Guild Wars 2

I’ve been noticing this also. Some events are essentially complete (the npc’s just chatting etc) so I’ll run off – and get told I’m “inactive” before the event reward is given. It’s a neat idea, but the timer does seem to be too short.

I get where OP is coming from. I love the dungeons of this game, though I don’t get to do them very often (“filthy casual”, kids, family, etc…) and have not even done every path. I’m worried the change will make it even tougher to find a party, especially that will accept someone inexperienced with the bosses.
I get the gold nerf. When I’ve done “tours” in the past I made quite a lot of gold for the time played. I just hope the content isn’t relegated to the sidelines due to it.
Perhaps Anet could consider adding harder modes to the existing paths. Something similar to agony (or even that same mechanic) or the mistlock challenges and scaling as seen in fractals. Then dungeons could at least offer similar rewards to those people who prefer those over FotM.

Add +1 to those impacted by this…

Just wanting to chime in and say that how this works out is probably what will decide if I keep my mesmer as my main in the expansion. Love the idea of a lockdown mesmer, but, playing mostly pve, it has to work out in that mode. Seems like Anet is pushing for it, I hope it works out!

niea.7504:

Having to try a few times and figure out something on my own? Unacceptable!

Expected response. If there were some inkling of what I was supposed to be doing, and I failed to do it (maybe I catch on too late or whatever), I’m fine with that. This, like much content I’ve seen added to the game, goes completely unexplained. Game without a rulebook is and always will be fail.

Absolutely nothing is explained. So I finally give in to this southsun boondoggle and decide to go see who this Canach guy is, even though I hated the introduction to this story arch because I found I was just roaming the island aimlessly, much the same as any other open world area, with the exception of man eating veteran karka and their spawnlings zerging me from acres away. So I find this “hideout”, see there’s a way to go in solo, and think that sounds great. So, mines. Ok, I grab a detector and quickly figure out how to disable them and get to this evil, evil, cabbage. He charges… and is immune to all damage! I scramble, reading his buff in hopes of discovering some way to combat the iron cabbage. Is says he is… immune to damage. And controls mines. I meaninglessly scramble around trying to disable mines and avoid being smacked around, get sick of it, die, and won’t be back to southsun.

So why I am here QQing over it? This is the tale of EVERY. BIT. of “holiday” “living story” “happy fun times adventure” or whatever this game comes up with! It’s great that things are added, some not so serious, some great and thematic. It’s not great (in fact makes otherwise great things miserable) when how to DO THE EVENTS goes completely unexplained! Being arcane about some boss being “on painkillers” does not make things challenging, only frustrating. This goes for any and all funktastic mechanics that get thrown in to seasonal/one time content – and makes them ultimately worthless IM(notH)O.

CCP (makers of EVE) are the only ones still willing to create an MMO that isn’t mass market MMO trash. Just hope like crazy they don’t go broke before they can pull together World of Darkness Online.

Before November, yes I would have. Now, absolutely not. The January update is the only reason I’m spending time playing again at all.

Time spent playing > subscription. Quality game > monthly fee. Most “grown up” gamers I speak to feel this way.

kokiman.2364:

Rhotsbin.8579:

Where were all these voices last November? Did you leave the game? Are you encouraging more poor decisions from Anet through buying gems?

I’m recently back from then. Happy to see that Ascended gear is now available through boring PvE checklist grinds, but it’s a baby step and, as has been pointed out here, still a problem.

Awww :’3

How do you want to obtain the gear without making it obsolete like exotics?

Make it all “obsolete”. Thanks for condescending. People of your mindset really don’t get it.

Where were all these voices last November? Did you leave the game? Are you encouraging more poor decisions from Anet through buying gems?

I’m recently back from then. Happy to see that Ascended gear is now available through boring PvE checklist grinds, but it’s a baby step and, as has been pointed out here, still a problem.

This would be awesome. When the game was being developed and they talked about the dynamic events “that matter to the world”, this is what I envisioned. Currently the closest thing that exists are the dungeons that get closed off if certain dynamic events fail.

Azjenco.9425:

This is exactly what I wanted to hear.

