Guild Wars 2

The staff on LS is pretty small (about 15 people I heard) so it’s likely a second group is actually working on an expansion and taking their time to make sure it’s a good one. And the living story will keep us busy in the meantime

Fiontar.4695:

Sytherek.7689:

I’m pretty neutral on the 200 gem cost.

I am confused by people accusing ANet of requiring real world money for missed episodes. 200 gems is < 20 in-game gold. No real money required. No debit/credit card required. Just a bit of in-game gold.

What’s the problem?

That’s a flawed argument and the minute you accept it, that’s the minute when “anything goes” with the gem store. Why not sell level 80s for 2,000 gems, anyone can convert their gold to gems to unlock an instant level 80. Why not sell a new higher tier of uber-stat armor and weapons, exclusive to the gem store for 8,000 gems a set, anyone can farm the gold and convert it to gems, never being forced to spend real money. Etc…

What happened to only ever selling items of cosmetic or convenience value for gems? Game content is clearly neither.

There are two separate issues here and they both weigh completely against. The ethics of charging extra for content that was supposed to be free; and the fact that putting high visibility, new content, with the potential to tempt new and returning players into giving the game another look, behind a pay wall, is just a marketing and business disaster.

That they insulate themselves against the ire of active players, who didn’t happen to be away from the game at an inopportune time, by giving them the content for free doesn’t negate the glaring negatives. It just gives people an excuse to keep their heads in the sand as the game continues to lose steam in the West.

If I was still an active player, I’d be even more ticked off, knowing that the company is throwing away more potential business during the once yearly window of opportunity that a new season refresh offers.

I’m not bothered by what bothers you. I’d buy an instant boost to level 80, for example. I’ve already leveled 3 80’s, and don’t want to do it again, but would like to have another 80 of a different class/race.

Fiontar, the content itself isn’t paywalled as you don’t need to purchase missed episodes if a friend has them and invites you into their group. The new open world content is also available at no cost to new/returning players.

It’s only the achievements and rewards that are locked behind the 200 gem fee.

False analogy’s Fiontar.4695

The purchase of a living story episode in no way gives that player some form of statistical advantage over other players in the game. Can a player get more loot, or gain some unfair advantage over other players in dungeons, open world of PvP for having purchased an episode? No. It’s merely story content.

Your ‘ethic’ is deluded as well. As it appears you have no knowledge on business models, and the minor fact that it takes money to sustain a game like this. They promised no subscription fee’s, and we have no subscription fee.

Start claiming ethic issues when they actually do some of the ludicrous things you mentioned, before claiming crazed conspiracies.

Baamoink.4281:

False analogy’s Sytherek.7689.

Wrong person I think?

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Baamoink.4281:

False analogy’s Sytherek.7689.

Wrong person I think?

Ah yeah! Corrected, thank you

I just logged in for the first time in over a year. I saw a new zone had opened up, and that past story was available (at-least S2)

I then saw it would cost me money to access old content everyone else received for free, then promptly uninstalled. It went against everything I thought GW2 was. I would just pay for a subscription game if I was interested in something like this.

Ayakaru.6583:

The staff on LS is pretty small (about 15 people I heard) so it’s likely a second group is actually working on an expansion and taking their time to make sure it’s a good one. And the living story will keep us busy in the meantime

This was said where exactly? If you could provide a link to confirm either of these rumors, I’d love to see it.

Malkavian.3751:

I just logged in for the first time in over a year. I saw a new zone had opened up, and that past story was available (at-least S2)

I then saw it would cost me money to access old content everyone else received for free, then promptly uninstalled. It went against everything I thought GW2 was. I would just pay for a subscription game if I was interested in something like this.

So you would have preferred to not be able to access it at all? Because that was the case before they added the new system.

If you login during the time an episode is active (usually two weeks) you unlock it for free. If you don’t, you can pay 200 gems in order to unlock it accountwide for ever.

If you don’t want to pay, you can join someone else that have the episode unlocked and do it that way.

lordkrall.7241:

Malkavian.3751:

I just logged in for the first time in over a year. I saw a new zone had opened up, and that past story was available (at-least S2)

I then saw it would cost me money to access old content everyone else received for free, then promptly uninstalled. It went against everything I thought GW2 was. I would just pay for a subscription game if I was interested in something like this.

