This is not a thread about the obvious technical issues GW2 has seen since the launch of the mass beta. They have been well discussed and I acknowledge them fully. What I do think about them though is that this ANet's first stress test for the game and I accept that fact. I also personally have faith that the problems will be addressed.

This is a thread about gameplay and the game world and ANet's presentation of it in their promotional pieces.

I honestly am nothing but pleased with what I have experienced by L11.

The game play, and I have played solo and grouped, is fun and feels meaningful as I willingly explore the world. It is exactly what the vids led me to believe it would be.

The game itself is actually amazing to look at and suits my tastes perfectly. Visually, it is exactly what the vids led me to believe it would be.

The PvP is smooth and fun and the BG maps great to navigate around. In short, it is exactly what the vids promised it would be.

The point I am making is that no one in this game right now should be in the least suprised about anything they are seeing, because as far as I know nothing has been misrepresented (though obviosuly I am not the world mind and I don't know everything, I admit that).

What is there to criticise that you hadn't already been told about? What is such a shock to you now?

If you don't like the play systems you are seeing in beta why on Earth did you pre-order? Is it that necessary to be part of the herd that you purchased a game you knew you wouldn't like?

So far, to me, GW2 is a success that manages, on a lot of levels, to exceed my expectations. I think to open minded MMOers not stuck in a mental rut about what is 'right' and 'wrong' in MMO design, or with obvious personal grudge wars to wage, it will be a really fun experience as they learn something new.

To the others... well, I guess your next WoW clone will be here soon so you can play that (while complaining about WoW clones ofc).

Had this game been a P2P; I would have given this a long-hard debate about purchase. However, it's well worth my $60. I don't want any cash-shop items, but I'll consider it a 'donation' to the well being of the game.

I haven't encountered any bugs throughout my first two days. The optimization of the graphics are bad, but a dev did say the client wasn't optimized yet, and told us to set the priority on task manager to high. After doing so I was fully able to play at max graphics with AA turned on. 

Compared to another game release in december... The quality of GW2 is exceptional. Even if AN is 'Tortage'ing the begining experience, It's still well worth my money. 

As someone else who made sure to keep all his expectation in check while also maintaiing the general excitement one should have for a new game. I found myself plesantly impressed with most of what I've experienced.

I watched alot videos, participated in many discussions and must say I haven't seen aything missing from those videos or anything that gave my the impression of false advertisement. I've just been roaming and enjoying not trying to focus on any one part of the game really.

I'll admit I haven't done any PvP yet. That was something I'd rather do on a seperate BWE. So I can give it the  same expectations and openess as the PvE side.

The look, the feel, the gameplay and how the world in general feels has been in line to what I thought I was going to see and maybe a bit more impressed. The stability has been impressive and not too many hiccups.

I'm waiting to see how the game improves on the next BWE. It's going to be difficult to really see improvement because right now the game is actually on par and outshinning some recent MMO's in many departments..

Originally posted by Vesavius

 The point I am making is that no one in this game right now should be in the least suprised about anything they are seeing, because as far as I know nothing has been misrepresented (though obviosuly I am not the world mind and I don't know everything, I admit that).

What is there to criticise that you hadn't already been told about? What is such a shock to you now?

If you don't like the play systems you are seeing in beta why on Earth did you pre-order? Is it that necessary to be part of the herd that you purchased a game you knew you wouldn't like?

 

So far, to me, GW2 is a success that manages, on a lot of levels, to exceed my expectations. I think to open minded MMOers not stuck in a mental rut about what is 'right' and 'wrong' in MMO design, or with obvious personal grudge wars to wage, it will be a really fun experience as they learn something new.

To the others... well, I guess your next WoW clone will be here soon so you can play that (while complaining about WoW clones ofc).

So... you like it, and therefore everyone else should have the same taste and like it too, else they're stuck in a mental rut or have a personal grudge?

Interesting way of looking at things, kinda prejudiced imo, or don't you think so? I mean, I'm enjoying it, but I can also very clearly see how some people might dislike it without them being stuck in a mental rut or have whatever grudge you think they might have. This whole 'you either like the stuff I like or you have bad taste and inferior thinking' is unnecessary, after all tastes differ and people might be looking for stuff that isn't covered by either GW2 nor 'WoW clones'

As for the whole 'a game is what it is and what it's been presented as', I think this applies to all MMO's and is just a common sense thing: in this day and age of information overload even regarding MMO's, everyone using more than half their brains should have known what to expect from 9 out of 10 MMO's that have been launched or gone into open beta since the time of LotrO in 2007, certainly the core features (exception to the rule and part of the 1 in each 10, AoC).

Anyway, good for you that you're enjoying yourself, hf, I'm diving back in again too.

Originally posted by cutthecrap

Originally posted by Vesavius

 The point I am making is that no one in this game right now should be in the least suprised about anything they are seeing, because as far as I know nothing has been misrepresented (though obviosuly I am not the world mind and I don't know everything, I admit that).

