Guild Wars 2

I enjoy the Living Story content very much. I am not much for PvP or WvW. I have participated in WvW and dungeons a bit, but they are not my priority. I say, keep the Living Story content coming! =)

Living story content is key to this games success. Those who want to play dungeons have lots and lots of game options. Those who want a living world have none but this. I think developing the living story is the smartest thing Anet can do.

In the process they might lose some players who don’t appreciate it, and that’s okay. There are a whole lot of people running around Southsun Cove these days. And before that, there were a whole lot of people running around in Diessa Plateau and Wayfarer Foothills.

The balance isn’t there.

It’s all temporary content – that is what needs fixing.

Nothing wrong with temporary content, but permanent needs adding too, they shouldn’t forget about that.

Never fear! Permanent content begins with the SouthSun Living Story. =)

No Walking.6349:

Temporary Distractions > Permanent Improvements

Anet logic. I don’t want events that happen once, or even once a year that aren’t even that memorable. Focus your time on what I spend most of my time in game doing. Fix dungeons, fix PvP, fix WvW…… This living story BS is getting ridiculous…

Fixed it for you.

Vayne.8563:

In the process they might lose some players who don’t appreciate it, and that’s okay. There are a whole lot of people running around Southsun Cove these days. And before that, there were a whole lot of people running around in Diessa Plateau and Wayfarer Foothills.

They run around mostly because of the instigator events and +200%MF/gold buff.
I, myself, consider living story good addition, but it shouldn’t be focus for the developers… I finished SouthSun events, achievements (even crabtacular) in 2 days and what I am supposed to do the rest of the time? Farming karka all the time isn’t that fun after a while. I would like some content which is spread across the whole Map, so i can choose my favourite zone and help Tyria there. I don’t think that bringing the whole player base into one zone, leaving the other 98% zones empty, is the right decision for this game. Yesterday, I went to the zone where Durmand Priory has its HQ (forgot the name of the zone) and it was so beautiful and I felt sad that nobody goes there just because they have no reason…

What I would like to see in GW2 is HARD MODE version of all the zones in the game, adjusted for level 80 players or more strict scaling down system for level 80 players but with only high end drops of equipment and material. Now, when level 80 player come to some low or middle level zone, he gets T1/2/3/4 mats and low level equipment… it is not rewarding, hence almost nobody comes there and in addition to this, it is not challenging at all. Maybe I get scaled down from 80 to 15, but when I am able to solo some champion, something is really wrong.

No Walking.6349:

Temporary Distractions > Permanent Improvements

Anet logic. We don’t want events that happen once, or even once a year that aren’t even that memorable. Focus your time on what people spend most of their time in game doing. Fix dungeons, fix PvP, fix WvW…… This living story BS is getting ridiculous…

Can’t you just leave the game or the forums instead of telling every hour how much you hate this decision? We get it, you don’t like it. If you don’t want it leave the game.

Vayne.8563:

Living story content is key to this games success.

Living story content is a hole in the bucket of this game’s success.

While I love the idea of the living story it should supplement more permanent content. Atm it feels like Anet is trying to feed it’s customers solely on a diet of snacks (you feel saitied for abour 30 mins then hungry again) rather than a healthy balanced diet.

I hate to say it, but this game badly needs a full expansions worth of content and improvements now. Living story and RNG gem store stuff is’nt enough to maintain interest in the medium/long term.

Have to agree with OP. Living story is interesting and I do appreciate it, but I would really appreciate more permanent stuff. Idk maybe stuff to make the guild system not lame for example given the name of the game itself. Just a thought.

Having been underwhelmed by flame and frost, southson i have found considerably more fun to dip in and out of. Its really too early that temporary content is a failure, after all anet will judge by those playing it and not those complaining or heralding it on the forums.

Its a different experience which is what they are aiming at. Trying to change their philosophy is fruitless as this is the game they want to design and thats fine in my book. im happy to go along with it. If down the line i get fed up with it, then ill play something else. Not like i married it

i mean they could keep doing it if they weren’t already deep in kitten without people to focus on important things.

