Poll: When will Guild Wars 2 be released?

[Nathan Allison]

Closed beta will be coming out before the year ends guys, beta doesn't last 6 months (unless your DragonsNest), use your head, June 2012 is not possible.

That's what they said in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/game-faq/

Click on "when there will be beta?"

We will be conducting small closed alpha and beta tests in 2011. The feedback from these tests will determine when we will do public beta tests and ship the game. Guild Wars 2 is a very large and ambitious game, and Guild Wars players rightfully have very high expectations. We want players to be absolutely blown away by the game the first time they experience it.

It's on their main website. How do you not know about that? Also, the game wasn't officially announced until 2009, how can they announce beta for the game in 2008?

 

[Senor Smoke21]

I'm hoping for after June, as then I will be finished with uni and will have the whole of summer to geek out and play!

 

[TehCookie]

I think it will be the same day as Half-life episode 3.

 

[oppp7]

So what? Who does it help or harm? You'll never need more than 4-5 cons in any one instance, unless your team sucks (and even if you do, needing more than 8 is ridiculous excess).
What good is stockpiling them and the materials to make them? It doesn't change the economy because you would have used the stuff for cons anyway, and acquired the materials and cons exactly the same way as if you had no storage space. The only difference is you can take longer in between conset-buying runs. No, the primary advantage to extra storage panels is the ability to keep items you don't want to throw away or
sell, such as pretty swords. And what's the gameplay advantage to that?

The game is 6 years old. I played it for 4. It's not that big. So by the pigeon-hole principle, it's clear that long-term players will play the same instances more than once, rendering the number of cons needed for "any one instance" a completely irrelevant metric. And clearly not having to stop between failed runs to go farm feathers/slabs/etc or pay for another conset is an advantage.

And don't give me the bullshit about the "economy." The "demand-based" economy spiel was driven into the ground when ectos crashed and Anet not only reset the value because of all the bawwing from the power-traders, but hard-coded a floor into the system to keep it from happening again.

I'm not too into the metagame, but what are you two talking about? Why would you not have room for consets? They stack so you shouldn't need more than 1-2 slots each for them. As for materials, those shouldn't take up much room either. Or do you guys have a lot of extra packrat stuff in your inventory?

Edit: And it'll probably be released Spring-Summer 2012. Doesn't seem like much more needs to be done if they have all these beta runs at those conventions.

 

[mexicola]

I'm not holding my breath on GW2 coming out before summer 2012. At the same time I'm OK with that, I don't need anything like a new MMO distracting me from uni.

 

[2xDouble]

I'm not too into the metagame, but what are you two talking about? Why would you not have room for consets? They stack so you shouldn't need more than 1-2 slots each for them. As for materials, those shouldn't take up much room either. Or do you guys have a lot of extra packrat stuff in your inventory?

Edit: And it'll probably be released Spring-Summer 2012. Doesn't seem like much more needs to be done if they have all these beta runs at those conventions.

That's exactly the point. Extra storage space is not a "gameplay advantage". It is a convenience at most.

And I agree, late spring 2012 seems most likely to me, barring any major problems revealed in closed Beta.

 

[oppp7]

I'm not too into the metagame, but what are you two talking about? Why would you not have room for consets? They stack so you shouldn't need more than 1-2 slots each for them. As for materials, those shouldn't take up much room either. Or do you guys have a lot of extra packrat stuff in your inventory?

Edit: And it'll probably be released Spring-Summer 2012. Doesn't seem like much more needs to be done if they have all these beta runs at those conventions.

That's exactly the point. Extra storage space is not a "gameplay advantage". It is a convenience at most.

And I agree, late spring 2012 seems most likely to me, barring any major problems revealed in closed Beta.

Actually I was just wondering if it was something about the meta I didn't know, like if the materials you get from farming high end places form a stack each run.

...I don't farm much. In fact aside from hero builds I mostly pretend the metagame doesn't exist.

 

[2xDouble]

Massive problems like their WvWvW failing hard because hitbox detection, even single hitbox detection, sucks ass when you have upwards of 900 players in one area?

If that happens, then yes, that could be a large problem in need of fixing. One which might take longer than a few months to repair, depending on the current build.

 

[haruvister]

I think ArenaNet realise that a problem-free release - which, for better or worse, includes the open beta - is vital to the long-term success of a modern MMO, given the saturated market. So I reckon post-June.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I only saying June since I should have gotten a new PC and graphic card by then but I guessing it would be before out June (maybe Easter). I read they will be revealing the last profession by the end of this year (I hoped) so that sort of imply it will be soon. (What other trailers o they got left to us? More gameplay footage?)

 

[targren]

*Snip*

Look, I said it was OK. You don't have to attack me because you decided that you don't like the company. Remember? you quoted it.

Also, I'd clean up that post before accusing others of inability to use a keyboard. It doesn't really paint you in the most positive light.

Touche. I'll only offer that it wasn't written on a real keyboard, but one of those crappy tiny on-screen abominations that, not being a Japanese schoolgirl, I've got hands too big for.

Again, you have it all wrong. I don't dislike Anet. I've lost faith in them. There's a big difference. I dislike EA and Sony, and would take true schadenfreude in hearing about them collapsing. ANet, OTOH, has made a lot of mistakes over the years. I'd like to see them learn from them, I just don't believe they will.

