Guild Wars 2

My eleven year old has started to express interest in MMORPGs, she says she wants to play WoW, but I keep thinking she might enjoy GW 2 better.

Any thoughts/advice?

If you think your kid could play let em play, I think Guild Wars 2 might be a bit easier to get into with the far less skills and stuff. Only thing is I’d be wary of Orr, I would’ve found Risen horrifying at that age

Grok Krog.9581:

If you think your kid could play let em play, I think Guild Wars 2 might be a bit easier to get into with the far less skills and stuff. Only thing is I’d be wary of Orr, I would’ve found Risen horrifying at that age

She watches Buffy on a regular basis, so I’m not sure that the Risen would be all that creepy for her.

I was thinking the same about gw2, especially with the renown hearts rather than your standard side quest lines in Wow. Plus, I have to admit I’ve found the community here less toxic than that other game.

Ariella Goldstein.3562:

Plus, I have to admit I’ve found the community here less toxic than that other game.

Agreed 100%. I was legitimately shocked when I started playing GW2 and found the friendliest online gaming community I’ve ever seen. That is no exaggeration at all. Of course there are still rotten apples in the bunch, that’s unavoidable, but there are so few that I only see maybe one per month. Keep in mind though, this is in the regular open world. sPvP has a lot of toxic players from my experience, as do dungeon groups found via the lfg tool, but I don’t do either anymore.

Goatroth.7813:

Ariella Goldstein.3562:

Plus, I have to admit I’ve found the community here less toxic than that other game.

Agreed 100%. I was legitimately shocked when I started playing GW2 and found the friendliest online gaming community I’ve ever seen. That is no exaggeration at all. Of course there are still rotten apples in the bunch, that’s unavoidable, but there are so few that I only see maybe one per month. Keep in mind though, this is in the regular open world. sPvP has a lot of toxic players from my experience, as do dungeon groups found via the lfg tool, but I don’t do either anymore.

I doubt she’ll be interested in sPVP, and I’m going to be playing with her (she gets the desktop, I’ve got the laptop) we should do okay. I’ll let her explore by herself a little but I want to be around, even online in case she runs into a problem.

Based on community, lack of grind and walls of text, and freedom to roam/join/do/skip whatever you like— I’d say GW2.

She’d probably enjoy WoW more, Guild Wars 2 is a good game but after you beat it there is little to do. Living story 1 can’t be replayed, unless Arenanet changed that, and there are no other campaigns so once you kill Zhaitan in the original and only campaign the game has little to offer to keep you coming back for more.

Gw2, they’re 11. Kids change like the wind, so why pay for a sub when you got a good mmo already?

My ten year old daughter plays GW2 and loves it. She doesn’t really do much besides randomly wander around, but she thinks it’s the coolest thing ever!

Might want to investigate why she wants to play WoW. Does she have a lot of friends that play? could be more of a social desire then a gaming desire.
That said, WoW’s probably not her best bet. It’s old and has a sub fee. There’s a lot nicer stuff available now a days, and for cheaper at that.
GW2 is also a game with a lot more freedom and convenience, which is probably more suitable for someone so young.

Some things to be cautious of:

-She is a young girl, right at the age where she will really start feeling the effects of media pressure on women, to be sexy and unhealthily skinny. Guild Wars 2 is no exception when it comes to negative media—the female characters are often hyper sexualized (see female humans, female norn). Make sure she has a healthy understanding of what is real and what is not, a good body image, and the awareness to resist the casual sexism inherent in a game like this.

-Guild Wars 2 has a good community—but that does not mean it’s free of horrible people. There will be trolls, perverts, and people who are simply much older than she. Take precautions to keep her as safe from this as possible.

-The storyline of Guild Wars 2 may be too mature for some kids. Use your best judgment here.

At any rate, I definitely would not let her play WoW. WoW has a more toxic community and is more sexist then Guild Wars 2 by far. I started getting involved in online gaming around her age, and was introduced to some truly vile things which I didn’t have the understanding to cope with.

