Guild Wars 2 Exclusive: A Few Questions with Mike O’Brien
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I got in touch with ArenaNet head honcho Mike O’Brien & designer / writier Ree Soesbee to get some clarification on some of the new info about GW2 that’s come out of Gamescom in the last couple of days. They were kind enough to get back to us pretty quickly, despite being knee deep in the GC craziness…
pause.com: Is the events system that’s been discussed a scenario where the world “has a schedule” and NPCs have agendas or at least pre-dispositions to how they act / react in given circumstances, so almost more like how the worlds behave in RPG games like Oblivion / Fallout 3, in that an NPC or group of NPCs might, for instance, have a trade route they go on, and you could encounter them anywhere along that route. Or groups of bad guys might wander a particular region because they’re predisposed to not only fight their enemies, but take over enemy installations, and as the player, you might encounter them at any point along their “path” toward those goals.
Mike O’Brien: Events have a feeling similar to what you’re describing, but it’s not schedule-driven because we don’t want the world to have a fixed schedule. Instead, events respond to what the players are doing in the world. If the players raid the centaur camp and clear out the centaurs, then there won’t be a centaur attack on the garrison. But if the players let the centaur population get out of control, then the centaurs will become emboldened and start doing raids.
pause.com: What types of consequences might players encounter for acting (or not acting) at a given point along the timeline of an event? For instance, one of the examples you all gave is that a group of centaurs might attack a fortress, and you could join in with the guards in defending the fortress, or the centaurs might actually take it over. As such, are there things (loot, story elements) that players might never get to experience if they take out the centaurs before they ever get to the fortress, etc.? Or, if the centaurs take over the fortress and players help take them out to return the fortress to its rightful owners, is there any kind of “hero bonus” or anything like that that players will receive?
Mike O’Brien: We structure events so that players are never punished for playing the game, killing monsters, or winning events. We don’t want players to be saying, “hey everyone, please stop killing those centaurs; I need to participate in the event where we retake the garrison from the centaurs.” So there’s nothing you can get by losing to centaurs that you can’t get by winning.
pause.com: Finally, will NPCs such as guards at a fortress re-spawn if the centaurs have taken it over, or are NPCs just dead once they’re dead?
Mike O’Brien: If the centaurs take over the garrison, then they’ll hold it as a centaur garrison until the players can put together an attack force and successfully reclaim it. Once the players reclaim it, it becomes a human garrison again, and the NPCs move back in.
So there you go folks…the more I hear about this system, the more fun…and immersive…it sounds.
And just FYI, I asked about a few other things that ArenaNet couldn’t comment on yet, such as whether character creation will follow GW’s formula of picking pre-rendered faces for your character based on profession (and now, race) – something I’m hoping for since GW’s characters are arguably the best looking in any MMO to date; if Jeremy Soule will be composing the music for GW2 (he is…see note below), and if there was any more info they could share on how crafting will play into the Guild Wars 2 experience.
UPDATE: Sorry, didn’t mean to lump in the Jeremy Soule comment in there since Soule himself has said that he’s working on GW2’s music. Thanks to DarkWasp over at GuildWars2Guru for reminding me of that.
No…I didn’t bother asking about a release date.
We’ll keep you posted as more info is revealed.
August 29th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
If you choose to be an Asuran, can you make new technology?
August 29th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Thats cool, but you could’ve asked about the date. lol
Thanks for the insite on Q&A. Its very helpful. As GW player im looking forward to the next Adventure. Tks Again.
August 30th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Im curious about the character creation myself, Idd like to know more about that. Im both terrified and interested to see what a female charr looks like…
August 30th, 2009 at 8:38 am
So nice!
August 30th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I simply cannot wait to experience Guild Wars 2, I’ve played Guild Wars and its second to none! long live Arena Net & Guild Wars! ;D
August 31st, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Yay it now sound like even more fun! haha centaurs taking over Divinity’s Reach 🙂
September 1st, 2009 at 9:35 am
Yeah…centaurs, what a pain, right? But I always found them to be somewhat charming and amusing, despite the fact that I often dreaded fighting them heh.
August 31st, 2009 at 2:54 pm
HI! theres a big fan of guild wars, and i have one question… first one : will in all races be FEMALE and MALE?
September 1st, 2009 at 9:34 am
Well I would assume so, since they did that in GW and so many people took advantage of it.
September 1st, 2009 at 2:01 am
when is it expected to come out??
September 1st, 2009 at 9:33 am
No word yet on release date unfortunately!
