Guild Wars 2

Great idea! I would love to see this implemented.

If you’re curious for more, Wooden Potatoes did a couple of cool videos. The one with lore and speculation is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xslnnsNAUPA

The other one is raw datamined map stuff regarding the Wizard’s Tower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb-vYZhbMes

For those deciding, Dulfy made a nice chart of the available choices of dye packs and dyes:
http://dulfy.net/2015/08/25/gw2-third-anniversary-birthday-gifts/

Thank you, Anet, for the very nice birthday presents!

This topic keeps cropping up. Personally, I enjoy the equality aesthetic for my female asura. Hoorah for the ability to wear pants on a female light armor class! I absolutely do not understand why some people want to “girlify” female asura.

That said, I appreciate more choices for everyone. So, can my female asura please have the option to wear the spiffy Wintersday coat and not a poofy dress? Likewise, please give people the option to wear dresses if they choose.

Ele is definitely the most glass cannon class in this game, but since you like to melee, try a scepter/dagger or dagger/dagger build.

As Talyn said, give Guardian a try, too. This game doesn’t have designated healers and everyone is expected to watch their own health, but guardian’s boons and f1-f3 skills can certainly help when the group isn’t doing well.

Just to answer a couple of questions posted originally…
The open recruiting I see most is in Lion’s Arch and there seem to be several RP guilds in the Grove and Rata Sum. It’s not rude to randomly ask to join, but a good guild should have some questions for you to make sure it’s a good fit for you.

Server only matters if you want to do WvW with your guild. Everything else is mega-server, combining everyone everywhere.

Guild benefits are various— and about to get better. Most often, guilds will offer buffs to all members. You can mouse over the guild shield in the upper left corner of your screen to see what sort of buffs your guild has active. If your guild does missions (Guild bounties, guild puzzles, etc.) then you can collect commendations for participating and turn those tokens in for gear or skin rewards.

Furthermore, when the HoT expansion arrives, there will be guild halls offering all kinds of fun things. (Preview trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgG1G2N3WEk)

Good luck!

I have extra mesmers squirreled away in jumping puzzles for easy portaling. I find them very beneficial.

Even if you wanted to use the clothing tonic in all its unmixability, it still reverts if you walk through a portal or enter an instance.

Many of us would like to see the old “town clothes” come back as outfits— along with several town clothes outfits we have never been able to wear.

I really enjoyed gliding, but as others have mentioned, I want a flight-time indicator.

When I landed, the flight-time indicator vanished and I didn’t know if it was safe to glide again right away. Turns out you can glide again right away, but your flight-time won’t be recharged and you can fall to your death right away.

Manifibel.8420:

Just to add one more suggestion. Instead of a flat 25% to any skill, make it fully recharge your own attunements, and be able to instantly Overcharge your current attunement, but also instantly refresh allies F1-F5 abilitys. Would be easier to use in a pug since you yourself can be aware when a person just did use a F1-F5 ability. It is much easier to coordinate, and benefits you really well.

I agree. Making this more like the guardian’s “renewed focus” skill makes a lot more sense.

Also, I noticed this skill did not work with ice bow. Ice bow summoning did not cool down faster, nor did individual ice bow skills.

Syraxis Windrunner.1973:

… – There needs to be more synergy with the traps. Traps are not ground targeted, which if you’re a melee is fine, cause youre right there with the enemy. “Setting up” an enemy is difficult, due to the fact that there are so many, and most of them ranged with little to no los breaks. Youre better off using the traps with melee. …

While I agree with Syraxis’ other points as well, this is the one that stood out to me the most. A guardian using the elite spec would be doing himself a disservice to use traps at this point. Here’s why: if you take trap utilities instead of symbols, you can use only one trait in the elite trait line to make your traps bleed. Symbols, on the other hand, are functional with utilities, weapons and up to three trait lines if your symbols cause burning.

