For those of you not familiar with the title, Guild Wars is a brilliant blend of both MMO and action RPG elements. The dev team specifically wanted to focus on the best and most engaging aspects of each genre. Strain verbalizes the vision the team is driving forward with for the game: “Don’t grind…get in and play.” Strain goes on to compare the style of game-play as a much enhanced version of Diablo 2. The enhancements versus Diablo 2 that Strain discusses include several modes of play from PvP arenas and competitive missions with opposing team goals as well as PvM campaigns, which are instanced zones for a player parties to explore, complete with over-arching story arcs. The PvP aspects are dubbed “a contest of skill” as opposed to a battle primarily decided by character level. Additionally, the MMO qualities of the game translate into areas where the world itself is persistent, towns or outposts for example. Another comparison that Strain aptly used was with the “Magic: The Gathering” series. He explained that the framework that drove the Guild Wars design was that players gain skills over time, through quests and trading with players or NPCs), that add to a “bank” of sorts. Each encounter allows a player to choose a select number from that bank, bringing an unprecedented amount of strategy to each mode in the game. Areanet seems intent on breaking the mold and bringing the fun back to the massive multi-play arena.