Guild Wars 2

I am what most people would call a casual gamer. I have played WOW for almost 7 years. I used to raid hardcore, but as i grew older and had more commitments IRL, i had to change my playstyle. I would belong to the group of gamers that mostly play solo or have a small grp of guildies or friends.

As most would know, WOW is experiencing its pre-expansion lull, so i thought i can give guild wars 2 a try since i had some friends joining and reviews were pretty good in general.

So after playing for roughly a week, trying the various professions, reading up the forums, here are some of my opinions on the game.

1. Its a breath of fresh air. As someone who is so used to WOW’s casual friendly difficulty level, the possibility of dying to normal mobs in the open world if you don’t play carefully is challenging. At least at the lower levels.

2. It feels different, or should i say awkard in the pacing of gameplay. Took me a few days before i realise its mostly because besides skill#1, every single spell had a considerable cd. Considerable at least compared to wow, where your next useful spell takes 20-30s before u can use it. I would say i don’t like the feel of it because i am too used of having something to do without a break in between. But of course everyone has a different feel of this, so no right or wrong here.

3. Dynamic Events are a pretty good idea, like the rifts in RIFT. Open world events where everyone can take part in is always very appealing to players. And its also a great world to level up.

4. I love personal story quests. They add an extra personal touch to your character. Love it.

With all that said, i find that i am finding that i am somewhat lacking motivation to play the game.

Firstly, like i mention having too many spells with considerable CDs. Do anyone else feel the same? I like to use my spells and i don’t like being able to only use them once in a while. At least to me, 20-30 second on your second or third most important spell is too long to wait.

Secondly, the difficulty level. Yes it is challenging. But i would admit here that i am casual. I might be ok with it now as it is new but as time goes on, would i really enjoy having “boss-type” fights with every single open world mob out there? Its no surprise i play a guardian. I am casual, and i don’t really like to die.

Seeing how ranged classes in this class perform; ie. kite or die. A particular comment in the elementalist forum struck gold for me. It was something like this: Why must even a wolf seem like a boss fight for us. I can kite mobs if needed, but if i need to kite every single mob out there, its not really fun.

Lastly, dungeons. Admitedly i am not even high enough level yet to get into one. But reading about all the various opinions on its difficulty level is not giving me a good vibe.

Why? Because at the beginning of the current WOW: Cataclysm, Dungeons were tuned hard, maybe not as hard as GW2 dungeons are now, but still harder than alot of WOTLK casuals were used to. I actualy was up to the challenge then, i was sick of the casual friendly, idiot-proof heroics WOTLK had. I had no problem with taking upwards of an hour to complete a normal dungeon and gearing up in normal before moving up to heroics.

But then not everyone felt the same. Alot of my friends who came back after i persuaded them did not like the challenge and the long grind for gear. So gradually i had lesser and lesser friends to dungeon with. PUGS were out of the question, with the hard difficulty, playing with unknowns had a even higher possibility of wiping, agony and ninja-looting. Didn’t took me long before i took a break from wow, and only returned after Blizzard tuned down the difficulty level and made it easier for casuals like me.

So now in guild wars 2, the dungeons seem to be at quite a high difficulty level, at least from what i read, i am starting to wonder whether i can find anyone to play with. I have casual friends playing but i doubt they would get to 30 any faster than me. And if i can’t find friends, the idea of playing with strangers doesn’t appeal to me at all.

So, are there other gamers like me. ie. casual gamer, plays either solo or with a small grp of friends or guildies, who feels the same? Or you have other opinions?

If any of my points are conflicting with actual game play, please do correct me as i am also a noob to this game.

I’m not really a casual gamer, and so far I’ve been putting way more time into GW2 than I should. But I did intend to play it casually…

So my thoughts are – I don’t think dungeons are intended for casual players. Dynamic events, vistas, WvW, map completion – I think that’s what Anet thought would be a goal for casuals because it’s something you can do solo or with a couple of friends and without needing an organised group.

Dungeons are for people who want to farm shards or whatever it is you need for legendary gear which doesn’t really seem like a casual play style to me.

