As you should have guessed from the title, Teq Rising is my favorite gw2 update, and for two reasons: first, it is challenging and teamwork-oriented (real teamwork, as opposed to mindless zerging), and second, it focuses on permanent content. I have raised some concerns in the past about the heavy focus on temporary LS content and mini-game updates, so it’s only fair that I chime in once again in support of content that I enjoy.
The LS has mostly been amusing, but the majority of the time feels directionless and meandering, and its primary purpose as a series of stopgap diversions to keep players logging in is unfortunately all too obvious. Mini-games such as SAB, Southsun Survival, etc., serve a similar function, but with even weaker connections to the base lore. Up to this point, the updates that I enjoyed the most were the holiday ones, which I chalk mostly up to the benefit of seasonal cheer.
Unlike those updates, Tequatl Rising is a step toward deepening the base gw2 experience and fleshing out Tyria, and while this content update may be smaller in scope than previous updates, I am enjoying the challenge of Teq immensely. Furthermore, there is less time pressure to rush through all of the achievements and grab all of the awards immediately; this means that instead of feeling pressured to grind through the content ASAP “just in case” and then conversely having nothing to do for a week and a half, I feel like I can join a Teq encounter at my leisure, but am still excited enough about it to want to try to complete it sooner rather than later. This makes experiencing the content more enjoyable by far in comparison with the juxtaposed stress and boredom of the past. Also, if done correctly, players all across the casual-hardcore spectrum should still be able to enjoy the content, as there is still no strict need for everybody to be in an organized/prearranged group using voice chat, etc. to beat the encounter (although it is still beneficial for those who should like to do so).
Best of all, this is an update where I feel like I am actually playing the MMO I purchased, rather than the Hunger Games: the Mini-Game*, Mario, Mario Kart, or what have you. Those are certainly fun in their own way, but I have other games for that, and that’s not why I log into an MMO.
That is not to say that there are no negative externalities that may result from making boss encounters more difficult, but if the rewards are commensurate (IMO they need to be improved from what they are now, although the focus on special skins, e.g. Teq ascended skins is the right direction), I believe this could be the beginning of adding real longevity to gw2, removing the need for stopgap measures that feel more like chores than anything else. If these world bosses, then dungeons and other aspects of the game (let’s not forget about pvpers) are continually supported with these types of challenging updates, I will personally be far more optimistic about the future of gw2 than I was previously.
So keep it up, ANet; this is what I like to see!
(edited by spikyblackhair.4951)