Guild Wars 2

This is my opinion on how GW1 was highly replayable without the need for “progression” and grind. Also why max-stat gear for cheap is better than expensive gear. TLDR: Read the headers in bold.

Collectible Card Game-Style Skills
Two professions, each with an average of a hundred skills. Although the metagame, with the best combination of skills, greatly limited the number of optimal builds, there was always room for flexibility and wacky builds. You could play around a lot with the skill bar, and this kept the game fresh and replayable.

Extreme Build Variants
Your secondary profession, your weapon choice, the attributes you invested in (usually specialized in two or three instead of spread out), the skills you chose—your gameplay had the potential to differ greatly from build to build. The Necromancer, for example, could specialize in minions, curses, direct blood damage or party-wide enchantments, just to name a few. Each of these builds felt extremely different, and within ONE primary profession you had a lot of replayability.

Flexibility to Re-Build, Re-Gear, Experiment
Instead of reducing the sense of progression, easily attainable gear actually made you invest more into each character and made things replayable. Today you might want to try a Hammer Warrior, tomorrow you might want to try an Axe Warrior. It’s cheap to go from one to the other, so you experiment. Max stat weapons, armors, runes, all the upgrade components are fairly affordable, so you can re-gear easily. Each time you change your gear, the gameplay changes, and you have the motivation to replay. GW2, on the other hand, has relatively higher-priced exotic gear, sigils and runes. The barrier to experiment is much higher.

Game-Changing Elite Skills
Elite skills were very often the heart of every skill bar. (Admittedly, they were also the heart of the metagame and a lot balance problems.) Elite skills changed the way you played completely. A Ranger bow skill that inflicted a long burning versus one that interrupts on a very short cooldown? Or how about a skill that increases the damage of each arrow significantly? Each elite skill (and there were many) changed everything about your gameplay.

Different Builds for Different Purposes
This is about the metagame. In the metagame, for maximum efficiency, your farming build differed totally from your missions build different totally from your exploration build. True, some were gimmicky, but they were different. And that kept your character and gameplay fresh through the different things you do.

The Synergy of Build and Gear Flexibility
So with the possibility of multiple builds (even with the metagame, there were still many viable builds), the use of different builds for different situations and activities, the ease of re-gearing and experimentation, and vastly different gameplay depending on build and gear, it all came together to keep things novel and replayable.

And that is how, in my opinion, GW1 was replayable without resorting to grind. There are very significant design differences between GW1 and GW2. Maybe this is why GW2 can’t do without having “progression”, because the game isn’t designed to be replay-sustainable with static gear tiers like GW1 was.

Edit: Of course, this all hinges on you enjoying trying out different builds and gears, in a way, assembling different “decks”. Perhaps a better title would be GW1: Replayable without Grind through Variability. Naturally, GW1 game design isn’t the answer that would fit everyone, but it’s a way cheap, static gear tiers worked.

I didn’t think GW1 was replayable at all, to be honest. Not saying you’re wrong. Just saying there are different views.

That being said, farming IS grind, IMO. And farming is fun. It’s just not fun in this game because all you are doing out there is selling stuff or salvaging stuff. No chance of an upgrade to drop (ok, maybe an exotic, but I have a better shot at winning the Powerball), no chance of a collectible pet to drop, no chance of anything but vendor-trash and crafting materials.

It’s pretty boring to me, to be honest.

Shootsfoot.9276:

I didn’t think GW1 was replayable at all, to be honest. Not saying you’re wrong. Just saying there are different views.

Could you provide us with some insight on why you think so? Inquiring minds want to know.

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

CorruptedSave.2570:

Shootsfoot.9276:

I didn’t think GW1 was replayable at all, to be honest. Not saying you’re wrong. Just saying there are different views.

Could you provide us with some insight on why you think so? Inquiring minds want to know.

I too would like details on the subject’s point of view. The amount of variables in the previous game allowed for tremendous amounts of replayability if a person chose to well.. play the game.

