Well written article by all.

Like Suzie, I think I enjoy the support part the most.  To help with the building of siege equipment, or repairing a gate, or just blocking some enemies with a "wall" ability I throw down all sounds like fun to me.  I like that there is actually some strategy involved, and I hope it stays that way.

I think I'm going to have a blast in WvW.  Can't wait.

PS - I really hope they launch 3 hours early like they hinted.

Final thoughts before launch? Ok.

There is really not much missing from Guild Wars 2 from the list of things I like in a game.

I would like a robust housing system, something they say they are working on. But even though you get a "home" instance I have to count the lack of customizable housing as a minus for now.

There is no real "non combat" option for charater creation and you are stuck in one of 8 level based archetypes. I would prefer a more free form skill based system overall, but skill based advancement systems have their own set of problems too. I would call this a minor minus.

Some people have complained about a percieved lack of endgame. I will worry about that bridge when I cross it. I have played enough already to know that there is months of content already in front of me. I was never a fan of doing a raid more than a couple times anyways so lacking traditional raiding doesn't concern me as long as there is something there to do on the same epic scale which I am sure there will be. I'll probably be in WvWvW most of the time I play at max level anyways. I am not concerned about running out of things to do for quite some time.

I am concerned I will run out of character slots far too soon.

On the plus side - everything else !

Now, I am not trying to say this is the second coming or any such overstated hyperbole or that it is any sort of giantkiller. Simply that I have had a lot of fun so far and that is what gaming is supposed to be about, Having Fun. Without any comparisons, Guild Wars 2 is fun on its own merits.

The world is huge, the lore is well established high fantasy with a healthy dose of steampunk. The classes are diverse even if a bit typical. The races are a bit different than the usual, though I think Norn and Human are a bit too alike.The event system and downleveling keep things fresh and challenging. PVP is always available, yet kept seperate from the day to day world.The crafting I've seen so far is serviceable and has some interesting twists, plus the nature of gear in GW2  allows for a lot of gear diversity and crafting usefulness. The environments are truly beautiful. Plus there always seems to be some secret just waiting to be discovered behind each door or over each hill or down each winding dark alley.

All in all, I can't wait to uncover each and ever secret for myself!

Oh, and just in time for back to school !  (just had to rub that one in a little)

Originally posted by GrumpyCharr

I think MikeB nailed it with this part:

"Players don't react with a sense of trepidation when encountering each other in Guild Wars 2. You're never worried someone is going to steal your experience, items, or even resource nodes. MMOs are at their best with great communities, but they have, ironically, always been in their own way on this front." 

How many launch days for other games were low level quests impossible because quest mobs would  be wiped out by masses of new players?  More than I can count!  That will never happen in GW2.  Can't wait to finaly play this game for real!

Agree 100%.  There should never be ANY feeling of negativity from other players during a PvE experience.  Yet in most modern games the first thoughts that pop into your head when someone comes into view out in the field are often: 

"Awww crap, here they come to swipe me nodes!"

"He's beelinin' for me boss!  Noooooooooo!"

etc...

I mean, if you never played an MMO... would you ever imagine that helping someone defeat a mob they were fighting should make them angry?  Yet that became common MMO law for nearly a decade.

I can't say whether GW2 will have a great, or even a good community, but I do believe I can say that it has done its best to get out of our way as we try to foster goodwill within it.

I think what intrigues me is a AAA MMO experience without the subscription.  Like I've said before, $15 isn't expensive.  It's just that I can't identify if I'm getting enough value for the price in many cases.

I'm much more interested in GW2 since it's only a box cost.  I can play it, take a break, come back and not have to worry about any additional costs if I don't want.  That's a nice feeling in addition to it being an incredible game that addresses many of the gameplay elements in other MMOs that have gotten very stale over the past 8-12 years.

Originally posted by Nadia

prepurchases are still possible

heres the 3 digital sites ANET lists for NA  (my hong kong friend prepurchased yesterday using DLGamer)

https://buy.guildwars2.com/en/retailers

Digital	GameFly.com
	GreenManGaming.com
	DLGamer.com

 

Just an FYI...

GameFly is only selling the collector's edition at the time of this post.

GreenMan is selling both for $60 and $80.

DLGaming is selling standard for $56 ($4 off) and the deluxe edition for $75 ($5 off).

I remember first hearing about this game and thinking it was going to be another clone that I'd already played a million times and wasted hours trying to get into with no luck... luckily ANet kept their promises and I'll finally be able to start collecting that phat loot and crafting tonight instead of avoiding key areas of the game because my stuff was just going to get wiped anyway...

Have fun all.

Originally posted by Torvaldr

Originally posted by Nadia

prepurchases are still possible

heres the 3 digital sites ANET lists for NA  (my hong kong friend prepurchased yesterday using DLGamer)

https://buy.guildwars2.com/en/retailers

Digital	GameFly.com
	GreenManGaming.com
	DLGamer.com

 

Just an FYI...

GameFly is only selling the collector's edition at the time of this post.

GreenMan is selling both for $60 and $80.

DLGaming is selling standard for $56 ($4 off) and the deluxe edition for $75 ($5 off).

Actually You can enter the code DERHE-RRDER-RINGE at GreenMAn and get the price to 48.00! Dont know if anyone already made a post on this, just sharing to make sure! 