Specifically, Honor has writ of persistence and protector’s impact. Zeal has zealot’s speed, symbolic exposure, symbolic power (for burning), and symbolic avenger. If your symbols burn, Radiance can further enhance that with inner fire, radiant fire, radiant power, or amplified wrath. Even if you’re not traiting for all of that, why give up all those options?

The traps were kind of fun to use, but ultimately not worth it when compared to symbols and other traitable choices. I expected more synergies between weapons/ utilities/ and traits. It’s just not there.

Edit: Also, I still think the name of the elite spec is ridiculous.

Argon.1563:

So far, we know we’re getting…
Light, heavy and medium Guild Hall armour (6 pieces each = 18 skins)…

There will also be 2 different sets of Guild Hall weapons, using materials mined in each type of Guild Hall. They were previewed in the big Guild Hall reveal.

GW2 does love its asymmetrical armors. :/ I would rather have symmetry, even with the shoulder make-up mirror.

I love the wardrobe but I have a lot of skins and sorting through them is pretty time-consuming. I also love using cultural armor. The search function is great if you remember the name of the thing, however, cultural armor has three names per armor type— tier 1 light, tier 2 light, tier 3 light. Then three different names for medium, and three more for heavy. Switch to another race and there are another nine names, etc.

It’d be really handy to be able to check a box next to that search window in order to show all the cultural armor applicable to your character’s race.

To the OP: That’ll Never happen.

Reason: Gemstore. Inventory items are moneymakers. They may give a mini, a toy, or a consumable but they won’t give away inventory items or Black Lion gamble tickets ‘cause that’s where the game makes its money.

There are multiple threads on the topic of the new character select screen:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Suggestion-Improved-Character-Select-Screen

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Character-Select-Screen-Changed-for-worse/first#post5275216

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Characters-turning-white/first#post5204065

For the curious, Wooden Potatoes did a nice backstoy/recap video on Shiro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4SBfkljQCw&feature=youtu.be

You can mine right away… but they moved all gatherables to higher leveled areas and they don’t give you a set of gather tools until level 9.

Flaming.4250:

I think I will leave this clip of Shiro in action. The Guild Wars Factions opening cinematic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtP5AkrCNUI

Awesome clip! Thanks for sharing that.

Leveling goes so fast in this game— even without scrolls— I find the extra screen annoying, too. Could we have a compromise? On the first level-up screen, could we have a click bar for “Next level will give you…”, making the second screen optional. OR Attach the second pop-up screen to your XP bar, if you want to know what’s next, click there for a feature pop-up.

—Female characters’ audio is male grunts of effort when moving the centaur tablet or activating the tablet’s elite explosion utility.

—I died while a tablet was active, then waypointed. The tablet was gone, but I lost the ability to cast a new one or command the old one until I gated out of the zone.

Armours look good. I like several of the new animations: the “roads” (searing fissure, inspiring reinforcement) look cool, I like the spinning hammers, and the tablet utilities have nifty pulses of particles.

Too bad the damage and heals suck when it comes to real stats.

Sub par.

The demon stance is the only one with some killing ability to it— and that ability is more like a necro before the condi revamp. I don’t really understand the random push-back of the Unyielding Anguish utility for a (primarily) melee class, either. What’s the point of teleporting to your target to teleport it to a random location out of your reach? Groups are going to hate this skill more than ranger longbow knockbacks and necro AoE fears.

Dwarf has some stability and CC, but no punch to it. I like the looks of the animations, but they’re barely worth using.

Centaur is a bit clunky; I agree with the other player who cringed when he had to drop everything to move the tablet around. It would be more useful in a turret-like capacity, spreading heals passively while you use utilities to trigger special benefits. Still, it’s quite a sacrifice to have the tablet take up all your utilities. Even if engi equips heal turret and supply crate, they have less heal mobility but they can still equip three useful utilities. With that comparison, Centaur utilities give a condi clear that the engi doesn’t, but the rev’s remaining two utilities are… a delayed heal pulse and setting an anti-projectile barrier on the tablet. It’s difficult to tell how useful that barrier is because nothing at all has attacked my tablets thus far.