I didn’t think gw1 was replayable at all. It also wasn’t a mmo. It was a single player game with some online. I don’t know a single person I game with that lasted more than a month or 2 before quitting out of sheer boredom. Took no time to hit 20 and get maxxed everything, then a few runs and you had all the skills you needed. After that you either pvped or quit and played better games.

IllegalChocolate.6938:

CorruptedSave.2570:

Shootsfoot.9276:

I didn’t think GW1 was replayable at all, to be honest. Not saying you’re wrong. Just saying there are different views.

Could you provide us with some insight on why you think so? Inquiring minds want to know.

I too would like details on the subject’s point of view. The amount of variables in the previous game allowed for tremendous amounts of replayability if a person chose to well.. play the game.

So, because I didn’t like PvP, I chose not to “play the game?”

If you say so.

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

What gear? All you had to do was buy it? And what was the point of playing around with builds in PvE?

There’s over 2000 posts about this same crap.
I’m so tired of this.

If you don’t like the game leave.

Genesis.5169:

There’s over 2000 posts about this same crap.
I’m so tired of this.

If you don’t like the game leave.

So why did you open the thread?

No seriously….why did you open it?

Alright, for those of you who claim no replayability, you mind linking your hall of monuments? just curious.

Ah, here we go….

It’s as if I’m on the WoW forums….“Your opinion doesn’t count, bro, your arena rating is only 1200”

Shootsfoot.9276:

Ah, here we go….

You opened the door :P

I’m just saying it would be a lot more valuable if you could atleast give us some more detailed examples and information on your point of view.

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Ah, here we go….

You opened the door :P

Nope. I offered an opinion of a game.

Now you’re going to whip out your kitten as if it’s a legitimate argument.

Buh-bye

Suffice to say Guild Wars 1 and Guild Wars 2 are very distinct games, sharing basically only the lore between them. Learn this, and take off those nostalgia goggles.

Keep in mind that in Guild Wars 1 “Different Builds for Different Situations” meant “One Good Build per Situation per Profession or you’re never finding a group”.

Shootsfoot.9276:

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Ah, here we go….

You opened the door :P

Nope. I offered an opinion of a game.

Now you’re going to whip out your kitten to as if it’s a legitimate argument.

Buh-bye

The original poster offered a full detailed explanation of his point of view, the atleast you can do is match it with an argument that is equally substantial in information.

Shootsfoot.9276:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

What gear? All you had to do was buy it? And what was the point of playing around with builds in PvE?

That counts as gear too.

And personally, as a personal preference (emphasized in fear of making what I say sound like law), I liked playing with different builds. One day I could go as a Minion Master, the other I could go with Spiteful Spirit, just to name two of the more widely-used ones. That, to me, was fun. So as I said, the points in my OP are not relevant to you if this isn’t what you enjoy.

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Ah, here we go….

You opened the door :P

Nope. I offered an opinion of a game.

Now you’re going to whip out your kitten to as if it’s a legitimate argument.

Buh-bye

The original poster offered a full detailed explanation of his point of view, the atleast you can do is match it with an argument that is equally substantial in information.

Just because the OP can write a good essay doesn’t mean all that he said could be shortened to an argument equal to Shootsfoot statement.

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Ah, here we go….

You opened the door :P

Nope. I offered an opinion of a game.

Now you’re going to whip out your kitten to as if it’s a legitimate argument.

Buh-bye

The original poster offered a full detailed explanation of his point of view, the atleast you can do is match it with an argument that is equally substantial in information.

My information is, if you dislike the game so much that your able to write a long detailed report about it on the forums.

You dislike the game enough to leave.

I don’t like people complaining for the sake of complaining or just complaining in general to the masses to get sympathy. Personally i dont see the freaking point in all of this, there’s no subscription stop playing. That’s all.

Really guys.

If you don’t like playing and you can point out so many faults with the game.

Stop. Playing.

No one is forcing you, not even that dreaded monthly bill.

