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Guild Wars 2 Press Beta [Prepurchase Is Live]

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Ultimadrago

Member
Awesome. New info, my only problem with this game is that the available races look pretty boring.

But I'm really looking forward to some beta footage! :D
 

nataku

Member
A lot of the FPS issues could be down to recording, too.

These are the first videos I've seen of GW2 having FPS issues. I hope things get worked out if it isn't video recording. FPS issues are the quickest way to kill WvW.
 

Meicyn

Gold Member
is it me or are almost all GuildWars2Guru videos full with lag/fps drops?
The framerate issues being reported have me a little disappointed, but it was expected considering the gaming genre we're dealing with here. Just a shame though that the game's art assets will be wasted if most people have to play in low/medium. They'll do optimizing like any other developer does, but I'm not getting my hopes up by anticipating major improvements at retail.

Same ol' song and dance, different day. Still day one purchase anyhow.
 

gunbo13

Member
Alright, I've watched what I needed so far.

  • System Performance - Abysmal for WvW and cities. Divinity Reach and others seriously run at like 10fps. They look fantastic but I can't even watch. WvW seriously drops as well when large scale fights are going on. Definitely sub 30 no question. PvP seems OK but I saw some weird rendering issues. An example would be a structure that sort of drew itself progressively late as you ran around it.
  • Loading - Initial loads are about on par with GW1. But they have to axe the loading between quick-travel in WvW. I'm sure it will be ironed out but you just can't have that.
  • Mesmer - The latest class which wasn't very well known. It looks...OK. A far cry from the original mesmer in its mind games. You are now reserved to illusions maintenance. It looks somewhat fun but still devolves the mesmer into a mix-up fighter. However, this could just be play-style from the players and build choice. Looks boring how it was being run currently.
  • PvP - One word, boring. Comp PvP is just so stale compared to PvE/WvW. Again, take the most boring/loathed mode in GW1 and sure, just go with it. Numbers are small, map gets really boring already, and the battles are zzzzz. A complete snore compared to everything else shown.
  • WvW - Excitement. Well, when people actually don't just run around like assholes. Can't spell IG...never-mind. Battles are massive, economy resides within, and defense/offense look exciting. Maps look well designed especially with the usage of choke points. Keeps/castles look epic in scale and fun to defend. I can picture many epic rush-downs and take-overs. And sieging is more Starcraft then camping, which is what I expected.
  • Miscellaneous - Dyes, skills, traits, PvP unlocks, karma, whatever. We need lists because videos are poor to convey these systems. Will have to wait on those.

My first impression is that they simply HAVE to fix all these performance issues before a public beta. Delay that shit as long as necessary because it is horrific. A serene stroll through an epic city is now delegated to frustration. I'm sure the loads I mentioned will be fixed.

PvE just hasn't been shown enough. However, I did see AI aggro established on initial spread, DPS, and a bit of tanking. The main issue shown so far is that everyone seems to be tanking in PvE a bit too much. Now, when you are alone it makes sense for a enemy to get in your face. But so many players are just playing up close statistics which is a snore. GW1 could do this since it was team-based. This looks awful with 1v1. This could be another examples of play-skill/choice. I would like to see more aggro behavior.

Comp PvP looks like shit. It currently looks to be a mode for high ranking players to get e-cred when they are bored. WvW looks 1000x more fun, balanced, and thought out. I don't care what ANET says, WvW is the focus. Now, this leads me to my current issues with both modes. Rush-down waves are the "in." In PvP, watching a guardian/warrior lug around is painful. Speed builds with quick rush-down will be prevalent day1 if anyone gives a damn. You simply would have to be foolish not to prioritize rush-down waving around the map. It shouldn't even matter if you aren't camping cap points if you continuously are following the strat.

WvW is all waving. Who cares about builds. Who care about skills. Who even cares about player skill (mash 1!). If you have the superior wave, you will win. However, this is a HUGE double-edged sword. A well coordinated alliance will absolutely demolish any PUGs with waving. So I would expect many "holy shit, X alliance is on server x" stuff going on. And total avoidance of that territory unless you are the "holy shit, Y alliance" who can compete. PUG accessibility will at times be fruitless. And there will be enough players who will comes together to build this structure. So you better get in on the fun early and know how to play your shit. Relationships are usually found in PvP or GW1 old-hats. But ANET wants to avoid this so we shall see...

