Mini Games in GW2

[Akirai Annuvil]

A lot of posters seem to want mini-games added to the game in some kind of format (mostly combined with crafting, to both give players more to do as well as add that apparently quintessential piece of gameplay to the game).

Personally I do not see the need for crafting to be a minigame. As interesting as it sounds, having to go through the same hoops every time you wish to create your items will quickly turn boring.
Furthermore, designing fun mini-games normally takes up a considerable amount of development time.

This however does not mean that I don't wish to see any mini-games added to GW. However, I'd prefer seeing them added as fun extras to pass the time with a friend or two - plus I don't care if they're original (in fact, I'd probably prefer them to be unoriginal, simply because copying a real life game does not take away any part of the Dev Team's time, plus a lot of these games are already balanced and known to be fun).
Some examples of mini-games taken from real life:

Chess - a very basic game which does not need a ton of explanation. Hand out simple chess pieces to players at the start of the game and allow them the option to challenge each other. Winning could reward the player with a title or with new, more rare (and better looking) chess pieces, assuming rewards are even deemed necesarry (I'd play it just for fun and a diversion). Or make a king sized chess board available in one of the outposts, and allow players to play each other on it.

Cards - there a lot of fun games to play with even 1 deck of cards. If a betting feature could also be added, Guilds, friends or even PuGs could hold simple things like poker sessions amongst each other as mini-events.

Treasure Hunt - add drops, random spawns, etc. which when gathered reward the player with some aesthetic or fun item. For example, strewn around the Northern Shiverpeaks are pages of Jora Nornbear's long lost diary. Collecting all of them grants you the item: Jora's Diary which tells of some of her exploit after you died. Some of these pages can be found from the corpse of a monster, others lying atop the highest Shiverpeak Mountain. This would, obviously, be PvE only.

I've never really understood why no online game allowed players to play with something as simple as a deck of cards, or chess. They're known to be fun little diversions, and they're also not too hard to design (otherwise it's quite weird how a lot of sites offer them freely).

[raspberry jam]

Winning could reward the player with a titleHere is where your idea fails, sorry, if you give any reward for it, you always get farmers. And suddenly it's not a diversion anymore. Sort of like RA.

I really, really like the Jora's diary type idea though. Innovative quest design (because that's what it is, really) is what these types of games really need.

[Akirai Annuvil]

Here is where your idea fails, sorry, if you give any reward for it, you always get farmers
assuming rewards are even deemed necesarry (I'd play it just for fun and a diversion)
I wouldn't tie any rewards to it (well possible better looking/thematic chess pieces if it's not that much effort for design), however ANet seems to like tying rewards to things which don't need it and it does present a certain opportunity to do so.
I really, really like the Jora's diary type idea though. Innovative quest design (because that's what it is, really) is what these types of games really need.
A small difference with normal quests is the type of reward -- quests tend to give exp, weapons or skills. This would give you a fun bit of lore, maybe a set of fireworks. Aesthetics only, basically.

[kyln]

I agree that crafting and minigames should be separate.

I want both mind, but combining them would bet annoying fast.

Card games can be fun. KOTOR had Pazaak, a card game that was close to blackjack(21). I could see how Anet could do something similar. Take a simple existing game, tweak it ever so slightly to make it unique to GW and there you go.

I also would like a polymock version that keyed off of minipets instead of having separate pieces. Of course, this should be something you could play against other people with as well.

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Edit:

I like the treasure hunt idea.

Chess or some similar strategy game would be fun.

I would also be in favor of adding a dice game. Dice are historically and old gambling game.

And i agree, a lot of these shouldn't take forever to do.

[Lamuness]

Rewards would be fine. I just don't think the rewards should be something that you can use as an advantage over another player. Fireworks, lore, mini-pets, new helmets, costumes, haircuts, etc. are all good candidates for rewards. Because if you don't get a reward for doing something, why bother? Players should always be rewarded for something they do. It would be pointless to have something in the game, just to have it.

A card game that is as deep as Tetra Master or Triple Triad would be great.

And stuff like Jora's Diary is always the best, although they get annoying, if you've ever played WoW, and did those STV quests w/ the books. I like the idea though, just don't MAKE me get them. If I wanted to read lore I could. Or we could have a library where you can interact with books like the statues all around the world and they'll give you a piece of the lore.

[raspberry jam]

A small difference with normal quests is the type of reward -- quests tend to give exp, weapons or skills. This would give you a fun bit of lore, maybe a set of fireworks. Aesthetics only, basically.Yes, but remember that people loved the black moa quest. Because it was different, it was a bit of a treasure hunt and adventure, and you got a cute pet as a memory of it all. Stuff that give xp or items etc, they are needed too, but the real pearls are the quests that give something to remember.

[MiatheHierophant]

Yes, but remember that people loved the black moa quest. Because it was different, it was a bit of a treasure hunt and adventure, and you got a cute pet as a memory of it all. Stuff that give xp or items etc, they are needed too, but the real pearls are the quests that give something to remember.

/agree

On another note, I have played a game before (single player, not online) that had a sort of "gambling house". You went there, you spent X amount on a game of skill somewhat like the old "breakout" crossed with pong, along with another "player" (i.e. the computer AI) and if you won, you got 2X money back. The mini game itself was not important except that it was far more challenging than the quests, and I only won an average of 2 out of 5 times.

I think a diversionary gambling house would be kinda cool, with fees for playing, and monetary rewards for doing well. It might even be a way to "win" a few K here and there.

Think it would fly?