Ascended gear- Not what it should be.
I understand everything youre saying. I didnt mind ascended jewels or weapons, but the armor is just ridiculous. Getting Ascended earrings is also ridiculous.
I don’t think it ended up being 5% on armor. I’m in a full set of ascended and it really doesn’t feel at all different. My food on/off is more noticeable.
I don’t think it ended up being 5% on armor. I’m in a full set of ascended and it really doesn’t feel at all different. My food on/off is more noticeable.
I wouldn’t expect 5% to feel significant. I mean that’s half of a superior sigil of night, assuming you’re running full zerkers.
RIP in peace Robert
…and ascended is ugly for the most part, so would require a transmute really not worth all that grind for only 5%.
1. Obsidian armor only looks good on a few professions like monk and assassin. I regularly mistook a lot of them for starter armor (the ranger ones are especially bad for this) or at best non-elite sets.
2. I’m pretty sure this is what the dungeon sets were supposed to be. Anet expected people to find the dungeons a lot harder than the actually are (I’m not sure how they didn’t realise they’re relatively easy) and that it would therefore take a long time to get a full set of dungeon armor.
3. Ascended gear was added specifically in response to people asking for vertical progression. If you don’t believe me the topics are still there – go back to October 2012 in this section of the forum and there were a lot of people insisting that’s what the game needed and the only thing that would keep them playing. (A lot of people specifically asked for raids with a full gear treadmill with new tiers being added on a regular basis, but fortunately Anet compromised on just one tier.)
Danielle Aurorel, Dear Dragon We Got Your Cookies [Nom], Desolation (EU).
“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”
“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”
I disagree with the major points made in this post.
A. I disagree with the idea that the game doesn’t need gear progression. It does need it. Vertical progression is good. The lack of vertical progression is why I quit GW1 shortly after completing all of the story portions of the expansions. It is good that Anet it no longer catering solely to cosmetics care bears.
B. However, I disagree with the idea that it should only be available through extreme crafting or that it should be a grind that could encompass years if you intend to have multiple sets of gear for multiple toons. Limited vertical progression with requirements that are challenging but not verging on extreme or insane should be the goal.
I disagree with the major points made in this post.
A. I disagree with the idea that the game doesn’t need gear progression. It does need it. Vertical progression is good. The lack of vertical progression is why I quit GW1 shortly after completing all of the story portions of the expansions. It is good that Anet it no longer catering solely to cosmetics care bears.
B. However, I disagree with the idea that it should only be available through extreme crafting or that it should be a grind that could encompass years if you intend to have multiple sets of gear for multiple toons. Limited vertical progression with requirements that are challenging but not verging on extreme or insane should be the goal.
There needs to be some give here.
You can’t put people who have less time and resources at a disadvantage to players who do via stats.
In PvP and WvW there needs to be a cap that basic items (or even free) can hit.
PvE I can understand, yes vertical progression has its place.
Whether it’s 5% or 20%. Any advantage is an advantage and that’s how people look at it.
I disagree with the major points made in this post.
A. I disagree with the idea that the game doesn’t need gear progression. It does need it. Vertical progression is good. The lack of vertical progression is why I quit GW1 shortly after completing all of the story portions of the expansions. It is good that Anet it no longer catering solely to cosmetics care bears.
B. However, I disagree with the idea that it should only be available through extreme crafting or that it should be a grind that could encompass years if you intend to have multiple sets of gear for multiple toons. Limited vertical progression with requirements that are challenging but not verging on extreme or insane should be the goal.
There needs to be some give here.
You can’t put people who have less time and resources at a disadvantage to players who do via stats.
In PvP and WvW there needs to be a cap that basic items (or even free) can hit.
PvE I can understand, yes vertical progression has its place.
Whether it’s 5% or 20%. Any advantage is an advantage and that’s how people look at it.
Yeh, in my post I said that currently the time/resource requirements is a bit insane. Like I said in the post you responded to, the goal should be a system that is challenging but not insane as it currently is. I agree entirely with the idea that ascended gear currently is a massive undertaking that favors the unemployed and lifeless. However, I don’t think there should be any handouts. You should have to do stuff to get ascended gear, but they have gone a bit far.
Not sure what you are referring to, but currently there is no gear advantage in general PVP.