As for my personal view, I'm only interested in coordinated alliance WvW and elite PvE.
 

gunbo13

Member
I'm not sure what you are watching but there is constant hitching as well as drops.

And this is likely HQ:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZHY1XGxgd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-6ywPnYMNs
In other words... don't put all your eggs in the same basket.
Either that or you watch more then one video before reaching conclusions.
 

Sent

Member

gunbo13

Member
I dunno what they were running on/with but those video are horrible FPS indeed. MikeB city tours didn't bother me FPS-wise. If he weren't recording it would be smooth ya?
Maybe but there are certainly performance issues reports. And I've watched plenty of WvW where there are drops in points, not overall constant low FPS. So there is definitely some demanding shit going on. The videos you posted look low/medium based on the texture quality, especially the ground. It looks really boring IQ wise compared to the slide-shows I posted.

Same press group, proper FPS in PvP. So probably not a recording issue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygFJ1n7f1eo

Just really resource intensive.
 
I stopped following this game completely because of the various info droughts but after watching some of these vids I'm excited all over again.
 

nataku

Member
Reports on performance are all over the place. I'd really like it if the press who played would post their specs.

MMORPG said:

It's funny, because at first I had it set on "best performance" by default. It looked fine to me. I played most of the weekend this way at a smooth 80FPS. But then I realized I could tweak it a lot (every option available, including high res textures, AA, etc.). I bumped it up to the best possible looks-wise. Ended up still hovering between 40/60 FPS. Mind you, I have an i5 Sandybridge, 16GB of RAM on Win7 64x, and an nVidia 460gt. Nothing to scoff at. My guess is that most people experiencing performance issues were in largely crowded areas of WvW. Myself? I didn't really ever dip below 40FPS. I loved it.

A 460gt isn't a new card. I see a lot of people with AMD cards having FPS issues, plus the recording software everyone runs doesn't help things.
 

gunbo13

Member
Reports on performance are all over the place. I'd really like it if the press who played would post their specs.
I believe the ones I posted used the following based on a corresponding blog post:
24-inch monitor (1920x1080)
- AMD FX-6100 3.3GHz six-core CPU
- AMD Radeon HD 6870 1GB
- 8GB RAM
- Windows 7 64-bit

Maybe it is GW2 guru just using sucky recording. Yet they had minimal issues with their PvP/PvE videos. But where is the rest of the press showing towns...

EDIT:
And screw 40fps. Not enough unless you are not in combat.
 

SDBurton

World's #1 Cosmonaut Enthusiast
A 460gt isn't a new card. I see a lot of people with AMD cards having FPS issues, plus the recording software everyone runs doesn't help things.

Exactly. I have an overclocked version and if he's still getting 40-60 with everything maxed then I'm not concerned. Though I only have 4GB of RAM compared to his 16. :lol
 

Belgorim

Member
Looks a bit like an MMO :(

Character creation looks good, but I realy do not see from those combat videos what makes it hyped up compared to other mmos. Does it have a better loot-system or something?
 

Sent

Member
Same press group, proper FPS in PvP. So probably not a recording issue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygFJ1n7f1eo

Just really resource intensive.

Was hoping for a summer release, but probably the end of the year? :'(



Looks a bit like an MMO :(

Character creation looks good, but I realy do not see from those combat videos what makes it hyped up compared to other mmos. Does it have a better loot-system or something?

Read this entirely, videos won't explain anything: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=440171
 

Jira

Member
Reports on performance are all over the place. I'd really like it if the press who played would post their specs.

MMORPG said:



A 460gt isn't a new card. I see a lot of people with AMD cards having FPS issues, plus the recording software everyone runs doesn't help things.

Yeah, as far as I can tell performance seems to be fluctuating on a case by case basis, whether due to driver issues or what not. Some people have low FPS while others have perfectly stable 50+ FPS.
 

LowParry

Member
It's already better and not even out yet.

If you like to fall for the media hyperbole, go for it. The footage I've seen so far has been a bland of boring crap. I want to see some real players and their impressions. WvWvW has some great potential but the zerg rushing has me a little iffy on it all.
 

NeededSleep

Member
So are the major cities player hubs or just quest locations and move on?
Anyone know if there was any mention of guild housing/player housing?
Also didn't see much information on the crafting system in the press events.

Really impressed with the game, though the performance issues make me think that this will delay the game even further this year :(
 

Retro

Member
So are the major cities player hubs or just quest locations and move on?
Anyone know if there was any mention of guild housing/player housing?
Also didn't see much information on the crafting system in the press events.

