Guild Wars 2

RayKoke.1638:

DancinPuppeh.8421:

Blaming the game for not being fully up to YOUR taste is rather harsh and disrespectful. I play as solo as you can possibly play, I’ve got my Ranger to level 80 and I’m currently re-starting as a Thief currently at level 21, I play solo, I don’t have a Guild, I don’t play on getting a guild. If I go WvW I play alone and just tag a long with randomers if need be. The only time I ever socialize with the other human beings is if I need to do a dungeon or fractals, I’ll join a group.

And I can’t say I feel the same as you, I enjoy it just as much as I’d enjoy it in any other MMO.

And you are 100% correct. I am reporting my partner’s experience of the game and personal preferences. We tend to play for the role playing story and find it lacking.

If you bought this game for the story, then I completely agree. The personal story is the worst aspect of this game. Until level 30ish it’s fine, but quickly falls apart and feels lackluster. The developers said they want a story that will stand strong and proud among single player RPGs.

But take games like Baldur’s Gate, KotOR, Planescape Torment, the Witcher, Dragon Age Origins, Mass Effect, Fallout. In comparison to these, the role-playing aspect of this game nosedives into a concrete slab.

Other than that, everything else in this game is good and improving.

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

I wonder if there’s a market for a MUD again . . .

Ruined City of Arah – Exits: S. The weather is: Foul
There is a Zhaitan here
The City of Arah has seen better days. The buildings are shells of the grand structures that stood here previously, acting merely as hollow shelters for the long-dead and rotting that shamble about mindlessly. The air is thick with decay and an unidentifiable mist that clings to your skin and makes you feel filthy by simply attempting to traverse the shattered walkways and twisted flora, seeping into your clothes and hair. The sky is an unnatural hue, green-grey and boiling with distant lightning. The sun is only a memory.

What will you do?
- go north

There is no exit North.

What will you do?
- cry

I do not understand ‘cry’.

What will you do?
- dance

You start to dance a merry jig.

A Zhaitan attacks!

What will you do?
- press 1

You arm yourself with your Pistol and fire. Your Explosive Shot strikes a Zhaitan for 5 damage!

A Zhaitan swoops down, raking your back with its claws. You are dealt 103 damage!

What will you do?
- prses 1

I do not understand ‘prses 1’.

What will you do?
- pressew 11

I do not understand ‘pressew 11’.

A Zhaitan lashes out with its claws, scoring deep lines across your chest. You are dealt 142 damage!

You are dead …

Character Creation Screen – Exits: Create Character; Log Out
You are presented with a selection of character slots. One is filled with your Level 80 Engineer.

What will you do?
- Create Warrior

Lord Kreegan.8123:

RayKoke.1638:

Bead.8609:

RayKoke.1638:

Emperor.1360:

RayKoke.1638:

…my other tunes.

tune
noun
1.
a succession of musical sounds forming an air or melody, with or without the harmony accompanying it.
2.
a musical setting of a hymn, poem, psalm, etc., usually in four-part harmony.
3.
the state of being in the proper pitch: to be in tune.
4.
agreement in pitch; unison; harmony.
5.
proper adjustment, as of radio instruments or circuits with respect to frequency.

The game may be “dead” to you, but it’s not “dead” to everyone. It’s certainly not “dead” to me. Apparently you allowed yourself to get over-enthused about the “personal story” hype and now are totally shocked that it is not the greatest thing of all time. What did you expect, seriously—-a personal novel tailored specifically to your character? Go write a book!

Sorry for the poor choice of words – tune Vs character. I was expecting something like the GW 1 story lines.

The sound of the word is right, is was a word used a lot 10 years ago to reference ones character. However it is spelled toon.

Thank you for the correction.

Actually, it’s short for “cartoon”…

Yes “toon” is short for cartoon but back in the day people used it to reference their charactre and the jargon was “toon” spelled like that. You can debate what "toon’ is really for but in this case that was the use of the word as jargon in MMOs. You can spend you whole life trying to correct internet jargon all you want.

when did any mmo let you do EVERYTHING in the game with only one or two people?
why not make friends or join a guild or something, don’t understand why anybody plays these games but keeps to themselves, married/time-restricted or whatever other excuses they give.

on the flipside i hear swtor is great for duo’ing through the game until level cap.

