-on experience just loved the game.
But that does not make it the holy grail of MMO gaming... because as said before in the end its just an MMO, probably the best ever made, but far from the holy grail of MMO gaming... Its just another step, and everyone that buys this rediculous hype and starts expecting way to much has a huge chance of getting disspointed in the end.
People calling me a TOR fan have not been reading much on these GW2 boards over the last one and a half year, they didn't even read my signature. I am a firm beleiver in the quallity of GW2, just be warned not to expect to much as it will get you dissapointed.
So where did i get this knowledge, 12 years of MMO's combined with common sense teaches you a lot about a gaming genre.
The fresh feeling will wear off, and then the game will be nothing more then a high clas MMO....
I'm confused. You say it's likely to be the best MMORPG ever made, that it is truly innovative, and will be wildly popular. Then you say that you think people are going to be disappointed if they let their expectations get too high?
How much higher could expectations go beyond what you already believe? What exactly do you think people are expecting? That the game is going to cure cancer or give you daily happy ending massages? I haven't seen anyone claiming the game is going to be anything more than the best MMORPG ever...I think that's pretty much as high as expectations go. Who are these people you speak of who are "over-hyped", and what exactly do they believe about the game?
I kinda see where you are coming from OP. the thing is I have also been playing the MMO genre, just not as long as you and alot of it boils down to choices. Sure you played for many many years but tbh there wasn't a whole lot of choice in the past. I come from P&P tabletop RPG experience and I know what I really enjoyed about gaming back then. It wasn't about being pingeonholed into a role so I could runa module with my buddies on the weekend.
Since WoW has brought so much recognition to the genre it has become saturated with mediocre, if not just plain bad, games. So with choices being out there I personally can't see GW2 losing that fresh feeling because all I need to remind me how bad the genre was prior is play another game. Since WoW's popularity has lead to some developers taking what they feel made it a success and spinning out there own version, there are a good amount of games that are gonna follow the same mold for years to come untill something else swings it another direction and I feel GW2 will be that game. I aint caliming it's the second coming of christ, but with the amount of focus on things other than selfish play and gear progression by way of carrot on stick, it has a chance to bring light to things that the genre has been lacking. With the way they are pushing their social aspects and less focus on gear and level, It kinda takes me back to my D&D days where I could just play and enjoy the ride and to me that'll never get old.
I believe that Guild Wars 2 will have a much higher retention rate than GW2 due to its lack of subscription, its alt-friendly nature but above all its PvP system. The World vs World vs World PvP along with tournaments and battles that actually look somewhat fun and balanced will be a big hit with those who have never been able to do PvP before due to (rightly-placed) fears of getting overwhelmed by players with better gear and powers.
I'm really sick of the whole "There's a massive fanbase for X", or "Y would be a WoW-killer if it just had a chance".
There is no massive conspiracy waiting in the MMO playerbase.
There are no "sleeper-agent fans" waiting to convert once the X or Y is unleashed on the world.
"Gamers will no longer buy the argument that every MMO requires a subscription fee to offset server and bandwidth costs. It's not true you know it, and they know it." Jeff Strain, co-founder of ArenaNet, 2007
I think I might know what the original poster's issue is. The problem isn't with other people's expectations for GW2. I think the problem lies with his perception of the MMORPG genre as a whole. I've played a great MMORPG...I've caught glimpses of the potential this genre has to bring people together from all walks of life, capture their imagination, and entertain them in a way that creates lasting friendships and memories like almost no other form of entertainment can. Maybe you have, too...you just don't remember. :-)
Thinking that every new game is going to boil down to "just another MMO" seems like an attitude born from years of frustration at the formulaic, ever-more-shallow games we've been getting over the last half-decade. If that were all I knew about, I would probably have a pretty bleak view of the future of the genre and the potential of any new game. Of course GW2 will boil down to "just another MMO", that's all there is, right? Even the best ever MMORPG is still just going to be a rehash, isn't it?
Step outside that perspective for a minute. MMORPGs don't HAVE to be "just another MMO", just because that's all they've been for a long time. They can be something exceptional when done just right. I think you will be absolutely floored when you play GW2 for a month or two and realize that there's so much more to the genre than what we've been getting.
