What will happen to Guild Wars when GW2 launches?

This is a question that many of us still playing Guild Wars are asking both ourselves and those ingame. There is a genuine concern for the possible drop in server population once Guild Wars 2 goes live. I don't think that the population will totally disappear, but I do think that saying that there will not be a noticeable difference is naive at best. Now they have come out and said that there will still be new content and events going on in the future for the original Guild Wars while they are still doing GW2. As one that can't afford to pick up any new game in the near future due to lack of available funds, it is nice to see that the game I'm currently playing does infact have a future.


A little bit to know about Guild Wars future:

The development team at ArenaNet realized, at the time they started work on the fourth Guild Wars campaign, that there were so many things they wanted to do but couldn't fit into the existing game. They decided that making Guild Wars 2 was the best way for them to do what they wanted to the game.

Can I keep on playing Guild Wars?

Yes. ArenaNet has stated that the Guild Wars servers will stay open after GW2 is released. There will continue to be special events and patches for players who stay playing Guild Wars.

Are there going to be any more expansions for Guild Wars?

ArenaNet has already released some small expansions that help bridge the gap in the story between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2; these do not require purchase to access. A third storyline has been plotted for development. Full, purchasable expansions haven't been entirely ruled out, but they seem unlikely. If they are created, it will not happen until after the release of Guild Wars 2

Can I transfer a Guild Wars character to Guild Wars 2?

No, character transfers between the games are not possible. However, you can reserve your existing Guild Wars character names for use in Guild Wars 2.

So at the very least, we do know that we will be able to enjoy our current incarnation, but the real concern is, will people come back to still play GW while still playing GW2. I think that the answer will be yes, and for a rather simple reason. Unlike many MMOs, there is no monthly fee to play, so you can freely play both games without any financial strain, which is why many people end up leaving a game in the first place. I will keep an update here as the game goes on after GW2s launch. So until then....Game On!

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SWTOR: Will F2P have good features for the free players too?

So we have been given a little bit more information about what the limitations will be for F2P players that want to play SWTOR.



Story Content
Players can play their full class stories from levels 1 to 50.

Character Creation Choices
Some character creation options, such as species, are limited to subscribers.

Warzones
Free-to-Play members will have limited weekly access to Warzones.

Flashpoints
Free-to-Play members will have limited weekly access to Flashpoints.

Space Missions
Free-to-Play members will have a weekly cap on Space Missions.


Operations
Only subscription members can access Operations.


Travel Features
Subscription members have access to all travel functionality, making getting around the world easier.

Game Login
Subscription members will always be in login queues ahead of free players.

Galactic Trade Network
Subscription members can post up to 50 auctions for sale. (free player limitations not known yet)


Although I do agree with most of this as being a good idea, I don't agree with operations for paying players only. Operations should be available to ANY player....for a price. Make a key, much like the old WoW burning crusade heroic keys. Purchase 1 key at the F2P launch that will give you access to all of the past operations and from that point on, a purchasable key for every operation that comes out after that. I also think that those of us that might have stopped playing for awhile but have had very active subscriptions in the past, and are getting the coins for those past months, should be able to buy the key for those past operations for a VERY discounted price (coin price) as a "thank you for coming back" sort of thing.

If nothing else, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out and what will really be in the game once November gets here and the F2P launches.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic - Is level 15 really high enough?

That is the question I keep asking myself over and over. At level 15, you are just barely getting in to your characters storyline. In my opinion, that's not really enough to really get a good feel for what the game really has to offer. You are just barely getting past selecting your advanced class spec.

I think that level20 or 25 would be better at getting more people to buy the full version account, and here's why I think that...

•  By level 25 you are now getting deeper in to your characters storyline to the point of wanting to know what is next for that character. Much like watching a suspense movie and 1/2 way through, you have to decide if you wanna watch the rest of the movie.

•  At level 25, the game gets a bigger boost to it's fun factor because you don't have to walk everywhere anymore, you get your first speeder. Anyone that has ever played an mmo in the past can tell you that it really changes the game when it doesn't take forever to walk somewhere.

• By level 20 and 25, you not only have your ship, but you have unlocked some of the space missions. This is yet another aspect of the game you really don't get a good chance to check out in the current level 15 limit.

• By level 20 and 25, if you enjoy PvP, you get a big boost to the enjoyment of the warzones. You can get your first PvP set at level 20 and by level 25, you have some nice abilities to match your PvP gear to allow for a good deal more fun.

Now, I do understand that there are people that do not care about character storyline or plots. But by level 25, you have given those players enough of a taste of EVERY aspect of the game (warzones, speeders, more planets to quest on via personal starship, PvP gear, ect.) to really get them hook to the point of getting a full subscription to the game.

Remember, this is just my opinion. Although I do always welcome comments about my posts, whether they are pro or con my point, but please remember that this is not fact when commenting.  Until my next post....Game On!


UPDATE: This just released by Activision...

STAR WARS®: The Old Republic™ will move to a more accessible two-tiered pricing
model in November. Players can chose between a $14.99 premium monthly
subscription and a free-to-play model with some restrictions on content and advanced
features. Players will be able to purchase upgrades with in-game currency.

So this does somewhat prove my point, although I am among though that are saddened by the fact that it didn't even last a year before it went free-to-play.

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