As others said, I hope the DPS spec makes this class worth playing.

Did you check your wallet? That’s where geodes are stored now.

Agreeing with the rest; bring back the blue please. In many cases, the brown is very difficult to see.

I ran AC last night and the end reward box had a pouch of spirit shards. I don’t recall how many shards were in it, but it was a direct, guaranteed award for completing the dungeon.

I can’t find where I read it, but they made 4 bullet points worth of graphical updates. Personally, this effected two of my characters; their whole faces glow white. They looked weird in-game, too, until I turned the post-processing (Options → Graphics) back on. (I’d turned it off on sepia-toned airplane day.) I’ve been playing with my graphics options on the game and on my monitor, but haven’t resolved the issue on the login screen.

ZeftheWicked.3076:

… You see running a successful mmorpg is like picking up a woman. …

That is an offensively sleazy way to make a point.

Thank you, Gaile. I am pleased Anet is listening to its customers and responding to our concerns.

I have now pre-purchased HoT and I can be excited again about all the great updates, betas, and new content headed our way.

We got a statement!

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/pre-purchase-community-address/

Chicho Gosho.6507:

There’s another angle to look at the ANet offer. Veterans get more from HOT because they are given a choice – get a new account with HOT or continue on their existent account with HOT. New players does not have that choice. So veterans actually get the better end of that deal.

Chicho Gosho.6507:

… Also as i said, veterans receive the ability to choose., nothing about whether the options are good or bad.

Emphasis added by me. “Better” means an increase greater than “good”.

I strongly disagree with you. Arguably, 102 pages of debate also disagree with you.

JoelTang.3680:

Lets not forget the network effect of having new players. There is value in a large player base that benefits players. If you consider the fact that the free core game is in order to facilite new players, it is a kind of win-win. That being said, I am quite surprized that the expansion doesn’t by default give a few, not just one, character slots. Not very good IMO.

If they really wanted to expand their player base, why not let veterans have free core game copies, too? As a veteran, I would happily hand off my “free” copy of the core game to a friend who was considering the game.

As it stands, however, I would tell him either to wait and see how this issue shakes out, or to look for another game.

GeekDavid.2786:

“Dust in the wind… all we are is dust in the wind…”

Not sure how many here are old enough to remember that song, tho.

Plenty of us, I think. Also, I appreciate your voice of reason here and your ability to make your points in clearly legible text. Thank you.

Scoundrel.2139:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130604134550-284615-15-statistics-that-should-change-the-business-world-but-haven-t

Excellent source, Scoundrel. I’m repeating this info below, for people who don’t wish to click the link. For those that want more data, the link sites statistical data sources for each item.

1. Price is not the main reason for customer churn, it is actually due to the overall poor quality of customer service.
2. A customer is 4 times more likely to defect to a competitor if the problem is service-related than price- or product-related.
3. The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 – 70%. The probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-20%.
4. For every customer complaint there are 26 other unhappy customers who have remained silent.
5. A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect as decreasing costs by 10%.

6. 96% of unhappy customers don’t complain, however 91% of those will simply leave and never come back.
7. A dissatisfied customer will tell between 9-15 people about their experience. Around 13% of dissatisfied customers tell more than 20 people.
8. Happy customers who get their issue resolved tell about 4-6 people about their experience.
9. 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated.
10. 55% of customers would pay extra to guarantee a better service.