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

What gear? All you had to do was buy it? And what was the point of playing around with builds in PvE?

That counts as gear too.

And personally, as a personal preference (emphasized in fear of making what I say sound like law), I liked playing with different builds. One day I could go as a Minion Master, the other I could go with Spiteful Spirit, just to name two of the more widely-used ones. That, to me, was fun. So as I said, the points in my OP are not relevant to you if this isn’t what you enjoy.

No offense OP. but it is relevant to anybody who plays this game. If you do not want input from gw2 players, go to the gw1 forums.

Vermillion Hawk.9037:

Suffice to say Guild Wars 1 and Guild Wars 2 are very distinct games, sharing basically only the lore between them. Learn this, and take off those nostalgia goggles.

Yes, I agree, I acknowledged that in my concluding paragraph.

Keep in mind that in Guild Wars 1 “Different Builds for Different Situations” meant “One Good Build per Situation per Profession or you’re never finding a group”.

Perhaps for the difficult dungeons, but less so for cooperative missions. The build metagame did create other problems for gameplay and balance. But nonetheless those problems existed in an environment of highly accessible gear.

Genesis.5169:

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Ah, here we go….

You opened the door :P

Nope. I offered an opinion of a game.

Now you’re going to whip out your kitten to as if it’s a legitimate argument.

Buh-bye

The original poster offered a full detailed explanation of his point of view, the atleast you can do is match it with an argument that is equally substantial in information.

My information is, if you dislike the game so much that your able to write a long detailed report about it on the forums.

You dislike the game enough to leave.

I don’t like people complaining for the sake of complaining or just complaining in general to the masses to get sympathy. Personally i dont see the freaking point in all of this, there’s no subscription stop playing. That’s all.

Really guys.

If you don’t like playing and you can point out so many faults with the game.

Stop. Playing.

No one is forcing you, not even that dreaded monthly bill.

See, this would be optimal, but as it happens people apparently express their “love” for ANet and the game via their borderline-hatemongering critiques and obligatory “I’m leaving” posts. Because saying your leaving improves the game, apparently.

Fortunately, people like the OP provide constructive criticism.

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Ah, here we go….

You opened the door :P

Nope. I offered an opinion of a game.

Now you’re going to whip out your kitten to as if it’s a legitimate argument.

Buh-bye

The original poster offered a full detailed explanation of his point of view, the atleast you can do is match it with an argument that is equally substantial in information.

And what was your counter-argument?

“Show me your hall of monuments.”

Seriously?

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

What gear? All you had to do was buy it? And what was the point of playing around with builds in PvE?

That counts as gear too.

And personally, as a personal preference (emphasized in fear of making what I say sound like law), I liked playing with different builds. One day I could go as a Minion Master, the other I could go with Spiteful Spirit, just to name two of the more widely-used ones. That, to me, was fun. So as I said, the points in my OP are not relevant to you if this isn’t what you enjoy.

So, in other words, I shouldn’t have looked at a forum post and answered it with a counter opinion.

I’ll have to remember that.

ArcTheFallen.7682:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

What gear? All you had to do was buy it? And what was the point of playing around with builds in PvE?

That counts as gear too.

And personally, as a personal preference (emphasized in fear of making what I say sound like law), I liked playing with different builds. One day I could go as a Minion Master, the other I could go with Spiteful Spirit, just to name two of the more widely-used ones. That, to me, was fun. So as I said, the points in my OP are not relevant to you if this isn’t what you enjoy.

No offense OP. but it is relevant to anybody who plays this game. If you do not want input from gw2 players, go to the gw1 forums.

Gee, you misunderstand me.

Of course I appreciate Shootsfoot’s point. I’m saying that I have my preferences, he has his. Which I understand and respect. And because he has different preferences, my opinions for replayability would not mean anything to him, because HIS kind of replayable differs from MY kind of replayable.

axiology.5807:

ArcTheFallen.7682:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

What gear? All you had to do was buy it? And what was the point of playing around with builds in PvE?

