Guild Wars 2

I bought GW2 4 years ago and loved the game. I set a goal to get 3 gaming computers so that I, my wife and my daughter could eventually play together. After a few setbacks, nearly kicking the bucket thanks to my appendix, and the passage of a couple years my wife bought 2 more copies of the game for herself and my daughter in May of 2015 because she saw it was on sale at a discount. Finally, after working my tail off and not having time to play for a year and a half, I have the computers so we could all play together.

When I returned only to learn that the Original was now free and there was all this content that we were not privy to without the HoT expansion, when I realised that I would be paying double the amount of a new player, compounded by the fact that I had not 1 or 2 but 3 accounts to upgrade, essentially paying for 6 copies of the game, I can’t pretend I wasn’t disappointed.

Is there really no discount for returning players? Is there possibly a way to buy one upgrade for all of my accounts?

All I can say is that having to afford 3 more copies of the game is going to further delay the time that my family and I get to play the game to its fullest together by quite a long time. We are not wealthy.

The best thing I could suggest is hold out till the next sale. HoT seems to go on sale at 50% off a few times through the year (around the time of new living world episodes?).

I’m not aware of any ‘one upgrade for all accounts’ thing, as each account is individual.

The only other things is I’ve heard a lot of people saying HoT will most likely become free when the next expansion comes out, but I don’t imagine that to be any time soon. And wouldn’t like to say for sure anyway, as I don’t know.

At this point, I’d recommend waiting. Season 3 is nearly over, which will likely end with a reveal for the next expansion. If their plans haven’t changed, the next expansion will include HoT, or they might simply make it free for everyone.

If you’d rather buy HoT now, yes, you’re going to have to buy a copy for each account. They’ve had 50% sales the week before releasing episodes 1, 3 and 4. Episodes are every 2 months, the next one being in April. It can also always be found on sale at DLGamer.us, which is currently 25% off.

Just so you know, the original is not free. That is the game you bought is NOT the free version. There are a boatload of limitations on the free version. You can’t send anything to anyone. Your access to the trading post, both buying and selling is extremely limited. You only get 2 character slots. You can’t talk in map chat. Playing the unrestricted game is very different from playing the free game.

Anet has to compete with other MMOs and most of them are doing the same thing. Imagine how hard it would be to get someone to start the game three, four expansions down the road, if the buy in price is 300.

For two years of WoW, you’d be paying for the game and $15 a month. This game doesn’t charge for a monthly fee. I’ve personally gotten my money’s worth for the $60 I spent originally, even having bought it for me and my wife.

So 3 years later, they come out with an expansion and ask for another $50?

One of the best deals out there for an MMO that doesn’t have a pay to win cash shop. That’s my take on it.

Vayne.8563:

Imagine how hard it would be to get someone to start the game three, four expansions down the road, if the buy in price is 300.

But it is like that, they’re just not telling people up front. New players still need to buy each individual season. Since HoT isn’t actually required, their 1 box model could simply include the latest expansion and the core game, moving HoT to the gem store and further increasing the hidden cost. On their current track, it’ll eventually become very expensive to buy the full package, far more than selling every expansion separately because the gem store has fixed prices.

Just like your family purchased the Core game at a discounted price (maybe at the $10 price), you can wait and upgrade your accounts when HoT becomes discounted (probably closer to the release of the next expansion).

As long as you each log in during the time Living World Episodes are live, you will ‘bank’ those at no cost.

Good luck.

Healix.5819:

Vayne.8563:

Imagine how hard it would be to get someone to start the game three, four expansions down the road, if the buy in price is 300.

But it is like that, they’re just not telling people up front. New players still need to buy each individual season. Since HoT isn’t actually required, their 1 box model could simply include the latest expansion and the core game, moving HoT to the gem store and further increasing the hidden cost. On their current track, it’ll eventually become very expensive to buy the full package, far more than selling every expansion separately because the gem store has fixed prices.

New people don’t need to buy each individual season. Most people in my guild who own the expansion haven’t bought seasons. That’s at least true for Season 2, anyway.

People who owned the game who are following it, those people should have been logging in to unlock episodes anyway by now.

