Guild Wars 2

I’ve played GW2 since the beta, but left when HoT was released – I was essentially downgraded to F2P status. I’ve been thinking of getting back in the action, but have no idea if it’s worth it.

So here are some questions to the community who has been playing HoT since it came out:

1. How is build diversity? I liked to play Necros (wells, fear or bunker), Mesmers (phant, bunker, condis), and Engi (bunker, decap)

2. Are the new specializations effectively mandatory? Will I be forced to use them?

3. Is the meta leaning towards 1-shotting, or bunkering? Has the basic gameplay changed?

4. Will I have to relearn everything? Are all the older builds outdated now?

Its more like a requirement than a choice. Unlike gw1 you can’t be competitive in pvp without the xpac. The core specializations pale in comparison to the elite ones introduced in hots. So much that you are always forced to take elite specs.

Aza.2105:

Its more like a requirement than a choice. Unlike gw1 you can’t be competitive in pvp without the xpac. The core specializations pale in comparison to the elite ones introduced in hots. So much that you are always forced to take elite specs.

Hmm….but with those elite specializations, how’s the build diversity? Like if I see a ranger, will I more or less know what they’re playing?

bhagwad.4281:

Aza.2105:

Its more like a requirement than a choice. Unlike gw1 you can’t be competitive in pvp without the xpac. The core specializations pale in comparison to the elite ones introduced in hots. So much that you are always forced to take elite specs.

Hmm….but with those elite specializations, how’s the build diversity? Like if I see a ranger, will I more or less know what they’re playing?

Diversity is in a bad state, elite specializations killed it.

Wait for the april quarterly ‘balance’ update before you do anything. I do not own HoT (got gw2 ~2 months after it launched) and i still got in to the diamond division with ranger so you can hit legend without the op elite specialization but it takes double the effort.

For whatever my opinion is worth i will not buy HoT any time soon because of the way they treat balance and because the broken promises they made. When anet show signs of changing those things i will change my stance on HoT, but you decide for yourself.

bhagwad.4281:

I’ve played GW2 since the beta, but left when HoT was released – I was essentially downgraded to F2P status.

No, you are not.
(The fact that you can post here is a proof of that.)

Free accounts have a number restrictions:
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Account#Free_accounts

Honestly HoT doesn’t offer much. In it’s release it completely minimized build diversity in PvP to 6 builds, there are 4 PvE maps that are fun for…. about a day or so? The story doesn’t last long, the boss fight is almost as tragic as the first dragon fight, and A-net is too uptight to add gliding to WvW maps, the new WvW is an example being so large to cross that people don’t even want to play it.

To put it this way – the game has a lot of potential, but it has the wrong staff. The majority of the staff should’ve been fired yesterday. For the game to get better it requires a revamp of the trait system, a balance team that consists of people who actually play the game, better PvP modes, and a revamp of SH because not even A-net can figure out how a moba works.

Honestly at this rate, it’s not worth it anymore. Not until the matchmaking is fixed and people get matched with whole teams of horribly bad people who can’t follow basic pvp concepts.

Wait for the upcoming balance update, if some major changes address balance and build diversity it may be worth it. There are too many outstanding issues to really buy into HoT at this point, when everyone shares the opinion that people are leaving regardless of that fact that anyone can prove that. I login less and less, and more recently just for SAB.

I also find there is a lot of gating to PvE content, and most other content just feels unrewarding. So I’m a bit disappointed in just about every aspect of the current game.

dustydawg.3105:

To put it this way – the game has a lot of potential, but it has the wrong staff. The majority of the staff should’ve been fired yesterday. For the game to get better it requires a revamp of the trait system, a balance team that consists of people who actually play the game, better PvP modes, and a revamp of SH because not even A-net can figure out how a moba works.

It’s not the staff, they’re just doing what they’ve been told. It’s the game directors who are failing to understand why players don’t like, for example, WvW. Then failing to make the necessary changes to fix the reason. That or they’re aware something can use a fix, but the change suggestion is declined because doing so isn’t cost effective.
To top it off, the game is understaffed & under budget… so a single change literally takes half a year to finalize.

As for Stronghold… I want to gain my traits through out a game just like a moba. Everyone starts as level 1. Level 2, pick a tree and gain a trait. Level 3, choose another tree OR strengthen the tree you already picked. There can be a total of 12 levels to pick your build.

Well my experience with core only is that people are telling me to go back to PvE. Builds used to be more diverse. The elites are way stronger and only have 0-2 viable builds.

Aza.2105:

Its more like a requirement than a choice. Unlike gw1 you can’t be competitive in pvp without the xpac. The core specializations pale in comparison to the elite ones introduced in hots. So much that you are always forced to take elite specs.

In essence, Aza is right. However, you can put some pressure on ArenaNet by not buying HoT until most of the issues (especially about class balance) are solved. Then answering your questions will be easier as well.

Just logged in today after 6 months (not purchased HoT) to play a few games. Had to wait 4 mins in ranked (gave up waiting) and 6 minutes in unranked (finally got a game!).

