Guild Wars 2

Drunken Mad King.8193:

It’s a horrible mechanic but they are trying to fix it. However I understand some of the mechanic. Lets say the leader is the only one that has done the dungeon in story mode which is required for the “key” to open the dungeon. Now the leader leaves, how is the group going to stay in for which no one qualifies.

Ah, but does the game really need to have the “You must do the story dungeon before you can start an explorable” thing? What purpose does it serve beyond “forcing” people to do the story dungeon?

Gestankfaust.4216:

Guess this thread is useless to us then. Seein as how the OP can’t be bothered to return and post?

Give him a chance. Two hours ago? He may have logged off after posting and went to bed.

I just did zone completion there on my warrior. The only time I had any issues was in one area where I was down-leveled to 63, the mobs were 69 and I got jumped by 5 of them. Judicious use of melee circle-strafe, condition removal and healing shouts pulled me through even that. Other than that one fight and an over-aggro at one skill point, I found the zone easy.

OP, what are your traits, utility skills and weapons? Are you using kite/circle strafe when facing multiple foes or do you just rush in and get in mobs’ faces (which I find a warrior can get away with if the mobs don’t have condition damage)?

critickitten.1498:

How many sales did … Rift have in that same period? Lemme answer that for you: none. They saw no reason to devalue their product when it was still selling just fine at its original market price.

Bad info there. Rift had multiple sales in its first six months. I bought the game for half price in the first third of May, a little more than two months after launch. A month after that it was on sale for less. I remember thinking I should have waited.

They also had two-week free trials in that same period. TW announced in August 2011, a little over five months into the game, that “1 million had played the game.” Since “played the game” could mean “played the game as part of a free trial,” 1,000,000 boxes sold in that time frame is questionable.

Behellagh.1468:

Personally I would drop support a line and ask them.

Best answer. It’s better to contact them and find out you didn’t really have to than to not contact them and find out you should have.

fony.5102:

JJBigs.8456:

Where did you hear this? o.o

AC is getting redesigned in the patch.

I believe the statement was that boss battles in AC were redesigned.

These experiences are not outside the bounds of what one can expect from random number generation. In World of …, if a mob dodged or blocked an attack, it often dodges or blocks the next one also. This happened often enough that I remember it. As to getting the same drops, the loot tables in GW2 are not as varied as would be ideal. How many rare weapon drops at L80 are Traveler’s XX of Air?

NPC, merchant, with a “job” in Divinity’s Reach, far away from the fighting. :O

Herr der Friedhoefe.2490:

“Play as you like” is long dead. Certain equipment can only be had from specific areas of the game, and you have to grind those areas even though Anet doesn’t make grindy games.

Case in point? I have no chance to get an Ascended Back Piece in WvW, and I detest the fractals. It has been 3.5 months since the Nov 15 patch that brought out Ascended gear and I only just got my first piece, an amulet. Admittedly I didn’t have to do much to get it, just a daily achievement but where are the Ascended rewards in WvW? That is supposed to be the endgame and it’s where I usually play.

Though I don’t enjoy PvP or WvW, I think the players who don’t want to PvE (to whatever degree) have been put on the back burner as regards Ascended.

As to the OP, while I enjoyed farming for items in GW1, an open world is not the same as instanced play. If you don’t believe me go to the only place in the open world to farm level 81+ mobs for better drops and tell me how much success you have tagging amidst all the other people doing it. Still, I wish that GW2 had more skins, better skins and “unique” skins that could be sought.

Hardcores are not this game’s worst enemies. Casuals are not this game’s worst enemies. This games worst enemies are labelers. It isn’t hardcores or casuals throwing insults, its people insisting on labels.We’re all players (or forum watchers in some cases).

I’d probably be labelled a casual by inclination. However, I see both sides of many issues. I empathize with a lot of the concerns expressed by so-called hardcores and some expressed by the so-called casuals.

Even within the catch-alls of the labels there is a lot of variation in opinion and desires. Labeling is dangerous. They makes us think we know how others think. We’re often wrong.

If we focused more on some empathy for people’s issues, we might see past the labels. But, I guess this will happen when pigs fly.