So you would have preferred to not be able to access it at all? Because that was the case before they added the new system.

If you login during the time an episode is active (usually two weeks) you unlock it for free. If you don’t, you can pay 200 gems in order to unlock it accountwide for ever.

If you don’t want to pay, you can join someone else that have the episode unlocked and do it that way.

I’m guessing he promptly uninstalled Prophecies when Factions came out too. Or when WoW released Burning Crusade.

It’s the same gods be kitten ed concept. They never said that all of the content would be free, only that it would be free to play after purchase. At least they are giving people the zones without making them purchase then, unlike Factions or Nightfall where you didn’t get any of it until you shelled out the money.

Here we can experience the zones, can group with others that have the LS to view experience the story components, etc. Ugh, people.

lordkrall.7241:

Malkavian.3751:

I just logged in for the first time in over a year. I saw a new zone had opened up, and that past story was available (at-least S2)

I then saw it would cost me money to access old content everyone else received for free, then promptly uninstalled. It went against everything I thought GW2 was. I would just pay for a subscription game if I was interested in something like this.

So you would have preferred to not be able to access it at all? Because that was the case before they added the new system.

If you login during the time an episode is active (usually two weeks) you unlock it for free. If you don’t, you can pay 200 gems in order to unlock it accountwide for ever.

If you don’t want to pay, you can join someone else that have the episode unlocked and do it that way.

Exactly. ANet have managed to find a way to keep available at least SOME of the old, temporary content that would otherwise have been gone and forgotten. That’s a plus, not a reason for uninstalling. OK, so they’ve decided to try to monetarise it – fair enough, they’re a business, not a charity. Except, of course, they haven’t, entirely; it’s purchasable entirely with in-game currency costing no more than the effort to earn it, IF you think it’s worth your time to go to the trouble of unlocking it.

(I can and do most definitely take issue with the price that ANet are asking – 200gems per episode is a LOT when you consider that we’re already up to 4 such episodes, the number is only going to grow, and the people likely to “need” to unlock the content are precisely those who haven’t yet built up a decent bank account, and will struggle to find the in-game gold needed. And in all honesty, I don’t think that the actual content you get for your gems is half enough to justify paying the real-money equivalent – $10/10euros, £8.52p for LS2’s 4 episodes to date. If it were bundled into a single, one-time-payment package at that price, I think we’d most of us be complaining about the lack of content for the money, and I can see future players feeling that even more so as the number of episodes rises. So I think the price model is going to need to change – soon and possibly by quite a bit. But that’s a different discussion.)

Malkavian.3751:

I just logged in for the first time in over a year. I saw a new zone had opened up, and that past story was available (at-least S2)

I then saw it would cost me money to access old content everyone else received for free, then promptly uninstalled.

First, I think this is a great idea. I have been insanely busy with life, and missed all of 1 and four of 2, bought them and will now play through 2 to current, and hopefully will stay current. Hoping 1 is available sooner rather than later. Was a bit of a shocker to log in to LA and find myself dead. Re spawn and find nothing the same.

Second, this is a business. If they deem it costs x gems to play OLD content, then so be it. I’ll happily pay to be able to play it, as long as it’s good.

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

lordkrall.7241:

Malkavian.3751:

I just logged in for the first time in over a year. I saw a new zone had opened up, and that past story was available (at-least S2)

I then saw it would cost me money to access old content everyone else received for free, then promptly uninstalled. It went against everything I thought GW2 was. I would just pay for a subscription game if I was interested in something like this.

So you would have preferred to not be able to access it at all? Because that was the case before they added the new system.

If you login during the time an episode is active (usually two weeks) you unlock it for free. If you don’t, you can pay 200 gems in order to unlock it accountwide for ever.

If you don’t want to pay, you can join someone else that have the episode unlocked and do it that way.

I’m guessing he promptly uninstalled Prophecies when Factions came out too. Or when WoW released Burning Crusade.

It’s the same gods be kitten ed concept.

Not even close to the same concept.

Malkavian.3751:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

lordkrall.7241:

Malkavian.3751:

I just logged in for the first time in over a year. I saw a new zone had opened up, and that past story was available (at-least S2)

I then saw it would cost me money to access old content everyone else received for free, then promptly uninstalled. It went against everything I thought GW2 was. I would just pay for a subscription game if I was interested in something like this.