Molten Alliance was temporary…. but I have a feeling all of the southsun living story is going to be here permanently.

No one said Anet isn’t working on permanent content. They only said that they will be focusing on the living story. Someone said it took them 2 days to do the living story. That’s true. But then, it’s only 3 weeks until the next update of the living story. I don’t see how adding permanent content changes that comment.

Let’s say everything they added for the living story is permanent. Okay so it still takes 2 days to do. They still can’t create content faster than you can do it. It really is that simple.

If they can keep chapters of the living story coming a couple of times a month (and I’m not saying they can) then it will help people have a steady stream of stuff to do.

The rest of the time, the rest of the game is still there, and there are changes being made their too, including WvW changes.

There’s plenty to do in game, even if Living Story takes not that much time to do.

The main difference is what it brings to the game overall.

What does temporary content bring to the game in the short term? A reason for vets to log in when they have exhausted other reasons, it generates news bites, it gives the illusion of an overall active game world, time gated rewards for players who are active at the time of the content, a feeling of achievement for being there.

What does it bring in the long term? The idea of progression for people who have been around to experience the content, a bond formed with other players who have been around to also experience that content.
Feel free to add anything I may have overlooked.

Overall it gives a reason to keep some veteran players coming back.

But what is the selling point to future purchasers? Many people, from developers to players, have likened this influx of temporary content to a television show. One thing I believe many don’t take into account with this point of view is the fact you can always catch old seasons or episodes either through digital recording, reruns, or purchase of physical media, something not possible in the way they are releasing this content. There’s a reason why tv shows don’t try this. Or actually any other form of media.

Imagine a book you buy bursting into flames after you finish reading it, and it no longer being available for you to buy, rent, or share with friends afterwards. I wouldn’t recommend the company or the author who was behind such a practice to new readers.

In the same vein, I find myself reluctant to suggest this game to new players. I just don’t see any value added content for any new player with the emphasis on this form of temporary content.

Another thread claiming a majority view point from a personal view point.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

I enjoy the Living Story content very much. I am not much for PvP or WvW. I have participated in WvW and dungeons a bit, but they are not my priority. I say, keep the Living Story content coming! =)

If you want a story, you can always watch a movie or read a book.

CobaltSixty.1542:

Another thread claiming a majority view point from a personal view point.

Actually the statement that a greater amount of people spend a greater amount of their time doing WvW, pvp, and dungeons over the temporary content I would take as a true statement. I have no metrics available to back this up, but from statements I read on the forums and from participation I see in game this would seem to be true.

killcannon.2576:

CobaltSixty.1542:

Another thread claiming a majority view point from a personal view point.

Actually the statement that a greater amount of people spend a greater amount of their time doing WvW, pvp, and dungeons over the temporary content I would take as a true statement. I have no metrics available to back this up, but from statements I read on the forums and from participation I see in game this would seem to be true.

I spent a lot of time doing molten faculty when it was up..

but would you spend the time in southsun doing things over and over if there weren’t any of the MF or Gold Buffs?

killcannon.2576:

CobaltSixty.1542:

Another thread claiming a majority view point from a personal view point.

Actually the statement that a greater amount of people spend a greater amount of their time doing WvW, pvp, and dungeons over the temporary content I would take as a true statement. I have no metrics available to back this up, but from statements I read on the forums and from participation I see in game this would seem to be true.

“We don’t want events that happen once, or even once a year that aren’t even that memorable. "

void.6705:

killcannon.2576:

CobaltSixty.1542:

Another thread claiming a majority view point from a personal view point.

Actually the statement that a greater amount of people spend a greater amount of their time doing WvW, pvp, and dungeons over the temporary content I would take as a true statement. I have no metrics available to back this up, but from statements I read on the forums and from participation I see in game this would seem to be true.

I spent a lot of time doing molten faculty when it was up..

but would you spend the time in southsun doing things over and over if there weren’t any of the MF or Gold Buffs?

A good amount of people did spend a great amount of time in the MWF, but were there an equal or greater amount of people also doing other things such as pvp, wvw, other dungeons, leveling, farming world events, farming orr, doing guild missions, or other permanent parts of the game?

