Guild Wars 2

Hello, i’m a return player from last year.

I just read https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/pre-purchase-community-address/ about GW “pre-purchase” news

And realize the game is now Free to Play. So the questions are:

1) Do I get any other rewards beside extra character slot?

2) If I buy Heart of Thorn now, do i get refund on my previous purchase? (i bought original brand new on ebay)

3) Why the expansion with no new race, no additional level cap is so expensive? Starcraft 2 Legacy of the Void is also expansion, and it’s $10 less.

It’s kind of sad how they treat old loyal player, and it make me question whether it worth to buy Heart of Thorn. Funny they didn’t do the same for Guild War 1, been wanting to try that game.

The character slot was only for prepurchase (they weren’t even going to give one until the community exploded in anger).

And no refund on your original purchase if you get HoT.

You do not get any other “reward” for having an existing account, than a character slot, which is ~$10. You do not get a refund for the original purchase, not sure why you would think that you should.

I own HoT, and I felt it was worth the purchase price. Do some research, read reviews, use your Google-foo, and decide if it is worth it to you.

Wait … you bought the game over a year ago and you are looking for a refund now because the core went F2P with very heavy restrictions?

Thanks for quick response, I would imagine obvious the community would explode.

I guess i will not buy Heart of Thorn :/ I might just come back later year and play Heart of Thorn for free. (very bad business model) I see they are trying to be like World of Warcraft but not realize WOW is a subscription game, this is like turn Diablo 3 free when Reaper of Souls is release >_> boy i hope Blizzard would do the same, that’s how you reward your fans.

baalblade.8465:

I guess i will not buy Heart of Thorn :/ I might just come back later year and play Heart of Thorn for free.

In order to play HoT for free when ever they do another expansion means you would have to buy the next one … which will probably be more than the $50 this one was since it will be a couple years from now and you know how inflation works … things only get more expensive.

1) Your “reward” is having an account not crippled by all the limitations put on free ones. I don’t know if you’ve actually looked into it at all but the free accounts are more like a trial version without a time limit. There’s a huge list of things they can’t do, including buy and sell most items, get login rewards, talk in map chat and leave starter zones before level 10.

2) Not if you’ve had the game for over a year no. There was a scheme where people who bought the base game after HoT was announced could get a refund, but that was due to poor communication in the original announcement which made people think they had to buy it to get the expansion.

Finally you’re right, they are being like World Of Warcraft. That game also makes people who bought the base game buy the expansions when they’re released and as far as I know didn’t refund everyone the money they spent on it (and on their monthly subscriptions) when they introduced a free trial.

For that matter I’ve never heard of a game that did give away expansions for free, or refunded purchases over a year old because they released a new product.

Fatalyz.7168:

You do not get any other “reward” for having an existing account, than a character slot, which is ~$10. You do not get a refund for the original purchase, not sure why you would think that you should.

I own HoT, and I felt it was worth the purchase price. Do some research, read reviews, use your Google-foo, and decide if it is worth it to you.

Well because the link of my post regard their news did mention “refund” did you read news on that link? exactly…….

Second, no new race, no new level cap…….worth buying? ………hm……not sure why they even bother add new land.

Third, wait, extra slot worth $10? Jesus Holy Tyria! for 1 slot? yet give away free game. Market team fail somewhere.

PyrateSilly.4710:

baalblade.8465:

I guess i will not buy Heart of Thorn :/ I might just come back later year and play Heart of Thorn for free.

In order to play HoT for free when ever they do another expansion means you would have to buy the next one … which will probably be more than the $50 this one was since it will be a couple years from now and you know how inflation works … things only get more expensive.

Why would i need to? I mean do i need to buy Heart of Thorn to play Guild War 2 Origin? no right?

the original is already free, all you gotta do is download the original. Then Heart of Thorns will be free too next year. Sure the 3rd expansion still buy2play, but then once 4th expansion come out, the 3rd one will also be free. So it’s 1Free-2Free-3Free-4Free……great business model.

Not sure why you’re complaining. Free is good right?

Are we even certain that the next expansion will make HoT free, it’s conjecture at this point.

If you’re looking for more grind, it’s all there in HoT. Instead of levels, they gave masteries, which in all honesty is just like more levels.

The original game is basically a trial due to all the restrictions, its almost unplayable long term as a f2p player. Most games offer trials, gw2 did for weekends in the past. This is just a trail without a time limit.

HOT doesnt add a new race, which is disappointing but it adds a new profession which imo is way better. Race is just cosmetic but profession adds totally new gameplay.

There are no standard level increases but the mastery system acts as a pseudo level increase. You basically have to level up 36 times to unlock skills that let you navigate the new maps easier, and access merchants which give new items.

Ill agree with you that the expansion is expensive but I think its worth it, having played through the new areas.

Valiant.5078:

Not sure why you’re complaining. Free is good right?

Are we even certain that the next expansion will make HoT free, it’s conjecture at this point.

