Guild Wars 2

I don’t apologize for the upcoming rant, just my two cents on the event.

I used to love GW1 holiday events. Get together in LA, dance, shoot off snowmen makers, and get presents. I’d sit on teamspeak with guildies, and talk to the hundreds of people in town. It was a community feeling event.

GW2 events are… well … reading, and more reading, and grinding, and more grinding… You get information on the web and through gw mail. You have to collect x mats and make x items. If you don’t read, you’re basically lost. This is odd because I remember watching a GW2 video before the game came out on DEs. The devs were saying traditional MMOs were all reading and doing quests. GW2 was different because you just watched the event happen. I feel like the holiday events miss that idea entirely.

The community feel is gone as well since everyone is basically just grinding in their own little world.

Wintersday has thrown in a new element to the mix. Add a whole ton of items to deal with in an already limited inventory space. Now we get reading, grinding, AND inventory management.

It’s a bit depressing. I used to look forward to the events so much, this is probably the last one I do.

Anyone else feeling any of this? or am I missing something?

Nope, I didn’t feel that way at all. It’s a game. It’s suppose to be fun. If it’s not fun for you, you don’t have to pay or play.

Happy Holidays.

You do the event jumping puzzle-you get bags
You do event sPvP-you get bags
You do bell choir minigame-you get bags
You do PvE-you get bags
You do WvW- you can get bags as well

In what way must you grind exactly? Besides that, most weapon skins and recipes are dirtcheap to begin with.

Just as ‘Those Who Remain’ said. Theres a multitude of activities you can partake in to get those materials. And at least one of them is fun for you. If you hate them all then i can see your point but i for one dont mind spending hours doing the bell choir trying to get a perfect score and on the side accumulate alot of materials.

I never played much of GW1 nor participated in any holiday events, but i can say that Anet is doing better holiday events then other games i have done holiday events in. (WoW and Maplestory)

Actually it is a grind despite what some claim here. It’s not what I consider fun.

I don’t really understand how you have an issue with there being too much reading.

Are you actually playing the game or are you on the forums, thinking that you are playing the game?

This is an important distinction.

1) Thanks for the responses (other than capt obvious: >> “you don’t have to pay or play”.. thanks for the incredibly insightful response).

2) I’m am glad people are enjoying it. Seriously. If I’m in the minority so be it, no worries. This will be my only post on the topic.

3) It does seem like a grind. I tried making an unbreakable tonic. 14 tries and I have none. A friend of mine has already made 3 tonics in less than 14 tries – we were making them at the same time. So, now, if I really care, I’m back to farming for stuffing and glue.

Tim.9850:

Actually it is a grind despite what some claim here. It’s not what I consider fun.

And why exactly is it a grind? In most of the activites you can get bags and most rewards can be gotten if you simply spend a decent amount of time in the game.

If you lack the time to play, you can buy the rewards from the TP for relatively little amount of gold.

I fail to see where exactly you must grind to get the rewards.

Stabby.9815:

3) It does seem like a grind. I tried making an unbreakable tonic. 14 tries and I have none. A friend of mine has already made 3 tonics in less than 14 tries – we were making them at the same time. So, now, if I really care, I’m back to farming for stuffing and glue.

But then again you are aiming for the most exclusive rewards of the event. That is an entirely different story.

The event itself is no grind as almost everything can be gotten quite easily. Only if you strive for the most exclusive things I may consider it a grind as well.
(However, that is a grind by choice)

I thought you have a 30 percent chance on the unbreakable the tonics. That’s not very exclusive. The bell is sure, I’m not even thinking of that.

I don’t know so much. I think Arenanet did a really good job this holiday. They balanced it out quite well. They listened to the feedback from players during Halloween and made the JP a little more easier so it caters to both crowds. Yes the mini pets was a bit of a fiasco (I am no fan of RNG). But I don’t have to have them mini pets I am pleased I got a few of them this year and I hope that with the cogs I’ve saved up I will be able to get the rest of the mini’s next year. Yes the snowball mayhem could have been better balanced and a report function included to deter leechers. However it was fun and I enjoyed it whilst I played it. The bell choir is funny and I find it cute listening to people trying to compose a little tune out of the bells they got as drops. The toypocalypse should have a better reward for the work involved but that’s just my opinion of it. Also the title only requires 12 activities to complete and you’re given quite a bit of time to get them, there is no rush rush omg omg I need them nao or the world ends. Over all I think the Wintersday event has been much better handled than The Lost Shores and Halloween events. I am confident that with the feedback players are giving Arenanet will get better with each event. 2x 15 slot bag is also a very nice bonus so thank you for that! I’m usually one to moan and complain but I can’t this time. Overall I am very happy with this event.

