We've been alpha testing GW since April, and the game has come a long way in that time. It is true that testing the game has been boring at times because they would limit us to certain types of content in order to get specific feedback, but that's just a normal part of testing. I'll give a quick recap what my thoughts on the game.
[color:"yellow"]General Gamepley [/color]
Character development = faster than Shadowbane
Game is skill based, not level based
Each class, right now, has 150 skills they can potentially get
You must do missions for skill gems, or rely on player trades
GW is anti-zerg, and its pvp aspects are built around 8 man teams at this point. There are a few maps that can field multiple 8 man teams.
[color:"yellow"]Guild [/color]
Pretty decent, and guild management is handled by account...not character.
Guild halls are ok, and supposedly raidable at some point.
Guild tabbards look cool, but they don't really stand out like they should.
[color:"yellow"]PvP Rankings, etc [/color]
We still haven't seen any of this, and its a pretty important feature that a lot of us have asked about a lot over the past few months. We fully expect a robust ladder, ranking, etc system because without it...all the combat is pretty fucking pointless.
[color:"yellow"]Combat [/color]
There are tons of different strategies already in PvP, and it also depends on which PvP map you are playing. Don't expect to go caster heavy, warrior heavy, etc and pwn every map. Group balance and who will pwn who really depends on the various maps. You'll probably have to develop several characters to rotate in and out depending on the map your team is fighting on.
Combat itself can go a few ways.
1.
You own everything in sight because you have a good group build, excellent teamwork, and you know the map.
2.
You get your ass handed to you because you encountered the exact counter to your group build. You can still win though if the opposing group is sloppy. If they are skilled, yer toast.
3.
You meet a group who has a competitive build and is skilled. Combat can be over relatively quick, or it can ebb and flow over a longer period of time. We've had very intense fights that weren't boring at all, but lasted 30-45 minutes.
[color:"yellow"]Other Stuff [/color]
There is no true persistant world, so there is no ganking hapless newbs. In theory, there should be enough regular PvP/Arena map fights to satisfy people's need for PvP though.
There will be PvE content, but supposedly it won't take away from the games PvP focus.
This game is anti-zerg. Having a large shit-ton of members won't help a guild here because the maps only support so many teams, and the group unit is built around 8 players. That said, whoever brings the most skill and the right group configuration to the table will win the day.
If you guys decide to field a team there let me know. We have a fansite we've built up over the months that has a focus on PvP for GW, and we could always use another peep or two over there.