As far as WvW goes, I like being able to take my character as they are straight into a PVP environment. I like having access to all things in the game. In Spvp it doesn’t even feel like I am playing my actual character. WvW makes me feel like I am taking my actual character into open world pvp. I feel that sPVP is there for those that want to PVP in a vacuum. I would be extremely disappointed, to the point of leaving the game, if WvW were turned into a restricted/vacuum environment like SPVP.
I disagree with the major points made in this post.
A. I disagree with the idea that the game doesn’t need gear progression. It does need it. Vertical progression is good. The lack of vertical progression is why I quit GW1 shortly after completing all of the story portions of the expansions. It is good that Anet it no longer catering solely to cosmetics care bears.
B. However, I disagree with the idea that it should only be available through extreme crafting or that it should be a grind that could encompass years if you intend to have multiple sets of gear for multiple toons. Limited vertical progression with requirements that are challenging but not verging on extreme or insane should be the goal.
There needs to be some give here.
You can’t put people who have less time and resources at a disadvantage to players who do via stats.
In PvP and WvW there needs to be a cap that basic items (or even free) can hit.
PvE I can understand, yes vertical progression has its place.
Whether it’s 5% or 20%. Any advantage is an advantage and that’s how people look at it.Yeh, in my post I said that currently the time/resource requirements is a bit insane. Like I said in the post you responded to, the goal should be a system that is challenging but not insane as it currently is. I agree entirely with the idea that ascended gear currently is a massive undertaking that favors the unemployed and lifeless. However, I don’t think there should be any handouts. You should have to do stuff to get ascended gear, but they have gone a bit far.
Not sure what you are referring to, but currently there is no gear advantage in general PVP.
As far as WvW goes, I like being able to take my character as they are straight into a PVP environment. I like having access to all things in the game. In Spvp it doesn’t even feel like I am playing my actual character. WvW makes me feel like I am taking my actual character into open world pvp. I feel that sPVP is there for those that want to PVP in a vacuum. I would be extremely disappointed, to the point of leaving the game, if WvW were turned into a restricted/vacuum environment like SPVP.
Your character is your character because you’ve spec’d it and dressed it how you want.
The point I am referring to is ascended gears stat bonus.
I don’t know what they are planning for sPvP, their intention is to have the same equipment you wear in PvE when you cross in to PvP, much like WvW.
My qualms are what they intended to do with the stats of ascended equipment in pvp, because that would have a serious impact.
Hence the comment of vertical progression fitting PvE, but anywhere there is PvP I see a problem.
Yeah, the bottom line here is a need for multiple ways of obtaining ascended gear. As is, in addition to actual crafting, players need to do a little of everything to get what they need (dungeons and jumping puzzles for empyreal, zergs for dragonite). Ideally there would’ve been ONE ascended account bound material with multiple ways of getting it. This would achieve roughly the same end result; players returning to neglected areas of the game… but the upside being they only have to do what they enjoy. Unfortunately, ANet seem to have decided that the effort required to get this gear needs to be disproportionate to the stat increase (40 laurels for a trinket? gedaddahere!)
As for an endgame cosmetic grind, they’ve totally dropped the ball on this one. I don’t see how we don’t have multiple gear tabs yet. The town clothes tab should have been a separate page for armor, weapons and jewelry ages ago. Think of the skin and transmutation stone sales that could generate.
We do not need a 5% boost to stats, acquired through being rich or being dedicated to grind.
No, you don’t. So don’t make it, and do what you like instead.
The threads about ascended gear on this forum contain the most overwrought complaining-about-nothing that I’ve ever seen in nearly a decade of playing MMOs.
I disagree with the major points made in this post.
A. I disagree with the idea that the game doesn’t need gear progression. It does need it. Vertical progression is good. The lack of vertical progression is why I quit GW1 shortly after completing all of the story portions of the expansions. It is good that Anet it no longer catering solely to cosmetics care bears.
B. However, I disagree with the idea that it should only be available through extreme crafting or that it should be a grind that could encompass years if you intend to have multiple sets of gear for multiple toons. Limited vertical progression with requirements that are challenging but not verging on extreme or insane should be the goal.
There needs to be some give here.
You can’t put people who have less time and resources at a disadvantage to players who do via stats.
In PvP and WvW there needs to be a cap that basic items (or even free) can hit.
PvE I can understand, yes vertical progression has its place.
Whether it’s 5% or 20%. Any advantage is an advantage and that’s how people look at it.Yeh, in my post I said that currently the time/resource requirements is a bit insane. Like I said in the post you responded to, the goal should be a system that is challenging but not insane as it currently is. I agree entirely with the idea that ascended gear currently is a massive undertaking that favors the unemployed and lifeless. However, I don’t think there should be any handouts. You should have to do stuff to get ascended gear, but they have gone a bit far.
