Guild Wars 2

Personally I would opt for ascended items that don’t have stat boosts, but allow out-of-combat switching of stats. At the moment they seem like a forced grind and I oppose this kind of action.

So tequatl has been out for a while right now and it’s currently on a 70 minutes spawning windows.

Since release I’ve seen the numbers on my server go down from “impossible to get in” to “desert” but I like the fight and I’m still doing it every day with TKS/TSS/THS.

The BIGGEST issue I’m having with teq is its spawning window and I’d like to see it addressed.
The encounter requires you to be there and ready before the spawning window opens if you want to succeed, you’re not going to down him with a bunch of unorganized people that were there at the right time, ever.

So you organize, get ready, put expert people on the turrets, assign other people to defense squads, form the dps groups, start spawning the ice bows and wait. And then wait. And wait a bit more. And then you wait another 5 minutes. Then you fall asleep and after that you wait a bit more. Until he finally spawns and you can enjoy your 15 minutes of fun content. I’ve seen it spawn with FORTY SECONDS left a few days ago.
WHY?

Why does it even have a spawning window? What’s the reasoning behind it? Is it useful for something other than bore us to death and drive many players away from the event?

Please give teq a fixed timer (Or a pre event. But the pre event takes time to develop, the timer change does not). We need it and we need it now, not in 6 months, please.

For the following:

• A new region or continent to explore….
• With a new set of maps….
• And a new storyline running through them.
• A new playable race or two
• Maybe a new profession?
• Guild Halls
• Alliance Battle style pvp (my favorite form of pvp from GW1)

I realize that eventually we may see the above things through living story. Basically, they will be trickled out, in dribs and drabs, over time.

I guess I will buy $40-$60 worth of gems a year or two from now when that process is finished?

I have come to terms with the fact that I will never again have the “Christmas Morning” feeling that I had when Factions came out, for example, and that I will just learn to deal with living story. That’s fine. Lack of excitement is ok.

I do want to thank Anet for the following additions since launch:

• LFG tool. (Now that I don’t need it, it’s finally in the game.)
• Southsun Cove map (more beautiful maps like this please!)
• SAB (totally unexpected and awesome addition to game)

Just implement more acquisition method, crafting is the worst method they could have ever picked. I’d be okay even with mystic toilet to upgrade your exotics to ascended, most people probably transmute their exotics anyway.

I agree the current gear situation doesn’t really eork if you play different builds. I reccomend they add a charachter bound stat unlock system, maybe you can only access it in specific places, and it may use some high end items like bloodstone bricks. But, it needs to be done. The gearing system is blocking horizontal progression, experimentation and playing different game types

Did any Anet employees play City of Heroes at all? Cause they were doing “Issues” before Living Story was a twinkle in Colin’s eye. Living Story isn’t groundbreaking, it’s just a gimmicky way to funnel content into the gem store and force people to log in daily/weekly to get things before they go away.

Oh any by the way, Co* Issues brought permanent content. Just FYI.

I respected GW2’s developers from the get-go, as I do most people, they lost my respect through a solid year of steady mistreatment of the playerbase.

If they want my (and most players) respect again, they’ll have to earn it.

And so long as you refute verifiable fact, truth, and honestly stated opinion; because it isn’t said as ‘prettily’ as you’d like it, you don’t deserve anyone’s respect.

You are a service to us, not us to you. Improve your actions until we respect you again, then you can have all the kindly stated critique on your work you like. Until then, be happy we still care enough and have stuck around to give any. It’s more than you deserve.

You want feedback to fixing your game?

1.) Extrinsic rewards need to be provided away from RNG/Gold. Your skinner box is really poorly designed, to many players are smashing that button down and getting nothing out, while only a couple are getting 800g precursors on the first push. This is ultimately frustrating, there is no way to work towards any cosmetic item in a ‘fun’ matter that doesn’t involve champ train or TP flipping.

2.) Precursor crafting should be pushed to highest priority, not last item on the list

3.) Real Quality of life changes: Dual Specialization, LFG Tool takes you to dungeon (no porting to map), WvW map viewable before going inside, Glory tradable for PvE items, UI for Mini (separate from bank), Achievement Meta rewards placed in the achievement item panel (why are players left with the ever increasing amounts of backitems they may be to scared to use because they only got 1), and account-bound WvW rank and FOTM levels.

