Guild Wars Nightfall

I tried this game at a friend's, and I don't really understand why it's so popular. My friend plays it a lot, and I'm considering to give it a try. But first, I would like to hear people's opinions about my major concern.

When your character after just a few days is maxed out, what else is there to keep you playing? I mean, to me, this game seem so limited, I'm used to games where it takes months to reach the level cap. You guys just do the same dungeons over and over again? My friend says it's all about PvP, and that it's the best around, but is that really just it? Doing PvP arena matches over and over again? No matter how I look at it, the game appears extremely limited, but I'd like to hear the players thoughts - why are YOU so hooked on this game? 

PS: Please understand that this is not in any way meant as a criticism of the game.

Think bout it all the classics like Unreal Tournament and Quake were built upon the solid foundation known as PvP. PvE can be fun but beating down the same old mobs over and over that does the exact samething everytime you kill it gets old at some point. This is why the avg MMO is nothing but grind cause it takes no brain to kill the same mob over and over in RPGs. now, if the AI was advanced like the bots in FPS shooters maybe it would be different.

But in the end, its just a lot more thrilling owning a living, breathing human being rather than an AI mob thats jsut gonna respawn a few seconds later like nothing happened lol

The problem lies in your understanding of the phrase "maxed out" which you assume to mean levels and items.  If you could max out all skill unlock in two weeks then well you must have some kinda time travel device.

The thing you need to undertand is that GW class and skill mechanics are fundamentally different.  Skill builds and their execution are incredibly important.  Unlike most other online RPGs, it is all about skills/feats not level and items.

GW has easily as many instances as a game like WoW, if you have all three campaigns.  You really aren't repeating anything any mroe than any other MMORPG.

Anyway I don't know whether or not you would actually like the PvE or PvP or what, but your confusion comes from a fundamental difference in what the goals of GW are and a fundamental misunderstadning of its mechanics.

Items and levels are not meant to make you uber (and if they ever do be sure that will be corrected), you and your ability to use the character feats are what make you uber.

 Also keep in mind Anet simply doesn't care if you zoom throught the sortyline in 2 days or whether you are some strange person who feels compelled to grind perpetually.  They give you a story line and plenty of content every 6 months for $50 and unlimited play time.  That is the deal.  The stories are generally quite good and the content is generally quite good.  If you want to be occupied for 3 months they simply have no desire to put in artificial barriers like all the other games do.  You can certainly find your own goals that will occupy for quite some time, there is plenty to do.  To get every skills you would need to grind out 100s and 100s  of skill points and platinum.  But in the end Anets main concern is providing a nice story and lotsa side action.  And if you finish and had fun then great.  If still feel like playing then you can.  And either way there is a new campaign with new content on the horizon.

Most WoW players run Scarlet Monastery like 20 times on each character and WoW is made to work that way.  You could do the same thing in GW and many people do rerun missions for fun.  But Anet simply has no desire to force that on you like WoW forces it on their players and EQ forces it even more than WoW.  Plus the fact that easily 2/3 or 3/4 of the content is for level 20 people a vast majority of the player base is not "leveled past" most content.

Anet has no desire to force you to play any way.  They want you to do what you want and give you the tools to do it.  Solo or group or PvP.  But if you need to be obessively occupied and distracted from real life like most MMOs try to do then well there are better options than GW.

I just take characters through the game, and the 3 games have occupied me for over 1200 hours so far.

What hooks me ? I think its a great game.

No uber equipment -> PvP teams are not unbalancing by one team having better items.

No grind ->  I want to play from the start. Not hear "the game only begins at level 60".

Fast leveling -> Don't like a char ? Delete the char. Not like other games where you could have spent ages leveling the character up to realise the class just wasn't you.

No extra items ( potions, bandages) -> when you enter an area/mission your characters skills are the only things that keep you alive.

Simple -> Simple to play. No need to learn complex combos.

---

Originally posted by pureazure

I just take characters through the game, and the 3 games have occupied me for over 1200 hours so far.

What hooks me ? I think its a great game.

No uber equipment -> PvP teams are not unbalancing by one team having better items.

No grind ->  I want to play from the start. Not hear "the game only begins at level 60".

Fast leveling -> Don't like a char ? Delete the char. Not like other games where you could have spent ages leveling the character up to realise the class just wasn't you.

No extra items ( potions, bandages) -> when you enter an area/mission your characters skills are the only things that keep you alive.

Simple -> Simple to play. No need to learn complex combos.

---

Ah this poster really hit it on the head. I was really upset once I reached 60 in WoW and saw how I got steamrolled by someone just because they had great gear. And in City of Heroes I'd get steamrolled by people that I know for sure did not use skill to win (we were on vent together and I knew them well).

For the average MMO it doesnt take very much skill to kill someone. In City of Villains I could steamroll a whole team by myself. In Guild Wars, I have to use skill to get my kills.

Guild Wars PvP >>> all others so far. I canceled all my other MMOs. will be picking up nightfall soon and will lvl up my 4th lvl 20 toon (edit- I own prophecies and factions atm was gonna skip nightfall til I heard all the good hype).

Okay thanks guys, think I'll give it a try. I guess I don't have anything to lose with no monthly fee, and who knows? I might even like it :)

when I left the newbie Island called Istan, I have reached level 20 and Im not even finished with some of the quests at the island, still more to do, farming not included. I have yet to explore the mainland, 4 times more missions and much more quests. I'm sure I'll find things to do at the mainland in between missions and quests.

i'm just level 7 :P