Lewis B for TapRepeatedly has came in with his impressions of the Press Beta weekend experiences he had. Great article and he touches upon many great points.
This comment below really stand out.....
"With an unrivalled abundance of launch content, innovative and addictive combat, incredible PvE and what is unquestionably some of the finest PvP I’ve ever played, ArenaNet have created something quite remarkable and also something truly special."
Great read and very well worth every word Lewis B put the time and effort to detail his experiences. Guild Wars 2 Stratics staff can't thank you enough for this great article. We hope you all enjoy it as much as out entire staff did. To Lewis B and TapReapeatedly, we applaud you!
Link: http://tap-repeatedly.com/2012/02/impressions-guild-wars-2-beta/
For the click link Impaired:
This comment below really stand out.....
"With an unrivalled abundance of launch content, innovative and addictive combat, incredible PvE and what is unquestionably some of the finest PvP I’ve ever played, ArenaNet have created something quite remarkable and also something truly special."
Great read and very well worth every word Lewis B put the time and effort to detail his experiences. Guild Wars 2 Stratics staff can't thank you enough for this great article. We hope you all enjoy it as much as out entire staff did. To Lewis B and TapReapeatedly, we applaud you!
Link: http://tap-repeatedly.com/2012/02/impressions-guild-wars-2-beta/
For the click link Impaired:
Impressions: Guild Wars 2 Beta
02/22/12 Impressions
I wrote nothing on my notepad for the first five hours of playing Guild Wars 2. I always write something when taking part in any Beta event, which makes writing about those first five hours somewhat of a challenge. But then again, this was no ordinary Beta event. All my original intentions went out the window the moment I logged in.
A Night With…
True to some whispers, the Asura and Sylvari weren’t playable, leaving the Human, Charr and Norn zones up to level 30 (though I did reach level 32 whilst down in the Ascalon Catacombs, having auto levelled to 30 to experience the dungeon) with Competitive PvP and World vs. World also available.
Joining a special Ventrilo server for members of the press, it was a strange sight seeing it packed to the rafters with ArenaNet developers, designers and community members all patiently waiting for players to join and get started. For ArenaNet to open up their game to the worlds press in this way (and with flawless organisation) shows an unrivalled confidence in their product and a willingness to show the outside world just what the game really has to offer. Joining a channel with Jon Peters, who was seemingly running some press through the human starting zone, I realised whilst wrestling with my microphone that I could actually join the server two hours before they officially opened.
Having played the human starter zone as a ranger at Eurogamer last September, I decided I’d make a female charr mesmer. As the last class to be revealed and as one my main characters in Guild Wars, I could hardly resist. After navigating through the character creator (which has a welcome amount of options) the animated cinematic took me by complete surprise; I’d completely forgotten about them. They are simply staggering. In the comfort of your own home, on your own PC and without the background distractions of an entire expo in your ears (or another person over your shoulder) I could finally appreciate them in all their glory.
Arriving in the village of Smokestead with sword in hand, I headed out to fight back the Ghosts of Ascalon; the game gently funnelling me towards Duke Barradin, the boss event. This gentle introduction was a great way of quickly learning starting skills, regardless of class and ensures players don’t stray too far from the action.
What instantly surprised me about the mesmer was how much I enjoyed using a sword. As a lover of ranged professions (I’ve never once been a fan of melee combat in any MMOG) it goes to show the massive strides ArenaNet have made in the genre, to make combat fluid, punchy and responsive. Combat felt incredibly slick and fast paced as I leapt in and out of combat, summoning illusion after illusion. It never occurred to me that as a “caster” I was in melee range; a genre no-no.
Having quickly unlocked my sword skills after battling back the ghosts (the Duke Barradin boss was fantastic) I met Jon Peters in the Plains of Ashford. Appropriately named Jon Peters Thief (which unquestionably wins the award for most original in game name) we headed out into the world. There were two things that struck me instantly; the size of the game world and the beauty of it. Having already configured my video settings at the login screen to the highest possible (FXAA, high detailed character textures, depth of field) it surprised me, after some video card tweaking on my part, just how flawlessly the game ran. Admittedly my PC is brand new (see my specifications below) but achieving a consistent 60fps was even more surprising, especially when Jon said they were still working on optimising.
