Guild Wars 2

Dark Catalyst.1028:

Nothing says legendary like stretching your patience and finances to the limit while sitting in the Mystic Toilet.

That one made me laugh quite hard.

I guess it’s better to laugh at it than cry or rage eh?

Nick.6972:

I found it quite hilarious actually.
You’d think I’d get at least something back, but nope.

Isn’t that why we all call it the Mystic Toilet?

tolunart.2095:

Calae.1738:

declan.3968:

But you don’t discover said item. You buy a recipe for 21k karma(inscription) and 5 laurels and 3g.

That’s a very easy problem to fix.
.

It’s not a problem. It’s just the way the game is designed to work. Solving a non-problem by making the system much more complicated will only confuse people and introduce new bugs that have to be fixed.

Put away the hammer, there are no nails here.

Actually there is a problem. A big problem which will probably impact the health of the game in the not too distance future.

The current cost to equip multiple characters with ascended gear is too high in my opinion. This will create an opportunity for the competition to strike a death blow to GW2 if left unchecked. Aside from competing studios marketing their game to be “alt friendly”; you’ll start to see existing GW2 players become disillusioned with the game if they haven’t already.

I applaud Arenanet’s efforts for making some grinds less intense by switching from soulbound to account bound. However, I can’t help but see Arenanet hammering the nails of their own coffins with the way they’re handling Ascended gear.

declan.3968:

But you don’t discover said item. You buy a recipe for 21k karma(inscription) and 5 laurels and 3g.

That’s a very easy problem to fix.

The recipe could be a list of ingredients rather than a consumable. The recipe item itself could also be a required item used in the discovery process.

Finnway.2183:

What do you mean by “cost”? Anet can’t lower the cost of items in the Trading Post because those are sold by players —not Anet. They could reduce the requirement of Soulbound/Accountbount crafting materials though.

The cost of ascended items through crafting are materials and time. The amount of materials needed and time invested could be reduced after the initial discovery of said item.

I’ve opened 500 heavy loot bags recently and received considerably less Tier 6 than usual. Is anyone else getting similar results? The cost of the bag is much higher than the return.

Should the cost to craft Ascended items be lowered after the initial discovery (first craft)? Wouldn’t that promote build diversity and multiple professions per account? This wouldn’t effect accounts that only play 1 profession would it?

You could make the argument that due to WvW GW2 is becoming pay to win. The competitive nature of WvW and the introduction of ascended gear provides some weight to the P2W argument. If ascended gear was inaccessible in WvW then that would be a different story.

The developers made a conscious decision to include ascended gear in WvW for logistical reasons; even though it went against everything they originally stood for.

lordkrall.7241:

Calae.1738:

Increasing the level cap implies stat inflation. Which means that there will be tiers beyond ascended. Which also means GW2 isn’t any different than the others.

Not necessarily.
An increased level must not mean new tiers. It is fully possible to stay with the same tiers but with higher levels.

Then I don’t understand the point of increasing levels.

Leveling isn’t fun. What’s fun is unlocking new skills and abilities. You can do that without leveling. Stat inflation via leveling and gear grinds is a pointless treadmill designed to keep the hamsters running on the hamster wheel.

Increasing the level cap implies stat inflation. Which means that there will be tiers beyond ascended. Which also means GW2 isn’t any different than the others.

Obviously the target market is people who take cabs.

I get it, they’re trying to get people who never played an MMO into MMO’s. This won’t end well.

Knighthonor.4061:

Calae.1738:

Knighthonor.4061:

Please add more fun to GW2.

Why take so long to add new fun features?

What you will inevitably figure out at some point is that fun is entirely subjective to a certain point of view. MMO’s that target everyone end up pleasing no one. You have to know who your target market is and continue to deliver for that market.

It’s clear to me that GW2 is extremely casual. What I dislike about their current strategy however, is how they add long, boring, tedious grinds to the game and hope people buy gems to make it consume less time. This is a hallmark of F2P games especially in Asia where the population is very easily exploitable.

