Guild Wars 2

I am really concerned with the direction Anet is taking GW2… The levelling changes for the most part have been met with nothing but derision by the players and LS season 2 has fallen into a massive slump after starting off somewhat promising.

It is beyond me why they had to dumb down the levelling experience even further to make it easier for “new players”. Weren’t we all new players at one point? I saw nothing hard about it whatsoever….Have any of the ANET dev’s actually spent any time playing other MMO’s GW2 has always been casual and carebear friendly.. why insult your playerbase even further?

Now we have LS2 which kinda started off promising what with a new story and the opening up of a new area. It seems to have rapidly lost focus and now we have this massive lull in between before it resumes…I swear I can’t even remember what happened now, yet we are supposed to have some sort of affinity with these characters?

Look, I applaud the fact that you tried to do something different, but also to be frank with you. It simply isn’t enough. The game is 2 years in and the competition is immense. Why do you simply refuse to give the playerbase at large what it wants???

It’s simple stuff…more maps, more weapon choices/skills.. new races.. new classes….Extended campaigns?? There is a reason why this formula is tried and true in MMO’s..it works….

Then there is the Pvp…Honestly..the SAME maps we have had since launch and the same style of cap the point???? And you dare have the audacity to think yourself of as an e-sport?

I LOVE the game…it saddens me to see all this potential go to waste. It’s like having a beautiful smart daughter who could become an amazing Doctor only to see her turn out to be a prostitute. That’s the bottom line.

Give the people what they want Anet..it’s not rocket science!!!

Mitch.4781:

I LOVE the game…it saddens me to see all this potential go to waste. It’s like having a beautiful smart daughter who could become an amazing Doctor only to see her turn out to be a prostitute. That’s the bottom line.

Give the people what they want Anet..it’s not rocket science!!!

Brilliant comparison mate,sadest part of everything you said is that it is all true..

The bottom line is spot on.

Also the LS characters are pedantic and one-dimensional which is why they are not relatable and why they are so forgettable. Really the only event in the more recent LS that was good was when your character fights the dragon in the Grove, alone. That was good and finally put the hero in the spotlight rather than forcing you, the player, to be a bit player rather than the star of the show. Going off and exploring other characters is fine but they went too far with that concept.

Kamui.4038:

The bottom line is spot on.

Also the LS characters are pedantic and one-dimensional which is why they are not relatable and why they are so forgettable. Really the only event in the more recent LS that was good was when your character fights the dragon in the Grove, alone. That was good and finally put the hero in the spotlight rather than forcing you, the player, to be a bit player rather than the star of the show.

And even the fight was something rather fresh. Specially the attacks of the dragon that came from rather unusual angles(for a gw2 boss), his mobs used everything and your granny with conditions and attacks…almost like…i dont even dare to say it… but…a challenging fight? Well to be fair it wasnt THAT challenging but didnt it feel like…hmm.. lets say a “lvl 5 boss” in a game? Thats the route most battles should go…just amp up the difficulty , more damage to be less forgiving and you got yourself a solid base to work with. I might be already dulled down…but it actually had for a moment the “omigosh!” feeling i had back then as i started the game (with not much MMO experience).

Yea.. bit off topic… i know i know

Kamui.4038:

Really the only event in the more recent LS that was good was when your character fights the dragon in the Grove, alone.

That was easily the most interesting part of LS Season 2.

Although, I actually preferred the fight against the Champion Toxic Hybrid krait in the Tower Of Nightmares. I thought that battle was more difficult to solo.

I disagree that ALL players hate the new leveling experience. There are certainly aspects of it that are annoying and simply badly done, but I do find several of the changes a nice addition to the game.

Complaints, suggestions and even rants (tastefully done) are acceptable, but don’t make the situation worse (or invalidate your views) by making exaggerated claims based on the hyperbole being displayed by many players on these forums.

It’s an invalid assumption that if 9 out of 10 posts on this forum are negative, then 90% of the actual player base dislike something.

