Guild Wars 2

This phrase seems to be appearing more and more on this forum, used as a justification for everything from wanting to farm 24/7 to wanting rewards for little more than logging on.

Am I wrong in thinking when Anet actually said that it referred ONLY to the lack of dedicated roles for professions? That there are no healer professions, or tanks or DPS. So you don’t pick your professions and then you’re locked into that role forevermore. If you want to hang back and focus on support one day, then switch to DPS the next you can.

It was never intended to mean that you could achieve absolutely any goal by doing whatever you want and never having to touch other areas of the game or spend more/less time than you want. Something even free-roaming sandbox games don’t provide to the extent that some people are asking for it.

Am I wrong?

(Minor edit for punctuation.)

No, I don’t think you’re wrong.

I had a whole lot more typed out but when I read before posting it was just repeating your post. So I’ll just stick with the shortened version.

I had thought it was about playing the game safely in your home without clothes on.

No, it is a general ideal in gaming seen especially around the MMO genre. The idea is that you should be able to be self-directed in your gaming, play it your way, and not experience any sense of penalty because you are not following the herd. Basically, rewards systems should take into consideration the possibility of different playstyles and not mandate any specific subset.

Yup, “play how you want” is probably the worst thing ANet ever said.

People constantly use it as a way to excuse players who run weak builds, weak gear or aren’t willing to learn encounters.

Ferguson.2157:

I had thought it was about playing the game safely in your home without clothes on.

I wanted to play Guild Wars 2 without wearing clothes and it did indeed let me do that. I am impressed, even if my room mates aren’t after gazing at my barren butt.

Waffler.1257:

Ferguson.2157:

I had thought it was about playing the game safely in your home without clothes on.

I wanted to play Guild Wars 2 without wearing clothes and it did indeed let me do that. I am impressed, even if my room mates aren’t after gazing at my barren butt.

Transparent blow up chairs are the bane of nude gaming!

Danikat.8537:

Am I wrong in thinking when Anet actually said that it referred ONLY to the lack of dedicated roles for professions? That there are no healer professions, or tanks or DPS. So you don’t pick your professions and then you’re locked into that role forevermore. If you want to hang back and focus on support one day, then switch to DPS the next you can.

I think that you must be mistaken because a dedicated role for a profession is a way that some people want to play. So if the phrase referred to only a lack of dedicated roles for professions it would have been self contradictory from the very beginning. The phrase could not have meant what you think it means because the game is specifically designed to contradict your meaning.

Actually it looks the comment was actually about play the way you want and still get rewarded.

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/colin-johanson-on-guild-wars-2-in-the-months-ahead/

Unless the quote was somewhere else also. The only other place I found the quote so far was the FAQ and that is community made.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/FAQ

Isn’t Chinese whispers(telephone) fun.

Ashen.2907:

Danikat.8537:

Am I wrong in thinking when Anet actually said that it referred ONLY to the lack of dedicated roles for professions? That there are no healer professions, or tanks or DPS. So you don’t pick your professions and then you’re locked into that role forevermore. If you want to hang back and focus on support one day, then switch to DPS the next you can.

I think that you must be mistaken because a dedicated role for a profession is a way that some people want to play. So if the phrase referred to only a lack of dedicated roles for professions it would have been self contradictory from the very beginning. The phrase could not have meant what you think it means because the game is specifically designed to contradict your meaning.

I agree with Ashen on this one. In GW1, that meaning might have been true since every profession has access to every skills in your coffer. In GW2, professions doesn’t have access to skills of other profession even using the same weapon. In fact, if a Warrior in GW2 is tired of tanking and DPSing and wants to Heal one day, they can’t. In GW1, they can, not effectively, but they can.

are you sure you can switch roles so well? when switching roles means changing gear and traits in a game where more and more gear and traits are better not to change because of the cost and time consuming? changing traits is already inconvinient, let alone changing the gear accordingly…

also as much as we wish to like it, not all classes are good for all roles, and even if they were, most roles in this game are not that useful and even worse i’m starting to think that there is no reason to have class at all…

Actually, all classes can take on DPS, support and control.

Fractals at higher levels rapidly mean a combination of guardians and warriors – most other professions and often you aren’t welcome. Try getting into a lvl 30 fractal with a necro, Ranger or Engineer. Dungeons seem to be doing a similar trend with specific team members being preferred.

The classes aren’t all capable of doing it all like they claimed.