Really impressed with the game, though the performance issues make me think that this will delay the game even further this year :(

You have an instanced area of the main city that is your "Neighborhood" that changes based on your personal storyline. It's something you will come back to quite a bit throughout the game. This area is supposedly going to be customizable, but no word yet on how indepth the housing system will be.

Crafting system videos are something my wife was looking for too, so far nothing decent. Since this is the first time the press has really gotten a chance to get at the game, people may not be looking at stuff that isn't a major gameplay component.
 

Grakl

Member
If the optimization issues persist, I can't play this. Everything else looks alright, though. At least the art direction and sound is pretty good.
 

NeededSleep

Member
You have an instanced area of the main city that is your "Neighborhood" that changes based on your personal storyline. It's something you will come back to quite a bit throughout the game. This area is supposedly going to be customizable, but no word yet on how indepth the housing system will be.

Crafting system videos are something my wife was looking for too, so far nothing decent. Since this is the first time the press has really gotten a chance to get at the game, people may not be looking at stuff that isn't a major gameplay component.

Awesome thanks for the info :)
 

Jira

Member
WvW World Bonuses

Robust - Maximum Health Increase
Scavenger - Bonus gold per kill
Energetic - Faster Endurance gain
Artisan - Increased chance of crafting critical success
Gatherer - Chance for additional gather node uses
Defender - Increased defense against monsters
Wisdom - Bonus experience per kill
Medic - Healing effectiveness increase

oQgc0.jpg
 

Ferny

Member
If you like to fall for the media hyperbole, go for it. The footage I've seen so far has been a bland of boring crap. I want to see some real players and their impressions. WvWvW has some great potential but the zerg rushing has me a little iffy on it all.

That's exactly it...you're seeing press members playing the game over a weekend. Not exactly going to be the most skilled and into it as the majority of fans, but it gets the general idea of the game out there.
 

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
I've decided to kill all my hype in order to avoid potentially massive disappointment.
 

FinKL

Member
Definitely feel a Dark Age of Camelot vibe in the WvW pvp. The problem with that is, the side that always won was the group that had the most amount of people in their "zerg". No matter how skilled 50 ppl will be, you will always get steamrolled if you run across 100 ppl. Pretty much, if you want to have all these bonuses, figure out what server/side has the most people. I hope it doesn't work that way.
 

Vano

Member
That's exactly it...you're seeing press members playing the game over a weekend. Not exactly going to be the most skilled and into it as the majority of fans, but it gets the general idea of the game out there.

Yeah, people clicking skills, backpedaling, tanking damage or like that WvW video where the dude is a Warrior and fought a Mesmer at distance... with a Greatsword.

My hype is high and the game is instabuy for me, but i want to play it to have a more strong and first hand opinion about the game, tho for now the Comp. PvP looks boring (Cap the points), maybe after release when people invest more time in it the mode can be more fun but seeing the press playing it, not so much fun.
 

Jira

Member
Definitely feel a Dark Age of Camelot vibe in the WvW pvp. The problem with that is, the side that always won was the group that had the most amount of people in their "zerg". No matter how skilled 50 ppl will be, you will always get steamrolled if you run across 100 ppl. Pretty much, if you want to have all these bonuses, figure out what server/side has the most people. I hope it doesn't work that way.

Servers are matched up every 2 weeks based on their performance in the previous battle and likely server size as well, but it doesn't really matter in the end because there's a 666 person per server limit in WvW. 2,000 people total and 500 per map (4 maps). I highly doubt any server is going to only be able to pull say 50 people versus another servers 400 or something and then 2 servers could always team up against the larger server if that happens. Also, objective wise there's giant keeps for large groups, towers for medium groups, and resource camps for smaller skirmishes. Then Orbs of Power as well (like Relics from DAOC). The resource camps and caravans that spawn will facilitate many skirmishes in WvW.
 

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
I really hope WvW is done right. On paper and by the general looks of things it looks superb. I fear that I will spend too much time in that.
 

zulfate

Member
i am not understanding some the "boring" things about this game, this game looks fucking amazing after playing so much wow and over hyping myself with swtor shit....hmm maybe you guys should look at those old mmo videos because god damn this game is going to murder people lol, i dont mean sound rude by the way love you guys!
 

