Guild Wars 2

Jaxom.7310:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

In the beginning they said they would never allow it because they wanted race selection to mean something. At a later time, they further elaborated that a race change isn’t something they can do due to technical limitations. So, it’s probably not likely, although who knows…maybe one day that will change. (Although, I personally hope they stick to their stance that they won’t ever make it an option, but that’s just my opinion)

i think the tech limits they explained once as having to do w/ how your personal story is tied into your race so heavily. the first 1/3rd of your story is completely race related.

I think that was that was the main part of it. I’d have to go find the dev posts again, but I’m too lazy. There were other racial things too, like the armors, that they’d have to deal with if I recall correctly.

In the beginning they said they would never allow it because they wanted race selection to mean something. At a later time, they further elaborated that a race change isn’t something they can do due to technical limitations. So, it’s probably not likely, although who knows…maybe one day that will change. (Although, I personally hope they stick to their stance that they won’t ever make it an option, but that’s just my opinion)

The point is its a cosmetic item that they can monetize that (as you pointed out already) has 0 affect on the actual game play. As the gemstore is their primary source of income, certain cosmetic and convenience items are bound to be monetized (not that you can’t get trans charges super easy in game anyway) and are preferable to having something like stats monetized instead.

I also read it as we might not get the full set on day one (assuming theres a lot of work involved here, between the legendary design and all the collections for its precursor), and that they will be adding them in a few at a time afterwards. I’m ok with that. Maybe “generation 2” is more than just 1 per type, which is why they wont be all ready at launch? The blog post doesn’t really say.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

The spilled coffee incident?

https://www.caoc.org/?pg=facts
“The coffee was not just “hot,” but dangerously hot. McDonald’s corporate policy was to serve it at a temperature that could cause serious burns in seconds. Mrs. Liebeck’s injuries were far from frivolous. She was wearing sweatpants that absorbed the coffee and kept it against her skin. She suffered third-degree burns (the most serious kind) and required skin grafts on her inner thighs and elsewhere.”

“McDonald’s operations manual required the franchisee to hold its coffee at 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
Coffee at that temperature, if spilled, causes third-degree burns in three to seven seconds.”

A warning label was more than needed on this situation.

It’s still common sense that if you spill coffee on yourself you’re going to get burned. You realize the standard home coffee pot (drip style) brews coffee at 190+ degrees? The Keurig default brew temp is 192 degrees. The ideal brew temp for coffee is 200 degrees. Therefore, McDonald’s coffee isn’t any hotter than the coffee you make at home.

Google it

I don’t think I can actually vote on that lol.

My ele has the most hours because she’s my main, and thus has the most map open. I can’t necessarily say it’s because she’s more fun than any of the other classes. It depends on my mood and what I’m doing. I play mesmer, ranger, and necro quite frequently as well. =/

Rhialto.8423:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

Rhialto.8423:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

Rhialto.8423:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

December.3580:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

And here we have yet another example of “if it can be exploited, it will be.”

Not really. Consider i had no intentions of using it as an exploit, also consider i finally posted it in the bugs forums I was only trying it if it worked. If i never tried someone else would have and the same situation would of happened. I wouldn’t call this an exploit since their is no gain “make full use of and derive benefit from”. Its a bug that creates 0 advantage over other players and can’t be exploited for gain other than kitten.

Except that you knew it was wrong….and did it anyway….

Except it’s not wrong. Go ahead and read through the terms of service and see where it says you can’t equip armor skins that provide no in game benefit. Literally none whatsoever. What, is somebody going to get confused in PvP because they think they’re fighting a Revenant? Give me a break.

Seems more like people are just salty because they didn’t get into the beta.

Actually I have no issues with the fact that I didn’t get into the stress test. Wasn’t even a beta.

Using a bug, knowing its a bug, is an exploit. It doesn’t matter that it doesn’t give a tangible benefit in this instance. However, I was address the mentality in general here, not just this specific instance. It is simply another example of “if I can, I’m going to. I don’t care who it hurts” In this instance, it hurts no one, because it is simply cosmetic; however, that’s not true in all cases.

So this case is totally unrelated to someone using a bug for profit. In fact, this is exactly how many bugs are found, because people push the game’s systems to see what’s possible.