That being said, I too am concerned about the direction some of the changes seem to indicate the game is heading…

I’m currently leveling a new character, just to try the new system. I dislike some minor parts of it (like being rewarded a soulbound spinel lump that can’t be stored as a collectible) but overall I’m happy with the changes. Would I like more? Sure! I’d love new maps, maybe a new class and so on. Do I need it? Nope, the game is still fun for me, even though I have played for nearly 2 years.

Mitch.4781:

The levelling changes for the most part have been met with nothing but derision by the players and LS season 2 has fallen into a massive slump after starting off somewhat promising.

It is beyond me why they had to dumb down the levelling experience even further to make it easier for “new players”. Weren’t we all new players at one point???

….

Give the people what they want Anet..it’s not rocket science!!!

Every veteran was a new player once, but many people left the game before that happened. ANet is targeting them, not current vets. ANet didn’t actually “dumb down the game” — the game still offers the same mechanics it had before the Feature Update. What’s changed is how many new things new players are introduced to at any given time.

If you “get” games or have played a lot, this seems like horrible gating to you. But if you have ever helped a non-techie use a smartphone to do something more than call/text, you have seen what happens: you are 10s into showing them how to add a new app, and their eyes start to glaze over. Two minutes later, you know you can’t show them the difference between Airplane Mode and DND mode until tomorrow.

It’s not that any of the mechanics are complicated, it’s that some people can only absorb new information in small chunks at a time. Me? I prefer getting thrown in the deep end and having the freedom to explore all the options in my own time. But I know a lot more people who prefer a little bit at a time.

IMO, ANet did a brave thing by listening to the feedback from their usability tests and changing the game in ways they knew would be difficult for veterans to swallow. I applaud them for it.

I, do, however, find fault with how it was explained to veterans and rolled out — their due diligence was insufficient. It shouldn’t have surprised ANet that veterans would react strongly, they should have ensured that there weren’t any noticeable “breakpoints,” and they should have ensured that leveling one’s 2nd toon is easier than the first and that leveling the 8th is trivial by comparison.

tl;dr ANet didn’t ignore the playerbase, they actually listened to ensure the long-term health of the game. The problem is that their rollout didn’t do a good job of handling the Old Veteran Experience (OVE).

Mitch.4781:

It is beyond me why they had to dumb down the levelling experience even further to make it easier for “new players”.

This isnt about making it easier for new players anymore. Ive never heard a single person complain GW2 was to difficult or complex when it just came out, and we all were new players.

Compared to the traditional MMOs, GW2 was a breath of fresh air. Less skills, but more meaningful skills. And no stupidly long grind to unlock basic character functionality. Something like using dye’s didnt have a level requirement. And people did more than fine for two years.

These new changes are pretty much in line with the traditional “korean”(/asian) grindfest MMO. Where you very slowly unlock basic character skills.
And this happening just as they are also trying to win over the Chinese market… yeah, thats not a coinsidence anymore. Thats deliberate.

And take good notice of this, our gameplay enjoyment is being sacrificed bit by bit (or, fairly large chunks if you will) for the sake of what appeals in China and other Asian markets.
Let that be a precursor of things to come.

I just have one thing for devs: Guys pls stop making game easier.

I have created a new character to experience the new changes and I don’t think they are bad at all. The thing everyone needs to understand is most players who have negative feelings about the leveling either haven’t created a new character or stopped playing the game a while ago and just like to troll. The best thing to do is experience the stuff yourself before reading anything and also remember that they made this game subscription free and haven’t put any play-to-win items int he gem store.

Silvercyclone.1462:

I have created a new character to experience the new changes and I don’t think they are bad at all. The thing everyone needs to understand is most players who have negative feelings about the leveling either haven’t created a new character or stopped playing the game a while ago and just like to troll. The best thing to do is experience the stuff yourself before reading anything and also remember that they made this game subscription free and haven’t put any play-to-win items int he gem store.

And what do you base your stastitics on? Or is it just a gut feeling?
Because we’ve actually seen some stastistics on how 1500+ people feel about the new changes. And it was overwhelmingly negative.
Good for you for enjoying it, but you are part of a very small group.

