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[Matchew]

Is this game still good to join now for a newcomer? Or have I missed too much of the story content that I will be lost? Really looking to try to get into a MMO. Tried WoW didn't care too much for it, Elder Scrolls betas were a mess, and I'm currently playing FF XIV but not sure if it's worth the monthly fee. GW2 looks interesting just not sure if I have missed too much already.

 

[Noisy Ninj4]

Is this game still good to join now for a newcomer? Or have I missed too much of the story content that I will be lost? Really looking to try to get into a MMO. Tried WoW didn't care too much for it, Elder Scrolls betas were a mess, and I'm currently playing FF XIV but not sure if it's worth the monthly fee. GW2 looks interesting just not sure if I have missed too much already.

Never too late to join up. The living story is not the end all be all of the game, just one aspect of it that keeps people who have done everything else interested. Personal story, dungeons, general NPC interactions, etc, are all out there too.

 

[shysaursoft]

I'd say there's never a bad time to start. Now however, is a *great* time, as the first season has just wrapped up.

When you buy Guild Wars 2, you still get an entire huge storyline that's part of the game, and that is different depending on what race you pick, and various other little 'character' choices. So you can play through all that, and the side-stories in dungeons, and events and other stuff, before even having to look twice at any Living World stuff.

The Living World stuff is really just 'added extra', stuff that happens in real-time as the game progresses, meant to give people things to do when they're done with all the rest of the game, or just want something else to fiddle with that isn't PvP or WvW.

So while there was a year-long story that just played out, it's nothing that can't be summed up in a paragraph to bring you up to speed. If anything, because the content was temporary, you don't have to play through a year of stuff to catch up, you're on even footing with everyone else.

 

[Trey]

Is this game still good to join now for a newcomer? Or have I missed too much of the story content that I will be lost? Really looking to try to get into a MMO. Tried WoW didn't care too much for it, Elder Scrolls betas were a mess, and I'm currently playing FF XIV but not sure if it's worth the monthly fee. GW2 looks interesting just not sure if I have missed too much already.

Guild Wars 2 is very welcoming to newcomers. GAFguild is a very active guild with a lot of character and bad puns.

 

[Matchew]

Thanks for the great and fast answers sounds good. Going to pick this up tonight and give it a go. Can anybody jump into the Gaf Guild?

 

[Retro]

Is this game still good to join now for a newcomer? Or have I missed too much of the story content that I will be lost? Really looking to try to get into a MMO. Tried WoW didn't care too much for it, Elder Scrolls betas were a mess, and I'm currently playing FF XIV but not sure if it's worth the monthly fee. GW2 looks interesting just not sure if I have missed too much already.

Now is actually a pretty good time to start playing; the current season of the Living Story wraps up tomorrow with an epilogue, then there's a break before the next season begins. You can catch up via Youtube or a blog article, but it's nothing so complicated that you'd be lost if you just winged it. We're not talking Game of Thrones-level narrative.

Thanks for the great and fast answers sounds good. Going to pick this up tonight and give it a go. Can anybody jump into the Gaf Guild?

Absolutely; unlike other MMOs, not only can you belong to multiple guilds (up to 5, but you can only be active in one at a time), but guilds are multi-server as well.GAF plays primarily on Stormbluff Isle (NA), but if you have friends on another server you can roll there and guest (think of it like a free, temporary server transfer). The only real restriction is international; North American players cannot guest to EU servers and vice versa.

Oh hey, it's back in stock on Green Man Gaming too, and still 20% off: http://www.greenmangaming.com/s/us/en/pc/games/mmos/guild-wars-2-digital-edition-na/

 

[Matchew]

Thanks Retro for posting that deal was about to buy on amazon for more. I think GMG also have a another 20% off code going too.

 

[Kos Luftar]

Surprised they didn't update atlas today. I guess it's all happening tomorrow.

I guess I shouldn't expect any better from ANETs marketing team.

 

[Proven]

Surprised they didn't update atlas today. I guess it's all happening tomorrow.

I guess I shouldn't expect any better from ANETs marketing team.

Tuesday is the usual preview day.

 

[Kos Luftar]

Tuesday is the usual preview day.

Last Tuesday would have been the usual preview day for tomorrows update.

 

[Jira]

Surprised they didn't update atlas today. I guess it's all happening tomorrow.

I guess I shouldn't expect any better from ANETs marketing team.

ANet didn't even make the atlas, some 3rd party site did.

 

[Kos Luftar]

ANet didn't even make the atlas, some 3rd party site did.

What was told is that ANET devs have nothing to do with it. Marketing team is running it. So I guess they got an outside company to design it.

So far the ATLAS is another marketing failure for me, just like all the stuff they have tried. Taxi, that record yourself saying you love GW2.