What is there to criticise that you hadn't already been told about? What is such a shock to you now?

If you don't like the play systems you are seeing in beta why on Earth did you pre-order? Is it that necessary to be part of the herd that you purchased a game you knew you wouldn't like?

 

So far, to me, GW2 is a success that manages, on a lot of levels, to exceed my expectations. I think to open minded MMOers not stuck in a mental rut about what is 'right' and 'wrong' in MMO design, or with obvious personal grudge wars to wage, it will be a really fun experience as they learn something new.

To the others... well, I guess your next WoW clone will be here soon so you can play that (while complaining about WoW clones ofc).

 

As for the whole 'a game is what it is and what it's been presented as', I think this applies to all MMO's and is just a common sense thing.

Yep, I would think that as well. Sadly that isn't the case for a lot of posters here evidently.

Anyway, good for you that you're enjoying yourself, hf, I'm diving back in again too.

Good to hear.

Originally posted by Vesavius

This is not a thread about the obvious technical issues GW2 has seen since the launch of the mass beta. They have been well discussed and I acknowledge them fully. What I do think about them though is that this ANet's first stress test for the game and I accept that fact. I also personally have faith that the problems will be addressed.

This is a thread about gameplay and the game world and ANet's presentation of it in their promotional pieces.

 

I honestly am nothing but pleased with what I have experienced by L11.

 

The game play, and I have played solo and grouped, is fun and feels meaningful as I willingly explore the world. It is exactly what the vids led me to believe it would be.

The game itself is actually amazing to look at and suits my tastes perfectly. Visually, it is exactly what the vids led me to believe it would be.

The PvP is smooth and fun and the BG maps great to navigate around. In short, it is exactly what the vids promised it would be.

 

The point I am making is that no one in this game right now should be in the least suprised about anything they are seeing, because as far as I know nothing has been misrepresented (though obviosuly I am not the world mind and I don't know everything, I admit that).

What is there to criticise that you hadn't already been told about? What is such a shock to you now?

If you don't like the play systems you are seeing in beta why on Earth did you pre-order? Is it that necessary to be part of the herd that you purchased a game you knew you wouldn't like?

 

 

So far, to me, GW2 is a success that manages, on a lot of levels, to exceed my expectations. I think to open minded MMOers not stuck in a mental rut about what is 'right' and 'wrong' in MMO design, or with obvious personal grudge wars to wage, it will be a really fun experience as they learn something new.

To the others... well, I guess your next WoW clone will be here soon so you can play that (while complaining about WoW clones ofc).

 

Well i enjoy myself alot with GW2 and as you say its a totally different experience from what already is on the market GW2 realy change the way we play its awesome.

Originally posted by Fortenbas
I'm have a blast so far.I really like just taking part in events and not doing the usual quest grind.I found the game to be very accessible.I only reached 13 level so far but will be sorry to see the beta end.

newsflash, the events are nothing more than quests. Instead of picking them up from a questgiver, you are just getting them directly when you enter the area, unless you have to wait until it starts, which happens alot.

BUT GW2 proved what I have always said all along, it doesn't FEEL like a grind if you are having fun and the content is there, and the content is there, the quests are fun because of HOW they are tied into the story and their location.

Are they repetitive? yes, but you are not forced to do them again & again

Are they standard quests? yes, but you have the option of collecting something, or killing, or both, or just helping out by doing some mundane tasks. I love the options.

Does it feel like a themepark? Depends, you don't HAVE to do the dynamic quest events.

I'm having more fun in GW2 than I've had in any MMO since WoW vanilla... and it's not just the "new shiny". No other game... Aion, Rift, WAR, Tera, whatever... was this fun when I first tried them and they were "new and shiny".

I lost track of time and played all night.. then woke up late and played until the server went down.

The starting zone was fun, but it's not quite as good as the higher level areas. The starter area events move along much more slowly and there's much less to do than once you get into your teens.

Once I got out into the world the dynamic events really started to pull me into the game. I'd head toward the next step in my personal story and pass by a waypoint, so I'd stop and get the waypoint. While I'm at the waypoint a dynamic event would be happening, people would be doing it and so I'd go and help them. Once the event ends another would pop up or I'd notice that I'm near a skill point challenge. Before I knew it I'd spend an hour doing random things and forgotten about my personal story, the original reason why I was in the area.

The battleground is designed well. Three capture points, lots of stuff to hide behind, several paths through the map... it's not an open field like WoW's BGs... it's more like a First Person Shooter map, which is good.

WvW is really fun after you find the action. The WvW map is big... really, big... and there are lots of places to capture and things to do. The WvW populations are off.. and the servers are obviously not matched up properly, yet... but even when my server was under represented I was able to find places where it felt like I could make a difference. I was blue, red was dominating, so I'd help greens kill reds and then fight the greens when the reds were gone.

So far so great.

Originally posted by OldManFunk

I'm having more fun in GW2 than I've had in any MMO since WoW vanilla... and it's not just the "new shiny". No other game... Aion, Rift, WAR, Tera, whatever... was this fun when I first tried them and they were "new and shiny".

