Guild Wars 2

Just opened the gift on three different characters…only one got the skins. Also, those came in a a pop-up chest rather than directly from the gift package. So I assume those are meant to be per account.

I’m in USA and having problems, both in-game and on the website. Getting the error message too. Tried multiple credit cards…same result. I did, however, buy gems in-game and no problem there…so not my account or the credit card. Hopefully will be fixed soon.

Indeed, thank you. As one the schmucks that squandered their Tyria points on legendary precursor crafting and Fractals (only to use them once), I now have auto loot. My faith in the world is now restored.

Mostly I prefer single-word names, although when the mood strikes, I will go to two. I mostly use one of three different approaches.

- Most often, I try to come up with combination of letters that produce a good “sounding” or “looking” name. Example, I have a guardian named “Valynar.” One of my favorites.

- Sometimes I look for foreign language words that have a meaning that I might want to associate with this character.

- Occasionally, a single word with meaning fits nicely. My very first character, created on launch day, is an Asuran engineer named “Oodles.”

Khisanth.2948:

Elothar.4382:

Would be nice if you could check for name availability at the beginning of the creation process.

There is a skip to the end button.

Thanks. Did not know that. If you skip to the end and name your character, can you then back up and do the creation process afterwards?

Would be nice if you could check for name availability at the beginning of the creation process.

The map is beautiful and seems to be solid in design. Not my cup of noodles, though. I did half the episode…probably won’t go back. But, I know lots of folks love it so you have to give credit where credit is due.

I was not new to the game…so I can’t use that as an excuse. Just one of those moments.

I wanted to be able to make all of the ascended berserker weapons that an artificer could make. So I purchased the recipe for each….which I think there are four artificer weapon types. Then I turned around and purchased four copies of the recipe for the inscription. I consumed one…and then saw the dreaded message on the rest of them “You already know this recipe.” Still haven’t the heart to destroy the leftovers.

First, good post, OP. Your presentation underscores the fact that many people don’t really understand what an introvert is and how introversion manifests.

As an introvert, I found myself nodding as I read how you play. Pretty much the same with me. I like the open world events with other people. I will join squad if it’s one of those kinds of things (SW, DS, etc.). Otherwise, on world bosses, I just tend to join the fight. I will rarely, if ever, join a PUG for a dungeon or fractal run. I’ll run with my guild but prefer not to engage with strangers in these types of things.

I belong to a guild where there is a small core of people whose company I enjoy when we’re doing something (task-oriented, as the OP puts it). I might say “hi” when I log on or respond to question but don’t usually engage in long conversations. I typically immerse in what I’m doing. Guild missions are regular and we do tend to socialize as we plow through them. Once done, though, we go our separate ways unless someone needs some specific help.

As odd as it seems, that small group of people serve as an anchor here in the game for me. We don’t socialize for the sake of socializing but, when we are together doing things, it’s a blast.

I’m also dedicated PVE. Don’t enjoy PvP or WvW. But, on balance, I’m okay with the system as is. Yeah, I have to cinch it up and jump in but, I stick with EOTM. I look for a zerg with a good commander. I usually luck out maybe three days out of five. If nothing’s going on, I bail and come back another day. When I find a good group, I stick with them, pay attention to chat, and do what the commander says. It tends to work out okay. I get a lot of Karma, some other good loot (including one each ascended weapon and armor chest).

And, with Bifrost needing the tokens from Arah, I frankly find it easier to do the WvW rewards track than find a civilized PUG for the dungeon runs.

So, am not crazy about WvW but, given the importance that I placed on getting my legendary done, I’m personally okay with it.

It seems from the screen shots that OP has indeed done world completion. The map shows 100% and the achievement is there. He even says he got the achievement. As I read it, he’s curious about the Gift of Exploration. Correct me if I’m wrong on this.

I just finished completion on a toon this past week and, as I recall, a small “star” appeared down in the lower right hand part of the screen. Not a treasure box. You click on the star and it awards the Gift. If you didn’t see that, or didn’t click on it, perhaps CS can get you the Gift. Should be easy enough for them to see.

But to answer your basic question, no, you do not have to do anything else or talk to anyone else. Good luck.

I agree that many of us (me at the head of the line) have inventory issues. For me, though, it’s not the bag size that’s bothering me. What seems clunky and problematic to me is the now familiar process of…

Take item A that drops here and combine it with item B that drops there and make item C which is then used with item K to make food to feed some plant with a special feeder that you carry. Oh…and while this is going on, you have item G that you must use with item X to have a chance to get item Z that might help you make item A.

