Let us use my logic to explain your logic. Let's say you saw someone else test drive a car on TV.
If I watched 50 videos with full commentary on the Nissan 350z, you're saying I would still not have the right to an opinion until I drove it? Maybe, however those 50 videos have determined whether I want to drive it or not...based on the horsepower, accessibility, and looks. Of course I wouldn't know the pace and handling but the commentary usually tells you that.
You say you watch NHL highlights. First of all, that is a horrible comparison as that is a real life sport. It its ok to watch something digital of somebody playing something digital. DO YOU GET IT? I am watching somebody else play something that they are watching themselves. Real life comparisons have no role here. Second, those highlights would show you the scores of both teams, the main highlights of the game, and the players. Thus, you pretty much know how the game went.
What your using is not logic in the first place but lets ignore that and move on.
You would have a general idea of the Nissan 350z but you would not get a feel for how the car drives, or how you feel driving it until you drove it yourself. You would not go out and buy a Nissan 350z based on watching 50, 100, 200 video's. You would test drive the car first. Like a normal person would do even after doing all their homework before hand. Even with all that homework and study, you would still need to drive the car to get a feel for it yourself.
How is that horrible comparison? Lets try a different one. If I watch a youtube video of a guy jumping his dirt bike over 30 cars, does that mean that by watching I just jumped a dirt bike over 30 cars? If you want to go video game to video game, we can do that as well. EQ1, go watch combat video of EQ1 and tell me the combat is half as fun as it was to play the game? I can tell you that watching EQ1 combat video's makes me wonder how I could have ever played that game but the fact is that after playing the game. I know the video's do not do it justice.
Its not hard, unless you have tried something, you cannot know if you will like it or not (for the most part). Video games fall into that. Unless you play a video game than you cannot know for sure if you will like it or not. This is not saying you cannot judge the game based on the video's but to say that you know how combat works because you watched a video is just wrong.
"I don't like the way this game looks. I want all of you to defend it against my perception."
There have been thousands of games that didn't interest me, that I didn't like the look of, or the feel of. What I did was ignore them and look for something else. I certainly didn't seek people out on each game and ask them why I should play it. Life's too short.
It's more like
"I don't like the combat of this AAA game. I want all of you to join in and kill the hype train once and for all because it is affecting developers ability to make GREAT legendary games. Not good.
So you're hoping that people will rise up with you against the great evil of GW2?
Yet you also are secretly hoping that someone will say something to you to convince you to like this game?
Do these goals seem contradictory?
Are you actually looking for an honest discussion?
"Loading screens" are not "instances". Your personal efforts to troll any game will not, in fact, impact the success or failure of said game.
"I don't like the way this game looks. I want all of you to defend it against my perception."
There have been thousands of games that didn't interest me, that I didn't like the look of, or the feel of. What I did was ignore them and look for something else. I certainly didn't seek people out on each game and ask them why I should play it. Life's too short.
It's more like
"I don't like the combat of this AAA game. I want all of you to join in and kill the hype train once and for all because it is affecting developers ability to make GREAT legendary games. Not good.
So you're hoping that people will rise up with you against the great evil of GW2?
Yet you also are secretly hoping that someone will say something to you to convince you to like this game?
Do these goals seem contradictory?
Are you actually looking for an honest discussion?
Something to add to that. If GW2 bursts into flame and dies horribly, then developers are going to make more WoW-clones, not fewer. GW2 is changing up a ton of conventions in MMOs, that if you really want new and different MMOs you should be rooting for it. Generally speaking, of course.
I think a real problem the OP has is that he if he doesn't like something, he can't really imagine how anyone in their right mind could like it. Somehow, these people who like all these games the OP hates must be delusional...they can't really like these games, right? Despite the fact the vast majority of electronic games would seem to be things the OP would dislike, he seems to hold to this view. Somehow most consumers are out there buying things they actually dislike/hate!
In my opinion I think that waiting for a review is not really necessary. You can just go watch some streams and make your decision. However, I am going to wait a week to check if the DE's are really that interesting more further into content and if there is that much to do after hitting 80.