Ooshi.8607:

How can you be a victim if in the process of rolling your character in a PvP server, you where aware of the rule set in that server?
You know what we used to do to people that went in to the Barrens to gank low levels? We killed them and then camped them ourselves.
I’ve got very limited experience with MMO’s, I’ve only played GW1 / WoW / GW2, but in at least those 2 last ones there was this wonderful thing called Map Chat, where you could ask your fellow faction members for help if there was someone or a group of someones determined to harass you. Or maybe you could use that other wonderful function called Guild Chat to summon willing allies to help you with your fight.
If I go into a pit full of crocodiles I can’t reasonably complain afterwards that the crocodile bit me when my back was turned, entering that pit I am aware that crocodiles do bite.
As for the question of fairness… There is no fairness and there never will be… MMO’s aren’t balanced with 1vs1 in mind. As a mesmer in GW1 I was virtually unkillable if I knew before hand what class I was playing against.
Likewise in GW2 some classes fare a lot better against other classes…
If you roll on a PvP server you accept the fact that you are going to win some battles and are going to lose some as well. That’s what it makes it interesting!

Since this is GW2 we are talking about, which factions are you referring to?

While I agree that if there were such a server, no one would be forced to roll on it. Obviously, though, some people not cut out for it would try it out, get gibbed and then complain on the forums.

This still doesn’t change that implementing this option would take dev time and effort away from other things. For that reason alone, do not want.

Some of the skill points do indeed seem to present greater challenge than others. This is quite noticeable in Orr, but also in a few other areas. I suspect this was done by design, and that ANet does not consider the map completion objectives to be a 100% solo endeavor. Perhaps they envisioned players balked at getting a point solo either asking for help in guild chat or map chat. I see this frequently.

Astralporing.1957:

The people that want open PvP are not the same that play WvW. The second group is interested in competition, while the first wants to prey on unsuspecting (and preferably defenceless) victims.

Y’know, I keep seeing people who post asking for a PvP server saying they, “Like the thrill of the hunt.” they “Like the tension inherent in never knowing if they are going to be attacked.” and similar things. I’d like to believe them.

I’ve played several games that had open PvP. In all that play time, I was attacked:

• Innumerable times by players high enough in level that I was no threat to them.
• Many times by players who had a 2 or 3 to 1 advantage.
• Many times when a mob had me at low health and with CD’s expended.
• Several times while rezzing in at spawn points, so half or more of my health was gone before my screen cleared.
• Never (outside of duels with guild members) when it was a fair fight.

So, based on my experience, I’d have to say that your description fits at least some of them. Still, while I wouldn’t object to a PvP server “over there somewhere.” I definitely do object to the devs committing the resources to implement one when those resources could be used on stuff I do care about.

Uncle Salty.6342:

Well if you were expecting people to read and understand your post, it doesn’t happen much around here.

Most people here also prefer to read ‘parts’ they like and ‘understand’ what they like. English teachers would be sad around the world.

The only answers you are going to get are the generic:

• It’s not compulsory
• You can do without it
• You can check the reset time and do it earlier etc etc

Where you’re coming from is essentially, one shouldn’t have to schedule their life around a game just because it has a ‘time’. I’ve made a thread before regarding these dailies where these tasks/rewards are able to accumulate for a certain amount of time.

Likewise half of the replies were the result of remarkable selective reading.

edit:

emikochan.8504:

I’m looking forward to choosing my own dailies. If your dailies are resetting at strange times, it might be due to it using your system clock, make sure it’s up to date

Facepalm.

The phrase “Schedule their life around a game…” suggests that “one” considers the rewards for dailies to be very important. If this were not the case, why on earth schedule one’s life around a bloody game? One could schedule their life around their life, and play the game (and complete dailies, or not) when time allows, sometimes getting the reward and sometimes not.

Oh, and the OP’s issue is not one of schedule. He plays more than enough to do dailies, he just prefers not to have to pay attention to them or change his playing preferences to do so.

So, where the OP is coming from (and perhaps you also) is really, “I really want these rewards, but I don’t want to complete the requirements as they exist. However, I still want the rewards as quick as everyone else, so change the requirements to suit me.”

Despite your belittlement of Emiko’s post, the choice of dailies may in fact benefit the OP, as with more options, he might be more likely to finish his dailies using his current play style. Since we have not seen the option system yet, we can’t know for sure.

TsukasaHiiragi.9730:

Its really impossible to provide statistics, and even then ~ they can be faked. Its all personal experience, and I’ve personally seen a dramatic drop in players.

Mhm. And my personal experience says differently. For months, HoD seemed to be declining. However, since Christmas or so, there’s always an overflow in LA (for months there was not); initial zones are always jammed, Orr events get done more often, there are even more people than before in the podunk zones like Iron Marches.

