Guild Wars 2

Title says it all. I see a lot of post regarding players not happy with the game because they are bored already. Like I stated in another post, I just turned level 30 and have played the game each night since release.

I think some of the people who are already bored with the game because they are level I
80 with nothing to do maybe need to re-evaluate what they are doing with their lives. If you find your sole enjoyment out if sitting at a computer all day playing video games, it’s unhealthy, it’s an addiction…

I love the game and find there is a TON of stuff to do and that ANet shouldn’t worry about the longevity of the game when we are only a month into the game.

Anyway I hope the dev’s don’t get fear mongered into “rushing” out new content because some people are letting games control their lives.

I am off my soap box now, flame away.

Great is another Hobby for gaming, not just playing games. I go to gym, do some workouts, go running out etc. And its great. I have great condition, muscles and feel fresh and healthy when I am playing

Of course I do it because I need it in my future work, but it is great.

Tharjax.9068:

Title says it all. I see a lot of post regarding players not happy with the game because they are bored already. Like I stated in another post, I just turned level 30 and have played the game each night since release.

I think some of the people who are already bored with the game because they are level I
80 with nothing to do maybe need to re-evaluate what they are doing with their lives. If you find your sole enjoyment out if sitting at a computer all day playing video games, it’s unhealthy, it’s an addiction…

I love the game and find there is a TON of stuff to do and that ANet shouldn’t worry about the longevity of the game when we are only a month into the game.

Anyway I hope the dev’s don’t get fear mongered into “rushing” out new content because some people are letting games control their lives.

I am off my soap box now, flame away.

thanks for this post. im in the same boat as you, i just cant believe the rate at which people are devouring this game. i played in all BWE’s and stress tests, and started on the 25th, so i knew what i was doing. ive been playing pretty much every night after work and more on weekends. yet, i only have two lvl 30’s. it’s unbelievable to me how people can already be lvl 80, and actually have the nerve to kitten and moan about “no endgame”, which to me seems so far away. i would classify such individuals as addicts. pure and simple.

Well I’m 80 and I’m not bored so that ruins that part.

And anything that you crave so much that you put it before necessary responsibilities, like bills, family, bathing can be addiction. Whether its gaming or reading.

It only takes 70 hours to get from 1-80, going at a medium pace

70 hours over almost 3 weeks is not that much time spent on something you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy video games, then don’t play them, it’s that simple. And if you don’t have enough free time to do what you enjoy, then re-evaluate your life, instead of telling us to. There’s no logic in hating on someone just for having enough time to do what they want

I think the difference between you and me and the people complaining is that they see MMO’s as a competitive thing. The main reason behind it would be a feeling of insecurity. Being afraid that you are judged as a lesser person if your not a top player. From that point on there is a thin line to addiction. From 1-80 in 70 hours isn’t medium pace, it is going fast. When I’m online I like to just wander around, do some hearts, meet a DE, decide to not do it cause it’s the 10th caravan I meet in that week or decide to do it cause it has been 4 days a go saince I last cleared a roadblock. But I also like to go cross country to help someone I never met to get his final POI. It is not that I’m standing at a spot for hours to eloborate on the beauty of a single flower. But I’m not rushing nor playing to get to lvl 80. Thats what I would call a medium pace.

I’m not judging the people who are complaining bout the lack of end game. But what I’ve seen from Anet so far is that they have no problem with people playing like it is a competition, but they don’t live for them. What I’m saying is that there aren’t monthly fees. With monthly fees people are paying for new additions, new things to do and new challenges. not being ready with the last months challenge give people the feeling they didn’t get there investment out in time.

The last thing I want to put into consideration is that this is a brand new game. Anet promised to keep the world alive and everchanging. but give them a little bit of time. When you look at GW1 prophecy’s, it didn’t had a lot of endgame. It took time for them to add e.g. Sorrow’s furnace. factions with the deep and urgoz, Nightfall with DoA, EOTN with the dungeons there and off course when it first was released there was no hard mode. The game is less then a month old. Give them time to live up to the promise to make the world alive and changing.

People don’t get that they aren’t committed to keep playing through a subscription fee. Attention people: you’re allowed to stop playing for a bit. Play another game. If it takes you a year to get level 80, you got your money’s worth.

It’s a hobbiction. I just invented that word because for some people it is more than a hobby it’s like a way of life, but I don’t think gaming can ever become an addiction. For example I’m 24-years old now and have been gaming since 3. It is a part of my life, something I do every day and something I wouldn’t want to live without because I love it. I find that I game less nowadays than I did 8 years ago. Not because I have less time to game but because I realized that spending 16 hours a day playing World of Warcraft would eventually destroy what “life” I have, so it’s more of a restraint.

However, even when I was 19-years old and spending 16 hours a day playing WoW I was never addicted, I just preferred to play games than do other stuff. Some people sit reading all day. Are they addicted to books? Nope. If I had been forced to quit gaming altogether when I was at the peak of spending almost the entire day playing, what side effects would there have been? None. I’d miss it, sure, but I’d watch TV, read, go out, do stuff around the house, etc. I’d pass time in other ways.

Compare that to when I was forced to stop taking prescription painkillers that I got for a back injury, where, thanks to withdrawal, I spent a week curled up in a foetal position, drooling, shaking, shivering, in agony and regularly kitten my pants, then you get a good perspective of what addiction really is and the consequences of withdrawing from it.

It’s hoddiction.

It’s an addiction if it starts becoming so important to you that you neglect other things that, objectively speaking, should be more important. If you lose your job because you keep pulling sickies to play the game, if you refuse to see your friends and family at Christmas because you just want to stay in and grind your dailies, if you stink because you can’t bring yourself to go AFK long enough for a shower… it’s an addiction. If, on the other hand, you regularly rack up 40 hours a week in-game whilst still seeing your friends and attending to your real life responsibilities, then it’s just that the game is more interesting than what’s on TV (at least now The Newsroom has finished its run).