Relying on reviews is the worst thing to do for MMORPGs.
As for the rest. I don't let fear/distaste of other people stop me from doing something enjoyable. I have tried the combat and its the best MMO combat except possibly Asheron's Call I have seen.
Anyway you can always find reason to not do something. Do have good reasons to do something? Most people's problems come when the reason for doing something are not as good as they thought. Not that there were a few bad things, even when they focus on them. Unless they are just a miserable person to begin with.
Originally posted by Furian73 In my opinion I think that waiting for a review is not really necessary. You can just go watch some streams and make your decision. However, I am going to wait a week to check if the DE's are really that interesting more further into content and if there is that much to do after hitting 80.
Waiting to see what happens is perfectly reasonable. In the end Anet and all devs are always making calculated gambles on some features.
Waiting for reviews given what we know about MMOs reviews is like shooting yourself in the foot before a marathon.
"I don't like the way this game looks. I want all of you to defend it against my perception."
There have been thousands of games that didn't interest me, that I didn't like the look of, or the feel of. What I did was ignore them and look for something else. I certainly didn't seek people out on each game and ask them why I should play it. Life's too short.
It's more like
"I don't like the combat of this AAA game. I want all of you to join in and kill the hype train once and for all because it is affecting developers ability to make GREAT legendary games. Not good.
So you're hoping that people will rise up with you against the great evil of GW2?
Yet you also are secretly hoping that someone will say something to you to convince you to like this game?
Do these goals seem contradictory?
Are you actually looking for an honest discussion?
Something to add to that. If GW2 bursts into flame and dies horribly, then developers are going to make more WoW-clones, not fewer. GW2 is changing up a ton of conventions in MMOs, that if you really want new and different MMOs you should be rooting for it. Generally speaking, of course.
I think a real problem the OP has is that he if he doesn't like something, he can't really imagine how anyone in their right mind could like it. Somehow, these people who like all these games the OP hates must be delusional...they can't really like these games, right? Despite the fact the vast majority of electronic games would seem to be things the OP would dislike, he seems to hold to this view. Somehow most consumers are out there buying things they actually dislike/hate!
Well if I can't see it... then noone can, that's 3 year old logic there.
And hey I'd love to kill the hype train... but I'm pretty sure it derailed back quite a few months ago when I played the beta and saw they had everything that they promised to me. So instead of sitting there skeptical on whether or not the trains going to come, I get to skip merrily down the rail road tracks until eventually that hype train comes and smacks me in the back... until then I get to enjoy myself thou. Woo.
Why would ANYONE close this thread? Why are you so close-minded? I cannot say anything negative about GW2 without people asking for a lock, and yet the GW2 praise threads go on peacefully? Yep, this is why American society is freefalling into an abyss. Nobody respects anybody's opinion anymore, and nobody can take negative criticism anymore.
"Why is gaming humanity going through a seemingly infinite loop of hyping up mediocre games, and then complaining when the same games keep coming out? This has happened with RIFT, this has happened with SWTOR, how is GW2 any different?" -- by D3lit3 in an earlier post in GW2 forums
"A couple of examples of things that I am looking for:
- Actual skill-based gameplay" -- by D3lit3 in an earlier post in a GW2 forums
It's statements like what you posted above that convinced me this thread is not what it seems. Sorry, but people who claim that they like a game and then bash it lose all credibility when exposed. That's exactly what's happening here. It's not mere opinion posting, it's another attempt to spread nonsense about a title you really don't like and you're fishing for support.
And the second post just shows you really don't know what you're talking about. Skill-based gameplay is what GW2 is all about with hardly any gamechanging stats to speak of on armor, instant level 80 in pvp, and no tanks dedicated healers, skill is the only thing you have left. History is a wonderful thing.
I've already posted why i think this thread should be closed and used examples from your original post.
I just bought the game last Saturday and played the last unnoficial stress test on Tuesday from 12PM until 6PM. It was my first time playing the game. Guild Wars 2 isn't revolutionary or anything but it spiced up a bunch of thing's that other mmorpg's haven't done yet.