So you would have preferred to not be able to access it at all? Because that was the case before they added the new system.

If you login during the time an episode is active (usually two weeks) you unlock it for free. If you don’t, you can pay 200 gems in order to unlock it accountwide for ever.

If you don’t want to pay, you can join someone else that have the episode unlocked and do it that way.

I’m guessing he promptly uninstalled Prophecies when Factions came out too. Or when WoW released Burning Crusade.

It’s the same gods be kitten ed concept.

Not even close to the same concept.

You’re right. You can’t purchase those with gold.

The only thing to complain about is that S1 is not replayable. Oh yes.

Malkavian.3751:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

lordkrall.7241:

Malkavian.3751:

I just logged in for the first time in over a year. I saw a new zone had opened up, and that past story was available (at-least S2)

I then saw it would cost me money to access old content everyone else received for free, then promptly uninstalled. It went against everything I thought GW2 was. I would just pay for a subscription game if I was interested in something like this.

So you would have preferred to not be able to access it at all? Because that was the case before they added the new system.

If you login during the time an episode is active (usually two weeks) you unlock it for free. If you don’t, you can pay 200 gems in order to unlock it accountwide for ever.

If you don’t want to pay, you can join someone else that have the episode unlocked and do it that way.

I’m guessing he promptly uninstalled Prophecies when Factions came out too. Or when WoW released Burning Crusade.

It’s the same gods be kitten ed concept.

Not even close to the same concept.

Actually is the same concept. It’s additional content. Period. This isn’t a debate of how much or how good, only what it is. Even with GW1 you had to purchase the additional content in order to access any of it. Anet stated before launch that they would eventually have additional content for purchase which would then be free to play for as long you’d like. This fits into that category.

Still though, here you have free range of the new map. You can play the story, so long as you group with someone that has it unlocked. Without purchasing a darn thing. You only “have” to purchase the story instances if you want the achievements and ‘progression’ credit. Not a huge deal.

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

Still though, here you have free range of the new map. You can play the story, so long as you group with someone that has it unlocked. Without purchasing a darn thing. You only “have” to purchase the story instances if you want the achievements and ‘progression’ credit. Not a huge deal.

Of course it’s a huge deal. Because . . . um . . . look, kitty!

Honestly, the LS story instances are so nicely divorced from the world, you pretty much can ignore the story and just fool around in Dry Top as it is revealed bit by bit.

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

Still though, here you have free range of the new map. You can play the story, so long as you group with someone that has it unlocked. Without purchasing a darn thing. You only “have” to purchase the story instances if you want the achievements and ‘progression’ credit. Not a huge deal.

Of course it’s a huge deal. Because . . . um . . . look, kitty!

Honestly, the LS story instances are so nicely divorced from the world, you pretty much can ignore the story and just fool around in Dry Top as it is revealed bit by bit.

lol

And that’s all some people want, which is fine. There are people that don’t care about the story, but still want zones to explore and fun mechanics to conquer. Dry Top is a start, and hopefully more comes for them, new zones are needed to breathe some life into the game for those people.

Then there are people like me that play for the lore, for the story components. I enjoy the LS, though it has it’s holes… it’s gaps, and I call them on it. I enjoy speculating, and wondering what will come next, where they will go.

The LS offers a little bit to appease both types.

I’d rather a subscription then this cash shop BS.

People think you get a better deal when you go F2P or B2P with a cash shop. You don’t when it comes down to it.

This is one reason why.

Cash shops are a freaking corruption of MMO’s.

Templar.3418:

I’d rather a subscription then this cash shop BS.

People think you get a better deal when you go F2P or B2P with a cash shop. You don’t when it comes down to it.

This is one reason why.

Cash shops are a freaking corruption of MMO’s.

So you would rather be unable to play at all without paying monthly instead of being able to play anything in the game but be able to CHOOSE to pay for certain things?

