Guild Wars 2

When someone has ask anet about an expansion they have dodge the question and they try to avoid the topic complexly in their interview so If anet came out and said “they will never be a expansion for gw2” would you still play gw2 or why not?

If anet put it up to a vote for more Ls or a expansion which one would you pick and why?

me i would pick expansion why because i remember what a expansion felt like in gw1 so i know what anet can do with a expansion and would love to see what they can do with a expansion in gw2

would love to know what would people pick expansion or Ls

sorry for my bad English

Both. I like what they did with the LS and I’d like to see what they’d do with an expansion.

Assuming they have the resources to do either one or the other, I would much prefer an expansion.

Expansions would probably mean new continents to explore and new races to play. The idea of a living world is nice, but unfortunately it means much of the content is only temporarily available. I’d rather just pay for permanent content. Also, I’d imagine the story would have been better planned had it been a part of an expansion.

I like the LS approach, though I do want more permanent content. There are tons of locations in the game were you can tell there should be zone portals, and I expect at least a couple in the Maguuma area to open up with season 2. As for the idea that expansions would mean new continents and/or races, I can see that, but what I don’t see is any reason why LS can’t have those too.

LS can do anything an expansion can and is free which makes it superior if you ask me..
An Expansion wont make the Gem-Shop go away or approach Game Design flaws in a different way than we have seen with LS in the past.

serapheles.5409:

As for the idea that expansions would mean new continents and/or races, I can see that, but what I don’t see is any reason why LS can’t have those too.

There’s no reason why they couldn’t and it would be awesome if they did, but they didn’t do that (with Season 1 at least). Had they released an expansion instead of Season 1, we might have had a new continent and race right now since expansions usually add that type of content.

I’ll be happy if they add a significant amount of permanent content in Season 2, but it’s not like I can really go in with that kind of expectation.

Arcadio.6875:

There’s no reason why they couldn’t and it would be awesome if they did, but they didn’t do that (with Season 1 at least). Had they released an expansion instead of Season 1, we might have had a new continent and race right now since expansions usually add that type of content.

I’ll be happy if they add a significant amount of permanent content in Season 2, but it’s not like I can really go in with that kind of expectation.

They added Southsun (though I’m sure some would like them to take it back…), the Queen’s Jubilee changed the construction area in DR, and LA still isn’t fixed (which makes it semi-permanent so far). So that shows the LS can add long term content, which is part of why I expect to get some new areas in season 2.

serapheles.5409:

They added Southsun (though I’m sure some would like them to take it back…), the Queen’s Jubilee changed the construction area in DR, and LA still isn’t fixed (which makes it semi-permanent so far). So that shows the LS can add long term content, which is part of why I expect to get some new areas in season 2.

Yeah they added those things and thats great for free stuff, but if a GW2 expansion gave us an empty island, changed 1/6th of one of the main cities and made another one completely redundant, you’d be left wondering what had actually expanded in this expansion.

Living Story may very well have the capability to give us expansion style content, but it hasn’t yet, so we can’t say it will until we see it. Expansions give people the type of content that they want.

minbariguy.7504:

I despise Living Story with a venomous passion.

If I were to hear that Living Story and it’s buggy, temporary rush was all I had to look forward to for the life of the game, I wouldn’t even bother to keep tabs on Guild Wars 2 to see if my concerns about Living Story were ever going to be addressed.

I’d simply be gone.

This. I’m pretty fed up with the lazy attitude that Anet has developed lately. Temporary gem store items as well. BUY THIS NAO OR MISS OUT FOREVER! Doesn’t work. PLAY THIS CONTENT NAO EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE A LIFE, OR MISS OUT ON STUFF, LOL!

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, RELEASE AN EXPANSION, OR PEOPLE WILL KEEP LEAVING.

GreenAlien.5623:

LS can do anything an expansion can and is free which makes it superior if you ask me..
An Expansion wont make the Gem-Shop go away or approach Game Design flaws in a different way than we have seen with LS in the past.

Free don’t mean better and the content is temp which new players or players on breaks will not get to see. The LS felt rushed, the end was pretty confusing and felt they lost what they wanted to do with it. I’d rather have an expansion with new armor, areas, dungeons and maybe a WVW zone and more world events.

Maybe this will help: ANet, please take my money . . I WANT to pay for an expansion.

GreenAlien.5623:

LS can do anything an expansion can and is free which makes it superior if you ask me..
An Expansion wont make the Gem-Shop go away or approach Game Design flaws in a different way than we have seen with LS in the past.

