Guild Wars 2

I have a level 54 Nord Warrior, and ever since the beginning of this game I just feel the same as when I started. This is bothering me, all this training and yet I cannot go to lower level areas and take down everything in my sight.

Will I ever, and I mean ever feel like the leveling I am doing is worth it? Or will this game keep being a pile of dogkitten? I do love this game, it has so much potential, yet this stupid scaling is not making me entertained.

The only thing in this game that yet gives me a slighest entertainment is running around doing goldfarming, exploring because combat seems for ME to be very broken.

ThunderHawk.9152:

Or will this game keep being a pile of dogkitten? I do love this game.

Did you have a huge mood swing between those two sentences? Or maybe you’re just being ridiculous and need to check yourself?

Have you been upgrading your gear? There’s no reason you should be having trouble in a low level zone unless you haven’t been keeping your gear up to date with your level. At 80 with BiS gear, you will slay everything in low level zones with a flick of the wrist.

You’ll never be able to go into a lowbie zone and one-shot everything in sight; that’s not how this game works, and it won’t change. This is an attempt to keep level 80s from coming into a lowbie zone and making it impossible for low level characters to get event credit or get hits in on mobs.

That being said, I can go into Queensdale on any one of my level 80s (even the ones I never play and who don’t have the best gear), pull a group of 10 or so mobs together, and mow them down within a couple of seconds. As long as you’re geared properly (all gear within 10 levels of your character), you shouldn’t be seeing any issues with how hard you hit. This goes double if you’re a warrior.

I think he isn’t getting trouble in low level areas, he just want to 1 shot everything he touches.
@OP, when you get better gear you’ll be able to get to low level areas and pretty much 1 shot everything, besides some bosses, but those you’ll be able to solo easily.

I do apologize for my ‘mood swing’

I have everything upgraded to my level in both armour and weapons. I upgrade it every 5-10 levels.

ThunderHawk.9152:

I have a level 54 Nord Warrior, and ever since the beginning of this game I just feel the same as when I started. This is bothering me, all this training and yet I cannot go to lower level areas and take down everything in my sight.

Will I ever, and I mean ever feel like the leveling I am doing is worth it? Or will this game keep being a pile of dogkitten? I do love this game, it has so much potential, yet this stupid scaling is not making me entertained.

The only thing in this game that yet gives me a slighest entertainment is running around doing goldfarming, exploring because combat seems for ME to be very broken.

This game is unlike most others in that you’re scaled down to prevent taht complete destruction of lower level areas. However, when you reach level 80 you’ll have 3 stat gear + all your traits and skills as well as runes/sigils optimized for your play style. With all that you’ll decimate things. For example if I go on my warrior to say Brisban to farm some Iron, I can whirlwind through the hyenas and they’re dead. Not quite 1 hit kill, but it’s still pretty powerful, keeping it at this level means that you still have to somewhat pay attention, and this means more content is still somewhat fun outside of senseless slaughter.

I feel a tremendous advantage when I go into an area where I’m down-leveled, even when my actual level is only a wee bit higher. One advantage of being higher level is being able to equip better gear. I find that if I equip green gear while leveling, I get plenty of an experience of being strong. You could, too. If you’re feeling “the same as” when you started, odds are you’re missing out on some stats — either not gearing up or not spending trait points — the points give you stat boosts even if you don’t equip a trait, but you do have to spend the points.

It won’t be like some other games, where mobs 10 levels below your level can’t even hit you, and you one-shot everything. However, I never found that worth bothering with. The drops were useless and I got no XP, unlike GW2 where I get at least some level appropriate drops (for me, not them), and I do get XP.

You will feel the difference at 80 with exotic gear. Patience !!!

I think somone missunderstood my first post. It just feeols like my entire journey is worthless until I am level 80 and have put 10’s of hours into dungeons then? I don’t want to mass destruct one area, i just want to feel that every level I do is worth it, I want to feel it.

You all might hate me for taking this as an example. But if any of you have played Runescape? Did you ever feel the joy and the slighest stronger for every Strength level you aquired? And the game was built so that you could feel it within your enemies. In Rs2 I used to love my maxed character because I felt like e Demi-God, yes low level NPC was easy but i still has many threats even at max level, but you did atleast feel like a max level.