4.) Fotm rewards are lacking after a player receives their back-item and rings.

5.) Reward vs. Time vs. Skill Charts, this is really lop sided, why is farming champs or TP flipping more rewarding than say arah p4, or 8 orb Liadari, or even fotm (your ‘end-game’ dungeon).

6.) Heading back to GW lore, the LS has gone way off base and most people can’t seem to follow the story as to what is happening. I’m pretty sure a lot of us still don’t understand who Scarlet is and why she does what she does.

When I first started playing the game, I made a point of visiting the “player helping other players” section, so that I could focus on the positives. I was never out to get anyone. The last time I posted in these forums, it was a post that showed the numbers for how often ArenaNet gave substantive responses to “popular” posts. It was just data, without any editorial commentary from me. I explained my methodology so that it could be fairly discussed. What can be less inflammatory and more respectful than plain old data? It was promptly dismissed by a community manager.

You couldn’t even take un-editorialized data onboard. Given that, I find it really hard to believe that you listen to feedback. To be honest, I feel dumb posting this.

It appears that you only consider quantitative data, like concurrency numbers. So, while I’d like to log in to level my alts and wait for changes, I feel that just serves to make you more intransigent on issues I care about. And, I wouldn’t mind posting constructive criticism, but it does seem wholly unwelcome and a waste of time.

I really did like the game (especially the art because omg, it’s so good). I’m sorry that you have to deal with so much negativity now. But, I think that you’re not taking enough ownership for your part in creating this environment. And, if you want change, you need to be that change too.

Theftwind.8976:

Respect has to go both ways. Just saying.

Hate to be the one to post one of these types of posts, but here we go.

^This.

Just have one thing to say. You have to give respect, to earn respect. And with the way things are going and have been going on these forums, don’t expect to receive any respect.

There is so many things that you’ve tried to “sweep under the rug” and completely ignore. That is completely disrespectful. And then you make this post telling us all to be respectful to you after you have disrespected us so many times?

Yeah, no. I get it. It’s your way or the highway type deal here. But until you can admit fault and show respect to us as a community and not ignore us over serious issues and concerns, then don’t expect us to treat you any differently than you treat us.

Thanks for this post Chris – though I think you have to be “black and white” and your choices you’ve made in game.

So far, what i’ve seen is:
- Ascended gear was added not because we asked for it (in fact, you guys stated you didn’t want to be like other games and add another tier of gear), instead it was because you found that people were gaining their legendaries too fast for you too curb. You underestimated player’s potential then fumbled and released something which Anet had openly said, they’d wished they’d released it in a better fashion.

- Living story – was this really added for benifit to players or to keep server numbers up?
Colin had mentioned, the reason you’re doing this crazy 2 week cycle is because you saw player numbers drop off after about 2 weeks….not necessarily because of player feedback, not because people wanted more storytelling (because after the personal story being less about the player and more about Trahearne, it was baffling you decided to go the story route)

Up till now as well, it seems that metrics seem to trump player feedback, but that’s a pretty long argument. All I can say is…I’ve barely seen anyone say that they wanted a DR implementation.

Well this is random

I tried to respond to your original thread… spent 15 mins writing just to find it got deleted (sigh)

Galtrix.7369:

Because there was no gear treadmill, I could not improve myself to be better than others. Because I already bought all ascended trinkets and and ascended weapon as well as exotic armor, there was no goal for me to do.

Climbing a gear treadmill does not make you better at the game than another player.

Gear treadmills not only kill competitive game modes, but it is a lazy and easy for developers and players both, get out of the mindset that a game should be about grinding stupidly hard to obtain tiers of gear (skins are fine, not stats), they can be much more.

Being able to use your dodges properly, your defence mechanics, and positioning and team combo’s and dealing with different situations and reacting fast, makes you a better player. Gear treadmills remove player skill from games.

And when you reach the best in slot (BIS) gear in another game, then what? Do you want them to make a new tier every few months? You want to endlessly chase the BIS carrot that means nothing and just alienates skilled players from grinders? Ascended gear is a step in the stupid direction of treadmill grinding.

Gear treadmills do NOT make you a good player.