Just a hobby. It’s a complete waste of your life to get addicted to a game. If you want to get addicted to anything then find a job you are interested in and get addicted to working, at least that brings in real money and improves your quality of living.

Hobby. I work 40-45 hours a week, have a wife and other commitments. Although I could totally be in denial and my wife might say I’m an addict.

Neppu Demion.7439:

It’s a hobbiction. I just invented that word because for some people it is more than a hobby it’s like a way of life, but I don’t think gaming can ever become an addiction. For example I’m 24-years old now and have been gaming since 3. It is a part of my life, something I do every day and something I wouldn’t want to live without because I love it. I find that I game less nowadays than I did 8 years ago. Not because I have less time to game but because I realized that spending 16 hours a day playing World of Warcraft would eventually destroy what “life” I have, so it’s more of a restraint.

However, even when I was 19-years old and spending 16 hours a day playing WoW I was never addicted, I just preferred to play games than do other stuff. Some people sit reading all day. Are they addicted to books? Nope. If I had been forced to quit gaming altogether when I was at the peak of spending almost the entire day playing, what side effects would there have been? None. I’d miss it, sure, but I’d watch TV, read, go out, do stuff around the house, etc. I’d pass time in other ways.

Compare that to when I was forced to stop taking prescription painkillers that I got for a back injury, where, thanks to withdrawal, I spent a week curled up in a foetal position, drooling, shaking, shivering, in agony and regularly kitten my pants, then you get a good perspective of what addiction really is and the consequences of withdrawing from it.

My friend, not sure if anyone has told you this, but playing a game for 16 hours IS an addiction.

A person that is addicted to something will always deny that it’s not an addiction. It hurts to know that sometimes you have an issue and it needs to be fixed.

Also if you still don’t think video gaming cannot become an addiction, please do some research, don’t use your own opinion as evidence that gaming cannot become an addiction.

seriously, what are people like the OP doing that they played since start but havnt reached 80 yet on at least a single toon?

yet somehow they made this a negative to do so…

I just dont understand. do you afk most of the time or something?
no way you can be level 30 after all this time if you doing events and hearts since early access.

iam calling you out. I believe people like the OP that say this are liars. SS your character list.

If you play a GAME like you eat and sleep then you are playing it too much. It’s a game not a way of life. Did you play Monopoly every day when you first got it?? Too many players are addicted to getting to the endgame as fast as possible and then complain there is no content for them yet they missed 75% of it on their way.

I’ll challenge you hardcore players…..play a character to level 80 WITHOUT doing any events, crafting or doing hearts. You can do your storyline but to gain experience you must just kill mobs and explore. Let’s see how fast you get to lvl 80 then.

Knighthonor.4061:

seriously, what are people like the OP doing that they played since start but havnt reached 80 yet on at least a single toon?

yet somehow they made this a negative to do so…

I just dont understand. do you afk most of the time or something?
no way you can be level 30 after all this time if you doing events and hearts since early access.

iam calling you out. I believe people like the OP that say this are liars. SS your character list.

Tried a guardian out, got him to level 20 and I have my Engy who is now level 32. Keep in mind I do crafting periodically.

I only will call it negative because of people who are level 80 and are complaining there is nothing left to do.

Knighthonor.4061:

seriously, what are people like the OP doing that they played since start but havnt reached 80 yet on at least a single toon?

yet somehow they made this a negative to do so…

I just dont understand. do you afk most of the time or something?
no way you can be level 30 after all this time if you doing events and hearts since early access.

iam calling you out. I believe people like the OP that say this are liars. SS your character list.

Doing mostly what I challenge the hardcore to do. Stop event and heart farming and just explore and eliminate what’s in front of you. No crafting either. It will take you an anyone else a very long time to get to level 80 and oh no buying gear from the AH you must only equip what you find.

Gaming or anything else is an addiction if and only if it it interferes with other aspects of your life, regardless of how little or how much you do it. One person could play for two hours a day but skip work to do so on a regular basis; that person could be considered addicted. Another person could play for 10 hours a day but never miss work or ignore their other commitments to do it. That person would not be an addict.

But all that is largely irrelevant to GW2 given the little amount of time it takes to reach 80. If you are used to WOW or old Everquest then 80 in a couple of days sounds absurd, but here it is possible in a few hours if you are efficient. Of course, you will miss out on a lot of content, even for people who aren’t focused on exploration and achievements, to do so by tradeskills and farming high level events, but even doing it “normally” it still takes very little time compared to other games. It took me 20-30 hours of actual playtime to hit 80 without abusing anything, reading any powerleveling guides, or having advance (beta) knowledge of tradeskills or anything else, doing a little bit of everything.

I think that connection you’re making between the negative posts regarding endgame and video game addiction is pretty astute. A lot of the complaining that I’ve read on these forums are from people who feel the need to play this game all day. The problem is not the game, it’s them.

I know this because I, myself, played wow obsessively for years. I was very depressed with many aspects of my personal life and I found validation in a game. It became my home. After wasting years of my life to earn some bullkitten icons on my screen, or titles, or whatever else took months to grind,I decided to change.

Now I have a job, a wife, and I lead a generally productive life. I get my sense of validation from succeeding in my real life goals, not from my Conqueror title. Now I treat this game like a game, and not a like a home or a family member, and I love it. I play for an hour or so a night and there’s just so much to do that I can’t even imagine how many consecutive hours it took people to get lvl 80 already.

Wow, from my experience, targets people who have a tendency to get depressed. They exploit these people by using a gear treadmill to keep them playing for long periods of time and, therefore, collects monthly sub fees. Anet, on the other hand, created a game that is meant to be enjoyed from beginning to end and NOT a drug to both enable and treat depression. And a lot of the comments I read reek of addicts not getting their fix.

Tl;dr Gw2 is a game, and not a means to feel good about yourself.

Here is a little test to see if something rises to the level of true addiction:

If there was a chance your MMO might kill you, would you play anyway? No? You aren’t hardcore enough to be an addict, sorry.