It’s impossible to say based on personal experience that personal experience has any validity.

TsukasaHiiragi.9730:

emikochan.8504:

All mmos lose the locusts after early launch, then the people that didn’t read what the game was leave, and now the people playing are the actual gw2 players. Same in any mmo. A slow growth is great.

But a fast decline of players isn’t ~ The game already had lost a ton of players with the Lost Shores mess, and now the next patch it set to cause another round of players quitting.

I see you don’t like the upcoming guild missions. Got any evidence (other than conjecture) that you are not alone?

My shouts sword/rifle warrior does 0/25/15/30/0. Why? 25 for 10% damage to bleeding targets, and 15 for health regen based on adrenaline. Some 5 traits are pretty good; some 10 traits are pretty bad.

ANet filled the “PvP in an environment where there is also combat with NPC’s” niche when they created WvW. I don’t believe they would consider doing the work necessary to change a copy of the open world to make a “PvP server.” Doing it right would divert a lot of resources for a fairly long time. Like most MMO’s, their development team is likely to be smaller than it was pre-launch, and those resources need to be working on content and features that will satisfy the player-base as a whole.

While I’m sorry that some players don’t find that WvW “scratches the itch” for them, I am afraid they will have to make do.

azurrei.5691:

IndigoSundown.5419:

GW2 is not designed that way since much of the game can be soloed.

except for the most rewarding part of the game, dungeons – which is where heroes would be awesome.

Dungeons were intended to be completed by coordinated teams. To make them playable by a player plus NPC’s would require a major revision.

An 80? No. I have 4 and like playing them all. I am considering deleting a 41 Engineer, the one class I find I cannot seem to like playing. If you feel you would enjoy yourself more using the slot for something else, then rock on.

Heroes in GW1 allowed players to complete content that was designed for a team since the entire game was designed around teams. GW2 is not designed that way since much of the game can be soloed.

So, to get exotic drops: run FotM if you want account bound ones and Shelter/Penitent with MF while in a group if you want the valuable ones? Looks like GW2 has one area in the open world, an area that is over-utilized (at least on my server). Oh, and don’t forget to pay the MF tax. GW1 had many places you could go to get rare, valuable drops. To get specific ones, you had to go to specific areas, but even then there weren’t 20-50 people spamming AoE’s there.

Animando.7956:

A Precision+Condition damage stats mix is actually a good one. Ask the Necros!

Do you play a Necro? Personally, I find Condition Damage to be under-whelming on Necroes, so I don’t spec for it. The only time I use conditions that damage is if: 1) I use dagger 5 for a little extra damage from the bleed; or 2) while running support in a party, I’ll use staff to drop Mark of Blood on teammates, and occasionally on mobs.

As to the traits… 1 stack of bleed is what, under 100 damage per second if you push the stat? Not something I get excited about.

Tinboy.7954:

I’m pretty sure it’s just RNG but yesterday I got 3 exotic drops from cursed shore lol. I was pretty surprised myself. Keep in mind that I do run around with ~155% MF with a very good tagging build.

It is just RNG, but you are taking advantage of 2 mechanics that increase the likelihood of your getting better drops. 1) Magic Find: the tax on farming; and 2) tagging mobs in the very few areas where an 80 can take advantage of the “chance for better drops from mobs whose level is higher than yours.” This code was in the game in the BWE’s, and afaik has never been removed, though the game no longer advertises it.

My necro is my current go-to for node farming and events in Orr. She’s more survivable than any other 80 I have except warrior, and does acceptable damage. So, while I’m sorry for those who feel necro is worthless, that is not my experience.

/not signed

Noid.2871:

Silence doesn’t constitute agreement.

True. My first guess would be not paying attention, followed by afk, followed by apathy.

SynfulChaot.3169:

If you have restrictions on what you are seeking, you should post that. If you don’t have restrictions, you should not have to post that. Simple common sense.

This makes sense. If a party wants 1 more, and prefers a guardian, they should post “LF1M Guard only.” If they only post, “LF1M” then kick the Engineer who joins, the Engineer player would have justification for anger when they kick him without (or with minimal) explanation.

I support people playing the way they want, but put the kitten “80’s only” in the LFG. Or is 8 keystrokes too much kitten work?

