Guild Wars 2

Hi,
I dont know if this has been mentioned yet, but often there are multiple commanders running around with their various zergs converging on eachother(from the same server that is). Sometimes, you can lose the commander you were following.

I suggest that there could be a color system to the commander icon instead of everyone having a blue icon. When you zone in, you pick a color, and that color is not selectable by another commander until he/she un-tags.

This way, in the middle of a mulit-commander zerg, you can find your commander a little easier.

This color change would also impact the minimap as well as ‘world map’.

Thoughts?

RedShipRaider.9560:

BondageBill.4021:

In my experience, this is even one of the bigger selling points of expansions in MMOs. I have seen several friends quit MMOs because they cannot keep up with the gear curve, only to rejoin when an expansion is released because they are on par with the rest of the population. Again, this option can be good for the longevity of MMOs as a gear reset may rejuvenate the MMO community.

We take very different lessons from the same thing. Rather than putting players on a pointless and endless race, why not just not have a treadmill? More players have already been pushed away by Ascended Crafting than would be lost from a lack of gear progression.

If you have good, quality gameplay people will play it. They will play it without getting in line for more uberawesome gears. But putting in barriers to entry, such as difficult to obtain gear that you are not competitive without, will keep people from playing.

Ive been saying this for a longggg time. Intrinsic vs extrinsic reward. Playing for the sake of playing, vs playing for the sake of reward. Granted, we need some reward, and there are other ways, many other ways to have character progression without a gear treadmill.

Example: Everquest next…you choose a class, and then you can find/discover up to 40 other classes(they will surely add more) throughout the world/game. Im not sure how this is accomplished, maybe via some …card or some consumable you stumble upon in a cave from defeating a verteran/elite mob or something. So you can be a thief, discover a warlock class. Now you can have both abilities of thief and warlock. Character progression. No gear treadmill. The player still has the sense that he is making his character better, more unique. Adding to it.

Not sure if something like this would work here, but its an example to show that it can be done. Im upset that arenanet caved to even the slightest power creep. They could have done so much better with their game. I still have hopes, and I am enjoying the game currently(by playing new and other classes), but its only going to last so long and with the catastrophic induction of ascended gear on our doorstep, I don’t see myself making it through even Q2 of 2014.

Warlord.9074:

ANET released a BETA game and called it finished so people would buy it. They made a lot of promises they couldn’t keep. I know it’s beating a dead horse but it bothers me and a lot of other people.

Without catering to hardcore players this game would die. Why? Because its geared towards casual players and without hardcore players the game would be dead.

So they renege on their promises and create gear treadmills, power creep and plaay wackamole to keep it in check, all of the things they said they wasn’t going to do.

Despite this reality PR would suggest the opposite who do you believe? The consumer or the person trying to get your money. You decide.

Well. Said. Sir.

Big talk infront of cameras but they dont deliver. Please just remove ascended from the game.

Way to necro a thread

To arenanets credit, they have acknowledged this and will strive toward less temporary content, or so they say. However, some temporary content is good for a game. It gives exclusivity if you can get it done and things like that. But not to this extent.

I know the feeling you describe. I feel the same way with LS as well as Ascended gear. I get the emails, check the website and I say to myself “Ugh, this was supposed to be THE game..the game without grind, without gear grind, the game with a living world”. Instead, we follow champ trains, grind out achievements, grind out materials, and craft.

Wheres the exploration? The adventure? The story? The experience of playing with people beside you and actually working together rather than everyone pounding a boss and occassionally rezzing someone.

Just not what I thought it would be.

For the moment, Im enjoying the game to be honest. Going to just try to roll with the ascended punches, get the pieces(including weapons I still dont have), when i can. Whats more for me is the content direction. Im hoping that they turn things around in the next three months.

I agree with this thread.
I dont run dungeons for gear or tokens anymore
I run them for two reasons

1. COF P1 for a quick 1+ gold.
2. Because Im bored and want a change of pace.

If I want a challange I’ll go do fractals. If I want to work toward BiS gear, I’ll grind out materials for ascended.

They have abandoned dungeons.

You know, Im quite curious…

I know this quote was part of the almighty manifesto, and I hate to bring it up, and I know the manifesto is out dated by time and…a few…misleadings on arenanet’s part…BUT when Colin says "Hey, I swung a sword, Hey I swung a sword again. " he is referring to combat being boring and grindy.

Well, these queensdale champ trains promote just that. Just stand there infront of Troll or Boar, and have 1 on auto attack. Get credit, get your champ bag, move on.