It's on their main website. How do you not know about that? Also, the game wasn't officially announced until 2009, how can they announce beta for the game in 2008?

No. The website wasn't launched until 2009. Big difference. They've been flonking Guild Wars w to the community ever since Eye of the North was such a colossal disappointment, and they explained that we weren't getting Guild Wars: Utopia (a full game like Factions and Nightfall) because they were instead working on Guild Wars 2.

I'm not too into the metagame, but what are you two talking about? Why would you not have room for consets? They stack so you shouldn't need more than 1-2 slots each for them. As for materials, those shouldn't take up much room either. Or do you guys have a lot of extra packrat stuff in your inventory?

I didn't say it was a game breaking advantage. I said it was an advantage.

Look at it with this logic: There are three types of things sold in the NCSoft Store.

New Content: Including (overpriced) access to all 3.5 Guild Wars games and extra character slots.

Cosmetic Toys: Costumes etc.

And gameplay advantage: Unlock packs, storage expansions, and merc heroes.


Unlock packs caused some rage way back, but I never had a problem with them, since it was nothing you couldn't get in-game. Storage expansions crossed the line of an IGA that you could not earn in game, but it wasn't a major crime. I was willing to overlook it at the time, but that doesn't make it not an advantage. It makes it not a big one. You can't call it cosmetic, since no one else can see your storage, and it's hardly new content.

But Merc heroes are a big one. In a game which has been constantly developed to be build-based rather than gear-based (it's biggest selling point, and what spoiled me on games like Diablo II and WRPGs with unchangeable skill trees), the added flexibility in a team build can be a *huge* advantage, with a little creativity.

If it had just been what the other guy claimed at first, just re-skinning the existing heroes, then it would have been just like the costumes: purely cosmetic, and something I would good-naturedly tease guildies about for blowing $10 on (We had one guy who would obsessively buy every costume, even though he bitched about how much he hated half of them).

 

[goodman528]

you guys are much more pessimistic than I thought. I was thinking closed beta will start soon, so they gotta release it by Jan new year, right?!

Just remove and nerf all the obvious balance issues, like anything that could snowball, and see how the balance work after release, then tweak it from there. I really don't see why gamers are so worked up about companies releasing unbalanced games, as long as they have good patching and support after release, it's entirely fine. Starcraft was massively unbalanced when they first released it, and look at it now. Company of Heroes was also very unbalanced at release, and after 5 years, they've balanced half of it very well.

 

[oppp7]

I didn't say it was a game breaking advantage. I said it was an advantage.

I think the problem is we're using different definitions of advantage. What I mean is that it won't make you better at PvP or PvE. I think you're saying that it'll be more convenient in that you can go longer without having to stop and clean out the inventory, making you much more efficient.

Including (overpriced) access to all 3.5 Guild Wars games and extra character slots.

I know it's kind of a matter of opinion, but the 3 campaigns can be bought for only $50. That doesn't seem like something that's overpriced.

But Merc heroes are a big one. In a game which has been constantly developed to be build-based rather than gear-based (it's biggest selling point, and what spoiled me on games like Diablo II and WRPGs with unchangeable skill trees), the added flexibility in a team build can be a *huge* advantage, with a little creativity.

If it had just been what the other guy claimed at first, just re-skinning the existing heroes, then it would have been just like the costumes: purely cosmetic, and something I would good-naturedly tease guildies about for blowing $10 on (We had one guy who would obsessively buy every costume, even though he bitched about how much he hated half of them).

I kind of agree with that, but no one fights/competes with other people based on heroes anymore. Plus the areas are all runnable with normal heroes anyways, and if that fails, just go with people.

Also agree with EotN sucking. Why the hell would they add like 20 overtly grind dungeons that are likely to give shit drops after spending an hour on them?

 

[targren]

I know it's kind of a matter of opinion, but the 3 campaigns can be bought for only $50. That doesn't seem like something that's overpriced.

Glad they finally fixed that. Last time I looked (which was admittedly awhile ago), they were still charging $49.99 for nightfall, when the box on the shelf at EVERY store (not just an amazon sale or something) was $19.99 or less, and had been for quite some time. And that was even after the triple-set was out in boxes for the same price. It was mind-boggling.

I kind of agree with that, but no one fights/competes with other people based on heroes anymore. Plus the areas are all runnable with normal heroes anyways, and if that fails, just go with people.

It's not about competing with other people. I never had much use for PVP anyway, but now with 7 hero parties, the added flexibility can be a godsend for things like farming UW, since you can clear the tricksy bits with heroes and flag them to bugger off so you can get your ectos. Plus, when you've got your 50/50, there's not much left to do but mess around with Build Wars.

Again, not game-breaking, but a definite, more than cosmetic, advantage.

Also agree with EotN sucking. Why the hell would they add like 20 overtly grind dungeons that are likely to give shit drops after spending an hour on them?

Because they wanted to focus their efforts on GW2 (Their words, not mine), apparently. And they killed the only good thing (IMO) about EotN with the Dervish mega-nerf. I.e. Asuran Scan and "IatS!"