What both sides of this “discussion” need to understand is that there are two very different groups that are meeting in the same game, with conflicting experiences and expectations.
Veterans of GW1 are used to the notion that full-party wipe means restarting from the beginning. Also, it means you’re out an entry fee to the dungeon. We’re used to the idea that not everybody does everything, or has the ability to do everything, and we’re fine with that (for a long time, access to two elite PvE dungeons was restricted to one guild alliance each, determined by largely PvP-oriented efforts). When you do accomplish something, however, you have a way of showing this to the world. Prestige armor, titles… there was a way to show the world that you worked hard, and after months of dedicated effort, reached a goal. I’m in this camp.
Then you have the players migrating from “more traditional” MMOs. Most people don’t remember life before WoW, so that is what I will reference. Dungeons are mandatory. A long time ago, they were the source of “good” gear. Not “great,” just “good.” Then something changed. Dungeons were made more accessible to everybody, and formed a sort of progression. After reaching the cap, this is what we were expected to do to get upgrades. Because we were expected to do it, it had to be within the reach of the casual, unorganized players. Players returning from canceled accounts also had to be accomodated—we needed a leg-up in getting back into the current content. The end result was that dungeons were a chore (chore meaning it is the result and not the process that is important), and the rewards important. I’m in this camp, too.
The middle ground that GW2 reached is that dungeons are hard. That is how they are meant to be. If you want casual content for your friends, form a group and do DEs—I do it with my family all the time. Dungeons are harder, but you don’t get any better gear from them. These are GW1-style dungeons, with concessions to WoW-style plyers (waypoints, chance to recover from a wipe, etc.). I remember fighting to the very end of a GW1 dungeon, only to realize that I had forgotten to bring a certain skill. Back out to the beginning we go. This was not a hardship; this was the price of carelessness.
Just because it is not what you wanted, does not mean it is bad at being what it is. And just because it is what you wanted, does not mean that others should not expect their desires to be met by the content.
I’ve followed GW2 news for a long time; I knew what to expect in dungeons for a long time, and it excited me. A lot of people coming to GW2 have not and default to expectations based on prior experiences.
e have very different communities merged together here—to some PvPers, “gg” is a sign of respect for one’s opponents in a well-fought battle, regardless of the outcome. To others, it is a taunt for a bested opponent.
I hope to one day obtain a legendary, but I don’t know that I will ever make it. If I don’t, it just means that the legendaries that other people have mean that much more—these are people that have endured a rite of passage, put in time and effort, and walked away with a reward. And it won’t affect my ability to enjoy the game, because I still have a goal to work towards, and there is no functional difference between their character and mine. It is that last part that makes the system work: that excessively rare gear is no better than an exotic that can be crafted for ~2g in materials. It is a title.
i see i’ve made a mistake posting here, i’m out
