Guild Wars 2

We are starting to see that the living story (illusion of content) is nothing more than an advertisement for the gem store and it is slowly killing the game.

Is the goal to attract the new player base or keep the dedicated players in game? As a dedicated player, I always spent cash to buy bank slots, character slot, some WvW boosters, etc…but now I feel the game has become a non stop train for the gem store and everything we see in game (every patch) is somehow related to an item in the gem store….That is totally OK if the core of the game gets a bit of attention as well….but unfortunately that is not the case….

So is the living story selling that much gems week that is worth forgetting the core game contents and improvements? is this what really free to play MMO comes down to? If yes then be it…but I’d say it is still not too late to shift back the focus on the core game and make GW2 last more than 6 more months that is has left….but maybe already too late….

Your first sentence ruined your credibility for this post.

I couldn’t give a kitten about this living world. I pvp, wvw… waiting 11 months for a good balance patch is shocking.

Bring on robertsspaceindustries.com

The only example of true developers in my 25 years of gaming.

Well… if it its, then its good because GW2 can hopefully spend more money (from the gemstore) into new features. Or improve current mechanics and stuff.

I’m pretty sure the little content you get in a living story line will be made up in the great finale somehow.

honestly could care less about LS.. anets resources are better spent than this junk in all honestly

Most of the people just do the achievments/get what ever rare event item and call it done after that

I’d much rather see real xpac content (new skills, more polishing of dungs/fracs, new objectives in pvp)

For god sakes in 1.5 years there has HARDLY been any xpac worth content.

Vol.7601:

Your first sentence ruined your credibility for this post.

This.

false premise is false.

Yeah OP… It’s not good to start your argument off with a fallacy…

I do understand where you’re coming from though.

Wait… is GW2 dying, or is someone trying to kill it?

I don’t follow. Should we be dialing 9-1-1?

blakdoxa.7520:

Yeah OP… It’s not good to start your argument off with a fallacy…

I do understand where you’re coming from though.

so what kind of fallacy is it exactly? ad hominem? strawman argument? reductio ad absurdum?

Pie Flavor.1647:

so what kind of fallacy is it exactly? ad hominem? strawman argument? reductio ad absurdum?

“No true Scotsman” is one of my favorites, so maybe we could find a way to work it in?

Gee, I like the Living Story, and I think the content lately has been great. I wasn’t even sort of tired of Escape from LA, and here is the new one, already.

And, the portal to ‘somewhere’ sounds positively….what’s the best word to describe it?….Mmmm…intriguing!

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Gee, I like the Living Story, and I think the content lately has been great. I wasn’t even sort of tired of Escape from LA, and here is the new one, already.

And, the portal to ‘somewhere’ sounds positively….what’s the best word to describe it?….Mmmm…intriguing!

It’s honestly not been interesting at all. People predicted what Scarlet was doing BEFORE we came anywhere near the ‘end game’ and guess what? They were right.

The game doesn’t want an expansion. It needs an expansion. No two ways about it, people are uninterested, people only come on for 20 minutes to get their loot/achievements then leave and log out because no one is interested any more. WvW is meh after awhile and PvP is much to be desired.

This is just another rant. Please ignore it lol. The OP ruined himself in the first comment. There are better reasons to criticize the LS but not anything included in the OP.

“It’s honestly not been interesting at all.”…to you. Maybe some people predicted what was going to happen…if so, I’m afraid I missed it, or it wasn’t what I experienced when I tried out the latest patches.

We all have our opinions; some like parts of the game, some do not. =)

Majic.4801:

Pie Flavor.1647:

so what kind of fallacy is it exactly? ad hominem? strawman argument? reductio ad absurdum?

“No true Scotsman” is one of my favorites, so maybe we could find a way to work it in?

Pie Flavor.1647:

blakdoxa.7520:

Yeah OP… It’s not good to start your argument off with a fallacy…

I do understand where you’re coming from though.

so what kind of fallacy is it exactly? ad hominem? strawman argument? reductio ad absurdum?

It’s also possible to have a more than a few fallacies smashed together in one sentence, even in the OP’s first sentence…

Ambiguity, black/white, false cause…etc.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

“It’s honestly not been interesting at all.”…to you. Maybe some people predicted what was going to happen…if so, I’m afraid I missed it, or it wasn’t what I experienced when I tried out the latest patches.