I'm going to keep it somewhat simple because I don't feel like writing a book right now.
Combat: I really liked the combat in this game, it feel's very flush and fuid, you really feel like you are "playing with magic." There were some CRAZY spells that I have never seen done in an mmo until I played Guild Wars 2. Please note that I have played over 29 mmorpg's for the last fifteen or so years.
PvP: Haven't tried it yet so not much to say about it.
Graphics: The graphics were superb, I have never seen such beautiful graphics in all of my years playing mmorpg's. The art style is a little different but it's really meshed together nicely.
Some Pictures I took during the stress test 8/21/2012.
Originally posted by lqw6843128 i would rather wait for the trial.
There is no subscription fee to play, so you'll be waiting a long time for that to happen.
And when they are 4 of the 5 PC game top sales on amazon (CE, DE, standard with preaccess and standard (which just started selling today, because preaccess cut off was last night), I doubt they are even thinking about a trial for a long while. :P
I guess you're right. That does not mean however that GW2 aspects do not appeal to me...the whole cooking gem craffting exploration thing is mind-boggling. I wouldn't mind just cooking all day long and looking for plants. If only the combat wasn't the majority of the focus...
Here's a thought... why not do just that? Step out of your normal routine in these games and be the only guy who leveled a character to 80 primarily from gathering/cooking. Just as you said, there's not much else to play right now anyway.
+1 I was going to reply something similar to this where you're quoting me. And hey, the combat might grow on you then too given the chance
GW2 is not a Sandbox, though honestly, "sandbox" MMOs are largely pretty awful or too PvP focused, imho. EVE is undoubtedly the best, and it is a massive time sink that has a learning curve akin to a tidal wave -- not exactly how I want to start a new game.
You want an MMO where you can go build a cabin in the woods. That's great and all, but there are zero MMOs like that AFAIK. Certainly none where the world has any sort of depth. I mean, I like sandbox games, but I prefer ones where I don't feel that the world is made out of cardboard cutouts and where I don't have to invest my life into it. Eh, such games don't exist as MMOs (and are pretty rare outside of MMOs).
So if you don't want a Themepark, then I suggest you avoid GW2, because it's a next generation Themepark where the rides are more seemlessly blended into the world. It's more immersive, but that doesn't make it less of a Themepark.
Though, sounds like you are extremely picky about games. Doesn't seem like you enjoy most action titles if Devil May Cry is just mindless button-mashing to you. Doesn't seem like you enjoy a lot of Sandboxes, if too much freedom is overwhelming. Doesn't seem like you enjoy themeparks at all. I really don't see how you'll like GW2 unless you are completely wrong about your own preferences.
And I'm not sure why you are saying Skyrim has a better combat system. Skyrim's combat had basically no depth. Sure, it was better than previous ES titles, but it isn't like any of them had good combat. Bethesda just isn't very good at combat systems generally (it would seem), though Skyrim was a step up. But if you can't enjoy games that don't have FPS combat...then yeah, again, GW2 is not for you.
For what it is worth, movement and tactics matter in games like GW2 with PvP -- oh, but I guess if it isn't an FPS then running behind something or avoid an attack is "moving wierdly around". Heck, they even matter in WoW though not as much. But you give the distinct impression that the interface and targeting system are deal-breakers.
At this point, besides potentially Mount and Blade, I'm somewhat curious as to what games you've actually liked. You've seemed to have eliminated the vast majority of games out there.
You are right about most sandboxes being crap, and how GW2 is a pretty stable game in terms of non-sandbox gameplay. I did not mean to come off as picky, rather I did not have my daily joint for the day and was a bit irritated in how more developers won't try to be REALLY innovative, although the past couple of years things have really picked up.
All I can say at this point is that yes - GW2 is probably a great game. But as of right now and based solely off videos I can say that even Salem, at this point, is looking to be a better game than GW2 strictly judging by innovation and depth.
