Guild Wars 2

GW2 has maybe the most beautiful underwater world & combat, the best swimming animations and the best watery scenery in general, in any mmo i can think.
So why not having fishing? It would be great imho and its a <default> option for the majority of mmo’s anymore.
Thank you.

*EDIT
I m not suggesting GW2 should implement fishing as another gathering method.
If its not possible or disliked by the majority of players, i could accept fishing as a fun only activity, where you can spend your time by unlocking achievements & records, participate in contests and tournaments, unlock underwater gear/weapon/fishing pole skins, obtain aquatic miniatures etc. This imho wont hurt anyone

Only if they build in Wii mote support for the fishing scenes.

We only wish to catch a fish!

Back in the day…

Linsey Murdock

Some Chefs out there may have noticed that there is not a single recipe with fish in it. Nor do fish in the rivers, lakes, and oceans of Tyria drop fish meat. This was all done intentionally.

We aren’t going to have fishing on release and we may not even have it any time soon (initial expansions/Live updates), but there is a place for it when the time comes.

So after almost 3 years the time hasn’t come yet?

Fishing should work like this:

• Requires talking to an NPC in your race’s starting area to get the character’s first fishing rod.
• Rod variations with different functionalities are unlocked with all sorts of challenges all over the world, including getting achievements and training masteries. Some rods will have level requirements, while others won’t.
• There would also be rod skins to override their default looks.
• Different rods variations and rod skins are selected in the wardrobe.
• Once a character has unlocked fishing, all unlocked rod skins and all rod variations are available to them as soon as they reach their level requirement.
• Instead consuming rod uses like the other gathering tools, it uses ‘bait’ gathering tools that have 50 uses that is tradable, and can be crafted with the Cook discipline. Higher tier fishing nodes require higher tier baits.
• There would be everlasting baits in the gemstore and from ascended level 500 cooking crafting for reasonable prices.
• To fish, you don’t simply use the node and watch it go. When you use the node, you enter cinematic mode (invulnerable and can’t see other players or their effects so they can’t troll you by getting in the way or pulling enemies on you) and get in first person, and start a mini-game with 5 skills in your skill bar. You have to time the skills to catch the fish… or whatever else is on the hook.
• Fishing can give fish trophies, fish and other seafood, some jewels, pearls, corals and salvageable items like leather boots, scraps of metal and cloth; and a few types of junk.
• Sometimes some amphibious sea creatures may spawm instead getting an item drop. The creature will hold the drop and must be defeated to get them. You may find yourself fighting an angry hylek, an infuriated krait, a disoriented quaggan, a skelk, a drake or even a karka. Even more rarely they will be veterans or even elites. However the they are defeated and regardless or anything else they may drop, they will also drop a chest only the fisher can open with the drops from the fish node that were ‘interecepted’ by the creature.
• You have 3 attempts to catch a fish, but if you get a catch, the node is used up regardless of remaining attempts.
• Failed attempts give “broken fishing hook” junk items.
• There would be Fishing Masteries. Among other things, they can increase the number of attempts you get per node from 3 to five, improve the skills to be more effective, and make some rare or difficult fish easier to find and catch.
• Different regions will have different fish.
• There would be one basic fish collection per region, plus a rare collection unlocked with the rewards of each basic collection.
• Fishing would be added along ascended and legendary cooking.

Hm… yup.. I think that’ll do it.

MithranArkanere.8957:

Fishing should work like this:

