Anyone play? I've just started again, and I'm enjoying it so far. I've had an odd relationship with Guild Wars. I beta tested it, way back when, and I was really impressed with everything they were doing. I guess I got burnt by the experience, a bit, and when the retail game hit, I never finished the original campaign, and haven't even hit the level cap (which is pretty low) with my first/main character.

Well, I'm looking to change that. I want to finish the Prophecies campaign, and I'm interested in purchasing Nightfall as well. The new classes look awesome. I wish they would release some kind of box set that included all of the expansion packs. Now that Guild Wars 2 is underway, I hope that they've pretty much concluded all work on expanding the original game at this point.

Hopefully they keep updating and supporting what's already there, but I'd just like to see them put all their efforts into GW2. There's already three expansions for the original. I think that's quite enough.

Indeed.. but GW is more of a MMO/Dungeon Hack mix. I'm so lost right now. This game is pretty simple on the surface, but with all of the additions that they've made through the new campaigns (expansions).. it seems like a different game than when I left. Granted, I don't have access to most of that stuff anyway.

This is a game where you'd really benefit greatly from being in a guild (I guess that's why it's in the title?), but I don't think I'm ready to commit that much time to it. It's sort of a bummer though, because without that sort of support, I don't think there's much reason to even try enjoying PVP.. unless there is a purely random / casual PVP arena, I'm not sure...

There's been quite a few things added over the course of the two expansion campaigns and through Eye of the North (which isn't a campaign), but of course I don't have access to the bulk majority of that stuff. I really want Nightfall and/or Eye of the North now that I've read up a bit on heroes.. that stuff sounds really cool. You can unlock them through the course of the Nightfall campaign, as well as several through Eye of the North, and use them in both PvE and PvP.

In PvE heroes have to level up, just like everyone else, and you unlock new equipment and skills for them to use along the way. I think that's pretty cool. It adds another layer of depth to the campaign, since you're no longer just worried about your own progression, but your NPC's. It also probably a lot easier to play the game solo or guildless with a team of fully stacked heroes in your roster, since a party including several level 20 heroes will be much more effective than your average henchmen would.

The PvP stuff (HvH) with heroes sounds quite cool too. From what I've read, Hero Battles seem to be 1v1 events, where the players bring three of their heroes along with them into battle. Cool stuff.

Anyhow, I just want to finish Prophecies before GW2 comes out, but when I finish it I think I might pick up Nightfall and Eye of the North. I'll consider Factions if I ever finish Nightfall, but I really think the two new classes in Nightfall are pretty awesome looking. I want to build a Dervish and a Paragon.

I would also sort of like access to the Hall of Monuments, which is mostly a bit of a bonus for future GW2 players, within GW:

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Hall_of_Monuments

Eye of the North doesn't add a new campaign, but yes, it's the newest expansion. They had originally planned a fourth stand alone campaign called Utopia, but canceled it in favor of Guild Wars 2.

They released Eye of the North as sort of a stop gap expansion pack, and it requires you to have any of the existing three campaigns installed in order to use the new stuff. There are no new co-op missions in Eye of the North (there are 20 in Nightfall, a few less in Factions) and no new story content that I'm aware of.. but there are new Heroes (meaning if you just have Prophecies + Eye of the North you can still use them), areas, and loads of new skills.

The whole thing was meant to help transition players from GW to GW2. You won't be able to transfer characters to the sequel, but they do have that Hall of Monuments thing, which I suppose just gives you some bragging rights in GW2.

I doubt they wiped any of your characters BTW. Mine had three years worth of birthday presents stashed in her inventory.

Cool. That may be the only real fair way to write a review of an online game like Guild Wars. Man I want the expansions!

I really want to complete the f'n campaign, but now I'm highly distracted by Soul Calibur. Oh Guild Wars, will we ever really be finished? By the time I get through Prophecies, GW2 will be out, and I'll have had no time for the expansion packs.