That counts as gear too.

And personally, as a personal preference (emphasized in fear of making what I say sound like law), I liked playing with different builds. One day I could go as a Minion Master, the other I could go with Spiteful Spirit, just to name two of the more widely-used ones. That, to me, was fun. So as I said, the points in my OP are not relevant to you if this isn’t what you enjoy.

No offense OP. but it is relevant to anybody who plays this game. If you do not want input from gw2 players, go to the gw1 forums.

Gee, you misunderstand me.

Of course I appreciate Shootsfoot’s point. I’m saying that I have my preferences, he has his. Which I understand and respect. And because he has different preferences, my opinions for replayability would not mean anything to him, because HIS kind of replayable differs from MY kind of replayable.

I just don’t get some people.

axiology.5807:

ArcTheFallen.7682:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

What gear? All you had to do was buy it? And what was the point of playing around with builds in PvE?

That counts as gear too.

And personally, as a personal preference (emphasized in fear of making what I say sound like law), I liked playing with different builds. One day I could go as a Minion Master, the other I could go with Spiteful Spirit, just to name two of the more widely-used ones. That, to me, was fun. So as I said, the points in my OP are not relevant to you if this isn’t what you enjoy.

No offense OP. but it is relevant to anybody who plays this game. If you do not want input from gw2 players, go to the gw1 forums.

Gee, you misunderstand me.

Of course I appreciate Shootsfoot’s point. I’m saying that I have my preferences, he has his. Which I understand and respect. And because he has different preferences, my opinions for replayability would not mean anything to him, because HIS kind of replayable differs from MY kind of replayable.

Ah okay, I think they way you wrote your OP and posts made it sound like you rebuffed differing opinions, it’s clearer now. But for my input, I see the replay ability is gw2 and still do, but its through dungeons and alts and different ways to approach dungeons with different professions. But that’s my opinion

Shootsfoot.9276:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

What gear? All you had to do was buy it? And what was the point of playing around with builds in PvE?

That counts as gear too.

And personally, as a personal preference (emphasized in fear of making what I say sound like law), I liked playing with different builds. One day I could go as a Minion Master, the other I could go with Spiteful Spirit, just to name two of the more widely-used ones. That, to me, was fun. So as I said, the points in my OP are not relevant to you if this isn’t what you enjoy.

So, in other words, I shouldn’t have looked at a forum post and answered it with a counter opinion.

I’ll have to remember that.

Let me rephrase: my points in my OP are inapplicable to you. You have your preferences (which many share) and I have mine. Thank you for sharing the other preference, the other point of view which I neglected to acknowledge at first in my OP.

In other words, I like apples and you like oranges. My post about the virtues of apples is meaningless to you because you’re an orange person. But thank you for reminding us that that are people who enjoy oranges instead of apples, something I did not mention in my OP.

I’ll take Condescending Attitudes for 500, Alex.

;)

ArcTheFallen.7682:

axiology.5807:

ArcTheFallen.7682:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

What gear? All you had to do was buy it? And what was the point of playing around with builds in PvE?

That counts as gear too.

And personally, as a personal preference (emphasized in fear of making what I say sound like law), I liked playing with different builds. One day I could go as a Minion Master, the other I could go with Spiteful Spirit, just to name two of the more widely-used ones. That, to me, was fun. So as I said, the points in my OP are not relevant to you if this isn’t what you enjoy.

No offense OP. but it is relevant to anybody who plays this game. If you do not want input from gw2 players, go to the gw1 forums.

Gee, you misunderstand me.

Of course I appreciate Shootsfoot’s point. I’m saying that I have my preferences, he has his. Which I understand and respect. And because he has different preferences, my opinions for replayability would not mean anything to him, because HIS kind of replayable differs from MY kind of replayable.