Guild Wars 2 is very casual friendly because you can do whatever you want in game without having to grind to max level and gear up before you do. Leveling and killing mobs is supposed to be challenging for that very reason – the game starts at level 1, not 80. At low levels it’s pretty easy and gets harder as you progress and get more skills as well as get used to playing your toon.

As far as combat, it’s quite different from WoW. Don’t think of it as a tab target game, think of it as an action combat game. You should actively be dodging, blocking, using various forms of CC (blinds, stuns, slows, etc.). You should be using both weapon sets in combat as well as your 5 extra healing/utility/elite slots. You don’t have 5 skills in combat, you have 15. As far as CDs, it’s expected that the longer CD skills will be used with thought, not spammed every CD, and mixed in with the fact that you have a second weapon set to switch to, combat in this game is very fluid and fast paced. Some have even called it too chaotic and wish they could go back to the simpler WoW style combat. Although most CDs in this game are not that long – most weapon skills are between 10-25 seconds (unless you play Elementalist but they have long CD’s to make up for the fact that they have twice as many weapon skills as everyone else).

Dungeons in Story Mode are not hard. They’re fun and meant as an introduction to the dungeon as well as an opportunity to play through the main story. The harder dungeons that everyone talks about are “explorable” mode. Each dungeon has an Explorable mode in which you can take one of several different paths. These are GW2’s answer to hardcore PvEers who in other games would have done Hardmode dungeons or raids. They require the same type of skillset and teamwork and are supposed to be endgame content, except you can do most of them pre-80 (the first one is actually only level 35).

Oh I forgot your point about ranged classes. For starters, every profession (not class in this game) has a variety of weapon sets. No profession is ranged or melee, everyone has options to do both. Also, every class has a multitude of Cc abilities like stuns, blinds, slows. Some also have stealth. Some have knockdowns/knockbacks. Some have protective shields, some have skills that reflect or simply protect you from projectiles. Some classes have various types of “pets”. So there are a variety of ways for a person using a ranged weapon to kill stuff regardless of the type of enemy you face and if you prefer melee, you can do that instead and only save your ranged set for certain circumstances.

Can’t say I agree with 2. At least on both characters I’ve player more heavily (granted, they’re very low level, a guardian to level 33 or so, and a mesmer to level 11) only time I’ve really found myself waiting for a cooldown to finish before doing something else combat related is very early in the game when I was still getting my first few weapon abilities.

Nowadays, “casual” is used as a derogatory term in a frail attempt to insult people for having a life outside the game. So according to that definition, yes, I’m a casual.

But at any given time, it depends. Ever since GW2’s release, I’ve put a very unhealthy amount of time into it. But before that, I was pretty much entirely doing nothing but music. It’s a sort of ebb and flow; it really depends on what I feel like doing with my free time.

As for whether this game is for me, I think it’s not so much whether you’re “causal” or “hardcore” so much as whether you enjoy the game. It’s not like WoW, and people comparing it to that game might as well be comparing Battlefield 3 to Unreal Tournament. Some people are going to prefer skill-based combat instead of being a one-trick pony dependent entirely on gear. Some people are going to want their dungeons freakin’ hard. Some people prefer to explore and participate, and feel like they’re changing the world around them, instead of being told by some NPC with a questclamation mark above his head to go kill 10 Ogre Brutes and 15 Ogre Shamans who are just standing around in a nearby field doing nothing. Some people are going to find enjoyment in the gameplay itself and not in endless gear treadmills and a drilled-in, outdated sense of “endgame”. This game is for them. And then, some people will prefer the opposite. This game is not for them. None of that is dependent on how much time you put into it, so I think claiming that this game is for any group of players that falls under some commitment-based label is completely unsubstantiated.

DusK.3849:

None of that is dependent on how much time you put into it, so I think claiming that this game is for any group of players that falls under some commitment-based label is completely unsubstantiated.

I think the question is valid. Many MMO’s require a big time commitment to get to the good stuff and that turns away many players, so in that regard GW2 is very casual friendly as well as being hardcore friendly. It has something for everyone. Casuals can enjoy what they like to do from the get go and the hardcore have difficult content they can try as well as a lot of things to grind for (even beyond gear). It has something for everyone. Saying it’s casual friendly is a compliment.