You may be annoyed by people who say “if you don’t say I can’t, then I can,” but I really dislike the attitude of “if you don’t say I can, then I can’t.”

How many awesome areas in games would be unexplored without people trying to break the map and find ways to slip through barriers that the developers put into the maps?

Now apply your mentality to real life. That’s exactly why we have to have warning tags that say things like “do not use hair dryer in the tub or shower.” Ugh. And don’t spout “but this is just a game” because if you think how people are in game / real life don’t affect the other then you are very wrong.

Those warning labels are there to prevent lawsuits and help companies maintain goodwill with their customers, not because they’re worried that people will think they’re “allowed” to make toast while they’re taking a bath.

Gonna spout a bit, too bad: Setting aside the fact that games are not real life, and comparisons between them are worthless (I don’t kill random animals in real life, I’ll even carefully remove the lizards that somehow keep making their way into my living room so they don’t get hurt by my dogs), I doubt ANet sees things the way you do. If they banned people for trying things out and then reporting them as bugs then they would get drastically fewer bug reports, which would hurt them in the long run.

Once upon a time, those warning labels didn’t exist because they didn’t need to. People had thing called common sense. Something we obviously now lack. Like the person that spilled their McDonald’s coffee on them self and then sued because they got burned. Hello…coffee is hot (unless you’re ordering iced coffee, and that’s entirely different).

I never said they should be banned. I didn’t jump on that bandwagon. Do I think they shouldn’t have skinned it when it hasn’t been released for consumption? Yes. Do I think they should reskin? Yes. Do I think he should get his trans charges back? No, because he didn’t use common sense here.

I must say after reading the English blog, I think I like it. I’m definitely interested in the Map Bonuses that they’ll be implementing. It’s an interesting approach.

So reading the reddit translation….

The crafted precursor will share the same skin as the legendary, and it will be tradable, but each precursor can only be done once per account.

And new HoT precursors and legendaries are not tradable.

Interesting

Rhialto.8423:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

Rhialto.8423:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

December.3580:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

And here we have yet another example of “if it can be exploited, it will be.”

Not really. Consider i had no intentions of using it as an exploit, also consider i finally posted it in the bugs forums I was only trying it if it worked. If i never tried someone else would have and the same situation would of happened. I wouldn’t call this an exploit since their is no gain “make full use of and derive benefit from”. Its a bug that creates 0 advantage over other players and can’t be exploited for gain other than kitten.

Except that you knew it was wrong….and did it anyway….

Except it’s not wrong. Go ahead and read through the terms of service and see where it says you can’t equip armor skins that provide no in game benefit. Literally none whatsoever. What, is somebody going to get confused in PvP because they think they’re fighting a Revenant? Give me a break.

Seems more like people are just salty because they didn’t get into the beta.

Actually I have no issues with the fact that I didn’t get into the stress test. Wasn’t even a beta.

Using a bug, knowing its a bug, is an exploit. It doesn’t matter that it doesn’t give a tangible benefit in this instance. However, I was address the mentality in general here, not just this specific instance. It is simply another example of “if I can, I’m going to. I don’t care who it hurts” In this instance, it hurts no one, because it is simply cosmetic; however, that’s not true in all cases.

So this case is totally unrelated to someone using a bug for profit. In fact, this is exactly how many bugs are found, because people push the game’s systems to see what’s possible.

You may be annoyed by people who say “if you don’t say I can’t, then I can,” but I really dislike the attitude of “if you don’t say I can, then I can’t.”

How many awesome areas in games would be unexplored without people trying to break the map and find ways to slip through barriers that the developers put into the maps?

Now apply your mentality to real life. That’s exactly why we have to have warning tags that say things like “do not use hair dryer in the tub or shower.” Ugh. And don’t spout “but this is just a game” because if you think how people are in game / real life don’t affect the other then you are very wrong.

Rhialto.8423:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

December.3580:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

And here we have yet another example of “if it can be exploited, it will be.”

Not really. Consider i had no intentions of using it as an exploit, also consider i finally posted it in the bugs forums I was only trying it if it worked. If i never tried someone else would have and the same situation would of happened. I wouldn’t call this an exploit since their is no gain “make full use of and derive benefit from”. Its a bug that creates 0 advantage over other players and can’t be exploited for gain other than kitten.

Except that you knew it was wrong….and did it anyway….

