Guild Wars 2

Forum bug.

/15charrs!

Don’t blame this on introversion, that has nothing to do with it.

Why, why resurrect this thread lol. Now we just get to hear people argue about the use of the word introvert again T^T

Aiwe.6823:

I love this game, I’ve played every class at least a little, explored the world, crafted armour, weapons, jewellery and food, worked to unlock achievements. Of course I was excited about the new expansion. And then I read the announcements linked from the start-up and with each one my heart sank a little more, it seems my kind is no longer welcome, because I am an introvert.

I’d like to think that it’s not deliberate, that all that emphasis on teamwork and socialisation is meant to be inclusive not exclusive and that whoever is responsible for writing those articles honestly doesn’t know how very, very far from the truth that is. I’d like to believe that, mostly I do, but at this point I would not be entirely surprised to read an announcement that all accounts with fewer than a hundred friends are to be suspended.

At this point I know what the next question is going to be, if I’m an introvert why do I want to play an MMO? Well to put it as simply as possible, because I’m asocial not antisocial. I like knowing that there are other people around, I like knowing that whenever I buy something at the trading post, someone, somewhere got that little bit closer to being able to afford their dream weapon (or whatever else they’re saving up for). I like being part of group events, feeling like I’m doing my part. I like healing and/or rezzing other players, one of my happiest Guild Wars 2 memories is of being against a world boss, popping an AoE heal/regen over a group of downed players and seeing every single one get back up and carry on fighting.

One of the things I like best about Guild Wars 2, that always made me feel included, is that I don’t have to be in a group to do any of those things, I don’t have to make any kind of social commitment I can just be there, lend a hand and be on my way again. Sadly I’m starting to feel like that was some kind of accident, not a feature intended for those of us who prefer to be on the fringes but more of a gateway drug to all that friendship building and stuff all the announcements are about. If that is the case then please consider this, socialisation is tiring for introverts and forced socialisation can be actively harmful to our mental well-being. I’m something of an extreme case, but there are plenty of days when that casual ‘thank you’ / ’you’re welcome’ on rezzing a random stranger is all the socialisation I can handle but I still appreciate the feeling that I helped someone, even if it was just a little bit.

I’m not asking for a ton of new soloable content (though a little would be nice), I’d just like an assurance, a few brief words from on high that the lurkers and the loners are still welcome at this feast. And for players, whether in large guilds or small, or no guild at all, if at sometime you were taken down by more skelk than you knew existed and someone you never saw before or since crossed half the map to fight them off and put you back on your feet, remember this, you may just have witnessed an introvert in the wild and you’re welcome.

I completely understand where you are coming from here. The way this game has been made in the past actually allowed me to test my limits of social interaction more than ever before. I used voice chat, joined a guild, and even popped my commander tag a few times which are things I never did in any way, in any game. I agree too that some of the new content and proposed content make me concerned that I will in the end return to my old gaming ways. Ways that left me unable to obtain top tier gear because I was unable to overcome certain anxieties. It always made me feel very left out that because of my disabilities I couldn’t play alone hardly at all in other games. GW2 let me get comfortable and enjoy the full game without doing things I didn’t like. That gave me time to become involved with one of the nicest communities in gaming. Still the game is not without it’s share of elitist, rude, or otherwise unwelcoming players in certain game modes. When those modes are required to complete stories, an entire tier of gear (legendary armor for example) it leaves me questioning if I’ll be left out of a game I’ve enjoyed investing nearly 8k hours into.

You are over-reacting quite a bit. I am of a similar – but more hostile – mind… everyone else is here so I have people to kill, not people to befriend and I hate forced interaction like decentralized trading systems, transport hubs, class barriers to content (mage portals), etc. The kinds of guilds I join tend to be no-nonsense we’re here to kill other player’s to the best of our abilities no idle social chatter just serious PvP business related talk.

There is nothing in the next Expansion that forces you into any interactions. Guild Halls are a much needed improvement but it won’t hurt you not being able to access it if you are not in a Guild. You won’t be able to solo a Raid – NOR SHOULD YOU.

The open world content is just as “soloable” as all of the rest of the open-world content in this game. E.g. players work towards their own common interests beside each other without grouping or communicating and mutually achieve their goals even though their intent was not to “work together” to begin with.

It looks like there won’t be as many solo instances and I feel for you there I know many players play for the personal stories… but relax… You won’t be forced to interact with people you don’t want to in order to progress in this game.

Also… ignore the armchair psychologists… I don’t know why they are so upset over your alleged misuse of the word introvert. It does sound like you have social anxiety (I am diagnosed with two anxiety disorders) but it is really none of their (beaver) dam business what you choose to label yourself and they shouldn’t target your mental condition over your flawed interpretation of the direction GW2 is taking just so they can quickly shut you down.

Diovid.9506:

Vayne.8563:

I don’t see anything in HoT so far that would affect solo players.

I see it to some degree. If HoT is similar to the Silverwastes and Dry Top (and that seems to be the case) then most events are group events meaning that individual players stand little chance of completing them. On the other hand, as Belzebu said, the fact that one requires other players to be present does not mean that one is required to interact with them.

I’ll help players doing solo stuff (like hero challenges) without even talking to them.

Talk is cheap.