Guild Wars 2

I am very happy that the game is getting challenging content. It has definitely needed it for a very long time. I do have one concern however. I very much enjoy open world content. I like maps like Dry Top and Silverwastes as well as the small story instances that Living World season 2 had. Now while I didn’t enjoy every aspect of these things (Like a majority of S1, some story instances, and a few other things) I did enjoy them.

With raids coming, will all future updates focus specifically on raids? I’m not much of a dungeon/raid person. I will do it and if it’s fun I may replay it a few times but once it loses its surprise or challenge I generally drop it unless I want something from there. I like exploring maps and open world events like The Breach (though they could be a bit harder). It gives GW2 a different flavor from other MMO’s. Will future content only focus on raids as their target? Meaning will we get a content update and the majority of it is a raid and we very rarely get something else? I fear this will make GW2 follow the pattern of other MMO’s.

I know this puts you guys at Anet on the spot if you attempt to answer it but I’d certainly like to know how you guys are moving forward with content and i’d argue many others would like to know as well.

What are player thoughts on this? Would you like it if all future content focused mainly on raids, open world/story instances, or both?

If you like things like Tequatl and TT, they have hinted in some of the interviews the map event bosses for one or more of the areas will be like this.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say ‘I like Dry Top.’

Zelkovan.2630:

…I very much enjoy open world content. I like maps like Dry Top and Silverwastes as well as the small story instances that Living World season 2 had. Now while I didn’t enjoy every aspect of these things (Like a majority of S1, some story instances, and a few other things) I did enjoy them.

I’m not much of a dungeon/raid person. I will do it and if it’s fun I may replay it a few times but once it loses its surprise or challenge I generally drop it unless I want something from there. I like exploring maps and open world events like The Breach (though they could be a bit harder). It gives GW2 a different flavor from other MMO’s. Will future content only focus on raids as their target? Meaning will we get a content update and the majority of it is a raid and we very rarely get something else? I fear this will make GW2 follow the pattern of other MMO’s.

The bolded part applicable to any part of the game. Even the “Open World PvE”, in fact OWPVE loses it’s surprise far more easily than instanced content, because you can just “roll through with the zerg”. Wherease Raids still require a certain level of challenge and will require greater coordination.

What are player thoughts on this? Would you like it if all future content focused mainly on raids, open world/story instances, or both?

Both.

DresdenAllblack.1249:

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say ‘I like Dry Top.’

I love the look of Dry top. So I like Dry Top! There now you’ve heard it =).

DresdenAllblack.1249:

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say ‘I like Dry Top.’

I like dry top a lot, but only in small doses. I just don’t like how it requires the map to be “always on”, without a break. You have to be quick and efficient to gain favor and then quick and perhaps more efficient to take advantage of favor during the sandstorm.

DresdenAllblack.1249:

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say ‘I like Dry Top.’

I like Dry Top!

To answer the OP, open world will always be primary, but current focus on raids exists because it is a new thing for GW2. We will see 2 more wings added for the HoT raids and then they will sit back and monitor feedback and metrics to decide whether and when more will be added.

If they are successful, they wont be regular addition due to the work needed to make one, but expect then more with a following expac.

Dry Top is Silverwastes-lite.

If I going to be that frustrated by a map, I’ll go with the one that gives easier rewards.

Raids need to be treated as one small piece of the picture moving forward.

I put them in the same category as fractals, story instances and sPvP – stuff for smaller groups to do together.

The thing that attracted me – and many I know -to GW2 was the ability to play together in large groups with everyone that wanted to tag along. There really isn’t another MMO out there that does that in a fun way, that Ive found. That content includes WvW, engaging open world zones (that scale dynamically), world bosses and guild missions. That is where Anet needs to focus the most effort – to set GW2 apart from all of the raiding focused games already out there. Those things make GW2 the best MASSIVELY (important word) Multiplayer Online game Ive ever played. If they suddenly shifted gears to focus endgame on raids, that would be a tragedy.

So, yes, raids should be considered important, but no more so than fractals/spvp, and considerably less so (IMO – important note), than guild missions, open world zones, WvW and world bosses.

