Guild Wars 2

Solidbeatz.8571:

Devata.6589:

In my opinion everything that is part of the game should be in the game, not in some cash-shop. So when you get gems anyway I would only spend them on things that should not be in the game itself. Character slots or a name changer for example. I guess bank tabs are sort of oke. But it really depends on how you look towards it.

Anyway, that sort of things are really additions to the game and you don’t support taking elements that should be in the game out of the game and into the cash-shop.

Don’t call it a cash shop. You can get EVERYTHING in the gem store without spending a dime in real life.

And because of that it’s not a cash-shop? I many games with a cash-shop you can get the items also ingame. It just takes much longer or is very boring to get.. Just like in GW2 where to get it you need to grind a lot of gold. And then there are the temporary available items that you can only get at that moment so you also need to the gold at that moment.

But most important.. It;s very much an element outside of the game. It are mainly items you can not find in the game-world and items you can buy with cash. So it’s very much a cash-shop.

Anyway, all I suggested was to take also into account what the effect is of a purchase. If you don’t mind them taking elements out the game and putting them in a cash-shop then go ahead and buy your mini (for example). But I you prefer mini’s to be content of the game. Stuff you play for directly in the game then don’t buy mini’s with real money. It’s just something you should think about when spending money. He asked what to look for, I gave this as a tip.

Here is a thread about guild tools that has been running almost since the beginning (had to be recreated when the suggestion topic was removed):
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Guild-System-Improvements-Suggestions/first#post3943131

I think almost every suggestion is in there. I would suggest trying to keep all suggestions in one topic.

I like that they finally implemented Last-Online but thats something that should have been there at Alpha imho. Then a few weeks after release they should have noticed that guilds who do not require 100% representing need a Last Represented tool and also the need for a calendar should have been clear. That should have then been implemented in the first half year.

However I am happy to see that we finally are at the stage we should have been at release if it comes to guild-stuff. Now lets go on for the other tools guilds need.

The feature pack patch implemented Last Online. Very helpful for many guild. When guild do not require 100% repping then a ’Last Represented” is still needed.

I updated the orginial post.

In my opinion everything that is part of the game should be in the game, not in some cash-shop. So when you get gems anyway I would only spend them on things that should not be in the game itself. Character slots or a name changer for example. I guess bank tabs are sort of oke. But it really depends on how you look towards it.

Anyway, that sort of things are really additions to the game and you don’t support taking elements that should be in the game out of the game and into the cash-shop.

Donari.5237:

No. This game was designed, marketed, and sold as one where you don’t have to pay to play or to see all the content. What you suggest goes against its core philosophy. The gem store is for fluff and convenience, not for content, and changing that would likely gut their player base far more than they’d gain in content sales.

edit: Yes, I’d pay for an expansion. But not nickel and dimed in.

Well your fluff is my content. I love to go into the world and play to get mini’s but thats completely monitized in this game making it a gold-grind or buy item and in effect removing that content from the game. So making it fluff does not make it any better.

However I also don’t agree with the OP.

They should get rid of the cash-shop as they shown they can’t handle that without compromising the game. In stead they should indeed release expansions. Those I will buy.

Astralporing.1957:

Devata.6589:

Also when introducing them for new maps they can decrease waypoints so they would make the world feel bigger.

That’s an argument against introducing mounts. I like waypoints.
Also, i have noticed that you silently assumed that mounts would grant some sort of movement/speed bonus. This is bad, because it means they would become obligatory – also for the people that do not want them.
Which is why i don’t want mounts in the game – i would have no problem with them being only cosmetic, but talk long enough and all the people that want them eventually admit that they are after something more.

There are already many speed-boost elements in the game. Mounts would only make the permanent (for as long as your are on them). And reducing way-points in new maps is not the same as removing all way-points.

Way-points don’t fit the lore and make the world-size trivial. You might like them, I think they are used to much especially for when you would introduce mounts.

Dusty Moon.4382:

Devata.6589:

Zacchary.6183:

So that we don’t have multiple posts saying the same things with different wording I am going to issue multiple choice for both sides based on the general issues they bring up.

1.) I want mounts because:

a.) Immersion.
b.) Reasons.
c.) Mount haters don’t have legitimate reasons.
d.) so easy to do!
e.) THEY have mounts. (points to other MMOs)

2.) I don’t want mounts because:

a.) waypoints already exist, so no point in having mounts.
b.) extra screen clutter.
c.) possibility of griefing with mounts.
e.) this isn’t every other MMO
f.) unfair advantage with speed boost.

Choose your poison.

Well you forget a lot of element for having mounts. Like possible adding a whole new PvE element to the game (collecting them in the world.) I don’t think Anet would implement them in a good way looking at there track record but still it’s an option.

Also when introducing them for new maps they can decrease waypoints so they would make the world feel bigger.

They could also bee seen as an extra form of skin just like legendaries and this whole game pretty much is about skins so it would make sense from that viewpoint.

Lastly many people simply think it’s fun to have them.

About the negative. Screen-clutter would only be a possible problem inside city’s and it would be possible to let people dismount there.

What new PvE element? None – you can get anywhere faster by portals than a mount. The world is big enough – mounts make worlds seem smaller not bigger.

As was said, it is more than ‘clicking add mount’ in their game engine. Too many things have to be looked at, balanced, AND MODELED. It is NOT A TRIVIAL THING YOU ARE ASKING FOR.

I just feel there are many things that can be more useful in the game like an out house……

“What new PvE element? " Lol I did answer that with one example already but if you need me to copy paste it no problem. “collecting them in the world.”

“mounts make worlds seem smaller not bigger.” VS no fast travel so only walking they might seem to make it smaller yes, however vs way-points they would make it much bigger.

I never said it was ‘clicking add mount’. It it trivial to you not to many other people. For other people collecting things like mount is there main game-play element. And because GW2 is so heavily skin focused for GW2 it is a very big addition.

Zacchary.6183:

So that we don’t have multiple posts saying the same things with different wording I am going to issue multiple choice for both sides based on the general issues they bring up.

1.) I want mounts because:

a.) Immersion.
b.) Reasons.
c.) Mount haters don’t have legitimate reasons.
d.) so easy to do!
e.) THEY have mounts. (points to other MMOs)

2.) I don’t want mounts because:

a.) waypoints already exist, so no point in having mounts.
b.) extra screen clutter.
c.) possibility of griefing with mounts.
e.) this isn’t every other MMO
f.) unfair advantage with speed boost.

Choose your poison.

