Guild Wars 2

Good question….

I hope they do it like the Tower…when you first log in to the zone, you ge thrown to an instance, but subsequent log-ins would be live…

CorneliusCoffin.3169:

…So my prediction is that Lion’s Arch will stand again by mid-june.

I am thinking along the same lines as you, that it will be rebuilt because of the seasonal events, along with the fact that it is the “melting pot” of Tyria.

BUT…I think (hope) it will be longer than that before it is finished. Maybe have a core for a triumphant party, but still be in-process for a while after… I am thinking by maybe the return of the Mad King….

Ok, so, we all know that Scarlet is going to destroy or at least devistate LA. There’s no secret there any more.

So, speculating about the great rebuild, How would you do it? Would it be a walled fortress? would it be a collection of buildings like it was before? or would it be something totally different?

I am thinking something along the lines of a marriage between Ebonhawke and Vigil Keep, with strong defenses and walls to keep out the baddies, but plenty of gates to allow passage to areas like the Pirate JP and the Moa Races.

I would love to see real, permanent buildings. If they want to keep the pirate theme, that’s ok, but I think the days of wrecked and abandoned ships are over. If LA is supposed to be the hub/business center/capital of Tyria, it should look like it. There should be an actual office building for the Captain’s Council.

I also envision that it just doesn’t “happen” one day in a patch. Take it’s time, rebuild parts, maybe a new building or two and part of acity wall with each patch for the next year.

So, what say you? How would you rebuild it?

Ghostextechnica.3270:

Is it too late to have a Krait Champ named Plissssskin in there somewhere?

I’m with this guy^

Teofa Tsavo.9863:

Ashabhi.1365:

This is the first time I can remember in all of the games I have played that the most important hub of activity will be destroyed. From what I gather, even the PS chapters that are in LA will be changed.

Do I think LA will endure in some form or other? Yes, I do. I think at some point it may be rebuilt, just not how it is now.

In response to the OP:
I really don’t think that they are trying to completely sever ties with GW1. I think they’re actually trying to get us to do something we haven’t done for a while. They are trying to make us CARE about what happens. By reading the forums, I think they succeeded.

Yeah, well I suppose I could also make my neighbor “care” by burning his garage down but I doubt there would be a positive outcome.

True, but I didn’t say that it would be positive or negative, just that a lot of the posts I have seen gives me hope that people actually do care (good or bad) about what happens in the game.

That is the point I was trying to make.

D. While I am sad to see it go (and have the screenies to prove it) It gives me hope that maybe Anet is turning things around. Can’t wait to see what’s next

This is the first time I can remember in all of the games I have played that the most important hub of activity will be destroyed. From what I gather, even the PS chapters that are in LA will be changed.

Do I think LA will endure in some form or other? Yes, I do. I think at some point it may be rebuilt, just not how it is now.

In response to the OP:
I really don’t think that they are trying to completely sever ties with GW1. I think they’re actually trying to get us to do something we haven’t done for a while. They are trying to make us CARE about what happens. By reading the forums, I think they succeeded.

All games share the same relative waxing and waning for the first year or two. In the beginning, they do well, as new players buy the game, and then they leave, and then new players come in, and then they leave, etc.

As others have said, the real test will be in the next year, as more and more new titles are released. The continued growth of the GW2 franchise will depend largely on what the developers do next and not what they have already done. In order to compete with the new titles, they are going to have to keep a step or two ahead.

I, for one, hope they do.

For completing the LS season, I would love to see:

1. random mini – not nice to have everyone get the same.kitten .mini
2. A cool Title
3. A new armor merchant (maybe a freed minion?) that sells decent looking weapon and armor skins for gold, not lottery tickets

Welcome!

As others have said, be prepared to relearn a lot of things. Also, while you’re at it, there are a few things you need to “unlearn” in order to learn the new mechanics of this game:

1. There is no “trinity” so you have to learn to depend on yourself for well-timed heals. There is no dedicated healers, although some professions do have “group buffs” that can heal a bit, but not enough to be solely responsible for healing a group.