Whatever you do here, the key is supervision, supervision, supervision.

Weindrasi.3805:

Some things to be cautious of:
people who are simply much older than she. Take precautions to keep her as safe from this as possible.

Really? People advanced in age are a threat simply for that reason?

Otherwise I agree pretty much with what was said. My daughter and I started together when she was just about to turn 14. She played almost a year and then her interest vaned. I miss playing with her a lot even though she was always doing her own things instead of running with me. But she was there.

D played also WoW at the time she was around 12. She did like it, but only for a few days at a time. So, I ended up paying a monthly subscription for 3-5 days. Same with Runescape. That expereince is why I found GW2 ideal for her when I heard of it for the first time.

I still hope she suddenly want to play again. These days she only logs on to admire the armor she’d like to make into a costume.

When I was her age I would have loved GW2, and definitely preferred it to WoW. (Which is a shame because when I was 11 Warcraft 2 was one of my favourite games and I was convinced a Warcraft RPG would be the best thing ever.)

I also agree with the people who said unless she has a specific reason to want to play WoW get her to try GW2 first so you’re not paying for a sub on a game she might get bored with quickly.

But IMO the most important thing is to let her make her own decisions and remember that it’s more important that she’s having fun than that she’s doing things “right” or is good at the game.

My first RPG was Eye of the Beholder, when I was 8. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and even at the time I knew I was terrible at it. I spent most of my time wandering in circles and I don’t think I ever got past the first two levels. But I loved playing it.

That inspired me to play Dark Sun, Lands of Lore, various Ultima games…it wasn’t until I was playing Baldur’s Gate and Ultima Online that I really began to think about and understand stats, weapon choices etc. It definitely made a big difference to how I played and what I was able to achieve in the games, but I think if someone had tried to explain all that to me earlier or had told me I could only use certain races/classes because they were the ‘right’ choice I would have lost interest.

(This goes for anyone incidentally, regardless of age. I was literally biting my tongue when my husband got GW2 and decided to start with an elementalist and a Mesmer because I knew he’d struggle more than if he chose a simpler profession. But I let him get on with it and even after he tried a warrior, guardian and thief the Mesmer became the one he took to 80 and uses for 90% of the game. If I’d pushed him to start with a warrior I doubt he’d ever have gotten there.)

Something to take note of is the change in games since WoW launched with the core group it had vs the newer games with the newer core of younger gamers.

Younger gamers are more comfortable and used to games like Mine craft or Base Gw2. No real directions just a basic set of kitten they can do and then you let them loose and tell them to figure it out and make it up as they go.

Mobile games are also moving in this direction as well.

WoW is a much more “structured” experiance and probably not the best bet but…

anyway, take into account other games you child plays and enjoys, what are they like and how to they play out?

Slap her into a free trail of WoW and then maybe let her loose on a new toon on your Gw2 account. let her make a choice and then let her sit on it for a day or whatever before she makes a final choice for you to spend money on.

I would say that once you learn how to dodge, Gw2 is more friendly to random solo BS than WoW is..

but maybe just go try Wildstar instead.. its Gw2 with a WoW sub and a kitten ton more content.

Let her try both.

Really, there’s nothing else to it. She’s better off trying both games and then make her of decision.

If she got her eyes on World of Warcraft, let her try it. I played that game for 8 years, it’s a good game and it’s nothing I’m going to lie about.

However, Guild Wars 2 is good too, so let her try it as well. It’s important to let kids make their own decisions, really.

You should be there to teach her the basics of the internet and MMO’s. Telling her stuff like these players she is playing with are complete strangers, be careful and don’t trust everything they say, because every person is not nice.

Be very cautious when letting a child play MMOs. Let me tell you I played my first real MMO when I was 14 and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. There are people who seem harmless at first but once they earn your girls trust they will try to control her and isolate her. Short version of the story, I now have PTSD. If you let her play keep an eye on who she is with.