So in essence, they have encouraged exactly what they said they dont want to do. Whether or not they meant the don’t create grindy GAMES or create grindy COMBAT, they messed up on both fronts.

Agony is a lazy mechanic. It really is. Whether its avoidable or not. Ive said this from day one.

Instead of making the fights interesting and challenging(which they have for fractals), they need to tack on a condition that cannot be cured once you have it. It just has to run its course, and you hope that you have enough AR ot survive.

Its like in vanilla and TBC WoW where you needed a certain amount of elemental resistance for certain boss fights of a raid.

Raid leader: “Everyone have at least 100 fire resist for the first boss? Ok lets go”.

Its lazy. Scale the actual mechanics of the fight. Instead of an incurable condition, make it curable. If no one has a group-wide condition cure, then you are either SOL or you have your trust AR to negate it.

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

Ascended Infusions – I expect these, have since last Nov

Ascended Runes/Sigils – I expect these as well, since the original announcement of Ascended

Rep Title bonuses – Wouldn’t be surprised, and these (likely) wouldn’t be any different than what we got in GW:EN, which had skills attached to them

Skills that have to be leveled up through use to reach maximum potential – I don’t think we will see this one. It doesn’t fit with what already exists. Now skills tied to reputation titles, as I just previously mentioned, sure.

Gear level 80+ – Maybe. Anet has not definitely said that they were raising the level cap. If they hold to ascended being the last tier of gear, and to their statement that they do not want want to get into the rut of releasing more powerful gear every 6 mo to a year (ie not negating previous work), then it is likely we won’t see this. To raise the level cap and thus gear, would negate there recent assurances that ascended is it [for now]. But, none of us have a crystal ball. All we can do is wait and see.

Every game has a treadmill. The key to keep in mind is how steep, how required, and where it stops. ANet may have a stopping point, we do not know as we do not work there, but there is still some hope based on relatively recent comments.

Things that increase my AR, I dont care about. Im content with getting to 30 or 35 and calling it there. No need to go so high.

Once this mindset enters the realm of normal PVE and WvW in the form of "Now you cna upgrade your existing abilities such as the Thief’s Deathblossom to an ascended version’..is when this game will tank.

I don’t think we will see that day, but one can never be so certain. I sincerely hope they don’t have this up their sleave. It will be the deathblow to Guild Wars 2.

I don’t want to see ascended runes or sigils, but I think there is a better chance of seeing this than ascended abilities. This would also probably make me leave the game too. Just too much grind and treadmill at this point. The game would cease to be fun. Not what I signed up for.

Raine.1394:

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Latinkuro.9420:

coglin.1867:

Compared to a lot of other crafting systems, I do not think this one is bad at all, but that is just me.

Ascended armor is coming, everyone might as well just accept it and move an. I do not see it as that big of a deal personally.

it isn’t a big deal YET because endgame content is still balanced around exotic stats as an endgame gear.

The moment new content starts to be balanced with the assumption that ascended is endgame gear, well that’s when the crap hits the ceiling.

actually everything was originally balanced around rares as the gear people would be wearing. Only in the most recent LS updates has that switched to exotics.

Do you have a link for that information. I keep a close eye on such and have never seen a statement from Anet like this.

I dont know about any of that…its true that you can do any open world content and regular dungeon in rares.

I’ll say that trying to solo the Tower of Nightmares in rares is folly and a load. I dont think you can do it in rares. Must have exotics, better have some ascended on you. Most likely there was only a small percentage of people that could roll through that place, come up to a passage blocked by an event, solo the event, and continue on. I highly doubt anyone could do that in all rares.

Bracing myself for the lies to come streaming in “Oh I did it in masterwork” “Oh I did it in fine gear”

Regarding everyone saying that ascended armor and weapons are really ugly…did you ever stop to think why?
Its simple: Transmutation crystals. Build a higher-statted gear that people will spend loads of time/real money/resources on. Make the gear not as pretty as other sets in the game, and force them to transmute their current looks onto the new gear. If they don’t have any transmute crystals left for level 80 gear, they need to buy them.

Theres a word for this: Cash grab(well really two words).

Its a business folks. Do you really think that a developer that builds a game world as gorgeous and refined as GW2 with some really awsome looking armor skins and weapon skins at launch would put out ugly top tier armor skins and think they look good? From a business standpoint, they most likely intentionally made the skins less than desirable so that we spend our $$ on transmute crystals to re-skin them.

MrRuin.9740:

spoj.9672:

The chest isnt ingame atm. Devs lied about it on stream. I got a fractal sword at 39.

