Yearly Archives: 2012

Project SilkroadWay Avatar Design Event Announced

Project SilkroadWay Avatar Design Event Announced

 

 

Joymax, a leading online game developer and publisher widely known for Digimon Masters and Knight Age, today announced its “Project SilkroadWay” avatar design event for the world renown free-to-play MMORPG, Silkroad Online.  One of the longest running MMORPGs, Silkroad Online, is currently celebrating its 15th anniversary. And to mark the event, the game is challenging players to unleash their creativity for a chance at in-game cash and even their own avatar finalized into the game!

 

 

“Instead of the run-of-mill anniversary events, Silkroad Online is focusing on player participation that could end up actually shaping Silkroad Online for the next 15 years,” said Nam-Chul Kim, CEO of Joymax. “If a player ever wished to see their very own design running the maps of Silkroad, then this is their chance.”

 

 

“Project SilkroadWay”, starting today through Silkroad Online’s Facebook, challenges players to test their creative side by designing their very own avatar.  Players can simply submit their design through Silkroad Online’s Facebook before October 4th, and five lucky entries will be selected for player’s votes with the winner announced October 10th.  Winners and selected entries will all receive a hefty amount of in-game cash, a free pet and a finished model of their very own design; but only the winning avatar with the highest vote will be finalized into the game!

 

 

It’s rare to see actual player creation go into a game, however, for Silkroad it’s not the first time.  Silkroad has featured player participation before with such successful events as “Create your Fellows” where players made a pet to mount and battle that became an in-game reality.  The 5 winners’ design, selected through player votes, will soon be available for players in-game!

 

 

Players new and returning should let their imaginations loose starting today and submit their designs at http://www.facebook.com/officialsilkroad.

Battle of the Immortals Launches Shifting Tides Update

Battle of the Immortals Launches Shifting Tides Update

 

 

 

Perfect World Entertainment Inc. announced today that the latest expansion to its action-packed free-to-play MMORPG Battle of the Immortals: Shifting Tides is now available to play. As one of the most robust updates in Battle of the Immortals, this expansion brings with it many exciting fresh features to push players to their limits, including new zones, 100 new levels within a single instance, fiercer bosses, a new PvP arena, and much more!

 

 

“Our players have been asking for more content, and we’re happy to give it to them with this latest update,” said Battle of the Immortals Product Manager Thang Phan. “With a slew of new content and instances like the Endless Stairs, players will not only need to hone their skills, but refine their combat strategy as well.”

 

 

New Features:

• The Endless Stairs — Unlock 100 new levels, a variety of puzzles, and a multitude of boss fights, this brand new single instance promises to push players to their limits.

 

• Exalted Strength — Aside from increasing a character’s strength, this advance system will unlock newperks including new equipment, a new instance, powerful pets, and more.

 

• Champion’s Arena — Brand new PvP arena for all champions ready to prove their might and gain massive rewards. The arena’s balancing system ensures fair combat to all who step foot with its walls and rewards for those who are victorious in battle.

 

• Radiant Temple — Explore this never before seen instance and face the dangers that lurk in every crevice of the temple. Sharpen your skills, because even the most experienced warriors will need to be at their best to have the slightest chance at survival.

 

 

Shifting Tides is an exciting adventure, which continues the saga to prevent the total annihilation of the world of Motenia. The Goddesses of Fate have convened to locate a source of power to help strengthen the world’s defenses. The journey to locate the source of power is a treacherous pursuit through unexplored lands that pushes each hero to their limits. Only time will tell if the tides have shifted to benefit mankind and the destruction of the world has been averted.

Battlestar Galatica Online Improves Controls, Launches Public Test Server

Battlestar Galatica Online Improves Controls, Launches Public Test Server

 

 

Bigpoint today revealed new additions to their space flight browser MMO, Battlestar Galatica Online. With this update they are taking a more community driven direction in their development cycle, addressing common requests including offering more action intensive content for new players, improving controls, and introducing a public test server.

