Guild Wars 2

I think that Guild Wars 2 has an opportunity to become very successful by supporting new pvp features mixed in with the regular PVE updates. I do support the idea that we need new, fun, modes and maps to play.

If the idea that “PVP just doesn’t make enough money to get developer attention” was real, then I would recommend that the PVP crowd be given an opportunity to show their support for the game via the introduction of cosmetic microtransactions for pvp.

For example: Cosmetic weapons and armor, premium announcer voices for spvp, variety in the skins for the spvp NPCs such as the Blue Lords and the guards, emotes that enable 1v1 duels in Heart of the Mists, and variations on these ideas for the new game modes beyond the simple 3-point conquest maps we have today.

Dota 2 and League of Legends also both benefit from the network effect. There are a lot of people playing, posting videos and streaming their gameplay (and even receiving view cash donations for it), and that type of large player network and excitement level helps make the gameplay more interesting and meaningful.

I feel that Guild Wars 2 has not yet developed that level of excitement for a number of reasons, and I think part of the solution would be to offer more watchable variety in spvp game modes, improve the viewing engine to allow for spectators, replay with movable cameras, improved announcers, and providing a monitored leaderboard, with rankings and cosmetic rewards.

Actual microtransaction examples from other games: Sell tickets for players to watch others compete in big tournaments; Sell replays of the events; Offer different voice announcers or NPC skins during the matches. Heck, if I buy a 500-gem skin so that the Blue Lord appears like a Charr or a 300-gem Announcer so that everyone hears Rurik say “The Blue Lord has been slain!”, that’s entertaining… and gives each game a little more variety.

Some of these social and spectator quality of life improvements are seen in games like Dota 2 and League of Legends, and I think would help advertise Guild Wars 2 to a broader base of players.

To the OP, thank you for being clear about your problem.

My view is that there’s lots of potential to get to a solution for you… Guild Wars 2 just isn’t there yet. The conquest mode as the main spvp game choice is already straining to keep us entertained with its 3-node plus side objectives format. A competing MMO implements more variety in its spvp modes with 10 or more people, and conquest variety such as 5 nodes to capture. The competition offers more roaming required by each team, and roles for bunkering, burst, attrition and support-based characters. Its not perfect, but it has had a long time to develop some variety. In Guild Wars 2, if additional modes are implemented, such as a 3v3 or 4v4 arena, or 5-point conquest, or a capture the flag, then you may get more mileage out of your shelved Warrior.

So, I think there isn’t a lot of build variety at the moment because there isn’t a lot of gameplay variety at the moment. Hopefully there will be before this game reaches its first birthday.