Actually, I think this is wrong.
What the devs said on the live stream is that the chest would be available on higher level fractals. From the things I’ve heard, the chest, which is actually called the “Fractal Gear Box”, only drops in 41+ tier fractals in the boss chest. Anything lower and you always get a pre-selected skin.
I have yet to confirm this, and yet to see anyone confirm the contrary either as everyone complaining seems to be doing lower level fractals (pre-41).
If this turns out to be true, then what they said on the stream is 100% accurate, as they even said “higher level fractals”. How about waiting until its get confirmed either way before throwing the insults out there.
If it turns out you do not get the box 41+ either, then you have a legitimate reason for complaint.

cesmode.4257:

Since the patch, Ive done lvls 20,24,25,26,27,28…not one ascended skin, not one ascended weapon, not one infused ring.

Ive gotten one non infused ring. I guess Im really unlucky.

You are really unlucky. I’m getting more rings now than I did before, infused ones too.
By Ascended skins, I assume you mean Fractal skins. You know its been confirmed that the higher the level you run, the higher the chance of getting one. You’re running what would be considered “low level” fractals in the 20’s, thus have a smaller chance to get one.
Ascended weapons…..well these weren’t exactly raining from the sky pre-patch. These have a very low chance of dropping, and if you’re counting on them as your sole means of getting an Ascended weapon…i wouldnt. In the time you get a drop, that matches the stat set you want, you could have farmed for and crafted several Ascended weapons.

Very true. And regarding the last few sentences… Again, arenanet walks the fine grey line between what they say and what actually happens. “Oh you can get them from chests in the game”. A very very rare occurrance, much like a precursor.

Since the patch, Ive done lvls 20,24,25,26,27,28…not one ascended skin, not one ascended weapon, not one infused ring.

Ive gotten one non infused ring. I guess Im really unlucky.

oloap.9765:

yeah was also said in a dev livestream, legendary amulets are coming, this is sure thing.
don’t remember if also ring and accessories or backpice.
this teach us something, don’t go for ascended armor, if i have to speculate in 6 months we’ll have legendary armor too.
If is legendary will Always be the BIS and now they can eve swap stats!

This better not happen. And arenanet will play the “oh it isnt a new tier, its the same stats as ascended, so we didnt lie this time”..yah but they look so much better than anything else, gotta have that too.

Even if legendary armor and gear does not increase in power, they are just pumping more grind into their machine and that would be the crossed T’s and dotted I’s for me that this game is not for me. That all arenanet thinks as content is grind grind grind. IF they can’t give us content with grind, then I wouldn’t want to play this game anymore regardless if the content is free or not, regardless if the gear is required or not. This action would tell me that they are not developing their game with someone like me in mind that doesn’t want endless grinding.

oloap.9765:

I’ve been chasing twilight legendary GS since a year, when ascended weapons rolled out i was gonna make one for my main but as i saw the enormus amount of cash required i suddenly decided to keep on saving for twiligt and i had it at the end.

everything started with ascended thinkrets, grind grind grind.. now next to rollout is legendary thinkrets, Always best in slot, swappable stats.. i’ll w8 legendary armors.

Are you saving to buy twilight or craft? Ive always wondered, is it easier to just sell off every single thing you get for your legendary, or save and craft?

Really thinking about it, I could probably have like 800 or 900 gold saved up by now (and I don’t buy gems to convert to gold. I might have done this with maybe 100 gems that I had left over at one point…but thats it).

Doesn’t sound like ascended armor is too popular here.
I returned to the game a few weeks ago. Im vastly behind in the ascended weapon department, I don’t even have a single ascended weapon yet.

However, if I am lucky, I’ll craft one complete set before this spring (which at this time would determine if I stay with GW2 or finally move onto other releases).

Star Ace.5207:

cesmode.4257:

Dahkeus.8243:

Tiger.7506:

Skill > Gear.
You can play all part of the game with exotic.
ANet got burned by players acquiring exotics too quickly
“ascended gear is to be a bridge between exotic and Legendary”

That’s becoming an outdated truth.

Fractals and WvW are becoming exceptions.

And really, you can clear all the dungeons wearing clerics gear, but finding a group to take you becomes a lot harder when you’re not wearing something like berserkers. The same concept will apply for ascended gear. Just because you can clear the dungeon in your current gear doesn’t mean people will have the patience to clear it at the slower pace you will set.

I have been tinkering with a tank/support build on my guardian who is in a mix of blues, greens, yellows, and exotics. I fear that when I zone in, that they might take a look at my gear and boot me. The game shouldn’t be like this. They should have designed encounters where support builds are equally welcomed as much as a zerker.

snip.