Also, what does “no subscription fee” have to do with this?
They spend a lot of development time making their game, in the eyes of many players, worst. Are we suppose to be cheerful over this fact?

Terrahero.9358:

Silvercyclone.1462:

I have created a new character to experience the new changes and I don’t think they are bad at all. The thing everyone needs to understand is most players who have negative feelings about the leveling either haven’t created a new character or stopped playing the game a while ago and just like to troll. The best thing to do is experience the stuff yourself before reading anything and also remember that they made this game subscription free and haven’t put any play-to-win items int he gem store.

And what do you base your stastitics on? Or is it just a gut feeling?
Because we’ve actually seen some stastistics on how 1500+ people feel about the new changes. And it was overwhelmingly negative.
Good for you for enjoying it, but you are part of a very small group.

Also, what does “no subscription fee” have to do with this?
They spend a lot of development time making their game, in the eyes of many players, worst. Are we suppose to be cheerful over this fact?

I base my statistics on how may people i see on forums that say they have quit and still have negative remarks. I would like to see a link where u have seen 1500+ people say its negative. The no subscription proves that Anet is about players and not just for themselves.

Have a gander https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Leveling-as-a-Reward-What-a-COMPLETE-JOKE/first

most people ive seen complain havent said they quit the game a long time ago. But even if they have, does that matter?
Do people need to try out the new system to know wether or not they like the idea of having basic skills and functions (such as downed state or even dye’s…) very slowly spoonfed over the course of 80 levels?

I dont think so. We can objectively say that these changes leave you with less skills to play with, and less diversity in your playstyle, for a longer time. Aswell as less room to experiment and find a playstyle you enjoy.
And that is something people either like, or dont like. Most tend to “not like”.

But if you like it so much, why dont we just roll the system back to the way it was? You can, for your own leisure, simply opt to not use that second utility slot untill lv24 (or later!) while those of us who do, can use it sooner.
And it shouldnt take a great deal of discipline to say “nope, one more level before i allow myself to dye my armor”. While those of us who dont want to enforce arbitrary benchmarks, can just make our character look the way we want from the very start.

Terrahero.9358:

Have a gander https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Leveling-as-a-Reward-What-a-COMPLETE-JOKE/first

most people ive seen complain havent said they quit the game a long time ago. But even if they have, does that matter?
Do people need to try out the new system to know wether or not they like the idea of having basic skills and functions (such as downed state or even dye’s…) very slowly spoonfed over the course of 80 levels?

I dont think so. We can objectively say that these changes leave you with less skills to play with, and less diversity in your playstyle, for a longer time. Aswell as less room to experiment and find a playstyle you enjoy.
And that is something people either like, or dont like. Most tend to “not like”.

But if you like it so much, why dont we just roll the system back to the way it was? You can, for your own leisure, simply opt to not use that second utility slot untill lv24 (or later!) while those of us who do, can use it sooner.
And it shouldnt take a great deal of discipline to say “nope, one more level before i allow myself to dye my armor”. While those of us who dont want to enforce arbitrary benchmarks, can just make our character look the way we want from the very start.

To address your various points in my humble opinion:

I think people should definitely try out the new system just for the sake of finding out if it’s as bad as they thought it would be.
Do they need to try it out in order to realize that GW2 is being systematically dumbed down so that"the whole family & your dog" can play it? No. This movement started with the first feature patch (some would say even before), continued into the current featurepatch and will most likely continute into the next etc..

Then you’re basically talking about options. Of course options are always better than forcing a system unto everyone. Sadly, arenanet is not even trying to do that. Their whole argument is based upon new players getting confused with too many skills and things to do. But in the end all they achieve is de-conditioning people thinking for themselves. The next wave of GW2 players will even need more handholding and so on. Though this is not a Guild Wars specific problem. It’s currently afflicting the whole game industry.

