Guild Wars 2

Same here. I assumed they are doing maintenance

So what’s the problem here? This event is still bugged. It’s one of the most popular events in the game. It’s been bugged for almost 3 days now. No dev response. No nothing. We’ve put tickets in. We’ve emailed. What’s the problem with even giving a status update or a response?

I’m sick of this. I’m sick of the number of bugs that get ignored. You concentrate on your “end-all-be-all” guesting feature, but nothing on the bugs.

So to the devs, what are you doing about this? Is it in the list of priorities to get fixed? Or should we all just transfer to another server where this event works because you won’t be working on it anytime soon? Which is it? And don’t give me this crap that its working on your test server but not on live. Yeah, no kidding. Evaluate it on the live servers, then get back to us. Working on your test server is meaningless, because we don’t play on test.

So the bottom line is, let us know what you are doing about this bug. If you won’t be getting to it anytime soon, just let us know. We will transfer to another server where it works. That’s all I’m asking. A little communication goes a long way.

How often do they reset these events? This is one of the best meta events in the game, hopefully it doesn’t take months

This event is still bugged. The gates are closed in the centaur camp. The Earth Elemental is up inside the gates. This is currently on Tarnished Coast. Going on day 2 now.

Logun.2349:

…And, I know some will not be happy with anything short of a total reversal of vertical progression, but that’s not going to happen by the sounds of it. For those hoping to hear that today, I truly am sorry.

I really enjoy this game. So much exploration, brings me back to when I first started playing MMOs. I’ve been for Ascended gear, because I think it opens up options, gives people yet one more thing to work toward. But, with all the negativity towards it, I now feel they should reverse it. I don’t want to see the game die out because of this. If it loses its loyal fanbase because they are completely against vertical progression, well, that’s no good. You can’t just have players who are in to the latest craze, because if you don’t feed them constantly, they’ll move on to the next game. I do understand that part of it better. It’s unfortunate. This game has so much potential. I don’t want it all to go to waste because they chose a direction that split the community and drove away the fans.

Tarnished Coast always has crowds of players doing PvE. The server seems quite alive to me.

moirweyn.9872:

I have my exotics and was in no rush to get legendary items. NOW I have to actually work towards that specific goal on purpose because Legendary items will no longer be what I already have, they are better and will always be the best. A grind has been forced on me, just to remain competitive, until I get a full set of Legendary gear.

Legendary armor was not a grind because it was only aesthetic and therefore optional.
Legendary armor is now a grind because of the precedent set forth with Ascended armor.

For those who are brainwashed by the gear grind from other MMOs, you will never see a problem with this and there is nothing we can say to make you understand it. For those of us to are not of your ilk, we are seriously disheartened by this change.

First of all, I think we all need a little bit of patience here to see how they implement the Ascended set down the road. Right now, there is no grind for anything. Everything is playable without it, PvP is not affected. The devs have stated this. I’m not sure what more they can do other than you prove them wrong with a youtube video. But, we all know you can’t do that yet, because you don’t have a full set.

Second, the door swings both ways regarding those of us who have been “brainwashed” by gear grinds, and those who hate it. If you are focusing on gear grind as compared to WoW and comparing it to Ascended, you cannot compare the two. Your character has dodge capabilities, not just gear to mitigate. You have skill combos and weapon swaps that if executed with correct timing will beat superior gear.

This is what we will see once Ascended has been fully implemented: that in a 1v1, with the same profession, same set of skills, the only difference being exotic and Ascended, Ascended will not win every time. Why is that? Well, you can’t predict weapon swaps, you can’t see what traits are in play, you don’t know what heals are out. What each character brings to the table with respect to their skill is random. You can’t predict their precise movement or skill usage. Therefore, you could swing and miss in all your pretty Ascended gear, and he could smack you around in all his lovely exotic gear. Correct? This is why we have dodge abilities and skills tied to weapons, right? It makes the fight that much more interesting than standing there swinging at each other. That’s the difference.

Some might say, well, why not battle with no gear? That’s not the implication. The implication is that how much more stat increase are you truly getting 20+% that you can’t mitigate with your own skill, if you were just talking about 1v1 PvP, all else being equal except for gear. It’s not WoW. The mechanics do not function the same.

Let’s remove PvP from the equation and focus on dungeons. Now some say they will have to get Ascended gear or they will not be accepted into the dungeon run. First, it depends on level, as we all know. Second, its more than just level, since your skill are in play. You can still dodge. Not forever, of course. At some point you will need to get the gear if you want to keep playing with more difficulty. Ok, I know. No one is going to rely on you telling them your expert dodge abilities will outweigh the need for gear at the most challenging of levels. That’s true. But how is this different from other games? If I want to solve harder levels, do I need to find the sword-of-butt-kick to work towards those levels? Sometimes in games you do need to get stronger to play through harder content.

It’s all coming down to philosophy, really. We have to adapt to change. Games constantly change. It is not logical to assume Anet would not provide more challenging content, and goals to obtain more elite skills, weapons, or amour to play through it. It is not reasonable to believe that once you receive exotic gear, you are done. Done with what? Done playing? That’s single player. Maybe that worked in the context of GW1, but it doesn’t work in a much more dynamic system here.

And whether Anet lied or betrayed or whatever you want to call it, has it ever occurred to you that maybe they recognized the need for change later. Are they not allowed to try new things? Do they need your permission? I think not. You have a choice, as they do, to change or not. You can grow with the game, or not. In fact, their growth is a stepping stone, quite slow as they test the waters, review its effect on gameplay. Why not give them a chance. Why instead of persecuting them for misleading you, open your mind a bit. If they say they intend no grind, why not accept it until you see different? If you have so little faith in them, why did you bother to buy the game in the first place? These are the questions I think some of you need to ask.