I’m afraid that the subscription model will be making a come back since Arenanet couldn’t find a way to stay profitable without incorporating grinds.

Fun is subjective, but thats why I asked for New Features.

Something new. Not just new additions to old features ( aka new living story. We already have LS. Why not a new feature? We already have JP, and Dungeons. I like something new to go to the list)

Honestly, at this point, I dont even care if the feature is buggy or not. I just want new features to play and enjoy.

New classes, skills, traits, utilities and weapon skills would definitely spice up the game. If there’s one thing I know that can keep players playing is learning how to play with their new toys.

We’re not getting much in terms of quality content in my opinion.

That’s why nothing feels fun. There’s nothing to master. There’s nothing new to learn. It’s the same rides, just the rewards are different. Even when they introduce new rides, they’re gone in a few weeks. Even if they were permanent, they’re too easy and too boring to repeat.

Knighthonor.4061:

Please add more fun to GW2.

Why take so long to add new fun features?

What you will inevitably figure out at some point is that fun is entirely subjective to a certain point of view. MMO’s that target everyone end up pleasing no one. You have to know who your target market is and continue to deliver for that market.

It’s clear to me that GW2 is extremely casual. What I dislike about their current strategy however, is how they add long, boring, tedious grinds to the game and hope people buy gems to make it consume less time. This is a hallmark of F2P games especially in Asia where the population is very easily exploitable.

I’m afraid that the subscription model will be making a come back since Arenanet couldn’t find a way to stay profitable without incorporating grinds.

I use to play 3 classes and had multiple weapons and armor for different builds and styles. Now I only play 1 class and 1 build.

Stars.2179:

One can define long term for legendary as in it should take about 1 year per legendary.

So my question to those who say it’s not alt-friendly is: why there is a rush? If you have 8 characters, it would take about 1-2 years for you to equip them all. Just play normally, farm here and there a bit at a time.

I don’t know about you, but do you honestly think that this type of system will appeal to the younger generation? The instant gratification “credit card” generation?

You’re asking a younger group of gamers to play for years to get what they want? In my opinion, this business strategy will ultimately fail.

Even if GW2 somehow manages to attract an older audience with disposable income “which isn’t available to younger generations at this moment” how long do you think this strategy will hold when 3 big RPG titles release next year?

Time is the only commodity that has any real value in a virtual world.

I agree that people are willing to pay real money to make the grind consume less time. It’s not unreasonable to assume that Arenanet believes that long grinds through ascended/legendary crafting might be a long term and profitable business model.

I suppose time will tell.

Legendary accessories and armor. Customizable stats. Triple the material cost of ascended.

Lord Kuru.3685:

I would have assumed that (generally) the more alts a person plays, the longer it takes for the game to become boring, the more gems Anet makes. So why is Anet making everything so alt unfriendly (ascended gear, WXP, for example) is a mystery to me.

They have different people in their company tasked with doing different things. Their internal communication and game direction is quite poor.

I am so discouraged from making and playing an alt that getting bored of GW2 will probably come quicker than most MMO’s I’ve played.

Clockwork Bard.3105:

So, reading those quotes, they really do intend to create a gradual but constant power growth. For example, they fully expect to one day raise the level cap. In doing so, all that shiny ascended gear will cease to be the pinnacle of gear and you’ll need to suit back up again. Only your legendaries are safe.

If I was an MMO developer right now; I’d make sure my game would be alt-friendly with minimal grinds. So this way I could bite a chunk out of Arenanets customers.

ArmoredVehicle.2849:

Depending on how much a person plays this game per day/week this can take a very long time.

I can’t speak for everyone, I can only speak for myself.

Creating an alt and gearing it up to maximum stats requires a heavy time and money investment. I say money because I choose not to grind. To avoid the grind I spend real money to buy gems and convert it to gold. When I sit down and do the math, each character could cost 50$ or more.