Is that an indication of a lower PvP population, or was it a one off thing…? I remember consistent wait times of 2 mins before.

bhagwad.4281:

Just logged in today after 6 months (not purchased HoT) to play a few games. Had to wait 4 mins in ranked (gave up waiting) and 6 minutes in unranked (finally got a game!).

Is that an indication of a lower PvP population, or was it a one off thing…? I remember consistent wait times of 2 mins before.

If you want to have a 100% correct answer, you will have to ask arenanet. I have some doubts you will get a useful answer. The impression which I have in the game and from the posts in the forum is that it becomes more and more difficult to find appropriate opponents/team-mates. Hence, the population decreased. In your specific case, you have to keep in mind that you (more or less) just started with the league. Most other players are outside your league position and cannot be matched with or against you.

gloflop.3510:

bhagwad.4281:

Just logged in today after 6 months (not purchased HoT) to play a few games. Had to wait 4 mins in ranked (gave up waiting) and 6 minutes in unranked (finally got a game!).

Is that an indication of a lower PvP population, or was it a one off thing…? I remember consistent wait times of 2 mins before.

If you want to have a 100% correct answer, you will have to ask arenanet. I have some doubts you will get a useful answer. The impression which I have in the game and from the posts in the forum is that it becomes more and more difficult to find appropriate opponents/team-mates. Hence, the population decreased. In your specific case, you have to keep in mind that you (more or less) just started with the league. Most other players are outside your league position and cannot be matched with or against you.

Ok, that makes sense…

gloflop.3510:

Aza.2105:

Its more like a requirement than a choice. Unlike gw1 you can’t be competitive in pvp without the xpac. The core specializations pale in comparison to the elite ones introduced in hots. So much that you are always forced to take elite specs.

In essence, Aza is right. However, you can put some pressure on ArenaNet by not buying HoT until most of the issues (especially about class balance) are solved. Then answering your questions will be easier as well.

You’re right, but it will be mostly your own loss and there’s no guarantee ANet will give in.

I think it’s worth buying if you are interested in PvP. The HoT builds are stronger than non-Hot by about what feels like 30%. Unfortunately, build diversity has decreased with the removal of several Amulets and the addition of the elite trait lines, which are stronger than the others. That beings said, the remaining META builds are fun to play and worth it.

There is something wrong with the matchmaking that is causing long loose/win streaks and is generally punishing to soloers. If you have a friend or two to play with, this is not an issue.

It is playable with base classes but HoT definitly is better. In high tier play you will need it.
As mentioned. Build diversity has suffered greatly. Whats remaining plays well ….

inubasiri.8745:

gloflop.3510:

Aza.2105:

Its more like a requirement than a choice. Unlike gw1 you can’t be competitive in pvp without the xpac. The core specializations pale in comparison to the elite ones introduced in hots. So much that you are always forced to take elite specs.

In essence, Aza is right. However, you can put some pressure on ArenaNet by not buying HoT until most of the issues (especially about class balance) are solved. Then answering your questions will be easier as well.

You’re right, but it will be mostly your own loss and there’s no guarantee ANet will give in.

Ncsoft is a listed firm. They provide information to potential investors regularly. The last publication which I read about gw2 showed that they were really worried. The sale of HoT was below expectations. Let me provide you with 2 quotes from the CFO of ncsoft (pretty close to the top of the hirachy):
" However, in terms of the [games] sales and also the item sales versus the amount of active players, we think that that area is okay, but it’s more the issue of people converting over to the paid expansion pack that we have not seen come up to the level that we would have hoped. Therefore, to address that issue there are two strategies that we are currently trying to look at.
(…)
And the second area of our strategy is that, if you look at the actual expansion pack versus what our expectations were at the launching time, versus what the response has been from our users, I think that there is a gap that we need to address."
(source: conference call investor relations ncsoft)

In other words, according to Ncsoft itself players are not buying HoT because it is not as good as they expected it to be and they are trying to fix it. So we as customers have the power to influence the firm’s decisions and arenanet gave in already.

gloflop.3510:

(…)

Of course. If you don’t water your plants, they die. What I tried to say that by the time the issues are fixed it would have been too late. For example, people won’t be mass-grinding the new PvE maps anymore, taking way more time to get to the new content.

About giving in… I personally think it was a misstep to raise the power-level with the new classes, making GW2 into P2W (stepping away from the original model) to a certain (still limited compared to others) extent. But that might not be the same issue the majority of players might have with and the same issue ANet will be addressing. So I might just be waiting forever.

My advice: Wait and see what the Spring patch next Tuesday does for balance.

The aim is to tone down the power creep from elite specs, so there may be some decent non-HoT builds.

…but it may also do nothing.

But if the cost is a concern, it’s worth waiting to see what happens.

Dahkeus.8243:

My advice: Wait and see what the Spring patch next Tuesday does for balance.

The aim is to tone down the power creep from elite specs, so there may be some decent non-HoT builds.

When did they say that?

Varezenem.2813:

Dahkeus.8243:

My advice: Wait and see what the Spring patch next Tuesday does for balance.

The aim is to tone down the power creep from elite specs, so there may be some decent non-HoT builds.

When did they say that?

I don’t have a specific quote, but they’ve acknowledged the problems with HoT’s power creep for a while without specifically calling it that.