Guild Wars 2

Mai Trin is one of the last challenging bosses in an instance which is meant to be challenging. Fractals are the only challenging content left in this game.
Just because you need moire than an hour to figure out how to beat Mai Trin doesn’t mean she’s broken.

Twilight Arbor
Ascalonian Catacombs
Sorrows Embrace
Citadel of Flame
Crucible of Eternity

All those dungeons are night dungeons, hence it will always be night in those. So you got a permanent 10% damage boost.

Zaklex.6308:

HHR LostProphet.4801:

Andred.1087:

I wouldn’t put too much weight on these so-called “cliffhangers.” The writing team probably isn’t sitting around saying “Ooh, let’s drop a cliffhanger in here! They’ll go crazy over this!” More like, “Let’s not show it until next episode, because it’s a nice stopping point.”

Does this change the fact that the cliffhangers, used intentionally or not, are unrealistic in a persistant world like GW2?

Here’s the reason you are having a problem, you need to look at this from another angle. The Living Story is separate from the Living World, take them as two completely individual items and you should have less of an issue with the episodic content for the story, which isn’t necessarily taking place in the world at the same time.

I think it’s exactly the other way around. We have to keep in mind what the Living Story is: A story and no gameplay update. ArenaNet is pushing the Living Story while the players are demanding new maps, new weapons, new races, new classes, new skills, new skins and new challenges. The Living World is ArenaNet’s attempt to please those demands with the Living Story.
I never could understand why people are expecting huge gameplay updates from the Living Story because it’s just a story and not meant to deliver huge gameplay aspects.
I think this misconception comes from ANet’s statement that the “Living Story will be like an expansion.”. A statement which I haven’t heard them using anymore.

The Living World is tied around the Living Story, when the Living Story has flaws, the Living World wont change them. They’re not seperate. The Living World gets updated when the Living Story needs the world to be updated. Look at the giant vines spreading through the Silverwastes. Now it looks cool, now it feels epic. But I wonder what will happen when we’ve defeated Mordremoth. Will the map be stuck with those monsters like Orr is stuck with the undead?

Andred.1087:

I wouldn’t put too much weight on these so-called “cliffhangers.” The writing team probably isn’t sitting around saying “Ooh, let’s drop a cliffhanger in here! They’ll go crazy over this!” More like, “Let’s not show it until next episode, because it’s a nice stopping point.”

Does this change the fact that the cliffhangers, used intentionally or not, are unrealistic in a persistant world like GW2?

Enaretos.8079:

Dun worreh, I feex.

heex!

The problem are not the cliffhangers but the episodic structure. The episodic structure doesn’t work, ergo cliffhangers don’t work either. But getting rid of the cliffhangers is atleast a start, a start I would appreciate.

Not to say that cliffhangers don’t work at all, but the cliffhangers used in books or films don’t work. You can’t stop the story with a cliffhanger and say “Now we have to wait two weeks” because it’s unrealistic. Using cliffhangers that don’t stop the whole story but only one part of it do work. For example, we could’ve discovered the cave but then get called back to base because a giant mordrem attack is rolling in, which we have to fight off the next two weeks. But this has to be planned meticulously because the players can’t be allowed to reach the cave again until the story continues, otherwise they would reach the cave but couldn’t interact with it and you would have the same mess you have now, namely the player having the feeling “I could progress now but the devs don’t let me”.

Cuddy.6247:

Cliffhangers work. Never getting around to tying up cliffhangers, however, doesn’t. How many cliffhangers do we have now that haven’t been resolved? Way too many.

I’m soo thrilled to see what’s in the cave we’ve found in the last episode… not.
You’re right too, there are many loose ends but this episodic storytelling kills it for me. Cliffhanger or not, being stuck with the same content for two weeks or more, just to move a step forward in the story to then wait again is killing any tension for me.
That’s why I like the Personal Story more: You can choose when you want to progress (If you’re lvl 80 atleast. Yay for the NPE changes!).

If I would replay the whole season 2, I would need one day maximal.
And the story would feel good and epic but it doesn’t because I needed more than half a year to get as far as I would get in one day if the story would’ve been released at once.

After reading the first question of this interview, I have to settle this once and for all.

