Curse

Magic Gan Man · Jul 17, 2005, 06:53 PM // 18:53

if you've played these games u know they r both very addictive but very different. but for those who have played both which 1 is better or more fun?? 1 thing i dont like about ac is the leveling thats all u do and about guild wars i dont rly see any flaws because its a pretty well-rounded game. so which is the better game??
sry but i wasent rly sure where to post this.

Loviatar · Jul 17, 2005, 07:37 PM // 19:37

if you enjoy crafting things to sell and a big community to interact with this is not for you

if you want alternate activities this is not for you

this does avoid

ganking
loot stealing
waiting in line for a quest
the level grind as most of the game and the following chapters are for level 20s

there is only a small amount of loot and no super items

on the other hand the game is just out and the company is responsive so i expect more cosmetic trimmings to come along

i am PVE only and have more than 300+ hours on my character and see much to go in the future

hope this helps a bit

read reviews (list on GW site)

Alexandrite · Jul 17, 2005, 07:50 PM // 19:50

hmm well, i came from Asheron's Call 2 to GW. I enjoy(ed) both immensely, but they ARE quite different games. (please note that i didn't play AC1, if that's what you are asking then my apologies as this long reply won't be very applicable.)

but, this is going to be my personal reply (in 2 parts!) I guess, as a current GW player, and with AC2 still fresh in my mind. More of a comparative review, maybe, to whoever finds it useful. Feel free to disagree with anything I write.

1)Graphics
both games are a feast for the eyes, one must also consider that AC2 is a couple years old now and its graphics are still very competitive with other games. I used to love just running around the world, or running up to characters, zooming in and admiring the texture work that the AC2 artists put in. That said, Guild Wars blew me away with its graphics during the open October beta, and I loved it since then. Guild Wars' world feels so much more detailed and immersive, while AC2 tends to re-use mobs and landscape and dungeon textures (small dev team.. i know.) the Empyreans didn't impress me in the least, it looks like their art team just took a human model and stretched it out a little... sigh. The other characters and their movements, though, are very well done and animated, particularly the Tumerok race (ok so I might be biased toward them.

) In fact, it's the humans in AC2 that are lacking, and the original races that shine. In Guild Wars, the characters are gorgeous, the world feels like a world, saturated rich colours, extremely detailed... but of course, Guild Wars is quite a lot more recent and with a lot more artists on its team, and a LOT more possibilities.

While it pains me to say this, but AC2 will never have the diversity of graphics, armour, environments, etc, that Guild Wars has already and is expanding upon. (i do wish, though, that people with a video card that can handle it, could turn on the option to see everyone else's armour textures and such at full res, not just your own. I love to look at the little details like armour designs. )

2) Gameplay:
Guild Wars is a pleasure to level in, you can log on, gain a few levels, log off feeling like you have accomplished something. In comparison, AC2 is a huge grind, yes. But it has become much better than it was when I first started playing it 2 years ago. Heck, I remember leveling my first character, the dreaded lvl30s were nearly empty of content and consisted of getting together in groups, going into the frozen Linvak wastelands, and killing either large goats swinging axes, or shreths and armoredillos. Repeatedly. :P Now, they have added a lot more content and quests. Though many of these ARE either "kill quests" or "fed-ex quests"... which Guild Wars has, also. However, Guild Wars has very epic missions just about every other town, and the kill quests and fed-ex quests feel like just little side quests, a pleasant surprise of XP or a skill or two. Guild Wars' strength in questing, IMHO, lies in the story-driven missions. It leads you through the world and tells the story, with all its wonders and treachery and honour and victories. And Guild Wars does it very well. AC2 tried that with the Vaults, and I enjoyed those, there was a new one with a new bit of lore just about every other level... until 50. Now, I have not played the AC2 expansion pack, so there may be new content for lvl60s and above, but I am no authority on that. AC2 does have its epic quests where many people are needed, and there are some for which literally half the server shows up. I sometimes wish that I could see that many people all working toward one goal, in Guild Wars, but alas, GW fellowships don't go above a set number of people (8?), and that's as many as can go into an instance. So, there is the feeling of "epic" through the story and environments, but less so through sheer number of people participating and fighting together against one common foe... (and in AC2, same one, once every week...)

(to be continued)

Alexandrite · Jul 17, 2005, 07:51 PM // 19:51

One more thing about quests. In AC2, you could log out (or crash) anywhere, in the middle of a mission, shout over Teamspeak to your fellow-mates "hey guys! my game crashed! wait for me I'll log back in!". Then proceed to log in and pick up where you left off. In Guild Wars, if you're unfortunate enough to crash, you get tossed right back out to the nearest city. There needs to be a way back into instances...

3) Characters, Skills, etc:
Guild Wars encourages hybrids, which as compared to many games is pleasantly suprising, and you really can't go wrong with a character in GW. AC2 discourages them, many classes have been hit with the nerf bat over the years, and if you want to play a powerful class that can compete with other classes of your same level, you pretty much have to play a certain designated class. There are still some viable hybrids left in that game, for people who like to take on a challenge, be unique, and there is really no better feeling than taking a difficult class and playing it well.