Not sure what you are referring to, but currently there is no gear advantage in general PVP.
As far as WvW goes, I like being able to take my character as they are straight into a PVP environment. I like having access to all things in the game. In Spvp it doesn’t even feel like I am playing my actual character. WvW makes me feel like I am taking my actual character into open world pvp. I feel that sPVP is there for those that want to PVP in a vacuum. I would be extremely disappointed, to the point of leaving the game, if WvW were turned into a restricted/vacuum environment like SPVP.
Your character is your character because you’ve spec’d it and dressed it how you want.
The point I am referring to is ascended gears stat bonus.
I don’t know what they are planning for sPvP, their intention is to have the same equipment you wear in PvE when you cross in to PvP, much like WvW.
My qualms are what they intended to do with the stats of ascended equipment in pvp, because that would have a serious impact.
Hence the comment of vertical progression fitting PvE, but anywhere there is PvP I see a problem.
“Even though we will be eliminating the distinction between PvP and PvE gear, gear in PvP will continue to not have stats. The armor and weapons you carry into PvP will be, like they are now, just for looks. Traits, skills, runes and sigils will still be different for PvP so you will continue to be able to have different builds in PvP and PvE.”
^excerpt from https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/player-vs-player-rewards-roadmap/
The latest update I read on sPVP, shown above, says that sPVP gear will never have any stat advantage associated with it. They are just allowing you to carry your look over to sPVP. In other words, your concern is a none-concern.
As far as WvW goes, I am fine with it the way it is. If you want to play in a vacuum you can go SPvP. I don’t see a need to make SPvP and WvW more similar.
It would be nice if they could find a better ( and more player friendly )way to monetize their game then through Gems→Gold. At present it seems to provide too much temptation for them to resist.
Currently it’s (Ascended armor/weapons and their mat requirements) meant to do this:
http://imgur.com/pAiF9Rk
A little more high-tech from your standard carrot on a stick… but I think it fits more in this day and age.
We do not need a 5% boost to stats, acquired through being rich or being dedicated to grind.
No, you don’t. So don’t make it, and do what you like instead.
The threads about ascended gear on this forum contain the most overwrought complaining-about-nothing that I’ve ever seen in nearly a decade of playing MMOs.
That’s a pretty big oversimplification. Think about it, MMO players like a sense of progression, whether vertical or horizontal….we need the proverbial ‘carrot-at-the-end-of-a-stick’. We make fun of that expression, but MMORPGs typically aren’t as inherently fun to play as say……FPS games. The reward is half the fun, and the devs know this and have got a white-knuckle grip on all the good stuff. Also, ascended gear is the only substantial addition to the game in months. No one wants to just spin their wheels and repeat content with no real purpose, especially when there IS one which just happens to be a pain in the kitten .
We’ll ignore ascended gear when we have something meaningful to sink our teeth into. That, or quit playing.
It would be nice if they could find a better ( and more player friendly )way to monetize their game then through Gems->Gold. At present it seems to provide too much temptation for them to resist.
You have to be realistic in your requests. I happen to know people to spend 20, 40, and sometimes over 60 bucks a month on ridiculous stuff out of the cash shop and converting golds/gem. There is no way they are doing away with that system.
It would be nice if they could find a better ( and more player friendly )way to monetize their game then through Gems->Gold. At present it seems to provide too much temptation for them to resist.
You have to be realistic in your requests. I happen to know people to spend 20, 40, and sometimes over 60 bucks a month on ridiculous stuff out of the cash shop and converting golds/gem. There is no way they are doing away with that system.
They have a good system here, but there are things they could be doing in game for the players for free that would encourage MORE people to buy gems.
Putting upgrade extractors in the gemstone, I don’t care if you can convert gold to gems, is a straight up kitten move.
Another one of those things they did right in GW1 but failed to carry over, expert salvage kits.
They have a good system here, but there are things they could be doing in game for the players for free that would encourage MORE people to buy gems.
Agreed. 800 gems per gear tab would be an excellent addition.
I think it is important to remember that ascended gear is not required.
For over a year everyone used exotic-quality equipment and had no trouble completing content. Ascended items were not added because there was a statistical gap that needed to be filled; they were added to provide players with a long-term goal. If you do not feel that the effort required to obtain ascended gear is justified by its very minor boost, then don’t bother with it. End of story.