Cliffhangers do not work in a MMO, especially not if you try to tie new gameplay to the story.
It is clear why you’re using cliffhangers, they’ve been working great for films, books or series. They create tension and let the person reading or watching this cliffhanger urge for more, which ensures that the person will come back if this story is continued.

To understand what the problems with cliffhangers in MMOs are, we have to understand what the differences between a MMO and a regular story are.
If a regular story ends with a cliffhanger, the story, the whole universe the story takes place in, is on halt. Nothing will happen until the story get continued. This keeps the tension high and ensures that the person experiencing this cliffhanger will come back unless he/she gets bored of waiting.
An MMO however is never completely on halt. The story may be, but the MMO isn’t.
This creates the immersion-killing situation, that you’ve just experienced the story progressing and now it’s on halt for two weeks. The tension flattens out because it seems like nothing is happening, which is simply unrealistic. This gets further incentiviced by the necessity to deal with this – now on halt – story through achievements and stuff. You get permanently reminded that the story is on halt while the world itself should progress, which creates dissatisfacion.
So the the cliffhanger gets not only undermined by the fact that the world should still progress, it looks also much more like a flat slope due to the achievements and other activities, which are loosely tied to the story.

I can’t say how you could get around this effect, other than stopping the episodic nature and releasing the whole story at once, so that this effect can be avoided.
I’m not saying that this is a great suggestion but I can tell you that I loathe the current system and that I don’t feel invested in the story at all.

We are not watching a movie, we are playing a game. A game has to be consistent. An inconsistent, episodic storytelling does not fit into a game.

Olvendred.3027:

HHR LostProphet.4801:

Rialen.1524:

@Op, what does your signature mean? Been wondering since last I saw it.

Well… some players who post on these forums leave the impression that they’re worshipping flawed facts or beliefs. “To hail” (which is illegal in modern Germany btw.) is a reference to the third reich and the kitten regime and describes that some are obedient to something without questioning it. That’s how “All hail stupidity” is born. I simply get the feeling that there are players on the forums who believe blindly in their “facts” without questioning them or players that don’t like their “facts” to be questioned.
And the second part is my main account, which got banned from these forums.

And on the future of GW2: It’s unlikely but one can still dream…

Hail

Show Spoiler

hide spoiler

verb (used with object)
1.
to cheer, salute, or greet; welcome.
2.
to acclaim; approve enthusiastically:
The crowds hailed the conquerors. They hailed the recent advances in medicine.
3.
to call out to in order to stop, attract attention, ask aid, etc.:
to hail a cab.
verb (used without object)
4.
to call out in order to greet, attract attention, etc.:
The people on land hailed as we passed in the night.
noun
5.
a shout or call to attract attention:
They answered the hail of the marooned boaters.
6.
a salutation or greeting:
a cheerful hail.
7.
the act of hailing.
interjection
8.
(used as a salutation, greeting, or acclamation.)
Verb phrases
9.
hail from, to have as one’s place of birth or residence:
Nearly everyone here hails from the Midwest.
Idioms
10.
within hail, within range of hearing; audible:
The mother kept her children within hail of her voice.

While the third reich did have a salute that might be known as a hail (though is more usually rendered in English as “heil” with an ‘e’), it’s certainly not among the most usual usages of the word. It only occurs as such in very specific circumstances. The most common time I hear the word “hail” is for “hailing a taxi.”

Saying “all hail X” is a type of acclamation that is well-known in English, and often used sarcastically, but has absolutely no connection with the third reich at all.

Well, “Heil H***” is a quote strongly connected with the gestureand the mindset and if I look up “heil” in my trusted dictionary, it is translating heil with hail. That’s why I’m using this term. You’re right too, I’m not that confident with the english vocabulary, but I think this is the closest I can get to the opinion I want to convey.
Not to mention that the acclamation would also fit.

…

Some fun facts:
The Arah storymode is bad designed, the devs themselves said that.
Tequatl got updated with the reason that he got stronger, which suggests that Zhaitan is still alive. This would give the devs the opportunity storywise to revamp the Arah storymode in the future.

dlonie.6547:

HHR LostProphet.4801:

“To hail” (which is illegal in modern Germany btw.)

Can you explain that a little more? I’ve never heard of this, and I’m curious exactly what is illegal? Seems like an interesting tidbit…

HHR LostProphet.4801:

And on the future of GW2: It’s unlikely but one can still dream…

ikr? Just take a look at player morale.

