~Elyssion~
“Gw2, It’s still on the Table!” – Anet
“Gw2, It’s still on the Table!” – Anet
Non-Content
Good post, good points. I believe problem lies somewhere in upper management of Anet, because priorities and directions in development post release in this game were mostly kittened up. I think they lack vision for their own game, they lost it at some point close to release or right after it. They try and start bunch of things, they can’t properly finish anything, it seems even random sometimes. Southsun — started out of nothing and ended nowhere. Now we have this island where horrible Karka event takes place, first implementation was bad, they did a revamp this event and it’s still so bad. What was it all about? Early after release they announced a dungeon team and a goal to revamp dungeons, all this silently vanished somewhere in dark depths of Anet. Same with precursor scavenger hunt, just silently disappeared into nowhere. SAB, again, had nothing to do with anything in the game, just another random project of theirs, people happen to love it, at least some quiet vocal part, again, vanished somewhere. We now have tutorials revamps and all kinds of fixes for newer players as they say, yet 2 years later build and gear manager is nowhere to be found in this game, . What you think new players think about it? When you look at it, it looks like Anet is a bunch of random freelancers and they just start whatever each of them wants then they get bored with it midway and drop it to start something else. While we have underdeveloped parts of the game, WvW and PvP, and PvE with no sense of direction. The only area where they were persistent, more or less, is Gem Store.
Hilarious HoT video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am9gVQB8gss
Good post, good points. I believe problem lies somewhere in upper management of Anet, because priorities and directions in development post release in this game were mostly kittened up. I think they lack vision for their own game, they lost it at some point close to release or right after it. They try and start bunch of things, they can’t properly finish anything, it seems even random sometimes. Southsun — started out of nothing and ended nowhere. Now we have this island where horrible Karka event takes place, first implementation was bad, they did a revamp this event and it’s still so bad. What was it all about? Early after release they announced a dungeon team and a goal to revamp dungeons, all this silently vanished somewhere in dark depths of Anet. Same with precursor scavenger hunt, just silently disappeared into nowhere. SAB, again, had nothing to do with anything in the game, just another random project of theirs, people happen to love it, at least some quiet vocal part, again, vanished somewhere. We now have tutorials revamps and all kinds of fixes for newer players as they say, yet 2 years later build and gear manager is nowhere to be found in this game, . What you think new players think about it? When you look at it, it looks like Anet is a bunch of random freelancers and they just start whatever each of them wants then they get bored with it midway and drop it to start something else. While we have underdeveloped parts of the game, WvW and PvP, and PvE with no sense of direction. The only area where they were persistent, more or less, is Gem Store.
I have been here since launch. I Loved it when the game was released. But somewhere along the line, they seem to have taken a bunch of half steps. Non-commital, middling things that sought to please everyone, and Not offend anyone, but ended up offending everyone.
I think most of it was out of some desire to not end up a niche game. They went after the mainstream, like it’s some gold ring on a merry-go-round that many games since World of warcraft have lunged for. Some successfully…. but.. Most end up Just … taking steps that do not commit them to any one niche group…
Just one example. When this game launched the idea was that when you travelled to lower levels, you would be just as challenged by the content in lower zones as you were in top level zones. A level 60, would experience ALL zones lower as if it were a level 60 zone.
Same with an 80. This I welcomed. it basically made the entire map, end game since the entire map would become “Orr.”
Somewhere along the way, they sied away from that, and made it so a level 80 can faceroll Lower level maps… then the people say “Bored, need more end game.”
Anet has gone from being brave, bold, and committed to revamping elements of MMO’s with Guild Wars, to being tepid, and seeking not to upset any core of players enough to retain enough, to squeak out some profit.
Nothing wrong with profit, but sometimes, trying to appeal to the most … so that you retain large numbers of the average, leave the game feeling bland, mediocre.
After two years, I am gonna take a long break from Gw2. Archeage is coming out soon. I may give that a looksie.
