Guild Wars 2

I know many people (myself included) refer to Factions and Nightfall as expansions, and yes of course they did expand on the GW universe. But since we weren’t required to purchase Prophecies to play Factions or Nightfall, technically they weren’t expansions; they were standalone campaigns. What do you guys predict ANet will do this go-around? Which would you prefer for GW2 – expansions or campaigns?

I personally would prefer that ANet continue with their campaigns, because a campaign basically has to be its own game. That being the case, the new content needs to be significant enough for players to purchase another box amount. That’s the best bet that we’ll get the sort of content that many of us are craving – new races, new continents, new armor and weapons, etc.

My experience with other MMO’s is limited, but I get the sense that if a company releases an expansion for a game (and it’s not standalone) then the amount or significance of the new content tends to be less. I may be wrong though.

If they won’t introduce Cantha, then the story will become goofy of the highest order. This will doom the game, you watch and see it crash and burn once Cantha is never introduced. Many old GW1 players have left me alone in GW2.

Devs already answered this before the game launched.

They said they will do expansions with GW2. They did not like how GW1 campaigns split the player base.

Flamenco.3894:

doom the game

lol, your past 20 posts have contained this sole statement. feeling a bit negative bro?

They havnt said anything about cantha or eloina yet which means they wont even be close to release yet. Also they are going to do campaigns i bet and expansions. So when cantha or eloina is released they wont be an expansion but a campaign due to a new possible starting location. Expansions will cover the massive area of tyria that has yet to be explored. As well in eloina the dragons are not the threat but palajoka (how ever u spell his name) would be the center of threat.

Beorn Saxon.4762:

Devs already answered this before the game launched.

They said they will do expansions with GW2. They did not like how GW1 campaigns split the player base.

Really weird. There were absolutly NO people who only had 1 campaign. You bought the first and the game sucked you in and the day after you had the rest of the games. Why limit yourself to a small amount of skills (a HUGE disadvatage in PvP). People didn’t they. Almost everyone had just every campaign.

Another reason was because new campaigns required them to waste time rebuilding pre existing stuff. For example, they had to build a new tutorial for each campaign, wasting dev time.

Flamenco.3894:

If they won’t introduce Cantha, then the story will become goofy of the highest order. This will doom the game, you watch and see it crash and burn once Cantha is never introduced. Many old GW1 players have left me alone in GW2.

“Once Cantha is never introduced” won’t happen until the series is pretty much over. I can see Anet simply never making an official statement on Cantha and letting people hold out hope that Cantha simply hasn’t been introduced yet.

Things they have said (to my knowledge):

- expansions, yes
- campaigns, no (split player base/had to create tutorial areas x each campaign)
- increase lvl cap, yes
- mounts, no (to date)
- monk, no
- cantha, no (was scrapped due to cultural sensitivity , but popular demand may bring it back)
- new race, unknown
- new profession, unknown (early stages had 12 professions, but current 8 encompass all game play styles which leads me to believe no)
- time frame, longer than gw1 campaigns (which were 6-12 months apart. they want to focus on free live updates)
- denied claims of Q3/Q4 expansion release
- said a small team is working on it

But regardless of what they have said in the past, all of this may change based on popular demand. Anet wants to listen, they want to make money.

Ferum Flamebender.5910:

Beorn Saxon.4762:

Devs already answered this before the game launched.

They said they will do expansions with GW2. They did not like how GW1 campaigns split the player base.

Really weird. There were absolutly NO people who only had 1 campaign. You bought the first and the game sucked you in and the day after you had the rest of the games. Why limit yourself to a small amount of skills (a HUGE disadvatage in PvP). People didn’t they. Almost everyone had just every campaign.

That is weird. Since even expansions are most likely going to be paid, not every player is going to get them… therefore splitting the playerbase anyway.

I’m not saying you’re making anything up Beorn, but could you find us a link to where a dev had said that? I just want to read it for myself.

schizandra.4587:

I’m not saying you’re making anything up Beorn, but could you find us a link to where a dev had said that? I just want to read it for myself.

I knew someone would ask for a link. It never fails. It was pre launch, it will take some digging…lots and lots of digging. But I’ll post it when I do. And sometimes my quote from memory fail me, so it’ll be good for me to re read as well.

Off the top of my head it was on a video of the Q&A during one of their pre launch game events they attended, like gamescon or something.

@Beorn and @schizandra,

I also remember pre-launch that it would be expansions and not campaigns. Also the Canthan Expansion was planned (The reason Diviety Reach had a Canthan district) but was dropped do to NCSOFT saying something before release ( the reason we have the Great Collapse). I will also look for the information to post on here about the expansion comment.

Hjorje.9453:

@Beorn and @schizandra,

I also remember pre-launch that it would be expansions and not campaigns. Also the Canthan Expansion was planned (The reason Diviety Reach had a Canthan district) but was dropped do to NCSOFT saying something before release ( the reason we have the Great Collapse). I will also look for the information to post on here about the expansion comment.