If the only MMO you had access to on a given day was a bad, weak MMO that would probably make you physically ill, would you play it? No? You’re not an addict.

Could you imagine yourself playing MMOs very many hours of the day if you were a billionaire with all the world to see and all the money to see it in style with? No? You’re not addicted. You just don’t have anything else sufficiently fun and cheap to loaf around with.

Corvindi.5734:

Here is a little test to see if something rises to the level of true addiction:

If there was a chance your MMO might kill you, would you play anyway? No? You aren’t hardcore enough to be an addict, sorry.

If the only MMO you had access to on a given day was a bad, weak MMO that would probably make you physically ill, would you play it? No? You’re not an addict.

Could you imagine yourself playing MMOs very many hours of the day if you were a billionaire with all the world to see and all the money to see it in style with? No? You’re not addicted. You just don’t have anything else sufficiently fun and cheap to loaf around with.

This is a tragic oversimplification.

Hobby…definitely. Work full time, married etc, etc. Have 5 toons ranging from lvl 10 to level 45. 3 crafters each around level 100 or so. I can see myself playing this game for at least a couple of years.

Also…if you play/played WoW for 16 hrs a day? You’re addicted…big time. And you are just fooling yourself if you are telling yourself otherwise.

The issue of addiction in mmo’s is very serious and it should be more widely recognised as a problem.

It’s common that people who are unhappy with their personal life will try to use an online game as a substitute for what they are lacking in their real life. This is why you’ll see a small minority spending literally all day and night racing to max level, racing to get 100% completion, racing to get legendary weapons. To them it’ll make them a success at something, they’ll have something to brag about and feel a sense of satisfaction for achieving something 99.9% of the community haven’t managed. Whereas in their real life they aren’t successful, they feel inferior to the rest of society.

There’s also a good chance they have some form of depression. Happy, outgoing people don’t sit at their computer day and night, they go out and socialise and have other hobbies.

We take a serious attitude towards drug, gambling, and alcohol addiction, but most people seem very laid back when it comes to gaming addiction. I’m not sure why because it’s damaging just like any other addiction. It is not healthy, it harms your future prospects, and it digs you in to a hole that is difficult to get out of. I’ve known one person who never leaves the house, his CV is almost empty, his job history is non-existent, but he’s in his 20’s. When the time finally comes when he has to get a job, employers are going to question why he hasn’t worked and it’s going to be difficult for him to find any job that pays above minimum wage. It’s madness. For the sake of gaining the best titles and gear on a few mmo’s his life will be crap for the foreseeable future.

GW2 isn’t really designed for mmo addicts. Anybody who feels the urge to constantly play just for the sake of playing, rather than as a means of chilling out for a few hours in your free time, you should really step back and rethink what you are doing with your life before you grow older and regret it.

Tharjax.9068:

Neppu Demion.7439:

It’s a hobbiction. I just invented that word because for some people it is more than a hobby it’s like a way of life, but I don’t think gaming can ever become an addiction. For example I’m 24-years old now and have been gaming since 3. It is a part of my life, something I do every day and something I wouldn’t want to live without because I love it. I find that I game less nowadays than I did 8 years ago. Not because I have less time to game but because I realized that spending 16 hours a day playing World of Warcraft would eventually destroy what “life” I have, so it’s more of a restraint.

However, even when I was 19-years old and spending 16 hours a day playing WoW I was never addicted, I just preferred to play games than do other stuff. Some people sit reading all day. Are they addicted to books? Nope. If I had been forced to quit gaming altogether when I was at the peak of spending almost the entire day playing, what side effects would there have been? None. I’d miss it, sure, but I’d watch TV, read, go out, do stuff around the house, etc. I’d pass time in other ways.

Compare that to when I was forced to stop taking prescription painkillers that I got for a back injury, where, thanks to withdrawal, I spent a week curled up in a foetal position, drooling, shaking, shivering, in agony and regularly kitten my pants, then you get a good perspective of what addiction really is and the consequences of withdrawing from it.

My friend, not sure if anyone has told you this, but playing a game for 16 hours IS an addiction.

A person that is addicted to something will always deny that it’s not an addiction. It hurts to know that sometimes you have an issue and it needs to be fixed.

Also if you still don’t think video gaming cannot become an addiction, please do some research, don’t use your own opinion as evidence that gaming cannot become an addiction.

I disagree. A measurement of time does not determine addiction. Addiction – When a controllable experience interferes with your life’s priorities. EX: Dropping out of school to play video games, missing class, homework. Ignoring spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend or family.

What if he just had nothing else to do?

Video games are very addicting, but also they’re more used for an escape mechanism. “When I’m playing I don’t think about the world, I don’t think about my responsibilities; that I have to get a job or do my studies”. “I don’t have to think about an unforeseeable future that I’m not in complete control of, but in here I’m safe”…ect.

Manage your own time, if you’re ignoring whatever beneficial things you have in your life to play a video game than you’re most likely addicted.

There is a difference between a no-lifer and an addict.

The “core mechanic” of addiction, how it begins, is that it is an escape mechanism. And it’s a sliding scale, not a light switch. If you are craving various escape mechanisms on a regular basis, you’re on the addiction scale somewhere (and it’s common for people with “addictive personalities” to be addicted and/or to problematically use certain substances or activities as escape mechanisms on a regular basis).

Gaming is supposed to be entertainment. It’s true that there is a certain escape element to entertainment, but that escape element is generally limited by the time it consumes. That is also the case with gaming for people who game moderately. However, when it starts consuming substantial amounts of time either in the objective sense, or even just relative to how much non-work-related “free time” someone has, it is veering into becoming a coping mechanism, and something that is increasingly “run to” in order to escape life and its discomforts. And that is where the path to addiction begins, because these coping mechanisms are easier than dealing with that discomfort head-on, and in fact undermine your ability to do that at all over the course of time.

