Guild Wars 2

The Temp Content is taking a toll on me, and I used to be the most super excited fanboy about Living Story…
Now I had about a year’s worth of frosting… I begging for just basic meat and potatoes.

This all my opinion, not fact, so feel free to bash me if you feel you need to do so.

I feel like I’m being strung along every time the devs mention things like Precursor-crafting, Precursor-scavager hunts, or guild base/housing. Not only those terms I just mentioned, but a lot of things they throw around in carelessly comments… only to find they are not working on those types of projects.

I am grateful for all the work being put into the game, but I am secretly wishing for more quality of life updates. More emotes, player housing for my trophies, more mini-games that do not require you to find a “mini-game representative” in Lion’s arch.

It’s disappointing to know THIS is replacing actual expansions that probably would have the meat and potato story we are all asking for.

The temporary Living Story updates tend to work against the idea of a living world. Nothing in the world has really changed in the story really (maybe except the arena in Divinity’s Reach), Tyria in fall of 2013 is basically the same Tyria in fall of 2012.

I really would like this game turn from temp content, and actually build improvement story-wise, and quality of life upon the world they already have in place.

Soulstar.7812:

The temporary Living Story updates tend to work against the idea of a living world. Nothing in the world has really changed in the story really (maybe except the arena in Divinity’s Reach), Tyria in fall of 2013 is basically the same Tyria in fall of 2012.

A succinct summing up of my gripe with the current incarnation of LS. There’s nothing much to add to this.

Did ANet ever take a second and ponder how many players are actively turned off by updates like Super Adventure Box? Not only due to the nature of the content itself and the fact that it consumes resources that could have gone into a new Arah, but also because of the message it’s sending out? Of course you could say that two big expensive, fun-and-nonsense parties a year are easily overlooked … but we get atleast every second month a big, expensive fun-and-nonsense party by now, you know.

Not that what your saying isn’t true, but there are still steam vents from the molten alliance, Cragstead and North Nolan Hatchery were released, a new lighthouse was constructed to replace the Lion’s Gate (destroyed by the Ancient Karka), Southsun Cove underwent construction, and a second Aetherblade site remains operational. These aren’t huge life altering changes, but they did happen.

Soulstar.7812:

…

I am grateful for all the work being put into the game, but I am secretly wishing for more quality of life updates. More emotes, player housing for my trophies, more mini-games that do not require you to find a “mini-game representative” in Lion’s arch.

It’s disappointing to know THIS is replacing actual expansions that probably would have the meat and potato story we are all asking for.

…

And this is my main gripe. Content after content is pushed out, while some of the things that needed various amounts of polishing at release day is left ignored for as long as the playerbase allows. Bugs are still rampaging through chain events in Orr, skills are still being completely overlooked, traits get bugged when used together with something (seemingly) completely unrelated… Balance issues.

Most of the updates on skills and actual mechanic fixing is just fixing the tooltip so that it better reflects the actual effect!

And dont get me started on the amount of kitten the Roleplaying community had to take lately. Uninstanced Salma District closed off for no reason, still no guild housing in sight, still no interactive furniture (I just want to sit on a freaking chair), emotes are lacking, people load with their weapons drawn since culling is gone, we see emotes from a full district away from us(!)…

This could go on, but im starting to sound like im whining. “Quality over quantity” and “Polish before moving on to new stuff” is all im saying.

lakdav.3694:

Soulstar.7812:

…

I am grateful for all the work being put into the game, but I am secretly wishing for more quality of life updates. More emotes, player housing for my trophies, more mini-games that do not require you to find a “mini-game representative” in Lion’s arch.

It’s disappointing to know THIS is replacing actual expansions that probably would have the meat and potato story we are all asking for.

…

And this is my main gripe. Content after content is pushed out, while some of the things that needed various amounts of polishing at release day is left ignored for as long as the playerbase allows. Bugs are still rampaging through chain events in Orr, skills are still being completely overlooked, traits get bugged when used together with something (seemingly) completely unrelated… Balance issues.

Most of the updates on skills and actual mechanic fixing is just fixing the tooltip so that it better reflects the actual effect!

And dont get me started on the amount of kitten the Roleplaying community had to take lately. Uninstanced Salma District closed off for no reason, still no guild housing in sight, still no interactive furniture (I just want to sit on a freaking chair), emotes are lacking, people load with their weapons drawn since culling is gone, we see emotes from a full district away from us(!)…

This could go on, but im starting to sound like im whining. “Quality over quantity” and “Polish before moving on to new stuff” is all im saying.