I very much prefer the 200gems or w/e gold amount for missed LS chapters to a sub fee.
If GW2 ever goes that route, I will no longer play. Just my choice there. No threat, no whine, simply my choice. I’ve played under sub fees for far too long in games full of raging, toxic, moronic trolls to pay for another game (monthly).
If I miss a LS (an I did) I’ll gladly pay for it (and I have).
Thank you, ANet, for the option to either buy, play with someone who has it, or just not have access- all at my own choice.
edit: L2spell…

Malkavian.3751:

I just logged in for the first time in over a year. I saw a new zone had opened up, and that past story was available (at-least S2)

I then saw it would cost me money to access old content everyone else received for free, then promptly uninstalled. It went against everything I thought GW2 was. I would just pay for a subscription game if I was interested in something like this.

You do know you can convert your in game gold in to gems to get past episodes of the living story? If you need it I can gift you some gems.

I too missed out on the first season of the living story and the first I guess it was the one with Scarlet anyway playing through all of this season with all the references to Scarlet seemed a little weird and perhaps its just me but I would of rather not played through this season with it so heavily linked to a particular hero/villian (dont want to know dont be a spoiler).

lordkrall.7241:

Templar.3418:

I’d rather a subscription then this cash shop BS.

People think you get a better deal when you go F2P or B2P with a cash shop. You don’t when it comes down to it.

This is one reason why.

Cash shops are a freaking corruption of MMO’s.

So you would rather be unable to play at all without paying monthly instead of being able to play anything in the game but be able to CHOOSE to pay for certain things?

Yes, yes I would.

This way I won’t be behind a pay wall when new content comes out. Unless there is some expansion that is.

Which is fine by me seeing as expansions add a ton of content to a game.

As the living story is now I’d not recommend anyone purchasing it. Sure it’s getting better this season but there is still so little extra content added.

Also this gem to gold conversion thing is manipulation to the max. It’s hard to make gold and the ways we could make gold in the past have been nerfed. It was even put in one of their news posts that hey “Remember you can trade gems for gold at the cash shop!” or something along those lines. God it’s so freaking obvious.

I’m sure plenty of people can see through this bullkitten though. >.>

This is the problem with B2P with cash shops and F2P models. It’s so easy to manipulate people. You are inconvenienced by design in order to buy things like exp/crafting boosters etc etc. It’s deception.

Ugh I hate it.

And if Anet was pumping out more content I’d be almost okay with it but they don’t. 2 years and no expansion?

When people feel good about the developers of a game and the game itself they will fork out money easily. Most of us don’t feel that way anymore. I’m sure there are threads on that already though.

Where is the pay wall for new content though?
And if it actually exists how is it more of a pay wall than having to pay to even log in?

Malkavian.3751:

I just logged in for the first time in over a year. I saw a new zone had opened up, and that past story was available (at-least S2)

I then saw it would cost me money to access old content everyone else received for free, then promptly uninstalled. It went against everything I thought GW2 was. I would just pay for a subscription game if I was interested in something like this.

Exactly this. It’s a completely predictable and understandable reaction.

The game is diminishing and the last thing you want to do is take new content that might attract people to the game, then sour them to the game once they see the content is behind a pay wall.

They give it to people for free if they just happen to have logged in during a limited time window. What does that accomplish? Well, the people who are most active and most willing to support the game with gem store transaction pay nothing. The people most active on the forums presumable are also actively playing the game, so they also see no impact and contribute no cash towards the content.

Who is the base of potential purchasers? The people least likely to purchase and most likely to turn completely off to the game as a result. New players, returning players and occasional players. The exact people you want to try to tempt into playing the game , with the potential of converting some into paying customers via the introduction of new content!

It makes zero sense, but the concession to active players removes their outrage and makes most of them into “yes (wo)men”, telling ANet exactly what it wants to hear.

I had five RL friends who bought and played GW2 during year one. Everyone drifted away for various reasons. and Every one of them has mentioned they they were interested in returning to check out the game, after hearing that Season Two was better, but decided “$^%&@ that” after learning that the content was behind a pay wall.

Most people have no problem with the idea of paying for actual expansion content, but Living Story tinkers with the core game world in major ways and represents the entirety of what was originally promised as “free regular content updates”.

Putting it behind a pay wall for anyone creates bad will and lost opportunities, while being entirely pointless.

Templar.3418:

lordkrall.7241:

Templar.3418:

I’d rather a subscription then this cash shop BS.

