Guild Wars 2 Arrives on Mac With Beta Client Release

[TLewis]

Originally Posted by joemod

I don't think these are issues at all.

I agree with the general idea, but I think the punishment needs to be a bit more gradual. Right now, it's somewhat similar to having the death penalty for all crimes.

[Iamcardboard]

Originally Posted by Sythas

Nice!

Now I really need to go back home and see if it runs on my mba 2011, should be able to, i5, 4 GB ram, HD3000 ....

Let me know how that goes! I have the same model and loved the original GW game. Not sure how well it would run on my late 2011 air though

[star-affinity]

I know it's Cider and all but it's the same for other ”demanding” games that exists for both OS X and Windows (i.e. Starcraft 2, Borderlands etc.). Performance is much better in Windows, especially if the graphic details settings are cranked up (shaders) and if it's a complex scene that's being viewed. It's fine if your character is walking around in a tent or something, but for a game to be enjoyable I want it to be smooth in more or less all situations.

I'm quite tired of the game performance situation in OS X. I know Microsoft has put a lot of effort in Direct3D and that driver development on the Windows side are more progressive and game focused, but still. OS X shouldn't have to lag behind that much. Especially now when Apple has the money to focus a bit more on it. But I guess they don't care. Casual gaming all the way, i.e. iOS games ported to the OS X with Game Center support. Wow… -.-

Not that I have anything against iOS gaming (I enjoy it very much from time to time), but they're not always a substitute for some the ”larger” games for computers and consoles.

[drale]

Do you think or do you know that it runs crap under Cider?

I spent few hours last night playing the Mac beta client on my imac (late 2009) and it runs as good as the bootcamp version. I switched between full and windowed mode, in different resolutions and the game never slow down for me.

The one thing that annoyed me is I wish they do a 'frameless' window mode because as of right now I can only do 25XX by 1440 in full screen -or- 1920 by 1200 in window to see everything.

Other than that, the game runs fine for me. I spent 90% of the time doing WvW in zerg battles.

[Corrosive vinyl]

Originally Posted by KnightWRX

The 9400m is probably not up to par for it. Notice all the listed MacBook Airs either have the 320m (which is twice as fast as your 9400m) or the newer Intel 3000 HD based Sandy Bridge Airs.

I am running the beta on a 2009 MBP with the 9400m chip, 8GB of RAM and getting much better fps than with the wine port (notice not very substantial, but decent). also, i can now see in the snow and underwater (wine had that annoying nvidia graphics glitch where clouds aren't see-through).

[kitsunestudios]

Originally Posted by drale

Other than that, the game runs fine for me. I spent 90% of the time doing WvW in zerg battles.

That's my experience too. Was involved in two pitched battles with bosses, with piles of spell effects flashing everywhere. A few players made "computer meltdown in 3...2...1..." jokes in chat, but my system remained completely responsive with for both fights.

I know most of my settings are on "low" instead of "medium" compared to the boot camp version, but I honestly didn't see much of a difference in the graphics. The game is pretty enough to survive low graphic settings.

[ilikepear]

On the macbook pro retina 2.6 - enjoying it

I do not see any difference between bootcamp windows 8 and running it natively in osx.

I do not know much about cider, but IMHO it does not affect the quality/fps at all.

Although they did say it is in beta, i have yet to see any crashes or glitches.

[NAG]

Originally Posted by TLewis

• However, it is strongly recommended that you and your friends all arrange to be on the same homeworld (server). Meeting up is a lot easier if you're all on the same homeworld. You can all be different races/professions, but you really need to be on the same homeworld. While you can switch homeworlds, it can be very expensive (like up to US$22.50), although I think switching is still temporarily free while anet fixes some issues. (Note that the gameplay content is identical for all homeworlds, but a given homeworld can have tiny improvements, such as slightly increased experience point awards, all affected by separate and massive world vs world tournaments.)

Just a note, they will be implementing a free guesting feature in the future (it is a main feature but apparently they just ran out of time before launch). So Home server really only matters as far as WvW rankings and how long the WvW queues are (you can't guest in a WvW match).

Oh, and as far as the exploit bans, you really had to be doing really taking advantage of it (like thousands of purchases, I believe) to get yourself permabanned.

[luffytubby]

this is one of the most fun online games I've ever played - And this comes from someone who has gotten burned on so many MMOs over the last decade. This game is golden. It's one of those rare games that come off very rarely. Ultima Online shaked the industry in a similar way back in 97, but back that the rules of engagement as much more difficult. dont miss this game. It's really, that good.

And anybody who tells you otherwise, either had unrealistic expectations. Make no mistake - the game has plenty of problems currently, but its still a god send if you take it for what it is.


the best review I've read so far comes from Eurogamer; http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-wars-2-review

[Rogzilla]

Originally Posted by Corrosive vinyl

I am running the beta on a 2009 MBP with the 9400m chip, 8GB of RAM and getting much better fps than with the wine port (notice not very substantial, but decent). also, i can now see in the snow and underwater (wine had that annoying nvidia graphics glitch where clouds aren't see-through).

