I’ve come to the conclusion that this game, despite its innovation, pretty aesthetics, and unique combat system rates about 6 out of 10 for an MMO.
I’m going to name some of the biggest flaws that I’ve seen and chunk deuce because, like my signature says, I am already committed to another MMO, FFXIV, which is significantly better and has an expansion on the way.
- Bugs, bugs, and more bugs. I mainly played PvP while I was in the game, but I think this applies to everyone. Arenanet please look at your bug report section of the forums, there’s cobwebs growing there and it would behoove you to at least pretend you’re paying attention to them.
- Toxic community. The PvE players seem to be much more positive than the PvP community, which is all well and good, but overall the vitriol coming from WvW and PvP players, which are the game modes I would have committed to if this game was worth committing to, pushed me away. Big time.
- Obvious short-handed staff is obvious. I don’t know if it’s because you guys pay a lot of overhead, NCSoft’s shareholders are too demanding, or your management doesn’t have the stones to spend more money in problem areas, but the rate of work and releasing content is abysmal. FFXIV ARR came out in 2013 and within the period of time it’s been out the sheer amount of content they’ve created is staggering. I don’t know what the excuse is for GW2, but it doesn’t really matter. You guys aren’t giving your players enough to do, that’s why they’re complaining on your forums so much.
- I know you’re in “testing phase” for your PvP leaderboards, but getting to the top of them just requires playing the game more. When you average out how many games per day the “top” players play, it makes you wonder if they have taken a shower in the last 2 months. There have been sub .500 winning percentage “elites” in the top 25. One time I counted four of them, but that was a while ago. That’s just embarrassing.
- The fact that you have not committed to a release date for HoT and still hype it up while it’s in early beta shows that you guys do not have the confidence to set a date, do not have enough staff to have that confidence, and will probably release the expansion “unfinished,” which might be a subjective word to you, but, again, FFXIV Heavensward will be a “finished” product. They’ve already gone into detail about what you’ll be getting, a lot more than your cute little “we’re nowhere done yet, even though it’s been 3 years to work on an expansion, but here’s where we think we are and where we think we’re going.”
- Your PvP balance is trying to make anarchy cool. It’s not working. There needs to be order and organization in how players build and how groups form, which is why Trinity MMOs will always outperform GW2 in PvE and PvP. Is it a stale, “boring” system? Maybe. But it works. Ultimately, as in life, that’s all that matters. If it works. Ultimately, one day, one or some of you will realize that you need to have archetypes or roles that all players are made aware of, and a system in-game that directs them to build in a way that the group needs. In a Trinity game, you have to have a Tank, 2 DPS, and a Healer. GW2 needs something similar to that if it’s ever going to have good competition in all competitive levels of PvP.
- All your business model promotes is new players, new players, and more new players. You very obviously are not focusing on retaining your most committed players, because there is nowhere near as much incentive to. That’s one of the many failures of a non-subscription MMO and proof that it’s just a fad that is of benefit to younger, weaker studios who need the obnoxious dress up customers instead of the ones willing to pay you 180 dollars a year plus 50-60 for an xpac guaranteed. You actually have to work for those customers, but if you get them they’ll promote your game everywhere and say almost entirely positive things about the game.
Hope you guys read this and at least consider looking into some new approaches, like having an optional subscription, building a role system for PvP, templates, or any number of the suggestions pouring into your forum every other day.
Deuces, and enjoy this preview of an actual expansion.
Warrior in FFXIV, the best MMO in the world
Former Warrior in Guild Wars 2
Former Sith Warrior in SWTOR
Former Warrior in Guild Wars 2
Former Sith Warrior in SWTOR
(edited by Alexander.9810)