Well you forget a lot of element for having mounts. Like possible adding a whole new PvE element to the game (collecting them in the world.) I don’t think Anet would implement them in a good way looking at there track record but still it’s an option.

Also when introducing them for new maps they can decrease waypoints so they would make the world feel bigger.

They could also bee seen as an extra form of skin just like legendaries and this whole game pretty much is about skins so it would make sense from that viewpoint.

Lastly many people simply think it’s fun to have them.

About the negative. Screen-clutter would only be a possible problem inside city’s and it would be possible to let people dismount there.

coglin.1867:

I like the game. Last thing I want to see, is a bunch of pointless critters that folks sit on, ruining frame rates by forcing the system to process unnecessary graphics.

Yeah lets also remove those other critters in the game. They are really useless and legendary weapons, so kitten useless and extra graphics.

Why don’t people who don’t want mount just say so but do the have to come up with those bad excuses as to why.

It won’t fit in the lore while in fact having no mounts does not fit the lore. It’s not needed (it’s a game, nothing is needed, it’s just for fun thats the idea about a game). It shrinks down the world (the waypoints alternative does that way more). Your one is a new low.

As far as I have seen the real reason for most people ie ‘because WoW’ but whatever it is don’t come up with bad excuses then just say ‘I don’t like it.. no good reason just don’t like it’.

I btw would like it if they would implement it properly.

In other MMORPG’s there where about 4 things I was doing all the time. Doing fun professions (those usually send me all over the world getting items and recipe’s and stuff), collecting mini’s (same would also send you all over the world but the way it’s implemented in GW2 it’s boring), collecting rare pets for my ranger (also not implemented in a fun way in GW2) and collecting mounts. If they would implement them I think they would likely implement it the same way as we now have mini’s so then I also don’t think it will add much to the game. But if done right they will add a big element to the game.

Problem is that GW2 monetized exactly that part of the game taking is basically out of the game as a game-element. Still I think implementing mounts would be fun.

Btw why is that selected as answer? That is Anets answer? Because many people for sure want them and well we don’t need legendary weapons and have those so thats also a lame answer.

“Mounts are not part of the LORE in this fantasy. You can spout about all the other games that have mounts. The LORE OF THIS GAME is, way points were put in to FREE animals from bondage. No Mounts.”

Just say you don’t like mounts but not these strange excuses because in fact way-points don’t fit in the lore and mounts do. As you might have seen there are even horse carriages in the game and GW1 had mounts.

I would like to see mounts but Anet so desperately wants to be different from others (even if that for elements means worse then all the other) that I don’t think we will see them any time soon and if we will get them and they are still using the cash-shop (in stead of expansions) to generate money they will be more likely implemented in a very lame boring way… mainly available in the cash-shop like many of the mini’s now.

Daddar.5971:

As the owner of 11 level 80 characters, I have spent a lot of gems to buy the special event dye packs from the gem store. In many cases I bought 10 or more packs in order to try to get multiples of certain dyes so I could have them on more than one character. I used multiple of copies of the same dye on different characters when I could have sold them on the trading post for 100 gold or more in some cases. These dyes were purchased with REAL MONEY and used up only BECAUSE THEY WERE SOUL-BOUND. Now, I’m out all of that investment… and extremely frustrated and angry about the whole thing.

What now?!

Now you hopefully learned you should never spend money on micro-tractions. You are harming the game and the gaming industry (because your paying for bad behavior) and you harm yourself.

So it was an expensive but good lesson I hope.

Next time safe your money for an real expansion.

Ikorolch.8421:

I am really disappointed by what I’ve seen revealed thus far. These changes seem to be superficial more than anything. Everything they’ve revealed could have easily been added in a regular monthly, or bi-weekly update. I was really hoping this update was going to have additions and expansion to the already existing core gameplay, not a wardrobe for my skins. There is nothing in this update that will add to or improve the already existing gameplay. Granted I haven’t yet seen what the other features are, but I really doubt that they are anything significant. I am really starting to lose hope for this game… Arenanet you have a great foundation and concept with Guild Wars 2, please start building on it.

Well you are then looking at it from a content viewpoint. I agree there, like I said I expected these sort of features at release or at least being implemented during the first year. I also would have expected an expansion by now and in that expansion I would have expected the type of content you are talking about. So I am missing the same.

However, the features by itself, while to late are good (ignoring the cash-shop focus). It are many of the things people did want. So looking at that it is good. To late but good.

Lightyears.8624:

Devata.6589:

Also the cash-shop focus (what I complain so much about) is still very much visible but that will likely not change until Anet would decide to go for an expansions-based model in stead of cash-shop model.

This game is definitely not cash-shop focused. 90% of the items offered grant cosmetic appeal or convenience only. The only way to “buy power” is through boosts or Gem > Gold.

Check out Nexon games sometimes. Their cash shop includes tons of items that would be comparable to +9 Sword 300 Power 300 Precision 10% crit 300 Toughness 300 Vitality 300 Condition Damage : $59.99

That is a cash shop focus.

Cash-shop focus meaning ArenaNet generates is main income with the cash-shop in stead of for example box sales and expansions. Want to discuss more about that then I have another thread about that: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/A-focus-on-micro-transactions/first this thread has another subject.

Little detail. The person responsible for many of those things at Nexon is now an ArenaNet employee responsible for these things in GW2.

I just wanted to say that so far most of the announced feature pack updates do look very good. Today they also announced that guilds will finally see when guild-members where last online. Hopefully ‘last represented’ will follow soon just as better rights tools.

I do have a little bid mixed feelings because so far all the positive changes that I have seen are the type of things many people including me expected to be there at release or at least being implemented during the first year.

Also the cash-shop focus (what I complain so much about) is still very much visible but that will likely not change until Anet would decide to go for an expansions-based model in stead of cash-shop model.

By now I had expected all those things being there for a long time and having had an expansion with a lot of new content. But that was based on the idea that GW2 would a a true B2P model that worked mainly with expansions to generate income.

So that are the mixed feelings.

However the changes by itself are very positive so I wanted to have said that.

Im Mudbone.1437:

Devata.6589:

Im Mudbone.1437:

Mad Queen Malafide.7512:

I really think more people should be vocal about the game’s targeting system. This is the core of Gw2’s combat, and it’s absolutely horrendous, much like the camera system. Please let yourself be heard if you think this needs to change.

Yes the targeting system in GW2 is the worst I have seen, I play only one class/role, that being a ranger and from BETA to present my characters target is CONSTANTLY DROPPED or target switched when I use “Barrage” and has been ignored, I have been told by many others that it is a ranger thing only in that guildies who have multiple alts have this problem as well, but, ONLY when on their ranger. So, why the hate and TOTAL disregard to the ranger by this company.