I dislike the fact that developers put static objects so 1000's of player can experience the same thing. As a grad that completed quantum mechanics courses, I am awed by the sheer unpredictibility and mysteriousness of life. Enter Salem.
Apparently this new game is amazing and you can do and build anything you want. The land is empty, and it is up for fate and players to decide how the story unfolds. Nobody is spoon-fed anything. Social experiments like these are what make a game "fun" for me. When people, politics, and real minds are involved behind the gears of the game, as opposed to GW2 themepark static events.
Sure, at first it will be fun. But once someone like me realizes that this monster will always spawn at X, this city will never change, going down this road will always have the same houses etc etc.
In Salem you just have to survive. Want to build a house? You need to chop trees, cut wood, and buy land. See that huge elaborate city over there? That's player made. See that road up ahead? Everything can change each time you go down it. Or it might not. It taps into those primal instincts, which makes it unbearably more fun, just ask anyone who has played DayZ. I can guarantee they will have fonder memories than those with GW2.
It doesn't even have to be a sandbox. But the fact remains that games nowadays need to be social experiments for me, what with this day and age of social media etc. And it's not GW's fault.
You are right about most sandboxes being crap, and how GW2 is a pretty stable game in terms of non-sandbox gameplay. I did not mean to come off as picky, rather I did not have my daily joint for the day and was a bit irritated in how more developers won't try to be REALLY innovative, although the past couple of years things have really picked up.
All I can say at this point is that yes - GW2 is probably a great game. But as of right now and based solely off videos I can say that even Salem, at this point, is looking to be a better game than GW2 strictly judging by innovation and depth.
I dislike the fact that developers put static objects so 1000's of player can experience the same thing. As a grad that completed quantum mechanics courses, I am awed by the sheer unpredictibility and mysteriousness of life. Enter Salem.
Apparently this new game is amazing and you can do and build anything you want. The land is empty, and it is up for fate and players to decide how the story unfolds. Nobody is spoon-fed anything. Social experiments like these are what make a game "fun" for me. When people, politics, and real minds are involved behind the gears of the game, as opposed to GW2 themepark static events.
Sure, at first it will be fun. But once someone like me realizes that this monster will always spawn at X, this city will never change, going down this road will always have the same houses etc etc.
In Salem you just have to survive. Want to build a house? You need to chop trees, cut wood, and buy land. See that huge elaborate city over there? That's player made. See that road up ahead? Everything can change each time you go down it. Or it might not. It taps into those primal instincts, which makes it unbearably more fun, just ask anyone who has played DayZ. I can guarantee they will have fonder memories than those with GW2.
It doesn't even have to be a sandbox. But the fact remains that games nowadays need to be social experiments for me, what with this day and age of social media etc. And it's not GW's fault.
There doesn't seem to be a whole bunch of information on Salem, but so far it doesn't look THAT different from your standard Open PvP game with permadeath. Sure, it's set during the Colonial period in North America, and I guess you could give them some innovation points there. At least from what I've seen lots of other games have messed around with this sort of thing, even with limited building of things -- we'll see how innovative Salem is with that...I doubt it will be nearly as innovative as EVE was or allow nearly as many options. I'm honestly quite skeptical of an open PvP game with permadeath that's F2P, because how they plan to make money is probably going to be ugly.
I can say one thing for sure. It isn't going to appeal to a lot of people, because not a lot of people like open PvP with permadeath games.
GW2 has innovated in a number of areas. Now maybe you don't care about these areas, but that doesn't mean it hasn't innovated in them. How it handles public questing is quite innovative compared to what has come before. Sure you can trace it back to Warhammer Online, but it's so much more than War ever dreamed. I guess you aren't very familiar with GW2 because what's down the road and what monsters are there WILL change based off the DE system in a zone.