• Requires talking to an NPC in your race’s starting area to get the character’s first fishing rod.
• Rod variations with different functionalities are unlocked with all sorts of challenges all over the world, including getting achievements and training masteries. Some rods will have level requirements, while others won’t.
• There would also be rod skins to override their default looks.
• Different rods variations and rod skins are selected in the wardrobe.
• Once a character has unlocked fishing, all unlocked rod skins and all rod variations are available to them as soon as they reach their level requirement.
• Instead consuming uses for rods, it uses a ‘bait’ gathering tools that have 50 uses and is crafted with the Cook discipline. Higher tier fishing nodes require higher tier baits.
• There would be everlasting baits in the gemstore and from ascended level 500 cooking crafting for reasonable prices.
• To fish, you don’t simply use the node and watch it go. When you use the node, you enter cinematic mode (invulnerable and can’t see other players or their effects so they can’t troll you by getting in the way or pulling enemies on you) and get in first person, and start a mini-game with 5 skills in your skill bar. You have to time the skills to catch the fish… or whatever else is on the hook.
• Fishing can give fish trophies, fish and other seafood, some jewels, pearls, corals and salvageable items like leather boots, scraps of metal and cloth; and a few types of junk.
• Sometimes some amphibious sea creatures may spawm instead getting an item drop. The creature will hold the drop and must be defeated to get them. You may find yourself fighting an angry hylek, an infuriated krait, a disoriented quaggan, a skelk, a drake or even a karka. Even more rarely they will be veterans or even elites. However the they are defeated and regardless or anything else they may drop, they will also drop a chest only the fisher can open with the drops from the fish node that were ‘interecepted’ by the creature.
• You have 3 attempts to catch a fish, but if you get a catch, the node is used up regardless of remaining attempts.
• Failed attempts give “broken fishing hook” junk items.
• There would be Fishing Masteries. Among other things, they can increase the number of attempts you get per node from 3 to five, improve the skills to be more effective, and make some rare or difficult fish easier to find and catch.
• Different regions will have different fish.
• There would be one basic fish collection per region, plus a rare collection unlocked with the rewards of each basic collection.
• Fishing would be added along ascended and legendary cooking.

Hm… yup.. I think that’ll do it.

+1…anet, read this and make it

ESO has this allot easier….just find a place to fish, select bait and fish.

FFXIV got the best fishing imho

I would love fishing, it’s always a welcome addition to games for me and often times becomes the activity I go to when everything else has gotten stale and boring (of course then again I just like fishing in general).

Not to mention, as was said, it could add something new to the crafting professions with a way to get fish meat, scales, bones and such. Maybe things like eyes and organs for artificers?

Honestly there are times I might be on a lot more then I already am if I could just sit and fish for hours.

MithranArkanere.8957:

Fishing should work like this:

• Requires talking to an NPC in your race’s starting area to get the character’s first fishing rod.
• Rod variations with different functionalities are unlocked with all sorts of challenges all over the world, including getting achievements and training masteries. Some rods will have level requirements, while others won’t.
• There would also be rod skins to override their default looks.
• Different rods variations and rod skins are selected in the wardrobe.
• Once a character has unlocked fishing, all unlocked rod skins and all rod variations are available to them as soon as they reach their level requirement.
• Instead consuming rod uses like the other gathering tools, it uses ‘bait’ gathering tools that have 50 uses that is tradable, and can be crafted with the Cook discipline. Higher tier fishing nodes require higher tier baits.
• There would be everlasting baits in the gemstore and from ascended level 500 cooking crafting for reasonable prices.
• To fish, you don’t simply use the node and watch it go. When you use the node, you enter cinematic mode (invulnerable and can’t see other players or their effects so they can’t troll you by getting in the way or pulling enemies on you) and get in first person, and start a mini-game with 5 skills in your skill bar. You have to time the skills to catch the fish… or whatever else is on the hook.
• Fishing can give fish trophies, fish and other seafood, some jewels, pearls, corals and salvageable items like leather boots, scraps of metal and cloth; and a few types of junk.
• Sometimes some amphibious sea creatures may spawm instead getting an item drop. The creature will hold the drop and must be defeated to get them. You may find yourself fighting an angry hylek, an infuriated krait, a disoriented quaggan, a skelk, a drake or even a karka. Even more rarely they will be veterans or even elites. However the they are defeated and regardless or anything else they may drop, they will also drop a chest only the fisher can open with the drops from the fish node that were ‘interecepted’ by the creature.
• You have 3 attempts to catch a fish, but if you get a catch, the node is used up regardless of remaining attempts.
• Failed attempts give “broken fishing hook” junk items.
• There would be Fishing Masteries. Among other things, they can increase the number of attempts you get per node from 3 to five, improve the skills to be more effective, and make some rare or difficult fish easier to find and catch.
• Different regions will have different fish.
• There would be one basic fish collection per region, plus a rare collection unlocked with the rewards of each basic collection.
• Fishing would be added along ascended and legendary cooking.