THIS makes me happy. ^_^ Thank you for sharing! Do you know what sort of frame rates you were getting?

[Corrosive vinyl]

Originally Posted by Rogzilla

THIS makes me happy. ^_^ Thank you for sharing! Do you know what sort of frame rates you were getting?

When using wineskin, I was getting an abysmal 8-15 FPS and could hardly see in the Norn area (a ton of snow/weather) and underwater. Playing the official beta, I am getting about 14-22 fps when playing and can go underwater and can see clearly in the Norn area as well as underwater.

[NAG]

Originally Posted by luffytubby

this is one of the most fun online games I've ever played - And this comes from someone who has gotten burned on so many MMOs over the last decade. This game is golden. It's one of those rare games that come off very rarely. Ultima Online shaked the industry in a similar way back in 97, but back that the rules of engagement as much more difficult. dont miss this game. It's really, that good.

And anybody who tells you otherwise, either had unrealistic expectations. Make no mistake - the game has plenty of problems currently, but its still a god send if you take it for what it is.


the best review I've read so far comes from Eurogamer; http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-wars-2-review

Good article. As far as expectations it reminds me a lot of people griping about the iPhone 5 by saying xyz had the same stuff before. Yup, Guild Wars 2 pretty much has no 100% new features (ToR has more story, Tabula Rasa had the action combat, Warhammer had the dynamic events to a degree, etc... I'm not sure if any MMO has put such an emphasis on exploration). The part that makes it fun is that they not only do those features well but they also have the right combination. Easy to overhype or poopoo with a check list. Essentially, if you go in looking to have fun you'll probably find it.

[Rogzilla]

Originally Posted by Corrosive vinyl

When using wineskin, I was getting an abysmal 8-15 FPS and could hardly see in the Norn area (a ton of snow/weather) and underwater. Playing the official beta, I am getting about 14-22 fps when playing and can go underwater and can see clearly in the Norn area as well as underwater.

OK. So just barely servicable (for me anyway). I've been waiting to Bootcamp until Windows 8 came out (its so close and I am hearing that the system builder version will be about $100 a pop). I'll probably still eventually put GW2 on my Windows partition and play it there, but at least I know I don't have to wait until I get W8.

[Stosh68]

Originally Posted by GadgetDon

If NCSoft hadn't just closed Paragon Studios and announced the end of City of Heroes with zero warning even though the upcoming update was looking good and had a thriving community, I might be interested.

As it is, why would anyone trust getting involved in an NCSoft MMO?

IF CoH had a "thriving community", the game would not have been cancelled. Not having a thriving community (aka paying userbase) is the reason it was cancelled. Your statement is as silly as me saying I'm not not going to buy an Ipad because Apple cancelled the Newton.

[star-affinity]

Originally Posted by drale

Do you think or do you know that it runs crap under Cider?

I spent few hours last night playing the Mac beta client on my imac (late 2009) and it runs as good as the bootcamp version. I switched between full and windowed mode, in different resolutions and the game never slow down for me.

The one thing that annoyed me is I wish they do a 'frameless' window mode because as of right now I can only do 25XX by 1440 in full screen -or- 1920 by 1200 in window to see everything.

Other than that, the game runs fine for me. I spent 90% of the time doing WvW in zerg battles.

I mean ”In my opinion”. I know what I think, because I tried.
I have everything at max settings in Windows, and while the framer rate sure drops in certain scenarios it's much worse in OS X.

I'm amazed you don't think there's a difference between Bootcamp and the OS X version. Maybe you have some settings turned of in both versions of the game and maybe having that setting off makes the performance difference smaller between OS X and Windows.

It's like in Borderlands on OS X, if you turn on shaders the performance (frame rate) drops dramatically, not so much in Windows on the same hardware.

[Osymandias]

Originally Posted by NAG

Good article. As far as expectations it reminds me a lot of people griping about the iPhone 5 by saying xyz had the same stuff before. Yup, Guild Wars 2 pretty much has no 100% new features (ToR has more story, Tabula Rasa had the action combat, Warhammer had the dynamic events to a degree, etc... I'm not sure if any MMO has put such an emphasis on exploration). The part that makes it fun is that they not only do those features well but they also have the right combination. Easy to overhype or poopoo with a check list. Essentially, if you go in looking to have fun you'll probably find it.

I don't think I've ever come across anyone else that played Tabula Rasa, so cookies to you for the reference. That game was kittens. I think a lot of the joy that comes from Guild Wars 2 is that you don't have to dedicate your entire evening to playing the game in order to remain competitive. I can go out on a date night with my wife or play with my kids, or have a few drinks and watch a baseball game at my local bar, pretty much anything I want to with my time. I can do all of these things and my character will not be rendered obsolete in any aspect of the game. I am still competitive in PvP, I can still complete the high level encounters. I'm not forever chasing the carrot on a stick that is gear progression. I think that is the main draw for me. The game itself is highly enjoyable, with decent customization options and a fun crafting and discovery system (not as in depth as Skyrim, thank goodness, I'd never see the world!) and the ambience in the world, from overheard NPC conversation to some of the characters you meet along the way is incredibly immersive and entertaining.