“to hail” is this gesture: https://emptysuit.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/504842c.jpg
It is illegal in Germany because it is a direct reference to A. Hitler and it expresses that the person who “hails” is obedient to him.

However I use this term in a more metaphorical way. Many people in Germany trusted Hitler blindly without questioning his intentions or methods. I’m using this reference to express that some people follow their beliefs blindly without questioning them.
This however doesn’t mean that I equate them with people from the third reich or that I think that they believing in their flawed facts is as bad as the germans believing in Hitler. I just want to express that those people aren’t questioning the things they treat as facts.

If anyone (if ever) is interested in what my signature means:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/In-a-distant-future/first#post4643754

Rialen.1524:

@Op, what does your signature mean? Been wondering since last I saw it.

Well… some players who post on these forums leave the impression that they’re worshipping flawed facts or beliefs. “To hail” (which is illegal in modern Germany btw.) is a reference to the third reich and the kitten regime and describes that some are obedient to something without questioning it. That’s how “All hail stupidity” is born. I simply get the feeling that there are players on the forums who believe blindly in their “facts” without questioning them or players that don’t like their “facts” to be questioned.
And the second part is my main account, which got banned from these forums.

And on the future of GW2: It’s unlikely but one can still dream…

… when Guildwars 2 gets its remake with a better engine and tighter storytelling, I want to go the the Grove at night and hear the Avatar of the Pale Tree singing this song while all Sylvari slowly join in.

Same here. It worked fine a few hours ago.

chemiclord.3978:

Essence Snow.3194:

Liadri was reward behind challenge….novel concept.

And how many people were pitching a fit because it was “too hard?” I remember several threads complaining about it.

And I remember a german youtuber, which honestly isn’t that good at the game, beating Liadri with her lvl 70 necro.

Rauderi.8706:

Something I noticed from the Wintersday vendor:
He offers boxes with random rewards for 1 unit (I forget the actual price), but he also has another box with a selectable reward from the same pool for 4 units.

But that’s no reward in particular.

The random amount is not restrictive, like you’ve pointed out, however it slows down progress and the RNG regarding everything else is indeed restrictive.

Geodes and bandet crests aren’t random, indeed, but the number of geodes/bandit crests is random.
Champ chests from champs aren’t random but their loot is random and I think their rarity can be also random.

However I’ll add them to the list.

I would like to name all non-RNG rewards, since it’s way easier to name them as opposed to naming all RNG rewards.
So let me start with:

• Gold from dungeons
• Tokens from dungeons
• (Pristine) Fractal Relic
• AP
• Some login rewards
• Gold/Karma from events
• Experience
• Some PvP Reward Tracks
• (Map completion?)
• Geodes and bandit crests (although the quantity is random)
• Ascended mats (although the quantity is random)
• Common materials from harvesting nodes (although the quantity is random)
• Champ chests from champions (although not every champ drops a chest)
• Some PS/LS rewards

That’s it! Did I miss something?

Vayne.8563:

Why is it that people who criticize assume they’re right while people who like stuff are wrong? Why isn’t it possible that someone can like a game without being a white knight?

Where did he say that he’s right and everyone defending it is wrong? It is his list. His list about things he hates. And there are already some posts that say that he is right.

In most games, you level by going quest hub to quest hub and that’s pretty much what you do, until you get to a high enough level to go to the next quest hub, afterwhich you do dungeons then you raid. That’s the PvE experience of most themepark MMOs.

This isn’t most other games. This is GW2. And prior to the changes the OP listed, GW2 was great for the most part, atleast for me. Now it’s not so much.

Nice list you’ve put up there. I wont say I agree with everything but it’s enough to for everyone to find something they hate.

Neb.4170:

Do we even have a good idea of what IS coming?

Aside from more LS, of course. Tons more where that came from.

Hehe, good question.

I would like to add mounts just to see your thread derailing

Sarahfull.4930:

A question, if you may:
Can you do this aoe trick with the engi grenade barrage?
or even with the 3-nade atuo attack?

I don’t think so, since the nades count as projectiles.

hybrid.5027:

Start -> all programs -> Guild Wars 2 -> Uninstall

If the game isn’t fun stop torturing yourself. And stop torturing us by crying about how much your self-torture hurts.

