Guild Wars 2

I started playing Guild Wars 2 about a month ago when a friend showed it to me. It looked really refined, and the races and classes were really cool, so I thought, why not?

First, let me start with what is good about this game, and there is a lot. It is one smooth running machine. This has to be one of, if not the smoothest MMOs (and indeed PC games entirely) I have ever played. Not one crash. Not one slow down. Not one technical issue at all. Amazing. It is also a very beautiful game. I am not impressed merely by good graphical quality, I am impressed with the other visual attributes of the game such as good world building, scenery, animations, character design, it is all thoroughly well done. There is no limits to race/class combo like in other MMOs, which I love. There is a culture to each race that is very unique. The players are friendly. The zones are fun to explore. The events that pop up are great. Let my complaints below be preceded by the fact that this is a supremely good game, and I love playing it.

That being said, here are the issues I have with the game.

1.) My Character does too many things without my permission
Mainly, what I am referring to is rotation of my character/camera. When my character loots a corpse, he turns directly to it. Whenever he hits the “take all” button, he will do it again. When I place an AOE, my character turns toward that location. When my character is knocked back, the camera will do a 180* to highlight the fact that I just got knocked the crap out of me. My character/the camera should not be rotating without my explicit input. This is probably my biggest complaint.

2.) The AI for wildlife is hilarious.
The first time I accidentally hit a deer with a spell, watching it turn around and crow-hop at my face, rear it’s front legs up, and deliver a flurry of Bruce Lee kicks made me literally burst out laughing. It’s just bad. I should not be able to enter combat with a deer. It should run away.

(The overall point being, from what I can tell, every creature able to be attacked in this game will either die in one hit (a rat), or actually engage you in combat without any hesitation whatsoever.)

3.) Creatures respawn too fast.
In my opinion.

4.) I can’t place targeted attacks while using the right mouse button to move.
I do not use the “A” and “D” keys to rotate (does anyone?). I have to interrupt movement to place targeted attacks because when the right mouse button is held, any input from the left mouse button is taken as the “run when both mouse buttons are held” input.

5.) The “Press F to do everything” mechanic doesn’t work well
The “Action button” F makes things extremely annoying sometimes. I remember having to wait for a body to despawn before I could actually trigger a Vista because the game insisted that I loot him first (with no inventory space.) The Vista could not be activated until the body disappeared. It was the elite bandit in the human starter zone, the body stayed there for quite a while. This also causes problems with items you pick up, such as an elementalist’s Fiery Greatsword. If there are a few corpses around, you will pick up 7 hooves before you are able to pick up that greatsword. Except you could be dead by then.

6.) Enemies seem rather repetitive
I could be wrong! I am only level ~45, but after completing a few maps, I struggle to think of any “talking” enemies I have fought besides bandits (which all look the same) and centaurs.

I surely have forgotten a few things, but these are what stood out at the moment.

Yeah.

Pretty much everything you said has been in the game from the beginning, and probably will never change. It’s a good game, but, shockingly, is not perfect.

Its funny how many people don’t look at game options lol … 1,4,5, can all be fixed in the game option under general and key binds….

DoesntAfraid.9218:

6.) Enemies seem rather repetitive
I could be wrong! I am only level ~45, but after completing a few maps, I struggle to think of any “talking” enemies I have fought besides bandits (which all look the same) and centaurs.

I surely have forgotten a few things, but these are what stood out at the moment.

For example Nightmare Court, Inquest, Skritt, Grawl, Sons of Svanir.

DoesntAfraid.9218:

5.) The “Press F to do everything” mechanic doesn’t work well
The “Action button” F makes things extremely annoying sometimes. I remember having to wait for a body to despawn before I could actually trigger a Vista because the game insisted that I loot him first (with no inventory space.) The Vista could not be activated until the body disappeared. It was the elite bandit in the human starter zone, the body stayed there for quite a while. This also causes problems with items you pick up, such as an elementalist’s Fiery Greatsword. If there are a few corpses around, you will pick up 7 hooves before you are able to pick up that greatsword. Except you could be dead by then.

This should really be change, at least change the talk/loot/rez

6.) Enemies seem rather repetitive
I could be wrong! I am only level ~45, but after completing a few maps, I struggle to think of any “talking” enemies I have fought besides bandits (which all look the same) and centaurs.

While it is true, different region of the map are attacked by different enemies. Norn region. Kryta is attacker by centaur/bandit, Orr by Risen (undead), Northern shiverspeak by Icebrood, etc. A mix of everything everywhere wouldn’t make too much sense.

I surely have forgotten a few things, but these are what stood out at the moment.

Also, your part about the wildlife made me laugh a little even though it is true.

Methods.4023:

Its funny how many people don’t look at game options lol … 1,4,5, can all be fixed in the game option under general and key binds….

No, they cannot. You misread his points. He is not talking about keybinding in point 5.

5.) The “Press F to do everything” mechanic doesn’t work well.