Ah okay, I think they way you wrote your OP and posts made it sound like you rebuffed differing opinions, it’s clearer now. But for my input, I see the replay ability is gw2 and still do, but its through dungeons and alts and different ways to approach dungeons with different professions. But that’s my opinion

Yes that is how I’m finding GW2 replayable now, through alts and different ways of doing the same stuff. Which is actually hindered by the prices of gear. It’s hard to gear alts fully and with different sets. Gear isn’t through-the-roof expensive, but they’re not exactly cheap to play around with either.

Tell you what I’m really disappointed in is the fact that skills don’t behave differently in PvE and PvP like they did in GW1.

I thought that was a great idea.

GW1 is 1000x better than GW2 will ever be. In every aspect. Fact.

Shootsfoot.9276:

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

IllegalChocolate.6938:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Ah, here we go….

You opened the door :P

Nope. I offered an opinion of a game.

Now you’re going to whip out your kitten to as if it’s a legitimate argument.

Buh-bye

The original poster offered a full detailed explanation of his point of view, the atleast you can do is match it with an argument that is equally substantial in information.

And what was your counter-argument?

“Show me your hall of monuments.”

Seriously?

Fair enough, I’ll bait.

In my personal opinion there was a tremendous amount of replayability as well as sustainability because of how systems worked in the game. Allow me to delve into detail and provide examples.

Community Behavior:

Running Services

Droknar’s Forge running comes to mind. Doing runs down that path was fun to spectate and do as the amount of hazards that were before the runner were potent with constant wurm rocks, troll choke points, griffons, and shades. Running was profitable and never got old. Racing each other was exhilarating in a lot of the Kaineng zones.

Being the game

Who doesn’t like to come up with intricate ways to do kitten? IWAY builds, FlareWay, 5 mesmer blackout, necro/d scythe in hardmode Eye of the North, 100bwarrior/n hardmode dungeons, 55monk (before nerf), triple thunderclap, there were so many intellectual ways to make things fun and mess any content up whether PvP or PvE. You could experiment and start trends, you could come up with strategies that people start to mimic and add their own spice to the game, you AFFECTED other people at the grand scale.

One Giant Sandbox

Regardless of whether everything was instanced or not. Even at level20, ALL areas provided something valuable to the player as items weren’t tiered, everything was still valuable in one way shape or form. The game encouraged exploration of areas and ability, it unlocked doors to new possibilities.

Semi-standardized Economy

Other than crafting materials anyways. The economy forced a lot of player interaction with each other. The market was interesting and dynamic with how prices fluxiated and how well haggling works in the game. Anyone here remembering crafting steel and deld steel ingots at bulk and getting a massive return on it? There were many different avenues for high return.

In conclusion, there was just so many different ways to do everything. Different builds added to the flair and complexity within simplicity. The community was kept together because everyone could access each other easily. Spectating in pvp and participating were both viable avenues for socialization. You couldn’t outgear dungeons because of how itemization worked in the game, they were kept difficult, you weren’t considered hardcore because you spent 9 years in Black Temple killing Illidan, you were hardcore because you took the time to enlighten yourself and take the entrepreneurial approach in tackling complex content using any approach that you can come up with as a person. That is why, in my opinion, GW1 had a lot of replayability.

I’d be happy enough if GW2 allowed me to respec my gear stats and runes and sigils for close to free. I’m sick of playing always the same build and have little desire to buy yet another full exotic set to complement another stat distribution.

GW1 was a game that I played much more before I even got tired for the first time. In GW2 2 months after I rarely enter. Sigh…..

Shootsfoot.9276:

axiology.5807:

Shootsfoot.9276:

Sure. I just didn’t think there was anything to really do after completing all your missions. Sure there was grinding for the 15k armor and that stuff, but unless you were a serious PvP’er, there was…well…just farming to do. I just didn’t understand the point of farming in the game other than to amass gold.

I see, so you didn’t enjoy playing around with builds and gear? Yeah that’s a preference thing, most of my points would be irrelevant for you then.

What gear? All you had to do was buy it? And what was the point of playing around with builds in PvE?