I know you were asking about the game itself but I felt like I should leave this out here because if something goes wrong it can be very damaging to a child. GW2 is a relatively safe game, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.

A young girl… Keep this in mind, it’s dangerous internet world out there!

I think GW2 is more suited to younger players, that’s why I got my son an account.
The fact that you can’t kill steal or hijack resource nodes in GW2 makes it perfect for players starting out, that might not know the proper etiquette in Mmo’s.

GW2 is fine for kids. I would recommend keeping them out of dungeons/fractals and sPvP as a precaution.

Usually its fine but the people there take things more seriously and can make for unpleasant experiences from time to time.

WvW is pretty laid back unless you’re in a t1/t2 server however some of the chat that occurs in there may be a little inappropriate for children(in my experience at least).

Ariella Goldstein.3562:

My eleven year old has started to express interest in MMORPGs, she says she wants to play WoW, but I keep thinking she might enjoy GW 2 better.

Any thoughts/advice?

could be to old for GW2

Ariella Goldstein.3562:

My eleven year old has started to express interest in MMORPGs, she says she wants to play WoW, but I keep thinking she might enjoy GW 2 better.

Any thoughts/advice?

If I were you, I would let her play the game she is interested in. WoW is a lot more cartoony and has more stuff that appeals to kids her age (esp. the Maple Story pandas … er… Pandaria). Plus it will be easier for her to find a guild filled with tweens. I know someone in this game who is a minor and it took them a very long time before they found an appropriate guild.

WoW has better moderation for minors. Heck, even MapleStory has better in-game moderation than GW2. I’m saying that after playing GW2 for about 10 months.

LIke other people said, there are overtly aggressive players in Dungeons, Fractals, PvP, and (sometimes) RP. Most of these gamers are either older teens or adults. As an adult myself, I can hold my own against the bullies, but I’m not so sure a tween would do the same thing.

When I was 11, I wasn’t into realistic animation either. GW2 is meant for the older teen who likes realistic animation as well as teens who watch anime.

The final decision rests with you. I thought you should know the state of the game before making such a decision.

am very sure she gone love GW2 its a very friendly game with alot of nice players
sure you have some trolls in a game but just ignore them

and am sure she love the female classes with many fasion hairs styles and more
a girl love that

and if you get her to 50 and show here the first dragon am sure she gone love it
its rely mind blowing

and play with your mom and dad am sure there is nothing to worrie about ^^

Gw2 by design causes a lot less drama. There is no kill stealing or loss of loot because someone else hit the mob first. PvP and PvE are separate so there is no chance of getting ganked should you only want to concentrate on pve. Overall the end result is a much more friendly gaming community than most mmos.

There is lots to do in the game wvw, spvp and pve. Its really a great game kids and the fact there is no sub fee makes gw2 the best value for money atm.

Make sure you set this up… who knows what is going to happen every late night in Guild Wars 2 world.

Garambola.2461:

Weindrasi.3805:

Some things to be cautious of:
people who are simply much older than she. Take precautions to keep her as safe from this as possible.

Really? People advanced in age are a threat simply for that reason?

I speak for myself when I say this. When I am talking, I can veer into conversations about sex, violent occurrences, politics, or other questionable content without a second thought. While it’s normal to me and to the adults around me, it may not be okay for a child.
When I say “people who are simply much older then she”, I am thinking in terms of experience and conversation maturity.

Why do people assume that kids are naive.
They probably would play better than you in a week or two.
Plus, with the internet, they have already seen and heard everything,.