I, like many others, was drawn to GW2 because I heard it was supposed to have a moderately easy stat cap with a lot of never ending grind solely for cosmetics. I liked this idea a lot. As I started the game, I was just as happy with it as I thought it would be. I did not have to devote my life to the same daily grinds in order to simply have the best stats. It was a good system for me and the game was more enjoyable. Then they introduced ascended and slowly but surely they went back on what I had thought the game was intended to be in the first place.
Ascended has not enriched my gameplay experience in any way. I am not happier than I was before, in fact it’s quite the opposite. I play all 8 classes, have them all at level 80 and even spent quite a lot of time getting them all at least one full set of a specific stat of exotic gear, the best runes, sigils etc. I do not enjoy playing one character any more than the others. I don’t consider any of my characters a “main” because I enjoyed playing them all. It took quite a long time as it was, but it was fun.
Now, I am completely overwhelmed with how much of a grind it would take to get all of my now formerly geared characters hooked up with ascended. I feel as though I am being horribly pressured into playing a single character, which I have absolutely no intention of doing, nor does anyone really benefit from forcing me to play a single one. Fortunately, I am also completely underwhelmed by how significant of a difference it makes, and so I have opted to ignore ascended completely.
So what has it really done for me? Well, all I can say is I was happier without it than I am now. There is not one thing about it I can think of that has affected me in a positive way.
“Please, you can look down on people without having to be physically above them.
As an asura, I do this all the time.”
As an asura, I do this all the time.”
I think it is important to remember that ascended gear is not required.
For over a year everyone used exotic-quality equipment and had no trouble completing content. Ascended items were not added because there was a statistical gap that needed to be filled; they were added to provide players with a long-term goal. If you do not feel that the effort required to obtain ascended gear is justified by its very minor boost, then don’t bother with it. End of story.
A 14% increase for full ascended, I’d say that was required in WvW if one wants to be at an optimal level in that mode, plus if you really want to be as efficient and optimised as possible in PvE I’d also say it is heavily desirable.
Jade Quarry [SoX]
Miranda Zero – Ele / Twitch Zero – Mes / Chargrin Soulboom – Engi
Aliera Zero – Guardian / Reaver Zero – Necro
Miranda Zero – Ele / Twitch Zero – Mes / Chargrin Soulboom – Engi
Aliera Zero – Guardian / Reaver Zero – Necro
So what has it really done for me? Well, all I can say is I was happier without it than I am now. There is not one thing about it I can think of that has affected me in a positive way.
Good post I hope this is the sort of post that the devs pay attention to.
Jade Quarry [SoX]
Miranda Zero – Ele / Twitch Zero – Mes / Chargrin Soulboom – Engi
Aliera Zero – Guardian / Reaver Zero – Necro
Miranda Zero – Ele / Twitch Zero – Mes / Chargrin Soulboom – Engi
Aliera Zero – Guardian / Reaver Zero – Necro
I, like many others, was drawn to GW2 because I heard it was supposed to have a moderately easy stat cap with a lot of never ending grind solely for cosmetics. I liked this idea a lot. As I started the game, I was just as happy with it as I thought it would be. I did not have to devote my life to the same daily grinds in order to simply have the best stats. It was a good system for me and the game was more enjoyable. Then they introduced ascended and slowly but surely they went back on what I had thought the game was intended to be in the first place.
Ascended has not enriched my gameplay experience in any way. I am not happier than I was before, in fact it’s quite the opposite. I play all 8 classes, have them all at level 80 and even spent quite a lot of time getting them all at least one full set of a specific stat of exotic gear, the best runes, sigils etc. I do not enjoy playing one character any more than the others. I don’t consider any of my characters a “main” because I enjoyed playing them all. It took quite a long time as it was, but it was fun.
Now, I am completely overwhelmed with how much of a grind it would take to get all of my now formerly geared characters hooked up with ascended. I feel as though I am being horribly pressured into playing a single character, which I have absolutely no intention of doing, nor does anyone really benefit from forcing me to play a single one. Fortunately, I am also completely underwhelmed by how significant of a difference it makes, and so I have opted to ignore ascended completely.
So what has it really done for me? Well, all I can say is I was happier without it than I am now. There is not one thing about it I can think of that has affected me in a positive way.