In addition, getting ascended gear with different stat combinations is also discouraging me from experimenting with different builds and styles of play due to the time and money investment.

I wish I could sit down and have a discussion with them face to face and explain to them why I believe the direction they are taking with this ascended gear is bad for the health of their game.

Stars’ list is so frightening that every MMO developer would probably shudder just reading it.

Stars.2179:

Cassius.4831:

Hahaha, all of them? you know the rules…. “#32 – Pics or it didn’t happen”

Maybe not all. Here are the pics. Note almost all of the mats are refined, which means x2 or x3 or x4 for the original scrap depending on the type.

I notice I am still lacking on the tier 2 wood and metal departments.

Dude seriously?

I would like to add something to this discussion worth pondering, especially if a developer is reading this…

A game that has an alt unfriendly gear treadmill is in direct conflict with the personal story and living story systems. Players are encouraged to gain new experiences through story driven gameplay but are discouraged to play them due to the gear treadmill.

But I’m sure Arenanet knows their game design doesn’t make sense. Right?

To gear 8 characters to maximum would take you more time than it would take the developers to introduce another tier after ascended. Which is probably the point.

Keep the hamsters running on the hamster wheel… forever.

Yargesh.4965:

Calae.1738:

Clockwork Bard.3105:

Oh no, I’m being overwhelmed! Too… many… enemies… A stroke of luck, I’ve eliminated one of the threats! That’s just the opening I need to reach into my belt pouch and sift through the 400 pounds of copper ore, 15 trees worth of wood, a full pantry, an armory complete with thousands of arrows and rubber axes and my entire wardrobe. There, I find my second pet, a thousand pound brown bear named Bob. He quickly passes me a specially blended poultice I keep for just such medical emergencies. It does the trick and I’m back in the action!

Bob, fetch my Charrzooka, if you please.

Yea, how is it possible to carry 40,000 logs of wood in our bags anyway?

15 trees is about 60 logs of wood in game.

Well a stack is 250 logs and I have 160 slots in my bags. I could technically carry 40,000 logs of wood which would probably be the size of a skyscraper. Unless of coarse there’s some kind of sorcery involved.

Clockwork Bard.3105:

Oh no, I’m being overwhelmed! Too… many… enemies… A stroke of luck, I’ve eliminated one of the threats! That’s just the opening I need to reach into my belt pouch and sift through the 400 pounds of copper ore, 15 trees worth of wood, a full pantry, an armory complete with thousands of arrows and rubber axes and my entire wardrobe. There, I find my second pet, a thousand pound brown bear named Bob. He quickly passes me a specially blended poultice I keep for just such medical emergencies. It does the trick and I’m back in the action!

Bob, fetch my Charrzooka, if you please.

Yea, how is it possible to carry 40,000 logs of wood in our bags anyway?

EverythingXen.1835:

Yep. The adrenaline rush is temporary, gets you back on your feet to keep fighting.

If no one around to fight, you take the time to heal your wounds (out of combat regen)

I’d be more concerned why you’re getting killed by a bird.

If it was temporary you’d go down again after a certain amount of time. The downed state makes you bleed health until 0. The act of fighting for your life is an attempt to avoid you from reaching 0. But when you rally, you gain health, similar to chugging a potion or casting a spell.

I’m interested in understanding the “magic” in healing yourself by killing a bird.

mtpelion.4562:

Calae.1738:

Lets say I’m on the ground fighting for my life. I’m weak, beaten and throwing rocks at a bird. If I hit and kill the bird I Rally. Why?

What kind of sorcery is this?

You’re surprised by sorcery in a world that is held together by magic?

I want to be able to understand that magic. I’m not satisfied with just magic. Why is the sky blue? Because magic. Duh.

Zerole.7306:

The thrill of victory, man, YOLO

If so then that would imply an adrenaline rush? Aren’t those temporary? How does ones wounds permanently heal after acquiring the thrill of victory?