 

 

Battlespace Sector

A new Battlespace Sector has been created for beginner level players (Level 9 and below) to experience intense space combat and accustom themselves to the instanced PvP world. Players who are eligible will be able to join this sector at anytime by clicking the “Take me to Battlespace” button on the HUD, and will be transported to the Battlespace from anywhere in the galaxy.

 

 

Advanced Flight Controls

The BSGO development team has updated the 3D flight controls to enable better maneuvering and speed control for pilots in the game. With the highly-requested advanced flight controls, players will notice more dynamic transitions in various aspects of gameplay such as basic combat, mining, and camera orientation. The advanced flight controls offer users a smoother and more intuitive experience while engaging in epic dogfights.

 

 

Troy – Public Test Sever

Troy is a new server dedicated to community testing. Players have the opportunity to check out new features and additions available for testing and provide feedback before they are deployed to the live servers. The new public test server will be used to support a wide variety of in-game assessments, and will not accept player payments. The first release of Troy includes improvements in the Leoben branch, which comes out this week.

 

 

To learn more info check out their official site!

War of Legends Storms Past 5 Million Registered Users

War of Legends Storms Past 5 Million Registered Users

 

 

 

Jagex today announced that its popular real time strategy game War of Legends now boasts over 5 million registered users as they announce the latest in a series of updates for the popular game.

 

 

“Reaching the 5 million registrations milestone is a fantastic achievement for War of Legends and we are delighted to see the game go from strength to strength. To ensure we are providing the most compelling experience for our players we are constantly adding new content to the game, both for new player and the existing high level players. Today’s update sees the introduction of some of the most challenging content we have ever added to War of Legends, we can’t wait to see what our players make of it,” commented Bob Ollet, VP of Commercial Publishing.

 

 

This latest update (version 1.5.2) includes a plethora of brand new, high level content designed to challenge even the most experienced of players which includes:


3 new floors to the popular Buzhou Mountain instance – Buzhou Mountain is a dungeon where players must fight through floors of increasing difficulty, offering some of the most challenging content in the game

New Nullifier Artifact – a new in-game item which can be equipped to any Legend allowing players to defend themselves against the enemies powerful magics.

 

 

War of Legends is a flash-based RTS game based on ancient Chinese mythology, which immerses players in a world where they can build vast empires, appoint legendary leaders and form multi-player alliances to reach eternal glory.

OnRPG Shotgun News 9/19: TERA, SWTOR, Neverwinter, Aion, and More!

OnRPG Shotgun News 9/19: TERA, SWTOR, Neverwinter, Aion, and More!

By Shannon Doyle (Leliah), OnRPG Journalist

 

 

TERA Producer Talks About the Future

Chris “Chager” Hager, one of the Producers of TERA has discussed the future of the game in the official blog just as the game prepares to be reduced to three servers. Plans for the future include more events, including large scale seasonal ones which will start with a Halloween event, the details of which will come at a later date. Also included in the plans are those for more content which are based on player feedback.

 

 

Neverwinter Guardian Fighter Class Revealed

A new video has been released which highlights the Guardian Fighter class in upcoming Dungeon and Dragons MMO Neverwinter. The almost two minute video shows off combat and each skill the Guardian Fighter has. To see the video click the link below.

 

 

 

End of Nations Final Closed Beta Event Announced

The final End of Nations closed beta will begin on Thursday, October 4th and run all weekend until Sunday, October 9th. As a thank you for taking part in the final closed beta event all players will be given 500 in game credits for use when the game launches later this year. Players interested in getting into the closed beta can visit the official End of Nations website to apply.

 

 

NosTale Celebrates 5th Birthday with Content and Events

To celebrate being open in Europe for 5 years NosTale are hosting an in game event and characters will be seeing some new specialists in town. Events are planned to go on through September and October. Players are encouraged to visit the main website regularly for the events to be announced.