Thinking about it, the only dungeon where you can be gearless and still succeed is cof p1. Most others could benefit from a support toon…even if they dont have one in the group they are still fine. Question is, is it worth it?

TA, with the first boss, could be beneficial. CoE could be beneficial. Arah any path.

But, is it worth it? Find a even skilled zerker player..does that negate the support player?

Dahkeus.8243:

Tiger.7506:

Skill > Gear.
You can play all part of the game with exotic.
ANet got burned by players acquiring exotics too quickly
“ascended gear is to be a bridge between exotic and Legendary”

That’s becoming an outdated truth.

Fractals and WvW are becoming exceptions.

And really, you can clear all the dungeons wearing clerics gear, but finding a group to take you becomes a lot harder when you’re not wearing something like berserkers. The same concept will apply for ascended gear. Just because you can clear the dungeon in your current gear doesn’t mean people will have the patience to clear it at the slower pace you will set.

I have been tinkering with a tank/support build on my guardian who is in a mix of blues, greens, yellows, and exotics. I fear that when I zone in, that they might take a look at my gear and boot me. The game shouldn’t be like this. They should have designed encounters where support builds are equally welcomed as much as a zerker.

Jski.6180:

Zelyhn.8069:

I have never been so afraid before.

Well most humans are afraid of changes and new things i do not see why the online gaming community should be free from this.
Over all it seems like its going to be a big update lots of old content that ppl liked is coming back and there are new things to work for.

Side note am i reading it right where they are going to add in a new healing skill for every class?

Yes. You already have a new healing ability, the anti toxin ability, which was introduced a patch or two ago. They are adding yet another one. I don’t care about healing abilities. I could use any one of them in my builds and be fine. I want some game changing utilities or weapon abilities. This is what I thought of when Colin J. initially said that they will be adding new abilities to the game. Not slowly introduce two worthless healing abilities. Have to wait that much longer now.

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

cesmode.4257:

Very well put, and I agree. However, you seem to have way more patience than I do. A year to release all ascended items, weapons, and gear. Another year to release ascended sigils, runs, etc. Ugh, its just an unattainable mountain. I look up at Ascended Mountain and I just get tired and don’t even want to start the climb. But you’re right. According to Arenanet’s preachings, there is an end. There will be a day where we do not have any more gear to grind or upgrades to grind into ascended. Where we simply play to play and have fun. And I hope it ends there.

I myself will go batty if they then come at us and say “Now you can upgrade your…wait for it…..your weapon abilities, and utilities to ascended versions!”

You have not seen my fury until that day.

I do have a lot of patience… with the game. Not so much with people. chuckle

The ‘mountain’ would be much less daunting, if there was more ways to approach it than just crafting, or just laurels, or whatever. I have said several times (even previously in this thread) that they should just give us more aqusition options, and then I think a lot of the issue would just go away. WvWers could WvW, PvEers could pve, etc etc. Just play and eventually it shall be yours. That is what I would like to see, that is how it should be.

They are supposed to do this. They said it’ll be available in a myriad of places. Depends how you look at it.

You get rings from fractals, amulets/accessories/rings from laurels, weapons and armor from crafting, back piece from MF, and the ‘precursor of a chance’ drop rate from a chest for weapons.

Eh, this is not what I had in mind, or any of us! Like you said, I’d like to simply log in, run some DEs, run a dungeon or two, level my alt a bit, and log off..knowing that everything I was doing was working toward that ascended piece. And guess what is the common denominator here…Karma. Karma karma karma. Make ascended gear purchasable via karma. That way you can do anything in game, in the world, dungeon or WvW, and acquire ascended gear.

This way you don’t have a materals list as long as your arm to keep track of, you are not forced out of WvW to craft if you don’t want to, you are not forced to craft period, you arenot forced to run guild missions, you are not forced to complete your daily, you are not forced or cohersed into anything. Play as you want, acquire karma from every part of the game and eventually you’ll have your gear.

Whats wrong with this, arenanet?

TainoFuerte.8136:

So… what’s going to happen now? Once “everyone” or the “hardcores” or whomever finishes all their ascended gear… what then? Will there be “nothing to do”, just like it was at release when everyone “got their exotics and left”?

What is Arenanet going to do to keep these people playing?

I asked this question already in the thread. I wonder too, what is next. Once we all have ascended weapons and gear, and its a year from now…will they put in ascended runes and sigils? What then? Dare they make ascended versions of abilities and utility skills? What happens when we are at the top of Ascended Mountain? Will people complain, and arenanet reveal some other bogus non sense claiming it was part of the plan? Time will tell.