As for how it plays on a Mac... I have an Early 2008 model iMac, 24" 2.8 core2duo, 4gb ram, with a stock ATI 2600 pro 256mb vid card. Ran a stable 25-35fps in all environments, heavy population, wide vista, heavy action. This is on Low/medium settings, but the game was very playable and still looked great.

[NAG]

Originally Posted by Osymandias

I don't think I've ever come across anyone else that played Tabula Rasa, so cookies to you for the reference.

It was an interesting game but waaaay not ready for launch (man it was grindy as heck). And yeah, Guild Wars 2 has very little grind. It is pretty funny WoW is considered grindy right now. Go back and read the WoW reviews from launch (and for the record I have both GW2 and MoP and I like both games).

[polyh3dron]

I already have this installed on my rMBP's Windows 7 partition.. Love this game.

[luffytubby]

Originally Posted by NAG

It was an interesting game but waaaay not ready for launch (man it was grindy as heck). And yeah, Guild Wars 2 has very little grind. It is pretty funny WoW is considered grindy right now. Go back and read the WoW reviews from launch (and for the record I have both GW2 and MoP and I like both games).

It's been 8 years of tons of MMOs with the same quest formula. People label lots of things as a grind, but at the bottom of it, lies a feeling of having to do repetitive tasks that are not fun. Quests were fresh when WoW was introduced. Now, 8 years later they feel grindy and like a chore.

Maybe 8 years from now, Dynamic Events will feel grindy. But for now it's a breathe of fresh air. FANTASTIC Game

[izzysanime]

I was able to install it on Snow Leopard. 10.6.8. Its great though.

[leenak]

I played this last night under OSX and I'm very happy and will not be bootcamping anymore.

My rMBP does not get as hot as it gets under Windows. The game played smooth and it looked crisp. I think the fact that there is better heat control under OSX helps.

I will say I do think Guild Wars 2 is a bit overhyped. Sure there are 'dynamic' events but the dynamic events are just events that may or may not happen while you are in the area but the events are the same. It is a fun diversion and has some nice features but I'm not sure I'd say it is the best game ever.

[Jayss123]

Osymandias

As for how it plays on a Mac... I have an Early 2008 model iMac, 24" 2.8 core2duo, 4gb ram, with a stock ATI 2600 pro 256mb vid card. Ran a stable 25-35fps in all environments, heavy population, wide vista, heavy action. This is on Low/medium settings, but the game was very playable and still looked great.

Ok I have a Intel first Gen Mac Pro, it has 2 X 2Ghz Dual Core Intel Xeon,7GB 667 Mhz DD2 FB-DIM ram,NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512 MB, Resolution: 1680 x 1050, I did have the 30inch but figured I would go with the smaller monitor I have everything on low or None, but all I get is 5 FPS and or 2 to 5 in Lion's Arch and DR as well. I have 10.6.8 SNow Lep, will getting 10.8.x help at all?

[Zanon]

I love to PVP/RVR, whatever it's called.

It would be nice to get on a server that isn't losing too much in it, do you guys have the name of one that is currently winning at least 50%+ of their matches?

Thanks!

[NAG]

Originally Posted by Zanon

I love to PVP/RVR, whatever it's called.

It would be nice to get on a server that isn't losing too much in it, do you guys have the name of one that is currently winning at least 50%+ of their matches?

Thanks!

They're still working on the ladder/match making for WvW. As far as getting on a server that consistently is doing well in WvW, well those servers are usually very highly populated and not only does that mean you have to pay a lot to transfer to them but the WvW queues are very long. Honestly, I'd recommend aiming for a middle of the road server (one that still plays WvW but won't necessarily win all the time).

For instance, I'm on Fort Aspenwood. We get our asses handed to us by the higher tier Worlds (we love the mindless zerg a bit too much) but we do pretty well with the next tier down.

Originally Posted by leenak

I will say I do think Guild Wars 2 is a bit overhyped. Sure there are 'dynamic' events but the dynamic events are just events that may or may not happen while you are in the area but the events are the same. It is a fun diversion and has some nice features but I'm not sure I'd say it is the best game ever.

Yeah, if someone tells you this game is perfect you should take them on a camping trip or something. What I say is that this game will probably stick around with a healthy community (i.e. it won't implode after four months like every other MMORPG released recently).

[sigma8]

Originally Posted by TLewis

I agree with the general idea, but I think the punishment needs to be a bit more gradual. Right now, it's somewhat similar to having the death penalty for all crimes.

Then don't commit crimes? Why would you need 50 of an obviously bugged TP item, unless your sole plan was to try to hold onto it and exploit it post-bug-fix at higher resale? For people who just were like "omg, bug! I want one!" and bought one or a couple for them and their friends, it sounds like that would have been completely overlooked. 50+ is a substantial amount of an item.