Hm… yup.. I think that’ll do it.

Genius. +1

The one constant I’ve seen in fishing in games is that you have to hover your mouse over the hook waiting for the random moment when the bobber splashes so you can click.

I hate this.

While I don’t know how to get around it without making it far too easy for botters, it ruins fishing for me because I can’t text-chat while one hand is glued to the mouse. So it becomes an activity on which I must focus all my attention but in which nothing happens for large blocks of time, blocks long enough to make me want to check a forum, respond to a quip in gchat, manage my inventory, etc. And all I can do is stare at one spot on the screen with my finger poised to hit a button.

Please no.

Mamatereza.1709:

So after almost 3 years the time hasn’t come yet?

The timing reminds me of some rather boring outdoor activities…..

If you want to fish so bad then go get a stick, a string(about 4+ ft in length), and a metal hook. Then go down to your local lake/stream and stand there in the REAL sunshine and fresh air. I’d rather the devs work on stuff for HoT or maybe even finally fixing traits.

I’m going to ask the question that needs to be asked: why fishing? Next you’ll be calling for a fifth gathering thing where you carve up the wild life to get meat and hides…

I get that these features were popular in other games, but GW2 isn’t those other games. Can we please stop trying to make GW2 just another clone of those other games? GW2 has a good thing going on right now with it’s easy gathering/crafting system. There is no reason to further complicate it. We don’t need a fourth or fifth gathering method.

Mamatereza.1709:

FFXIV got the best fishing imho

I HIGHLY agree!

I think fishing is one of my most favorite activities in FFXIV. As with real world fishing, it’s peaceful and quiet. And you never really know what you’re going to catch.

Zera Allimatti.2541:

I’m going to ask the question that needs to be asked: why fishing? Next you’ll be calling for a fifth gathering thing where you carve up the wild life to get meat and hides…

I get that these features were popular in other games, but GW2 isn’t those other games. Can we please stop trying to make GW2 just another clone of those other games? GW2 has a good thing going on right now with it’s easy gathering/crafting system. There is no reason to further complicate it. We don’t need a fourth or fifth gathering method.

Fishing has it’s benefits. Even if it’s not used as a means of harvesting, it can be an achievement category and provide a soothing past time after a difficult fight. The OP is correct… GW2 has some of the most beautiful scenery and underwater effects of any game. Why not make the waters of Tyria a place for something more than just fighting?

Donari.5237:

The one constant I’ve seen in fishing in games is that you have to hover your mouse over the hook waiting for the random moment when the bobber splashes so you can click.

I hate this.

While I don’t know how to get around it without making it far too easy for botters, it ruins fishing for me because I can’t text-chat while one hand is glued to the mouse. So it becomes an activity on which I must focus all my attention but in which nothing happens for large blocks of time, blocks long enough to make me want to check a forum, respond to a quip in gchat, manage my inventory, etc. And all I can do is stare at one spot on the screen with my finger poised to hit a button.

Please no.

That reminds me of fishing in Torchlight.
Never liked that one.

As I imagined it working in GW2, it’ll be a minigame in which you don’t wait to click or have to be AFK. It’ll be quicker, so you don’t have to spend more than 5-10 seconds per catch. And you won’t stand all day in one spot. There would be a subsection of the Tyrian Explorer’s Society that manages fishing quotas, so you can’t fish more than once on each spot.

The minigame itself would be like a very short bell choir game with 5 skills instead of 8, and very short songs with 5-15 notes. And fish moves and rod counter-moves instead notes.
When you use the node, you get 7 skills. 1-5 for the minigame, 6 to start, and 0 to leave without using up the node, just in case you notice you brought the wrong rod.
So you can read the descriptions of skills 1-5 before starting with 6.