It seems to me that there are some people who still doubt that GW2 is actually different from other MMOs. To help those people, let me explain WHY this game is different.
First, The game is different because it is NOT trying to be the same kind of game as many other MMOs at their most basic levels. Most other games have PvE set up so that, while you can play as a group with other people, there is no real way to integrate more than a small group into the same content. Quests are likewise unsuitable for group content most of the time, given that all the people involved must have the quest and not have done the quest before, and that often times the objective of the quest is to collect loot from kills (and you can't share with your group). Occasionally, spawn areas will be occupied and you will not be able to do a quest because others are in the way. These problems indicate that traditional MMO PvE content is not designed with the though of people helping each other. One look at GW2 shows that it is ENTIRELY designed around people playing together working towards the same goal.
Second, no gear treadmill, no level grind, no trinity, dynamic events, branching personal story, voice over content, and a number of different things that other games don't have but are all small improvements over previous MMOs. Lots of little things can go a long way.
Third, combat is designed to be active and fast paced, without punishing players who cannot play twitch based games. From my personal experience, the sheer amount of mobility makes other games feel stiff by comparison.
Forth, there is a heavy focus on getting players' eye off the UI and on the actual fight by providing visual ques with big animations and taking away the ability to target allies with skills.
There are things that could seem like they would lead people to feeling like they are playing the same game, such as the way some events are similar to a traditional MMO's quests. I have seen complaints about an escort event that TotalBiscuit played at EuroGamer, but how is having similar objectives implemented in radically different ways going to make people feel like they are playing the same old game? I don't believe that this will be the case. I also know a lot of people who are going to try and do the things they did in other games (dungeons and PvP) and I think they the explorable dungeons will be quite unique and interesting to those gamers and that WvWvW will be a fairly good system for people who like open world PvP.
Lastly, there is a counter argument that I can make to the original OP. If GW2 stops feeling new and fresh (and hopefully players will still find it at least enjoyable and fun after that time passes), I believe that going back to other MMOs would be difficult for some of those people.
I thought that was really goofy, how you said "second," then named upwards of 5 independent and substantial features about the game that deviates from traditional MMO formula. I suppose you did it soley out of laziness/efficiency but it just made me giggle when reading that.
With all the awesome new things coming to GW2, it might feel very fresh at release, and capture new and old players straight away... Most people will be thrilled. Oh how much we love this new awesome MMO that changed the genre forever.
But do you people all realise that despite all the nice new features GW2 will feel just like a traditional MMO after a few months of playing it? Once you can look passed the new mechanismes, there is just another MMO beneath that blanket. I hope you like MMMO's enough to survive this .....
If you grew tired of current MMO's and dont like the current mechanics very much chances are big that in the end you will grow tired of this one too sooner or later. People that dont like current MMO combat mechanics might also grow tired of GW2 in a few months. Maybe they just don't like MMO's enough...
I think by the time people realise this, they will start trashing this game like they do now with all other current MMO's and a few popular future ones. Saying that the game was far less revolutionary as promissed. But the only ones that promissed themselves a revolution is their own kind of people. People that just dont like the MMO genre enough....
Maybe people will realize that ArenaNet has also taken ideas from other MMOs and adpated them into GW2. It will just have more depth, but at the same time familar.
dont you get it , the old combat was made for times when internet was stuck on a 56k modem, and bandwith was much smaller
Todays combat needs to get updated , and this combat is updated, with many more factors comming into play other then just stats on your armor, some skill is needed on top of stats to reduce your incomming damage, to hit, to dodge ect...... and all newer MMO's need to adapt to this, that some twitch/skill is needed .
I agree MMO's can not be 100% twitch/skill, the fun is also in the numbers and havving magical armor.
Wish is why I think SWTOR will have a hard time , which ive said in a few posts on here and in real life with friends who plan on playing.
People are bored and have entirely too much time on their hands.
Will the game be fun for a large number of people? Yes.
Will some dislike it no matter what? Yes.
But please, don't let common sense stop you from posting your opinions as some sort of deep insight into the nature and evolution of game design as it pertains to Massive Multiplayer. Your views are so fresh and interesting and only you, OP, have the depth of knowledge, the omniscient ability to futurecast, Guild Wars 2 deployment and consumer satisfaction.