September 1st, 2009 at 9:41 am
@ Epic – I know, I was thinking the same thing about the female Charr…maybe they’re hermaphrodites 😉
@ Timmy – I’m wondering that as well. There are so many ways to go with crafting. I think the EverQuest / Star Wars Galaxies / EverQuest II model was pretty good. WoW’s crafting is ok, but not quite as deep. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how they handle it.
September 1st, 2009 at 3:25 pm
CHARR, noone is going to mess with them! I hope some cool new classes or skills will be available for each race like golems for asuras and fiery war machines for charr.
September 1st, 2009 at 6:00 pm
This game is probably going to be the next epic thing besides potato bread, and I would never ask fo a release date, I’ve been playing GW for about 4 1/2 to 5 years now and it has had its ups and downs and been great through any of the, and the second game seems even more amazing, and I’ve always wondered how deep they can get, just by hearing this review I’m probably going to cry when the next game comes out at the amount of mental stimulation I’ll get from it, Love you GW!
September 1st, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Will each race have a variety of classes to choose from or are races simply substituting classes?
Like will all humans be warriors for example.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
We hope that each race will start in a diffrent story and come together after a while!!
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:54 pm
ANET, you guys bring a tear to my eye, I commend you on the amount of work you’ve put in for this… but when Beta T_T i cant wait to see what you guys r throwing at us gamers. [o question, when do we get a preview of classes, or the races like asurans that have special abilities? -excluding the norn turning into bears-
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
I wonder if it will be possible to jump in GW2 (and I don’t mean /jump). That is one of the few things i miss in GW. Still, one shouldn’t be able to jump mountains like in certain other mmo’s.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:12 am
[…] have an interview with ArenaNet studio head Mike O’Brien, which covers the new event system and the player-affected […]
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:55 am
I really hope the character creation is using pre-designed faces and hair like in Guild Wars. It’s so much easier and quicker than making one yourself.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
question.. so is GW2 an expansion or a seperate game from GW. And if seperated then will any thing from our GW accounts will be carried on?
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Yes there will be a Z-axis
you can jump, fall of things and DIE, swim and so on so on
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Playing GW more than 3 years now, still enjoying it, the best MMORPG for me, GW2 will not disappoint the new race Salvari, will be interesting race, think I’m going to that race 1st or I’ll make a human character 1st that will be the descendant of my main character in GW1 :), but I’ll surely try out the Salvari also.
My question is will we also be able to play in Cantha and Elona?
Will there be later be other playable races in GW2, the other humanoid races like the Wardens, Dredges, Tengu’s, Centaurs, Forgotten ones, etc
Because there is a lot of humanoids races in GW1 that will be good playable races.
But that 5 is a good starter, female Charr’s will be ugly or it will be the most beautiful beastly creatures ever.
September 4th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
@Cassandra – I’m right there with you. I think ANet did such a great job on the pre-designed faces / hair that NOT doing that in GW2 would seem like a step backward. Plus, the systems that allow you “complete” customization almost always end up offering characters that look like mutant ape-people. Not pretty.
@That One Guy – It’s a totally new game that will run independently of GW. Although you won’t be able to bring your old characters into GW2 from the original, achievements earned in Eye of the North will offer special advantages in GW2.
@Percy – The only thing ANet has said about the landscape is that it’ll be familiar, but changed. Different races control different areas. And I don’t know yet what they’re going to do with regard to campaigns such as Factions and Nightfall in GW2. I’m not sure if the architecture of GW2 will support doing that sort of thing again. Personally, I would welcome that, as I really enjoyed that structure in GW.
September 4th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I’m wondering how the gear will be in this game. Will it be just like it is now Where you go and buy it from an armor in various cities or will you be able to aquire elite armor pieces as rare drops from bosses and what not. That’s one thing I liked about WoW a bit better.
I would also like to know what the level cap is going to be. 20 is too low, uncapped would tantalize me to great lengths.
I know you can’t really answer that but I’m just putting it out there to think about.
September 6th, 2009 at 6:56 am
Human can charm animals, would the char charm other creatures or animals too?
If you can charm animals can you ride them like horse?
September 7th, 2009 at 9:28 am
I´ve been playing GW for about more than a year, but haven´t been able to play lately because my computer crashed.
What I hope for is that there will be a crafting system that´s not too simple but bot too complicated either.
I mean you shouldn´t be able too craft the bestavailable thing just because you where lucky enough to find materials for it in some loot
And last but not least, a question: Will all classes from GW and the expansions be awailable?
September 7th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
this is my prediction of GW2’s released date:
GW2 will not be release in 2010, but maybe early in 2011, like on the 28th of April 2011, yes it is on GW’s 6 b-day, Factions was also released on the 28th of April(according to Wiki) and GW2 was announced on March 2007, so between March 2007 and 28th April 2011 is a good 4 year margin for a development of a game, because most new was develop in 4 years, don’t your put your hopes in my prediction, but I really think it will be very close to the real release date of GW2.