I rarely jump on these opportunities when the present themselves. Instead, I procrastinate. I keep them in my immediate inventory “just in case.” I’ve been burned a number of times by getting rid of things that I subsequently decided to use. And, yes, I could put it all in the bank (which has maxed out space) but, like any self-respecting lazy player, I have my bank full of junk.

Every six months of so I take a few hours to clean house and it makes a difference. But I would appreciate fewer of the really complex collection/combination/multi-tiered junk fests. Actually, I would prefer that to having more inventory slots.

Thanks for the post. My smile of the day.

I pretty much agree with what others have said. I crafted a precursor for The Bifrost. Would not ever do another. I’ve purchased another precursor off the TP and crafted the legendary since then…and this is what I’ll do in the future. Still, I’m glad that I did one, if for no other reason that to say I tried it. Others I know have really enjoyed the precursor crafting process. I think it’s great that we have a choice…which I believe was Anet’s intent when they introduced precursor crafting.

A good opportunity to say how much I enjoy the art in this game. Top notch. Thanks, Daniel, for all you’ve done and best of luck to you. And to Horia, congrats on the promotion. Look forward to more great things.

Keypek.5716:

I had a good laugh when I first stumbled upon Captain Penzan and his version of Major-General at the conclusion of his event when I was leveling my first toon.

Good one. You beat me to it.

Also, “My ears, how are you?”

zomgbuffalo.5276:

I disagree. I’m a believer in rotation. Old staff leaving the company means new people joining the team. New people = new ideas. I think we’re in for a treat.

I agree with this. To build on it, staff at Anet, indeed staff at most companies, are people working for a living. I would hope that most love their job and are engaged and excited with it. But people move on. Companies, products, and games should (hopefully) outlive the people who work on them at any given time. Jobs are components of careers and people make moves not just because they are worn out on a product but because they have career opportunities, family situations, or simply want to do something else for a bit. GW2 has been active going on five years now but those who worked on it started long before that. So, six, seven, eight years in a job…that’s a long time.

And…I agree with zomgbuffalo. Getting some new blood, new ideas, new energy in…these are good things. I am also confident.

Welcome to the game! I’m a recovering WoW player myself. Good points offered so far. My two cents worth – don’t rush. Enjoy it! If you get stumped on something in game, just give a shout out in Map chat…really helpful community compared to WoW.

Again, welcome to Tyria.

I see that Anet folks are taking some time off. So, best holiday wishes to all of you. Thanks for a fantastic year!

Okay, at the very least, give her a pay raise and a corner office with a nice view.

Always good to hear these kinds of stories. I’ve always had great luck with customer service, although I have to admit that I’ve never had major problems either.

Thanks all for the Monday morning smile…well…even a chuckle or two.

duster.7013:

Amaimon.7823:

Did you do raids, Migraine, completed fractal Ad Infitum?
If you want difficulty, do some of that. If you find that easy, come back and complain to your hearts’ content.

But I want the games main content to be fun. Fractals seem to just be gear/grinding, raids are alright, but a small part of the game.

You are not alone in wanting the entire game to be more challenging in order to be “fun.” Keep in mind, though, that “fun” is highly subjective and not everyone is here for the challenge (as others have alluded to). Making the entire game more challenging would serve to make some happy but would also likely cause others to leave. It all kind of depends on where Anet wants to define that sweet spot in terms of audience.

I’m an altaholic and am compulsive about map completion on all of them. Still, to this day, I am in awe of Tyria. I’m probably one of those rare players that actually watches all of the cut scenes at the vistas. Yup…good stuff.

Not my particular cup of noodles, which is good since very unlikely that (as a very casual player) I would ever be able to acquire it. Would be not as happy if it had been something I really, really liked.

To those who like it, I am happy for you (genuinely) and wish you well on the acquisition path.

Mea.5491:

Welcome to GW2. I’m bad at giving advices but here’s one: Enjoy the ride, don’t rush to max lvl.

With due respect to Mea’s assessment of her advice-giving…this is, imo, hands down the best advice you will get. Welcome to the game.

Also tried Maguuma Wastes…just in case…no luck there either

My nickel’s worth – I’m thrilled, all the way around. Love the map. The story was great. No complaints at all.

First, I don’t do the dailies every day. I take a look at what’s up for the day and decide then whether or not it sounds like fun. But, whether I do them or not, my game time is devoted to a list of things I have going on at any time. Forcing myself to do them, even if the activity doesn’t interest me, feels way too much like work on a Monday morning at at job I hate.

