Guild Wars 2

DieScream.6972:

I agree with most every point, although I have no issues with combat and dodging, it’s an MMO, I expect crap combat though.
If this game had a sub fee I’d never have even considered buying it.
Since there is no sub, I can’t be too hard on AN. It’s one of the best MMOs out there and it’s B2P so..
I have no reason to log in anymore though, the game is boring to me, no direction, no point, nothing to strive for.

:) If GW2 had a sub fee, I’d have cancelled it pretty quickly………………………..yet ironically, I would have paid a sub fee for GW1 (and still would if it was still being developed).

Sadly, I still find myself agreeing with most of the OP’s post.

And like the OP, these are only my views – not meant to cause offence……………………I’m happy that many seem to enjoy the more casual approach of GW2.

For myself though, I like immersing myself in PvE – and compared to GW1 (or any other game such as NWN, Baldurs Gate, Icewind etc), GW2 fails miserably on the PvE side.

It’s still a grind (however you wrap it up) playing PvE. I was curious to see how GW2 would be, given that lack of grind was heavily sold as I recall.
But instead of having any real back story, it just seems to be completing heart events or killing the odd horde with other players (who may as well be game generated given the lack of interraction anyway).

I think I’ve figured out this game isn’t for me before anyone else says it

Just a shame that after 4-5 years of development, there wasn’t more to cater for fans of the original Guild Wars (at least for those of us who loved the PvE elements).

I just find myself hoping that Anet either release more instalments of the original Guild Wars (which is unlikely).
Or perhaps release a paid update to GW2 that allows more PvE elements (GW1 style including combat and skills) that many of us GW1 players miss.

Hopeful – but not holding my breath. I haven’t played in weeks as GW2 hasn’t captured my imagination at all…………………..hopefully a future update might make it worth the grind, but otherwise it’s just gathering dust at the moment.

As you mention in your post, coming from GW1 to GW2, it’s been disappointing to see the lack of content.

Feel exactly the same as you OP.

Various reasons – PvE being extremely dull for starters, skill sets being extremely restricted compared to GW1, and the lack of any story or focus making it feel pointless.

Those are only my views, and I realise others love the format – but for me, I haven’t played in a few weeks now.
Just occasionally check the forums to see if anything’s changed that might make it appeal more.

:) Can only answer the question based on my experience – so this is only my view, and I realise others will totally disagree.

So, has GW2 been worth my $60.00 ?

A resounding no I’m afraid.

Never played wow before anyone mentions that, but played the original GW since just after its release date, through all add ons and still play occasionally now.

For me, I doubt if I’ve even put 20 hours into the game. Keep trying, but the game just hasn’t pulled me in at all. PvE seems like an endless grind, and the social interraction in GW2 (compared with GW1) is lacking in my view.

Back then you’d have people forming parties to take on the next level, higher levels helping out – here with endgame being the philosophy, you can rank up quickly, but there’s no sense of community in PvE at all.
Just run around with a bunch of players who may as well be game generated, and kill the next horde before moving on.

So no – only my view, but it’s been worth nowhere near my $60.00. Maybe PvP and WvW are better, but I haven’t stuck around to find out as the server waits are sooooo long.
And judging by those who reach the level cap, I really can’t be bothered to grind to 80 and then find it was a waste……………………………….lol, because despite everything, there are still the usual grind elements here – just dressed up differently. And with no arching epic storyline carrying you through, it gets old and dull quickly.

:)As I say, only my honest answer to the question – I know many love the GW2 format, and I wish them well.

Ordika.9513:

Synn Dinalt.7251:

Craven.5468:

Synn Dinalt.7251:

Plenty of people seem to like the new format…………………………..personally I don’t, and I agree with the OP that the game just isn’t addictive.

When I say addictive I don’t mean in a ‘taking over your life’ sense. But the must play is severely lacking. I’m nowhere near lvl 80, but I’m bored to death with it.

I’m glad others are loving the game – but for me it just hasn’t got that ‘x’ factor that makes playing enjoyable.

Coming from GW1 (which had its faults admittedly), GW2 just seems like a stripped down version – almost just a hack and slash console type game compared to its predecessor.