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Hmmm, reading your original post a few times, just got to say you may not be able to get what you want here in GW2. I’m also . . . fairly certain you won’t find it at the Elder Scrolls game. What you’re describing sounds a lot less like one of the MMOs on the market (by necessity of needing to be certain things to please a broad audience) and more like a place to have fun in.

There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just likely the game you want won’t ever materialize 100% of the way you want it to. Maybe even 50%.

I wonder if there’s a market for a MUD again . . .

IMO games have to cater to a very broad audience to be successful. I believed that issue was addressed before release in; http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/guild-wars-2-something-for-everyone-almost/

There is an extremely large content in any game that I and my partner prefer not to explore. There any many players who only play PVP. I have real world friends who love GW2 PVP and WvW.

Each player demographic has its demands on developers. ANET is choosing to address the demands of large guilds and guilds in general in the upcoming guild missions. There is a new story line coming. There are always new “holiday” events. The developers work hard and are dedicated to making this game the best it can be.

Whether the solo-duo, PVE story-seeking, intrinsic rewards, player demographic merits developer concern as a viable market segment is a business decision. From my perspective, my needs are not being met. I do not know if there is a large enough player base to make it worth ANET’s limited time and resources to address.

Scourge.4317:

Why people feel the need to try to speak for everyone. You don’t speak for anyone other than yourself and your s/o. I understand you already said it was your personal preference but your title….really. This thread will most likely be closed. Its just a rant.

What I don’t understand is why you have to make such a big deal out of it. It’s kind of like getting upset because someone is carrying a sign that says “The world is ending and everyone knows it!”.

Everyone knows that the OP isn’t speaking for everyone else, just like everyone knows the crazy guy with the sign doesn’t speak for everyone else.

The only two rational reasons I can think of for being upset over the title are:
1.) A psychological need for perfect social correctness
2.) Because you think that if OP says a group of people feel one way, that other people will blindly accept that idea and actually think that everyone agrees with OP

DancinPuppeh.8421:

Blaming the game for not being fully up to YOUR taste is rather harsh and disrespectful. I play as solo as you can possibly play, I’ve got my Ranger to level 80 and I’m currently re-starting as a Thief currently at level 21, I play solo, I don’t have a Guild, I don’t play on getting a guild. If I go WvW I play alone and just tag a long with randomers if need be. The only time I ever socialize with the other human beings is if I need to do a dungeon or fractals, I’ll join a group.

And I can’t say I feel the same as you, I enjoy it just as much as I’d enjoy it in any other MMO.

You can make your own guild. It doesn’t take long to get a guild stash and other stuff. It is almost a waste not to have your own guild because you earn influence for just about everything.

I love playing solo. It is my escape from the real world. I don’t want to talk to real people. I don’t expect the game to change because I choose to be anti-social. Some stuff was made to enjoy solo and some stuff was made to be grouped. I am fine with that. It is like the real world. If I choose to play a MMO at night, I don’t expect to get laid by anyone but myself.

Azjenco.9425:

If you bought this game for the story, then I completely agree. The personal story is the worst aspect of this game. Until level 30ish it’s fine, but quickly falls apart and feels lackluster. The developers said they want a story that will stand strong and proud among single player RPGs.

But take games like Baldur’s Gate, KotOR, Planescape Torment, the Witcher, Dragon Age Origins, Mass Effect, Fallout. In comparison to these, the role-playing aspect of this game nosedives into a concrete slab.

Other than that, everything else in this game is good and improving.

I think the “sweet spot” of game story peaked about fifteen years ago and nobody’s been able to reach the right spot again yet. And the thing is, looking back at the games where I enjoyed the story I can see there were significantly bad choices in those game designs anyway.

There were games where the story was couched in really good atmosphere (Diablo 1 & 2, Dark Sun: Shattered Lands, Ravenloft: Strahd’s Possession) but was sort of lackluster. There were games where the story felt awesome until you found a couple threads and started tugging (Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, nearly ANY Final Fantasy Game). There were games where the story was presented well but other limitations got in the way (Stonekeep, Dragon Quest series, Ur-Quan Masters/Star Control 2).

And then there were games where everything could have worked right, but it was stuck in a format few people played (Eye of the Beholder 2, “The Gold Box Games”).

