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Alpha tester partial review and questions answered.
OneEyeRed
Member UncommonPosts: 515
Hi all,
First off I would like to thank ArenaNet for allowing me such a grand opportunity to be a part of one of the best games I have ever played. The developers and staff are great fun people and they have allowed us the opportunity to share with you what no other developer has ever shared, alpha information. The game is honestly that good!
I would like to clear up some questions for you all, some serious misconceptions and give you an overall review of the game so far. First and foremost I have been a gamer for many years, have beta'd more game than I can count ( actually have a journal in word format) with over 35 top games tested over the last 10 years. With that said I am not trying to make you woo over me I am letting you know my background and I try my hardest to keep a balanced opinion about games I have tested or am testing.
With that said this game in alpha state is one of the best damn games I have ever played period! The graphics are simply amazing, the missions and maps are extremley fun and there is no more treadmilling and levels really are meaningless in the scope of things. Everything is based upon skills so a new player to the game can still go out on missions with seasoned players. The only difference is they won't have the better skills early on but they will still be able to have fun and join in. No matter how many skills you aquire before each mission or venturing in solo areas for that matter you need to set your bar up in town before you venture out.
You get an 8 slot bar that's it and you better make sure you know what skills to use on what map etc. Of course you learn these things after time but every scenario is different as are the mobs. This game has soloable areas but there is alot of teamwork involved and it is by no means a hack n slash game. Those that compare it to diablo are way, way off. Diablo has nothing on this game period. When doing missions you have to think strategically and plan accordingly. It is not rush, zerg and kill you WILL end up dead. AI is aggro heavy and calls for help and has a large aggro range. They can even scout for you! The graphics and animations for the enviroment as well as the AI are already outstanding. But bottom line this game is based on your skills not how many hours you have ground to get to x lvl 50+ etc. You better know what skills to use, when to use them and how to use them.
PvP- What can I say? This is the best PvP system I have ever played in hands down period. The maps rotate and it is one hell of a ride. Again you don't survive because your X level and so called elite or uber, you survive based on how you use your skills and what skills you take into battle. PvP tournaments consist of 8 player teams and so far the largest teams on one map I have seen were last night with 3 teams. We got owned because those 2 teams came out of the gate and attacked us first before they fought one another. Skills, tactics and planning it's all here baby! There is low loss associated with the PvP as well which makes it that much more fun and it is only in designated tournament areas. The worst you get is death marker which causes a perecentage of your stats to lower for a period of time. You don't lose items etc. After all these years no game has drawn me in to PvP again more than this game. I virtually was done with it but it has been renew'd alas again.
Fees- There are zero fee's associated with playing the game. You buy the retail version you load, log on and play it's that simple. ArenaNet has discussed the expansions which will more than likely be released 3-4 times a year which you are not required to purchase to continue to play. This is how they will make up for the money issue I would assume as opposed to charging for pay to play. Also if you decide you don't want expansion 2 but want to buy 3 or 4 you can do so. If your friends have an expansion that you do not you can all still play together on the maps available to you, you just cannot join there expansion games.
Streaming technology is here and it rocks! GW downloads are simple and painless and from our understanding once the game does go live updates are streamed automatically. Right now when updates are available we have to log out and back in and it is painless and takes less than a minute to do. I have nothing but praise about this game and this game will be the biggest sleeper this year.
Movement- Because GW is scenario based with missions and such movement is not as linear as MMORPGS. With that said yes alot of veteran MMORPG players including myself have to adjust and clear that mind set of all this absolute free movement. There are boundaries and some terrain not negotiable and you are path oriented many times but once you get over it the game does run fine and this movement fits into the scope of the game. Also remember it is still in alpha and many changes happen consistently so we can see more over the course of this year. This game goes beyond the stale and lame treadmill MMORPGS that we have been bombarded with over the years. All we see are repeats over and over again. GW HAS BROKEN THE CYCLE OF BORING AND MONOTONOUS GAMEPLAY PLAIN AND SIMPLE! This is a new genre of gaming and they have created it hands down.