LS cant do what a 60 or 40 dollar expansion can do.

why because ncsoft is anet bank and if you look at it from a business model would you really give a free expansion?
Ncsoft control what anet can do if they had more money LS could be good but from what we seen it look like they are not getting the money a dev team would need to pull off good content with a 2 week update. If they make a expansion and sell it to us players. This would give Ncsoft a good reason to put so money into gw2 again and let anet make content we all want.
So can Ls do what a expansion can do no not really because it all come down to money at the end. If you look at ncsoft business report. We all know gw2 make money but where is that money going to? Is not going back into the game like it should if LS is all they have then that mean Nssoft is holding money and not putting it back into the game. And in the business report Ncsoft and in anothers report they have drop clue that they are willing to fund a expansion for gw2 meaning LS is running on a low and limited budget sadly.

There a reason why cantha is not in the game not because anet because of Ncsoft

http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/13/4325904/guild-wars-2-expansion-pack-is-being-prepared-says-ncsoft

The talent has left Anet, we get LS as a result.

I want to see the Living Story refactored into a replayble expansion. In other words, I want the story to be told again, with more details, less bugs, less zergs, and in the format of permanent content that I can take my time to enjoy.

And I don’t want to hear “it can’t work that way”. The enjoyable Toxic Hybrid fight showed that, yes, in fact the Living Story can work with just a few people.

I actually enjoy the living story and prefer it over an expansion.
But maybe mostly because I still have so much (I want) to do in game, that an expansion would most likely make me quit.(would result in too much to do, no time to do it).
I certainly wouldnt be up to buying one for another year or 2, if ever.

Expansion.

More permanent content all-in-one, More advertising, More money to the team.

LS could be a side-dish.

Cantha expansion pack.

To choose iether I would go for LS becouse I love how we can’t play through the whole story in a week and every two weeks there is always something new to look forward too. Compared to expansions from other games there is content for a week or two maby three and then there is nothing new for a whole year or a halv year at minimal and players complain that there is nothing new and blablabla… Ugh, people always complain… Ah.. I did it too just now!

Living Story is wonderfull imo.

Expansion would be nice but not something I demand, but if there was an expansion I would never want them to stop making the LS.

The Unliving Story was incredibly bad, so an expansion can only be better than the crap we’ve had during the last year.

Expansion.

Its not that I hate Living Story per se. more that each part only really is intresting for a couple of days and then you sit down and wait nearly 2 weeks for something new to happen, and in that time things just seem boring.
I definitely do not feel that LS can do the same an expansion would, and I would be very sad if the next dragon was fought as part os some temporary LS and not in a new part of Personal Story… and yes, to me Personal Story and Living Story are worlds apart in what they offer to me.

I’d prefer an expansion… LS does not do anything aside “forcing” us to play 24/7, we got only one permanent thing: a map. The rest is just “pay to play” (even with in-game money, it takes time to gather so much gold, and I don’t feel like paying to unlock something). LS could be interesting, if it were a bit more living, but we got flat things…

An expansion would be good BUT, and it’s a huge one, the story within must but more interesting and less repetitive than the first one. Like, we went to kill a dragon… I don’t remember anything remarkable about this story, and I didn’t even pay attention to the background, I just went from mission 1 to mission 80 and voilà.

LS: ok if it’s interesting (unlike now)
Expansion: yes, but at the cost of something interesting too.

Both concepts have their advantages and disadvantages.

For example, LS can be a more immersive way of introducing content to the game through sporadic temporary events leading to permanent changes and additions, as well as spreading content out over time, rather than having a huge dump of content at once with longer waiting times. However, temporary content will then be binned (unless brought back somehow), and it doesn’t provide as much marketing to new players.

Expansions on the other hand ensure players have a large bunch of content at once, meaning their less likely to run out as fast. Expansions also provide marketing to both new and existing players who may have left. However, there may be longer gaps between the release of expansions, thus having content droughts, as well as paid expansions, especially if they introduce new zones, can split the player-base.

Personally, I think the LS could be vastly improved by:

• having sporadic temporary content that leads to permanent content and changes to the game.
• any content that can be affected by the player should be player driven. For example, rather than telling the players of where a secret hideout is, have it so players need to look for these hideouts.
• design the achievements around the content, not the other way around. As well as this, don’t tell people how to complete said achievements; just drop hints.

They will release both, count me on this, LS2 will come and NcSoft will announce an expansion by 2015 to build up commercial hype again.

Wait and see, WvW season 2 is ending in a month

Also, people have to realize, if an expansion comes…it won’t be sooner than mid if not late 2015 since China is getting the game now and if an expansion gets announced, it would be for both, the western and the chienese version.

I always thought about Living Story as about “content filler” in between expansions.

You know, like a little epiloque after the expansion “ends”, couple side-stories which would be short and be different plots around the world and then some content introducing another step.

