Guild Wars!!! (LONG)
Jan 20, 2007 13:52:29 GMT -5
Post by Minotaur on Jan 20, 2007 13:52:29 GMT -5
So, I got World of WarCraft: The Burning Crusade.....
But I haven't hardly touched it. Not after I got the expansions for Guild Wars ( www.guildwars.com ) also. I had Guild Wars: Prophecies. That was the original one. I bought it on release over a year ago (or was it actually 2 years ago?).
I have been looking for an rpg to play on my off time from WoW. You know, a game to load up and play when my friends are not on WoW. Well, that plan hasn't really worked out all that well. I have pretty much been playing Guild Wars ONLY.
Guild Wars. What would be my description of the game? Take Diablo, and mix it with World of Warcraft. Yeah...probably would be maybe the closest description I could get. Oh, wait....but there is much more that is different.
Sure, the game is a MMORPG. Sure, you have to fight monsters. Sure, there is swords, sorcery, and shields. Sure, there is loot, spells, quests. But, there is no monthly subscription fee. Yeah, that is right, no playing 10 or 15 bucks a month to keep playing. Instead, the designers decided to have no monthly fee. But, they also now release a new "expansion" every 6 months or so. What do their expansions consist of? Pretty much another game. The expansions are stand-alone expacks. They each contain the 6 original classes (talked about later), plus 2 more. Each is self-contained. The storyline introduced in each pack is for that expansion only...BUT...they are linked if you own the other game(s ).
I will talk about the classes, but first, a description of HOW the classes work. In Guild Wars, you pick a "Primary Class". Each class has a some attributes, and 1 Primary Attribute. A Warrior's attributes are different from any other class. After a short while in the game, you then pick a "Secondary Class" (one of the other classes to "combine" with your Primary Class). The difference between the Primary and the Secondary is that you do not get the Secondary's Primary Attribute. Understand? Example: A Warrior's primary attribute is "Strength", which increases the Warrior's armor penetration, and is the basis of many skills that inflict greater damage on enemies. A Monk's primary attribute is Divine Favor, which with each point spent into Divine Favor grants a small healing bonus to any healing spell that the Monk may use. It also pumps up the duration and potency of spells that call forth divine powers to aid the Monk's allies.
If you chose Warrior, then a Monk, you would get the Strength attribute, but not the Divine Favor. If you chose Monk, then Warrior, you would get the Divine Favor, but not the Stregth. BUT...you would still get the other attributes of each class (Warrior/Monk would get Strength, Swordsmanship, Axe Masterry, Hammer Mastery, Tactics from the Warrior class, PLUS, Healing Prayers, Smiting Prayers, and Protection Prayers from the Monk class....if you chose Monk/Warrior, you would only lose the Strength in exchange for the Divine Favor attribute). Each class has it's own attributes. Each time you level, you get attribute points to spend in whatever attribute(s ) you would want. That sword you bought, may not be able to be used until you raise your Warrior's Swordsmanship to 8. So, you better get that up before you can use that sword to it's full potential!!
So, now, lets discuss the classes:
1. WARRIOR's are the "tanks". They excel in melee combat, and can both put a hurting on the enemies, and take a beating at the same time. Some of the Warrior's skills utilize "adrenaline". You get more adrenaline while fighting (both taking and giving damage).
a. Strength (Primary) - increases the armor penetration of your attack skills by 1% per attribute level. Strength also improves the effectiveness of skills that keep you alive, and those that inflict damage on your enemies.
b. Swordsmanship - increases your basic sword damage as well as damage dealt by your sword skills.
c. Axe Mastery - Increases your basic axe damage and damage dealth by axe skills.
d. Hammer Mastery - increases your basic hammer damage and damage dealt by your hammer skills.
e. Tactics - improves your Shouts and Stances that give you and your party an advantage in battle.
2. RANGER. You want to tame a pet and keep him as an ally? Rangers are the class for you. They are the "Hunter's" from WoW.
a. Expertise (Primary) - decreases the Energy cost of your attack skills, Preparations, and Traps.
b. Beast Mastery - improves your animal companion's basic attack damage, as well as skills that help keep your companion from harm.
c. Marksmanship - increases your basic bow damage, and increases damage dealt via bow skills.
d. Wilderness Survival - improves your defensive stances, Preparations and Traps.
3. MONK. The classic "Healer".
a. Divine Favor (Primary) - provides a healing bonus to all spells that target allies, and increases the duration and effectiveness of spells that help you call forth divine powers and aid your allies.
b. Healing Prayers - increases the duration and effectiveness of spells that allow you to heal yourself and your allies.
c. Smiting Prayers - increase the duration and effectiveness of skills that inflict damage on the enemy. Especially strong vs. Undead.
d. Protection Prayers - Increases the duration and effect of your Protection spells.