Try to turn of right click to select.

I MANUALLY target mobs.

Irrelevant. If you lose targets all the time and mainly if that means you suddenly have another target you might want to turn of right click to select. Now you can select them with left and right mouse-click. What happens is that when people turn (holding the right mouse click) they accidentally select another target.

Nike.2631:

Ok, reality check.

One: March 18th is a maintenance patch. Expect a prologue scene at the Dead End and some bug fixes. And nothing else.

Two: IN WHAT UNIVERSE do you think they’d prep a major feature like this and not promote it in every corner of the web they can reach for at least 6 weeks before it goes live?

I think he basis that idea on the fact that Colin said that a year ago. How long else does ArenaNet expect people to wait? When you say "yes we are going to do that’ a year is already to long but I am just guessing that that is the reason.

Feirlista Xv.1425:

In underwater combat and swimming automatically change to a swim suit skin. You get a basic swim suit like the diving goggle one or you can perchance new styles in the gem store.

Ah yeah of course. Put them in the cash-shop. Why would they add some game-content by putting them in the game with fun way to get them?

Im Mudbone.1437:

Mad Queen Malafide.7512:

I really think more people should be vocal about the game’s targeting system. This is the core of Gw2’s combat, and it’s absolutely horrendous, much like the camera system. Please let yourself be heard if you think this needs to change.

Yes the targeting system in GW2 is the worst I have seen, I play only one class/role, that being a ranger and from BETA to present my characters target is CONSTANTLY DROPPED or target switched when I use “Barrage” and has been ignored, I have been told by many others that it is a ranger thing only in that guildies who have multiple alts have this problem as well, but, ONLY when on their ranger. So, why the hate and TOTAL disregard to the ranger by this company.

Try to turn of right click to select.

CharrGirl.7896:

Waiting ages for a monk to show up so I can do a dungeon?

Blaming everything on tank or healer whenever something goes wrong?

Yah, totally miss it.

There are more ways to solve that then just dps, dps, dps what in practice is what we have now.

I do miss more specific roles so combat becomes more teamwork. But that does not mean it has to be the traditional trinity. Tank and Healer would be obvious options if you have roles but just the holy trinity is not needed.

So I do miss roles but I don’t miss ‘the holy trinity’.

Talonblaze.3175:

It’s become increasingly more and more that there’s been a notable skew on what is ‘rare’ in the game as of late.

A perfect example of this is ascended materials. The top tier crafting materials that are used to make the BiS items at this time. Given a whole new tier of rarity just for it.

But they are the furthest thing from rare. In fact quite the opposite since in some cases, these materials are actually guaranteed. Defeating their value and making them more of a common annoyance for those who view them no better than trophies. (At least give those coin.) These materials really should be reduced to Fine or around there.

Ascended weapons or armor dropping? That’s rare. Not these materials who are rare in name only.

This has been occurring in a few other cases as well for other items whos rarity isn’t appropriately labelled or noted for how hard it is to obtain. Most of these are for items in most of these event specific or LS. Either being far too common or far too rare compared to their labelled status.

It’s slowly been skewing what is actually rare and what isn’t. However, easily acquired and obtainable materials shouldn’t ever be considered ‘high tier’ in the rarity chart.

Regardless, that’s just my thoughts and opinion.

Imho real rear items should have a ‘rare’ drop change (not nearly impossible drop-change like many rares or exotics in GW2) but should only drop in a specific place of a specific way. Then it’s real but people who want it can work towards it also introducing game-play.

Now many items have random drops but have a impossible drop-change. However because it’s such a general drop-change many people who are not interested in it get it as incidental drop so even with those low drop-rates the market still gets many of it reducing the rarity.

That all helps the grind in this game as grinding gold is the best way to get that item.

Im Mudbone.1437:

Why is it that 75% of people are listing what new CONTENT they would like to see and not the FEATURES they would like to see, they are two very different things. EXAMPLES: (FEATURES); enhance the UI interface, skills revamp and fix bugs, (CONTENT); new dungeons, guild halls and GvG.

It’s mainly because Colin Johanson himself defines that type of content as ‘features’.

“… but we absolutely are going to do sweeping new features that you would traditionally only get in expansions – large regions, content and progression additions to your characters in the form of growth and professions and races. Those are all things that you will see in the lifespan of Guild Wars 2.”

In the same interview where is does that he also announces this feature update saying it’s the type of content you would also expect from other MMO’s. (and in those other MMO’s many people would expect content).

“When [Living World Season One] ends [on 4th March], we’re going to take a break for a little bit and then we’re going to do one really big feature patch that is more akin to what people see from some of our [MMO] competitors,” said Johanson, "where they bundle a lot of features together into a really big patch every now and then.

“We’re going to provide that experience and have this huge feature build that has a whole lot of gameplay-changing elements, a lot of quality of life improvements, a lot of features bundled together into one big patch. And that’ll come some time not too far after Season One completes.”

This is the interview: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-14-you-thought-that-was-it-for-guild-wars-2

So thats why people think of content if it’s about this upcoming feature pack.

However in another thread that ArenaNet closed Colin did try to say what he understands by features (so now the same discussion is going on here again but without Colin’s clarification.. great moderation)

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Expansion-sized-patch/first#post3748098

“A feature release is not an expansion, it’s a release focused on game features. Examples of game features we’ve done in the past would be: guild missions, account achievement system, spectator mode, new pvp maps, daily world boss chests, removing culling and giving visibility options, the WvW WxP system, etc.”

So it really looks more like features then content… then again I think Guild Missions might be considered content and PvP maps are for sure content, not a feature. So in a way you could still put all types of content in the etc. All it makes completely clear is that it is not an expansion (not that anybody was thinking that, people where more thinking of expansion-like content).

But yeah it points to mainly features.

Saying that I think some good guild-moderation tools should come. I mean they should have been in since the beta. I would also say upping the stack number, but they recently added that as a cash-shop option. It’s a ‘design-problem’ where they now monetize the fix. Also adding items to the guild-stash without having to take it out first. another one of those beta bugs.

I would also love to see instanced maps go and see a real open world / seamless world. But I think changes we get that are extremely low. The only reason I don’t completely dismiss it as an option is because looking at the 2009 trailer it seems like back then they where working on a real open world.