2. Dodge is your friend! Timing your dodges correctly can bail you out of a lot of otherwise impossible situations.

3. Get yourself harvesting tools as soon as you can. In this game, everyone can harvest nodes/plants/trees with absolutely no node stealing. (Thank you ANet!!!)

4. (BIG THING to relearn) There is no kill stealing. People can actually help others without grouping and both parties still get experience, karma, and rewards. So, if you’re hammering away at a mob, and someone comes along and hits it a couple of times, it’s ok.

Finally, a piece of advice: Don’t let someone else tell you that you’re doing it wrong. There is no right or wrong way to play the game. Yes, there will be trolls and elitist idiots, as there are in every game, but in general, the people here are good, and are more than willing to help. Oh, and stay away from the general forums. Sometimes, reading the complaints can get you down and you begin to actually doubt whether you’re having fun or not.

If you need anything, I am on a NA server, so you are welcome to give me a holler and if I can, I will be happy to run with you.

Cheers!

mjhungness.8059:

I know one citizen who’s going to spend the weekend taking screenies of all his favorite places in LA before they are changed. Someone above got it right: LA in the first GW was the first anchor of the game, the first place we (those that started with what was later called Prophecies) called ‘home’. GW2 has given us a different racial ‘birthplace’ but LA still feels like home, at least to me. We’ve had a year and half of this new version of LA and, regardless of the storyline that drives it, the changes will be sad to see. But the game was sold as being a living world, so be it. Kudos to ANet for being gutsy enough to take down a meaningful (and to some of us, sentimental) landmark.

Me too….

I remember when the lion statue was destroyed. They took their time to rebuild it, and it didn’t just “exist” one day after a patch.

I could see “rebuilding” LA, but I hope it’s not something done in a patch or two. I would love to see it take a year or so to rebuild it to some functionality. But, that’s just an opinion.

In the meantime, if you don’t want to be in any of my screenies, avoid LA for the next couple days

Here’s a couple:

I like the concept of the shared bag, but in a way we already have that with the bank. The inconvenient part is finding one.

One note about guesting… make absolutely sure that when you guest, you are not transferring servers. There are multiple threads (some as far back as when guesting was introduced) about how easy it is to accidentally transfer to another server if you hit the wrong button. If you should transfer, it’s an 1800 gem hit to your reserves(if you have them) if it’s a “high” population server that you’re trying to guest to.

“Challenge” is defined by the individual. Something I may think is faceroll easy might be considered a challenge for you (nonspecific plural.) Something I consider a challenge might be faceroll easy to you (again, nonspecific plural.)

If you take away all the forum posts and you examine your own definition of “challenge” and you find that the game is not “challenging” enough for you, then maybe it’s time for you to move on.

At least until they release something that you find interesting. You can come back then, and once you get used to the encounter, get bored and leave again. After all, it’s not like you’re paying a sub. You can come and go when you like.

In the meantime, I’ll be in-game having fun until I, too, find it “not fun anymore” and then I will do the same.

I have been playing this game from headstart (and beta before that.) I have at least 2K hours (probably more) in-game. I have 2 80’s and 6 other characters ranging in level from 20-65. I could have had more 80’s, but I was having way too much fun with the ones I already have. I am maxed in most of the crafting (still need huntsman and tailoring) and I have played every profession at least once. I think my experience in game is pretty well rounded.

I have formed an opinion about GW2 RNG and for better or worse, here it is:

Many people still have the idea that the more you try, the more likely it is that you will get it. In reality, it is not like that at all. If you have a 1 in 10,000 chance to get a particular item, it means that the chances of getting that particular item is the same on the 10,000th time you try as it they are on the first. This is why your friend can get a precursor in one try while you have to spend untold amounts of gold in the MF and still not get it.

The main problem is that the chances need to be tweaked. Not enough to ruin the already inflated economy, but enough so that there is a reasonable chance.

I would be much more willing to part with some of my gold if I knew the exact odds.

