I can wear full berserker gear (which I always do for open world pve) fully specced for damage or I can wear P/V/T gear with supportive traits (which i do for fractals and harder dungeons generally)…and you know what, it doesnt make a bit of difference really. The harder FoTM and dungeon bosses still (more or less) one shot you if you make a mistake or roll in the wrong direction, the stupid annoying Dredge (as one example) still permastun you far beyond your ability to mitigate and you will still get picked up by your party if you are rolling with a decent group. And so it continues, over and over again.
Im bored. Bored silly, and I’ve given it long enough and invested enough time, grinding and occasionally money that I have everything I want in the game (wont go for legendary because after throwing many hundreds of items in the Mystic Thief I just gave up). Full Tier 3 on main toon, crafted Volcanus, crafted Vision of the mists, crafted the Anomaly, got four characters to 80 and fully geared etc etc.
The man problem isn’t the content, which is decent enough really, theres great graphics, great scenery, atmosphere etc, its the basic game mechanics. It literally doesnt matter what you equip or how you set your traits up, if you can time dodges well, get to know the mechanics of a fight, you know what your skills do and you group well, you can do anything this game has to offer. Thus making you absolutely no more desirable in any situation than any other person, unless you are talking about so called “elite” CoF runners who think shaving two minutes off completion is the absolute pinnacle fo the game.
We were talking in guild the other day about all getting alts to level 10 and equipping the most basic gear and going running fractals. Haven’t done it yet, but I have confidence that if we do we will get through it…albeit it will take longer. You basically serve no purpose in this game other than bringing very specific skills such as mesmer portal (for example). And I think thats why Im getting bored again. Plus, the idea that the end game is about cosmetics is a joke when you consider that most people look the same. Thers no true individuality anymore, Tier 3 gear is everywhere, you have seen every dungeon armor many times, every time you go to LA you see more than one legendary being waved about. Its all so pedestrian.
I’ve got gold, compared to some I guess, I have about 150g in the bank at the moment, but there isn’t one thing I want to buy that will a) make me look different or more importantly b) make me perform better. So I log on, do my daily fractal, do my daily and then what? Chat to the guildies, speculate a bit on the TP maybe, dye my armor? Level an alt? Done it 4 times plus two others at lvl 20 and lvl 14 and many more created and deleted…literally cant face all the same stuff anymore.
I would love this game if knowing my class made the difference, if I could turn the tide in a less gifted group through my abilty to heal or tank (for example). But the fact is for everything (with maybe the exception of Arah / CoE (maybe)or higher than level 10 fractals) it really doesnt make any difference. You can run in with 4 good players or 4 bad and you will finish the instance, maybe sooner…maybe later.
I just can’t quite figure out how it could be addressed in entirety, but theres just something fundamental missing from the experience. If everyone is equal, if everyone gets a prize…then theres no winners.
Or is it just art mirroring life?