Lastly I would love to see the cash-shop go and them putting all the cash-shop items (also old ones not available anymore) in fun ways into the world for some new good fun endgame and for example a barber for haircuts, the music instruments can be put into a musicians craft and so on.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Devata.6589:

Latinkuro.9420:

- Some people are set in their ways and do not understand that expansions do not fit this game at all.
- boxed expansions only serve to segregate the population into haves and have not.
- this is a different kind of game which needs a different kind of going about expansions.
- let them take their time and find that new awesome way to deliver more content to us.

Come on, not again the “people can’t handle changes”. The argument people keep coming up in any discussion where they do not like something ‘new’. Whether it is in politic discussions, discussion about Windows 8 or this you will find them always and it’s nonsense.

There are plenty of new things in this game people like and some they don’t like.

It’s also not true it would not fit this game. Yes it might not fit with the sort of F2P road they have turned into but it completely fitted with the B2P road they said they would go to when many of us did buy the game. Also ArenaNet agreed on that before release http://www.videogamer.com/news/guild_wars_2_expansions_a_sure_thing_says_arenanet_2.html

“boxed expansions only serve to segregate the population into haves and have not.”
Yeah but not as much as a cash-shop does. And how many people who do play they game will not buy the expansion.. Not many. Now how many people who do play the game will not buy items from the cash-shop? Much more. So if anything does that it’s the cash-shop and no you can’t just turn your gold into gems to get it. Not if you have a life.

“this is a different kind of game which needs a different kind of going about expansions.”
Yeah I agree, this game should focus much more on expansions then many other games. This game should generate it’s income with expansions and release more expansions then a game like for example WoW. So it should take a different approach I agree with that.

“let them take their time and find that new awesome way to deliver more content to us.”
They did get and take that time.. the time we would else have seen an expansion by now.

I’m not sure if you read past the first few lines of this article, but it does say this:

‘Despite Flannum’s assurances, NCsoft and ArenaNet say they have yet to confirm plans for retail expansions.’

So, ArenaNet didn’t really agree there would be expansions before release.

The article is from 2011 and Eric Flannum sai “So we’ll have retail expansions for sure”.

Of course they do not have any ‘confirmed plants’ for expansions a year before the game is released but they do say they will have expansions.

I would have been surprised if they would have everything on paper and confirmed about the expansion at that stage. That is something you would start doing around the release of the game.

What this means (or better, what they say) is they are going to make expansions but don’t have the details about it and don’t have the contracts signed about the first expansions yet.

So this shows that at least at that moment ArenaNet did see expansions as the way to go.

Latinkuro pretty much stated it as a fact that expansions would not work for GW2 without saying wy, he just did as if that was a fact. While in all honestly I think that is pure nonsense (that explains why he does not say why expansions factually won’t work for GW2) all I point out here that even the creator of this game don’t seem to agree with that ‘fact’. (And even now they still say they did not rule out expansions).

Oow and yes I did read the full article.

“So, ArenaNet didn’t really agree there would be expansions before release.”
That was not what the comment was about, it was just to show they don’t see it as a fact that it does not work.

Latinkuro does not say why his ‘factual’ statement is true so I can’t say anything about that.. Best I then can do is showing that even the creator seems to think differently about that.

However to go into your statement (that was not the point here) then I still have to disagree. They did seem to agree there would be expansions if I may see Eric Flannum as an official spokesperson for ArenaNet. Because Eric is the Lead Game Designer I think you may qualify him for that.

All it says they had no exact details or things on paper yet.

Azreell.1568:

Nobody (or not many people) here is asking to add a WoW-like gear-grind.

Just to clarify – Wow is far less of a grind then GW2 so I am unsure why people keep posting this.

In GW2 while optional I will agree all we have is farming for skins, farming for gold , farming for mats, or farming for achievement points. That’s our current game.

I could make a level 1 character get him to max level and have a fully current geared character prior to me accomplishing any of the above in GW2.

It literally would take FAR longer to farm gold for a precursor then it would to fully gear a character in wow.

All I am saying is people need to find a new reference point for gear grind. Because Wow is far more friendly then GW2 in that respect.

Just to clarify: I agree GW2 is more grindy then WoW.

It was just a reaction to nGumball who pretty much suggested that people where asking for that type of grind.. What is not true.

nGumball.1283:

Nikaido.3457:

mooty.4560:

I could be wrong but I tend to believe that most of the player base in GW2 is only hanging around because the MMO industry is stagnant. Players are clinging to GW2 because they enjoy MMOs and “what else is there?” ..decade old WoW? swiftly declining LotRO? dead and nearly decade old GW1? Eve?(takes a unique person) etc. There’s nothing much out there right at the moment. This could all change soon with releases like Wildstar, ESO and Destiny. So with that in mind I think Arenanet really needs to get a move on with expanded content and I can only hope it makes the game more interesting as a whole.

/thread

You nailed it. The mmo market doesn’t have a lot of good new stuff at the moment so veterans of the genre will pretty much have a choice between playing decade old games or outright not playing any mmo. GW2 can fill that gap a little but any decent player will soon be fed up by the lack of instanced content (open world zerg is NO replacement for real pve content), the inane state of PVP etc. And you can only run so much fractal and arah before thinking “what the hell am I doing there?”. Content like scarlet does not replace dungeons and raid. Not even a little. And the grind in this game is horrendous without any real reward for it apart from unlocking higher levels of fractal which are just more of the same (well, except that we didn’t actually unlock the higher levels yet, thanks obama). I actually can enjoy a grindy game when you can feel a sense of progressing into new content (like higher torment level in D3 or new raids in WoW) but gw2 is not it. It has the grind, without the content, without the purpose and introduced in such a way that everything is really tied to Gold/currency and you don’t get good drops. In grindy games you’ll get upgrades to your gear pretty often from drops, the likelihood of getting an actual gear upgrade in gw2 is close to zero because most of the stats combo are useless so even if you manage to get incredibly lucky and drop an ascended box chances are it’s worthless. You lose the sense of purpose you have for completing content by randomly getting good stuff that keeps you playing in that skinner box. You never get good drops in this game, instead you grind the gold and buy mat.

Thankfully the gap is filled with solo with coop games for me. The last big update to diablo 3 fixed every single gripe I had about the game, the extension is coming soon too and Dark Souls 2 just got released. Really strong month for that stuff.

None forced you to grind for nothing, play the game, explore the world, finish the content and leave. It is ridic when people grind and them blame the game for forcing them to. Grinding here doesn’t give anything useful more or less and it is intentional. This is not to meant to be WoW where you must grind becasue you will be trash otherwise in pvp.

There is a difference between a game where grinding is optional and others where grinding is required to complete game content.