Except it’s not wrong. Go ahead and read through the terms of service and see where it says you can’t equip armor skins that provide no in game benefit. Literally none whatsoever. What, is somebody going to get confused in PvP because they think they’re fighting a Revenant? Give me a break.

Seems more like people are just salty because they didn’t get into the beta.

Actually I have no issues with the fact that I didn’t get into the stress test. Wasn’t even a beta.

Using a bug, knowing its a bug, is an exploit. It doesn’t matter that it doesn’t give a tangible benefit in this instance. However, I was address the mentality in general here, not just this specific instance. It is simply another example of “if I can, I’m going to. I don’t care who it hurts” In this instance, it hurts no one, because it is simply cosmetic; however, that’s not true in all cases.

December.3580:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

And here we have yet another example of “if it can be exploited, it will be.”

Not really. Consider i had no intentions of using it as an exploit, also consider i finally posted it in the bugs forums I was only trying it if it worked. If i never tried someone else would have and the same situation would of happened. I wouldn’t call this an exploit since their is no gain “make full use of and derive benefit from”. Its a bug that creates 0 advantage over other players and can’t be exploited for gain other than kitten.

Except that you knew it was wrong….and did it anyway….

And here we have yet another example of “if it can be exploited, it will be.”

The transmutation system isn’t the reason I do or don’t buy skins. I don’t really have an issue getting charges. I get them from map clearing (I can speed clear grove in like 10 minutes if necessary) and from pvp reward tracks. I have over 100 currently, so I’m not hurting for charges. I do think the current system is much improved over the previous. However, like I said, that doesn’t affect whether or not I buy the gem store skins.

I simply buy them if I like what they look like and I can afford to do so. It’s just that simple.

While something like this item would be nice, I don’t think we’ll actually ever see one. If we do, I would expect its price to be quite high as this would remove a lifetime potential purchase for the account in question.

Yes, trans charges are relatively easy to come by if you’re willing to work for them, but we don’t know how much income is generated from people just buying them via the gem store. This item could mean a potential profit reduction from Anet’s primary mode of income, and that’s something that they will likely weigh heavily in their decision to make or not make an item like this.

“Spend point”

“Grind XP”

So….its pretty much exactly what I was saying it was going to be. Neither surprised, nor unhappy really. We drown in XP in this game. Oh you completed an event? XP. You rezzed someone? XP. You chopped a tree? XP. Hell, if you sneeze you get awarded XP. It could be so much worse….

Starbird.4029:

Haha. I just saw a Guardian wizz by me using a …staff maybe? Interesting.

Ranger is okay and I do love the coat, but if I go a medium armor class it’s probably going to be a thief. Later. After I get enough gold to powerlevel her to 30 or so.

Sort of settling on a Guard for now, and probably going to have to figure out exactly how to get that Nightmare Court armor…

Sigh.

Yes, staff 3 is a speed boost. Plus you have retreat which is a much longer speed boost.

If this is the armor you’re talking about (http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/File:Nightmare_Court_armor_(heavy)_human_female_front.jpg) then you need to do the Twilight Arbor dungeon for it.

I keep checking the store for it. Can’t wait for it to come out as well. Take my money Anet!

Starbird.4029:

Beldin.5498:

My favourite guardian outfit need even 2 different sets from the shop, but there are
also other options for the chest. The main problem are leggings without skirts,
very much the same as there are not much coats without skirts for medium armor :/

For speed you can use retreat and save yourself .. however i prefer also to use
traveller runes.

That looks nifty but unfortunately I can’t use the shop (welcome to being in a Asian country where credit cards are barely used and never issued to foreigners).

Nightmare Court looks great though.

You can still use the shop. Convert gold to gems. It might take more time, but it’s still doable. (Either that or maybe you could sweet talk a friend into gifting you the items you want, I think the armor sets are giftable. At work so I cant check lol)

Andred.1087:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

I also got an email from twitch.

Guess it’s a good thing my gw2 email and my twitch email aren’t the same email. Nor are the passwords.

Yeah it’s also a good thing they encrypted the passwords so it wouldn’t matter if they were the same…

Yes, but it never hurts to keep things separate in case the worst happens….