Grok Krog.9581:

If you think your kid could play let em play, I think Guild Wars 2 might be a bit easier to get into with the far less skills and stuff. Only thing is I’d be wary of Orr, I would’ve found Risen horrifying at that age

My 4 year old LOVES zombies. She was having a blast watching me slay those undead guys. lol

Technically anyone under 13 isn’t allowed to play GW2, but hey, what the mods don’t know won’t ban your account
(I hope I don’t get infracted for this lol)

Morsus.5106:

Technically anyone under 13 isn’t allowed to play GW2, but hey, what the mods don’t know won’t ban your account
(I hope I don’t get infracted for this lol)

Actually, it goes even further than that. You’re not supposed to even let anyone under the age of 13 watch Guild Wars 2, even with express parental permission and supervision… not that anyone read through the ToS/EULA… clearly not me…

Esplen.3940:

Morsus.5106:

Technically anyone under 13 isn’t allowed to play GW2, but hey, what the mods don’t know won’t ban your account
(I hope I don’t get infracted for this lol)

Actually, it goes even further than that. You’re not supposed to even let anyone under the age of 13 watch Guild Wars 2, even with express parental permission and supervision… not that anyone read through the ToS/EULA… clearly not me…

They put it there just they won’t get sue over by some greedy people just for money claim.

It’s just a precaution against sue-trolls, I don’t know how you call them. There are people in the world get to sue over stupid silly things.

Anet is just protecting themselves.

Only thing I would recommend is to get her some transmute charges from the gem store.

Kids her age want to play Barbie with their characters and she may get frustrated if she cannot customise her look. I know my niece did and she played at age 12.

Guild Wars 2 isn’t for underaged kids just alone by its rating that this game received.
GW2’s USK rating is for 12 year old kids and if there is any rating, that is to be taken serious in most cases, then its the USK rating.
Even the PEGI rating says this game is for 12 year olds.

So basically, even under parental supervision she wouldn’t be allowed to play this game at all basically.
Kids at the age of 11 should have better things to do, than to waste their time with online games already this early.
They should play outside with friends rather than fleeing into a online world.
Thats just my opinion.

There are by the way other MMORPGs to recommend, which are costless completely, to begin with as a MMO starter in a young age, which are thematically alot more fitting for young players.

Games like:

Flyff
http://www.freemmorpglist.com/Flyff-mmorpg.html

Eden Eternal
http://www.freemmorpglist.com/Eden_Eternal-mmorpg.html

Fiesta Online
http://www.freemmorpglist.com/Fiesta_Online-mmorpg.html

Florensia
http://www.freemmorpglist.com/Florensia-mmorpg.html

That are good known games which I’d recommend for kids under 12 years.

Reading this thread makes me think some people don’t have much experience of 11 year old girls.

Admittedly it’s been almost 20 years since I was that age, but the kids I’ve worked with over the years make me think things haven’t really changed that much. Kids that age aren’t nearly as naïve as some people think (although they also don’t know as much as they think they do).

I agree that a game without kill/loot stealing, open-world PvP etc. and with a generally civil community is better, but not because kids are likely to get upset that some meanie on the internet hurt their virtual Barbie when they were just trying to play dress-up with the pretty armors. It’s because kids are more likely to learn about loot stealing, or ganking and robbing people and think “awesome, that’s such a cool and easy way to make money!” and lack the judgement to realise it’s not appropriate to take advantage of people who are obviously not prepared for that. (OP I’m not talking about your daughter specifically, I don’t know her and I have no idea what she’s like, I’m just generalising.)

I used to think it was strange that my 8 year old sister would be complaining about having no gold in UO one day, then a day or two later she’d have enough for whatever she wanted. This was back in the days of dial-up so we were only allowed to play for an hour a day, there’s no way her armor crafting business made her that much. Then I found out she’d learned two “tricks” to make money: One was camping the point where new players spawned claiming to be a volunteer working for the GMs and asking to ‘check’ their starter items (which included some useful, and valuable boosts). When they traded everything they had to her she’d open a portal and disappear. The second was scamming creeps by offering cyber, taking their money and then logging out.

And she was 8. She thought it was hilarious that people were stupid enough to fall for either trick and that made them fair game. (I have to admit I kind of agreed on the second group, but I felt obligated to object, especially since we shared an account and I didn’t want her to get us banned.)

It is less about them being naive or the game being violent. IMO if you really want to let your kid be exposed to everything the online world has to offer, then don’t be surprised or angry at what will happen.