What bugs me most is, two years in , is usually when you see an expansion, and that tends to revitalize games. It brings back the old, and brings in some new players, gets the game talked about in video game magazines….etc… But there is no expansion in sight.
The only thing that Gw2 does consistenly is… push the gem store, and living story. I guess this is awesome if you like the Gem Store, and living story. Me… not so much.
The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
(edited by Nerelith.7360)
Just to brag (or maybe not?) a bit, Jim’s my son-in-law….
We’ve spoken at length about this issue and the OP is taking Jim’s concerns a bit out of context here.
- Jim’s rants are about single/MP games with gated PAID DLC (not MMO content with FREE DLC). The main concern still applies, but the complaint falls a bit short when you are not really PAYING for the non-content.
- The trend for AAA studios do this to make ADDED money. I fail to see how you can transpose this trend onto Anet (not a AAA studio by any means) when there is no direct financial gain to generate non-content (since they aren’t earning any additional profit).
Yes, it is a troubling trend that all the big publishers have adopted as the “norm” (and customer have allowed to become “accepted” but continuing to BUY it). However, Anet’s motivations and “rewards” for gravitating toward this method are simply not there.
If you want to call Anet’s “non-content” “lazy Development”, you have that right, but I do not see the correlation between what this feature pack offers and what Jim Sterling rails against…..
We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
(edited by Brother Grimm.5176)
Just to brag (or maybe not?) a bit, Jim’s my son-in-law….
We’ve spoken at length about this issue and the OP is taking Jim’s concerns a bit out of context here.
- Jim’s rants are about single/MP games with gated PAID DLC (not MMO content with FREE DLC). The main concern still applies, but the complaint falls a bit short when you are not really PAYING for the non-content.
- The trend for AAA studios do this to make ADDED money. I fail to see how you can transpose this trend onto Anet (not a AAA studio by any means) when there is no direct financial gain to generate non-content (since they aren’t earning any additional profit).
Yes, it is a troubling trend that all the big publishers have adopted as the “norm” (and customer have allowed to become “accepted” but continuing to BUY it). However, Anet’s motivations and “rewards” for gravitating toward this method are simply not there.
If you want to call Anet’s “non-content” “lazy Development”, you have that right, but I do not see the correlation between what this feature pack offers and what Jim Sterling rails against…..
Is there a 1:1 direct exact correlation between the DLC/PreOrder/Exclusives marketing vs the Feature Patches and Gem shop, no not really but effectively it still applys just as well.
let me break it down for you.
Anet pads out content and makes it seem to feel more rewarding and easier to learn and complete.
Anet retains New players for longer
New Players may want to buy some pretty skins off the Gemshop and go spend real money, because they do not have the 87g to exchange for the 300 Gems the thing costs. (Anet is now making more money)
LS is not “Permanent” Content in the Traditional Sense of the word. New players joining that want to Follow or catch up with this story Via Personal instances (Note the rest of the world has already changed and they have already played through it just to unlock Traits) They will need to spend Gems.
Gems per Story piece mind you, each one being more of a set of notes than a self contained story or mini story arch. These are 200Gems a piece. With 4 current pieces that’s 800 Gems or 10$ USD.
Not that bad as of right now sure, 10$ doesnt seem so bad to spend if you’re new to the game and just killed Zhaitan and want more of the same, but you dont have the Gold pile needed to not spend money.
I could go on, but these seemingly Benevolent changes are a bit more Money driven in the longer run. What happens when LS3 and 4 are rolled out? Would you be comfortable paying 60 or 80 USD for all the pieces if you missed them? Would you feel duped if you discovered you just paid the same price as a full expansion but did not get what many would be to consider one (remember based off the current model you are only paying for personal story instances and a back piece, all the maps and skills and traits are “free”).
Gw2 is indeed slowly creeping towards a very similar chopped up and separated experience to the CoD/Halo/Assassins Creed bunch. It may just take Anet a few more years to get everything set up and ready. LS3 may require you to purchase a Map Pack with its episodes, who can really know? Its a slippery slope and I personally don’t trust Anet to not slide down it anymore.
