Guild Wars 2

I don’t understand what high people get from maxing at level 80 as opposed to level 20 or 10 or 5.

Levels are all relative so… the absolute number doesn’t matter.

What DOES matter is level based monster scaling.

Tyria is only so big. Let’s so we have 10 zones. If you have 10 levels, that means at each level you have access to an entire zone, you don’t have to stop in front of a mob just cause it’s level 14 and you’re level 10.

Having a 10 level difference between monsters of the same zone means effectively you have 10 steps that you MUST pass through to complete the level. As in there is only ONE way to run this zone.

Basically, you’re making an open zone into a linear zone.

This also means you have to constantly rearm and rearmor as weapons and armor become underleveled.

Now if you actually want to work together with members of your team, without downleveling them and effectively cutting their reward value, you CAN’T. if they’re just 5 levels ahead, you will have complete different monster scales and goals, and areas where you can and can’t go.

Sorry ANet, but almost every single major design change from GW1 has been a poorly thought out decision, and this is just another one of them.

Pretty sure you answered your own question there. Once you are level 80, you can go anywhere, with no level requirement stopping you.

Not to mention that by the time you get out of your starter zone, you should be able to do hearts and kill mobs a few levels above you. I have 2 characters (guardian & ranger) that are 30+ and they can both drop mobs a few levels higher. Zones are also fairly expansive so between your storyline quests, the hearts, the DEs, and gathering…you shouldn’t have any trouble with an area being linear. I like that if you don’t talk to Scouts you don’t really know where to go next because there is no “next” there’s just “go adventure!” If you find yourself facing mobs 10 levels above you, then you most likely skipped everything on the other side of the map worth doing to get there. Your complaint almost sounds like “I wanna see Orr now, make everything level 1.” It’s called progression. It’s not linear, but you do have to earn it.

How many levels is just right, beyond being subjective of course, is a careful balancing act.

Too many and the power gain from each one seems trivial and inconsequential.

Too few and the gap between “dings” is disheartening and grueling.

Itemization also plays a role to some degree. If you have 200 levels, then you end up replacing your gear 50+ times on the way up. If you have 10 levels, the gaps are probably so intense you have to replace your gear every single level to remain relevant. If you hit a decent balance, then replacing gear isn’t such a hassle. I noticed that as I leveled up, it seems my bags would fill up in about the time it took to make a couple of levels. At this point I had 1-2 pieces of gear that were behind a bit and also had acquired the funds to address that. This meant that I could make a single, consolidated trip to store mats, sell loot and pick up new gear.

Nearly every MMO I’ve played has had somewhere around 50-80 levels, this seems to be a range that just “works” well.

Kerri Knight.3168:

How many levels is just right, beyond being subjective of course, is a careful balancing act.

Too many and the power gain from each one seems trivial and inconsequential.

Too few and the gap between “dings” is disheartening and grueling.

Itemization also plays a role to some degree. If you have 200 levels, then you end up replacing your gear 50+ times on the way up. If you have 10 levels, the gaps are probably so intense you have to replace your gear every single level to remain relevant. If you hit a decent balance, then replacing gear isn’t such a hassle. I noticed that as I leveled up, it seems my bags would fill up in about the time it took to make a couple of levels. At this point I had 1-2 pieces of gear that were behind a bit and also had acquired the funds to address that. This meant that I could make a single, consolidated trip to store mats, sell loot and pick up new gear.

Nearly every MMO I’ve played has had somewhere around 50-80 levels, this seems to be a range that just “works” well.

Did you play GW1? I’m not agreeing with the OP but i disagree with this statement. GW1 removed the need to level, progression was in gear and skills/build alone. By the time I’d learned the basics of my class I’d be max level (20) and ready to expand my characters gear, story and new skills/build. Something I’m deeply saddened that they choose to drop as a quality. If you look at the progression from Prophecies to factions the mob level 1-20 resided on < 10% of the map of the expansion. On the original it was spread as you would typically find. Nightfall stuck with this ideology in a similar fashion giving players a separate island to level up before beginning the main adventure.

I get the feeling the loss of this philosophy of progression has caused a lot of issues definitely personally anyway as before there was a lot more was left to do at level 20. Now I have all skills by level 5 and due to the 75 levels to go before I’m at full stat balance and gear is more open and varied it feels like more of an important necessary grind to character completion.

Then again this is mostly a personal feeling however so, take from it what you wish if you don’t agree lets agree to disagree… in the end its not gonna change how i feel nor is it going to stop me enjoying this new play style. :p