Guild Wars

Guild Wars is an online game by ArenaNet, a developer founded by individuals crucial to the development of Blizzard Entertainment's past games and services such as Diablo, Warcraft, Starcraft, and Battle.net. ArenaNet is now wholly owned by NCSoft, a South Korean game publisher.

Overview

Though often referred to as an MMORPG, ArenaNet coined the term CORPG (Competitive Online Role-Playing Game) to describe Guild Wars. This title describes the competitive PvP-oriented (Player vs. Player) design of the game, as well as serving to differentiate it from the standard, subscription-fee-based, MMORPG genre. Guild Wars does not support hundreds of players in combat, instead having large towns where people form groups of eight or fewer players who then fight in their own unique instance of the game world. "Guild Wars is not an MMORPG," said Jeff Strain, producer of the game.

The cooperative PvE campaign can take "more than 100 hours" to complete with one character, though it can be done much quicker if the player wishes. PvP involves multiple 4 player or 8 player groups fighting to achieve typically FPS-style gameplay objectives such as deathmatch, king of the hill, or capture the flag. The small player groups, lack of subscription fee, and low number of hours required to play the game are some of the reasons why Guild Wars tends to share more in common with the Diablo series of action RPGs than traditional MMORPGs such as Ultima Online, Runescape and EverQuest.

Guild Wars was the subject of the "E3 for Everyone" event in May 2004 which, held during the annual E3 expo and conference, attracted over 200,000 gamers from around the world to participate in the 5-day public beta testing. Special features in Guild Wars include silent streaming update technology (new content can be easily sent to the user while he or she is playing) and unprecedented player versus player combat that ArenaNet has designed to rely on skill rather than the amount of time spent playing, shunning the design of MMORPGs such as EverQuest where making a high-level character takes anywhere from several months to several years. ArenaNet plans on releasing expansions every six to nine months that will advance the game's story line as well as introduce new features. Expansions will not be required to continue playing, nor will they give a true advantage over non-expansion players.

Long before the game was officially released, a "World Preview Event" occurred on October 29-31 2004, similar to the E3 event, and attracted approximately 400,000 users. Starting in November 2004, ArenaNet held monthly Beta Weekends in addition to the closed Beta. Designed for large-scale testing, these events were open to those who pre-ordered as well as people who got free one-time passes from various sources such as Friend Passes, magazines, or giveaways from sites like FilePlanet.

Guild Wars was released on April 28, 2005 in North America and Europe. Unlike many MMORPGs, the launch of Guild Wars went very smoothly.

A new Guild Wars expansion pack called "Factions" is being released in Spring 2006. This will include the two new professions "Ritualist" and "Assassin" and an expanded storyline.

Game mechanics

Each player character in and of itself is composed of one primary profession and one secondary profession, with the six professions allowing for a potential of 30 distinct combinations (one of six primaries and a choice of five secondaries).

Each profession has access to approximately 75 skills, ~60 being common and ~15 being elite. Elite skills can be captured from bosses by using the Signet of Capture skill. This allows for a possible total of almost 150 skills per character to acquire, choose from, and bring into battle. However, characters can only bring 8 skills at a time into any area in which combat is possible, allowing for many different battle styles. Since the skill set of each character is an integral part of the team's strategy, preparing the right skill set is critical. Out of the eight skills in the spell-bar, only one elite skill can be equipped at any one time. Skills can be rotated in and out of the spell bar at any time while in a non-combat area, such as a town or an outpost.

There are four different methods of earning a skill. The first method is to earn the skill as a reward from a quest. The second is to purchase the skill from one of the many skill vendors using one of a person's skill points, which are earned at each character level and every story mission, and a cost of gold to the skill vendor. The third method is to use a Signet of Capture, which can be bought from certain skill vendors for a skill point and some gold, and used on a boss enemy's corpse that employs a skill that one would like to learn. The fourth is to purchase the skills from special vendors using faction points, which are earned through PvP combat (skills earned this way can only be used by PvP characters that the player creates). The last two methods of acquisition are the only ways to gain access to the elite skills.

The in-game model reflects only the primary profession's appearance. The character's in-game armor crafting choices are likewise limited to the primary profession's selection. However there are multitudes of dyes and other ways to color and differentiate each character from others.