~Elyssion~
“Gw2, It’s still on the Table!” – Anet
“Gw2, It’s still on the Table!” – Anet
I’d be willing to support the game by buying cosmetic (and utilitarian) items in the Gem store if they game world was expanding.
That is, I don’t buy that stuff necessarily for itself (though some of it is cool – and some of it is necessary, like bank tabs and character slots) – but I consider it to be down payment on the expansion of the world. It’s just a different way of paying for it.
The problem is that Anet hasn’t delivered any serious expansion of the world, so I see no reason to spend any more money on it.
Until they do, I won’t.
I know that there is probably at least 1/3, and maybe up to 1/2 of the player base that feels this way.
We are the “exploration” players – the one’s that like opening new areas, finding new things, killing new monsters. We get less enjoyment out of seeing the same areas over and over (though we do some of that). Usually, we are willing to wait up to 2 years for an expansion, because it often takes us that long to finish previous content, get our characters ready (gear and whatnot), and put aside time for other games and real life stuff.
By the end of two years, any MMO should have an expansion ready – regardless of how they choose to release it.
I paid the box price for “vanilla” GW2. I bought some stuff in the gem shop (3 extra character slots, bank tab, premium edition (for the mistwolf) plus my gf bought some extra cosmetics).
These purchases were done with the expectation that they essentially crowdfunded the next expansion of content in an indirect manner.
Anet got their initial investment back from the box price of the game – gem shop sales should be funding an expansion.
The fact that this doesn’t appear to be the case is what’s angering so many people.
Make an expansion Anet – or we’ll leave.
Yes, that’s an ultimatum.
Best advice I can give Anet: suck it up buttercup.
@Swish: The fact that all you have “extrapolated” to prove your point is an INDIRECT method to gain financially, just proves my point. Of course they going to do everything they can to keep players logged in and extend the life of the game as long as possible…..do you understand HOW an MMO actually makes profit?
…..
I know that there is probably at least 1/3, and maybe up to 1/2 of the player base that feels this way…..
.
A statement you cannot back up with any evidence other than antitodes from those you game with or this forum. In no way is this a valid “percentage” number.
I have no doubts an expansion will come, but you presenting Anet with an “ultimatum” that it be NOW is a bit sad and cute at the same time.
We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
I’d be willing to support the game by buying cosmetic (and utilitarian) items in the Gem store if they game world was expanding.
That is, I don’t buy that stuff necessarily for itself (though some of it is cool – and some of it is necessary, like bank tabs and character slots) – but I consider it to be down payment on the expansion of the world. It’s just a different way of paying for it.
The problem is that Anet hasn’t delivered any serious expansion of the world, so I see no reason to spend any more money on it.
Until they do, I won’t.
I know that there is probably at least 1/3, and maybe up to 1/2 of the player base that feels this way.
We are the “exploration” players – the one’s that like opening new areas, finding new things, killing new monsters. We get less enjoyment out of seeing the same areas over and over (though we do some of that). Usually, we are willing to wait up to 2 years for an expansion, because it often takes us that long to finish previous content, get our characters ready (gear and whatnot), and put aside time for other games and real life stuff.
By the end of two years, any MMO should have an expansion ready – regardless of how they choose to release it.
I paid the box price for “vanilla” GW2. I bought some stuff in the gem shop (3 extra character slots, bank tab, premium edition (for the mistwolf) plus my gf bought some extra cosmetics).
These purchases were done with the expectation that they essentially crowdfunded the next expansion of content in an indirect manner.
Anet got their initial investment back from the box price of the game – gem shop sales should be funding an expansion.
The fact that this doesn’t appear to be the case is what’s angering so many people.
Make an expansion Anet – or we’ll leave.
Yes, that’s an ultimatum.
Best advice I can give Anet: suck it up buttercup.