Lets say I’m on the ground fighting for my life. I’m weak, beaten and throwing rocks at a bird. If I hit and kill the bird I Rally. Why?

What kind of sorcery is this?

Markus.9084:

Calae.1738:

First of all, understand this…

Zergs and large battles are what Arenanet wants in terms of gameplay; despite the lagfest and single digit FPS. They think it’s “epic”. Try to get a developer to come here on their own forums and get them to rationalize this gameplay design philosophy and I’ll mail you 100 gold.

Nope.

Devon Carver

Everyone who plays WvW has encountered the zerg, either as a member or as a victim. The zerg is an important part of the game, but it shouldn’t be the best strategy for victory.

An important distinction should be made between large, organized groups of players making strategic strikes and mindless groups of players running around in a mob.

Our goal is to continue to encourage organized large groups while giving small, tactical groups the necessary tools to put a dent into larger mobs of less-skilled players.

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/devon-carver-on-the-future-of-world-vs-world/

Interesting. June 5th 2013? Any news on that since then?

First of all, understand this…

Zergs and large battles are what Arenanet wants in terms of gameplay; despite the lagfest and single digit FPS. They think it’s “epic”. Try to get a developer to come here on their own forums and get them to rationalize this gameplay design philosophy and I’ll mail you 100 gold.

So I was in a 1v1 with another Thief. Got him down. Just as the stomp is about to land, he rallies. Throwing rocks at a dog.

After laughing somewhat hysterically for a moment, I realized that I wasn’t laughing because it was funny. I was laughing at the silliness that is GW2 PVP.

What’s your silly rally story of the day?

If Arenanet does nothing about it, why would that be surprising? It’ll boost gem sales since quartz will be more expensive. For all we know it could have been arenanet themselves that flushed out those items.

Maybe what they should do is release the 3 new fractals under a different ruleset and instance. Leave the old fractals exactly the way they are and showcase it like a museum.

Senjun.8149:

wolfer.1587:

Senjun.8149:

Kamui.3150:

We also could do quite well if we had a trait which caused Chill to deal damage, similar to the way that Necros have a trait which lets them inflict damage with Fear. The devs are worried about making Water too strong though, so we prob won’t see that for a good while. Our Chill-inflicting skills also need to have longer Chill duration than what they currently inflict.

Im not sure how anet justifies a 25 sec cd chill that only chills for 3 seconds and deals next to no damage. You know if that was an engy ability or a necro ability its cooldown would be 10-15 seconds tops. (focus chill)

Take a look at what Rangers get: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Winter%27s_Bite

Not surprised.

That’s how they balance the 20 skills Elementalists have over the 10 other classes have. There’s no real balancing other than doubling the cooldowns because they have double the skills. It’s that stupid.

Titanimite.2534:

I agree with you guys completely, first dungeons now this. I leveled multiple characters to get rewards more than once a day. They are now nerfing the rewards and destroying all my hard work. Thanks alot ANet. >.<

You have no idea what hard work is. If a video game is hard work then I feel really bad for you. Especially GW2. Casual central.

Yea sure lets have people grind 100+ fractals on their alts to get back up to lvl 30.

Good idea.

This is so confusing.

Is AR only usable on this new AR slot? What if someone has +5 AR infusions on their accessories, amulets, weapons? Will those AR infusions be deleted?

I don’t see what the fuss is about, everything that everyone did beyond 30 is now completely pointless because the difficulty system is changing.

Look at it this way, the old 30+ was for noobs. The new 30+ are for real pros. You want to keep your old 30+ fractals? Why? Want to remembered as a noob?

Compensation for exploiting to 48? Hopefully not.

I like the idea of the reset, especially if fractals will be more challenging.

For those people that said they worked hard to get to 48, just keep in mind that most if not all players, including myself, exploited our way to 48. There was no challenge. We always found something that bypassed game mechanics.

McFly.2134:

Calae.1738:

McFly.2134:

I literally just created an Infused Quiver of a Thousand Arrows. Are they removing its inherent +5 AR? This is such a dumb bish move if they do.