Even after 54 levels I feel the same, do you who read this understand my point now? Maybe this game isnt for me, and don’t think I want GW2 to be Runescape, it was just an example!

RoseofGilead.8907:

You’ll never be able to go into a lowbie zone and one-shot everything in sight; that’s not how this game works, and it won’t change.

Yes this is how the game works.

Scaling or not, a properly equipped lvl 80 character will oneshot mobs in the starter zone.

But the game overall doesnt get easier, higher level zones are typically more challenging.

ThunderHawk.9152:

In Rs2 I used to love my maxed character because I felt like e Demi-God, yes low level NPC was easy but i still has many threats even at max level, but you did atleast feel like a max level.

Even after 54 levels I feel the same, do you who read this understand my point now? Maybe this game isnt for me, and don’t think I want GW2 to be Runescape, it was just an example!

Yeah, sadly GW2 may not be the game for you.
Here the devs wanted you to feel challenged no matter what level and where you are playing. Sure a max level in a starter map will have an easy time, but if he goes there naked for example, the mobs will kill you.

GW2 is defying some of the convention of just roflstomping zones by overleveling them. It still happens, a lot. But I guarantee you’ll notice as you go back to prior zones. Kill times will drop dramatically and damage you take will be less.

You don’t even have to dungeon grind for exotics! A bit of crafting, karma buying in Orr, or some well places purchases on the trading post will get you there.

Being appropriately level for your zone all the time is going to feel like you’re not making progress. But really, go back to an early zone and see how much you can do.

Back when Monthly Veteran Slayer was a thing, I used to go to that little spot in the SE corner of Queensdale. When I got impatient waiting for veterans to spawn (those are supposed to occupy 2 or more people, by the way), I’d pull the entire encampment, including the 3 veterans, just to see if I could outlast them.

I did. Trying that on a level 15 character is a surefire death.

But, I think what you may also be feeling at level 54 is the mid-game slough where you’re not really gaining new abilities or traits, so it feels like the same 5 weapon skills and 3 utilities that you like just sitting there while you wait for the sparse trait improvements.

ThunderHawk.9152:

I think somone missunderstood my first post. It just feeols like my entire journey is worthless until I am level 80 and have put 10’s of hours into dungeons then? I don’t want to mass destruct one area, i just want to feel that every level I do is worth it, I want to feel it.

You all might hate me for taking this as an example. But if any of you have played Runescape? Did you ever feel the joy and the slighest stronger for every Strength level you aquired? And the game was built so that you could feel it within your enemies. In Rs2 I used to love my maxed character because I felt like e Demi-God, yes low level NPC was easy but i still has many threats even at max level, but you did atleast feel like a max level.

Even after 54 levels I feel the same, do you who read this understand my point now? Maybe this game isnt for me, and don’t think I want GW2 to be Runescape, it was just an example!

The new leveling experience in gw2 is kind of bad. It’s used to be better but they changed it. We used to have access to more trait and skills early on as we get better gear, but also better builds.

Anyway, this maybe be selfish of me, but I could care less about the leveling in this game anymore. You gonna put maybe 10 to 30 hours to level up your first character, but several thousands of hours once you hit level 80. Maybe the leveling is bad enough for you that you rather quit the game, but if you can get to level 80, this game kitten many thing to offer you. Leveling in PvP is a bit slow at start, but it also a lot more enjoyable, since you have access to almost everything from the start (depend on what you like).

It’s unfortunate that the leveling experience has change so much, it was a fun part of the game at launch, but they kind of screw it up. At least they improved the game post level 80.

What you all are saying is true. I wil finish the main story on my Warrior, but I think nothing more. Sorry for all my frustratiaton, maybe the Witcher 3 will please my gaming pleasures when it’s out.

Guild wars 2 is still a beautifull game to explore, got some grinding left to do i guess

ThunderHawk.9152:

What you all are saying is true. I wil finish the main story on my Warrior, but I think nothing more. Sorry for all my frustratiaton, maybe the Witcher 3 will please my gaming pleasures when it’s out.