Originally posted by Illyssia

Originally posted by theniffrig

Originally posted by MMOwanderer

BTW, is it just me, or do i have a feeling the mmorpg.com staff as already decided on the final score their official review already?

Hopefully not if their SWTOR launch-scores out of 10 article is anything to go by! Most of them gave that game 8/10's, and the guy who gave it a 6/10 they fired! Lets hope they give GW2 a good solid month or so before they send out the review, you know, let all the hype die down first.

It's possible to get to level cap in GW2 in a few weeks without killing yourself, so I would have thought that doable by MMORPG's review staff.

Oh yea? I didnt know that. I didnt realise anyone had leveled from 1 to 80 already. Dont get me wrong. You are probably right. I hope you are wrong, but you are probably right. But you should try not to state things as fact without actually knowing the facts.

my final thought ....looks like rift

Originally posted by odinsrath

my final thought ....looks like rift

 

good thing it plays/feels nothing like it:)  although I did liek Rift... games are nothing alike aside from both being fantasy

Originally posted by Aerowyn

Originally posted by odinsrath

my final thought ....looks like rift

 

good thing it plays/feels nothing like it:)  although I did liek Rift... games are nothing alike aside from both being fantasy

I disagree.  Do I think Rift and GW2 are the same?  Heck no!  However, to say they aren't similar at all besides being Fantasy is not correct either.

Rift events are indeed similar to GW 2 dynamic events, not the same, but similar.

The graphic stylings are similar in both games, not the same, but similar.

Some of the classes are similar, again, not the same but similar.

Both games are themeparks, so again, similar.

It's not genuine to say they aren't similar at all.

Originally posted by Grimlock426

Originally posted by Aerowyn

Originally posted by odinsrath

my final thought ....looks like rift

 

good thing it plays/feels nothing like it:)  although I did liek Rift... games are nothing alike aside from both being fantasy

I disagree.  Do I think Rift and GW2 are the same?  Heck no!  However, to say they aren't similar at all besides being Fantasy is not correct either.

Rift events are indeed similar to GW 2 dynamic events, not the same, but similar.

The graphic stylings are similar in both games, not the same, but similar.

Some of the classes are similar, again, not the same but similar.

Both games are themeparks, so again, similar.

It's not genuine to say they aren't similar at all.

I played both games very extensivley.. obviously way more so with Rift since I played it for 9 months.. but they play/feel nothing alike OVERALL you can nitpick features here and there and say some are similar but the overall feel of the games is nothing alike imho

Originally posted by Aerowyn

Originally posted by Grimlock426

Originally posted by Aerowyn

Originally posted by odinsrath

my final thought ....looks like rift

 

good thing it plays/feels nothing like it:)  although I did liek Rift... games are nothing alike aside from both being fantasy

I disagree.  Do I think Rift and GW2 are the same?  Heck no!  However, to say they aren't similar at all besides being Fantasy is not correct either.

Rift events are indeed similar to GW 2 dynamic events, not the same, but similar.

The graphic stylings are similar in both games, not the same, but similar.

Some of the classes are similar, again, not the same but similar.

Both games are themeparks, so again, similar.

It's not genuine to say they aren't similar at all.

I played both games very extensivley.. obviously way more so with Rift since I played it for 9 months.. but they play/feel nothing alike OVERALL you can nitpick features here and there and say some are similar but the overall feel of the games is nothing alike imho

You have now ret-conned your response to indicate that OVERALL they don't feel similar and that's fine.  I was objecting to your broad statement that the games are nothing alike except for being fantasy and that is untrue.  I merely pointed out ways in which the initial poster may have indeed found similarities which are valid. 

Originally posted by Grimlock426

Originally posted by Aerowyn

Originally posted by Grimlock426

Originally posted by Aerowyn

Originally posted by odinsrath

my final thought ....looks like rift

 

good thing it plays/feels nothing like it:)  although I did liek Rift... games are nothing alike aside from both being fantasy

I disagree.  Do I think Rift and GW2 are the same?  Heck no!  However, to say they aren't similar at all besides being Fantasy is not correct either.

Rift events are indeed similar to GW 2 dynamic events, not the same, but similar.

The graphic stylings are similar in both games, not the same, but similar.

Some of the classes are similar, again, not the same but similar.

Both games are themeparks, so again, similar.

It's not genuine to say they aren't similar at all.

I played both games very extensivley.. obviously way more so with Rift since I played it for 9 months.. but they play/feel nothing alike OVERALL you can nitpick features here and there and say some are similar but the overall feel of the games is nothing alike imho

You have now ret-conned your response to indicate that OVERALL they don't feel similar and that's fine.  I was objecting to your broad statement that the games are nothing alike except for being fantasy and that is untrue.  I merely pointed out ways in which the initial poster may have indeed found similarities which are valid. 

 

point taken.. was more or less just pointing out  the poster said it looked like Rift but actually playing the game is really nothing like Rift in how it plays:)  imho of course

"I am the hype and the words;

blind is my body and WoW is my blood;

I have created over a thousand threads;

Unknown to thought;

Nor known to reason;

Have withstood logic to create many blogs;

Yet those hands will never play good games;

So as I pray... "Unlimited Fanboi Works".

As you can see, what you face are unlimited fanbois, the pinnacle of annoying.  So... what are you waiting for?!