Oxe.6142:

The game released with nothing resembling the manifesto in place. A year later it’s as if the manifesto never existed. It was a publicity stunt. Anet uses them a lot along with their descriptions of content (dynamic events, living story) misnaming and misrepresenting things in order to sell them. It’s what they do. The game they said they were building doesn’t exist and it never will. Either you have to accept what you have, or you don’t. But those are the facts.

This is true. Remember the abomination that was the “new dungeon” (Canach’s Lair).

In the end, it doesn’t matter whether it was a lie, or broken promise, or purposefully misleading — the final result is that your customers no longer trust your words. That’s not good for business.

The game released with nothing resembling the manifesto in place. A year later it’s as if the manifesto never existed. It was a publicity stunt. Anet uses them a lot along with their descriptions of content (dynamic events, living story) misnaming and misrepresenting things in order to sell them. It’s what they do. The game they said they were building doesn’t exist and it never will. Either you have to accept what you have, or you don’t. But those are the facts.

Calae.1738:

Nightarch.2943:

Spoiler!
~~~ArenaNet lied!~~~

I don’t think so.

I think they were pressured to do something drastic and fast to get back the players that were leaving 1 month after the game’s release. Unfortunately, their ascended gear treadmill strategy is similar to someone shooting themselves in the foot.

If you’re going to create a grinding treadmill at least make it fun. At a minimum.

I understand that fun is subjective. However, if chopping trees, whacking rocks and clicking trading post spreadsheets is their idea of fun then they’re going to feel a massive sting in spring 2014.

I still maintain they listened to the wrong complainers. If they had really wanted to retain and regain a large percentage of the leavers, they should have put the effort into PvP. I know a lot of people who left in October, 2012, not one left due to no gear to pursue.

The only thing that ArenaNet is innovative about is the time-gating system, they brought it up to a whole new level of absurdity. The manifesto is rubbish, and so are the developers and their crap filled living story. And if this game was so fine, and perfect the way it is, a thread like this wouldn’t exist. Threads about build variety and time gate content wouldn’t exist if this were truly a perfect game, threads like any of these wouldn’t exist. I say Good Day Sir!

Nightarch.2943:

Spoiler!
~~~ArenaNet lied!~~~

I don’t think so.

I think they were pressured to do something drastic and fast to get back the players that were leaving 1 month after the game’s release. Unfortunately, their ascended gear treadmill strategy is similar to someone shooting themselves in the foot.

If you’re going to create a grinding treadmill at least make it fun. At a minimum.

I understand that fun is subjective. However, if chopping trees, whacking rocks and clicking trading post spreadsheets is their idea of fun then they’re going to feel a massive sting in spring 2014.

Now here is my question that i would like to pose to all those who enjoy ascended armor and for the kind kind anet devs.
what is the point of ascended armor?
now ascended weapons were created (based off of anet’s logic) to bridge the gap between exotics and legendary.
however, there was no gap between exotics and legendarys in terms of stats only in looks. Ascended weapons on the other hand have better stats but worse looks than both legendarys and exotics. It was really just a reason to put in weapons that took people longer to get so that those grinding hamsters would have something to do.

Now for ascended armor. There is no legendary to make the excuse of bridging the gap and the armor looks terrible anyways. This armor is almost a game breaker for me. I thought anet would have looked at all the complaints and the arguing about ascended weapons and realize people didnt want ascended armor…especially not so soon. This will of course not be taken out of the game once it is released so i plead anet and other players like me who dont want grind but want fun to try and change this direction they have taken.

Gear treadmill.

HI

This is so extremly alt unfriendly, because its limited to get laurels just though daily.
I just wanna move some Ascesorry from one char to another if i decide to play a while! This is no big deal i think.

I just saw after being very excited to craft my first Ascended Weapon that i need kitten laurels for it, and actually i am saving for Ascessorys for my Twink.
This just makes me sad. Is a Game supposed to make one sad?

And i will get real now : We can all DIE any second! NOTHING is saved! There is no future we know, we are in between of a mess of moving stones and energys, chaotic swimming in vaccum! if one big rock decides to just crash into the rock were living on (we call it earth) than were all dead.
So if one decides to grind the kitten out of his self just to get want he (she) wants! He/she should do so!
The Laurel system is nothing more than waiting and doing shores to actually be ABLE to wait!
Seriously?!
It seems to me youre trying desperadly to keep one playing in game. But i have to say the only thing i mainly like at this game ist that awesome combat system.
I do like that crafting which gives a feeling of progress to one character! but now i figured out i need god kitten laurels for the Recipes. But i am recently saving them to get ascessorys!
This kind of things is like a punch in the stomach.

