Since I've played a couple (WoW, and just started GW, plus a few random others) even though they both have forums, thought it might be useful to compare and contrast here.
While I will give a more detailed list sometime I stop playing them, one similarity pops up immediately.
In the starter town: Dancing Naked People.
/sighs
Differences and Similarities
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FatherJack
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Woo Elephant Yeah
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FatherJack
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Here's my comparison, my Xfire profile currently says 82 hours WoW and 24 hours Guild Wars, so that's my main comparison. I'd played the betas of both games, which is why I'd bought them, plus about 100 (maybe a lot more) hours of Final Fantasy XI Online and some older titles before that.
So, Guild Wars vs World of Warcraft: a lot of these points might seem trivial, but both GW and WoW are highly polished, enjoyable games so I'm only pointing out things which jump out at me as different in games which are competing for roughly the same audience. They're also scribbled down as I was playing, so may seem a little vague, but I'll try to explain them as I go. These from a GW perspective, so Good=Better than WoW, Bad=Worse than WoW.
Guild Wars: Good Things
- Long Click. While both games' control methods are peerless, allowing slick full 3D control, GW's click-on-ground feature is ace. You can click almost as far as you can see, and your character will pathfind the correct way there, unlike WoW which just sends you as the crow flies. However it doesn't always work, and can often uncover enemies you weren't expecting. Tree and landscape avoidance though are also superior, working best with a targetable NPC/item.
- Not Ganked By Horde. This relates to probably the most fundamental difference between the games, in GW outside of town, it's just your party and the monsters. NO other players, while this has disadvantages (later) it means you can freely explore with only the monsters to worry about. PvP is in designated arenas only.
- When you start a new character, with the same name, they retain membership of their guild.
- Helms are automatically off in towns, so people can see your lovely hair.
- Drops and Loot are designated upon spawn, so no-one can nick stuff meant for you.
- You can actively customise items for yourself, rather than some being automatically "soulbound" and un-sellable.
- Monsters outside stay dead once you've killed them, so the way back is usually free of nasties.
- Nice custom animations when carrying quest items.
- Stat bars float behind scenery such as trees, so it's easier to see to whom it belongs.
- Mobs (monsters which will attack you on sight) seem relatively consistent so you know when it's safe to walk by them.
- After you've finished a battle, it's only a few seconds before you're ready to carry on - health and mana recharge really quickly out of battle, so no waiting for people to drink potions. Health and mana recharging in themselves is rather a good thing.
- At least in the early stages people seem to be selling stuff quite cheaply, especially quest items.
- Europe vs. US in the Hall of Heroes has a nicer feel to it then Horde vs. Alliance.
- Nice co-op mission from the beta.
- Tar. Looks rather good (if icky). Haven't seen that before.
Bad Things.
- Being on your own outside (just your party) takes away all the fun of those chance encounters and random strangers who help or hinder you.
- Once ended up in the French language town.
- The world changes somewhat after the tutorial stages, had me missing the nice, green countryside.
- Everytime you exit an area, the monsters reset. All back, and in the same damn places every time.
- Some unexpected Mobs (that wouldn't normally attack).
- Get stuck on signs, tents and some other scenery when long-clicking.
- Since you spawn your own instance of the world when outdoors, I can't quite see how lag can affect you, but sometimes it does - you character spazzes out, only to suddenly appear next the monster you clicked on before.
- Pets can't come into town.
- When you're carrying certain quest items, you can't attack.
- You have to click the name of every damn thing you want to pick up, even money.
- Have got stuck in corners a lot of times.
- Teleportation to towns can confuse, you leave current party and can mess up certain quests.
- Got a few nasty 'not connected' errors when playing - all stuff was gone, quests had to be done over - all areas reset on logout.
- You can only have 8 spells/abilites on your action bar, no few of which are essential - your pet not there if no 'Charm Animal' present.
- Monsters always in the same place becomes rather tedious when traversing the same area.
- Not a lot of in-game speech.
So, that's all I can think of for now. I'd pick WoW as the better (if more expensive in the end) game, except that I'm rather bored with it. I'm not finding that GW has captured my imagination as much, and exploration seems rather more tedious with constant monsters attacking you (even ones you get 0XP for). WoW has the variation and randomness of other players always around, and much more to do besides killing monsters and doing quests. I think I'll stop playing both for a while, but when I do decide to go back, it's more likely to be "I think I'll try and build my Engineering skill a bit in WoW" than "I'll try and get across those mountains in GW"
So, Guild Wars vs World of Warcraft: a lot of these points might seem trivial, but both GW and WoW are highly polished, enjoyable games so I'm only pointing out things which jump out at me as different in games which are competing for roughly the same audience. They're also scribbled down as I was playing, so may seem a little vague, but I'll try to explain them as I go. These from a GW perspective, so Good=Better than WoW, Bad=Worse than WoW.
