I also agree with the OP,
GW2 feels more like a facebook video game version, is all about collecting dyed and customs and then show them off . GW2 should be call the other facebook, is just a social game.
The question is then, what should it be? I mean, why do we play MMOs? To play with other people. Why do we collect loot? To show them on our characters.
Doesn’t that make every MMO ‘just a social game’?
Not quite. See when I play World of Warcraft it is to level up My character, see what skills she developes. See How those skills Interact with Mobs, so that I can improve my skill… I am playing 3 Monks. Yes 3. there is a reason that if you Know World of warcraft you don’t really need explained, if you don’t or haven’t played well..no need to explain.
In gw2. By level 25 or 30 I have seen all the skills. Mostly after that it’s all refinement. Applying the right traits with the right polishing of already seen and experienced skills.
“ok so Now aftert I use skill A, I get 5 seconds of vigor…. umm… " Yes, I am sure that those 5 seconds of vigor will be useful…but it’s NOT the same thing as Playing to level 85, and seeing an entirely new skill you’ve never seen before.
I think what makes this game more a 3d facebook is…after you have seen ALL the skills… you can Mostly spend your time chatting.." so…How was that Birthday party? " * Kill Troll*.." was good I got a new Blender.." * Kill Oak*… bla bl bla… * Kill bacon*…
The way I think of it…. World of Warcraft and the games that came before it, Including the Original Guild Wars…were games… and you socialized In them as a secondary thing..the primary thing was…exploring the game..and it’s skills.
for me Guild wars 2… feels Like… an excuse to get together with friends you make in the game… the Game itself is beginning, at least for me… to feel Like…something attached to a 3d social engine.
Not sure if I made sense….
When I Played EverQuest… a friend of Mine asked me that played with me." How would you discribe World of Warcraft?" I said " hmmm… as EverQuest Lite… with pretty colors."
I Guess I would describe gw2 is…" World of warcraft lite… with a More casual social, hey let’s all hang out while we kill karkas" feel."
Playing the game is beginning to feel like an afterthought.
To me, the socialising is the primary thing in MMOs, because frankly, gameplay is normally subpar to that of console games.
I havn’t played enough of WoW to understand what you mean, but even at 80, I’m still thinking of new builds. I do agree that the theory crafting is not very deep in here, its all just DPS stacking in PvE, and it’s quite awkward to do without a DPS meter however.
But to the average player, I’m not really sure it actually matters. For example, if you ask around in why people camp GS on warriors now, most people will just basically go ‘because Nike said so’. The average player doesn’t theory craft, because frankly, it takes hours to do on a spreadsheet and that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.