GW2 was never meant to be the long-term MMO that you will play for years becasue there have never been any. Aside from Eve, every single MMO in the market keep the players with grinding for new gear, WoW have been doing so for 10 years and will keep doing so until Blizzard will release its next big thing.

There is no game that release actual new content, if you like raiding and gear progression, this is not your game and Anet will never make it so, because otherwise, we may as well play the 99% of the MMOs out there, based on WoW’s formula.

I already enjoyed my time and I would rather have a game that is trying to do something new than play one creating the illusion that it progresses while it actually never does, cause while you get the next gear tier, the game always progresses to introduce a new one and therefore you are chasing a goal that is never to be accomplished because the game will keep putting up content to make u grind for the next tier. If you feel rewarded by that method, than GW2 isn’t your game, it is not about the quality anylonger.

They don’t force you to grind but getting new skins, new weapons and so on is behind a currency-grind in stead behind really playing the game.

Nobody (or not many people) here is asking to add a WoW-like gear-grind.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

I did read your comment. Though, to be honest, your comments almost always say the same thing. Living Story/gem-store = bad, expansion = good. Pretty sure most know where you stand.

Thanks for the input. =)

Cash-shop focus tends to be bad and in this case also is bad.
Expansion focus can be good. If it will be good we can only see if they would go that way.

The rest are just arguments why.

Just to clarify. I agree I keep repeating but thats also because other people keep saying the same.

Tasty Pudding.3764:

ANet is basing its decisions upon in-game metrics. Their metrics show that 90% of players simply ran past 90% of the content they put into the game. Currently in open world PvE, 99% of players are doing LS, champ trains and world boss events; only 1% are doing all the rest of the events scattered throughout the open world. The Dynamic Events subforum has been closed and dumped into the archives. They aren’t even trying to fix the old DE’s any longer – it seems like even more of them are broken now than were broken at launch!

Instead of making an expansion, they are going to introduce new areas through the LS which they know people will play instead of just running past everything. These new areas will only have events that tie into the LS instead of wasting a lot of time making a bunch of random DE’s that most people ignore. These events and areas will remain in game for people to continue to do when the LS moves on, just like Southsun, but ANet knows they already got their money’s worth out of them.

They cannot afford to invest in making an expansion with a huge amount of zones that people will just treat as short-term leveling areas like people do now with the open world.

Maybe they should look why people are not doing that. DE are nice to add something to the world but it’s not like a quest-chain that sends you all over the world. There are also no unique rewards linked to them. Lets say you want to build a special weapon with your craft but you can only get the weapon skin by doing a quest-line (or DE). That would keep people doing that sort of stuff.

So if that would be the problem they are not trying to fix there mistakes but work around them. That is not the way to go.

Latinkuro.9420:

- Some people are set in their ways and do not understand that expansions do not fit this game at all.
- boxed expansions only serve to segregate the population into haves and have not.
- this is a different kind of game which needs a different kind of going about expansions.
- let them take their time and find that new awesome way to deliver more content to us.

Come on, not again the “people can’t handle changes”. The argument people keep coming up in any discussion where they do not like something ‘new’. Whether it is in politic discussions, discussion about Windows 8 or this you will find them always and it’s nonsense.

There are plenty of new things in this game people like and some they don’t like.

It’s also not true it would not fit this game. Yes it might not fit with the sort of F2P road they have turned into but it completely fitted with the B2P road they said they would go to when many of us did buy the game. Also ArenaNet agreed on that before release http://www.videogamer.com/news/guild_wars_2_expansions_a_sure_thing_says_arenanet_2.html

“boxed expansions only serve to segregate the population into haves and have not.”
Yeah but not as much as a cash-shop does. And how many people who do play they game will not buy the expansion.. Not many. Now how many people who do play the game will not buy items from the cash-shop? Much more. So if anything does that it’s the cash-shop and no you can’t just turn your gold into gems to get it. Not if you have a life.

“this is a different kind of game which needs a different kind of going about expansions.”
Yeah I agree, this game should focus much more on expansions then many other games. This game should generate it’s income with expansions and release more expansions then a game like for example WoW. So it should take a different approach I agree with that.

“let them take their time and find that new awesome way to deliver more content to us.”
They did get and take that time.. the time we would else have seen an expansion by now.

chemiclord.3978:

The way I see it… if they want to keep handing me stuff for free (and hope I support their efforts with cash shop purposes), I’m certainly not going to tell them, “Nah, bro. Charge me money for this kitten, man. I don’t want free stuff.” I’m not stupid.

They want to eventually produce a boxed expansion, I’d be fine with that too. I fully suspect they will at some point, simply because of the sheer amount of stagnant idiots who have decided that anything other than a traditional expansion is unacceptable.

So if people are willing to pay money for quality content in stead of getting ‘kitten’ for free they are idiots?
But yes I want to pay money for getting quality content instead of making the game kitten for ‘free’. For me free that is as I do not buy gems as I don’t support this game going kittens.

Anyway, lets stop being inflammatory, we don’t want to give them another excuse to close the thread.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Devata.6589:

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

No real need to be derisive of other people’s opinions. Some would rather have bi-weekly releases rather than waiting much longer periods of time. Some believe that what might be found in what is normally termed ‘expansion’ can be delivered through the Living Story method of content releases.

No one knows, as of now, how said content may be released, only that it will come, according to the Devs. You can believe that, or no. I would prefer it was released through the Living Story, but that is my, and just my, preference.

I think we will get some of that stuff in GW2 but it’s not completely correct what you say..

You say No one know if it comes.. yeah true, nobody ever knows the future but everybody knows they said it would come (they said that at the beginning of season 1) now we are at the end of season 1 and it has not come. So everybody knows it did not come in season 1.

For me personally it’s not about being afraid it will absolutely not be coming in the LS. For me it’s mainly that if they release it with the LS it means they will keep generating income with the cash-shop and you keep having all the negative effects from that. That why I would like to see them go to expansions and focusing generating income from that in stead of the cash-shop, as a true B2P game does. And that is what I did buy.

Lol. I didn’t say that at all. Perhaps, you read what you want to see. I said ‘No one knows how said content will be released.’ Try to be a tad more accurate, please. Thank you. =)

If you had read the rest of my comment you would see it still is a reaction on your comment. Only that once sentence is indeed not correct.

Nage.1520:

What gets me is this line of reasoning.

People are saying that they want an expansion because the living story is buggy and not presented well and it’s not deep content. I don’t necessarily agree with those statements (except the buggy part), but I wonder…

what makes those people who want an expansion believe that expansion content is necessarily going to be better?