We all have our opinions; some like parts of the game, some do not. =)

While that is true the problem here is alot of the community is sick and bored of the LS, you can go to any community based on this game and make a poll, you can go to interviews…

All of them want/ask the same question:

“When will we see an expansion or meaningful content?”
Anet: “We want to focus in living story.”

Reason: They believe people will keep playing but everything is suggesting otherwise.

Outside of the top servers and events you will not hit overflow. You can run around the world at peak times and it would be empty and you would be alone unless you happen to cross a area with a world boss spawn.

No serious gamer cares one iota about LS…

after 1.5 years

-Still unrewarding and meaningful content that takes skill and challenge
The latest is champ zerg trains lol. Name a better way to make money than farming 40-45 champ bags an hour

-One update in terms of dungs/fracs (fractured lol)
-One map for WvW (honestly only happened cause of the unbelievable queue times)
-sPvP is laughably ignored
-Zerg content is meta (latest LS events, champ trains, WvW zergs, etc etc)
-hardly any meaningful skills/profession changes
- gem store update every freaking time (keep adding the cool skins only to gem store…lets not add it as rewards for skilled gameplay and time invested…)

Yet all anet cares about is….gemstore + LS… that is their number 1 priority….
I’m baffled at how people are saying this is the most amazing MMO and what not when this game doesn’t even have rewarding skilled gameplay or a true viable endgame (please don’t freaking saying jumping in a zerg to spam your entire skill bar in WvW has endgame)

gooo LS + gemstore updates goo!! thats all that matters

Majic.4801:

“No true Scotsman” is one of my favorites, so maybe we could find a way to work it in?

took less than 2 hours:

SkiTz.4590:

No serious gamer cares one iota about LS…

LOL

Vol.7601:

Your first sentence ruined your credibility for this post.

So have you seen the patch notes today? Half of it is on new gem store items….BTW it it makes you feel any better being the judge of my credibility then be it….

We are starting to see that the living story (illusion of content) is nothing more than an advertisement for the gem store and it is slowly killing the game.

I for one, completely have to agree with this.
In another topic someone pointed out that LS and Dailies draw players away from the actual (original) game.
I cannot disagree with that.
Dailes, and on rare occasion LS stuff, take up a large part of my time i spend in GW2

Zylonite.5913:

So have you seen the patch notes today? Half of it is on new gem store items

Have you? because it’s a heck of a lot less than half.

Zylonite.5913:

Vol.7601:

Your first sentence ruined your credibility for this post.

So have you seen the patch notes today? Half of it is on new gem store items….BTW it it makes you feel any better being the judge of my credibility then be it….

Have you not heard they’re holding on balance and feature patches until after this LS bit is done so they can focus on that instead of LS chapters? So, you know, we get primarily bugfix/features March 18th or thereabouts.

And we knew this before this year’s LS entries started. We knew it back in January.

I see it took you this long to figure it out, OP. However, its more insulting that they are adding in the Tormented Weapon as gemshop item. The same weapon set with a set of history in regard to GW 1 player’s struggle to obtain them in the Domain of Anguish.

If it was actually dying they would stop it. Anet has the numbers and frankly they’re great enough for them to do this. How did you determine that’s it’s dying?

How can you kill what is already dead?

Now go buy gems.

SkiTz.4590:

No serious gamer cares one iota about LS…

after 1.5 years

-Still unrewarding and meaningful content that takes skill and challenge
The latest is champ zerg trains lol. Name a better way to make money than farming 40-45 champ bags an hour

-One update in terms of dungs/fracs (fractured lol)
-One map for WvW (honestly only happened cause of the unbelievable queue times)
-sPvP is laughably ignored
-Zerg content is meta (latest LS events, champ trains, WvW zergs, etc etc)
-hardly any meaningful skills/profession changes
- gem store update every freaking time (keep adding the cool skins only to gem store…lets not add it as rewards for skilled gameplay and time invested…)

Yet all anet cares about is….gemstore + LS… that is their number 1 priority….
I’m baffled at how people are saying this is the most amazing MMO and what not when this game doesn’t even have rewarding skilled gameplay or a true viable endgame (please don’t freaking saying jumping in a zerg to spam your entire skill bar in WvW has endgame)

gooo LS + gemstore updates goo!! thats all that matters

I really do think GW2 has potential. It CAN be a great game; depending on how you play and what you do while playing. However, this comment has plenty of great points.

