Guild Wars 2

I think it’s fair to say the majority of GW2 players have not had sufficient life experience to arrive to this conclusion, and honestly, I don’t imagine it will make any difference to read it without seeing it first-hand… but let me try to explain how it is that I never find myself up in arms about anything regarding this game. (Not anymore, that is.)

If I am not mistaken, ArenaNet has made it fairly clear what their objective is in producing this game, and it can be summed up nicely in this quote that I recall seeing more than once from various members of the team:

“It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.”

Aside from being a profound nugget of wisdom, this approach is evident in the expansion content. It will take more than a few hours to do much of anything, and that’s the bloody point, because when you do finally achieve whatever it is you’re working toward, it’s still nothing more than bits on a server. You don’t get a sensory or monetary reward, or even so much as a pat on the back here in the real world. So why are you doing it?

Think of it this way: when the day finally comes that you stop playing this game, who is going to give a flying kitten how many legendary weapons you had? Or if you unlocked all the elite specs? Or got whatever particular thing you have your sights set on? The obvious answer is literally nobody. You aren’t playing because it gets you anything in real life. You aren’t playing because you’re trying to make a fortune and send your future grandchildren to college. You’re playing because it’s a kitten game, and that’s what games are for.

So, at the end of the day, the whole purpose of it all is purely diversion. And that is what you have been given. You may take it or leave it, for as long as you wish, however it suits you and your own personal circumstances in life. You may even find it simply isn’t worth your time or money to play this game, and if that’s the case, well, you shouldn’t be playing.

All of you who have taken it upon yourselves to cry outrage over the amount of time it takes to do X, Y, or Z, all that amounts to is petty signaling. You just want to show you have principles that you refuse to lapse. But that means nothing. The reality is that I have chosen to be satisfied by this game, with all its ups and downs, because the only thing I seek from it is to be entertained, and for as long as I am entertained, I will continue to enjoy it.

I urge any of you who are unsatisfied with the game to consider this perspective. It has rid me of the self-imposed burden of being upset about nothing, and I’m sure it can do the same for you.

Andred.1087:

I think it’s fair to say the majority of GW2 players have not had sufficient life experience to arrive to this conclusion, and honestly, I don’t imagine it will make any difference to read it without seeing it first-hand… but let me try to explain how it is that I never find myself up in arms about anything regarding this game. (Not anymore, that is.)

If I am not mistaken, ArenaNet has made it fairly clear what their objective is in producing this game, and it can be summed up nicely in this quote that I recall seeing more than once from various members of the team:

“It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.”

Aside from being a profound nugget of wisdom, this approach is evident in the expansion content. It will take more than a few hours to do much of anything, and that’s the bloody point, because when you do finally achieve whatever it is you’re working toward, it’s still nothing more than bits on a server. You don’t get a sensory or monetary reward, or even so much as a pat on the back here in the real world. So why are you doing it?

Think of it this way: when the day finally comes that you stop playing this game, who is going to give a flying kitten how many legendary weapons you had? Or if you unlocked all the elite specs? Or got whatever particular thing you have your sights set on? The obvious answer is literally nobody. You aren’t playing because it gets you anything in real life. You aren’t playing because you’re trying to make a fortune and send your future grandchildren to college. You’re playing because it’s a kitten game, and that’s what games are for.

So, at the end of the day, the whole purpose of it all is purely diversion. And that is what you have been given. You may take it or leave it, for as long as you wish, however it suits you and your own personal circumstances in life. You may even find it simply isn’t worth your time or money to play this game, and if that’s the case, well, you shouldn’t be playing.

All of you who have taken it upon yourselves to cry outrage over the amount of time it takes to do X, Y, or Z, all that amounts to is petty signaling. You just want to show you have principles that you refuse to lapse. But that means nothing. The reality is that I have chosen to be satisfied by this game, with all its ups and downs, because the only thing I seek from it is to be entertained, and for as long as I am entertained, I will continue to enjoy it.

I urge any of you who are unsatisfied with the game to consider this perspective. It has rid me of the self-imposed burden of being upset about nothing, and I’m sure it can do the same for you.

Or you are one of those people who had 400 hero points and are waving the elite spec in everyone’s face.

The whole journey thing is a load of crap. If I want a cake, the fun isn’t in making the cake. It is in eating the cake.

Andred.1087:

I think it’s fair to say the majority of GW2 players have not had sufficient life experience to arrive to this conclusion, and honestly, I don’t imagine it will make any difference to read it without seeing it first-hand… but let me try to explain how it is that I never find myself up in arms about anything regarding this game. (Not anymore, that is.)

If I am not mistaken, ArenaNet has made it fairly clear what their objective is in producing this game, and it can be summed up nicely in this quote that I recall seeing more than once from various members of the team:

“It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.”

Aside from being a profound nugget of wisdom, this approach is evident in the expansion content. It will take more than a few hours to do much of anything, and that’s the bloody point, because when you do finally achieve whatever it is you’re working toward, it’s still nothing more than bits on a server. You don’t get a sensory or monetary reward, or even so much as a pat on the back here in the real world. So why are you doing it?

Think of it this way: when the day finally comes that you stop playing this game, who is going to give a flying kitten how many legendary weapons you had? Or if you unlocked all the elite specs? Or got whatever particular thing you have your sights set on? The obvious answer is literally nobody. You aren’t playing because it gets you anything in real life. You aren’t playing because you’re trying to make a fortune and send your future grandchildren to college. You’re playing because it’s a kitten game, and that’s what games are for.