Dyes can already be used right at the start. The notification just pops up later (I think at level 7). But they can definitely be used right from the start. And yes, that includes all your unlocked dyes.

I believe Anet dev’s are being dishonest about the motivations for all the changes, as well.

It’s a cash grab, plain and simple.

R.I.P. GW2

Silvercyclone.1462:

Terrahero.9358:

Silvercyclone.1462:

I have created a new character to experience the new changes and I don’t think they are bad at all. The thing everyone needs to understand is most players who have negative feelings about the leveling either haven’t created a new character or stopped playing the game a while ago and just like to troll. The best thing to do is experience the stuff yourself before reading anything and also remember that they made this game subscription free and haven’t put any play-to-win items int he gem store.

And what do you base your stastitics on? Or is it just a gut feeling?
Because we’ve actually seen some stastistics on how 1500+ people feel about the new changes. And it was overwhelmingly negative.
Good for you for enjoying it, but you are part of a very small group.

Also, what does “no subscription fee” have to do with this?
They spend a lot of development time making their game, in the eyes of many players, worst. Are we suppose to be cheerful over this fact?

I base my statistics on how may people i see on forums that say they have quit and still have negative remarks. I would like to see a link where u have seen 1500+ people say its negative. The no subscription proves that Anet is about players and not just for themselves.

the hybrid b2p/f2p/cash shop model is generating more for them than a subscription model would have. That is not done for the players, it is done for dollars. Many developers realize they can stretch smaller amounts content out and charge more for it. You see it with shooter games. Battlefield series when it started with 1942 had expansions that added huge amounts of content for very good prices. Now they sell small DLC packs that when all is tallied together gives you almost nothing compared to the expansions and also ends up costing more.

So if they were doing it for the player base they would be adding a lot more content in to the game directly and not gating it behind the gemstore. Right now they are doing less work and charging more for it. This game was not hurting for cash. They made plenty of it but now the people at the top would rather invest in their own bank account rather than the game.

ipan.4356:

I believe Anet dev’s are being dishonest about the motivations for all the changes, as well.

It’s a cash grab, plain and simple.

R.I.P. GW2

How the heck is it a cash grab?

Is there anything you can buy to eliminate this NPE?
Anything to unlock your skill slots faster or grant you skill points per level like before?
Anything to move up when Personal Story Chapters start?

No! So no cash grab.

Some people have try to wedge every change they don’t like through the prism of the “Nexon controlled cash shop” conspiracy theory narrative.

Behellagh.1468:

ipan.4356:

I believe Anet dev’s are being dishonest about the motivations for all the changes, as well.

It’s a cash grab, plain and simple.

R.I.P. GW2

How the heck is it a cash grab?

Is there anything you can buy to eliminate this NPE?
Anything to unlock your skill slots faster or grant you skill points per level like before?
Anything to move up when Personal Story Chapters start?

No! So no cash grab.

Some people have try to wedge every change they don’t like into the prism of the “Nexon controlled cash shop” conspiracy theory narrative.

You can buy XP boosts, which will get you through the early leveling experience faster, in the cash shop.

Terrahero.9358:

Have a gander https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Leveling-as-a-Reward-What-a-COMPLETE-JOKE/first

most people ive seen complain havent said they quit the game a long time ago. But even if they have, does that matter?
Do people need to try out the new system to know wether or not they like the idea of having basic skills and functions (such as downed state or even dye’s…) very slowly spoonfed over the course of 80 levels?

I dont think so. We can objectively say that these changes leave you with less skills to play with, and less diversity in your playstyle, for a longer time. Aswell as less room to experiment and find a playstyle you enjoy.
And that is something people either like, or dont like. Most tend to “not like”.

But if you like it so much, why dont we just roll the system back to the way it was? You can, for your own leisure, simply opt to not use that second utility slot untill lv24 (or later!) while those of us who do, can use it sooner.
And it shouldnt take a great deal of discipline to say “nope, one more level before i allow myself to dye my armor”. While those of us who dont want to enforce arbitrary benchmarks, can just make our character look the way we want from the very start.

