Guild Wars 2

Hello everyone.

This may come off as a rant, but its really constructive criticism about Guild Wars 2, in hopes that the devs can see it for future suggestions about where to progress with Guild Wars 2. I know they are always looking for feedback and I hope that my bit helps them progress.

Before I even got my hands onto Guild Wars 2, you might want to know a short backdrop. To say the least, I was a fanboy. Anyone who dared criticize this game on youtube was met with fanboyism furry. I was burned out of many of the games on the current market, and my only hope and faith I had left was in GW2.

For the first month, I had a absolute blast about this game. It was like a dream come true.. dynamic events, massive pvp with siege weapons.. fluid combat.. and above all, NO SUBSCRIPTION FEE! (WOO!)

Then around the 2nd month after the hype had died down I began to notice problems. Not problems with the game, but problems with me as to why I wasn’t enjoying it as I was the first month. This is where my “constructive criticism” part comes into play as people may feel or view this differently.

After around level 40 or so.. The drive to play just died. My motivation was pretty much zero. I didn’t think much of it at the time and I just re-rolled another character.. almost as if forcing myself to grind to 80. When I did finally hit level 80 on my trusty warrior tank.. (which I happen to love for playstyle).. I never noticed, but the months rolled by.. and I woke up one day and realized.. I haven’t played GW2 in 3 months time!

I then began to go back and wonder why I haven’t even touched this game? This.. “was it”. This was the game I been waiting for years and years and years.. and now.. I can’t find myself to pick it up? And this is just me, but its my feedback to the developers on to why I have no motivation to play this game. I even tried to come back recently, but the lack of motivation remains.

1. The lack of “true” dynamic content. You take a video game like left 4 dead which only has 20 maps, you could say there is a lot to be desired. However, what makes it such a great game for its time was it had “true” dynamic content. Every zombie placement was “different” on every map so no map playthrough was ever played the same.

This is not true in Guild Wars 2. You have a set of dynamic events that are more like world quests that anyone can join, but they NEVER change the world. Yes, they change the scenery for awhile.. but do they effect the ENTIRE world? Or perhaps even the map your playing on? Hardly.

Now if your going through this event 1 or 2 times.. its fresh.. its new.. but eventually it gets very stale. Its like watching a movie you liked for the 7th.. 8th.. 9th time. Overtime, you eventually get sick of watching re-runs.

That made me believe that there was not any real world life changing events. I thought to myself.. If I don’t stop this centuar attack.. or dragon attack.. then they will rampage through the town and other area’s and destroy our peaceful civilization! But nothing was further from the truth. When a dragon attacks.. if you do nothing, well, guess what happens? NOTHING! Its a stationary boss, that doesn’t change or effect the world. I have not once ever seen a dragon attack a town. I haven’t seen people fail and centuars take over and control territories in the sense that it mattered.

Its not like you loose spawn points.. or money.. or gold.. or the economy sinks for failing, you just don’t get rewarded. Thats not true dynamic content. Its a great quest system, but I think a lot of people believed that if they failed in these events, something drastic would happen.. but nothing ever did. That makes this game feel “static”. You can slap dynamic on it.. but the reality is.. these events are in bubbles that very rarely ever effect the world itself. Besides.. you didn’t win the first time? Wait 10 minutes and it will happen again.

Thats just my feelings on the matter. I know some will disagree but I was hoping for a more true dynamic world.

2. No skill customization. If you take a game like Guild Wars 1.. its level cap was only 20. That pretty much means that if you compare it to Guild Wars 2.. the level of grinding or progression is lowered. But I played that game for 500+ hours.

Then I thought.. well what is the difference? The difference is I could play this game with “MY” build, instead of what Area net thinks is best for me. Now I know why they did it this way, for balance issues.. but that doesn’t mean I don’t get sick of “their” setup.

One of the primary reasons I left Aion back in the day was because I got tired of hitting.. 1.. 1… 1.. 2.. 3.. 1.. 2.. 1..

It feels very much the same here. Sure, I can customize it to be alittle bit different from someone elses build, but the reality is, we all have the same build, we can’t change it if we wanted to.. and that lack of customization of creating your own deck of cards means I cannot develop new strategies to tack a enemy. I have to work with the lemons given to me.

Now some may disagree, but this is how I feel and its my constructive criticism about it. I honestly don’t think it was such a good idea how to tell players how to play. Generally when it comes to play styles, the more freedom, the better. I would have to say there must be a better way to balance the game than binding players hands.
3. No distinct role. Gone are the days of needing a tank or healer and all can just run into the game and play as they will. Sounds good to the ears and even on paper, but in reality, if everyone is the same, no one is different. Making us all mediocre players and a jack of all trades rather than a master of one really doesn’t make for enjoyable gameplay.

Do I hate waiting for other players who I may need to depend on? You bet you I do!

However, I am learning as the game goes on that instead of lacking on one area as before, say.. tanking abilities, I now lack in all area’s to the point that if I try to buff one, I loose in the other area, but “too” much as to make it impossible to join the game.

Another words, if I buff my power, I loose in defense, and I find myself dodging and rolling more often than not to stay afloat. Where as if I buff my tanking abilities, I loose in power, and it takes me all the more longer to kill a mob.

It seems the best route is balance obviously, but thats just the problem, you can never be “too” powerful, less you get 1 shotted, so the possibility is open, but its like a treat you can never have, because you’ll always be dieing.

4. Last and not least, social aspects. For a game that was designed in hopes for players to work together.. its surprisingly very anti-social and isolated.

To be honest, I think its because no one needs each other because the game was designed that you don’t need tanks or healers. I joined a guild but those guys are into some really weird stuff.. that don’t even deal with this game. I should probably join another guild.

Anyway.. thats my 2 cents.. I know everyone doesn’t feel the same.. but hopefully this gets read by the devs and someone can understand why some of the playerbase isn’t really responding to this game as they probably hoped?

Anyway.. thats my 2 cents.. I know everyone doesn’t feel the same.. but hopefully this gets read by the devs and someone can understand why some of the playerbase isn’t really responding to this game as they probably hoped?For all those fanboys out there, your free to flame me now.. i’m expecting it, lol.