Well reading everyone’s responses have made me feel better. It really is a great game overall.

Happy holidays everyone!

Stabby.9815:

I don’t apologize for the upcoming rant, just my two cents on the event.

I used to love GW1 holiday events. Get together in LA, dance, shoot off snowmen makers, and get presents. I’d sit on teamspeak with guildies, and talk to the hundreds of people in town. It was a community feeling event.

GW2 events are… well … reading, and more reading, and grinding, and more grinding… You get information on the web and through gw mail. You have to collect x mats and make x items. If you don’t read, you’re basically lost. This is odd because I remember watching a GW2 video before the game came out on DEs. The devs were saying traditional MMOs were all reading and doing quests. GW2 was different because you just watched the event happen. I feel like the holiday events miss that idea entirely.

The community feel is gone as well since everyone is basically just grinding in their own little world.

Wintersday has thrown in a new element to the mix. Add a whole ton of items to deal with in an already limited inventory space. Now we get reading, grinding, AND inventory management.

It’s a bit depressing. I used to look forward to the events so much, this is probably the last one I do.

Anyone else feeling any of this? or am I missing something?

Ok I will say I do agree with you on the email front of if you do not read it, you may find yourself lost compared to Guild Wars 1.

from now on every time i go on forums and see a topic that even slightly smells of people that whine about “grinding” i will post this:

this game is not grinding. if you want grinding go try a korean mmo and you’ll see what grinding is. i have never been told to stand in the same spot for hours/days/weeks to get to a certain level or to maybe get a certain prize. yes, i know what i’m talking about. i’ve wasted 5 years of my life on a korean mmo. if minimal work is required to get to a certain prize or reward than that is not grinding. if you have to read 1 mail made of 1 paragraph no longer than 20-30 sentences or even less, than that’s just a friendly dev trying to help you out. if you prance about from land to land, killing something every once in a while and get a prize for doing so, than that is not grind. so to all ungrateful children or even adults! please stop whining about the minimal work you have to do to get something. if you didn’t get an endless tonic you didn’t. will you be able to play if you don’t have a full inventory of useless tonics? yes. and don’t be a hoarder.. check out what you need or might need in the near future. if you don’t use that thing for a month or so, destroy it/sell it/ transmute it. but stop filling your precious space with stuff you will most likely never need. so please i beg of you.. stop with the whine threads and grind threads. hate all you want. this is my only post for now.

hf and a happy wintersday to all

Overall I liked each activity and participated in each activity. I’ve completed all the event achievements but the snowball pvp one. I’ve played that one just haven’t managed to get either of the achievements yet. I think that it is a really good event.

I didn’t feel pressed for time. I think that the activities and length of time they are available is good.

I love that they have 5 minipets. It became apparent that there is one for each race and I’ve matched them up as following: golem = asura, soldier = charr, ventari = sylvari, princess doll = human, and griffin = norn.

The only thing I don’t like is the rng part of the mystic forge and the presents that you buy in the gem store for minipets and other things. I’m sure some people like that but I’ve never liked to gamble, it seems like a total waste of material. I don’t mind doing it with outleveled soulbound items that I can’t sell or salvage.

I would love to have an everlasting tonic of some of the minipets but I’m not going to gamble for them. That is personal preference though. I’m sure some folks get a thrill out of getting items that way.

Oh and a suggestion for next years wintersday – I loved that the mini-dungeon went from town to town before stopping in LA. However, it would be cool if each of the main towns had some activity that stayed associated with the town. Maybe even a few activities. I’m somewhat ambivalent about that though because it is nice having everyone concentrated in LA to maximize groups for activities.

Don’t see the whole grind problem, if you dont like it skip the whole wintersday. Otherwise you can enjoy the jumping puzzle which I just love and gives me karma on top (love jumping puzzles, also loved the clocktower as it was much more challenging).

It brings new things to the game which is interesing at least, and they cant get everyone happy obviously because gamers are a whining bunch in general. They got millions of players and they still listen to most of us ranting on how we dont like what they cooked up.