Agreed Danikat, it’s been 50 yrs. since I was 11. Sharing exp w/my dd’s tho, may be relevant. Barbie dolls were “86’d” by them by the time my girls were 9 or 10. One went into skateboarding/rollerblading/biking on the “boy’s” courses at that time, the other into video games (and still plays as much as possible at 23), as well as Magic/Pokemon games with her friends at that time, now into D&D and others. The video game player has been playing w/pc since she was a toddler sitting on my lap pounding the keys while I was online.. But it’s what she enjoyed, and I had no problem with it. As a side note, she introduced me to GW2.

GW2 is IMO perfectly suitable for an 11 yr. old, whether girl or boy. I see many PC’s who are obviously that age and slightly older , just from the mapchat, Kids that age are not naive for the most part. Maybe keep her away from the forums (which can be toxic <smile>) and monitor her game time, as any responsible parent would.

That’s too young of an age to start gaming imo. I began play mmo’s when I was very young (around 8-9) and eventually became very overweight as a result. It did a number on my self-esteem for a few years as well.

I am of healthy weight now, but that was only because of my ability to turn around such a weight gain. Not all people would be able to.

I’m not saying this would happen to your daughter, but it’s best to enroll her in physical activities, like sports or camps. It’s good for socializing too. And if she doesn’t like those activities, you must either make her do them anyway for her own good (my parents made me play soccer and lacrosse when I was young, and it probably did a good number preventing me from becoming obese), or spend time with her exploring other hobbies (you two could enroll in an art program, maybe take skating lessons together. You can do anything you think of)

There’s lots to do. You just need to know where to look. Mmo’s are good for entertainment, but not much else. Keeping her healthy and fit is the best option.

I think if the kid is mature enough to play the game then let them, but monitor their game play also find a good family friendly guild with a strict code of conduct I was in one of these types of guilds in GW1 they had strict language rules in guild chat and in TeamSpeak most of the kids that played only played when one or more of their parents were on. Also teach the kid to have good gaming manners, there are a lot of kids on these games that shouldn’t be on because they have real bad manners and just plain rude.

Feirlista Xv.1425:

I think if the kid is mature enough to play the game then let them, but monitor their game play also find a good family friendly guild with a strict code of conduct I was in one of these types of guilds in GW1 they had strict language rules in guild chat and in TeamSpeak most of the kids that played only played when one or more of their parents were on. Also teach the kid to have good gaming manners, there are a lot of kids on these games that shouldn’t be on because they have real bad manners and just plain rude.

Excellent suggestions Feirlista!
Monitor their play, amount of time gaming, their snacks, etc. as well as playing the game with them are important for a good experience for them and keeping them safe.

Feirlista Xv.1425:

I think if the kid is mature enough to play the game then let them, but monitor their game play also find a good family friendly guild with a strict code of conduct I was in one of these types of guilds in GW1 they had strict language rules in guild chat and in TeamSpeak most of the kids that played only played when one or more of their parents were on. Also teach the kid to have good gaming manners, there are a lot of kids on these games that shouldn’t be on because they have real bad manners and just plain rude.

Well said.

My guild and alliance in GW1 had similar rules for guild/alliance/ventrillo chat. We did include a, “Pirate Speak,” channel in Vent for those who couldn’t control themselves or just wanted to be able to speak freely.

These days many gamers are old enough to have kids that want to or already do game as well.

Applying the same or similar guidance that one would use to protect their children in any other venue seems like the way to go IMO.

Remember that there also is (at least used to be) a difference in gameplay between these two games. In GW2 you are able to just roam solo and do anything there is in game and play just when and how much you want. In WoW you need a serious raiding guild, and dedicated raiding times to be able to do pretty much anything.

I’d also recommend GW2. Despite the increases in complexity of late, I feel that GW2 is still a lot easier to get into than WoW is. GW2’s community is, on the whole, much more friendly and safe than most MMO’s, although if this is her first MMO, I’d still monitor her activity for a few months and teach her safe online behaviour.