Thank you for reading my mind. This precisely how I have been feeling " where’s the expansion?"
Instead I get told " Living Story is " expansion-like" " Except for me it’s not. What I associate with an expansion, are New professions, new races, New skills…. then add new maps , and new quests. But all we get with living story is new maps, and new quests.
When at a dinner party, you get offered cheeze and crackers as an appetizer before dinner is served…. it is not dinner.
Anet is still serving us cheeze and crackers, where is the dinner?
The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
Thank you for reading my mind. This precisely how I have been feeling " where’s the expansion?"
Instead I get told " Living Story is " expansion-like" " Except for me it’s not. What I associate with an expansion, are New professions, new races, New skills…. then add new maps , and new quests. But all we get with living story is new maps, and new quests.
When at a dinner party, you get offered cheeze and crackers as an appetizer before dinner is served…. it is not dinner.
Anet is still serving us cheeze and crackers, where is the dinner?
Then maybe you should stop asking for a new expansion and start asking for new races, new skills, and new professions. I consider new maps and new quests to be the core of what comes with an expansion. The stuff you list as core I consider to be stuff that only comes with an expansion but is secondary to it.
When ANet says that the content they are releasing is equivalent to an expansion only spread out. They are not lying. It’s just that their definition of what constitutes an expansion obviously differs from yours. Plenty of words have more hard definitions of what they mean, but there is no universal agreed upon definition of what constitutes an expansion. You might be tempted to argue that new classes are integral to expansions. Indeed, WoW had 2 expansions that included new classes. But they also had 2 (soon to be 3) expansions that did not include any new classes. You might argue that new races are completely integral. But zero of Guild Wars 1 expansions included new playable races and only 2/5 (including the upcoming one) of WoW expansions included new races. You say you want new skills, but they have given us new skills. We’ve seen at least 2 new healing skills for each class added so far, 5 new traits for each class, and a number of “new” skills in the form of old skills being completely reworked.
Stop asking for “content”.
Stop asking for “an expansion”.
Be specific.
Complaining of this sort is like sending some one to the store to go get you “stuff” and then yelling at them when they get back about how it’s not the “stuff” you wanted because they brought back a toaster when you really wanted a humidifier. Maybe you should have told them to bring you a toaster instead of “stuff”.
Well the problem seems to be the management to me.
In GW1 nothing was good enough for the players.
I have a huge problem to believe these are the same people.
In GW2 the direction is “what is the least effort we can put in without offending
most of the people”
Man it’s sad to see a company change so much.
A-Net are the guys who just threw in the huge Forge at Grenth Footprints in GW1 just because they can. And not just the map, they even connected it with new weapons and the little Moah Chick…………. awesome times.
These day you ask for “new” content like completing the map of GW1
what should be something natural not what players should ask for.
And what do they deliver ??? Comander tags coming now in different colours…. epic.
I feel offended. Not because of the low quality of GW2.
I feel offended because these are the guys from GW1 who already proved to be better than that.
I think they could release an “expansion” via the Living Story – they just need to release more of it.
And by “more” I mean more maps/zones (Dry Top is just too small or “not enough” to be considered an expansions worth)
Enough would be the entire Magus Falls region – or Ring of Fire – or Verdant Woodlands – or Maguuma.
Basically, 10+ maps (and honestly, could go as high as 15-20).
That’s what I’d consider an “expansions” worth of maps – minimum 10, but 15-20 would be nice.
In ADDITION to the new maps, there ought to be (again, at minimum) 1 new class, 1 new weapon for each class, perhaps a new playable race, and tons of new utility skills.
Also, (again, bare minimum) there should be 1 new dungeon per major region already in the game (this would be Kryta, Ascalon, Maguuma? (Asura/Sylvari areas), Shiverpeaks as well as new dungeons for whatever region just opened up. (probably 2-3 would be acceptable).
All of this is in ADDITION to making drastic, but needed, changes to core systems – revamping combat, PvP, making enemies more difficult in new and interesting ways and even adding tons of new enemies.