Someday after humanity is gone, aliens will come and discover the MMORPG.com server backup. They will recompile the database, observe your postings and be illuminated by your prescient knowledge. Then they will recompile you from your strands of genetic code from the wasteland winds and worship you as a god.
People are bored and have entirely too much time on their hands.
Will the game be fun for a large number of people? Yes.
Will some dislike it no matter what? Yes.
But please, don't let common sense stop you from posting your opinions as some sort of deep insight into the nature and evolution of game design as it pertains to Massive Multiplayer. Your views are so fresh and interesting and only you, OP, have the depth of knowledge, the omniscient ability to futurecast, Guild Wars 2 deployment and consumer satisfaction.
Someday after humanity is gone, aliens will come and discover the MMORPG.com server backup. They will recompile the database, observe your postings and be illuminated by your prescient knowledge. Then they will recompile you from your strands of genetic code from the wasteland winds and worship you as a god.
Some of these posts in this thread are quite baffling and ridiculous. GW2 is GW2. Simple as that. It's not anything else, nor will people bash it for the reasons anyone here implies.
With all the awesome new things coming to GW2, it might feel very fresh at release, and capture new and old players straight away... Most people will be thrilled. Oh how much we love this new awesome MMO that changed the genre forever.
But do you people all realise that despite all the nice new features GW2 will feel just like a traditional MMO after a few months of playing it? Once you can look passed the new mechanismes, there is just another MMO beneath that blanket. I hope you like MMMO's enough to survive this .....
If you grew tired of current MMO's and dont like the current mechanics very much chances are big that in the end you will grow tired of this one too sooner or later. People that dont like current MMO combat mechanics might also grow tired of GW2 in a few months. Maybe they just don't like MMO's enough...
I think by the time people realise this, they will start trashing this game like they do now with all other current MMO's and a few popular future ones. Saying that the game was far less revolutionary as promissed. But the only ones that promissed themselves a revolution is their own kind of people. People that just dont like the MMO genre enough....
Uh, you serious? Everyone on this site is an mmo FAN. We like to play mmos, we like the mechanics. We just want something different. A new way to play our favorite type of game, the mmo. Guild Wars 2 has more than enough innovation. It's still an mmorpg ( which we want ), but with creative and new mechanics that will give us new experiences.
Basically every big AAA mmo out since WoW was released, has copied many of the mechanics WoW used. Note that many of these games were still very good. People like this style. They all had the same questing mechanics, same combat, same roles / classes. And none of them except WAR and Aion, had any good RvR pvp. In GW2 all of this is different. Questing is completely different, combat is different ( but not TOO different ), there is WvW pvp, and you can start it from the beginning. No more roles. The list goes on....
With all the awesome new things coming to GW2, it might feel very fresh at release, and capture new and old players straight away... Most people will be thrilled. Oh how much we love this new awesome MMO that changed the genre forever.
But do you people all realise that despite all the nice new features GW2 will feel just like a traditional MMO after a few months of playing it? Once you can look passed the new mechanismes, there is just another MMO beneath that blanket. I hope you like MMMO's enough to survive this .....
If you grew tired of current MMO's and dont like the current mechanics very much chances are big that in the end you will grow tired of this one too sooner or later. People that dont like current MMO combat mechanics might also grow tired of GW2 in a few months. Maybe they just don't like MMO's enough...
I think by the time people realise this, they will start trashing this game like they do now with all other current MMO's and a few popular future ones. Saying that the game was far less revolutionary as promissed. But the only ones that promissed themselves a revolution is their own kind of people. People that just dont like the MMO genre enough....
Maybe people will realize that ArenaNet has also taken ideas from other MMOs and adpated them into GW2. It will just have more depth, but at the same time familar.
Uh, you serious? Everyone on this site is an mmo FAN. We like to play mmos, we like the mechanics. We just want something different. A new way to play our favorite type of game, the mmo. Guild Wars 2 has more than enough innovation. It's still an mmorpg ( which we want ), but with creative and new mechanics that will give us new experiences.