Attributes can be increased from 0 to 12, at an increasing cost of 1 to 20 attribute points. Attribute Points may be re-allocated only while in a town or outpost. These attribute points are earned as a character levels up. With each additional point invested in an attribute, a linear gain is produced (usually increased effectiveness to a linked skill). The Mesmer-only attribute Fast Casting has diminishing returns, meaning every additional point has less of an effect than the one before. These attributes can also be raised using items known as runes, which are applied to armor. Through the use of runes and specific character class items, a given attribute can be increased to as high as 16. There are penalties associated with the more powerful ones and only runes for the primary profession may be used. There is a cap on character level, which is currently placed at level 20. Though a player will continue to gain skill points after this no attribute points are gained. A low maximum level ensures that the Player vs. Player combat is balanced and interesting, and enforces rewarding player skill rather than time invested in character.

Guild vs. Guild (GvG) combat, a specific type of PvP, is also available. If a player forms a guild (a team of players), then they can buy unique capes for all members, and also a Guild Hall, a private place where only guild members can enter. Together they can fight other guilds in order to raise their rank on the world-wide ladder system. These contests of strength, strategy, and teamwork involve either defending or attacking one of seven possible Guild Halls. Some guilds use live Internet voice communication technologies, such as Ventrilo or TeamSpeak, to better coordinate their team. This often creates a notable improvement in a team's response time, since players can communicate by voice alone rather than having to stop in the middle of the game to type a message to a teammate.

There is also the World Domination Arena, in which Korea, North America, and Europe fight in a PvP arena called the Hall of Heroes. The regions fight for "The Favor of the Gods" in the arena with their team-mates. Wins and losses are displayed in the chat box to declare who has the "Favor" and who is winning. Holding favor unlocks access to the Fissure of Woe and the Underworld, which are two challenging PvE (Player vs. Environment) game areas. Holding favor also allows players from that region to summon an avatar at the various shrines by kneeling in front of them. These avatars will grant various beneficial effects for a small fee (in combat areas) or provide new quests (in cities and outposts). Also a new ability called "Observer mode" now allows players to view recent battles in the Hall of Heroes and Guild Battles that involve guilds rank 100 or higher.

Professions

There are currently six character professions available, each with their own attributes and unique skill sets, though it is not uncommon to see specific 'builds' centered around a particular arrangement of skills and professions. The developer, ArenaNet, has confirmed that there will be additional professions introduced with future expansions to the game. In the upcoming Guild Wars: Factions, which is due in the second quarter of 2006, there will be two new professions: the Assassin and the Ritualist.

Elementalist

Elementalists summon the powers of earth, air, fire, and water and command them at will. Their mastery of the elements gives them a wide range of abilities, most of them deadly, and they can inflict more damage in a single strike than any other profession.

Earth magic summons quakes and eruptions, encases enemies in stone, or strengthens allies. Air magic harnesses the power of tempests to strike foes down with lightning strikes or enables allies to run like the wind. Fire magic manifests flames, fireballs, molten lava, and even meteors to burn enemies to a crisp. Water magic conjures mist and ice to slow enemy movement and attacks, blur vision, protect allies against magic, and inflict cold damage on enemies.

The wise Elementalist avoids becoming surrounded, but keeps a local area-of-effect spell on hand just in case.

