More character variety, more unique looks and less oriental style

Draltar

Although the graphics in Guildwars are good, they lack variety.

The only male with beards/moustaches is the Hunter class and some caster types, the Warrior just have that "unshaved" look.

Faces look too similar, no big diferences from one to another. Some male bodies look too feminin, too slim and youre stuck with them if you want to play that class.

To some this are just minor details in the game, to me investing in a game character to end up with a semi-gay/semi-mangaesque character just wont do.

Everyone seems alike, many look like coming out of some oriental manga cartoon. The new expansion reinforces this oriental-manga look even more.

I got nothing against oriental-manga looks (on the contrary, i love "manga" novels and samurai movies/martial arts) but in a game based on medieval-fantasy sets, it doesnt fit very well in the concept. To each style it's own game and Guildwars is loosing that medieval touch.

Imagine Lord of the Rings with skinny beardless males all around, imagine a shaved Gimly or a beardless oriental Gandalf and you get the picture, that's what Guildwars is.

Guildwars is a good game, but it just doesnt "click" in me, it lacks that old, ancient feeling that so many other mmorpgs have and to that the design REALLY matters.

Hawkaron

Wtf are you on about? Oriental look? Sorry, but I don't get a shit what you're trying to say about the graphics. Do you mean that they use more anime-ish style on the looks?

Sou|

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Originally posted by Hawkaron
Wtf are you on about? Oriental look? Sorry, but I don't get a shit what you're trying to say about the graphics. Do you mean that they use more anime-ish style on the looks?

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warning:

feeling high GW typical fanboy here.

Elnator

I too would love it if Guild Wars had more character customization than it does but the bottom line is here:
It has no monthly fee.  There are lots of things that more traditional MMO's offer that I'd love to see added to Guild Wars

but:
Then it probably wouldn't be free.  And I really really really like that it's free

As for the graphics style?  Actually I thought they did a decent job of making it 'somewhat anime but mostly real'  if that makes sense.  It's not as anime' as their other titles and it's not as realistic as, for example, DAOC.... but the graphics appeal to me more than EQ2 or WoW by a mile.

VGJustice

Honestly, I just wish that those of us with both Factions and Prophecies could combine looks for character creation.

But, as far as just Factions goes, the "Oriental feel" is intended and central to the plot. It's kinda silly to tell them to make an oriental type game less oriental, don't you think?

Lack of options for character creation has been an issue for a while now, and there's been lots of complaints about it. Probably one of the biggest complaints.

Hawkaron

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Originally posted by Sou|

Originally posted by Hawkaron
Wtf are you on about? Oriental look? Sorry, but I don't get a shit what you're trying to say about the graphics. Do you mean that they use more anime-ish style on the looks?

warning:

feeling high GW typical fanboy here.

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Yeah, and thanks for warning and caring. And I would like it more defined why I am a "typical GW fanboy".

And if every MMORPG would have this realistic feel to it, then it would be pretty boring. Remember that NCSoft also developed this game, and it's a company formed in South Korea. Most games that comes from asian countries have the anime-ish feel to it, and I would say Guild Wars is a very light version of this. Take Ragnarok Online or Lineage 2 as an example, they are completely anime. You gotta live with.

I dont' see why there would be need of complaining about the style, because I don't care so much about it.

Aseenus

hey man at least we got armor dye in wow u got no armor dye or anything so everyone looks the same color lol

Kraetus

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Originally posted by Draltar

Everyone seems alike, many look like coming out of some oriental
manga cartoon. The new expansion reinforces this oriental-manga look
even more.
I got nothing against oriental-manga looks (on the contrary, i love
"manga" novels and samurai movies/martial arts) but in a game based on
medieval-fantasy sets, it doesnt fit very well in the concept. To each
style it's own game and Guildwars is loosing that medieval touch.

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Sweet, let's chalk up as an oversight or a design flaw what the
developers themselves have openly described as one of the friggin'
fundamental goals of the franchise.


They have admitted that Guild Wars is to follow the growth pattern of
the MtG model.  That is, each subsequent expansion is not only going to
augment the content of the game, but it is also going to provide
variations on both gameplay and themes.  Factions is like the GW
version of MtG's Kamigawa Block.  Therefore, your uninformed rant has
only served to confirm the success of ArenaNet's latest innovation.


I played WoW from release for about four months.  That was two months
too long.  While they surpassed everyone's expectations for the 1-59
game, the endgame of WoW is ill-conceived and, despite the myriad
content patches, woefully neglected.  The issue here, however, is that
the Burning Crusade expansion is merely going to be another trough
brimming with the same fetid slop.  And
they expect a monthly fee on top of all that.  As pathetic as that is,
it becomes even more depressing to think that WoW is the only MMORPG
I've played thus far that is worth any monthly fee at all.  Not a
fifteen-dollar fee, mind you, but I would entertain arguments for
something in the mid-range of single digits.  Guild Wars is practically
free.  Alas, I have digressed for too long.


Even though I only play GW sparingly (a recent /age shows 70 total
hours over 6 months), I can't help but admire NCSoft more and more
(keeping in mind their numerous other pioneering franchises).  Their
friggin' motto ought to be:


Innovating.  Relentlessly.


Factions is (yet another) breath of fresh air from ArenaNet and NCSoft in this
stale, stale genre (despite whether or not you believe GW deserves to
be listed on this site).  That, however, is the springboard to a new
topic entirely.


Anyway, Draltar, just because you mentioned it, I hope the next
expansion conveys a 1800s Western theme.  And the one after that, robots.  Yeah, I went there.