Right now, I might as well be playing Powerball (actual odds from their website are 1 in 175,223,510.) Unfortunately, it cost more than a couple bucks (gold) to play the precursor lottery.

In my case, getting a precursor is not something I am actively pursuing. If I have a couple extra things, I’ll toss them into the MF and see what happens, but there are way too many other pursuits that interest me more.

Conncept.7638:

Ashabhi.1365:

My Necro is a Black Norn. She is a decendant of an Elonian Paragon and a Norn Monk.

That’s… not possible. Norn and humans can’t have children together.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Norn

The section on physiology. It was stated in a PAX interview that none of the races have the physical capability of cross-breeding no matter how similar they may look.

Absolutely correct… My bad… but she still looks awesome ;-)

deadrebel.7409:

Okay, I’m going to take the unpopular opinion here.

People who log in and go AFK to wait for an event to start have earned the right to be there.

Anything you need to explore or do etc can be done in the overflow and if you’re looking to join the event, then just plan ahead.

You don’t see people who wait in line to go on a rollercoaster getting flak. They got there to own that spot early, so be it. It sounds a bit harsh but hey getting there earlier is easier than forcing ArenaNet to spread resources on something people will just work around, rather than interesting new content.

I understand where you’re coming from, but there are a couple of things you need to look at first…

1. It’s not the active players’ fault that the mechanics of the game allow people to be perennially AFK except for that minute or two it takes to position one’s self for an event. Active players (opinion alert) have just as much right to be in the “main” server to prepare as an AFKer who probably wouldn’t organize in the first place.

2. AFKers force active players to risk overflow simply because they can’t be there as soon as the last one ended just to be able to participate in an event two hours from now (sic) on the main server. What “right” do they have to force me into overflow by exploiting the AFK timer?

My opinion on AFKing is that things like crafting or chatting shouldn’t risk disconnect due to inactivity. Parking somewhere for an hour or two and watching TV or playing another game (or anything else for that matter) should immediately fall under the AFK timer.

A suggestion, of sorts:
One possible way to be able to discern active players who are chatting, crafting or whatever from perennial AFKers is that after a random amount of time over 20 minutes, a capcha pops up. If there is no input after 30 seconds or so, it disappears, and the random timer starts again. If the player misses 2 capchas, then they’re booted. If Active players can do them, those who are AFK cannot. If the capcha timer is truly random, people wouldn’t be able to simply set a timer so that they would be able to “beat the clock.”

Also, I want people to know that AFKers don’t really make me angry, because if I miss this event, I can catch the next one.

Having said that, my personal experience is that on the Marionette in particular, when the event was “new” there were tons of AFKers in the lanes. When they came back as the event started, they didn’t know what to do or where to be simply because they weren’t there to hear (see chat) what was going on.

I didn’t mind that they were gone while waiting, but I absolutely hated it that those of us who were there and organizing ended up carrying most of the AFKers because they didn’t have a clue what the rest of us had planned… At least some of the people who could have been there but were stuck in overflows might have been able to help us out.

TL;DR:
Being there is part of playing the game. Those stuck in Overflows have just as much right to be in the main server as those who are AFK. Those who are AFK could at least try to get back as early as they can in order to help organize and maybe actually help the event instead of hindering.

The only game I have ever seen that does this well is PWI (yeah, I know…)

They sold an item in the cash shop that was a consumable. If you said something with it, you could talk to the entire server.

While I wouldn’t mind having the option, I would hope that if they ever instituted something like this, it would be expensive enough that it wouldn’t be used indiscriminately. Also, I would hope it has a toggle like all the other “chats” and we could turn it off.

GuzziHero.2467:

Darker skin, especially dark African tones, look better real life in my opinion, since they show off muscle definition much more strongly than whiter ones. There’s a reason why body builders in competition use a lot of spray tanning.

I have a few darker skinned characters (I guess more is more bronze) and they look very beautiful but as mentioned above, in a 2-d setting you lose definition with dark colours. I don’t know if it is because of melatonin, or more likely shadows you get r/l and not in games.