Silentstorm.7531:

It’s not false again you didn’t read the notes. The legendary armor hasn’t been added to the game yet. But when it does get added it will be on par with ascended gear. They said it several times already. You guys just read what you want to read.

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/linsey-murdock-unveils-new-high-end-ascended-gear/
It’s amazing how you guys don’t read and SWEAR you are correct when someone can just google your face off into uselessness. I’ll direct you to this line since so many act like they couldn’t pass reading comprehension and passed drama queen 101.

“You’ll also see more Legendary items in the future and an update to our existing Legendary weapons. Legendary items were always intended to be on par with other “best-in-slot” items. So fear not, all existing Legendary weapons, which are currently on par with Exotics, will be upgraded to be on par with Ascended weapons at the same time that we add Ascended weapons to the game. Thus Legendaries will remain “best-in-slot” items. All Legendary items going forward will be of Ascended power. We also have plans to add more fun ways to acquire Legendary precursor items with a more “scavenger hunt” feel than they are acquired currently.
The new additions in November are just the start of our item progression initiative. We’re going to add tons of new high-level content to Guild Wars 2 in the future. As we introduce the new high-level content, we’ll also roll out complimentary Ascended and Legendary items (to say nothing of the other rewards you can earn by playing the content).”

Excellent post. But don’t waste your time, its really not worth trying to reason with them. The parts of this forum I now enjoy are the profession sub-forums, lots of good information there. And for intelligent discussions there’s the guildwars2 subreddit and guildwars2forum. Come here for the entertainment only. The arguments have spun wildly into the absurd, and there’s too much misinformation about Anet’s intentions. You get a lot better info and much calmer chat, even among posters who don’t agree with each other, on those other sites.

Astralporing.1957:

Azthioth.9682:

If you would stop whining for 2 sec. NO ONE has yet to prove how any of this will hurt the game.

It’s already hurting the game. On most servers most of the content is now dead. In LA (where most people are) overflow queues are getting shorter. Not even once since the patch have i needed to queue for WvWvW entry.

Everywhere I play there are players. I don’t see a shortage anywhere. Enough to play any DE I’m involved in. I started two new characters today, one human, one silvari. Again, many players in both starting zones.

So, I’m not experiencing the same lack of players, the same “dead content”, as your suggesting.

There is no proof either way.

You can’t say how many players have dropped off after the LS update, just as I cannot say how many players have stayed.

You can’t say how many players are disappointed with the update just as I can’t say how many players could care less.

But all of you know this. You know any opinion either way is just that: opinion. Speculation about the effect a new tier will have, conjecture on how it affects Anet’s revenue.

You say content on most servers is dead. How do you know this? Do you have empirical evidence? Have you taken your own polls? What basis do you or anyone else have to suggest this?

I, nor my guild or my friends have observed one single shred of evidence to suggest that guilds are disbanding, players are emptying out, zones are completely dead. Not one bit. I’m I saying its not happening? No, I’m saying from my perspective and others I know, they’re enjoying, and excited that Anet is continually updating. Our opinion is, for an F2P, you can’t beat it. Very promising.

Also, on guildwars2.com, reddit.com/r/Guildwars2, mmorpg.com forums, massively, etc. you name it, I haven’t read or heard the same outcry as I’ve seen here. My observations, that of my friends and my guild, the players I’ve spoken to in-game, and from reviewing the other sites I’ve mentioned, are evidence enough for me that nothing is wrong. I’m not saying the game is bug-free, I’m not saying it doesn’t need improvements in areas. I’m saying what you and others are suggesting as a mass exodus of players because of Ascended gear is, in my opinion, simply not the case.

There are several example of how Anet seeks to improve the game on many levels, for many types of players. Here is a response in the News and Announcements section concerning the introduction of Ascended gear, from almost 9 days ago. :

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/info/news/A-message-from-our-Studio-Design-Director-Chris-Whiteside

This helps provide perspective on what the ascended gear is all about, Anet’s intentions, and their desire to please the community.

Sometimes change is hard for people to swallow. Its human nature, and that’s why you see all the negative posts. Rest assured, its nothing game-breaking. In fact, it can only help to improve its longevity.

Also, there will be a Q&A session on Reddit:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/info/news/AMA-with-Chris-Whiteside-on-Monday-November-26

The developers and designers care about the game and its community. They are quite active in their responses, and they have a sound plan to move forward. Couple that with an excellent game, and you have a winning formula for success. I have no doubt the game will be around for quite a while.

As others have pointed out, the official forums are not always the best place to find the most objective of opinions. For new players, both guildwars2forum.com and the Guildwars2 subreddit has great information, along with the official wiki.

Have fun out there! Most of us are.

There are a couple of responses that always seem to get buried in the diatribe, and imo they are important to consider when considering the gear treadmill argument:

From the News section:

“Ascended and infusion rewards will be available in both PvE and WvW over time, and be made available through all sorts of content around the world including existing content. PvP will remain unaffected to ensure our intended PvP balance going forward."

So it sounds like from the developers that you can remain competitive if you choose not to collect Ascended gear. Apparently we will also be able to collect Ascended gear from various means over time. Since they haven’t introduced an entire set quite yet, and as they introduce more you will be able to collect it from multiple sources, how is this a gear grind?

You can also use gems to purchase the mats needed to craft Ascended gear. So if you decide to skip whatever time sink it will be to obtain an entire set by using the TP, and and gems are the currency (again, no one knows about the amount of time to obtain all pieces, or how and where to obtain them yet), is this still considered a grind?