I don’t know why, other than nostalgia, but I don’t see modern games which grab me with story anywhere near engaging as any of these listed games.

Rainzar.6905:

when did any mmo let you do EVERYTHING in the game with only one or two people?
why not make friends or join a guild or something, don’t understand why anybody plays these games but keeps to themselves, married/time-restricted or whatever other excuses they give.

on the flipside i hear swtor is great for duo’ing through the game until level cap.

So far, we are really enjoying SWTOR.

proxy.7963:

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

I wonder if there’s a market for a MUD again . . .

Ruined City of Arah – Exits: S. The weather is: Foul
There is a Zhaitan here
The City of Arah has seen better days. The buildings are shells of the grand structures that stood here previously, acting merely as hollow shelters for the long-dead and rotting that shamble about mindlessly. The air is thick with decay and an unidentifiable mist that clings to your skin and makes you feel filthy by simply attempting to traverse the shattered walkways and twisted flora, seeping into your clothes and hair. The sky is an unnatural hue, green-grey and boiling with distant lightning. The sun is only a memory.

What will you do?
- go north

There is no exit North.

What will you do?
- cry

I do not understand ‘cry’.

What will you do?
- dance

You start to dance a merry jig.

A Zhaitan attacks!

What will you do?
- press 1

You arm yourself with your Pistol and fire. Your Explosive Shot strikes a Zhaitan for 5 damage!

A Zhaitan swoops down, raking your back with its claws. You are dealt 103 damage!

What will you do?
- prses 1

I do not understand ‘prses 1’.

What will you do?
- pressew 11

I do not understand ‘pressew 11’.

A Zhaitan lashes out with its claws, scoring deep lines across your chest. You are dealt 142 damage!

You are dead …

Character Creation Screen – Exits: Create Character; Log Out
You are presented with a selection of character slots. One is filled with your Level 80 Engineer.

What will you do?
- Create Warrior

Hey you almost summed up my Nethack experience

Ljiona.9142:

You can make your own guild. It doesn’t take long to get a guild stash and other stuff. It is almost a waste not to have your own guild because you earn influence for just about everything.

We formed our guild on day 1.

Thanks to whomever was able to edit the post topic. Originally I tried IMO… but is was rejected as too long of a title.

Regardless, again thank you nameless admin

Rainzar.6905:

when did any mmo let you do EVERYTHING in the game with only one or two people?
why not make friends or join a guild or something, don’t understand why anybody plays these games but keeps to themselves, married/time-restricted or whatever other excuses they give.

on the flipside i hear swtor is great for duo’ing through the game until level cap.

Please read: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ then tell me if I missed the part about having to group to finish one’s personal story.

Velkyn.5168:

This is a bit confusing.
I guess solo players usually stick to solo RPGs (or for duos, those solo-RPGs that can be played with one or two friends, a la Baldur’s Gate), but not MMOs. The latter are naturally made to cater for people who enjoy socializing with lots of people and playing in groups.
If you want more solo/duo content and more story, maybe you are looking at the wrong kind of games for this focus… or am I missing something?

Thank you for your reply. I was expecting: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ – nothing mentioned about not being a solo portion of the game.

RayKoke.1638:

However, since I casually play MMO’s solo-duo for a story – a role playing fantasy and the intrinsic rewards from that experience – I now pronounced the game dead.

As a casual immersion/intrinsically focused player that mostly plays solo, I pronounce the game: fun.

Shadyjames.1345:

Ray I to play the game mostly solo or with my sister we have a guild on sorrows furnace, not sure what world you are on, but if you want you are welcome to join us and then we have 4 of the 5 needed to finish your and my sisters story just saying.

Thank you for your kind offer. I am sure I could find a group but it is a point of principle. I refer to: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ and I do not see anything about requiring a group.

GrandmaFunk.3052:

RayKoke.1638:

However, since I casually play MMO’s solo-duo for a story – a role playing fantasy and the intrinsic rewards from that experience – I now pronounced the game dead.

As a casual immersion/intrinsically focused player that mostly plays solo, I pronounce the game: fun.

You are correct in many ways – awesome graphics, great combat BUT I find the solo storyline for those who like story play poor after level 30.

Syphen.1980:

Wow. So you have to group for one last step of your personal story and the game is a bust? Really maybe MMO’s are not for you. They are massivly multiplayer for a reason and getting to know other people and group up is half the fun of the game. If you don’t want to group with anyone you might as well just play a solo game.

