(edited by Farzo.8410)
This "Season 2"...
The thing is the title of this particular thread isn’t Season 1 it’s Season 2. Whatever happened in Season One, however you liked or didn’t like it, is not 100% relevant anyway. We’re so lost in talking about Season 1, we’ve forgotten all about Season 2.
What Anet has done here is this. They’ve given us the foundations of characters and a story. They’ve given us something to think about. They’ve give us content that is relatively easy to finish for most people with slightly harder achievements, particularly if you don’t use videos to help you figure out how to get them. They’ve given us a scavenger hunt. They’ve given us new bosses, with new mechanics. They’ve given us new enemies including new enemy models. There are plenty of people finding that zone tough to stay alive in.
The Asura in that zone are now using the original AI. They dodge. They move out of AOE. This is something that was originally in the game that Anet took out because of complaints from the player base. It’s back.
They’ve also given us new weapon skins to craft, a champ train that’s more fun and interesting than the one that was in Queensdale. A chance to work together to improve our rewards by not zerging. And some really cool jumping puzzlely type stuff, which some people seem to like.
Some of the bosses require CC (the race, three toed tootsie). Some of the bosses use reverse logic than you see in much of the game (you have to kill them without killing their adds), some of the events require the use of crystals to complete. Some events only spawn at higher levels, so there’s encouragement not to zerg to get those events.
And for achievement hunters there’s, as always, stuff to do.
People wanted new zones and Anet is giving us a new zone a bit at a time. It’s not all at once, but there’s enough for, probably most people, to do in those zones for a couple of weeks. Particularly if you’re playing all the content, and if you don’t use a guide to run you through it as fast as humanly possible.
I still have two achievements from the first chapter I haven’t completed yet.
At any rate, I think the second season of the Living Story is off to a great start.
And if they are giving us zones this way, the zones get to stay. The story stays. Don’t do the content and wait, and you’ll have part of your expansion when you’re ready.
It’s a good start.
Dude, MMO expansions usually give about 20-30 maps, not 3. Where do you live?
What game are you playing?
Lets use WoW as our first example.
BC gave you 11 zones
WotLC gave you 12
Cata – 7
MoP – 8
WoD – 8
That’s an average of 9 per expansion. Not 20 to 30. Not even close.
If you start adding dungeons and such into that count (“map” vs “zone”) then sure you can hit that number, but in the context of the discussion, we’re talking about open world zones.
If we look at GW1 as our example, you get a lot more maps than the ‘go to’ mmo for comparison. However, GW1 maps are much smaller individually. An entire ‘region’ would be more on par (seemingly) with the typical mmo zone. Taking that into consideration, Cantha offered 4 regions. Elona offered 5 regions. EotN was the only “true” GW1 ‘expansion’ and it still only offered 4 new regions.
Granted GW2 isn’t broken into as many tiny maps as GW1. Instead they use much larger zones with lots of named subsections, which we could consider to be the equivalent. As such, if they actually give us 4 decent sized new zones out in Maguuma it would comparable to the standard already in precedent.
As for all the additional things you typically get in ‘expansions’ (ie dungeons), we have no idea what else we’ll see during the season. LS1 gave us dungeons (albeit temporary), LS2 could provide similarly. We may also see more weapon and armor skins in the actual game play. Episode 2 gave us a completely new craftable set, that’s at least a start.
Don’t look at me like that. Whatever you’ve heard, it’s probably not true.
They make roughly 4 dollars a month per player in the gemstore.
That’s more profit per year than a single expansion pack.
uhmm gemstore has nothing to do with expansion packs, I think? Aren’t they “parallel” (as in the late GW1 for example)?
Unless you count the “unlocking episodes you missed by paying” of the LS2, which I don’t think it’ll be used very often…
It’s a-me, Aria!
…..
It’s strange that you don’t mind difficulty in any game except this. I mean all your points are very valid but it all comes down to not getting excluded from content because you’re not good enough even though I am sure you easily could be.
If there were a hardmode for every dungeon that 85% of the players would never be able to complete because it is about as hard or slightly harder than Arah P1, 2 and 3 without offering any additional lore, would you be okay with that? The entire rest of the game would be just as accessible as it is now, except for hardmode dungeons. You would be able to get special tokens, let’s call them Death Offerings of Baelfire for example, which you could trade in for skins that resemble the normalmode skins but have additional textures, ornaments, color slots etc. Like the Tequatl skins are overhauled versions of the ascended weapons for example, just in this case (Hardmode) a little more subtle.
