Guild Wars 2

TLDR: if the dev team is willing to completely change the playstyle of a class 8 months after release, what will the decide to do on the NEXT patch with the NEXT toon I spend 30 hours working on? I’m not willing to spend 30+ hours of my life learning a playstyle only to see it drastically altered for reasons that a) don’t apply to me (I don’t pvp much) and b) I didn’t see coming because frankly I don’t have any interest in “researching” a toon. I log in, I play PVE or a dungeon, occasionally take my gimpy skills into wvw or pvp for the chuckles, but then I log out without realizing that my class is “broken” because even with an “OP” class, I still suck so it feels fine to me – after all, I’m going to lose no matter how powerful the class is…

I love this game. LOVE it. But I took a break after reaching 80 on a Ranger because he felt a bit… blah outside of the standard story world (which was serious faceroll and kind of fun because of it, but not really challenging). Dungeons, spvp, wvw I just felt… mediocre. And didn’t really want to roll a new toon, so I took a break.

So I came back and rolled up an elementalist when some friends started playing again. Hard class at first but as I got into the low 30’s started to really shine.

Then, the patch happened and the thing that I enjoyed the most about the class (that I hadn’t realized until the patch) was the SPEED of movement around the world. Ride the Lightning was amazing for just feeling… capable in the world on that toon, but the complex play style was still a challenge and I was looking forward to learning even more as I moved up to 80.

Then the patch.

And the entire feel of the class changed. Yes, it is “just one skill” but it was a class defining skill and to have it’s utility cut in half by making it a “closer” so that it’s pure travel benefit was hamstrung and by having it’s effectiveness reduced by changing the range: too much for me.

Why? Because I DIDN’T KNOW it was “broken”. It felt right, balanced, fine and fun. Elementalist, particularly at lower levels is a weak feeling class, but that one ability… well, it just seemed to fit.

Now it doesn’t and I had no clue that the nerf was needed or coming.

I can’t know, and I refuse to spend my time working on a toon only to have it gutted for reasons I don’t understand and that don’t positively impact my game experience. I don’t pvp or wvw much, so why would I expect to have my toon completely rearranged for having “too much power” in a realm I don’t personally enjoy or inhabit much?

I wouldn’t expect it, but it happened.

Which means I can’t trust the developers when it comes to my time and fun. Which means I won’t devote any more time to the game until it’s “finished.”

I’ll come back. In 6 months or a year. But for now: love the world, the art, the music, love the difference between this and every other mmo I’ve played. But if I can’t trust that my toon will be as capable tomorrow morning as he was when I go to bed tonight… If I can’t trust that the hours I spent learning to play, developing the muscle memory of the skills based on their results… Basically if I can’t be sure that my time is respected: I’m not interested.

I hope everything gets ironed out, and that I’m still interested when I come back.

For now: Adios and Good Luck.

That’s a big tldr. So you pretty much expect no change in a mmo? I’m sorry to tell you this, but I think you are being delusional. Maybe you should play a single player game?

What part of leaving posts are against forum rules did you not get? You could have easily made this exact post without the threat of leaving.

However, every MMO makes changes to specific builds over time. Every…single…one. No exceptions. Well there is one exceptions. MMOs that aren’t supported at all.

Anyone who can’t see the ele bunker build was OP, honestly see it, well…

There will always be people who want to leave MMOs because they chose an OP build and it’s easy and now it’s not easy and they have to learn something else. Most of the rest of us just shake our heads and keep playing.

If you expect that other MMOs won’t nerf obviously OP builds, you’d be wrong. There are probably more non-elementalists ready to leave the game because of the nerf build than eles who are leaving because their build was nerfed.

I’d rather inconvenience one profession than all the others.

I don’t think you know what “TL;DR” means.

Beats me why they didn’t split RTL into a pve and a pvp version. Reducing it by 75% is a pretty massive change. Going to have to constantly swap weapons from inventory for running around now.

Also they didn’t really nerf bunkers as much as every other viable build.

What you GW2 apologists didn’t get (or didn’t listen enough to understand) is the way PvP changes negatively impact PvE play is a gamebreaker for those who enjoy PvE. This is the point the OP is making and every single other MMO that implemented both has the same problem – which why I believe an MMO should be one or the other.

Derpinator.2894:

I won’t devote any more time to the game until it’s “finished.”

MMOs are never finished, they are continually added to and modified.

But should you ever change your mind just remember, all you have to do is step through the portal and you’re there, in a magical land of glory, victory and triumph.

Vayne.8563:

What part of leaving posts are against forum rules did you not get? You could have easily made this exact post without the threat of leaving.

However, every MMO makes changes to specific builds over time. Every…single…one. No exceptions. Well there is one exceptions. MMOs that aren’t supported at all.

Anyone who can’t see the ele bunker build was OP, honestly see it, well…

There will always be people who want to leave MMOs because they chose an OP build and it’s easy and now it’s not easy and they have to learn something else. Most of the rest of us just shake our heads and keep playing.