Another important post made by Artorous a few days ago:
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
“8% increase in stats doesn’t mean you’re 8% stronger. Stats to Effectiveness is NOT a 1:1 ratio as has been pointed out numerous times. The overall increase is not going to even be on par to Rare to Exotic upgrades and considering you can do everything in the game, including the new dungeon, with Masterwork quality gear, if not Fine, then there isn’t anything to worry about.

The only thing the new equipment is better for is the new dungeon and that is because it has the Agony Resist. The dungeon itself is infinite, increasing in difficulty every 5 to 10 rooms (I forget which). You can easily complete the first level with no need of Agony resist, possibly higher ones than that if you’re in a good group.
The only people that could possibly have any legitimate grounds for complaints would be the WvW community but since people, such as myself, can compete with Full Exotic geared players using nothing but Masterwork, possibly Fine though I never tried, then there’s no real reason to complain there because GW2 isn’t gear based but skill based. Hell, most people don’t even use food buffs but the ones that do don’t ROFLStomp the people that aren’t and those give roughly the same stats as upgrading Exotic to Ascended.

Now, if the gear tiers were like they are in games like WoW where every new tier allows you to completely stomp people in the ground that are wearing anything but that tier as well, then I could see a point, but adding 1-5% overall damage is not worth going crazy about."

So if the new tier only gives you a few percentage points in overall damage, and you really don’t need to obtain equivalent gear to be competitive….why all the fuss?

So, if there’s no real gear grind and you can still be competitive, what’s the problem?

If you still see a problem, without having a full set, knowing how, where, and how long it will take to get it, how can you even call it a gear grind, or know the overall effect it will have on your ability to remain competitive and a value in groups? I just don’t understand the reasoning.

@Dozer, no I advise people that they should think for themselves and not listen to the lies about the non-existent gear grind that people are screaming about.

When you actually grind for gear, come talk to me. When you only have speculation about what’s yet to come, you have no basis to argue.

Questions?

Columba.9730:

lol i have looked closely. it’s hours and hours of a grind in content some of us hate. How difficult is that to understand. the rings don’t always drop. How can you say what is a grind for some of us? It’s not optional. stop saying that. the stats are at least 20% better than exotics. not optional.

What would you like in the game? Would you like the rings mailed to you? Would you like the mats you need to craft ascended gear for free?

And where did you get the 20% better? Did you read that somewhere, or did you calculate it on your own?

What you need to do is decide for yourself what feels like a grind and what doesn’t, and you’ll feel better about how you play the game. The people here are not a sample of the majority. Progression in all of its forms are as much a part of this game as it is a part of life. If you choose not to progress here, you go somewhere else and progress elsewhere. But make no mistake. Fundamental design requires character progression and reward. Anet has provided additional ways to progress, that’s all. It doesn’t violate the ToS, it doesn’t violate some vague promise they made 7 years ago. It’s the natural order of the development cycle, and it only helps to improve your enjoyment of gameplay. So, don’t listent to the masses, don’t jump on the bandwagon until you listen to yourself first. What do you feel you want to accomplish in this game? That’s more important than what anyone else tells you.

Seven.8326:

heres a pro tip too man if you wanna enjoy this game dont ever come to these forums or enter at your own risk.

Dude, totally agree. To the OP, don’t come here ever again. This is not a true sampling of how the pop feels, no matter what anyone says. Check the reddit/r/guildwars2 site, check guildwars2forum.com for cool chatter, but not here. Seriously. This is not a place for educated discussion. It doesn’t happen here. The other community sites on reddit and guildwars2forum are a far better place to discuss issues and feel like you are part of a community. Not here.

krookie.6378:

250 tier 6 mats (powerful blood is at about 25s+ right now)
50 ectos
RNG essence

That’s just for 1 back piece. Then you got the infusion mats. You honestly want to tell me that it’s not grinding? How are you suppose to get those mats or gold for them?

Gems? That’s one way, if you don’t want to achieve them any other way.

Remember that list 80 things to do at 80? Remember how that was ridiculed into the dust, because someone had a constructive post (with a bit of humor sprinkled in) about what to do at 80, when many were suggesting there was nothing. Well, now there’s 81. Somehow that’s a bad thing.

Since there will be other ways of achieving it opened to us soon, I don’t really see the fuss. We really don’t have all the information available to claim game-breaking yet. But here we are.

You want something constructive?

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/13gj0p/ascended_gear_and_infusions_how_to_make_them_and/

You don’t have to grind for anything, unless playing more than once a week is a grind, or anything short of being handed the gear in your mailbox is considered a grind.

Forced to play for a tier….oy!

You know, a year from now (hopefully sooner) they may add more skills to each profession. Possibly more traits. More heart quests. Maybe even an expansion. So, you may be behind your friends and fellow players in that sense, too. Should Anet stop all development when you log off?

I’ve never heard people so upset about the future, about what could be, in a game. Why not enjoy what’s going on now. You’ll feel better.

You want depressing? Try a little Norma Jean:

“And it seems to me that you caused a grind,
like a fiercely-blowing wind…

Never knowing who you promised,
when the manifesto set in…

And I would have liked to gain cap
before Ascended hit…

Your promise burned out long before…
but my dreaming never did"

Urxx.6840:

What does the ToS have to do with all this? Nobody is saying they don’t have a legal right to change their game.

This is a problem of trust. Lying in most instances is not illegal (unless you are a witness in a trial or something to that extent), yet I don’t think you would trust somebody after they lied to you.

As someone else already pointed out, a MMO is a long term time and money investment, and you don’t invest in something that has an uncertain future because you can’t trust the company that sets the rules anymore.

