I’m sure by now that the majority of us are now informed of the level-gating of certain activities that we used to be able to enjoy (Vistas, skill points, nodes etc etc). If not, feel free to browse the forums for the plethora of subjects regarding said matter.
Now onto the post:
While I understand Anet’s desire to make the game easier and more forgiving to newer players, they seem to forget that games are meant to be immersive experience. Given, a new player joining GW2 may be daunted by the number of concepts he/she might have to grasp (I know the concept behind combo finishers and fields escaped me for the longest of times), but that is further reason to keep such activities open to newer players.
Why? Well first of all, in the interests of…well, fun. Repetition is something no gamer likes to do; grinding, for example, was a process previously made relatively less painful in GW2 when compared to other MMOs. However, with the new content pack, much of the variety open to newer players is inaccessible, funneling them into a more limited, and focused playstyle. While more forgiving, it is also more boring: therefore, much less likely to maintain a level of interest and/or leaving the player with a positive impression that will convince them to stick with the game.
The second reason, realistically, is that of practice. Let’s face it, most players learn…by kittening up. Over. And over. And over. Failure is just a natural part of the learning process; it teaches us what works…and what doesn’t. Squirreling away traits and utilities behind absurd level requirements will do newer players no favors: they will most likely get comfortable using the limited skillset available to them….and not learn to use all their skills in conjunction (for example, stacking stealth on an engie, which often involves at least 2 utilities, a heal, and a weapon skill).
Thirdly, and most importantly, veterans. Let’s face it, the majority of GW2 players have already been around for extended periods of time. And, no doubt, many of these players have alts (I for one, have 14). Given our previous experience with the game (and no doubt, our acquired distaste for repeating zones/regearing, and the whole shebang that comes with regrinding a character), we do not need our experience further limited with a mind-numbing limitation of our available actions. However, it is the veterans that, for the most part, make up the paying portion of the consumer base, often buying skins from the trading post in our never-ending lateral endgame progression. Spoonfeeding us the material that we’ve done, many, many times before, often leaves a rather bitter taste in our mouths…as well as a general tightening of our wallets. We pay for a game we love, not one that seems to push us to second priority in favor of ‘newer players’.
TL; DR: Gw2 is a video game. Like all video games, the instructions are rarely read. Most choose to mash buttons and experience the game through trial and error. A playstyle that the new patch seems to openly resist.