Selection Bias due to title of thread.

Also a poll on a system that is not working as intended is due to have some negative bias.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Misconceptions-regarding-Level-gating/page/4#post4396936

ipan.4356:

You can buy XP boosts, which will get you through the early leveling experience faster, in the cash shop.

And any food gives you 10%, some 15%. And there’s a laurel one that grants you 30%.

Have you actually seen how fast you level now?

Ciucan.5092:

Mitch.4781:

I LOVE the game…it saddens me to see all this potential go to waste. It’s like having a beautiful smart daughter who could become an amazing Doctor only to see her turn out to be a prostitute. That’s the bottom line.

Give the people what they want Anet..it’s not rocket science!!!

Brilliant comparison mate,sadest part of everything you said is that it is all true..

Yeah and on top of that a dirt cheap prostitute who does everything for some cash.

Terrahero.9358:

…..
And what do you base your stastitics on? Or is it just a gut feeling?
Because we’ve actually seen some stastistics on how 1500+ people feel about the new changes. And it was overwhelmingly negative……

That’s just not true. A bit more than 40% said they HATE it. While almost a 30% said a few tweaks would make them good. That is NOT overwhelmingly negative….that’s not even half negative (despite how you want to portray it).

Also, There is no real indication where those players polled came from, but if it’s from these forums, I wouldn’t think it’s at all representative of the overall player base.

Brother Grimm.5176:

Terrahero.9358:

…..
And what do you base your stastitics on? Or is it just a gut feeling?
Because we’ve actually seen some stastistics on how 1500+ people feel about the new changes. And it was overwhelmingly negative……

That’s just not true. A bit more than 40% said they HATE it. While almost a 30% said a few tweaks would make them good. That is NOT overwhelmingly negative….that’s not even half negative (despite how you want to portray it).

Also, There is no real indication where those players polled came from, but if it’s from these forums, I wouldn’t think it’s at all representative of the overall player base.

41% hate it
12% dislike it
———
53% is more than half.

29% think that it is currently not OK (not OK is negative)

53% + 29% = 82%.

82% is a pretty solid majority. I would be surprised if any professional poll taker/calculator considered 82% to not be an overwhelming majority.

Now do those numbers mean all that much ? I think they are worth considering, but not to the degree that the face value of the numbers would seem to indicate.

More than anything else, they need to put out an expansion.

A lot of little things, like the NPE, are usually ignored by the player base if there is fresh content.

That will kill GW2 long before anything else they do.

I think the point is quite succinct. I don’t mind living story, but ANET are on a road to ruin if they think that is all that will keep this game alive. Personally It hasn’t engaged me one bit from a story and narrative perspective.

The issue is, we literally have no clue or hint o anything else on the horizon….Even SWTOR has new flashpoints nee dungeons being added….but it is like ANet is doggedly refusing to take on board criticism and just ploughing ahead with their dogma….

They need to announce something else soon or else

Rozbuska.5263:

I just have one thing for devs: Guys pls stop making game easier.

It is just they are making the same the same in China and the rest of the world. It makes it easier for the developers to work now, since they only really have to deal with one game (just do the translation is all).

GW2 is not a game that would be played in China as it is not such a grind compared to other games popular there – Lineage 2, etc. That is why they had such a tutorial. They decided to roll it out for all of us but it seems that Veteran players are complaining and that is not who this part is designed for.

Ignoring us? Sometimes it feels like they’re poking us with a stick and laughing at how we react.

Tachenon.5270:

Ignoring us? Sometimes it feels like they’re poking us with a stick and laughing at how we react.

Y’all are a little too sensitive. A.Net has to do what THEY FEEL is important to the game. Often times, it is the players who have blinders on and only see the small part that deals with them not the game as a whole.

ipan.4356:

You can buy XP boosts, which will get you through the early leveling experience faster, in the cash shop.

But this is not Champions Online where Exp-Boosts also boost quest rewards. And since
the main aspect of the new fast leveling from 1-15 is the higher reward from hearts, those
little exp from killing mobs is not really that important.