People think you get a better deal when you go F2P or B2P with a cash shop. You don’t when it comes down to it.

This is one reason why.

Cash shops are a freaking corruption of MMO’s.

So you would rather be unable to play at all without paying monthly instead of being able to play anything in the game but be able to CHOOSE to pay for certain things?

Yes, yes I would.

This way I won’t be behind a pay wall when new content comes out. Unless there is some expansion that is.

Which is fine by me seeing as expansions add a ton of content to a game.

As the living story is now I’d not recommend anyone purchasing it. Sure it’s getting better this season but there is still so little extra content added.

Also this gem to gold conversion thing is manipulation to the max. It’s hard to make gold and the ways we could make gold in the past have been nerfed. It was even put in one of their news posts that hey “Remember you can trade gems for gold at the cash shop!” or something along those lines. God it’s so freaking obvious.

I’m sure plenty of people can see through this bullkitten though. >.>

This is the problem with B2P with cash shops and F2P models. It’s so easy to manipulate people. You are inconvenienced by design in order to buy things like exp/crafting boosters etc etc. It’s deception.

Ugh I hate it.

And if Anet was pumping out more content I’d be almost okay with it but they don’t. 2 years and no expansion?

When people feel good about the developers of a game and the game itself they will fork out money easily. Most of us don’t feel that way anymore. I’m sure there are threads on that already though.

I don’t think that ANet’s mis-steps with the business model discount it as viable or even desirable.

One of the biggest advantages of B2P, paired with a benevolent cash shop, is that the incentive is for the developers to keep producing free, quality content to bolster the player base. Being B2P also means that people who hop in and out don’t have to worry about a subscription fee when the mood strikes. If the developers have done their job on the content front, there are ample opportunities to “re-hook” returning players and increase the average play time of casuals.

How does the business model make money beyond box sales? By offering attractive cash shop items that don’t risk a backlash due to a perception of unfairness.

GW2 has failed to live up to it’s revenue potential because of failures on both fronts. They have failed to efficiently convert studio resources into compelling content and a maximized cash shop model.

Look at Tera Rising. It launched as a Pay to Play game right around the same time that GW2 launched as a B2P game and suffered for it. Over the past year, while GW2 has been spinning it’s wheels and sliding backwards down hill, Tera converted to F2P, with an optional subscription equivalent Patron Status and a cash shop that has given players the cosmetic items they want and are willing to pay for.

I have to believe that Tera makes more per player from it’s cash shop, per active player. I also have to believe that if the game had launched as B2P and had coupled it with their current cash shop and Patron Status strategy, the game would have been more successful from the start.

IMO, GW2 was the better game and also had the clearer path for capitalizing on it’s business model due to the game’s design. However, En Masse has been doing everything right to maximize the potential of the game they have, while Anet has seriously squandered their once vast potential by failing to develop for the game’s strengths. The GW2 cash shop also has trailed seriously behind it’s potential due to the lack of quantity and quality of desirable cosmetic items.

The problem isn’t the game’s business model, it’s what Anet has done with the game and the business model that’s the problem.

The only things you can’t do without unlocking (by logging in 10 seconds for 2 weeks or paying gem) are the story steps at will. You can still experience them by grouping with people.

Now the content added contains also a new zone with plenty of events, new weapon sets that you can find, a new type of insignia that are craftable by anyone, gizmo in accessible chests, new types of rune (from tuesday) that anyone can wear. There is also a vendor to start the scavenger hunt for Mawdrey (only the 1st part yet but I’m sure they will give him the other objects…. but as you logged in you can access them) for 4 laurels each.

If you pay you only get the opportunity to play the story at will…. I wouldn’t call that a pay wall. If it’s really what you are interested in then exchange gems for gold (17 gold per episode right now) or log in the game during the 2 weeks time. If you are really interested then it is an easy step…. if it is soooo hard then maybe you are not as interested into the game as you are to just log in the forum to despise a game you are not playing anymore.

Ranael.6423:

The only things you can’t do without unlocking (by logging in 10 seconds for 2 weeks or paying gem) are the story steps at will. You can still experience them by grouping with people.

