From the Mind of Magi - Factions: It's Days Away
Edited and Published by: Magi
We are only days away from the hotly anticipated launch of Guild Wars: Factions and excitement couldn't be at a higher threshold. Players from around the world, on one forum or another, can't seem to wait for the launch of this title, and I can't blame them. There will be a whole new continent to explore, new mission types and varieties, and not to mention exciting new player versus player (PvP) features! Most importantly, however, will be territory control and bringing some real meaning to the world. With all of this in mind I have one thing to say: we need this expansion more then anyone will attest to.
Without question, the crippling downside to scorning the subscription model is the lack of game updates in between expansions. That is not to say, however, that Guild Wars has gone without them, far from it. Last summer many will remember the update that heralded in Sorrow's Furance. On the other hand, if you look to subscription based games - World of Warcraft for example - you see the amount of content updates far, far outweighs what we received in Guild Wars. So yes, we do need this expansion.
Some may object to that statement on the basis of "I'm satisified with the game as-is, and I have enough to do" -- but to that I would ask: "what is your main motivator to playing this game?" I would be willing to bet an entire month's pay cheque that the answer would be PvP. What is very unique about PvP - even in games that don't offer scenarios like Guild Wars does - is that the players themselves can create an infinite amount of content. I can remember playing Asheron's Call many years ago (when it was in its prime) and every month a few people would come together and put on a live event (there would be a story, players would be divided into teams and a violent war would break out over the course of a weekend). It is those kinds of things that keeps PvP fresh, and, as a result, you don't notice the "lack of content."
So perhaps when I say that we need this expansion, I may very well be referring to PvE players. So yes, we do need it. After almost a year most of us have gone through all the content to date multiple times on many different characters. So for those of us who fall into that category, I'm sure we'll be very satisified with what Factions will provide us: elite, challenge and co-operative missions are filled with PvE goodness - and in the case of co-operative mission, there is a lot of replayability - that will occupy us for a very long time.
With the consideration of content at hand, an answer will surface over the next few months that undoubtedly will interest industry insiders: does the mass expansion, over the subscription model, actually work? Most Guild Wars players - and especially developers - insist that not only does it work, but it is vastly superior to the subscription model. It is often argued that we will end up paying less for more or equal content. Hard numbers are used to support this and the results are staggering. Assuming a game keeps the industry standard for the subscription model - $15 USD a month - a gamer will find him or herself paying almost $180 USD per year (this does not include the cost of any expansions). On the other hand, assuming ArenaNet follows through with its promise of two expansions a year, the gamer will only pay roughly $100 USD give or take. For roughly the same, or more content, it seems like the subscription model is ripping people off, but time will tell.
I suppose the question at this juncture is whether or not the mass expansion model will be superior? Prior to my experience in Guild Wars, I was indoctrinated with the concept that the subscription model is best, and playing MMORPGs for three or four years, I saw the truth of this first hand. So naturally I will be biased and say it won't be, but time will tell the truthfulness of it. And, I must say, it seems like Factions has a lot of content in it so who knows.
Speaking on Factions content directly, this expansion will bring a truly exciting and thrilling component to it: more tactical PvP combat through Alliance Battles. If you were around for the recent Factions Preview Event, you not only experienced what I mean first hand but probably read my thoughts on the matter, so I won't repeat it much of it here. Though I will say that the addition of four more players per team, adding strategic objectives and even allowing the use of a Dragon Hatchling will bring PvP in Guild Wars to an all new level. It certainly will be an exciting time.
When I look at Factions I see a lot of pluses that it will bring to the Guild Wars experience. Increased content in PvE is one of them, whether it is through story, elite, challenge or co-operative missions. Or even when I look at the social enhancements, such as those coming to Guild Halls and the new Guild Alliances. Who could forget the PvP advent of Alliance Battles as just described? Despite all of that there is one change that will mean the most: territory control.
If you look at any MMORPG in the industry right now they all share one resounding problem: the world does not matter. In EverQuest II, for example, the land masses that make up the world feel very isolated, almost like they're separate games altogether. World of Warcraft did a better job of this when their "world PvP" was evident (that is, each faction attacking enemy territory whenever they wanted to without consequence) but now that is not the case. Guild Wars, however, seems to have solved that problem through territory control and it will truly be exciting to bear witness to.
I mean, just imagine it for a moment: you'll wake up one day and the Luxxon's will control three quarters of Cantha, for example, then your guild could summon up all of its courage, wages a long war and changes the map completely. The motivators are there too: if you don't control certain outposts, for example, you are barred from some PvE content. It really will be epic and everyone will be involved; whether you want to participate in it for the sake of doing it or for the tangible rewards. It will happen and the world will never be the same. It will instill a freshness that will be unrivaled.
The last item that I want to touch on, which seems to be a resounding theme of this editorial, is the impact of Factions on the game itself, long term. I'm not talking about the content specifically - Alliance Battles, Co-operative missions - but the general satisfaction of the community at large. I think all of us have high expectations of Factions, and the recent preview event only compounded that, so I think we all expect the game to deliver on multiple levels, especially in regards to content. If, for example, the content isn't overwhelming the community may demand for less expansions and for maybe just one per year so it's more worthwhile. On the other hand, if the content is plentiful, it may give ArenaNet the motivation to stick to their two expansions per year philosophy. It goes without saying that if Factions is not received well, it will make ArenaNet think twice about their approach.
At the end of the day this is a very exciting time for both the players and developers of Guild Wars. Our first stand-alone expansion is on the way and no one can wait for it. The features will be terrific and the content will supply us with hours and hours of enjoyment. But it will also have an impact on the rest of the genre; if Factions can provide more content then other titles can in a years worth of monthly updates, it may start a wave that persuades other developing companies to re-think their subscription-based philosophy. Only time will tell.
So what did you think of this article? Did you like it? Did you find it useful? Or maybe you didn't like it at all? Be sure to tell us about it on this thread!