4. ELEMENTALIST. The mage, the wizard....
a. Energy Storage (Primary) - increases your maximum Energy (used for skills & spells), and improves skills that help regenerate Energy.
b. Fire Magic - increases the duratoin and effectiveness of your fire skills and spells. Fire damage can effect large areas.
c. Water Magic - increases the duration and effectiveness of your water skills. Water magic usually slows down enemy movement.
d. Earth Magic - increases the duration and effectiveness of your earth skills, which protect you and your allies, or attacks your enemies, or ignores armor level.
e. Air Magic - increases the duration and effectiveness of your air skills, which pierce amror, cause Blindness (condition), and can knock down your enemies.
5. MESMER. They are the Masters of Illusion and Control. The Crowd Control guys.
a. Fast Casting (Primary) - increases the speed with which you can cast spells.
b. Domination - increases the duration/effectiveness of Domination Spells. These spells allow you to disrupt your enemies actions.
c. Illusion - Increases the duration/effectiveness of Illusion spells. These spells deceive your enemies and hinder their movement and ability to cast their own spells.
d. Inspiration - Increases the duration/effectiveness of Inspiration spells. These spells steal Energy from your enemies.
6.NECROMANCER. These are the guys that command the dead to rise up and fight for them. They sacrifice their own health to make themselves stronger, using curses and hexes.
a. Soul Reaping (primary) - allows you ro gain Energy whenever a creature dies near you.
b. Curses - increases the duration/effectiveness of your Curse spells. These skills reduce your enemies effectiveness in battle.
c. Blood Magic - increases the duration/effectiveness of your skills that steal Health from your enemies and transfers it back to you.
d. Death Magic - increases the duration/effectiveness of your spells that deal cold and shadow damage, as well as those that increase the effectiveness of your Undead Minions.
Those are the original 6 classes (from Prophecies). Either expansion gives you those 6, PLUS, the two new ones introduced in that particular expansion (more on the expansions later).
The game is "skill-based". In other words, your skills are more in play than gear. Sure, your gear helps (better to go into a fight with armor and a sword, than naked with a stick). But, unlike WoW, gear is not so overpowering. Speaking of skills. When you leave a town/city/outpost, you can only "take" 8 skills with you. You have to choose which skills/spells you will want/need to use during that mission/jexploration. This really adds a tactical layer to the combat. This also forces you to work with your group. Two Warriors may not be the same. One Warrior may specilize in Swords, while the other may specialize in Tactics. Along with the fact, that both may have different skills that they are using. And then, not to even mention that they both may have different secondary classes. A Warrior/Monk will play differently than a Warrior/Elementalist. And a Warrior/Elementalist will play diffenrently than an Elementalist/Warrior. The ideas of uniqueness really plays a LARGE part in this game.
As far as Instances goes...pretty much every time you leave the safety of the city, you are entering into an instance. The game world is made just for you (and your group). At first, I really didn't like this. But, the more I play it, the more I like it. It really puts you into the seat ast he "hero" of the story. You don't see 25 other Warrior/Monks running around killing the same things you are, for the same quest, at the same time (unless you group up with another Warrior/Monk, of course). No kill-stealing involved here.
Speaking of groups. If you cannot get a group, or, you do not want to group up, then you can "group" up with Henchmen. Henchmen are AI controlled "heroes" that will travel with you and fight with you. For the most part, they do a pretty good job at it. The healer will heal, the fighter will tackle the same guy you are fighting. The ranged guys will try to stay at range.
All of this, and I haven't even TOUCHED the multiplayer Guild Wars part of it. The level cap is only at 20....but it is low for a REASON. The main thrust of Guild Wars is, of course, Guilds fighting each other. I haven't touched much on this aspect of the game, as I haven't gotten into it much yet (running through the Factions campaign at the moment). But, you can do arena fights (random group vs. random group). You can also join a Guild, in which that guild can obviously help you to do the campaign missions/quests, but you can also have Guild Fights. Attacking another Guild's Guild House, along with tournaments and Guild Challenges....They say that the game really "starts" at level 20 (the level cap).
You can play the game without much pvp at all, or, you can make a pvp character who only does the pvp part of the game.
Overall, this is one of the best games out there....no monthly charge....fun....the battles have pretty much been VERY interesting affairs. Oh, and the graphics!! The game is SLICK and SEXY....just incredible....
