Guild Wars 2

Over the last year we’ve heard a lot of talk about how the new “Living World” was being designed in a way that would allow ANet to get more proficient at building new content. By using preexisting content, they could build more, in less time.

This Halloween, so far, seemed sorely lacking in ambition.

Sure, the new story idea isn’t too bad, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes, but the rest is the same content, with most of the same issues (and some new ones).

Take the Clock Tower for example. One of the most loved JPs in the entire game is back, and yes…I fully admit the decision to make other players “mists” is a welcome one for us smaller characters. However the same issues are there.

We’re still waiting for the reset every time, we still have a PvP point system that simply makes no sense to have. As well, we can’t even get the achievement for completing it, because ANet didn’t bother bringing back most of them.

Last year my girlfriend and I were on a road trip from Vancouver to Mesa. I remember we were trying desperately to get to a McDonalds to use the free WiFi so we could see the start of the Halloween festivities. It was the first major update to the game and we were really excited to see what was in store.

I remember the feeling of seeing Lions Arch all decorated, and the new events, and the cool new dungeon. This year, all those things are back, but they feel old. I’ve spent time running after doors, I’ve seen the plastic spiders, I’ve run the “labyrinth” ad nauseam, I’ve attempted the Clock Tower….what now?

Anyway, this got longer than expected. I just feel that if ANet is going to continue to plead with us to have patience, then I would expect that it would result in something fantastic.

Here are a few ideas I think would have been much more fun this year.

- Haunted House
- Actual Trick or Treating (dress up and go door to door in cities, towns, etc)
- Clock Tower 2.0 with a more (Arkham Asylum: Scarecrow feel)
- Graveyard events
- Costume Contests
- Zombie Walk (PvP style games using zombies)
- A darker, more scary Lions Arch
- Pumpkin weight guessing (like Moa Race)
- Scavenger hunt 2.0
- Bone Weapons / Armour

kitten , I really love your ideas. I’m hoping Anet would add sth like that sooner or later, for now I am enjoying the event. Halloween is my favourite one, I remember when last year I’ve spent tons of time hearing my 10 years old sister screaming and laughing when playing lunatic inquisition. Best minigame :’3

Agree

This was another boring update.

Nothing of note has been released since the gauntlet during the Bday patch.

Im quite bored, think Ill take a break and come back to the game when they release some better content and item skins.

Crazylegsmurphy.6430:

This year, all those things are back,
Here are a few ideas I think would have been much more fun this year.

The dungeon isn’t :C

… and I have to say, even accepting that the original (partially completed) achievements won’t be back, the lack of new achievements for the Clocktower, but also Lunatic Inquisition, feels… weird. While I mostly appreciate the fact that I only have to carve 5 pumpkins for a daily achievement and not 500 for a living story one (REALLY!), a tiny recognition (i.e. with low numbers) of _all_aspects of this halloween in the living story category would have been nice.

Crazylegsmurphy.6430:

- Haunted House
- Actual Trick or Treating (dress up and go door to door in cities, towns, etc)
- Clock Tower 2.0 with a more (Arkham Asylum: Scarecrow feel)
- Graveyard events
- Costume Contests
- Zombie Walk (PvP style games using zombies)
- A darker, more scary Lions Arch
- Pumpkin weight guessing (like Moa Race)
- Scavenger hunt 2.0
- Bone Weapons / Armour

Love all of them.

For Haunted House, please see this thread: Cadecus’ Haunted Manor

Love the idea of graveyard events. There’s quite a few burial sites spread across Tyria, not just in Kryta. It would’ve been fun to visit them all for an achievement or event.

Actual Trick-or-Treating in town clothes? Would have been fun.

But my favourite is the zombie walk. I am guessing that it would have been eay for ANet to turn players into risen, seeing how the components are already in game. Could have been a race where you block other zombies off, like a zombie version of sanctum sprint (minus the crazy jumping).

Well I’m glad I’m not the only one then. I feel the exact same way. The story is pretty cool so far, and I’m anxious to continue it. But LA’s decorations didn’t hold any magic for me; they were exactly the same. Less even. I feel as though there could be way more spider webs and decorations. The cauldron is cool…again. I think Wintersday and then Dragonbash kicked the redesign of LA up notches that require them not to simply reactivate 2012’s look.

I’m really happy though that the achievements this time aren’t stupid things like “carve 250 punkins” or “open 250 doors.” They’re more story-driven achievements, and I can dig that.

Btw, love your ideas OP. Especially bone armor, a haunted house, & scarier LA.

Pixelpumpkin.4608:

The dungeon isn’t :C

Do keep in mind the dungeon didn’t open until halloween. Not sure if you’ve noticed the date or not, but that’s still a ways away. In fact, it happens to be about two weeks away….

(Two weeks is the release schedule for LS updates, just in case anyone is wondering.)

I am with you. I was so excited about this event last year. It seems like the team last year put their heart into it for the players. This year meh. There was a candy corn skin vendor so you could have a Halloween skin for a few hours- gone. The Halloween weapons you can make- now outrageously priced to craft. The blacklion weapons even though people got upset at the drop rate, they made a fix so you could get another chance in the mf- to make the players happy. Finally the scavenger hunt was really cool and fun to follow.

All and all I am with you on this event.. it is lackluster and feels like not much effort was put into it. I like the story and am following it. Maybe it was because it was all so new last year idk but this year.. definatly not as cool.

Keep in mind that the content will be around for a month. If they follow their usual pattern, they’ll have another update two weeks in. I suspect they put in all the older stuff first, with some new achievements, and are saving all the new stuff for later.

The first week last year all we had were Haunted doors and the haunted doors didn’t even go to the labyrinth. Give it time.

Not sure what part of the concept of reusing content from the cycle of updates, with tweaks, went over your heads. Kinda hard to be reusing something, while making it all shiny and new. Apparently that was to hard a concept for people to grasp.

Sleel.8365:

Not sure what part of the concept of reusing content from the cycle of updates, with tweaks, went over your heads. Kinda hard to be reusing something, while making it all shiny and new. Apparently that was to hard a concept for people to grasp.

People aren’t complaining that it’s the “same,” if you cared to read.
People are complaining because of how much is missing this time. Recycling means using it all over again and adding stuff, not scaling back half the content.

Monkey Fritz.9052:

Pixelpumpkin.4608:

The dungeon isn’t :C

Do keep in mind the dungeon didn’t open until halloween. Not sure if you’ve noticed the date or not, but that’s still a ways away. In fact, it happens to be about two weeks away….

(Two weeks is the release schedule for LS updates, just in case anyone is wondering.)

You’re right. We don’t know what is in store for the next few days or weeks. Wait and see, I suppose.