I completely agree with the “Quality over quantity” problem the new content has to offer. Somthing you have to keep in mind is that no other MMO has done this before. They don’t really know what they’re doing yet. Even a year into the process they are still learning how to do these content updates correctly. of course they are under pressure because now they promised us new content updates every 2 weeks which is insane! I would be very much okay with them cutting down the content updates and releasing more permanent stuff like southsun cove. I REALLY wished that zephyr sanctum was permanent, this has been my favorite area in all of gw2 so far. I would love to see some expansion on current story lines, and that people recognize that I freaking killed zhitan…

I’ll be honest, the new consistent updates are why I came back. Yes I do want to see the polish you are talking about, with REAL player and guild housing, and the like. However, the new content means there is always something to keep me entertained. I quit for a few months when content was further apart and it was all temp content (like the holiday stuff) However when they started releasing the Living Story Content, I decided to come back, and I’m glad I did. I’m also now working on new characters, and after being gone for a while, you’d be amazed what HAS changed. I’ll go through a map and go, Oh My that wasn’t there before! I kinda like that.

I also know that they are split into teams who work on individual content. This means that even if you did get your way and living story content was toned down, that those people still wouldn’t be working on what you want changed, the only people who are going to do that, are those assigned to it. So really, the development of the living story isn’t affecting what else we get anyway.

MatthausW.8473:

I REALLY wished that zephyr sanctum was permanent, this has been my favorite area in all of gw2 so far. I would love to see some expansion on current story lines, and that people recognize that I freaking killed zhitan…

I do definitely agree with this, I wish Zephyr Sanctum had stayed. It’s actually what got me playing again.

I felt this way….But Colin has addressed this already

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/livingworld/jubilee/So-EVERYTHING-in-this-patch-is-temporary/first#post2561414

So you did 1 year of Living Story?, i don’t see how as it wasn’t in the game from the beginning, Living Story can be annoying for some i can see that but personally i like it a lot then i have lots and lots and lots of thing to do all the time instead of just doing nothing.

Super Adventure Box is permanently recurring.
Crown Pavilion is a permanent building.
Queen’s Gauntlet is permanently recurring.
Invasions are permanent but less common.
Bazaar of the Four Winds will most likely be permanently recurring.
Sea of Sorrows Scavenger Hunt is permanent.
Aetherblade is permanent.
Southsun Cove is permanent.
Dragon Bash, Wintersday, Shadow of the Mad King are permanent.

Onshidesigns.1069:

Super Adventure Box is permanently recurring.
Crown Pavilion is a permanent building.
Queen’s Gauntlet is permanently recurring.
Invasions are permanent but less common.
Bazaar of the Four Winds will most likely be permanently recurring.
Sea of Sorrows Scavenger Hunt is permanent.
Aetherblade is permanent.
Southsun Cove is permanent.
Dragon Bash, Wintersday, Shadow of the Mad King are permanent.

Let me give you a lesson:
Permanently Recurring = Oxymoron Statement

In order for something to be “re” occuring, it would have to stop and become temporary for a period of time.

Everything you mentioned is temporary. Not permanent.

Overall the story and world remains the same from a year ago, new players are experiencing Tyria from a year ago, just with “theme parks” that go away.

It’s true they reoccur, and they are fun events; BUT players will have to wait for that fun for a year. That is not permanent, I can not visit the bazaar or Molten dungeon anytime I wish. Those were fun events BUT TEMPORARY in a otherwise unchanging world.

It’s like hearing a same lecture from a teacher, but he just does the lecture in different outfits. It’s same speech over and over, and eventually the novelty of costume will wear off.

The novelty is wearing off.

Guys really need to read the Dev Blogs more often. This has been covered.

This year was effectively an experiment to figure how to do the content they wanted to do. In the process they made their recurring events, Halloween, Wintersday, Super Adventure Box, Dragon Bash and the Queen’s Jubilee. Those five events will happen every year. They are temporary, but in a way permanent because you should be able to work on things in them every year. They’ll also be changing from year to year, certainly.

Now, this year we got very little legitimately permanent content. And for the rest of the year that isn’t going to change. It is scheduled to change next year though. The world is intended to start expanding next year, with the Living World bring about meaningful change to the game.

So calm down and let it be for a few more months. Then you can start getting annoyed if it continues to not do anything.

Or don’t calm down and just stop playing altogether.

Personally I love all the LS updates, all the additions and changes to the game over the last year. This game is not the same game that came out 1 year ago. It’s better. It has me more entertained and ready for the next event/patch/update/change to come.

SAB, i’ll pass on a little. I’ll most likely drop in a time or two, or maybe just to get one weapon skin. I’m more excited to see the direction that the Scarlet Invasions will go and how that story will continue to play out.

I came back only because of the Living Story. lel

I am excited about SAB coming, because devs only seem to be good at 8bit programming – there isn’t much stuff you can mess up!

Previous SAB was quite stable, while every rushed 2 week living story after has been buggy disaster, with the Queens Gauntlet being the peak of it. Now that they have realized they can’t make quality content and test it in 2 weeks, they have gone back to making cliché 8bit stuff.
So happy, now I might be able to do the content in day 1, not on day 7 after 20 quick fixes.

Hunny Bunny.3506:

I am excited about SAB coming, because devs only seem to be good at 8bit programming – there isn’t much stuff you can mess up!

