Guild Wars: Why I Hate the Costume Brawl

It's going to be gone in a few days. It's just that simple. It's got its flaws and foibles that I'd want to tweak (See here, for a list of some things I'd change. Here, too. Otherwise, I think the biggest problem is how the Ranger build is heads above the rest good. And I think that's as simple as switching out Natural Stride for another, less effective, run buff, like Dodge. Sure, it's awful but this kind of format is best when everyone's awful.) but my main problem is that it's a temporary glimpse into a better Guild Wars world. One where awesome casual mini-games are studded around to create places where you can go to blow off some steam. Multiple quick formats that don't take a lot of time to play, don't take a lot of thought to set-up your character for. That you can log on to the game for with a few stolen moments and still feel like you're walking away with some fun in your pocket. Alternatives to the RA, in other words. Lower barriers of entry for new players. A game that focuses on an enjoyable experience rather than its own unique version of grind, also known as "practice".

Because, the Costume Brawl is amazing. It's better than the Random Arena at this point. I wouldn't want to play in the Arena if it was like these mini-games. There should be a casual, penalty free environment where you can go to mess around and try out builds and techniques. Because a big part of the game is mixing and matching your skills and equipment. But it's not the only part. Other things go into the PvP experience and some of them aren't nearly as daunting.

More pure, more simple, more of a quick way to log in and blow off some steam. I wouldn't mind it if the CB replaced the RA completely. Hell, even the Alliance Battles or Comp mission in general. Maybe you could add a few more options per profession, a few different builds to pick from, if you really wanted to get rid of the RA. Work on balancing and fixing the inconsistent equipment crap but it could be done. Because at least that way I wouldn't have to have teammates who are running absolutely mindboggling stuff or have to deal with idiots who load in with a tanking/stalling build to get their kicks. You know, at least, what everyone is doing and while that takes a lot of strategy out of the game (And that's an important part, part that I love, but it's a part that's already well-served in other formats, like HA or GvG.) it removes a lot of the frustration and intimidation associated with GW PvP as well. It could be serving a valuable place in the game as a stepping stone to greater PvP play instead of being a transitory event. And a similar argument could be made for any of the mini-games. A lot of time and attention have been spent coming up with these things that are only in the game a few weeks out of the year.


But they could, they should be around longer because the mini-games can teach things. Dragon Arena strips out build choices and teaches you about reflexes and positioning - it probably needs to be four players instead of six but that's just me. Snowball Arena teaches players about the importance of class differences, slowly, simply, by making everyone the same except for a few minor differences - it's maximizing those differences to your advantage that separate the true snowslingers from the rank newbs. I'm not sure what Rollerbeetles teach except that the devs can do some wacked out shit with the game but I'm sure it has its uses. Even the mini-games introduced in GW:EN have their place. Or, at least, would if they were multiplayer instead of a game to figure out how to beat up on the AI. But the Costume Brawl is greater than all of those because instead of deforming the game's rules, twisting the way you normally play by introducing new rules for that specific place, it instead boils gameplay down to one of its essential cores. It takes away all the build making and customization but it leaves you with actual skills and actual characters that are used the same way you use them in the arenas or a guild battle. It has such promise, such potential to lure new players into the PvP realm that I want it to be around year long, sitting there on the Battle Isles, with an NPC in every major town, tempting people to go. I don't see why these mini-games aren't available year round.

Okay, so if they were around all the time, they'd lose some of their allure. Maybe if they were always there then they wouldn't be so tempting and they'd be just another PvP format to further dilute a dwindling playerbase instead of a gateway for bored PvE players to step into a brave new world. I don't know but I do know that I'd like to find out.