My .02 to add to the discussion… I’m really enjoying the game and think Arenanet has done SO many things right, but there are a few issues I have.
Revised Cosmetic System
This is a HUGE one for me. For a game that does so much right to empower the player Arenanet really dropped the ball on this one. The player should always have full control of how their character looks. Everyone from Arenanet should go look at LOTRO’s system. It’s the gold standard. Any item you can legitimately obtain in the game should be eligible for a free cosmetic look. Just drag it into a cosmetic slot and your stat gear automatically/instantly gets that look. Town clothes, class armor, everything. Heck LOTRO even goes as far as to let any class equip any type of armor (Light, Med, Heavy) and it’s wonderful. It costs nothing and can be done at will anytime. The diversity of looks in that game are astounding and the rich community that’s built up around various cosmetic looks is amazing (so many fashion websites). They’ve monetized it as well so there’s no loss here. It’s win win all around.
I understand the desire to make money with transmutation stones, but there are much better ways to monetize cosmetics in my opinion. If you follow the LOTRO model and add cosmetic slots you can sell those. You can sell “town” clothing cosmetics (like they do now, but actually usable in combat), etc and on and on. There’s no way I’m ever going to obtain enough transmutation stones to keep a consistent look from level 1-80. It’d be crazy and that frustrates me to no end. I mean the dye system is fantastic, the armor designs are cool. Why on earth can’t I have a town clothes look in combat?!! Why would you restrict the cosmetic system to transmutation stones other than to make money? It make no sense to me and is incredibly anti-player. Heck even the Guild Wars 1 HoM armor at least allows you to continuously keep the look, but the implementation seems kinda hacked in compared to a simple separate cosmetic slot/paper doll system.
Please fix this!
Dungeon Finder
Yes I know this is always a huge controversy, but it’s so essential for casual players like me. I have 2 young kids and limited play time. I want to experience all the dungeons. I don’t have time to get involved with a huge guild or sit around shouting for a group. I want the cross server (so there’s always a bigger pool to choose from) button for the instant group.
I don’t even think the concerns from other MMOs are that similar since the group dynamic is so different in GW2. This is just a really nice convenience option.
Let me see my own name above my character
This is minor, but for the love of all that is holy it drives me crazy.
First Person Mode
I don’t really play MMOs in 1st Person anymore, but would be nice for screenshots. Not sure if there is a way to hide the UI either yet, but that would be a plus if it’s missing for the same application.
Inspect other players
If I see a cool piece of armor or weapon I’m curious what it is and would love a way to quickly see that.
Barber Shop
With so many cool character customization options it seems like a shame to never be able to try out other looks on my main char. This would, for a small fee, let you change your character’s look including hair styles, colors, skin, racial adornments etc. Basically the same options from character creation.
UI customization
Would be nice.
Cheaper Teleport Costs
Seems excessive given how slow most characters run and how much the game promotes the ease of travel.
Visible Cloaks (and a way to hide them)
Maybe these exist, but I’ve not seen them yet.
Trading Company Notification when an offer you made is accepted
I had no idea I had a bunch of stuff waiting for me.