Xbox live gold needed or not
I'm extremely confused about the requirements to play plants vs zombies garden warfare or warfare2 on Xbox one. I understand it needs internet but does it also require a paid subscription Xbox live? I...
Forum Discussion
Your system requires an Internet connection so that it can communicate with the EA servers; all of the game's save data is stored there and EA seems to be a firm believer in the "Always Online" method of anti-piracy.
Without an XBox Gold or a Playstation Plus subscription you'll be denied access to any feature which requires interaction with other players online. This means that online multiplayer battles and online Co-Op in the form of Garden and Graveyard Ops won't be available, but both of these features have reasonable approximations using AI teammates and opponents. The Solo play options won't be as challenging since the AI doesn't come near the skill level of actual human players but you still get to experience the main bulk of the game and you can get a level of customization in both your own AI team and your AI opponents.
The part where you'll probably feel the absence the most is going to be with the Trials of Gnomus. The Trials involve acquiring special keys for a special area where you undergo some fairly rigorous tests of your skills as a player and succeeding at all four of the Trials rewards you with the ability to unlock two new Character classes which are not available by default.
This part of the game relies heavily on earning Rainbow Stars which can only come from playing events three times a month in the Mystery Portal which sits inside Town Hall. The problem you'll experience with "offline" play is that the Mystery Portal is exclusively online multiplayer and online Co-Op and doesn't grant you any solo option. While they do allow you to exchange normal Stars which you can earn from Quests for the special Rainbow Stars the exchange rate is stiff at 7:1 which means that without access to the Mystery Portal it will take months for an offline player to earn the same number of Rainbow Stars that an online player can earn in a weekend and quite frankly you may lose interest in the game before ever unlocking the two hidden character classes.
Now none of that matters if your son just wants to goof around with a silly game about Plants and Zombies at war with one another with all sorts of oddball variations of each character class but if you think he might be bothered by knowing that he's missing out on a part of the game then it might be worth looking into a subscription so that he can join in.
I agree with other customers that the EA policy about the Xbox Gold subscription is very confusing because both titles are sold. I have a GW2 that works just with the subscription. I tried to buy one copy without subscription but here in Italy when you ask about the matter the answer in the shops is always ambiguous. They just answer that you need a 'internet connection' but when you ask if you need a subscription of Xbox Golt, they just say again that you need an 'internet connection' but really they don't know if you need such subscription or not. As result, you leave the game in the shop (and this just damages EA). I think that it will be better to write explicitly that the game needs an internet connection but not an Xbox Gold subscription. From the box this is not clear and there is only the way to test if it works buying the game (and the shop gets back the game at 1/10 the price you payd !).
From what I can tell, you need a xbox live subscription to play GW and GW2. Cause I couldn't play multiplayer without it on both games.
EA_ArchiEA Staff (Retired)
Hello @salvadi1
I am really sorry for any confusion, you might have with different game modes. You can always ask as directly anything, concerning any EA game. And I am sure, should you decide to buy one of ours game at one of our certified retailers, the should be able to assist you with any such questions.
Cheers,
ArchiThank you Archi,
I have GW1 and live gold has just expired and I don't want to pay again for it but I want to play with GW so I was looking for a solution that seems to be GW2. Has said above also asking to the certified retailers where I live (Gamestop) it was impossible to have warranties that it will work without live gold (they just repeat that I need an internet connection... 'do I need live gold ?' ... 'you need an internet connection' .... :-(
I will buy GW2 at my risk just following the indications in this pages, but believe me, put in the cover of the game a clear indication on the matter about the internet and the live gold.
Cheers,
Sil