Same here.

I've played all mainstream and most smaller MMORPGs since UO beta, but the "Milestone" games in my "MMORPG career" are UO, AC1, WoW and LOTRO. For those four games, I knew almost immediately that I was hooked by something more than just a game I'd play for three months and quit, and every time, it revealed to be true. Yeah, I'm one of those who played EQ, but prefered UO and AC1.

GW2 just did the same thing to me, something I thought would never happen again. And those who remember my posts before the beginning of the beta, I have always been very skeptical - as in the world of MMORPGs, what seems to be too good to be true is often... well, not true.

Everything about GW2 is true so far. They really broke the damned mold that WoW imposed on the genre since 2004, and they broke it with brio and talent. Yeah, there are technical problems, but as a veteran MMORPG player, I was expecting those. Right now, I can't login... will I throw a temper tanrum like some here, saying "zomg I PAID FOR THIS ANET U FAIL!"? Nope, it's still beta. I'll keep my complains for when the game really launches, and so far, there is still no release date announced.

I don't regret a single euro cent of what I've paid for my digital deluxe version. GW2 delivers a gorgeous world of massive scale (Lion's Gate, Destiny's Reach... 'nuff said), innovative combat and complex character development (linking different skills to each different weapon type was pure genius), and a fun and non-"grindy" leveling system encouraging exploration instead of rewarding grinding. Hell, even exploration is rewarded with good amounts of XP, specially when you fully explore an area.

The wait until release (and early access) will be long, as will the wait between two beta events be.

Originally posted by ELE3551
I found it hard to enjoy the pve with the huge initial zerg of people crushing everything around you so I spent all my time pvping which was an incredible time. I might even just wait until launch to sink my teeth into the world so as to not have my fill too early. May even wait a week or two to let the hordes roam past to get the best experience out of it all. Love the game though.

This was exactly what me and my friends were saying we should do at launch...

The PEs are far more entertaining when not swamped, that's really true.

Originally posted by OldManFunk

I'm having more fun in GW2 than I've had in any MMO since WoW vanilla... and it's not just the "new shiny". No other game... Aion, Rift, WAR, Tera, whatever... was this fun when I first tried them and they were "new and shiny".

 

I lost track of time and played all night.. then woke up late and played until the server went down.

 

The starting zone was fun, but it's not quite as good as the higher level areas. The starter area events move along much more slowly and there's much less to do than once you get into your teens.

 

Once I got out into the world the dynamic events really started to pull me into the game. I'd head toward the next step in my personal story and pass by a waypoint, so I'd stop and get the waypoint. While I'm at the waypoint a dynamic event would be happening, people would be doing it and so I'd go and help them. Once the event ends another would pop up or I'd notice that I'm near a skill point challenge. Before I knew it I'd spend an hour doing random things and forgotten about my personal story, the original reason why I was in the area.

 

The battleground is designed well. Three capture points, lots of stuff to hide behind, several paths through the map... it's not an open field like WoW's BGs... it's more like a First Person Shooter map, which is good.

 

WvW is really fun after you find the action. The WvW map is big... really, big... and there are lots of places to capture and things to do. The WvW populations are off.. and the servers are obviously not matched up properly, yet... but even when my server was under represented I was able to find places where it felt like I could make a difference. I was blue, red was dominating, so I'd help greens kill reds and then fight the greens when the reds were gone.

 

So far so great.

Ahaha, same here, completely lost track of time last night, long time it didnt happen to me. Im having a break now.. lol

Originally posted by OldManFunk

I'm having more fun in GW2 than I've had in any MMO since WoW vanilla... and it's not just the "new shiny". No other game... Aion, Rift, WAR, Tera, whatever... was this fun when I first tried them and they were "new and shiny".

 

I lost track of time and played all night.. then woke up late and played until the server went down.

 

The starting zone was fun, but it's not quite as good as the higher level areas. The starter area events move along much more slowly and there's much less to do than once you get into your teens.

 

Once I got out into the world the dynamic events really started to pull me into the game. I'd head toward the next step in my personal story and pass by a waypoint, so I'd stop and get the waypoint. While I'm at the waypoint a dynamic event would be happening, people would be doing it and so I'd go and help them. Once the event ends another would pop up or I'd notice that I'm near a skill point challenge. Before I knew it I'd spend an hour doing random things and forgotten about my personal story, the original reason why I was in the area.

 

The battleground is designed well. Three capture points, lots of stuff to hide behind, several paths through the map... it's not an open field like WoW's BGs... it's more like a First Person Shooter map, which is good.

 

WvW is really fun after you find the action. The WvW map is big... really, big... and there are lots of places to capture and things to do. The WvW populations are off.. and the servers are obviously not matched up properly, yet... but even when my server was under represented I was able to find places where it felt like I could make a difference. I was blue, red was dominating, so I'd help greens kill reds and then fight the greens when the reds were gone.

 

So far so great.

Agreed, nice post :)