This. Any guild wars 1 veteran will laugh at this post, you clearly dont know the game at all.

I have yet to see something named you can’t also do (even though obviously to a lesser extend) with GW2. :P

I think with GW2 there’s one problem why builds with interesting skill-play doesn’t work as well, is because, you can change your skills in a flash if needed. You just go out of combat and poof, different build.

In GW1 you had to go back to an outpost. (with your FULL party I might add) In order to change skills. This pushed people to pick skills carefully, picking the best skills but also forced other people to dance to a party leaders dance of build preference.

That’s really what the major difference is.

EDIT: Playing around with builds wasn’t much more as do you go MM or SS.
Spiritspam or GwK. Healer or prot or smiter. Obsidian flesh tank or shadowform tank?

Sure there was alot of possibilities to pull some crazy stuff (still there in GW2, but you don’t see anyone do it, because the GW2 combat is more complex. (no tank, heal, DPS roles))
But really, the majority PvX wikied it.

If you were running a pug in any lv.20 area, you had to run specific builds else kick. This especially applied to end game.

Trading was not fun, and the community was just as full of jack wahons as this community.

Learning to run was fun, repeating was not. Furthermore, the longer the game was out the harder it was to turn a profit on it.

The only people that really experimented were farmers. Eeveryone else looked up pvx, and this was all after templates were added.

Refund points were not fun, but then those were removed, trait do over cost needs to leave, this would encourage more build exploration.

Gw1 was fun, but I prefer gw2 1000x over.

Thread pretty much hits the nail on the head for my interest in GW1. For me it was the rabbit hole of skills and gear. “Oh, I need to go here to get that elite I want to do this. Well, it’s easiest to do that area with this build and that build works best with this piece of gear I can get from this guy. Farming this guy works best if I have this skill for my hero…” And poof, I spent a week’s worth of playing time without repeating the same dungeon over and over.

I think GW1 appealed more to theorycrafters and collectors.
I loved GW1 and had a ton of saved builds I made, and 4 different armour/mainhand/offhand sets for the stats each build category required.

Also, capping elites was time consuming, yet pretty cool. I had to hunt them down one by one,and it took forever, but it was so worth it to capture as each elite earned meant tons of experimentation. Builds revolved around their elite.

I’d just like to add that eventually, we GW1 old-timers will indeed give up and go away, out of your hair and off the forum.

I’m not telling you what to do, but those who never played or liked GW1, and think GW2 is just fine, I’m asking you to have a little understanding. Please give us a chance to mourn what could have been. Many of us played GW1 happily for years at a time, and were strung along for at least FOUR years waiting for GW2 (I first heard beta was supposed to be in 2008). So please cut us some slack. You don’t have to, I’m asking nicely though.

One reason we keep bringing GW1 up is, not necessarily because we’re in the nostalgic mood, but to counter the claim that “vertical progression” is the only way to keep players playing. GW1 shows clearly that it is not. (Please note, I’m not debating whether the stat increases on ascended is vertical or just slightly tilted, I really don’t want to go there!)

My 2c.

I fall in to the camp that really liked a lot about GW1 and find myself confused on design decisions with GW2. But I think builds are one of the main differences that stand out.

Maybe not everyone enjoyed putting together different builds, experimenting, etc. I thought it was one of the best aspects of the game. I had one of every profession because of the way skill interactions worked. Not only would you have to pick your main profession but you also picked your secondary. These combinations made for huge diversity. These were truely different builds.

It doesn’t feel the same in GW2 when I swap out FGJ for Balanced Stance mid dungeon. I wouldn’t call it a different build, I’m still swinging the same sword over and over.

I also think having a cost to even experiment with builds is a poor decision that only hurts replayability. I understand having to purchase new runes and armor sets, but having to pay to respec seems counterintuitive.

Nayru.4537:

GW1 is 1000x better than GW2 will ever be. In every aspect. Fact.