They probably thought everyone would do fractals back in November 2012 and decided to create an eco/tier 6 item sink with ascended mystic forge recipes.

Since no one is doing fractals anymore and ecto/tier 6 has increased in cost by over 10 fold it becomes very impractical for people to grind 100 gold worth of mats for 5 agony resistance.

Don’t you agree?

Um, I don’t really agree obviously as I just recently DID said grind. It’s not an argument of practicality. There is nothing practical about grinding for legendaries that give zero “practical” boosts (just an example). It’s about getting a top-tier item that a minority of people have. It’s easy to get 30-35 AR. That push to 50 AR is supposed to be much more difficult/time consuming. Two weeks worth of grinding after work to buy 250 ectos. BAM, sorry brah. You should have jsut right-clicked that stack of ectos and selected “destroy.” Would have been the same outcome.

Di you create the non-infused version and the infused version together? That’s 250 vicious claws and 300 ectoplasms. 185g down the drain does hurt, I’ll give you that.

McFly.2134:

I literally just created an Infused Quiver of a Thousand Arrows. Are they removing its inherent +5 AR? This is such a dumb bish move if they do.

They probably thought everyone would do fractals back in November 2012 and decided to create an eco/tier 6 item sink with ascended mystic forge recipes.

Since no one is doing fractals anymore and ecto/tier 6 has increased in cost by over 10 fold it becomes very impractical for people to grind 100 gold worth of mats for 5 agony resistance.

Don’t you agree?

Most of their resources are allocated to generating revenue and retaining players. Bug fixing and polish isn’t their priority.

For those of us sitting on a metric ton of silk, I for one welcome our new speculative overlords.

lunacrous.6751:

DevonCarver.5370:

Chuck Zitto.2367:

We need more things to use them on or to atleast be able to sell them. Myself and tons and tons of other people have gotten to the point we just destroy them. They take up inventory space.

Without giving any specifics, I’d highly recommend you change that strategy. There are things coming soon that will give you lots to spend it on.

So then, we can safely assume that dragonite gains will be significantly improved for WvW players prior to or simultaneously with these new uses for it? Right? Surely this won’t be a way of excluding those of us who don’t already have eleventy-billion dragonite from character advancement.

The only people who are swimming in empyreal and dragonite are those who play on stacked servers. The only people who will be getting all the empyreal and dragonite needed for ascended armor in a reasonable amount of time are those who play on stacked servers.

There’s a gem purchasing initiative in there somewhere.

I don’ t think they will ever balance the Elementalist. I think they have a fundamental problem in understanding how this profession actually works.

They put so much value in the fact that they have 20 skills instead of 10. They realize that Elemental attunement has become a necessity due to quick access to the protection boon and the regeneration/condition removal synergy with the Water traits. Arcane and Water have so much synergy it’s almost like they were designed to be together by accident. Water increases healing and health which strengthens the Elementalists weak defences and also includes Cantrip recharge reduction, which happen to be the best utility skills to use.

If Fire, Earth and Air could have a similar synergetic relationship, how would running around with low healing, low health, no protection, reduced regeneration/condition removal skills, higher Cantrip cooldowns and slower attunement swapping benefit the profession with the lowest health and armor in the game?

HOW?

zimzim.3624:

I don’t like farming, so I spend more than $1,200 lol. I don’t mind because I rather spend my time working part-time as a programmer and gaining experience irl rather than sitting down farming.

8 hours in game I probably get around 40g? But 8 hours working part-time during my weekends as a programmer gives me around $40 per day, equivalent to around 170g now.

I look at it that way as well.

1 hour of farming in game nets me around 5g if I’m lucky. Compare that to 1 hour salary at work spent on gems and I could easily get over 100g.

I’ve contributed around 500$ since August 2012. My support for Arenanet has diminished since launch. The bulk of my support occurred in the first 6 months after the game released. After some game design philosophy changes I contributed much less.