I’d go for expansion.
(Assuming that it will be better then the LS)

Living story??
- Lord Faren tries to save the queen ‘Fear not my queen, Lord Faren is here!’ Falls down instead
- Scarlet trying to cook Lord Faren by placing him in a big cauldron Literally
- Logan arriving to ‘save’ you only after you’ve dispatched EVERY SINGLE ENEMIES! So he’s only there just to take the credit. Oh wait….. in some instances he DID join you, and although he’s supposed to be a ‘champion’ (face icon marked purple), he got defeated plenty of times by mobs who aren’t even in the veteran league.
- Four Winds; entire map was taken out after the event (No more place to farm crystals unless you get the node or buy it off tp or join someone’s elses instances who’s got the node to farm the crystal)
- SAB (Trib mode FORCES you to buy Infinite continue coin! And after the event is over, you’d chuck the coin inside your bank stash to be used again….. probably next year when they re-install the SAB content again)

I prefer expansion.

why?

+ More maps
+ Jumping puzzle
+ New, improved, new races + armor + weapons
+ A new personal history, and hope to discover lore
+ Back to forget places Gw1
+ discoveries
+ Improved major cities?
Guild hallhousing

really, especially the new, beautiful, construction, additions, and a new dragon.
The Living is … but …

it contains too little innovation.

Funny you ask, in my case it WOULD take an EXPANSION to actually make me come back and play this game that hasn’t had any MAJOR content for the past 2 YEARS…

Stalvros.9217:

- Logan arriving to ‘save’ you only after you’ve dispatched EVERY SINGLE ENEMIES! So he’s only there just to take the credit. Oh wait….. in some instances he DID join you, and although he’s supposed to be a ‘champion’ (face icon marked purple), he got defeated plenty of times by mobs who aren’t even in the veteran league.

Worse, he’s supposed to be a legend, supposedly stronger than a champion…

Louveepine.7630:

I prefer expansion.

why?

+ More maps
+ Jumping puzzle
+ New, improved, new races + armor + weapons
+ A new personal history, and hope to discover lore
+ Back to forget places Gw1
+ discoveries
+ Improved major cities?
Guild hallhousing

really, especially the new, beautiful, construction, additions, and a new dragon.
The Living is … but …

it contains too little innovation.

Regardless of what you think of it, the LS has given us new maps (both permanent and temporary), jumping puzzles and Lore. Following that line of thought, why can’t the LS give the exact same as an expansion, but simply spread out? Why is it impossible the the LS to deliver this?

For example, a player-driven LS revolving around protecting the Dominion of Winds where, if the playerbase succeeds, we earn the trust of the Tengu, thus unlocking Tengu as a playable race. Following that, a LS where players try to free Cantha from the grasp of the Ministry of Purity so the Tengu can return there.

I loved that LS where we had to hit ‘F’ on the sign posts!

It was so fun; I wish more LS content was like that.

Release an expansion or watch the exodus accelerate.

Expansion. Living story, to me, was a fail. Content that I never will enjoy, due to the fact that real life trumps game time, may as well never have happened, as far as I’m concerned.

nGumball.1283:

They will release both, count me on this, LS2 will come and NcSoft will announce an expansion by 2015 to build up commercial hype again.

Or maybe it’s time for…………..GW3

I would love to go out and pay for a boxed expansion to this game with new classes, races, weapons, spells and areas

I do like the living story, but I would also like an expansion.

With expansion we can to explore strange new zones, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Expansion. Why? I want new armor, new customization options, NEW DUNGEONS, new skills, new utilities, new ways to play GW2, new lore, another personal story… Jesus the personal story pulled me into this game

Rym.1469:

I always thought about Living Story as about “content filler” in between expansions.

You know, like a little epiloque after the expansion “ends”, couple side-stories which would be short and be different plots around the world and then some content introducing another step.

Thats actually how I would like to see it too.

Expansion plz…

minbariguy.7504:

I despise Living Story with a venomous passion.

If I were to hear that Living Story and it’s buggy, temporary rush was all I had to look forward to for the life of the game, I wouldn’t even bother to keep tabs on Guild Wars 2 to see if my concerns about Living Story were ever going to be addressed.

I’d simply be gone.

I liked the CONCEPT of living story, but not the EXECUTION… too fast (why not every 3 weeks to a month to reduce the bugginess?), too many goofy mechanics that didn’t “work” (not because they were bugged, but because they didn’t scale or were mind-blowingly boring, f’rinstance), and an overall unpolished “feel”… and that WRITING, ugh!

They could use “Living Story” as the mechanic to deliver an “expansion” (which I define as a large volume of new content such as more explorable world, new dungeon, new items or player class) worth of content over the period of several months – building suspense and excitement with better planning and a slower “drip”, as it were.

minbariguy.7504:

I despise Living Story with a venomous passion.