Thanks for your reply. However, I hope you will read: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ and tell me where the word group can be found.

Furthermore per the developers MMO’s must cater to solo players: http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/guild-wars-2-something-for-everyone-almost/

proxy.7963:

If you see me online, Ray, I’ll group with you and your partner for the dungeon.

Please keep in mind that most of the time I don’t know what I’m doing, I jump around excessively and I make inappropriate jokes on a pretty consistent basis.

Also my main’s an Engineer, which some people don’t like and I feel is pretty mean of them.

Thank you for your kind offer and the courtesy of a reply. However, this is a point of principle for me. Please see: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ and tell me if I overlooked the discussion of grouping.

RayKoke.1638:

You are correct in many ways – awesome graphics, great combat BUT I find the solo storyline for those who like story play poor after level 30.

So to recap: awesome graphics + great combat + poor story past a certain point = dead game.

maybe tone down on the hyperbolic proclamations and ppl will be more open to discuss what you view as shortcomings.

I’m having loads of fun in a variety of activities.

I would like to mention that it was a bit odd to run into a group quest at the end of the personal story when everything else could be accomplished solo. I’m totally for having people group together since we are talking about a MMO, but the current setup doesn’t seem engineered right for the personal story. I think it should encourage people to group up from the beginning, or at they very least scatter in more dungeon based content in the personal story. As it is, the personal story doesn’t necessitate a group until the last mission.

Solaxo.7409:

Hey Ray! This game is still amazing if you want solo play, but if you need a group to run you through the final story mission; I could round up a few guild mates and help you do this!

Send me a tell or mail anytime!

Thank you for your kind offer and the reply. This is an issue of principle for me. Please see: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ and tell me if I overlook grouping in the post.

There are some problems with GW2 I’ll admit
1) WvW (ZERG RUSH Pretty much along with the horrible social yelling experiance it boils down to automaticly being called a troll and being harassed when you ask questions [tooked me a few minutes to relise that when ppl where saying death kitten train they mean karma train … and i still dunno what exactly or how the karma train works but w.e])
2) Some Dungeon End Content Like say CM Path 2 or Fract and such.
3) Solo Capibilitys Bleh?

even if you got to hire mercs relitivly cheaply i would be happy to do Solo stuff all on my own

but i still enjoy the game over-all so i still play it. But it would be nice for this game to improve or i can see it loseing customers and kill it for new people who want to buy the game and play it.

Jyuno Terkar.7318:

I’m having loads of fun in a variety of activities.

I would like to mention that it was a bit odd to run into a group quest at the end of the personal story when everything else could be accomplished solo. I’m totally for having people group together since we are talking about a MMO, but the current setup doesn’t seem engineered right for the personal story. I think it should encourage people to group up from the beginning, or at they very least scatter in more dungeon based content in the personal story. As it is, the personal story doesn’t necessitate a group until the last mission.

And I cannot find mention of the word group in this post: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/

Moreover, despite some individuals perceptions about the implied social requirements of MMO’s, MMO’s have had to evolve to cater to the solo player as discussed prior to release: http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/guild-wars-2-something-for-everyone-almost/

I’m not sure I understood your post are you asking for proof that the story requires a group for last part? “To complete this personal story, you must finish The Ruined City of Arah (story).” http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Victory_or_Death

I’m not being rude or anything I’m just not sure what you were asking, You do need a group to finish the personal story as the final step is a group dungeon. But this is only 1 part, and it brings players together as a MMO. Being able to finish this entirely solo would mean that a chunk of the game does not encourage group play. You can also help on story quests, although I wish there was a small reward for helping, its fun nonetheless.

“The story is played from one character’s perspective for that character’s story. Other players can help with another player’s story but are not able to make choices which affect the outcome, though they can choose to accept the outcome as their own.¹ The story instances scale with the number of players participating.”

" While your personal story is meant to be just that—personal—bringing friends along introduces the multiplayer element that we want to accommodate. This is a multiplayer game, after all! Just like dynamic events, personal story steps scale up to the number of players participating. In some cases, there are elements added when a multiplayer experience would otherwise seem odd: the golem tournament, for example. While the player whose story is being told controls the golem, what do the other players do? Well, they form a mini-golem support team, of course!"-Leif Chappelle

RayKoke.1638:

proxy.7963:

If you see me online, Ray, I’ll group with you and your partner for the dungeon.

