I found it more immersive than almost any other MMO I have played to date.
Immersion is a very subjective thing though. Some people in the thread appear to require a sand box game for true immersion, but for me it's quite the opposite. I need a game that feels like it is alive "despite my presence" in it, whereas the immersion in a sand box game is all about the player's presence.
Immersion also requires your willingess to be immersed, so again if a game has other elements that you don't particularly like, you are going to subconsciously resist being immersed in it despite how rich and alive the world is portrayed.
The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true.
All my favorite games have been due to immersion. Everquest, Age of Conan, Mortal Online, and most recently, DayZ. Even a game as broken as Mortal Online had me hooked based on how real the world felt.
Does GW2 feel like a living, breathing world or does it feel like a video game?
Most immersive MMO since Asheron's Call in my opinion mainly due to the world feeling alive and electric.
Playing: GW2 Waiting on: TESO Next Flop: Planetside 2 Best MMO of all time: Asheron's Call - The first company to recreate AC will be the next greatest MMO.
The gameplay was emmersive due to things going on around you and you always seemed to be on the move.
Setting emersion was there for me as well even though I stayed away from personal stories. Because of the events that were there I could tell what was going on around me.
NPCs tell you things in different areas as well so those that play music instead of game sounds might want to reconsider.
For me it's the way the game controls very second nature and that you interact with the world in a realistic way, no invisible walls blocking your jump and if it's a far one you will smack face into the ground and take a good amount of damage or die. The sense of action feels right and not like a role of the dice...
I hope it will immerse me. I heaven't played the game yet, but I will on release and I just bought "Ghosts of Ascalon" novel.
I've played Guild Wars for a long time ("Prophecies" and "Factions" campaign) and I found it very immersive. This is really impressive, considering that it was some random, unknown IP at the time of it's release.
After Guild Wars I've played WoW and it was twice as immersive, but you can't really compare both of this games. LotRO was also very immersive for me, but that isn't suprising considering that I love this IP.
Every other MMO I've played failed to create level of immersion that would justify spending the time and money necessary to play it.
I hope it will immerse me. I heaven't played the game yet, but I will on release and I just bought "Ghosts of Ascalon" novel.
I've played Guild Wars for a long time ("Prophecies" and "Factions" campaign) and I found it very immersive. This is really impressive, considering that it was some random, unknown IP at the time of it's release.
After Guild Wars I've played WoW and it was twice as immersive, but you can't really compare both of this games. LotRO was also very immersive for me, but that isn't suprising considering that I love this IP.
Every other MMO I've played failed to create level of immersion that would justify spending the time and money necessary to play it.
check out some of the videos in my Sig.. especially under "The World" section shows some good video of the game world
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
This is beta folks. Give the game some time to grow. To answer the OP, the game is as immersive as you want it to be. This is the best MMO I've played to date, and that's because ANet innovated on their own and built upon some old really solid ideas. I think the game will get more flavor and depth as time goes on. Just remember that this game is still in the womb and will be for a couple more weeks. If the game lacks immersion to you, try alcohol. If that doesn't work, it may not be the game for you. Remember this though, once you buy it, you can log in and play anytime with no sub fee.
However, for me NPC's and world layouts aren't what immerses me into an MMO. Rather the tools in place for player interdependancy is what I look for and what "brings me into the experience". EVE and SWG do(did) this well, by simulating a living atmosphere between players. Need something, seek out a player to make it, or visit a player run shop to buy it, that kind of thing. EVE has the whole shipping/protecting/pirating thing going on, not to mention deep player politics. These are the types of things that Immerse me.
... so like Facebook!
(I think that's a fair comment. Lots of people are super immersed into Facebook)
I think the key here is what you get immersed in doing, and somewhat seeing. I can see why some may feel GW2 immerses them more than typical Themepark MMO's. THe world is designed in a way that simulates it as living. That makes perfect sense to me.
However, for me NPC's and world layouts aren't what immerses me into an MMO. Rather the tools in place for player interdependancy is what I look for and what "brings me into the experience". EVE and SWG do(did) this well, by simulating a living atmosphere between players. Need something, seek out a player to make it, or visit a player run shop to buy it, that kind of thing. EVE has the whole shipping/protecting/pirating thing going on, not to mention deep player politics. These are the types of things that Immerse me.
ill repeat myself a little here Distopia:
'If many can immerse in the game ( and that's not very common in mmorgs) but you don't, then considering immersion is 50% game effort and 50% player engagement, you need to ask yourself honestly, what is it about myself that prevents my immersion- because that's the variable element here.
To add, in Beta there is no real community, community evolves over time with real emotional commitment, so far far too early to judge on that, but considering the mechanics in place to encourage co-operative rather than competitive or 'silo' behaviour it looks like the game is fullfilling its requirements, down to the players now.
Like I said I can see the qualities many may see in GW2, those things are quite in your face while playing. I'm well aware this is a matter of preference, and am in no way trying to discredit GW2 as an immersive game. The question was Does this game immerse you, I simply answered honestly. I'll play GW2 for the PVP qualities, where immersion plays no part in my experience.