Let me start by saying my main reason is different. I simply want Anet to make money with expansions in stead of a cash-shop because those models do effect the game-content. I don’t like to have skins, mini’s in a cash-shop or behind a grind. I don’t like to feel like people are trying to get me to buy items I want to play for. I just want to play the game. So thats why I want expansions and with that a change in payment-model to a true B2P model in stead of a cash-shop model like the many F2P games out there have.

But why would people expect better content. Because they want people to buy the expansion. See how much effort now go’s into getting people to buy gems. Making everything a gold-grind making gold worth everything and so people have more reasons to buy gems to convert into gold.

Putting in better and better cash-shop items, with better I mean better looking, now that is ofcourse personal opinion but they sure try by giving more effects to many of the new skins. At the beginning only legendary weapons had effects. Putting boost on the new harvesting tools, all the temporary available stuff to get people to buy it, new set of mini’s.

All that effort is related to them trying to sell gems. Now lets say they where not trying to sell gems but they where trying to sell an expansion and so all that effort would go into selling an expansion. That would be reason for a very nice expansion.

So do we know for sure an expansions would be good? No but there is reason to believe it would be especially if that would be there main source of income.

Star Ace.5207:

Devata.6589:

Azreell.1568:

LS is a failed attempt at content. They tried and I give them credit but to keep pushing a failed concept that a very large amount of people don’t like it foolish.

This boils down to one of the main 3 problems I see with this game. They really want to do thinks different for the sake of doing it different and with that comes being stubborn to agree something did not work and maybe an old concept was better.

I even made a thread about that: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Problem-of-being-different-for-the-sake-of-it/first#post3316912

You see that with a few things like indeed with the LS. While I do not say the holy trinity should come back, many people do see the dps, dps, dps as boring and so far they have not done anything about that.

Raids.. People are now bypassing the system in a way to create raids anyway, making special guilds and going to specific servers to so create there own instanced raid.

Lastly DE what is not bad at all but it is not really able to completely replace the traditional quest and don’t make you feel like you make a change because stuff keeps happening again (in contradiction with a traditional quest that you complete only once).

That are all elements that have some problems but it seems like they really don’t want to agree that some of those innovations did not work.

Others did like JP’s and DE did give something extra to the world and the movement-system and trying new races as the Sylvari and the dodging mechanism and linking skills to weapons.

Them being stubborn about it maybe has to do with how they promoted the game.. ‘Oow those other games have those bad ways of doing thinks but we do it much better…’ when you say that it might feel sort of feel shameful to then later have to agree that your new system (parts you promoted so much) was maybe the lesser of the two.

In reality there is nothing wrong with it. You try things and some work and some fail. Not wanting to agree something failed and should be improved is the bigger problem.

When you try so many new things some will fail and those should be changed.

Thing is, the living story hasn’t “failed” per se, like it or not.

The DPS races are lacking, but they won’t (thankfully) bring back the “Trinity”, and I personally am convinced, unlike MANY players, that without a trinity all that matters isn’t only DPS-they just need to work with their content to accommodate their combat mechanics better, so it doesn’t boil down to “who kills it fastest wins”.

They have also seen some bad come from a few of their decisions and have adapted/done differently later on.

So basically I disagree many GW2 concepts are a failure just because Devata and many others dislike how it’s “different for its own sake.” It’s all in the Eye of the Beholder.

The following statement I also apply to myself: my personal opinions, views, and values are not those of the whole world, however strong they may be.

What we may think “must” be good for the game may not be viable or practical considering the needs of GW2, its employees, or indeed the whole playing community. I also believe they try to cater too much to all sort of players, often failing to appease many in the process-that they kind of listen too much at times (that ’s my own impression-hopefully I am wrong). I think they should stick to their original plan as well as they can, listening to player suggestions, but not going too wild in letting US define what their game is or how it “must” be moving forwards.

(Edited to add that DPS race events area actually not entirely bad if they are scattered here and there, because players that like “DPSing” should have something to enjoy too. What is currently problematic is the impression that direct damage is be-all end-all right now, but DPS race events by themselves are not “bad” if they aren’t pervasive.)

Define ‘failed’. Many people don’t like it and maybe in a stripped-down version it would work. Yes stripped-down, not an even bigger list of achievements and so on.
Best imho would be a stripped-down version with no temporary achievements / rewards but just a small slowly ongoing story (a lot like the first few LS patches) that then leads up to an expansion.

So the idea of doing something like a LW does not have to be bad but the way they do it is not liked by many people. I would define that as failed.

For the holy trinity like I said I am not saying they have to go back to that but the dps dps dps we have now is also something that is not liked by many people. It was just an example so will not go into that more.

Star Ace.5207:

“Most of us” and “most of the playerbase” is often used in this thread as “I.”

Well it’s hard to deny that many people ask for it and saying something like “it’s the load minority” is something people denying it use a lot.

Star Ace.5207:

but this particular game doesn’t really “need” one as it stands.

Thats your opinion but many people would like to have one and might ‘need’ it to get the fun they need. Of course that all depends on the quality of the expansion.

Star Ace.5207:

The bad is having players getting skills/stats/professions/weapons/maps/races possibly not available to non-buyers. For that reason alone, I think that making wise and intelligent living story updates, followed with intermittent big content patches can work for many years without need for players to pay $40-$60 more (especially considering the store does have a gem shop already.)

There is now a lot of stuff available for a short time only. People are not able to get that anymore. So some people not being able to get things is already the case. With an expansion they will have the option to buy the new content. Something most will have no problem with because they where also willing to buy the game.
Yes now we have a cash-shop.. the focus on that shop is the cause for many of the things we see now. Like temporary nature of things, gold grind, missing end-game (like going into the world to collect mini’s and skins) that is not linked behind that cash-shop / boring gold-grind.

Jski.6180:

Because once they get it then they can complain that something is behind a pay wall. At least that what going to happen if we do get an expansion.

Why would they complain about that.
Most people here are asking for it. By saying they would complain about that is saying they just complain to complain what it a cheap way to try and dismiss everything without having to use any arguments.

Besides, Anet did promise those expansions from the beginning: http://www.videogamer.com/news/guild_wars_2_expansions_a_sure_thing_says_arenanet_2.html

If the expansions are good then there are not a lot of reasons to complain about a good paied expansion.

Uruz Six.6594:

Obviously we need an expansion.
And the holy trinity.
And instanced raids.

And then complaints can turn into how the game has turned into yet another WoW clone.

You are referring to a few of the elements many people complain about but you forget GW2 is different because of much more reasons. JP’s, dodging, few skills, skills linked to your weapon.