So, at the end of the day, the whole purpose of it all is purely diversion. And that is what you have been given. You may take it or leave it, for as long as you wish, however it suits you and your own personal circumstances in life. You may even find it simply isn’t worth your time or money to play this game, and if that’s the case, well, you shouldn’t be playing.

All of you who have taken it upon yourselves to cry outrage over the amount of time it takes to do X, Y, or Z, all that amounts to is petty signaling. You just want to show you have principles that you refuse to lapse. But that means nothing. The reality is that I have chosen to be satisfied by this game, with all its ups and downs, because the only thing I seek from it is to be entertained, and for as long as I am entertained, I will continue to enjoy it.

I urge any of you who are unsatisfied with the game to consider this perspective. It has rid me of the self-imposed burden of being upset about nothing, and I’m sure it can do the same for you.

Insufficient life experience to appreciate a fantasy world? Get a grip please.

Bellizare.5816:

Andred.1087:

I think it’s fair to say the majority of GW2 players have not had sufficient life experience to arrive to this conclusion, and honestly, I don’t imagine it will make any difference to read it without seeing it first-hand… but let me try to explain how it is that I never find myself up in arms about anything regarding this game. (Not anymore, that is.)

If I am not mistaken, ArenaNet has made it fairly clear what their objective is in producing this game, and it can be summed up nicely in this quote that I recall seeing more than once from various members of the team:

“It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.”

Aside from being a profound nugget of wisdom, this approach is evident in the expansion content. It will take more than a few hours to do much of anything, and that’s the bloody point, because when you do finally achieve whatever it is you’re working toward, it’s still nothing more than bits on a server. You don’t get a sensory or monetary reward, or even so much as a pat on the back here in the real world. So why are you doing it?

Think of it this way: when the day finally comes that you stop playing this game, who is going to give a flying kitten how many legendary weapons you had? Or if you unlocked all the elite specs? Or got whatever particular thing you have your sights set on? The obvious answer is literally nobody. You aren’t playing because it gets you anything in real life. You aren’t playing because you’re trying to make a fortune and send your future grandchildren to college. You’re playing because it’s a kitten game, and that’s what games are for.

So, at the end of the day, the whole purpose of it all is purely diversion. And that is what you have been given. You may take it or leave it, for as long as you wish, however it suits you and your own personal circumstances in life. You may even find it simply isn’t worth your time or money to play this game, and if that’s the case, well, you shouldn’t be playing.

All of you who have taken it upon yourselves to cry outrage over the amount of time it takes to do X, Y, or Z, all that amounts to is petty signaling. You just want to show you have principles that you refuse to lapse. But that means nothing. The reality is that I have chosen to be satisfied by this game, with all its ups and downs, because the only thing I seek from it is to be entertained, and for as long as I am entertained, I will continue to enjoy it.

I urge any of you who are unsatisfied with the game to consider this perspective. It has rid me of the self-imposed burden of being upset about nothing, and I’m sure it can do the same for you.

Insufficient life experience to appreciate a fantasy world? Get a grip please.

He has hit the nail on the head actually. If it’s difficult to grasp the parallel he is drawing don’t worry. It shall come in time :P

What a hilariously arrogant post. You think you have more life experience than everyone complaining?

You are right, it is about the journey, not the destination.

But when the journey takes 10 hours to move 1 inch, the journey itself is not fun.

90% of the JOURNEY is doing the same 5 events over and over again for multiple hours and trying to get somewhere just to find out it is locked by a mastery I don’t have.

So… Giving feedback is bad, because it’s just a game to kill time?
I appreciate your post, but you kinda missed the point of why people are complaining.

It’s not because the journey is the goal, or how long the journey is.
It’s because you have to travel the whole journey before even aquiring your travel boots.

And that is definately a legit complaint.
Also, really bad start for a post… but others pointed that out already.

Blood Red Arachnid.2493:

The whole journey thing is a load of crap. If I want a cake, the fun isn’t in making the cake. It is in eating the cake.

I beg to differ. For example, if my wife is baking the cake and wearing her pretty little apron, the fun is definitely to be had in sufficient quantities both during and after the baking.

Also and on a more serious note, there is immense gratification to be had in being able to bake a multi-layered cake without the whole fecking thing falling apart at some point. One certainly gains an appreciation for one’s local bake-shop after such an experience.

The journey can actually be fun, I’m the sort of player that, when not given any extrinsic motivation will just explore, look for paths, stop to appreciate the scenery, etc.

The problem is that there are things that make the journey more fun stuck behind completing the journey, thus creating the “Rush through it as quickly as possible so you can get to it” effect.

If it’s not about the destination, how about removing the destination so that the journey doesn’t have to compete with it.

Also, it’s not surprising that most of the people that claim not to be frustrated are favouring classes with solid base classes without holes that the elite spec is used to fill, and elite specs that were considered underwhelming during testing.

If I were playing an elementalist, thief, guardian, warrior or engineer (Scrapper was liked, but engineer itself is actually very, very solid.), I wouldn’t care about gathering points either.

I’m 59. My life training horses was a journey. Raising my sons was a Journey.

This is a game.