With Jon allowing me to take the lead, we headed out to the nearest event that saw us fight back the flame legion and clear the area of debris. It’s a simple premise that sees you collecting tools and placing them back on empty wracks or removing unexploded devices, but it is how it is portrayed and delivered that makes it so much fun. If you were to receive a quest that physically said “Collect 10 tools” you’d likely groan. But given the freedom to pick up the tools (with no necessity to) whilst also battling back incoming enemies in defence of the encampment, adds to the feeling of emergency and that you have physically contributed to the wider game world, by directly aiding in the war effort.
It’s this feeling of being part of the world that runs throughout Guild Wars 2 that is so desperately missing from all other MMOGs. Areas are no longer just content to exhaust and dismiss, but are part of a fully realised world that encourages exploration and interaction. Baby charr stopping you in your tracks, to let you know there’s an egg hunt near by, are wonderful moments that separates Guild Wars 2 from other sterile game worlds we have grown accustomed to.
After completing the first event, we headed to a nearby pool that was near to a flame legion encampment. Though I was low level in comparison to my fellow adventurers (with the pool cleaned and secured) we decided to tackle the flame legion head on. Despite the level difference and our party composition being highly suspect (two mesmer’s and a thief) I never for a second doubted our ability to complete content. It wasn’t necessarily easy and required a great deal of team work between the three of us, with Jon having to provide a great deal of support (shadow refuge was a life saver) but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The ability to rally and resurrect one another still remains one of my favourite aspects of Guild Wars 2, whilst not having to worry about what class you are or aren’t missing is so refreshing. We just got on with it, which is so rare in this genre.
We played like this for hours, moving from one zone to the next in no particular order and with no particular focus. It suddenly dawned on me that we’d encountered so much content (too much to possibly cover here) that rival MMOGs can only dream of matching it; so much so it was at times overwhelming. After five hours, I’d completed less than 1% of the charr content, had explored only 1 underwater area, had missed dozens upon dozens dynamic events and hadn’t even touched my personal story, looked at the guild system, traits, explored structured PvP or World vs. World, visited any of the other races lands or completed a single dungeon. It’s staggering to think all this will be present come launch day and not two years down the road.
A human warrior outside the fortified town of Butcher’s Block in rugged charr territory
Having obtained all but the greatsword (useable at level 10) I settled for using a sword and torch over a sceptre/focus or staff; something that genuinely shocked me. It’s a skill set that allows for a flood of illusions with a great blend of cripples and defensive/offensive skills; The Prestige being one my favourite skills in the entire game. It’s just so much fun rolling backwards and casting Illusionary Leap, leaping into combat with Leap to cripple and leave a second illusion, before casting The Prestige to vanish completely, only to reappear behind the target (setting them on fire) whilst your opponent busily attacks your doppelgangers.
Another favourite element of Guild Wars 2 is certainly the skill challenges. Dotted around each map, highlighted by two blue chevrons, are various NPC’s or NPC events that should you accept, trigger a challenge to earn you a skill point. Unlike conventional MMOGs where you purchase new skills from a trainer, skill points are acquired as you complete these challenges (and as you level) which you can then accumulate and spend on any skills at any time; elite skills being the most expensive. As you level up, you gradually begin to unlock your remaining 4 skill slots.
One particular skill challenge sees you fight a charr engineer who throws bombs and mines at you or another sees you venture into a crypt to fend off ghosts. Of the skill challenges I took part in, all were difficult and vastly different; they all felt like grand events. The days of trudging back into town to acquire a skill you don’t have the money to buy are long gone.
Taking A Dip
Towards the end of our foray into PvE, having reached level 10 and now wielding a greatsword (a weapon too good for its own good!) we decided to head into a stunning nearby lake for some exploration. I still find it a little odd how developers have in the past failed to really tap into underwater exploration and combat. World of Warcraft for all its faults made some great strides in this area with the release of Cataclysm, but was still crippled by its design choices due to the constricted framework of the game and the player knowledge that besides questing, there really was no point in exploration.