Now the content added contains also a new zone with plenty of events, new weapon sets that you can find, a new type of insignia that are craftable by anyone, gizmo in accessible chests, new types of rune (from tuesday) that anyone can wear. There is also a vendor to start the scavenger hunt for Mawdrey (only the 1st part yet but I’m sure they will give him the other objects…. but as you logged in you can access them) for 4 laurels each.

If you pay you only get the opportunity to play the story at will…. I wouldn’t call that a pay wall. If it’s really what you are interested in then exchange gems for gold (17 gold per episode right now) or log in the game during the 2 weeks time. If you are really interested then it is an easy step…. if it is soooo hard then maybe you are not as interested into the game as you are to just log in the forum to despise a game you are not playing anymore.

You actually make the argument against while trying to make the argument for. Why are they even charging for this, knowing it IS costing them players who might have returned otherwise, if you get so little? Why create the divide between players who logged in for the freebie and those that didn’t?

Marketing research has shown that the absolute worst thing a company can do is anything that customers consider unfair. Companies can recover from all sorts of mis-steps with their products and handling of their consumers, but once a customer decides that the company has treated them unfairly, it very expensive and time consuming to ever win them back.

What ever tiny trickle of revenue they have derived from this has to be outweighed exponentially by the loss of potential revenue of every person who skips the game, or decides not to return, due to this policy.

Also, if this is really so insignificant a thing, why not charge everyone and offer no free unlocks? Well, I think we all know, it’s because most of the people who got the free unlocks and then have gone on to belittle the concerns about this new pay wall would sing a completely different tune if they were required to pay to unlock the content.

This makes me sad. if it does not change i wont be returning. What about new players ? they really gonna LOVE this new system.

WhiteRat.5761:

This makes me sad. if it does not change i wont be returning. What about new players ? they really gonna LOVE this new system.

Would the new players really prefer the system where they didn’t even have a choice about experiencing content they have missed?

And the fact still remains that you don’t even have to buy it even if you miss the free period, you can join someone else that have it unlocked without any sort of issues.

Ok, I get you should pay for past content if you’ve not been around. But new accounts should have all the “living story so far” unlocked when created.

I have never lasted long in any game where they have much of any real money exchange in game. I played GW2 for a short time on release. Got a char leveled up and the story finished. I then realized GW2 was not anywhere near GW1 like (which I loved so much) and found myself completely bored playing it after I finished the story. So I put the game down for a while….so I could forget what I wanted GW2 to be and come back when I could see GW2 for what it is.

Been back a few weeks now and so far having a great time. Then I get a few drops, Black Lion Chests, “Oh cool, where do I find some keys to open these?” Turns out gotta buy them with gems….yuck my gameplay has been directly mixed with a storefront. (In a small way admittedly). Anyhow, now I just throw the Black Lion Chests in trash, treat them as zero value junk as it appears most do.

Then today I log in and see new living content season 2. Sweet!. Go to play and get this message, “The next episode in this story is locked and will be skipped. Please purchase this episode if you would like to experience the story in its entirety.”

Well that sucks, that’s like saying here’s a free movie but only disk 2 is free. You need to pay to watch the beginning. I understand the watch a show or pay for it on iTunes if you miss it deal.

Well call me old school but that was one reason I loved GW1, I bought the game and I had the game. Mini expansions like sorrows furnace, EotN, etc were free and always available as such, as advertised. Expansion comes out? I was first in line at the store, but that was the good part. I go to the store and I buy it. That is the end of my shopping and on to the playing. I never had to worry, did I log in this week to get the expansion pack? Do I need to buy this or that to play? Am I missing something because I did not pay.

It is clearly obvious when they came up with this living story thing it was designed to make money. Why not free all of the time like gw1? Well because now they have a system to easily take money from you and they are capitalizing on that.

I want my games like I want my TV, all included all the time no matter what the cost/subscription fee. I do not want to be nickel and dimed every time I turn around, just give it to me straight. I will continue to play the GW2 content I do own until I no longer have fun or it is made to be nearly unplayable for us non-payers. But there are many other games out there I love and can take my time just as easily as GW2, Anet will not see a single penny from my bank account with their current system. Gimmicky costumes, minis, etc never really did it for me anyway.