The truth is I don’t particularly think the policy is very good, but that’s the policy. However, since there’s no level cap and no tier of gear you have to work through it’s very different from other games.

I mean how you play something like WoW with 60 level character if you only buy an expansion for 80-85 level characters?

Unlike the expansions, the Episodes will be free if you log in once during each current Episode. The other Episodes can be bought with in game gold if you’re willing to farm for it.

I wouldn’t wait until the next expansion as that’s likely at least a year out.

Healix.5819:

Vayne.8563:

Imagine how hard it would be to get someone to start the game three, four expansions down the road, if the buy in price is 300.

But it is like that, they’re just not telling people up front. New players still need to buy each individual season. Since HoT isn’t actually required, their 1 box model could simply include the latest expansion and the core game, moving HoT to the gem store and further increasing the hidden cost. On their current track, it’ll eventually become very expensive to buy the full package, far more than selling every expansion separately because the gem store has fixed prices.

And I mean, I don’t get why people are surprised by this? Just look at the cost of GW1 and all of its xpac, easily in the 100+$ range despite the age of the game.

if it helps, don’t know about other places, but just last week saw two copies of HoT in the clearance isle at walmart

Ayrilana.1396:

I wouldn’t wait until the next expansion as that’s likely at least a year out.

id hope for more than a year xD

I was going to buy it when I saw it was 50% off, I was a bit too late since I was ordering a new PC. I am a bit hesitant now but they say it happens a lot during the year and the next sale should be April. So I am just getting all other slots to 80 and if by April I am still having fun I will definitely buy it during the 50% sale.

To be honest not having gliding and the elite specializations is a little frustrating, I might cave in before April who knows, but that’s pretty expensive to pay if you just want those 2 aspects. I kind of want all classes 80 but then I would have to pay quite a bit for 4 more slots, then you slowly start to see all the $$$ starting to add up fast.

Despond.2174:

I was going to buy it when I saw it was 50% off, I was a bit too late since I was ordering a new PC. I am a bit hesitant now but they say it happens a lot during the year and the next sale should be April. So I am just getting all other slots to 80 and if by April I am still having fun I will definitely buy it during the 50% sale.

To be honest not having gliding and the elite specializations is a little frustrating, I might cave in before April who knows, but that’s pretty expensive to pay if you just want those 2 aspects. I kind of want all classes 80 but then I would have to pay quite a bit for 4 more slots, then you slowly start to see all the $$$ starting to add up fast.

Well, you also get the HoT story, which I personally enjoyed, and masteries, which also include some of the best quality of life features in the game, IMO. (Auto-loot FTW.)

FWIW, a good way to think about the price of an MMO is “dollars per hour of fun”, which is a very useful metric. Paying $80 for a game is a steep price, but if you play for 240 hours then you payed 33 cents per hour for that fun.

Suddenly an MMO looks like good value compared to a $20 game that you play for ten or twenty hours, and are done with…

^Ha! Much less the thousands of hours many of us play. I’m too tired to do the math, but I’m sure it’s a penny or two, or less, for my entertainment/hour.

assuming you played 7 hours a week and bought an expansion once every 2 years then that works out at about 24 pence a month. I don’t think a returning players really needs a discount on 24 pence a month

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

^Ha! Much less the thousands of hours many of us play. I’m too tired to do the math, but I’m sure it’s a penny or two, or less, for my entertainment/hour.

I’m too afraid to reveal the real cost per hour based on my /age, I’ll confess.

Well, I have a mere 5000 hours on one account. But, I know others have over 10,000 hours. Thus, probably a fraction of a penny per hour. Gotta love Guild Wars (1 [7000+ hours on only one of the accounts] and 2). =)

Speaking of your hours, Slippy, did you have a different Display Name (or post on another account) before? Your posts seem very familiar. ; )

Nope, just the one account, one name.

I’m probably not the only person who makes that specific comparison in this sort of thread though. It’s the tired old answer to a tired old question.

Oh, okay. Thanks for the answer. =)

I once tested a trial for WoW during a little less than a week. It was free… Yet if we apply the reasoning of how much fun you got for hour played… I think they owe me 10 bucks!

www.dlgamer.us/download-guild_wars_2_heart_of_thorns-pc_games-p-29808.html

$30 .. if you can’t wait for the next 50% off sale which it’s only $25 then.