Guild Wars: Good Things
- Long Click. While both games' control methods are peerless, allowing slick full 3D control, GW's click-on-ground feature is ace. You can click almost as far as you can see, and your character will pathfind the correct way there, unlike WoW which just sends you as the crow flies. However it doesn't always work, and can often uncover enemies you weren't expecting. Tree and landscape avoidance though are also superior, working best with a targetable NPC/item.
- Not Ganked By Horde. This relates to probably the most fundamental difference between the games, in GW outside of town, it's just your party and the monsters. NO other players, while this has disadvantages (later) it means you can freely explore with only the monsters to worry about. PvP is in designated arenas only.
- When you start a new character, with the same name, they retain membership of their guild.
- Helms are automatically off in towns, so people can see your lovely hair.
- Drops and Loot are designated upon spawn, so no-one can nick stuff meant for you.
- You can actively customise items for yourself, rather than some being automatically "soulbound" and un-sellable.
- Monsters outside stay dead once you've killed them, so the way back is usually free of nasties.
- Nice custom animations when carrying quest items.
- Stat bars float behind scenery such as trees, so it's easier to see to whom it belongs.
- Mobs (monsters which will attack you on sight) seem relatively consistent so you know when it's safe to walk by them.
- After you've finished a battle, it's only a few seconds before you're ready to carry on - health and mana recharge really quickly out of battle, so no waiting for people to drink potions. Health and mana recharging in themselves is rather a good thing.
- At least in the early stages people seem to be selling stuff quite cheaply, especially quest items.
- Europe vs. US in the Hall of Heroes has a nicer feel to it then Horde vs. Alliance.
- Nice co-op mission from the beta.
- Tar. Looks rather good (if icky). Haven't seen that before.
Bad Things.
- Being on your own outside (just your party) takes away all the fun of those chance encounters and random strangers who help or hinder you.
- Once ended up in the French language town.
- The world changes somewhat after the tutorial stages, had me missing the nice, green countryside.
- Everytime you exit an area, the monsters reset. All back, and in the same damn places every time.
- Some unexpected Mobs (that wouldn't normally attack).
- Get stuck on signs, tents and some other scenery when long-clicking.
- Since you spawn your own instance of the world when outdoors, I can't quite see how lag can affect you, but sometimes it does - you character spazzes out, only to suddenly appear next the monster you clicked on before.
- Pets can't come into town.
- When you're carrying certain quest items, you can't attack.
- You have to click the name of every damn thing you want to pick up, even money.
- Have got stuck in corners a lot of times.
- Teleportation to towns can confuse, you leave current party and can mess up certain quests.
- Got a few nasty 'not connected' errors when playing - all stuff was gone, quests had to be done over - all areas reset on logout.
- You can only have 8 spells/abilites on your action bar, no few of which are essential - your pet not there if no 'Charm Animal' present.
- Monsters always in the same place becomes rather tedious when traversing the same area.
- Not a lot of in-game speech.
So, that's all I can think of for now. I'd pick WoW as the better (if more expensive in the end) game, except that I'm rather bored with it. I'm not finding that GW has captured my imagination as much, and exploration seems rather more tedious with constant monsters attacking you (even ones you get 0XP for). WoW has the variation and randomness of other players always around, and much more to do besides killing monsters and doing quests. I think I'll stop playing both for a while, but when I do decide to go back, it's more likely to be "I think I'll try and build my Engineering skill a bit in WoW" than "I'll try and get across those mountains in GW"
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Grimmie
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Re: Differences and Similarities
On Eve you don't get this.FatherJack wrote:In the starter town: Dancing Naked People./sighs
You just get hehulk seeing what happens if he opens fire on jumpgates, and soon after claiming on his insurance policy.
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Grimmie
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After reading your Good/Bad points more thoroughly, may I just start by saying.. "Woo Yay Houpla!" That was rather well written, and you made some rather fancy points.
Let's see..
Guildwars - I know what you mean. I really really missed the lovely green landscape of the pre-searing land, but I've recently been through the icy shiverpeaks with dark ice caves, falling snow andheavy industrial mines.. Only to wind up in a jungle-like area with docks and ancient aztec buildings.. Today I was walking along and found some more coast lined with soft golden sand (which crunched underfoot) which stretched out to and endless shallow of azure ocean.. Wow.. I mean really.. Wow.
Uhh, what else..
Yes, definitely irritated about there not being a "Pick up everything" button on the keyboard, that does get on my nerves.
Let's see..
Guildwars - I know what you mean. I really really missed the lovely green landscape of the pre-searing land, but I've recently been through the icy shiverpeaks with dark ice caves, falling snow andheavy industrial mines.. Only to wind up in a jungle-like area with docks and ancient aztec buildings.. Today I was walking along and found some more coast lined with soft golden sand (which crunched underfoot) which stretched out to and endless shallow of azure ocean.. Wow.. I mean really.. Wow.
Uhh, what else..
Yes, definitely irritated about there not being a "Pick up everything" button on the keyboard, that does get on my nerves.