ArenaNet and the community- ArenaNet takes a very active and agressive approach to the community and forums and they communicate excellently with all testers and vice versa. There is no grief no developer not listening to the community and vice versa everything said withing reason and logic is taken into consideration. They are just an awesome bunch of folks is all I can say and I can't impress to you how great this game really is. Not many developers, if any that I can recall honestly have let players in this early of a stage of creation and development. It is risky for them and even more risky allowing us the tester to share the info so why would they do it? Because they know what their doing and they know their game is rock solid and it will draw a very large crowd and mostly in their own words they are very fan oriented and want to give their fans something back and let them know what is going on.
Yes these guys that formed ArenaNet created Starcraft, Diablo, Warcraft etc but I can tell you now you see none of this in this game it is so much better and so much different. Many people desire to compare but in my honest opinion there is no comparison period. Will this game draw the diablo, warcraft, dungeon siege crowd and MMORPG fans alike? You bet it will and then some. I can guarantee you that you have never played anything quite like this game ever.
In the words of an aquaintance on another forum I belong to that is a fansite for GW " this game has ruined all other games for me! " he wasn't joking and as a long time gamer that has picked up everything down the pipeline and then some over the last 10+ years I whole heartedly agree with him!
Also as I stated in the end this game is not about what level you are but how well of a player you are. If you die on missions or in PvP it is strictly because you were beaten not because someone cheated or was 30 levels higher than you. It is all on you in this game no excuses, no reason to blame anything but you. Do you have what it takes to be king of the mountain?
Be patient GW fans you wait for a game that will change your gaming experience forever!
Peace
Through your fear I am reborn. My hand of grief can't be ignored. You know my name.... yes you know who I am. Frustrating turmoil again and again. I am the spike that drives through your hand. for i am eternal battering ram!
Zakk Wylde
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Comments
Fantastic post sonic, thanx for sharing it with us!
- Malkavian
"When you find yourself falling into madness... Dive." - Malkavian Proverb
- MMORPG.COM Staff -
Forum Stalker
Malkavian@mmorpg.com
"When you find yourself sinking into Madness, dive"
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Congratulations on your employment with Arenanet. Now is there anything wrong with this game ? Could you be a little more specific on movement, that paragraph was a little confusing. . . I assume its free WASD, but limited to specific pathing ? Most mmorpgs are not linear at all. . .
A fronte precipitium a tergo lupi
EQII
Requiiem, Templar
Neriak
There is unfinished maps with code half written there are very few graphical glitches that I personally see. Chat text could look better.
As far as the movement there is more pathing lead movement involved it is not so open ended you roam freely and can jump off cliffs and mountains etc. Missions are designed to get you from one point to the next for completion although there are a few different paths you cannott just freely wander and cross all terrain. As I stated quite clearly in my post about movement. Bottom line it's an alpha state game with 4 complete missiosn and a solo area that about done that look better and play better than any game I have beta'd or played in ten freaking years.
I would not say this if in fact it were not true. I even removed my Lineage 2 beta from my machine it sucks in comparison to this game and this game just looks alot better as well. You can take it for what's it worth but it is way to early as well for me to start whining about what is wrong. How many developers allow people to test an alpha state of game? Developers with any history of solid games that is. None, zero, doesn't happen let alone share as much info with the community as they have. This game is that good already in the current state it is in.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Wow, my "remarks" consisted of one low-key sentence, albeit slightly sarcastic. How's that complex working out for you ?
Thanks for the details. . . I guess . . .
A fronte precipitium a tergo lupi
EQII
Requiiem, Templar
Neriak
Gnarled I am sorry I reacted as harshly as I did I had a family crisis this morning which is irrelevant to you and not your problem and it should not have surfaced here and I apologize. I guess I pretty much misread your sarcasm and again I apologize. You can see the map visibly but there are areas you cannot get to although you do not see the map dissipate. there are areas were you can roam more freely however it is slightly more path oriented in certain areas. I hope this helps somewhat.