Yes, as a casual gamer this is very much a game for me. I particularly love the casual social aspect of DEs. I love the fact that I can pick it up and put it down whenever I want/need to, and that I don’t feel obliged to keep playing it just to get my money’s worth out of a subcription fee. I’ve never understood how people can play one game 24/7. With MMOs I’ve always been someone who has several on the go and flits between them, for the variety. GW2 is going to be a permanent fixture on my roster for years to come.

I love the fact that it’s got a very strong virtual world feel (the lack of which was a big problem with GW1 for me) and a lot of immersion and explorability.

I love the depth to the professions and the build system (which actually isn’t immediately apparent, you have to dig a bit and ponder your tooltips).

I enjoy the way sPvP is set up for casual play – it’s a fun way to get your feet wet with PvP.

All in all, just a great game, and possibly one of the most polished MMOs ever released.

I’m a casual player now because I’m all grown up with a job, family and already a couple of decades of gaming under my belt. I find this game the most casual friendly game to come out. When I was playing WoW or other MMOs, I always felt like I was missing out because everyone else would be playing while I was off on business trips and I would have to “catch up” by playing non-stop when I came back. I even got myself a gaming laptop (lol it’s more like a portable desktop) at one point so I wouldn’t feel so left out. This game does not let me feel that way and I look forward to coming back and exploring without the rush the level so I could join that first group to hit the raiding tier (you all know what I am talking about – your guild all had your A group, the first to max level and start raiding).

A tip, for elementalist you should not be waiting 30s CD. Your attributes should be bound so you can switch between elements. This is different from other games where you specialized in one element or the other – you need to be versed with using all and plan out which one you want to switch to and when. I use dagger/dagger or staff depending on the situation and you really need to plan out your attacks carefully but it does become a bit more tactical one you get going. There is a reason why one of the Talent is to allow quicker attribute switching.

Also this game feels like old school RPG in many ways. Sure there’s an overarching big theme story but it’s the side missions and some of the off-tangent stories that I get a kick out of. I like it that it doesn’t punish you for exploring early, unlike other MMOs where the focus was level → gear so I ended up exploring after I maxed level and started raiding.

Leiloni.7951:

GW2 is very casual friendly as well as being hardcore friendly. It has something for everyone.

That’s basically what I was saying; that you can’t really brand this game as completely gear towards one type of player.

Leiloni.7951:

As far as combat, it’s quite different from WoW. Don’t think of it as a tab target game, think of it as an action combat game. You should actively be dodging, blocking, using various forms of CC (blinds, stuns, slows, etc.). You should be using both weapon sets in combat as well as your 5 extra healing/utility/elite slots. You don’t have 5 skills in combat, you have 15. As far as CDs, it’s expected that the longer CD skills will be used with thought, not spammed every CD, and mixed in with the fact that you have a second weapon set to switch to, combat in this game is very fluid and fast paced. Some have even called it too chaotic and wish they could go back to the simpler WoW style combat. Although most CDs in this game are not that long – most weapon skills are between 10-25 seconds (unless you play Elementalist but they have long CD’s to make up for the fact that they have twice as many weapon skills as everyone else).

Dungeons in Story Mode are not hard. They’re fun and meant as an introduction to the dungeon as well as an opportunity to play through the main story. The harder dungeons that everyone talks about are “explorable” mode. Each dungeon has an Explorable mode in which you can take one of several different paths. These are GW2’s answer to hardcore PvEers who in other games would have done Hardmode dungeons or raids. They require the same type of skillset and teamwork and are supposed to be endgame content, except you can do most of them pre-80 (the first one is actually only level 35).

Oh I forgot your point about ranged classes. For starters, every profession (not class in this game) has a variety of weapon sets. No profession is ranged or melee, everyone has options to do both. Also, every class has a multitude of Cc abilities like stuns, blinds, slows. Some also have stealth. Some have knockdowns/knockbacks. Some have protective shields, some have skills that reflect or simply protect you from projectiles. Some classes have various types of “pets”. So there are a variety of ways for a person using a ranged weapon to kill stuff regardless of the type of enemy you face and if you prefer melee, you can do that instead and only save your ranged set for certain circumstances.

This are some very interesting thoughts and ideas which i admittedly did not have.

