Guild Wars 2

I personally prefer an MMO that’s not entirely on rails, that’s my biggest gripe with TSW (I love the game) is that you are on a ride; a wonderful ride it is, but still a rollercoaster on tracks.

GW2’s strength, if ANet doesn’t ruin it, is the open “feel” it offers the player. TBH, I never felt the Personal Story was GW2’s strong suit…I am fairly agnostic about it. The PS stopped short of greatness in so many ways.

The personal home instances are a good example of how shallow the PS is in regards to the player character experience.

Back in the ancient days of DAoC, I could hang trophies of my kills on the walls of my personal home and place items for sale on a merchant in a stand outside my very customizable home. (I’m just using this as one example of GW2 missing the mark in just one facet of what “personal” means.)

I like the fact that outside the overarching story of the “dragons”, Tyria is filled with a thousands other stories unfolding all around. Some are intertwined, others stand-alone in hidden corners here and there.

If I could hit the do-over button, GW2 would never have had levels, it would have had Traits and Skills that could be unlocked in various multiples of ways via varying paths. (Longer paths would be easier, the shorter paths more difficult; but both would be ways to unlock a certain Trait/ability) I digress….

If you want to focus entirely on the Personal Story and anything else you do is just a way to level up enough to carry on then I agree it would feel like a grind.

But GW2 was never intended to work that way. The personal story is just one (relatively small) part of the game, or even the story. There is a lot of lore and story out in the open world too. Like Healix said you have to go looking for it, you can’t just follow the arrow and have it presented to you, but it is there and if you take the time to listen to the NPCs, speak to them and explore it’s a lot more enjoyable and interesting than simply running around checking off points until you level up and can go ‘back’ to the story.

GW2 went with a different approach that pretty much alienates people that simply want to follow the arrow. Each zone tells an overall story and every dynamic event is a part of a larger story. The problem however is that you really have to look for it because you’re not playing through the story, you’re living it. It’s all happening in real time, so you really need to explore, follow NPCs, inspect your surroundings and listen carefully to figure it out. Sometimes you really need to go out of your way to piece together references made by an NPCs idle chatter.

The story is what you make of it. It’s your life. Start living.

Unlike 99% of MMOs, the endgame of GW2 isn’t about what you do after level cap. The endgame is the journey itself, the living world – your character’s life.

Lucyfer.9517:

After what they did last year i hope they won’t bother with halloween this year.

The hell kind of idiotic logic is that?

Hello all! I would like to share another form of insight of the NPE from the perspective of a ‘newer’ player who has been around from before the NPE.

My fiance and I bought the game about a year ago. At first, we both really loved the game. Exploration was/still is a blast, the lore was waaaayyy ahead of any other MMO, the classes were innovative, and gameplay is stellar. We played for a few days but ran into some problems that were very overwhelming. I’ve played MMO’s for roughly 11 years, however the downed state was new. I’d never encountered something like this in MMO’s and I was very clueless on how to react. This coupled with the fact that I was given a ton of freedom slightly overwhelmed me and made me think twice about playing.

My fiance on the other hand is what ANet caters more to: a casual player who has never played a MMO in his life. His kind of games are the old PlayStation Spyro and racing games. I had to beg him to even try a fantasy game. Needless to say, the freedom, downed state, inventory system, lack of a real quest system (one of my favorite parts of GW2), underwater mechanics, lack of guidance, the fact that he didn’t know how to get passed lv9, AND the Halloween Event that just so happened to be running when we started scared him away very quickly.

We both decided to stop playing the game as school was also happening at the time. I picked up the game again in late May and its been the best decision of my life ever since. My fiance did not. I learned how to play the game. I learned how to use my traits, I learned how not to have a panic attack in the downed state and rally, I learned that this game is SO. MUCH. BETTER when you have a community to play with (Guild Wars 2).

Just this weekend, I finally talked my fiance into playing again as now he would have an entire guild backing his adventures. Thanks to the NPE guiding him along and telling him how to dodge, manage his inventory by selling things, guiding him on the downed state, giving him hints as to where to go, and pretty much making this game less of a sandbox, he had a much better time playing. Its not so much of a chore to learn the game now!

I would like to thank Arena Net to really catering to the casual player who may not be as seasoned in MMOs like the rest of us. Those are the kind of players who really appreciate the NPE. Keep doing what you’re doing

Tao.5096:

what is WoW?

What is WoW?
Blizzard don’t hurt me
Don’t hurt me
No more…

/e Alex Trebek

The answer is: If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, this MMO is the most flattered MMO in the history of MMOs.

(WoW = World of Warcraft)

chuckle

Some of the posts in this thread…. sheesh.