 

 

EA To Transform Ireland SWTOR Support Center

The SWTOR support center in Galway, Ireland is expanding and converting to a general EA European customer support center. The facility will be hiring an additional 300 employees in the coming months. This is all in part thanks to a new Irish government backed scheme to make more games related jobs available in Ireland. Peter Moore, the COO made the announcement along side Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

 

Aion Leads Up to Third Anniversary Celebrating

Aion have kicked off a month long celebration which started with Daeva’s Day yesterday. Today the Black Cloud Marketplace will have new items which include wings, skins, birthday events and many other items.

 

 

Bioware Founders Leave Gaming

Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk have announced they are retiring from the gaming industry. Both announced it via blog entries on the Bioware website. In addition an entry was made by General Manager of Edmonton & Montreal, Aaryn Flynn talking about the two and the future of Bioware.

 

 

SWTOR to Host Live Stream Events

A monthly Live Stream Q&A session has been announced. It will start on Friday, September 21st, (that’s this week). The first one will focus on Game Update 1.4 Terror From Beyond. Questions can be asked ahead of time via Facebook and Twitter. The live stream can be viewed from 4PM to 4:30PM CDT via the LiveStream website.

The Secret World ‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’ Now Live

The Secret World ‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’ Now Live

 

The Secret World: Issue 2

 

Funcom is excited to announce that the second major content update for its modern-day massively multiplayer online game  The Secret World is now live. The update, titled  ‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’, provides subscribers with a vast amount of new content and features, adding many more hours of fun and exploration to an already incredibly deep MMO.

 

 

In just over two months after launching  ’The Secret World’, the development team has already delivered two major content updates for the myths, legends and conspiracy themed MMO. These updates are part of a post-launch content plan aimed at serving subscribers with new content to explore.  ‘Issue #3’ has already been in development for some time and the content of this update will be revealed later this week. Hint: It has cats in it, but not the type we recommend offering a bowl of warm milk.

 

 

“When we revealed our post-launch content plan it was to assure our players that we are committed to expanding the game long after launch,” says Creative Director and Senior Producer Ragnar Tørnquist. “With two major content updates delivered in less than three months after launch, I think we have definitely shown just how committed we are to the game. We are far from done, and in the next few months players will see everything from story-based seasonal events to our first ever raid.”

 

The Secret World: Rocket Launcher

 

Here is an overview of some of the content and features of  ‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’:

 

New Game Systems

The first of many completely new Auxiliary Weapons – the Rocket Launcher – is now available! The players can acquire the Rocket Launcher through a special new mission and upgrade it as they defeat greater and greater challenges in the game. This also means the introduction of the new Auxiliary Wheel, where players can develop new abilities for the Auxiliary Weapons. In addition they have gotten an extra active and passive ability slot to take advantage of their newfound power.

 

 

New Content

‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’ offers plenty of new content for players to enjoy. With four new Investigation missions and an Action mission there is plenty of new stuff to do. But that is just the beginning; all Lairs in the game have been revamped, receiving a mission each – with much more to come! All of them now also offer increased rewards to the persevering players who hunt in these dangerous areas. Two new Nightmare dungeons have become available, The Facility and Hell Eternal, and these extreme challenges will give even the most experienced dungeon crawlers the fight of their life.

 

 

New Opportunities

Players are now be able to visit a barber shop, Ockham’s Razor, and a plastic surgeon, the Modern Prometheus, to alter their appearance as they see fit, with a host of new options for looks and hairstyles. A completely new Group Finder tool is another fresh feature included with ‘Issue #2: Digging Deeper’. With this tool players can easily team up with anyone, from any Dimension anywhere in the world, and play together in any dungeon or playfield throughout  ‘The Secret World’!