And creating new DE’s for old areas – as well as CONTINUING to polish and refine the old areas like they are now (this is perhaps the one thing I can complement Anet on – when I revisit old areas, I often find something new, and the little details really keep the world fresh – I hope the keep doing this, and maybe even increase the pace just a little).
Are we even going to get a fraction of what I listed above?
I doubt it – and that’s the problem.
Anet is milking us – but people are waking up to this fact.
You do realize that if you’re requesting all that at once, it’ll probably take them a while to dish out (especially more so when you’re also expecting them to continue with the regular updates).
Your “ultimatum” is quite laughable, since you’re clearly disregarding whatever work they’ve done in small patches over the two years (that you got for free!). If you say you bought the “vanilla” GW2 for the box price, and have bought stuff on the gem store to “support” an expansion, then couldn’t you say that those gem store purchases were for the updates along the way?
You claim to be “explorers” who take pleasure in finding new stuff, yet whenever new stuff is brought out, you disregard them or take them for granted. I for one am excited about this feature pack, as even though it doesn’t add content directly, it does show the previous content in a new light.
Dry Top by itself is obviously not enough for an expansion, but you got a lot of other stuff before that: Southsun, Fractals, Edge of the Mists… And from your other “demands”, it sounds like what you’re asking is more of a whole new campaign, not an expansion.
You do realize that if you’re requesting all that at once, it’ll probably take them a while to dish out (especially more so when you’re also expecting them to continue with the regular updates).
They should have had all of that by the 2-year mark, that’s the point.
This is what they should be releasing EVERY two years – even if it’s spread out over the entire two year period.
We’ve had two years of GW2, and we’re nowhere close to that level of content being released.
I’d give them good marks if they were even trying to do that – say, if they had released 5 new maps, and had definite plans for a new class.
But, and here’s the truly salient point: not only are we nowhere even remotely close to what I described above, Anet has been fairly clear that they’re not going to do that, either.
So where does that leave people like me who want lots more content?
Treading water in-game until something better comes along.
I won’t spend any more money on this game until Anet either releases a level of content I described above, or tells us in absolutely clear terms that they are working on all of that and will release it very soon, or that they have a plan to release the same amount of content (10+ maps, new class, new race, new weapons, new dungeons, core systems revamped) over the next year.
My issue isn’t so much with exactly how they release it and more with the fact that they have shown every indication that they are not going to. At all.
The thing is… that while many players are happy with the content that gw2 has dished out in 2 years…. some are not. I know i am not. For me the 4/15 Update should have been better researched, and implemented, and implemented either at launch…. or shortly thereafter. Not almost 2 years after launch.
The revamp makes it look as if THIS Anet, Unlike the Anet that launched Guild Wars has no idea what they are doing.
They propose a set of philosophies about what the game is supposed to be at launch.
Things Like… The entire map will be challenging cause of down-scaling….except that down-scaling now doesn’t go far enough, you can face-roll any map lower than level 70 on your level 80.
or…
Armor stats are not part of a gear grind. Then Introduce ascended gear. and then some players will say " since you don’t need anything better than exotic for PvE ( because even players that do PvE will stop at exotics? )… ascended is optional."
Because we all agree that owning sub-optimal gear is an option.
…
Maybe for some it is. I do not imagine that the min-maxers would agree.
Those are just two reversals off the top of my head…I am sure many here, can imagine others. Look… a LOT of frenetic motion does not equal progress, if it’s a lot of fits, starts, reversals, and u turns. Sometimes Motion for the sake of motion just leaves you tired without advancing as much as if you had a well thought out path, with a consistent speed attached.
Anet seems to be doing a lot of hit and miss. Try something to see if it works then abandoning it when they feel it missed…. the whole game to me…feels Like it never left Open beta.
Edit: I got it… it feels Like the game is being currently developed in real time, by trial-and-error.
The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
(edited by Nerelith.7360)
They should have had all of that by the 2-year mark, that’s the point.
