Guild Wars 2

So, after months of evaluating this game and my time spent in PvP, I’ve come to one conclusion: the next truly “e-sport” / PvP MMO must be PvP only.

I find that the red-tape that it takes to make balance changes and other changes / updates because of the PvE side is detrimental. Say skill A needs fixing, well, PvP devs can’t just fix it, they have to talk to the PvE team to make sure it doesn’t break their game as well. Heck, even a blog post has to go through weeks of proofreading…

Also, adding features is hindered because the resources that could be spent adding them in PvP are split (or in this game apparently mostly on PvE side), so you’re left with a trickle of changes. I know the PvE crowd is typically the bread and butter because kids, 50+ year old women and everything in between play the PvE side, and that demographic is mostly lost in PvP.

I just once, would love to find an MMO that is strickly PvP with leveling and progression all tied around PvP. Not even necessarily instanced PvP. Maybe an open world with objectives and progression (instead of quests) that cause PvP conflict everywhere.

My 2c. Btw, this isn’t necessarily a “sky is falling” post. I still play everyday for 3-4 hours in PvP while playing no other games and when I’m at work, like I am now, I’m on the forums. I just am getting jaded at the magnitude of wasted(or maybe just delayed) potential.

Daoc, try it again really. They decided to make the leveling process, 3 repeatable quest in their battlegrounds , so you literally pvp from level 1-50 . 50 though is another story, so you can stop at 49 Battleground .

Doesn’t EVE count as PvP only MMO, I know you have missions (but even those are on the equivilent of a PvP server), but really the whole game is built around PvP. (and you earn skill points regardless of what activity you choose to do)

What about Mortal Online, is that all PvP? (never played it)

I do find it odd that people can’t level in sPvP, in a game more PvP focused than most, whilst you can level in the structured PvP in very PvE focused games like Rift.

Well it is unfortunate that we cannot just have the game that we need. Game’s like LoL Dota2, and SC2 are PvP only but are not MMO’s so it is a lot easier (sort of) to balance.

Aside from that. Anet is half way there with the pvp area being completely sectioned off, but if it was on it’s own server, (or something of the sort) maybe then they could make changes to the classes in Heart of the Mists, and not the PvE areas.

I partially agree with OP – a mmorpg that is aimed towards becoming an esport MUST be focused only on PvP, the PvE aspect can be ingame, but it should be rudimentary.

Currently in Gw2 its the other way around – all the updates were aimed towards the PvE, PvP is in the same state as it was from first beta (well minimap is now square and they added paid tournaments, that they should have done on release) which is mind boggling, who cares about that kitteny pve anyway? Killing mobs that every time do the same thing, how that can be called skill I have no idea. To note I’ve been in most dungeons, you do not need skill, just memorization and patience to pass it.

If Gw2 is still trying to become something great as a pvp game and not just mob grind for nabs with good graphics, the devs should just ignore the impact of pvp balancing towards the pve “balancing” (actually who complains about a char being OP in PvE – the mobs?) and put ALL the attention into expanding and balancing PvP.

u guys need to chill out and be patient. many good SPVP additions are coming over the next few months. im pretty sure they understand how important SPVP is for the game. balancing, ladder, and obs mode on their own can hugely improve the experience. and all those things are in the works.

EoNxBoNx.9213:

Well it is unfortunate that we cannot just have the game that we need. Game’s like LoL Dota2, and SC2 are PvP only but are not MMO’s so it is a lot easier (sort of) to balance.

Aside from that. Anet is half way there with the pvp area being completely sectioned off, but if it was on it’s own server, (or something of the sort) maybe then they could make changes to the classes in Heart of the Mists, and not the PvE areas.

Balance is always an issue but look at Dota2, 75% of the heroes aren’t viable at all at top-level play and yet it does just fine as an e-sport & game itself.

I actually think balance in GW2 is pretty good on the high level play atm.

nerva.7940:

u guys need to chill out and be patient. many good SPVP additions are coming over the next few months. im pretty sure they understand how important SPVP is for the game. balancing, ladder, and obs mode on their own can hugely improve the experience. and all those things are in the works.

