Guild Wars 2

If I had new about ascended stuff, I’d have been using exclusively rares which can more or less be salvaged into ectos for the same value you buy them. IE, gearing in 80 rares isn’t something that causes you to “lose” money into temporary gear.

Gearing for 80 exotics on the other hand is a net money (and time, and fun) loss. Especially considering all the level 80 exotic crafts are kitten ugly, especially the weapons.

This thread is full of people saying the same things:

This is a gear treadmill!
No, it’s not!
This is a gear treadmill!
No it’s not!

Great post. Gw2 is fun to play for and progression is a part that as far it’s not going to far.

http://www.guildwars2guru.com/topic/19873-level-cap-increase-in-expansions/

A nugget of information that was hidden away for the most part. BUT if they increase the level cap do you think they will not increase the gear cap? If that is the case is it not then a gear treadmill?

Regardless if people choose to stay or leave because of the above information at least it was an informed decision regardless if you stay or leave and I can respect that.

Missed something OP. The reason why its compared to a treadmill is that even though you have “better gear” since all the mobs have better stats you essentially did not move forward.

A gear treadmill goes in hand with power creep. You get a +5 power boost and mobs get a +5 defense boost. Your progression is all an illusion. You are no more powerful than what you were before the new gear.

SlimJim.3087:

So gear progression or not isnt the idea of an MMO longevity? Ive been playing MMOs for almost 10 years, and this is the first time ive actually “beat the game” in less then 2 months… and the argument that this is supposed to be a PVP game to get keep you playing is false. The PVP is fundamentally broken and full of bugs, and the one dimensional zerg encouraging game type is a far cry from an e-sport.

So I think people should stop complaining about this “gear treadmill” and how its gonna break the game, and focus more on will this new content really keep you hooked until the next patch? I personally think Anet needs to go back to the drawing board and fix alot more of the core of the game.

Anyway rant aside, a “gear treadmill” in an MMO is inevitable as its what these games are built around. I didnt expect Anet to start implementing it so soon, and hopefully in the future they can find other ways to keep players hooked. And yes it may only be 2 rings and a backpack, but it shows the direction they are heading.

GW2 will never be about gear treadmill and thats why it wont have a large playerbase. It will drop to Guild Wars level or less.

Gear Treadmill is an essential part of mmos to keep it living, and dont say GW1, it had more character progression and it wasent THAT huge.
The biggest peaks in playerbase they had was when they added stuff that made your character stronger.
Without Gear Treadmill and Character Progression, an mmo will diminish rapidly.

100% map and jumping puzzles should be something you do between gearing up, not the main part of the game.

Cancer.9065:

A gear treadmill goes in hand with power creep. You get a +5 power boost and mobs get a +5 defense boost. Your progression is all an illusion. You are no more powerful than what you were before the new gear.

Your missing the whole point with gear treadmill. Its not about owning some monster more, its about seeing higher numbers on your character, more then the other person next to you, or atleast the first one to get there.
And when you whack that monster, you see a higher number, yes the monster has more health, but you have become stronger.

Selo.1250
And when you whack that monster, you see a higher number, yes the monster has more health, but you have become stronger.

And this illusion is good? you are killing a +5 mob with your +5 sword in the same time that it would have taken you to kill a regular mob with a regular sword.

Instead of more challenging content to test you skill, the knowledge of your profession, the versatility of your build, your group coordination, etc instead of needing to change your “status quo” to adapt to new mobs or mechanics you’d rather have a bigger sword to kill a bigger mob?

No change in strategy? no overcoming a problem? no figuring out how beat new zones just… bigger mob → get bigger sword.

I fail to see how seeing bigger numbers equals to progression.