If after 3 or 4 months, she’s still really into the game, then consider purchasing an account for her own and let her join you on your adventures.

My son was 10 and mature for his age when he started playing online (FPS). I joined and played with him, monitoring some of the immediate community around him.

4 years later, my daughter also expressed interest in the games the two of us were playing at that time (DAoC). At 10, she was less aware, so we made a rule that she could only run with us in a group (my husband eventually joined us). We were part of a larger alliance, leading server raids, and we basically ran with her chat off for a few years and she was fine. We did not use teamspeak.

Both of my children’s PCs were set up in the family room which was open, great room style to the kitchen, and easy access/open flow/hearing to both my home office and my husband’s home office. Neither of them resented our “polite distance” and often asked for help dealing with some situations (nothing to be concerned about), mostly just social norms. Keeping those communication lines open with them allowed them to ask when needed without concerns. And yes, we did have conversations sometimes about why other people said and did things they way they did. That’s just the normal part of parenting, whether that’s online, in school, in a religious environment, in the world in general.

15 years later we still play as a family guild. And when they are both home from college on vacations (son is 3rd year law school/working), daughter finishing college, they still hang out with their PCs in the same spot like an extended LAN party.

ONLY YOU understand how mature your child is, what they can handle, and what measures you need to protect them, help them, and the amount of freedom they need.

Only you can make a call about what might be scary for them. I will admit that even as a 40+ something year old in DAoC, I managed to have nightmares one night from a raid in the depths of DF (a demon infested dungeon). If you are flexible, and attentive, you’ll be able to gauge whether one or two incidents need to be handled permanently, or just let go as a learning experience.

The fact that you are asking out here already says you’re on top of it.

Sharing an account means no money spent. Buying a separate one means you can play together. Do what is comfortable for you.

And btw, don’t worry about anyone telling you gaming isn’t ok for kids. As long as their lives are in balance, and their grades are ok, they will be fine. My children learned invaluable lessons about society, politics, reputation, marketing, being part of a community, teamwork and helping others, to name a few. There was a Harvard study done which noted that gamers have the same (if not more) success rate as those who’ve gone through Harvard Business School.

Won’t brag about my kids, but trust me, they did just fine.

PS: Overall, I believe if you stick to PvE, I agree that the community in GW2 is better than WoW’s.

PPS: I would NOT recommend Wildstar. It has some adult language and can be overwhelming in its complexity for a first time player. Also, the game gets considerably harder as you level and requires a trinity, just like WoW.

It’s possible to solo in WoW. May not be as fun, graphics aside.

GW2 allows any class to be successful out here without absolutely requiring a group. The other advantage is that if it is your current game, then you are in a better place to offer help/advice and can play more comfortably together.

Ariella Goldstein.3562:

My eleven year old has started to express interest in MMORPGs, she says she wants to play WoW, but I keep thinking she might enjoy GW 2 better.

Any thoughts/advice?

By asking on this forum, more likely will you encounter people saying that GW2 is worth a buy and I am no different.

That being said, WoW does have a free trial so it’s good to have her test the waters on that game first. On the other hand, Guild Wars 2 while it has no trial version is enjoyable as the game feels less of a chore in terms of grinding.

I’d definitely go with GW over WoW, because kids at her age are suggestible, and they’re learning behavior, how to treat others, from those around them. GW isn’t perfect, but there’s so much meanness in WoW that I wouldn’t want my children playing it. I’m assuming you’d be playing with her? I’ve heard things in GW chat that would require discussion, but far less than WoW. For instance, I wouldn’t want a kid deciding that – certain typical gamer words – are ok. (Pretty sure those get x-ed out here) The GW story is probably more positive, too.

I think for that age, you’d probably want to think about how the game & community affect her, as well as how fun they’d be for her. Kids get enough negative reinforcement in school & online & on tv – so it makes sense to monitor it at least in games.

