Well, there are two great MMORPGs on the market; World of Warcraft, made by Blizzard (Creators of Warcraft series and Diablo), and Guild Wars, made by NCsoft (creators of City of Heroes). Well, the long-time debate for many hermits is which MMO is better. Well, here are some reasons of debate for each game series:
Price:
World of Warcraft: $30 for the game, plus a $15 monthly fee, with a 10-day free trial. $40 for the expansion pack, Burning Crusade.
Guild Wars: $30 for the game, $40 for the sequel, Factions, and $50 for the other sequel, Nightfall. No monthly fee, no free trial as of yet.
Winner: Guild Wars. It's no question that most players of Guild Wars own the game for its price. While many WoW players argue that the monthly fee in WoW is for updating the game constantly, Guild Wars does the exact same thing... Without a $15 monthly fee.
NOTE: There are three Guild Wars games: Prophecies (First), Factions (Second), and Nightfall (Third). Prophecies is set in a medieval England area known as Tyria, Factions set in an Asian setting known as Cantha, and Nightfall set in a Persian setting known as Elona. All of these titles do NOT require the predecessing games to play. Each are stand-alone games. However, you can use your character from Factions to play on Nightfall or Prophecies, or whatever, if you buy the other two games.
Gameplay: PvE
World of Warcraft: The PvE gameplay is the main focus of WoW; you can literally log tons of hours into this game without stopping. There are vast, seamless worlds to explore, treacherous landscapes, and creepy dungeons to explore. The game never truly ends with a level cap of 70.
Guild Wars: Guild Wars features something WoW doesn't; a real storyline that can be ended. The game's PvE plays a lot like games like KOTOR or Fable, full of quests and cutscenes in each new encounter. However, one the less appealing things about GW is that loading screens run rampant. Whenever you leave a town or enter a new area, a load screen pops up. Thankfully, load times are quite fast. Also, the level cap in GW is only 20, and you cannot form parties out of towns, nor meet other players outside of towns. Also, you can only map 8 skills to your skill bar at a time, forcing a rather annoying strategy element on you every time you fight enemies. Also, you can't JUMP! :(
Winner: World of Warcraft. Jesus, it's impossible to stop playing WoW altogether. It's probably the one game that you never grow tired of, with its infinite quests and possibilites and brilliant gameplay mechanics. Storyline or not, WoW wins in the PvP field.
Gameplay: PvP
World of Warcraft: The main sources of PvP combat in the game are limited to the always-fun task of invading Alliance and Horde territory and killing weaker players, as well as simple arena battles and wars. These can be fun for some time, but the PvP leaves quite a lot to be desired. However, there's a fairly friendly community around to help players complete quests, which is always something nice.
Guild Wars: This is where Guild Wars truly shines; there are lots and lots of ways to enjoy PvP combat in the game, with a total of 4 modes and lots of variety. You can also have the option to create a high-ranked PvP-only character with maxed-out skills and attributes at level 20 from the start. Hence the name, joining a guild is the main part of this game, since engaging in Guild Tournaments and online supremacy are the main factors in GW. There's also a very eager and friendly community in Guild Wars, as well.
Winner: Guild Wars. Playing the PvP in Guild Wars is like playing Halo or Counter-Strike; the gameplay never gets old. There's tons of variety in each game, from the classic CTF matches to the Deathmatch missions. It's obvious that PvP is the central focus of Guild Wars.
Graphics:
World of Warcraft: WoW's graphics sport a very cartoony look and feel. The game looks rather grainy at times, looking like an average PS2 game. However, gameplay is lag-free and not too choppy, running great on older computers.
Guild Wars: GW looks really well-polished with its realistic look and feel. The environments are very beautiful (at least early in the game, SPOILERS FTW), and the character models very detailed.
Winner: Guild Wars. Come on now, see for yourself.
Classes/Races:
World of Warcraft: What I like most about WoW is that there are 8 races total (+2 with Burning Crusade), each with a different look and voice, as well as racial traits. There are also lots of character classes, some you'll find exclusive and available to certain races, others not.
Races: Alliance - Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Dranei (with Burning Crusade): Horde - Orc, Troll, Undead, Tauren, Blood Elf (With Burning Crusade)
Classes: Warrior, Paladin, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Druid, Hunter, Mage, Warlock.
Guild Wars: There is only one default race to choose from: Human, and while this may seem a dissapointment to many MMORPG fans, it isn't really too important. Each class in the game sports a totally different look and feel (EX: Necromancers look Emo and Goth, whereas Warriors look like Army Guys and Jocks). Each class has its own pros and cons, and my favorite part about the game is that you can choose a primary and secondary profession. This means that you can become a Warrior from the start, then later become a Monk and go from there. It's really cool to see what your choice leads to you.
Classes: (With Prophecies) Warrior, Ranger, Monk, Mesmer, Elementalist, Necromancer.
(With Factions) Same as above, as well as Ritualist and Asassin.
(With Nightfall) Same as above two, as well as Dervish and Paragon.
Winner: Tie. Honestly, it's too hard to decide. Really. It's pretty much a matter of preferencial choice.
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OVERALL WINNER: (Drumroll....)
NOBODY! HA! Yes, there is no winner to this MMORPG battle, but keep in mind that people with a strategy-heavy mind who enjoys PvP should go Guild Wars, and people looking for more action and questing should go with World of Warcraft. I hope I've answered some of your questions. Thank you, and feel free to ask questions or comment on this. :D
Oh, and if you don't think that Guild Wars isn't an MMORPG, answer these questions:
1) Does Guild Wars contain a large, massive world where you can quest with friends?
2) Can you play competitively with other players, and engage in co-op with quests?
3) Can you trade, build your character, and make a totally different experience each time?
4) Does the game require an account and a active internet connection for the whole game experience?
If you answered "Yes" to 3 or more of these questions, Guild Wars is an MMORPG. Oh, and if you want to hear official word, Guild Wars is tagged on Gamespot as "MMORPG". Is that enough prove for you?Â
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