I think raids are Anet’s new shiny toy, and it will be the targeted content. I hope I am wrong but considering legendary armor, exclusive skins, exclusive minis, and a whole lot of lore gated behind these raids it seems to be their target content. I hope I am wrong about this. If raids are truly “challenging content” and they are harder than high level fractals this means that a small percentage of the community will be doing them. It would be sad if most of the targeted content was for the small minority.

Avster.1935:

The bolded part applicable to any part of the game. Even the “Open World PvE”, in fact OWPVE loses it’s surprise far more easily than instanced content, because you can just “roll through with the zerg”. Wherease Raids still require a certain level of challenge and will require greater coordination.

What are player thoughts on this? Would you like it if all future content focused mainly on raids, open world/story instances, or both?

Both.

Raids and dungeons get boring to me in the sense that they are very linear. You play it once and it will be the same every other time. You know exactly what the bosses/trash will be, what they will do, how the NPCS will talk, etc. The same could be said with open world content, but the difference is that you can at least communicate with others and depending on how many people are in a certain spot you may need to adapt. Just a personal preference. I also enjoy leading large groups, so that is another flavor for me.

Blaeys.3102:

Raids need to be treated as one small piece of the picture moving forward.

I put them in the same category as fractals, story instances and sPvP – stuff for smaller groups to do together.

The thing that attracted me – and many I know -to GW2 was the ability to play together in large groups with everyone that wanted to tag along. There really isn’t another MMO out there that does that in a fun way, that Ive found. That content includes WvW, engaging open world zones (that scale dynamically), world bosses and guild missions. That is where Anet needs to focus the most effort – to set GW2 apart from all of the raiding focused games already out there. Those things make GW2 the best MASSIVELY (important word) Multiplayer Online game Ive ever played. If they suddenly shifted gears to focus endgame on raids, that would be a tragedy.

So, yes, raids should be considered important, but no more so than fractals/spvp, and considerably less so (IMO – important note), than guild missions, open world zones, WvW and world bosses.

This is what I agree with. I believe raid’s should once again be a niche part of the game, the true challenging content to partake in, but I’d rather they be second to open world zones, Spvp/WvW and the general core concept GW2 has taken over the years. If raids were to become the main focus again i’d be a bit disappointed. Once again, I think we should continue to get them, perhaps very moderately but not the main focus of content.

If raids are truly “challenging content” and they are harder than high level fractals this means that a small percentage of the community will be doing them. It would be sad if most of the targeted content was for the small minority.

I am not hardcore in the slightest, but I most definitely will be doing raids. I think one of the major things that this game has over others in terms of raids is that there is no gear requirement. Just grab some exotics and maybe a few ascended trinkets and a weapon and you should be good, making it very accessible.

If raids take the spotlight as the must do content, like in other MMO’S I’ll be very disappointed. Now I’m not saying I don’t like raids, I do enjoy them, every now and than, and as long as I don’t have to spend hours and hours playing it to walk away with nothing.

And by nothing I mean time vs reward. I expect the reward for completing the raid to reward you for your time invested. In other MMO’s I’ve spent hours doing raids to leave with nothing but a few silver to show for it. I hope the rewards for doing raids will be better than just, trash and blue/green items.

I know you can get legendary armor from raids, but we all.know the drop.chance on them will be laughable.

Dashingsteel.3410:

I think raids are Anet’s new shiny toy, and it will be the targeted content. I hope I am wrong but considering legendary armor, exclusive skins, exclusive minis, and a whole lot of lore gated behind these raids it seems to be their target content. I hope I am wrong about this. If raids are truly “challenging content” and they are harder than high level fractals this means that a small percentage of the community will be doing them. It would be sad if most of the targeted content was for the small minority.