Stripped down from how it was last year, or stripped down from how it was on release? Perspective…

:)Seriously stripped down right now – but that’s only my view again, and I’m glad others are loving the game.

For me though, there’s no comparison in terms of character builds, skill sets (or actual skills) and combat – GW1 wins hands down on every one of them.

Wasn’t a lot of what people like in terms of depth and breadth of character build added in expansions? I keep hearing this debate, not having played GW1, and someone always points out that most of that stuff was added later. So my assumption is that GW2 will follow suit. Put out the basics let everyone get comfortable with the changes, then start adding the depth as appropriate. So just curious but was much of what you liked about GW1 available day one or added later.

:)Okay – but these are only my views – I fully respect that others love GW2, and I’m glad they’re getting satisfaction from it.

It’s hard to put my finger on any one thing in particular, so I’ll summarise why I feel that GW2 is lacking (and these are only my views – we’ll all have an opinion on the game, and I respect that others views will differ from mine).

I played GW1 from just after release date, played through the extra instalments and still fire it up now on occasion.

1) The PvE side of GW1 was utterly immersive from day 1. Possibly that was helped along by an underlying storyline, but the world of Tyria really sucked you in.

2) Though it could be argued that GW1’s PvE had less freedom than GW2, the social interraction seemed to be far greater in PvE.

Why do I feel that ?

In GW2 you’re running around with plenty of other players in PvE, but there’s no sense of community – it’s hard to even get a discussion out of anyone, as people are too busy killing a mob before they rush off to kill something else.

In GW1 – and possibly because it was town and outpost based, there were always people looking to create parties for PvE. It meant you could enter into discussion about tactics – and even in PvE, you could issue commands via the mini map or just issue commands via chat.

3) The skills and combat system in GW1 just seem superior to what GW2 offers.

Think about having many skills to choose from, being able to tailor those skills to specific scenarios – and the addition of a secondary class, which certainly made it a skill game ensuring your skills were right for combat.

The skills in GW2 just don’t seem anywhere near as comprehensive – probably because of the end game philosophy. But it does leave the game feeling like it’s lacking something.

Same with combat – while the camera angles and battles in GW1 weren’t without problems, the combat in GW2 is just too ‘busy’ – and the camera angles often seem totally wrong.
And in a big mob it can be hard to actually see what you’re supposed to be hitting.
I have to admit, in those scenarios I’m just reduced to trying to target and hitting the attack buttons constantly – which doesn’t exactly take skill.

The combat actually seems better suited to a joypad – and I’ll admit that I’ve used xpadder and assigned the commands to my Sidewinder.

As I say, it’s essentially the PvE side of GW2 I just can’t get into.

For the reasons I’ve listed, and also because there are no heroes or henchmen you can call on if you find yourself just wanting to ‘solo’.

As I said above, because the PvE environment doesn’t seem conducive to social interraction, although you’re running with hundreds of other players they may as well be game characters.

So to me it just seems like a lonely solo grind with little reward. I know others will say playing the game is reward is enough – I respect that, but I can only comment based on how I see the game.

So GW2 is a beautiful game – I can appreciate the neat graphical touches. But it just lacks that something that makes me want to actually play it – probably a combination of all the points above.

Craven.5468:

Synn Dinalt.7251:

Plenty of people seem to like the new format…………………………..personally I don’t, and I agree with the OP that the game just isn’t addictive.

When I say addictive I don’t mean in a ‘taking over your life’ sense. But the must play is severely lacking. I’m nowhere near lvl 80, but I’m bored to death with it.

I’m glad others are loving the game – but for me it just hasn’t got that ‘x’ factor that makes playing enjoyable.

Coming from GW1 (which had its faults admittedly), GW2 just seems like a stripped down version – almost just a hack and slash console type game compared to its predecessor.

Stripped down from how it was last year, or stripped down from how it was on release? Perspective…

:)Seriously stripped down right now – but that’s only my view again, and I’m glad others are loving the game.

For me though, there’s no comparison in terms of character builds, skill sets (or actual skills) and combat – GW1 wins hands down on every one of them.