Starbird.4029:

mXz.4512:

There are more interesting builds to play with than just a GS guardian, I specc’d my first guard to use one of the torch builds and it works nicely. Then I’m building another for GS for other options.

But don’t only look at one build or only the meta, play around with the builds. I’ve ended up making 2 guards, 1 ranger, 1 thief. The thief was the harder of the 3 for me to level up.

Haha. I’m weird in that I’m very fussy. How a class looks/feels to me is just as important as how powerful it is (although that is important too).

GS and maybe Hammer look nifty. If I’m dual wielding the weapons have to match (yeah, I’m a bit OCD).

Thief was a misery to level up thus far. Damage was okay but clunky to do via cluster bombs. I’m honestly just after a class that can jump into a fight and tank some hits while not looking like it’s wearing half a fridge.

Well for the first half (jump into a fight and tank some hits), that’s going to be warrior or guardian for sure. Not wearing half a fridge….well, that’s the trade off for being able to take those hits.

I think you’re over thinking things a bit.

Yes, ranger has terrible aoe on a longbow, but aoe is not the Ranger’s intended play style. They can be squishy in melee mode, but I don’t have too much of an issue with a greatsword, it’s all about movement. Short bow is more of a condi build, so it’s not going to necessarily feel as strong. Pets don’t require a whole lot of management if you don’t want to. Just pick a slightly more tanky pet (like a pig) and have at it.

Thief, to me, is a lot more squishy than ranger. Mobility is super important on this class. If you want a a class that you can e lazy on, this is definitely not it.

I can see your gripe on heavy armor. There aren’t really many I like personally either; however, if you try some mix and match you might find several pieces that you like that go well together that have a less “bulky” look to them. As for “high end pve” not using a greatsword, bah. Just play what you like, if other people don’t like it, they don’t have to play with you.

arooboo.5143:

ckotoc.5421:

never try to change password when you get an email that says you need to.even if it looks legit.i got it too and delete it.

Well, never change your password through the links provided in the email. If you’re worried, go directly to the website in question and change your PWs from there.

And to be fair, the email did not provide any links. It simply said that they expired current passwords and that users would be prompted to change their passwords the next time they logged in.

OP, to address your ‘concern’ what you played was the demo that was available at PAX and Rezzed for the express purpose of stress testing the servers. It was not, in fact, a beta, as Gaile has stated elsewhere as she’s been cleaning up threads.

Game demos, as most of us are aware, are generally a very small tidbit of the actual game to come. To give players a peak at what to expect. Just enough to wet the whistle, per se.

I also got an email from twitch.

Guess it’s a good thing my gw2 email and my twitch email aren’t the same email. Nor are the passwords.

Got a ‘Bank Access Express’ from my daily log in reward this evening. Went to put it in my bank with my other BAEs, but they won’t stack. Not sure if this is a “bug” or not, but I thought I’d put it here just in case. I’ve never run into this one (with these) before.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

My favorite in Guild Wars 1 was the Necro/Ritualist. They made minions (like crazy numbers of them), healed, rezzed, and did damage. A team of necro/rits rolled over PvE content.

I do miss being a real minion master.

I miss being a real rupt mesmer too. It was so fun shutting people down to the point they started cussing at me…. Ah the good old days…

VodCom.6924:

• In GW1, the best healer (remember GW1 is using Trinity) is hands down the… elementalist with a monk as a secondary. I bet you didn’t see this one coming!

This statement is misleading and not necessarily true. It depends on what you’re doing.

I think I feel the need to bake these guys cookies!

There’s a huge difference between “bleeding to death” and “turned into pulp” though. If as a player you get 61 stacks of bleed, we need a red puddle on the ground animation. Cause nothing’s left.

Nike.2631:

Becka Williams.4978:

You guys honestly think that 61 stacks of bleed is survivable?

For an 18 billion hp boss? Yes. Absolutely.

For a player?

It hurts to laugh this hard (or cry this hard, depending on which end I’m on)

Holy crap. If that’s a bug, it’s one heckuva bug! If its an actual condition fix (praise be)…well conditions might get their own balance pass in the future lol

Youch that would hurt

There’s a name I haven’t seen in quite some time.

You could try the unrated / rated queues in PvP. Unrated keeps me entertained as long as I turn map chat off.

I’ve got the whiskey ready. Cause I know I’m gonna need it before the end…

First block? Second block? Both?

