Guild Wars 2

Hello,

So like most people, we all know about the hardcore BL traders who can manipulate the market very easily. I’ve talked to a few I know and it is almost always the same story. “I got lucky, got a precursor, sold it for 500g+ and then starting manipulating stuff and doubling my money”. I would really like to start a discussion about how much of the endgame is on weapons/crafting these cool weapons and how easy it is for some to technically manipulate the endgame for players.

Don’t get me wrong, it is very cool that people can do this. There is just one problem. A huge part of your endgame is using the MF to craft these really cool weapons. It is an aspect of it that people consider the only endgame. Going for a legendary, perhaps a foefire essence or a infinite light. Each of these is crafting using mats. A majority of these mats are sold on the TP. What does this mean? Those people who got lucky can now manipulate the entire endgame for players.

I got in game and thought to myself “Look at all these cool items. I can’t wait to get to the endgame and get them!”. Little did I know what is required. Some of these items have ridiculous amount of mats required and the prices are outrageous. I expected these items to be rewarded to skilled players. Such as fractal weapons currently are. Instead I find they are rewarded to those who can grind the most. 80% of the people I’ve talked to when they had those really cool legendaries or incrediably expensive items about how they got the, the story is always the same. They grinded hours on end to get them.

When the game was released it was shelter and CoF. Then shelter got nerfed and people start farming exploitable locations and what not along with CoF.

I am against grinding. I did enough of it in WoW. I bought this game on the statement that grinding was supposed to be gone. That you rewarded players for going out to explore and enjoying everything the game has to offer without spending 3+ hours in the same location for a week to get one weapon. I’ve played 1,800 hours and I am just now getting my T3 armor. I’ve only had 4 exotics every drop from me, not one was worth more than 9g. I’ve never farmed and anything. I’ve been able to put up with it a while now and I’m all for rewarding those dedicate players who want to grind. However, there are little rewards to those players who do not want to grind, to those who want to experience the whole game without having to do something straight for 2 hours or more.

Sorry but the manifesto video wasn’t talking about gear grind. It was talking about grinding for levels. It’s very clear if you watch it. The first part of the paragraph states that “In most MMOs there are fun things to do”, but you have to wait to get to them. You have to level first. The last line of the paragraph says “We want to change the way people view combat.”

They’re using the original definition of MMO grind, which is quite different than MMO farming. Grinding is killing creatures for experience.

In other interviews, Anet did say there would be stuff to grind for for people who liked that play style (and unfortunately some do). So Anet made the stuff you grind for unnecessary for play.

Furthermore before the game, Anet really sold the game as saying it had no end game. So quoting the manifesto as the source of your believe that there would be no grind is not really all that kitten ing.

I’m not saying you don’t have legit points, but you should probably remove the manifesto bit, because as it stands it’s a distraction to what you’re trying to say.

1800 hours and getting to T3? T3 is sometihng like 120 gold right?
I have around 500-600 hours playtime completely. Have crafted armor x4 complete exotic and two sets of exotic acessoirs. I also have around 15-20 gold on the bank and 3 lvl 80 characters. One is completely exotic as well.

I never grinded. I mean it. I just did dungeons for tokens for an armor or weapon skin I liked and am going around getting every resource I find on the way and sell them when i need money. Still, if I would not use my money on crafting a new char to 80 and using it to craft different stat sets for my main I could have afforded a T3 by now.

Legendaries and such skins are not meant to be bought in masses. They are meant to take a few months or years. People are just too greedy and want it all, but then it would not be “cool” anymore. Having the “Abnomaly” or something like it which costs 250 ectos or even a legendary should be a rare (not yellow rare) item which shows the dedication of that player towards the game. Therefore I think its okay the way it is.

What is out of balance is not the amount of ressources one needs, but the ability to grind and farm in this game via CoF etc. If that would be fixed and normal playing would get a bit more money than just the costs for a wp I guess there would be no problem.