In MMORPGS we are able to jump off ledges etc. things of this nature in GW there is terrain you just cannot manuvuer albeit sometimes you think you should be able to and you cannot go off walls or cliffs. You will just stop like a invisible wall although you pan and scan the camera view etc.
Again I am sorry for my harshness and this is usually not my character please accept my apology.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
No worries. There was probably no need for me to be sarcastic in the first place, I just thought your write-up looked a little one-sided. Hope everything goes okay with you your family.
A fronte precipitium a tergo lupi
EQII
Requiiem, Templar
Neriak
Back on topic, there is one concern I have with this game, and that is the (over?)-use of missions or "instancing". I know this is the trend these days to avoid camping and loot-mongering, but this game seems to really emphasize it. I wonder if this might lead to a feeling of waiting around in a "chat room" to socialize, then picking up your friends and going into a mission ? Is a substantial part of gameplay instanced ? To me this has the potential of taking away from immersion and the feeling of a persistent world. Comments ?
A fronte precipitium a tergo lupi
EQII
Requiiem, Templar
Neriak
Completely wrong my friend. Blizzard allowed regular non-employees to participate in their alpha test. I was one of them, and now I can tell you that, I've been playing world of warcraft for a very long time now =P
EDIT
And blizzard does have a history of solid games
Tri X,
I been a Blizzard fan since they were nobody with there days with 3do games way back before battle net was concieved and I wil tell you now that Blizzard doesn't always reward there loyal fans. You might just as well been in the alpha but you sure didnt get into because you were part of a community that had a love for the game. You were a friend of a friend or connected in smoe form or another and this is always how blizzard has done things.As I stated even regular non-employees did not include random selectors. You had to know someone from a gaming site particualry or Blizzard's reknown friend's of friend's list.
I been gaming a longlong time and have beta'd a ton of games and there are very few companies that allow in to an alpha state period. I also have friend's currently testing WOW and even thoguh our guild web site is dedicated to GW and WOW, WOW is still a glorified treadmill plain and simple. There site states it, beta testers state it. It's still based on level grind.
Gnarled right now there are only 4 missiosn availabel to us and then a large solo map. Yes missiosn are instanced and you need at least 2 peopel to run them 4 if you want to finish and be eefective. But right now we are testing at a disclosed higher level as well. There will be aslot of missions at retail as well I do mean alot.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
You're review is way biased and it seems you have already made an opinion on your stance of other MMORPGS out there.
This isnt in WoW, go check the beta forums.
Completely wrong my friend. Blizzard allowed regular non-employees to participate in their alpha test. I was one of them, and now I can tell you that, I've been playing world of warcraft for a very long time now =P
EDIT
And blizzard does have a history of solid games
Ahhh, but have you ever run across a gaming company that openly encourages fansites to recommend forum members to an alpha test? The Blizzard alpha is still very much closed ... you needed to know someone who could pull strings to get you in. Or similar.
ArenaNet, on the other hand, is accepting a much wider range of people. In fact, they're accepting anyone who becomes an active part of the fan community with good quality posts on fan forums. While the alpha test is still "by invitation only" the invitations are far more freely available.
"Let me see if understand you... If I put my sword down and you put your rock down, we'll kill each other like civilized people?"
Currently:
Playing: WOW & GW
Completely wrong my friend. Blizzard allowed regular non-employees to participate in their alpha test. I was one of them, and now I can tell you that, I've been playing world of warcraft for a very long time now =P
EDIT
And blizzard does have a history of solid games
Ahhh, but have you ever run across a gaming company that openly encourages fansites to recommend forum members to an alpha test? The Blizzard alpha is still very much closed ... you needed to know someone who could pull strings to get you in. Or similar.