• Reel – the usual reel.
• Release – releases a bit of reel to ease tension.
• Grip – Hold the rod tight.
• Fast pull – Pull the rod fast.
• Strong pull – Pull the rod firmly.

Each skill would have to be used based on what the ‘fish’ (a somewhat blurry shadow in the water) does. For example, a fish could ahve these 5 moves:

• Pause – The fish is tired. Use reel.
• Pull – The fish is pulling hard away. Use Release so the line doesnt break.
• Struggle – The fish is fighting in place. Use grip.
• Jump – The fist jumped out of the water, use Pull Rod to make them skip closer without resistance.
• Dive – The fish is going down! Use Strong Pull to counter! It’s super effective!

Different fish would have different moves at different timings, making their patterns easier or harder to predict and their movies easier or harder to counter.

punkinkatt.4823:

Zera Allimatti.2541:

I’m going to ask the question that needs to be asked: why fishing? Next you’ll be calling for a fifth gathering thing where you carve up the wild life to get meat and hides…

I get that these features were popular in other games, but GW2 isn’t those other games. Can we please stop trying to make GW2 just another clone of those other games? GW2 has a good thing going on right now with it’s easy gathering/crafting system. There is no reason to further complicate it. We don’t need a fourth or fifth gathering method.

Fishing has it’s benefits. Even if it’s not used as a means of harvesting, it can be an achievement category and provide a soothing past time after a difficult fight. The OP is correct… GW2 has some of the most beautiful scenery and underwater effects of any game. Why not make the waters of Tyria a place for something more than just fighting?

While I can understand the desire for incentive to stay underwater longer, the people who truly appreciate the environments for what they are will just jump into the water and go for a swim and explore, incentives be kitten ed. Please don’t try to lump an additional gathering feature with the desire to explore. The only thing stopping you self-proclaimed explorers/appreciators of the environments from enjoying said environments is you, not a lack of fishing.

IF ArenaNet really wanted/needed to make underwater more appealing, they can do so by improving underwater combat (possibly by adding several utility skills that are only for underwater instead of just taking the normal pool of utility skills, cutting out 60% of them, and make the remaining 40% available for underwater use (I’m using rough estimates here (hell yeah triple parentheses because I can))).

Fishing should be finally added, it would do so great with Crafting, addign new forms of materials for example for Cooking, that could be used to make Chef go for 500 finally also too with some special Seafood Materials

ALso Digging should be added finally too, we have the shovels, in the Sivlerwates we actualyl use them now to dig up treasures… so why the peep hell can’t we use thenm also to dig up at special spots that are made for it material fors crafting, like for example crystaline ore and special new jewels (diamonds for example) , to make out of it t7 materials for getting Jeweler too 500 with new jeweler recipes that allow jewelers to refine Runes and Sigils to Ascended Runes and Sigils to make Jewelers more worthful as a Craftign Job.
Also through Digging we could get rarely for example that still missing Xunlai Craftign Material or at least something, with that Jewelers could make it…

Look for Breath of Fire 3 fishing, that RPG had such awesome fishing mechanics.
Different rods and baits, types of fishes, depending on the bait and how you pull it you rise the chances of getting a specific fish.

For those who say we don’t need another gathering profession: I didn’t said GW2 should implement fishing as another gathering method.
If its not possible or disliked by the majority of players, i could accept fishing as a fun only activity, where you can spend your time by unlocking achievements & records, participate in contests and tournaments, unlock underwater gear/weapon skins, obtain aquatic miniatures etc. This imho wont hurt anyone

No fishing in this game doesn’t bother me. I fished myself out on LOTRO and Rift already.

Why do we need fishing poles when our characters can dive in the water and attack them with a Harpoon Gun/Spear/Trident?

Just make more fish-based loot out of Barracudas if you want the chef materials so bad!

We have at least one fishing pole already in the game, as shown in my screenshot above. It was in Snowden Drifts, I think, in an underwater cave. Seems odd to have such a thing, and yet have no use for it.

penelopehannibal.8947:

Why do we need fishing poles when our characters can dive in the water and attack them with a Harpoon Gun/Spear/Trident?

