Curse

Playful Kitty · May 27, 2005, 11:59 PM // 23:59

Ok now everyone post all the rumors about the guild wars expansion pack, also if you know they are real please provide proof or if you know they are fake then please mention. Also please post what you think SHOULD be in the next expansion pack.

Confirmed:

Rumored:
Higher level cap
More arenas
More area to trvel
More quest

False:

Suggestions:

SOT · May 28, 2005, 12:14 AM // 00:14

Or go to the official site and ignore the rumored moron-morass

Loviatar · May 28, 2005, 12:26 AM // 00:26

confirmed

it will be released when it is ready
it will have the contents it contains
anything other than those facts are rumors to be squashed

Magus · May 28, 2005, 12:56 AM // 00:56

I think the higher level cap is false. I read somewhere that Arenanet doesn't intend to raise it. ever.

ManadartheHealer · May 28, 2005, 02:45 AM // 02:45

I think they should raise it modestly with each expansion... not more than 5 levels, but just a little something

dansamy · May 28, 2005, 02:54 AM // 02:54

I think 5 per expansion would be nice, but it's not necessary.

The IOU · May 28, 2005, 02:58 AM // 02:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by dansamy

I think 5 per expansion would be nice, but it's not necessary.

That's based on current content...

Axehilt · May 28, 2005, 08:38 AM // 08:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magus

I think the higher level cap is false. I read somewhere that Arenanet doesn't intend to raise it. ever.

Sounds accurate to me. Raising the cap probably won't happen.

Here's my prediction for the expansion:
1. You'll end up with 2-5 entirely new classes with all-new skills.
2. You'll see few - if any - new skills for existing classes.
3. You'll be able to pair up new classes with the old ones.
(Necromancer/Assassin; Inquisitor/Elementalist; Shapeshifter/Inquisitor; etc)
4. New Missions, Quests, and Explorable Areas will be available.
5. New Equipment for the new classes.

Other things you might see:
6. Additional Guild Hall customization options.
7. Additional PVP gametypes.
8. Additional armor options for existing classes, balanced with existing armors but offering new armor options.

Long-winded rationale for Points #1-3:

Guild Wars plays very similarly to Magic: The Gathering, a collectible card game. In MTG there were 5 colors, each with it's own playstyle but with a lot of variations within those playstyles. Each Guild Wars class is representitive of one of those colors:

Red = Elementalist
Green = Ranger
White = Monk
Black = Necromancer
Blue = Mesmer
Artifact/Colorless = Warrior

MTG had expansion packs which added tons of cards to each color. Naturally, as the total available cards in any given color grew so did the insane combos you could create. Because of this, competitive play was limited to the most recent 3 expansions and the Base set of cards. The game designers simply couldn't be bothered to ensure the new Red card in their newest expansion didn't create some overpowered combo with another Red card ten expansions earlier - and rightly so, balancing the insane number of combinations was a daunting nigh-impossible task.

Guild Wars would have the same problem. If you increase the number of skills for existing classes in the expansion, non-expansion players will be disadvantaged because they won't be able to take advantage of the new combos made available by expansion skills. And "buy the expansion or lose in PVP" seems very much against GW's design concepts.

That's why I think they'll approach the expansion with new classes, rather than new skills for existing clases.

Long-winded commentary regarding my other predictions:
I think it's very likely we'll see a new main storyline told through Coop Missions. The missions will probably be slightly better designed than existing ones (less bugs, more interesting things to do) - as is the nature of expansion packs since the developers are more comfortable with the tools available to them.

It's also possible that it won't be just one new storyline, but multiple story arcs. Perhaps one of them will be retaking Ascalon from the Charr. Another possibility is to let the player go back in time to historical Tyria to fight in historical battles throughout the lore (so you get a more personal feel of why the king of Ascalon is so distrustful of the White Mantle. They seem like nice guys to me!) If they go for the standard new storyline without all this fancy time travelling, you can bet it'll be summed up like this: A new mysterious threat has arisen which threatens all of the land. Can the brave heroes uncover the malicious plot and thwart the evil plans before all hope is lost? (sort of an unfairly accurate prediction, given that 90% of storylines fit that description)

Lastly, in regards to "New equipment for existing classes" I'd love to see new possibilities for armor. Stuff like Necromancer Tormentor's armor, where you get excellent protection vs. certain damage types - but at the cost of taking increased damage vs. another damage type.

Gs-Cyan Bloodbane · May 28, 2005, 09:06 AM // 09:06

Raising the level cap may happen but i don't see it with the first expansion(unless the content is the same as the current game). All gaining lvls does is give you some more attribute points to play around with, increases health and sometimes energy. it makes sense to limit the lvl cap growth but also to allow it to raise sightly. the emhasis should me to gain more skills not more physical abilities.