Paul.4081:

Eochaidh.4106:

PixelPredator.6987:

What I don’t get is how its the buyers fault for not reading up about the game before buying it. Have you ever considered the amount of people who have bought this game without any knowledge about it? Somebody might of wanted to keep it as a surprise (like me) or some people could of wandered into a shop and seen it on a shelf and thought “This game looks good, I’m going to buy this” .. the answer is no, no you didn’t. Just because some haven’t read up on a game doesn’t mean they cant voice their opinion about it.

This is like going to a shoe store to complain that the pair of shoes you bought there is not a shower. If you choose to ignore what you’re buying, the company is not to blame for it.

I played GW right up to the release of GW2, I wanted GW2 to be totally new and exciting so read next to nothing about it so that I’d be completely in the dark when I started. I know others did too.

Same position here………………….only I’m back to playing GW1 now as GW2 just doesn’t hold my interest

That’s only a personal view – and I’m glad others love it. But it’s not the game for me – I was hoping GW2 would build on what was fun in GW1 – but other than the title and the races available, it has little in common with the original.

Plenty of people seem to like the new format…………………………..personally I don’t, and I agree with the OP that the game just isn’t addictive.

When I say addictive I don’t mean in a ‘taking over your life’ sense. But the must play is severely lacking. I’m nowhere near lvl 80, but I’m bored to death with it.

I’m glad others are loving the game – but for me it just hasn’t got that ‘x’ factor that makes playing enjoyable.

Coming from GW1 (which had its faults admittedly), GW2 just seems like a stripped down version – almost just a hack and slash console type game compared to its predecessor.

It’s a tricky one – some areas might just have more socially inclined people.

But I think a big problem is that the game has a lot less structure than other games…………….by which I mean no real overarching storyline as there was in GW1.

That’s not a criticism (although I admit I don’t like it).

But think back to GW1 if you ever played it and the subsequent instalments.

The PvE missions meant there were always people asking for help in towns and outposts – or people forming parties.

In GW2 (only my experience) that’s sadly lacking. PvE just seems to involve running around with other players, killing things en route or undertaking the hearts.
And the other players may as well be game characters as there’s little or no interraction – it’s just kill all the creatures (or boss) and move on.

And the removal of dedicated healers etc. could well be a problem there. Again think back to GW1 and people would form parties based on specific scenarios – usually including a healer or two.
People would actively discuss tactics and skill sets required, and thus you’d make friends or join Guilds based on actually taking on the game with other players.

Well, fun’s going to be a very personal opinion…………………..you’ll either have fun with the PvE environment or you won’t.

For me though it isn’t fun – the exact opposite in fact, but again that’s only my view – others are equally entitled to love the new gamestyle that Anet have developed.

For me it’s simple – structured grind (like GW1 or many other games) has been replaced with free roaming grind.
Run around killing creatures with a lot of other players (who you never discuss the time of day with), and that seems to be about it……………other than collecting eggs or disabling traps etc.

It’s fair to say that any MMO or RPG can be broken down to those simple terms.

But in other games there are recurring game characters, heroes, henchmen etc. that help make the grind a lot less obvious.

And coming from other games (not WoW before that’s mentioned), the combat system and skills system in GW2 seems far inferior.
That again takes the fun out of creating a good build to explore with – and despite being MMO, there seems to be no (or very limited) social interraction in PvE.

For those of us who played GW1 beginning to end, there were always people asking for help in certain areas – it’s how we developed and joined Guilds etc. Also how the social side was built up……………………….GW2 seems strange in that it seems to be setup to ‘solo’ PvE, and that means a lot of fun is removed straight away.

Those are only my views anyway – it’s all any of us can post, and I respect anyone who enjoys the gameplay in GW2.

Can’t comment on the PvP side of GW2, so I’ll leave that to others discuss the rewards (or lack of).

To my mind though, there are actually too many rewards in PvE – not always in the sense of drops or currency, but certainly way too easy to level up for doing very little.

Just run around exploring, get caught in an event – and even if it’s nearly over you seem to get experience for just participating.

The lack of reward for me comes in the lack of any real accomplishment. That’s only my view on the gameplay and not meant to offend anyone else who may love the new format.

True – I’ve never played WoW before anyone wheels out the usual responses.

But coming from GW1, which was loaded with features – GW2 just seems empty and vague.