Not the little mermaid
ArenaNet have genuinely broken the mould in this field having crafted something entirely unique that plays and feels so radically different. The ability to fight on all axis whilst down in the deeps, at an equal pace as on the surface, is something you have to experience to fully appreciate. Diving deeper and deeper down, the feeling of being genuinely submerged is all the more prevalent. Colours blur and sounds bubble so convincingly. The use of unique underwater weapons, with skills that are transformed into water variants, also makes the whole process even more appealing. Ineptitude was a particular favourite as it just looks and sounds fantastic.
The potential here for ArenaNet to develop new and exciting content couldn’t be more obvious and I’d love to see a structured PvP map based entirely around being underwater or with objectives both above and below the surface. I’m just sorry I didn’t have the opportunity to spend more time in the blue.
World vs. World
After drying ourselves off and having reached level 11, we decided it was time for some World vs. World. Teleporting to The Mists and after Jon kindly gave me a brief overview of its function and nearby vendors we headed to the nearest portal and arrived in the Greenworld Borderlands. There is absolutely nothing that can prepare you for the scale and splendour of what you will see. Of the few WvW videos I have seen since the press beta came to a close, not one of them does it justice. It’s just enormous and like nothing I had seen before. Keeps aren’t just minor structures to assault; they are enormous hulking towers of intimidation. ArenaNet have taken everything we all loved about Dark Age of Camelot’s Realm vs. Realm combat and a sprinkling from Warhammer Online (a very light sprinkling I might add) and expanded upon it to such a degree that its actually difficult to take in the sheer size of the maps and the intricacy of them.
As we headed out to meet the rest of the ArenaNet team who were busying themselves for an assault on a keep, I was dawdling behind like a child, distracted continually by my surroundings. Reaching a nearby outpost, it soon became apparent that the NPC guards are no pushovers and really do hurt. We had to quickly call for backup to take them down as our miniature party was swarmed and killed. Having eventually cleared the mob we were resurrected and joined the others who had begun to attack the nearby keep. I should point out at this stage that during the evening my frame rate only ever dropped below 30fps once as a result of a bugged Elementalist spell effect on a keep door; the developers quickly identifying the fault and asking those in the group to refrain from using it. For the rest of my time in WvW, even with dozens upon dozens of people and spells on screen, my framerates ranged from 30 to 60.
One of Guild Wars 2's keeps
As the first keep fell (and after several deaths on my part!) we made our way to the second with ArenaNet staff quickly pulling together supply to build a trebuchet. Eager for me to use it and once it was built, I jumped on the controls. When ArenaNet tell you trebuchets fire far, they aren’t lying. I can’t even begin to provide you with a comparison on its maximum range. It’s far. Really, really far. With a little bit of practice and with some pointers from Jon, I finally began to hit the keep walls and door (whilst also firing some anti-infantry cows by accident) causing absolutely massive damage as the rest of the team rallied round to build catapults.
What I loved the most was the team work that was necessary. Due to trebuchet operator being so far away from the keep it is absolutely critical that you have spotters to tell you how near you are to your target, whilst effective coordination of supply is a must if you are to quickly build siege units. It also became apparent how important effectively coordinating your defences will be. Small groups of players whose sole intention is to disrupt siege equipment with hit and run tactics is going to be a top priority for those trying to defend their keep.
As we made our way to the third keep and as I needed to be up in 4 hours, I decided to call it a night but not before one last match of structured PvP turned into twenty…
Classes and Structured PvP
Across the entire weekend, I played four classes; necromancer, mesmer, ranger and engineer and found the time to record structured PvP matches for all of them (which I’m rapidly editing, I promise!).
What came as the biggest surprise of playing all the classes in both PvE and structured PvP is that I enjoyed the necromancer the most. If class polls are anything to go by, the necromancer is definitely the black sheep of the family and yet it’s one of the best classes I have ever played. Using an axe and warhorn and dual dagger setup (regularly swapping between the two) a necromancers survivability and adaptability is incredible. Coupled with Death Shroud (which adds a wealth of tactical uses and what is effectively an extra life) I’m finding it difficult not to pick the necromancer as my main when the game launches.