Guild wars 2 is still a beautifull game to explore, got some grinding left to do i guess

wear zerker exotics. Stats matter in this game and there is a huge difference between greens, rares and exotics.

I think you may have some errant preconceived ideas from other games you have played.

I have leveled all 5 of my characters to L80 and I do not recall the word grinding enter into my thought process. Now granted this was 2 years ago, maybe I am just remembering favorably and distorting my recollection but I don’t believe leveling a character should seem grindy.

Yalora Istairiea.6287:

I think you may have some errant preconceived ideas from other games you have played.

I have leveled all 5 of my characters to L80 and I do not recall the word grinding enter into my thought process. Now granted this was 2 years ago, maybe I am just remembering favorably and distorting my recollection but I don’t believe leveling a character should seem grindy.

the new player experience is very grindy since you kind have to hunt for your traits

Anyone who dissagre with this must know this is my experience of this game, and would therefore be silly to make an argument over. Experiences comes from peoples hearts and eyes. I understand topics like these will offend any Die Hard GW2 players and for that I am truly sorry.

Some of the answears have been very constructive and helpfull, some have not. My journey shall still continue untill my patience is empty. Have a nice evening!

Thunder before they changed the new player experience, you would “feel” your character getting stronger and more advanced as you unlocked your traits and expanded your abilities. But alas they nerfed it into oblivion but have stated they are changing it yet again in the future. (whatever that actually means)
Regardless of gear a lot of how your character plays depends greater on how you distribute your traits. You may find that the feeling you are looking for will come once you have unlocked access to all your traits.

Thunder, the NPE really hasn’t helped the feeling of progression, however as you level up and get new traits some classes definitely start to feel better, others not so much.

What might help is if you tried viewing “stronger” from a different angle. Instead of being able to kill lower level things faster, you can now fight higher level things, you have more options and tools at your disposal, and you can tailor your stats a little more to fit the role you wish to play.

If the only way you will feel “stronger” is if you can go back to lower level areas and rofl stomp everything in sight because you out gear/stat it, GW2 is probably not the game for you.

the idea of scaling is to keep every area viable for you – what good is your demigod feeling (not getting started on this) when it basically takes out major areas of a game for you?

As for leveling, yeah, Anet did some pretty strange things there, you will probably notice increase of character power in leaps instead of a steady curve. But really, leveling is so fast in GW2, you will be 80 in no time.

I’m more curious how you find combat to be ‘broken’. What is there that doesn’t make it feel fluid, or proper? Maybe we can offer some advice.

ThunderHawk.9152:

I think somone missunderstood my first post. It just feeols like my entire journey is worthless until I am level 80 and have put 10’s of hours into dungeons then? I don’t want to mass destruct one area, i just want to feel that every level I do is worth it, I want to feel it.

You all might hate me for taking this as an example. But if any of you have played Runescape? Did you ever feel the joy and the slighest stronger for every Strength level you aquired? And the game was built so that you could feel it within your enemies. In Rs2 I used to love my maxed character because I felt like e Demi-God, yes low level NPC was easy but i still has many threats even at max level, but you did atleast feel like a max level.

Even after 54 levels I feel the same, do you who read this understand my point now? Maybe this game isnt for me, and don’t think I want GW2 to be Runescape, it was just an example!

Once you get to 80 and have a full set of exotic armor, assuming you go with Berserker’s gear and not some craptastic healer/tank set, you’ll be able to one-shot or two-shot most low level mobs. That’s because scaling lets you keep bonuses from your armor, and those are pretty significant at max level. So keep on truckin’

Lorgus.6148:

ThunderHawk.9152:

I think somone missunderstood my first post. It just feeols like my entire journey is worthless until I am level 80 and have put 10’s of hours into dungeons then? I don’t want to mass destruct one area, i just want to feel that every level I do is worth it, I want to feel it.

You all might hate me for taking this as an example. But if any of you have played Runescape? Did you ever feel the joy and the slighest stronger for every Strength level you aquired? And the game was built so that you could feel it within your enemies. In Rs2 I used to love my maxed character because I felt like e Demi-God, yes low level NPC was easy but i still has many threats even at max level, but you did atleast feel like a max level.