Anyhow, to me games like Salem sound a lot more interesting than they actually are, unless you put a ton of your time into them and get embroiled into the politics, etc, etc. But that eats up too much of one's life, imho, which is part of the limited appeal, I think. The other part is that I think a fair number of people don't want to get embroiled in a bunch if somewhat mindless drama and caprisciousness that such games tend to bring out. I do not find it remotely immersive, because people will simply not behave in a very realistic fashion for the setting. I know one thing I look for in an RPG of any sort is a setting that is brought to life for a few hours while I play it. And frankly, most other players aren't interested in roleplaying that out at all (and that's not even getting into the quality of such potential RP and other issues with bringing it to an MMO setting), but NPCs can do the job much of the time. They can provide a solid groundwork for a world that seems alive. And sure, maybe it isn't perfect, but in good games if you give a little then you'll be amply rewarded by the experience -- eh, somewhat like old school Doctor Who.
But seeing what sort of jackassery a subset of the players are up to today? Seeing if your friend for a year decided to quit and thought it would be fun to just betray everyone for no reason? Eh, that sort of pathetic drama is not what I want in a game at all. It's stressful, unpleasant, and such games do little to encourage the best in humanity -- they reward bad behavior too much, imho.
Don't confuse this with me being against sandboxes. Not like open world FFA PvP games is not the same is not liking a sandbox.
I never buy mmorpg's on release anymore. Mainly because often they are utter garbage, but also because i hate the first week starting zone insanity and recently release prices tumble a few weeks in and most new mmo's offer free trials early on. Another thing i have been stung with is rolling in new games on a server which then dies on it's arse when everyone leaves for the next big thing (SWTOR, TSW).
Personally i'll be waiting a few weeks to see how players get on with the progress system and see how the early wvwvw and pvp goes before i take the plunge.
Expresso gave me a Hearthstone beta key.....I'm so happy
If the OP is waiting for Skyrim combat system ( I suspect he means closer to actual FPS combat: Mount and Blade, War of the Roses etc ) in a triple AAA MMORPG, he is going to wait another decade.
Yeah, you probably are. Most of us realize that reviews these days arent reviews so much as paid puff pieces.
They can't be critical of a product when their revenues is dependant upon advertising dollars from the same companies producing those products. So reviews = useless.
Huge generalisation there! You don't have to look too far to find highly critical reviews of many, many games that are available today. What you are saying might be true in some cases, it's certainly true in the hard copy media business where I work, but it hardly warrants this sort of crazy broad brush statement...
I cant blame OP to wait for reviews and to see how the forum will be one week or month from now. That would have saved much time and money for many people with certain earlier MMOs and if you can wait you doesnt really have anything to loose.
I on the other hand will try to log in the minute the game releases.
My review based on the beta is 4.5 out of 5 and that is the highest score I have given any MMO, by far. But that is of course more of a preview than a real review and the scoore might change after launch.
Yeah, you probably are. Most of us realize that reviews these days arent reviews so much as paid puff pieces.
They can't be critical of a product when their revenues is dependant upon advertising dollars from the same companies producing those products. So reviews = useless.
This^
If the original poster cant take the word of a bizzillion players or if he cant determine by watching youtube footage made by real players that GW2 is or isnt for him the chances are it isnt..
Its a one time $60 investment with no furthur obligation with a ton of player input, its a no brainer unless you just dont like innovative new games..
I was in the same train of thought as you in regards to the PVP. Until i experience it myself after 3 BWE, not only was smashing your 1-5 buttons useless in PVP, you are at an disadvantage when going against players that understands what goes after another would generate combos, which skills syncs with another skill for that maximum boon.
I have experienced it both ways, I went into the first BWE just smashing my buttons trying to kill someone, and guess what, I ended up getting creamed and it was a 1 vs 1. I didn't understand that my warrior's Hammer was better at controlling the other player and then I can switch my weapons when they are down for some powerful hits. Or take advantage of the other skills.
I did watch Taugrims Videos and realized that If i was fighting against him, I won't even get a single hit in. And guess what, in SPVP, everyone is equal, so no excuses for losing. And that just made me want to research alittle more into the combat. Because its not just button smashing anymore.
Life is a Maze, so make sure you bring your GPS incase you get lost in it.
Comments
Go ahead and wait! I don't think it's weird at all to wait for reviews.