Yes Anet did try very hard to be different and new. Some of those tries worked out, some did not. Being afraid to then take a step back with those things is no shame.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

No real need to be derisive of other people’s opinions. Some would rather have bi-weekly releases rather than waiting much longer periods of time. Some believe that what might be found in what is normally termed ‘expansion’ can be delivered through the Living Story method of content releases.

No one knows, as of now, how said content may be released, only that it will come, according to the Devs. You can believe that, or no. I would prefer it was released through the Living Story, but that is my, and just my, preference.

I think we will get some of that stuff in GW2 but it’s not completely correct what you say..

You say No one know if it comes.. yeah true, nobody ever knows the future but everybody knows they said it would come (they said that at the beginning of season 1) now we are at the end of season 1 and it has not come. So everybody knows it did not come in season 1.

For me personally it’s not about being afraid it will absolutely not be coming in the LS. For me it’s mainly that if they release it with the LS it means they will keep generating income with the cash-shop and you keep having all the negative effects from that. That why I would like to see them go to expansions and focusing generating income from that in stead of the cash-shop, as a true B2P game does. And that is what I did buy.

Azreell.1568:

LS is a failed attempt at content. They tried and I give them credit but to keep pushing a failed concept that a very large amount of people don’t like it foolish.

This boils down to one of the main 3 problems I see with this game. They really want to do thinks different for the sake of doing it different and with that comes being stubborn to agree something did not work and maybe an old concept was better.

I even made a thread about that: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Problem-of-being-different-for-the-sake-of-it/first#post3316912

You see that with a few things like indeed with the LS. While I do not say the holy trinity should come back, many people do see the dps, dps, dps as boring and so far they have not done anything about that.

Raids.. People are now bypassing the system in a way to create raids anyway, making special guilds and going to specific servers to so create there own instanced raid.

Lastly DE what is not bad at all but it is not really able to completely replace the traditional quest and don’t make you feel like you make a change because stuff keeps happening again (in contradiction with a traditional quest that you complete only once).

That are all elements that have some problems but it seems like they really don’t want to agree that some of those innovations did not work.

Others did like JP’s and DE did give something extra to the world and the movement-system and trying new races as the Sylvari and the dodging mechanism and linking skills to weapons.

Them being stubborn about it maybe has to do with how they promoted the game.. ‘Oow those other games have those bad ways of doing thinks but we do it much better…’ when you say that it might feel sort of feel shameful to then later have to agree that your new system (parts you promoted so much) was maybe the lesser of the two.

In reality there is nothing wrong with it. You try things and some work and some fail. Not wanting to agree something failed and should be improved is the bigger problem.

When you try so many new things some will fail and those should be changed.

Electro.4173:

Now, could the LS technically add all of those things? Sure. But nothing about LS so far suggests that it will. Its a possibility, but that’s all it is. An expansion is almost guaranteed to add most / all of those, at least if its a fully fleshed-out and well-made one. So between clinging to LS and hoping and praying they add more substancial stuff to the game or hoping for an expansion that will definitely add those things, I’d rather go for the expansion.

Maybe it also has to do with what they need to sell.

You want people to buy an expansion, then you need to make a good sellable expansion.

You want people to buy better looking skins you need to add in better looking sellable skins.

What we have seen during the 1,5 + year is that skins got more and more flashy, shiny and effects. So that fits with them wanting to sell those things.

They are not selling an expansion so making new good interesting sellable content like that has much lower priority.

ExiledDiclonius.1653:

I personally think that ArenaNet is working on expansion from quite some time. Just because they are working doesn’t mean that it will be announced or released anytime soon. As far as I know ArenaNet is quite large developer (around 270 emplyees). Don’t you guys think that with this number of ppl working on game we would get something better than whole Living Story?. In my opinion there are working around 30 ppl on living story, and what is doing rest of 240? For me this whole Living Story is just a way to keep this game alive between expansions and a way to earn some extra money by cash shop. Anyhow there are stilll at least 3 dragons to kill And from what we seen on LS ending next one joined their team

The problem here is that ArenaNet pretty much said that if they do the LS correctly they do not need expansions. So they really see it as there substitute for expansions.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-03-its-unlikely-guild-wars-2-will-ever-get-an-expansion-pack

Now most people have concluded that they did not do it right with the living story but seeing how we now just go into LS S2 Anet seems to think different about that.

Another problem is that if this game was to be generate it’s income with expansions (B2P) we would have already seen a expansions by now.

Uruz Six.6594:

Whether its further western Maguuma, the Far Shiverpeaks, or Elona, we’re getting new explorable content in Living Story Season 2. It has to be, we’re fighting a dragon and there aren’t any to be found on the current explorable map.

Someone also noticed the Tengu have new animations. If the threat of a new dragon reaches Caledon or they spy an opportunity in the ruins of Lion’s Arch, its possible our avian friends are about to pick a side.

And with new lands a certainty and a new race likely, then there’s not much reason for an expansion to go alongside Season 2.

But does that also automatically mean that the LS will not be lists of achievements people need to complete against the time if they want to get those achievements and rewards. It’s that what many people also dislike about it. Even if you would throw in a few new maps.

I think everybody understands we will get some new maps in the LS2 but that does not mean many of the bad elements of the LS will be gone.

nGumball.1283:

Well, I have faith that GW2 got a huge chance of releasing an impressing LS2 if they try to tweak the mechanics, something they said they will as they know that the first season was recieved poorly and didn’t live up to the company’s on paper plans.

Like I said many times before, I think it’s possible to deliver similar content with the LS (but there are other problems like the cash-shop focus (that influences content) they will still need to then support the game)

However, they did say exactly that (making those changes) 8 months ago about LS1. https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Too-Much-Temporary-Content-Can-Only-Harm-GW2/page/2#post2377352 So it’s really not strange that many people don’t want it anymore. Anet did get it’s change to make it right and they blew it.

nGumball.1283:

People don’t have enough things to hate on atm so they are going for the future hate-train. What’s interesting though is that all haters seem to have the same mentality. Comment on every thread in the forum with negative stuff, if there is nothing negative create something and if it doesn’t work just take a game and say it is better and that you are god and we should listen to your words as facts.

I would be more convinced by some of the threads if I haven’t seen that the latest 10 pages in GW2 forums are being commented on by the same people.

And yes, exactly, I don’t see any importance anylonger in either reading the threads here or commenting because the active forum members seem to be the same everyday and represent a small portion in the community stating their opinions as facts for the whole gaming industry. If myself, as a player who wants stuff to be better, can’t respect your opinions, why do you await the company to do it?