In GW1 the Ritualist became a second healer alongside the Monk, but neither were forced to do that. A monk could be an effective damage dealer or even tank, the Rit could spirit spam or bomb. I was fairly poor at healing on both, but on my necro using Rit skills it was completely different, I did a great many vanquishes and dungeons as a necro healer.

Unfortunately they gave out far too many skills, which made balancing a pain. With GW2 they have limited skills a bit too much and are relying on traits and equipment to fill the gap. For the Engineer kits fill the gap, but are less useful underwater and unavailable early on. They really should have an alternative underwater weapon.

I would prefer a little more flexibility. A new class of general skills, for things such as condition removers, running skills and extra healing skills which all classes could use I’m sure would mean a more level and interesting game.

As for not being able to target your team mates, yes you can. The Engineer can throw elixirs or fire their elixir gun to specifically hit one person. The ele can do the same with water skills. The guardian is a prime healing/buffing class. The problem is in a zerg it is almost impossible to detect who needs healing or when. Healers might not be reduced to staring at a list of people but the end result isn’t that much better.

colesy.8490:

Actually, all classes can take on DPS, support and control.

None of those roles are relevant in PvE except DPS, and it’s a long stretch to say that all classes are even remotely comparable in those unneeded support and control roles.

Yaki.9563:

colesy.8490:

Actually, all classes can take on DPS, support and control.

None of those roles are relevant in PvE except DPS, and it’s a long stretch to say that all classes are even remotely comparable in those unneeded support and control roles.

I don’t think you understand what support and control translates to in this game. Mesmer is the most generic support class in this game, as an example.

None of those roles are relevant in PvE except DPS, and it’s a long stretch to say that all classes are even remotely comparable in those unneeded support and control roles.

Wrong. Mesmers and guardians can position mobs (control) through temporal curtain, banish and line of warding (used in ascalon fractal so you can max melee range mobs). I think every class has some sort of knockdown, daze or stun as in-combat CC too.

Elementalists can offer might stacking, engineers can stack vulnerability, rangers can use spotter, warriors have banners, guardians have reflects and aegis, mesmers have boon stripping and reflects, thieves have stealth and projectile absorption. I’m only even mentioning one aspect of these classes too, they have more support roles. But just think, without the mesmer/guardian positioning mobs, we couldn’t burst them down. Without guardian aegis, we couldn’t sustain ourselves in long fights when we miss dodges. Without mesmer/guardian reflects, we couldn’t safely melee away while inflicting damage on the boss at the same time.

Support and control exist in this game, you just haven’t made an effort to look for it. And without these support elements, we could be nowhere near as efficient as we currently can be in dungeons, so support is actually a large aspect in helping the DPS aspect.

Actually you are wrong. lol

Anet explained what it meant and gave several examples, with regards to leveling. Again this goes back to what they said about grind.

In most games, in order to level you have to go from quest hub to quest hub, getting experience, until you do all the quests and then you move to the next quest hub.

In Guild Wars 2, you can level quick through crafting, slowly through WvW (but not as slowly as most games still), through dynamic events. You can stay in Queensdale and reach level 80 without ever going to the next quest hub. You can level once you get to level 30 to max level doing dungeons. Not just that but by repeating the same dungeon over and over if you like.

You have leveling options here like no other game.

And after that you can STILL go to Queensdale and spend the rest of your life doing those dynamic events. We know this because this is what some people do.

That’s what Anet meant by play the way you like. They gave you a theme park of options.

And lately that has changed. If you want ascended weapons you have to do specific content. Not very specific, but some specific content. Essentially they’re saying play the game if you want this.

The question is, is that fair enough.

Some people will say yes, some people will say no.

Yes I did see this phrase being used more lately but not to justification everything from wanting to farm 24/7 to wanting rewards for little more than logging on. It’s true that Anet removes all forms of farming (look now at SAB) and that people don’t like it but this phrase is now mainly used when people complain about the ascended gear. The highest level and so most important gear in the game and it can only be created with crafting, so if you do not like that one aspect of the game well then to bad for you. And thats why people complain about it and refer to Anets statement about play the way you want. They want the ascended gear also available in other ways. Chest from JP’s, drops from dungeons and so on. So people who prefer JP’s can get them, people who like dungeons can get them and so on and indeed people who like crafting can also get them. Just like it was with the exotics.

So it’s not what you say “you could achieve absolutely any goal by doing whatever you want”. They do not talk about every specific weapon or skin or title. It go’s about a whole level of gear (now weapon gear but armor is also coming). Take the part you dislike most in this game and imagine you need to do that to get the ascended gear level or for that matter that you need to do that to level up. Thats about the same idea.