As for the combat I had the most fun in sPVP, that's where you start to feel like a champion.
Play for fun. Play to win. Play for perfection. Play with friends. Play in another world. Why do you play?
What your using is not logic in the first place but lets ignore that and move on.
You would have a general idea of the Nissan 350z but you would not get a feel for how the car drives, or how you feel driving it until you drove it yourself. You would not go out and buy a Nissan 350z based on watching 50, 100, 200 video's. You would test drive the car first. Like a normal person would do even after doing all their homework before hand. Even with all that homework and study, you would still need to drive the car to get a feel for it yourself.
How is that horrible comparison? Lets try a different one. If I watch a youtube video of a guy jumping his dirt bike over 30 cars, does that mean that by watching I just jumped a dirt bike over 30 cars? If you want to go video game to video game, we can do that as well. EQ1, go watch combat video of EQ1 and tell me the combat is half as fun as it was to play the game? I can tell you that watching EQ1 combat video's makes me wonder how I could have ever played that game but the fact is that after playing the game. I know the video's do not do it justice.
Its not hard, unless you have tried something, you cannot know if you will like it or not (for the most part). Video games fall into that. Unless you play a video game than you cannot know for sure if you will like it or not. This is not saying you cannot judge the game based on the video's but to say that you know how combat works because you watched a video is just wrong.
Sooner or Later
So you're hoping that people will rise up with you against the great evil of GW2?
Yet you also are secretly hoping that someone will say something to you to convince you to like this game?
Do these goals seem contradictory?
Are you actually looking for an honest discussion?
"Loading screens" are not "instances".
Your personal efforts to troll any game will not, in fact, impact the success or failure of said game.
Something to add to that. If GW2 bursts into flame and dies horribly, then developers are going to make more WoW-clones, not fewer. GW2 is changing up a ton of conventions in MMOs, that if you really want new and different MMOs you should be rooting for it. Generally speaking, of course.
I think a real problem the OP has is that he if he doesn't like something, he can't really imagine how anyone in their right mind could like it. Somehow, these people who like all these games the OP hates must be delusional...they can't really like these games, right? Despite the fact the vast majority of electronic games would seem to be things the OP would dislike, he seems to hold to this view. Somehow most consumers are out there buying things they actually dislike/hate!
Relying on reviews is the worst thing to do for MMORPGs.
As for the rest. I don't let fear/distaste of other people stop me from doing something enjoyable. I have tried the combat and its the best MMO combat except possibly Asheron's Call I have seen.
Anyway you can always find reason to not do something. Do have good reasons to do something? Most people's problems come when the reason for doing something are not as good as they thought. Not that there were a few bad things, even when they focus on them. Unless they are just a miserable person to begin with.
Waiting to see what happens is perfectly reasonable. In the end Anet and all devs are always making calculated gambles on some features.
Waiting for reviews given what we know about MMOs reviews is like shooting yourself in the foot before a marathon.
Well if I can't see it... then noone can, that's 3 year old logic there.
And hey I'd love to kill the hype train... but I'm pretty sure it derailed back quite a few months ago when I played the beta and saw they had everything that they promised to me. So instead of sitting there skeptical on whether or not the trains going to come, I get to skip merrily down the rail road tracks until eventually that hype train comes and smacks me in the back... until then I get to enjoy myself thou. Woo.
"Why is gaming humanity going through a seemingly infinite loop of hyping up mediocre games, and then complaining when the same games keep coming out? This has happened with RIFT, this has happened with SWTOR, how is GW2 any different?" -- by D3lit3 in an earlier post in GW2 forums
"A couple of examples of things that I am looking for:
- Actual skill-based gameplay" -- by D3lit3 in an earlier post in a GW2 forums
It's statements like what you posted above that convinced me this thread is not what it seems. Sorry, but people who claim that they like a game and then bash it lose all credibility when exposed. That's exactly what's happening here. It's not mere opinion posting, it's another attempt to spread nonsense about a title you really don't like and you're fishing for support.