• Energy Storage (Primary Attribute): Energy storage increases an Elementalist's maximum energy by 3 per level. This allows for the stockpiling of gargantuan amounts of energy relative to the other classes. This trait also increases the effectiveness of several spells involving the restoration of health or energy.
• Air Magic: Air spells center mostly around the application of electricity for damage, such as Lightning Strike, to a single target, often accompanied by a secondary effect that further weakens the target or the ability to knock an opponent down. Air is sometimes known as the more difficult element to master, however the Air element does offer an unprecedented amount of power in the right hands. Air also has a handy spell called Windborne Speed, which temporarily increases the running speed of the elementalist or a targeted ally. Air is the favored type of "spiking" - concentrated damage to a target before the enemy healing can react - for many players.
• Fire Magic: Fire spells center mostly around the application of fire for damage over an area, utilizing area-of-effect spells such as a large Fire Storm attack or a Meteor Shower, which are favored by 'nukers' . Fire is the most commonly chosen element for Elementalists, especially for first time Elementalists.
• Earth Magic: Earth spells center more around the defense of the elementalist and her allies. Wards can be placed on the ground to create an area of protection for team members to run in. The advantage of these is that they cannot be removed by enemies for as long as they last. Several Earth spells utilize rock and stone for damage, such as an Earthquake attack. Earth Magic also offers Obsidian Flame, and Crystal Wave, which ignore armor. There are Obsidian Flame "Spike" builds in Tombs of Primeval Kings recently.
• Water Magic: Water spells center mostly around the application of ice and water for damage and defense. Most damaging attack spells also have a secondary effect, such as slowing and freezing. Many Water spells are defensive in nature, such as Armor of Frost, though not as many as in the Earth line, although Water is known as the Elementalist's "support" line.
• Unique Skill Sets:
  • Glyphs: Glyphs consist of spells that alter some component of the next spell cast.
  • Wards: Wards consist of spells that apply some benefits to all allies within its radius for a limited duration. Examples of Wards include Ward Against Elements and Ward Against Melee.

Mesmer

Mesmers are masters and mistresses of illusion and control. Combined with any other profession, their skills provide excellent support, turning the enemy’s skills against them and changing the very fabric of reality to hinder foes and help allies. Mesmers have the ability to cast spells quickly, which can make all the difference in the heat of battle. Their powers of domination allow them to take control of enemy skills and Energy for their own use, and for the benefit of their allies.

Their unique illusionary talents can slow or even halt enemy movement and skill casting, or cause imaginary illnesses that drain Health and Energy from foes while healing and energizing allies. While Mesmers are not known for brute strength, their ability to confuse and distract the enemy more than compensates.

• Fast Casting (Primary Attribute): Fast casting increases the rate at which spells are cast. Fast casting, unlike other attributes, does not produce a linear gain and has less of an effect at higher levels.
• Domination: Domination skills focus on manipulating the energy and skill use of the target. It is primarily used to shut down casters by disabling their skills, inflicting damage on them when they try to use a skill, and depleting their store of energy. Energy Denial seems to be pretty popular at the moment.
• Illusion: Illusion spells create effects and manipulate the enemy while not always doing direct damage. Illusion skills tend to focus on shutting down melee characters, although spells like Arcane Conundrum and Migraine slow down casting time for casters.
• Inspiration: Inspiration spells manipulate the energy or health of either the caster or the target. Inspiration skills also contain two anti-interrupt stances, Mantra of Resolve and Mantra of Concentration.
• Unique Skill Sets:
  • Energy Steals: Energy steals are spells that decrease energy from the target while increasing the caster's energy.
  • Mantras: Mantras are a set of skills that offer various benefits to the caster. Mantras may protect against specific elements, prevent interruption, decrease the recharge times of signets or spells, extend the length of illusion hexes, or replenish the caster's energy. Mantras are generally Stances.

Monk

Monks employ a direct conduit to the powers that be, and the answers to their prayers come in the form of healing and protection for their allies and damage to their enemies. Combined with any other profession, Monks can alternate between supporting their team and dealing damage to opponents, either from a distance or in the thick of things.

Monks enjoy Divine Favor, which provides extra protection from harm, while their healing and protection prayers help to keep their allies strong and healthy. Smiting prayers, on the other hand, call down divine anger on enemies, exacting holy damage that ignores armor. What Monks lack in firepower they make up for with their unparalleled gift for keeping their allies alive, making Monks a very sought after class in almost any party.

• Divine Favor (Primary Attribute): Divine Favor allows any Monk spell cast on an ally or the monk herself to heal the target for an extra amount. Divine Favor spells generally increase the Monk's ability to cast their spells.
• Healing Prayers: Healing spells restore physical health to the target.
• Protection Prayers: Protection spells provide beneficial enchantments to the target. Protection also removes negative conditions from the target. Protection spells are usually situation based.
• Smiting Prayers: Smiting spells deal specialized damage that ignores armor and deals double damage against Undead.
• Unique Skill Sets:
  • Blessings: Blessings, or "buffs", benefit the target constantly. However, maintaining these spells will lower a Monk's energy regeneration rate by one. These are also known as maintained enchantments or upkeep spells.
  • Resurrections: Resurrections are spells that restore life into a dead ally with varying levels of functionality and effectiveness.