Raids don’t work without gear upgrades. People won’t repeat them ad nauseam without the rewards. GW2 customers have barely accepted the existing gear upgrades with ANet’s promise they’d be available to multiple play-styles.

Also, organizing raids creates headaches along the lines of herding cats. Raids can also create drama due to failures caused by player malfunction, loot drama, or people sitting on a voice client for hours dealing with frustration.

DeathPanel.8362:

SynfulChaot.3169:

DeathPanel.8362:

SynfulChaot.3169:

No. Dislike the player, not the game. The game does not say you should act that way. Your actions you cannot blame on the game. Sorry. It’s not the game. It is you.

Wrong. The framework of the game is setup to encourage players to behave in a certain manner to achieve success or efficiency just like any other MMO.

You just happen to be one of the disgruntled players that can’t work within the system and instead of asking for systemic change in the game you are blaming people for finding ways to work within the system and not acting in the manner you wish.

That doesn’t work, has not worked, and never will work.

I am not disgruntled and I do work within the system. That does not mean I need to like the elitist elements in it.

Do you think I do? The difference here is that I am ACTUALLY working within the system while you are the one trying to blame the symptoms of the system on players rather than the faults of the system itself.

The fact is even with down scaling a lvl 80 with exotics still far outclasses any low lvl and I’ve explained that many times already in this thread.

And because of that no pug team that cares about finishing dungeons quickly is going to accept a sub lvl 80.

I wish that wasn’t the case but it is. So your focus of ire on so called “elitists” is misplaced since the game is itself setup to promote behavior like that due to rational self interest and the fact that in a pug it’s all strangers.

It’s more than just this game, it’s pretty much all MMO’s. Harder content is all team content, and players are going to repeat at least some of it ad nauseam. Players play the content long past the time when that content is new and exciting, and it’s all because of the rewards. Is it any wonder, then, that they want speed?

This is going to continue until programmers can keep up with users, which would require innovations in programming, or until programmers make dungeons that change randomly each time they’re run. That, by the way, is what I envisioned when the devs talked about GW2 dungeons. It’s not, needless to say, what we got.

Vol.5241:

Well you folks either:
1.) Don’t wear MF gear
2.) Don’t kill nearly enough mobs per hour

I farm shelt/pen a lot, and I get most of my exotics there. I have appx 1400 hours in game and I can confidently guess I’ve had +30 exotics drop for me, one of them being Dusk. Probably 5 of those were from Dragon/puzzle chests. I even started screenshotting all my exotic drops starting two months ago.

See, that’s the thing. MF is a tax. If you don’t pay the tax, you’re on the low end of the curve. Imo this is the worst mechanic in the game.

Also, doesn’t it strike people as odd that there’s only one generally known spot where you can kill “enough mobs per hour.” The hot spot used to be Plinx, but I haven’t seen his chain running for quite a while.

1400 hours, how much of that time is spent on high-yield farming? You say a lot, but that’s pretty vague. I did a lot of node farming in Orr back when mob density was higher, and killed a ton of mobs (I don’t run through mobs). Too bad there isn’t a /killed feature that counts mob kills.

The thing that I don’t get is that so many of the Ascended items in the laurel store have either Magic Find or Condition Damage. Ommv, but I want no part of either one.

Anwar.2018:

IndigoSundown.5419:

Ascended was put in to be a time sink. If it were easily accessible, it would not be a time sink. If this were changed to make getting it less time consuming, people would then be complaining about nothing to do. It’s going to take me 4 months of non-grindy play to amulet-ize my 4 80’s. It would then take me another 8-9 months of non-grindy play to ring them. Another year to accessorize the other 4 who are still en route to 80. Two years of reason to log in. What, exactly, is wrong with having long-term goals? Oh, right, that might require the cultivation of patience.

Well, ’m new but I feel there should be SOME limits to grind, if you, who are obviously hard-core, (which means long hours of intense play daily) would take that long to get what you need…it means someone who only plays an average amount of laid-back time daily would take a decade to get…which is a bit extreme for both of you…and if a new guy looks and sees it would take a decade to get decent gear, he is probably going to move along as soon as another game comes out …

I had to laugh when I found I was “obviously hardcore.” To clarify, my estimate of a month per amulet assumes that there will be days I don’t do the daily, and months where I will do the monthly (I did this month). One can play 30-60 minutes of non-intense gaming and finish a daily. I would consider that an average amount of laid-back play daily.