For one, i do know the idea of swapping weapons for another set of skills so you have more skills to use while waiting for other CDs. But at least for me, i like to stick to the weapon i like, then again that’s my own personal preference which i think i should change so good point.

Regarding dungeons, well in that case i guess i can try out story mode at least.

But with regards to ranged, i don’t really agree. Yes they have the option to stay at ranged or melee. But i feel like they ’re kittening their own survivability at melee. At least in pve. But then again i might be wrong so any ranged experts can give their opinion on this?

Well, I would say this is a casual friendly game.

First, because of the CD: I’m not really waiting that much. I mean, GW2 got rid of mana, so it has to compensate for that, but I think it works pretty well. Maybe if you have some more skills at your disposel you will think otherwise. And don’t forget to switch between weapon sets in combat, it gives you 5 more skills while your first weapon is on CD!

As for if GW2 is casual friendly: I would absolutely say so! I mean, in which other game can you basically log in, start walking and find something to do everywhere that also gives you good rewards? In other MMOs you have to basically rush to max lvl (costs time) and then find 40 other people to farm bosses (costs time). In GW2, you can basically just walk through the scenery and you are constantly rewarded for that. You can log in for 30 minutes, do a heart, log out, and it just works. You can craft, explore, do hearts, DEs, dungeons, and everything is basically worth your time. You can quick travel to a friend, even if he just started out and is in a low area, join into a group with him and start questing or whatever.

As for dungeons: You have to really distinguish here. Story mode is not that hard in dungeons if you have a half decent group (I didn’t try with PUGs yet, but seems possible to me as well). Exp mode can be pretty hard, but doing dungeons in exp mode is considered end game as far as I know. It’s not there for the casuals, but for 5 people who want to test their skills. But since a dungeon run is only about 1 hour (sometimes longer), I would still say this is casual friendly. In GW1, if you wanted to do one of the elite dungeons, you had to plan in the entire evening. Here, you can just gather 5 people and do a dungeon because you feel like it. Nice!

Level scaling and cosmetic-only gear progression make things way easier for casual players, so that they can enjoy the game even more. While you’re just playing the game, you may get an exotic item and this can’t be happening in other games since exotic items are top tier items and casuals playing other games never get top tier items.

My thoughts on this mirror several of my guildmates who already begun to drift away from the game, Torchlight 2 and Borderlands 2 as well as XCOM is coming soon and so their interest has already faded.

The problem is at 80, there is nothing much to do. Now before anyone jumps onto me and suggests it is my fault i got to 80 , think how silly that is, i have not even gotten 45% map completion and yet i was at 80 when i half finished Orr let alone the remaining Melchor’s zone. So i also done half a dozen jump puzzles including the WvWvW ones , have 400 crafting and have 400 odd honor badges. So in no way did i power level my through the game solely by leveling.

The devs have stated that apparently i should not have leveled so quick and that the whole gameplay starts at 1. Well sorry but by the time he read his statement i already went out got a few levels just by like.. playing the game…

i do not think this will be enough for the majority of the mmorpg gamer base. There is no end game content. You do not get any better, the skills you mastered at level 1-5 are the same as you will be hitting at 80. The gear might be different but once you got it, is is all cosmetic but the timesink required for that cosmetic change is incredibly. Quite a few have already mocked the Wow players for their endless stat grind. On the other hand apparently running COF 60 times for a different look is perfectly ok …

in WvWvW the fair weather players have begun their moves, realizing there is no way to get better individually they en masse jump ship to the winning server and either quit from the queues or quit from being outzerged.

i predict over the next month or so GW2 will begin its slow but inevitable loss of playerbase. The decline will bring out the worst in the rabid fan bois who will pretend it is the players fault for not being able to play it the way THEY play it but modifying player behaviour is the role of the developer. If the developer wants the player base to be robust and large so continued support is ongoing then they must modify the player base behaviour .

It is not a player’s fault for “exhausting content too quickly”, developers either stall progression or implement more content.

In the case of GW2, players already forked out a huge chunk of money buying the game anyway, so if they stop playing the game it wouldn’t be a whole lot of loss on the part of the developer. In fact, it might be advantageous to have lesser people use the servers, allowing the cutting of costs and reducing overheads.