Rad-

Member
Wait what the hell did they do to mesmer? It had the most unique skill set in the original game, now it looks kind of boring.
 

Ferny

Member
Wait what the hell did they do to mesmer? It had the most unique skill set in the original game, now it looks kind of boring.

I actually think they look really interesting. There are skills and stuff that you arn't even seeing in these videos. Don't take them to be the end all, be all.
 
Not really liking what I see of the Mesmer so far. Besides the greatsword moveset the rest just seem sort of boring. Other than the Mesmer I am really liking what I'm seeing from these videos.
 

LowParry

Member
i am not understanding some the "boring" things about this game, this game looks fucking amazing after playing so much wow and over hyping myself with swtor shit....hmm maybe you guys should look at those old mmo videos because god damn this game is going to murder people lol, i dont mean sound rude by the way love you guys!

Let's be honest, watching people who don't have much of any clue what they're doing is pretty bland and boring. Some of the older PvP videos are really good. All this new info is great but the videos are all from media invites. Not to mention, you're going to get a lot of haters about any new games. SWTOR went through it. TERA probably has that kind of hate. Happens everywhere. Trolls will be trolls. But there are those out there that care for the game that express their concerns.
 

gunbo13

Member
Wait what the hell did they do to mesmer? It had the most unique skill set in the original game, now it looks kind of boring.
Lightning fingers and clone wars. Hmmm...
I actually think they look really interesting. There are skills and stuff that you arn't even seeing in these videos. Don't take them to be the end all, be all.
Illusion/shatters are central to the mesmer philosophy.
 

Kintaro

Worships the porcelain goddess
<has a seat, cracks open a drink and reads impressions>

Performance issues don't bother me as most outlets will always have a shitty PC. No surprised about WvW becoming a zerg fest early on. This is the press after all. They can't play games for shit.

PvE sounded fun.

I can't stress this enough. The gaming press fucking suck at video games. Take their impressions on gameplay and tactics with a mine of salt.
 

FinKL

Member
Servers are matched up every 2 weeks based on their performance in the previous battle and likely server size as well, but it doesn't really matter in the end because there's a 666 person per server limit in WvW. 2,000 people total and 500 per map (4 maps). I highly doubt any server is going to only be able to pull say 50 people versus another servers 400 or something and then 2 servers could always team up against the larger server if that happens. Also, objective wise there's giant keeps for large groups, towers for medium groups, and resource camps for smaller skirmishes. Then Orbs of Power as well (like Relics from DAOC). The resource camps and caravans that spawn will facilitate many skirmishes in WvW.

That's good to hear though, as I have had good times (zerg v zerg when defending relics) and bad times (group vs zerg) playing DAOC. Just reread the OP and I also noticed that you don't even have to touch single player to grind/level up. Love that idea, just need to make sure most-all major items and unlockables are in PvP. I remember getting GW1 and grinding 3 different characters to get through all 6 professions and Elites. The worst part was single player PvE was so boring. Time to watch more videos
 

Jira

Member
I'm not sure what you are watching but there is constant hitching as well as drops.

And this is likely HQ:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZHY1XGxgd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-6ywPnYMNs

Either that or you watch more then one video before reaching conclusions.

It's obviously a driver or specs issue because Gamescom footage in August says otherwise for performance in the same area:

The game didn't go from 50-60 fps to shitting itself in 6 months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD4i890IBbs
 

zulfate

Member
Let's be honest, watching people who don't have much of any clue what they're doing is pretty bland and boring. Some of the older PvP videos are really good. All this new info is great but the videos are all from media invites. Not to mention, you're going to get a lot of haters about any new games. SWTOR went through it. TERA probably has that kind of hate. Happens everywhere. Trolls will be trolls. But there are those out there that care for the game that express their concerns.


i agree with everything you are saying but even seeing the shit players that are the gaming press i am looking at the bigger picture and noticing how cool the dynamic quest are or even that crap ign video of the WvW and seeing all those people trying to break into to that keep makes me happy to see all of that happening in real time.
 

gunbo13

Member
It's obviously a driver or specs issue because Gamescom footage in August says otherwise for performance in the same area:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD4i890IBbs
Doesn't really make a difference though. There were plenty drops in the IGN video for WvW (they even commented on it) and you would expect them not to have a large media outlet have "specs" issues. If poor performance is being shown, then poor performance is being shown. Once it is fixed, then it is time to re-evaluate.
 
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