They’re very good at that part, anyway.

Bartas.4908:

IMHO Fractals killed any reason to do “normal” PvE except karma farming. Drops outside Fractals are crap, in fact doing normal PvE is so unrewarding in the long term it hurts.
I assume, maybe wrongly, that some people do PvE to gear up for WvW and others do it to gear up for more difficult PvE content. Now, problem is that all that points to Fractals eventually. There you get best gear and best loot to wear or salvage or sell.
ANet might shoot their own foot by introducing fractals. I mean, they are cool and entertaining, also quite rewarding and grindable. Not like the rest of the content sadly. In other words Fractals are everything what a casual player should get by playing casually tho not so immediate. As it is now, there is not chance in hell that a casual will get even close to the level of loot/reward of Fractals even if he spent 100x more time doing “normal” PvE stuff.

This assumes everyone only does a specific activity in pursuit of the reward. Before November I enjoyed random “exploration” PVE because I liked the openness, stumbling into cool events, places, or people along the way. I am turned off that this now means I’ll have eternally sub par gear; but that caused me to stop playing, not to begrudgingly grind FOTM. That directly contradicts what this game was supposed to be about.

ophidic.1279:

If the game is dead, why check the forums again? Is an update going to convince you to keep playing?

I hope so, yes, though I do not expect it will. I still check in here every week or two to see if there’s info on these “big changes”. Enjoy your game!

Orr being an epic level 80 open area was thrown out in November. Get into FOTM, geez!

… truthfully I’m just checking these forums to watch for the January update to “save” this sort of gameplay. Game’s dead as a doornail without it as far as I’m concerned.

Lack of subscription: you’ve found your game.

Finally free of playing “catch up”: Turn right around and return it.

Gele.2048:

they whant to do one set for lvl 80 and do all content whit that gear

Absolutely incorrect. Before ascended was introduced, I intended to collect multiple exotic gear sets so that I could try every trait build that interested me (I’m a thief, so condi dmg, crit, and even survivability with power/tough/vit). This was a long term, but obtainable goal, that I made for myself because I thoroughly enjoyed playing the character in every playstyle I tried. With the absurd grind for ascended gear, it’s now completely unrealistic for anyone with a life outside the game to do such a thing. What’s worse, if I log in to try to work toward my former goal, I feel like I’m just wasting time, as anything I obtain will be made increasingly sub-par as new ascended gear grinds are introduced. It’s lose/lose.

Tiger.7506:

I’m on level 10 and I killed several players with gear exotica at WvW!
Follow this example!
Stop crying!

Nexon infiltrator! Lose ascended gear, and any sense of stat-bloated carrot chasing, and I’m back playing in a heartbeat.

I’ve given this a lot of thought when playing the many MMOs I’ve tried to get in to since dropping WOW many years back.

By best answer is: Perceived value. If I feel like the things I do/have/get in the game have impact on and value within the game, I am hooked. I realize I am only one of many thousands of players, but to get the feeling that I’m, in some way, affecting how the game is playing to everyone else gives the great satisfaction that can only come from, and sustain, an MMO.

With the latest patch, the value of items I had dropped. The quality of my gear was diminished. As people swarmed into FotM, the things I enjoyed doing in the open world became much less relevant. To make it worse, Anet said nothing of all this before doing it, and was silent for the following week. When they finally held a reddit AMA (a professional announcement would have been preferable, not everyone keeps up with reddit and/or fansites) – they only promised that they would continue on this path full steam ahead.

I want to play this game again, but when the devs aren’t outright stating that they’re systematically destroying the things I love in the game, … they’re saying nothing at all. To say I’m bitter is an understatement.

Sounds like everyone here is enjoying their ascended grind muchly. Good luck with the next carrot!

They could have made an awesome “epic quest” of obtaining a precursor, but the game is going against innovation from here on out, so they’ll likely just dump more of them out to whomever is playing at any time they want people grinding for more t6 material/ecto. It’s ingenious! … and pathetic.

FULL.

They’re totally full. It says so.

I have no problem with the steep price just for the skin. I bought a piece of level 80 Vigil armor for my 40’s mesmer just for the look.

