Again, this is also not the point. I like the waypoint system, however, and you may not agree with me, using many waypoints is simply not a good design choice for several reasons:
- Waypoints ruin immersion by allowing you to instantly go anywhere
- Waypoints make it easier to skip through dynamic content, so players may never see some content unless they are forced to explore the world
- Rebuttal: the argument ‘simply don’t use them’ is ridiculous. When you are playing with friends, the waypoint system obviously doesn’t let you ‘not use them’, as people would be waiting for you to get to a location. Instead of taking a team and adventuring into a zone, you would simply teleport to the corresponding waypoint. Most of the time, at later stages in the game, it becomes easy mode to travel through the world. I can literally skip through entire areas just to get vistas, skill points, or even group together with a team. Again, I just feel like it’s catered to casual players so they can feel like they’ve gotten something done every time they log on.
There seem to be a select few posting on this which brings up another point against the waypoint issue. If I saw hundreds and hundreds of people complaining on here because they were so infuriated with the amount of waypoints then I think there might be an issue. But there are THOUSANDS of people who play this game who find the current system acceptable enough to not come in here and push a particular play style on others.
And it IS pushing a particular play style. The general complaint seems to be that the game isn’t functioning the way that YOU think it should function because people use the waypoints in a way that conflicts with your perception. But that’s the point isn’t it. People are using them the way THEY want to use them. Does it suck for your play style? Sure, but you don’t need to punish the general (and un-arguably larger) population of players to make the game function as you see fit. MOST of the players on here do not have the same cares and concerns that you do. Does that mean that your concerns are not valid? No. However, what you are asking for something changes the game considerably for many people, a game-breaker if you will.
On your first point? Immersion is subject to opinion and so, cannot be used as a reason. I feel quite immersed in the game as it stands. There is nothing about it that bothers me because it is GW2 game style and so I see that as a part of the world. That is MY perception. Others probably haven’t even thought about it.
On your second point? This is also subject to opinion because not everyone is an explorer and doesn’t care about every event and hidden location or heart. You also have completionists (like my self) who will scout out every corner of the map to find every nook and cranny. The people who don’t care about every nook and cranny don’t need to be punished and forced to find it all.
On your rebuttal. If you were playing with a group every second of the game and their play style bothers you then find a new group. This is still pushing something based on what you don’t like. None of these arguments are present a poor design choice for the majority of players. If people aren’t at an event or walking everywhere or as “immersed” as you, it’s because they choose not to be. And that’s the beauty of the design (In my opinion) it gives the player the choice. What you are arguing is like asking to pass a law where everyone has to walk everywhere they go because cars/planes/trains get you there too fast and we don’t have the opportunity to see the parks and walk into every store and therefore don’t utilize the world around us. It’s just silly. People will make those choices when they feel like it. People will absorb the things they prefer/enjoy.
If your complaint was that some of the events seem permanently broken then I would say that is overwhelmingly valid.