The ToS has everything to do with it. You should expect them to change. And what did they lie about. What specifically.

If they said: “we promise we will never under any circumstance add any type of stat increase to a piece of gear above exotic and legendary ever” are they lying if they do? Or did things change? And why did they change?

“Well, we added some progression so players would have something to do. Many were asking about it. So we implemented something to help improve. "

“But..but you promised you wouldn’t, you promised!!” “You lied to us all!” “You said you wouldn’t, you said!”

When do the temper tantrums stop, dude? At what age?

Maybe you’re lying to yourself. Maybe that’s the lie.

So Anet, who doesn’t charge a sub for their game, might well have established a cash shop, where you can buy things your character may want or need. You don’t say!

I’ve been thinking- how would they continue to fund the servers, the development cost, future growth. I’m curious, is NCsoft non-profit? The cash shop leads me to believe they are not, but I’m not really sure. I’ve never seen a game company who wanted to make a profit, so this would be a first.

“My theory is that Arenanet are adding this tier of gear specifically to fund future development of the game.”

Indubitably, my dear Mandrax. Indubitably.

Raine.1394:

The issue hasn’t been overblown. The only thing I can suggest to help you understand the issue is to read the manifesto and the introduction of the Ascended gear piece side-by-side. If the non-sequitur doesn’t smack you in the face it’s probably best to just accept that some people get it rather than continuing to misrepresent the community’s reaction to the violation of the manifesto.

The problem I have is how many of you are trying to scare away players based on false assumptions. Violation of a manifesto? Read the ToS. They have the right to change the content and nature of the game to their liking. Things will change again, so if you can’t survive the “agony” now, well, what’s yet to come?

So what would you like to do at end-game if you don’t want to see any type of character progression? What should the next event be that won’t violate your terms of entitlement? I know, how about a knitting profession. That’s nice. You could sit by the fireplace in a tavern (when they allow your character to sit, because of course without that ability its impossible to rp) and knit scarves. Don’t worry, the scarves you craft carry no stat increase, no protection from the elements. Well, maybe a small 20% increase to warmth. But only a 20% increase when combined with the hat, gloves and booties. Although they don’t exist in the game yet, we’re not sure when and what stats we will have, let’s just assume 20%. This happened in Age of Conan, so we’re pretty sure it will happen here.

Oh, and the recipes for the hat,mittens, booties, and scarf…you may have to traverse the world. But not on a Monday morning. Not many play then, so it wouldn’t be much fun. So the patterns can only be found on Saturday night, EST prime time, and only in LA overflow. This mitigates any possible worry about population count while searching.

How long will it take to craft…possibly a full day. 24 hours played. That’s grind, you say? Well, what we could do is split the difference by having you craft only one bootie, half a scarf, the brim of the hat, and one mitten. That’s about 8 hours, because you need less material. Less to search for. The other half you can purchase on the TP for free. We don’t want you to expel more energy gathering gold than you already have to. We know you need some quality standing around time.

I’m all for this. This is progression at its finest.

Spectral Agony:
Concise description
Skill. (5 seconds.) Target foe has -1…30 Health degeneration; moves, attacks, and uses skills 80% slower; and loses 3…81 Health each second.

You can submit that, I don’t know detail about the mechanics. But I do know one thing. Many of you have misled players about the effect of Agony on the game. Now we find progression existed in GW1, at whatever the level, and yet this somehow does not apply. Even when a dev states Lightbringer was just another method players had to filter out those they want to play with. This is exactly the same thing, and you all know it is.

Hey, I could care less if none of you agree or see the point. But now I know from my own research that your complaints are baseless, and this game with thrive. I hope others aren’t affected by the negativity we’ve seen the last several days. That’s my point.

No I didn’t play GW1, but I don’t need to when I have a wiki and a dev post at my disposal. No matter how you slice it, this was a form of progession, horizontal or otherwise. It applies, my friends. And didn’t the devs say that anyone could gain Ascended gear by means other than running the dungeon? By multiple methods, I do believe I read that.

House of cards. Doesn’t stand for very long.

Before this gets buried in the flotsam of other posts, what about this “Lightbringer” title that Andrew McLeod discussed?

“This is something that existed prior to ascended gear, and was something that we saw happen all the time in GW1, even without any sort of gear progression. Some players, typically people who play the game a lot, tend to only want to play with other players that play like them. They require some sort of proof to get into their party, whether it be displaying your Lightbringer Title, equipping or linking some type of gear, or using some other method of showing that you have already done and are experienced with the content. While ascended gear might be the new excuse, this behavior happens regardless. While this is not really something that we want to encourage, players do have the choice to play the game in the way they want. We can’t force those players to be all-inclusive in who they invite to the parties they create, and to be honest, doing so would probably make people even more unhappy than they are now, and lead to a lot of undesirable behavior.”

And when we look up Lightbringer, we find:

Lightbringer:
Title. For each rank of Lightbringer, you deal 5% more damage to and have +1 damage reduction against Abaddon and his demonic servants.

Well, well, well. So for all the complaining I’m seeing regarding how progression goes against every design philosophy of GW, how it wasn’t in GW1, and Anet has lied to us and betrayed us by adding some progression to GW2, what do we find.

Hmm. It’s all just another excuse to complain, as McLeod suggests.

I’ll return when there’s a real issue. And btw- this is why Massively hasn’t picked it up: because its not an issue.

Snoring Sleepwalker.9073:

slazzy.7309:

Snoring Sleepwalker.9073:

slazzy.7309:

There was a huge outcry about no progression at endgame

Where was this outcry ?

Because I never saw it.