Vayne.8563:

Just so you know, the original is not free. That is the game you bought is NOT the free version. There are a boatload of limitations on the free version. You can’t send anything to anyone. Your access to the trading post, both buying and selling is extremely limited. You only get 2 character slots. You can’t talk in map chat. Playing the unrestricted game is very different from playing the free game.

Anet has to compete with other MMOs and most of them are doing the same thing. Imagine how hard it would be to get someone to start the game three, four expansions down the road, if the buy in price is 300.

For two years of WoW, you’d be paying for the game and $15 a month. This game doesn’t charge for a monthly fee. I’ve personally gotten my money’s worth for the $60 I spent originally, even having bought it for me and my wife.

So 3 years later, they come out with an expansion and ask for another $50?

One of the best deals out there for an MMO that doesn’t have a pay to win cash shop. That’s my take on it.

Ok, I totally agree that I’ve gotten my money’s worth with my copy, the game is awesome so let’s get that out of the way. If I had only bought the one copy and had to dish out for HOT this post wouldn’t even be here.

It’s really just that I’m an older game whose been dying to play with his family, and yes maybe I rushed into buying the other 2 copies when I should’ve waited (didn’t see the 12.5K hospital bill coming), but I was so enthusiastic about the game, and the prospect of having my own little ‘home-guild’ if you will, that I grabbed the other two copies before I had the computers for the girls to play them on.

Vegeta.2563 – Awesome, thank you for that!

Sadly you have to buy the “original” again but wait for the sale. I am in the same boat as you, next month the standard and deluxe version should be 50% off, I’ll be grabbing the standard for $25.

Don’t wait and hope for the next xpac to have hot free, that’s still awhile away and HOT power creep is quite significant, hence why I am definitely buying it.

Despond.2174:

I am in the same boat as you, next month the standard and deluxe version should be 50% off, I’ll be grabbing the standard for $25.

Keep in mind that there’s no guarantee that it’ll be 50% off next month. They were having the sale every other episode, which would have made it next month, but the last sale came an episode early, likely due to the double release.

Despond.2174:

Don’t wait and hope for the next xpac to have hot free, that’s still awhile away and HOT power creep is quite significant, hence why I am definitely buying it.

They have 3 teams working on season 3 and episode 1 (team 1, part 1) hit its finale with episode 4 (team 1, part 2), so there’ll likely be 6 episodes in total, ending in June. Like season 2, the end of season 3 will likely reveal the next expansion, and considering they wanted to cut the downtime, there likely isn’t going to be a year of marketing this time. If they repeat HoT, they’ll refund the previous 5 months of purchases and pre-purchasing will grant you access to HoT.

HoT could already be free if they offer refunds again, but only if purchased through buy.guildwars2.com. At this point, I recommend waiting 3 months for episode 6, as it should confirm the next expansion. Episode 5 next month could also be quite revealing.

Despond.2174:

Sadly you have to buy the “original” again but wait for the sale. I am in the same boat as you, next month the standard and deluxe version should be 50% off, I’ll be grabbing the standard for $25.

Don’t wait and hope for the next xpac to have hot free, that’s still awhile away and HOT power creep is quite significant, hence why I am definitely buying it.

You’re not buying the original game again.

Ayrilana.1396:

Despond.2174:

Sadly you have to buy the “original” again but wait for the sale. I am in the same boat as you, next month the standard and deluxe version should be 50% off, I’ll be grabbing the standard for $25.

Don’t wait and hope for the next xpac to have hot free, that’s still awhile away and HOT power creep is quite significant, hence why I am definitely buying it.

You’re not buying the original game again.

and you get a discount, in the form of free LS episodes for being logged in at the time of release. Ultimately, though, what you pay for is now, as in, “you have access to this content now, not later”.

InkHeart.6201:

Vayne.8563:

Just so you know, the original is not free. That is the game you bought is NOT the free version. There are a boatload of limitations on the free version. You can’t send anything to anyone. Your access to the trading post, both buying and selling is extremely limited. You only get 2 character slots. You can’t talk in map chat. Playing the unrestricted game is very different from playing the free game.