Basically every big AAA mmo out since WoW was released, has copied many of the mechanics WoW used. Note that many of these games were still very good. People like this style. They all had the same questing mechanics, same combat, same roles / classes. And none of them except WAR and Aion, had any good RvR pvp. In GW2 all of this is different. Questing is completely different, combat is different ( but not TOO different ), there is WvW pvp, and you can start it from the beginning. No more roles. The list goes on....
Questing will not be different, just better than what WHO and CO did. Again an idea from another MMO being done better.
While I do feel Guild Wars 2 will have similarities to a lot of other MMOs on the market I think there will be enough differences in the game to have me hooked for well beyond the "honeymoon." No one will really know until release is here whether or not Guild Wars 2 will be their new vice. I do know that it has held my attention for over two years and I have yet to put a hand on on the game.
With all the awesome new things coming to GW2, it might feel very fresh at release, and capture new and old players straight away... Most people will be thrilled. Oh how much we love this new awesome MMO that changed the genre forever.
But do you people all realise that despite all the nice new features GW2 will feel just like a traditional MMO after a few months of playing it? Once you can look passed the new mechanismes, there is just another MMO beneath that blanket. I hope you like MMMO's enough to survive this .....
If you grew tired of current MMO's and dont like the current mechanics very much chances are big that in the end you will grow tired of this one too sooner or later. People that dont like current MMO combat mechanics might also grow tired of GW2 in a few months. Maybe they just don't like MMO's enough...
I think by the time people realise this, they will start trashing this game like they do now with all other current MMO's and a few popular future ones. Saying that the game was far less revolutionary as promissed. But the only ones that promissed themselves a revolution is their own kind of people. People that just dont like the MMO genre enough....
For arguements sake, let's say you're right. If it takes months for me to get bored of this game, then that is far more than any other game has done since EQ and DAoC.
I'd rather have a fresh feeling for a few months than feeling like im playing WoW with voice actors and lightsabres.
I know a guy that cant wait to play both of those games. Can you believe that? He didn't even pick a side. He actually thinks you can like both of them, but he's an idiot. I told him he would have to pick just one or he wouldn't be able to have fun trolling the games forum of the other one, but he wouldn't listen.
Comments
I am not sure that OP realise that he could have a valid point that still doesn't matter at ALL anyway.
And thats because it doesn't matter a second if people grow tired of GW2 after some time, as long as they had a blast before that happend. In fact this has happend for alot of GW1 regulars. Because the game is b2p what matters is that you have a great time, then no matter how burned out you suddenly feel, there is all the chances in the world that you come back later,. It's all part of the buisness model. Just before new content shows up there have been a huge raise in activity from old burned out players coming back to gw1. And there is no reason not to expect this to happend in GW2.
So whats the problem of growing out of the MMO format, if you still can have a good time and come back when you want!
Replace "GW2" in your whole post above with "SW:TOR or Rift" and I think you'd be on to something.
There are fundamental, vital differences between GW2 and previous MMOs in some of the most basic and foundational elements of the game. Although these changes may not be as flashy or as easy to market as buzzwords...they are what will matter in the long run.
The focus on social play from the ground up, the changes to how story is delivered and how it's integrated into the game play, the changes to the most basic content mechanism, the flat leveling curve, the scaling of events and of player level to the content. I could go on and on. These are the types of changes that will make GW2 "FEEL" different, because it actually IS different. Wait and see. Once people get over their programming from years of WoW-formula games and start enjoying the journey and the game play, rather than just chomping at the bit for the next release of stale content to chew through in record time...this whole genre is going to shift.
Will some people put the game down after a few months and do other things? Sure...but I think the people who stay will be staying for VERY different reasons than what we typically call "retention" in this genre. Players aren't going to stick around in GW2 because there's some little carrot continually taunting them to grind the same content one more time, and then one more, and one more...or some arbitrary time sink or gate forcing them to play hundreds of hours simply to see what's behind door number two or get a 1% chance of the next layer of meaningless gear. Players will be staying because they are enjoying themselves and feel like a part of a community, and because they feel an attachment to the world and their character that other games just don't provide.
It's all about the fundamentals. Wait and see. I'm not saying the genre is going to change overnight and that all WoW-formula games are going to get swallowed by a big chasm in the earth...but I do think that the direction of the genre is going to change in some really crucial ways...that the seeds are going to be planted, and that we might take the first several baby steps on the road to the potential this genre offered in the beginning.