TooBz.3065:

Zayeban.2806:

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Personally I enjoy crafting.

So do I.

I enjoy crafting but I didn’t enjoy crafting up to 500. I found it to be exceptionally tedious. The number of materials you need is crazy high.

Agreed. I like crafting in the game, i find it fun, especially the feeling of the discovery when you get like 5 crafting levels. Cooking is especially fun, I bringin my wife and see what she can come up with(she doesn’t play the game).
But 400 to 500 is just uncalled for. Im moving at slower than a snails pace, and it is not fun.

Dahkeus.8243:

EvilSardine.9635:

Dahkeus.8243:

While you’re working on that long term goal, those top players will be smashing face in WvW.

Nope.

If you cannot beat an opponent in a duel while he’s in exotics and you’re in rares for example, you will not beat him if you upgraded to exotics. It’s not a big difference. There’s too many factors in a duel between players (skill, builds, all the conditions, buffs, runes, sigils, certain class advantages, foods, maintenance oils, etc.) and a few more percent in damage will not win you a fight against an equally skilled opponent.

An opponent in WvW running sigil of the night (if it happens to be night time) would do more damage than someone in full ascended if they don’t run that sigil for whatever reason.

If I upgraded TWO of my exotic weapons to ascended, I would get the following as an upgrade:

8 power
.3% crit chance
0% crit damage.

In the end, only bad players will blame a loss on an opponent having ascended gear.

A) You’re ignoring weapon damage.
B) You’re ignoring players also having higher stats on 12 other weapon slots.

I agree. I just came back to the game a few weeks ago after a 2 month break(before ascended weapons were released). I have noticed in WvW that people are beating me down a lot quicker than Im beating them down. Not that I use to steamroll over people, but I survived a lot longer and gave them a good lickin’ before I dropped. Now, I notice a slight difference, something i couldnt put my finger on. Was it that Im rusty? No, my reactions are quick, im reacting to them, my environment, I know my abilities. Right, the weapon damage on the ascended weapon combined with the fact that they have other ascended slots and my WvW toon only has two ascended pieces.

I do think it makes a difference because I have noticed so. But that is one persons opinion.

coglin.1867:

EvilUeki.7354:

I hate the fact that they are forcing people to craft in order to get ascended gears.

You can get ascended weapon drops in WvW and PvE content, so I think it is safe to assume you will be able to acquire ascended armor in the same manner. So saying they force you is a little much.

Isnt it a random drop. If you are running a berserker set up, and you get an ascended weapon drop that is rampager, isnt that…not good either? Or can you choose the stats of the piece you just found?

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

coglin.1867:

Compared to a lot of other crafting systems, I do not think this one is bad at all, but that is just me.

Ascended armor is coming, everyone might as well just accept it and move an. I do not see it as that big of a deal personally.

I do prefer GW2 version of crafting over other games’ versions. Most of it anyway… the cooking driving me batty though.

I can accept ascended, so long as they do not introduce another tier afterwards. I can swallow their “exotics were too easy to get” and “we wanted top gear to take a certain amount of time to get” and even “we’ll have a small power curve” statements, but only if they stop the tiers here. They want to take sigils, and runes, and infusions, and build them up until they have all the tiers in those as well, fine. That makes sense, and yes would produce a measurable power curve for those desiring the stat climb, while still not making it too outrageous for those that don’t want to stat climb (if done properly). However at that point, logic would determine that the VP would stop. If that is the path they take, and that’s were they stop, I’d be a very happy player. I’d even willing show it where it counts, by opening my wallet. Until such time, I will simply take it one day at a time.

Very well put, and I agree. However, you seem to have way more patience than I do. A year to release all ascended items, weapons, and gear. Another year to release ascended sigils, runs, etc. Ugh, its just an unattainable mountain. I look up at Ascended Mountain and I just get tired and don’t even want to start the climb. But you’re right. According to Arenanet’s preachings, there is an end. There will be a day where we do not have any more gear to grind or upgrades to grind into ascended. Where we simply play to play and have fun. And I hope it ends there.

I myself will go batty if they then come at us and say “Now you can upgrade your…wait for it…..your weapon abilities, and utilities to ascended versions!”

You have not seen my fury until that day.

Charak.9761:

They already said that the armour won’t have agony slots at launch, maybe sometime next year it’ll be adjusted.

At which time..we will have…to grind for new gear? Kidding.

But if the ascended gear that is coming on 12/10 wont have agony resist slots, then why put it in the game at all? Its not needed then. Ascended gear is synonymous with fractals and if you cannot up your AR with ascended gear, it need not be in the game.