Really? Ok, I’ll take the troll bait. Warp back 2-3 weeks. All you saw was “no progression! We need progression! How can you have a game with no progression!”

I saw a few people complaining. But nothing that could be called an outcry. Nothing like the threadnaught with over 10 thousand posts.

If there was an outcry, I’d like you to prove it, by linking to large threads calling for progression

As I said before, you have only to thank yourselves for the mechanics changes.

Don’t piss in your bed and then cry when you wake up wet.

I notice you are assuming that people calling for stat progression are the same people complaining about it happening. What an odd assumption. Please prove it.

There was a large number of posts arguing how this game would fail because there was no stat progression at end game. It went on for days. If you can’t find them, you’re lying. Am I calling you a liar, yes I most certainly am.

Wintyre Fraust.6534:

Are you saying it is not my right to complain about such a turn of events? Are you saying that I shouldn’t voice my strenuous disagreement with this abandonment of core principles?

I live in America, and if I’m dissatisfied with my treatment at the hands of what I consider an unscrupulous business practice, I have the right to speak up, complain, and see if I can get them to make it right. I also have the right to go to amazon and write bad reviews, write critical blogs, make critical youtube videos, and do everything that is in my power legally to voice my displeasure at this.

You feel entitled if you feel you deserve certain rights over and above the rights you agreed to. So what are you saying, the ToS that you agreed to is not enough, you feel an entitlement that you deserve something more than what the ToS states. Ethics? Do you know what those even are? So, again, if Anet states they can change the game anytime they desire, and you, the player, agree to it, when they change it they are being unethical. Wow. Your logic baffles me.

You can complain until your blue in the face. I’m just saying you have no right to splash a glass of milk on the floor and then complain when you step in it.

If you agreed to it, and you still complain, do you have a right? Sure you do? But that right is called entitlement, because you want more than promised.

Ostra.3927:

I am going to be un popular but here is the truth. If you EVER posted on this board that you felt a raise in stats for “progression” sake is needed… you are a troll sent by other game companies (Blizzard was actually found out to do this) to sabotage the game and you are ONLY mad now because we are using your same tactics against you.
So next time you call us angry types whiners… remember this.

How did that commercial go?

“I learned it from watching you!”

I posted that I felt progression was needed. I admit it. I had a whole post about it based on my development studies in The Art of Game Design. Absolutely! That proves I work for a game company? Maybe I feel you need progression to keep interest. It is basic design. Maybe Anet decided that was a good route to go.

Progression in an mmo….why, what a novel idea. Let’s give our players something to do at endgame.

Honestly, I’ve heard so much kittening about how there’s nothing to do at endgame for so many games, I never even conceived I would hear how progression might destroy a game.

And if you think Ascended gear is a treadmill, well, I submit that you haven’t even played this game passed week 1. You are a fair-weather gamer. You go where the mob is the loudest. Think for yourself for once, you’ll feel better about yourself.

Wintyre Fraust.6534:

slazzy.7309:

People are whining because of their warped sense of entitlement. Anet has the right to change the game mechanics to their liking, and players have the right to stay or go. Like someone said above, if you don’t like the gear, don’t play the dungeon that requires it. Simple as that.

It’s the classic joke of an mmo. There was a huge outcry about no progression at endgame. Now that they added a bit of progression, there’s a huge outcry against changing the game mechanics.

You can’t please everyone, so its best to listen to the player base that matters the most. I think Anet can collect statistics on who plays regularly, what that player base wants far better than we can. And they adjust accordingly.

For some reason, people can’t come to terms with that. Remember the old axiom from Star Trek 2? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? It applies here.

Bottom line – people are upset whenever they feel their needs are not heard. Don’t worry about it, it will quiet down soon enough, and those people will sliver off to their holes, while the rest of us have fun.

It has nothing to do with a sense of “entitlement”. We paid for a game that was advertised, promoted, and “manifestoed” to be without a power-creep gear treadmill, and now that they have our money they’ve completely reversed the game philosophy.

If anyone had a sense of “entitlement”, it is those players that lobbied for ANET to change the core philosophy of the game against what has been stated for 5 years and which is already present in dozens of other MMOG titles currently on the market. To come into GW2 – which was supposed to be exactly “not” that kind of game – and beg and cajole the designers to change it to what every other game out there is, is entitlement beyond belief. Apparently, content locusts believe that every mmog should cater to their playstyle.

When I pay for something that is promised to be X, and sold and promoted to be X, and then is changed to “not-X”, it is not out of a sense of “entitlement” that I complain, but rather out of a fully justified sense of having been deceived by unethical people.

Well, then you obviously don’t understand how MMO development works. Its a living, breathing development cycle that never ends. And it may change from its core mechanic. And maybe, just maybe you will read the ToS next time and realize that content may change at any time.

You agreed to it, whether you like it or not. If you don’t think so, then have the guts to form a class action lawsuit, because that’s what you are suggesting.

Put your money where your mouth is and do something about it, if you are so unsatisfied. Take the ToS to a lawyer and ask what your rights are. Then post it here. Then we will have a real conversation. Until that time, you aren’t saying anything.

Snoring Sleepwalker.9073:

slazzy.7309:

There was a huge outcry about no progression at endgame

Where was this outcry ?

Because I never saw it.

Really? Ok, I’ll take the troll bait. Warp back 2-3 weeks. All you saw was “no progression! We need progression! How can you have a game with no progression!”

:)

As I said before, you have only to thank yourselves for the mechanics changes.

Don’t piss in your bed and then cry when you wake up wet.

People are whining because of their warped sense of entitlement. Anet has the right to change the game mechanics to their liking, and players have the right to stay or go. Like someone said above, if you don’t like the gear, don’t play the dungeon that requires it. Simple as that.