Just make more fish-based loot out of Barracudas if you want the chef materials so bad!

I m talking about fishing and you are talking about underwater combat…Plus as i mentioned above its not about mats or another gathering profession, but as a very fun, challenging and rewarding activity.

MithranArkanere.8957:

Donari.5237:

The one constant I’ve seen in fishing in games is that you have to hover your mouse over the hook waiting for the random moment when the bobber splashes so you can click.

I hate this.

While I don’t know how to get around it without making it far too easy for botters, it ruins fishing for me because I can’t text-chat while one hand is glued to the mouse. So it becomes an activity on which I must focus all my attention but in which nothing happens for large blocks of time, blocks long enough to make me want to check a forum, respond to a quip in gchat, manage my inventory, etc. And all I can do is stare at one spot on the screen with my finger poised to hit a button.

Please no.

That reminds me of fishing in Torchlight.
Never liked that one.

As I imagined it working in GW2, it’ll be a minigame in which you don’t wait to click or have to be AFK. It’ll be quicker, so you don’t have to spend more than 5-10 seconds per catch. And you won’t stand all day in one spot. There would be a subsection of the Tyrian Explorer’s Society that manages fishing quotas, so you can’t fish more than once on each spot.

The minigame itself would be like a very short bell choir game with 5 skills instead of 8, and very short songs with 5-15 notes. And fish moves and rod counter-moves instead notes.
When you use the node, you get 7 skills. 1-5 for the minigame, 6 to start, and 0 to leave without using up the node, just in case you notice you brought the wrong rod.
So you can read the descriptions of skills 1-5 before starting with 6.

• Reel – the usual reel.
• Release – releases a bit of reel to ease tension.
• Grip – Hold the rod tight.
• Fast pull – Pull the rod fast.
• Strong pull – Pull the rod firmly.

Each skill would have to be used based on what the ‘fish’ (a somewhat blurry shadow in the water) does. For example, a fish could ahve these 5 moves:

• Pause – The fish is tired. Use reel.
• Pull – The fish is pulling hard away. Use Release so the line doesnt break.
• Struggle – The fish is fighting in place. Use grip.
• Jump – The fist jumped out of the water, use Pull Rod to make them skip closer without resistance.
• Dive – The fish is going down! Use Strong Pull to counter! It’s super effective!

Different fish would have different moves at different timings, making their patterns easier or harder to predict and their movies easier or harder to counter.

Thats exactly how sport fishing works in Archeage. Its a good system, but really boring to do alone. Since GW2 doesnt have ships – which is half the fun of fishing in Archeage – I cant really imagine standing on the shore and doing it. Its going to be very repetive, very fast.

yeah GvG fishing wars.. sounds like a plan ANET!

On a side note.. I agree GW2 has some of the best underwater scenery and animations that I have come across in spanning over 10years of MMO’s, but sadly it also seems to be just that…scenery. It seems to have been nothing but a passing thought of a developer once upon a time but never went any further than “that looks pretty amaz… well pretty”

Bloodstealer.5978:

yeah GvG fishing wars.. sounds like a plan ANET!

On a side note.. I agree GW2 has some of the best underwater scenery and animations that I have come across in spanning over 10years of MMO’s, but sadly it also seems to be just that…scenery. It seems to have been nothing but a passing thought of a developer once upon a time but never went any further than “that looks pretty amaz… well pretty”

You never know

We already have fishing. Get weapons, jump in water, kill giant fish, receive loot.

What we’ve done away with is the boring poles, lures, waiting, and small fish.

PopeUrban.2578:

We already have fishing. Get weapons, jump in water, kill giant fish, receive loot.

What we’ve done away with is the boring poles, lures, waiting, and small fish.