This would give the hardcore players a way to set them apart visually (instead of just on youtube), without really affecting anyone else. I myself can’t possibly think of anything wrong with that. I am not even talking about monetary rewards here, simply about the skins and the challenge. And there would be a timer that starts upon path selection with a leaderboard and blabla so a playground for the hardcore crowd. Nothing else.
(edited by Veydar.5017)
Give this man a medal. Yes, this is exactly what a lot of disgruntled players are talking about. With GW2, the free updates are 2 week drips of story, a few achievements, a few things in gemstore, and by and large..thats it. Once every few months is a new feature such as the wallet, or wadrobe (which definately are great additions).
With the traditional update style, you get updates and content for everyone. PVP maps, PVE zones, Dallies(ugh hate them though), new rewards, new aesthetics, new dungeons, new raids(if there are raids in the game), more story, new skills, new classes and races.
Guildwars 2 updates have literally none of that…
Karma is as abundant as air, and as useless as the Kardashians.
They make roughly 4 dollars a month per player in the gemstore.
That’s more profit per year than a single expansion pack.
K.
Stats? Proof?
Karma is as abundant as air, and as useless as the Kardashians.
I don’t like this either.
Original Guild Wars way of handling expansions and campaigns was far, far, far more fun and interesting.
I can’t even feel any hype towards Guild Wars 2 patches.
I did not play Original Guild Wars during the development of new campaigns and expansion, I played everything afterwards, but I did play World of Warcraft for a very long time and the expansion hype is really something unique.
Guild Wars 2 patches can never reach any kind of hype. The only place it gets hyped is the Guild Wars 2 reddit which is just filled with players who praise every single thing ArenaNet does.
The more Guild Wars 2 goes on the more ’’meh’’ I feel towards everything.
Let’s see todays patch… tooltip fixes… 3 new missions… another 1/5 part released of the whole map… more gem store items…
:/ Pretty much. Even when I was actively playing, I would read up on a new LS patch and..yah OK, so a few more paragraphs of the story and some more zerging. Alright..ame old.
Overall, thats how I feel about the entire game now. Very “Meh” very..lackluster, very..shrug. Because thats the excitement level of the content and the gameplay it fosters. To some this is interesting and the best thing since sliced bread, to others its just more of the same stuff.
And to people that say “Why dont you just leave the game and leave our forums already if you hate it so much”. Its not that I hate it…I’m just very disappointed and I keep holding hope that it will change. I was shtting my pants waiting for the game to launch. Insane excitement. It launched and I LOVED it through November. Then..their handling of fractals (being played gated at the time) and ascended gear. Then guild missions…I just never felt the enjoyment of a true guild activity with them. Then living story. And at this point I realized that arenanet wont stop with this stuff…
I post here from time to time because I see the loads of potential. But most of their effort is focused on LS, whether you would agree or not. I’m here to give Arenanet a constant and fresh reminder that not everyone likes LS, and theres a LARGE % of the population that does not like it, just as there is a large % of the population that does like it. Otherwise, threads like this wouldn’t continue to pop up in season 2, now would they?
Im here to be that reminder that theres still hope to win some of us back. If they care to have us…(and our wallets)l
Karma is as abundant as air, and as useless as the Kardashians.
It’s strange that you don’t mind difficulty in any game except this.
. . . not really. If it’s way too difficult for me in a single-player game there is always hacking past what I need. No such potential in an MMO, there’s a hard “no, you cannot do this cool thing”.
What’s strange is the urge to 100% every game I pick up, even knowing it’s not going to happen. (And also why I stepped away from the Pokemon series when only Japan started getting some of the special giveaways but that’s another forum.)
I mean all your points are very valid but it all comes down to not getting excluded from content because you’re not good enough even though I am sure you easily could be.
Define “easily”. Remember, I am an avowed ranger player – we have issues in our class which rather prevent us from reaching the same effectiveness. In normal play, it’s not an issue, it can be hurdled. In true hardcore play? It’d be a crippling issue not to be passed.
If there were a hardmode for every dungeon that 85% of the players would never be able to complete because it is about as hard or slightly harder than Arah P1, 2 and 3 without offering any additional lore, would you be okay with that? The entire rest of the game would be just as accessible as it is now, except for hardmode dungeons.
I was fine with HM in GW1, but then again I could mostly scrape through GW1 HM even Hero/Henching it. (Not a testament to skill, just noting it was easier.)