 

[Jira]

What was told is that ANET devs have nothing to do with it. Marketing team is running it. So I guess they got an outside company to design it.

So far the ATLAS is another marketing failure for me, just like all the stuff they have tried. Taxi, that record yourself saying you love GW2.

Well in the case of this update, I didn't expect anything out of ANet from an official standpoint just cause it's not really a content update and almost entirely lore related. We'll likely get any kind of info tomorrow after the update drops and because I don't think ANet wants to spoil the changes they'll be making to the world till after the update goes live.

 

[Boss Doggie]

What time does GW2 update?

 

[Kos Luftar]

Well in the case of this update, I didn't expect anything out of ANet from an official standpoint just cause it's not really a content update and almost entirely lore related. We'll likely get any kind of info tomorrow after the update drops and because I don't think ANet wants to spoil the changes they'll be making to the world till after the update goes live.

I thought they were treating it as a seperate update because it looks like it has it's own name "Battle for Lion's Arch: Aftermath". I don't think there is anything else left to spoil, just some minor details about what she was trying to do. If it is not see as a "regular" update then I doubt anything will be happening to Tyria.

What time does GW2 update?

Tomorrow, anytime in between 12PM EST to 3PM EST.

 

[Jira]

I'm almost positive we're going to see the cutscene playout in the actual world. It would make absolutely no sense for them to show what they did and then it not actually happen in the world. There would be no reminder as to what happened after Scarlet died. Doing that in the world would leave a very obvious impression that shit is gonna go down in Season 2.

 

[Kos Luftar]

I'm almost positive we're going to see the cutscene playout in the actual world. It would make absolutely no sense for them to show what they did and then it not actually happen in the world. There would be no reminder as to what happened after Scarlet died. Doing that in the world would leave a very obvious impression that shit is gonna go down in Season 2.

I bet you 5 gold that it won't happen.

 

[Jira]

I bet you 5 gold that it won't happen.

Deal.

Also, the earthquakes that kicked up in the past week have to mean something too.

 

[Kos Luftar]

Deal.

Also, the earthquakes that kicked up in the past week have to mean something too.

I don't know anyone that has actually felt them while playing.

 

[Retro]

Fuck it, I'll give 5 gold to whoever can translate "Taxi, that record yourself saying you love GW2." means.

 

[Mxrz]

Is Sorrow's Embrace 2 really a 90 minute run? Urgh. I thought it would be quicker than the Arah paths.

 

[Kos Luftar]

Fuck it, I'll give 5 gold to whoever can translate "Taxi, that record yourself saying you love GW2." means.

Taxi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT2WZ5_rnUo

that record yourself saying you love GW2: http://migration.guildwars2.com/en/

Give me your gold.

 

[Proven]

I finally went and skimmed the MMORPG article. Getting tired of reading, "I'm still not convinced the Living Story can replace traditional expansion content." When the line is said, it's either under the assumption that the Living Story is incapable of having that, or it's said because they just prefer expansion content (or more single player focused content) without care for the consequences.

Last Tuesday would have been the usual preview day for tomorrows update.

So it means no spoilers. Or preview.

 

[Retro]

Taxi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT2WZ5_rnUo

that record yourself saying you love GW2: http://migration.guildwars2.com/en/

Give me your gold.

Done.

 

[Mxrz]

Ideally an expansion would be a bunch of new zones, armor, weapons, and the like. But that is impossible given the Living Story taking up the majority of the resources. It is what it is, and the game just isn't going for that. I'm good with it overall.

My only real disappoint is that weapons & armor will probably continue to be either gem store or super-rare drops from World Bosses. And since they're being sold as such, they'll likely continue being flashy things like we've seen so far.

In comparison, one of the really nice and understated things about Nightfall and Factions was they introduced tons of new basic weapons and armor, and not just uber flashy end game stuff. Factions had everything from katanas to weird stick-swords. Nightfall gave us tons simple scimitars, jeweled shield, harem pants, and the like. None of which was flashy, and nothing anyone would likely pay Real Money for.

Its hard to see things like that fitting with the GW2 / LS / Gem setup, and its disappointing to think about.

 

[Boss Doggie]

I was wondering what Rox did in the final battle, apparently she's a battle medic now who uses "battlefield magic".

 

[Kos Luftar]

I was wondering what Rox did in the final battle, apparently she's a battle medic now who uses "battlefield magic".

Lol. Yeah I thought that was a strange line.

 

[shysaursoft]

Ideally an expansion would be a bunch of new zones, armor, weapons, and the like. But that is impossible given the Living Story taking up the majority of the resources. It is what it is, and the game just isn't going for that. I'm good with it overall.

