Date: Jun 5, 2012  |  Written by Laura Hardgrave  |  Posted Under: Article  |  DISQUS With Us: No comments yet

There’s a lot of repetition going on in MMORPGs these days. Developers subscribe to this trend of continuing to implement features that mirror other games because they assume those features are why the games are popular. Class trainers who teach 30+ abilities, for instance. Sure, some gamers like huge arsenals at their disposal. But when one game comes out with 30 abilities learned by spamming the “train” button, the next 35, and the next 45, at some point we have to stand back and say, “Well, wait a minute. Why do we need all this? Why can’t we just customize our abilities right on the battlefield?”

Lucky for us, ArenaNet hasn’t given into the trend. The developers are attempting to think outside of the repetitive MMO box. Even down to the little details of Guild Wars 2, the hints of immersion and innovation are there. Yes, the game has trainers, but not for every aspect of combat. Players are able to switch abilities based on their equipped equipped. Combat can vary extensively between one encounter to the next– all without needing to spend 20 minutes clicking at the trainer. Minor details like this make the difference upon embarking on an adventure into Tyria, because we know that the developers didn’t say, “Let’s do this like those other games.” They said, “Let’s do something different.”

Date: Mar 28, 2012  |  Written by Jason Dodge  |  Posted Under: News  |  DISQUS With Us: No comments yet

Guildwars2 Hub from Ten Ton Hammer brings us a fantastic preview of their experience from the recent beta weekend. Check out their article as they go over weapon skills, skill points and everything else with the basics of Guild Wars 2. It’s a great read for those just learning about the game.

A huge plus to the skill system in my book is that players have a certain amount of direct control over how quickly they earn skill points. You naturally gain one per level, but given that some skills might cost seven points (or even 25 for some elites) you’ll want to open your map in each new area you explore and find where the skill challenges are located. The map legend will tell you how many are in a given area, and how many you’ve already completed.

Beta Impressions – Your First Steps in Tyria