This is what they should be releasing EVERY two years – even if it’s spread out over the entire two year period.
We’ve had two years of GW2, and we’re nowhere close to that level of content being released.
I’d give them good marks if they were even trying to do that – say, if they had released 5 new maps, and had definite plans for a new class.
But, and here’s the truly salient point: not only are we nowhere even remotely close to what I described above, Anet has been fairly clear that they’re not going to do that, either.
So where does that leave people like me who want lots more content?
Treading water in-game until something better comes along.
I won’t spend any more money on this game until Anet either releases a level of content I described above, or tells us in absolutely clear terms that they are working on all of that and will release it very soon, or that they have a plan to release the same amount of content (10+ maps, new class, new race, new weapons, new dungeons, core systems revamped) over the next year.
My issue isn’t so much with exactly how they release it and more with the fact that they have shown every indication that they are not going to. At all.
Everything you’ve posted has been right on the mark for my guildies and I also. At this point we are all just waiting for a better game to come around, because we don’t believe Anet cares enough to have been working on an expansion in the background. It’s sad because we’ve all been here since the beginning of GW1.
Pinnacle of Responsibility[Mom]-Yaks Bend
Unstable Shield, Unstable Light
Unstable Shield, Unstable Light
I think some one mentioned in another post, and I also mentioned a few times: majority of new players didn’t get very far into the game. You can easily see by the AP leader board, a huge percent of the player base basically never played more than a few hours.
So it make sense Anet is trying to place focus on new players trying to retain them.
And OP is totally right, many of their changes are related on pushing people to buy gems. Im’ not sure why that is surprising.
And OP is totally right, many of their changes are related on pushing people to buy gems. Im’ not sure why that is surprising.
If the game is fun to play, then the developers should not HAVE to push anyone to buy gems. You will naturally desire to buy gems, without needing to be pushed at the gem store.
Creating an artificial way to push players to buy gems, is a sign you are doing it wrong.
The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
And OP is totally right, many of their changes are related on pushing people to buy gems. Im’ not sure why that is surprising.
If the game is fun to play, then the developers should not HAVE to push anyone to buy gems. You will naturally desire to buy gems, without needing to be pushed at the gem store.
Creating an artificial way to push players to buy gems, is a sign you are doing it wrong.
No, it’s a sign that you understand marketing. In what (realistic) scenario would not pushing people to buy gems make more or even as much money as doing it?
“You’ll PAY to know what you really think.” ~ J. R. “Bob” Dobbs
And OP is totally right, many of their changes are related on pushing people to buy gems. Im’ not sure why that is surprising.
If the game is fun to play, then the developers should not HAVE to push anyone to buy gems. You will naturally desire to buy gems, without needing to be pushed at the gem store.
Creating an artificial way to push players to buy gems, is a sign you are doing it wrong.
No, it’s a sign that you understand marketing. In what (realistic) scenario would not pushing people to buy gems make more or even as much money as doing it?
There is a difference, between putting out a GOOD game, that happens to have a cash shop…. and your players enjoy the game…because the focus is On it being GOOD. and a by product is, all these happy players shopping at your cash shop…..
And putting out a cash grab game.
A cash grab game for me is… a game that is designed in such a way so that it is pushing players to the cash shop for as much as possible. Not as a consequence of ’ gee i love the game,, hmmm Look at that awesome armor skin." but.." a game where it is designed from the bottom up, to lead the player to the cash shop with their credit card.
Yes I agree that good Marketing would go with the latter. Good marketing would say " let the player experience come second as we ram as Much into the cash shop as we can get away with… and basically just run the game as an incidental.z’
I cannot argue with you. That is Good marketing. Or is it?
Who spends more in the long run? A happy gamer that enjoys the game because he is not being nickle and dimed at every turn? Or a Player that begins to realize that the " Game" is really just a cash shop? and the " game" is Just an excuse to sell virtual goods and services, that is being run simply to lull him or her into the cash shop?
