The enduring elements of any good MMORPG are lacking in GW2. Once you get past the very fun wrapping, you find a game that ages quickly. Here are some of the reasons why:
(1) PvE is shallow.
Most of the content in this game is easy. The content that isn’t easy is difficult by virtue of cheap mechanics rather than intelligent fights.
GW1 had a decent solution when it introduced Hard Mode. Having instanced areas that are significantly more challenging could provide some much needed content. Rewards could be scaled or added as needed from dungeon to dungeon, including titles that demonstrated mastery of the most difficult content in the game.
Of course, if the dungeon content remains insipid, there would be little motivation to play a hard mode.
Something that would make the game more interesting is a complex system of buff/debuff and condition/cleanse. This way support and condition builds would have a real and meaningful role to play in encounters. Such a system could also apply to PvP. As it is, the system is dull because it gives incentive and is designed (intentionally or not) for players to take up dps roles.
Additionally, GW1 had an enjoyable elite-skill capture system. Something like this kept me engaged in the first game for quite sometime. Nothing similar exists in this game.
Finally, atmospherically the game is hobbled by poor story telling. The personal story is a particularly egregious example of this, as it morphed into Traherne’s story. That would have been acceptable (barely) if the story had at least credibly communicated how important and vital his role was. Also, dragons destroying the world is a lowest common denominator fantasy trope. And don’t get me started on Orr.
(2) Build variety is non-existent.
It’s clear that the general skill and abilities in this game were not thought out well, either from a balance or fundamental design perspective. The fact that there is clearly one (occasionally two?) best build for each profession that far outstrips the performance of other builds is evidence of inadequate design.
This is a problem compounded by the shallow PvE. When everything is centered around damage/damage/damage, and “challenging” fights in dungeons reduce to slaying an HP sponge, it’s difficult, if not near-impossible, to design abilities and skills that provide anything meaningful other than different ways of dealing damage.
The trinity just reduces fights to battles over hp bars, but you still need something more interesting to replace it.
(3) Competitive play is shallow.
One of the great draws to PvP in Guild Wars 1 was the ever-changing meta as players moved from one flavor of builds to another. This system was far from perfect, and indeed suffered from some serious flaws, but it did have a degree of customization and strategy that is otherwise completely lacking in Guild Wars 2.
WvW is a trite affair. It’s highly repetitive, and victories in the zones don’t feel significantly attached to the rewards given to the server that captures important territory. Not only are there few compelling reasons to fight in WvW, but the fights that do occur are largely reduced to zerg strategies.
Additionally, the rewards from PvP (and to some extent WvW) are too detached from PvE. It would be beneficial to have better ways to display your commitment to and skill in structured or tournament play.
but a harsh word stirs up anger.” -Jewish Proverb
