So there is a lot of complaining about the new ascended backpiece and rings. Lots of very emo people about a change that really is very minor in terms of the impact of the 3 gearslots on the game itself. No, it is not some kind of insane grind, not at all.
(On a separate note, it actually feels like some people are “grinding” the whine-o-meter on the forums, if you get my meaning.)
However, in game, I notice something very different to what is on the forums.
I see people making groups for FOM, all the time, day and night. Right now, there’s just line after line of people making groups in LA to do FOM at varying difficulty levels ranging from 1 to 6, and groups going to AC and CM explorable.
I see people talking about the new dungeon and enjoying it a lot, as it is probably the best dungeon in the game.
People are playing more. They are not running Orr for the 100,000th time. They are in fact, having fun, and feel like they’re progressing by going up the difficulty levels of FOM.
No one is talking much about their ascended items. The occasional person links an item and everyone says grats. It has no impact on WvW, and no one cares what you’re wearing when doing the new dungeon.
People wear their “FOM level” with a degree of pride. There is a sense of progression and ego, like being a hardcore raider, but it’s not about the gear: it’s about the skill in going up the levels and being a level 10+ FOM player.
But here’s the main thing.
Just consider if you will what things would be like without the FOM level, without this new sense of progression.
We would still be in Orr farming karma. Please tell me that wasn’t starting to get old, or would have gotten old by December.
We actually have been given something new to do. And we don’t need to do it, but we can – and it is fun to do. This strikes me as a very good thing.
The game is progressing, and continuing to develop and add new things.
I don’t want a stagnant game. I do not want for gear to matter, it should be a game of skill before all – and it still is. All they have done is add a bit of “dungeon level” progression for those who want to go a bit further in their PVE.
- Agony is pretty much a mechanic just to add to this sense of progression.
- Agony does not affect fights against other players in WvW. People with ascended gear will not two shot you in WvW.
- It doesn’t make people more powerful than you outside of that 1 dungeon.
They will not do 2x your dps, or fly like rockets into the sky leaving you behind. They have a tiny bit more stats on 3 item slots, and the ability to slot for agony resistance to do 1 dungeon at level 10+.
That is all that has happened. Let’s take a deep breath, put away the handbags and stop acting like children. No one came to your house and lied to you and slept with your sister.
All they did was add a new backpiece (btw it feels like that’s the “event upgrade slot”, I bet every new event has a new backpiece of some sort) and rings, and a way of progressing up the levels of a new and well designed, fun FOM dungeon, to which they can add fractals later to add even more variety.
Relax and enjoy.
Or don’t. It’s not like you’re paying a sub. Just go play something else till you cool off and want to play GW2 again, it’s not going anywhere.
Believe me, after playing WoW or Rift for a week, you’ll be wanting to return. Or go play Black Ops 2, now that is one seriously bug-ridden game. Anyway.
11/14 of your gear slots remain exotics.
Flame on!