Keybind the aoe loot to something else, I use c key. The situation you describe is not what you might call common. In fact I don’t think I have run into it since headstart personally. You can empty your bags via deposit all for mats, break things down, sell directly to tp or throw away. Sitting and waiting for a despawn is a little poorly thought out by you not the game.
Camera problems I have read others talk about but personally have never noticed.
I personally think that it is great that if you attack anything in this game they have the ability to attack back. The only ones that can’t are white nametags and those are used to build up weapon kills for points.
Repetitive mobs are pretty much going to be in any game. Orcs or orcs or zombies or on and on. Waste of resources to have every single npc unique.

DoesntAfraid.9218:

stuff

I think the reference in your name is funny, thanks for the smirk.

1) I guess, now that you mention it. that never bothers me though.
2) there’s a very clear distinguish for critters that will die in one hit (=ambient creatures, marked with white text) and wildlife that will engage if you (accidentally) hit them first; the latter are marked with yellow text. Personally I like the distinction and that you probably need to watch where you shoot your bouncy-ranged attacks if you don’t want to get mobbed by creatures.
3) nope. but, as with #1 that’s a matter of opinion. you’re entitled to yours.
4) I use a trackball mouse because of workspace issues. I use ASWD exclusively for moving, and mouse only for targeting, switching weapons and doing things in my inventory.
5) this has actually gotten a little bit worse recently; the F targeting used to work better. Now sometimes it doesn’t engage, sometimes it engages the wrong thing… so, ok, yes, this could be better.
6) Mugiwara already listed several. Skritt are particularly fun Or did you mean humanoid enemies? Personally, I always found the bandits somewhat… Pirates of the Carribean – fun, but just a little sad and outdated.

The thing with the deer in game is hillarious. In fact, you can start wars between different mobs if their AOE or line of sight attacks hit each other. I still smile when I trick Big Nose Ted to attack his own men in the tavern fight.

Key-binding your loot key to a separate key from your general interaction is really useful, especially if in a big group with a lot of warrior banners or whatever. Took me awhile to figure that one out too.

I personally love the interaction of the ‘neutral’ creatures, especially when they are hunted down by aggressive mobs. Very immersive, actually don’t think I’ve seen that in any other mmo’s and I consider it one of the many overlooked and interesting nuances of the game.

(2) Not only should most wildlife run away… other adversaries should lose morale and run away as well. Vanquishing a foe should be just as rewarding as killing a foe.

(3) Respawning rates usually don’t bother me unless I’m someplace horrid like Orr.

Henri Blanche.8276:

(2) Not only should most wildlife run away… other adversaries should lose morale and run away as well. Vanquishing a foe should be just as rewarding as killing a foe.

Most already do exactly that, it’s one of the first things that struck me coming from other mmo’s. A lot of mobs will run a short distance away once their hp dips below a certain level, catch their breath for a second and regain their courage and rush back into the fray. And the level of ‘courage’ is different for each type of creature (bandits & moas seem to be the most cowardly)…I thought it was a really refreshing change from other game’s creature AI.

@Everyone

Thanks for the tip about binding loot to a different key, I’ll give that a try, I’m sure that will help.

As for the creatures that don’t run away, I’m not saying it’s hard not to hit them or that I don’t see the distinction, I’m saying that the AI is too “one-dimensional” (you hit me, I run at you and hit you back, even if I am a deer). Honestly, a deer should not only run away when hit, it should run away when combat between others is going on in its vicinity, and it should run from players when they are in a certain range without any provocation. In other words, a deer should not behave exactly like a wolf after being hit. It’s just a problem with immersion.

I think my experience with the repetitive mobs was well addressed with your replies, although I think it would be a bit better if the bandits weren’t so “organized.” They are all dressed in red and white, all part of one organization it seems. Very well, but am I supposed to expect that there are no bandits in the world independent of this group?

And lastly, after a thorough check, I don’t see how 1 and 5 are addressed by the in-game options at all.

You’re fighting a lot of bandits and centaurs because you are still in the human’s maps. In the norn’s maps you fight grawl and sons of svanir, in the charr lands you fight ghosts and those lizards, and so on.

But yes, there is not much enemy variety in the game, in the lvl 80 maps you will just fight undeads.

4) Go to options menu and use “Fast ground targeting with range indicator”. You press the button and hold to show you the range and let go to cast the skill. No left click needed or you can also use the instant cast that uses the skill at the point where your mouse is at as soon as you press the button.
5) You can left click the object you want to use to make the default action prioritise it over anything else.

DoesntAfraid.9218:

I started playing Guild Wars 2 about a month ago when a friend showed it to me. It looked really refined, and the races and classes were really cool, so I thought, why not?…

3.) Creatures respawn too fast.
In my opinion.

4.) I can’t place targeted attacks while using the right mouse button to move.
I do not use the “A” and “D” keys to rotate (does anyone?). I have to interrupt movement to place targeted attacks because when the right mouse button is held, any input from the left mouse button is taken as the “run when both mouse buttons are held” input.

3. Not only they some spawn too quickly, sometimes they spawn before they’re dead, and you have two of them to battle.

4. Remap. I made A and D strafe, Q and E rotate.

1) have you tried if enabling/disabling Use Free Camera in options can help with the issue?

What bothers me in the game is that () isn’t symmetrical. -_- It’s really annoying the hell out of me.