Guild Wars 2

In my 2 years of playing sPvP ive never really followed any builds or meta or anything. I always just took my class, skills, and traits at face value and decide for myself what i like to use. Sometimes find good combinations, and little strategies. For the most part it works for me. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. I think I do reasonably well.

After all, I think that’s a pretty big “101” when it comes to good game design – the player should be able to work things out and get good at the game from simply playing and learning by exploring different things within the game itself. And a game like GW2, with a lot of diversity in skills and abilities, one should decide for themself what skills and traits suits their personal playstyle.

anyone else?

Congrats, you are playing for fun!

I sometimes YOLO builds when playing instead of using meta builds, because I want to have fun (Venomshare Thief is OP, I swear!). If I want to win games, I’ll grab my ele with its meta build or Thief’s one as well.

So yeah, you are not doing anything wrong Drakortha, you are playing the game for fun, there’s nothing bad in that.

P.S.: When I say playing for fun, I don’t mean you are playing to lose or to troll, it’s just that you want to discover new things, test others and you don’t want to play the “meta builds” that supposedly give you “easier” wins.

I never play for anything other than fun unless winning puts money in my pocket.

no, you build and play for the team…not for yourself. If you want to play whatever you like and however you like pve is dat way —-> cause you can’t be a cripple for your teamates just because you want to have your personal fun…or at least this how it should be

meta = best spec and comp at the current sotg, and this means that it’s the best you can actually do for your team and role, ofc there are many specs out there but if something is not meta it means it lacks some key aspects that “meta” spec has (Always talking about conquest enviroment ofc…not 1v1, crapyard or stuff like that) …and imo there is not pride in running out of meta crap…it’s just a lack of respect for your teamates that are playing to win while you just go there for “fun” (Considering that losing is never fun), achivements or only god knows what

Ppl playing for fun or testing crap should stick to hotjoin imo…expec if they also don’t know how to rotate, kite and so on, rom on trap ranger (Even if it’is a crap spec) is way better than many out there running meta…but he’s rom, average ranger running trap kitten would only be a total cripple and ruin other ppl’s games, if you see top players streaming weird specs and being (Kinda) effective that doesn’t mean you can do the same…because, well…you’re not them.

In a real competitive game like LoL you would get banned in 3 hours for feeding if you just go in “for fun” giving no crap to meta

Archaon.9524:

no, you build and play for the team…not for yourself. If you want to play whatever you like and however you like pve is dat way —-> cause you can’t be a cripple for your teamates just because you want to have your personal fun…or at least this how it should be

Making your team lose isnt fun though.

Drakortha.6974:

In my 2 years of playing sPvP ive never really followed any builds or meta or anything. I always just took my class, skills, and traits at face value and decide for myself what i like to use. Sometimes find good combinations, and little strategies. For the most part it works for me. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. I think I do reasonably well.

After all, I think that’s a pretty big “101” when it comes to good game design – the player should be able to work things out and get good at the game from simply playing and learning by exploring different things within the game itself. And a game like GW2, with a lot of diversity in skills and abilities, one should decide for themselves what skills and traits suits their personal playstyle.

anyone else?

That is exactly what I do. For one I’m kittening allergic to cookie cutter builds that relieve you from the burden of thinking for yourself. For two, ppl forcing me to play anything is a big turn-off.

There is nothing more sad than seeing all the same kittening builds game, after game, after game. I like when ppl are bold in pvp with their build.

Archaon.9524:

no, you build and play for the team…not for yourself. If you want to play whatever you like and however you like pve is dat way —-> cause you can’t be a cripple for your teamates just because you want to have your personal fun…or at least this how it should be

meta = best spec and comp at the current sotg, and this means that it’s the best you can actually do for your team and role, ofc there are many specs out there but if something is not meta it means it lacks some key aspects that “meta” spec has (Always talking about conquest enviroment ofc…not 1v1, crapyard or stuff like that) …and imo there is not pride in running out of meta crap…it’s just a lack of respect for your teamates that are playing to win while you just go there for “fun” (Considering that losing is never fun), achivements or only god knows what

Ppl playing for fun or testing crap should stick to hotjoin imo…expec if they also don’t know how to rotate, kite and so on, rom on trap ranger (Even if it’is a crap spec) is way better than many out there running meta…but he’s rom, average ranger running trap kitten would only be a total cripple and ruin other ppl’s games, if you see top players streaming weird specs and being (Kinda) effective that doesn’t mean you can do the same…because, well…you’re not them.

In a real competitive game like LoL you would get banned in 3 hours for feeding if you just go in “for fun” giving no crap to meta

Have you ever played LoL to say complete bullkitten like this ?

On topic now, I do play my own builds, but I won’t play it if it’s kitten even if it’s fun. Most of the time they are pretty close to some meta builds, (I played mostly my version of GS/LB back when I played war, now I play my own celestial necro version without spite.)

Just play unranked when you are playing for fun. I usually do that and pretty content with the outcome. This game is for fun, it is not a job, not an education, not a responsibility. It is a game. Which you are playing for fun.

Azure The Heartless.3261:

Making your team lose isnt fun though.

alain.1659:

Just play unranked when you are playing for fun. I usually do that and pretty content with the outcome. This game is for fun, it is not a job, not an education, not a responsibility. It is a game. Which you are playing for fun.

Even if you hit the tpvp button, and I do, you logically should be placed with ppl who, like you, are pugging.

If you enter a match with a premade team you had your chances to discuss the team comp and if all involved are ok with it anyway.

If you pug, assume the kittening fact you pugged. Don’t be like the bazillion loosers in GW1 who would queue for random groups only to immediately drop the match if their team had no monk.

I assume that “serious” players use ranked, and guys who play for fun like me play unranked. Playing for fun is not the same thing with trolling, or ruining game for others by the way. Many people assume that if you are not using meta builds, you are a crappy player.

People should be more relaxed in pvp. Trying to win is not the same thing with being a horrible human being across the keyboard, and saying things that you would not dare in your normal life.

I’ve never been an avid PvP player (since it makes me feel very nervous), but I have a few years of Team Fortress Classic under my belt. Back in that moment (10? years ago) I could jump in any server and wish everyone good luck, have fun before the round started and be greeted with similar replies.

When I started playing GW2 PvP more regularly (a.k.a. since dailies are faster in PvP – such a disgrace PvPer, I know !), I used to do the same through mapchat, until someone called me out for doing that since the opposing team was ‘the enemy’. I was baffled by that reaction, and after a few more negative reactions from either team I stopped saying anything. I play unranked mind you, so I figured people would be more laid-back there and actually playing for fun, instead of acting like losing or winning was a matter of life/death or hundreds of dollars.

And note that I don’t spoonfeed victories to the enemy team when I play ! b=

I just played and ended up using meta builds

I recently started playing PvP and I don’t use meta builds. I just don’t like them. For example back when Xbow was the meta for Warrior I didn’t play bow. If I wanted to use a bow I’d play my Ranger.

Of course I have no desire to climb the ranks and be competitive or anything. I’m enjoying the matches I’m getting and doing rather well I think.

Most often I just make a build that seems interesting, try it out for a while, change it a bit here, a bit there, try it out again, etc.

Sometimes I’ll browse sites to see what the current “meta” builds are, and if I see something that seems interesting I’ll try it. If not, I won’t.

And sometimes some of the builds that I’m used to play turn out to be pretty nearly identical to the current “meta” builds.