You would be able to get special tokens, let’s call them Death Offerings of Baelfire for example, which you could trade in for skins that resemble the normalmode skins but have additional textures, ornaments, color slots etc. Like the Tequatl skins are overhauled versions of the ascended weapons for example, just in this case (Hardmode) a little more subtle.
I’d be okay with pure cosmetic rewards which are (ahem) “lazy reworkings of older skins” as the forums would deem them within 30 seconds of them being seen. I’d be okay with 100% new creations which could hit the TP for hundreds of gold.
I could be persuaded to overlook an increase in Gold/Karma/XP gain on winning a HM dungeon, because all that’s good for is “getting paid faster”.
I would not be okay with new skins which would be available and, say, account-bind on acquire.
Seeking assistants for the Asuran Catapult Project. Applicants will be tested for aerodynamics.
They make roughly 4 dollars a month per player in the gemstore.
That’s more profit per year than a single expansion pack.
K.
Stats? Proof?
[ICoa] Blackgate
They make roughly 4 dollars a month per player in the gemstore.
That’s more profit per year than a single expansion pack.
K.
Stats? Proof?
Not to be annoying, but how large is the monthly player base of GW2? (or daily, or even weekly)
They make roughly 4 dollars a month per player in the gemstore.
That’s more profit per year than a single expansion pack.
Did you mean revenue when you said profit ?
Didn’t find coins that wasn’t part of the story?
Edit: clearly we consider different parts of the update to be content. The random achievements are not content for me. I care about the story and any new dungeons, zones, etc. Collecting coins around the zone aren’t something that I’m going to do. Anyway, misunderstood you I suppose.
Content isn’t just what you like. It’s content for people who like scavenger hunts. So what you say is there’s 1. 5 hours of content you like or you consider content. That’s not the same thing at all.
A lot of people do like achievements and some people do like scavenger hunts. It’s a form of content, and in fact, a traditional staple of many RPG games. Sorry you don’t like it, though.
Strongly disagree again. They could add an achievement that says spin in a circle 31 556 926 times. Assuming it takes 1 second to do a turn, it doesn’t mean they added 1 years worth of content.
I ended up finding the coins as I was exploring, but it’s still not the what I would include in the new content that you must do to keep up. I consider all the story missions as what you need.
I prefer Living Story, by far.
Also: the trailer for Episode 3 = AMAGAD! SOHOTIN!
Let the Kings and Queens of other lands and lesser creatures
witness our wonders and cry out in astonishment and humble themselves.
Beware our mighty works.
witness our wonders and cry out in astonishment and humble themselves.
Beware our mighty works.
I’d rather have FREE content every 2 weeks, than to pay for an expansion.
It’s basically free vs pay. In my case, free win, not even up to discussion.
Yes, free updates, but look deeper into them, and start to compare and contrast, to the more traditional MMOs, and you’ll find out that other MMOs put out more meaningful content for your characters and gameplay.
I did (http://us.battle.net/wow/en/search?q=poplolita). Yes, it goes deeper than this, but for now, you only need to know that for me, free every 2 weeks that we currently have wins imo, not even up to discussion.
To those k*ttensponded to my post.
You really should consider to stop making your opinion appears like an argument.
(edited by Poplolita.2638)
uhmm gemstore has nothing to do with expansion packs, I think? Aren’t they “parallel” (as in the late GW1 for example)?
Unless you count the “unlocking episodes you missed by paying” of the LS2, which I don’t think it’ll be used very often…
You are completely missing the point…if they are making good money with the current development model, why would they change course? I think they all KNOW an expansion would be a guaranteed cash cow so they are keeping her in the barn until the current revenue stream starts to dry up. It’s less about what customers want right now and more about still making money five years from now. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s basic business sense.
We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
Tbh I like LS S2 for now. Refreshing the game every two weeks opposed to waiting a year for a boat load of new content. Without the LS and all the little changes to the world, the world of tyria itself just wouldn’t feel alive. I can understand the hunger for new skills races and weapon sets…I think it’ll come along in due time through feature pack releases.
Reth Grimrazor – Charr Guardian – [GWB]Grim Warband – Tarnished Coast
Redgen Furyblaze – Charr Guardian – [SHD]Shade Warband – Tarnished Coast
Lerious Warhowl – Charr Warrior – [SHD] Shade Warband – Tarnished Coast
Redgen Furyblaze – Charr Guardian – [SHD]Shade Warband – Tarnished Coast
Lerious Warhowl – Charr Warrior – [SHD] Shade Warband – Tarnished Coast
Tbh I like LS S2 for now. Refreshing the game every two weeks opposed to waiting a year for a boat load of new content. Without the LS and all the little changes to the world, the world of tyria itself just wouldn’t feel alive. I can understand the hunger for new skills races and weapon sets…I think it’ll come along in due time through feature pack releases.
