I finally have had some free time to sit down with Guild Wars 2 in what seems like ages. I returned to find Lion’s Arch looking really remarkable and pre-orders up for the taking. Initially I felt a little hesitant after seeing the price, but having played since release I feel I would struggle to find a complaint from it ~ especially after purchasing.
I bought the basic pre-order, not realizing it would grant me access to not only the beta, but a free character slot! I really appreciate that. It was all that I would want and far beyond what I expected.
I bought the collector’s edition when Guild Wars 2 launched, having always bought the collector’s editions for the previous games. This isn’t the family game of Guild Wars 1. There is not that abundance of unique skills nor classes of Guild wars 1, but you come even in armor. In groups, I would want more, but all of that is what is is. What I believe matters really is to see Guild Wars 2 as itself. In this it has generally stayed true to what Guild Wars 2 was since release. This is a profound success from any company in this industry of MMOs. Most MMOs have failed in one way or another from breaking that unspoken contract with players that, “This is our product” only to change it so radically afterwards no one who began with the company, supporting it and its products through all those years, would feel they could continue to do so.
You have never restricted armor to raiders, nor made armor the end-all-be-all grind at the end of the game. The game is the game, not any one section of it. No one player is sold out for all the others.
From day one of Guild Wars 2 until now, I’ve generally felt a kind of quiet confidence that when I log in, what I’ve known about the game before is still true now. Jumping puzzles remain a powerful and memorable experience, as well as fractals (where so many friends and guildies spend their time). The world changes with each season of Living Story and sometimes it is powerfully memorable, as when Scarlet (wonderful character) and her Aetherblades air raids began all the way through to the climax at LA.
You said in the beginning you were modeling this game on Dark Age of Camelot, and today playing the Revenant with a staff (Friar) for the first time I can generally say you have – despite all complaints (and there have been many) – succeeded in being that game for this era.
Thank you.