Arkinos.7245:

ProtoGunner.4953:

One thing that really bugs me are rangers with Point Blank Shot and Mesmers with Illusionary Wave. They just hit those on cooldown, completely mindless without any sense, kicking them out of ice bow AoE and 100b etc. What the hell do they think, really… I mean you just have to SEE it that it is maybe a bad idea just to use those skills.

This was one of the main reasons to switch to Ranger for me.

There are too many fools that make SW seriously hard for melee classes by spaming their knockbacks for no actual reason.

And I am not the only one, recently there are increasingly more Rangers in SW.

No, there are a lot of rangers out there these days.

Personally, I try to reserve point blank shot for interrupting the vile thresher’s spin, the teragriff charge, or for when one of the stupid dogs lunges at me. That sorta thing But I typically do actually put some thought into my play.

Distaste.4801:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

ZudetGambeous.9573:

So if people think that dungeons are just too expensive to develop, that would imply this expansion should be very cheap since it doesn’t have them. I can’t imagine spending more than $20 for this expansion if there are no raids, no dungeons, no new race, and the zones are as small as they seem to be.

Everything about this expansion seems to be about saving money instead of building a better game. I’m afraid that the terrible failure of china’s launch has them scrambling for cash grabs instead of really building up the game.

I doubt what they are saying is “developing dungeons is too expensive.” Development is expensive, period. Time intensive as well. However, a company has to look at the cost of development vs the profit they gain from developing it. Therefore, they are going to be more likely to dump funding on ventures that provide the best return on their investment. If dungeons aren’t included in HoT, perhaps dungeons aren’t a lucrative return for them at this time.

It’s extremely sad that this very simple logic has to be explained.

This just highlights why ArenaNet has continued to fail at every turn. They think dungeons aren’t worth their time/money because people aren’t running their dungeons. They don’t question why people aren’t running the dungeons, they just look at metrics and see low numbers. If they had stopped and questioned why people weren’t running them, they might have seen that there is a ton of demand for good dungeons, but ArenaNet hasn’t provided a single good dungeon.

The dungeons are awful for a few reasons. The first and foremost being that the reward system is freaking awful. If I run a dungeon I want a chance at good loot, not tokens that I can use 5 runs from now for a single piece of gear. Then we have the fact that dungeon sets have specific stats, what dev thought that would be good? Maybe if all stats are created equal, but since the ArenaNet balance team is incompetent they aren’t. So there are dungeons where the eventual loot you get from grinding have stats that are worthless. The “different” paths in most dungeons aren’t really different paths, it’s the same basic path with a few changes. Take AC, you fight the same first 2 bosses in every path. You then fight lots of gravelings and finally take on a graveling end boss. Of course no one is going to do dungeons when they aren’t rewarding and a boring recycled grind. It’s like the dungeon devs paid no attention to anything that WoW did with dungeons and what made them popular.

So yes, now the development of dungeons isn’t going to be lucrative. ArenaNet insured that by putting out subpar dungeons and not fixing them. They drove off the dungeon running playerbase. They did the same thing with SPvP and WvW, it’s a very hard sell to get players back when you spend 2.5 years actively making them distrust you.

Yes, the dungeons need some love; however, maybe they weren’t as popular as other content, which is why they discontinued their development of them? They did give us Molten and Aether dungeons and even fractals at a later date, then decided to discontinue dungeons after that. Unfortunately we can only speculate, where as they have actual numbers with which to make such decisions.

DiogoSilva.7089:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

BFMV.3198:

Most likely thief with rifle because they showed engineer with a hammer. Why would they show an engineer with a rifle in a HoT trailer??

Also, thief has no land range 1200 weapon.

I think it fits well, and I hope it is sniper inspired

While I’m not against thieves getting rifles, your logic here is flawed.

They showed other non-specialized classes in the trailer too, so that very well could be an unspecialized engi just as much as it could be a specialized thief. I am actually leaning more towards unspecialized because the specialized “hints” where much more distinct. The engi with drones and its hammer, the mesmer with its shield and new skill with butterfly effects. This was a very brief flash of an indistinct medium class with no tells.