Course I’m one of those horizontal progression freaks that no one wants playing the game any longer. (so I don’t)

It’s not dying! It’s ASCENDING! Vertically! Forever onward! … hope you keep up.

PS:
Another game: FULL
Some MMO: TOTALLY FULL
Another one: OMG ITS FULL
That game: EXPLODING WITH PLAYERS FULL
The other MMO: SHE CAN’T HANDLE IT CAP’N, FULL!

See? I can put full next to other games, too. They’re very successful.

Played WOW in it’s beta and solid through Burning Crusade. Many MMOs since then. I’m over the geargrind model and can smell it from a mile away. GW2 is an amazing game and step up from other MMOs in so many ways. Sadly it seems insistent that it must degenerate into the genre norm. Time’s gonna tell.

Put on your robe and wizard hat.

Then grind for ascended.

ASB.4295:

They better release more, cause more and people are going to be wondering what to do after gearing up in fractals. You gotta keep the sense of progression alive.

LooooooooL

Thanks for the laugh!

I have logged in 3 times since the Nov 15 patch, and did nothing but clear out TP orders and chat with what’s left of the guild I brought to the game. Before then, I was playing GW2 exclusively with my game time, logging in at least every 2 days. I still check these boards regularly, although that has been dwindling, but I will continue to until the next patch to see if the devs do indeed “backpedal” this awful change in direction.

Yes, I am fully aware that my being here implies I still like the game. I still love the game. I looked forward to it for years, only to have it ruined in months, so yes, I am still paying attention to what it does/where it goes. I refuse to play it because of what I know it will become by going down the treadmill path, and because the absurdly excessive grind that has been introduced for “BiS” (temporarily) gear does not permit me to do the things in game I would like to do (world completion, alt characters/stories, all paths to all dungeons, additional exotic sets for alternate traits…). Fortunately it’s free, and if Anet regains their good sense, I’ll be thrilled and back in a heartbeat (although won’t be buying gems until my confidence is truly restored). They’ve said they’re continuing on with the statgrind plan, but I’ll still watch and see.

All of the above methods, with no more grind than it was to get full exotics, and absolutely no further statistical progression (short of, possibly, an expansion but I am skeptical of even that). Anything else is unacceptable.

Better still, don’t have Ascended at all for armor/weapons. Add “precursor” armor for people to start work toward legendary skins, same as the weapons.

Hopefully a new item… megadaries (neon black text)! Will be added soon with 20x the grind for better stats!

Baron of Winters.5697:

I played enough that I got about 190 levels across multiple characters since pre-launch, until Lost Shores. While I was dividing my time, I had no problem with that since I would eventually reach max level and max rated gear with each of my characters. I was in no hurry. I could enjoy content and work incrementally towards my goals in PVE and explore the world. Sure I logged in about 3 or 4 times per week, but I was consistent and occasionally buying gems at the gem store. I was a good customer.

Since Lost Shores ended and the release of ascended gear, I’ve logged in once.

ONCE.

Why is that?

Because now, I realize that I’ll be working towards a target that is moving away from me faster than I could ever progress. I’ve realized that with my play style, I will NEVER get to that upper tier.

So why bother getting on that treadmill?

I was a good customer. I bought gems at the gem store to help out my multiple alts keep up. But I won’t do that again, the investments of hard real world currency and time are only offering a diminishing return. Anyways, NCSoft / Arenanet are losing money from me, and I hope they notice.

Sums up my experience almost exactly. 3 logins since Nov 16, to check in with what remains of the guild I led to the game. I was as happy with the game before the grind induction patch as I was the day it was released. Couldn’t have been more of a 180. Dat treadmill…

Vakirauta.6397:

dalendria.3762:

“Why keep playing if I have done everything?” If you truly did everything and enjoyed it, then maybe there is nothing more for you to do.

So this is what we all paid for?

$60. I’ve stopped playing GW2 completely and can’t complain that I got WELL over my $60 from it. Anet now would be aiming to make more from me in the form of gem store purchases. Unfortunately I regret even the $30 I did spend on gems after seeing the games true colors (that’d be pink ).

Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Looria.8019:

KniL.5126:

Go to ORR (level 80 Areas), make the puzzles, make level 80 dungeons (Ex: Arah) go to World vs World, go to sPVP and hit level 80 there. You can do a lot of things in level 80.

Lets take them one by one.

Go to ORR (level 80 areas). What to do there? I have the map completed and running through gazillions of mobs and pretty much being in combat 100% of times without any real sense of direction isnt my idea of fun. But anyway, that map completed.

Make the puzzles – I have all jumping puzzles completed. I LOVED THEM. But you can do them only once to actually get some reward and there are nowhere near enough of them in game to keep me playing. (And im telling you I would log in to the game just to do some jumpies)

Make lvl 80 dungeons (like Arah). For me, since its all about looks, there is no point in doing Arah more than I did to get my shoulders. However I did finish all the paths.

Go to WvW. My server usually has almost 100% of the map occupied so there is no incentive for me to go there. I dont need money, I dont need karma and joining a zerg to play some PvDoor isnt fun either.

sPvP, I am PvE player so I do occasionally PvP but its definitely not a reason for me to log in.

So tell me now, since the whole game is endgame and I should be going back to lower zones and do events as part of my “end game”. What should I do now? If i go to lower zones, I pretty much oneshot anything, get rubbish rewards (since its all about looks the rewards will always look worse than what I have from ExplM dungeons), there are no new bosses introduced in the lower zones for me to see.

Basically, the whole game isnt endgame. The endgame is simply missing from GW2.

Edit: forgot to add that I have 100% world completion..but that was like in second week after GW2 came out.

If all this is true, you tore through the game very quickly but do not sound disappointed by it, and would likely come back any time there is new content. This is exactly how many people I know were, at least prior to Nov 16. Loved the game, just not playing it as much for a while. Now, with the added content, some of those players may be content with the gear grind, but there are now people who are not satisfied with the direction of the game as a whole. Disgruntled, if they’re still playing, these people have little desire to support the game through gem purchases.

PS – When you have the itch to play (for a reason other than the item treadmill), you might try doing the jumping puzzles that lead you to a chest. It sounds like you enjoy those, and they reset daily.

1. When did you begin playing? (post bw’s)
Day 1 headstart.
2. how many hours total do you have? (/age)
Not sure.
3. What’s your most gold banked so far?
22, but that was with 5-10 tied up in TP sales/purchases.
4. Do you have a max level character (s)? (number if more than one)
Yes, 1 80 thief.
5. List 1-3 areas / zones / events / tp; where you spend most of your time for income.
Just the TP, and being stingy with spending.
6. Do you mainly use MF or not?
Not at all.
7. Have you ever got an exotic weapon from a mob? If so, how many and total?
Never.
8. Have you ever got an exotic weapon from a chest? If so, how many and total?
Never.
9. What’s the most number of rare weapons you have looted in one day or 8hrs time?
I can recall 2 in one evening.
10. How many rare or exotic weapons do you “expect” to loot in one hour of time?
None. They’re called “rare”.
11. How many lodestones have you looted total so far? (all types)
Also unsure, probably 5-10 lifetime.
12. Do you craft? If so, do you have a 400 crafter? if so, how many?
No. Too expensive!
13. Do you sell your looted crafting mats? (specify optional)
All of them.
14. Do you feel your return, (in terms of items, completion, income, etc) for your time, has been worth it?
Absolutely, although it feels devalued in the last patch.
15. In ONE word, what needs improved most; from your perspective?
Power creep. (ok that’s 2, but one concept!)

Before the Nov 16th patch I had a nice long list of things I planned to do. I wanted my 80 thief to get 100% exploration. I wanted to get a second set of exotics for alternative trait setups. I wanted to make at least 2 alts (to experience all 3 orders’ personal stories). All this in between all the special and dynamic events that I’d run in to along the way. It was a joy.

Now, if I log in and start to do these things, I am constantly wondering… “shouldn’t I be grinding fotm for gear?”. I’ve been through this in so many other MMOs that I just instinctively log out, rather than buy in to that grind.