Once again…
I m talking about fishing and you are talking about underwater combat…Plus as i mentioned already, it can be implemented as a very fun, challenging and rewarding activity, where you can spend your time by unlocking achievements & records, participate in contests and tournaments, unlock underwater gear/weapon/fishing pole skins, obtain aquatic miniatures etc.
Btw where is the problem? Its not about mats, gear, progression or anything like that. Its only about fun. If someone doesn’t like fishing just skip it. Let those who likes it have fun.

Mamatereza.1709:

PopeUrban.2578:

We already have fishing. Get weapons, jump in water, kill giant fish, receive loot.

What we’ve done away with is the boring poles, lures, waiting, and small fish.

Once again…
I m talking about fishing and you are talking about underwater combat…Plus as i mentioned already, it can be implemented as a very fun, challenging and rewarding activity, where you can spend your time by unlocking achievements & records, participate in contests and tournaments, unlock underwater gear/weapon/fishing pole skins, obtain aquatic miniatures etc.
Btw where is the problem? Its not about mats, gear, progression or anything like that. Its only about fun. If someone doesn’t like fishing just skip it. Let those who likes it have fun.

Was half joking, but really, fishing would be as central to the experience as any other side activity if it were to have any depth. If it were used as a resource collection mechanic, it would end up iplemented in the quick and dirty “click here with tool” approach to achieve parity with other resource gathering.

It’s not a slight against fishing as much as it is a fact about what sort of game GW2 is. It’s not a variant activity sandbox. It’s a game about beating stuff up, and all content revolves around beating stuff up and occasionally talking to NPCs in one way or another.

If we were talking about a game with existing deep resource collection mechanics (surveying for minerals, planting crops, etc.) then I could see fishing working how people seem to like it, but I can’t see it as an actual minigame unless confined to the space of an actual minigame, like keg toss and the like. It would make acquiring fish unreasonably difficult compared to other materials.

I do not understand why some people want fishing so badly. It serves no real purpose. You can see pretty things and do peaceful, relaxing activities without fishing. There are plenty of things to craft/cook already. I mean, to each his own and all that, but I just personally don’t get it.

Mamatereza.1709:

So why not having fishing?

When it’s ready!

RoseofGilead.8907:

I do not understand why some people want fishing so badly. It serves no real purpose. You can see pretty things and do peaceful, relaxing activities without fishing. There are plenty of things to craft/cook already. I mean, to each his own and all that, but I just personally don’t get it.

The entire game has no purpose, lol. We’re all just playing it to have fun.

I’m all for fishing! Also, having it as a gathering method as well. There is no reason why one shouldn’t be rewarded and receive in game progression while fishing.

I say why not. It seems that have teams that work on smaller priority stuff, so I’d be delighted if this was on their list of fun features to ad as they get the time.

while I really would not mind this addition, you could as well ask why no spaceships or golf.

FISH!……..! nice relaxing fish.

RoseofGilead.8907:

I do not understand why some people want fishing so badly. It serves no real purpose. You can see pretty things and do peaceful, relaxing activities without fishing. There are plenty of things to craft/cook already. I mean, to each his own and all that, but I just personally don’t get it.

It’s kind of like playing a slot machine. Some of the random things you get a really cute or cool. It’s just another form of RNG, but with a twist.

I’ve always enjoyed fishing in games. But I’ve always loved fishing IRL too, so there’s that.

Of course, getting that super rare fish or loot is a bonus.

It would be nice to have as a casual/social activioty.

GW2 is one of the most social, casual and friendly MMO’s out there, but the total lack of social options within the game is a bit meh. Would be nice to see some social systems added at some point

Why not fishing? You might as well ask, “why can’t GW2 chefs craft bacon? or poutine?”

Even if they just added fish as a drop from killing fishes that’d be a start. But that would also require a load of fish based recepies for cookery.

rapthorne.7345:

It would be nice to have as a casual/social activioty.

GW2 is one of the most social, casual and friendly MMO’s out there, but the total lack of social options within the game is a bit meh. Would be nice to see some social systems added at some point

Yes, that’s what i m talking about. A nice, relaxing casual activity which combined with some sort of tournaments may give some fluff rewards. No new professions, no new cooking materials, not anything like that. Just a fun activity.