We'll know soon enough.
Offcourse it does not matter....
WE all know that GW2 is the most innovative game under development, and we know that allmost all critics and people that have hands-on experience just loved the game.
But that does not make it the holy grail of MMO gaming... because as said before in the end its just an MMO, probably the best ever made, but far from the holy grail of MMO gaming... Its just another step, and everyone that buys this rediculous hype and starts expecting way to much has a huge chance of getting disspointed in the end.
People calling me a TOR fan have not been reading much on these GW2 boards over the last one and a half year, they didn't even read my signature. I am a firm beleiver in the quallity of GW2, just be warned not to expect to much as it will get you dissapointed.
So where did i get this knowledge, 12 years of MMO's combined with common sense teaches you a lot about a gaming genre.
The fresh feeling will wear off, and then the game will be nothing more then a high clas MMO....
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
Well finally after 5+ years of playing Guild Wars I was burnt out on the game but I Must say that GW2 will have a brick ton of more pve content. People are going to be playing GW2 for a long time.
Some people see the holy grail as a carpenter's cup while others see it as a magnificent, golden chalice. There is no holy grail of gaming because there's no single, valid definition of what that means.
I'm confused. You say it's likely to be the best MMORPG ever made, that it is truly innovative, and will be wildly popular. Then you say that you think people are going to be disappointed if they let their expectations get too high?
How much higher could expectations go beyond what you already believe? What exactly do you think people are expecting? That the game is going to cure cancer or give you daily happy ending massages? I haven't seen anyone claiming the game is going to be anything more than the best MMORPG ever...I think that's pretty much as high as expectations go. Who are these people you speak of who are "over-hyped", and what exactly do they believe about the game?
I kinda see where you are coming from OP. the thing is I have also been playing the MMO genre, just not as long as you and alot of it boils down to choices. Sure you played for many many years but tbh there wasn't a whole lot of choice in the past. I come from P&P tabletop RPG experience and I know what I really enjoyed about gaming back then. It wasn't about being pingeonholed into a role so I could runa module with my buddies on the weekend.
Since WoW has brought so much recognition to the genre it has become saturated with mediocre, if not just plain bad, games. So with choices being out there I personally can't see GW2 losing that fresh feeling because all I need to remind me how bad the genre was prior is play another game. Since WoW's popularity has lead to some developers taking what they feel made it a success and spinning out there own version, there are a good amount of games that are gonna follow the same mold for years to come untill something else swings it another direction and I feel GW2 will be that game. I aint caliming it's the second coming of christ, but with the amount of focus on things other than selfish play and gear progression by way of carrot on stick, it has a chance to bring light to things that the genre has been lacking. With the way they are pushing their social aspects and less focus on gear and level, It kinda takes me back to my D&D days where I could just play and enjoy the ride and to me that'll never get old.
RIP Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan and Paul Gray.
I believe that Guild Wars 2 will have a much higher retention rate than GW2 due to its lack of subscription, its alt-friendly nature but above all its PvP system. The World vs World vs World PvP along with tournaments and battles that actually look somewhat fun and balanced will be a big hit with those who have never been able to do PvP before due to (rightly-placed) fears of getting overwhelmed by players with better gear and powers.
I'm really sick of the whole "There's a massive fanbase for X", or "Y would be a WoW-killer if it just had a chance".
There is no massive conspiracy waiting in the MMO playerbase.
There are no "sleeper-agent fans" waiting to convert once the X or Y is unleashed on the world.
I disagree.
"Gamers will no longer buy the argument that every MMO requires a subscription fee to offset server and bandwidth costs. It's not true you know it, and they know it." Jeff Strain, co-founder of ArenaNet, 2007
WTF? No subscription fee?
With who? =D
I think I might know what the original poster's issue is. The problem isn't with other people's expectations for GW2. I think the problem lies with his perception of the MMORPG genre as a whole. I've played a great MMORPG...I've caught glimpses of the potential this genre has to bring people together from all walks of life, capture their imagination, and entertain them in a way that creates lasting friendships and memories like almost no other form of entertainment can. Maybe you have, too...you just don't remember. :-)
Thinking that every new game is going to boil down to "just another MMO" seems like an attitude born from years of frustration at the formulaic, ever-more-shallow games we've been getting over the last half-decade. If that were all I knew about, I would probably have a pretty bleak view of the future of the genre and the potential of any new game. Of course GW2 will boil down to "just another MMO", that's all there is, right? Even the best ever MMORPG is still just going to be a rehash, isn't it?