Anet has to compete with other MMOs and most of them are doing the same thing. Imagine how hard it would be to get someone to start the game three, four expansions down the road, if the buy in price is 300.

For two years of WoW, you’d be paying for the game and $15 a month. This game doesn’t charge for a monthly fee. I’ve personally gotten my money’s worth for the $60 I spent originally, even having bought it for me and my wife.

So 3 years later, they come out with an expansion and ask for another $50?

One of the best deals out there for an MMO that doesn’t have a pay to win cash shop. That’s my take on it.

Ok, I totally agree that I’ve gotten my money’s worth with my copy, the game is awesome so let’s get that out of the way. If I had only bought the one copy and had to dish out for HOT this post wouldn’t even be here.

It’s really just that I’m an older game whose been dying to play with his family, and yes maybe I rushed into buying the other 2 copies when I should’ve waited (didn’t see the 12.5K hospital bill coming), but I was so enthusiastic about the game, and the prospect of having my own little ‘home-guild’ if you will, that I grabbed the other two copies before I had the computers for the girls to play them on.

Vegeta.2563 – Awesome, thank you for that!

First of all, sorry to hear about the hospital bill, because health issues simply suck. Of course, games don’t really care if I have money or don’t have money. It’s a business and it needs to keep the lights on. I buy everything I buy in this game twice, because it’s not just me but my wife who plays. Both my kids own the game as well, but they’re old enough to buy their own kitten copies lol.

The thing is no matter how you slice it, it’s a fair price of the game. To put it another way, would I give up everything I’ve earned prior to the release of the expansion to save $10-20 on the expansion? The answer is no.

It reminds me in some ways of Guild Wars 1. If you bought every title at the time they came out, you’d have been spending $50 on each title (roughly, I don’t remember exact prices), so you’d have spent $200 (which again I’d have bought for my wife so double). A few years later that same game was less than half price. You could get the trilogy for $50, which was like getting two games free, and you could get EotM for like $30 or later on much much cheaper.

But as a player who was there longer, I had a ton of experiences that newer players were never going to have. Like playing the game before heroes were introduced, which was a different experience. Or masks at events that people couldn’t get because those event masks changed. Or minis from festivals that were no longer offered, because it was now the year of the Ox, or whatever it was.

I get the whole financial strain of multiple copies, and I know everyone is in different financial situations, but that really doesn’t affect game pricing, nor should it…if the price is fair.

Frankly I think Heart of Thorns was too expensive for what the offered initially but I always saw it as a combination of game plus a season pass to get the living story episodes for free just by logging in. Now, with four new zones and more story coming, I’d say Heart of Thorns is more worth it than it was at launch.

Rather than make a new thread, how early do they announce an upcoming HOT 50% sale? Everyone is saying April, will it be April 1st and will they let us know beforehand? I am definitely going to be buying it.

Despond.2174:

Rather than make a new thread, how early do they announce an upcoming HOT 50% sale? Everyone is saying April, will it be April 1st and will they let us know beforehand? I am definitely going to be buying it.

April 1st has it’s own stuff going on.

OFF TOPIC —- I wonder what will happen this time for April 1st?

Despond.2174:

Rather than make a new thread, how early do they announce an upcoming HOT 50% sale? Everyone is saying April, will it be April 1st and will they let us know beforehand? I am definitely going to be buying it.

So far, the 50% sales have been announced when they start and last for a week to ten days. I believe the last two sales began about a week before a Living World release, but that there is not always a sale associated with a LW release. If you’re hoping to buy on sale, I would check back every few days.

Vayne.8563:

Frankly I think Heart of Thorns was too expensive for what the offered initially

Frankly, I disagree. US$50 was a bargain for me:

• Gliding
• New story
• True auto-looting
• New maps
• Tons of other stuff to do

Ok so if it’s not announced 7-10 days before April 1st it will be later. At this point I am so thirsty for HOT, but I could spend that extra $25 savings on gems for more character slots; however I don’t know how much I can wait lol. I was unsure if I was going to permanently return during the last sale, wish I had just bought it. Oh well, for now I wait a few more weeks.