I just finished up my second legendary after having crafted my first precursor. So, I spent a lot of time doing things for that.

Other activities (in no particular order):

(1) Gathering runs – I try to supply my crafters with the mats they need. I still have to buy some but try not to.

(2) Alts – I have a serious problem…and I know it. I love to create and level alts. Unfortunately, I am also compulsive about map completion on all of them. So, I spend some time doing that.

(3) Starting with SW, I acquired all of the armor pieces associated with it…since I like their looks. Just finished doing the Leystone collection. I also did (for my ranger), the specialization collection to get the ascended staff.

(4) I sometimes get on a JP kick (not good at them…sometimes just like to try and finish a few more).

(5) Living Story. Always try to get that done on a number of characters.

(6) Personal story for alts coming up…always do this…mainly for the rewards that come at about level 50-60…lots of unidentified dyes.

(7) World boss train…not often but sometimes.

(8) WvW if I need anything (like for my legendary).

(9) Guild activities…missions or fractals/dungeons if people want or need them.

(10) Any seasonal or current event stuff that sounds interesting.

In the end, I just do what I’m in the mood for at the time. If I’m not having fun, I either switch activities or log off and do something else. But, that’s the real deciding factor…am I having a good time?

Disclosure – I’ve been the GW2 raid but haven’t successfully cleared a boss. So, obviously my perspective is quite limited.

I’ve played other MMOs and, in past years, raided a lot (even successfully). So, first, every game that I’ve played had the same type of dynamic as the OP cites. There were preferred builds, weapons, and rotations along with everything else. Entire websites sprang up to define, for each game and even in some cases, specific raids, how to build, gear, etc. Nothing new here.

Second, the most common response that I’ve seen in other games is exactly what others in the thread have suggested. Starting your own raid group. As an alternative, get into a guild that does raids and is willing to work with members. I was fortunate in this game that my limited experience was with a guild group. Our leader was very good about working with members on their builds, rotations, utilities, etc. In the end, we weren’t successful because we could simply not get enough people to stay focused week after week. But, I have to give super high marks to the raid leader for his patience and professionalism in helping us.

So, to the OP’s point, yes, there is some of that elitism that exists among raid groups that PUG individual members in. It happens here…happens in other games. The reality is, for those groups, it’s their group and they get to decide. It seems, from my limited perspective, that you have three options. First, start your own group and set your own rules. Second, follow the meta and try to fit in. Third, join a guild that raids and will help. Actually, there’s a fourth option…pretty much what I’ve done…don’t raid.

Probably not what the OP wanted to hear…but not sure what else is possible. Best of luck.

Beldin.5498:

“When defeated, you instead revive with full Health and full Spirit (10m cooldown) "

^^ I’d rather have something like this instead of beeing “locked” so that you are instantly killed again .. or whatever that means. Sounds horrible at least.

I maybe wrong on this but I read “locked in combat” as meaning that you are in combat status and cannot use any “out of combat” services (WP, health regen, etc.) I did not assume that it meant that you were locked in place somehow.

I see challenges like this from time to time. It does add an additional element to the game for those that enjoy…so it’s great that you’re doing it.

Myself, I log into the game with things I want to do. I have a list a mile long and I work different items on my list on different nights, depending on my mood. So, I’m not really sitting back on my bum doing nothing. The mini-challenges that you speak of are not my particular cup of noodles.

That said, I do appreciate your enthusiasm in getting more stuff going in the game. More choice is better.

Welcome to the game! It is truly a great game and has a fantastic in-game community. I’ve found that most times help is only a map post away.

Not sure if you’re into intense gaming or not…I’m very casual so these tips are more from my own perspective.

First, enjoy, as others have said. Don’t worry about what people are doing at level 80…you’ll get there soon enough.

I agree that exploring (mapping) is a great way to jump into the game.

Find a good guild. You are allowed to join up to five guilds, representing only one at a time.

I find personal story a lot of fun. New chapters come available every ten levels so that’s something I’ve always looked forward to. Although a lot of players skip the video cut scenes, I found (at least with my first round of characters) that they did help me to understand what was going on in the world.

Open world events are a blast too. You come upon them…jump in and have fun. Everyone that participates gets rewards. In general, the game is structured to encourage participation and cooperation rather than competition.

