Guild Wars 2

To the much adored ArenaNet and my fellow players and fans,

I may not have been around since the searing struck Ascalon or to be there when the Lich intercepted the scepter of Orr, or even to witness the malevolent and deceived Shiro Tagachi rise again with his army of The Afflicted. But I was around to play through it and witness their telling just the same. Better yet I was at least around to witness the dawning of nightfall as the Sunspears fought valiantly against the ensuing clutches of a forsaken god in order to protect the wonders of Elona and the world. I was also there to witness the emergence of the Destroyers in the Far Shiverpeaks if Tyria. And then once more I bore witness to the truce between both Human and Charr and the still ensuing battle against the Elder Dragons.

I am that player who loves a good story but also loves to be submerged in it, not alone, but with others in a multi-player setting. This is what attracted me to Guild Wars and now again Guild Wars 2. You guys at ArenaNet are excellent story tellers. I actually found myself attached to Tybalt and I cried when he was lost at Claw Island (please please please please don’t tell me I was the only one…). You’re doing such an excellent job. However I do hold concerns, not with your story, but your game play.

Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 are and forever will be among my favourite stories of all time. However that is the story, not the game itself. Guild Wars 2 despairingly succeeds at feeling excessively repetitive. Most of this actually lies within the combat however. I miss the personal play style diversity that was allowed in the first Guild Wars. I had so many different ways that I could try and build, so many combos and ideas, different ways to take on a challenge. Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the weapon system that has been introduced with Guild Wars 2; but it gets stale and boring. I feel so limited. I don’t feel… unique in how I battle my darkest of foes. It just feels like I’m swinging my sword with style. But just swinging a sword with style doesn’t make you a sword master. It doesn’t make a Norn boastful. I wan’t a choice in HOW I swing my sword and it what style I swing it. Is my focus to cripple? or maybe all I care about is making you bleed to death? or maybe I feel like being Stabby McStab Stab for a little bit. The idea, which is still a truly fantastic idea, is now running dry and getting stale. Otherwise, I love that the Trinity system is gone, I don’t miss that sack of wet slimy Grawl pelt one bit. But I still feel governed by a commandant that says “Thou shalt not swing your hammer in an upward motion” or “Thou shalt not combo knock down spells”.

Is there any glimmer of hope that this might change?

Sincerely, a hopeful fan.

I might further add that compared to your vision that you guys at ArenaNet announced in regards to Guild Wars 2 back in it’s development. You have unfortunately fallen short. The grinding element is abundantly presaent, while not as bad as other games, it is still there. You’re guild system has also seemed to fall short. You wanted something for the casual player but guilds have become competetive in a way that contradicts your vision. You gave us the ability to be in more than one guild, yet that is all for naught when so many of the guilds that I have seen require you to represent only them, hindering your interactions or getting you kicked from other guilds who may or may not possess the same mentality. I know you guys at ArenaNet can do it. You’ve done it before, maybe you just need to take a step back or something though? I don’t know. But there is so much untapped potential that you have left open with this game. so many great things to add or expand on, but you don’t seem to be doing it. I want to visit areas that you tease about in the game but don’t grant access, I want to play the Tengu or at the least see their part of the story. There is so much more there though. You wanted us to be our characters in a way, but it feels more like watching a character than Guild Wars 1. I don’t care how per-determined my story is, but I want to have my character my way. I’m among the disappointed carry overs from Guild Wars 1. Though unlike many of them. I was expecting something different. I knew that I couldn’t have Guild Wars 1 and an open world with a living environment very easily, even though that would have been awesome. But I did expect a form of expansion on the game play. I didn’t expect, nor did I desire a completely new system when the one before it had worked so well. If you want to go down this road though, that’s fine. But if this is your true choice, can you please revitalize Guild Wars 1 for those of us who crave it. Give us what happened between Guild Wars 1 and Guild Wars 2 with it as more expansions. I’d pay for it gladly as would others. I’m not among you developers, however, I find the Guild Wars franchise holds a lot of sentimental value with me. I don’t want to see it die. I don’t want to see it fail or dry up. I wish that there was something that even I myself could do to make this game better, to make the franchise better. I want to see it grow. I want to see it level the playing field. I want to hear the term “Guild Wars clone” rather than “WoW clone” one day. But this current state that Guild Wars 2 is in is not going to achieve anything but the reverse right now. You had so many great ideas, and you still do, but you’ve drowned so many of them out with repetitive mechanics that are so easily found in other titles. Please ArenaNet, I know I am but one player, but I do not stand alone, please, show us your vision that brought us in in the first place. Let those like me, and allow yourselves, to grow this sapling into a glorious tree that will one day overshadow the rest. I know that your hands and minds are capable. I can only hope that you do as well and that you guys can pick your game back up (both literally and figuratively). Here’s to hoping.

I cried a little

nah seriously…. i agree with your points. I played gw1 for 5 years, it was my first online game back then and pretty much made me to a gamer (curse you anet :<). I was waiting for gw2 desperately when announced, preordered, counted the days. then…..on release…i played it for a week and quit. got to lvl30 (lol) and spvp r20. it bored me so much. exactly the combat-related points you stated. now almost 2 years after, i gave it another try because i watched some old gw1 hero’s ascent footage i had on my computer and i just kinda hyped myself a little. 800 hours of gameplay now (which isnt really alot for an mmo) and i’m close to quit again. at least i made it to 80 this time…solo’ed some dungeons, did all the raid bosses, got to r40….what else is there but legendary grind?
i dont need new content every month. gw1 didnt have that much endgame either, more like self-made challenges like soloing stuff…just like gw2 does. what kept me playing gw1 was the skill system. so much diversity. so much to try out. so many uncommon ways to play a class thanks to the passive-class system and free switching in towns. I had thousands of hours in random arena just testing some crazy build combination i came up with and when it actually worked was a great feeling. and thats really the only thing that truly distinguished guild wars from other mmos.

im not much of a story type. but i love competitive games. i dont need silly esport and thats not gonna happen anyway for a game like guild wars. at least not in the current state by far. i just want balanced pvp with a combat system that actually feels fun and rewarding.

TL;DR:
I miss gw1.
lot of tears
gw2 combat is boring
more tears
I miss ACTIVE build diversity. not just “20% chance for that” instead of “20% less cooldown on the 3 skills you already use anyway”. theres no different gameplay (feel) on that.
drowning in tears.