And the very worst part: the people who really wanted raiding in the game left years ago. There are tons of MMO’s out there with an established raid system, raid community, and raid content. Adding a single 3-wing raid to GW2, locking all those exclusive rewards behind it, and hoping that the raiders come in droves will work… for a few months. And then, the cries of “there’s nothing for me to DO!” will resume, and the raiders will go back to the games that were built from the ground up to accommodate them.
I won’t be raiding, but if others enjoy it, then that’s all good. But I have left games before because raiders were treated like they deserved everything, and anyone who did not raid just didn’t count. It looks like this game is heading that way: If you want the really cool stuff, you have to raid. There is no alternative, there is no choice: raid or GTFO.
I’ve already gone from telling friends how great the game is, to telling them that the devs aren’t trustworthy and that I hate the new direction of the game. I log in less and less, and I’m pretty vocal about REALLY not liking the raid-exclusive stuff. Too bad, I loved this game for years, but going forward, it looks like the game I loved is gone, replaced with yet another second-rate WOW clone.

Lakanna.2073:

Dashingsteel.3410:

I think raids are Anet’s new shiny toy, and it will be the targeted content. I hope I am wrong but considering legendary armor, exclusive skins, exclusive minis, and a whole lot of lore gated behind these raids it seems to be their target content. I hope I am wrong about this. If raids are truly “challenging content” and they are harder than high level fractals this means that a small percentage of the community will be doing them. It would be sad if most of the targeted content was for the small minority.

And the very worst part: the people who really wanted raiding in the game left years ago. There are tons of MMO’s out there with an established raid system, raid community, and raid content. Adding a single 3-wing raid to GW2, locking all those exclusive rewards behind it, and hoping that the raiders come in droves will work… for a few months. And then, the cries of “there’s nothing for me to DO!” will resume, and the raiders will go back to the games that were built from the ground up to accommodate them.
I won’t be raiding, but if others enjoy it, then that’s all good. But I have left games before because raiders were treated like they deserved everything, and anyone who did not raid just didn’t count. It looks like this game is heading that way: If you want the really cool stuff, you have to raid. There is no alternative, there is no choice: raid or GTFO.
I’ve already gone from telling friends how great the game is, to telling them that the devs aren’t trustworthy and that I hate the new direction of the game. I log in less and less, and I’m pretty vocal about REALLY not liking the raid-exclusive stuff. Too bad, I loved this game for years, but going forward, it looks like the game I loved is gone, replaced with yet another second-rate WOW clone.

I don’t think just by adding a raid you become a “WoW clone”. Raiding is an established concept in MMO’s and there are people who enjoy it. The reason why Anet decided to include raids was because many players (myself included) basically gave the feedback along the lines of: “This game is really good and casual to get into but there is nothing challenging”. So Anet said “Okay, we’ll add some more pretty fun non-hardcore stuff and give you guys some stuff you’ve been asking for”. And now we have raids. Honestly, they could have done it another way but then you get issues like Teq and Wurm where at their releases there were huge overflows and it was a big mess.

Exclusive rewards is also a thing many people agree with. You want that shiny skin? Then play the content for it. If you mean legendary armor, then the dev’s have stated that you will need to play all aspects for the armor, including raids.

We don’t even know how the raid will play out. I doubt it will be anything like WoW raids. I feel like anyone crying that the game “I loved is gone” is doom-sayers who have yet to even see what the raids will look like. The mere phrase “raid” just makes them cry “GG WoW clone”. We will see tomorrow I guess.

My concern is that Anet will make raiding the focus of new content. Meaning 85% of it is raids, 15% is the stuff that GW2 is sort-of build upon.

I won’t be raiding, period:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Why-show-backpacks-on-low-character-models/first#post5284812

I have an old computer that has issues when a ton of particle effects are going. I start getting a slideshow in 5-man dungeons, to be honest. But I could ignore dungeon content, do what I wanted to do, and not miss it all that much. Similarly to how I can ignore sPVP (for the same reasons: I even had troubles in the Dragonball arena with things not rendering and small but noticeable lag spikes due to poor graphics.)
What I worry about is that going forward, ANet will decide that those of us who do not raid, for whatever reason, do not matter. And the exclusive rewards are a part of that: they’ve decided, long before launch, that it’s perfectly fine to prevent me from getting those rewards. That I and all the others who will not be raiding can be discounted. That raiders are more important, and therefore get everything they asked for.
So, from the day raids were announced, I have decided that I won’t spent a single penny on this game: I refuse to support them. The only reason I haven’t tried to get a refund on the HoT purchase is because of their obnoxious policy of cancelling accounts if there’s a chargeback.