Glad someone else remembers them saying that. I doubt I’ll be able to find the source if it was in a video. Search video takes infinite more time than searching text.

I didn’t use to watch the video’s. So it is in text somewhere. I will be able to do more of a search when I get home. I have a habit of saving articles that I like or want to share with my friends, so I have almost every article I read about GW2 still saved in my favorites.

Flamenco.3894:

If they won’t introduce Cantha, then the story will become goofy of the highest order. This will doom the game, you watch and see it crash and burn once Cantha is never introduced. Many old GW1 players have left me alone in GW2.

“goofy”? LOL…gonna guess mommy was around when you typed that?

Yes, with a video you basically have to sit there and watch until someone says the quote! If you guys happen to find it, thanks in advance. If it’s too difficult to find, we will get our answer in time when the content comes out.

Can anyone weigh in on whether traditional/typical expansions from other MMO’s normally have less content than a GW1 campaign? Or whether the prices of expansions are generally the same as the original box price or if they’re priced lower?

I have seen it go both ways. Some of the DAoC expansions were cheaper then the original box price.(not alot cheaper but cheaper) and then I have seen some of them be just as much. Some of the DAoC expansions had close to the same amount of content that the original had. I think it depends. Some will and some won’t, I think we will just have to wait and see what they do here.

schizandra.4587:

Can anyone weigh in on whether traditional/typical expansions from other MMO’s normally have less content than a GW1 campaign? Or whether the prices of expansions are generally the same as the original box price or if they’re priced lower?

Smaller than game and costs less money. When EotN came out, it was considered one of the best game expansions that year. Just compare EotN to Nightfall or Cantha and you have the difference.

They’re going to make one big mega expansion and be done with it.

I know I would love to revisit Cantha, the jade sea, the lore remains of the kurz and luxons as well as a Nightfall expansion. Joko would be an amazing expansion final boss <3 <3 <3

Oh yes, I forgot to mention EotN was the only actual GW expansion. I knew that, but it slipped my mind bc I joined the Cult of Mac after my Dell died, and never played beyond Nightfall. But part of me doesn’t want to use EotN as an example bc they didn’t add new profs unlike Factions and Nightfall. I don’t want new profs for GW2, but I do want new races and maps. I know the connection doesn’t really apply since EotN was a precursor to GW2. I’m just saying that I hope the GW2 expansions would have more content than the only GW1 expansion did.

This may be the reference you were seeking:

GZ: Will the standalone expansion model return? We really enjoyed how Factions and Nightfall took the series in new thematic directions…

ERIC: At this time we don’t plan to continue with the standalone expansion model. We felt that this model split our player base unnecessarily and also caused us to focus development effort on things that were redundant with the original release of the game such as tutorial areas and duplicates of already existing skills.

source: http://www.gamerzines.com/mmo/preview-mmo/interview-guild-wars-2-pt2.html

X The Manimal.5293:

They’re going to make one big mega expansion and be done with it.

I highly doubt that will happen. This first and possibly second expasion will finish the current map we have. We still have a lot of areas to open up. (Just my opinion, haven’t heard anything from the devs on this one.) After the crystal desert is opened up, or even when it is opened up, I think we will get Elona. It makes sense to do it that way since we have more information about it then Cantha. I think the final expension (Which would be 4 or 5) will be when Cantha will be opened up and we deal with the DSD and other things. Just my opinion on it.

Edit: After posting this I seen Inculpatus cedo’s post that I was looking for. Guess I don’t need to look for it when I get home. Thanks Inculpatus!!!!

While Campaigns was a pretty cool feature I always saw it as Expansions either way, and I don’t mind what they will make.

BUT BE SURE TO MAKE CANTHA, ARENANET, NO EXCUSES!

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

This may be the reference you were seeking:

GZ: Will the standalone expansion model return? We really enjoyed how Factions and Nightfall took the series in new thematic directions…

ERIC: At this time we don’t plan to continue with the standalone expansion model. We felt that this model split our player base unnecessarily and also caused us to focus development effort on things that were redundant with the original release of the game such as tutorial areas and duplicates of already existing skills.

source: http://www.gamerzines.com/mmo/preview-mmo/interview-guild-wars-2-pt2.html

Well, there it is, thanks for the link! Hopefully the exclusion of the standalone expansion model won’t exclude the kind of good content that came with the campaigns.

@Hjorje…and schizandra

You are welcome…only took a second…
The wiki is your friend (they keep records of everything that was said)

KOLZ.4501:

Flamenco.3894:

If they won’t introduce Cantha, then the story will become goofy of the highest order. This will doom the game, you watch and see it crash and burn once Cantha is never introduced. Many old GW1 players have left me alone in GW2.

“goofy”? LOL…gonna guess mommy was around when you typed that?