Oh you don’t have to worry about my fun, but thanks for caring ~

See it as bonus: I’m happy with my new discovery, as dlonie is with his. We feel that happy so that we have to share our happiness with you. Or more like there is nothing going on in GW2, so we might as well post about other things. I’m by no means gleeful about The Crew, just saying that if someone is looking for a street racer game, he should try this one.
I atleast have found some enjoyment in this game which I’ve missed for a long time now in GW2.

But, to appease you, I’ve lately started to do some solo dungeon runs, nothing great so far, but it’s atleast something.

hybrid.5027:

HHR LostProphet.4801:

This game may not have the long-term motivation of a classic MMO, however, it wont have broken promises or half-baked content either.
I would actually laugh if The Crew gets a full-price DLC before GW2 does.

Weird that two games from separate genres would have two different business models.

So breaking promises and pushing out half-baked content is considered a business model now?
ANet’s plan of pushing the LS instead of working on an expansion didn’t really work out, did it?

hybrid.5027:

Dub.1273:

maha.7902:

Focusing all AOE impacts on to one spot is about as “legit” as FGS rushing walls pre-nerf.

Yeah, because the fgs nerf obviously made the game so much more entertaining, fun and made less people quit, they now need to do the same about ele’s aoes.

It actually did make the game more fun.

Running the same content for two years isn’t fun, whether Fiery Rush was possible or not.

dlonie.6547:

+1 for the Tim and Eric gif

Never heard of The Crew, so I googled it….isn’t that comparison apples to oranges? Or is there another “The Crew” that isn’t a street racing game?

It is the street racing game, however, it’s an “MMO” street racing game, which means that you’re premanent online and with other drivers. The game will only load a dozen players at best, though.
What is comparable is the ingame shop. While GW2 has gem store exclusive items, The Crew has none of that. You can buy everything with real money, however, you can also earn it ingame. And it’s not grindy!

And while the total map size may be smaller in The Crew, it feels much wider since there aren’t any map borders.

hybrid.5027:

How many hours have you logged on gw2 vs the crew?

Get back to me when they are equal.

This game may not have the long-term motivation of a classic MMO, however, it wont have broken promises or half-baked content either.
I would actually laugh if The Crew gets a full-price DLC before GW2 does.

After playing The Crew for 3 days now I have to say…

GW2 — Price: 50€, what I would pay: 20€
The Crew — Price: 50€, what I would pay: 100€
The biggest surprise was the ingame store. You can buy everything but you can also get everything by actually playing the game!

Awww yeah, GW2 related stuff: … new daily … nice … will have to spend less time on gw…

My experience with The Crew compared to GW2 lately can be described accurately as…

All the links in the FAQ and “Sticky Threads” Thread aren’t working for me.
Look at the links. They all point to the old subforums, which no longer exist.

GrimmR.3541:

Holy.. I spent 10 hours in the cinema the other night just to watch all the hobbit movies.
The last one is as awesome as I expected it to be!

He, me too!

No, in fact that is the thread I’m referring to. Great!
I’ve checked the CDI sub several hours ago, back then the thread was missing.
However I’m glad they’ve added it. It was missing all the time in the sticky post aswell, so I was wondering if they want to sweep the thread under the carpet.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/archive/balance/Collaborative-Development-Ranger-Profession/

This is the Ranger CDI. It was by no means the best CDI we’ve seen so far, one could even argue it was the worst we had, but it’s a CDI nonetheless.
However, it’s missing in the CDI subforum. So either ANet forgot about it, or, which is more likely, they don’t want to be reminded of it.
Denying it wont help anyone!

I will keep bumping this question until I got a precise official response.
What’s up with the Ranger CDI? Did you miss it when creating the CDI subforum or is it not considered a CDI anymore?

What’s with the Ranger CDI?
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/archive/balance/Collaborative-Development-Ranger-Profession

It’s missing in the CDI subforum.

dlonie.6547:

Likely an oversight — If they wanted to burn any CDI thread, it would have been raids

Well, thing is, I’ve created multiple threads already mentioning that the Ranger CDI was missing in the sticky post, but they’ve not added it. Now they’ve created the CDI subforum and again, the Ranger CDI is missing.

