Guild Wars 2

So, an Expansion (optional, purchasable) is coming. There will be ppl playing it, there might be people who don’t.

• The expansion might or might not be purchasable with gems. This is a big factor when considering how many may end up playing it.

• It is an optional expansion, so it should not touch sPVP/tPVP, nor WvW.

• There is a problem with that last point. If it is true then the new class would not have access to PVP. Similarly, traits/skills/weapon types introduced with HoT would also not be available for PVP.

So where does that leave us?

1. The expansion will be a patch: Free and required download.
2. The expansion is optional (paid): Classes/traits/skills/weapon types introduced by the expansion will be available in PvP (giving an unfair “possible” advantage to those buying the expansion).
3. The expansion is optional (paid): Classes/traits/skills/weapon types introduced by the expansion is available to all in a similar way to how the new healing skills were.
4. The expansion is optional (paid): Classes/traits/skills/weapon types introduced by the expansion are not accessible in PvP leaving the devs with a huge task in having to create different PVE / WvW builds, preventing a class in PvP, etc.

Still whether it is any of these options there are still a few issues.

• How is the new WvW map affect WvW rankings?

• How much more viable (if at all) will the specialisations be in dungeons? (i.e. Will we see these lfgs: “exp 80 zerk specialized specs only” ? )

• What about masteries? Will they provide any vertical progression outside the Heart of Maguuma?

I would guess that the new WvW stuff will be available for everyone (seems unlikely that they would lock people out of WvW because they didn’t buy the expansion).

As for professions: That is how it works in all games.
In GW1 you could not play Assassin or Ritualist in PvP unless you have bought Factions, or Dervish and Paragon required Nightfall.
I really don’t see how that would be much of an issue, unless the class is extremely unbalanced.

I assume it will be like when GW1 got new campaigns, or EOTN.

The new professions and skills were not available to anyone who didn’t buy the new releases, but none of them were intended to be more powerful than what was already available. It’s not like if you were playing one of the 6 original professions and you came up against a ritualist you were guaranteed to lose because they were so much more powerful.

There were balance issues early on of course, and people weren’t familiar with the class and skills so they didn’t always know how to counter them effectively. But that got sorted out over time.

Chobiko.9182:

So, an Expansion (optional, purchasable) is coming. There will be ppl playing it, there might be people who don’t.

And ArenaNet wants people to feel pressured to buy it. Ergo, expect the new skills and the new profession to be available only to those who buy the expansion, and to be useable everywhere in the game (all dungeons, WvW, PvP, etc).

So either you buy the expansion, or you won’t be able to join PUGs, you will lose in PvP, and you won’t won in WvW unless you have a considerably larger zerg than the other team.

Test.8734:

Chobiko.9182:

So, an Expansion (optional, purchasable) is coming. There will be ppl playing it, there might be people who don’t.

And ArenaNet wants people to feel pressured to buy it. Ergo, expect the new skills and the new profession to be available only to those who buy the expansion, and to be useable everywhere in the game (all dungeons, WvW, PvP, etc).

So either you buy the expansion, or you won’t be able to join PUGs, you will lose in PvP, and you won’t won in WvW unless you have a considerably larger zerg than the other team.

Assuming the other skills are vastly better. Which I doubt. You’ll still be able to play the game just fine, you just wont be as flexible. It’s not like you’d struggle with any of the current PvE content, because that’ll be the same. WvW has always been a zerg fest and is much more about who can blast water fields as a team the best rather than any individual skill that they could feasibly add that would still have a 5 person AoE limit :P

Test.8734:

So either you buy the expansion, or you won’t be able to join PUGs, you will lose in PvP, and you won’t won in WvW unless you have a considerably larger zerg than the other team.

That is of course only the case if the new profession is broken and thus much stronger than everyone else.

lordkrall.7241:

That is of course only the case if the new profession is broken and thus much stronger than everyone else.

And the new skills are overpowered. And of course all of that will be true – they won’t be balanced, because ArenaNet is not going to be able to balance everything (if they can’t even balance the current skills, they won’t manage to do it with even more options on the table). So they will add overpowered features to make the players left behind literally left behind from other players.

That’s a nice way to combine peer pressure with desperation.

Of course it will……

Test.8734:

lordkrall.7241:

That is of course only the case if the new profession is broken and thus much stronger than everyone else.

And the new skills are overpowered. And of course all of that will be true – they won’t be balanced, because ArenaNet is not going to be able to balance everything (if they can’t even balance the current skills, they won’t manage to do it with even more options on the table). So they will add overpowered features to make the players left behind literally left behind from other players.

That’s a nice way to combine peer pressure with desperation.