Please keep in mind that most of the time I don’t know what I’m doing, I jump around excessively and I make inappropriate jokes on a pretty consistent basis.

Also my main’s an Engineer, which some people don’t like and I feel is pretty mean of them.

Thank you for your kind offer and the courtesy of a reply. However, this is a point of principle for me. Please see: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ and tell me if I overlooked the discussion of grouping.

RayKoke.1638:

Syphen.1980:

Wow. So you have to group for one last step of your personal story and the game is a bust? Really maybe MMO’s are not for you. They are massivly multiplayer for a reason and getting to know other people and group up is half the fun of the game. If you don’t want to group with anyone you might as well just play a solo game.

Thanks for your reply. However, I hope you will read: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ and tell me where the word group can be found.

Furthermore per the developers MMO’s must cater to solo players: http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/guild-wars-2-something-for-everyone-almost/

RayKoke.1638:

Shadyjames.1345:

Ray I to play the game mostly solo or with my sister we have a guild on sorrows furnace, not sure what world you are on, but if you want you are welcome to join us and then we have 4 of the 5 needed to finish your and my sisters story just saying.

Thank you for your kind offer. I am sure I could find a group but it is a point of principle. I refer to: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ and I do not see anything about requiring a group.

RayKoke.1638:

Velkyn.5168:

This is a bit confusing.
I guess solo players usually stick to solo RPGs (or for duos, those solo-RPGs that can be played with one or two friends, a la Baldur’s Gate), but not MMOs. The latter are naturally made to cater for people who enjoy socializing with lots of people and playing in groups.
If you want more solo/duo content and more story, maybe you are looking at the wrong kind of games for this focus… or am I missing something?

Thank you for your reply. I was expecting: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ – nothing mentioned about not being a solo portion of the game.

RayKoke.1638:

Solaxo.7409:

Hey Ray! This game is still amazing if you want solo play, but if you need a group to run you through the final story mission; I could round up a few guild mates and help you do this!

Send me a tell or mail anytime!

Thank you for your kind offer and the reply. This is an issue of principle for me. Please see: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ and tell me if I overlook grouping in the post.

Well… there you have it folks! OP has shut-down his discussion by linking to https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ .

/end thread

nastyjman.8207:

Well… there you have it folks! OP has shut-down his discussion by linking to https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/ .

/end thread

Thanks for your reply. Whether the discussion is ended by my attempt to point out:

1) that in the video by Ms. Ree Soesbee concerning the personal story nothing indicates this is a group experience in: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/personal-story/.

2) attempting to explain that MMO’s are not requiring cyber friendships as discussed in http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/guild-wars-2-something-for-everyone-almost/

is up to the forum admins.

As I stated many times this is my opinion and it would be tremendously expensive to fix at this point— even if the developers agreed the personal story was botched.

However, going forward, the question is: is there a sufficient solo-duo player base to craft future a storyline, e.g., the Flame and Frost, ensuring that it is accessible to that base? That is ANET’s business decision to make.

Geotherma.2395:

I’m not sure I understood your post are you asking for proof that the story requires a group for last part? “To complete this personal story, you must finish The Ruined City of Arah (story).” http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Victory_or_Death

I’m not being rude or anything I’m just not sure what you were asking, You do need a group to finish the personal story as the final step is a group dungeon. But this is only 1 part, and it brings players together as a MMO. Being able to finish this entirely solo would mean that a chunk of the game does not encourage group play. You can also help on story quests, although I wish there was a small reward for helping, its fun nonetheless.

“The story is played from one character’s perspective for that character’s story. Other players can help with another player’s story but are not able to make choices which affect the outcome, though they can choose to accept the outcome as their own.¹ The story instances scale with the number of players participating.”

" While your personal story is meant to be just that—personal—bringing friends along introduces the multiplayer element that we want to accommodate. This is a multiplayer game, after all! Just like dynamic events, personal story steps scale up to the number of players participating. In some cases, there are elements added when a multiplayer experience would otherwise seem odd: the golem tournament, for example. While the player whose story is being told controls the golem, what do the other players do? Well, they form a mini-golem support team, of course!"-Leif Chappelle

Thanks for your reply. For a variety of reasons many seem to associate MMO’s as a quasi-Facebook world where social grouping is required. However, while that perhaps is true for I am certain the majority of players, it is not true for everyone.