There is, however, a SEVERE lack of customisation options in game which allow for a true African look. There are aspects of African facial features which the game doesn’t cater for (wider noses, deeper brows, more full ears etc). It’s a shame, really. My only truly dark skinned character had to be designed based on a Moroccan/north African appearance because of these limitations. She’s dark, but does she look African? Not really.

It depends on which part of Africa, as you said. Northern/Moroccan have more streamlined and “Euopean” facial features, and sub-Saharans tend to have flatter, more pronounced features. Both are beautiful, but they do speak to different heritages.

One of the other complaints that I have in choosing darker skin tones (whether black or simply brown/bronze) is that the tones don’t cover evenly on the Human models. The knees and elbows tend to look like they’re a full tone or two darker than the rest of the body, as if one has been playing in the dirt…anyone know why? The Norns don’t seem to have the same problem.

BTW: Did anyone notice that the Human have Beyonce’s face in the creation gallery? It’s only noticeable as hers if you choose a dark skin tone. I think it’s priceless! It’s a throwback to GW1, where they used Eva Mendez’s face (I forget which chapter.) Are there any other “celebrity faces” I missed?

My Necro is a Black Norn. She is a decendant of an Elonian Paragon and a Norn Monk.

My Mesmer is a displaced Elonan, brought to Divinity’s Reach by a whispers spy when he was a babe. He is also black.

I love the way they both look, and I would not hesitate to make more black and dark-skinned characters if they didn’t have such odd tones in their pallette. Some of them are kind of blue-ish, and the brown ones just don’t have the warmth.

I have never been one to make pasty white characters, and even my light-skinned avatars are darker than most.

For the record, I am white.

sorudo.9054:

Ashabhi.1365:

1. People who quit the game but find it necessary to troll the forums long after they’ve left…

2. Everyone with the “I want it nao for no effortz!!!” attitude…

The game is a beautiful game, and there are so many fun things to do I can hardly count them all, but when I come to the forums for information or to see what’s up with the meta, all I see is people who seem to think that trolling a forum for a game game they don’t play any more makes them look intelligent, or people who are unhappy that they can’t have everything handed to them on a silver platter.

maybe there is a reason they left, like, flaws that never get fixed or new stuff being buggy but never fixed ether etc….
they don’t troll, they are concerned about the game, all they want is the game to improve.
they payed for the game just as you did, they also have all the right to talk about this game in their own way just like you do.

I never said anyone couldn’t say what they want about the game.

…and I am pretty sure I can tell the difference between a troll post and genuine concern.

The OP asked what brings me (us) down, not what other people think should bring me (us) down. I simply stated the two things that irritate me more than anything else in the game.

I’m not saying there aren’t other things that bother me, but those two things are #1 and #2 on my list.

Blude.6812:

To the op, I respectfully ask that you read and add to the MANY threads that have beaten this subject to death instead of creating another redundant conversation…

^This.

/obligatory 15 char

To get back to the main point, more or less:

There is a lot of world out there. It is not the OP’s fault that people do not want to go explore it.

@the OP:
Most hearts and small DEs can be soloed, however anything that says “Group Event” is going to require a few more people, as is most champ fights once you get out of the level 15-25 areas.

If you’re going for map completion, most waypoints and POI’s can be done without engaging in any real fights, but some vistas and most skill points are guarded by “something or other.” Even so, most can be gained solo, if you take your time, and don’t aggro the whole map in the process.

As far as “sucking,” I don’t think it does. It’s only an opinion, but I’m having a ball out in the world rather than standing around in (insert city here) waiting for a zerg event to pop.

Good luck to you!