It’s the same with alcohol. One can have an extremely problematic relationship with alcohol use without technically being a physical addict, or someone who is so drunk that they can’t work and so on. It’s a scale. And the same thing holds for gaming or shopping or exercise or even work. The key is whether the activity is being pursued in a big way as a way to escape life. It’s the escape element that is the key — it’s the gateway.

Again, that doesn’t mean that a little escape now and then is bad or a sign of addiction. But that’s where the total amount of time becomes relevant. 16 hours a say is a huge amount of timing to be doing anything — working, sleeping, exercising, gaming — and is objectively a sign that the escape is swallowing up reality — the path was started down and progressed down. Not everyone who starts down the path of escape will progress down it far — most people just have a little escape here and there and then come back to reality, refreshed. (Again, like alcohol — most people have a beer or glass of wine or two and that’s all … while some feel the urge to “powerlevel” alcohol). Some people just have a greater proclivity to addict themselves to things than others do, and in many cases it has to do with a weaker set of coping mechanisms, such that more “comprehensive” escapes are attractive as a total coping solution. Gaming certainly is one of the things that can be used this way and, yes, how much you use it is extremely relevant, just as is how many beers you drink in one sitting and how often is relevant to whether one has a problematic relationship with alcohol, even if all of your responsibilities are (still) being met and you are not physically dependent. Gaming addiction is serious business, and gamers themselves, quite a few of whom are addicted or at the very least on the pathway towards that, are often the loudest voices in shouting down the seriousness with which this should be taken, unfortunately (but unsurprisingly).

That’s easy. It is a hobby that is very addicting. The answer is clearly both.

Ganadorf.3460:

It only takes 70 hours to get from 1-80, going at a medium pace

And yet, oddly, I’m at 92 hours and lvl 46.

It only takes 70 hours if you’re an idiot who doesn’t get the point of the game.

As to the general point, the only reason some people have come to accept addiction as a mark of a good game is because of subscriptions. When devs make a sub-based MMO they have to make it addictive so that people will keep playing it all the time so they pay subs.

Trouble is, only a small proportion of the playerbase actually likes this kind of addictive gameplay. Most people (“casuals”) like to play only while they enjoy it. They’re addicted in a mild sense, like you would be with any hobby you like, but they’re not obsessive about it.

However, because of the curse of the subscription business model, devs have skewed the whole idea of MMOs and turned them into these horrible little hamster wheels.

That wasn’t the original intention.

GW2 gets back to the original intention.

e.g., it’s a little-known fact that EQ was originally designed with two types of quests in mind – hence its title – “dynamic quests” and “static quests”. Dynamic quests were supposed to be handled by GMs who made the game world change around the players, much in the way it happens with tabletop games. But it was just too much hassle, so “static quests” (where NPCs stand around ready to tell passing adventurers their fixed tales of woe) became the norm, and the norm that was followed by WoW, to great effect. Now, with modern technology, it’s possible to have something a bit like GM-led “dynamic quests”, but automated – a viable half-way house to the original idea.

Fun fact, your playing the exact same game as these “addicts” whom you don’t want to be associated with.. stop trying to act like your superior and that we should “get a life”.

I’ve played over 100 hours, go to school full-time, have a job, keep fit and STILL manage to maintain a relationship. Maybe it’s you who needs better time management skills? I think this is the first gaming community I’ve witnessed to so eagerly label anyone who plays the game a different way then them as “losers”. Instead of attempt to psychologically evaluate others who enjoy playing this game why don’t YOU find a better use of YOUR time? truly pathetic.

gurugeorge.9857:

Ganadorf.3460:

It only takes 70 hours to get from 1-80, going at a medium pace

And yet, oddly, I’m at 92 hours and lvl 46.

It only takes 70 hours if you’re an idiot who doesn’t get the point of the game.

I absolutely agree I am at 68 hours played at level 41. Posters such as Ganandorf simply don’t get it or don’t understand what it is like to have commitments/social life/responsibilities/work, etc outside of a game.

Salt.4621:

gurugeorge.9857:

Ganadorf.3460:

It only takes 70 hours to get from 1-80, going at a medium pace

And yet, oddly, I’m at 92 hours and lvl 46.

It only takes 70 hours if you’re an idiot who doesn’t get the point of the game.

I absolutely agree I am at 68 hours played at level 41. Posters such as Ganandorf simply don’t get it or don’t understand what it is like to have commitments/social life/responsibilities/work, etc outside of a game.

Wat…Your playing an MMO.
68 hours and level 41 is great, Have you played any other MMO’s out there?
Guildwars 2 by far as the fastest leveling I’ve seen in an MMO.

What are you complaining about? I don’t understand? That people have more time to play?

1 lvl = 1 hour somtimes less.
First 10 levels are much faster than 1 hour per level.
max level is 80
Game has been out for 3 weeks
If you play 4 hours a day that’s 4 levels
Level 80 in 20 days
So 4 hours a day means you have no life and have to reevaluate it?

What?

Seriously face palming right now.

I have a girlfriend, gym 4 days a week and i study a diploma in IT 3 days a week and i hit 80 8 days after headstart. I just love games really ahah. Its a hobby for me but one i just love doing.

Xelenter.6854:

Salt.4621:

gurugeorge.9857:

Ganadorf.3460:

It only takes 70 hours to get from 1-80, going at a medium pace

And yet, oddly, I’m at 92 hours and lvl 46.

It only takes 70 hours if you’re an idiot who doesn’t get the point of the game.

I absolutely agree I am at 68 hours played at level 41. Posters such as Ganandorf simply don’t get it or don’t understand what it is like to have commitments/social life/responsibilities/work, etc outside of a game.

Wat…Your playing an MMO.
68 hours and level 41 is great, Have you played any other MMO’s out there?
Guildwars 2 by far as the fastest leveling I’ve seen in an MMO.

What are you complaining about? I don’t understand? That people have more time to play?