MetaÂ’s Verse: Paragon StudioÂ’s Loregasm AMA

Meta’s Verse: Paragon Studio’s Loregasm AMA

By Meticulous Meta, OnRPG Paragon Reporter

 

 

 

Yesterday City of Heroes players got some valuable information that they had been waiting some time to see. No, not answers about why City of Heroes is being closed. I don’t think we will ever get that. What we did get was information about refunds and other account billing details. Not long after that information was posted by Andy Belford (aka Zwillinger) on behalf of NCSoft we got the long awaited Lore Ask me Anything event from Positron and the writers.

 

 

One of the biggest questions has been about VIP status. Anyone who was a VIP as of September 1st will remain VIP through to the end. Accounts that we’re VIP cannot be flagged as such. Refunds are being given for people who meet two conditions:

 

Anyone with an outstanding subscription balance as of September 1st. Anyone who purchased Paragon Points after August 24th

 

 

These will be paid back automatically through the original payment method that the purchase was made through. Customers who paid via time cards are told to contact support and leave your name, City of Heroes account name and phone number. Support will then call when they can to get your bank details to wire transfer the remaining balance of the time card. If you cannot do a wire transfer then a check can be mailed instead. The time card refunds should see them reach their account in 14 days once they are approved.

 

 

In addition to all of that Zwillinger said that during the closing several popular events will be held. But there are no details on it just yet as they haven’t quite worked them all out yet. But we hope to see them announced soon.

 

 

Just moments after Zwillinger posted the details of getting refunds and announced that we would have our favorite events elsewhere on the forums Matt “Positron” Miller posted the lore AMA answers. It is 33 pages long and though I’ve now read it several times I feel like there are still a million more questions to be asked. In particular I think none of the questions I gathered on my Google document got answered. Hopefully though someone will take notice and answer them. But what questions were answered are fantastic, and the answers make me wish we could have City of Heroes forever. I’m looking at you moonbase plans! The loregasm as everyone is calling it had a lot of fantastic reveals that I never saw coming. So, here is where I tell you to look away if you don’t want spoilers because I’m posting some of my favorite questions, answers and my thoughts on them.

 

 

Were there actual plans for a moonbase?

Matt Miller: I approved art dailies from it on the last day of the studio. 🙁 Issue 28.

 

Meta’s thoughts: Auuuuugh! We were so close to getting a moonbase finally! When I read this first I frowned then I realized that this is the true reason City of Heroes is closing. Moonbases are just too awesome. It had to be stopped.

 

 

Who was the Toymaker (as he was hinted as someone from the heroes past but never expanded on)?

Matt Miller: Not sure, probably Lord Nemesis.

 

Meta’s thoughts: Of course it was Nemesis. Everything is a Nemesis plot. But really, it made me smile to see that some more light hearted questions got in. I knew it would be hard for everything to be thought of so it pleased me to see this question.

 

 

Can you publish the entire lore bible you apparently had for Kheldians, pretty please?

Matt Miller: Sorry no. Spoiler alert: They all end up as fuel for Battalion, except for one. The End.

Sean McCann(Dr. Aeon): Matt has a grim ending but that probably would’ve been prevented. Look at me, the guy trying to not kill off people.

 

Meta’s Thoughts: I had always hoped that Kheldians would somehow get saved. I may have had a hard time playing them but I loved the unique story. A story that cannot continue anywhere else but in the City of Heroes universe.

 

 

Mender Silos is Lord Nemesis. Where were you going with that story? A sinister plot spanning all of time, or was it a genuine redemption? Was Ouroboros really bad all along? Were they going to turn on us at any point?

Matt Miller: Genuine redemption, but given the reaction he got from everyone who learned his secret, he started thinking like the Old Nemesis again.

Ryan Greene(Viridian): We had a lot of meetings on just this topic. The angle I had been gunning for was that Mender Silos would be an ex-member of Battalion, who saw the end result of their empire and chose to use time travel to oppose them. Others suggested that he had become Time Incarnate itself. Whatever the end result was, he was definitely going to figure pretty heavily in the Battalion and post-Battalion storylines.