I agree, I am liking Season 2, and the 2 week update schedule is pretty nice. Keeps the story paced and keeps you guessing at what is going to happen next.
However, I would like this model a lot more if I felt that the game had much else to do. I stopped playing some time ago and have recently come back to the game after playing other MMO’s, and GW2 definitely doesn’t give the player as much to do as other games. So far, I am logging in and completing the story on 1-2 characters and logging off until next update.
It works out OK like this for me, I am getting a few fun hours every couple of weeks for free – no complaints. However, as a game of this genre, it doesn’t hold well. I would imagine the developers would like me to devote more than 1-3 hours every 2 weeks. It is definitely emulating a TV show. I’ll watch the new episodes, but I am not going to sit around watching re-runs while I wait for the next one.
I figure the opinions will be split on this but I fall under the “wanting an expansion pack” crowd.
I don’t like these minuscule updates; the maps are dead in a weeks time and many of the achievements aren’t doable after that.
Also, at this point in time, don’t expect an expansion. At most one should take is 3 years after the release date. If they havn’t started one now, it won’t be released by the 3rd anniversary. By that time most people fed up with the LS will have been long gone by that point.
To clarify, if an expansion were to come, it’d have to actually address the end game content (WvW or PvP), not adding 1 or 2 maps with new quests because that won’t fly. People will be done in 1 or 2 weeks (as many have claimed, and I agree)
(edited by DeadlySynz.3471)
This “season 2” lacks WvW content to go with it.
This “season 2” lacks WvW content to go with it.
Doesn’t the WvW community get upset when it gets tinkered with and expanded on? I recall hearing from some people how Edge of the Mists was an attempt to “kill” traditional WvW.
Seeking assistants for the Asuran Catapult Project. Applicants will be tested for aerodynamics.
This “season 2” lacks WvW content to go with it.
Doesn’t the WvW community get upset when it gets tinkered with and expanded on? I recall hearing from some people how Edge of the Mists was an attempt to “kill” traditional WvW.
I wouldn’t think of it as attempt to kill traditional wvw or anything like that, but it certainly came across as trying to force a vision of what certain groups wanted in the game with the solution to the queue/wait-time issues at the time. The playerbase more or less rejected the vision (and felt that many more important concerns had been set aside during the push for the new map) and now EotM is a farm train zone.
The playerbase more or less rejected the vision (and felt that many more important concerns had been set aside during the push for the new map) and now EotM is a farm train zone.
Yes, but meanwhile I don’t actually care as my server doesn’t have insane queue times for WvW . . . which was what started that whole path towards that anyway as a means to let them do stuff like WvW while waiting for the real WvW instead of just waiting on the queue for hours.
And overall, I never can get anything done in EotM because “everyone knows it’s just about farm”. It’s worse than the karma trains rampant in WvW going “defend? Pshhh, why? We’ll just train around later and take it back”.
Seeking assistants for the Asuran Catapult Project. Applicants will be tested for aerodynamics.
Tbh I like LS S2 for now. Refreshing the game every two weeks opposed to waiting a year for a boat load of new content. Without the LS and all the little changes to the world, the world of tyria itself just wouldn’t feel alive. I can understand the hunger for new skills races and weapon sets…I think it’ll come along in due time through feature pack releases.
I agree, I am liking Season 2, and the 2 week update schedule is pretty nice. Keeps the story paced and keeps you guessing at what is going to happen next.
However, I would like this model a lot more if I felt that the game had much else to do. I stopped playing some time ago and have recently come back to the game after playing other MMO’s, and GW2 definitely doesn’t give the player as much to do as other games. So far, I am logging in and completing the story on 1-2 characters and logging off until next update.
It works out OK like this for me, I am getting a few fun hours every couple of weeks for free – no complaints. However, as a game of this genre, it doesn’t hold well. I would imagine the developers would like me to devote more than 1-3 hours every 2 weeks. It is definitely emulating a TV show. I’ll watch the new episodes, but I am not going to sit around watching re-runs while I wait for the next one.
See this is where we disagree. I think Guild Wars 2 gives players more to do than most other MMOs that I’ve played. I guess it depends on what you like to do.
