Nice looking areas, but too small?

While speaking with a friend of mine, tempting him away from WoW; he mentioned something that made me think that the GW Devs are doing something backwards. Thought I would bring it up for discussion and see if others think the same way.

Games with huge, well decorated outdoor enviroments are often a selling point and a case for the player to go "Wow! This place is huge/gorgeous". Games with smaller areas often get "Ugh, this place is so cramped" and "Grr, two steps and a fight, two steps and a fight. Feels like I'm going no where". - These are responses from me.

Having played many online games in the past, areas I remember the most were in EQ being the Karanas or some of those huge areas on Luclin, Velious, Kunark and so on. The areas were massive and took some time to get across them. While some were barren and devoid of any eye candy, it made them feel "real". Ever go hiking in the rockies and come across something every five seconds?
Chapter 1 had a few areas like this, fairly large and empty. The beauty of GW was that even in those huge areas, there was something to look at. Chapter 2, way to cramped IMO.
Personaly I am hoping for more vastness in future chapters. Discuss/opinions?

PS. forgive any spelling errors, I'm still half asleep.

My opinion

small = good
because
travel time = bad

If i was going to ever pve i would want an action packed area instead of a place that is just a few more percent towards cartographer.

CH2 was cramped, because the canthan cities are supposed to be overpopulated...It's like every major Chinese town you see?

The Jade Sea is more open, that might be what you're looking for?

I think the first mistake is comparing GW to EQ/2, WoW, and MMORPGs in general. It is more closely related to Diablo/2 and games like Dungeon Siege/2. Even ANet calls it a CORPG. Once you think of it in those terms then it doesn't seem so bad (in comparison). There are still differences between it and Diablo though because of Diablo's randomly-generating dungeons making it seem like there's more.

Jeff mentioned in one of his latest interviews that GW is the kind of game you play for a few months, shelve it, then break it out again when the new chapter comes out. It's more like a tv series (or mini-series) which goes in spurts than a soap opera which is continuous (analogous to an MMORPG where you are compelled to play continuously to make the cost worth it).

I hope that helps answer the question a bit. This season just seems to be a bit cramped, but next season may be different :-)

and yeah to the point of the asian influence being reflected in everything's closeness, it does seem more in line with at least urban China, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Philippines, and Indonesia (the places I've been), though other asian/asian-pacific nations (that I haven't been to) may be different.

Well, I've not played WoW, but for what it's worth, the mob-density is at least as high if not higher in EQ2 as it is in GW.

Kaineng city, however, is the second-dreariest area in the GW world (second only to that ugly, vast, mob-infested maze in Tyria known as Pockmark Flats), and not really a good indicator of PvE in GW.

lol, yeah I didn't like pockmark flats myself :-) look at it this way, having been to Korea numerous times (many places from southern ports to the Z, urban and countryside), at least there is no olfactory perspective in this game :-) Coming from one culture to another does wonders on your senses. be glad it's just the crampiness that carries over here..

I would like more open and larger areas, but certainly not filled with mobs. Exploration would be nice, more areas like Dragon's Gullet and The Falls and less areas like Kaineng City-maze with huge mobs in several levels.

Yes, I agree. Places like the Falls are so awesome because... you don't even have to go there. It's just eye candy. I go out of my way to get to The Falls just to take screenshots of my characters in there. I have to say that sometimes I favor the gorgeous colors and looks of WoW, but when I'm hanging out in the southern shiverpeaks or maguuma jungle, I love to just stand there and look around. I can't say the same for factions... I've never once been compelled to just stop and stare. It seems like everything is too cramped.

For the love of God, I hope they never make another place like Kaineng City. It's ugly and boring and there are enemies EVERYWHERE.

The large open spaces in Ch 1 really gave me a sense of being immersed in an environment. This feeling, unfortunately, is rare in Ch 2.

Some of my favorite places in Cantha: Gyala Hatchery, Shing Jae Island, anywhere near yeti, the valley, buttRED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GO byway, wajjun bazaar.

I like the crowds of npcs out in the byway and bazaar.. I hate the skyway, the in-town missions, and especially the undercity (except watching that boss and his dancing girls :-)..

Thanks for all the posts. If I came across as comparing GW to other games, I didn't mean to sound that way. I was mearly comparing enviroments or lack there of. I meantioned EQ as that was the one I played the most of years ago... I have no love for the game now and am quite content with GW. My only wish is that there were more to it, ala, less Diablo fight every step of the way and more openess.
I have finished Chapter 2 through Luxon and Kurzick sides with 5 characters now, so I've seen most of the areas (Elite missions missing) - there just wasn't a sinlge area (minus the above mentioned Falls) to stop and admire as it was just too packed and "squished".

What makes a vast place so great? Sure some areas can look nice and the scenery is ok. But I personally need there to be a reason for me to go there. Will I find a chest or treasure there? Will I find a boss monster there?

I like most of Factions because they give you a reason to go most places. Chapter 1 had too many areas that were nice to look at, Like the Falls and such, but there was really no reason to go there outside of just plain old exploring. How many people went to Majesty Rest numerous times before Rotscale began dropping greens. How many times did people ventrue into Dragon's Gullet unless they were doing the endgame quest or clearing the map?

You say World of Warcraft seems more "vast". Having not played it I would only ask "What makes you go out into those vast areas?" Are there new towns out there? New treasures? Just asking because in my mind "vast" could very easily become boring IMO.

edit: Just wanted to add that I do agree with some areas in Factions being to cramped and monster packed. So packed that is difficult to actually see the scenery because of all the monster mobs roaming about. Morstov (sp?) Trail in Kurzik territory is one such place. Lord you can't take 2 step without aggroing 5 seperate groups of monsters. Annoying to say the least. So I do understand what you are saying...just wonder about other games and if Vast=fun?

Well if you want to travel for 30 min without fighting anything, then go to WoW. If you want every step you take in the wilderness to be a challenge, then play Guild Wars. These games have two different philosophies with this sort of thing. Time for you to decide.

I agree with the op!

Yeah, some areas of GW are like an arcade shooter without the BFG. Fewer, but RANDOM mobs would make it more interesting and increase the replayability factor.

I've had factions for a month or 2 and liked newb island, but the mainland is just horrible. I just can't get into it like I did chapter 1. All the cramped streets, roof-top walking and dead-ends don't do a thing for me.

I'm glad to hear it gets better later on- so far I've only completed a few missions before giving up and going back to Prophesies. Just how far do you have to go to get away from the ghetto?

It's not about vast or not-so-vast areas. The best thing about WoW is that it has an ACTUAL WORLD while Guild Wars is composed of a series of corridor like maps and allows you to teleport around at will.

Exactly my opinion! I cannot make myself to re-do the mission with any of my other characters just because of the very long time it takes to get out of Kaineng City!

Do you think The Guild Wars graphic engine could pull off something like Elwynn forest in WOrld of Warcraft???

Its a big forest area in WoW that was very big and atmospheric

I"ve seen Guild Wars have very large areas which are seen in areas like the CRYSTAL DESERT...

Why the restrictions in Hunting areas?

Keep the towns small but have the explorable areas nice and large?