i didn’t want to say anything until i actually played it and i had hoped it wouldn’t be as bad but locking map mechanics behind masteries is the worst kind of content stretching i have seen in an mmo for quite some while.
“oh look, that’s new what’s this, let’s click it” -> “please farm this and that over and over again in order to use this feature”
after an hour of the first map i was already so kittened that i just closed the game. now somebody will probably say that i am not entitled to an opinion unless i have spent half of my life in the verdant brink but for me that hour was enough to be completely demotivated. until now grind was optional, now it’s obligatory. now you farm in order to have full access to content. and i’m not even talking about the necessity of gear for raids or anything, that’s supposed to be hardcore stuff and i don’t mind at all. kitten that. what’s really disheartening is all the small stuff in the open world. when i want to explore and want to see whats up there or down there and the game tells me i have to do a specific amount of X before i am able to even get there that’s just bold.
i have no problem with a smaller amount of content if it’s good. lemme play the 4 new maps the way i want to, i won’t complain. what i will complain about is when you try to lengthen the time i need to do something artificially so i have to (not want to but have to) spend more time in the game. i don’t like being told that i can’t do something because that one bar isn’t filled enough. locking map mechanics, vendors (srsly, i need to master that? i need to actually train throwing coins at frogs? because you know, i already have bought stuff from frogs in the core game) and even mastery points (yo, dawg. i heard you like masteries so i locked masteries behind masteries so you can master while you master.) is just a cheap mechanic to make it look like there’s more content than there actually is.
i am disappoint.
PS: at least i can enjoy the new league system in pvp now that you made me lose interest in pve …. oh … wait …
edit: just to make it clear: i would be completely content with a small expansion that is well made and has replay value and i wouldn’t mind paying the price of a full game for it at all. it’s all those tricks and tactics that try to subconsciously bind me to the game that leave a bad taste in my mouth.
(edited by zaced.7948)