Necromancer

Necromancers are masters of the dark arts, calling on the spirits of the dead, and even death itself, to overpower enemies and assist allies. In sacrificing Health and taking curses and diseases upon themselves, they can deal large amounts of damage to those foolish enough to oppose them. Dead and dying enemies become unwilling allies in their hands.

Necromancers have the singular ability to absorb Energy from an enemy’s death, and can raise a fighting force from the corpses of their foes. Curses, which often cost the Necromancer dearly, exact an even greater toll from enemies, who find that their Enchantment Spells and healing skills are rendered useless. Due to the sacrificial nature of their methods, successful Necromancers practice patience and self-discipline to stay alive.

• Soul Reaping (Primary Attribute): Soul Reaping allows the Necromancer to regain energy whenever a friend, foe, or summoned creature dies near the necromancer.
• Blood Magic: Blood magic spells manipulate health into damage or damage into health for the target. Blood magic spells also deal damage to the target over time.
• Death Magic: Death magic spells deal mainly with the manipulation of corpses.
• Curse Magic: Curse magic spells deal with applying negative conditions and hexes, or "debuffing", the target.
• Unique Skill Sets:
  • Undead Minions: Undead minions are summonable pets from a corpse. However, these undead minions are inherently unstable and will degrade, gradually losing life until they die. The rate of decay is directly proportional to how long the minions have been alive, making it hard, if not impossible, to keep them alive for an indefinite period of time.
  • Wells: Wells are area-effect spells that can affect either friends or foes within range, but must be cast from a corpse.

Ranger

Rangers are unique in their ability to succeed with the help of, or even in spite of, their environment. Nature rituals allow them to manipulate terrain to hinder their enemies, or borrow the very power of creation to heal and aid their allies. They favor long-range combat, the bow being their weapon of choice, and can be especially effective from elevated locations such as bridges and cliffs.

They are the only profession with the ability to charm animals, which then accompany them on their travels and assist them in battle, gaining levels and abilities over time. Rangers are also blessed with survival skills that help keep them alive despite their lightweight armor.

• Expertise (Primary Attribute): Expertise reduces the energy cost for attack skills, preparations, and traps. Expertise skills increase the Ranger's abilities to stay alive. Expertise is also vouched for as the best Primary Attribute.
• Beast Mastery: Beast mastery skills provide bonuses for the Ranger's animal companion, which they can charm and raise in level. Beast Mastery also has a few Nature Rituals, such as Energizing Wind.
• Marksmanship: Marksmanship improves the damage a Ranger is able to inflict with Bows. The higher a Ranger's Marksmanship, the more powerful are the Ranger's Attack Skills.
• Wilderness Survival: Wilderness Survival skills provide an advantage to the ranger if used prior to combat. They also enable the character to heal and deal extra damage. Wilderness Survival comes with Nature Rituals, like Greater Conflagration and Winnowing.
• Unique Skill Sets:
  • Nature rituals: Nature rituals are global enchantments that affect every character present within the area of effect. Only one of the same type of Spirit can be up at a time within the area of effect.
  • Pets: Pets are creatures that a Ranger has tamed while in the wild. A Ranger can only have one pet at any given time but can always replace it with a new creature he may find by giving their current pet to a tamer.
  • Preparation: Preparations temporarily add extra damage or effects to a Ranger's attacks. Only one preparation can be active at any given time.
  • Traps: Traps are skills that are triggered if an enemy or ally enters a designated area.

Warrior

Warriors rely on stout hearts, brute strength, and melee weapons to subdue their enemies and protect their allies. They generally disdain long-range warfare, preferring instead to charge directly into the fray swinging their weapon of choice. They can take a beating unlike anyone else.