ArenaNet, on the other hand, is accepting a much wider range of people. In fact, they're accepting anyone who becomes an active part of the fan community with good quality posts on fan forums. While the alpha test is still "by invitation only" the invitations are far more freely available.
So...Then I would call it a beta test. Hand picked.
Keep in mind that blizzard's closed beta consists of :
Blizzard employees
Friends and Family
Random testers AAAAAAAAAND *drum sound*
Hand picked people, such as the blizzards friends list, fansites, game websites, game magazines, and good forum posters. (FOR_KHAZ_MODAN is one of them).
Yes, blizzard fansite people are very VERY active in the gaming community, and good posters get their reward too
Whether you call it alpha or beta, makes no differense. Beta's are usually known to be public, and Alpha's private. When your alpha becomes public in the sense in which ArenaNet is doing it, I'd have to call it a beta. But that really doesn't matter.
This thread is freaken useless as hell. He calls this a balanced report? I learnt very little about this game after read this thread. It was basically "Omg, the gods of the olympus will be playing this one"!
Give us some info cracker!
You know I wrote a very informative post Tri X if you didn't like it you should not have read it. You just joined with 2 posts to criticize me? I even stated my guild site caters to both GW and WOW and we will be playing both. I never bashed WOW anywhere in my post and it just seems as if your looking for an argument. Again I have friends in the WOW beta and to sum it up fully it is another glorified treadmill albiet the best one out right now it is still a treadmill.
Secondly you talk as if you know so much about Blizzard and gaming? The Blizzard forums are some of the wost forums ever conceived ask any long time gamer from the day bnet forums were formed many hardcore gamers steer clear of them. You have to sift through a ton of crap and garbage daily just to find a thought provoking post. I'm not sorry if my post offended you in some sort of sick way you had a choice to read it or not and give valuable feedback but instead you want to be argumentative and then insult me.
Makes a good case for you now doesn't it? Again I'll repeat it again so you understand I been gaming since you were in diapers kid and I know I am older than you. I have beta'd and/or played every single MMORPG out on the market. I spent 2 years as a tester for DAOC. I have friends testing WOW and I can read the new community forums for testers as well and I'll say it again it is another glorified treadmill. I don't need anyone to tell me this either but I have the info there all you have to do is follow the game.
Speaking of that I been following WOW since its inception you know how many years ago that was? Don't come bashing me here about my post that relates to nothing concerning you. You want to brag about WOW go to the forum here clearly marked WOW. As for the whiner who got selected because he contributed to the communtiy on the bnet forums? Yea go back awhile and see the deragatory and insult posts he made as well. No one wants to talk about that though. You don't get into Blizzard beta's unless you know someone plain and simple. They do not pick random testers they never have and they never will.
I don't understand why people our insistent on bashing GW either I made a decent post about the game my feelings exactly. You don't have to agree with them at all but if you want to make a serious debate were people of these forums will look at you and actually take in what your saying, you don't do it by insulting people and flaming like you are. Then you further insult me with racial slurs like cracker!
You need to grow up plain and simple because no one will take you seriously here until you do. My post was very informative the game is in an alpha state and I gave my opinions based on a game in alpha state. Things are changing constantly and it is not time for me to start bashing a game that looks and plays as well as it does in a alpha state. What part of this don't you understand???
Oh and by the way Blizzard's landmark history, all the games that made Blizzard who they are, guess who developed them? The same guys who formed ArenaNet! They are the Diablo, Warcraft, and Starcraft team!
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Hahaha!!! You are so stupid. Your entire thread is complete garbage, sorry.
Nowhere in my replies do I bash GW one bit. I simply don't know anything about the game
[quote]I have beta'd and/or played every single MMORPG out on the market[/quote]
Almost everyone. Ya haven't beta tested WoW =P
[quote]
Oh and by the way Blizzard's landmark history, all the games that made Blizzard who they are, guess who developed them? The same guys who formed ArenaNet! They are the Diablo, Warcraft, and Starcraft team![/quote]
Haha, I know who they are, and I'm expecting something good from them. But you, as an alpha tester...Your thread was filled with glorification instead of info, that's the problem.