Thus, as discussed here: http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/guild-wars-2-something-for-everyone-almost/

The Solo Player

The solo player has become an important audience for modern MMOs. It has become nearly impossible for a MMO to succeed if they leave out the solo player. They are everywhere in today’s online world…"

RayKoke.1638:

Geotherma.2395:

snip

Thanks for your reply. For a variety of reasons many seem to associate MMO’s as a quasi-Facebook world where social grouping is required. However, while that perhaps is true for I am certain the majority of players, it is not true for everyone.

Thus, as discussed here: http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/guild-wars-2-something-for-everyone-almost/

The Solo Player

The solo player has become an important audience for modern MMOs. It has become nearly impossible for a MMO to succeed if they leave out the solo player. They are everywhere in today’s online world…"

Ah I see, but in the end it IS an MMO. And must support that, because the majority of the players want that type of social aspect. No one wants to log in and see no one in a game that is defined as a Multiplayer game. As the devs and designers have made this game to suit multiplayers first, and solo players second. There are many aspects you can do alone:

Level to 80
Do story until the very last part, in which you already know whats going to happen whether you complete it or not.
Craft
Explore
PVE mobs
PVE dragons (granted others are there but does not require group)
WvW
Spvp

Many aspects do cater to single players. But in the end this IS an MMO, first importance beyond all else is to create a community. This is impossible without having several people. Also much of the content is supported through gem store purchases, you can solo a large percentage of the game without ever buying anything from teh store. The problem here is then there is no support for new content. So in turn things are offered like event items etc to bring people together. The most important thing in an MMO beyond its functionality is its community. And a good MMO community is not made up of 3 million solo players.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

Check out the very base important aspects of a persons pshycological needs. They include people. Our game world is no different.

“Luckily, I find myself enjoying a few of these different player types. I believe I will find a nice home in GW2. I also believe that GW2 has covered enough of its bases that it will be a major hit in the industry and will satisfy millions of players for many years to come.”

tldr: You cannot please everyone.

Geotherma.2395:

RayKoke.1638:

Geotherma.2395:

snip

Thanks for your reply. For a variety of reasons many seem to associate MMO’s as a quasi-Facebook world where social grouping is required. However, while that perhaps is true for I am certain the majority of players, it is not true for everyone.

Thus, as discussed here: http://www.gw2bnc.com/2012/04/guild-wars-2-something-for-everyone-almost/

The Solo Player

The solo player has become an important audience for modern MMOs. It has become nearly impossible for a MMO to succeed if they leave out the solo player. They are everywhere in today’s online world…"

Ah I see, but in the end it IS an MMO. And must support that, because the majority of the players want that type of social aspect. No one wants to log in and see no one in a game that is defined as a Multiplayer game. As the devs and designers have made this game to suit multiplayers first, and solo players second. There are many aspects you can do alone:

Level to 80
Do story until the very last part, in which you already know whats going to happen whether you complete it or not.
Craft
Explore
PVE mobs
PVE dragons (granted others are there but does not require group)
WvW
Spvp

Many aspects do cater to single players. But in the end this IS an MMO, first importance beyond all else is to create a community. This is impossible without having several people. Also much of the content is supported through gem store purchases, you can solo a large percentage of the game without ever buying anything from teh store. The problem here is then there is no support for new content. So in turn things are offered like event items etc to bring people together. The most important thing in an MMO beyond its functionality is its community. And a good MMO community is not made up of 3 million solo players.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

Check out the very base important aspects of a persons pshycological needs. They include people. Our game world is no different.

“Luckily, I find myself enjoying a few of these different player types. I believe I will find a nice home in GW2. I also believe that GW2 has covered enough of its bases that it will be a major hit in the industry and will satisfy millions of players for many years to come.”

tldr: You cannot please everyone.

Thank you for your reply. First, I am not certain, but I don’t believe Maslow’s Hierarchy is applicable. In fact, I think there is some current research that indicates a “cyberlife” can be detrimental to real-life interpersonal interactions and social development.