Step outside that perspective for a minute. MMORPGs don't HAVE to be "just another MMO", just because that's all they've been for a long time. They can be something exceptional when done just right. I think you will be absolutely floored when you play GW2 for a month or two and realize that there's so much more to the genre than what we've been getting.
I thought that was really goofy, how you said "second," then named upwards of 5 independent and substantial features about the game that deviates from traditional MMO formula. I suppose you did it soley out of laziness/efficiency but it just made me giggle when reading that.
Maybe people will realize that ArenaNet has also taken ideas from other MMOs and adpated them into GW2. It will just have more depth, but at the same time familar.
dont you get it , the old combat was made for times when internet was stuck on a 56k modem, and bandwith was much smaller
Todays combat needs to get updated , and this combat is updated, with many more factors comming into play other then just stats on your armor, some skill is needed on top of stats to reduce your incomming damage, to hit, to dodge ect...... and all newer MMO's need to adapt to this, that some twitch/skill is needed .
I agree MMO's can not be 100% twitch/skill, the fun is also in the numbers and havving magical armor.
Wish is why I think SWTOR will have a hard time , which ive said in a few posts on here and in real life with friends who plan on playing.
People are bored and have entirely too much time on their hands.
Will the game be fun for a large number of people? Yes.
Will some dislike it no matter what? Yes.
But please, don't let common sense stop you from posting your opinions as some sort of deep insight into the nature and evolution of game design as it pertains to Massive Multiplayer. Your views are so fresh and interesting and only you, OP, have the depth of knowledge, the omniscient ability to futurecast, Guild Wars 2 deployment and consumer satisfaction.
Someday after humanity is gone, aliens will come and discover the MMORPG.com server backup. They will recompile the database, observe your postings and be illuminated by your prescient knowledge. Then they will recompile you from your strands of genetic code from the wasteland winds and worship you as a god.
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Some of these posts in this thread are quite baffling and ridiculous. GW2 is GW2. Simple as that. It's not anything else, nor will people bash it for the reasons anyone here implies.
Uh, you serious? Everyone on this site is an mmo FAN. We like to play mmos, we like the mechanics. We just want something different. A new way to play our favorite type of game, the mmo. Guild Wars 2 has more than enough innovation. It's still an mmorpg ( which we want ), but with creative and new mechanics that will give us new experiences.
Basically every big AAA mmo out since WoW was released, has copied many of the mechanics WoW used. Note that many of these games were still very good. People like this style. They all had the same questing mechanics, same combat, same roles / classes. And none of them except WAR and Aion, had any good RvR pvp. In GW2 all of this is different. Questing is completely different, combat is different ( but not TOO different ), there is WvW pvp, and you can start it from the beginning. No more roles. The list goes on....
LOL to the OP post
I still prefer EVOLUTION.
Yeah, like a CASH SHOP.
Questing will not be different, just better than what WHO and CO did. Again an idea from another MMO being done better.
I'd rather have a fresh feeling for a few months than feeling like im playing WoW with voice actors and lightsabres.
"The problem with quotes from the Internet is that it's almost impossible to validate their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln
While I do feel Guild Wars 2 will have similarities to a lot of other MMOs on the market I think there will be enough differences in the game to have me hooked for well beyond the "honeymoon." No one will really know until release is here whether or not Guild Wars 2 will be their new vice. I do know that it has held my attention for over two years and I have yet to put a hand on on the game.
Both TOR and GW2 will bring that fresh feel to many, but at the same time people will not ignore what so familar about it.
For arguements sake, let's say you're right. If it takes months for me to get bored of this game, then that is far more than any other game has done since EQ and DAoC.
I know a guy that cant wait to play both of those games. Can you believe that? He didn't even pick a side. He actually thinks you can like both of them, but he's an idiot. I told him he would have to pick just one or he wouldn't be able to have fun trolling the games forum of the other one, but he wouldn't listen.