Previous SAB was quite stable, while every rushed 2 week living story after has been buggy disaster, with the Queens Gauntlet being the peak of it. Now that they have realized they can’t make quality content and test it in 2 weeks, they have gone back to making cliché 8bit stuff.
So happy, now I might be able to do the content in day 1, not on day 7 after 20 quick fixes.

Well, aren’t you a ray of sunshine?

Hunny Bunny.3506:

I am excited about SAB coming, because devs only seem to be good at 8bit programming – there isn’t much stuff you can mess up!

Previous SAB was quite stable, while every rushed 2 week living story after has been buggy disaster, with the Queens Gauntlet being the peak of it. Now that they have realized they can’t make quality content and test it in 2 weeks, they have gone back to making cliché 8bit stuff.
So happy, now I might be able to do the content in day 1, not on day 7 after 20 quick fixes.

Yeah, that seems to be in any way legitimate and true.
/sarcasm

Personally, I’ve missed out on so much temporary content that I’ve given up on keeping up with it anymore. I don’t think I’ve done hardly any of the new Queen stuff lately.

I don’t mind SAB because it basically has nothing to do with anything it’s just for fun. But I could have done without every Living Story arch that’s been created since the first time SAB came around.

I’m tired of festivals, zerging in PVE and opening various boxes full of garbage it’s cluttering up my inventory. Also they need to dumb down the group events in MR because no one is around to do them anymore. Gotta jump on the zerg train and stop what’s-her-face from being super generic.

Some of the mini games were nice such as Aspect Arena, South Sun Survival, and the Queens Gauntlet but you could put those in the game without the LS, chase-the-carrot for achievements and weapon skins drivel. It’s the same thing every two weeks with a different coat of paint slapped onto it. Doesn’t Tyria deserve better? Don’t the heroes of Tyria deserve better? I’m actually starting to miss o’l Trahearne and that says a lot.

MastaNeenja.1537:

I don’t mind SAB because it basically has nothing to do with anything it’s just for fun. But I could have done without every Living Story arch that’s been created since the first time SAB came around.

Just wait until Scarlet’s Invasions start hitting SAB. that will be fun!

I am in the same boat as the OP I think. I really want/love the new content updates and the joy of discovery they can bring…but each update has something about it that just drains more and more out of me after the initial few hours are over and I realize “ok, that’s it I guess…I get to do this every day for the next 2 weeks…yay…” There is something missing in game and it is taking it’s toll on me…maybe it’s the simple things like the OP was talking about.

I logged onto SWTOR for the first time in over a year just for a change of pace and hit the social key to emote at someone next to me and my jaw dropped at the list that popped up. Seriously, take a look if you have a minute. ANet doing 1/10th of that in a content update would effect my gameplay and be more meaningful to me in the grand scheme of things than my memories of “randomzergevent6017” I get caught up in every day.

Living Story Update coming September 17: Queen Jenna is kitten ed SAB stole her thunder and before strolling back to her quarters she /rude everyone! The town is an an uproar! “Such behaviour from a queen?” “We thought she was a lady!” “Well, I never!” Needless to say she created quite a stir and now everyone seems to be mimicking what they saw!* (You gain the /rude emote)

If ANet did that and only that as an update, I would be happy.

I am actually on the same boat with OP as well I sort ranted and got off track in my previous post. Simply put it seems that the preferred method is to give us new mediocre things to do every other week and only slightly improve the quality of the game occasionally.

I’ve been complaining against living story since before the bazaar. If it actually was changing the world, that would be one thing. the karka event is a perfect example – there was a big event and new areas. The bazaar was close to this… it added an area, then it was gone, so that doesn’t count.
If the living story actually opened up new zones, or changed current zones (the aetherblade ship JP is a minor example of this), that would be good as it actually progresses the game. all of these updates are just scavenger hunts. boring.

all that said, my main gripe with temporary content is that future people can’t do it. you aren’t allowed to be casual because you’ll miss everything. anyone who joins the game now and asks where someone got that sword, the answer will always be “oh, it was an event a couple weeks/months ago, you can’t get it anymore, you had to be there.” it alienates and divides the player base into veterans and sore losers.

Imagine how WvW’ers must feel. There’s been practically no non-technical (bug fixes, etc.) improvements in WvW at all. Plus:

Arguably vertical progression is worse in player vs player environments, but that’s exactly what we got: vertical progression from the introduction of World Ability Points.

For every person who hates temporary content, there might be two more who loves it. So I say, we need more SAB!

I don’t hate SAB in fact I think it’s pretty nice, what i don’t like is getting the same thing repackaged over and over and have it passed off as new content every two weeks.

What OP and many others myself included are saying is that this spam of weak content updates is taking away from the quality of the game because there is too much focus placed on two week LS updates and not enough on actually improving the game itself.

The last time we actually got a quality update was the account wallet and that was nearly a month ago before that I couldn’t tell you. There are so many areas for improvement but apparently it’s just easier to throw a month long zerg fest because a Sylvari had a bad day. Meanwhile you can’t even do higher level PVE group events because no one is around to assist in Cursed shore, The Straits, or Malchor’s Leap.