Personally I don’t care that much because for now it’s not very useful anyway but in the near future it might become a requirement and I so dislike crafting in GW2 that I haven’t even 1 char with 1 craft over 200 (and I have the game since pre-release). Meaning that if I want to get that level of gear I am now forced to spend a few hours leveling all crafts.. some boring dragging en clicking.

Funny thing is. In other MMO’s that I played crafting was my main thing. Nearly all MMO’s have fun-crafts that let you create fun things. There are games where you can make fun items (most known will be WoW with engineering) or where you can breed you own mounts and so on. Doing that usually sends you all over the world because you need specific items or recipes and meanwhile it also lets you level your other crafts because you need some items from them as well. Every time you are looking forward to that next cool item you can craft. Crafting in GW2 is a grind until level 400 / 500 so you can finally create that thing that you want / need.

When I am bored some day I will just follow some guide to get me to the max levels so thats why I don’t care so much but I do understand why people complain about it.

Devata.6589:

Yes did did see this phrase being used more lately but not to justification everything from wanting to farm 24/7 to wanting rewards for little more than logging on. It’s true that Anet removes all form of farming (look now at SAB) and that people don’t like it but this phrase is not mainly used when people complain about the ascended gear. The highest level and so most important gear in the game and it can only be created with crafting so if you do not like that one aspect of the game well then to bad for you. And thats why people complain about it and refer to Anets statement about play the way you want. They want the ascended gear also available in other ways. Chest from JP, drops from dungeons and so on. So people who prefer JP’s can get them, people who like dungeons can get them and so on and indeed people who like crafting can also get them. Just like it was with the expansion.

Personally I don’t care that much because for now it’s not very useful anyway but in the near future it might become a requirement and I so dislike crafting in GW2 that I haven’t even 1 char with 1 craft over 200 (and I have the game since pre-release). Meaning that if I want to get that level of gear I am now forced to spend a few hours leveling all crafts be some boring dragging en clicking.

Funny thing is. In other MMO’s that I played crafting was my main thing. Nearly all MMO’s have fun-crafts that let you create fun things. There are game where you can make fun items (most known will be WoW with engineering) or where you can breed you own mounts and so on. Doing that usually sends you all over the world because you need specific items or recipes and meanwhile it also lets you level your other crafts because you need some items from them as well. Every time you are looking forward to that next cool item you can craft. Crafting in GW2 is a grind until level 400 / 500 so you can finally create that thing that you want / need.

When I am bored some day I will just follow some guide to get me to the max levels so thats why I don’t care so much but I do understand why people complain about it.

Surprisingly I agree. I don’t personally mind the crafting and I think crafting in this game needed something to give it a boost, but this isn’t the way to do it.

I’m not personally upset with how it is, because it’s no big deal for me to craft. But I can see why others would be upset about it.

colesy.8490:

Yup, “play how you want” is probably the worst thing ANet ever said.

People constantly use it as a way to excuse players who run weak builds, weak gear or aren’t willing to learn encounters.

Thats not really the “play how you want” phrase they use for those discussions. What Anet also said that because they removed the holy trinity they would give the player an option to do all taks and so you could get al sort of builds / groups. However at this moment there are just a few builds that everybody wants (beserker) and for dungeons people mainly want warriors, guardians and elementalist.

You talk about excuse for a weak build but they say.. there should not be something like a weak build or a weak class. Everything should have it’s own advantages. The weak build problem however you have in all mmo’s. Many mmo’s have many ways to build your char and it always ends in just one to max 3 builds that everybody uses because they are superior to the rest. And the removal of the holy trinity did just the contrary of what they said. In stead of making more mixed combination it became less mixed combinations. I don’t think removing the holy trinity was a bad thing. It was fresh idea that could have worked the problem is that they took it out, gave everybody all possibilities and that was it and that failed. What they should have done was giving every class very unique but also very useful abilities that would mean that every class was superior is his own way and so they where are useful so not required in good fights / dungeons. But thats not what happened.

Just for the record. While I think Anet could have done that better I do not care that much about it. It’s just to explain to you why people complain about ‘weak’ builds.

