Enjoyment:

In the past I have played the previous two installments of Guild Wars largely alone or with random groups. This proved to be less fun than it could be. This time I sought out the assistance of a well recommended Guild. This time the game is twice as much fun when I was able to play through it with people that are mature and know what they are doing.

Guild Wars is still a very fun game. It was a pleasure to see it improved so much after the claustrophobic Guild Wars: Factions. There is a great variety of things to do and characters to play as. You can play however you like to, solo, with groups or a guild. You can even enter the arenas in the game and engage in playing against other human players in a show down called PvP or player vs player which is popular, and is almost another entire game in itself.

Overall Impression:

Guild Wars: Nightfall is the elite MMORPG of the moment. It is fun, and easy enough for beginners, as well as complex enough for the hardcore MMORPG gamers. I give it a well deserved 9 out of 10.

Marketing Efforts Towards Women:

Guild Wars unfortunately is no longer "straddling" the line between over-sexed female characters and those that are are covered up as would be appropriate to their profession. The Elementalist in Nightfall jiggles provocatively and in addition to the open cleavage the thin little scarf she is wearing for a top covers very little of her anatomy. Ok maybe it is hot where she is from...? But still it is an unfortunate departure for the franchise. Perhaps the third volume in the series was thought to need to be spiced up a notch to promote sales. However the promiscuous outfits are no favor to women playing the game.

Unfortunately in Guild Wars: Nightfall, even more women are reporting harassment and abuse than before. There is no reason for anyone, be it women, children or older adults to be exposed to personal attacks of "trash talking". The behavior originally became common from teenaged boys that played the first person shooters on consoles. Unchecked that unacceptable attitude has grown to become what male gamers think "comes with the territory". The world of MMO's is not a gym locker room. Beyond the verbal assaults, this has escalated to sexual innuendo, requests for sexual acts, and nude photographs of body parts "to prove you are a real girl". This never should be an acceptable behavior.

Imagine for a moment that your own 64 year old grandfather, or your fourteen year old little sister is playing behind that avatar before you speak guys. Verbal abuse is intolerable and the Guild Wars staff does a good job of policing their games along with the help of actual regional law enforcement. Trash talking and online verbal abuse is ultimately going to be the next target for the political vehicle to focus their unwanted attention in video gaming. You know who you are, and you will have no one to blame but yourselves when they do.

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