Guild Wars 2

Recently I saw a wonderful thread about GW2 as a significant part of ones life. I love the richness of the characters in this game, and the layers of story I can uncover as I play, but for me it’s a little different.

My main MMO is a different game, in which I lead a guild. That’s a significant time investment, with people I love playing with. I can’t possibly replicate that level of commitment in a second MMO.

So GW2, much as I love it, is a casual game for me, not a way of life.

Recent developments, including the new announced expansion (which, to be clear sounds very amazing, and I’m happy to see all the anticipatory excitement from players) have made me wonder if this is a game I can continue playing and spending money on without feeling like I’m just not part of target audience.

Maybe I’m missing something that would make the difference, and this is not in any way to denigrate the players or the game who love things the way they are.

A couple of specific examples. I’m part of a couple of guilds-one has hardly anyone on ever, and the other usually has people on, but the chat is almost nonexistent. There is a teamspeak server for the Guild, and from what I can tell that is where most of the social interchange is-even though the guild says the external voice isn’t mandatory. When I log in and say hello, no one responds, and requests for help often get overlooked as well. I have decided to look for a more suitable guild, but I don’t know that there is one that supports the kind of casual participation I can bring to the table. (This is particularly frustrating to me as I run a guild in another game where we spend a lot of effort to bring casual players along. I know what I am looking for, but I can’t be the one to lead it.)

There is also a lot of the living story (and if you’re just going to tell me to LTP, please skip the exercise) that seems inaccessible to me if I can’t find someone to join in. I’m talking mechanics that would be simple with a partner, but since I am casual, and not at the leading edge of the living story instances, finding someone to bring along is very difficult, given the guild situation described above. I’ve tried to use LFG, but so far no success.

I’ve learned the mechanics-for example, having to both hit the boss and prevent healing from adds in one instance-but the two are so far apart that doing both these things on a solo basis seems to be impossible, after 3 extended sessions during which I attempted it. So, it appears to me that the living world content is pretty much going to be not something I can keep up with. It also means the descriptions of the action in the HoT expansion being that it’s going to get more complex, and presumably require more not-solo play, that there is no point in my spending money on that content. I certainly won’t be pre-ordering it.

This is a fantastic game, and I love the time I have spent in it. But at this point it appears to me that the avenues for me to enjoy what I consider base content (not raids/wvw or clearly group focused content with the highest level rewards) are getting more and more limited.

So, what is it I’m missing? Anyone know of a casual friendly guild that might be able to give me a guild “home” that feels like a home?

If they ever decide to continue the personal story in the future, then you’ll have more content to deal with. Otherwise, you’re right, content that includes raids, dungeons, etc. requires you to get other people to help you, and some of them may be upset with your choice of skills / etc. on your class. I don’t really know how to deal with this though, I tried to deal with tanking in FFXIV, but item levels and people with best-in-slot just mess that up. I don’t like dealing a ton of damage either really, I like to support people or protect them. But it’s hard to do this when they’re yelling at me for losing aggro / enmity on things I cannot control easily.

Finding a Guild is pretty easy, but finding one that still shares your original pre-megaserver server is harder now more than ever. Plus, some Guilds require you to use voice chat, and I’m not ready to do that yet.

I am fairly casual as well due to my work schedule. However, GW2 is my main MMO. Lately I’ve been having fun just exploring and catching up on acheivments I have missed. I’m trying to get as much done as possible before heart of thorns.

I am pretty lucky that I am in a Smaller guild filled with people I enjoy talking to. We also play a lot of different steam games together.

Feel free to poke me in game if you ever need help with LS or anything else. If I am not AFK I answer <3

Also, posting from my phone is a pain in the bum. Lol

I don’t think I’d be considered casual in terms of time spent playing the game, but I am casual when it comes to gearing and min-maxing. But I was able to solo almost all the LS on my squishy thief, and all of it on my mesmer and guardian.