Even after 54 levels I feel the same, do you who read this understand my point now? Maybe this game isnt for me, and don’t think I want GW2 to be Runescape, it was just an example!

Once you get to 80 and have a full set of exotic armor, assuming you go with Berserker’s gear and not some craptastic healer/tank set, you’ll be able to one-shot or two-shot most low level mobs. That’s because scaling lets you keep bonuses from your armor, and those are pretty significant at max level. So keep on truckin’

Aren’t exotics also scaled down to not matter at low enough levels? please correct me if I’m wrong. Either way, yeah with traits and zerk gear you can whirlwind through a pack of enemies in say Brisban and watch them all die.

Exotics are scaled down, but it definitely DOES matter. An 80 in full zerker will easily kill faster then a 20 in masterworks. Scaleing does take place, but the stat layout and value of higher level items even after scaleing is a bit higher.

Miku.6297:

Exotics are scaled down, but it definitely DOES matter. An 80 in full zerker will easily kill faster then a 20 in masterworks. Scaleing does take place, but the stat layout and value of higher level items even after scaleing is a bit higher.

Yup, that. You’ll notice a huge difference wearing exotics compared to just wearing greens (or even rares).

Jerus.4350:

Lorgus.6148:

ThunderHawk.9152:

I think somone missunderstood my first post. It just feeols like my entire journey is worthless until I am level 80 and have put 10’s of hours into dungeons then? I don’t want to mass destruct one area, i just want to feel that every level I do is worth it, I want to feel it.

You all might hate me for taking this as an example. But if any of you have played Runescape? Did you ever feel the joy and the slighest stronger for every Strength level you aquired? And the game was built so that you could feel it within your enemies. In Rs2 I used to love my maxed character because I felt like e Demi-God, yes low level NPC was easy but i still has many threats even at max level, but you did atleast feel like a max level.

Even after 54 levels I feel the same, do you who read this understand my point now? Maybe this game isnt for me, and don’t think I want GW2 to be Runescape, it was just an example!

Once you get to 80 and have a full set of exotic armor, assuming you go with Berserker’s gear and not some craptastic healer/tank set, you’ll be able to one-shot or two-shot most low level mobs. That’s because scaling lets you keep bonuses from your armor, and those are pretty significant at max level. So keep on truckin’

Aren’t exotics also scaled down to not matter at low enough levels? please correct me if I’m wrong. Either way, yeah with traits and zerk gear you can whirlwind through a pack of enemies in say Brisban and watch them all die.

Looks like I was talking out of my kitten lol. I spent some time trying to find where I read that but couldn’t. There’s a pretty good post on reddit explaining how downscaling works: http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/113xm9/downscaling_in_dungeons/

Apparently every bit of bonus stats you get (such as that provided by armor) is also scaled down proportional to the area. The post then goes to explain why an undergeared 80 will have worse stats than an optimally-geared level 30 guy. This might explain why OP is having problems killing things in low level areas: if his gear is of a lower level than he is, he will be punished by the scaling rather than rewarded by it.

But again, all of this will go away once you get geared in 80’s exotic Berserker’s gear OP, so just keep at it, you WILL feel the “demigod” level of damage compared to open-world mobs when you hit level cap and get geared, I promise you

loseridoit.2756:

Yalora Istairiea.6287:

I think you may have some errant preconceived ideas from other games you have played.

I have leveled all 5 of my characters to L80 and I do not recall the word grinding enter into my thought process. Now granted this was 2 years ago, maybe I am just remembering favorably and distorting my recollection but I don’t believe leveling a character should seem grindy.

the new player experience is very grindy since you kind have to hunt for your traits

I agree with this. It’s why I’ve never played anything but my release date mesmer and thief outside of SPVP, despite now having hundreds of tomes of knowledge.

Miku.6297:

Exotics are scaled down, but it definitely DOES matter. An 80 in full zerker will easily kill faster then a 20 in masterworks. Scaleing does take place, but the stat layout and value of higher level items even after scaleing is a bit higher.

Of course, my point was simply that in many zones rares with the same stat allocations would match it if i’m not mistaken, perhaps even masterworks? I just wanted to clarify that as I was under the impression that each level range capped at a certain rarity (IE Ascended only matters in lvl 80 zones).