1 lvl = 1 hour somtimes less.
First 10 levels are much faster than 1 hour per level.
max level is 80
Game has been out for 3 weeks
If you play 4 hours a day that’s 4 levels
Level 80 in 20 days
So 4 hours a day means you have no life and have to reevaluate it?

What?

Seriously face palming right now.

I’m not complaining at all, I was supporting the person I quoted who was ridiculed by the champion who stated it takes 70 hours to get to level cap (at a medium pace). I disagree with that as I am 2 hours shy of 70 and I am exactly halfway there.

Face palm all you like kid but I have a wife and 2 children and I don’t play the game every day, so your mathematics of level 80 in 20 days following your guidelines mean absolutely nothing to me. Try actually reading posts to get a grasp of the conversation next time.

Nodrog.7458:

Fun fact, your playing the exact same game as these “addicts” whom you don’t want to be associated with.. stop trying to act like your superior and that we should “get a life”.

I’ve played over 100 hours, go to school full-time, have a job, keep fit and STILL manage to maintain a relationship. Maybe it’s you who needs better time management skills? I think this is the first gaming community I’ve witnessed to so eagerly label anyone who plays the game a different way then them as “losers”. Instead of attempt to psychologically evaluate others who enjoy playing this game why don’t YOU find a better use of YOUR time? truly pathetic.

Someone who replies in such a way, I believe I struck a cord. Judging by the post you made you have jumped to conclusions about e community as a whole, and honestly you got so defensive you didn’t really write a a well written arguement.

Just because someone has a job and family doesn’t mean they cannot be addicted to something. Lots of women are married to alcoholics and still stay with them, even though they are in the relationship it does not mean it is a healthy one.

Secondly get your facts straight, I wasn’t on here acting self righteous about gaming. You act as if I came on this forum shouting at anyone who plays video games and in that case I would be a hypocrite.

I’m sorry but sometimes the truth hurts, people have addictions and if you never call someone out on it they may never recognize the issue and help themselves or seek help.

I’ve been level 80 for well over a week now and I’m not even close to being bored. I don’t see how being 80 makes me an idiot or an addict though, I have a full time job and other responsibilities, I just manage my time well. I reached 80 by playing the game the way I wanted to play it. I enjoyed every minute and continue to enjoy it. I still have well over 40% of the world to explore as well.

Salt.4621:

Xelenter.6854:

Salt.4621:

gurugeorge.9857:

Ganadorf.3460:

It only takes 70 hours to get from 1-80, going at a medium pace

And yet, oddly, I’m at 92 hours and lvl 46.

It only takes 70 hours if you’re an idiot who doesn’t get the point of the game.

I absolutely agree I am at 68 hours played at level 41. Posters such as Ganandorf simply don’t get it or don’t understand what it is like to have commitments/social life/responsibilities/work, etc outside of a game.

Wat…Your playing an MMO.
68 hours and level 41 is great, Have you played any other MMO’s out there?
Guildwars 2 by far as the fastest leveling I’ve seen in an MMO.

What are you complaining about? I don’t understand? That people have more time to play?

1 lvl = 1 hour somtimes less.
First 10 levels are much faster than 1 hour per level.
max level is 80
Game has been out for 3 weeks
If you play 4 hours a day that’s 4 levels
Level 80 in 20 days
So 4 hours a day means you have no life and have to reevaluate it?

What?

Seriously face palming right now.

I’m not complaining at all, I was supporting the person I quoted who was ridiculed by the champion who stated it takes 70 hours to get to level cap (at a medium pace). I disagree with that as I am 2 hours shy of 70 and I am exactly halfway there.

Face palm all you like kid but I have a wife and 2 children and I don’t play the game every day, so your mathematics of level 80 in 20 days following your guidelines mean absolutely nothing to me. Try actually reading posts to get a grasp of the conversation next time.

My dearest salt,

Just thought post this message while I’m studying and stuff. You mean the world to me and I’m blessed to have you in my life. I know you’re going through a hard time right now but know that God is always with you and that he’ll never leave you or forsake you. I will also always be there for you whenever you need someone. You are an amazing guy that I can always be honest with and will keep me accountable. Our relationship is effortless and it’s crazy how well everything is turning out. My vow is to stay loyal and faithful to you and to always be by your side and care for you and love you. In the future I do see marriage as an option and I would be honored to be your husband one day. God has a great plan for your life and I hope that I will be apart of it. You’re the best thing iv ever had and you make me light up and smile everyday. Thanks for being by my side and always supporting me and lifting me up. You don’t know how much you mean to me. Can’t wait till October just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight. Love you so much. Your’e my guy forever.

Tharjax.9068:

Nodrog.7458:

Fun fact, your playing the exact same game as these “addicts” whom you don’t want to be associated with.. stop trying to act like your superior and that we should “get a life”.

I’ve played over 100 hours, go to school full-time, have a job, keep fit and STILL manage to maintain a relationship. Maybe it’s you who needs better time management skills? I think this is the first gaming community I’ve witnessed to so eagerly label anyone who plays the game a different way then them as “losers”. Instead of attempt to psychologically evaluate others who enjoy playing this game why don’t YOU find a better use of YOUR time? truly pathetic.

Someone who replies in such a way, I believe I struck a cord. Judging by the post you made you have jumped to conclusions about e community as a whole, and honestly you got so defensive you didn’t really write a a well written arguement.

Just because someone has a job and family doesn’t mean they cannot be addicted to something. Lots of women are married to alcoholics and still stay with them, even though they are in the relationship it does not mean it is a healthy one.

Secondly get your facts straight, I wasn’t on here acting self righteous about gaming. You act as if I came on this forum shouting at anyone who plays video games and in that case I would be a hypocrite.

I’m sorry but sometimes the truth hurts, people have addictions and if you never call someone out on it they may never recognize the issue or try and helpthemselves or seek help.

You did hit a chord, as a video game player I can’t believe other gamers are perpetuating the age old stereotype of game players having no life.

And your making assumptions now, I honestly don’t see why you feel the need to shed light on these addicts so they can help themselves.