The trick in that one section you’re describing is to have a ranged weapon and a few ways to snare, root, and knock back. You intercept the mender way back by the door, tether it in place and murder it there. Then you run into range of the boss and fire away (while dodging blue orbs, chill aoes, and giant circles of doom). After a bit of shooting, jog back to snag the next mender. It is certainly easier in a group, but far from impossible solo even if it takes a while to do. It helps that the npcs will rez you if you go down, and if you must retry from a checkpoint the boss should not regen health too fast for you to tag it again.

If you are NA please add me to your friends list. My guildies tend to be on later in the evening, and I have most of my days free so I am always up to go help someone with something in the afternoons (eastern time). Not today, I have an RP planned and also want to watch Points of Interest, but generally if you see me in game feel free to whisper me to see if I’m available to aid.

Thanks for the responses. It’s nice to feel like I’m not totally alone in, well, feeling a bit alone.

I was looking for a guild forum, but didn’t find one post archives. Where should I be looking?

You’re not alone Astarte. I feel this game doesn’t offer me much anymore either. I am at the same point in the LS and have just given up. Which means I won’t be able to enjoy any of the new content. I’m also angry about having to pay for fixing a failed trait system that, even though I paid $60 for the game, has been severely broken for almost a year; as it seems you’ll have to buy the expansion to enjoy the FIXES.

I’m disgusted with this game to be honest. Which is sad, since I’ve clocked a lot of time in here, given ANet a lot of my extra dollars over the last two years, and kept playing when my other family gave up long ago.

I don’t want Marionet-Teq-type, zerg-fest, have-to-have-help-every-step-of-the-way content. I really started loving this game BECAUSE I could do stuff alone but could join into some bigger fights if I felt like it. I feel like the choice is being taken away more and more with every update.

I’d be happy to help anyone with the have to have help stuff just ask.

I’d like to offer my assistance as well. I’m on NA server. I usually just goof off when I’m on unless someone needs help. As far as build goes, I don’t really care about it.

Shriibot.4569:

Also, posting from my phone is a pain in the bum. Lol

I agree especially when I’m driving.

JustTrogdor.7892:

Shriibot.4569:

Also, posting from my phone is a pain in the bum. Lol

I agree especially when I’m driving.

Might help if you set down the can of beer! JUST KIDDING!

Thank you for the kind offers of help. I’ll definitely be looking for you all when I’m able to play next.

:)

I just started playing this week and I’m going back to my mmo roots with this game. When WoW and FFXI first came out it was all new and I loved exploring and it seemed like the trip was more important than the destination (to me anyhow). I never maxed level in FF but I did in WoW with 39 other people, most of us on ventrillo to boot >< and it was fun the first time finally getting the full Felgear set but after that is when it all seemed to change. Expansions and level cap increases and soon it all became about getting to max level as fast as possible and grinding forever for the best gear….. till the next expansion, bleh. I found I had more fun listening to the music in game or from my own selection along with the ambient sounds than I did hearing people yak and argue on a headphone. I have no problem chatting in game with text and have had a lot of fun with that too but anymore guilds/corps/clans require some form of TS and I say nay. Soooo I’ve been solo playing my mmo’s now. I was quite surprised when I just started playing GW2 and found myself backing off if a mission was up and someone else was killing the mobs till I read there is no kill stealing, no loot sniping and no harvesting hogging : D Can’t say how cool it is to be able to help a group of people without the complaining and greed lol. So far my first couple of days have been spent just exploring the hume city Divinity’s Reach and talking to npcs and figuring out stuff. My char is Slyminstra on Yak’s Bend and I play mostly evenings west coast time. I’m not out for top gear or for doing anything really fast, just in it for the lols. o/

Well, my daily routine looks something like this, working my way down the list as time and real life permits.