-For a little more clarity on my position here-
When it comes to single-player style RPG game-play and immersion, MMO's don't fit to that well IMO, gave it a try in both TOR and AOC, as well as briefly in GW2 during two BWE's, it just doesn't grasp me. Can't pin-point what it is, lower quality due to need of quantity, too many players around to create a sense of urgency or danger, or maybe something else..
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
Story of the zones told by hearts and dynamic events progress from "local problems of your people" to "world conflict against forces of evil" - it teaches you lore and history and the "setting" as you go.
And on top of that you have personal story which immerses you in YOUR tale in this grand adventure.
And on top of that you have the Story dungeons which tells the tale of reuniting a group of famous heroes to combat the forces of evil.
Day/night cycle, tons of interaction with the environment, fully featured/realized underwater game, great music/visuals, fast loading screens (on SSD anyway) to never take you out of the world for too long...
Very large zones so very few loads anyway.
Sites and sounds, feeling, story, characters...
Yeah, I'd say that's a big "yes."
*edit*
Oh yes and the cities (especially Divinity's Reach) are freaking phenomenal.
I can only fully agree to these points. I too felt very immersed for the same reasons.
If people don't feel at least somewhat immersed in GW2, I am sorry... you're doing it wrong. No seriously. Just thinking of the many funny and interesting coversations. People walking by in the city, a NPC approaching a merchant NPC and they start haggling. A child suddenly appears, jumps in front of you and leads you to a cave with more kids and riddles, and then they play chase. The many events which make the world feel animated. The many clickies in the cities to find out stuff. Just finding some corner or hidden cave or something. It is so wonderfully designed to explore and study all the details and take your time to take it all in! Really, if this MMO does not immerse you, I dunno what would.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
Comments
I found it more immersive than almost any other MMO I have played to date.
Immersion is a very subjective thing though. Some people in the thread appear to require a sand box game for true immersion, but for me it's quite the opposite. I need a game that feels like it is alive "despite my presence" in it, whereas the immersion in a sand box game is all about the player's presence.
Immersion also requires your willingess to be immersed, so again if a game has other elements that you don't particularly like, you are going to subconsciously resist being immersed in it despite how rich and alive the world is portrayed.
I am immersed in this thread
/popcorn.
The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true.
Carl Sagan-
Most immersive MMO since Asheron's Call in my opinion mainly due to the world feeling alive and electric.
TSW would be a solid 3rd choice just as a FYI.
Everything you need to know about Elder Scrolls Online
Playing: GW2
Waiting on: TESO
Next Flop: Planetside 2
Best MMO of all time: Asheron's Call - The first company to recreate AC will be the next greatest MMO.
Setting emersion was there for me as well even though I stayed away from personal stories. Because of the events that were there I could tell what was going on around me.
NPCs tell you things in different areas as well so those that play music instead of game sounds might want to reconsider.
This is the most immersive MMORPG I've played since Asheron's Call. Yes, it's even better than WoW.
Respect, walk
Are you talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me?
- PANTERA at HELLFEST 2023
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
I hope it will immerse me. I heaven't played the game yet, but I will on release and I just bought "Ghosts of Ascalon" novel.
I've played Guild Wars for a long time ("Prophecies" and "Factions" campaign) and I found it very immersive. This is really impressive, considering that it was some random, unknown IP at the time of it's release.
After Guild Wars I've played WoW and it was twice as immersive, but you can't really compare both of this games. LotRO was also very immersive for me, but that isn't suprising considering that I love this IP.
Every other MMO I've played failed to create level of immersion that would justify spending the time and money necessary to play it.
check out some of the videos in my Sig.. especially under "The World" section shows some good video of the game world
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
... so like Facebook!
(I think that's a fair comment. Lots of people are super immersed into Facebook)
Like I said I can see the qualities many may see in GW2, those things are quite in your face while playing. I'm well aware this is a matter of preference, and am in no way trying to discredit GW2 as an immersive game. The question was Does this game immerse you, I simply answered honestly. I'll play GW2 for the PVP qualities, where immersion plays no part in my experience.
-For a little more clarity on my position here-
When it comes to single-player style RPG game-play and immersion, MMO's don't fit to that well IMO, gave it a try in both TOR and AOC, as well as briefly in GW2 during two BWE's, it just doesn't grasp me. Can't pin-point what it is, lower quality due to need of quantity, too many players around to create a sense of urgency or danger, or maybe something else..
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
I can only fully agree to these points. I too felt very immersed for the same reasons.
If people don't feel at least somewhat immersed in GW2, I am sorry... you're doing it wrong. No seriously. Just thinking of the many funny and interesting coversations. People walking by in the city, a NPC approaching a merchant NPC and they start haggling. A child suddenly appears, jumps in front of you and leads you to a cave with more kids and riddles, and then they play chase. The many events which make the world feel animated. The many clickies in the cities to find out stuff. Just finding some corner or hidden cave or something. It is so wonderfully designed to explore and study all the details and take your time to take it all in! Really, if this MMO does not immerse you, I dunno what would.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert