Guild Wars 2

Oh, and shouldn’t this thread be in the HoT forum?

I’ve never been able to complete it, so ANY change (in the right direction) would be good.

But, there are two absolute disasters that really MUST be fixed:

The penalty box. Really? You die, and you get to watch and hope your comrades can carry your worthless self. Not fun. Not fun at all.

The blowers need to be much more clear. Someone who is blue/gray (or blue/yellow) colorblind simply can’t see them. I once went with another player, and I could see where he was catching the updrafts. But, to my eyes, there was no updraft there. Change the color to either orange or brown, so no color-blind people are completely prevented from seeing them. And, make sure whatever color/texture you use contrasts with the flooring.

And, I should add: I’m not interested in absolutely maxing my damage. (I despise power builds.) I want to know how to improve, for example, my condi builds or mes/chrono improvements.

I’m interested in knowing how I might use a DPS meter to improve my game play. I have no interest in using it to rate other players; such would be anathema to me.

What I’m asking for is specific things a DPS meter can do that could help my play. I’m OK with using “brand” names, but should the forum mods object, we’ll stop.

What kinds of features do they have? How can they help <insert profession> play better? etc.

To what is this referring? I don’t understand the OP at all, but obviously whatever s/he’s referring to is known by the rest of you.

Please enlighten me?

Cynz.9437:

I hope you are aware that reports do nothing in this game? I would have to make an actual ticket if i want support at least read the name of the player.

I agree with the bulk of your post. However, I want to point out that ANet DOES monitor the in-game bug reports. I’ve reported bugs that were followed within minutes by a system update.

Once, I reported a second, related bug after upgrading to the patch they released, and whoever did the update responded with a response quoting my own words (as in, “in quotes”). So, I know someone was listening, and in fact issued two patches within a few minutes as direct responses to my bug reports.

Mea.5491:

I will never use dps meters. This is a game, I just want to have fun in my free time instead of counting and improving numbers. I feel sorry for people who only care about numbers. It’s their loss.

I won’t go that far. I would consider using one for my own improvement. But, I would need to be certain that other people couldn’t see my numbers (except in aggregate with all other users). Because frankly, it’s none of their business.

Astralporing.1957:

My personal take on dps meters is that they are fine, if all in the squad agree to their use.

This is an interesting idea that ANet could easily implement. Just add a checkbox in LFG that the team will be using DPS meters. Then, only show people who have set the value the same as you did.

I can see some issues, but if it applied ONLY to generic DPS meter use, and not any specific tool, it would work.

MikeyGrey.2496:

In my experience, an individual may be nice but people in general are kittenholes… always were and always will be. Its not like ANet tapped into some previously unknown politeness well; game mechanics enforced cooperation. Now that there is conflict, people will use anything and everything to further their cause. In the right hands, DPS meters are amazing; in the wrong hands they are enabling.
I would suggest ANet come up with their own official in-game meter. That way they can better control its influence by what is shown to who and where it is used.

Agreed. I would support a DPS meter that compared my DPS, including all sources of damage, against an average of all players. THAT would be valuable to me, as a PVE player.

TPMN.1483:

… if your running at 50% of the DPS you should – why should they carry you?

Since nobody on the planet can measure the value of, say, crippling your opponent via DPS, I would say that argument is a non-starter.

How much damage gets credited to the person who applied burning when other people use weapons, skills, or traits that do more damage to burning opponents?

DPS is a ridiculously bad way to measure performance. It measures only pure burst damage, but its user claims to be measuring the value of a teammate. Those things are not even closely related to each other. There is at best a loose tie between DPS and party value.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that DPS meters make a party WORSE, because they favor power builds, at the expense of survivability builds or healing builds. How much value is there in a DPS to measure your druid (vs. the rest of the party)? It’s absurd even to consider that, and I’m pretty sure even the most ardent supporter of DPS wouldn’t. But, that person fails to realize the choosing to not check DPS on the druid is a reductio ad absurdum against the whole reason for using DPS as a tool.

UrMom.4205:

The third one, i’ve heard the estimation is pretty accurate with power but it gets less accurate with condi.

Correct: they cannot measure condi damage from a player, because the conditions themselves do the damage once applied.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Whoa. Slow down. The tool isn’t elitist (if anything, it treats everyone the same, something that observation alone cannot do). Elitists will use the tool to serve their elitist principles, sure. That’s a social issue, not a technological one.

No, he’s right. The ONLY possible reason for having a tool that rates other people is to exclude them, and that’s the very definition of elitist.

A non-elitist tool would not measure other people, except perhaps in aggregate.

ANet didn’t think this through (or, maybe they did and they’re just trying to satisfy elitists).

I’m not sure what you really mean, but don’t complain too much: I’ve been playing since before launch, have 23K achievement points, and I have never received a precursor.

Necros and rangers tend to be pretty easy to play while you’re leveling up. The ranger gets knee-capped at level 80, though, due to the specialization being druid. However, the necro because an unstoppable force once he becomes a reaper.