The Warrior class in Guild Wars is unconventially complicated in comparison to other MMO's, where combat would require little player input. Warriors are equally comfortable wielding axe, hammer, or sword, though many choose to master one weapon over all others. Many Warrior skills require adrenaline, which builds up during combat to enable those skills, and usually results in major damage. Defensive tactics help the Warrior to avoid damage and protect allies, but strength is the Warrior’s biggest asset, providing the constitution to keep on fighting until the battle is won.

• Strength (Primary Attribute): Strength increases armor penetration of melee skills (ie. Power Attack). Strength skills increase the Warrior's damage. With each attribute level you add to strength, Armor penetration goes up by 1%.
• Axe Mastery: Axe Mastery improves axe damage. Axe skills involve inflicting many conditions to the target. Axe damage is quite variable from one swing to the next.
• Swordsmanship: Swordsmanship improves sword damage. Sword skills involve inflicting some conditions to the target as well as good amounts of consistent damage.
• Hammer Mastery: Hammer Mastery improves hammer damage. Hammer skills involve knocking the target down. Hammers deal high damage but attack at a slower speed then Swords or Axes.
• Tactics: Tactic skills increase the Warrior's ability to stay alive.
• Unique Skill Sets:
  • Adrenal skills: Adrenaline, which is obtained by hitting an opponent or taking physical damage, is required for many of the Warrior's skills, similar to energy. After a prolonged period without taking or dealing damage however, stored adrenaline will disappear.
  • Shouts: Shouts are beneficial skills that affect both the Warrior and nearby allies, like "Shields Up!", or harm other enemies, like "Fear Me!".

Guild Wars: Factions

Guild Wars: Factions was announced at the Guild Wars website on January 10, 2006.[2]. It is the first announced expansion pack to the Guild Wars franchise. Although Factions will be a stand-alone product, it is still commonly referred to as an expansion pack not to confuse old and new players alike. The expansion pack is named Factions because of the new feature which allows players to join forces with one of the two rivaling factions, Luxon and Kurzick, who fight for total control over the new continent of Cantha. The battles that follow will have an immediate effect on the game world.

Players with Guild Wars that purchase the expansion will be able to travel back and forth between Cantha and Tyria with their characters. Players that only purchase Factions will get access to all eight professions - however, they will only have the Factions campaign and the full skillset of the new professions at their disposal, not the core ones.

Apart from Cantha and its full length campaign, Factions introduces two new professions - The Assassin and The Ritualist. Factions will also bring new armors, new skills, new gameplay modes and much more into the game. It is expected to be released in spring 2006.

Assassin

Introduced with Guild Wars: Factions, Assassins rely on stealth, trickery, and swift strikes of their two daggers to subdue and confuse their enemies. While physically slim, the assassin's strength lies in using his enemy's weaknesses to his advantage, making the Assassin a very unique character in the world of Guild Wars.

Assassins are a kind of hybrid class; though differentiated from the other classes, the Assassin has in himself the elements of a damage dealer and spellcaster. Assassins also have the most complicated attack system; Lead, Off-hand, and Dual attacks must be used in a particular fashion to work, but can be devestating when unleashed in a chain attack by the Assasin's two daggers, one wielded in each hand. Dagger Mastery and Critical Strikes enable them to swiftly penetrate their foe's defences to land damaging blows; Shadow Arts and Deadly Arts give the Assassin a wide array of underhand tactics to confuse and annihilate their enemies.

• Critical Strikes (Primary attribute): For each rank of Critical Strikes you have, you gain an additional 1% chance to land a Critical Hit. You gain +2 energy whenever you land a hit in this way.
• Shadow Arts: No inherent effect. Assassin skills that enable you to move like a shadow and confuse your enemies become more effective with a higher Shadow Arts.
• Deadly Arts: No inherent effect. Assassin skills that harm your enemy become more effective with a higher deadly Arts.
• Dagger Mastery: Dagger Mastery and Dagger Mastery skills gain an additional 2% chance of double-striking per rank of Dagger Mastery.
• Unique Skill Sets:
  • Attack system: Many Assassin skills are designed to follow a hit pattern, with certain attacks opening the way for other attacks. The system goes in the following order; Lead Attack, Off-Hand attack, and Dual Attack. Therefore, the clever assassin opens the way with a Lead Attack, follows up with an Off-Hand attack, and then a Dual Attack; some combinations of these attacks allow a lengthy attack chain to be formed.
  • Teleportation: This skill set allows the Assassin to teleport on a whim, allowing him to strategically plant himself in enemy territory and deal some damaging blows to unsuspecting quarry.