Anywho… As many other have expressed, I don’t really care about the new WoW expansion either. I played WoW for approximately 7 months; prior to MoP being released. That was all I could take. My husband and I both put it down at that point. When MoP was released, and now again with this new expansion, the extent of our interest was “omg another one?” But that’s just us. Perhaps at some point we might go back to peruse the new story lines, but I doubt it. The expansions really aren’t about story or exploring (the enjoyable components of a good rpg), but rather are all about the dungeons and large scale raids, which we aren’t particularly into.

Gele.2048:

im gonna return on wow for sometime and my wallet will go there not in this gem store kitten ill return whit expansion

Have fun spending money on a game that just releases the same thing again and again and calling it new without adding anything NEW to the game. “Oh look another raid just like last time” “NO it’s not the same it’s NEW!”

Seriously how long has WoW been out and they are just now updating their graphics? GW1 look better than WoW ever did.

Fanboys are now losing their mind thinking them finally updating their graphics is a new innovation to online games and is going to bring WoW back into the glory it was at it’s peak but can’t see or deny it’s the same old stuff now a little more pretty.

Let’s not forget it took WoW almost 3 years before they came out with the first expansion and people are crying it’s been 2 years without anything major released for GW2.

On another note personally I think people who don’t buy gems (helping support the game) don’t really have the ground to complain of the lack of content. People who by the gems to buy the “useless items” from the gem store are the people making Anet a profit so they can continue with the LS, make more “useless” gem store items and do other stuff for the game.

When a expansion or something else major gets released it’s because of the people who buy gems not the players who don’t and just complain about the gem store.

Tao.5096:

what is WoW?

It’s the AOL of MMOs, hitting the market at the right place and time with very aggressive marketing strategies. It hit a high of 12 million players 4 years ago but has been fast falling out of favor since then, losing half of those.

Unfortunately it has spawned an almost rabid fanbase that attacks every new game on the market as DEAD if they haven’t reached WoW numbers. Which is funny when you consider that 94 million have tried and quit WoW.

The game itself is fairly generic, they don’t try new things, just recycle the same quest, gear up and raid stuff over and over. Very grindy and treadmilly.

Hide all.

I want to streak through Tyria like the merry nudist I wish I was.

You know what.

After taking a look at Arche[redacted], Final[Redacted], and some other MMOs that have graced the scene, I always find myself drawn back here, even though there’s nothing significant to do that I haven’t done already (That also I want to do/ can find the party to do) because:

The art is gorgeous.

The music is gorge-ahem

The community in pve generally is sweet and kind (outside of dungeons/farms).

The PVP community is toxic but still accepting enough of valid beatdowns, unlike other places where people refuse to accept they lost much more often

The customer service ISNT !#@$% HUBRIS BROKEN

They deliver on content promises within a year (unlike another game when a promise has gone undelivered for longer even though it was promised 11 months ago.)
Instrument system is nice. (Violin would be neat.)

I’m bored, but its still entertaining to hang around here. Just wanted to note that for a dev/whoever would like to read. Gw2 isnt deep enough to keep me completely enthralled, but I can go do things without worrying about losing out on events running without me and then jump into WVW and join a train/TS like I haven’t missed a beat.

Not being completely enthralled is a good thing for me. In the terms of being a good, even a great game, GW2 hits the mark completely as far as I’m concerned, although I am not entirely sure why.

You guys are doing something right.

This is actually a good idea, but as posters above me said, it should be for male and female characters.

Not trying to say it just for people to be skimpy, but norn could show off theyre tattoos, charr could show off their stripes and actually go supersaiyan with that new hairdo.
As long as the characters are wearing something underneath their armor, theres not a problem with this idea.

While were talking cosmetic changes, why not get rid of transmutation charges instead of punishing people who want to change clothes on the go? I mean they did it with trait points, and if they really need the money that bad they could just do the boxed expansion idea that everybody is already ready to throw $40 down on ( playable quaggans and kodans pls ). Being able to dye weapons would also be a neat idea but some weapons are just lame recolored versions of other weapons so that might upset people.

Going back on topic, this idea should have been implimented already. If the reason people have a problem with it would be because of people making female characters and wearing no clothes, all i have to say is its a legit strategy! Especially when playing as a skimpy female character gives you the advantage of distracting your opponant! Who would be able to combat you when they dont even have theyre hands on the controls?! Perfect legit strategy.

I could care less about the skimpiness or whatnot.

However, I’d be more than happy to see more of my Charr’s awesome fur pattern and the torso area does provide the most of it. It’s such that makes most Charr unique from each other besides armor after all, that and such detail is a shame to cover up.

yorick.1305:

Vayne.8563:

Many of us wouldn’t play WoW for free. I might not even play WoW if they paid me.