One other thing: resist the temptation to use scrolls or whatever to quickly level up (for your first 1-3 characters). I’ve found playing through the levels, while it’s long, it teaches you a lot on the way. Once you’ve run 2-3 characters through to 80, then you can use tomes and scrolls.

I’m not sure how long we’re going to get to keep these stabilizers working as they are, but they sure make for cheap transportation if you’re ready for it. Now I’m not so bothered by those “phantom events”.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I do recognize that ANet has at least two important reasons for establishing one, neither with anything to do with helping people maintain their position on a leaderboard.

People keep saying this, but ANet hasn’t.

Thanks!

Now all I need to do is get my other 14 characters over there (the device is soulbound).

OK, thank you!!!

OK, I have one now. I was right: you can’t get it without someone else’s help.

So, how did the first one get into the game?

And, what does a rift look like?

OK, I’ve talked to Auris now, but his dialog is supposed to change once I’ve seen him teleport. It hasn’t. Am I missing something?

Vayne.8563:

You mean you can’t get onto a populated map and map while they’re doing the meta? It’s 100% possible.

He’s specifically asked about the mastery points.

Ayrilana.1396:

The reward being that they no longer have to grind for AP similar to the reward of some infinite achievements (i.e. salvage and dungeon) having a cap so players don’t have to continuously grind those.

That still doesn’t make any sense. People are “rewarded” for being forced to stop something implies that they didn’t want to do it in the first place? So, they can reward themselves by simply stopping.

Me, too, Sarpan.

Thanks!

They’ll likely have a sale in April to celebrate the birth of GW, and another in August for GW2. At least I hope so.

felincyriac.5981:

I was looking more into the hero points stuff in the HoT map, whilst I can solo some of the boss ones there are a couple in each map that are just impossible to solo and with the lack of players you can’t really do much…

OK, I’ll add to my first post: when you’re in LFG, advertise “hero point train” for the zone you’re in. An HP train is a bunch going from one HP to the next, all the way through the map. I think.

Vayne, that doesn’t work at all. He wants MAPPING, not meta. Even if he taxis into a map that’s doing the meta, he still won’t be able to get the zone mapped, because all those people will be doing the meta.

The zone is dead, except for the meta itself.

OP, the only way to solve your problem is to find a team to go there with you. LFG would work, although you might have a long wait. Probably the best way is to find a guild to join, even temporarily.

I got so frustrated with it that I gave up on ever attaining anything close to all the masteries. I’ve had to force myself to shut down all desire to ever complete the HoT mastery tracks. That way, I don’t feel as bad about it, since it’s impossible for someone my age and time commitment level.

Xiahou Mao.9701:

Daddicus.6128:

The rift events could be it.

But, even after reading the wiki, I don’t know what to do about them. How do you jump through a rift? I don’t think I’ve ever even seen one.

And, it’s impossible to jump through something when the only way to create it is by having a device that you only get AFTER you’ve jumped through it.

If you go to Gillscale Pond at Fields of Ruin, there should be some rifts in that vicinity that start out open for you to jump through and kick off the whole thing. That’s where players were directed to head when they debuted five months or so ago.

AHA! THAT solves the problem. I wish I had read your post first. Thanks!

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Someone else opens a Rift; you jump through. I open them all the time. If you are on NA, I would be happy to open one for you.

Unfortunately, not all of the CS Team plays the game, or are as familiar with it as some of us. You could update your ticket, or contact Michael H., and enlighten them.

Good luck.

That would work, but it doesn’t solve the problem. Somebody had to open the first rift, with a device they could only attain once they had already gone through it.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

By ‘retired’, do you mean players that no longer play the game? Would there conceivably be a time where all the ‘veterans’ stopped playing so ‘new players’ could catch up?

Or is the goal of these ‘new players’ just to get their name on the Leaderboard? How many players (current, retired, or yet-to-play) even look at the Leaderboards, much less aspire to be named on it?

I don’t think the cap ever had anything to do with ‘new players’ catching up. Because, in my opinion, that’s just impossible as long as there are ‘veterans’ still playing, even if said ‘veterans’ only play for a few days with each content release.

Again, until ANet TELLS us their reasons, we can’t debate the motives at all, at least not validly.

Ayrilana.1396:

“Penalizing” to some loyal customers and a relief to others.

If it truly is a relief to some, they have a strange understanding of reward. That’s not at all logical.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

That’s an interesting idea.

I’ve generally advocated that they set a benchmark amount of AP to shoot for each year. If they release that much via new chieves, then leave the cap alone; if they don’t, then increase the cap 1-2x/year, so that there’s always room for growth among veterans.

DR would definitely slow acquisition down. But it also feels like ANet is punishing veterans. In contrast, raising the cap (to me) seems like ANet is expanding options, rather than reducing them.

Actually, it’s penalizing veterans as it is. DR would just punish us less.

It happens all over the place in the game. At each character level, the next level costs more XP. At each crafting level, the next one costs more (up to a certain point). After level 80, XP is worth a lot less than before. Etc.

And, if they diminish the returns the right way, we wouldn’t even notice it.

The rift events could be it.

But, even after reading the wiki, I don’t know what to do about them. How do you jump through a rift? I don’t think I’ve ever even seen one.

And, it’s impossible to jump through something when the only way to create it is by having a device that you only get AFTER you’ve jumped through it.

Finally, if it was it, and it’s this easy to figure out, why doesn’t tech support know about it? The latest action they gave me was to rebuild my game from scratch.

MikeyGrey.2496:

…Anet can slowly raise the cap every once in a while when they feel it is best. Of course, no one sad it will be raised either. Just being optimistic.

They have never raised the cap, nor even responded to the question “why?”

Tanek.5983:

This is kinda my reaction. Maybe it is because I am not at the cap yet, but I had ZERO idea people were ONLY logging in for that 10 points a day.

No, it’s not like that. I would make sure I logged in, but I spent the vast majority of my time in non-daily activities. But, now, I have to talk myself into just logging in. Once I’m in, I’ll usually do some mapping for whatever on top of dailies.

Are you listening ANet? Diminishing returns would accomplish the same goal, without penalizing your most loyal fans. You do it EVERYWHERE in this game. Why not for APs?

Manasa Devi.7958:

But here’s the kicker: playing less frequently leads to a lessened interest in what’s going on with the game. I haven’t even skimmed over the recent balance update yet, even though I played for a little bit. I just don’t care about some numerical changes. Stuff still dies when I swing at it.

I’m perfectly okay with playing less. It means I get to do other enjoyable stuff more often. This process of waning interest is not something particular to me though. “Out of sight, out of mind” is so common a state of mind that someone ages ago made up an expression for it. The whole thing is no skin off my back. You have to ask though if ANet can afford to let player interest lapse because of this.

And even more importantly, if I’m playing less, I spending less money on the game. This past Christmas I actually told my family not to buy GW gems for me for Christmas. It has been a staple for them since launch, but between the HoT disaster and the cap, I’ve lost my motivation to spend much money on the game any more.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

If you want it removed, help ANet figure out how to achieve the goals they consider important to the game’s health, not just any individual’s personal goals.

Diminishing returns would make it easy. Just make the dailies worth only 8 once you hit 10,000, and 6 @ 20,000, etc. But, don’t take them completely away.

Ayrilana.1396:

Getting to the cap is a little slower but how many people actually did 10+ daily achievements consistently every day with the old system?

I have missed 34 days since launch (a 30-day boycott and 4 days where I didn’t have a computer).

Well, up until they screwed us over for being loyal players. Now it’s not so important to me to play every day.

Diminishing returns I could see. But, a hard cap is just ludicrous. It makes no sense whatsoever to penalize your most loyal customers. But, there it is.

I’ve been seeing a lot of what I’m calling phantom event markers. What I mean is the round event symbol is on the map, and pointed to by the compass, but when you get there, there’s no event. Even if you’re standing right on top of it.

Worse, they seem to follow me around the map. One will disappear behind me, and another pops up just in front of me.

They started with one of the early builds of LS3. They only happen in core Tyria, and (I think) not in high-level zones (70+).

Any ideas what’s going on?

Randulf.7614:

Sea of Sorrows. It takes place ….

Thank you!

Only youngsters and fools rage-quit without a good reason.

I gave up on finishing HoT because it’s so difficult. But, I didn’t quit the game. I vowed I would never buy the next expansion unless it was clear from non-ANet sources that it wasn’t overpoweringly difficult (like HoT was).

They also had to fix the mapping. They seem to have learned their lesson with the LS3 maps; they’re a lot easier to navigate once you’ve been through them.

So, I still like the game (minus HoT zones). I would stick around.

To answer the original question, I would spend it on achievement point (AP) items. Like miniatures from one of the sets, etc.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

@Daddicus: did you end up buying it?

Actually, I will be. Next time there’s a sale, though, so as to cancel out part of the expense.

RandomWolf.3986:

If you are interested in this universe, explore the events that took place during GW1 and read the three amazing novels. Anything related to GW2 should be forgotten as we all know how rushed, cliché and milked the overall story is.

Three novels? I’m only aware of two (Ghosts and Destiny’s Edge). What’s the third?

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

If you’ve not yet unlocked all the easily acquired/less expensive armor/weapons in-game, you could be disappointed with the BLC Keys.

If you have, you could, possibly, score some sweet account unlocks.

Good luck.

I don’t understand what you mean in that first paragraph.

They could hang you upside down and make the emote “/Houdini”.

Good points.

One thing is that if you’ve already bought something for the homestead, then buying extra saves considerable time over farming those same things naturally. So, that’s a plus (although, not a financial one, as Illconceived pointed out.)

Djinn.9245:

This is what I object to. I love the story of GW2 but I don’t understand why Anet chose to keep me from participating in it this way.

I didn’t even know about it until this thread, but the LS3 stuff did seem a bit disjointed. I had no idea that they were using excluded content.

OK, thanks.

What about what implement you need?

When you buy a basic harvesting node pack, the wiki says you get three nodes: herbs, roots, and veggies.

But, it doesn’t say what tier comes out of them, nor does it say what implement you need. Does anybody know?