Again, welcome and good hunting.

slamfunction.7462:

Bought character slots, shared slots, other stuff, keys…yeah, this anniversary wrecked my bank account. However, I HAZ SO MUCH MORE STUFF TO PLAY WITH NOW! YAAAAAAAY!!!!

Feel much better now knowing I’m not alone with this problem.

Echo what others have said. Been here since original beta weekends and still get excited with the game. Many thanks.

Hot dang! Been waiting on this one. Thanks for the heads up.

Been playing MMOs for many years…many different games. I’ve lots of weird hiccups. This was handled about as well as anything I’ve ever seen. Special thanks to MO for posting up front on this. When I see top management engaged in something like this, it tends to instill confidence, at least for me.

OP made a point in the original post that there’s nothing wrong with the difficulty. Most here seem to agree, as do I. His complaint seems to be the “pre-raid requirements.” I’m not really sure what those are. I’ve been in the raid (though not killed a single boss) with my guild and I wasn’t required to do anything. The raid leader gave us some guidelines on gearing and builds…but that’s no different than raiding in other games. He may be talking about the requirements to get into PUGs…which, again, is similar to what I’ve seen in other games.

So, I guess I’m not disagreeing with OP at this point but would like to see more discussion on what requirements are standing in the way.

Yes! I’ve experienced, in a couple of guilds, the loss of a comrade — someone that I knew in game but not IRL. It leaves an emptiness that seems hard to deal with in the context of gaming.

My most memorable case was in Brand X MMO. We were halfway through a raid when a familiar character popped on. We all said hi, made pleasantries. The player turned out to be the son of our guildmate, logging in to tell us that his father died.

This new feature is most welcome and I while it saddens to think of using it, I think it does provide an outlet for sorrow. Many thanks, Arenanet.

Yup…the naming thing is a big one for me. Thanks much.

I don’t have strong feelings about the new categorization/typing schema. I would have preferred a refund of laurels rather than the infusions. Now I have a bunch of infusions and no place to use them as well as having to spend laurels on the new amulet enrichments, which are more expensive than the offensive and defensive infusions.

This may or may not answer your concern but here goes.

As you can see, Anet did, in the past, sell armor skins in the gem store. Some time back (over a year…maybe two), they changed their strategy to add new outfits only in the gem store. All new armor skins are in-game rewards. As I recall, this stemmed from overwhelming player complaints at armor skins in the gem store. Perhaps others will have more detail or maybe a different recollection, but this is how I recall it. The change was player-driven.

My thoughts…

Agree on the bosses. I liked it. I used Canach and Braham so I saw a different pattern but I thought it was fun. It did challenge me. I did it on rangers, elementalist (never succeeded on this one), and condi necro (easiest). Loved the need to keep moving and react to changing conditions. Thought the flying part was kinda buggy but seems to be sorted out now.

As for Caithe, my recollection is that she stole Glint’s egg. Recall that we came into the egg after the pursuit of the Master of Peace and, as “the commander,” we ended up with it. She grabbed the egg, as I recall, after the fights in the maze. After that, we went on a journey through the past to look for clues to her whereabouts. Anyway, I think the rub is that she stole the egg, essentially betraying the group.

I also would have liked a cut scene or even sequence of talking to the team after the fight. I especially wanted more interaction with Canach as this seems a bit of a turning point for him. If nothing more, just a sense of where things might go from a team perspective.

All in all, I have consistently liked the LW and this episode certainly didn’t disappoint…although I have to admit I hurled many strings of epithets at the screen.

They have in the past had sales on character slots. Not sure if/when the next will occur.

Vayne.8563:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

The OP is both factually correct and yet wrong about what’s going on:

Any game that lasts 4 years has people who leave because they are bored or dislike the inevitable changes made to the game. So of course, there will be haters, sometimes very loud ones. Because people are passionate about a game they love, those posts will increase as a fraction of new ones.

However, the existence of lots of salty comments doesn’t mean that the majority of players hate the game. If that were true, ANet wouldn’t be working on LS3 and a second expac.

So the question isn’t “guild wars 2 — what happened?” Instead, it’s, “after nearly four years, what do you like better? what’s worse for you?”

tl;dr the OP asks a leading question that presumes a single point of view, rather than inviting comments across the spectrum of our complicated feelings.

Your posts are always so balanced. I agree with this.

In many ways, I think the game is better today than it was at launch. A lot better.

But people seem to forget that we had no guesting or megaserver, that we had no wardrobe, that we had culling in WvW, that we had no gliding, that we couldn’t even preview the trading post. We had no wallet, no group looting, no auto-looting, the list goes on and on.