Where the Engineer is concerned, this too appears a relatively unpopular class, which is absolutely baffling. I predominantly used a Pistol and Shield in PvP as it provided a middle ground between offensive and defensive skills. When timed correctly, Absorb and Deploy Ballistic Barrier work wonderfully in disrupting and damaging your opponent whilst keeping you unharmed, even if the cooldowns are quite lengthy. The sheer abundance and variety in skills, coupled with random effects and new F-key functionality makes for a really challenging class. Elixir S in particular is a brilliant skill and saved my life countless times.
Two versus one is hardly fair…
As far as the mesmer is concerned, ArenaNet have a challenge on their hands in creating a class that has one foot in Guild Wars and one foot in Guild Wars 2. Having played a mesmer extensively in Guild Wars, I can honestly say I absolutely adore the new variant. Though it is drastically different (so much so it is almost guaranteed to be loved and loathed) it still retains the essence of what the original was. Illusions on videos may appear relatively simple or predictable, but in the heat of battle they genuinely are confusing, disorientate you and distract enough for you to hide, re-attack or make a quick get away. I lost count at the number of times I attacked the wrong illusions and laughed countless times at how often my opponents did the same. Out of the four classes I played, I would certainly consider it the most complex to play well but that boils down to effectively managing your skills (as they all tend to have long cooldowns) but also making best use of your illusions and F-key functionality. If I had one criticism of the class it is that the greatsword skill-set is just too useful. I saw no one besides myself use a sword and offhand weapon which is a real shame; sword and torch is amazing!
Finally the ranger, an archetype I have played since Ultima Online and one which I adored in Guild Wars and most MMOGs before it. There were some noticeable changes, with the most prominent being the pet management and the ability to swap pets in and out of combat, which is a wonderful addition. It adds a tactical element to the class and allows an additional layer of customisation, making choices based on aesthetics of the pet (inevitable) and its practicality. I chose to use an Alpine Wolf and Fern Mastiff for the ability to slow my opponents and heal me when needed. I also chose, at times, to use a white raven for its ability to blind. These choices (which also stretched to me using a Polar Bear frequently) really are excellent. In open maps such as the Forest of Niflhel pets really do excel. I fought one particular ranger in the Forest of Niflhel who was annihilating me whilst I was played as an engineer. I just couldn’t get anywhere near him because of his Drake pet and longbow (as you’ll soon see on my videos!).
Finally, where both maps are concerned (Battle of Khylo and Forest of Niflhel) I think I’m actually leaning towards preferring the latter. Not only is Niflhel stunning to look at, but its wide open spaces and intricate routing system make for really competitive and frantic play. The incorporation of some NPC bosses that aid in acquiring score is also a really neat touch that allows those who want to skirt around the outside of the fighting to have an objective and purpose in mind. All this isn’t to say Battle of Khylo is a worse map, far from it, they both just play so vastly different and I think that is nothing but a testament to ArenaNet’s map design.
Final Thoughts
It is rare to encounter a game that so readily defies convention, but it is even rarer to find one which succeeds in doing so. ArenaNet have crafted a game of such splendour, originality and beauty that there are no words to describe how much I enjoyed playing it. Guild Wars 2 is such a vastly superior game to its predecessor that one could play the original and never know they were related. This may ostracise some of the original fan base, but for all the changes ArenaNet have made over Guild Wars (all for the better) it is a necessary trade off for not only attracting new players to the genre, but lifting the genre above the stagnant pool it currently resides in. With an unrivalled abundance of launch content, innovative and addictive combat, incredible PvE and what is unquestionably some of the finest PvP I’ve ever played, ArenaNet have created something quite remarkable and also something truly special.
Tap-Repeatedly would like to thank ArenaNet for inviting us to take part in the Beta weekend and to all those involved for making it so enjoyable.