In short I would rather pay monthly and have 100% content rather than log on to play and find some message that I need to pay more money now. Or items start dropping that incite the use of USD. Black Lion Trading is fine but keep that crap in black lion and out of my game!

Punjabi Decerodus.5936:

Well call me old school but that was one reason I loved GW1, I bought the game and I had the game. Mini expansions like sorrows furnace, EotN, etc were free and always available as such, as advertised.

If Eye of the North was free, why do I have a receipt in my email paying $20 for it?

Anyways, I find Guild Wars 2 to be vastly superior to various F2P games. I remember playing some F2P games that required me to pay to see the rest of the core story (that’s my main problem with F2P games). With GW2, you get a full story. Living World is additional content added (beyond the core content) so I see no problem having to pay for it. It’s also possible the full season bundle price will be cheaper than paying for each episode individually.

Punjabi Decerodus.5936:

I want my games like I want my TV, all included all the time no matter what the cost/subscription fee.

See, I’d like it too. But I recall paying extra in my monthly bill for HBO for all the months Game of Thrones is off the air . . . and extra for Showtime for when shows on that aren’t up which other people want to watch . . . I’d really love for the option of paying for just the three-four months Game of Thrones is on and having that fee stop. Or heck, just buying access to the show only.

I do not want to be nickel and dimed every time I turn around, just give it to me straight.

Wait for the season to be over, buy the season pass I’m sure will come out.

Punjabi Decerodus.5936:

Been back a few weeks now and so far having a great time. Then I get a few drops, Black Lion Chests, “Oh cool, where do I find some keys to open these?” Turns out gotta buy them with gems….yuck my gameplay has been directly mixed with a storefront. (In a small way admittedly). Anyhow, now I just throw the Black Lion Chests in trash, treat them as zero value junk as it appears most do.

Sorry to go a bit off topic but this bothered me slightly. Yes the quickest way to get keys is to buy them from the gem store. No you do not need to pay real money for them. You can convert gold into gems and you have your key. Key’s also drop from the following -

Personal story rewards for completion of -
The level 10 racial story.
Setting the Stage (level 40)
The Battle of Claw Island (level 60)
Other -
Small chance from the reward for map completion, except for city maps.
Very rare chance from Daily reward chests
Extremely rare drop from foes.
Extremely rare drop from Black Lion Chest (this probably affects you the least)

Also instead of just dumping them sell them on the TP. Sure it’s only a few copper but if you’re getting lots of them then it’ll add up to a few silver over time.

A friend who hasn’t played GW2 since 2013 just got a new computer and said he would play GW2 again. I told him he’d have to buy the entire first half of season 2 and he’s not coming back now. gg anet.

Did you tell him it’s roughly the cost of a movie? I mean, I would rather spend money to (finally) go see Guardians of the Galaxy but still . . . it’s not like he has to shell out another $60.

Brow.9425:

A friend who hasn’t played GW2 since 2013 just got a new computer and said he would play GW2 again. I told him he’d have to buy the entire first half of season 2 and he’s not coming back now. gg anet.

Would he be more interested if he could not play it at all?
And claiming that he have to buy it is actually incorrect.
He can join someone else (you?) who have it unlocked in order to do it. Or simply start with the current chapter, since you don’t have to do the chapters in order.

This is what the game has become.

lordkrall.7241:

Brow.9425:

A friend who hasn’t played GW2 since 2013 just got a new computer and said he would play GW2 again. I told him he’d have to buy the entire first half of season 2 and he’s not coming back now. gg anet.

Would he be more interested if he could not play it at all?
And claiming that he have to buy it is actually incorrect.
He can join someone else (you?) who have it unlocked in order to do it. Or simply start with the current chapter, since you don’t have to do the chapters in order.

That, quite frankly, is a rather stupid-trolling question. Obviously, he would be more interested if he didn’t have to pay at all.

Apparently, there are people who will start watching a tv serial in the middle, start reading a book in the middle, and start playing games in the middle. I guess you are one of them. For other people, having half of something that is supposed to be a whole (not something broken into parts) has a value that is less than nothing. You want half a Ming vase?

As for Anet, now not only do they not get the unlock fees, they don’t get to skim his AH transactions (he was a major AH mogul in GW2 and WoW) at least some of which involved gold from gems purchased with cash.

