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MMOs are like buffet restaurants where every single restaurant has its own specialized food type. Each MMO has its own list unique strenghts and weaknesses. But since this thread is about what makes GW2 a great MMO ill only mention the strenghts
- I like the basic idea of the combat system (even if the execution is lacking in some cases).
- Maps are quite diverse for MMO standards. A single map often has multiple types of landscapes and a nice mix of world events, jumping puzzles traditional quests in the form of hearts and dynamic events.
- The community is a quite laid back and mature.
- On my server the zones are quite populated so it feels like an actual MMO instead of a game where you sit in major cities and pick instances from menus (like in wow).
- Frequent updates
- A lot of “little things” like the music, the random NPC conversations, specific skins, the pollish and little details.
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There is nothing wrong with the basic premises of the combat system in GW2. If you analyze a standard 2v2 skirmish on a point in tpvp you will notice that the combat is quite diverse and based on attacking, pushing in breaking off etc.
If you compare that to an MMO like wow and analyze that games combat in an arenasetting you will see people are in most cases tunneling a target while tanking non bursty damage or running for their lives and hiding behind a pillar if the opposing team bursts.
And regarding the depth…
It depends for a large bit on what prof you play. In some cases while playing some builds there is no real depth to speak off (shortbow spirit ranger for example). In other cases the combat is quite complex and combos are quite hard to pull off on pvp targets (like on ele for example).
So some professions could use some extra tools / abbilities to add some depth, while other profs are okish depth wise.
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If im really honest; i would be bitter aswell. I think most of us would be, its human nature.
Its quite clear that in an ideal world these rules would be set in stone before a tournament. But its done now so there is no point to overdramatize things and let this overshadow an otherwise enjoyable tournament and series.
With that said i would prefer a best of 5 in a final series aswell. What i would do is alter the way maps are picked. When looking back at the the map picks when i was part of the Esport scene in AoM i remember the map rotation was quite fair in that one. I would use an altered version; something like this.
- Highest ranked team in the tournament gets the first map pick.
- Second team can pick the second map + blacklist one of the maps for the third game.
- First team picks a map for the 3rd game + blacklist a map for the 4th game.
etc.
Please stop blindly calling all top players elitists because they think certain builds are too effective for the amount of effort it takes to play.
Please stop blindly saying all top players can’t “adapt” and that’s why they’re complaining. Most are running these builds like necro, s/d thief, spirit ranger and still staying on top. It’s just not nearly as fun anymore because it’s a much simpler game. When we can switch classes, play it for a day, and beat players/teams that have been playing that build for the past month+ then I think that gives us at least a little bit of credibility when we say these builds are too effective for the amount of effort they take. Right?
Exactly.
Abbilities and combinations that have a huge impact on the outcome of a fight should be relatively hard to pull off. But sadly enough they arent in the current meta.
So the current ideal comps are really cheesy, shallow and relatively easy to play. And thats something that noone who cares about the pvp in this game wants (in the long run).
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Getting necros in to the mix is fine.
What isnt fine is that the current state of the meta promotes a very zergy all or nothing playstyle. A playstyle that isnt about setting up by locking someone down and bursting him during that lockdown. A playstyle that is about smashing a very limited number of binds with little to no setup required while getting good results.
On top of that the entire downstate mechanic is made quite useless due to all the marks covering the entire map.
I think the biggest problem is the proper balance between effort and reward. Something that applies to some other classes aswell.
Bursting someone down is fine as long as it requires some proper setup. Killing someone with condis within a relatively short timeframe is fine as long as its not just the autoattack or any other random button.
Marks are fine if they wouldve been a bit smaller Making marks unblockable and have them cover pretty much an entire platform is just dumb. Its pretty much impossible to miss. If i was a dev i would reduce the size to the old untraited marks. And change improved marks to something else; like a temporary boon when you hit your marks or w/e.
People should get rewarded for playing good, for timing their abbilities. etc. Not just run in cover the entire centre of a map with marks and pop deathshroud + roll your face across the keyboard. I think we all had moments like this:
I was playing a hotjoin in spiritwatch on my semi bunker build ranger. At one point i was 1v1ing vs another ranger at “bear”. Just before the ranger died a warrior showed up and the ranger used the roots elite. I ended being stuck and at 70% HP with regen on myself. I moved away from the point and out of los of any potential inc players just before he used the elite.
Two seconds later a necro rushes in deathshrouds tainted shackles + life transfer and doom on the warrior. The warrior died quite fast while i was stuck semi out of los of the guy.
I had like 2000 HP left at the end and the necro never knew i was there even. So he “bursted” me from quite a few yards away without even knowing it.
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We need to keep it very simple here.
Ideally we want every class and spec type to be a part of the meta. Even if it means that that specific spec counters your current build/set-up. And even if its less enjoyable for you to play against this specific spec/setup.
