Guild Wars 2

I have finally done 2 runs of Dragon Stand, and I am disappointed. One succeeded and one failed. In both cases, that running around in circles, to keep Preservers and Ley line Pods down, is totally ridiculous. There is no enjoyment, and I have never seen so much insulting and verbal back biting in this game, because the timer is going, one or two lanes ‘may’ complete first. I saw a lot of people drop out and hang back because they were sick of running in circles that never seemed to end. New comers are confused as hell. Commanders give up, someone tries to reorganize, but there is no time to tell anyone what the heck is going on, or what plan of attack would work best. (and for the insulters of ‘newbies’, there will always be newbies.) I ‘could see’ if you had a group at each pod, and one group on the tower guard, you could make the current system smoother, but who in the world could organize 15 separate groups of strangers?! (5 per lane) I could also see, if there was a limit to how often the Preservers could re-pop, then the current timer could work? I thought Triple Trouble was problematic enough, but I can’t see Dragon Stand, as it is, ever becoming popular. I won’t go back unless I am ‘forced’ to for a certain drop. Silver Wastes works, because the map isn’t so huge, and one lane can still complete the meta Events, if the other two are holding strong. That said, I like the way they developed final show down with Mordremoth. That is a creative final battle and sure got my hand gliding skills improved in a hurry.

Specializations

Were they fun?
Didn’t really have enough game play to tell. I have honestly been using the Beta’s to test lev 80 builds so I can figure out how to make ones that can survive and i like to play. Looking forward to building my Revenant. Love the warhammer use with the Rev. Also finally built a thief that works, so went and made a new Thief to play. Deleted my original lev. 80 thief because she was useless in Lev. 80 zones a long time ago.

Did they Change how you play your profession in a meaningful way?
I was so confused why my Warrior got a torch at first, made the Char twice to get it worked out after doing on line research. Then finally got to use the Char. Sadly I am a reward based player, so I tend to play for a bit, then go back to doing Dailies, etc. for rewards. Plus after the first Beta and I lost my Beta Chars, I erased my Chars after the second Beta, only to find they would have remained for the third. I was sad to learn that info after the fact.

How were the improvements to the previous Specializations? (Dragon Hunter, Tempest, Chronomancer, Reaper)
Feedback on new specializations, as well as any changes to the old
No comment.

Creatures

How is the difficulty of the new hostile mobs, and are they fun and exciting?
Yes and no to the excitement. I am having troubles figuring out how to make a Char that won’t die over and over. So for me they are hard. (Playing GW2 1 year)

World

With the Opening of two new outposts, we are adding in a bunch of new events. Are they fun?
Yes? Still feel like a chicken trying to find a flock so I don’t have my head cut off while opening up the test map with Lev. 80 Char I am still trying to get the feel for.

Do the new events bring you more into the world?
Seeing Faron at the last one sure did tie things together more, Lol.

Are the new events challenging, meaningful, and interesting?
Didn’t get to play enough on this last one, but the previous Beta, Yes.

Mastery System

How is the progression?
Didn’t get to progress this last Beta. I kept remaking Chars, trying to make a better one, so then I did the beginning over and over, and over. That got boring. With all the other, up to Lev. *) perks these Beta toons get, why couldn’t the Mastery have been built in too? Then I could of tested it, and had something to look forward to earning in the HoT release later. That would of been more fun for me.

How is it using the mastery abilities in the current area?
Would have liked to have known. Seeing Bouncy mushrooms I couldn’t use or ‘test’ was frustrating.

Is the mastery system providing a meaningful area of progression?

Do you care about experience and mastery points?
Yes, I do care about both those things, I am a rewards based game player, otherwise i would just watch TV like most people.

Does it provide a good framework to add more masteries in the future?
Can’t comment.

Do you want to learn as many masteries over time to overcome challenges later in the future?
Yes.

Stronghold PvP
Sorry, Never got to try it out.

Feedback on the new UI
That is my Fav. upgrade so far. I was so confused for the last year of trying to learn how to make successful Lev. 80 Characters. Beta has been a great opportunity for me to test builds, but unfortunately it kept me from your goal of testing the environment.

Feedback on Stronghold itself

Bugs

Report and notify any and all bugs using in game system as well as boards. Take screenshots and describe as best as you can

I got booted near the end of events three times now, and twice placed in an event starting all over? Outside of the timer schedule? (That’s what it seemed like), so basically I had to grind for almost an hour to get 30 min. credit. The third one I was simply out of luck, with no opportunity to get that Zone again that evening. My other frustration is it takes a whole evening to try and get each area done once, if i can even get all three done. So what I have done to ward off being bumped is to stop doing the event aprox. 10 min. before it ends and just hang out in the zone waiting for it to end. Adding to all the wait time for it to begin. I also don’t really understand the rewards because I joined GW2 after the Scarlet invasion. So would it be a waste to try opening the Box of Memories if I wasn’t collecting the spinal parts before? (But I want Dreamthistle skins), And The Dusty Sachel rewards list seems skimpy compared to the Scarlet Box, but I would like the stuff to create Mawdrey. Why are skins and dyes not avail. in the Sachel too? The game play of the Events isn’t that bad of a grind IMO. I like that you put the Watchwork Moa in the vendor list at a price I can obtain. It will be the only thing I will have to show for all the hours of work, plus a few materials richer. (if I only open the Dusty Sachels). I would like to see more opportunities to get Claim Tickets for skins in the Game. Those should show up as Event rewards. Or is it Anet’s goal to make sure people can only collect maybe one skin of each type before it is gone?