It’s true to say that GW1 evolved over time – from initial rumours to EOTN, there were about 4-5 years of development and new instalments.

Problem is, GW2 has been in development that long – originally being mentioned back in 2007……………………………….and it seems to be lacking most of what made the original title the success it was.

I think the lack of recurring game characters, lack of heroes and henchmen and lack of PvE content once you hit 80 will affect the longevity of the game.

It’s a beautiful game in terms of graphics, and it’s new (and well advertised), so plenty of people are playing it at the moment.

A few months to a year down the line, and I can see many people leaving. Whether that presents a problem depends on how many people decide to stay……………………..it’s easy at the moment to say ’I’ll play forever’ – until you hit level 80, create a few new characters and run out of things to do.

Hawks.5736:

Well because of the way GW1 handled skills and builds, it was far more necessary. But yeh, Id like to see it in GW2 as well.

I agree – GW1 had (in my view only) far superior build capabilities, linked with many more skills.

And with secondary profession as well, the build save was essential as you levelled up.

With GW2 being based on a much lesser skillset – and in my opinion more of a slash and hack than tactical combat, it isn’t needed.

Not much longer – and I’m nowhere near lvl 80.

I can only answer the question from my own prespective, so please nobody take offence.

GW2 just hasn’t captured my imagination at all – the PvE seems more of a grind than GW1 ever did, and that’s probably because there are no heroes, no henchmen and not a lot of storyline compared with other games.

Again that’s only my view – others may well love the new system.

But for me, the gameplay can be measured in virtually single figure hours. The combat system seems way too simplistic, the skills (compared to other games) seem very limited and the MMO side in PvE doesn’t encourage any social interraction – run around with other players and kill things – then move on seperately.

Have to agree with the OP 100% – others will disagree of course as we’re all human with our own views.

But my own view of the game is that PvE in GW2 is no fun at all – mainly for the reasons listed in the OP’s opening comments.
GW1 was a real challenge, ensuring your skill sets were right – and in later instalments, those of your party as well (whether other players or your heroes).

And I think that’s where I think GW2 has fallen down – and I’ll give my opinion again, but it is only my opinion so don’t take offence.

In GW2, although it’s tagged as an MMO – in PvE you’re merely running around with other players. Although you may end up doing an event with them, there’s little or no actual social interraction…………………it’s just finish the event (usually killing a group of something) and everyone moving on.

Again only my view, but it feels like a lonely grind – rather than being fun.

The lack of being able to truly customise your character skill set, or actually customise a party for PvE is something I miss.

Hopefully that may be addressed in some future update – but for now I’ve actually spent more time on GW1, just going back to finish off quests with other players or my party as the PvE there seems more social.

Again that’s only my view – and I don’t profess to speak for anyone else. It’s a forum and we can all only post our views and hopes for the future of GW2.

I tend to ignore the pro-reviews and make my own mind up…………………gave up on game reviews about the same time I had a Commodore Amiga which was a good few years ago.

That said, I do actually agree with some of the reviews I’ve read.

While some are biased (either for or against), many do seem to have highlighted what at least some on the forums are saying – that end game and PVE are really weak areas in GW2………………..for some at least.

I’ll only state my opinion, which is more less that GW2 is a game you’ll love, or a game you’ll quickly lose interest in.
And that of course comes down to our own views and expectations.

Personally I’ve found the grind more apparent than in other games – certainly much more so than in GW1. But that’s only my view – the storylines and rewards in other games I’ve played made the grind a lot less noticeable.

I know there’ll be future content releases – and hopefully they’ll address the end game experience.

The game’s only been out 3 weeks – but with a development time of around 5 years, it should have been obvious that Endgame was going to be a problem (at least for some – by no means all). After all, GW2 was first announced back in 2007.

Queue the groans as ever GW1 development was announced around about April 2003, and the actual game released in April 2005 (development time of around 2 years).
Now EOTN (the final instalment) was released in late 2007 – meaning the entire GW story ( from beginning to end) took place over about 4 years – 2003 to 2007.

With 5 years of development (more than all 4 instalments of GW1), I think many people have been disappointed with the End Game………………………again, not all by any means – some will love the new ideas and concepts (we’re all different).