[quote]You know I wrote a very informative post Tri X if you didn't like it you should not have read it[/quote]
And how do I know if I don't like it without reading it?
Dude, post more info, your original thread was junk!
Great post and thanx very very much. This game looks like it can fullfil experienced player expectations and new player as well. Can't wait til the final release. This "sleeper" can show "big guys" what MMORPG can offer.
Thanx again
I've been to many places, i've seen so many faces...
Certain people need to remember he has no reason to be biased, he isn't employed by and is completely deatched from both ArenaNet or NCsoft, he isn't trying to sell you the game.
TRi-x, you may of not learnt anything specific from his post as the game is still in alpha and there is still an NDA in place. Alpha testers are allowed to go into broad details about the game, that is all, if you have a specific question you're better off asking him it than insulting him off of the bat. If this thread is useless it has been your contribution that has made it so. I thought all of this would of been obvious.
He's enjoying testing the game and it's in currently very good shape, I don't see the problem here.
I'm in total agreement with the post above. I thought the original post, the review was qtuie informative. I'm keeping my eyes on a few mmorpg's, wow, and guild wars, and a few others. I've been watching the GW site really closely, and while its good for a few game concepts, the review we got here added to that. Sure, its not hardcore detailed, but I imagine that an alpha tester cannot reveal everything about a game, or, not even everything, just the real details. And i reckon that within that constrainment, the review did pretty well. It's added to my understanding of what the game will be. I think the "Congrats on your employment with Arena net" is a bit harsh, coz like, he's just saying he likes the game, it doesnt make him a slavish closed minded "But this game or you suck" type. Sure, he rates it hardcore, but if there's a reason for that, its coz he thinks the game is good stuff!
I also dont see the problem here. We should all just be calm and civlized people, not peple adding YET ANOTHER thread that is full of tit-for-tat nonsense. What more than anything else, takes us away from the game and what it's gonna be about. So yeh, everybody just smoke a peace pipe (joints work as well
). I for one was glad about finding this review, gave me a further understanding of what uild Wars will be like. Though im always willing for MORE info, hehe.
But sir...we're on our own planet...
Twist those knobs!
Pull them levers!!
---------------------------------------------
But sir...we're on our own planet...
Twist those knobs!
Pull them levers!!
yeh i mean, bottom line is, theyre all gona be kickass games. thereneednt be this fanatical back and forth business. why dont we all just smoke a join and say theyre all gooood. forget about what's better. ultimately you're just speaking a subjective opinion. nothing is ever gonnabe objective, even if you put all the details in there to back your argument.
anyways, keeping topic of guild wars review.
it was good.
haha. that's me keeping on topic. i already said what i had to say about. thought it was a good review.
---------------------------------------------
But sir...we're on our own planet...
Twist those knobs!
Pull them levers!!
---------------------------------------------
But sir...we're on our own planet...
Twist those knobs!
Pull them levers!!
LOL, he's no ANet employee. C'mon people
.
The game really is that cool. Wait till it hits beta and you can judge for yourself.
Dienzen: There are several professions, like you can see on the official site [ http://guildwars.com/professions/default.html ]. Every profession has it's own set of skills that a player can use in the battle. If you want to survive, you will have to use these skills very wisely to get the most out of them. The skills you use always depend on the situation you are in.
After a while, you can dual-class, that means any combination of professions (warrior/necromancer, ranger/monk, monk/warrior,...) so you get additional skills for that second profession.
Of course you also have your standard melee weapons and shields that you can change during combat again depending on the situation.
But it's no more click and watch the mob die, use some potions and that's that. These days are, thank god, over
. Well thought of skill usage is of crucial importance.
If anyone has any question other alpha testers (myself included) will be happy to answer them if we can. After all, the NDA is still in affect, although it's not that strict because it allows us to talk about the game in general, about our experience and thoughts.