Vayne.8563:

Devata.6589:

Yes did did see this phrase being used more lately but not to justification everything from wanting to farm 24/7 to wanting rewards for little more than logging on. It’s true that Anet removes all form of farming (look now at SAB) and that people don’t like it but this phrase is not mainly used when people complain about the ascended gear. The highest level and so most important gear in the game and it can only be created with crafting so if you do not like that one aspect of the game well then to bad for you. And thats why people complain about it and refer to Anets statement about play the way you want. They want the ascended gear also available in other ways. Chest from JP, drops from dungeons and so on. So people who prefer JP’s can get them, people who like dungeons can get them and so on and indeed people who like crafting can also get them. Just like it was with the expansion.

Personally I don’t care that much because for now it’s not very useful anyway but in the near future it might become a requirement and I so dislike crafting in GW2 that I haven’t even 1 char with 1 craft over 200 (and I have the game since pre-release). Meaning that if I want to get that level of gear I am now forced to spend a few hours leveling all crafts be some boring dragging en clicking.

Funny thing is. In other MMO’s that I played crafting was my main thing. Nearly all MMO’s have fun-crafts that let you create fun things. There are game where you can make fun items (most known will be WoW with engineering) or where you can breed you own mounts and so on. Doing that usually sends you all over the world because you need specific items or recipes and meanwhile it also lets you level your other crafts because you need some items from them as well. Every time you are looking forward to that next cool item you can craft. Crafting in GW2 is a grind until level 400 / 500 so you can finally create that thing that you want / need.

When I am bored some day I will just follow some guide to get me to the max levels so thats why I don’t care so much but I do understand why people complain about it.

Surprisingly I agree. I don’t personally mind the crafting and I think crafting in this game needed something to give it a boost, but this isn’t the way to do it.

I’m not personally upset with how it is, because it’s no big deal for me to craft. But I can see why others would be upset about it.

Well it’s nice that we sometimes also agree with each other.

People are angry because they can’t make others play the way they want.

ANet never promised that.

“Play the way you want.”

Once a day. For a short period of time.

I have to disagree with you not only do they lock you into particular playstyles by types of damage but they don’t even have the anet version of their own trinity, everyone is burst dps and nothing else.

Vayne.8563:

Actually you are wrong. lol

Anet explained what it meant and gave several examples, with regards to leveling. Again this goes back to what they said about grind.

In most games, in order to level you have to go from quest hub to quest hub, getting experience, until you do all the quests and then you move to the next quest hub.

In Guild Wars 2, you can level quick through crafting, slowly through WvW (but not as slowly as most games still), through dynamic events. You can stay in Queensdale and reach level 80 without ever going to the next quest hub. You can level once you get to level 30 to max level doing dungeons. Not just that but by repeating the same dungeon over and over if you like.

You have leveling options here like no other game.

And after that you can STILL go to Queensdale and spend the rest of your life doing those dynamic events. We know this because this is what some people do.

That’s what Anet meant by play the way you like. They gave you a theme park of options.

And lately that has changed. If you want ascended weapons you have to do specific content. Not very specific, but some specific content. Essentially they’re saying play the game if you want this.

The question is, is that fair enough.

Some people will say yes, some people will say no.

Very well put, and without shots at either side of the argument. I wish everyone posted with this much civility.

BilboBaggins.5620:

Vayne.8563:

Actually you are wrong. lol

Anet explained what it meant and gave several examples, with regards to leveling. Again this goes back to what they said about grind.

In most games, in order to level you have to go from quest hub to quest hub, getting experience, until you do all the quests and then you move to the next quest hub.

In Guild Wars 2, you can level quick through crafting, slowly through WvW (but not as slowly as most games still), through dynamic events. You can stay in Queensdale and reach level 80 without ever going to the next quest hub. You can level once you get to level 30 to max level doing dungeons. Not just that but by repeating the same dungeon over and over if you like.

You have leveling options here like no other game.

And after that you can STILL go to Queensdale and spend the rest of your life doing those dynamic events. We know this because this is what some people do.

That’s what Anet meant by play the way you like. They gave you a theme park of options.

And lately that has changed. If you want ascended weapons you have to do specific content. Not very specific, but some specific content. Essentially they’re saying play the game if you want this.

The question is, is that fair enough.

Some people will say yes, some people will say no.

Very well put, and without shots at either side of the argument. I wish everyone posted with this much civility.

Actually I’m not as civil as I liked to be, which is one of the reasons I’ve seriously cut down on posting. I’d rather say nothing than not be civil from this point on.

Unfortunately, that leaves me wide open for people who would rather not be civil to me, but that I can deal with.

I want to get my Ascended by buying them on the TP like cheap exotics, so then i can focus on playing the game more and less to time to worry about them..

But apparently playing the way i like to play doesn’t exist in Guildwars 2…not anymore anyway.