It’s the classic joke of an mmo. There was a huge outcry about no progression at endgame. Now that they added a bit of progression, there’s a huge outcry against changing the game mechanics.

You can’t please everyone, so its best to listen to the player base that matters the most. I think Anet can collect statistics on who plays regularly, what that player base wants far better than we can. And they adjust accordingly.

For some reason, people can’t come to terms with that. Remember the old axiom from Star Trek 2? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? It applies here.

Bottom line – people are upset whenever they feel their needs are not heard. Don’t worry about it, it will quiet down soon enough, and those people will sliver off to their holes, while the rest of us have fun.

Honestly no one here has hard facts about a player drop-off. I see people in game all the time, some rp in taverns, many are in Divinity’s Reach and LA, I never have an issue with DE (Tarnished Coast server) so to me, its a living, breathing mmo community. I don’t have any hard facts about server pop, I can’t say whether its rising or falling. All I can say is I see people in every kitten zone I play, I do not think people are leaving because of Ascended Gear (that’s the cry of the hate mob). So if you want this data to justify playing this game, you should have all the data you need based on observation. Plenty of players in-game, plenty of interest on external community sites and subreddits. The game is alive, even if many of the people who whine on this forum are not.

@Xaielao exactly about the forum usage. I think Anet needs to either give access to those who actually play, or make forum time a store purchase, because the amount of lies about game-death, massive people quitting, game not lasting 2013, is out of hand. The huge posts about Ascended gear and broken trust- I’ve never heard anything like it before, the amount of hatred.

My opinion is either shut this forum down and allow communities who really have something valuable and constructive to say to create their own forums, or charge via gem or playtime, however it works. Or even display level under the person’s nick, so we can see if they actually play. This forum is turning into a pit, mostly from those who logged in once or twice, and there’s absolutely no reason for it.

Its a beautiful game, it has exciting content, the one-time events are great. There are some issues and bugs in any game, and I’m not saying we can’t discuss them. But let’s be a little more realistic. Most of the whining isn’t from people who have issues, its from people who want to see this fail. I think its about time we do something about it.

@Narkosys massive queues in Tor? That’s simply not true. But this is exactly my point. Let’s spread disease on the forums in an effort to get people not to play. That’s what you and the OP are doing. GW2 is fun, I’m having a blast. There are people everywhere. I never have an issue. If you do, try something more to your liking. But stop trying to get people to quit.

I think players are getting smarter, realizing the forums are just for entertainment. I never hear any of the doom and gloom in game that I see here. So, of course I’m dismissive of this ridiculous whining. What point does it serve?

Nice try. SWOTR was a ghost town when it first went live. Very heavily instanced. Plus there was a monthly fee, and not many really wanted to play for a single player design.

GW2 is not that. Its not even close. So the same arguments don’t work here.

You guys you preach gloom and doom would make a great asset to the political arena. Your talent for focusing the public’s attention on issues that aren’t there, trying to stir up frenzy are quite impressive. Try this on a Saturday night, not a Monday morning, you might be more convincing.

So according to this, and based on what tons of people are saying:

“Legendary items were always intended to be on par with other “best-in-slot” items. So fear not, all existing Legendary weapons, which are currently on par with Exotics, will be upgraded to be on par with Ascended weapons at the same time that we add Ascended weapons to the game. Thus Legendaries will remain “best-in-slot” items. All Legendary items going forward will be of Ascended power. "

- Linsey Murdock

Exotics are now a “tier” below Legendaries. Originally on par, but now below Ascended, which will now be on par with Legendaries. So Ascended is the new “par”.

So clearly, we no longer have vanity progression. As many of you have argued, if I leave the game for 12 months and come back, I will have to “gear up” to be able to run dungeons and compete in PvP.

Since many of us argue this violates the “no gear grind” philosophy, then why not either (and forgive me if this has been brought up before)

- provide those who have achieved exotics free upgrades to Ascended gear. That way there is no grind. You’ll have multiple sets- one for the dungeons requiring you to mitigate Agony, the other sets for everything else. Legendaries can still be sought, and again once achieved, they do not provide stat improvement, just different skins. The mechanics of your new content can remain, and everyone is happy.

- Ascended gear is a dungeon key. Have a quest chain to obtain this “key” or the ring, or whatever you want players to use to brave the dungeons and mitigate agony. Create a quest chain for it. That’s something to shoot for, something to work toward. Now, if you want to run the dungeon with your fellow players, you must complete the chain first. You get some good backstory. Players can help you with the chain. At the end, you get your prize, which when equipped allows you to run it. Now you have what you need, its soulbound, you’ll always have it. No gear improvement, no violation of the gear-vs-skill-based play.

So, why not something like this, where everyone is happy?

Its actually not ANet’s fault. It’s all you players out there complaining about how there’s no progression. Skins weren’t enough, no you needed gear to shoot for. You wanted it, you got it. But its another example of how the community has destroyed a game, not the developer. The developers are trying to please their customers. Unfortunately they listened to the vocal minority and changed fundamental mechanics to appease them. This is another reason why SWOTR collapsed. They listened to the wrong bunch.

Its not just about the ascended gear. Its about how legendaries will be just that much better than exotics now, the gap increased that much more, when it didn’t matter before.

I don’t understand why we can’t jump into a game and all be at the same skill level, instead of having our gear determine how we win.

Devs, stay away from the forums. Send out polls for specific things to your playerbase. Try another means to get a representative sample of what the players want to see added, removed, or changed. The forums are a cesspool, and now what was once a unique game system has plunged into the hellish hamster wheel that spins all its players into the same progression system until their eyes bleed. Only one game does it the best, and now you’ve lost to them.