I don’t think people complain about just everything. They will only do that about the things they dislike. However there are many thread that hit the same elements like the LS with it’s temporary content and cash-shop-focus vs expansion with more permanent content.

Looking at the first page there are at least 3 threads that are related to that.

It’s also nonsense to say people have nothing to complain so they complain about future stuff. People where not complaining before the LS was there, they did start complaining a little after it was there (see date this thread was created). Anet did then promise to do it better (see this thread page 2 https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Too-Much-Temporary-Content-Can-Only-Harm-GW2/page/2#post2377352 ) and did not deliver on there promises. So people are still complaining about those same things.

I don’t know why you say they have nothing to complain so complain about the future.. Because you believe everything will be better in the future?? Well 8 months ago Anet said the same now we are in the future from that and it didn’t.

Are you not willing to understand that there are many people that simply dislike this LS with it’s temporary stuff and push for cash-shop and zergy content, and achievement-grind and gold-grind? Maybe you can’t but trust me, that are some of the reasons people are complaining. Not just because they want to complain.

Healix.5819:

An expansion is only needed to advertise a feeling of something new. Anything an expansion can do could be done through the living story.

Theoretically that is true. However that is exactly what Anet said they would do. Now we are at the point where we would have gotten an expansion if that was they way they would have gone for and we are at the end of the first LS and we did not get any of that.

Besides that, the focus on the cash-shop that we have now also means other changes in the game. A lot of grind and world-drops and cash-shop item. All to try and improve gem-sales.
The game could be so much better of those things where in the game with fun mechanics. That would then also be end-game that is now missing so much.

nGumball.1283:

Nice points but stop going around saying Anet isn’t planning to release an expansion atm, based on old interviews. Newer ones, Anet said clearly they have the content and they want to decide how to release it.

By the reactions the players have, I don’t really doubt that they will release an expasnion soon enough.

In a recent interview they said again they where not working or planning an expansion but the did have some content and where planning on putting in some new content and had not decided yet how to release that.
So looking at what they say it points mainly towards no.
Besides that we know a new LS is coming and it’s pretty much stopping your effort in a LS or in an expansion. Of course the second LS could be extremely small so they can develop the expansion but it does not look that way.

Lastly we should have had an expansion by now if that was they way they would go. So I think it’s fair to say it’s low on there list.

Naevius.3185:

A bunch of new zones would just be fully explored in 2 weeks or so anyway. LS updates make much more sense – they tie to gem store promotions, they keep people playing to see what’s going on, and they don’t split the population (i.e. people who don’t buy the expansion vs those who do.)

A new race unlock that people pay for might be possible, but people would whine hard about paying for that.

`A bunch of new zones would just be fully explored in 2 weeks or so anyway. LS updates make much more sense – they tie to gem store promotions, `
That pretty much is it. It´s just to support the cash/shop focused game. What is to bad, this game could be so much better then the many cash/shop games out there.

`they keep people playing to see what’s going on, and they don’t split the population (i.e. people who don’t buy the expansion vs those who do.)`
They would only have no access to the new zones and could maybe not get some of the new items. But except for they they can still play together. If you really want some good new content you will need to pay for it.

`A new race unlock that people pay for might be possible, but people would whine hard about paying for that.`
Not if it was part of an expansion they had to pay for.

EdgarMTanaka.7291:

Well if we don’t care about story…

That is a good question, i wonder how many people are really interested in the story.

Then I don’t mean they appreciate that there is some underlying story that tight things together but those that are really into the story itself.

EdgarMTanaka.7291:

How I understand this is that this game is more horisontal than vertical and means that adding new zones will just devide players up between even more maps.
Anet don’t want GW2 to be a game where new players play for them selfes and old players play in new zones.

IMO every expansion I have played in other games usually lasts 3 weeks before they get booring or repeating with grinding content (Like new gear). The LS for the most time keeps me entertained for a week atleast (sure not all LS has been entertaining).
I don’t feel the need for an expansion, I realy like how the LS works but I wouldn’t say no to a new class but that would be like a bonus.

If a game has an expansion 2 times a year and it gives me 2 months entertainment for a year all together. I would rather choose the LS model that gives me about 5 months of entertainment.

For me it does not matter if I get a new class or new skills as long as they can keep me interested in the game and so far they have succeded in that.

This is ofcourse all my opinion.

We are all giving opinions and idea. Seems like most people want expansions, you prefer LS.

About not spreading people. Of course it’s already the case that new players in the begin-area’s are playing alone. If you don’t want to have that even more then you should simply not increase the level-cap in any way.

However it’s not that ArenaNet ever said that. They said they did not want to split up the player-base what happened with standalone expansions they did with GW1. They in fact did say before release they would give out expansions (now they have come back on that saying they might maybe ever but for now not).
See:
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/guild-wars-2-to-avoid-retail-mmo-expansion-model/
and
http://www.videogamer.com/news/guild_wars_2_expansions_a_sure_thing_says_arenanet_2.html

About new content keeping you only entertained for 3 weeks, that all depends. If you add in some fun cool stuff to do then it could take you much longer. Lets say they would introduce some profession where you can tame ranger pets. Taming the pet getting it to look they way you want or getting the stats you want can easily take you up to a year or even a few years. Yes going for that gear might also take you a long time if that what you are interested in. Going for that new armor (if it’s with a mechanism in the game, not with a gold-grind or cash-shop like now) could keep you entertained for a long time.

For me the LS feels extremely repeating but not only that, it feels like work because of it’s temporary nature you feel forced to do it. In the end it’s just a list of achievements you need to complete every 2 weeks / 1 month.

Magnus Steelgrave.6580:

I want an expansion because I would like to see one of the other continents… but above all I dont want to live through another season of the LS if its anything like this years was… I would gladly pay for an expansion in exchange for no more LS. And to clarify by expansion I mean not just some little chunk added onto the original game I mean an expansion true to guild wars original nature that is essentially a stand alone game that can be linked to the other games.

A stand alone I would not like to see, why would you want a stand-alone? You can add in all the same amount of content without it being standalone. I don’t really see the benefit, only negatives compared to a normal expansion.

ellesee.8297:

stop makign content where everyone only has to mash 1 to win.

It’s not true that you have to just smash one, but it might feel so because teamplay is not really a ting in this game. That has a lot to do with the holy trinity. Now you are mainly dodging and smashing buttons whenever they come out of cooldown. The mesmer has a little more going for it because to sort of control the clones but thats very limited.