11. Customers who rate you 5 on a scale from 1 to 5 are six times more likely to buy from you again, compared to ‘only’ giving you a score of 4.8.
12. It takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience.
13. A 5% reduction in the customer defection rate can increase profits by 5 – 95%.
14. It costs 6–7 times more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one.
15. eCommerce spending for new customers is on average $24.50, compared to $52.50 for repeat customers.

mrstealth.6701:

DieselFueled.3257:

… They have already offered refunds going back 30 and in some reported cases 60 days on GW2 purchases towards HoT upgrades. They changed their mind on how they wanted to distribute the game which made it way easier for new players. I bought my second account during the 10 dollar sale. Do I feel slighted? No.

A refund offer that requires deleting their existing account. And if they have bought any gems in that time, they’re out that money as it’s not refunded.

And only if they purchased the game from the GW2 website, not from any other sources.

IchbinVol.5407:

Kumion.7580:

If they had simply given veterans the “free” core game with the expansion, veterans would’ve handed out the core games to their friends like candy. “Try this game! It’s really fun and I just got an extra copy you can have!”

Instead, they are NOT giving the “free” core game to veterans the same way they’re giving it to new players. Big mistake, in so many ways.

I think the reason behind that, is that they don’t want vets selling their keys, and making money.

That is likely part of Anet’s reasoning but if the core game really is “free”, it shouldn’t matter.

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

…Very common promotional crap in the retail world today.

Actually, Dish and DirectTV do this type of promotional crap all the time. Great package offers with great pricing, but you can only get it if you’re not already a customer.

I’m seeing this argument a lot, lately. It’s true that service providers like TV and phone companies offer sweeter deals to new customers all the time. However, if old customers call them and say, “Hey, I got this postcard for a new customer deal and it’s a lot less expensive than what I pay now, but I’m happy with my service…” They will absolutely give the old customer a better deal. Good service providers know the benefits of keeping their customers.

Vayne.8563:

… what you’re saying is every time a company drops a price on something for someone, they should give you something else. …

Personally, I would be satisfied with getting the SAME thing new players are getting. Give me a core game AND an expansion and I will shut up and give them my money. However, I object to being asked to pay the same $50 for only the expansion. (Unless I want to start over from zero.)

Alternatively, if they offered compensation besides the core game “bonus” to veterans, I would also be satisfied. I just want my money to go as far as a new player’s money. I think that would be fair.

Quiznos.4296:

… If the goal was to grow the game they could’ve done a simple $1 off expansion for each core sale referral. And left core cost at $5. They would’ve not only gotten people to strongly promote the game (in an attempt to get HoT for free) for them, but they would’ve made significantly more money. Instead of $0 for core, even a single referral would bring in $4. And HoT could’ve stayed at $50.

If they had simply given veterans the “free” core game with the expansion, veterans would’ve handed out the core games to their friends like candy. “Try this game! It’s really fun and I just got an extra copy you can have!”

Instead, they are NOT giving the “free” core game to veterans the same way they’re giving it to new players. Big mistake, in so many ways.

Random.4691:

…Are you paying money in order to get the core game ? The answer is yes.

You can say you are paying for the expansion until you’re blue in the face but the core game is bundles in with the expansion that you are paying for, thus it is not free.

Agreed. If the core game was truly free, it would be available as a free download on their website. It is no more free than an infomercial that offers extra things for “free” if you order Right Now!

Massively OP http://massivelyop.com/2015/06/18/why-guild-wars-2s-prepurchase-deal-has-the-internet-raging/

Regina Buenaobra.6193:

To clarify: $50 is the price of the expansion. We included the core game as a free bonus to make it easier for new players to get into it.

No, this is not true. If the core game was free, it would be available for download on the website right now. It isn’t. It isn’t free. They want you to buy it (again) with HoT. Ridiculous.

If the core game was a separate serial code from HoT, or if veterans could opt to buy HoT + a character slot/fluff item/ or gems, this would not be a problem. Rebuying the core game is a problem.

The witch’s outfit comes around every Halloween, along with the Mad King outfit, the Bloody Prince outfit, the Hexed outfit, the phantom hood, etc.

Most of the outfits come around again.