Actually, I kind of like Warbarin (play on War Baron) and Nornlander reminds me of all my relatives in Rhinelander, WI. Very American Swede. 7/10

My norn warrior is Ölvir Adalríkr – A truly rough translation is Ölvir The Strong Noble. (Adal – Germanic “Noble” and RíkR – Norse “Mighty or Strong”)

My guardian is Æsa Ölvisdóttir (Æsa, Ölvir’s Daughter, very traditional)and my Engineer is Jag Är Mangisdóttir (rough translation of Old Norse for "I am No On’es Daughter. She’s a rebel, ya know…)

and yes, I do realize this is an old thread, but it’s fun. :P

1. People who quit the game but find it necessary to troll the forums long after they’ve left…

2. Everyone with the “I want it nao for no effortz!!!” attitude…

The game is a beautiful game, and there are so many fun things to do I can hardly count them all, but when I come to the forums for information or to see what’s up with the meta, all I see is people who seem to think that trolling a forum for a game game they don’t play any more makes them look intelligent, or people who are unhappy that they can’t have everything handed to them on a silver platter.

I have seen many competent commanders in PvE. In large scale battles (Teq, Wurm, and to some extent Marionette) a good PvE commander can be very valuable. There are times I wish I would have had a tag so I could help coordinate the events instead of listening to some lootenant (to use Guzzi’s word) who can only lead by yelling at people and calling them names.

On Topic: I am sure there are display issues for commanders, especially most Asura because of placement. Opening a ticket about it isn’t a bad idea. I fervently hope that at some point they give us toggles to be able to “turn off” the icons on the map as well as in camera. As for those who have the commander tag, I would recommend that if it bothers you not to display it until it is needed.

Chaotic Storm.2815:

not so sure she be the type to betray anyone, too emotional and innocent by nature. That being said she is however the easiest to be manipulated because of said emotions.

Either that or she is the most clever and intelligent spy on Tyria.

The reskin of feathered armor is now on the same level as the other two sets of flamed armor in the gem shop. They have now made all 3 reskins of other easily obtainable armor. As much as I feel for those who purchased the T3 set, I think this was more equitable than coming up with an entirely new set for light and not doing the same for medium and heavy.

I am not saying that people should be happy with the redesign and shut up about it. All I am saying is that the design they made is more in keeping with the design of the other two sets.

I am not a fan of the feathered set, however pieces of it make fine additions to other sets. Right now I wear Kasmeer’s top, feathered bottoms, and no shoulders showing. I think my shoes are human T2 or something like that… not really paid attention recently. It makes a fine mix and the overall look is more dignified than the feathered top, which is more suited to a burlesque show.

EDIT: I don’t think ANet should give splitters…from what I understand about them is that they return the original armor to it’s original skin, right? If it were me, I’d rather have Crystals so I could buy what I want and re-skin.

A Massive Headache.1879:

Harpies were my first guess, but wouldn’t largos also be possible? I feel largos kodan would make more sense than harpy kodan.

To me, actually, Harpies sound more like something she would try to ally with the Kodan… She has a tendancy to take a “monster” race and combine it with either a benevolent race or a semi-benevolent such as the skritt or ogres.

I live in the US. For the first half of GW2’s life, I played on an EU server. Truly, the only issue that I had is when I played late into the evening, there weren’t a lot of people online, but first thing in the morning, and in the US early evening, it was pretty nice.

My hours at work changed drastically one day, so I moved to a US server, and it’s good for me. I guest around a lot to play with some friends on other servers, but in general, my server (Jade Quarry) is pretty full most of the time that I am online.

My advice t you is to move IRL first, and get the game up and running, and see if your home server is alive and kicking at the times you will be online before you spend the gems to transfer. If you decide to transfer, Jade Quarry, Blackgate, and Tarnished Coast are the most populated and high-profile that I have seen. JQ and Blackgate are pretty good in WvW as well. TC is the unofficial RP server.

Good luck to you!

@ the OP:

When I began to read this thread, I thought by the title that you would be lamenting the fact that there really is not a lot of things to do for small groups of people, unless you like to dungeon crawl.

Instead, I found a missive about what you want to change about the game, none of which involve providing said activities for small groups. That in itself is not a bad thing, but, the title and the discussion just didn’t fit well.

So, let me divide my response into two sections.