If the gold find or magic find bonus were not a part of Southsun, no I would not have spent as much time there as I did. Which has only been maybe a total of eight hours actual game time.

CobaltSixty.1542:

killcannon.2576:

CobaltSixty.1542:

Another thread claiming a majority view point from a personal view point.

Actually the statement that a greater amount of people spend a greater amount of their time doing WvW, pvp, and dungeons over the temporary content I would take as a true statement. I have no metrics available to back this up, but from statements I read on the forums and from participation I see in game this would seem to be true.

“We don’t want events that happen once, or even once a year that aren’t even that memorable. "

As I said, the statement that a greater amount of people spend a greater amount of time doing things other than temporary content would seem to be supported by in game player actions and forum statements, the only two forms of information available to the general player base.

This would include the use of the term “we”. Should the op have used this term? Probably not, because of the connotations that he speaks for everyone, which he does not.

killcannon.2576:

void.6705:

killcannon.2576:

CobaltSixty.1542:

Another thread claiming a majority view point from a personal view point.

Actually the statement that a greater amount of people spend a greater amount of their time doing WvW, pvp, and dungeons over the temporary content I would take as a true statement. I have no metrics available to back this up, but from statements I read on the forums and from participation I see in game this would seem to be true.

I spent a lot of time doing molten faculty when it was up..

but would you spend the time in southsun doing things over and over if there weren’t any of the MF or Gold Buffs?

A good amount of people did spend a great amount of time in the MWF, but were there an equal or greater amount of people also doing other things such as pvp, wvw, other dungeons, leveling, farming world events, farming orr, doing guild missions, or other permanent parts of the game?

If the gold find or magic find bonus were not a part of Southsun, no I would not have spent as much time there as I did. Which has only been maybe a total of eight hours actual game time.

Agreed in a game with this many people no idea the exact number but whern you have several friends in different overflows it shows an influx in people to the zone.. But on average I would think most people spend there time in WvW, PvP or PvE like you stated, I think ANet knows this and thats why you are seeing the boost to MF and Gold for this event to see if it generates a greater sustained interest.

I feel that I’m definitely in the minority on this issue, but I agree with the OP’s argument about Temp content vs Permanent content within GW2.

I understand there is little I can do to deter one side from the other on this issue. The developers have made their decision quite obvious, and I can’t help but to feel I am fighting a losing battle.

However… I’m a stubborn woman and hard-headed, so here it goes anyways >.>;

I completely agree ANet made the right decision with the Living Story plan as a fun distraction while working on bigger and better things for GW2. I adore the backpacks, titles, and fun (/ frustrating -.-) games introduced! However, after reading an expansion isn’t even in the works and Living Stories are the way to go, I became really agitated.

Temporary events, although fun, are not comparable to the large chunks of exciting game changing features I find in expansions.

I understand a lot of people are probably going to get irritated with my next comment, but I feel it is important to be posted some where on this forum for the possibility of a GM / Dev reading.

In addition, the living stories are totally detracting from the point of the game, in my opinion. Let’s look at GW2’s story for a second, weren’t we supposed to be fighting dragons? What happened to that? Sure, we got Zhaitan, but what about the other terrible creatures poised to destroy every living creature on the planet? Why, as a player, should I really care about the fussiness of some pig-headed consortiums screwing over refugees that cannot seem to read contracts properly? Why would I opt to sidetrack my DRAGON HUNTING to go sort out some problems that are ‘interrupting’ trade with the lionguard?

Grumble grumble grumble…

I know I sound ungrateful for the hardwork that was put into this content, and for that I apologize. I just really disagree with the direction ANet has chosen and would like to properly express my opinion on the matter.

I agree myself, partially. I think that they should be adding new content – I think they have to, because that’s what an MMO audience expects – but at least half of it should be permanent. As someone who does a lot more wvw than pve, I would like some more new pve content to be around when I have time for it. I miss most of the temporary events AN adds because it’s just not enough of a priority for me to drop wvw to do it, especially if my server is in a tight race for lead that week – which it is most weeks! – so it would be nice if some of this content were around for me to do on some lazy morning or afternoon when I have the time and nothing more important to me was going on.