I know that this post was a LONG post. But, really, I didn't get to everything I wanted. As there are 2 expansions that basically are a game unto themselves. I will talk a bit about those in another post.
But I haven't hardly touched it. Not after I got the expansions for Guild Wars ( www.guildwars.com ) also. I had Guild Wars: Prophecies. That was the original one. I bought it on release over a year ago (or was it actually 2 years ago?).
I have been looking for an rpg to play on my off time from WoW. You know, a game to load up and play when my friends are not on WoW. Well, that plan hasn't really worked out all that well. I have pretty much been playing Guild Wars ONLY.
Guild Wars. What would be my description of the game? Take Diablo, and mix it with World of Warcraft. Yeah...probably would be maybe the closest description I could get. Oh, wait....but there is much more that is different.
Sure, the game is a MMORPG. Sure, you have to fight monsters. Sure, there is swords, sorcery, and shields. Sure, there is loot, spells, quests. But, there is no monthly subscription fee. Yeah, that is right, no playing 10 or 15 bucks a month to keep playing. Instead, the designers decided to have no monthly fee. But, they also now release a new "expansion" every 6 months or so. What do their expansions consist of? Pretty much another game. The expansions are stand-alone expacks. They each contain the 6 original classes (talked about later), plus 2 more. Each is self-contained. The storyline introduced in each pack is for that expansion only...BUT...they are linked if you own the other game(s ).
I will talk about the classes, but first, a description of HOW the classes work. In Guild Wars, you pick a "Primary Class". Each class has a some attributes, and 1 Primary Attribute. A Warrior's attributes are different from any other class. After a short while in the game, you then pick a "Secondary Class" (one of the other classes to "combine" with your Primary Class). The difference between the Primary and the Secondary is that you do not get the Secondary's Primary Attribute. Understand? Example: A Warrior's primary attribute is "Strength", which increases the Warrior's armor penetration, and is the basis of many skills that inflict greater damage on enemies. A Monk's primary attribute is Divine Favor, which with each point spent into Divine Favor grants a small healing bonus to any healing spell that the Monk may use. It also pumps up the duration and potency of spells that call forth divine powers to aid the Monk's allies.
If you chose Warrior, then a Monk, you would get the Strength attribute, but not the Divine Favor. If you chose Monk, then Warrior, you would get the Divine Favor, but not the Stregth. BUT...you would still get the other attributes of each class (Warrior/Monk would get Strength, Swordsmanship, Axe Masterry, Hammer Mastery, Tactics from the Warrior class, PLUS, Healing Prayers, Smiting Prayers, and Protection Prayers from the Monk class....if you chose Monk/Warrior, you would only lose the Strength in exchange for the Divine Favor attribute). Each class has it's own attributes. Each time you level, you get attribute points to spend in whatever attribute(s ) you would want. That sword you bought, may not be able to be used until you raise your Warrior's Swordsmanship to 8. So, you better get that up before you can use that sword to it's full potential!!
So, now, lets discuss the classes:
1. WARRIOR's are the "tanks". They excel in melee combat, and can both put a hurting on the enemies, and take a beating at the same time. Some of the Warrior's skills utilize "adrenaline". You get more adrenaline while fighting (both taking and giving damage).
a. Strength (Primary) - increases the armor penetration of your attack skills by 1% per attribute level. Strength also improves the effectiveness of skills that keep you alive, and those that inflict damage on your enemies.
b. Swordsmanship - increases your basic sword damage as well as damage dealt by your sword skills.
c. Axe Mastery - Increases your basic axe damage and damage dealth by axe skills.
d. Hammer Mastery - increases your basic hammer damage and damage dealt by your hammer skills.
e. Tactics - improves your Shouts and Stances that give you and your party an advantage in battle.
2. RANGER. You want to tame a pet and keep him as an ally? Rangers are the class for you. They are the "Hunter's" from WoW.
a. Expertise (Primary) - decreases the Energy cost of your attack skills, Preparations, and Traps.
b. Beast Mastery - improves your animal companion's basic attack damage, as well as skills that help keep your companion from harm.
c. Marksmanship - increases your basic bow damage, and increases damage dealt via bow skills.
d. Wilderness Survival - improves your defensive stances, Preparations and Traps.
3. MONK. The classic "Healer".
a. Divine Favor (Primary) - provides a healing bonus to all spells that target allies, and increases the duration and effectiveness of spells that help you call forth divine powers and aid your allies.
b. Healing Prayers - increases the duration and effectiveness of spells that allow you to heal yourself and your allies.
c. Smiting Prayers - increase the duration and effectiveness of skills that inflict damage on the enemy. Especially strong vs. Undead.
d. Protection Prayers - Increases the duration and effect of your Protection spells.
