codemonkey
Member
Mine isn't a popular opinion around here so I keep it to myself, but since you're asking for it, here's my take on this. I pre-purchased the game, and participated in a stress test, and played one Beta Weekend like mad, and a bit in the second, and lost a bit of my interest after that.
As a preface, I'm by no means saying it's going to be a bad game - far from it - and as we're getting closer to its release, I'm getting excited again and will definitely be playing it. I'm focusing on the parts here that I noticed negatively, and not on the many other positive parts of the game. Also know that many of these things are features that other players enjoy. I seem to be pretty alone in not liking some of them.
Having said that, here's what's bothering me:
- Dynamic Level Adjustment
Here's what Dynamic Level Adjustment does: it automatically reduces the player's level to the level of the current zone you're in. So let's say you're level 23 and you run into a level 17 zone, you get reduced to that level and as long as you're in that zone, your level is effectively 17. This doesn't include your armour or your skills however.
It's probably what annoyed me the most playing in the beta. It feels like you are never your actual level. Because you aren't. Personally, it kills any sense of my character's progression, which is a huge part for me in an MMO. I like playing MMOs because I feel my character getting stronger, with each level more so. It's a nice feeling to do quests in a certain area, level up, and be able to notice how it's gradually becoming easier. Especially if you end up traveling through an area again where you had troubles before. You feel your character becoming stronger by how you ease through these passages. You feel your character progress, become better in a world that's all around you.
I really missed that in Guild Wars 2. Walk around a bit, you're level 11. Beam yourself to another area, you're level 18. Walk some more into the next area, it's level 16 again. Didn't like the feel of that.
- Weapons
I don't really like that the first five skills are bound to a certain weapon type. I played a human mesmer woman with a great sword (can't remember what the weapon type is actually called like. It's a big bad-ass sword in any case.) for instance, and I really loved how she shot lazor beams with it. After 20 levels however, it started to bore me that I didn't have more customisation options. Sure there are other customisable ones, and it's nice to switch those around a bit. Why can't I do the same with the weapon skills? The illusions I could summon with the great sword were inferior to the ones I could summon with the staff, so I often had to switch to the staff. Why can't I do that with my great sword, if I like the look and feel of it more? To me, it doesn't feel so much like a cool new feature, as much more like a limitation of sorts.
Also, many of the skills are very similar to each other, no matter what weapon type you have. That's probably to make it more balanced, but it doesn't help the variety of the skills you get with each weapon type. Quite the opposite.
- Personal Quests
Maybe there's some pretty neat stuff coming in the later stages of the game, but from what I've seen so far, I'll just skip ahead the cut scenes, rush through the game sequences and be done with it. It doesn't feel like writing my own story line. It just feels like yet another quest.
- Difficulty
Then some boss comes around in your personal quest, and the experience turns frustrating. You have a really hard time killing the boss. And you feel powerless. Here's why, on the one hand: Dynamic Level Adjustment. You'd think, as you might usually do in an MMO, hey this boss is hard, let me come back in a level or two and try again, it's going to be better then. Doesn't work here.
On the other hand, there aren't a whole lot of options skill-wise. Especially in the beginning of the game were you do not have everything readily available for you. Yes, you have the ability to dodge, but this isn't Monster Hunter, this isn't the same thing, and dodging is limited. You can't say, hey I suck, let me kill a couple of other monster, brush up my skills, and then come back, either.
I'm fairly certain this won't be that much of a problem in the latter levels with the ability to customise your skills (as in skills of your profession) and traits. You will probably have nice sets by then and it will be lots of fun to try different things both skill- and trait-wise.
The first couple of hours had their annoying moments though, consisting of me running away from a boss in a big circle for 5 minutes or so, until it was finally dead. Wasn't very enjoyable.
I'm writing this to show you a different take on the game. This is how I personally felt playing these Beta Weekends. Most felt differently. Make of it whatever you want. I can only say again that I will probably enjoy this game when it gets released, and no-one is saying that certain mechanics won't end up growing on me.
Just a different perspective for you, from what I've seen so far.
