Guild Wars 2

Q: If Arena Net implemented the following two changes for the upcoming patch and Ascended Gear, would you find it a sufficient compromise regarding static power level versus gear progression?

1. Make Ascended base stats equal to those of Exotics.
2. Make a toggle for whether Agony (and the subsequent loot bonus) affects your group. This could be a party vote, similar to exp. paths today.

These two changes make excellent compromises for both the crowd that does not want stat inflation and the crowd that wants gear progression.

Anti stat inflation: Ascended gear remains equal in power to current Exotics. New dungeon content is available with Agony turned off to allow for casual runs with limited loot-potential (read: current dungeon reward level). All content is available to this group without invalidating previous gearing efforts or introducing power creep through stats.

Gear progression: Ascended gear grows in power (for dungeons) through infusions, providing continued gear progression. More difficult dungeons (as far as Agony inflates difficulty) provide better loot rewards. This group gets a progressive, and potentially competitive, PvE mode.

I’m sorry to be that guy.

But they won’t implement this compromise, so why bother getting hopes up?

It would be a world of improvement. There are still concerns with it, to be sure, but the important, most fundamental issue (and it’s an “I have no interest in playing this game again if it isn’t addressed” issue) is that statistical progression of equipment needs to be frozen in at the Exotic level.

Change #1, alone, would basically save the game for me (I would probably continue to lobby for a different Infusion system, but honestly at this point the only thing that really, really matters is nipping the power creep in the bud. Busting down unnecessary grind can come later.

Sion.1653:

I’m sorry to be that guy.

But they won’t implement this compromise, so why bother getting hopes up?

It’s likely they will not. However, as I recall, Legendaries were originally going to have better stats than Exotics, and ANet reverted that decision back in Beta. It is quite possible they are, at least, considering the option.

Crater.1625:

Change #1, alone, would basically save the game for me (I would probably continue to lobby for a different Infusion system, but honestly at this point the only thing that really, really matters is nipping the power creep in the bud. Busting down unnecessary grind can come later.

I realize this is the case for many people, and would probably be the only change they could make in such short order. However, I think it would be beneficial to have an opt out option for Agony (and the better rewards) added down the line.

As nice as this would be, they ain’t going to do it. They will just call it “gear progression” and say it isnt a treadmill. There is no going back now. I will still play from time to time (untill they add in the monthly fee), but me, nor anyone else in my household, will be spending a dime on their cash shop.. even when they do add in the pay to win stuff.