Despond.2174:

Ok so if it’s not announced 7-10 days before April 1st it will be later.

I think you may have misunderstood what I said. The prior 2 sales lasted for 7-10 days, they were not announced 7-10 days before they started. Iirc, the announcements happened the same day the sales started.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Vayne.8563:

Frankly I think Heart of Thorns was too expensive for what the offered initially

Frankly, I disagree. US$50 was a bargain for me:

• Gliding
• New story
• True auto-looting
• New maps
• Tons of other stuff to do

The problem is a lot of people say the story was too short. A lot of people are annoyed a QOL feature like auto looting is locked behind a grind for which they don’t have mastery points. There were four new maps, which were pretty low compared to other expansions in other games…and that’s the problem. People were comparing this expansion to expansion in other games.

I always championed this expansion. I think it’s great. It was worth $50 to me. But then, you know me in game and you know my guild. There are a few people in the guild who go into HoT only when necessary. There are people in my guild who’ll never touch a raid. There are people in my guild who won’t even go to T4 Fractals. Most of them in fact.

So the amount of stuff there is to do, for a player like you, is different from the amount of stuff there is to do for players who don’t like more challenging content.

That $50 was well worth it to me, but won’t be worth it to a percentage of people.

And most people will just compare expansion prices straight up without looking at the fact that other AAA games have a subscription or an “optional” subscription and that most Triple A games don’t have the living story thing going on.

The idea that the stuff in the box my itself was worth it to the general population is very much a matter of opinion. But just looking at it from box content, it looks light. Many have said it. It’s deceptive.

The new HOT zones are my favorite zones in the game. I’d spend more time there by choice than anywhere else in Tyria. For me absolutely worth it.

But people just randomly coming by and seeing 4 maps, and people commenting about how short the story was (again forgetting all about the personal story which extends it quite a bit), well…that’s the issue.

With the amount of content in HoT i see no reason why there would be a discount. Its well worth it if you ask me.

Just wait for their next expac, they said that once a new expac comes out the previous one becomes free or is slapped onto the new expac for the same price.

I don’t have a problem with the amount of content offered for the price in HoT. I am not, however fond of:

*How the content was organized. I would like to be able to access an elite specialization and play the new content with it from, essentially, the beginning. If I am not gaining access to an elite specialization until part way through the story, or even near the end, then its value to me is reduced.

*The vertical nature of the maps. This is exacerbated by the mario-esque elements such as bouncing mushrooms, jumping up into glowing orbs for rewards, and speed buff plants.

*The power creep built into the elite specs.

Again, the price seems reasonable as I fully recognize that my dislike for certain aspects of the expansion doesn’t make them bad for everyone and so they fully count as additions, costing development resources, to the game.

Ashen.2907:

I don’t have a problem with the amount of content offered for the price in HoT. I am not, however fond of:

*How the content was organized. I would like to be able to access an elite specialization and play the new content with it from, essentially, the beginning. If I am not gaining access to an elite specialization until part way through the story, or even near the end, then its value to me is reduced.

*The vertical nature of the maps. This is exacerbated by the mario-esque elements such as bouncing mushrooms, jumping up into glowing orbs for rewards, and speed buff plants.

*The power creep built into the elite specs.

Again, the price seems reasonable as I fully recognize that my dislike for certain aspects of the expansion doesn’t make them bad for everyone and so they fully count as additions, costing development resources, to the game.

I think every game looks to have both account progression and individual character progression. Elite specs are meant to be character progression, masteries are meant to be account progression.

They idea that suddenly you’re so much more powerful and instantly learn a whole new specialization wouldn’t sit well with me.

It’s like becoming a doctor without going to med school.

Vayne.8563:

Ashen.2907:

I don’t have a problem with the amount of content offered for the price in HoT. I am not, however fond of:

*How the content was organized. I would like to be able to access an elite specialization and play the new content with it from, essentially, the beginning. If I am not gaining access to an elite specialization until part way through the story, or even near the end, then its value to me is reduced.

*The vertical nature of the maps. This is exacerbated by the mario-esque elements such as bouncing mushrooms, jumping up into glowing orbs for rewards, and speed buff plants.