I am basically saying that while it may be GOOD Marketing… on the surface… and in the short term, to run a cash shop..with a game attached.
it is SMARTER to run a game, with a cash shop attached.
Only time will tell what Gw2 is… Maybe it’s the first…. maybe the second, I am not insisting it is a cash shop with a game attached, since I actually enjoy playing the game. But you said it was smart marketing to put out a cash shop with a game attached.
I was simply saying why I disagree.
In what realistic scenario, does NOT pushing players to the cash shop make as Much money as pushing players to the cash shop?
Players hate to see themselves as a walking credit card. When you Put out a quality game that incidentally has a cash shop, players will In the end pay you MORE Money…In the LONG TERM, because they value their play experience, if they also value the products in the cash shop. Do that, and you are golden as your game stays popular forever, and people Pull out the credit cards anyway.
Your scenario, re-enforces in the players mind, that you simply see them as a walking credit card. And that the “Game” is just there to pull them to the cash shop, where they can swipe the credit card. In the LONG run, Players tend to stay away from these games In droves Once Identified.
Anet lets players feel like players that just happen to also have credit cards, they hang around longer and spend more.
Anet treats it’s players Like a walking credit card….. they don’t hang around as long, or spend as much.
The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
(edited by Nerelith.7360)
[quote=4362495;Shufflepants.9785:]
Stop asking for “content”.
Stop asking for “an expansion”.Be specific.
If we, the players, have to spell out what an expansion entails then we’re in for a world of hurt.
An expansion is all-encompassing. The big draws are the new lands, the new races, and the new professions. Expansions also include quests, dungeons, quality of life improvements, cosmetics and in GW’s case – achievements. Look no further than the expansions released for GW1. Take a look at what the box covers illustrated: new lands, new professions.
The Living Story is supplemental content akin to the Winds of Change in GW1. Supplemental content should in no way replace an expansion.
If ArenaNet is working on an expansion, say you’re working on an expansion. We’re not asking for particulars, nor are we asking for an ETA. In fact we’ll be happy with the “it’s ready when its ready” spiel. But something needs to get started and fast.
Like I said in my previous post. Different people have different ideas about what is core to an expansion. We are not in for a world of hurt, we are in the same situation we have always been: ANet can’t read your mind.
And OP is totally right, many of their changes are related on pushing people to buy gems. Im’ not sure why that is surprising.
If the game is fun to play, then the developers should not HAVE to push anyone to buy gems. You will naturally desire to buy gems, without needing to be pushed at the gem store.
Creating an artificial way to push players to buy gems, is a sign you are doing it wrong.
No, it’s a sign that you understand marketing. In what (realistic) scenario would not pushing people to buy gems make more or even as much money as doing it?
The problem is that it often has the opposite effect.
The whole thing about ‘leading a horse to water’.
Another poster above me has it about right too: when you make an excellent game, people flock to it and will spend money (just to support it – this is how crowdfunding works).
When you make a sub-par game, and invent gimmicks that give people little option but to spend money, you’ve in a sense created a casino.
Do you gamble? Do you ever play slot machines? Those are games too, you know. Simple games of chance. Pull the lever, watch the wheels go round, and you win or you lose.
But they’re not very much fun. They’re not very skilled. And the odds suck, so the rewards are not very good either.
Casino’s don’t design their games to be fun, they design them around tested Skinner box principles – give just enough to hook the ‘greed’ part of a person’s brain so they keep coming back for more, looking for that big score.
And GW2 is appearing to be built along similar lines – now, keep in mind, it’s just a comparison. GW2 is not a literal casino – I am saying that it appears as if the same underlying psychological principles are being used in it’s content development.
But it’s always short term profit opposed to long term investment. While this may make them some dough immediately, it will also poison the entire game, making it stale, un-fun, and a total drag. It becomes a monotonous chore, a second job. A compulsion you’re never quite sure you can’t quit.