And the second post just shows you really don't know what you're talking about. Skill-based gameplay is what GW2 is all about with hardly any gamechanging stats to speak of on armor, instant level 80 in pvp, and no tanks dedicated healers, skill is the only thing you have left. History is a wonderful thing.
I've already posted why i think this thread should be closed and used examples from your original post.
I just bought the game last Saturday and played the last unnoficial stress test on Tuesday from 12PM until 6PM. It was my first time playing the game. Guild Wars 2 isn't revolutionary or anything but it spiced up a bunch of thing's that other mmorpg's haven't done yet.
I'm going to keep it somewhat simple because I don't feel like writing a book right now.
Combat: I really liked the combat in this game, it feel's very flush and fuid, you really feel like you are "playing with magic." There were some CRAZY spells that I have never seen done in an mmo until I played Guild Wars 2. Please note that I have played over 29 mmorpg's for the last fifteen or so years.
PvP: Haven't tried it yet so not much to say about it.
Graphics: The graphics were superb, I have never seen such beautiful graphics in all of my years playing mmorpg's. The art style is a little different but it's really meshed together nicely.
Some Pictures I took during the stress test 8/21/2012.
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw366.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw360.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw340.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw327.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw320.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw313.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw243.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw205.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw127.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw059.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw046.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw040.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc464/SK-Dubrok/gw002.jpg
Just my two cents. Take it for what it's worth.
There is no subscription fee to play, so you'll be waiting a long time for that to happen.
And when they are 4 of the 5 PC game top sales on amazon (CE, DE, standard with preaccess and standard (which just started selling today, because preaccess cut off was last night), I doubt they are even thinking about a trial for a long while. :P
There are tons of user and youtube reviews... *shrug
+1 I was going to reply something similar to this where you're quoting me. And hey, the combat might grow on you then too given the chance
You are right about most sandboxes being crap, and how GW2 is a pretty stable game in terms of non-sandbox gameplay. I did not mean to come off as picky, rather I did not have my daily joint for the day and was a bit irritated in how more developers won't try to be REALLY innovative, although the past couple of years things have really picked up.
All I can say at this point is that yes - GW2 is probably a great game. But as of right now and based solely off videos I can say that even Salem, at this point, is looking to be a better game than GW2 strictly judging by innovation and depth.
I dislike the fact that developers put static objects so 1000's of player can experience the same thing. As a grad that completed quantum mechanics courses, I am awed by the sheer unpredictibility and mysteriousness of life. Enter Salem.
Apparently this new game is amazing and you can do and build anything you want. The land is empty, and it is up for fate and players to decide how the story unfolds. Nobody is spoon-fed anything. Social experiments like these are what make a game "fun" for me. When people, politics, and real minds are involved behind the gears of the game, as opposed to GW2 themepark static events.
Sure, at first it will be fun. But once someone like me realizes that this monster will always spawn at X, this city will never change, going down this road will always have the same houses etc etc.
In Salem you just have to survive. Want to build a house? You need to chop trees, cut wood, and buy land. See that huge elaborate city over there? That's player made. See that road up ahead? Everything can change each time you go down it. Or it might not. It taps into those primal instincts, which makes it unbearably more fun, just ask anyone who has played DayZ. I can guarantee they will have fonder memories than those with GW2.
It doesn't even have to be a sandbox. But the fact remains that games nowadays need to be social experiments for me, what with this day and age of social media etc. And it's not GW's fault.
There doesn't seem to be a whole bunch of information on Salem, but so far it doesn't look THAT different from your standard Open PvP game with permadeath. Sure, it's set during the Colonial period in North America, and I guess you could give them some innovation points there. At least from what I've seen lots of other games have messed around with this sort of thing, even with limited building of things -- we'll see how innovative Salem is with that...I doubt it will be nearly as innovative as EVE was or allow nearly as many options. I'm honestly quite skeptical of an open PvP game with permadeath that's F2P, because how they plan to make money is probably going to be ugly.
I can say one thing for sure. It isn't going to appeal to a lot of people, because not a lot of people like open PvP with permadeath games.