See this is where we disagree. I think Guild Wars 2 gives players more to do than most other MMOs that I’ve played. I guess it depends on what you like to do.
I like to smear all the excess butter from the Trading Post over the nearest asura, have a mesmer moa-form them, and chase them with the torch on shouting “I feel like chicken tonight”.
Alas, the game won’t let me do this. But at least they let some enlightened soul invent Asuraball.
Seeking assistants for the Asuran Catapult Project. Applicants will be tested for aerodynamics.
jiust log in once every 2 weeks, ..don’t play. in 6 months time, then play. Should have “lots of content” then.
to burn through in a few days, just as you would with an expansion.
this is what I am doing. Played through the first one, but can’t bear to do more story with the kitten five weapon skills. Will simply tag content, like epi 2, and wait till new skills added to game.
Honestly, how many of you would’ve rather seen an expansion pack?
Living story gives us:
- Free updates
- Every 2 or so weeks
- Small amount of contentAn expansion pack gives us
- Paid update
- All updates in one big batch
- Massive amount of contentNow, I don’t want to sound like an ungrateful person, but I’d rather have paid for an expansion pack. Why? Because I would have loved to see a new profession, race, a lot of new lands and more! Me and friends have been speculating the Chronomancer ever since before release. We were all very sad when it didn’t come as we were wanting to make a video series about “Back to the Future”. Alas…
If you got an expansion, I think you would still complain. You would get it done in 1 – 2 weeks then whine. But your post makes you sound ungrateful. Rather than saying, I really like the game but… then being as constructive as possible. Your post was one big whine. As we don’t know what is in store for us, in this LS2, we can’t say anything right now. You have assumed a lot.
I wonder how many got the hint dropped A.Net dropped in the beginning LS2 story. The hint was the Zephyrites are disciples of Glint. That is a HUGE hint drop.
God I do enjoy being right. :’)
Honestly, how many of you would’ve rather seen an expansion pack?
Living story gives us:
- Free updates
- Every 2 or so weeks
- Small amount of contentAn expansion pack gives us
- Paid update
- All updates in one big batch
- Massive amount of contentNow, I don’t want to sound like an ungrateful person, but I’d rather have paid for an expansion pack. Why? Because I would have loved to see a new profession, race, a lot of new lands and more! Me and friends have been speculating the Chronomancer ever since before release. We were all very sad when it didn’t come as we were wanting to make a video series about “Back to the Future”. Alas…
If you got an expansion, I think you would still complain. You would get it done in 1 – 2 weeks then whine. But your post makes you sound ungrateful. Rather than saying, I really like the game but… then being as constructive as possible. Your post was one big whine. As we don’t know what is in store for us, in this LS2, we can’t say anything right now. You have assumed a lot.
I wonder how many got the hint dropped A.Net dropped in the beginning LS2 story. The hint was the Zephyrites are disciples of Glint. That is a HUGE hint drop.
God I do enjoy being right. :’)
you must main a necro
In this case i think its a well deserved necro.
Honestly, how many of you would’ve rather seen an expansion pack?
Living story gives us:
- Free updates
- Every 2 or so weeks
- Small amount of contentAn expansion pack gives us
- Paid update
- All updates in one big batch
- Massive amount of contentNow, I don’t want to sound like an ungrateful person, but I’d rather have paid for an expansion pack. Why? Because I would have loved to see a new profession, race, a lot of new lands and more! Me and friends have been speculating the Chronomancer ever since before release. We were all very sad when it didn’t come as we were wanting to make a video series about “Back to the Future”. Alas…
If you got an expansion, I think you would still complain. You would get it done in 1 – 2 weeks then whine. But your post makes you sound ungrateful. Rather than saying, I really like the game but… then being as constructive as possible. Your post was one big whine. As we don’t know what is in store for us, in this LS2, we can’t say anything right now. You have assumed a lot.
I wonder how many got the hint dropped A.Net dropped in the beginning LS2 story. The hint was the Zephyrites are disciples of Glint. That is a HUGE hint drop.
God I do enjoy being right. :’)
You’re half right. They arent’ stopping with Living Story. Its not a Either/Or situation. We get to have both.
-It’s Lady Paradox- Sweet Adrenaline
“What Part Of Living Says You Gotta Die?
I Plan On Burnin Through Another 9 Lives”
“What Part Of Living Says You Gotta Die?
I Plan On Burnin Through Another 9 Lives”