John Hegner (Protean): The exciting thing about Silos is that he has seen every time stream that didn’t end up with Battalion defeated, so traveling down the time stream where they were defeated (i.e. the one players are playing in) would have been just as much an adventure to him as it was to the players. Once Battalion was defeated, however, who knows what Silos might do.

 

Meta’s Thoughts: I was always secretly hoping that Silos and Ouroboros would turn out to be the bad guys. But at the same time I approve of genuine redemption. My heroes have always looked at Silos with a bit of caution, even more so once they actually learn that he’s Nemesis.

 

Speaking of Lady Grey, how about her full background?

Matt Miller: First attempt by the Well of the Furies to create a champion in over 100 years. She refused the power, keeping just the immortality. OR Battalion sleeper agent, placed on this planet in the mid 1800’s during an advance scouting mission.

 

Meta’s Thoughts: Her being a Battalion sleeper agent is completely out of nowhere and I imagine hard to get people to believe. Though I would have loved to see how they would have gone about it. Or there’s the sort of Incarnate state, which is much easier to believe.

 

 

What are the other 11 methods of time travel besides Dreaming and the Pillar of Ice and Flame?

Matt Miller: 3) Flux Capacitor 4) Call Box/Phone Booth 5) Steampunk machine 6) Black Hole 7) Time Tunnel 8) Magic 9) Divine Intervention 10) “Body Jumping” 11) The Method You Came up with for Your Character.

 

Meta’s Thoughts: While awesome to have answers, I’m….torn. It feels like a bit of a cheat, but at the same time I approve. I’ve had several time travelling characters but they’ve all either used the pillar, a steampunk machine, or magic.

 

 

Those are just a few of the tons of questions in the AMA document. To see them all go to the main City of Heroes forums by clicking here.

 

 

This week’s events from the campaign to save City of Heroes will still be taking place. I’ll be attending both of the events, my global is @Maressa and I mostly play on Virtue. If you want to come along we’re always happy to have more. Keep an eye out on OnRPG throughout the week for the latest information about City of Heroes, the save City of Heroes campaign and anything else that pops up.

WoW Wednesday- Missing Magic in PandariaÂ’s Pre-Launch

WoW Wednesday- Missing Magic in Pandaria’s Pre-Launch

By Meredith Watson, OnRPG WoW Reporter

 

 

 

Monday afternoon US time saw the implementation of the Theramore scenario on all realms. For whatever reason, Blizzard decided we would get the event a day early.   The Theramore scenario is available for the week of the 17th to 25th for level 85s with a gear score of 385. Once MoP is released the Theramore scenario will be level 90 and require a gear score of 425. The players have all been under the assumption that this Theramore event was the world event leading up to Mists of Pandaria given its timing. The reception of the Theramore scenario has been less than stellar however. In fact, some are downright upset by it.  “It is by far the single worst launch event ever. This is just stupid beyond words. Very, very disappointed.”, says Mahlik, a forum poster. Most of the feedback concerning the Theramore Scenario has all been in this vein with the Blizzard response being “It was never meant to be a world event”.  So, there isn’t a world event for Mists of Pandaria? Could it be next week we will see some sort of event in the run up to MoP though there has been zero mention or hype? Or maybe Blizzard just can’t be bothered this time around.

 

 

Blizzard has done some great events in the past leading up to an expansion. Patch 2.0.1 also known as Before the Storm saw the opening of the dark portal which up until then had lain dormant in Blasted Lands. Now the Dark Portal would taunt us with delights yet to come and an enemy greater than we had previously known. During the world event felguards and voidwalkers poured through the portal invading Azeroth. In front of the Dark Portal the Argent Dawn took up post offering quests with rewards such as a one off tabard (which is now a feat of strength).  It was all very urgent. We had to stop the onslaught. Outside of the game, on the WoW site, there was a little mini game with the map of Outlands.  The “prize” was when you connected the stars in the correct order a dancing male blood elf appeared.  The excitement at the time from the community was almost palpable. This was our first expansion and Blizzard was pulling out all the stops.