Agree.

I agree too. I played WoW trial many years ago, I uninstalled it after 10 minutes because of the ugly races and clunky combat (when I moved all I saw was “you must face the target”). And when I died I became some kind of light and the screen looked weird (everything had only one colour), I was walking around for minutes and had no idea what to do and the weird screen gave me motion sickness… Never again!

I play WoW, and yes, I will be going there. However, I play through WoW’s content only once, so I take a month break from GW, play the new expansion, and then return to GW.
Unlike WoW, GW’s content is eternal, so I can just log on to release the content or when I dont feel like playing. WoW is really.. a single track, so unless you like grinding for gear, WoW is no more fun that a single playthrough

Vayne.8563:

I might not even play WoW if they paid me.

^^ Very much this, You simply can’t be me enough to make me risk getting eye cancer.

Will never understand the hype around that game .. bad slow gameplay with very
bad graphics and a horrible UI with the worst map i ever encountered in any MMO.

The trend in wow expansions now is “goes up, then goes down” for subs.

As for gw2. It needs its own form of expansion, but not like the standard. What people are really asking for is basically: new profession, new weapons, multiple maps at once.

Offair.2563:

Yargesh.4965:

yorick.1305:

Vayne.8563:

Many of us wouldn’t play WoW for free. I might not even play WoW if they paid me.

Agree.

Although how many will still be playing GW2, who are playing NOW, will still be logging in after nearly 10 years.

Easy, wait 10 years and see.

Gw2 wont last another 8 years on this pace with hardly any major content update and polish. This game could easily be the killer of all MMO’s but nothing happens with it apart from some living story updates and gemstore stuff.

Guild Wars 1 hasn’t had a major update in years and people still play it. UO hasn’t had an update in a decade and people still play it.

Saying a game won’t last ten years is just wrong.

For one thing, no one can predict the future. So far every game that was supposed to kill this one is severely lacking. So if that continues, even with modest upgrades this game will continue.

But then, the new content we’re getting won’t be temporary and will add up. So I’m not thinking that predicting ten years in the future of this genre is all that valuable.

As bored as I can get with Guild Wars 2, as tired as I can get with design choices, as frustrated I can get at certain balance. When it comes down to it. No other game feels like this one in the MMO market today. It feels fluid, smooth, well executed. There’s something about this MMO’s combat, that just aren’t there in the other ones. ArenaNet did it right. Now that’s not to say I wouldn’t like a few alternative choices for 1-5, a few more Elite skills, etc.—but gameplay wise, this game is years ahead of the competition. The aesthetics are also in a league of their own. The details gone into these maps are absolutely gorgeous.

I agree that we need more transparency on things to come though. No estimated windows for these things unless it’s more of a set in stone thing mind you, but still, more hype, more excitement. I don’t think an expansion is necessary. It would definitely help, but just some continuous tidbits of information would go a long way to keep players engaged and excited. Show us some samples of new sPvP maps. Discuss ideas you have of game modes, engage the community asking for feedback in a specific forum topic. Tease us with work in progress stuff. And let us know when there’s delays. Give us more in-depth information about what it is that is the design philosophy behind bigger (and smaller) changes. Let us see into your minds a bit. Show us the world from your side of the game. It’d be interesting besides exciting to hear about new things that is in the works. (Obviously some things, such as future story implementations, should be kept as spoiler free as possible, but a few teases here and there, perhaps a render of a dragon with no real explanation to it, such things, can really generate hype and excitement.)

I know we have people datamining already. The information and excitement in that sense is there. Sort of. But it’d be nice to get it through official channels. With an insight into what you’re planning ahead as well. Just try to avoid mentioning things you don’t see yourself feasibly doing within a years time, and even then, make it clear that this is work in progress, subject to change, or that it will potentially not to be implemented at all, at least in the form as shown in this sneak preview, etc.—Some players will always get frustrated, even rational ones will, but a lot of the players are understanding enough if you were to say something has been delayed/cancelled. The bigger frustration comes from not being told what’s going on. Especially on things you are highly passionate and excited for. You’re left questioning, wondering. Uncertainty is frustration.

Guild Wars 2: Glint’s Legacy – we will explore south ascalon and north of crystal desert, dragonbrand, dragon’ lair, ash legion. Nothing more besides. When, after ls2 end. Probably best time will be next anniversary of Gw2 (end of August) between Colony and PAX.

All of that is thanks to my imagination power.

Btw name of expansion can tell much, any ideas what they can came up with?

moiraine.2753:

Vayne.8563:

Many of us wouldn’t play WoW for free. I might not even play WoW if they paid me.