I say when they have buggy events ok, sure complain, but otherwise give some proper feedback or dont enter the holliday events like you already stated.

If I say the last events and complaints, and I look for example and this jumping puzzle compared to the clocktower (which had lots of complaints from less experienced/talented jumpers) then all I can say is GJ anet for trying to fix a kittenload of the complaints varying from camera trouble having big ppl in the way (solved by splitting players up in 3 ways) and also they gave more time for error compared to the clocktower.

Enjoyed both PVP events, choir bells are pretty funny and new if you know how to go at it after a bit. And the dungeon is a lot less bugged if at all compared to halloween, and thank god theres not an event which gets everyone killed 10 times, or crashes you before the precursor & exotic chest loots

And on top of that, toypocalypse is so much fun even though you barely get anything from it, fun is the reward rather than gifts or loot! So all I can say is they did an epic job on this event working on all the suggestions and complaints they got so far.

Read the rest of the forums with suggestions and complaints, than put yourself in there shoes for a bit. I respect them at least for listening to the players in such obvious ways and actually doing something about it even though it takes time theres finally the feeling they are working on this for us.

And if you are just grinding for skins etc, just go buy them, they are so cheap its crazy. Not like the 20g a piece for halloween, so I really dont see where you need to grind here unless you just HAVE to have some crazy items.

PS: got some free skins out of a gift from the jumping puzzle which I didnt do at all for the skins → dont try to go for certain items, just pick a game you like instead and keep playing it.

People really don’t get the meaning of “grind” these days..

I don’t know that I’d agree with the term “grind” but both the holidays have left me feeling left out.

I know this is an MMO, and I do often do group content. However, I find there is very little in either of these holidays that I could do enough to complete an recipes, mini’s or other rewards.

*The jumping puzzle is too frustrating—old eyes, old reflexes. After 20 attempts to get past the first snowflakes, I gave up. Not fun.
*Tixx’s toyshop is group content, and depending on the group can take 15 minutes or 45. Unfortunately, if it’s going to take 45 I need to plan for that (for other personal reasons). So, I just don’t bother grouping up for that.
*The gift boxes on the landscape are nasty. It’s a freaking holiday give away, why should they be as difficult as they are. Yes, I can run away, but it’s also getting dangerous out on the landscape with all the tiny toy meanies left over at box locations that take forever to despawn. Between people running for their lives, and people just getting the gift and running, there are more tinies out there than boxes.
*sPvP—again, more group oriented, I just seem to die a lot, not fun.
*Bell choir…same as the puzzle, with a group component. I get something for trying, but it’s also sort of depressing to fail so often.
*Snowball fights are ok, but again, younger reflexes on others for targeting make it so I’m mostly sitting on my butt stunned.

I don’t need to do all the stuff, that’s ok—but the bar has been set pretty high for all the holiday stuff to require quick reflexes and/or other people. I’d like to have seen just one or two activities that were in the spirit of the holidays, didn’t offer a huge challenge, that I can fit into a schedule that is relatively tight. The rest of the game is so “schedule friendly”—get in, work a few hearts, maybe catch a dynamic event. The holidays seem out of place being about challenges and group content.

Just let me collect some holly or carry gift wrap and turn it in for a lower return, but give me something that can fit into a reasonable time frame, and that I can succeed at without wanting to heave the keyboard out the window. For now, I’ll just keep abandoning gift boxes on the landscape. Sorry folks, for leaving those nasty things behind, but that is a lot of work for little return, and I’m just tired of the tiny mobs.

I think that you have a point with them not working as obviously as hearts. But the holiday event is not manditory right? I chose to grinch out and have done almost none of it yet still had fun doing what I normally do. Perhaps because the skins do not appeal to me. Ya I think I took a look at the holiday vendor and didnt see anything of interest. The presents paid well on the tp imo. I did like the halloween event though.

During the course of a single Wintersday event in GW, I would farm the snowman cave hundreds of times to get the jinglebear mini

During Halloween I would say I did the skele speed farm at least a thousand times each year for ToT bags/titles.

And I was not alone. For a week straight there would be twenty or more overflow servers for UW and Umbral grotto, with dozens of people surrounding Koris, and LFG for skele farm.

That was grind. GW2 offering multiple, totally viable, methods to go about getting core event items is not grind.