Anet needs to start shakin’ their tail-feathers around that office of theirs.

The gem store items are cosmetic or allow you to gather/gain exp in one thing or the other faster. Why, exactly, is this bothering you?

EDIT: Isn’t this also the only part in the patch notes that mentions the gem shop?

“BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions
Torment weapon skins are now available from Black Lion Weapon Specialists for the limited-time price of 1 Black Lion Weapon Ticket. Black Lion Weapon Tickets can be found in Black Lion Chests.
A new mini 3-pack is available containing replicas of some of Scarlet’s champions. Combine them in the Mystic Forge with a Mini Mai Trin to create Mini Scarlet Briar herself! The 3-pack is available in the Toys category for 500 gems.
A new Guild Shield Finisher is available in the Upgrades category for 800 gems. Players can now proudly display their guild emblem over defeated foes!”

Vol.7601:

Your first sentence ruined your credibility for this post.

Are you saying the Living Story – with it’s bi-monthly release schedule and temporary nature – isn’t designed to be a vehicle to deliver cash shop items? Answer carefully, because YOUR credibility is at stake.

I personally think it makes sense to release LS themed items in the gem shop. I can’t be the only one.

Some minis and an eye patch? How do these hurt the game or cause you disinterest?

Is it the finisher?

Or, perhaps, do you dislike the weapon skins that encourage people to buy Black Lion keys?

darkace.8925:

Vol.7601:

Your first sentence ruined your credibility for this post.

Are you saying the Living Story – with it’s bi-monthly release schedule and temporary nature – isn’t designed to be a vehicle to deliver cash shop items? Answer carefully, because YOUR credibility is at stake.

I’ll take a swing at this.

Not solely designed for that.

There.

Mirta.5029:

If it was actually dying they would stop it. Anet has the numbers and frankly they’re great enough for them to do this. How did you determine that’s it’s dying?

This right here. If the game is doing bad because of the living story, they’d immediately know because they have all the data. The fact that they are not switching strategies is a pretty strong sign that the LS is not, in fact, killing the game.

I didn’t know GW2 was dead. When did that happen, and why do I keep getting tossed into overflow?

The last time Anet did an improvement to GW2 that wasn’t blatantly geared to you using the gemstore was when they put the game on store shelves. Everything since then has been nothing more than half hearted attempts at getting ppl to use real life money. These LS’s are sorry excuses for content.

I’m sorry but if this is how b2p/f2p games work, then I’d just rather play a p2p game. At least then, I will be playing a game that makes updates, patches and add ons that try to enrich the game that I’m paying for.

I’m really starting to think that b2p/f2p MMO’s just do not work. Perhaps for the devs they work out just fine. However, as far as the player is in mind? I don’t think these f2p/b2p methods are worth the money and time investment for a gamer. It’s a constant struggle to get your money from weak content. Overall, I believe the player loses with these types of games.

This is my opinion, of course. You are free to disagree.

siralius.9517:

The last time Anet did an improvement to GW2 that wasn’t blatantly geared to you using the gemstore was when they put the game on store shelves. Everything since then has been nothing more than half hearted attempts at getting ppl to use real life money. These LS’s are sorry excuses for content.

really?
So new PvP maps
new WvW map
a new zone
achievement rewards
daily rewards
LFG
new fractals
fractals
new bosses
old bosses redone
boss rewards
champion rewards
etc
do not count? There were like a million quality of life updates and you did not see a single one?

Mirta.5029:

siralius.9517:

The last time Anet did an improvement to GW2 that wasn’t blatantly geared to you using the gemstore was when they put the game on store shelves. Everything since then has been nothing more than half hearted attempts at getting ppl to use real life money. These LS’s are sorry excuses for content.

really?
So new PvP maps
new WvW map
a new zone
achievement rewards
daily rewards
LFG
new fractals
fractals
new bosses
old bosses redone
boss rewards
champion rewards
etc
do not count? There were like a million quality of life updates and you did not see a single one?

Nope.

