Guild Wars was fun before, but lately it’s been kicking into high gear now that enough friends are playing that we can form a full 6-player team. Without any foolish NPC henchmen to steal loot and wander aimlessly into massive aggro, it’s been fabulous frantic fun taking on some of the really difficult sections of the Guild Wars world. While in normal play, the inability to fully explore the terrain can be maddening, in really difficult areas (as in areas where the enemies are too difficult to simply zerg to death), it can make the difference between glorious victory and a complete wipe out. Because things like range and movement speed are meant to be manipulated, tactics like flanking and (limited) kiting once more have relevance.
One particularly memorable tactic had us luring a large group of enemies into the gate of a random stone pen of giant yaks and pummeling the enemies in the chokepoint. Also great fun is the Vengeance resurrection spell that restores you to full for 30 seconds, after which you simply die again (no additional Death Penalty, though). When we first started using it, it was so odd having the full party and then seeing people simply drop dead all over the place. Eventually we all got used to it, but it’s still rather amusing to see. Sadly, our Lornar Pass expedition ended in failure, although we were able to get to the second zone fairly efficiently on our second try. The first try ended in an unexpected excursion to the Underworld, where the enemies are so ridiculously powerful they can do over 1,000 damage in under 10 seconds *__*.
The strongest part of the game so far has been the fast-paced action that really emphasizes preparation and teamwork. We all had to tweak our skills to combat the enemies in Lornar pass, and for the most part it worked. Although I had wanted to try tanking, I found that because there is no taunt ability, there is no real tanking per se. More often there is simply a front line and a back line. I’ve reverted back to primary healer, and I really enjoy it, even if I am watching hp bars pretty much the whole fight. Healing is different in Guild Wars in that you don’t have to worry about building hate from heals, but conserving mp and keeping up with damage can be extremely difficult. The great thing is that we are using TeamSpeak, and so instead of trying to type a coherent message while keeping up with heavy damage, I can simply call out that I need a backup heal or a protection spell on a party member. Really good stuff.
In fact, because of how great the game has been recently, I’m doing a piece on my monk character for the “Digital” drawing theme. I’m a bit late, since I was a little too ambitious, but I want to try some neat Photoshop effects, so hopefully it will be worth it. In lieu of an art update, I’ve put up some pics below.
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So recently I’ve gotten a chance to play several new games, and I thought I’d give a quick list of thoughts about them. Keep in mind, I haven’t finished any of these yet, so my opinions may change.
- Half-Life 2: It had its moments, but between the insanely slow loading times and the vomit-inducing vehicles, I decided to uninstall this game and not look back. I got to the end of the beach area, and by that point both Kungfucius and I agreed that the awful ATV that Gordon Freeman gets just makes you way too motion sick. Also, it just isn’t right for a first person shooter to have that many box stacking puzzles.
- Everquest 2: If you enjoy the MMORPG grind (and I know some of you do exist), then this game may very well be for you. It does take out a lot of the pain of traditional MMORPG’s, but it’s still all about grinding in crafting and adventuring. While this may give you a sense of accomplishment, it also causes the game to be rather mediocre a lot of the time. The recent items for RL money development is troubling, however, and really clashes with the carefully developed hardcore image of Everquest. The graphical requirements of this game are ridiculous, and yet the characters are all really ugly.
- World of Warcraft: For those of you who want a lighter MMORPG, this one is the best, hands down. As long as you can get over the graphics (which I find nice, but they are definitely cartoony), the game is beautiful. Hardcore players may find that everything comes too easy, but those of us who play more casually appreciate what Blizzard has done. The game also has a great sense of humor, and the quest system is excellent.
- Guild Wars: The first thing to realize about Guild Wars is it is not a MMORPG, at least not in the traditional sense. This game favors faster action and pacing over immersion, and in many ways it works. The leveling system is clearly meant to get you to the level cap of 20 as quickly as possible (giving you just enough time to learn how to play your character), and so the quest rewards are quite generous. It’s very surprising how flexible and customizable your character is, even though there are only 6 classes. The skill system is responsible for this, and you can really tailor how you play your character. On the downside, the terrain severely limits where you can go, and the interface is under-powered. I can’t count the number of times that I tried to go somewhere right in front of me, only to find out that I had to go all the way around a small bump in the road instead of over it. The emotes are very limited, and the chat system is kinda bad as well. However, if the fast pace of the game appeals to you, these are not really deal-breakers. The arrows that give you real time directions for quests help a lot to make up for some of the shortcomings, and quests are mostly painless thanks to the fast travel. So far, two of my friends from the FFXI static party have gotten the game, and once I catch up to them in level, we can hopefully get some phat lewts while questing together. The one really sad thing I learned about tanking is that it primarily consists of running up to the monster and whacking it before anyone else. Once you get hate, it’s almost impossible to lose it.
Ever since Ender recommended Starship Operators, I’ve felt like I should… you know, listen to him once in a while. I know, I know, it goes against the grain of my being, but lately his recommendations for Guild Wars have perked my interest. There’s a small chance of reuniting the group from Final Fantasy XI, and this game seems to have a much lower time requirement, with little grind. I don’t mind if the gameplay is not super deep, and so I think I’m going to pick it up. I definitely miss the FFXI grouping, although WoW is nice and fun (I caught a catfish that can be wielded in the offhand, and my hunter is now running around with this awesome hairy flightless bird). With no monthly fee, and an emphasis on skill over grinding, Guild Wars sounds like a nice summer diversion.
I’m even given some thought to tanking. Over the years, I’ve traditionally played a healer or all-around type character, but lately I’ve been intrigued by tanking. I liked playing healer in groups (I was backup healer in FFXI, and main healer in EQII), but lately in WoW I’ve found that I really enjoy playing melee classes in solo play. There’s only 6 classes in Guild Wars at the moment, and Warrior seems to be the only tanking option. As for subjob… choice, choices…
Games | Kabitzin 6/15/2005 | 
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