I am glad they have stopped catering to those that want the game to consist 100% of cosmetics. Unlike most MMOs, they left the previous gear tiers viable. Exotic gear is entirely viable in any area of the game. However, they are starting to understand that some players are interested in a little bit of vertical progression. The only issue is that their execution of ascended gear has been horrible.
In a game that encourages alts so heavily, they should not introduce a gear system that goes against alts.
That’s a pretty big oversimplification. Think about it, MMO players like a sense of progression, whether vertical or horizontal….we need the proverbial ‘carrot-at-the-end-of-a-stick’. We make fun of that expression, but MMORPGs typically aren’t as inherently fun to play as say……FPS games. The reward is half the fun, and the devs know this and have got a white-knuckle grip on all the good stuff. Also, ascended gear is the only substantial addition to the game in months. No one wants to just spin their wheels and repeat content with no real purpose, especially when there IS one which just happens to be a pain in the kitten .
We’ll ignore ascended gear when we have something meaningful to sink our teeth into. That, or quit playing.
You pretty much nailed it. The majority of the content in the game is pointless as far as progression goes. You absolutely have to craft to have access the game’s vertical progression. In no way is that “typical” or similar to any other MMO I have played.
It is like somewhere a long the line they decided that anyone that wants to participate in vertical progression also have to be heavily invested into crafting or gold farming.
I think it is important to remember that ascended gear is not required.
For over a year everyone used exotic-quality equipment and had no trouble completing content. Ascended items were not added because there was a statistical gap that needed to be filled; they were added to provide players with a long-term goal. If you do not feel that the effort required to obtain ascended gear is justified by its very minor boost, then don’t bother with it. End of story.
A 14% increase for full ascended, I’d say that was required in WvW if one wants to be at an optimal level in that mode, plus if you really want to be as efficient and optimised as possible in PvE I’d also say it is heavily desirable.
Meh, not really. Most Commanders would trade a guy in full ascended that never stays on the commander or listens for a guy in exotics that stays on the commander at all time any day.
The only place in WvW it would be required is GvG. In general WvW, a 14% increase isn’t really that important. If you just have to be optimal, if you just get ascended jewelry/trinkets/backpeice, which aren’t that hard to get, and ignore the armor and weapon, you will be more than fine.
Meh, not really. Most Commanders would trade a guy in full ascended that never stays on the commander or listens for a guy in exotics that stays on the commander at all time any day.
And most commanders would rather a guy in full ascended thats stays on him than someone in full exotics who stays on him.
Jade Quarry [SoX]
Miranda Zero – Ele / Twitch Zero – Mes / Chargrin Soulboom – Engi
Aliera Zero – Guardian / Reaver Zero – Necro
Miranda Zero – Ele / Twitch Zero – Mes / Chargrin Soulboom – Engi
Aliera Zero – Guardian / Reaver Zero – Necro
Actually most commanders shouldn’t even be “commanders”.
That tag is a joke in most scenarios and people who abuse it ruin it for those that truly do fill that leader role and fill it well.
But that’s a whole other topic.
Meh, not really. Most Commanders would trade a guy in full ascended that never stays on the commander or listens for a guy in exotics that stays on the commander at all time any day.
And most commanders would rather a guy in full ascended thats stays on him than someone in fill sacended who doesn’t.
True, but it really doesn’t make that big of a difference. If it is a big deal to you, then suck it up and farm the gear, but gear level is not nearly the most important factor in being successful in WvW. It isn’t really in the top 3.
You can be successful in exotics, and that is more than most MMOs give. Go PVP in SWTOR with less than optimal gear and you’ll find yourself being oneshot.
I think it is important to remember that ascended gear is not required.
For over a year everyone used exotic-quality equipment and had no trouble completing content. Ascended items were not added because there was a statistical gap that needed to be filled; they were added to provide players with a long-term goal. If you do not feel that the effort required to obtain ascended gear is justified by its very minor boost, then don’t bother with it. End of story.
A 14% increase for full ascended, I’d say that was required in WvW if one wants to be at an optimal level in that mode, plus if you really want to be as efficient and optimised as possible in PvE I’d also say it is heavily desirable.
You may want to reread the second to last sentence in my post (assuming you managed to get that far before replaying).
Ascended gear actually provides a 12.6% increase to overall stats. While it may seem big, it is an individual boost. This percentage then diminishes for every person you are playing alongside.
If you were suggesting that a single player with ascended items would greatly impact the efficiency of a zerg in WvW, I think you may be disappointed when you complete your set.