What is the source of your timelines? Nothing that extensive has been promised “over the next few months”.

The point by the OP is well written. I too feel the same and I had thought that GW2 would be that MMO. But after launch the focus seemed to be PVE… I still don’t understand… from extra content, to free transfers that messed up WvW, to very limited additions to Tpvp (paid – which has very long queue times because noone plays it).

Fed.8594:

What is the source of your timelines? Nothing that extensive has been promised “over the next few months”.

They need more data :P
Data comes from top players :P
Its better to gather more data , releasing a temponary band aid , instead of implanting rankings and hundread of players moaning for the company sucky balance :P

For example , look on WoW atm
BM hunters could kill any target in less than 3 sec
They havent reset their ladders and ppl are still moaning to the company , about how they let such an <<exploit>> to exist for 25 days , hurting the ranking :P

Killthehealersffs.8940:

Fed.8594:

What is the source of your timelines? Nothing that extensive has been promised “over the next few months”.

They need more data :P
Data comes from top players :P
Its better to gather more data , releasing a temponary band aid , instead of implanting rankings and hundread of players moaning for the company sucky balance :P

For example , look on WoW atm
BM hunters could kill any target in less than 3 sec
They havent reset their ladders and ppl are still moaning to the company , about how they let such an <<exploit>> to exist for 25 days , hurting the ranking :P

Fun Fact: Between 8-12 top teams still exist. They are facing each other and rolling everyone else. So, I think the point there is, if you don’t implement these changes sooner, rather than later, you may not even have top players to gather data from.

The real reason to go with pvp only experience is the players you attract will actually have competitive spirit.

Simply put, in competition people who dedicate time into playing the game and learning about builds and such are gonna do better than those who play occasionally. From what I’ve seen on the forums not a lot of people are ready to accept that as far too many complaints really are problems only shared by the inexperienced.

Numot.3965:

The real reason to go with pvp only experience is the players you attract will actually have competitive spirit.

Simply put, in competition people who dedicate time into playing the game and learning about builds and such are gonna do better than those who play occasionally. From what I’ve seen on the forums not a lot of people are ready to accept that as far too many complaints really are problems only shared by the inexperienced.

So, when a game has major flaws, if you play the game more, they will disappear and you’ll begin to adapt to them? Not sure I follow. I believe the main reason you have so much complaining on this forum is because the game provides so much ammo to fire those complaints.

felivear.1536:

Numot.3965:

The real reason to go with pvp only experience is the players you attract will actually have competitive spirit.

Simply put, in competition people who dedicate time into playing the game and learning about builds and such are gonna do better than those who play occasionally. From what I’ve seen on the forums not a lot of people are ready to accept that as far too many complaints really are problems only shared by the inexperienced.

So, when a game has major flaws, if you play the game more, they will disappear and you’ll begin to adapt to them? Not sure I follow. I believe the main reason you have so much complaining on this forum is because the game provides so much ammo to fire those complaints.

No you’ll have a better understanding of what actually are the major flaws. For a relic, 100blades warriors. This is something that isn’t hard to beat, or recognize, yet we had a plethora of post on people complaining about this eating them alive because they don’t pack any of the skills or abilities to prevent taking damage from these people, or make builds with no toughness and that’s after the reduced the damage on it. While things like shatter mesmer, which destroys builds even with high toughness, seem to get little attention.

Its not that the game doesn’t have flaws, cause it does nothing is perfect. But I feel that a great deal of what gets attention called to it are red-herrings.

I don’t think you’re correctly diagnosing the problem. I’d say, for example, both DAOC and Warhammer Online did this… and perhaps other games. “Levelling” PvE is so easy in most games that it doesn’t take a powerful character to do it…in fact I can’t imagine PvE difficulty would stop them from making changes in this game either… they could just make killing mobs a little easier and everybody would probably cheer because it allows them to get to the fun parts in PvE (exploration and events).