If you’re looking for more grind, it’s all there in HoT. Instead of levels, they gave masteries, which in all honesty is just like more levels.

HoT being free with any future expacs was stated by Anet as part of their business model on their website during the height of the forum rage about f2p core and HoT pricing.

Danikat.8537:

1) Your “reward” is having an account not crippled by all the limitations put on free ones. I don’t know if you’ve actually looked into it at all but the free accounts are more like a trial version without a time limit. There’s a huge list of things they can’t do, including buy and sell most items, get login rewards, talk in map chat and leave starter zones before level 10.

.

Not sure that would considered “crippled”

1) talk in map chat and leave starter zone before level 10?

that is not sound bad at all, it’s not even permanent, nor that hard to get to level 10 really. And why would player want to leave starter zones before level 10, it makes no incentive.

2) daily login reward?

actually i have a friend who just downloaded and play the game, he get daily reward just fine, in fact if not for him, i didn’t even know it’s there.

3) What do you mean buy and sell? like in AH trading post? again i don’t see how that is a big problem.

Free accounts cant:
- talk in map chat ever – means doing world events v difficult
- can only whisper once every 30s – means the game becomes essentially solo
- can only trade a few select items on TP – means cant sell drop to get gold and cant buy materials towards goals. Basically makes it impossible to aquire any end game items.
- DONT get daily login rewards, if your friend is, its a bug and shouldnt happen
- cant buy gems with gold
- dont have access to guild banks
- cant send anything via mail
- limited char and bag slots

Essentially it makes the game a solo game, totally limiting interactions with other players, and for a game that relies on working togehter in maps to complete events, especially silverwastes and dry top, this is crippling.

zombyturtle.5980:

Free accounts cant:
- talk in map chat ever – means doing world events v difficult
- can only whisper once every 30s – means the game becomes essentially solo
- can only trade a few select items on TP – means cant sell drop to get gold and cant buy materials towards goals. Basically makes it impossible to aquire any end game items.
- DONT get daily login rewards, if your friend is, its a bug and shouldnt happen
- cant buy gems with gold
- dont have access to guild banks
- cant send anything via mail
- limited char and bag slots

Essentially it makes the game a solo game, totally limiting interactions with other players, and for a game that relies on working togehter in maps to complete events, especially silverwastes and dry top, this is crippling.

Well for someone who got use to Skyrim Dragon Age Witcher Mass Effect Bioshock, these limits doesn’t sound so bad honestly. Meh…I thought it would be something more severe like no teleport crystal, no join dungeon, no participate world event……..

And let’s be honest, any player who first try out new MMO, are practically a …. solo player. Unless you are a youtube celebrity like Angry Joe, that’s how we all are, start as solo player.

baalblade.8465:

Fatalyz.7168:

You do not get any other “reward” for having an existing account, than a character slot, which is ~$10. You do not get a refund for the original purchase, not sure why you would think that you should.

I own HoT, and I felt it was worth the purchase price. Do some research, read reviews, use your Google-foo, and decide if it is worth it to you.

Well because the link of my post regard their news did mention “refund” did you read news on that link? exactly…….

Second, no new race, no new level cap…….worth buying? ………hm……not sure why they even bother add new land.

Third, wait, extra slot worth $10? Jesus Holy Tyria! for 1 slot? yet give away free game. Market team fail somewhere.

Did you read the link? I know I did, and I know exactly what a refund was allowed for. I didn’t have to ask, you did.

The new race, meh I couldn’t care, it adds no new gameplay value, but that is my opinion. If that is what you were looking forward to, then you weren’t following or doing any research on it. No new level cap was announced when the expac was announced. It is also nothing new to the Guild Wars franchise. They instead added horizontal progression.

The character slot is 800 gems, which is $10, if you buy with cash, less if you use gems.

You are also making the assumption that they will make HoT f2p, when the next expac released. They may or may not.

At the end of the day, you have to decide if you want to buy it or not. It seems like you don’t want to, and that the game itself is not what you want. With that in mind, I would not suggest you purchase the game, and instead find another game that suits your tastes.

Baalblade, it doesn’t matter if you or a few people don’t buy HoT because by packaging the core game with the expansion lots of people will buy it who wouldn’t have.

The issue for every MMO is the same. If you’re not there at the beginning, you’re starting from behind. It takes longer to catch up. If you add to that the fact that people are always leaving MMOs, it means the playerbase of every MMO would be declining without getting new people.

Unfortunately a declining player base is probably the worst thing for veterans. By removing barriers to entry, the veterans that want to play the game will have more people to play with.

Those who think it’s too much money won’t buy the game and that’s perfectly okay. They can either wait till it goes on sale, or not buy it at all, because I’m sure that more people are coming in and buying it because they don’t have to buy two products, than people not buying it because they don’t really understand how the industry works.

I bought GW2 3 years ago, can I please have a refund, but keep playing the game. thanks