You are just assuming alot of stuff.
Others may assume that Anet are angels and they will give us three continents for free which will never happen.

Bottom line is, nothing is confirmed. And while I don’t think Anet won’t break the base-game for those who doesn’t buy, you will end up in the same situation as those who bought WoW vanilla and didn’t buy any expansion. Basically, stuck in time while the story moves forward not getting access to the new systems/mechanics/additions.

If I had to guess:

• A microtransaction game is at its healthiest when paying and non-paying players can mingle together. From this, it follows that there will be some sort of ‘access programme’ for the new content for non-expansion players, which could be anything from taxiing to coin subs or a non-atomic purchase option.
• I would expect to be able to participate in PvP against revenants without having to purchase the expansion.
• I would not expect to be denied access to the new WvW map at all, and I would presume that the ‘access programme’ I mentioned earlier would extend to Stronghold.

Remember as they explained HOT is the next step from the normal content you could play the normal game as you have been now but without the mastery you wont have access to the newer content also i doubt dungeons will be looked for specialised toons as it will completely change the dynamic of the dungeon. If they wanted a class with healing and snares then yes a specced ranger/druid would be perfect but in a dungeon situation most people are still going to want the high damage output of a standard ranger but who can say really, with so many new class specs its going to be interesting dusting off some of my old 80’s and finding a new way to play them. As for the pvp i think it will be a bit of a grey area until they announce more but WVW is getting an overhaul anyway you just wont have access to the new borderland with the old content.

I don’t understand all the complaining about the expansion. If you don’t want to buy it dont. It’s the same story this time around as it was in GW1. Don’t play it miss out. Will it leave you at a disadvantage, maybe, maybe not. Until they tell us we don’t know. You payed fo the first game. And you’ve had plenty of “free” content. I’ll be happy to pay some money to keep the game going. If you can afford the 30-40 £/$/€ or what ever it will cost you have time to start saving now. I don’t earn a lot of money my self. So I constantly put a little away ever month. To make sure if I want something I can have it. And if I don’t have enough. That’s what a credit card is for.

evilunderling.9265:

If I had to guess:

• A microtransaction game is at its healthiest when paying and non-paying players can mingle together. From this, it follows that there will be some sort of ‘access programme’ for the new content for non-expansion players, which could be anything from taxiing to coin subs or a non-atomic purchase option.

GW2 is not only microtransaction based; it’s also buy to play. Which is why we won’t have the expansion features sold piecemeal at the Gem Store. In B2P games, the more you make the players without the newest purchase feel left behind, the better – because they will feel pressured to buy the new content, without you actually forcing them to do so.

Test.8734:

In B2P games, the more you make the players without the newest purchase feel left behind, the better – because they will feel pressured to buy the new content, without you actually forcing them to do so.

Which is exactly why “microtransaction-based games are healthiest when paying and non-paying player can mingle” — players aren’t going to start feeling left behind if all of the people they’re supposed to be envious of are nowhere to be seen behind some giant wall off playing the new PvE content.

evilunderling.9265:

Test.8734:

In B2P games, the more you make the players without the newest purchase feel left behind, the better – because they will feel pressured to buy the new content, without you actually forcing them to do so.

Which is exactly why “microtransaction-based games are healthiest when paying and non-paying player can mingle” — players aren’t going to start feeling left behind if all of the people they’re supposed to be envious of are nowhere to be seen behind some giant wall off playing the new PvE content.

I see you don’t understand how an expansion works in the sence of making money. You’ll still beable to buy what ever they put in n the gem store, you just won’t get the new shinnys. Get over it. You want it pay for it. If you can’t afford it start saving.

BrotherBelial.3094:

I see you don’t understand how an expansion works in the sence of making money.

The central point here is to pull lapsed players back in and encourage people who decided to give the game a miss previously to take another look. Any income from direct purchases of the box is just icing on the cake.

If you think there’s anything more to add, please feel free to add it.

evilunderling.9265:

BrotherBelial.3094:

I see you don’t understand how an expansion works in the sence of making money.

The central point here is to pull lapsed players back in and encourage people who decided to give the game a miss previously to take another look. Any income from direct purchases of the box is just icing on the cake.

If you think there’s anything more to add, please feel free to add it.

They won’t be walled off. There will be no new levels or gear. Just skins. There won’t be a new hub city. So every one will still need to go to LA or what ever. So you’ll see them. You’ll see them in fractles and dungeons. You might even bump into them on the world boss train. Your view seems to be a bit on the there will be no people any where else in the game. A friend of mine has just got the game. So I’ll be running around with him leveling. Then when HoT comes out I’ll be leveling the new class. So people will see that too. You seem to be forgetting that, you just seem to be on a nomygodWTFBBQ.