You, the players, have only yourselves to thank for this.

I think guilds are becoming obsolete. This game allows for auto-grouping, which I think works very well. I love being in a zone with an event, players come in to assist, and those who participate all get a reward. Multi-guilding means I can play one day with a group who is more PvP-centric, the next more casual. Its fun for me, and allows for freedom of choice. And I no longer have to worry about a guild disbanding or getting too low in number to group. Not when I have 3 or 4 to choose from.

To me its much more efficient, especially in a game like this. And I really don’t have the time or patience to deal with “guild loyalty”. This isn’t a job, its a game. My entertainment hours are spent doing what I want, not doing what my guildmaster expects.

My 2 c

I don’t understand what the hell people are talking about, either. I always see plenty of people out and about. What are you expecting to see? Tons of people swarming every zone? Why? There are enough people around to do events and dungeons, and to feel immersed. I walked into an inn in a newbie zone and it was crowded with rpers (Tarnished Coast). Instead of yelling about more doom and gloom, do something about it and transfer if you feel lonely.

Tell me, what game has tons of people in every zone? TSW? SWTOR, MoP? You see crowds in WoW? I’m not sure exactly what you’re expecting to find.

Don’t expect MMOs to fill the void inside you and you’ll feel much better.

Curuniel, that’s true. My argument doesn’t speak to the social elements at all. I agree there is a certain element of social fun in an MMO. Developing camaraderie with your guildmates, competition between friends, exploring together, these are all fun factors. But how much do we need to bring to the table with our imaginations, as opposed to what do the developers need to provide us to keep us interested, to give us that “must stay logged for one more hour” feeling?

Single-player games, multiplayer fps, mmos- they all have different reward systems to keep us going. But that reward system must be valid for the type of game. I think what I see as the common denominator in these discussion is MMOs require a loot-based reward system to keep people interested. Its not enough just to log in and have fun with your friends.

I see what you’re saying, but I think we as players can’t be expected to fill in the gaps too much. And that’s what I see in this game. If the carrot isn’t there to chase, well, we may create with our imaginations a social reward system to chase for awhile, but only for awhile.

Do I agree with a gear-grind that resets with every expansion? No. I don’t feel that’s fair. And yet, millions come back to it because, well, we are a curious bunch, and if there’s one thing the “other developer” does really well, its feed our curiosity.

I’m forced to agree that loot as a reward is a necessary requirement. Playing for fun is great and all, but the “fun” has to engage players.

From a book I’m studying for a development class – “The Art of Game Design”, there is a section that discusses the internal value a game provides, and how if this value does not exist, players may find no reason to advance or continue.

Two examples of games are used, two platformers actually. Yes I know a console platformer is no comparison to an MMO, just like D3 is no comparison to GW2 in its style. Yet the comparison doesn’t lie between the type of games they are, but in what “internal value” they offer.

So, take the game Bubsy as the first example. In this game, players played a cat navigating through levels, battling enemies and collecting balls of yarn for points. Here’s the problem: the points you earn for collecting yarn serve no purpose other than to measure how many things you have collected. So what’s the players motivation, if the points serve no purpose? Basically to complete all the levels. One could say the motivation for replay would be to complete all the levels again, this time trying to earn the highest score. Again, where’s the reward? Well, if we use the “fun factor” I often here as the argument here, against loot as a reward, you would say its fun to run through levels to gain a higher score. So be it. While that may be fun the first few times, how sustainable is the motivation to continue playing for just the fun of earning a high score?

Another example used in the text is Sonic the Hedgehog. Similar console platform. You run through levels, avoid obstacles, defeat enemies, this time collecting rings. But the rings are more than just items to collect for a score. They protect you from enemies, and for every 100 rings, you gain a life. This “internal value” increases your chances for completing the levels.

One of the best quotes from this section is this:

“the value of the items and score in the game is a direct reflection of how much players care about succeeding in your game. By thinking about what the players really care about and why, you can often get insights about how your game can improve.

citation (inserted automatically when copying and pasting from Kindle)
Schell; Jesse (2008-08-01). The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses (Kindle Locations 1047-1049). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition. "

This is what we are really trying to get to the heart of, right? What keeps players playing? What do they care about in your game? What will make them feel like they ar e advancing and achieving.

Therefore my question is this: is “just having fun”, or “fun without loot gain” enough to keep players motivated? If not, what would give players something to care about, to strive for, to keep playing?

Its not enough to say “you’re playing it wrong”, or “you’re thinking about it wrong”, or “it wasn’t designed that way”. All games require this internal value to strive for, to feel stronger, to feel like you are accomplishing things, not just whittling away the hours.

Loot gain, stat gain, something that gives you more strength and power to survive, is the internal value in a game where you face off against players. To disregard that is simply ignoring what keeps us entertained. And when we are not entertained, we move on to the next potential source of entertainment.

Stated simply: TL,DR – I agree with OP. Loot is important to sustain players.

From my experience in these mmos, if I wait long enough, legendaries will become commonplace. There’s no need to go through whatever grind you guys are currently experiencing.

For all who played SWG, remember what it took to become a Jedi when the game first came out? That was changed to accommodate the casuals. Eventually you could select a Jedi from the start.

So, one player’s grind is another player’s item shop purchase. All you need is a little bit of patience to wait it out

@Leiloni not true. Let’s read it again: “boost your gaming experience by procuring items from the item mall.”

Am I boosting my gaming experience by buying the game itself?

The item store isn’t cached. We can’t access it. So that doesn’t help.