And also those boosters have been around since forever, and i’m maybe not the only
one who has masses of them in the bank and never even used them.

Ashen.2907:

Brother Grimm.5176:

Terrahero.9358:

…..
And what do you base your stastitics on? Or is it just a gut feeling?
Because we’ve actually seen some stastistics on how 1500+ people feel about the new changes. And it was overwhelmingly negative……

That’s just not true. A bit more than 40% said they HATE it. While almost a 30% said a few tweaks would make them good. That is NOT overwhelmingly negative….that’s not even half negative (despite how you want to portray it).

Also, There is no real indication where those players polled came from, but if it’s from these forums, I wouldn’t think it’s at all representative of the overall player base.

41% hate it
12% dislike it
———
53% is more than half.

29% think that it is currently not OK (not OK is negative)

53% + 29% = 82%.

82% is a pretty solid majority. I would be surprised if any professional poll taker/calculator considered 82% to not be an overwhelming majority.

Now do those numbers mean all that much ? I think they are worth considering, but not to the degree that the face value of the numbers would seem to indicate.

Hmmm, I don’t know this poll existed, because if I know, I can definitely flip the result to the other side if you know what I am implying.

We must believe that the new found courage to bring gw2 community to the front of gw2 development is a true effort.

I dont have reasons to believe otherwise, or to believe that anet has halted development on gw2 and is now concerned only in managing whats left of the player base.

If such a time comes, ill be the first to say something about it. I have been an unhappy customer for a long time and only recently i reinstalled the game, following what it appears to be a genuine effort to push gw2 back to the top of the AAA mmorpgs.

Tachenon.5270:

Ignoring us? Sometimes it feels like they’re poking us with a stick and laughing at how we react.

By the way the forum react to every single change, I will do it too, as often as possible if I can. It is just too irresistible.

Dusty Moon.4382:

Tachenon.5270:

Ignoring us? Sometimes it feels like they’re poking us with a stick and laughing at how we react.

Y’all are a little too sensitive. A.Net has to do what THEY FEEL is important to the game. Often times, it is the players who have blinders on and only see the small part that deals with them not the game as a whole.

Dusty Moon.4382:

Tachenon.5270:

Ignoring us? Sometimes it feels like they’re poking us with a stick and laughing at how we react.

Y’all are a little too sensitive. A.Net has to do what THEY FEEL is important to the game. Often times, it is the players who have blinders on and only see the small part that deals with them not the game as a whole.

Feelings get in the way of reality and what works. Feelings are what put the game in its current state.

So no, they have to stop doing what they feel is important to the game if what they feel is important is this out of touch.

Ashen.2907:

Now do those numbers mean all that much ? I think they are worth considering, but not to the degree that the face value of the numbers would seem to indicate.

Is there any indication how many of the people who voted in the poll have actually created a new character and leveled it a considerable way into the game before voting? How many are voting based on personal experience, and how many are voting on (mis-)information they have picked up on the internet? How many of those voting negatively now will still do so in a week, when they have gotten used to the new system? For many people, change in itself is bad first of all because it takes them out of their comfort zone, and takes some getting used to before it becomes as enjoyable as what was there before.

Back on topic …

Why do you simply refuse to give the playerbase at large what it wants???

It’s simple stuff…more maps, more weapon choices/skills.. new races.. new classes….Extended campaigns?? There is a reason why this formula is tried and true in MMO’s..it works….

Personally, I enjoy this game exactly because it does NOT fall back to the tired old pattern of releasing new areas, items and so on and keeping the old ones as static and boring as they have ever been. To me, the fact that the world is changing rather than simply being inflated by new, static maps, is one of the reasons I enjoy this game. I much perfer to figure out different ways to use the weapons, skills, classes and even races I already have than add new ones and only superficially touching each of them before I run off to play with a new shiny.

I get that it’s not the way everyone likes their games. Just like I no longer enjoy playing games that make me chase new stuff all the time and turn what I formerly enjoyed (be it areas, equipment or whatever) useless with each new update.