In Guild Wars, you can pretty much come up with the wackiest combination possible, and be assured that some way, somehow, it will work. Some are more desirable (W/Mo..), some less so, but any can work, really. However the one thing that I sorely miss about AC2, that I can't quite seem to find in GW yet, is the character immersion. In AC2, I felt the characters and inherent class "personalities" so to speak, were defined by the skills. You had some freedom in templates, but generally, once you took on a class, it had a certain "mindset". There were differences between, say, melee classes of different races, each race took their specialties with a different approach. Maybe I'm just insane.

But, with Guild Wars' dizzying array of skills and possibilities, I feel that that particular definition, this class personality, immersion for those who like to roleplay a class or get into the mind of their characters, gets lost and drowns somehow. After all, if you have one skillset for PvE, and completely another for PvP/GvG, then who IS your character, really? (some will say, he/she is what you make or imagine them to be. I'll have to agree. But I will say that I miss my favourite AC2 class anyway.

)

(to be continued...)

Alexandrite · Jul 17, 2005, 07:52 PM // 19:52

4) Community: Ac2's got 3 servers each containing a persistent world, where you could potentially run into and adventure with just about anybody. While Guild Wars' system of districts makes a lot of sense, I think they do impose a bit of an invisible barrier between communities... AC2's fortress raids often involve many fellowships of people all in one place, adding to the epic feeling, that Guild Wars' instances don't quite allow for. But, Guild Wars does make it very easy to go to the town you want (without having to spam general chat looking for recruits to fellowhsips, or traveling through portal systems), switch districts around a little, but you can almost always be assured of quickly finding a group.

5) PvP: Guild Wars' pvp is probably the best balanced PvP i've seen, and without the threat of being stalked while questing/hunting and killed until you log off in frustration. But with AC2's group PvP, unless you are in a free-for-all area, you often fight against other kingdoms, thus usually, alongside the same people. (though people DO switch kingdoms...some do it often) Therefore you find buddies you team up with to kick some butt, you learn their skills and playstyle, they learn yours, and together you can become a very effective group. Unless you are on the Darktide server, where many, say lvl70 people can and will kill you at any opportunity, and if this cohesive group of you and friends ends up being, say, lvl25-30s, to that lvl70 you will look like a bunch of mosquitoes to squish and gloat over. This is where GW's advantage comes in - its PvP strength really does lie in your skills, and not in your levels. It pits you against opponents of similar levels. However, the group cohesiveness in GW, it seems, can only be achieved if you do GvG or pick your friends and head into an arena where it won't separate you into random teams. The random teams, I feel, are pointless - you don't know these people, you don't know who you're fighting against, and most importantly you don't know why. You could have a random combination of players that kicks arse, and the next time, one that sucks no matter how much you try... so, I only really enjoy GW' GvG aspect of PvP.

Overall:
As you said yourself, both games are VERY addictive. In different ways.

Sometimes I get tired of missions in GW, and want to craft, and that's when I miss AC2's crafting system, and being useful to others. Sometimes I log onto AC2, take off to do some old quest somewhere, and miss Guild Wars' rich environments, and the ability to use henchmen, and get frustrated with the grind. AC2 has a previous game whose shoulders it stands on, and a lot of lore also. (nevermind that that lore isn't readily available in-game, and many easily ignore it or level right past it...heh) Guild Wars is still a young game, and I am sure that the new updates will bring us even more of the story unfolding in the land. Plus with Guild Wars, there are no monthly payments, and no one has to wait 2 weeks for hotfixes...

Whew! all that said, I love both AC2 and Guild Wars. In different ways. I really think, that the ideal game lies somewhere inbetween the two.

...and someone please, stop me before i type up a storm again!!

Magic Gan Man · Jul 17, 2005, 08:26 PM // 20:26

Wow that was very intresting but i was really talking about AC1 but ty for your input that was awsome . i would rly like to hang out with u ingame when i get my new comp in like a week let me know how to find ya peace.. and with that anyone else have any input on ac1?

Dumachum · Jul 17, 2005, 10:53 PM // 22:53

AC1 was god. AC2 was terrible.

I'd play both AC and Guild Wars if you had the time.

pagansaint · Jul 17, 2005, 11:18 PM // 23:18

I play AC and GW now

Of the 2? At the moment GW has my undivided attention, but then again I'm maxed out with my main and nothing can kill me in PvE if i don't want it to usually.

PvP? its got some VERY skill intensive near first person shooter reflexe/movements needed to play it moderately well. I'd say some of the key combinations to be really good at it would compare to playing a piano the size of your keyboard doing a symphony.

Very well established community, the economy is at the point where its a complete auction to the highest bidder, or trader with the best goods.

The people and clans are very close knit, atleast on my server, Morningthaw, and getting into one is as easy as asking. And the people will help you out, twink you a bit, and teach you the game.

And Morningthaw has the best PvPer's of any server

Proven by the test server they had for the comign expansion and MT whooping on the rest