Hints for Guardian’s longbow were also quite hidden, yet they were found and are hard to deny now. A spellcaster with a MH sword and a non-mesmery theme was also present in the trailer, and we know necros are getting a greatsword instead, so some people thought it would be the elementalist’s new weapon. Several weeks later, and we got a leak confirming that eles will indeed get a MH sword.

I’m not saying this confirms anything, but anet’s videos have been full of very small hints already.

Oh I’m not denying that there might have been / were small hints per se. Just that the logic was flawed in assuming that just because it was a medium armor that it was a thief.

And where did we get the confirmation of the ele MH sword? I missed that tidbit! (Exciting, as I main an ele lol)

Let’s see… I think I play SW most commonly on my Ranger, Ele, or Necro.

Ranger is straight zerk.
Ele is celestial gear with zerk weapons and trinkets
Necro is Zerk / Sinister condi (in the process of upgrading to Veratas)

I’ve tried it on my mesmer (which runs Sins armor and zerk weapons/trinkets), but I wasn’t feeling it. Always end up back on one of the other 3.

I might give it a go on my engi, once I get cele armor on her.

BFMV.3198:

Most likely thief with rifle because they showed engineer with a hammer. Why would they show an engineer with a rifle in a HoT trailer??

Also, thief has no land range 1200 weapon.

I think it fits well, and I hope it is sniper inspired

While I’m not against thieves getting rifles, your logic here is flawed.

They showed other non-specialized classes in the trailer too, so that very well could be an unspecialized engi just as much as it could be a specialized thief. I am actually leaning more towards unspecialized because the specialized “hints” where much more distinct. The engi with drones and its hammer, the mesmer with its shield and new skill with butterfly effects. This was a very brief flash of an indistinct medium class with no tells.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

So if people think that dungeons are just too expensive to develop, that would imply this expansion should be very cheap since it doesn’t have them. I can’t imagine spending more than $20 for this expansion if there are no raids, no dungeons, no new race, and the zones are as small as they seem to be.

Everything about this expansion seems to be about saving money instead of building a better game. I’m afraid that the terrible failure of china’s launch has them scrambling for cash grabs instead of really building up the game.

I doubt what they are saying is “developing dungeons is too expensive.” Development is expensive, period. Time intensive as well. However, a company has to look at the cost of development vs the profit they gain from developing it. Therefore, they are going to be more likely to dump funding on ventures that provide the best return on their investment. If dungeons aren’t included in HoT, perhaps dungeons aren’t a lucrative return for them at this time.

It’s extremely sad that this very simple logic has to be explained.

We haven’t really had an issue with influence (only ever like 4 people active in my guild, though not even that now). Our issue is that the only thing we have unlocked is the bounties, and 4 of us aren’t lucky enough to kill the champs for them. I wish we had access to Guild Trek, but we don’t due to lack of merits.

hmph

kitten the entire season is only $20. People spend that much on lunch or a movie, which you only enjoy once. Perspective people. Srsly.

Always happy to help

The starter zones got some adjustments with the NPE feature pack. I suggest checking the wiki, or you could try mousing over the heart in the map legend which now makes missing objectives glow, if the map is open (otherwise it’ll make the little scout icon that opens it glow).

Devata.6589:

You seem to forget a few things that might make it an even bigger issue for GW2. The game was promoted with a no-grind-philosophy and it’s all about cosmetics. So you would expect it to especially attract people who like cosmetics and who do not like grinding. However in reality there is a lot of grind (while indeed this is different per person) and especially for cosmetics there is a big grind.

No, I don’t forget that at all. They have clarified (repeatedly) what they meant by no grind, and cosmetics were not it. The game is cosmetically based, yes, in that your “end game” was not about “preparing to play,” It wasn’t a never ending gear slog. It’s about hunting different looks you want, different skinned accessories. Yes, some of those accessories (like minis) can only be achieved through purchasing them on the TP. They can’t be “earned” by “killing 10 rats” directly. You already know that I don’t necessarily agree with that design decision either, but that’s the route they chose to go. And honestly, I’d much prefer a mini or an armor skin in the gem store, which I can “grind gold” to earn instead of having something like zerker stats only available via the gem store.

“As for people returning, sometimes life happens. People outgrow games.” Yeah, obviously I was not talking about those people. The examples you give here are true for any game but not any game loses so many people that it becomes a second rank game and GW2 does not have to be one of those who does but if it does not seriously looks at the reasons for people to leave (those that Anet can do something about) then it might become one of those games.

