Guild Wars 2

I do have to admit, the most discouraged I have ever been about this game is when Mr. Sharp let “slip” that only 2 people were working on the PvP portion of this game.

While PvP is the main reason I am interested in this game, or really any game; I actually thoroughly enjoy PvE as well, although my 5 ~ level 25 chars probably don’t reflect that too well (just a time issue really). It has been staggering the level of support and additional content that has been deployed on the PvE side of the game.

The Halloween events, PvP maps/gametypes, skins, and on and on and on… It was far beyond anything I had ever expected. Now we have moved onto the Lost Shores and it is at least as impressive of a new content dump. This would be impressive for a subscription MMO let alone unprecedented in a sub-free MMO. I can only imagine what the expansions going to be like. (Also, how many resources are deployed in developing that right now? What percent of that is PvP features vs developing PvP feature pre next expansion?)

It takes me back to my first big “wow” moment with the game. It was the BWE 3 ending event, you know, the hunger games-esque PvP setup. At first I thought it was pretty lame and uninteresting, but by the end of it, I was completely mesmerized by the event and just amazed by the fact that they had created this whole PvP concept for the one-time only event.

It led me to believe that the devs at Anet are extremely talented, creative, and capable of turning out an evolving, interesting, and engaging product… I believe I have unequivocally witnessed that potential realized in the astounding PvE content and support that has been delivered; unfortunately that has not nearly been the case in PvP.

As several people across the topics have already mentioned, it is likely due to the simplest of numbers games, economics. PvE and WvW is simply where the players, interest, and money currently is. Honestly, the player base is likely a lot less demanding and aggravating to deal with and bugs or other issues can be hidden for a while longer and end up being a lot less “game-breaking”.

I have no doubt that Anet can deliver on the promise of an e-sport level of PvP if they only decided to. Hopefully once they feel they have a sufficient amount of self-perpetuating PvE “endgame” (see: Fractals of the Mist), they will decide to appropriate the amount of PvP support necessary to deliver on their promises.

Until then, at least we can count on the resources deployed giving appropriate measured responses and making progress when they can… I just hope our constant expectations and demands don’t wear them out before help arrives.

Its also worth noting that Anet is likely banking on people moving to PvP once they have exhausted their enjoyment with PvE. Additionally, we have seen the beginnings of an incentive-driven effort to drive people towards PvP in the form of the new daily and monthly PvP achievements. Maybe some of the PvE achievement MAXers will be enticed enough by that to come on over on occasion. However, in talking to one of my friends who was an extremely hardcore GW1 PvEer and PvPer and now is, of course, only a hardcore GW2 PvEer, we identified some other incentives that are missing and likely necessary to really draw people over to sPvP.

One of the reasons he is completely uninterested in s/tPvP was the complete lack of crossover between PvE and PvP. In GW2 nothing that you accomplish in sPvP translates to gear, bragging rights, or anything really in PvE, something that GW1 actually did quite well with loot, emotes, ranks, and world announcements.

I understand that we don’t want players to be able to bring PvE advantages into PvP, but why can’t we allow the rewards to flow the other way? Aside from re-creating a lot of the “bragging” perks from GW1 in GW2, also allow loot and gear perks to flow from sPvP into PvE/WvWvW.

Furthermore,I know a lot of what I’m describing is what Anet intended in their implementation of WvWvW. However, the fact remains, if you don’t create more incentive and interest in sPvP, it will continue to be the least supported and active portion of the game. Honestly, WvWvW satisfying the PvP desire for many players while having rewards that translate back to PvE probably exacerbates the lack of interest in s/tPvP.

Again, with the current state of economics in the game, I don’t blame Anet for the centered focus on PvE that they currently have…. but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to see the focus and economics be given every opportunity in the world to better level-out.

Frustrating is an understatement.

Yea, it is certainly frustrating. But I guess understanding is half the battle. The other side is by really making a personal effort as suggested in this topic.

Or just waiting…. actively or inactively.

Just to clarify, I don’t believe Sharp said they have only two people working on PvP… he said they have two people working on the BALANCE part of PvP. Balance is a very specific role limited to balancing skills, traits, damage and class functions, etc.

I really don’t think only two people have been able to design the new sPvP map, the PvP mini-maps for Halloween, coordinate all WvWvW activities, make bug fixes, etc.