The only announcement re balance changes upcoming that I’ve seen was one about a nerf to the bunker ele build. No details were provided.

Red Falcon.8257:

PvE doesn’t need to be so easy that you can succeed with any spec, but with any class setup yes.
Currently some classes are in a worse place like Ranger, Necro and Engi.
They can do some of everything but aren’t remotely as good as other classes in specific things.

I’ve found a use for my necro — farming. She does better than my bunker ele, just as survivable and does more damage.

1115 hours, 2 exotic drops. Both came within the same week (it was either late December or early January). Both times I was in a group. Oddly, though I’ve got 4 80’s, both items dropped for my Mesmer, who I’ve played less than the other three.

Spleen.7836:

These changes will not make any differences for me I guess… The problem is not that I don’t tag and don’t get anything, the problem is that I get white trash most of the time,and maybe 3 greens per hour in Orr :/

3 greens per hour in Orr on average? Sounds better than what I see on one character. Try 1 blue and two heavy bags, and very few bones. This is running around solo.

Checked back in after two more pages. Still no one answering the question…

If you don’t know the players, don’t know their gear, don’t know their build or skills, what is the potential upside for a max level group of taking a lower level?

I’ll put it another way. If the 80 you’re requesting or the lower-level you could have had are both ciphers to you, what’s the advantage of taking the lower level?

SynfulChaot.3169:

IndigoSundown.5419:

For the sake of discussion, let’s say your hypothesis is spot on. Let’s also assume that hypothetical group A is looking for one more 80. They get one, and don’t ask him to link gear. Your hypothesis is that they may be losing out if that 80 is under-geared. However, if they aren’t asking for gear link, there is also no guarantee that a sub-80 would be geared as well as could be, either. With an 80, there’s the chance of your 10-15% more efficiency. What is the upside for a group that has some interest in speed/efficiency of taking a sub-80 character? If there is one, does it trump the upside of that potential 10-15%?

You cannot guarantee that anyone will be fully geared. Chances are that a sub-80 will be running decent gear in dungeons as they need to. Also, please see the links here and here for information on Dynamic Leveling and how it does balance out stats between high and low level charas.

Nice avoiding my question. I am aware of what down-leveling is, and that it was recently adjusted to more heavily impact down-leveled characters. That’s irrelevant to my question. More than once in this thread you’ve admitted that if equally skilled, an 80 trumps a lower level. A pug group has no way of knowing who is skilled until they see the character played. They are thus controlling the only variable they can.

So, again… for a group that has an interest in speed/efficiency, what is the upside of taking a sub-80 character? From all the arguments I’ve seen in this thread, it would be that the player might be skilled. Well, that 80 might be also, and if he is, he is the better choice. Still, I’d like to hear other upsides, if there are any.

Don’t get me wrong. I do not discriminate by level, but, I am not inclined to support anyone besides the developers telling others how to play the game.

Nothing has been announced so far. It is likely that existing weapons will always have the same 5 skills, though those skills may change some as balance issues are addressed. Whether new weapons will appear with major expansions remains to be seen.

Wear expensive armor and midnight dyes. Bot handlers don’t dress their bots up, since the reason to bot is to make gold, not spend it. This should tip off people with a working brain that you aren’t bots.

Guanglai Kangyi.4318:

Considering how most pugs in dungeons actually have no DPS and thus are not contributing to the fight, yet get the same rewards as those of us who are glass cannoning specifically to fill in for those people, I’d say the opposite needs to be true. In fact, loot drops should scale better with damage dealt, and it needs to be more obvious so people actually know they need to contribute.

A simple bronze/silver/gold reward upon killing a boss would be sufficient. Deal 10% of the boss’s maximum HP for bronze, 15% for silver, 20% for gold. Seems reasonable. Also, make it visible to all players in the party, so you can see who’s dead weight and who isn’t.

Really, please. I’m sick of being the only DPS in every pug.

What a marvelous idea. Let’s remove what small amounts of complexity GW2 has in build choices. Let’s remove stats other than armor and weapon damage from gear. Since everyone would have glass cannon stats, just give everyone glass cannon stats. Also, let’s remove stats from traits — turn traits into just another talent tree. You’ve really nailed what this game needs. After all, if everyone should be doing x dps, why not just make everyone the same?

No. I don’t see anything that I’d be interested in in a level increase that cannot also be put into the game without an increase. I’d love to see GW2 take more inspiration going forward from GW1 than from the big, old, arthritic MMO gorilla.

