Guild Wars 2

I agree with the OP on just about all his points, particularly the part about struggling to summon the will to continue playing. Every time I log in, I ask myself, “What’s the point?” Gameplay, to me, is repetitive, uninspired, and just plain boring, i.e., no fun. If there were some interesting challenges to look forward to, this might be bearable, but I don’t consider 100% map completion or dressing up my toon to be among them.

GW2 lacks ways to meaningfully progress that other games provide. I know for some, that’s a non-issue (or even a plus), while for others the game does provide it.

But not for me.

Although the MMO industry’s quickly moving to a “free to play” model, a number of major MMOs, including one that was recently released, are still subscription-based. And because these games typically provide a free month of online play along with its purchase cost, players have a decision to make whether they will continue to pony up at month’s end.

So, if GW2 was subscription-based, and now being the time when you’d have to make a decision, would you subscribe?

I think the vast majority of players would, though I personally would not. This would be a first for me in nearly 13 years of playing MMOs.

The OP’s question seems unintentionally ironic. It needs be asked if players are still having a blast in a game that was 5 years in the making and has been out for just a month?

Is there even really any doubt that players are having a blast? You could ask the same question of Ultima Online or EverQuest players and I’m sure you’ll get lots of positive responses too.

As for myself, I wish I could say I was having a blast, but I’m not. I log in and usually log off within the space of an hour or two once boredom sets in. It seems a number of players in my guild are doing the same since the “online” numbers have dropped lately.

Until there’s actually evidence of an exodus, Anet need not worry. Every MMO has its share of vociferous malcontents, and until game purchases and logins significantly decline, I don’t expect Anet to make any significant changes. For all we know, the vast majority of GW2 players prefer Anet’s endgame vision.

Contrary to the OP, GW2, like most MMOs, has a certain vision in place for “endgame” activities. Some find those activities enjoyable; others don’t. I put myself in the latter category. Performing tons of repetitive tasks, i.e., “grinding”, just to make my character’s appearance look different doesn’t have much appeal to me. Neither do achievements nor “exploring” (I can satisfy my exploring itch by visiting new locales in other MMOs).

GW2 marketed itself as a different MMO, but in my opinion based on playing MMOs since the late 90s, it’s not really all that much different. It’s fortunate the game has no monthly fee as I’d have unsubscribed after the first 2 months.

If purchases and logins begin to drop precipitously, then Anet should consider feedback like mine and the OPs, but for now, I grant they have little reason to.