First let me say that I agree to a point, that there’s not a lot of things to do for small groups of people. If I wanted to go with my friends and do something, I am either forced to find a couple of other people (or a zerg) or leave a couple of people out (most activities such as Keg Brawl.) I would love it if the devs added some content that could be completed by smaller groups in the 5-25 range.

But I am not going to ask them to “do away” with the things that are already in the game. I am of the mind that just because you don’t enjoy certain aspects doesn’t mean there aren’t others who do. Taking that away from them is just wrong.

Secondly social activities don’t have to be game-organized. There are guilds who organize contests, activities, parties, etc., and pretty much invite the whole server to participate. If your guild isn’t “doing it” for you, then you might do a bit of research and maybe you will find one that is just right for you and your expectations of the game.

TL;DR
Just because you don’t like certain aspects of the game doesn’t mean that there aren’t others who do. Don’t take it away from them. Although it is true that this game does not have a lot of things to do for small groups of people, penalizing others solely to satisfy your needs is just wrong.

Nabrok.9023:

Ashabhi.1365:

I am going to reserve judgement until I have actually seen it and played it myself, but my initial take on it is that you will now have 3 types of game play:
1. PvE
2. PvP
3. EotM (a blending of PvP and PvE)

I don’t see this as a bad thing. I am sure there are a lot of other people out there who are like me, and dabble in both PvP and PvE, but find that exclusive maps are just missing that little something to make it perfect…

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the hell out of both PvE and PvP, but the EotM looks like it’s right up my alley.

I likes a lot of PvE with my PvP.

They drop the word “scarlet” and everybody just assumes it’s PvE. This map is no more a PvE map than any of the other WvW maps. There is no “blending”. Now, they have added some new mechanics to the map which previously have only been seen in PvE, but it is still very much a WvW map.

Btw, the three game types are: PvE, WvW, sPvP.

I see your point, but in general, if they’re adding Scarlet and the Aetherblades to a WvW map, it says to me that there’s going to be a bit more PvE in the map.

And as far as game types go, WvW and sPvP are both types of PvP. They are different, but they’re still primarily PvP.

Speaking from personal experience in other games where mounts were the norm, I can say that mostly, they clutter up the screen and drop your FPS even lower than a busy day in LA. They also give you a way to skip content (Flying mounts in PWI…click a destination and go make coffee while your beast moves you.)

The only mount I would say might add some variety or advantages would be if it were in an instanced race situation, and you would “earn” your mounts with wins. Even then, it would be video overload and lag would run rampant. Not everyone has a machine like mine that can handle a lot of particle effects or moving players.

BobbyStein.2315:

gidorah.4960:

BobbyStein.2315:

You’ll have to wait and see how we integrated story into the release. I think it works pretty well but I’m biased. I am looking forward to the feedback we receive next week.

you also thought scarlet was a good villain.

I also know the entire plot a year in advance.

You, good Sir, win the Internets for the day

I am going to reserve judgement until I have actually seen it and played it myself, but my initial take on it is that you will now have 3 types of game play:
1. PvE
2. PvP
3. EotM (a blending of PvP and PvE)

I don’t see this as a bad thing. I am sure there are a lot of other people out there who are like me, and dabble in both PvP and PvE, but find that exclusive maps are just missing that little something to make it perfect…

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the hell out of both PvE and PvP, but the EotM looks like it’s right up my alley.

I likes a lot of PvE with my PvP.

UW was great for what it was…

It was a lot of fun, but…

It wasn’t “all that and a bag of chips” so to speak. It was more difficult to complete than the regular instances, but it could be soloed very easily with the right build. It also fell victim to the CoF type groups who would do speed clears (again for the ectos.)

If they add the Underworld here, I would hope they make it somewhat like WvW in that people can gate to it any time they want, but it’s relatively “open world” once you get there.

zamalek.2154:

Ashabhi.1365:

Did you hear about the agnostic insomniac dyslexic Asura?

He stayed up all night wondering if there was a dog…

Correction: He kept everyone else up all night explaining his theories about the existence of a dog.