Terrahero.9358:

Mitch.4781:

It is beyond me why they had to dumb down the levelling experience even further to make it easier for “new players”.

This isnt about making it easier for new players anymore. Ive never heard a single person complain GW2 was to difficult or complex when it just came out, and we all were new players.

Because those players left the game in frustration before anyone knew they were here.

I don’t think Anet is out of touch in terms of not knowing what vocal forum goers want. It would be almost impossible for that to be the case. Is there really anyone here who thinks that Anet doesn’t realize some people want more dungeons? Because if so, there’s not much to talk about on that front.

They simply don’t make all their decisions on what a percentage of the fans want. And if I were in charge, I’m pretty sure I’d act in a similar manner.

I do think Anet tends to overcompensate often, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of touch. It means it’s either not feasible, or profitable to add to the game. Or it’s on a list somewhere and it’s being worked on. Or will be worked on.

Aicus.3174:

Hmmm, I don’t know this poll existed, because if I know, I can definitely flip the result to the other side if you know what I am implying.

But here’s the thing.

Even if it was an even split, 50% is okay with it and 50% is not. This new system does not accomodate the 50% thats not okay with it.
Whereas the old system did accomodate the 50% that does like pacing.

I mean come on, if you like having content more gated you always had the option to do so for yourself. You could choose not to use dye’s untill lv80 for all i care, but why shouldnt i be allowed to use my dye’s before 6?
If you dont want to use traits then dont, but why shouldnt i be allowed to because you want to pace yourself?

Why am i forced to wait till lv14 to weaponswap, when you could just choose not to equip a second set untill lv14 if you like this?
Why can i not gather, just because you dont want to ability to early on?

The old system was far more inclusive to peoples prefered playstyles than the new one is.

Vayne.8563:

I don’t think Anet is out of touch in terms of not knowing what vocal forum goers want. It would be almost impossible for that to be the case. Is there really anyone here who thinks that Anet doesn’t realize some people want more dungeons? Because if so, there’s not much to talk about on that front.

They simply don’t make all their decisions on what a percentage of the fans want. And if I were in charge, I’m pretty sure I’d act in a similar manner.

I do think Anet tends to overcompensate often, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of touch. It means it’s either not feasible, or profitable to add to the game. Or it’s on a list somewhere and it’s being worked on. Or will be worked on.

I’d like to think that Anet IS listening to the feedback provided either in-game or on the forms. But just because they don’t act on it immediately, that doesn’t mean they aren’t listening to begin with. It’s just that they are prioritizing what they need to do first before moving on to the next issue through assessing how bad certain issues are when compared to others. I’d like to think that the challenge they face is something practically every company that makes MMOs go through.

They listen too much at times. If I were them, I would be aware of what all these pockets of different communities of players “wants”, while also being true to my vision of the game. The needs of the game, as well as overall “this is what GW2 is about” is more important than, say, pleasing the “I want dueling!” “playerbase” (which isn’t the playerbase, but I hope the point was made.) Listening to players have brought some pretty good things to the game, and some more other questionable things (depending on who you ask, of course), because ultimately you can’t please 100% of players, but the least they can do is staying true to their vision of the game (which they have actually been pretty spot on since release, even when I can’t agree with every decision made.)

I dont really like the new leveling changes… Didnt try them yet personally but I dont like the idea behind them.

That being said I really dont see the big deal. For starters Anet already came out and said many of the changes are supposed to affect only the first character and there is a bug there somewhere they’re trying to fix. But even as is now it feels like people are way more upset then they should be. I mean even if you hate absolutely everything about the changes, how much will it really affect you? am I the only one who has like a ton of instant level 20 scrolls stacked from birthday presents? Also before these changes a good number of players complained about the leveling up experience that it wasnt rewarding and thus skipped it completely by crafting their way to max level. Now all of a sudden it seems everyone is back to leveling up the regular way (maybe Anet where right about these changes being beneficial) Not just that but how many character do you people actually level! I got 8 alts, only 1 is sub level 20. I also bought 2 new slots when they were on discount a couple of weeks ago which makes it 3 characters. People on reddit claim with the new level curve it takes 1.5 hrs to reach level 15 which is the point when most of the changes are overcome. (and thats without using an level up scrolls) is that really so bad?