 

 

While The Burning Crusade world event was great and really set the tone for the expansion the Wrath of the Lich King world event is still considered a favourite.  3.0.2, titled Echoes of Doom, gave us a zombie invasion with six phases lasting three weeks.  It started innocuously enough with some suspicious crates and Argent healers appearing warning of the Lich King’s approach.  Soon plagued rodents and then residents would appear leading eventually to a full on invasion of capital cities. Players were able to become and fight as zombies. The player’s portraits on the official forums reflected this and were replaced with zombie avatars instead. Like the lead up to TBC, the community was once again enthralled with every bit of information about the upcoming expansion.

 

 

The Cataclysm pre-launch world events were rich with lore and were spread over a two month period starting with patch 3.3.5 which introduced the Liberation of Gnomergen and Zalazane’s Fall. Both were a series of quests that helped gnomes and trolls re-take their homelands. Azeroth would then be threatened by two different enemies with patch 4.0.1. The elemental invasion and the twilight cult would be another four phase event featuring yet more lore. As was becoming the norm the phases would start out innocently by prophets crying doom in Old Town or The Drag and ending with full on invasions of capital cities. Though the events, in retrospect, were formulaic they were never dull and added a real sense of excitement and set the tone for the expansion.

 

 

World events don’t just happen for pre-launches. Blizzard used to give us events for the opening of dungeons as well.   There was the first scourge invasion for the opening of Naxxramas in 2006 with the Shadows of the Necropolis patch. The Gates of Ahn’Qiraj was a world event requiring the participation of the entire server to open the new raid instances as they were opened per server once the requirements were met.  It lasted weeks to months depending on the server.  Again, with the Capture of Sun Reach, objectives were met server wide to open new phases which ultimately would lead to a daily quest hub.

 

 

It is clear Blizzard knows how to execute well thought out and immersive world events and pre-launches.  So where is our Mists of Pandaria event? There is minimal hype which in turn means minimal excitement from the community which is reflected in the attitude about the Theramore scenario. As it stands now all we have is television spot and one underwhelming scenario.  The focus seems to not be on the existing players but on getting new ones or reminding old players that pandas are coming hence the television spot.

 

 

I, like a lot of the community, feel a bit let down by the lack of a true WoW level event. While I am sure scenarios are going to be a most welcome addition to the game, introducing one pre-launch of Mists of Pandaria was a very cheap world event whether Blizzard intended it or not.

Guild Wars 2 Review: Three Weeks Later

Guild Wars 2 Review: Three Weeks Later

Neil Kewn (Murxidon) – OnRPG journalist

 

 

 

Guild Wars 2 is finally here. Arguably the most anticipated MMORPG of 2012 and a game many have been praying will give the industry a much-needed shot in the arm, how can ArenaNet’s biggest undertaking live up to expectation? A difficult task, but by breaking down the ageing gameplay mechanics of its peers, it takes what players have come to expect from the genre and flips it on its head. It’s fresh, modern and innovative. A game that both understands and respects the player, in a world as sprawling as it is beautiful.

 



The original Guild Wars was an ambitious effort that proved itself to be a viable alternative, or at least companion, to World of Warcraft. Its sequel, set 250 years later, is a game that some residents of Azeroth have been crying out for. Gone is the quest log that was once populated with the same kill and collect tasks, instead a considerable amount of your experience is gained from a random event system not dissimilar to that in RIFT. Wander around the world of Tyria and you’ll find at least one dynamic scenario that can have an impact on the game world, whether it be escorting a caravan to its destination on a long a dangerous road or collecting grapes for a young wine-maker.