September 7th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
* “don’t put your hopes in my prediction, but I really think it will be very close to the real release date of GW2.”
September 8th, 2009 at 1:07 am
Ok, I have read that in GW2, you will not be able to get to Elona or Cantha. I’m kinda sorry to hear that, personally, but I honestly think that everything else will make up for it. I also think the somewhere down the line they will release campaigns for GW2 like they did with GW. They may even reopen access to Elona and Cantha. I may be wrong when I say the Elona and Cantha will not be accessible in GW2 but I do not think so. I read the article called The Movement of the World, and it seems to point out that those two continents will not be available. Here is the link to that article. http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/The_Movement_of_the_World
September 8th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I’m sure they will be doing more campaigns in GW2 like they did in GW1… seems only common sense to do so… Like you Naetrimus, i read The Movement of the World… and Elona and Cantha are NOT accessible initially, but it would very interesting to be able to go back to those lands in successive campaigns… I’m seriously stoked for GW2’s release, but have sooooo many toons that need to get thru the current games, i’m not rushing for it to be released… but when it is, it’s going to be amazing!!! first toon i make will be Sylvari! i’m a huge faerie loving person, that’s just awesome that they made something like faeries!
GW rules, all the rest – you’re in trouble when G2 comes out!!!
September 9th, 2009 at 6:44 am
2 dragons is blocking passage to Cantha and Elona, Zhaitan is blocking passage to Cantha and Kralkatorrik for Elona,
Zhaitan is the primary antagonist of GW2, so I guest that Cantha will be unlock 1st, like in GW1, after that Elona, so we will only have Tyria 1st,so that we have something to play on, Cantha and Elona will still be on going development,
And I think Primordus, will be the big chief of the dragons and maybe the ultimate boss in GW2,
September 13th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Ánimo Mike O’Brien y a todo el equipo de ArenaNet, estais haciendo un gran trabajo y lo estais demostrando con el primer vídeo oficial de Guild Wars 2, seguid trabajando todo el tiempo que sea necesario, no me importa esperar lo que sea, con tal de que hagais el mejor juego de rol de la Historia hasta la fecha. Será todo un ÉXITO. Hasta pronto XD
September 18th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Can’t wait for this game to come out, it’s a pity we still got so long to wait, but i’d rather wait and have an awesome game than have a half finished game…
September 19th, 2009 at 11:47 am
about races and professions i think humans will be able to have 2 profs but all other races will only have 1 for their race will have certain abilities/skills and will be counted as their primaries i also totally agree with the pre designed faces ape people lol but gw2 will certainly be really cool
September 19th, 2009 at 11:51 am
well i think the game will come out around black friday
and has beta testing started yet because there hve been reviews in magazines or r they just juging because they rated it 2.5
September 21st, 2009 at 4:11 pm
I WANNA BE A BETA TESTER!!!!
September 25th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I wish there was more clearification on the persistent world meantioned will it be a open mmo world simular to AoC/ WoW and other MMO’s or will it be the same style as GW1 where only cities are MMO and walking outside a portal loads you into a unique private zone.
September 27th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Will GW2 be viable for someone(like moi) who has never played GW before..? I am just off the hook of disappointment cuz of Aion and am looking for something else to give me my passion for playing.. GW2 and TERA topping the list. Just wanted this question answered, before I do any in-depth research <3
Any help would be totally appreciated. ^.^b
September 29th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
I wish someone ask them how large and massive will GW2 be in comparison with GW1 or if we can hope to see gigantic cities and monsters like that seawurm-like creature in the art of Jamie Jones those quind of questions are more important for me.
September 29th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
*kind -_-
September 30th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
i hope the battles in gw 2 would be awesome.
i hope more creatures/people in a battle.
maybe warmachines that the asura made.
with warmachines i mean a ram,onager,scorpion.
October 6th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Dead Arena Net,
Please do not realise GW2 until I finish my university degree. I do not want my life destroyed.
Signed,
Desperate Soul
October 11th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
hi, just a quick question i would like answered is. for the new slyvari character, will there be a crafting of personal creatures? like for exsample, a skill that you cast outside near a certain plant life and it will animate a aid. kinda like bone minion.so, i guess my question really is is what is the ceature going to be/do if there is one to begin with.
-thanks
December 6th, 2009 at 8:05 am
HI Mike i have a few questions when can i get gw2 and i herad a lot of shit about gw2 but i don’t believe it it is true ??
March 10th, 2010 at 3:51 am
Are there going to be save points in GW2?