How about jumping…. haha had to throw that out there, but yeah I think GW1 > GW2 in most respects.

to all of those that think that GW1 is better – GW1 servers were never closed. Advertise it to your friends, play it, keep it alive and hopefully it will survive for many years to come. I will attempt to do the same with Guild Wars 2. I’m not going to abandon it. I’m going to have fun in it and hope that it survives for many years to come. Everybody wins this way

Mirta.5029:

to all of those that think that GW1 is better – GW1 servers were never closed. Advertise it to your friends, play it, keep it alive and hopefully it will survive for many years to come. I will attempt to do the same with Guild Wars 2. I’m not going to abandon it. I’m going to have fun in it and hope that it survives for many years to come. Everybody wins this way

Mirta, you’re the same everywhere, same White Knight everywhere.

Mirta.5029:

to all of those that think that GW1 is better – GW1 servers were never closed. Advertise it to your friends, play it, keep it alive and hopefully it will survive for many years to come. I will attempt to do the same with Guild Wars 2. I’m not going to abandon it. I’m going to have fun in it and hope that it survives for many years to come. Everybody wins this way

I loved GW1. I still play it every now and then. It’s not my every day game, however, because I did eventually run out of content.

Now that said – it took me YEARS and THOUSANDS of hours to feel like I’d mostly played GW1 out. It took me a couple months with GW2. I had every character slot full with alts I loved to play. I had so many options of things to go do! The dungeons were quality, and fun. The PvP was beyond compare. The titles were fun to earn. I miss missions.

Oh, GW1 was fun. GW2 is a very repetitive grind. GW2 takes away my motivation to play an alt because it takes so long to level, and then get max gear. I cant do a GW2 dungeon with one class, and then easily swap to another class for a different flavour. I can’t change up my build (not really, not like GW1) and try something new. My friends and I can’t make synergistic team builds to try in various ways.

Everything that was fun about GW1 is gone. While I’ll admit that there are things about GW2 that are pleasantly innovative (no mob ‘tagging’, for example), by and large it’s got all the same annoying characteristics of every other MMO.

So what I’m getting at is this: I’ve been a GW player for years. I’ve been excited about GW2 since it was announced right when EotN came out. I made it through 2 months of GW2 play before I was frustrated, annoyed, and bored.

It was years before I stopped playing GW1 every day…

GW1 is the better game, by far. It’s just been played out after all these years. I was really hoping for something just as quality with GW2. Oh well.

I miss being able to switch builds (and gear) at the drop of a hat. And the funny thing is that guild wars1 had hundreds of skills but nowhere near the amount of extreme buggyness that gw2 suffers from. Also, Anet cited balance as one of the main reasons for the vast reduction in skill variety and yet the classes are still imba as kitten.

Meret.5943:

I’m not telling you what to do, but those who never played or liked GW1, and think GW2 is just fine, I’m asking you to have a little understanding. Please give us a chance to mourn what could have been. Many of us played GW1 happily for years at a time, and were strung along for at least FOUR years waiting for GW2 (I first heard beta was supposed to be in 2008). So please cut us some slack. You don’t have to, I’m asking nicely though.

Well put. I’m in mourning, too. Guild Wars was really special. Sadly, GW2 is a big disappointment.

I’m not past the edge to mourning gw2 just yet… It’s still early and Gw1 didn’t have all that great of a start it was lacking multiple things at launch that got addressed for the most part when factions came out…… I’m going to hold out and see where the game goes… The main issue I have right now is farming = less progress to your goals then spending 20 bucks in gems and converting it to gold and just BUYING what you’re after…. That is a huge HUGE issue that wasn’t around in gw1…. Farm obsidian armor yea it takes awhile but it’s doable…. Farm a legendary on gw2 pfff no you have to use the trading post and buy materials due to the ludicrously low drop rates of high end materials….. This isn’t just about legendary weapons it’s about exotics and the new “ascended” as well they all take a decent chunk of materials that just isn’t doable without buying from the trading post…