Of course getting a 3rd stat and getting traits and actually spending money on runes and all that stuff matters

Just saying, it’s entirely possible to oneshot things even with downscaling. In my Brisban farming trips in my thief in a level 24 area, the hyenas in the area are all oneshot by dp3.

It’s significantly faster than running, and gives xp and loot too.

Leveling in this game doesn’t make you strong to one shot stuff like other games. What makes you strong is learning how your skills interact with each other and other player skills. For example your war horn 5 is blast finisher so if an ele drops a fire field you can give might to five people.

What leveling does do is let you go to new areas.

instead of downleveling, I would of preferred if they made it so the difference in stats between a level 1 and a level 80 is like 2×. so a level 1 with all white gear has half the stats of a level 80 with all ascended gear (the gear only contributing like 25% of that difference). then no downleveling at all. same effect as downleveling (because you are actually stronger than if you were at that level), but no complexity and you are more absolutely stronger instead of indirectly (currently, you’re only stronger because you have better gear and traits).

Indirectly stronger, slightly better stats and more options is far better than absolutely stronger.

The idea is to keep the game entertaining for players at all levels in all areas. If you come in to something with 2x the stats of a player at the appropriate level and gear for the area either: A) You will easily crush any enemies in your path or… The person at the appropriate level is going to have one hell of a hard time fighting there. Either option is not good. So by downleveling and scaling all stats as a whole, it keeps things closer to even for a more enjoyable experience.

^^ Early release, anyone remember being an exotic zerker thief with the d/d 4, I mean it was funny for a few mins, then extremely boring… Not to mention if you were playing with other people good luck on them doing anything.

The real game starts at level 80. You have the best exotic gear and weapons available, and all your trait points available. In my experience, lvls 50 to 65ish seem to slow down from the rapid leveling that seems to happen early on.

My advice is, don’t take lvl 50s and 60s to lowbie zones. You get less gold and exp from events and hearts. Stay in zones near your level and you’ll get to 80 faster. Save the lower zones for later after level 80 for map completion achievements and such.

To keep everything “fair” and playable, you will be downscaled in a huge part of the game being all area’s you outrank in levels, the only area’s where you’ll be lvl 80 when you are level 80 will not donwscale you . this leaves pretty much 4 complate area’s and 2 partial area’s, this goes the same way for dungeons:

Complete area’s cursed shore (lvl80), soutsun cove (lvl 80), dry top,(lvl 80), silverwastes (lvl 80), Partial area’s: malchors leap (75-80), frostgorge sound (70-80). The dungeons you’ll be level 80: COE explorable, HotW explorable, Arah story and explorable.

The rest of the present world you be downscaled.

Effects of downscaling:
- armor values, attribute values, weapon dmg will be scaled down to the appropriate level. this is done for ALL attributes, also the ones you didn’t invest in.
This means a exotic/ascended “zerk” ele at lvl 80 has less HP then a rare “strong” lvl 35 ele. On the other side though, the lvl 80 will have all traits unlocked , or at least has a build.
- weapon dmgs & armor values will be capped:
ascneded weapons and armors are said to be capped below 80,
exotics are said to be capped below 60
rares are capped below 30
masterwork is said to be capped below 15.
fine stays fine.

Returns:
You can level your character in lvl 1-79 area’s without people appearing and just kill stealing everything in front of you by oneshotting it.
You can do content in area’s below lvl 80 when you are done levelling, leaving those area’s rewarding. You will still be able to do low level dungeons without being overpowered and just instagibbing everything, so it stays decent content.
You can play with lvl 80 friends in low levels, though full traiting makes them more powerfull then you will be you will be able to play togeteher, intead they having to wait for everything in fear of you getting nothing.

With a level 80 things will die way faster though, as compared to lvl 10, 35 or 50, but it’s not gamebreaking.

You will see the merits….

Upscaling also exists in EotM for example. It will mean you will have the weapons and armor but it will be calculated upwards. This will make you more powerfull but as you level, and you keep your original amror and weapons, the multiplier drops, and you will lose power and armor fast.