Did Anet make some mistakes? Sure they did. Many. But they did many really good things too.

This.

Not speaking for anyone but myself. I love the game. I wasn’t thrilled with the approach to HoT but I still find things to do and look forward to logging in. For my preferences, a lot has changed for the better since initial launch. I won’t rattle off all of these things but they do include the current trait system, gliding, the wallet, dyes and skins account bound, new maps, interesting stories, and more than a little humor. What really works for me, though, is the GW2 community in-game. I’ve played a few MMOs and the folks I encounter in game are friendlier, more helpful, more civil and generally more positive than I’ve found in other games.

Again, this is just my take on it. Others may well see it differently.

At first I thought it would really spur me to do them without fail every day…and that lasted about two weeks. Since then, I might do them if the tasks look like fun. Some jumping puzzles I like. I like some of the adventures over in HoT. Other times…I simply ignore them. So, glad the 2g is there. Great when I get it. Doesn’t bother me when I don’t.

I had the same problem. Spent over an hour trying to figure out how to get the spot when I noticed it was “optional.” By that time, I had enough of the material in my bags to finish. Frustrating to be sure. Nice thing is, doing it on other characters, I blow through it pretty fast now.

Got mine from the chest at the end on the second run. After the first run, I opened about 40 pods and got nothing.

I earlier today finished my third solo run through this episode.

For, it’s not too challenging as designed. I like the story. I like the fight mechanics. I like the required mobility. For my money, a nerf is not really needed.

All of that said, it does seem kinda buggy or quirky still. I was able to get airborne at all the right times. Once airborne, though, I found it hard to see the updrafts (perhaps my aging eyes is part of the problem here). Also, a couple of times I ended up prematurely back on the ground and couldn’t get airborne again using the plumes. In these cases, I died, obviously (three times on this last run through…four or five each on my previous runs). Perhaps there’s a setting I can adjust that will make the updrafts easier to see. Not sure what the problem was trying to get airborne again. Just seemed quirky.

My biggest problem was on the Caithe segment, right after the first airborne section. I fought her down, no problem. When Braham tells me that the rift is ready, I go over and start to channel and Caithe interrupts me…again…and again…and again. Fifteen minutes I played with this, trying everything I could think of. You can’t snare or stun her. My pet wouldn’t hold aggro on her. Traps didn’t work…nothing. I finally tried suicide to re-set…and that didn’t work. I through myself over the side and ended up in a downed state on the platform and my handy companions revived me…lucky me. Finally…I pulled out all the stops at once…Hounds of Balthazar, pet special attack, longbow stealth shot, traps….the kitchen sink…everything. And it worked. To no avail…I died in the next airborne segment.

Funny thing is, on the next attempt, I didn’t have any problem at all with Caithe. The channeling on the rift worked perfectly. This is kind of what I’m talking about. The encounter seems inconsistent. Sometimes the updrafts work…sometimes not. Sometimes have a problem with Caithe…sometimes not. I’m not discounting at all the possibility that it may well be my gaming skills.

You will get a lot of intense perspectives on this from various posters. Some will offer constructive ideas. Others not so much. So, my nickel’s worth (about all it’s worth, too).

I understand the frustration. I felt it too and it kept me out of the zone for a bit. As some will tell you, it does get better with some time and practice. Getting the masteries will help as well. Learning the different types of mobs, their attacks, and their weaknesses also adds to the mix. Bottom line, though, it doesn’t come quickly or at least it didn’t for me. I still die a lot, although I’m a lot more comfortable now than before.

In addition to the above, I did the Story as the pieces became available and that helped a lot. Decent rewards and it helps to work you deeper into the maps. In the beginning, I nibbled around the edges a bit. I stayed pretty close to the entry waypoint. I did some of the events around there. I think that the most important lesson I learned early on is that some groups of mobs you can run through; others you can’t. Pocket raptors, for example. If you try to run through a large group, you will die (or at least I do). They die easily especially if you have decent AOE. I find ranged attack suits me best in the zone most of the time.

Finally, I used the Wiki and Dulfy to learn what was going on in the maps and how to best take advantage of it. It’s always easier, at least for me, when I can get into an event or chain with a bunch of others. Inherent in these thoughts, though, is the underlying truth for me that this is not an expansion that lends itself well to rushing through.

These are the things that helped me get into it. HoT is by no means my cup of noodles. It does have its moments, though. Hope this helps.