Kyrie Dark.3628:

She’d probably enjoy WoW more, Guild Wars 2 is a good game but after you beat it there is little to do. Living story 1 can’t be replayed, unless Arenanet changed that, and there are no other campaigns so once you kill Zhaitan in the original and only campaign the game has little to offer to keep you coming back for more.

A ten year old is unlikely to be “beating” the game. If they play that much, they should be encouraged to do something else.

To answer some questions. My daughter’s starting to get interested in fantasy in general. So when she saw the box for WoW she was curious. She’s played DCUO, and tends to fly around and explore more than anything else there, which is why I thought GW2 would be good since it does have a focus on exploring. I think the Vistas alone would make her happy.

As for accounts. Both my husband and I have accounts for both games. That said, husband doesn’t play often, so my daughter and I could play together, thus she’d be supervised the entire time.

I’m not really worried about her spending all her time in front of a computer either. She does some computer games (as I said DCUO) but she’s always been active outside too, and since I’ll be on with her, she’ll have her time limited to when I’m there.

And the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of bringing her here. Less toxic than WoW, and I’ve never been propositioned here. Plus I think the Azura especially will appeal to her.

The point about sexualization is well take, however, and it’s something I am going to have to keep in mind. Though if she plays an Azura or Charr that’s not as much of an issue. Plus I keep thinking about Taimi who’s just a couple years older…

Thank you, everyone. I appreciate that you were willing to give honest and thoughtful comments on my situation. Which just reinforces the fact that this is probably the place we need to play.

Good luck with your decision, and hope it all works out well.

Sounds like you have things well under control. And sounds like your daughter is a winner!

My daughter was also very active, even though she played MMOs (studied dance for 12 years as well.) The female body types/armor displayed in many MMOs (bouncing female NE’s in WoW for example) can provide very good starting points for open conversations if you choose. My daughter actually deplored (and still does) armor that is not modest. We’ve had plenty of discussions over the years about this, and she would be the first to tell you she never saw anything in an MMO that wasn’t being broadcast by media and society in general. Anything, even an MMO, can used as a learning tool/teaching moment.

She plays mostly Asura and Sylvari, and at least in this game, you can adjust the body types. So that’s another plus for GW2.

PS: Almost all Asura armor will be inherently more modest. So there’s one more for GW2 as well.

My 11-year-old daughter has been playing GW2 on and off for almost a year and a half. She choose an asura elementalist and is very happy with it. Sometimes there are weeks when she asks to be allowed to play every night, at other times she won’t touch the game (or even the computer except for checking mails for school) for weeks.

She actually just reached lvl 80 (with a bit of help from me for the last 7 or 8 levels) this weekend, and by chance also got to go along with me and some friends to her very first dungeon, which she enjoyed immensely. We do have rules set up for her though, including no chatting or partying with people unless me or my husband allow it.

As to the people who claim that 11 years is too young for an mmo and the kids should be out with their friends, unfortunately reality today is different. When my daughters have friends over, they don’t get anywhere near computer or tv, but when they visit friends, I’ll often find the kids spend their time together playing console, pc or ds all afternoon. Electronic games are a fact of everyday life for today’s kids, and I’d much rather have my kids play an MMO with me than waste their time endlessly on one of the other alternatives so readily available today.

@goldenwing and Rasimir,

Thanks. I was showing her the website today, and she went absolutely gaga over the sylvari and the azura. She’s most likely going to try out a Sylvari ranger (she likes the idea of pets)

goldenwing, about the armors and such, mine’s much the same way about clothing in general. And you’re right about this being a good entry point for that conversation. And thanks for the complement, but honestly, most of the time I find myself scratching my head at how my husband and I managed to raise such a sweet kid.

My daughter and I play together all the time. She watched me play GW1, and she prepurchased GW2 so she could play the beta weekends, and be ready for launch day. The skills and traits are a bit confusing for her (she’s 9) so I look after those for her. The other thing to consider is that you can set her to be offline so no one can whisper her, and the chat filter is pretty decent.