Things Guild Wars 3 Could Learn From Previous Games

Key Takeaways

ArenaNet should prioritize clear tutorials to ensure players understand essential mechanics early on.
Guild Wars 3 should avoid laying down temporary content and ensure story continuity to prevent confusion among new and existing players.
More cooperative gameplay could be encouraged by designing community-building moments and offering meaningful rewards beyond stats.

As a seasoned veteran of the Guild Wars universe, I’ve seen the evolution of this magnificent game through the eyes of a passionate player. The journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, but there’s always room for improvement, especially when it comes to the much-anticipated Guild Wars 3.

With the surprising announcement at a NCSoft shareholder meeting in March 2024 that a third Guild Wars game is in development, excitement among fans of both the original and Guild Wars 2 titles has been building. The two games are set in the same fictional universe, but they have distinctly different styles due to ArenaNet’s commitment to innovation and fostering a friendly player community. Fans are eagerly speculating about what the third installment might bring.

Paying heed to several crucial aspects is essential for ArenaNet when designing the future groundbreaker in the MMO genre, specifically Guild Wars 3. Regardless of whether they choose to base their next game on GW2, combine elements from previous games, or take the series in a completely new direction, these points should remain relevant.

Putting Players Through Better Tutorials

Teaching New Players The Fundamentals

Despite the fact that Guild Wars consistently pushes boundaries with its gameplay mechanics, combat, and narrative, it has often struggled to effectively communicate these mechanics to players. For instance, even at level 80, many gamers may not be familiar with dodge rolling, a crucial end-game mechanic, as Guild Wars 2 seldom pauses the game to teach new mechanics. Similarly, in Guild Wars, players tended to stick with the skills they initially acquired, rather than swapping them out, which limited the potential of the game’s build system that was designed to be reminiscent of Magic The Gathering.

As a diehard fan, I’m eagerly anticipating that Guild Wars 3 will revolutionize my online gaming experience by offering a fresh perspective. What truly matters, though, is how the game educates us about fundamental concepts. This knowledge isn’t just about maximizing gameplay but also fostering harmony in end-game zones. Guild Wars 2 addressed this issue to some extent by making most of the game and even much of the expansion content relatively straightforward. This setup allows players like me to breeze through content individually, reducing the need for teamwork and offering fewer incentives for cooperation.

Content Preservation & Packaging

Rejecting FOMO And Considering Future Newcomers

Despite ArenaNet’s innovative approach called “Living World,” where they released temporary content to maintain player interest rather than expansions, it ultimately created more issues than benefits. A clear demonstration is the “Living World Season 1,” which introduced plotlines and characters that had lasting significance for the overall narrative of Guild Wars 2. However, since each Season 1 update was removed with the arrival of the next one, their initial introductions (alongside some crucial story elements) were erased.

This crucial story chapter was missing for nine years until it was finally reintroduced with End of Dragons, but this confusing historical gap likely turned off many prospective players. It goes without saying that if Guild Wars 3 is also story-driven, none of the story should be cut away for new players. Living World was discontinued following “Secrets of the Obscure.” However, sales complexity for new players continues to harm the game, as much of the game’s story, including conclusions to expansions, is told through each Living World season, which must be bought with incredibly high amounts of gold or bought on the cash shop.

The Old Campaign Format

Creating Branching Choices & Jumping In Points

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but reflect on the decision made by ArenaNet to embark on a new sequel rather than continuing the original Guild Wars project. The campaign format of Factions and Nightfall, which allowed both newcomers and veterans to join in, played a significant role in this choice. Each release, roughly every six months, was a testament to their commitment but also hinted at burnout.

As a gamer, diving into a fresh, unexplored continent filled with unique cultures and tales to uncover, I get a second chance to enjoy the game if the previous narrative didn’t quite resonate with me. While it might seem tricky to convince newcomers that they can dive in with an expansion pack, introducing them straight away to the most recent and cutting-edge content is a strategy worth considering. Even though Core Tyria remains as evergreen as ever, the issue of “it gets better with the expansion” vanishes, leaving players with more choices for their next adventure rather than feeling like they’re in for a long haul. This model proved effective in games like The Elder Scrolls Online, and Guild Wars 2 somewhat followed this “standalone” approach with “Secrets of the Obscure,” but it still requires leveling through the well-worn personal story to unlock it fully.