I like using some of the outfits… but I would still like to mix and match and hide the outfit pieces the same way you can hide certain armor pieces. For example, I really like the Imperial outfit, but the shoulders are huge.

I understand the concepts of armor weights and seams; I realize you can’t hide the top or skirt of an outfit because of these, however, I still think the shoulders or gloves could be hidden. I would also like to wear certain outfits, but still show my choice of headgear— which is currently either outfit on or outfit (and everything else) off.

AugustVoelk.3497:

…trying to get world completion on another character….getting all the skill points to get all the traits. I’m just really torn because I feel like I might want to do it, but I’m also becoming more and more of a casual player as time goes on. …

Is it worthwhile? I think so. In my opinion, if you haven’t at least tried other classes, you’re missing out on many aspects the game has to offer. Learning each class gives you insights on how to counter or how to combo with others. It can add depth to your game.

You don’t have to get world completion on every character, either. Heck, you can get almost all your traits and skills under the upcoming new system by leveling to 80 and grabbing the skillpoints in the starter zones. The new system will be dropping before HoT, too.

Try a new character! Engi is fairly complex with each utility kit giving you an entirely new set of weapon skills to play with. Maybe it will keep your attention longer? It’s certainly more diverse in its effects.

Forgotten Legend.9281:

well, it would be very easy to simply call it “Hunter”. …

Oh, come on. Half the population of this game already refers to rangers as hunters. We don’t need the extra semantic confusion.

EdgarMTanaka.7291:

… What does it matter if the Specialization makes Guardian more like Ranger? It still won’t be a ranger … BTW, ranger will be more guardian-like in their specialization as they will have staff and centered around Healing.

THIS is precisely the problem! I have a ranger to be a Hunter. I wanted my guardian to be a Guardian! What is the point in “specializing” in your class if the specialization is only a re-mashed mesh of another class? It doesn’t seem like a true specialization at all. It doesn’t appear to enhance what the original class can do. Admittedly, we haven’t seen the Ready Up demo yet, but I’m not very optimistic in light of what I have seen and read.

Just to state my agreement with many others here, the name “Dragonhunter” needs to go. Please, please, Anet, rethink this one for the better. It’s much too generic since everyone playing the game hunts dragons and it’s a huge letdown for a mastery that should be (at least somewhat) epic.

I think you can kiss the Festival of Winds goodbye for the foreseeable future. The Zephyrites are scattered and broken— all over Dry Top. At least two of their leaders are missing/dead. I doubt there will be a Festival before they can regroup and rebuild.

As a fellow alt, I feel your pain. I’m a norn ranger and my puppet master decided to bring in a new ranger— a smaller, cuter asuran ranger that doesn’t hit her head on every jumping puzzle in existence. What do I have to offer against that? Leatherworking. Yay.

Granted, I prefer the colder zones and this new asura doesn’t mind the whole super-heated desert and sandstorm atmoshpere, but the jungle with its new lands… Come to think of it, maybe I’m better off hanging out in Hoelbrak.

I’m glad they’re rewarding beta keys to people who actually play the game— not just random people who want to beta. At the same time, limiting the reward to two L80-only, farm-happy maps, and making the drop rate incredibly rare isn’t making the ‘event’ fun.

Uhhh… back to the OP’s subject…

First, I have to give kimeekat.2548 kudos for a big ‘well said’!

As far as the OP goes, I think it is disingenuous for you to cherry pick some NPC names off the top of your head and yell ‘bias’! Just naming a few prominent characters is not proof that the game has some hidden agenda for female-power or something.

I’m really surprised no one brought up Tybalt from Whispers Order or Forgal from Vigil. True, the Priory story has Sieran but I see those NPCs balanced by Almorra founding the Vigil, Gixx leading the Priory, and Riel leading the Whispers. I believe some digging would show a similar balance of genders, races, professions, and even relationships in other areas of the game as well. I think the Order stories are simply a good example of this.