Guild Wars 2

I’ve played the beta for quite a while, mostly PvE. I played Stronghold, and so far it’s a pretty solid experience. But it’s not the thing I’ll be talking about.

I have 1 tier in gliding, and 2 tiers in Itzel Progression, which took me 2 hours and a half to complete (ost of the time I couldn’t do events since they were heavily bugged). I have concerns about this because while it feels great to have new abilities, I may progress through the entire mastery system too fast.

I know that it requires more and more xp to get to new tiers, but when it’s 1-2 years after HoT releases players have most likely found the most efficient ways to get all masteries (which can take them a few days I fear). I want masteries to be a long-term progression, that can take months to learn all of them. This is the end-game Guild Wars 2, after all.

The way how you go back to places and use your new abilities makes you create an incentive to think intuitively how to navigate the jungle is a wonderful idea. I’ve never been so lost in a map before with things above me, things below me, and things in front of me, but I love it honestly.

Having played the previous beta, I’m also glad how the mobs are a lot harder. The reason why I play Guild Wars 2 is to group up with other players seamlessly and tackle harder and harder challenges, it’s one of the very few games that can do that extremely well, and Anet has the resources to do it and do it well. I want to see harder monsters further into the jungle.

Regarding how maps work, I feel the way how the meta events in the maps progress is a lot more linear. While this can create a good narrative, storyline, and sense, it can leave a lot to be desired if you wish to leave the dynamic event and do something else. Because currently the only thing I could do are adventures (which I couldn’t manage to do, bugged?) and 2 event chains. The way how night and day works is good refreshing change, having different objectives. While the way how players work together towards a main objective is decent, it can leave the feeling of emptiness for those that are not with the main group.

Besides that, game is great.

TL;DR Mastery progression is way too short, make it longer (or put in a lot more masteries and mastery track). Only thing you can do in the beta map are 2 event chains and adventures (event chains are heavily bugged and adventures I couldn’t manage to do), the choices on what to do aren’t a lot. Put in more things to do that aren’t tied in long event chains.