Think about it there is a limit to which you can get your body to perform. but you can continue learnign techniques once beyond that limit. its a ln line approaching 1(being max). it raises sharply at first making a large jump in power from lvl 1-20 but after that you have to do and exeriance a lot to get even a slight bit closer. As such you should be able to do a couple expansions story lines before you would be able to notice an increase in your characters abilities. Raising the cap by say 3-5 ever other expansion would give the impression that the character is imprving and growing but that the growth and improvments fall more in use of skills then in sheer physical stats but both would be there. after a few expansions it could drop to an increase once every third expansion. again this going back to there is a physical limit to how strong or fast or tough you can get and the closer you get to it the longer and harder it is to get any improvement.

Really the game doesn't even have to increase lvls really to get harder. I mean compare a lvl one skale and a lvl one grawl. the grawl is tougher. just becuase two things are the same lvl doesn't mean they will be just as easy.

Keure · May 28, 2005, 09:47 AM // 09:47

Assuming more levels = more attribute points and more HP, certain skills will undoubtedly benefit more from a level cap increase than others.

This results in the delicate skills balance, which has been balanced at level 20 for a very long time, being thrown out of whack.

I don't see the level cap increasing.

Gs-Cyan Bloodbane · May 28, 2005, 09:57 AM // 09:57

I can see the lvl cap going up but i don't see the attribute cap of 12 going up. more attribute points would mean you could get better in more fields or spread out more but your still gonna have that cieling. I mean i can currently get my blood up to 17(sometimes 18) with my necro and its not even as high as i could possibly get it.

it makes sense that over time your character could get more proficent at more things. I see more attribute points being added either thru a rise to the lvl cap or as rewards for quests

Corwin_Andros · May 28, 2005, 05:01 PM // 17:01

I doubt that we'll see and actual raise in the level cap for a VERY long time. What they might do to partially appease the people that just HAVE to have a big number attached to their character would be an unlimited number of levels or whatever, but after Lvl 20 you only get skill points.

Just like it is now but you get a tick on your level counter for each new skill point..Essentially harmless to any kind of game balance.. Just means the kiddies can tell someone "My lvl 2342323 is better than your level 20.. N00b" Big deal. Or in a similar vein.. You get a 20+X sort of thing where its Lvl 20 +x number of skill points... to reinforce that everyone is still essentially lvl 20.

I'd be willing to bet that they would do something like that before they EVER change a genuine level cap..

Ludic · May 28, 2005, 05:51 PM // 17:51

If they increase the level cap, they're going to start getting away from being able to pick up and play, to grinding levels out. A level cap of 20 is just fine the way it is. I'm sure there will be more skills, more classes, and maybe a tweaking of the current classes.

Axehilt · May 28, 2005, 05:56 PM // 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gs-Cyan Bloodbane

I can see the lvl cap going up but i don't see the attribute cap of 12 going up. more attribute points would mean you could get better in more fields or spread out more but your still gonna have that cieling. I mean i can currently get my blood up to 17(sometimes 18) with my necro and its not even as high as i could possibly get it.

it makes sense that over time your character could get more proficent at more things. I see more attribute points being added either thru a rise to the lvl cap or as rewards for quests

Nope, not gonna happen.

Realistically it makes sense that way, but in a gameplay sense limiting your options makes the most sense. One of the most strategic aspects of Guild Wars is that you cannot max out attributes easily - if you max out just two attributes you have a paltry 6 attribute points left over. This forces you to really think about where you put your attribute points and it's a really well designed system.

If they raised the level cap (highly unlikely), they would probably raise the attribute limit - and you'd end up with the same basic system where maxing two attributes still consumes 97% of your overall attribute points.

Arran_Pellaeon · May 28, 2005, 05:59 PM // 17:59

I can possibly see the new expansion taking place at least in part in Cantha. A mysterious kingdom over the sea, what perfect settings.

slasc · May 28, 2005, 06:42 PM // 18:42

MY prediction for an expansion pack : new races. A much needed addition in my view.
lots of new races to choose to play as would be awesome. Maybe with different health/energy levels, and race bonuses to certain skills, etc.

Kane Blackstar · May 28, 2005, 06:42 PM // 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magus

I think the higher level cap is false. I read somewhere that Arenanet doesn't intend to raise it. ever.

the higher level cap is true. in an interview with guild wars crew, they said the level cap will probably be level 60.

Corwin_Andros · May 28, 2005, 08:12 PM // 20:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kane Blackstar

the higher level cap is true. in an interview with guild wars crew, they said the level cap will probably be level 60.

Care to post a link to this mysterious interview?

Madjik · May 28, 2005, 08:17 PM // 20:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kane Blackstar

the higher level cap is true. in an interview with guild wars crew, they said the level cap will probably be level 60.

I'd also like to see a link on this. Last I heard they were not planning to raise the lv cap. at all. ever.

Dyeeo · May 28, 2005, 08:33 PM // 20:33

Well lets think about this. Its logical that the cap is never raised. Why? Lets say an expansion comes out and the level cap is raised to level 40. What happened then? A huge imbalance in pvp. People that bought the expansion would no longer be able to play with those that did not. Areanet would also have a hard time making another expansion after that because they would have to both make it easy enough fot the level 20's that did not buy the first expansion, and also make it hard enough for the level 40 people who did buy the first expansion.