I just finished Heart of Thorns. When I say this, I mean it in a way where I dont want to be running around doing the same endless events over and over to unlock masteries to progress on with the story, or have to hop on my alt and do the locked available 20% of the story 5-6 times again and again before I am eligible to continue on with my main.
This expansion truly had great potential to be successful and the only highlight I feel that the devs did right was the gliding. It is so amazing!. However 1 good point doesnt erase a bad one.
The mastery system for Tyria for example is all locked behind achievements, as oppose to Maguuma which is all by communing. This wouldnt have bothered me except for the fact that I love to wvwvw and occasionally run fotm or do some crafting with some friends, and having no mastery rewards from there I will always be left behind than those who achievement hunt.
I understand that Arenanet or NCSoft or whoever now is calling the shots want us to play for the story and enjoy their endless hours of effort spent on the game. Good job! It is really fun the first play through and the story is “interesting”, but imagine watching an episode of spongebob 50 times, you would kinda get sick of it. That is pretty much how the game is now.
Every gameplay is different – That is true, different people, different experience and yadidadida.. this still doesnt hide the fact that your still doing the same thing over and over again just to further progress on behind the locked story ahead. It is very much like communing to work everyday. Different people around you, different experience and encounters but you dont really care much for it, like you did your first time driving there.
Oh nobody force you to do it! – If only I had a nickel for everytime I hear a fanboy use this. As a matter of fact I am force to do it if I want to progress on with the story as there is no other way to do so, and yes that means mastery “grind” to unlock the frog language, remove poison and who knows what other masteries they might add in the future.
No dungeons no raids yet – Ok.. I dont mind waiting. Paid full for a uncompleted game just saying. Should have only paid 60% and then the remainder when the rest of the promised content is released.
Elite Specializations – Not gonna do them on my alt. Takes way too long as HoT alone isnt enough to fully complete the mastery and that means I have to explore Tyria all over again 9 times (9 character) and do the same skill challenge. Even though I think Herald and Daredevil is super awesome!.
Feeling Weak? – Rolling devils kitten me off and those smokescale can kill you if you blink at the wrong time. Fun to fight once you’ve unlocked your herald though (playing Revenant).
Hero Points – I aint super pro like many keyboard warriors here who can solo them. So I bring an entire army, this means I have to rally up a force from the endless multi dead servers.
Such wow, Much awesome, So Guild Wars.
PS: Guild Wars 1 did it right. 1-20 was story progression then if you want to add achievement hunting after that for those pve hardcore players by all means go ahead.