You’re making it out like GW2 is in dire straights due to the amount of people it’s lost, and that’s just not true. New people rotate in and out all the time; however, you sort of missed the overall point I was trying to make with that section.

“A lot of people get “bored” (read: burned out) simply because they treat the game like a job instead of like a game.” And the way a game is designed can increase or decrease this. Eventually it also does not matter if they do it themselves or not, it’s not good for the game.

Yes, game design plays an important role in burn out. However, so does a person’s ability to control themself. This game is designed so you can put it down, and come back whenever you like; however, people just don’t do it. They push themselves. They treat it like it’s a subscription based game that they “must” play to “get their money’s worth” and that’s not how it’s intended to be. Anet doesn’t delete your account for being inactive. They don’t let someone else take your character name. They don’t make you re-subscribe to come back.

“Not. All. Games. Are. For. All. People.” And if your game it not it for to many people it’s a problem for the game.

Except that once again, you’re assuming doom and gloom, which is not the case. Yes, GW2 has lost players. Yes, it’s not making record profits anymore, however, it seems to be far from the impending doom you seem to think is looking over it because of its reward system.

So uh…Alpha… you’re bringing that fiber to Michigan right? We could seriously use some better net (and less abuse from ATT and Comcast) out here…

DeWolfe.2174:

With all my alts, I’d have multiple personality disorder of Epic Proportions!!!

I…uh…. think I’m with Wolfe here….

I don’t think I could pick just one of my characters, and if I were forced to I really haven’t a clue which one it’d be. They’re all facets of my personality, at least to some extent. I’ve been pondering this thread all weekend and I still don’t have an answer.

Devata.6589:

Sure, but grind can definitely contribute to that, and them returning is not as naturally as you seem to think (else no game would ever really lose people when it had a good release). Also I think the type of being bored you simply get over time even from content you like is different than when you get bored or burned out from grind 9or other negative reasons).. The difference is that with the one you just leave, while with the other you leave with bad taste in your mouth.

I won’t disagree that grind contributes; however, as we’ve seen repeatedly in this thread the definition of ‘grind’ varies (sometimes drastically) from person to person. So how much or how little it contributes will vary from person to person.

As for people returning, sometimes life happens. People outgrow games. They find others they like better. They change jobs and don’t have time to play. Etc, Etc. There are a million reasons why people don’t come back which really having nothing to really do with the game itself. Thus, the game loses people. By their very nature, games (as with all hobbies) fight a war of attrition in their fight to survive. Unfortunately it is a losing battle. Eventually it will come to an end. It might not be tomorrow. It might not be 10 years from now, but eventually it will.

When people feel working towards their goals (no matter if it are cosmetics or stats) is boring they simply will consider the content not good. If you leave with a bad feeling then you are less likely to return.

A lot of people get “bored” (read: burned out) simply because they treat the game like a job instead of like a game. They burn themselves out, and then they force themselves to continue for whatever reasons, which then yeah, that leaves a bad taste in their mouth when they finally decide they need a break. That’s not the game’s fault, and that’s more than just ‘being bored.’ A lot of what people have been talking about isn’t being bored. It’s being burnt out and not walking away, which yes, at that point it discourages people from returning. However, they are creating that negativity themselves because they just don’t seem to know how to stop and walk away.

For those that do just walk away when they get bored, that negativity doesn’t exist. When they come back it’s more of a ‘hey, haven’t done this in a while, let’s give it a try.’ Sometimes they find themselves refreshed and enjoy the play again, sometimes not.

I do think many will return for HoT but I do also think that if they get bored soon again with that as well (because of the same type of grind that made them go away the first time) most will not come back for the second expansion.

I agree, it is likely that many will return for HoT. Of those, many of them will consume the content as quickly as possible, and then whine they are bored and leave. Others will spend a little more time, decide they are bored, and leave as well. Others still will play it at a more leisurely pace and completely not understand wtf those first tow groups are talking about because they aren’t bored in the least. And of course, there will be rainbow of player types between just those 3 examples that I can’t even begin to address all of them.

And some will come, hate it immediately, and throw tantrums that they want it to be something else entirely

Not. All. Games. Are. For. All. People.

It is that simple.