I’m sorry but you’re a self-righteous clown

As a disabled person who can’t do much else I have already logged over 300 hours in game. My highest toon is level 60. Given the chance I would gladly be away from my computer doing something else unfortunately in my situation this won’t happen. I spend a good portion of my time in game just hanging out talking with guildies and helping others. I just don’t get being bored already though I can see myself spending ages exploring Tyria.

Xelenter.6854:

Salt.4621:

gurugeorge.9857:

Ganadorf.3460:

It only takes 70 hours to get from 1-80, going at a medium pace

And yet, oddly, I’m at 92 hours and lvl 46.

It only takes 70 hours if you’re an idiot who doesn’t get the point of the game.

I absolutely agree I am at 68 hours played at level 41. Posters such as Ganandorf simply don’t get it or don’t understand what it is like to have commitments/social life/responsibilities/work, etc outside of a game.

Wat…Your playing an MMO.
68 hours and level 41 is great, Have you played any other MMO’s out there?
Guildwars 2 by far as the fastest leveling I’ve seen in an MMO.

What are you complaining about? I don’t understand? That people have more time to play?

1 lvl = 1 hour somtimes less.
First 10 levels are much faster than 1 hour per level.
max level is 80
Game has been out for 3 weeks
If you play 4 hours a day that’s 4 levels
Level 80 in 20 days
So 4 hours a day means you have no life and have to reevaluate it?

What?

Seriously face palming right now.

Your not even seeing the point of the post I have made. Just because according to some math calculation that you wrote up to what you believe it should take holds no strength in your arguement.

People that get so defensive about my post just proves my point even further.

And just FYI I have never called anyone a “loser” for playing a game, nor have I seen anyone else in here say such a thing.

Nodrog.7458:

Tharjax.9068:

Nodrog.7458:

Fun fact, your playing the exact same game as these “addicts” whom you don’t want to be associated with.. stop trying to act like your superior and that we should “get a life”.

I’ve played over 100 hours, go to school full-time, have a job, keep fit and STILL manage to maintain a relationship. Maybe it’s you who needs better time management skills? I think this is the first gaming community I’ve witnessed to so eagerly label anyone who plays the game a different way then them as “losers”. Instead of attempt to psychologically evaluate others who enjoy playing this game why don’t YOU find a better use of YOUR time? truly pathetic.

Someone who replies in such a way, I believe I struck a cord. Judging by the post you made you have jumped to conclusions about e community as a whole, and honestly you got so defensive you didn’t really write a a well written arguement.

Just because someone has a job and family doesn’t mean they cannot be addicted to something. Lots of women are married to alcoholics and still stay with them, even though they are in the relationship it does not mean it is a healthy one.

Secondly get your facts straight, I wasn’t on here acting self righteous about gaming. You act as if I came on this forum shouting at anyone who plays video games and in that case I would be a hypocrite.

I’m sorry but sometimes the truth hurts, people have addictions and if you never call someone out on it they may never recognize the issue or try and helpthemselves or seek help.

You did hit a chord, as a video game player I can’t believe other gamers are perpetuating the age old stereotype of game players having no life.

And your making assumptions now, I honestly don’t see why you feel the need to shed light on these addicts so they can help themselves.

I’m sorry but you’re a self-righteous clown

People who are hurt by truth will usually resort to name calling and taking words out of context are usually the ones who need help.

Also, if a person needs to drink a six pack of beer a night I can’t say he is alcoholic because I was assuming that? Sorry but I call it like I see it even if we do live in the age of tolerance.

I hardly played any games since quitting WoW back in 2010. I picked up GW2 and took a week off from work to play with old friends who are no longer geographically close. I wasn’t part of the initial batch to hit 80, it took two weeks. I can say, however that I’m already getting somewhat bored. But it’s not so much a lack of content (there’s plenty of achievements/exploration/aesthetic rewards to go for/etc) so much as the quality of the content.

1) Dynamic events I feel were hyped up a bit. Their quality in many lower level zones is better than in the higher level ones. What we experienced in beta was a better taste than we’re getting at level 80. So many events are just swarms and swarms of weak mobs you AoE down, or one big boss everyone piles on. We need more events that spread players out, with more veterans and less normal strength mobs.
2) Combat gets pretty stale after mastering the basics of your profession. That may be more the case for Necro, but so much damage comes from autoattack I rarely need to use other skills because they’re all so situational and do less damage than auto.
3) Most traits are so terrible it leaves little room for build experimentation. There are clearly best choices, occasionally useful choices depending on the content you’re doing, and then the other 50% that are simply bad.
4) WvW, which was my main interest, has come down to being a huge zerg fest. I was hoping it would be more about small group content and that there would be more smaller PvEvP objectives. They tried with the Centaur/Skritt/etc but they’re just events for karma/coin. I would have hoped they would have more actual impact on the WvW battle.

Having nothing to do I feel stems less from having completed everything (there’s no way anyone could have completed everything available to them) so much as not enough entertaining or meaningful content to do.

Draehl.2681:

I hardly played any games since quitting WoW back in 2010. I picked up GW2 and took a week off from work to play with old friends who are no longer geographically close. I wasn’t part of the initial batch to hit 80, it took two weeks. I can say, however that I’m already getting somewhat bored. But it’s not so much a lack of content (there’s plenty of achievements/exploration/aesthetic rewards to go for/etc) so much as the quality of the content.

1) Dynamic events I feel were hyped up a bit. Their quality in many lower level zones is better than in the higher level ones. What we experienced in beta was a better taste than we’re getting at level 80. So many events are just swarms and swarms of weak mobs you AoE down, or one big boss everyone piles on. We need more events that spread players out, with more veterans and less normal strength mobs.
2) Combat gets pretty stale after mastering the basics of your profession. That may be more the case for Necro, but so much damage comes from autoattack I rarely need to use other skills because they’re all so situational and do less damage than auto.
3) Most traits are so terrible it leaves little room for build experimentation. There are clearly best choices, occasionally useful choices depending on the content you’re doing, and then the other 50% that are simply bad.
4) WvW, which was my main interest, has come down to being a huge zerg fest. I was hoping it would be more about small group content and that there would be more smaller PvEvP objectives. They tried with the Centaur/Skritt/etc but they’re just events for karma/coin. I would have hoped they would have more actual impact on the WvW battle.