If you expect that other MMOs won’t nerf obviously OP builds, you’d be wrong. There are probably more non-elementalists ready to leave the game because of the nerf build than eles who are leaving because their build was nerfed.

I’d rather inconvenience one profession than all the others.

1) didn’t know it was against the rules because I didn’t read them; just like I don’t patrol the forums looking for possible future nerfs.

2) Ban me. I’m not “threatening to leave so someone will listen.” I’m LEAVING and hoping that the smart business people at Anet will listen. The repercussions have no meaning to me as I won’t see them.

3) It’s only obvious if you actually “win” by using the OP parts. I had a good time in PVE and managed to not die every 30 seconds in PVP. OP? Only if you dedicate your life to the game or have Tiger Woods skill at gaming. I am neither. The class was fine and fun for me because I felt like it was. I don’t need any other reason to dislike or disagree with the developers. It felt ok to me. They disagree.

Fair enough. It’s their game, their world, their rules.

I don’t like them, and don’t like the way they handled this situation so I’m leaving.

Not a “threat”. A fact. And I’m trying to be helpful to them by stating my opinions and reasons so that IF they care about a single, average, non-lifer’s opinion, they’ll have some to work with.

If that’s bannable… /shrug. It tells me a lot about the developers to help me make future buying decisions about their products.

Sorry for the overly long TLDR. It was only the first paragraph. I was trying to be helpful by putting it first, but since I’m not a forum pro, I guess I screwed it up.

Once again: /shrug.

Part of what keeps MMOs new and fresh for some people are these changes. You have to play a bit out of your comfort zone. You have to learn how to use the skills you have to succeed. Obviously not everyone likes this, but for many, the meta is what keeps people playing. The few people you lose changing it are acceptable collateral damage. It won’t change because more people are bored with the status quo than are offended by changing it.

Probably why all MMOs do it.

Sorry you are unhappy with the game. Being a subless game though, that means the doors will always be open should you return. Not particularly sure how one “quits” a video game to be honest. It is supposed to be recreation. Once it is no longer fun you are supposed to stop.

Regardless, I wish you luck in finding a game that suits you better. Just try and remember not to blur the lines between hobby and life.

Vayne.8563:

If you expect that other MMOs won’t nerf obviously OP builds, you’d be wrong. There are probably more non-elementalists ready to leave the game because of the nerf build than eles who are leaving because their build was nerfed.

I’d rather inconvenience one profession than all the others.

This.

well there’s at least one thing in mmo’s that never changes: people making ragequit posts.

Not “quitting”. Leaving.

Not ragequitting. Dis-satisfied leaving.

MMO’s change, but if a change is spurred by PVP when I’m a PVE/Dungeon guy: not interested.

It’s not a “criticism” of the game or the developers. I never said “this sucks” or “you suck” or… actually, did I say anything negative AT ALL about anyone? As in something insulting? I think I stated my opinions, my reasons, and my accurate actions based on reality.

That’s a critique. Not an attack or even “criticism” as traditionally interpreted.

Anyway, I’m off to do other stuff. Back in a few months.

xoxoxo

Huge difference.

It’s not about being bad about nerfs; those are expected. It’s about how anet can change a class’s play style/feel with some of their nerfs, rather than just weakening it. But anyway, you’re lucky if you only invested 30 hours into your ele :p

I’m kinda in the same boat as the OP. I LOVE the change to the signet of might in the PVP realm. The only problem is that the active change broke my setup for my Warrior in PVE. Since i’m more of a PVE guy, it’s a deal breaker. I’ve resorted to re-rolling a different profession. That sucks because I spent so much time on a character I just don’t fell joy in playing anymore.

Poplolita.2638:

That’s a big tldr. So you pretty much expect no change in a mmo? I’m sorry to tell you this, but I think you are being delusional. Maybe you should play a single player game?

This forum makes me lose all faith in mankind to be honest. Can you guys even comprehend what other people are posting here?

He was talking about changes that are drastic, and quite frankly, he’s right. What they effectively did was turn a class that was at least able to rival the most mobile classes in the game into one of the slowest classes in the game. That’s not a balance change, that’s a drastic change in concept & design (and I’m pretty sure those 2 jerks on the stream don’t even realise how big of a change it actually was, as their knowledge about s/tPvP is already limited and pretty much non-existent for any other part of the game).

There is a time for changes like that. That time is beta. Not 8 month into a released game.

Whether or not Ride the Lightning was originally intended to be a mobile/roaming tool or a gap-closer only is, at the current time – 8 month into release, of no importance at all. Players have used it for its mobility for 8 months. It’s one of the most iconic Elementalist skills in the game. People have rolled Elementalists for the sole reason they liked Ride the Lightning so much. No dev that wants to keep his job should be allowed to touch such a skill in the way they just did.

It was abused, it got nerfed… Move along?