As for community, my partner and I will run out of our way to revive another player. If we are around when another player is having a difficult time with a skill challenge boss, we pitch-in. We jump into World Events. IMO, that is the GW 2 community – hats off to ANET for developing it versus WOW were everyone is in competition and one hates to see another player around when trying to get limited items.

Now, let me turn this around. You are the CEO of ANET. You know that there are 10’s of millions playing solo RPG’s on PC’s MAC’s, WII’s, etc. So you tell your Board of Directors, " if players don’t want to group I don’t want them to buy our game." How long do you think you will have your job?

In direct response to this “title/comment”… This entire game’s target audience is casual players. Little to no challenge or difficulty whatsoever and made to allow people to complete content in any set amount of time without being handicapped in comparison to others. As for the “solo-duo” comment, this is a MMO not a coop/solo game so perhaps you have the wrong game…

RayKoke.1638:

Thank you for your reply. First, I am not certain, but I don’t believe Maslow’s Hierarchy is applicable. In fact, I think there is some current research that indicates a “cyberlife” can be detrimental to real-life interpersonal interactions and social development.

As for community, my partner and I will run out of our way to revive another player. If we are around when another player is having a difficult time with a skill challenge boss, we pitch-in. We jump into World Events. IMO, that is the GW 2 community – hats off to ANET for developing it versus WOW were everyone is in competition and one hates to see another player around when trying to get limited items.

Now, let me turn this around. You are the CEO of ANET. You know that there are 10’s of millions playing solo RPG’s on PC’s MAC’s, WII’s, etc. So you tell your Board of Directors, " if players don’t want to group I don’t want them to buy our game." How long do you think you will have your job?

Re: First paragraph —

I think I heard of that being said, primarily because a cyberlife has the “benefits” of not being face-to-face it winds up replacing actual activity rather than encouraging it. Among other things, it can lead to people not knowing how to relate to actual people when they meet them . . . this is something I’ve actually experienced at a convention, that there are some things people just will not say in either online or real-space situations. Limiting how social interactions will play out, for good or for ill.

Re: Last paragraph.

Given ArenaNet’s track record, the statement would be a question: “So I see there are tons of players who don’t seem to be grouping for most of their playtime. We really wanted them to do that . . . Why aren’t they, and how do we encourage them to do so?”

. . . followed by attempts to entice (without coercion) people into that.

So as a “casual” what did you expect? a never ending single player story =/ … everything else is solo.

You have to group for ONE mission… ONE. Why is that too much to ask of you?

Maybe its because the only way you can make a final fight epic is by having more people instead of a bunch of NPC’s doing it for you.

I find people complaining about the most minor things.

As a solo player what on earth was you expecting?

The solo player is important to an MMO, but you seem to think you need to be the focus.

Oh and this game, has no “good features” for any fixed audiance, PvE’s are screwed because the dungeons are awful and there is barely any worthwhile progression.

PvPers have a stripped down version of guild wars 1.

Overall, A-nets endgame has been pretty bad.

and this second patch proves to be yet another fluff patch.

The problem is, GW2 was originally aimed at the core/casual market and since really the start of the major events, they have started down a different path – utilizing smoke and mirror tactics in order to keep people playing. With today’s patch, it is clearly intended that this game is going down a much more hardcore path and isn’t good for any casual player at all.

TsukasaHiiragi.9730:

The problem is, GW2 was originally aimed at the core/casual market and since really the start of the major events, they have started down a different path – utilizing smoke and mirror tactics in order to keep people playing. With today’s patch, it is clearly intended that this game is going down a much more hardcore path and isn’t good for any casual player at all.

What is “core about this patch” 1 new pvp mode, casual matchmaking for PvP, and some minor useless fluff for PvE.

There is nothing core about this game currently.

Its just bad grinds with no design.

AzuraSkie.3207:

In direct response to this “title/comment”… This entire game’s target audience is casual players. Little to no challenge or difficulty whatsoever and made to allow people to complete content in any set amount of time without being handicapped in comparison to others. As for the “solo-duo” comment, this is a MMO not a coop/solo game so perhaps you have the wrong game…

Thank you for your thoughts. I believe the definition of an MMO has evolved. As I said before: let me turn this around. You are the CEO of ANET. You know that there are 10’s of millions playing solo RPG’s on PC’s MAC’s, WII’s, etc. That is a very large market.