Tigercha

I am quite happy to forgo detailed character creation, I must have had a barbie when I was joung and got it out of my system by playing dressy up all day with it, If the lack of Character improves my loads times and removes a litlle lag in the cities that will do me fine thank you very much, all I would like to say about character creation is "Star Wars Galaxies" wow how shit was the lag on in the big cities, If I had a complaint about GuildWars its that the damn PvE part will only last a few months and then I am stuck playing that fecking WoW again with all there half witted teenage ......................., Ahh now I got that out my system, o yes and why do you require the games made my asians for asians with a larger asian player base to look european, Hmmmmm  

legrever

I've always enjoyed the Guild Wars art style. I like the art style of Factions as well. My only concern is whether or not the decidedly "asian" theme employed is simply a staple for this "expansion" or if it will pattern after which all other expansions will be modelled. Don't get me wrong, I like the theme and all. But I've always been a fan of more "western" themes. Initially when Factions was announced I saw it merely as a way to add content to the game that the eastern region would be more comfortable with. I'm not sure if it's their marketing style or what, but it seems to be taking over the entire game (Prophecies included). 

Elnator

Did someone say robots?

I, for one, would LOVE an MMO based on the Macross stories    God knows I love Battletech (Note the MMO I'm Beta Testing).  A Macross MMO would kick serious rear.

Afrit

The details in characters are not a big deal in a game like Guild Wars, which is designed to cater 8 versus 8 action-packed battles without lag or latency. Just like in Lineage2, if they "did up" the character details so that everyone looked unique, i think you would find that the battles you fought would be way to laggy to even play, nevermind play well.

Also, as a previous poster said, this game is develeloped by NCsoft who are responsible for the massive customization in CoH and CoV. The designers have made the details on Guild Wars like this for a reason.

Plus you are nearly always looking at the back of yourself so it wouldnt make much of a difference in detail for yourself, as you wouldnt be able to see your face. :P

-Afrit

thoreau

personally, i think there is a good deal of variety in GW. i take screenshots of avatars that look cool and I have over 100 distinct looks. the color variations are almost limitless due to die mixing. add to that the numbe of armor available and you have hundreds of possibilites.

exanimo

" less oriental style " is the most stupid comment i ever eard

about caracter costumization , anet said its not the most important thing in guildwars , becose guildwars is not a true mmorpg .. remember ?? its not about who as the pretyest armor and flame sword , its about skills .. anyway , the game is improving they are adding more useless content every chapter ..
i eard they will add more carater costumization , such as face , hair , etc .. in another chapter.

Serling

FWIW, I love the graphics in GW and Factions: best around, IMHO.  And the distinctively Asian flavor of Factions is what makes it so damn appealing and different!  I couldn't wait to get my Oriental-styled Rt into Old Ascalon to see how much more different she looked than all the other Occidental characters running around!

One final note: GW is in Korea, Japan, and China.  Don't know how well Factions is doing in Asia, but it can't hurt to appeal to the largest market on Earth for this stuff.

When I finish the game with my two Factions slots on one account, I'll be buying another copy for second account.  I think it's just that cool!

auryx

Actually, you don't even have to look "asian" in Factions. One of the factions, the Kurzicks, don't look particularly eastern at all.

But I do agree the character customisation could do with a little improvement. For me though, it's more the animation - I'd love a female char that doesn't bob her head from side to side like a pendulum when she runs!

auryx

VGJustice

Ugh... Don't even get me started on the slut-hos that are the female Elementalists and Mesmers. I honestly hate nearly everything about the female Ele's (clothes, walking animation in towns, that vapid look on most of their faces). There should seriously be an option to change their walk away from that horrible "my red light is on" look.

That bugs me a hundred fold more than their supposed area of origin.

dothackrox

Yeah id have to agree on that 1 we need more looks, colors, hairsyles, clothing types ect like thug2 and city of heroes

dothackrox

and dont even start on the "strippers" its pathetic to even think that dancing nude for gold can get u anything

auryx

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Originally posted by VGJustice
Ugh... Don't even get me started on the slut-hos that are the female Elementalists and Mesmers. I honestly hate nearly everything about the female Ele's (clothes, walking animation in towns, that vapid look on most of their faces). There should seriously be an option to change their walk away from that horrible "my red light is on" look.

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Lol, this is so true, and the dance animations are another case in point, especially the female ele and rituallist.

On the subject of animations, I also hate the way the assassin runs when he has his daggers equipped. The guy lopes through the countryside like some kind of demented crab! Yeah, we definitely need some imporvements (or at least options!) in this area. Hint hint, NCSoft...

One animation I *do* quite like is the mesmer spellcasting sequence. There's something kinda cool about the way they float up and spin around.

auryx

exanimo

the ritualist casting is amazing , i love it

over all i like everything in the game , im not a tipital 1 billion options mmorpg kind of game player , so guildwars fits my needs perfectly.

Elnator

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Originally posted by thoreau
personally, i think there is a good deal of variety in GW. i take screenshots of avatars that look cool and I have over 100 distinct looks. the color variations are almost limitless due to die mixing. add to that the numbe of armor available and you have hundreds of possibilites.

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HUH??? Dye Mixing???

Man... I have GOT to take time to read the manual... I had no idea we could mix the dyes.  My wife is constantly complaining that she doesn't like the colors she can get from players/vendor.  She'll be thrilled when I tell her she can make different colors.

Elnator

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Originally posted by dothackrox
and dont even start on the "strippers" its pathetic to even think that dancing nude for gold can get u anything

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Um... if people give someone gold to dance 'nude' why is what they're doing stupid?  If they're getting gold for it then hey, more power to 'em.  I'm all for free enterprise