4. ELEMENTALIST. The mage, the wizard....
a. Energy Storage (Primary) - increases your maximum Energy (used for skills & spells), and improves skills that help regenerate Energy.
b. Fire Magic - increases the duratoin and effectiveness of your fire skills and spells. Fire damage can effect large areas.
c. Water Magic - increases the duration and effectiveness of your water skills. Water magic usually slows down enemy movement.
d. Earth Magic - increases the duration and effectiveness of your earth skills, which protect you and your allies, or attacks your enemies, or ignores armor level.
e. Air Magic - increases the duration and effectiveness of your air skills, which pierce amror, cause Blindness (condition), and can knock down your enemies.
5. MESMER. They are the Masters of Illusion and Control. The Crowd Control guys.
a. Fast Casting (Primary) - increases the speed with which you can cast spells.
b. Domination - increases the duration/effectiveness of Domination Spells. These spells allow you to disrupt your enemies actions.
c. Illusion - Increases the duration/effectiveness of Illusion spells. These spells deceive your enemies and hinder their movement and ability to cast their own spells.
d. Inspiration - Increases the duration/effectiveness of Inspiration spells. These spells steal Energy from your enemies.
6.NECROMANCER. These are the guys that command the dead to rise up and fight for them. They sacrifice their own health to make themselves stronger, using curses and hexes.
a. Soul Reaping (primary) - allows you ro gain Energy whenever a creature dies near you.
b. Curses - increases the duration/effectiveness of your Curse spells. These skills reduce your enemies effectiveness in battle.
c. Blood Magic - increases the duration/effectiveness of your skills that steal Health from your enemies and transfers it back to you.
d. Death Magic - increases the duration/effectiveness of your spells that deal cold and shadow damage, as well as those that increase the effectiveness of your Undead Minions.
Those are the original 6 classes (from Prophecies). Either expansion gives you those 6, PLUS, the two new ones introduced in that particular expansion (more on the expansions later).
The game is "skill-based". In other words, your skills are more in play than gear. Sure, your gear helps (better to go into a fight with armor and a sword, than naked with a stick). But, unlike WoW, gear is not so overpowering. Speaking of skills. When you leave a town/city/outpost, you can only "take" 8 skills with you. You have to choose which skills/spells you will want/need to use during that mission/jexploration. This really adds a tactical layer to the combat. This also forces you to work with your group. Two Warriors may not be the same. One Warrior may specilize in Swords, while the other may specialize in Tactics. Along with the fact, that both may have different skills that they are using. And then, not to even mention that they both may have different secondary classes. A Warrior/Monk will play differently than a Warrior/Elementalist. And a Warrior/Elementalist will play diffenrently than an Elementalist/Warrior. The ideas of uniqueness really plays a LARGE part in this game.
As far as Instances goes...pretty much every time you leave the safety of the city, you are entering into an instance. The game world is made just for you (and your group). At first, I really didn't like this. But, the more I play it, the more I like it. It really puts you into the seat ast he "hero" of the story. You don't see 25 other Warrior/Monks running around killing the same things you are, for the same quest, at the same time (unless you group up with another Warrior/Monk, of course). No kill-stealing involved here.
Speaking of groups. If you cannot get a group, or, you do not want to group up, then you can "group" up with Henchmen. Henchmen are AI controlled "heroes" that will travel with you and fight with you. For the most part, they do a pretty good job at it. The healer will heal, the fighter will tackle the same guy you are fighting. The ranged guys will try to stay at range.
All of this, and I haven't even TOUCHED the multiplayer Guild Wars part of it. The level cap is only at 20....but it is low for a REASON. The main thrust of Guild Wars is, of course, Guilds fighting each other. I haven't touched much on this aspect of the game, as I haven't gotten into it much yet (running through the Factions campaign at the moment). But, you can do arena fights (random group vs. random group). You can also join a Guild, in which that guild can obviously help you to do the campaign missions/quests, but you can also have Guild Fights. Attacking another Guild's Guild House, along with tournaments and Guild Challenges....They say that the game really "starts" at level 20 (the level cap).
You can play the game without much pvp at all, or, you can make a pvp character who only does the pvp part of the game.
Overall, this is one of the best games out there....no monthly charge....fun....the battles have pretty much been VERY interesting affairs. Oh, and the graphics!! The game is SLICK and SEXY....just incredible....
I know that this post was a LONG post. But, really, I didn't get to everything I wanted. As there are 2 expansions that basically are a game unto themselves. I will talk a bit about those in another post.
), and his Enforcer "Tomko"...