Again I dont agree with the changes, not defending the changes themselves all I am saying is are they really as bad as people are painting them to be? For most of us they’ll really have 0 effect by because we can just skip right pass them with the birthday scrolls.

As for the reason behind them, I understand and agree that most of these changes try to make an already easy game way too easier. BUT an MMO is not about 1 group of people its about different groups of people. I am sure tons of work (thus cost) went into making these changes and I am sure they werent done on impulse. My theory is they’re meant to target people who arent MMO players. Because sure any veteran MMO player would have no issue picking up on nearly everything GW2 has to offer right off the start but what about players who never played an MMO before. Perhaps even players who are new to gaming altogether. Compared to single player games and MMO and especially Gw2 has a lot of systems.

Weapon skills, Utilities, Traits, different types of Gear, Food, Consumables, Downed state skills, underwater skills, Crafting skills, dodging, kits/attunements/other auxiliary skills (skills that replace skills essentially) I can understand that while all of this might be easily understandable by the veteran MMO player it may be a bit overwhelming to a player coming from single player games.

I am sure they didnt spend what was potentially 10s of 1000s of dollars in man power just to annoy us.

In short Just cause they do changes addressing 1 demographic of players it doesnt mean they’re ignoring the player base.

I really wish Anet would take notice of the veteran players who dislike the last two patches.

I have a few level 80’s and leveling an alt was the most fun I could have in an MMO but now leveling an alt is just painful, boring and it feels like I’m having my hand held all the way through.

I wish we could start a petition to get Anet to reverse the changes they’ve made and try and get back on track with expanding on the content they have, but I don’t think it will do any good.

Perhaps it’s time I look for another game soon…

Aicus.3174:

Ashen.2907:

Brother Grimm.5176:

Terrahero.9358:

…..
And what do you base your stastitics on? Or is it just a gut feeling?
Because we’ve actually seen some stastistics on how 1500+ people feel about the new changes. And it was overwhelmingly negative……

That’s just not true. A bit more than 40% said they HATE it. While almost a 30% said a few tweaks would make them good. That is NOT overwhelmingly negative….that’s not even half negative (despite how you want to portray it).

Also, There is no real indication where those players polled came from, but if it’s from these forums, I wouldn’t think it’s at all representative of the overall player base.

41% hate it
12% dislike it
———
53% is more than half.

29% think that it is currently not OK (not OK is negative)

53% + 29% = 82%.

82% is a pretty solid majority. I would be surprised if any professional poll taker/calculator considered 82% to not be an overwhelming majority.

Now do those numbers mean all that much ? I think they are worth considering, but not to the degree that the face value of the numbers would seem to indicate.

Hmmm, I don’t know this poll existed, because if I know, I can definitely flip the result to the other side if you know what I am implying.

Straw polls are straw polls for a reason. I hate people that base arguments around polls they actually made on sites like strawpoll.me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_poll

The straw poll is only as telling as the people that actually participate. For starters, you’re NEVER going to get visibility high enough to actually have a fair majority of people participate in it. A couple of days ago, someone posted an entire argument based around only 1500 responses to a poll. Do you realize how small that is for GW2’s current player base? Less than one percent of one percent of estimated copies sold worldwide. You’re not getting a fair view of the thoughts and opinions of all players to the game — only an INCREDIBLY small subset of people that actually saw and participated in the poll.

The entire 9/9 feature patch was based on player feedback. Please explain how that is ignoring the playerbase.

I was talking to one of the devs a few days ago, and apparently his team had a similar reaction to the NPE that the players had. They’re currently working to fix unintended behaviors and respond to player feedback, so give them some time, and try posting some constructive feedback rather than “I’m going to quit” or “NPE is dumb” posts.