Mirta.5029:

siralius.9517:

The last time Anet did an improvement to GW2 that wasn’t blatantly geared to you using the gemstore was when they put the game on store shelves. Everything since then has been nothing more than half hearted attempts at getting ppl to use real life money. These LS’s are sorry excuses for content.

really?
So new PvP maps
new WvW map
a new zone
achievement rewards
daily rewards
LFG
new fractals
fractals
new bosses
old bosses redone
boss rewards
champion rewards
etc
do not count? There were like a million quality of life updates and you did not see a single one?

People won’t care about this for a very simple reason: Its not enough quality of life. They want an expansion. New continents/multiple new permanent areas/new dungeons/new dungeon skins/new weapon skills/new utility skills/new elites/new weapon sets/new spvp modes AND maps/new WvW battleground maps (that actually affect server status, which edge of the mists, while a GREAT map, does not)

Additionally, some of your list (the 2 spvp maps, daily rewards, LFG, champion rewards) should have been in the game at launch and was only added because people complained about them not being in game or having too little to do. You don’t get credit for adding spark plugs to a car a year after you sold it.

Other things on your list is mostly temporary content that, if its lucky, gets reslotted into the game as permanent content fractals… but its completely out of context, with little to no storyline, lore, or background information provided unless you played it in LS already.

SkiTz.4590:

Most of the people just do the achievments/get what ever rare event item and call it done after that

You’re new to MMOs aren’t you?

Enokitake.1742:

People won’t care about this for a very simple reason: Its not enough quality of life. They want an expansion. New continents/multiple new permanent areas/new dungeons/new dungeon skins/new weapon skills/new utility skills/new elites/new weapon sets/new spvp modes AND maps/new WvW battleground maps (that actually affect server status, which edge of the mists, while a GREAT map, does not)

You seem to be using “quality of life” as a term referring to content. Quality of life usually refers to things like the LFG tool, the currency wallet, and other things that remove tedium from the game or otherwise make it easier to enjoy content.

SkiTz.4590:

For god sakes in 1.5 years there has HARDLY been any xpac worth content.

This

I dunno- I have been playing since betas and I consider myself pretty dedicated- I like the LS.
It keeps things fresh and interesting- just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean the game is dying- I am not sure you have been in game lately because it is packed.

These forums are very anti LS but that is not what I am seeing in game at all.
What I am seeing is people being invested in what is going on.
I also don’t understand the obsession with a boxed expansion- you will get all that, just via the LS.

It really seems to me the same people who say the LS sucks are the people who claim they don’t do it- so how can you possibly have an opinion on content you have not played?
kind of like people saying the personal story doesn’t make sense because I skipped all the dialog

And don’t use the zerg zerg is boring argument please, because if you have been around, you would have known that most of the last updates and fights have been anti zerg zerg.
In fact the zerg that complains about zerging are failing the events for everyone else who is with the program.

Morrigan.2809:

These forums are very anti LS but that is not what I am seeing in game at all.
What I am seeing is people being invested in what is going on.

My theory on this is that:

a) People like to farm, and for farming the backstory doesn’t matter.
b) Those that dislike the story aren’t playing it. Even if only 1% of a million people liked the story, and they were the only ones playing, that’d still be 10,000 people. With 100 players per instance, that’s 100 instances and thus more than the number of available home servers. Make it 10% and you’d see a very crowded game even if the majority didn’t play.

Mind you, these are all theories and in no way have to be seen as truth.

Drakonis.4579:

SkiTz.4590:

For god sakes in 1.5 years there has HARDLY been any xpac worth content.

This

In 1.5 years, we have had:

• One TA new path dungeon (very nice long path + actual content).
• SAB 1 and 2 (temporary content but not bad for anyone who likes JPs. SAB 2 was buggy).
• Two new fractals (re-used from living story. Kind of nice I guess).
• EoTM (mostly dead now since it didn’t get any attention).
• Holiday festivals…..re-used every year from the previous but not bad I guess.
• Some mini games….
• One new world boss (wurm) + re-used dragon world boss (Teq).

The rest are just re-texturing some parts of the maps and spawn some champs called living story…

Personally I think the team that created the new TA path should continue to make the contents…Even if a new dungeon brings gems store items, people might be willing to pay for it more than 2 week temp gem content cycles.