CoRtex.2157:

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

I enjoy the Living Story content very much. I am not much for PvP or WvW. I have participated in WvW and dungeons a bit, but they are not my priority. I say, keep the Living Story content coming! =)

If you want a story, you can always watch a movie or read a book.

I am not sure what this has to do with what I said, but thanks for the tip, anyway. =)

Since permanent content is coming, beginning with the SouthSun Living Story arc, it seems ArenaNet is looking to please both sides of the fence. It isn’t an either/or proposition, there will be something for everyone.

killcannon.2576:

The main difference is what it brings to the game overall.

What does temporary content bring to the game in the short term? A reason for vets to log in when they have exhausted other reasons, it generates news bites, it gives the illusion of an overall active game world, time gated rewards for players who are active at the time of the content, a feeling of achievement for being there.

What does it bring in the long term? The idea of progression for people who have been around to experience the content, a bond formed with other players who have been around to also experience that content.
Feel free to add anything I may have overlooked.

Overall it gives a reason to keep some veteran players coming back.

But what is the selling point to future purchasers? Many people, from developers to players, have likened this influx of temporary content to a television show. One thing I believe many don’t take into account with this point of view is the fact you can always catch old seasons or episodes either through digital recording, reruns, or purchase of physical media, something not possible in the way they are releasing this content. There’s a reason why tv shows don’t try this. Or actually any other form of media.

Imagine a book you buy bursting into flames after you finish reading it, and it no longer being available for you to buy, rent, or share with friends afterwards. I wouldn’t recommend the company or the author who was behind such a practice to new readers.

In the same vein, I find myself reluctant to suggest this game to new players. I just don’t see any value added content for any new player with the emphasis on this form of temporary content.

But it wasn’t always like that. In fact, it’s only been like this for a very short period of time. If you watched television in the 80s, there were no TV series on DvD waiting for you. If you taped them yourself you could watch them again. In the 70s, you couldn’t. And people still watched TV including soap operaa they could never catch up with.

There are events in every MMO that happen and then stop happening. Rift had them all the time. Limited time events. Why?

Because they’re really, for the most part, not worth keeping around, but while they’re there, they give something people do to.

Permanent content will come out too (more when they get the LFG tool and the culling fix for PVe working), but it will come.

In the mean time, this is a great stop gap measure. It’s not like we’re paying a sub for this stuff.

Vayne.8563:

But it wasn’t always like that. In fact, it’s only been like this for a very short period of time. If you watched television in the 80s, there were no TV series on DvD waiting for you. If you taped them yourself you could watch them again. In the 70s, you couldn’t. And people still watched TV including soap operaa they could never catch up with.

There are events in every MMO that happen and then stop happening. Rift had them all the time. Limited time events. Why?

Because they’re really, for the most part, not worth keeping around, but while they’re there, they give something people do to.

Permanent content will come out too (more when they get the LFG tool and the culling fix for PVe working), but it will come.

In the mean time, this is a great stop gap measure. It’s not like we’re paying a sub for this stuff.

So it’s okay to have temporary content that won’t be returning because technology back in the 70s wasn’t as accessible as it is today? Come on. They weren’t saying it was comparable to your favorite TV shows from the 70s, they meant in today’s world.

Why would you even add something to your game if it wasn’t worth keeping around? Do you understand the implications of that? It says that you are literally just adding it because there’s nothing else to do in your game. That’s terrible.

I agree that more permanent content will probably come out after the LFG tool. The PvE culling “fix” is ridiculous, seeing as they added it in themselves. There wasn’t PvE culling for the first few months, so them needing to fix it is a bit.. dumb.

As for not paying a monthly sub for this, sure. But honestly, I don’t think many people would pay monthly fees to play with the updates they’ve been handing out.

AlietteFaye.7316:

Vayne.8563:

But it wasn’t always like that. In fact, it’s only been like this for a very short period of time. If you watched television in the 80s, there were no TV series on DvD waiting for you. If you taped them yourself you could watch them again. In the 70s, you couldn’t. And people still watched TV including soap operaa they could never catch up with.