This is illogical to me.

Oh, I see whats going on.

Release ascended gear now, with no infusion slots. Have us grind for months on end, or spend loads of gold, or $$ on gems for gold to craft these items. Then, after many many months have gone by, introduce the infusions and have these infusions require a mountain of materials and a mountain of time or gold or real money. After all is said and done with these infusions, 1-2 years has passed from now and its time to up the level cap along with new gear.

Did I just let the cat out of the bag?

Fjandi.2516:

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Since there is no content in the game that requires ascended gear just take your time and have fun making it.

Too bad the crafting process is not fun at all.

I want to second and agree with ZudetGambeous, but I also agree with you that it isnt much fun. Especially after returning late to the game, and just beginning my ascended weapon crafting(only at 470 and sloooowly climbing). Now I have an asceded armor climb piled ontop of me. Sure, I’ll probably take my time with it. I’ll just feel a bit behind and it annoys me to high heaven that this is where the game ended up. Going into GW2, I felt it would be a game where I could quit, come back and pick up where I left off without feeling behind. Thats not where we are at now.

Zypher.7609:

cesmode.4257:

They did say, repeatedly, that they want ascended gear to be obtainable through various parts of the game.

Right now, I see:
-fractals for rings
-laurels for rings,accessories,amulets
-Crafting for everything else.

Sure you can find a weapon in a chest. I don’t see anyone coming to the forums, or posting in map chat that they have looted one from a chest. It doesn’t happen. Im convinced they do not exist in chests(almost).

Leaving out pieces from MF, the items from guild missions. Also weapon chests do drop it is how I received my ascendedweapon.

Lies. You really crafted it, you just cant remember because it was so mind numbingly boring and tedious that you pushed it out of your mind.

Seriously, youre like one in a million. Any time I do a chest event, and people link the rare crud that they find, no one links a pink. ever. ever.

They are almost as rare as precursors, and look at the problem that whole system is having.

Astralporing.1957:

cesmode.4257:

I wonder what the game will look like 6 months to a year from now… Now that we will be able to craft ascended gear and armor, what to do? Where to go from here?

6 months to a year from now, most of the players will still be crafting and nowhere close to finish. There are people now (active people, playing several hours a day, 7k+ ap) that don’t have their weapon crafting professions maxed yet. I shudder to think how bad it is for those below top 10%.

A sad reality, you could be correct. I play 2-3 hours per night, probably 6 or 7 during the weekends or when I am off/home. I have 6500+ AP, and my Huntsman crafting is at 470 I believe. Im not dropping 50 gold to craft my way to 500. And Im not spending a dime on the cash shop to do this.

If I am still crafting ascended gear in 6 months, fine. If content becomes player gated with ‘LFM ascended only’ for simple dungeons, or if guilds start requiring it or whatever, then this is not OK. If arenanet ups the level cap and with it comes new gear to grind out, this is not OK.

This has to be, and better be the final gear tier. Or many many many people will drop this game like a bad habit.

They did say, repeatedly, that they want ascended gear to be obtainable through various parts of the game.

Right now, I see:
-fractals for rings
-laurels for rings,accessories,amulets
-Crafting for everything else.

Sure you can find a weapon in a chest. I don’t see anyone coming to the forums, or posting in map chat that they have looted one from a chest. It doesn’t happen. Im convinced they do not exist in chests(almost).

They need to up the chance at looting them from chests and finding them throughout the world. Making crafting the most reliable way to obtain ascended weapons/armor is such a design flaw its not even funny. With the excessively low drop rate of these items in chests, I can say that again, arenanet walks the fine line between what they say and what they do. They say it can be obtained in the world and in various places, yet it just doesn’t happen. So, I can sit here confidently and call some bluffs.

Necro’ing this thread(sort of). Yeah, this is a bit rediculous.

I had a few paragraphs typed out, but in the interest of being blindly infracted, I deleted it. I will simply say that I find this ‘punishment’ to be a bit excessive.

Watching the Wintersday video…heres my modified version of the poem that is being narrated… I hope you enjoy!

Toymaker Tixx and his golem Toxx are back back with more mats and grind.
From Achievement points, to ascended gear, you may be left behind.

So bundle up tight in your grindiest finest, and spread some ascended tear…
For the days are short, and the nights are long..ascended gear is here

BTW, to anyone wondering…it seems that we can only craft ascended gear. No where does it mention that it will be available via drops in FoTM or any boss chests in the world. Just craft.

