Guild Wars 2

My favorites, in no particular order:

The Combat.
For me, this combat system is one of the most fluent and exciting combat systems out there. Especially how powers interact between players.

The polish.
2 Years in the game still looks awesome. There’s nooks and crannies to explore everywhere. Most everything is well crafted and thought out.

Server communities.
Through WvW thriving server communities have sprung up, often with distinct identities. This is a marvelous and brilliant experience for me.

Gaile Gray.6029:

caveman.5840:

i agree with pretty much everything the dev said

but this

Skills. Enough variety to be effective and fun; not so much that I feel I’m forever the noob for not knowing the intricacies.

i agree with it but

it would be pretty nice to get “new weapon sets” for the classes
some new traits utility skills and stuff

I see what you did there. I know the team is keenly aware of the desire for changes to traits, and they will have something to say on that subject when plans are more firmed up. What you’re seeking with a suggestions about new skill sets may be on the charts in the future, I really don’t know about that.

I’ll be the first to admit Anet have done some fantastic things with this game. jumping Puzzles, incredibly detailed zones that in themselves encourage exploration, heck, I even love a fair bit of the NPE and the new daily system, while perhaps needs more choices to allow people to accomplish them while still playing the style they want to play, is pretty good. The wardrobe system is fantastic and allows great customisation options (I enjoy having every character being of unique style when it hits 80. I have 64 character slots, the wardrobe system is gift from Dwayna. The Living Story is a nice idea, and has developed well. Still needs tweaks I think, but the concept is great and I thik the execution gets better all the time.

However, you mentioned the one thing that truly gets my blood boiling with Anet and has seriously damaged my trust in Anet; Traits, and by extension, the communication around them. They will have something to say when plans are firmed up? I’d hope they might have something of a firm idea after 8 kittening months. They even gave an indication of some ideas of plans in around page 30-40 of the trait thread. At this stage, and I don’t mean this as a personal attack, I have no reason to believe anything anyone from Anet has to say about how they will get round to doing traits. The kittenpoor handling of the trait thread and feedback has seen to that. That this reassuring post is posted here and not where it belongs is a testament to that. Why have Anet abandoned those in the trait thread? How can we be assured that our feedback means something unless it is shown to mean something? Throwaway platitudes do not count. Or is this a case of them being far too busy doing new things to go back and fix things they didn’t get quite right (which was something I took away from a previous post a few weeks/months ago in some other thread). Just to say, at the trait thread a lot of discussion is made on Anet posts that may have relevance to that issue, but all of them have to be interpreted in regards to that issue as Anet have given up posting anything in that thread. yet more abandonment after months of it and reassurance that never materialises.

I love the game, I love what Anet have done with a lot of things. outfits I love, wardrobe system, making currencies account bound, a lot of seemingly simple but very effective quality of life changes. But to me, all that goodwill is lost on this one, towering issue.

I know a fair bit of this post is off topic, but I write it in a vain hope of getting some Anet love in that thread, and the issue around it. 8 months is long enough now.

The combat is fun, WvW is one of the best things in the game.
They sure as hell get the world right, best looking and diverse world I have ever seen in a game. The artist are truly great.

Artwork and hype.

The original outfit system was right. They could have adapted that to the new system. They said it was too difficult, but they just didn’t want to. Quietly killing the gathering shorts and other mix-n-match items in the process.

The human female running and idle animations were originally right, from my perspective. One of the reasons I started playing was how much I liked the character models. Unceremoniously pulled the running animation about 15-16 months in (no explanation given, asked in support tickets repeatedly, and was given the run around), then the idle animations a few months back (because it was inappropriate? subjective.)

They could have kept it right by making the running animation and idle animations (each broken into a separate animation) things that you could apply to your character and enable/disable, either with a new UI or a full makeover kit, and create new running animations and idle animations and sell them in the store. Everyone is happy getting the animations they like, and profit, hard to see what would be wrong with that.

And if they don’t see that as the right thing because of other internal values, positions, agendas, then at least the right thing to do would be to make a formal statement that covers the entire thing, so that we can choose whether or not we share those values, and stay or go based on clear information.

Farzo.8410:

There is a lot ArenaNet does right, no doubt about it- and there is a lot they do wrong.

But yeah, the aspect of everyone being nice to each other is something they have a good watch over.

It is completely true. The more tries you make the more mistakes happen. I prefer that they try to give out a unique experience then do nothing.