I loved the hell out of this game, but can no longer tolerate playing it.

I did recommend it – quite lividly – to every friend who would listen. As of 2 weeks ago, I’m quite humiliated by it.

If Anet is, indeed, backpedaling from the gear grind decision – they can prove it in the coming months and begin to earn my money again (my trust will be the more difficult part, at this point). I waited for this game for years, absolutely loved it for months – you can bet your kitten I’ll be keeping an eye on it still, even though I’m not playing.

Second chance at what? A second chance is when a mistake, and reparations, are made. Ascended gear is in, they’ve stated it’s full steam ahead on adding more of it, and they straight up lied (yes I know that’s a touchy word these days but call it what it is) about there being “little or no grind”. Seriously? No, really, SERIOUSLY!? If the AMA had just been honest I’d probably have returned to playing in a limited way.

Gear grinding is almost a dealbreaker for me. That they have the audacity to tell us that it isn’t one, and that there’s little grind involved, takes the friggin cake. I honestly had planned to go back to playing, at least a little bit, after this AMA – but those responses just drove me out the door. May this game go down in flames.

~Your former fan(boi) and supporter.

They appreciate your feedback and absolutely understand your desire for horizontal progression only and a minimal curve in power progression. You’ll be happy to hear the tier after ascended is only .1% more powerful and has no grind* at all.

*???

Assuming the gem market isn’t being manipulated by Anet (the exact conversion is hidden from us so it’s entirely possible), higher cost of gems could just as easily be caused by fewer people paying RL funds for them. There was a portion of the players who used to buy gems monthly as a way to show support for the game. Many of those type of players are no longer in support of the game because of the direction the newest patch took it in.

Really no reason not to add gear to the gem store. It’s just a way to buy your way out of grinding. They’re going to need to sooner or later for monetization purposes.

Indeed, “the gap” was fabricated by the latest patch to provide the ++numbernumber grinders something to “earn” through their “hard work”.

This is a fine point, but begs the question of what they’re getting for all this concurrency? The game’s free to play. Originally I thought the idea was to make a game that people log in to out of pure enjoyment, if and when they please. Most people I knew before the patch were quite happy with the game, and were excited and waiting to jump on and be a part of it again with new content. Now, people who are leaving the game won’t be doing so temporarily, if they leave because they are bitter toward it.

What Anet needs, assuming they don’t add a sub, is people buying gems. I can only speak for myself here, but I was buying some monthly, even though the stuff to buy with them wasn’t all that valuable to me. I (and at least some others I’ve heard speak up on the forums) did this just to show support of the game. I assume they’re depending on people wanting to convert gems to coin, but again, if no one wants/needs the stuff on BLTC, who’s spending their ingame coin to get gems? I suspect they’ll add something on there that replaces the more grindy items in the mystic forge when crafting/upgrading ascended gear.

Personally, something I would have MUCH preferred to abandoning the manifesto, is adding a subscription, to be paid in gems. Yes, I’m going there. Make it about 1000 gems (~$12, less than any other grade A MMO on the market), but because it’s GEMS people can choose to buy them with in game money. And because people are buying the gems, the value of gems should remain higher.

Regardless, they need to put items that people want on black lion.

-The minority who hasn’t logged in since the patch/event.

Gotta keep up with the gear curve or you may as well delete the game!

Enjoy the new grindwars. Don’t be surprised when you finally grind out blue infusions that the green ones appear in game… then yellow… then orange… pink… red… I’d assume the requirements for those will continue to increase, as well as naturally making the former ones obsolete.

If you enjoy WOW or similar games, but like this better, it’s good to stick with. If you were hoping to escape that sort of game, I’d turn right back around.

The biggest haters of the game are those who loved it most a week ago. There is no greater enemy to a game than a fanboi betrayed. I’ve gone from supporting this game with my heart and soul to wanting to see it burn miserably to the ground, and I’ll be neither quiet nor apologetic about it.

Kudos on this post. I sincerely hope someone at Anet takes the time to read and digest it. Until then, not a penny or copper from me (and barely logging in ).