GW2 has innovated in a number of areas. Now maybe you don't care about these areas, but that doesn't mean it hasn't innovated in them. How it handles public questing is quite innovative compared to what has come before. Sure you can trace it back to Warhammer Online, but it's so much more than War ever dreamed. I guess you aren't very familiar with GW2 because what's down the road and what monsters are there WILL change based off the DE system in a zone.
Anyhow, to me games like Salem sound a lot more interesting than they actually are, unless you put a ton of your time into them and get embroiled into the politics, etc, etc. But that eats up too much of one's life, imho, which is part of the limited appeal, I think. The other part is that I think a fair number of people don't want to get embroiled in a bunch if somewhat mindless drama and caprisciousness that such games tend to bring out. I do not find it remotely immersive, because people will simply not behave in a very realistic fashion for the setting. I know one thing I look for in an RPG of any sort is a setting that is brought to life for a few hours while I play it. And frankly, most other players aren't interested in roleplaying that out at all (and that's not even getting into the quality of such potential RP and other issues with bringing it to an MMO setting), but NPCs can do the job much of the time. They can provide a solid groundwork for a world that seems alive. And sure, maybe it isn't perfect, but in good games if you give a little then you'll be amply rewarded by the experience -- eh, somewhat like old school Doctor Who.
But seeing what sort of jackassery a subset of the players are up to today? Seeing if your friend for a year decided to quit and thought it would be fun to just betray everyone for no reason? Eh, that sort of pathetic drama is not what I want in a game at all. It's stressful, unpleasant, and such games do little to encourage the best in humanity -- they reward bad behavior too much, imho.
Don't confuse this with me being against sandboxes. Not like open world FFA PvP games is not the same is not liking a sandbox.
I never buy mmorpg's on release anymore. Mainly because often they are utter garbage, but also because i hate the first week starting zone insanity and recently release prices tumble a few weeks in and most new mmo's offer free trials early on. Another thing i have been stung with is rolling in new games on a server which then dies on it's arse when everyone leaves for the next big thing (SWTOR, TSW).
Personally i'll be waiting a few weeks to see how players get on with the progress system and see how the early wvwvw and pvp goes before i take the plunge.
Expresso gave me a Hearthstone beta key.....I'm so happy
Huge generalisation there! You don't have to look too far to find highly critical reviews of many, many games that are available today. What you are saying might be true in some cases, it's certainly true in the hard copy media business where I work, but it hardly warrants this sort of crazy broad brush statement...
I cant blame OP to wait for reviews and to see how the forum will be one week or month from now. That would have saved much time and money for many people with certain earlier MMOs and if you can wait you doesnt really have anything to loose.
I on the other hand will try to log in the minute the game releases.
My review based on the beta is 4.5 out of 5 and that is the highest score I have given any MMO, by far. But that is of course more of a preview than a real review and the scoore might change after launch.
This^
If the original poster cant take the word of a bizzillion players or if he cant determine by watching youtube footage made by real players that GW2 is or isnt for him the chances are it isnt..
Its a one time $60 investment with no furthur obligation with a ton of player input, its a no brainer unless you just dont like innovative new games..
Playing GW2..
I was in the same train of thought as you in regards to the PVP. Until i experience it myself after 3 BWE, not only was smashing your 1-5 buttons useless in PVP, you are at an disadvantage when going against players that understands what goes after another would generate combos, which skills syncs with another skill for that maximum boon.
I have experienced it both ways, I went into the first BWE just smashing my buttons trying to kill someone, and guess what, I ended up getting creamed and it was a 1 vs 1. I didn't understand that my warrior's Hammer was better at controlling the other player and then I can switch my weapons when they are down for some powerful hits. Or take advantage of the other skills.
I did watch Taugrims Videos and realized that If i was fighting against him, I won't even get a single hit in. And guess what, in SPVP, everyone is equal, so no excuses for losing. And that just made me want to research alittle more into the combat. Because its not just button smashing anymore.
Life is a Maze, so make sure you bring your GPS incase you get lost in it.