Guild Wars Previews

A handful of new previews for ArenaNet’s Guild Wars have hit the web, all based on the game’s recent World Preview Event. The first is over at GameZone Online:

Unlike traditional RPGs, Guild Wars focuses on strategy rather than putting long hours into slaving over experience points, getting dexterity points, etc. Strategy mainly comes in the form of using various skills which are acquired through various means acquiring them through quests, from people in towns, and yes, spending experience points. Each class has 75 skills unique to the class, and each character can dual-class (once they reach level 15). This makes a grand total of 450 skills in the entire game. Each character has eight slots in which to take skills into quests or tournament battles (skills can’t be exchanged within a tournament match or quest), and when a character dual-classes he has access to up to 150 skills. It isn’t necessarily how strong the skills are, but how they are used, and this is where the strategy element comes in. For example, a mesmer can use a skill called ‘˜Spread Condition’, which inflicts all enemies with a condition, i.e. slow or silence. A ranger can use ‘˜Poison Arrow’. Should a ranger shoot an enemy with a poison arrow, a mesmer teammate can use the spread condition skill to inflict poison damage on all enemies. Guild Wars focuses largely on team cooperation and knowledge of the game.

The second is at GameRifts:

In most games it appears as though the content is worked on first and the PvP combat is balanced last. It appears as though ArenaNet has been working on the endgame PvP combat system first and as a matter of fact, their problem might be crunching to add non-PvP content in time. If that’s a problem then it is a problem any PvPer would want in a game in development. Now mind you, everyone has a different idea about what makes for good combat so I’m not going to debate their system but, as I said when I mentioned top down development, it is my belief that a PvP game needs to have the PvP combat system built first as the core and the rest of the content added around that core. In this regard it appears as though ArenaNet has taken that direction.

The third is at Counterfrag:

Guild Wars brings action based RPG gameplay into the MMORPG universe. With an intense MMORPG war that is taking place this innovation is needed to ensure Guild War’s success. Gamers have many MMORPGs to choose from today, many with established names. Many gamers are eagerly awaiting Everquest 2 and World of Warcraft. Others include Star Wars Galaxies, Lineage II, Final Fantasy XI, Dark Age of Camelot, Anarchy Online, and of course Ultima Online. With so many choices how to you get your profitable market share? Be different. Because of this I believe Guild Wars has what it takes.

And the fourth is at Jolt Online Gaming:

Although the game has been designed to avoid the levelling treadmill, your character will still level up according to how many experience points he earns. In the preview event, all the characters began at level 15, but in the final release you’ll have to build your character up from the bottom. Although at first you’ll be building their strength and attributes through levelling, at a certain point this will cease and levelling will continue purely so you can continue to purchase and customise new skills. The skills you can purchase depend upon your character classes, so our ranger/necromancer was pretty handy with a crossbow, and also had some neat spells designed to suck the life out of enemies. If all goes to plan, this should open up the interesting areas and missions pretty quickly without the need for hitting the levelling treadmill, which can only be a good thing.