Having nothing to do I feel stems less from having completed everything (there’s no way anyone could have completed everything available to them) so much as not enough entertaining or meaningful content to do.

Well written post. I haven’t experienced WvW just yet, but I have seen a lot of talk about Zergfest. I would like to rebuke your argument by saying WvW may not be broken but in fact people are playing WvW with little to no coordination which ANet designed WvW to be the exact opposite.

Also a lot of your other complaints are subjective.

Yeah ok I’ll add my thoughts to this interesting discussion.

I met my wife online about 5 years ago. She was definitely an addict.

Some great opinions and musings have been said but for her personally, the online world of Runescape slowly began to become her ‘real world’, i.e. the world she actually spent more time in.

Somebody earlier touched on psychological reasons behind gaming addiction like a deep-rooted insecurity. I totally agree. For my wife, the reason she sunk into an online game in because her little child died. In the thick of it, when she was logged in for close to 18 hours a day she wouldn’t have said this, but now, with hindsight she realises that the reason she got so addicted was because of the trauma of it, it numbed her, the online world was removed from the real world in which only pain resided. Meeting people online behind the ‘wall’ of the computer screen felt safer. It wouldn’t hurt if she lost an online friend compared to a real one. (Ironically, it led to our marriage).

So there is a bit of ambiguity regarding this now, because she was displaying all the signs of a full blown addiction but was it an addiction or a crutch? Was it a necessity? Was it a choice?

I used to consider myself a gaming addict, although I’ve never played for 16-18 hours a day before, let alone 18 hours a day continually.

I truly believe gaming addiction exists. I’ve seen it. Felt it. The guy above saying that he’d have had no side effects if he suddenly went from 16 hours to 0 hours a day is in my opinion being unrealistic and also contradictory. How can you say there’d be no side effects and also say you’d miss in in the same line? The human psyche is not prepared for such sudden changes.

Let me ask to anybody reading this; when you close your eyes can you clearly see the in-game world? Do think about conversations/arguments with an online person you’ve never met before? Perhaps you consider your guildies better friends than anybody ‘irl’ could be. When you go to bed at night do you think about what you have ‘achieved’ today in the game and what you’re going to do tomorrow?

Tharjax.9068:

Title says it all. I see a lot of post regarding players not happy with the game because they are bored already. Like I stated in another post, I just turned level 30 and have played the game each night since release.

I think some of the people who are already bored with the game because they are level I
80 with nothing to do maybe need to re-evaluate what they are doing with their lives. If you find your sole enjoyment out if sitting at a computer all day playing video games, it’s unhealthy, it’s an addiction…

I love the game and find there is a TON of stuff to do and that ANet shouldn’t worry about the longevity of the game when we are only a month into the game.

Anyway I hope the dev’s don’t get fear mongered into “rushing” out new content because some people are letting games control their lives.

I am off my soap box now, flame away.

100% this.

This is absolutely right, and the freaky thing is I feel like I spend an unhealthy time playing it, despite still finding time to work a full time job and treat the girlfriend to a great time and work out so she doesn’t dump my A $ S for having 8 hour gaming sessions a few times a week!

Yet i am still just… casually exploring this wonderful game and my characters are insanely low level.

I find those people with multiple 80s at this point… psychotic, lol sorry I don’t mean to judge you but I can’t help but feel like you should remember that you have a life outside the computer and unlike your characters you can’t just restart it.

Unfortunately one thing you can’t forget is that firstly all the people who spent hundreds of hours making this game and continue to develop it have to be paid, that makes it a business above all and they will end up tailoring it to whomever is the largest target audience above everyone else and I just don’t know those statistics.

I’ve only got a level 72 toon and yet my kids get fed, I go to work and the chores get done. Thanks for making me feel like a real loser in both real life (maybe I game too much) and in the game. (I haven’t reached 80 yet.)

Hobby or Addiction?

Yes.

Also, if a person needs to drink a six pack of beer a night I can’t say he is alcoholic because I was assuming that? Sorry but I call it like I see it even if we do live in the age of tolerance.

Right. Very unpopular to do this in the current culture, but it is what it is. There is a pretty big difference between the guy who has a beer or two with dinner and the guy who drains a 6-pack or 12-pack every single night. It’s the same for gaming, or any other activity (exercising, shopping, even working). Joe 12-Pack will also say “what’s the issue, I have kids and a spouse, and I go to work every day and I don’t get hangovers” etc. (pretty common for a “functional addict”, which most of them are or at least start as), but it’s quite obvious to everyone who doesn’t have a 12-pack a day that Joe 12 has an issue with alcohol.

And that’s ultimately one of the strongest tests of addictive or “leaning towards addictive” behavior: is it behavior that someone who engages in the same behavior to a more moderated extent would think highly problematic if done on a regular basis. If the answer is “yes”, then you’re walking down that path. Some will argue that “this isn’t fair because so many people think gaming is loserish”. But that’s not at all what I am talking about. I’m not talking about a tee-totaler thinking anyone who has a beer is an alcoholic. I’m talking about the mass of people who occasionally have a glass or two of beer or wine, and what they think of your 6 or 12 pack a day behavior. And the same is true in gaming, folks.

The great thing about GW2 is that they specifically designed the game NOT to be like that, not to encourage that behavior to anything like most recent MMOs have done. The sad thing is that so many people are already in that cycle that they find it strangely unsatisfying.

