Here are 8 changes/additions I would love to have implemented:
Short Version:
1. Remove Invulnerable Mobs
2. Remove Teleporting Fees
3. Dynamic Level Scaling = Area’s current level + (Character Level / 10)
4. Add timers to force advancement/reset broken events
5. Increase Defend events’ difficulty for each successive success
6. Be able to readjust trait points at will
7. Mob respawn times scaling to the number of players nearby
8. Fade obstacles to improve camera angling
Long Version:
1. Invulnerable Mobs. This feature needs to be completely removed. Players are being punished by using terrain to achieve tactical advantages. Players are being punished by the mechanism just plain being buggy and creatures randomly going invulnerable for seemingly no reason. Mobs go invulnerable underwater at random. Mobs can go invulnerable after being pulled very short distances. Random mobs can even go invulnerable when you initial melee combat right next to them. And to resolve story and event issues and prevent players from attacking related creatures before they make their doom and gloom speeches, simply set those creatures to “green” (friendly) until the fight begins just like skill point challenges.
2. Teleporting Fees. This has been discussed to death but this needs to be removed entirely. Go create another cosmetic gold sink. These fees just take away from what the spirit of what Guild Wars is and should be. Let people play where they want when they want unpenalized.
3. Dynamic Level Scaling. While I understand and support the system to an extent, I feel it should be tweaked with the following formula: Scaled Character = Area’s current level + (Character Level / 10). For example, if I am a level 50 character and I’m running around in a level 24 zone, I will be adjusted to level 29 in that zone. At level 80, I would be adjusted to level 32 in that same zone. Every 10 levels allows me to be one level over the maximum level requirement for the zone. This will still keep characters from being ridiculously powerful but also allow them to enjoy that content with the greater security a higher level should be afforded in a low level area. Like most games, if you’re having a hard time, you can go level up until you’re not. It will also allow higher level characters to play in lower level zones without worrying as much over being wiped out and paying those higher level repair fees.
4. Broken Events. First of all, all events that are breakable need to be fixed. We can’t be relying on server resets just to be able to play certain content. As a stop-gap measure or if certain events can’t be fixed in a reasonable amount of time, add in some timers in that if an event doesn’t progress after a lengthy amount of time either force progression or cause an event failure and reset the entire event. Which outcome will depend on the event.
5. Increase Difficulty for Successive Victories. This is really only a major issue on certain Orr events but some events are so crowded that they are pretty much always guaranteed a success. There were event chains I never knew even existed until I happened to have logged on soon after a server reset. I propose a way to eventually force failure on these events. After every successive player victory, the mobs for that event will spawn 1 level higher than previously. So if I’m at Shelters and it’s being defended by 25 bots, eventually those bots will be overrun by level 100 Risen and Shelters will fall (along with other areas that are always farmed). Some or all of these crazy high level mobs will remain encamped in these locations until the players sweep them away in the recapturing event. When it comes time to defend it again the mobs will be normal level for the first go around. I think this would add some excitement to these over-run defend events.
6. Traits. I’m sure this has been discussed to death as well. While not at first (hello refund points!), in Guild Wars 1 you could reset your character to any build style you wanted free of charge (or time). I feel this should be the same way in Guild Wars 2. Once I buy that level 60 book I should be able to add or subtract all I want.
7. Mob Respawn Times. Mobs should respawn at a rate depending on how many people are nearby. If the area is packed, have them respawn every minute. But if the area is deserted and you have one poor player trying to grind through hordes of monsters, raise that respawn rate much higher, maybe even 5 minutes.
8. Camera Angles. Certain vistas are extremely challenging not because of being able to time your jump but because there are walls and trees all over the place that get in your way and there is no camera angle you can find to alleviate this. If terrain and trees kind of faded out a bit when near your character it would help immensely.