Stop talking for the whole playerbase.‘’Many of us?’’ You are NOT me and definitely NOT my friends.I like to play different MMOs including P2P ones if they are good.I like WoW and Wildstar.So what if one of them is an old MMO and the two of them are P2P MMOs?That doesn’t matter.Playing more than 1 MMO is never a problem.Different MMOs bring different things to the ’’table’’.

The post in question was NOT speaking for you.. it was NOT saying everyone.. it did NOT say people shouldn’t play other MMO’s.. it did NOT say people shouldn’t play F2P, B2P or P2P MMO’s…. in fact I fail to understand how you arrived at any of those assumptions and how it was being directed at you or anyone else that likes WoW. In fact I would hazard a guess to say that its in fact your post that is attempting to dictate your opinions to others, purely in the attitude you place within YOUR response. – - – > Reading comprehension FAILED much!!

Just adding my voice to those who don’t consider WoW expansions relevant to GW2. I have no interest in playing a subscription game and many other reasons I want to avoid WoW in particular (not worth listing unless anyone here is really into Warcraft lore).

It’s also worth noting that while some current/previous WoW players may go back to it an expansion is actually more of a barrier to new people picking that game up. Unless they’ve changed it in the last few years you can’t play the latest one without buying all the others. And you will want them all because everyone else will be focused on the new stuff. But that’s a big commitment to make for a game you’re just starting.

I case the OP didn’t realize, MoP came out a month after Guild Wars 2. Even if some people did go play it, they’d play it for a few months, do all the content and come back…but I don’t think that many will go.

I’ve talked to enough people who actively dislike WoW to believe otherwise.

rozer.8042:

do u know 11/13 come out new wow expansion? do u know many ppl go there ? so when u come out with news?
we need to do something new ….

Well, if those “ppl” (learn to spell for Grenth’s sake) go off to WoW for another month of grinding to end game, can we at least ensure they stay there this time, rather than coming back here time and time again, posting every other month that expansion X or generic trinity mount-humping grinder Y is going to “kill” GW2. It gets tedious reading this rubbish after a while.

WoW, Neverwinter, EQN, ESO and ArcheAge – all games that were going to “kill” GW2 either through launch or expansions, but guess what? GW2 is still here, as too, unfortunately the doomsayers who keep threatening to leave every time a new MMo goes live.

yorick.1305:

Vayne.8563:

Many of us wouldn’t play WoW for free. I might not even play WoW if they paid me.

Agree.

Although how many will still be playing GW2, who are playing NOW, will still be logging in after nearly 10 years.

Easy, wait 10 years and see.

Vayne.8563:

Many of us wouldn’t play WoW for free. I might not even play WoW if they paid me.

Agree.

Although how many will still be playing GW2, who are playing NOW, will still be logging in after nearly 10 years.

I have to agree, I would not play WoW for anything. I tried it once, and I just don’t like the graphics. I’ll wait patiently for whatever is in store for us here. Yes, that’s right. I’m a Guild Wars fan. =)

As Vayne said…if we want to play WOW,we would be there right now.I played WOW for 6 years and quit it after BC ended – never going back there…even as FTP game.Still,i play Archeage,i wait for some other game,but that does not mean i quit GW2.GW2 is still in my opinion by far BEST MMO out there.Its boring but still…i will wait for content as much as it takes.

moiraine.2753:

Vayne.8563:

Many of us wouldn’t play WoW for free. I might not even play WoW if they paid me.

Stop talking for the whole playerbase.‘’Many of us?’’ You are NOT me and definitely NOT my friends.I like to play different MMOs including P2P ones if they are good.I like WoW and Wildstar.So what if one of them is an old MMO and the two of them are P2P MMOs?That doesn’t matter.Playing more than 1 MMO is never a problem.Different MMOs bring different things to the ’’table’’.

I’m not talking for the whole player base. Many of us is just that. It doesn’t even imply most of it. Seriously, objecting to an obviously true statement because you don’t personally like my posts is wrong.

I didn’t talk for you. I talked for the people who don’t like WOW in this game, and that group is myriad.

Some have said they’ll NEVER play a subscription game. Some just don’t like WoW. You do realize there are entire websites devoted just to hating WoW. Some just don’t like cartoony graphics and can’t get into it. Some don’t like quest hub leveling.

But you know, many of us isn’t talking for everyone. It’s talking for a group of people I’m part of.

It doesn’t even imply most (though I believe most Guild Wars 2 players aren’t particularly interested in WoW).

zenleto.6179:

Bit late to give us any such news before November last year.

(Yes, I know…couldn’t help myself)

Was going to do the same.
Seriously OP the expansion of WOW is targeted at WOW players no one else.