Guild Wars 2

It seems Anet is limiting rewards for everything to one a day, champions, Dungeons, etc. leaving only min-games in their two week living content as the only things that give repeatable rewards!

I’m not sure this is a good thing. I want new content that’s more than a jumping puzzle or forced to do a mini game 15 times every week. How about events that span multiple maps, some new level 80 non Orr maps, or some expanded role playing!

GW2 was play it your way is now in danger of becoming play it our way or else, no rewards!

And do you actually NEED these rewards to play the game?
If not I would say the issue is non-existent.

lordkrall.7241:

And do you actually NEED these rewards to play the game?
If not I would say the issue is non-existent.

Yes, because Anet is making this two week content the only things in the game that gives repeatable rewards! If a min-game gives rewards again and gains but, killing a champion or doing a dungeon twice doesn’t, what are you going to do? Players go where the rewards are!

Sola.7250:

Yes, because Anet is making this two week content the only things in the game that gives repeatable rewards! If a min-game gives rewards again and gains but, killing a champion or doing a dungeon twice doesn’t, what are you going to do? Players go where the rewards are!

Hmm?
I am quite sure that the best way to get rewards as of this time is running CoF P1 over and over and over again, and that is funnily enough a dungeon, that have been in the game since release.

Dungeons tends to give much better rewards than the mini-games (you have to complete quite a few of the latest mini-games for a guaranteed rare for one).

They are also adding completely new drops to champions on Tuesday and are revamping the reward system for dungeons.

Anet is not forcing anything on you. All they are doing is making it to where you don’t do the same thing over and over they want you to see more of the game is all if you do not want to then don’t. They are not forcing you the only thing they are removing is getting the last of the dungeon reward is all on the same run over and over. Feel free to run the same thing over and over you will still get rewarded just not as well.

“Forced” is the wrong word. That said, I do believe ArenaNet’s intention with Living Story is to entice players to log in more often, and thus increase the likelihood of them dropping money in the cash shop. The time-gating of crafting materials, Daily Achievements, the temporary availability of Achievement Points from each installment of the LS coupled with a reward system for APs, and the temporary availability of items introduced during various chapters of the LS all tell me they’re primary goal is to get players to log in more often so they’ll be tempted to make cash purchases in the gem shop.

Note that I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with this business model or that the developers are doing anything nefarious. But as a player, I’d rather they focus their resources on more meaningful content delivered in the form of a full-fledged expansion than on Living Story updates that are largely forgettable and little more than busy work.

I don’t mind the living story if it was living and not hiding in an instance or mini game. If it was actually in the GW2 world. And not just recycled jumping puzzles.

lordkrall.7241:

And do you actually NEED these rewards to play the game?
If not I would say the issue is non-existent.

At some point you have to ask yourself what does “play the game” mean to you? For many people, the limitations created by daily mechanics, they are limiting their ability to play the game.

Game play for it’s own sake can be sustainable, but some form of reward helps to keep enthusiasm for a game high when the novelty of content wears thin.

There are two problems here.

First, the game world has completely failed to evolve. The promise of hundreds of new DEs across the game world never materialized and the once living world now seems to be stuck in a Groundhog’s Day style endless loop of inanity.

Second, though rewards can help maintain interest in static or repetitive content, ANet misapplies it’s reward structure by only rewarding linear game play that pulls players further out of the living world concept.

They have set up narrow hoops that detract from the vast and beautiful game world and reward players for jumping through those hoops, while failing to do anything to encourage sustainable game play out in that vast and beautiful game world.

Not only are players who appreciate the game world for all it offers feeling more and more let down by the failure of ANet to evolve that content, but they see all these new reward systems put in place to get people to jump through inane hoops as not only a discouraging development that deters their hopes that the game world ever will properly evolve, but breeds resentment among those who play the game as it was “originally intended”.

ANet wastes time developing the wrong kinds of content, then develops a reward structure meant to try to convince players that that vapid, linear content is what is most deserving of their play time. It’s almost as if they seek to bribe players into accepting junk food content as being good for them, rather than spending those resources on actually providing delicious, nutritious meals.

What they reward and what they don’t reward really highlights how far off the path the have ventured.

I think it’s time they really re-examined the original GW2 manifesto and how development since launch has moved dramatically away from those lofty ideals.

I wouldn’t set up living content as the culprit. We actually haven’t seen much more than temporary filler, mini-games, platformers, etc. I’m actually looking forward to living content in place of what has gone before. That said, the game needs to be rewarding for all players regardless of playstyle. I have a radical notion around reward: it should not be for skill or time played; it should simply be for playing the game.

Living world/Living Story allows for an enticing market (aka the Gem Store). Since ArenaNet has stated several times they want to explore this current system and would prefer to implement “expansions” worth of content via LS. This means all additional income would have to come from in-game purchases via Gems. With LS every two weeks, this allows for new Gem Store additions which keeps people interested in the new skins, buffs, minis, etc.

If I had to put my money on it, I would say more money is earned via in game sales rather than just selling an expansion pack.

Regardless though, with this method I believe the content is thinner and is packed with fast paced content, and “shinies” that hold no place rather than cosmetics. Expansion content almost always provides a “new game” feel with quality, polished content. Only because it’s sold like an initial game.

I would say a good example of this is “Sims” series, they hold a loyal fan base even though most of the content released after the core game has to be bought. People get excited when hearing about a new expansion. The expansions always provide new scenery, new features, and new cosmetics as well. Each one is it’s own game.