1. Dailies (PvE/PvP/WvW)
2. World Bosses
3. Rich Node Farming
4. Dungeons (CoF 1+2, AC 1+3, CoE 1-3, HotW 1+2, TA 1+2, SE 1-3)
5. Dry Top/SW Farming

My long-term goals would be the following for now;
Dynamic → Synergetic → Static Spinal Blades
Luminescent Collection
Ambrite Collection
Fractals 29 → 50
Ascended Armor/Weapons
Infused Ascended Gear
Crafting 500 all professions
PvP Rank 80
WvW Rank 100
Legendary Crafting
JP/Explorer achievements
Map completion on alts
Glorious armor finished
Full cultural T3
All classes to 80
All dungeon collections finished.

Astarte.9183:

Thanks for the responses. It’s nice to feel like I’m not totally alone in, well, feeling a bit alone.

I was looking for a guild forum, but didn’t find one post archives. Where should I be looking?

You are more than welcome to give our guild a try. We are a smaller group but there is usually people on at most times. Most of us are NA, but we also have a resident Brit and kiwi. Along with a few other countries. Haha

Astarte.9183:

Thanks for the responses. It’s nice to feel like I’m not totally alone in, well, feeling a bit alone.

I was looking for a guild forum, but didn’t find one post archives. Where should I be looking?

Here is the “looking for …” forum which includes guild recruiting threads. I think you will still enjoy GW2 very much even if it is not your primary MMO. Happy hunting!

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/community/lookingfor

Iyeru.5240:

If they ever decide to continue the personal story in the future, then you’ll have more content to deal with. Otherwise, you’re right, content that includes raids, dungeons, etc. requires you to get other people to help you, and some of them may be upset with your choice of skills / etc. on your class. I don’t really know how to deal with this though, I tried to deal with tanking in FFXIV, but item levels and people with best-in-slot just mess that up. I don’t like dealing a ton of damage either really, I like to support people or protect them. But it’s hard to do this when they’re yelling at me for losing aggro / enmity on things I cannot control easily.

Finding a Guild is pretty easy, but finding one that still shares your original pre-megaserver server is harder now more than ever. Plus, some Guilds require you to use voice chat, and I’m not ready to do that yet.

ffxiv tanking is more about getting first aggro, and using enmity skills at the right time, gear mostly will effect how well you survive, not so much how much hate you keep. it also gets easier as you level. More to the point, people will always complain, in any game. But it doesnt happen all the time, with all people. There will always be some good times too.

Thanks again for the helpful hints.
@Shriibot.4569-I’ll definitely check that out. Having a compatible guild really makes games so much more fun.

casual does not signify equal unskilled or not wanting to think. Hence, the game is very casual friendly.

OP, I’ve found the living story achievements to favor certain professions and builds. If that’s the mission with Rytlock you are speaking of, certainly a second person to camp the mender comes in handy. If you have a Ranger you can set the pet to guard where the mender spawns. Please, don’t use a bear An Engi can set turrets by his spawn too.

Algreg.3629:

casual does not signify equal unskilled or not wanting to think. Hence, the game is very casual friendly.

Not sure exactly what this is meant to tell me about my original post. Care to clarify?

@dewolfe.2174
– my main is a guardian, and I was using my chain skill to stop the menders, then trying to run back and keep hitting the boss, but the pause doesn’t last terribly long, and then i often didn’t manage to kill them off before they healed the kittening guy.

phys.7689:

ffxiv tanking is more about getting first aggro, and using enmity skills at the right time, gear mostly will effect how well you survive, not so much how much hate you keep. it also gets easier as you level. More to the point, people will always complain, in any game. But it doesnt happen all the time, with all people. There will always be some good times too.

I’ve tried that many times, I had a NIN out-aggro my aggro generation combination because he was using a VERY specific combo that over-DPSes the class. I’ve had BLMs do this too, but only when they use flare. It doesn’t matter anymore, I quit tanking.

Let’s not forget NINs and BRDs yelling at you if you’re a WAR and spam overpower and “Wasting” all your TP and they still out-aggro you.

