Guild Wars 2

Having read about the future of my hard-earned fractal level being reset, I -like many of you- experienced some anger. Though not unjustified, it is still for the most part quite silly to be emotionally affected by new changes in a game that is first and foremost meant to be fun. After putting some thoughts into this matter, I came to a few realizations:

1. Changes to the game means we are kind of getting a re-introduction to fractal. New mechanic after 30? I’m excited. Changes to old fractals? New fractals? Easy fractals first? Yes. Yes. Yes. What am I doing here? I am focusing on the positives that come with, wait for it, a free update. I feel like as the game ages, we’re getting better and better contents all because we have a gaming company that is rather benevolent to its players. I do think at the end of the day Anet is on the good side of history. If you still feel the rage, just think of Isaiah Cartwright holding a really fluffy cat. Or, go play with your own pets. I don’t have any pets so I watch the Mindy Project and the Vampire Diaries. Seriously, addictive.

2.Getting reset after grinding to level 50 will sure leave a sour taste in my mouth, but it’s only level 30 and I got to keep all the stuff I’ve earned. For the most parts, I’m ahead of a lot of new and returning players. Since this is a part of the bi-weekly update, I’m pretty sure there’s an achievement for that which I’m sure it has something to do with doing a lot of fractal runs. Hence, there are plenty of incentives to do fractals.

3. We don’t own any of these creative, virtual parts of this game. This is somebody’s sandbox and they will call the shot for the most parts.(And, they should because most of us wouldn’t be able to create this vast expansive world on our own. And if we did, we’d get tired and bored too quickly.). To be too angry is to foolishly think that our play time means we own parts in the game. We do not. It’s something we can enjoy, not to hold on to or to care too much about. It’s unhealthy. If you feel like you’ve spent too much time for nothing, you are probably right. Don’t grind and cry when you’re not rewarded or when your rewards are not longer…meaningful or valid. I did that and I felt stupid afterward.

Thanks for reading,
————-
Two characters: one at 50 and one at 38.

The fun of the game was in fractal 70+. If they hard cap it again to 50 they are basically taking 30 levels of fun content away from us…

About the whole fractal update (level acc bound, level reset, drop/agony/loor changes, etc) i just feel like Anet made it again.

Good ideas, but
-poorly implemented
-always “too little too late”
just like 90% of the patches/features i’ve seen dropped in this game over last year.

Zelyhn.8069:

The fun of the game was in fractal 70+. If they hard cap it again to 50 they are basically taking 30 levels of fun content away from us…

now see… i don’t feel bad for people that went above and beyond what was intended…. but I do understand the disappointment of having “fun things” taken away. Unfortunately, we are better off accepting the fact that this is not our sandbox and we have limits and consequences to deal with.

OP, your third point is technically true, but a game like this does need its player base to survive and flourish. Doing something that alienates a large number of players by removing a legitimately earned reward is simply bad for business. So while people can say that ANET is the one calling the shots, the player does have a role in responding to those shots.

I can see your point. And honestly, my reaction to reading the general rollback to 30 was to literally laugh out loud. It was either that or be angry and I chose to laugh. Much better for my mental and physical health.

What I’m not so sure about is your point 2. We’ve already had a bi-weekly update that consisted of exactly one single achievement. And although there are indicators for a special Living story sort of fractal featuring Ellen Kiel, I’m not sold on the idea of a lot of fractal runs for achievements.
Besides the people who don’t like fractals are already screwed with this update so adding a ton of achievements will further alienate them. Granted similar things have happened before, and will probalby happen again. Just remember the SAB. So I’m mostly thinking aloud here, I guess.

Zelyhn.8069:

The fun of the game was in fractal 70+. If they hard cap it again to 50 they are basically taking 30 levels of fun content away from us…

Really? So the 69 levels before FoTM 70 weren’t fun? I find that hard to believe.