First Impressions:
Once again the box art for Guild Wars is beautiful, and the inner packaging has been upgraded to a plastic case instead of the cardboard. The quick reference guide has been enlarged and it is easier to see and use. The games are accompanied by a large manual that is done all in lush full color printing. When you crack open a box from Guild Wars you know that you are getting something quality, where time and effort has been attended to on every detail.
The installation was a very simple matter of inserting three disks. I had it up and running in under an hour. If you are new to MMO's then that won't mean much to you, but if you are an experienced player then you know just how pleasant it is not to have to twiddle your thumbs for four hours while setups and installations have to be performed.
When you begin the game you are told to select a primary profession, as well as designating the gender, and looks of your character. You can select the hair color and style, the face, the skin tone and lip color. All the characters of the beginner rank in your chosen profession start out in the same costume or "armor." Later in the game the range of colors and options is a rainbow of choices. Playing "dress up" and dancing are two things that Guild Wars is well-known for.
This time I decided to stick to my favorite type of character to have the power to get as far into the game as I possibly could. Yes, as far back as the old Advanced Dungeons and Dragons on the Sega Genesis I've been a "caster" or a sorceress type of gamer. In Guild Wars she is called an Elementalist. This is the type of character than can deal damage from a distance rather than getting her hands dirty or breaking a nail from wielding cumbersome weaponry. With an armament of blasting spells at the ready this kind of profession makes a character who can send damaging fire balls, crisping lightening bolts or other baneful elements at the enemies. The Elementalist has choices of Fire, Earth, Air and Water at her disposal to thwart attacking monsters. In the game you can also select from an ever widening array of professions to choose from such as a Warrior, Monk, Ranger, Mesmer, Necromancer. The Ritualist and the Assassin professions were added on in the Factions edition of the game.
With Nightfall two more original professions were added. The new Dervishes are scythe-wielding holy warriors who can attack multiple enemies at once. The Dervish can cast spells on themselves uninterrupted by their enemies. They have the power to unleash a devastating, whirling, scythe attack. They also have a variety of combat related enchantments and inherent health and protection abilities. They remind me of legendary crusaders from a variety of mythos. They can also channel divine powers and temporarily change their form by transforming into a physical embodiment of a god. The other new kind of character is called a Paragon. There's a pretentious title for you. These aren't meant to be a front-line fighter either. Instead, the paragon is best suited in a support role as a battle commander. The paragons can change and take on an angelic nature, they also resist hexes and other curses.
Every profession has its own strengths and characteristics, it could be a weapon or magic specialty. Then there is a unique set of skills with which to deal damage, manipulate the enemy and environment, or protection and healing allies. Each profession provides a set of attributes which determines the effectiveness of weapons and skills in battle.
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