Guild Wars 2

Hello,

So, just four weeks ago I told a friend, “It seems like Anet is finally getting things together with Guild Wars 2. The game is so much more exciting now with Living Story, new maps, decent writing. You should come back!”

Well, he did! And brought his wife. Unfortunately his wife is level 1. He’s level 80. This was just fine. No issues. She’s playing right alone and we go do things together. That is, until you implemented this patch. Congratulations, she quit.

Why did she quit? Well, let’s look at what you’ve done. You’ve attacked, not helped, all new players. You’ve also alienated your established player base. How? Removing skill points and level gating things that for 2 years were NOT level gated.

Effectively, you’ve told everyone in the game, "We’re not letting you access to our already woefully limited skill system! We’re making the painfully boring and repetitive leveling process even more painful, slow, and repetitive! And I can tell you, as a woman, you are aggravating ALL of your female players. We aren’t like guys. It’s a neurological fact combat in games does NOTHING for us. The little reward centers in the brain that says “This is fun!” don’t light up for us in combat like they would for me. Monotony is monotony to us. That’s it. It’s that simple. You can’t mask it to woman by forcing us to do combat. So forcing onto new players a painfully unnecessary leveling system just tells every girl in this game, ‘Go find something better to do with your life. This is no longer fun. It’s a job."

In short, you’ve probably just killed Guild Wars 2, alienated your loyal players, and all for fictional new player population when you haven’t added anything into your game to attract new players: i.e. new maps (plural), new skills, any sort of new dungeons or world encounters. Sure, you’ve added Dry Top… after two years. You’ve removed and have kept removed the Adventure Box… and are entirely driven by creating false scarcity to items released to the gem store exclusively then quickly removing them to enforce that scarcity (a system I would approve if it didn’t seem to be your own serious activity).

This new update is a direct insult to your loyal player base, highly damaging to that loyalty by evidence of all the discussions being had openly in map chat, and effectively attacked any new players right from the start.

This is a really appalling growth of behavior Anet. Other than really damaging your relationship with your players this is not accomplishing anything except in your heads.

Maybe you should take the time to explain to the new play the things she can do versus what she can’t.

What You Can Do At Level 1:
Dodge
Dye Armor
Harvest Materials (go into the city when you get outta the first story and buy some Gathering Tools form a crafting master)
Craft Items (just talk to the guy like before and learn the discipline)
You can Visit Vistas AND PoIs you just aren’t directed to them.
WvW or PvP (Use Hot Keys to open the panels or go to LA from Home City to access the Asura Gates)
Can Use Wardrobe just open it up
Can use Minis
Can Access your Bank/Guild Bank
Can Access the Guild Panel Hit G
Can do Jumping Puzzles (I did Morgans Spiral at level 3 and the secret troll one at level 2 just to see)
Can Map Complete and get rewards for it.

What You Can’t Do at level 1:
The Combat stuff is true and locked behind a leveling curve that is significantly increased (It only took me 30 minutes to get to level 10 where all my weapon skills for ALL weapons were unlocked)
At level 13 about 45 min into a new character I unlocked my first Utility skill and as such unlocked Skill Point Challenges. Also, you can use Knowledge Scrolls at any level to learn new healing skills if you don’t like the first one.

you also unlock the 1-10 Personal Story at ten and can do the whole arc at once. I did that at level 13 and it got me to level 17 and have a LOT of nice goodies and included the Black Lion Key.

Totally agree, honestly everything we lost compared to what we gained is a joke. They have ruined a very good game and if they don’t fix it quick they will lose so many players.

Paradox.1380:

List of what you CAN do at level 1

What You Can Do At Level 1:
Dodge
Dye Armor
Harvest Materials (go into the city when you get outta the first story and buy some Gathering Tools form a crafting master)
Craft Items (just talk to the guy like before and learn the discipline)
You can Visit Vistas AND PoIs you just aren’t directed to them.
WvW or PvP (Use Hot Keys to open the panels or go to LA from Home City to access the Asura Gates)
Can Use Wardrobe just open it up
Can use Minis
Can Access your Bank/Guild Bank
Can Access the Guild Panel Hit G
Can do Jumping Puzzles (I did Morgans Spiral at level 3 and the secret troll one at level 2 just to see)
Can Map Complete and get rewards for it.

What You Can’t Do at level 1:
The Combat stuff is true and locked behind a leveling curve that is significantly increased (It only took me 30 minutes to get to level 10 where all my weapon skills for ALL weapons were unlocked)
At level 13 about 45 min into a new character I unlocked my first Utility skill and as such unlocked Skill Point Challenges. Also, you can use Knowledge Scrolls at any level to learn new healing skills if you don’t like the first one.

you also unlock the 1-10 Personal Story at ten and can do the whole arc at once. I did that at level 13 and it got me to level 17 and have a LOT of nice goodies and included the Black Lion Key.

Where in the OP’s post did he imply anything different?

Eirdyne.9843:

And I can tell you, as a woman, you are aggravating ALL of your female players. We aren’t like guys. It’s a neurological fact combat in games does NOTHING for us. The little reward centers in the brain that says “This is fun!” don’t light up for us in combat like they would for me. Monotony is monotony to us. That’s it. It’s that simple. You can’t mask it to woman by forcing us to do combat. So forcing onto new players a painfully unnecessary leveling system just tells every girl in this game, ‘Go find something better to do with your life. This is no longer fun. It’s a job."

.

I’d like to perhaps see evidence via scientific study/research somewhere of this “fact” that you brazenly have put forth.

That’s a -pretty huge- claim you just made.