If the game goes that way, those of us who have already been there and done that will quit – we’ve been on the hamster wheel plenty times already, and we’re immune to the false promises that were used to suck us in the first time (this is pretty much standard for just about every MMO now – the “Korean grindfest WoW clones” being the most obvious, visible examples) – but just about all of them suffer from some version of this, including WoW.
If GW2 manages to pull itself away from that pattern, THEN it will actually be a game worth investing in.
To do that they need to release very large amounts of content, in the form of opening up additional maps/zones, creating a new class, maybe a new race, introducing some new weapon choices, polishing the core gameplay, revamping old dungeons, creating new dungeons.
That’s just the basic stuff that every MMO ought to do.
I think Anet could take it even further, by continuing to refine the LS at the SAME TIME as they do all of the above.
If they did that, I’d spend a lot more money here.
I quit spending money because I see absolutely no evidence that they plan to do any of this, and until they do, my wallet (and many others) is closed.
Oh, I still log in from time to time – I’m actually still working on my first world completion – but it’s not serious. I’m just wasting time between doing other things.
By the time the Oculus Rift is here, if GW2 hasn’t shaped up, I fear it will be lost. It won’t disappear immediately – few MMO’s do, and you can see all kinds of washed out MMO’s that are still around with a minimal playerbase.
But it won’t be in the Top 5 anymore – and probably not the Top 10 either. In fact, I’ll be surprised if it’s in the Top 20.
So, they need to make their world bigger. Much, much bigger.
It’s do or die time.
Place your bets.
I bet with the head, not the heart. Past is prologue. The child is the father of the Man … What you got before will continue because people have been and are, and it seems will continue to support it.
There was a report, by a company called " Super Data" Not sure what that is, but it seems they tabulated the top grossing games for 2014… yes World of Warcraft was #1.
There were 2 games by NCSoft in the top 10.
neither was Gw2. They were Aion, and Blood & Soul. Gw2 is not in the top 10 grossing.
Gw2 does not have advanced graphics, and the awesome art direction has done a smoke and mirrors so no one notices.
I know give Picasso a crayon, and he outdoes any third rate artist with oils. But… while the art does a LOT to cover up the game engine, the game engine is still dated.
Games are coming out that have more " oomph" And here there will be many that will say “ya ya they said the same about TESO and Wildstar”
Well… Warlords of Draenor is a few Months away, but more importantly. Archeage is Open beta tomorrow, and will be released on the 16th… free 2 play…sandbox…
Many of the threads we have had since release. What do they want?
- Mounts, Combat, cosmetic, and speed boost. ( I am against that for this game.)
- Open World PvP
- Player Housing
- Guild Halls
- Fishing
- Less Instanced play
All of that is gonna be in it. The Only downside is the stigma associated with " Korean Grinder" but…we’re playing Gw2. A game ultimately owned by NCSoft, a Korean company, that many say has " grind" in it’s legendary and ascended aspects….
The Irony.
Just saying… we lost a few to Wildstar, we lost a few to ESO…Not many…. but a few.
What happens when Archeage Sand-park ( combo sandbox theme park) is live?
What happens when Warlords of Draenor goes live? We all know the WoW players almost always return to explore the new expansion, before they…either come back…stay… or… try another game
What about EQ Next?
Her is the thing, we MMO players LOVE to anticipate things from our favorite MMO’s. Whether it is a new playable race, a new class… or a new way to experience PvP… Our brains actually crave new content. Now.. many are statisfied with Living Story, but there is a bunch of players that don’t. These are the ones craving an expansion… and… there doesn’t seem to be one in the works.
It’s two years in. Most MMO’s have an expansion out by now. Ask yourself In the past two years, has Anet released " An expansion’s worth of content"?
If it has or if players anticipate it might, Anet has zero to be concerned about.
On the other hand…. for those that crave NEW, There are games coming out that offer NEW. Some of these may not be happy with " Living Story" and see no expansion coming. Seriously…. who is betting they stay?
The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
(edited by Nerelith.7360)