This game has casual written all over it.

This game is extremely casual friendly. The skill threshold required for almost all content is extremely low. Which is the problem, really… a lot of players are able to coast along on extremely easy content for most of their game time, if they want, without learning their class or how to adjust their build or how to react to new mechanics, and so forth.

What the LS has been doing recently, is upping the difficulty level just a bit. Not very much, but enough to nudge the casual player to get better. HoT will have content that continues in that general direction. All the LS instances are perfectly soloable, though, on every class and on a wide variety of builds.

To the OP, I won’t say l2p… I won’t even tell you to keep butting your head against whatever encounter is giving you trouble, cause that’s just boring and frustrating… but if you do keep playing and allow yourself to be challenged in different ways from time to time, you will get better. And you’ll find encounters like those in the LS to be enjoyable, rather than frustrating.

Contact me in game. My guild might be just what you’re looking for. We’re pretty big but filled with ultra casuals.

Eli Stormstrike.8637:

Well, my daily routine looks something like this, working my way down the list as time and real life permits.

1. Dailies (PvE/PvP/WvW)
2. World Bosses
3. Rich Node Farming
4. Dungeons (CoF 1+2, AC 1+3, CoE 1-3, HotW 1+2, TA 1+2, SE 1-3)
5. Dry Top/SW Farming

My long-term goals would be the following for now;
Dynamic -> Synergetic -> Static Spinal Blades
Luminescent Collection
Ambrite Collection
Fractals 29 -> 50
Ascended Armor/Weapons
Infused Ascended Gear
Crafting 500 all professions
PvP Rank 80
WvW Rank 100
Legendary Crafting
JP/Explorer achievements
Map completion on alts
Glorious armor finished
Full cultural T3
All classes to 80
All dungeon collections finished.

And yet people yell “omg no content!”….
I’m casual also, don’t even have a guild cause would end up being kicked, but I had no trouble stepping into the new content. Was on my way to continue the Season 2 story, saw an event in Silverwastes, last thing you know I spent 2h trying to breach through the vines, was a ftw experience even if I didn’t quite know what was going on, just went with the flow.
The community is a big part of this game, even if you fail they are eager to help you and explain wtf you should do if you ask, it’s not the toxic community you see in WoW for example.

I think I’m casual. Like Eli Stormstrike.8637, my routine are pretty the same as his/her

1. Dalies
2. 1-2 World Bosses
3. WvWvW where I spend the rest of my game time.

I used to be part of [EXG] Extravagance, very friendly and large guild. I barely rep them but they never forget to send me a message if there’s a guild mission or remind you if free items on the gem stores. Maybe you can join them.

Right now I’m with [QOP] Quaggan OP. I think I’m getting the same treatment as I was in [EXG].

Casual here. I play other games. Watch comedy. Work. Omg I have a life! This is sick.

CMM.6712:

JustTrogdor.7892:

Shriibot.4569:

Also, posting from my phone is a pain in the bum. Lol

I agree especially when I’m driving.

Might help if you set down the can of beer! JUST KIDDING!

I saw this guy texting and driving the other day. It made me so mad I had to roll down my car window, scream ’That’s dangerous you inconsiderate jerk!’ and throw my beer at him.

/badum tish

naiasonod.9265:

CMM.6712:

JustTrogdor.7892:

Shriibot.4569:

Also, posting from my phone is a pain in the bum. Lol

I agree especially when I’m driving.

Might help if you set down the can of beer! JUST KIDDING!

I saw this guy texting and driving the other day. It made me so mad I had to roll down my car window, scream ’That’s dangerous you inconsiderate jerk!’ and throw my beer at him.

Gah! It is people like you and your distracting beer throwing antics, lane changing, etc, that keep me from finishing the morning newspaper on my drive to work.

Settle down, would ya? Some of us are trying to read.

The only RPG I know of that’s more casual than GW2 is Progress Quest:
http://progressquest.com/