Ah… Thank you for the correction. ^^

I am doing relatively the same in both. They’re both running about 2/3…

I have been thinking a bit about this while at work, and I had another thought about the “organicness” of the CDI threads…

There are times that people bring up topics while in the midst of another that actually deserve their own discussion. I would really like to see a way in which we could branch out into other discussions when warranted.

As for the “template” idea, it would be ok, but I have found that a set of basic rules would be much better than a rigid template. I would hate to think that someone posted a great idea but was discounted because it didn’t follow a template.

I think that there’s room for both short, cincise posts and longer, essay style.

The key would be that the rules for posting would have to be set out at the beginning of the thread.

Example
Developer: I want to start to discuss (X). Posts should be as follows:
a. rule 1
b. rule 2
c. etc.

That way anyone who doesn’t follow the “suggested” format can be safely moderated.

Dear Shopkeeper:

Do you have that rarest of whines called “Moar Phat Loots”? I have heard that it comes from the venerable Sumpinfir Nuttin whinery south of Winterthaw.

Thank you for your support.

Char have a hard time with armor in general… I can only imagine the issues with capes.

An enterprising mesmer in LA placed a well timed portal by the stairs to the bank…problem was that the other end was waaaaaaaaaaaaay above the MF… Of course, people have this lemming mentality, and took advantage of “free portal.”

There is something horribly funny about a pile of player bodies on the pavement.

I wish I had the forethought of running fraps that day…as it was, I didn’t even get a screenie because I was laughing so hard.

Did you hear about the agnostic insomniac dyslexic Asura?

He stayed up all night wondering if there was a dog…

Chris Whiteside.6102:

1: We need to keep thread and post sizes more manageable. Should we put a limit on the word length of posts?

I believe people should be able to write anything they want, as long as they have a clear and concise summary at the end. I don’t mind if someone writes 6 paragraphs on flying mounts, as long as they summarize in a couple of sentences or so at the bottom so that I (and by extension you) can skim the post but still have a good idea of what the whole post was about.

Chris Whiteside.6102:

2: How are we going to chose topics moving forward, for example, by votes or by Anet choosing them etc?

Truthfully, I think that there should be another option, such as “most mentioned” or some such. If 65 people mention how (X) affects (y) compared to 12 people who want (z) added to the game, then the first group should take precedence if you have to make the choice of pursuing one or the other. If you can do both, fine, but the more something is mentioned, we can extrapolate that the more it needs to be discussed and should take precedence over something that is less visible.

Something else that would be immensely helpful to me, personally, is to carefully moderate the threads for off-topic posts. A rapidly evolving CDI thread can very easily be derailed by someone bringing up something totally unrelated to the subject at hand.

For instance: If we’re talking about the cost of Ascended vs. the cost of Legendaries, and someone starts posting about how much better Ascended is in WvW, all of a sudden, we’re not talking about costs any more, but effects. After 2 or 3 pages of this, we lose the original goal of the thread.

TL;DR

1. Don’t limit the size f the posts, but give a clear summary of wha was said at the bottom under a “TL;DR” (as this one is.)

2. Add other ways of deciding what gets discussed besides voting or personal preference of the devs. Something like “most often mentioned” or similar idea.

3. Finally, be more diligent in moderating off-topic posts. It’s hard to sift through them while trying to find the original goal.

Thanks for listening to us. We really do appreciate it.

Chewablesleeptablet.3185:

So even a tiny challenge such as Marionette is too much for the player base?

I hate to say it, but in some ways, yes.

For the last year and some months, almost all of the content in the game could be DPS’ed to the ground without having to really think about what you are doing. Even WvW was all about who can put out the most damage in the shortest amount of time.

Along comes the Marionette and all of a sudden, people have to change their play style in order to coordinate a successful run. The majority of the Zerker Zergs are having toruble with it. They’ll get it eventually, but in the meantime, they have to relearn how to do things like mitigate damage, remove conditions, support the other players and still manage to put out enough damage to kill the bosses.

I am not saying that the “DPS is King” play style is wrong, I am just saying that after being used to doing it that way for over a year means it will take time to learn other ways of doing it.