You gets are all forgetting before they launched the game they intended for dynamic events to create this sort of living world. Now they are trying the same with the living story because they didnt want to write themselves into the corner they felt they wrote themselves into with orr, that they couldn’t change it because other people had to go through the PS.

Regardless on if it works or not, they haven’t changed anything in what they’re trying to do with the game.

Zylonite.5913:

In 1.5 years, we have had:

• One TA new path dungeon (very nice long path + actual content).
• SAB 1 and 2 (temporary content but not bad for anyone who likes JPs. SAB 2 was buggy).
• Two new fractals (re-used from living story. Kind of nice I guess).
• EoTM (mostly dead now since it didn’t get any attention).
• Holiday festivals…..re-used every year from the previous but not bad I guess.
• Some mini games….
• One new world boss (wurm) + re-used dragon world boss (Teq).

The rest are just re-texturing some parts of the maps and spawn some champs called living story…

Personally I think the team that created the new TA path should continue to make the contents…Even if a new dungeon brings gems store items, people might be willing to pay for it more than 2 week temp gem content cycles.

you also forgot to mention quality of life like the LFG tool and one unified wallet.

Having in mind that the first expansion took 3 years for WoW we’re doing pretty fine for a 1.5 year mark

Mirta.5029:

you also forgot to mention quality of life like the LFG tool and one unified wallet.

Having in mind that the first expansion took 3 years for WoW we’re doing pretty fine for a 1.5 year mark

Campaigns:
Guild Wars Prophecies (April 2005)
Guild Wars Factions (April 2006)
Guild Wars Nightfall (October 2006)

Expansions:
Guild Wars Eye of the North (August 2007)

Enokitake.1742:

Campaigns:
Guild Wars Prophecies (April 2005)
Guild Wars Factions (April 2006)
Guild Wars Nightfall (October 2006)

Expansions:
Guild Wars Eye of the North (August 2007)

1. Not an MMO
2. Campaigns were being developed by separate teams at the same time because they all wanted to get their vision in there
3. After Eye of the North the waiting period was full 5 years. Meaning that spacing of the games wasn’t completely right.

Mirta.5029:

Enokitake.1742:

Campaigns:
Guild Wars Prophecies (April 2005)
Guild Wars Factions (April 2006)
Guild Wars Nightfall (October 2006)

Expansions:
Guild Wars Eye of the North (August 2007)

1. Not an MMO
2. Campaigns were being developed by separate teams at the same time because they all wanted to get their vision in there
3. After Eye of the North the waiting period was full 5 years. Meaning that spacing of the games wasn’t completely right.

…how is Guild Wars not an MMO?

Flytrap.8075:

…how is Guild Wars not an MMO?

Even by Anet’s description it was a CORPG. MMO would imply massively multiplayer and everything besides the cities being instanced that you can take at most 16 people (I think?) in makes it not so massive.

Mirta.5029:

Enokitake.1742:

Campaigns:
Guild Wars Prophecies (April 2005)
Guild Wars Factions (April 2006)
Guild Wars Nightfall (October 2006)

Expansions:
Guild Wars Eye of the North (August 2007)

1. Not an MMO
2. Campaigns were being developed by separate teams at the same time because they all wanted to get their vision in there
3. After Eye of the North the waiting period was full 5 years. Meaning that spacing of the games wasn’t completely right.

1) Doesn’t have to be an MMO, as an online game fielding millions of players, with regular balance patches, world updates/fixes, and slight content updates, it is/was similar enough in development demands.

2) Anet has 300 roughly employees. If they focused more attention on campaigns and less on LS, we’d easily have an expansion already, much like we had 2 after only 1.5 years after initial release.

3) GW2 took 5 years for a very simple reason: GW2 was originally another campaign. It was canceled mid-development, and they decided to beat the rush to the “new-wave” of MMOs. The ACTUAL gw1 list looks like this:

Campaigns
Guild Wars Prophecies (April 2005)
Guild Wars Factions (April 2006)
Guild Wars Nightfall (October 2006)
Guild Wars Utopia (cancelled) — added note: and rescheduled/redeveloped as GW2.

Expansions
Guild Wars Eye of the North (August 2007)

Other
Bonus Mission Pack (November 2007)

Content updates
Sorrow’s Furnace (September 2005)