Title Name: Guild Wars (including Factions and Nightfall). NOTE: Eye of the North and Guild Wars 2 are not reviewed here.
Publisher: NCSoft
Website: Guild Wars
Purchase Cost: $49.99 USD
Monthly Fee: None
ESRB Content Rating: RP (Rating Pending); may contain material inappropriate for children.
WonderGoon’s Rating: 3 Goon’s out of 5.
My Character(s): Vinar Khusk (Warrior/Paragon; level 9) in the Nightfall campaign.
Description/Notes: Guild Wars is an interesting game who’s main claim to fame is the lack of monthly fee’s, unlike World of Warcraft (see my forthcoming review). And while I’ve enjoyed playing Guild Wars, I feel it suffers in several major areas.
As with a lot of these MMORPG’s (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games), the designers erred on the side of challenging experienced players at the expense of overwhelming newer players. And while the game designers probably figured that most people would join a Guild (a group of players united to complete the game or achieve some goal), the vast majority of new players simply don’t have those connections and are left to stumble around, blindly in most cases, trying to figure out where to go and what to do.
The game is enjoyable, but will quickly overwhelm newer players, unless you happen to have a friend who is willing to hand hold you until you can do it yourself.
In short, while Guild Wars is an enjoyable game, it’s playability limits it for newer players. And new players are the lifeblood of any MMORPG.
The House of Goonery 
So basically Guild Wars is a game for MMORPG veterans. Interesting. Is there an estimate for the number of players of this game?
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Not that I am aware. In the same vein, though, World of Warcraft suffers from some of the same limitations. Players are expected, by the designers, to team up with other players to complete the goals of the game (the quests).
There are players out there, myself included, who don’t do well approaching people I don’t know, especially on an MMORPG because there is such a prejudice against new players, (n00b’s, as they’re known), and the sense that they’ve not “proved themselves” to the greater community.
That’s the greatest weakness of ANY MMORPG, be it Guild Wars or World of Warcraft or Everquest.
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Well I guess I was lucky in that when I started WoW I played with my friend I already knew and her bf. Then when they weren’t on so much I quested alone until one day a girl offered to help me. We became pals then she invited me to join a guild. I’m not the greatest at meeting people, but it happens.
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We used to play guild wars a lot. Then we bought mac’s. 🙂 Do you remember before MMORPG’s everyone played MOO’s, MUSH, and TINY multiplayer games. If your into cyberpunk then let me know, I’ll hook you up with a great MUD.
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I tried playing a MUD a long time ago and just couldn’t get into it. I doubt I’d last very long if I were to try again. Thanks for the offer, though.
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