And the Google summaries being misleading? So the meta tag description attribute is misleading is what you’re implying. They are misleading us in the meta tag about the services they offer on their site? They are lying about offering game items, that’s what you’re saying.

We are hearing two conflicting reports. Confirmation and some hard facts would be nice. I’m not offering hard facts, I’m only reporting what I’m seeing, and its a bit different than what Anet told us. So again, was Playspan used to manage microtransactions? If not, why does Playspan’s site suggest otherwise?

Before we dismiss Massively, The Verge, and other gaming portals for reporting this, do a simple Google search for “playspan guildwars.” You come up with the following link:

store.playspan.com/guild-wars

The text below the SERP result reads:

“Enjoy Guild Wars,Purchase Guild Wars from PlaySpan; boost your gaming experience by procuring items from the item mall.”

Also this:

store.playspan.com/guild-wars-trilogy-0

“Enter PlaySpan to buy your favorite Guild Wars – Trilogy.You can also browse through our huge selection of titles that you would like to possess at fantastic …”

Those pages has been taken down, for obvious reasons. But I’d like some confirmation. If Anet doesn’t use Playspan for their microtransactions, why does it suggest on the Playspan site that you do? Not only were your titles offered through Playspan, purchasing items from the item mall is also one of the services listed.

Which is it? I just want to make sure my cc isn’t compromised.

Icelandica.6320:

I honestly don’t understand these threads, I’m rarely on the forums so forgive me for my ignorance, but there is just so much to do in the game that I don’t think I’ll finish even half of what’s available by the time the next expansion comes out (Let’s not even talk about the regular free content upgrades that ANet promised).

Because GW2 is the MMO we deserve, but not the one we need right now.

Why would you ever pay for a PvP tournament? For the possibility of winning gems, so I can buy more tickets? C’mon, this really isn’t that commercial is it? They really need money that bad, that I should fork over some cc for the gems to to buy a ticket? You realize this would be their golden egg, right? Its more than just buying cosmetic stuff or character slots. Now its pay to play. Obviously you don’t have to, but if you do, and you don’t suck, you get gems. To buy more stuff? For what. No, you pay more to PvP. Rinse and repeat. Now you pay more than the standard $15/mo sub.

Brilliant move for making more coin.

How about adding more modes to PvP?

Pay-to-PvP. That’s a new one. This isn’t MLG.

Why is this still an issue at all? Who cares what the designer says about the FoV and why they won’t support a slider. It’s meaningless.

As already demonstrated:

1. You can use a multi-monitor solution. If this is not practical or affordable, then:
2. You can create a custom resolution. Even on a laptop. If the NVidia or AMD control panel doesn’t allow this, then there should be an Intel Graphics and Media control panel where you can create a custom res. If you’re not comfortable doing this, or you cannot find this option on your system, then:
3. Windowed mode.

The point is, you can play the game in whatever resolution your system can handle. So whatever the designer says is the reason that they won’t support increased FoV, who cares. It’s irrelevant. Its not really a point against the game, since you have control over it.

Jestunhi.7429:

It would also suck if people left the game because half the players in PvP can see around corners by positioning themselves near a corner and abusing their enhanced FoV.

^This. And that’s basically what’s going to happen.

ANet has already acknowledged there are camera issues which can affect players, and they are working on them. They’ve also explicitly stated the reason for the FOV the game uses, and it will not change. So what’s the point of this thread? What’s the reason to continually bring this up. Asked and answered by ANet.

I think some of you want this game to fail. You are looking for any reason to yell “game-breaking”. This FOV complaint is a new one. ANet shouldn’t even acknowledge it, because its ridiculous. The funny thing is, one person starts a thread on this, and then a bunch of you jump on the bandwagon saying “oh yeah, I feel claustrophobic from the narrow FOV. I’m throwing up when I play.”

You’re credibility is lost. You’re finding things to complain about, and its becoming laughable. Go run home to your kitten. It needs a hug.

Maybe we are coming at it from the wrong angle. Its not that the game is dying because there is nothing to do at endgame. The game is single player, with multiplayer features. Its been suggested before. So, when you reach endgame, its truly the end of the game until they add more content. If you look at it from that angle, its really no different than D3. I honestly don’t say this to be a troll, it just helps my perspective when I view it this way. I viewed SWOTR this way and had a lot of fun the first month playing it as KOTOR 3.

In that context, its not dying. It’s just like battle.net. I have to login to play it. I can jump into anyone’s game or they can jump into mine as long as you allow it “invite.” You can team up for pvp if you want, or play through the story again as another profession. Just like D3. Which is single player, with multiplayer features.

I’m beginning to no longer see a distinction, which is a good thing.

Reclassify the game as single player and you have yourself a gem of a title. Call it an MMO and it doesn’t stand the test of time. It’s all about perspective.

JazzyJay.1367:

True story. I read the first paragraph and skimmed the rest. The title gave me a bad vibe and thus my response. I suppose to avoid confusion, a title more to the point would be better.

After a brief re-read (a.k.a. skim), I didn’t see the true message until the very last paragraph. I think most people won’t read to the very last paragraph if we see a lot of the same material people have been talking about over and over. Not to be critical, just saying.

Noted. My title sucked. I tried breaking up the paragraphs so no one would cry “wall”. But I got wordy.

Hey I want this to succeed. But how these game systems pass the beta test I’ll never understand, only to lose a chunk of the player base a few weeks later from dissatisfaction over the same game systems they were testing. How many more mmo launches are going to experience this. If developers don’t learn from other failed launches, then its up to us as players to remind them. We know what factors add to a game’s long-lasting appeal. By “we” I do mean to include all gamers this time.