Just a little background story of mine here.

So mighty players of gw2! i think everyone would like it to atleast be able to make the trinkets account bound AGAIN to give it another character! which one is playing at the time.
IF you do! say so. and make Anet feel your wrath!!!!!

sry for my bad english, but i want a real dev to read this! and i have the feeling in the german forum it gets mostly ignored.

I mean come on, make it soulbound and it will sell like hotcakes. The current iteration just isn’t worthwhile.

When I read the following statement from the game’s lead designer,

“The answer can be found in the mechanics and choices made in subscription-based MMOs, which keep customers actively playing by chasing something in the game through processes that take as long as possible. In other words, designers of traditional MMOs create content systems that take more time to keep people playing longer. If this is your business motivation and model so you keep getting paid, it makes sense and is an incredibly smart thing to do, and you need to support it.

When your game systems are designed to achieve the prime motivation of a subscription-based MMO, you run the risk of sacrificing quality to get as much content in as possible to fill that time. You get leveling systems that take insane amounts of grind to gain a level, loot drop systems that require doing a dungeon with a tiny chance the item you want can drop at the end, raid systems that need huge numbers of people online simultaneously to organize and play, thousands of wash/repeat item-collection or kill-mob quests or dailies with flavor text support, the best stat gear requiring crazy amounts of time to earn, etc.

But what if your business model isn’t based on a subscription? What if your content-design motivations aren’t driven by the need to create mechanics that keep people playing as long as possible? When looking at content design for Guild Wars 2, we’ve tried to ask the question: What if the development of the game was based on…wait for it…fun?"

I thought, “now there’s an MMO I can get behind. The developers want to make a game that’s fun, not one that concerns itself with stringing players along with things like gear-treadmills or time-gated rewards.” A year latter, now that I’ve seen what the Living Story is all about, I’ve had a change of heart. The Living Story is essentially doing exactly what subscription-based MMOs do…keeping players logging often for the sake of “chasing something in the game”.

The Living Story introduces temporarily-available content. Tied to this content is temporarily-available in-game rewards and – not coincidentally – temporarily-available items in the cash shop. The developers are resorting to the exact kinds of tactics they intended to avoid…“wash/repeat item-collection or kill-mob quests or dailies with flavor text support, the best stat gear requiring crazy amounts of time to earn.” Between the Living Story and the time-gating of things like ascended weapons, we’re pretty much exactly where we would have been with a subscription fee.

The article goes on to say,

“If we chose fun as our main metric for tracking success, can we flip the core paradigm and make design decisions based on what we’d like to play as game players? Can we focus our time on making meaningful and impactful content, rather than filler content meant to draw out the experience? Can we make something so much fun you might want to play it multiple times because it’s fun, rather than making you do it because the game says you have to? It’s how we played games while growing up. I can’t tell you how many times I played Quest for Glory; the game didn’t give me 25 daily quests I needed to log in and do—I played it multiple times because it was fun!”

This is the part that gets me the most. I have no doubt the developers were passionate about making a fun game that got away from the genre-norms when they made this game. But with the Living Story, it’s clear they completely abandoned most of their core principles. I don’t think there’s anyone who would argue that the Living Story hasn’t been mostly filler designed to “draw out the experience.” I don’t think there’s anyone who would argue menial tasks such as breaking pinatas, collecting kites, and riding in hot-air balloons are “fun”. But that’s what we’re getting with each new installment of the Living Story.

A subscription fee, at this point, might have been the lesser of two evils. If I’m going to get a bunch of “filler content meant to draw out the experience” I’d rather get it i one large chunk (as many other MMOs offer in content updates) than in bite-sized portions fed to us one at a time over the course of months. At least with a large content update the developers can work to ensure the content is polished and story (where applicable) is coherent and presented to the players in a way that makes sense, and the players can usually consume the content at their own pace. There’s no pressure to “do it now lest you miss it forever”, and there’s no “guess we’ll have to wait a few months to see where this goes.”