I don’t think the Marionette is “too much” for anyone. I do think that its one of the best designed events they have released so far. You can’t just waltz in and spam 1111161111 and expect to win. It’s hard to break old habits and learn new things, so yeah, blaming other players only shows one’s unwillingness to be responsible for their own self.

I would like to see an update to this as well.

Pexx.6327:

To the OP:

Uh…. what?

Seriously, though. Yes; the content is designed to be moderately challenging and requires players to utilize their classes to a better degree (and movement and damage avoidance) than normally seen. But this is not a developer problem here. It’s the exact opposite. It is completely a player competency issue.

I’ve read the response by Josh Foreman and I completely agree with his thoughts on the structure and feel of the event that was intended. We need more content that isn’t as brain-dead as 90% of the players are mucking it up to be. We need players to get better at the game. The game only stagnates if we don’t. It sounds to me like you just want this event to be another “loot pinata” affair and not a fair accomplishment that it currently is.

(Barring bugs) Does it suck that we have to rely on other players to not suck? I can see that being a yes. But, at the same time I can see that it sucks that players are not trying to get better because the community constantly tries to trivialize content by not trying to get the players to actually learn their classes and the actual mechanics of the game.

Demonizing the devs because they are wanting their players to improve (so they can bring out more fights and encounters with interesting mechanics such as the Marionette and the Great Jungle Wurm) is entirely counter-productive to the progress of the game.

/snip

So much this^

I empathize with the OP, but I don’t share his/her opinion. For months, this game was a snooze fest in which one didn’t really have to be skillful, they just had to have the right gear. People who think they’re invulnerable because they bought the right gear are having a hard time, new players and veterans alike.

Unlike the OP, even when the entire platform wipes and leaves the rest of us standing there, I (and a lot of other people) think it was a blast, and we get ready for the next encounter.

On the other hand, I have seen a couple of trolls go in to a platform and deliberately do things to force a fail. Those are the people who need the full fury of your wrath.

I think what we have here isn’t a discussion concerning casual or hardcore content, but yet another thread trying to define the difference between casual and hardcore players. The fact of the matter is that there will not ever be a definitive answer to the question of what a casual or hardcore player is. If you ask 1000 different people, you will get 1000 different answers.

Therefore, I will try to discuss only the content without discussing play styles.

While experienced players consider the marionette “casual” content and the wurms “hardcore” content, someone who has never played games like GW2 would consider both “hardcore” content, and vanilla EQ players would call them both “casual” content.

So it all boils down to perception.

The developers at Anet are trying to give GW2 both types of content. I am sure that they are well aware of the fact that if they go too far one way, they will alienate one set of players, and if they go too far the other, they will alienate another.

The marionette was designed specifically to last through the LS cycle and be gone. By its very nature, it has to be winnable by large groups of people who are only in it for the achievements or to be able to run through an event without worrying to much as to whether they can pewpew better than anyone else. Yes, there are a few mechanics that have to be learned (kittened bosses 2 and 3) but in general, one can pop into the zone, and with a minimum of planning, be able to participate and gain the rewards for doing so.

The wurm, on the other hand is designed as a permanent addition a la Tequatl, only much more difficult to complete (notice I didn’t say that it’s more difficult to participate…) I am by no means an inexperienced player, but I have yet to make more than one attempt, and what I saw going on during that time was mass confusion. As time goes on, people will learn the mechanics, and it will not seem as daunting as it does now, but it is still going to be something that is beyond the player who wants to simply pop in and DPS for a bit and expect to get rewards.

In the end, my opinion (and only mine, as I am not speaking for anyone else) is that there is room in GW2 for both types of content. Players are simply going to have to decide for themselves if they are willing to go through the planning and prep necessary to do a large-scale event such as the wurm, or if being able to jump in and participate on a whim is more to their liking. Personally, I like both, but my time is limited, and planning ahead is the ONLY way I am going to be able to do the wurm. If I want to do that content, then it’s on me to learn it and do it, not on ANet to make it easier for me.