Ritualist

Another new class introduced with Guild Wars: Factions is the Ritualist, a powerful entity on the battlefield, employing huge living spirits that heal allies or spread death and destruction amongst foes, and calling on the powers of long-forgotten ancestors to deal a wide range of effects.

The Ritualist bears a strong resemblance to the existing Necromancer, who uses corpses to raise armies of undead minions, but the Ritualist has a much wider range of skill sets, with the ability to summon healing spirits or damaging spirits. The Ritualist also shares with the Necromancer the ability to sacrifice health for some skills, and can sometimes siphon resources from ally spirits, or even enemies, to empower themselves. The Ritualist also has an element of the Elementalist in him, with the power of lightning spells being at his disposal.

• Spawning Power (Primary Attribute): For each rank of spawning power, the health of summoned spirits increases by 4%. Spawning Power also increases the effectiveness of skills related to spawning spirits.
• Restoration Magic: No inherent effect. Ritualist skills related to life stealing, self-preservation, healing and defence become more effective with a higher Restoration Magic rank.
• Channeling Magic: No inherent effect. Ritualist skills related to lightning damage and energy become more effective with a higher Channeling Magic rank.
• Communing: No inherent effect. Ritualist skills related to summoning spirits become more effective with a higher Communing rank.
• Unique Skill Sets:
  • Spirits: These formerly-living beings are chained to the Ritualist's will, and perform a wide range of tasks, from damaging, blinding and knocking down enemies, to healing and boosting ally's performance.
  • Ash skills: The Ritualist can bring up a wide variety of ashes from long-forgotten ancestors, enabling the Ritualist to perform many tasks, from healing, increasing maximum health, life stealing, to blinding and damaging enemies.

Locations

In the order that the player experiences them while playing through the game's story:

• Ascalon
• Northern Shiverpeaks
• Kryta
• Maguuma Jungle
• Southern Kryta
• The Crystal Desert
• Southern Shiverpeaks
• Sorrow's Furnace (Could also be before Southern Shiverpeaks)
• The Ring of Fire Island Chain
• The Battle Isles (PvP play)

Criticism

While some Guild Wars players argue that the campaign and its plot are the weakest parts of Guild Wars, others complain that the four character slots that are offered are too few. Many players agree however that the largest issue currently is the process in which a player gains new skills.

The gaining of new skills

This issue has gained much attention due to the fact that it affects both the PvE and the PvP-communities of the game, but also because it contradicts one of NCSoft's and ArenaNet's goals with Guild Wars which was: "Success in Guild Wars is always the result of player skill, not time spent." [3]. As Guild Wars in both PvP and PvE is largely dependant on which skills the player has, the player with the most skills often has an advantage compared to others because of the new possible combinations that opens up for that player. As it is now there are two ways to gain new skills in Guild Wars: the first is by playing through the campaign and doing the quests that follows, the other way is by playing PvP and gaining Faction-points, with which you can unlock skills. Despite being unlocked, skills are still acquired individually for a PvE-character. Although the Faction-points were permanently increased in September 2005 [4], many still think that the procedure to unlock all the skills for a profession is too time-consuming. This process is by some referred to as grind. As a consequence some players ironically call the game "Grind Wars". There have been many proposed solutions to the problem. The most reoccuring proposition is that all skills should be unlocked (commonly referred to as UAS, Unlock All Skills) for both PvE and PvP-use. Another solution is that Faction should be increased once more to improve the rate with which a player can unlock the skills.

Common terms

Often said phrases are commonly abbreviated in online games for the relative ease with which they're typed. Below are a number of acronyms and abbreviations commonly heard in Guild Wars.

Emotes

There are many emotes in Guildwars, here is a list of them. A / has to be typed in front of every emote to activate it.

Collector's Edition

The Collector's Edition offers the owner the use of Divine Aura. When their character use any of the emotes in the game, depending on their class which determines which god they worship, a coloured light will surround the character's hands.