 

 

Nearby players are alerted if they are close enough, or a panicking non-player character can plead for assistance. It’s an incredibly social experience that rewards everybody for taking part. The more familiar kill, collect, gather quests are disguised as tasks for an NPC in a particular area. Help out enough and you are rewarded with experience and the option to purchase special items with the Karma gathered. These are often coupled with dynamic events, advertently or not, and there’s no running backwards and forwards between areas to pick up and drop off quests.

 

 

Although in a world like Tyria that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. The land is a beautiful mixture of art design and technical prowess, and it’s one that you are actively encouraged to explore and get lost in. Places of note, crafting materials and area-wide vistas can act as a helpful top up to experience, whether relevant to your story or not. The whole levelling system is designed to cut out the grind and reward players suitably as they progress through the world. It’s familiarly different. Questing and gaining experience isn’t the tried and tested formula here, masked under dynamic events and NPC tasks that will resonate with fans of the genre and welcome those who aren’t.

 



The personal story has been one of the biggest selling points of Guild Wars 2. A more cinematic and involved narrative for each player than those found at dynamic events, your personal story will steer you through the game up until the level cap of 80. Picking from one of the five races will not determine the tale you undertake, but a series of questions answered at the Aion-based character creation can influence it. Decisions made during the instanced quests can also shape and personalize it further ensuring distinctions between your story and that of a friend.

 

 

Combat in Tyria is handled differently. Attacks are unique to whatever weapon you have equipped and your profession, encouraging players to try out different weapon types to find the one most suitable to their play style. You might shun the area of effect spells of staves for the quick, localized attacks tied to the dagger. Extra abilities are dependent on your profession and what you choose to spend your skill points on. Awarded once each level and littered amongst challenges throughout the world, these extra skills populate the last five slots on the action bar and can be swapped around anytime whilst out of combat (excellent when switching between PvE and PvP). Traits act as the more familiar “talent tree” mechanic, with spent points increasing the power, toughness, vitality and other attributes of your character.

 



ArenaNet has always discouraged the holy trinity of tank, damage and healer classes during their promotion of Guild Wars 2. Interestingly, each class has a selection of healing spells at their disposal. Some professions are more attuned to the healing dynamic with more generalized spells and the ability to heal other players, but it means each adventurer can hold their own in battles much more so than usual.  And death doesn’t actually mean death in GW2, at least not initially. Take enough damage and you will enter a downed state, where yet another set of abilities pop up that attack enemies and restore your health. Defeat the enemy to “rally” back to your feet, or wait for a kind (or desperate) player to revive you on the battlefield.

 

 

Throughout the PvE element of Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet has encouraged co-operation – not competition. Experience is awarded to anyone who takes part in defeating an enemy and crafting nodes are available to all, not on a first come, first serve basis. They won’t deplete after one player has mined, chopped and picked at it. The Trading Post is also now open, much to the delight of crafters wanting to shift the results of their recipes. From cooking and weaponsmithing to artificers and huntsmen, they are the standard disciplines that act as a new source of income and experience.

 

 

Player versus player combat comes in two flavours. Structured PvP, where more traditional game modes pit players against each other to achieve glory and rank, and the controlled mayhem that is World versus World. Here, three different servers battle in an open world for resources. Hundreds of players are engaged in a constant war against each other, besieging towers and building weapons. It’s an overwhelming and confusing experience at first, and early on all I could contribute was to run around manically spamming attacks. Nevertheless, with each player having their level dynamically adjusted to 80, every participant in Guild Wars 2’s PvP is on an equal footing.

 



In Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet has trimmed the fat from a genre that’s grown to be as large and cumbersome as the fantastical trolls that inhabit most of its competitor’s virtual worlds. It doesn’t revolutionize MMO gaming. It takes what makes these games so compelling and just makes it better. It’s an exceedingly polished title that transports players into a world so lush and inviting, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in years. I disagree with the notion that this is a game for people who hate MMOs, it’s unlikely that you will be swayed despite its innovativeness, but fans of the genre are in for a real treat. A game that keeps on giving, whilst you give nothing back.