Even with the latest two maps. They’re a great improvement, something I think Orr is missing. (since Orr was a place of the most influence from Zhaitan)

Time for my bah humbug post.

Why is it that we have so many positive posts from people in PvE, yet in WvW all we see are complaints?

Surely this is a sign which Anet is still ignoring….
Of course you cannot make everyone happy, but that doesnt mean you have to neglect WvW completely, so much so that it is now in it’s current stale state.

Pinkamena Diane Pie.8054:

Time for my bah humbug post.

Why is it that we have so many positive posts from people in PvE, yet in WvW all we see are complaints?

Surely this is a sign which Anet is still ignoring….
Of course you cannot make everyone happy, but that doesnt mean you have to neglect WvW completely, so much so that it is now in it’s current stale state.

Sure, there is more focus on PvE than WvW, but that’s just because there are more players interested in PvE than WvW. Plain and simple.

Plus you will always hear the PvP crowd whining about stuff, because that’s what PvP players do.

Don’t get me wrong I’d love to get more WvW content as it is the end game for me in GW2.

Farzo.8410:

There is a lot ArenaNet does right, no doubt about it- and there is a lot they do wrong.

But yeah, the aspect of everyone being nice to each other is something they have a good watch over.

I agree. Whenever I lose control and lash out at someone, they’re pretty Johnny on the spot with removing my posts and infracting me. I could be mad about it, but actually – it’s a sign they’re doing a good job.

No server down time for patches!

I returned to GW2 in the early fall after a bit of an absence and I’ve been very pleased.

The wardrobe and dye changes are great. The combat puts WOW-like games to shame (I considered going back to SWTOR instead of GW2 but couldn’t stomach the old-school stand-and-shoot or their mind-numbingly-boring quest system).

The regular content releases are very well done and I’m not really sure how they achieved this, because I am a completionist, but I don’t feel compelled to do all of it. Some world events I do and enjoy, others I skip without any angst (Wintersday comes to mind :P).

I like the pvp changes rolled out over the year and I’ve come to like WvW, which I’ll confess is a big surprise. Hated it last time I played. (It does help to get plugged into a WvW guild’s teamspeak.)

The gemstore is also something I like, lots to choose from from a ‘fun’ perspective, nothing I feel compelled to buy.

The only change that I really don’t care for is having to quest or pay for the traits. I like it in principle but I think they over did it… 78 ‘quests’ is an awful lot to do to get access to all traits and it undermines the otherwise very flexible system. As it happens I had 8 toons that were grandfathered in with their traits (except for the XIII ones) so it hasn’t been a big deal but I did start a new ranger to do racial stories I hadn’t done before and I have to confess the trait system has pretty much sapped all interest in leveling him beyond the 30s. I worry that it might prove a barrier to new players.

But overall, I really enjoy GW2 and think it’s the best game out there for my play style. Oh, and I do like that fact that you hear from the devs and, it’s even positive feedback! (Unlike certain other MMOs where you’ll get: if you don’t like our decisions, play something else )

Oh and the artwork is outstanding

I am totally in love with the game and have only good things to say about the game. I am a staunch fan boy and was in love the first beta weekend I played…..I actually have difficulty playing any other MMO after playing GW2.

I have never been a huge mono-gamer. But GW2 has taken over my gaming life for over two years now. I have played it almost every day for that entire two years. It frightens me to be honest. But I have enjoyed every minute of it. The art. The music. The world. All fantastic. GW2 has the highest quality polish and the most solid base game of any of its peers. The combat system is a delight in particular. One of the best £30 I ever spent on a game.

In two years there has been %99.9 uptime on the servers. I remember WoWs ‘patch days’ where you might as well go do something else for that day.

I have been a believer in the Living Story ever since i felt they really started to hit their stride in the Tower of Nightmares release. And it continues to get better and better imho.

That said i have been everywhere. I have seen everything. I have collected pretty much all i want, and i have done the same content enough times to squeeze every ounce of enjoyment I can out of it.

Anet…please…I have money in my wallet, its yours if you want it, you know what you need to do…

EDIT: I forgot to add the most important thing of all. Community.GW2, on the whole, has one of the friendliest and most helpful communities of any game on the market too. Its in the design of the game to be that way i think. The community is active, its invigorating, it challenges my perceptions and understanding of the game. It makes me a better player. Its so so important to foster community and let it grow. And i think Anet understands this. Hell, they are part of it too! You see their passion for the game oozing out it in every direction! Especially Gaile, she is fanatically obsessed. I worry sometimes…

kuittaa.7360:

Danikat.8537:

Here’s my list, in no particular order:

No subscription
No stat treadmill
No Pay-to-win
Cooperative PvE
Generally friendly community
The art style
It’s fun

and would like to add BLTP to the list of what’s done right.