Atleast our CDI isn’t worthy enough to be added to the CDI subforum:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/archive/balance/Collaborative-Development-Ranger-Profession/

Look which CDI they forgot to add to the CDI forum:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/archive/balance/Collaborative-Development-Ranger-Profession/

Looks like they’re embarrassed by their Ranger CDI

I foresee future merges until there are only their true intentions left: Living World and competitive PvP. The rest will be merged into a giant “The Rest” forum.

dlonie.6547:

I share the same concern at this point — even if they released some decent “expansion-type” content…would anyone even bother coming back?

I’ll buy an expansion. Not because of the “fun” I had the last couple of months, if I would judge the game by that I would probably never come back, but because of the fun I had at the release. The decision to buy the next expansion originates from that time.

The only reason why I’m online atm is because the The Crew servers are down.
If there is one thing I have to give ANet credit for, then it’s their server uptime.

Mini Toxic Knight:

See attachment.

All hail stupidity!

@OP: Please don’t tell me you read through this post and felt like creating another precursor craft thread…

I’m asking myself if I could charge some of those people for me getting brain cancer reading through those posts.

And if you change the destination you’ll most likely not use the street you’ve had issues with.

One thing I noticed while lagging out of GW2 while my browser and TS were fine is that you get most likely placed on the same map you lagged out of if you reconnect.
Now a possible workaround would be that if the server loses the connection to a client (which I’m sure of can be determined) that the client, when reconnecting, gets directed onto another server.

Location: Germany
Time: 18:00 (GMT +1)

C:\Users\[…]>pathping -w 500 -q 25 -4 206.127.146.127

Routenverfolgung zu 206-127-146-127.ncsoft.com [206.127.146.127]
über maximal 30 Abschnitte:
0 […].Speedport_W_724V_01011602_00_001 [192.168.2.104]
1 speedport.ip [192.168.2.1]
2 217.0.117.163
3 87.186.196.86
4 f-eb7-i.F.DE.NET.DTAG.DE [62.154.16.182]
5 * 80.157.129.70
6 ae5.XT2.FFT1.ALTER.NET [146.188.6.105]
7 ae1.GW8.FFT4.ALTER.NET [149.227.16.54]
8 213.71.135.138
9 206-127-157-86.ncsoft.com [206.127.157.86]
10 206-127-157-102.ncsoft.com [206.127.157.102]
11 206-127-146-127.ncsoft.com [206.127.146.127]

Berechnung der Statistiken dauert ca. 68 Sekunden…
Quelle zum Abs. Knoten/Verbindung
Abs. Zeit Verl./Ges.= % Verl./Ges.= % Adresse
0 […].Speedport_W_724V_01011602
_00_001 [192.168.2.104]
0/ 25 = 0% |
1 1ms 0/ 25 = 0% 0/ 25 = 0% speedport.ip [192.168.2.1]
0/ 25 = 0% |
2 19ms 22/ 25 = 88% 22/ 25 = 88% 217.0.117.163
0/ 25 = 0% |
3 21ms 1/ 25 = 4% 1/ 25 = 4% 87.186.196.86
0/ 25 = 0% |
4 26ms 3/ 25 = 12% 3/ 25 = 12% f-eb7-i.F.DE.NET.DTAG.DE [62.154.1
6.182]
0/ 25 = 0% |
5 —- 25/ 25 =100% 25/ 25 =100% 80.157.129.70
0/ 25 = 0% |
6 30ms 2/ 25 = 8% 2/ 25 = 8% ae5.XT2.FFT1.ALTER.NET [146.188.6.
105]
0/ 25 = 0% |
7 22ms 1/ 25 = 4% 1/ 25 = 4% ae1.GW8.FFT4.ALTER.NET [149.227.16
.54]
0/ 25 = 0% |
8 21ms 0/ 25 = 0% 0/ 25 = 0% 213.71.135.138
0/ 25 = 0% |
9 —- 25/ 25 =100% 25/ 25 =100% 206-127-157-86.ncsoft.com [206.127
.157.86]
0/ 25 = 0% |
10 —- 25/ 25 =100% 25/ 25 =100% 206-127-157-102.ncsoft.com [206.12
7.157.102]
0/ 25 = 0% |
11 20ms 0/ 25 = 0% 0/ 25 = 0% 206-127-146-127.ncsoft.com [206.12
7.146.127]

Ablaufverfolgung beendet.