“The Armorsmith, Leatherworker, and Tailor crafting disciplines have a new skill cap of 500, which means that you can now craft your own Ascended armor!”

Jornophelanthas.1475:

@Latinkuro:

Yes, ArenaNet made exotics too easy to acquire. But placing blame does not help the situation. Something needed to be done.

Doing nothing was a surefire way of shortening the game’s lifespan.

Gradually introducing ascended gear might help the situation.

Hm, not so sure. Do you think more people joined GW2 once they heard there was some sort of gear/character progression that traditional MMOs have? Or do you think more people left the game because of ascended?

I am curious why this restriction is in place? Is this for everyone, or just me?(perhaps for racking up too many infractions?) Is there any way to have this removed?

Currently, each post I make I have to wait 300 seconds before I post again. This has never happened before.

Rooks Zaer.5846:

They only said that there would be no more tiers in 2013. 2013 is nearly over, so adding another tier will soon be back within the realm of possibility. They’ve also talked about progression through better infusions.

Anyone that thinks they can now see the finish line for stat grinding is going to be in for a surprise.

Incorrect, I believe they said no more tiers. Period. They said ascended gear will be released within 2013, but ascended is the final tier.

Belenwyn.8674:

Just wait for the new roadmap 2014 presented in January or February. It will answer so many questions and create new ones.

They did this back in June or something…They gave us a roadmap for the rest of 2013, which included the start of introducing new skills. Well, we got healing skills. Twice.

I just dont understand their decision making. I think we wanted utility and game changing skills..something to spice it up. A heal won’t do the trick. I know the rest of the skills are coming, but we have been waiting…for-ev-ver for these, and we get healing skill x 2 Gotta wait longer now.

I dont mind utilities, but I cant wrap my head around another healing skill. Anti toxin was useless and healing skills in general don’t make or break a build. I want some utilities or weapon skills.

Jornophelanthas.1475:

cesmode.4257:

Oh, and a new healing skill? So disappointing. Wheres the utility skills or weapon skills?

Utility skills and elite skills are certainly being considered, and will find their way into the game at some time. (I don’t know about new weapons, but I wouldn’t rule it out either.

ArenaNet consciously chose to introduce new healing skills first, because they will have the biggest short-term impact on player choice. Remember, the healing skill is a single skill slot with only 3-5 skills to choose from (depending on race and whether you do PvP or PvE). By adding a new healing skill, everyone suddenly gets a new option in a place where there wasn’t much choice to begin with.

(This is also why the Toxic Cleansing skill was added; a new healing skill has immediate effect on the potentially the greatest number of builds.)

I dont agree. I ignored the anti toxin healing skill, and Im sure I’ll ignore the new one too. Honestly, I dont see many builds being very dependent on a particular healing skill. I can switch out a number of healing skills on a variety of toons that I play, and my build doesn’t break.

IMO, a healing skill has the least amount of impact, and this is the second they are putting into the game before any utilities and weapon skills. I dont like I have a feeling its going to be months before I see any new skills that make difference in gameplay…a long while.

Zelyhn.8069:

I have never been so afraid before.

I sort of second this. I can only assume that the materials required for a single piece of ascended gear will be similar to a weapon and that scares the hell out of me because its so much. Let me take that back…to craft the individual pieces isnt so bad. But getting your crafting to 500 is the hardest part. Its rediculous.

I wonder what the game will look like 6 months to a year from now… Now that we will be able to craft ascended gear and armor, what to do? Where to go from here?

According to Arenanet, the absolute final tier of gear will be implimented on 12/10. That means, no more gear to chase after. So in a year, once the majority of players have all the ascended gear that they want/need, I wonder where the devs will take the game.

Will they increase the level cap? If so, will they release new level cap gear, thus making the current ascended gear useless? If this is the case, then all of this ascended nonsense was nothing more than a mask for a traditional gear treadmill. Or will our current ascended gear scale up to the new level cap? If so, a new level cap might not be so bad.

Will they simply add more skins, and more ways to obtain them?

Open up new areas? Perhaps a traditional expansion?

Im really curious to see where Gw2 will be a year from now, once we all have our ascended weapons and armor(those of us that will be going after them). Id say Arenanet’s reputation is on the line at that point whether or not they put in a new tier, or if they raise the lvl cap and make us farm all new gear.

Thoughts?

Yay, ascended gear..not. More grind..looking up at the mountain that is ascended armor/weapon crafting, Im overwhelmed and not something i want to do, but I guess I have to if i want to progress in fractals and be top knotch competitive in WvW.

Oh, and a new healing skill? So disappointing. Wheres the utility skills or weapon skills?