Although I’ve only replied once thus far, this is a thread I keep coming back to – essentially because it proves my point that GW2 is a game you’ll either love (or not).

The one thing that has saddened me, is that so many become personal – on both sides of the argument.

If you don’t like the PvE format of GW2 there seems to be a perception that you’re a WoW fan – or making outrageous suggestions that shouldn’t be entertained.

And from the other side there can be an equally vocal stance that can border on personal attacks (albeit in words).

There’s also the argument raised that GW1 players should have kept abreast of the developments/changes planned in GW2 – so they’d know whether it was a game that interested them or not.
Possibly that argument is right – the flipside is that not everyone follows game development, and the fact it’s called GW2 might suggest similarities with the original.

Personally I’ll stand by my original post – it’s only my opinion based on the game, and that’s all any of us can post.

It’s the same with any game world – it will either captivate you or become a DVD gathering dust on a shelf.

I’ll add my reply, though to be honest I think GW2 falls into one of two camps – you either love it or don’t love it.

Anet are to be commended for trying something different and new – they’ve created a beautiful world (if you’ve got the setup to truly show it), and a world that’s rich in graphical niceties.

But for me – and this is only my view btw (so don’t get upset), the PvE side of GW2 is a massive disappointment.

Probably part of the fault is mine – GW2 is probably aimed more at a new generation of players, or those who’ve never really been into MMORPG’s or RPG’s in general.
It’s definitely aimed more at PvP or WvW – which again is fine.

I’ve played RPG’s through Baldur’s Gate to Diablo, through Icewind Dale, through Neverwinter, through Guild Wars 1 etc. (And many others besides).

And all those games provided a real sense of accomplishment when you’d completed a task – and a massive sense of accomplishment when you finally completed the game.
If you were playing PvE you had recurring characters, or heroes/henchmen you took with you – and it was a pleasure seeing their stories unfold, or customising their weapon sets for specific levels.

Now queue the groans as I say that GW1 was (and is) superior to GW2 in terms of PvE. (In terms of PvP GW2 is doubtless better than GW1 – no question about that, but PvE is definitely inferior).

Why do I say that ?

Well, firstly I’m already finding the PvE aspect of GW2 dull. Before a million and one replies descend to rip that apart, that’s only my personal take on the game – and as I said earlier, probably my fault coming from ‘classic’ type PvE experiences.

It seems like a never ending grind with no real ‘payoff’ – again only my view – you’ll either love just exploring and doing the heart events, or you’ll find them tedious.

Personally, the structured grind has been replaced with a more free roaming grind – but to the detriment of the storyline and character development. (Again only my view).

There’s no real sense of accomplishment in PvE – for me. Again only my view, others may love the PvE environment in GW2, but for me there’s no sense of satisfaction or accomplishment at all.
Just run around with a lot of other players, killing things/picking up eggs or whatever the event is – and in combat gain experience all too quickly just because you’re participating.
And because the skills automatically appear, there’s no sense of really having earned anything.

Only my view (again), but the PvE side of GW2 just comes across as an extended training mission for the PvP aspects of the game. A chance to build your skills up before entering PvP or WvW.

It’s a shame, as in GW1 the PvE/PvP enjoyment was well balanced………………..you could enjoy the game equally, whichever your preference was.

For me there’s something seriously lacking in the PvE enjoyment in GW2. Maybe it’s the lack of heroes or henchmen, maybe it’s the lack of a cohesive storyline – maybe it’s the fact you can get to level 80 relatively easily……………and then find yourself wondering what to do next.

In GW1 it could be argued that the PvE game actually started when you hit lvl20 (the max for that game) – whereas in GW2 it seems to be entirely endgame. Yes you can craft or go for legendaries, but again it seems to be content entirely to benefit the PvP side of things.

I’m sure GW2 will have a great future for PvP/WvW play.

For myself though (and again only my view), it’s been a real disappointment on the PvE side.

GW1 is a game I’ll still play even after 7 years or so. GW2 just hasn’t hooked me like other games – personal opinion only.

I hope that’s solved in future content releases – I’d gladly pay for an expansion that really enhanced the PvE experience (for players like me and others).