Brow.9425:

A friend who hasn’t played GW2 since 2013 just got a new computer and said he would play GW2 again. I told him he’d have to buy the entire first half of season 2 and he’s not coming back now. gg anet.

Why not just use ingame gold to buy gems and then get the episodes?

Brow.9425:

That, quite frankly, is a rather stupid-trolling question. Obviously, he would be more interested if he didn’t have to pay at all.

Apparently, there are people who will start watching a tv serial in the middle, start reading a book in the middle, and start playing games in the middle. I guess you are one of them. For other people, having half of something that is supposed to be a whole (not something broken into parts) has a value that is less than nothing. You want half a Ming vase?

As for Anet, now not only do they not get the unlock fees, they don’t get to skim his AH transactions (he was a major AH mogul in GW2 and WoW) at least some of which involved gold from gems purchased with cash.

Of course he would.
But the two options here are: Pay a very small sum to play it or not play it at all. And thus I would assume that he prefers option two, since paying that small sum is too much?

As for your tv-series analogue you are a bit incorrect about that. Usually if I want to watch a series I have missed parts of I have to pay in order to get the earlier episodes or wait for years to see them when they repeat.

Brow.9425:

Apparently, there are people who will start watching a tv serial in the middle, start reading a book in the middle, and start playing games in the middle. I guess you are one of them. For other people, having half of something that is supposed to be a whole (not something broken into parts) has a value that is less than nothing. You want half a Ming vase?

So, you know how many people I personally know who didn’t watch Doctor Who at all until “Blink” aired? Most of the way through Series Three of the revival? I know I personally got hooked on Lost by watching the Season 1 finale with a friend’s family (I was invited for dinner and didn’t want to be rude and leave the room), then went back and had to catch up.

Yes. There are people who start watching a show in “the middle”. Yes those people then have to pay to catch up, most times. Or hope the show goes on syndication and they can catch what they missed. In the case of Doctor Who, that’s a large chunk of money to buy the DVD set, second only to Star Trek: The Next Generation (thank the Six for Netflix!).

What was your point again?

Brow.9425:

A friend who hasn’t played GW2 since 2013 just got a new computer and said he would play GW2 again. I told him he’d have to buy the entire first half of season 2 and he’s not coming back now. gg anet.

Did you also tell him it would only cost $10 (or an X amount of gold to convert to 800 gems) to permanently unlock that content for his account, and he can also unlock all the new content in the future for free now that he would be playing again? Or did you leave that out of the conversation because it wouldn’t help your argument of how terrible Anet is?

Personally, I’d rather they have people always pay for the new chapter, regardless if they were on at the time or not, and cool it with spending all their resources on making new skins for the BLTC and figuring out how to get people in to the BLTC. If new chapters were their primary source of income, I imagine they’d put a whole lot of resources in to their primary source of income.

Rukh.9287:

Personally, I’d rather they have people always pay for the new chapter, regardless if they were on at the time or not, and cool it with spending all their resources on making new skins for the BLTC and figuring out how to get people in to the BLTC. If new chapters were their primary source of income, I imagine they’d put a whole lot of resources in to their primary source of income.

Yeah because quite clearly they don’t put nearly any resources on the living story…..

lordkrall.7241:

Rukh.9287:

Personally, I’d rather they have people always pay for the new chapter, regardless if they were on at the time or not, and cool it with spending all their resources on making new skins for the BLTC and figuring out how to get people in to the BLTC. If new chapters were their primary source of income, I imagine they’d put a whole lot of resources in to their primary source of income.

Yeah because quite clearly they don’t put nearly any resources on the living story…..

Compared to other mmos? not unless theyre hiding a whole other project beneath their skirts.

Guild Wars 1 didn’t give infinite content for free and Guild Wars 2 isn’t going to give infinite content for free. But it’s free if you’ve been paying attention and logging in.

If that’s a problem for you, don’t play. But it’s not reasonable to expect free stuff forever.

Rukh.9287:

Compared to other mmos? not unless theyre hiding a whole other project beneath their skirts.

As far as we see at this time (although might not actually be the case) the Living World and Living Story seems to get the most resources. We have had two complete new maps, a bunch of new mobs and mechanics and quite a bit of new items.
Just this season.

Aaaaand as I said.