I’ll add my thanks to the dev team as well. I may not always agree with everything they do, but I can see the effort and appreciate it.

zlatna bosna.4178:

Geotherma.2395:

zlatna bosna.4178:

Geotherma.2395:

zlatna bosna.4178:

Avatar.1923:

probably because this game is not designed to be farmed.

What about when you need to craft something but you can’t ever get the items requied because of horrible drop rates? Just buy it right, well have fun doing that every time you need to do something. This brings up another issue, DR. Have fun farming for endless hours. You say it’s not designed to be farmed, but thats probably 80% of this game.

80% grind lol……….. Aion is 80%, FFXI is 250%. Everyone says mats, but which mats specifically are people looking for.

I realize other games are grind orientated, but this game was touted as a non-grind type, yet look at the achievements for WvW and some of the legendary requirements, these are two minor examples because there are many more.

But there needs to be something keeping people playing. You can’t just have everyone “beating” the game in a month. Its an MMO after all and requires consistent material to keep it interesting. These things are time sinks, optional at that. And they may require what some consider grind, but barely anything in this game is “essential” and the best things in game that aren’t about looks take very little time to achieve.

What will keep people playing is more content not weapons and skins which pretty much composes the end game now. They are time sinks however GW2 was never supposed to be that, maybe it was just viral marketing and they were being unhonest when they said it was a game for casuals. The last time PvE got real content was the lost shores event.

Every MMO in existence has proven that developers cannot develop new content as fast as players can race through it. Ergo, end game in every MMO is about repetition and time sinks. Just as in every other MMO, casuals can chose to pursue those time sinks at their own pace, or not.

The first GW2 announcement came at the same time as the announcement for EotN. Once people were done with EotN, people still played GW1 for ~5 years. Since very little new content was added, what were they doing? Time sinks, like titles and getting rare skins.

I’m casual. I log in when I want to and do what I want to. I have goals, and I will reach them eventually, barring out-of-game issues. GW2 can be a game for casuals. The idea, “I’ve got to have everything now!” is a hardcore idea. Let it go and your experience of GW2 can be as casual as you’d like.

Ascended was put in to be a time sink. If it were easily accessible, it would not be a time sink. If this were changed to make getting it less time consuming, people would then be complaining about nothing to do. It’s going to take me 4 months of non-grindy play to amulet-ize my 4 80’s. It would then take me another 8-9 months of non-grindy play to ring them. Another year to accessorize the other 4 who are still en route to 80. Two years of reason to log in. What, exactly, is wrong with having long-term goals? Oh, right, that might require the cultivation of patience.

Infernia.9847:

I also agree that support classes need to get a fair shot at loot but I don’t see an easy solution if in fact DPS is a factor in eligibility to receive loot in the first place.

I can get bronze, silver, even gold credit for dynamic events if I combat mobs in the same area — and I’m not talking inside the orange oval, I’m talking area, like Plains of Lyss. If that kind of tracking is available for DE’s , why not a mechanism for combat with a mob or mobs that tracks things like healing others, applying boons, and reviving others, all of which have a mathematical component?

Thrumdi.9216:

TL;DR : Winning WvW matters, because if you lose, with the global TP, you will get less money for your crafts and mats, and will have less gold to pay for inflated rare items.

IF your theory is correct, sounds like working as intended.

At low levels I salvage blues, and TP greens for at or just under the sell price (not the buy price). If the sell price is at +1 copper, I merch the item.

Once the drops get to level 65 or so, there is a chance for T6 mats, and I salvage the blues. I still TP or vendor the greens.

Nalora.7964:

Yea, I do this all the time. I do an attitude check, try to change my paradigm. SHIFT IT ALREADY, NALORA. (you can hear me screaming that, right, every day )

I have had to give up many things in GW2 and I guess that is what chaps my rear end some days and I get all gritchy about it all. I look at something I want to achieve, and then look at what kind of time I have to put in to achieve it and just go: Oh hail no!

Plus you feel like they hate you—-the devs just hate you and want you to quit. I know this is unreasonable. Kind of like yelling at God like Job on a really bedeviled day —-WHAT HAVE YOU GOT AGAINST ME? shakes fist at sky On those days when you look in your inventory and just see massive piles of….junk.