Hey, reported for baiting

i want campaigns, but if they say expansions and give the same benefits of a campaign then they can call it “prince Rurick happy story time” and ill buy it.

the campaign gave use new professions, skills, story and area that was accessible only if you had that campaign. it did split the player base up but how will it be different with expansions?

buy guild wars 2 …kill zhaitan, and done… unless you get the expansion where you can play as the tengu and enter the domain of winds…

oh we are all playing the tengu missions… oh you didnt buy the expansion .. well you cant play with us then.

people complain that the starting areas are empty now. inside the giant walls is the cool place to be. all the cool hipsters will be tengus or kodan or whatever.

the only way i see it not spliting the player base is if they open up the domain of winds as the tengu race city. and have the tengu personal story go kill zhaitan. the personal stories will merge again when you join an order. or maybe at claw island.

the only thing you would really get from the expansion is an extra character slot and the ability to choose the new race. non expansion people could travel to your city and run around the new areas but they couldnt play as that new race or new profession.

i think they would have to introduce elona before cantha. elona boarders the crystal desert. cantha is not even on the map. and as far as asia themed. its been 250years. cultures can change a lot. 250 years ago japan had samurai and now we have space ships and robots.

Chronologically, I don’t think it would work to have the Tengu help kill Zhaitan. There is no Tengu in Destiny’s Edge, and all throughout the Zhaitan storyline (which right now is the “present”) the Dominion of Winds has been cut off.

I think they’ll split up the playerbase regardless of what they choose. Maybe the extent of splitting is what they’re trying to mediate. And the tedious work of added tutorials is a good reason not to use campaigns. Like you said, as long as we get the advantages of a GW1-type campaign when Anet releases GW2 expansions, I’ll be happy. While I’m enjoying the Living Story and the patch content, I don’t think I’ll be satisfied with GW2’s development if it doesn’t eventually add new races, maps, weapons/armor, skills & traits, etc. It’s likely other people feel this way as well.

I’m surprised anyone would purchase expansions, with the games current state.

Not that surprising. Many people are actually having fun here. I wish more of them posted on the forums, but I think most people’s personally allotted GW2-time is spent actually playing the game, or otherwise not bothering with forum drama.

schizandra.4587:

Not that surprising. Many people are actually having fun here. I wish more of them posted on the forums, but I think most people’s personally allotted GW2-time is spent actually playing the game, or otherwise not bothering with forum drama.

I’m at work right now. So I can’t play the game. But you are right. There are few positive posters. I just ignore the threads that ask leading questions or are just complaints.

“why I’m leaving guild wars”. Is guild wars dieing? New blah blah is so broken. Can I please get some great looking something for doing nothing. And on and on and on…

schizandra.4587:

Chronologically, I don’t think it would work to have the Tengu help kill Zhaitan. There is no Tengu in Destiny’s Edge, and all throughout the Zhaitan storyline (which right now is the “present”) the Dominion of Winds has been cut off.

I think they’ll split up the playerbase regardless of what they choose. Maybe the extent of splitting is what they’re trying to mediate. And the tedious work of added tutorials is a good reason not to use campaigns. Like you said, as long as we get the advantages of a GW1-type campaign when Anet releases GW2 expansions, I’ll be happy. While I’m enjoying the Living Story and the patch content, I don’t think I’ll be satisfied with GW2’s development if it doesn’t eventually add new races, maps, weapons/armor, skills & traits, etc. It’s likely other people feel this way as well.

Yeah I want that too. The armor / weapon skins are easy to do. Tricky to balance the skills traits. If they just added a new race without a profession they would only have to add the racial skills and that might be easy.

The tricky part is adding the new content maps and races and have them mix with the people who don’t have the expansion. Yeah the time lines wouldn’t match. And destinys edge does a bit. But really they just stand around and let you die. Their story is mostly in the dungeons. It would be more work to add a completely new personal story just for the new race than to have them join the exsisting story.

Ok how about this…. Release the maps to everyone. But only those with the expansion get to play as and do the tengu personal story where they fight the karka/butterflyers…. They might have to introduce a new order or group. Because we don’t see them hanging around the main offices.

This turned into me speculating about what will be in the expansion. I should make a tread.

In my previous post I said I think we will get Elona and Cantha. But the first expansion is going to open up the rest of the current map and fight at least Jormag or Krak. (Could be the first two expansion) After that I think we will go to Elona first. Now this could be in a living story where we have to take on Pawla Joko (need spelling checked). Which I think would make a cool living story since it would be weird to have an expansion that fights him and not another dragon. I think the last expansion will be going to Cantha and trying to get their help in fighting the DSD.

Now I do think we will get more races to play later on, but the professions will be the one thing that may not change. Currently I think the only profession that could be added would be the ritualist. The reason for this, is they use a different type of magic then the other profession and this could be added to the game, but the other profession would be hard to add since the ones we have currently cover everything. ( I really want the dervish back) But skins and new traits I see being added with time.