Ascended gear was the worst addition to the game(rivaled only by living story). It has caused the most controversery and has made many players question their faith in arenanet and their trust.

And yes, if you are going after ascended gear, it is a bit of a grind. A slow, slow grind, but a grind none the less like anything else.

Er…
Ok, I’ll try to be as objective as possible.

You will be behind in the living story…immensely. If you are someone that is an achievement monger and completionist, you’ll be so far behind. And a lot of the living story content has been removed, you so are SOL.

Everything revolves around the living story. Everything. Every decision decision and business decision they make revolves around it. Their content release schedule is two weeks, but the quality is under immense scrutiny. Take the ‘wow’ of a two week release schedule with a grain of salt.

They have made a lot of performance improvements, as well as quality of life improvements(see the wallet!)

They have made some changes to world bosses(for the worse).

They have recently updated fractals with new fractals and more reason to go into fractals(for the better).

Ascended gear is still one of the cornerstones of the game.(along with living story).

Achievement points earn you rewards(gold, MF, skins, etc).

They have changed WvW for the better with a progression system, as well as updated the maps a bit.

50/50 on positive and negative things I would say.
Ive been bouncing back and forth all year, taking 1-2 month breaks and coming back. Each time I come back, Im a bit further behind than the last time I returned to the game. Do I need ascended weapons? No. But I like fractals and i WvW, so I will go after them, even though many people already have them. Do i need the achievement points? No, but I like to see as much content as possible and some of the skins rewarded are good.

I like a guardian in the group for the buffs. I could care less about his/her damage. Is it really that much better than, say a thief? With my thief, I can rock consecutive 8-9k unloads(back to back). Not sure a guardian and pump out 8-9k swirleys back to back.

Oops so sorry, I thought I posted this in guardian forum. Please move it.

Thanks!

So like other tanky support guardians, Ive been running mace/shield. What do you guys think about sword/shield?

I know it lacks the heals, the combo field, and the possible protection via mace #3, but it does have a blind and i would think it does quite a bit more dmg.

Thoughts?

Im not looking to be super tanky or anything I guess, but the mace just feels really weak, and at times I don’t know if the small heals and protection that it is providing is benefiting a group at all. Not to mention, the protection is redundant, as I get that from shield #4, as well as save yourself/hold the line…So really the trade off is a bit of healing.

Thoughts?

Wow. I never thought of someone that just buys gems and holds onto them… I think right now gold is at a premium. And I can’t see how people make so much in a day. I play 2-3 hours on a normal day, sometimes 5 or 6 if Im home all day. I don’t make nearly as much as you guys. Then again, Im trying to play the way I find it to be fun, which may not be as profitable as flipping TP, champ zerging, or whatever else you guys do.

But, I do think gold is the most valuable currency in the game, as it should be.

Question to OP: do you have your ascended weapons?

Xyonon.3987:

Yes, coming next year, some new skills, new traits, new weapons and old weapons for different classes. When exactly? Noone has an idea, not even ANet :P

As per Colin’s blog, they were going to start deploying these new skills in 2013. So far, we have a new healing skill(anti toxin) and it sounds like we may be getting more healing skills. Who cares about healing skills? They don’t drastically change gameplay. I havent switched out my healing skill on any character since Ive hit 80. We want more utilities, elites, and weapon skills.

Rebound.3409:

If they actually release the full grenth set that would make it literally the best looking set in this game…worth any class type..heavy/medium/light..and yes i would actually love a good looking set once in a while

Not everyone wants to look deathly =)

Beorn Raukar.4328:

First, in the blog post they said the will start adding skills in 2013. They already have added one and now they are announcing they are adding more. They never said, you will see skills for every single slot available, that is you OP expecting way more than they promised.

Second, in no part of the recent Blog it reads that the skills they are being added are for everyone. It seems that there are several (as in more than one) being added, it could be perfectly reasonable to expect that what they mean is they are adding one per profession. There is no reason to call A.NET lazy when you really don’t know what they are coming out with.

You are only partially correct, my friend.

-"We’ll begin regularly adding new skills and traits to the game for each profession to expand your characters and builds! "

So…adding skills and traits to each profession. So yes, skills and traits for everyone.

The ony skill they did add was healing. They are adding another healing skill. Who cares about healing? People have been pining for more abilities, weapon skills, etc. Not healing skills. Sorry, if this is what they meant by adding skills…one or two skills every month or two that are utterly useless, than again they fail to live up to what they say.

They need to add more things we can actually use. I dont know anyone that used that anti-toxin heal.