Some thoughts on GW1 & GW2
Another long post incoming. I know I can be pretty verbose but over the life of GW2 I’ve seen quite a few people complain about things that GW1 had that are lacking in GW2 and after playing both game...
Forum Discussion
Thanks for the kind words. A few of the things you said got me thinking.
@ Iron_Guard8 wrote:
- I get what you mean that the Zombie controlled levels are gloomier than what we are normally used to but I also feel they have intentionally lightened the mood with humor; the disco diner in Zombopolis, the silly zoo in the park area of Zomburbia, and the various signs and funny adverts all over the zombie controlled levels add some levity while the general mood is made more zombie-like. I do agree that the plant controlled levels feel more cheerful overall though. I think more of a mix would be great. I never really found even Zombopolis to be that gloomy thanks to the game’s humor but the plant focused levels are unquestionably brighter and more cheerful.
The humor helps, don't get me wrong. The problem is, in an active battlefield I'm not likely to be reading or really even taking in the funny sights. All I see is the general atmosphere. Another thing is Zomburbia and Moon Base are technically day, but the zombie lighting gives it an unnatural darkness. Zombopolis I am more forgiving of because it is night so the lighting is more natural. Perhaps I am overly sensitive, or perhaps it has worn on me over the countless hours of leveling and coin collecting. Still, I can't help but point out I never had that problem in GW1.
On a deeper note, I suspect it is a natural reaction to the zombie style. Zombies started in the horror genre, one designed to get reactions based on being uneasy. Even in a cartoony setting the zombie style retains that uneasy origin. So it is very possible it is a reaction to design choices. Again, I could be overly sensitive to settings like this. (In life I am more of a watcher and observer, so I tend to be more engulfed in my environment than others.) If anything a better mix would help the situation, switching between the two should lessen the effects. (Were as now even Great White North and Time Park retain the darker feeling.) Just something for PopCap to think about.
@Iron_Guard8 wrote:
- There were some challenges in GW1 that simply never worked. The one I’m thinking of off the top of my head was vanquish a certain number of plants after warping as a scientist without being vanquished. Even when I did it far in excess of that requirement (like vanquish 5 and getting a 12 vanquish streak after warping) it never worked. The challenge stars were almost required for ones like that. Also like you pointed out they often led to you playing in a counterproductive manner. I never liked the challenge system in GW1 much.
I knew I was forgetting a bunch. It has been awhile since I really focused on GW1. I also recall vanquishing foes under 20 hp being very obnoxious. I remember doing a lot of frustrating challenges. I will say though, a good majority of the frustration came from the unpredictability of human players. I wouldn't consider under 20 hp frustrating for plants since I had Ops. Plus, I'll bet even warping vanquishes would be more tolerable in a PvE setting. What I am saying is, were GW1 to be rereleased I could tolerate no change to the challenges IF there was an accompanying solo mode. But, don't get me wrong, if a remake made two changes removing the, in a session, under 20hp and without being vanquished challenges would be a close second pick. (A player's work should never be reset when completing a task.) I'm sure there are more but since its been awhile they escape me.
@Iron_Guard8 wrote:
- It’s been 3 years but I swear GW1 launched with coin packs (at least on PC where the game launched later than consoles). GW2 it feels built in but the packs weren’t available for a couple of months. The sticker packs in GW2 are more expensive for sure; the basic reinforcement pack is 1k in GW1 and 2.5k in GW2 as a quick example. I agree that coins should have more weight. I don’t want to see basic packs cost 60k in the next game.
I think you are right about PC. In fact, I think the announcement and implementation lined up with the PC release. I played on Xbox 360 (Now on PS4) so when I started there were no coin packs. I didn't buy GW2 until this past May so I can't speak on it. However, I have a feeling that even if coins weren't available at launch that the developers always had an intention to add them to GW2. (Opposed to GW1 were if I recall they promised they would not add micro transactions.) That mentality seems to have appeared in the prices for things. (That or artificially dragging out content, either way, not really acceptable.)
@Iron_Guard8 wrote:
- The trials of Gnomus area is a very interesting and great looking area but it’s seriously underutilized. I haven’t been down there since unlocking both characters as I have no reason to; I opened all the chests, beat all the trials, and unlocked the characters so there’s nothing else there. I would love to have a reason to go down there now. I’ve mentioned this before but it’s obvious a lot of work went into this place and it’s a shame that I no longer have a reason to go down there.
This is something I hadn't thought about but, from a developing prospective it is very important. GW2 seems to have a lot of single functional things. The trials of Gnomus area and each of the trials, Infinity Time, and some quest related places. It is a lot of effort to create such places, effort that could be used for more frequently used things. Don't get me wrong, it is a very nice touch. But, for such a massive area such as the trials area to be used for exactly one thing it feels like a wasted effort. Going forward I think that special areas like these need multiple uses, and to designed so that they can have multiple uses. (Opposed to how things are which leave me feeling like "Why didn't they just put the effort into a new map or two.")
So a big thing I noticed after playing some more GW1 as well as my regular GW2 time:
- A big change from GW1 to GW2 was the coins from the bonus garden (Enchanted in GW2) now give everyone the coins, in GW1 only the person who grabs them gets them. This is a serious positive change I had forgotten all about and I am most appreciative of this one!
time for my stuff: (heads up, i am sometimes not that deep of a thinker so if you are expecting more, then, tough)
what GW1 did good:
- the maps had an abandoned feel, and were set in towns which gave it an original PVZ feel
- turret ability, I really like how engineers could build turrets away from the teleport, and also upgrading,
- size of turf takeover, they were amazing and was always fun to play
What GW2 did good:
- single player, there were missions on both sides which were fun to do when not playing multiplayer. they were fun, and kinda simple.
what GW1 & 2 did badly:
- (sigh) turf takeover, (for both of them) there was so much that could have been done with this, they could have created some awesome play styles with these maps, I have played Star wars battlefront online, you would know about the game mode supremacy, this was a game mode where there were 5 specific zones on the map, both sides both sides have two already in their control. when the game starts both sides fight for the centre zone and when a team captures a zone the enemy fall back to the next zone which the opponent already owns, I wish this same play style was in a GW game.
- DLC: this game should be like PVZ 2 (NOT GW2) they are always adding new stuff to it, if this were the same with GW, there would be a heck of a lot more players always, and yes I know PVZ 2 aren't making anymore worlds but they are constantly adding new plants, events, and pinnate parties. (olay 🥳 cha cha cha)
Some interesting points @NerdBunker_Sam,
- I've been curious about why the engineer turrets in GW2 are a single stage construct instead of the original 3 stages form GW1. Maybe to streamline playing an engineer and now rose as well? I liked upgrading the bots and having a spot or 2 near the capture points too, but it's never bugged me in GW2 that we can't. If GW3 brings that back, cool, if not, no harm done really. I do want the engineer drones back as an option in lieu of taking the big bolt blaster though!
- Honestly I like both games' TT maps. In general I like GW1's slightly more but I quite enjoy GW2's as well, especially Moonbase Z and Zombopolis.
- From what I've seen the new game will have a lot of single player content. GW2 had a lot of fun solo stuff to do as well as multiplayer, part of why I overall like GW2 more than GW1.
- I'm a big fan of Turf Takeover but adding a new mode like that; where both sides start with some points and fight over a middle point and then push the other team back was also in TF2. They could add a mode like that with new maps so the starting areas match the team (plants or zombies) and changes occur over the areas as one team takes them over!
- More DLC is a good idea. I play PvZ2 on my phone at least a little every day. The new PvZ shooter needs to have a lot of DLC; new variants, maps, customizations, and other stuff would be awesome.