Because in my family alone, I’m not unique in finding PvE a letdown. Two others who are a lot younger than me have given up on it altogether.

The cutscenes in GW1 were superior, building the story – whereas in GW2 it seems to be just your player talking to a game character against a backdrop.

As I say – only my view. Others are free to disagree as they see fit.

I’ll admit, I’m using XPadder with my old sidewinder joypad which has made combat a lot easier – not a big fan of extensive keyboard use.
Targeting’s still not perfect, but the Dpad seems more natural than the keyboard.

gooberkid.6029:

What about dailies? What about our Zaishen quests from Gw1 that helped keep us going at 20? What about the fact that the original game didn’t even really start until you reached level 20?

:) Yes, and getting to level 20 initially on Guild Wars (or as it became ‘Prophecies’), was really satsifying.
Masses of different skills to choose from, different character builds – and the storyline, which may not have been perfect at times, but immersed you totally in the PvE experience.

I guess the format of GW2 (being predominantly PvP) is either going to be loved for years, or played for a few months and forgotten – depends whether WvW and PvP is your thing.
Levelling up in GW2 just doesn’t seem as satisfying – especially with skills being gained automatically as you go through.

That isn’t to criticise or take anything away from Anet – they’ve created a beautiful landscape, and taken the brave decision to try and move away from ‘classic’ RPG gameplay.

But I agree with your post – GW1 didn’t really start until you’d hit lvl 20 – and even now, people will still play it because of the wealth of PvE content available.

Whereas once you’ve hit lvl 80 in PvE here, where do you go ? I know you can create other character types, but it seems like PvE definitely has a much shorter shelf life here than in GW1 – which many are still playing years later.

Hopefully over time, Anet will be able to reintroduce at least some of the aspects of PvE that made it so addictive in GW1 (and other games)…………………..even if they’re paid addons (as with the original GW series).

Failing that, as GW2 is such a big release, maybe they’ll release additional chapters to the GW1 story -

########This is only my opinion, so please don’t take offence – only my take on PvE#######

I’ve never been big on PvP – and possibly that’s one of the reasons I’m struggling to really like the format of GW2.

I’m also nowhere near lvl 80 yet – so maybe the PvE aspects of GW2 will improve over time – but at the moment it’s struggling to really grab my attention……………….only my view, but I’ll explain why.

Having played RPG’s since Planescape Torment, through Baldurs Gate, Diablo, Neverwinter Nights etc, the beauty was an engaging game PvE wise, with a great storyline to back it up.
Even now I’ll occasionally reinstall some of these old games, just to play through with well loved companions.

And even with Guild Wars 1, there was a great storyline evident throughout each instalment – and like other RPG’s, you could choose heroes and henchmen to make the game more interesting – each character having a background story played out throughout the game.

GW2 is a beautiful game – lush landscapes and the opportunity to explore. But I don’t know, it’s missing that ‘must play’ aspect for me – for PvE it seems aimed at casual gaming, where you can just jump in and go and do a few events.

Again, that’s only my take on the game from my perspective – can only say how I’m viewing the game thus far.

And with so many people already hitting level 80 – with 100% map exploration, I do worry how the endgame will impact on PvE. It seems to be a short game if PvE is your thing.

I hope future updates enhance the PvE experience, as GW2 really is a gorgeous looking game.

Not sure personally if GW2 will hold my interest long term – or even until the end of the year……………………that’s only my view.

PvE is just dull for me – and being a single player most of the time, that’s what tends to appeal to me. No henchmen, no heroes – just wander around pursuing your story with hundreds of other players.

There are some nice touches in GW2 – great graphics and more free roaming. But I don’t know, it just hasn’t hooked me like GW or many other RPG’s.

GW I’ll still fire up now and play – just over 7 years since the original was launched.

But I’m doubting that GW2 will carry the same ‘must play’. Already my time spent playing is greatly reducing by the day – and I’m actually going back to GW for kicks like finishing off the last few title tracks.

Too many random events happening, combat system (combined with camera angles) that make it confusing at times to see what’s happening – especially when there’s a large group.

After about 5 years of development I’d expected a lot more – but again that’s only my view. There just isn’t the sense of accomplishment that GW gave – where you’d really work on your character builds.