Yet more ‘you don’t need it’ and ‘complaining about nothing’ to defend ascended. If ‘you don’t need it’ and it’s ‘nothing’ then why does it even deserve to exist in the game? Defending ascended is literally defending a grind that has absolutely no reward. ‘People will leave if there’s no VP’ you say? Good. Let them go back to their scrubby games that give ever higher stats as a crutch so they don’t ever have to be good at anything.
Yet more ‘you don’t need it’ and ‘complaining about nothing’ to defend ascended. If ‘you don’t need it’ and it’s ‘nothing’ then why does it even deserve to exist in the game? Defending ascended is literally defending a grind that has absolutely no reward. ‘People will leave if there’s no VP’ you say? Good. Let them go back to their scrubby games that give ever higher stats as a crutch so they don’t ever have to be good at anything.
Yes, because this one should only have the stuff you want right?
Gear grind is the reason why other mmos are scrub games. This game was sold on no gear grind. It could’ve stuck to its guns but instead decided to cater to people that it wasn’t even marketed towards.
Nice job not answering why ascended deserves to exist when it contributes nothing to the game, by the way.
Yet more ‘you don’t need it’ and ‘complaining about nothing’ to defend ascended. If ‘you don’t need it’ and it’s ‘nothing’ then why does it even deserve to exist in the game?
It “deserves to exist” for those who enjoy working towards it.
And, of course, for those who get joy out of complaining about having to “grind” for something they don’t actually have to grind for.
Yet more ‘you don’t need it’ and ‘complaining about nothing’ to defend ascended. If ‘you don’t need it’ and it’s ‘nothing’ then why does it even deserve to exist in the game?
It “deserves to exist” for those who enjoy working towards it.
And, of course, for those who get joy out of complaining about having to “grind” for something they don’t actually have to grind for.
If I buy a product based on an advertisement and that product is no longer what the advertisement claimed it was, I want my money back.
That’s called false advertising and it’s illegal.
Changing something midway through and claiming it’s a change of direction doesn’t make it any more acceptable.
Because it’s a service we already experienced before this change happened, we can’t do anything about it.
And that’s how Anet gets away with half the crap the pull.
Given that the game was sold on sound bites like ‘Everyone, including casual players, by level 80 should have the best statistical loot in the game’ and ‘no-one finds that [grinding] fun’, I don’t see that they have any reason to exist. How can anyone enjoy working towards something that is based purely on grinding the same content that has existed since launch? How can anyone with even a miniscule amount of skill consider stats worthy of being called a reward?
If you don’t think it’s possible to get people to work towards something other than stats I would like to remind you that there are people that have unlocked every single crafting recipe in the game, despite most of them being irrelevant and that legendaries originally were just PVT exotics with a fancy skin that you had to transmute if you wanted a different stat type; that didn’t stop people grinding for it.
Grind doesn’t have to be for advantage for people to be willing to do it. More power doesn’t have to be on the table for a reward to be worthy of a player’s time.
Given that the game was sold on sound bites like ‘Everyone, including casual players, by level 80 should have the best statistical loot in the game’ and ‘no-one finds that [grinding] fun’, I don’t see that they have any reason to exist. How can anyone enjoy working towards something that is based purely on grinding the same content that has existed since launch? How can anyone with even a miniscule amount of skill consider stats worthy of being called a reward?
If you don’t think it’s possible to get people to work towards something other than stats I would like to remind you that there are people that have unlocked every single crafting recipe in the game, despite most of them being irrelevant and that legendaries originally were just PVT exotics with a fancy skin that you had to transmute if you wanted a different stat type; that didn’t stop people grinding for it.
Grind doesn’t have to be for advantage for people to be willing to do it. More power doesn’t have to be on the table for a reward to be worthy of a player’s time.
that’s the perfect translation of what “no grind, no treadmill” means literally.
i hope it will be read from high clergy in anet.
that’s the real love for a game for what it is, and not a korean run towards which surely will be just a transient top of the hill.
a huge +1
Putting upgrade extractors in the gemstone, I don’t care if you can convert gold to gems, is a straight up kitten move.
Another one of those things they did right in GW1 but failed to carry over, expert salvage kits.
I wouldn’t know, most of my Black Lion Salvage Kits I get for free doing my Dailies. Or from chests by getting key drops.
I think you might mean “Perfect Salvage Kits” though, the ones you spent Skill Points to buy with some materials off EOTN consumable crafters? I used to love those things, made switching my runes out painless.