If I were to hear that Living Story and it’s buggy, temporary rush was all I had to look forward to for the life of the game, I wouldn’t even bother to keep tabs on Guild Wars 2 to see if my concerns about Living Story were ever going to be addressed.

I’d simply be gone.

Marry me?

Short answers:

1) This game desperately needs an expansion. No matter what anyone here thinks personally, the amount of new, fresh and unique PERMANENT content in this game has been close to null and the game’s already 2 years old now.

2) The idea of the Living Story is an excellent idea, nevertheless, it was terribly executed by the devs as most of it could have been done within a couple of hours since the update’s release, making all 14 days until a new update literally stagnant. If there is a better execution lying ahead, including permanent as compared to temporary stuff, in-game unlockable content as compared to mostly gem shop-purchasable content, etc. etc., I’d give the LS a go one more time.

Hope it helps.

Expansion, I don’t understand why anyone would say LS. This iteration of LS is bad for business. When my friends who quit the game ask what’s new that might bring them back, I don’t have much to say. There’s fractals, a small zone that’s deserted unless karka queen is happening, guild missions, a ruined LA which also happens to clash completely with the goal of your PS. Almost 2 years with so little permanent content isn’t a good long term plan.

You know what would bring them and so many others who’ve left the game back? An expansion. This business tactic works for every game. Not to mention they could add more to the cash shop, like fashion pieces and armor specific to the new continent.

Even offering permanent content in LS wouldn’t get as many people back to the game as an expansion would. LS is also unlikely to add new races, classes, skills, weapons, dungeons, a continent, armor sets, or PS. That’s what I and many people really want (important caveat: levels 1-50 PS only).

And remember how each GW1 expansion/campaign kept getting better and more imaginative than just the cliche medieval look. Game play and balance improved too (if you played a prophecy’s necro you know how poorly balanced it was).

So yes, I’d gladly pay 60 dollars for an expansion rather than keep getting free LS.

serapheles.5409:

Arcadio.6875:

There’s no reason why they couldn’t and it would be awesome if they did, but they didn’t do that (with Season 1 at least). Had they released an expansion instead of Season 1, we might have had a new continent and race right now since expansions usually add that type of content.

I’ll be happy if they add a significant amount of permanent content in Season 2, but it’s not like I can really go in with that kind of expectation.

They added Southsun (though I’m sure some would like them to take it back…), the Queen’s Jubilee changed the construction area in DR, and LA still isn’t fixed (which makes it semi-permanent so far). So that shows the LS can add long term content, which is part of why I expect to get some new areas in season 2.

Southsun Cove is not considered part of the Living Story. It was added before the concept of Living Story was revealed, which is why it is permanent. The idea of a LS was thought of over the Winterbreak of 2012/2013, and was implemented the following year with the introduction of Flame and Frost.

Sure, the LS changed the section in DR, but as of now the only thing to do over there is the Royal Terrace which is a cash shop item.

As for my opinion on the subject, I do not care what they do. We have not had any new content for well over a month now and with no announcements of ANY new plans from Anet. It is as if we are sitting dead in the water, and at this rate I do not except anything new for a couple of months which is disappointing.

Even with the feature patch, I find myself logging in less and less and I notice that many people on my friend’s list are doing the same. Need something new soon Anet or your going to find your player base gone.

I think I would need to see a second LS season in on order to feel comfortable making a decision. Seeing what ANet learned from season one and the result of that lesson would be the basis of my decision. I would be particularly interested in seeing their response to the outcry against temporary content.

To me bad content is bad content regardless of whether it is delivered as part of an expansion or a LS season.

I’m not expecting an expansion and I still play, so no I wouldn’t stop if they said “no expansion, ever” but given the choice – I wish they’d just step away from the obvious cash grab of the gem store and the stuff they’ve been trying to do to trick people into using it, (wardrobe anyone?) and give us an expansion. I would snatch up a gw1 style “expansion” in a heartbeat – I probably wouldn’t even have to hesitate.

New maps, new puzzles, new classes, new skills, new weapons, new exploration, new everything? Yes, please! It was a business model that seemed to work pretty good for them in GW1, why not stick with it in the new game? It would make alot of people a heck of a lot happier than they are now.

I’d prefer an expansion. LS was a crapshoot… They were just temporary farms that were worse than all of the others around. They offered ugly gemstore items, they took up regular play space, they only lasted for a few weeks, they brought in more bugs than took out, and at the end of the day… what do we have? A new farmed item after 6 months.

Expansion

The LS isn’t Military Friendly and Military members miss out on A LOT during LS.

I missed 7 months of the LS because the LS is temporary.