The character models and scenery in this game are unmatched, as I’ve been saying for over 2 years now.
Dodging, is a mechanic that I can’t actually live without now tyvm.
I’d like to say I’m tired of hearing people complain about the gem store when, after 2+ years it is still NOT P2W. This is huge. Some of the prices can be a bit high on things & I cannot say enough times that I can’t stand their ‘impulse buy’ marketing strategy but, it’s still NOT P2W and I am extremely thankful for that.
I am however struggling to keep playing simply because my main game-mode is neglected badly. If WvW doesn’t get some major love soon, I’m not sure if I can keep hanging on.
I am grateful however, for all of the positives & certainly their tremendous effort to keep the community respectful.

*edit: forgot to give props for excellent customer service!

Noobix.3958:

I have never been a huge mono-gamer. But GW2 has taken over my gaming life for over two years now. I have played it almost every day for that entire two years. It frightens me to be honest. But I have enjoyed every minute of it. The art. The music. The world. All fantastic. GW2 has the highest quality polish and the most solid base game of any of its peers. The combat system is a delight in particular. One of the best £30 I ever spent on a game.

In two years there has been %99.9 uptime on the servers. I remember WoWs ‘patch days’ where you might as well go do something else for that day.

I have been a believer in the Living Story ever since i felt they really started to hit their stride in the Tower of Nightmares release. And it continues to get better and better imho.

That said i have been everywhere. I have seen everything. I have collected pretty much all i want, and i have done the same content enough times to squeeze every ounce of enjoyment I can out of it.

Anet…please…I have money in my wallet, its yours if you want it, you know what you need to do…

EDIT: I forgot to add the most important thing of all. Community.GW2, on the whole, has one of the friendliest and most helpful communities of any game on the market too. Its in the design of the game to be that way i think. The community is active, its invigorating, it challenges my perceptions and understanding of the game. It makes me a better player. Its so so important to foster community and let it grow. And i think Anet understands this. Hell, they are part of it too! You see their passion for the game oozing out it in every direction! Especially Gaile, she is fanatically obsessed. I worry sometimes…

LOL the highlighted part is the funniest to me! Its so true too, people want more! I guess that is also a good thing if people want to buy more content then I guess thats a good problem.

Happy New Years all!

Eleri Tezhme.3048:

They run a tight, zero-tolerance ship.

Well that is something i would say is something that they do at a horrible level. Moderation is done to an extent on some subforums where criticism is not tolerated at all.

But what they did right, hmm

That GW2 is buy to play is something i enjoy very much, no subscription while not being p2w is always nice.

No extreme gear trademill is also something i enjoy. I can always come back and start from the point i left

That they implemented megaserver technology on the pve maps is awesome. The maps are full, always somebody around to do temples or champions.

They deliver content regularly, even if it is only for the story but it is something.

Their technology that they do not have server downtimes when they deliver patches is also absolutely awesome.

Danikat.8537:

No stat treadmill
Yes there is grind in this game, but not for things you have to have to play. When I got to level 80 I got a set of exotic gear pretty much straight away with karma I’d saved up. Then within a month I did both the newly released Flame and Frost dungeon and Arah path 2. In a lot of MMOs that wouldn’t be an option. A newly max level character couldn’t go and do the final dungeon in the game, they’d have to do all the others first to get the other equipment tiers in between.

Along the same lines I’m still using some of that same gear now, almost 2 years later, and it’s still basically the top tier (yes there’s ascended, but that’s a very minor improvement).

This was a big part of the reason why I switched to GW2 from another VERY popular MMO. If/when life happened and I couldn’t/didn’t play for a few months, I would return to discover that the majority of the players had moved on to a new tier that I wasn’t prepared for, and they no longer had any need to run the prior content tiers I now needed. Effectively, if you didn’t keep up you got left behind unless you had friendships with players or a guild that would carry you until you caught up.

Here I don’t have to worry about that. When my father passed away earlier this year, all I did for several months was log in briefly whenever I received an email about a new living story chapter being released. When I return (I’m still only able to play occasionally) I’ll be able to pick up where I left off and continue without suffering any great roadblocks to being able to continue my progress.