Seeking assistants for the Asuran Catapult Project. Applicants will be tested for aerodynamics.
I feel its worth pointing out that in this game you do have to work for your gear. There is vertical progression. After you have geared your newly minted 80, you can start on another build for your character. Start another toon, even.
But progressing is not a grind when you can play any part of the game you want to and build up your gear from it. You can do dungeons, craft, farm gold to buy gear etc….
You have to work for it, but you do it your way.
.
Ascended brings in the Grind
Ascended does not give you very many options. Its basically all about crafting. Whether you like it or not. And lets be honest, crafting is all about gold unless your rich then you have to farm it yourself. (Its also about daily CDs -YAWN!)
With Ascended Anet brought the “feeling of the grind” into GW2, mashed it up, added no salt or spices and said “Eat it or leave it” and walked out the door slamming it shut behind them.
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Ascended in PvE
In PvE ascended gear is of no consquence, unless your build fails due to some “stat threshhold” that exotic gear can’t reach.
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Ascended and WvW
In WvW, however, if you want to stay competitive, you have to have it. In PvP the small things count. When you have 300ms vs a player who has 30ms, you will miss more often, waste more abilities… every little thing adds up. Throw in another 5% advantage here and there and suddenly a player you could beat becomes quite difficult.
“But Myst, WvW is only about zerging!”
Not true, small skirmishes and 1v1s are common place out there. In fact, recent changes to the Borderland maps are in an effort to encourage scaled down warfare!
Whats true for the individual, however, is also true for the zerg. 5% here, 5% there, one zerg with 12 stacks of might vs a zerg with 24 stacks of might, all those little things add up on the large scale as well as the small!
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Conclusion
You can argue that ascended gear gives a small advantage, but its still an advantage! And its a lot of boring grinding to get that advantage! Add in the fact that you might have several sets of gear per character, multiple characters… Its all getting a bit out of hand.
I think Ascended hasn’t added anything to the game. Its and effort to appease some people who are craving a reward. Rewarding players is something that Anet is very poor at. But I don’t think gear grinding is the answer.
Putting upgrade extractors in the gemstone, I don’t care if you can convert gold to gems, is a straight up kitten move.
Another one of those things they did right in GW1 but failed to carry over, expert salvage kits.I wouldn’t know, most of my Black Lion Salvage Kits I get for free doing my Dailies. Or from chests by getting key drops.
I think you might mean “Perfect Salvage Kits” though, the ones you spent Skill Points to buy with some materials off EOTN consumable crafters? I used to love those things, made switching my runes out painless.
Sorry yes, perfect salvage kits.
I think Ascended hasn’t added anything to the game. Its and effort to appease some people who are craving a reward. Rewarding players is something that Anet is very poor at. But I don’t think gear grinding is the answer.
It makes sense that they would be poor at it. They catered to the cosmetics crowd for the entire duration of GW1. Ascended is really their first foray into anything outside of cosmetic gear. It is new territory for them. I think it was a good idea, because I do believe in functional rewards, but I also I think they handled it pretty poorly. Hopefully they realize that they handled it poorly and will work to rectify the situation as time passes.
I think Ascended hasn’t added anything to the game. Its and effort to appease some people who are craving a reward. Rewarding players is something that Anet is very poor at. But I don’t think gear grinding is the answer.
It makes sense that they would be poor at it. They catered to the cosmetics crowd for the entire duration of GW1. Ascended is really their first foray into anything outside of cosmetic gear. It is new territory for them. I think it was a good idea, because I do believe in functional rewards, but I also I think they handled it pretty poorly. Hopefully they realize that they handled it poorly and will work to rectify the situation as time passes.
How can cosmetics not be a reward?
How is gold not a reward?
Actually little fights in WvW are pretty good and enjoyable, and ascended is a must for that (14% is huge if u fight against someone that is somewhat of ur skill level).
Also, in pve, this new ascended stuff will bring problems. Let’s say they make a new dungeon, or a “raid”, or whatever, and since the best stat is X they design so with ascended is “normal” and with exotic is hard and more lengthy, and then u see things like: LF warrior/guardian, full ascended. And the full ascended requirement becomes the norm…
They’ve sold their souls to the carrot eaters and there is no turning back. New tiers will be added and new content requiring the new tiers will be added. The carrot eaters won’t stick around otherwise.
Also, all is vain.