*The power creep built into the elite specs.

Again, the price seems reasonable as I fully recognize that my dislike for certain aspects of the expansion doesn’t make them bad for everyone and so they fully count as additions, costing development resources, to the game.

I think every game looks to have both account progression and individual character progression. Elite specs are meant to be character progression, masteries are meant to be account progression.

They idea that suddenly you’re so much more powerful and instantly learn a whole new specialization wouldn’t sit well with me.

It’s like becoming a doctor without going to med school.

I get the progression side of things, but the idea of finally getting your elite spec unlocked…after you’ve finished the story, rubs me the wrong way.

It would be like, to use an awful interpretation of your analogy, getting your medical degree on your death bed.

Ashen.2907:

Vayne.8563:

Ashen.2907:

I don’t have a problem with the amount of content offered for the price in HoT. I am not, however fond of:

*How the content was organized. I would like to be able to access an elite specialization and play the new content with it from, essentially, the beginning. If I am not gaining access to an elite specialization until part way through the story, or even near the end, then its value to me is reduced.

*The vertical nature of the maps. This is exacerbated by the mario-esque elements such as bouncing mushrooms, jumping up into glowing orbs for rewards, and speed buff plants.

*The power creep built into the elite specs.

Again, the price seems reasonable as I fully recognize that my dislike for certain aspects of the expansion doesn’t make them bad for everyone and so they fully count as additions, costing development resources, to the game.

I think every game looks to have both account progression and individual character progression. Elite specs are meant to be character progression, masteries are meant to be account progression.

They idea that suddenly you’re so much more powerful and instantly learn a whole new specialization wouldn’t sit well with me.

It’s like becoming a doctor without going to med school.

I get the progression side of things, but the idea of finally getting your elite spec unlocked…after you’ve finished the story, rubs me the wrong way.

It would be like, to use an awful interpretation of your analogy, getting your medical degree on your death bed.

Getting the entire elite spec unlocked yes, but you can start using it way before you have the entire thing unlocked. I mean hell, if you complete the first zone, you get 11 hero points which is 110 HP.

That’s almost halfway to unlock

If you complete the second zone, you get even more. But of course, long term players will work complete already have a bunch of extra points too, If you have world complete you don’t need 25 hero points to complete your elite spec.

You’re making it sound like doing the story while ignoring the zones is the way the game is meant to be played, but it’s not. There’s a lot of leveling masteries that has to go on too.

I had my elite spec on my characters long before I finished my story. And then the story continues. Once you have it unlocked, everything that comes after well…it’s like leveling in core tyria, no different.

You didn’t have all your traits unlocked until you were close to the end of the story either.

I just payed 20$ for HoT is that too much? Did not played the game since beta… What’s the desired price to make it appeal?

you can answer that yourself, value is subjective.

OpTIXy.6597:

I just payed 20$ for HoT is that too much? Did not played the game since beta… What’s the desired price to make it appeal?

I prepaid $100 for the Ultimate version and I did not think I paid too much. I still don’t think I paid too much. I found it to be on par with any other MMO with expansions out there for the price.

It’s all subjective on what you consider a fair price for what you got.

PyrateSilly.4710:

OpTIXy.6597:

I just payed 20$ for HoT is that too much? Did not played the game since beta… What’s the desired price to make it appeal?

I prepaid $100 for the Ultimate version and I did not think I paid too much. I still don’t think I paid too much. I found it to be on par with any other MMO with expansions out there for the price.

It’s all subjective on what you consider a fair price for what you got.

I spent $100 too, and that was worth it for me, because I buy gems anyway. It was like getting gems at half price, so it was a no brainer for me.

And I really do enjoy the new zones. I don’t raid however, and the PvP doesn’t work for me, so until the LS came out, I was iffy about the value. Now, I’m satisfied with what I got for the money.

OpTIXy.6597:

I just payed 20$ for HoT is that too much? Did not played the game since beta… What’s the desired price to make it appeal?

While appeal is subjective, it is possible to comparison shop. ESO download content for the first two updates averaged ~$25 per, and neither one had as much to do as HoT. Where the subjective comes in is in whether you are going to enjoy all of what HoT offers. No one can answer that for you.