Funny too, because in GW1 I was always the one screaming at people to stop leaving their “junk drops” on the ground. “Would you leave gold on the ground if it were there?” I would ask. I got filthy rich from “junk” over 7 years in GW1. No drop left behind! And this too, may be part of my problem—-I am so very poor now. But, I am just starting, I remind myself.

So yea….I feel some better. Its because I am such a care bear weanie. I tend to focus more on support —-and I loved (yea I did) the combo aspect of the game and was so keen on watching this groovy synergy I would get (this is my greatest “fun” in the game) from laying down a combo field and keeping these big beefy “power” guys alive that I did not do enough damage to get the loot. (confirmed now by Colin)

Alas for the born healer in me.

Nalora, R.N., MSN.

Yeah, my GW1 bank is pretty full, mostly from green farming back when they were worth something, as well as a whole lot of gold earned from Zaishen missions and vanquishing lots of areas — not to mention the occasional rare drop that was worth something.

I see lots of posts about GW2 being more rewarding if partied. This also provides people to combo with, and support — with the upside that their damage will help you get credit towards drops. I also remember you saying your friends list was a wasteland. Is there any way you could make GW2 more of a social game? It might help with drops, as well as potentially being more rewarding in and of itself.

Anyway, I’m glad you feel some better. I hope the trend continues.

Leo G.4501:

IndigoSundown.5419:

There is a perceived difference in efficiency between a geared 80 and a geared low level. I don’t see how debating the actual difference in efficiency (or lack thereof) is relevant. A few people throwing numbers around in a thread are not going to convince anyone they are “doing it wrong.” It’s a group’s prerogative to limit their group composition. It’s not our prerogative to tell them not to.

Devil’s advocate questions to those saying the difference is quite small and matters only for speed running. How do you know that every group asking for 80’s-only is not looking for the best speed possible through the dungeon? Who gets to decide what their goals are and how achieving those goals is best accomplished, if not the members of those groups?

Just stating my opinion, again I don’t care how people group or decide to make their teams. The only point I want to put to rest is the quantitative difference between someone down-leveled and someone appropriately level for that instance.

It would help bring about just how much of a difference people are going out of their way to exclude people for. My hypothesis though, is it’s probably 10-15% (just a guesstimate ratio) more efficient to have full 80s all with best gear possible but possibly less if people have rares/masterwork trinkets or whatever. It’s 25-40% more efficient if that group is optimized for speed which would require more exclusions of class/build.

In all likely hood, even if it’s a speed run, unless you’re forcing people to link their gear/build rather than just making sure they’re all lvl 80s and nothing more, you’re breaking even or possibly even weakening yourself if that 80 isn’t in at least rares. Lower levels have less of a penalty to make up for in gear than 80s.

Basically, the only way ‘only 80s’ is more efficient is if you’re going the full elitist mile and making sure people have the most optimized gear possible.

For the sake of discussion, let’s say your hypothesis is spot on. Let’s also assume that hypothetical group A is looking for one more 80. They get one, and don’t ask him to link gear. Your hypothesis is that they may be losing out if that 80 is under-geared. However, if they aren’t asking for gear link, there is also no guarantee that a sub-80 would be geared as well as could be, either. With an 80, there’s the chance of your 10-15% more efficiency. What is the upside for a group that has some interest in speed/efficiency of taking a sub-80 character? If there is one, does it trump the upside of that potential 10-15%?

If tagging for loot credit is the only issue, then it may not fix what some of my characters have been experiencing. Was I not getting loot credit for doing all of the damage needed to kill a mob (i.e., I was solo)? Guess I’ll see what happens with the patch.

Class: Warrior; Level: 80; Gear: Exotics; MF: none; Primary Use: node farming runs through Orr.

Prior to November, a 2-3 hour run through Orr would net 3-4 MW greens, often 1-2 Rare drops. Since then, most runs netted blues and whites only. Since the reduction in Risen density, I am also killing less to get to nodes, so chances for drops are reduced. Recent runs have been about 1 hour. Killed between 35-50 mobs each run. 2 Heavy Bags was the best drop. Other drops have been a couple of blues, a few whites and not even that many P. Bones. More than half of the mobs killed in recent runs dropped nothing at all, to the point where getting any drop was a surprise.

Last week I took the character to Fireheart Rise and over the course of 3 hours or so did map completion. Drops were all blues, zone-level-appropriate bags, whites and of course 4-5 different types of vendor trash. More than half of the mobs dropped items of some sort. Net gain was 50-60 silver, half or more of which came from the zone completion reward.