There are events in every MMO that happen and then stop happening. Rift had them all the time. Limited time events. Why?

Because they’re really, for the most part, not worth keeping around, but while they’re there, they give something people do to.

Permanent content will come out too (more when they get the LFG tool and the culling fix for PVe working), but it will come.

In the mean time, this is a great stop gap measure. It’s not like we’re paying a sub for this stuff.

So it’s okay to have temporary content that won’t be returning because technology back in the 70s wasn’t as accessible as it is today? Come on. They weren’t saying it was comparable to your favorite TV shows from the 70s, they meant in today’s world.

Why would you even add something to your game if it wasn’t worth keeping around? Do you understand the implications of that? It says that you are literally just adding it because there’s nothing else to do in your game. That’s terrible.

I agree that more permanent content will probably come out after the LFG tool. The PvE culling “fix” is ridiculous, seeing as they added it in themselves. There wasn’t PvE culling for the first few months, so them needing to fix it is a bit.. dumb.

As for not paying a monthly sub for this, sure. But honestly, I don’t think many people would pay monthly fees to play with the updates they’ve been handing out.

They added the PVe culling in because without it, big events would lag too much. At the time, there was no way to fix it, but they reworked some stuff and now they can have better FPS without the culling so they’re removing it. When they put it in it was necessary, particularly for people on lower end machines. If you were a company you’d have put it in too, as it increases the number of people who can play your game.

And no it’s okay to have temporary content for other reasons I’ve listed in other threads,..such as not dividing the playerbase further. That’s one of the big problems they encountered in Guild Wars 1 and they don’t want to repeat the same mistake.

In a couple of days a new dungeon is coming out. Now the more they split the player base, the harder it will be to find groups for the older dungeon. So people will be frustrated.

MMOs have always had challenges with empty zones or people unable to find groups for things. This is one way Anet is trying to remedy the situation.

No Walking.6349:

Temporary Distractions > Permanent Improvements

Anet logic. We don’t want events that happen once, or even once a year that aren’t even that memorable. Focus your time on what people spend most of their time in game doing. Fix dungeons, fix PvP, fix WvW…… This living story BS is getting ridiculous…

Fix loot, so when people are doing events because mobs are actually dropping things it won’t be rushed and considered an exploit to actually make a profit. That’s when you know there’s something seriously wrong with loot.

tigirius.9014:

Fix loot, so when people are doing events because mobs are actually dropping things it won’t be rushed and considered an exploit to actually make a profit. That’s when you know there’s something seriously wrong with loot.

the reason why event mobs were farmed at Lyssa was because the mobs were dropping loot. It kind of means that the best course of action there is to remove loot from adds or add a timer.

ANet so desperately wants to be different that they ignore basic human nature and the very reason that makes MMOs profitable.

Don´t take away new stuff(content) without a proper substitute!

The best part of F&F, the Molten Dungeon, is now lost(possibly even deleted?) and got replaced with the loot extravaganza on Southsun, which is then simultaneously crippled with quasi instant DR.

There´s hardly anybody doing anything else but running from one Settler Champion at the Barricades to the other one at the shore. Just because of the guaranteed chest loot.

What irks me personally is that Fractals provide a perfect way to still leave us with access to the Molten Dungeon. While nicely expanding the by now pretty repetitive couple of Dungeons in there.

Oh well. Let´s see how Neverwinter pans out.

Keeping things temporary is the key to GW2 success in PvE. In non subscription based game it works well. Basically you have to log in and do the content before its gone or you’ll miss it forever. If it weren’t permanent then everyone playing different games will just put it off and say they’ll do it later and never will. I think temporary is a smart play.

A good argument and pretty much what ANet/NC-Soft bigwigs are thinking, I guess.

Problem is, this means the rest of the game has to wait for much needed polishing and fixing.
As so many resources are basically kittentinkled into the winds as content pops up and is again gone so very quickly.

People aren´t buying GW2 to daily farm Southsun Cove, but to experience the game. The temporary stuff is actually more of a distraction than a boon.