This would be entire fine if abbilities where properly balanced. If “stuff” that does a lot of damage or has a huge impact on the fight is relatively hard to set up. And that isnt the case with necros in their current state.
Where the game (in my eyes) should be like fencing or boxing Where you attack, defend, and counter attack. Where you push in or break off based on your chance of succes.
The game currently moves in to a direction where its more about spamming as much “crap” as possible before you die. Where "zergy dmg prevails over well timed attacks.
And thats something we shouldnt want.
We might aswell create some random mini game BG. Where you have to jump over sandcastles that collapse and jump through hulahoops while people from the opposing team can throw beachballs at you that will knock you down and insta kill you.
While this could be fun as minigame i dont see this as a normal battleground. Same applies to this skyhammer map. The canon and random holes play a huge role (and imo too big of a role) in your succes while playing this map, while the actual pvp is somewhat shoved to the background.
My oppinion is that these unique map features should be complimentary to the standard pvp meta instead of (partially) replacing it.
Whenever i talk to my wow friends i used to brag about how there wasnt a single map i really disliked in GW2. How there wasnt a single map i wanted to leave before the gate opens.
Sadly enough this isnt the case anymore.
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Because despite big cheers from commercial reviewers for beeing so revolutionary and breaking with all conventions, they forgot to make a game that is actually fun and engaging to play.
Well it got them the reviews, it just didnt get them the players.
The people are speaking. The question is if anet will realise what they have done wrong.
Think about this for a second.
Why do you think that reviewers where so possitive about GW2? As a reviewer you are “forced” to look at the game as a whole. You are forced to sit back and enjoy the wide variety of content this game has to offer.
Where the current generation of MMO gamers is pigeonholing content that gives them the shortest route to the “pot of gold”; the fastest way to level or best gold per hour (CoF farming anyone). Its a totally different mindset that makes this game very monothome to play.
If they revised the drops/incentives system it would 100% change the way the majority of players play this game. Even if the actual content was identical and just as good.
And what would you think about this game if they added proper incentives?
- If jumping puzzles and mini dungeons gave BiS (level specific) rewards.
- If all dungeons paths had unique incentives that where on par with all other dungeonrewards in terms of value.
GW2 is a bit like that cute GF that has that really annoying laugh. You could just ditch her since that laugh is to much for you to handle.
I would personally look at the bigger picture. An MMO with a somewhat new approach will have its growing pains and annoyances.
And what do you do with that 495 ilvl gear? You use that as a gateway to join real raids to get 500 ilvl gear, or what ever the true version of that gear is.
If you take that 495 ilvl gear into battlegrounds or arenas, you wont have resilience, but can still be somewhat effective. I stopped playing a long time ago but heard they were making resilience matter more, so pve gear in pvp is even less useful now.
You mean a higher tier of the same raid.
You heard wrong. They removed resilience from all gear and gave everyone 65% baseline resi. Next to that they reduced the effectiveness of pvp power and resi and nerfed the gems with pvp stats.
So PvE gear is far more usefull then it used to be and in some cases its far superiour even.
On top of that they introduced a pvp catch up system which allows newly dinged chars to get top tier pvp geared in a matter of days.
Point is that people use wow as an example of how it should be done. While gearing in wow is just as fast as it is in GW2 nowadays.
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I’ll just say this before I take my leave: hate on WoW and gear progression all you want guys, but WoW is still doing well after nearly a decade. Will we be able to say the same about GW2? Only time will tell.
Fun fact is that it is extremely fast in wow now aswell. Especially if your lucky with some LFR drops.
I dinged my hunter in wow the 14th of this month. 3 days later i had 495 ilvl which is allready quite close to being maxed out in LFR gear.
If there is one thing im disapointed about in this game its facial skins. Especially humans including the ones you mentioned have such a cold expressionless puppet look to them.
I’m asking about the goal of the game… Why? Because it is a game! I have fun playing it. But without a goal… I just don’t see any reason to.
This sums up quite nicely how people are molded in to a certain expectation pattern.
Would you prefer content that isnt fun but has a goal? Ever tried archeology in wow for example?
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I have never played in any MMO where months in to a release and major patches you would find bigger groups of people. In this game i do see plenty of people while leveling in mid level content.
Lets compare it to 20-60 zones in wow for example. Even with crossrealm zones and the help of flying mounts you would barely find anyone. And the ones that are in zones are usually botting.
MMO players work in a really weird way to be honest.
Ive spoken to so many players who started playing GW2. But since they knew “it has no end game” they got bored relatively fast. Some even before leaving the first zone….eventhough it was probably the best starting zone in any MMO they played untill that date.
Apperantly “we” need a sense of direction/ a purpose. We refuse to look at all the little things that make this game stand out as long as that sense of direction isnt there.