My point of view on this subject is probably biased, as I’ve been both what I would consider an addict, a developer and I’ve studied the psychology of addiction (including to computer games to some extent) – I started as a gamer, became an addict to the point where I spent up to 22hrs a day on SWG, sleeping only when the servers were going through their daily reboot, and as an escape from an abysmal life at home. Then I became a pro for a bit before I escaped, by moving to undertake a job as a dev, and then several years later did my 2nd degree in Psychology to learn about a lot of the stuff I’d seen, done and experienced.

The first thing that you need to accept is that games are written to be addictive. All of your interactions in the game have been predicted and catered for on some level, and regardless of how aggressively competitive you believe you are or are not, they rely on drip feeding you rewards in much the same way as a Skinner Box in exchange for completing actions, challenges or even for just spending time in game.

It doesn’t seem like much. Anyone who’s been on the receiving end of some anti-farm generated piles of junk trophies would probably assume its almost negligable or a non-existent consideration, but its worth remembering, in lab tests, wiring up a rat to a lever designed to stimulate its pleasure centers every time its pressed, will continue pressing that lever until it dies of starvation/dehydration in a happy haze of messed up neurochemistry.

Believe it or not, MMO’s work on the same principle, and every gain in levels, skill point gain or new thing is another slap in the brain stem with your favorite neurotransmitters, driving you towards your next hit, whilst at the same time a developing tolerance to the same hormones means that you need to do more just to get the same “high”

It’s in the developers best interests to encourage the process. Getting you hooked means you continue to play, and by extension, pay. The process of developing a leveling and “item gaining” curve in a game is big business, too steep and people get bored, too low and people very quickly run out of ways to generate the same buzz. Ever had a “just one more level” or “i just need to do this one thing” moment before logging out? That’s the process at work right there.

That said, having a “just one more level” moment doesn’t necessarily make you addicted, please let me make that clear. For most people it’s no different to that “just one more chocolate” or “quick pint before you head on” moment that many will have had at some time or another.

Going from experience, however, I’d say that a significant proportion of the player base of any MMO is addicted to some degree, wether they’d admit it or not. Phrases like “I have to log in because of my guild/ this raid / i need to get that item/ etc” tend to come up a lot and make you wonder. A quick acid test for most is “at some level would you resent someone/something that cut into your game time to do something mundane irl” – even if only for a second or two and not necessarily in anything more than a mild passing manner. As others have said, sneaking off for 5 mins levelling or neglecting yourself or your responsibilities in order to game are really good indicators that the mmo industry has got you hooked on a line and is slowly reeling you in.

It’s not all doom and gloom however. I’m sure most of you know, or are, an oldbie player, and you may have noticed in such people a growing dissatisfaction with the games you play now. Some of you actually smash the nail right on the head at the outset with comments like “They just don’t hit me the way they used to”… or to be a little more technical “I just don’t get the same hit from games like I used to”.

Truth is its probably not the games, its probably us. After around a decade of quality online gaming, a lot of us have desensetised ourselves enough to the endorphin rush of a good raid to the point where we can start to shrug it off. It’s probably the same reason that a lot of people swarm to a new game at the start, and leave under the same cloud the OP mentioned in his post. Addicts, swarming the potential source of a new high, only to find its not high enough to cut through the biochemical tolerance they’ve developed to keep them hooked like it used to.

Sure its not the be all and end all. A lot of people play for the social aspects of the game, and a lot are genuine, normal, hobbyists who just pop in from time to time in the same way they might head to the cinema or read a book, and these players probably have the best time of all.

For me, my addiction never really stopped. It was countered by a change in life circumstances, mitigated somewhat by learning a bit about why I was addicted, how, and how it was done, and mostly held in check by re-evaluting my priorities in life, and working to ensure that I kept up with my responsibilities to my family, my home and myself. It’s an ongoing struggle, as I’d still love to play more, but these days I’m proud to consider myself, and be considered a casual gamer.

For reference, and to address the rest of the OP’s post, I’ve not rushed the game yet, I’m lvl 46ish (if i remember right) and still enjoying what I find in game a great deal. I also know, from experience, that if I didn’t log in for more than 2 weeks, I’d probably never log back in at all.

Don’t know if this really helps, or if I’ve gone off on a major tangent, but gonna post it anyway as its taken a little while to write, and it’d be a shame to waste it. Sorry for the wall of text.

I’ve been playing since game was launched and its been hard to find time to play due to family and having a full time job and responsibilities.. Mainly my girl who wants to spend time with me and i care about her enough to not destroy the relationship over a video game. I lost a girlfriend to ffxi, another one to wow and another one to ffxiv. Not going to lose this one over gw2.

So far i feel the game is awesome at a slower pace. I have four toons, one lvl 10 the other lvl 20, one lvl 16 and my main just got to lvl 40 last nite. I play mainly on weekends.

I feel the game is meant for a slower pace. I see everyone lvl 80 with cool armors and all. And it’s cool to be lvl 80 but whats the hurry? I mean everyone will be lvl 80 eventually.. maybe they all have more money than i do in game.. but i still have my relationship, my job and life going on the game will be there!!

I do notice there are not as many people around to do events as when the game was released.. so what!! i still have fun, i feel i got my moneys worth.

I will continue to play slowly till i get bored. Some times i will play a lot, others not much. Who cares, the game is not my life. Is just something to kill time, use my imagination and relax.

Oh i’m a web developer so im always glued to a pc… when i get home sometimes i want to play but im so tired of being in front of a pc that i rather chill in the couch and close my eyes

Why are people calling eachother idiots for having different playstyles? Some like to take it slow, some prefer to level up fast and some will only be seen in PvP. Who cares about the other player playing in a different way? There is no right or wrong about it. And there is also nothing wrong with other people having a different opinion about the game as long as they remain mature and constructive about it. Some people are bored with the game while I am still having a lot of fun. I don’t mind them being bored, it does not impact my ability to play and enjoy the game at all and vice versa. I am sorry if I went a bit too far off topic, but I had to get this off my chest. I see it popping up more often lately that people who play in a different way get called out.