Meaningful Progression & Masteries

Grinding, Reputation, And Giving Players A Reason To Stick Around

Heart of Thorns” introduced the “masteries” system, enabling players to develop beyond just combat skills. This feature prevented older content from becoming outdated by allowing advancement in various aspects. Despite its benefits like unique progression and diverse gameplay, it’s a temporary feature. The primary issue lies in the fact that many masteries are linked to completing main content. Mastery completion and elite specializations are shown as percentages similar to checklists, but instead of encouraging discovery or offering optional rewards, locked mastery levels often feel like obstacles rather than opportunities for growth, causing frustration among players. Lastly, making mastery progress account-wide is convenient, but it diminishes the value of individual progress and prevents alts from experiencing their own journey.

In “Eye of the North,” the expansion for the game “Guild Wars,” the reputation system is exceptionally well-executed. Unlike in many other games, players are never blocked from progressing through maps or the story based on certain prerequisites, nor do they encounter an unfinished to-do list. Instead, prolonged engagement in one area results in acquiring cosmetics, titles, and region-specific advantages. ArenaNet could further enhance this mastery system by making rewards for achieving them optional items of status or skills that lie outside the standard meta. The agony resistance in “Guild Wars 2” Fractals serves as a good example, but it could be extended to other aspects as well. For instance, armor could feature a single, immutable slot for cold resistance in the Shiverpeaks, heat resistance in the Depths, social recognition among snobbish human nobles, and so forth.

Player Creativity & Expansion Content

Meaningful Rewards Beyond Stats And Skins

In many cases, online games serve as virtual homes for numerous players. When Guild Wars 2 initially debuted, it was recognized as a game that valued player autonomy, offering a “home instance” that adapted based on player decisions and accomplishments. Nevertheless, these instances were primarily utilized for daily resource gathering tasks. It wasn’t until the “Janthir Wilds” expansion, over a decade later, that ArenaNet introduced customizable player housing. Players are always eager to engage with their favorite games, particularly when it stimulates creativity.

The features like guild halls, fashion, and personal player homes are important aspects that can turn casual players into dedicated fans in games. However, these features should be accessible for both new and veteran players. Unfortunately, the housing system in “Janthir Wilds” might not attract new players because they need to complete three main expansions and two mini-expansions first, which could be tedious or unappealing for them. Similarly, the introduction of mounts in “Guild Wars 2” was problematic because new players had to miss significant parts of the story and encounter spoilers to obtain one. This pattern should be avoided when designing features for “Guild Wars 3”.

Player Versus Player & Cooperative Gameplay

Giving Players An Excuse To Make Friends

There’s much to discuss regarding enhancing Player versus Player (PvP) in Guild Wars 2, considering its significant presence within the Guild Wars series. In essence, the original game had too many game types, while its successor lacked enough. Initially, ArenaNet marketed Guild Wars 2 as a promising e-sport, but unfortunately, PvP and World Versus World took a back seat in their priorities. Potential classic formats like Alliance Battles and Guild Versus Guild could potentially reappear in Guild Wars 3, however, it’s crucial that any form of PvP receives continuous support and careful monitoring from ArenaNet.

Discussing the topic of guilds, it’s noticeable that features like map chat, an auto-trading post, and solo-friendly gameplay in Guild Wars 2 make it less necessary to establish such communities. This setup suits those who prefer playing MMOs individually, but ArenaNet should consider ways to encourage player interaction, perhaps by guiding players into groups or even guilds, rather than just large, faceless Zergs that dissipate without a word. This is important not only in instanced end-game raids but also throughout the gameplay experience.

Flashy Combat Animations & Cosmetics

Weightier Combat & Tuning Down The Light Show

Many players describe combat as feeling very “spammy” in GW2, partly due to alacrity. For a player adventuring alone, this is hardly an issue. But for massive Zerg content, or even group content, this spam-a-thon becomes nauseating due to the overload of flashy skill animations. Compounding the problem is the excess of shiny armor and weapon skins. In contrast, the original Guild Wars combat system felt weighty, impactful, and comprehensible, if a little slow in small groups.

Managing resources like health, energy, and adrenaline, along with combat features, simplified mastering the game compared to grasping the intricate profession mechanics of Guild Wars 2. Moreover, aside from “Eye of the North” content, skins were designed subtly, preserving the game’s visual appeal and player engagement. While it’s understandable that the developers want to boost their revenue through shop items, they should be mindful that cosmetics may not directly influence combat stats, but they significantly affect player experience. Exciting combat is crucial, but it must also make sense in a multiplayer environment.

2024-10-09 08:34