HawkMeister.4758:

ANet so desperately wants to be different that they ignore basic human nature and the very reason that makes MMOs profitable.

Don´t take away new stuff(content) without a proper substitute!

The best part of F&F, the Molten Dungeon, is now lost(possibly even deleted?) and got replaced with the loot extravaganza on Southsun, which is then simultaneously crippled with quasi instant DR.

There´s hardly anybody doing anything else but running from one Settler Champion at the Barricades to the other one at the shore. Just because of the guaranteed chest loot.

What irks me personally is that Fractals provide a perfect way to still leave us with access to the Molten Dungeon. While nicely expanding the by now pretty repetitive couple of Dungeons in there.

Oh well. Let´s see how Neverwinter pans out.

PWE games for the win. Good luck with Neverwinter.

Mirta.5029:

tigirius.9014:

Fix loot, so when people are doing events because mobs are actually dropping things it won’t be rushed and considered an exploit to actually make a profit. That’s when you know there’s something seriously wrong with loot.

the reason why event mobs were farmed at Lyssa was because the mobs were dropping loot. It kind of means that the best course of action there is to remove loot from adds or add a timer.

Uhm no, the best course of action is to remove DR and fix loot drops in the rest of the world and the same zone, that way people aren’t farming a single event because it’s suddenly the only place someone can get something other than the 1 rare drop a day from a boss. That’s what I was saying.

If people weren’t starving on this game (because if this were RL the characters would all be destitute to the point of starvation for real at this rate) then they might actually not have these issues.

As it is the bots have moved on from farming mobs so it’s high time they stop using those as an excuse to harm players don’t chya think?

No walking topic < how little I care

tigirius.9014:

Uhm no, the best course of action is to remove DR and fix loot drops in the rest of the world and the same zone, that way people aren’t farming a single event because it’s suddenly the only place someone can get something other than the 1 rare drop a day from a boss. That’s what I was saying.

If people weren’t starving on this game (because if this were RL the characters would all be destitute to the point of starvation for real at this rate) then they might actually not have these issues.

As it is the bots have moved on from farming mobs so it’s high time they stop using those as an excuse to harm players don’t chya think?

no DR + loot increase = more farmers = worse economy with casuals not being able to sell anything above vendor prices = fixed prices being too high for everyone and Tiered cultural gear being unreachable.

I think the question is why people feel the need to farm drops in the first place?

Has the ultimate end game goal changed to finding the best place that drops Dusts,T6 Mats and Rares? For what? Precursors and Legendaries? Saving money for T3 Cultural? Playing the RNG with Zommoros?

Not trying to criticize the people who do those. But just saying maybe we should get to WHY people are doing it first. They can keep patching out events. People will eventually just find the next spot to farm.

I’d trade all of the temporary content in the world for some real class balance.

I’d trade living world content for any sort of DR complete removal

Getting tired or reading posts lie this..

I think temporary content is a great way to create narrative focus and direction in the game, so for that reason I like the Living Story.

However, it’s very obvious that doing more temporary content than permanent content over a long period of time is bad and will definitely come back to bite them in the kitten . MMO players expect a steady growth in permanent content in order to stay interested in the game for long periods.

There been a lot of permanent content that has been adding in the last 9 months. It just these things have become part of the game so well that you feel as if they have been there from the start. There a good video on the 9 month what Anet has added in some where on these forums. Sadly its a positive video so no one talk about it on the forums only saying bad things about this game gets any type of press.

Slyder.9215:

I think the question is why people feel the need to farm drops in the first place?

I don’t feel like adding more drama bombs today, so I’ll leave some of the answers unsaid. I will say, though, that the traditional MMO mindset isn’t always easy to break.

How come when people consider permanennt content than always bring up fractals and a new PvP map, but they completely forget to bring up guild missions (of which there are a lot).

Guild rushes are some of my favorite content in the game.

I dont see why Anet should concentrate on either type of content, they’ve done plenty of permanent additions, and I personally enjoy the temporary content as it breaks up the monotony of the game. If they made it all permanent itd be boring.