So you tell your Board of Directors, " if players don’t want to group I don’t want them to buy our game." How long do you think you will have your job?

Birdy.4816:

TsukasaHiiragi.9730:

The problem is, GW2 was originally aimed at the core/casual market and since really the start of the major events, they have started down a different path – utilizing smoke and mirror tactics in order to keep people playing. With today’s patch, it is clearly intended that this game is going down a much more hardcore path and isn’t good for any casual player at all.

What is “core about this patch” 1 new pvp mode, casual matchmaking for PvP, and some minor useless fluff for PvE.

There is nothing core about this game currently.

Its just bad grinds with no design.

Core market = Dungeons and Horizontal progression was the original focus. With todays patch, literally the game has changed, for the worst. The patch is even bad for hardcore players, they just don’t see it yet.

TsukasaHiiragi.9730:

Birdy.4816:

TsukasaHiiragi.9730:

The problem is, GW2 was originally aimed at the core/casual market and since really the start of the major events, they have started down a different path – utilizing smoke and mirror tactics in order to keep people playing. With today’s patch, it is clearly intended that this game is going down a much more hardcore path and isn’t good for any casual player at all.

What is “core about this patch” 1 new pvp mode, casual matchmaking for PvP, and some minor useless fluff for PvE.

There is nothing core about this game currently.

Its just bad grinds with no design.

Core market = Dungeons and Horizontal progression was the original focus. With todays patch, literally the game has changed, for the worst. The patch is even bad for hardcore players, they just don’t see it yet.

Elaborate.

Birdy.4816:

So as a “casual” what did you expect? a never ending single player story =/ … everything else is solo.

You have to group for ONE mission… ONE. Why is that too much to ask of you?

Maybe its because the only way you can make a final fight epic is by having more people instead of a bunch of NPC’s doing it for you.

I find people complaining about the most minor things.

As a solo player what on earth was you expecting?

The solo player is important to an MMO, but you seem to think you need to be the focus.

Oh and this game, has no “good features” for any fixed audiance, PvE’s are screwed because the dungeons are awful and there is barely any worthwhile progression.

PvPers have a stripped down version of guild wars 1.

Overall, A-nets endgame has been pretty bad.

and this second patch proves to be yet another fluff patch.

I am sorry you are not having the fun you had expected. The endgame such as it is is a significant problem for us, too.

As for the story, we were hoping for something along the lines of GW1. Moreover, we have no problem paying for expansions provided we can complete it as a couple.

My partner and I only play a tiny fraction of the content available in the game. But a storyline is a very important factor for us. I type “hunt and peck” style; am not a great player and really have no need for more cyber relationships. We play in the same room on our own schedules. It works for us.

Some players love to farm dungeons; others are collecting to get the best possible gear. As another poster noted, ANET cannot please everyone.

However, my partner and I find farming and chasing gear to be a grind. I am certain there is some percentage of gamers who are like-minded. Thus, if we make a significant base to be profitable, the ANET will cater to our needs. If not, we will search for another game.

If you want to read some real dissatisfaction read the posts concerning Guild Missions and small guilds. There are three people in our guild; we did not really expect that content to be available to us, and I have made no comments on that thread.

All that said, we have more than got our money’s worth given the hours we have played.

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Now, let me turn this around. You are the CEO of ANET. You know that there are 10’s of millions playing solo RPG’s on PC’s MAC’s, WII’s, etc. So you tell your Board of Directors, " if players don’t want to group I don’t want them to buy our game." How long do you think you will have your job?

Re: Last paragraph.

Given ArenaNet’s track record, the statement would be a question: “So I see there are tons of players who don’t seem to be grouping for most of their playtime. We really wanted them to do that . . . Why aren’t they, and how do we encourage them to do so?”

. . . followed by attempts to entice (without coercion) people into that. [/quote]

I believe attempts to entice could be made by developers but I don’t believe it would impress the Board. Most Boards want bottom line numbers and increased sales. As perhaps a poor analogy, most auto companies have little concern about carpooling, even though it would reduce congestion. They want to sell cars.

As for enticing people to group, I have an idea that I have posted in a new thread: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Make-dungeons-more-accessible-Auto-grouping

Good post i agree. They just should have made a follow up game for GW1. Instead of making a totally different new game.