Incorrect. The LS teams (four of them) do not constitute all teams, and afaik, isn't even the largest team. There IS a team on "major expanded future content". But that doesn't necessarily mean expansion. But expansion level content will be introduced, just not perhaps as one big glut of crap, but over the course of several LS updates, most likely.

 

[Retro]

Ideally an expansion would be a bunch of new zones, armor, weapons, and the like. But that is impossible given the Living Story taking up the majority of the resources. It is what it is, and the game just isn't going for that. I'm good with it overall.

I'm pretty sure 4 Living Story teams comprised of 8-15 people ≠ 300+ ArenaNet employees. I'd be very surprised if the majority of resources was being sunk into the Living Story, especially since they're supposed to be pretty self-sufficient in terms of art and music.

I would expect more armor / weapon styles when we have more dungeons or zones to put them in.

MIKTAR GET OUT OF MY HEAD>

 

[LumpOfCole]

Ideally an expansion would be a bunch of new zones, armor, weapons, and the like. But that is impossible given the Living Story taking up the majority of the resources. It is what it is, and the game just isn't going for that. I'm good with it overall.

My only real disappoint is that weapons & armor will probably continue to be either gem store or super-rare drops from World Bosses. And since they're being sold as such, they'll likely continue being flashy things like we've seen so far.

In comparison, one of the really nice and understated things about Nightfall and Factions was they introduced tons of new basic weapons and armor, and not just uber flashy end game stuff. Factions had everything from katanas to weird stick-swords. Nightfall gave us tons simple scimitars, jeweled shield, harem pants, and the like. None of which was flashy, and nothing anyone would likely pay Real Money for.

Its hard to see things like that fitting with the GW2 / LS / Gem setup, and its disappointing to think about.

Oh, Nightfall armor was flashy. If you played a male ritualist. You can't get flashier.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/here-male-ritualist-vabbi-armor-t10072415.html

 

[shysaursoft]

Okay, I waited long enough. It's 30 minutes till patch day, so here it is. Spoilers ahead if you've not finished the story yet, but really, it's been two weeks, and I'm tired of not being able to talk about it.

How

Cool

Was

This

Damn

Cutscene

Seriously. I was like:

Meanwhile, where the hell are Logan and Rytlock? Oh...

(Based on that meme that went around a while back)

Of course, two weeks later, it doesn't seem as exciting anymore. But I still thought it was cool.

 

[Proven]

You have to remember that they've demonstrated the ability to make several new zones since launch. The Halloween zone and its minigames, Super Adventure Box, Wintersday and its decorations that reached even PvP and WvW, Queen's Pavillion, Edge of the Mists, Southsun Shore, Bazaar of the Four Winds, and the Tower of Nightmares.

It is very possible for them to release expansion type content while doing the Living Story. Even if the LS teams were the only ones working on it and only in their spare time, I could picture them putting out an expansion if they wanted to. After spending the last year putting out what's essentially a festival roadmap, they've now set themselves up to have extra spare time throughout the year like this past Wintersday.

 

[shysaursoft]

I suspect that right now, GW2's reluctance to add *additional* permanent zones has a lot to do with their roadmap moving forward relative to their business model. Adding a single new permanent map has a huge server/cost overhead.

By contrast, having temporary content, like Queen's Pavilion and Sanctum, uses a 'slot' they can keep reusing for content, which doesn't add any server overhead. It's quite clever, really. Basically, they know in advance what their server budget is, and can allocate overhead accordingly. All while providing fresh content to their fanbase, without having to keep adding server clusters for it since it's temporary. And aging content nobody plays doesn't sit there, wasting money. Granted, a lot of the basic 'fixed' zones in GW2 need some love to help make them more utilized, but even the deadest of dead zones in GW2 usually has someone in them doing something, just due to how the Personal Story drags new people about.

But adding a new permanent zone is a big deal, they need to ensure they have the continuing funds to cover it moving forward. That we got Southsun so early, feels almost like they splurged a little, or they had budgeted before launch one additional zone already, which was to be used for multiple things (Southsun Activity, etc).

Man, I wish I could see their internal roadmap.

 

[Mxrz]

Oh, for whatever reason I thought the LS was hogging most of their resources.Anyway, expansions can add a lot of the little things that aren't normally at the top of wish lists, but I'd really love to have.

Also, Charr World Tour. Desert Charr. Artic Charr. Jungle Charr. Samuari Charr. Oh my.

A really nice pug guy ran us through SE2 tonight. Wasn't nearly as bad as some of the youtube videos and write ups made it sound. Next up, all the Arah.

 

[Jira]

Apparently the first line made me look like an asshole and I just wanted to say this wasn't aimed at anyone here. This was really a combination of many different sources where I read "They can't do X in the LS because reasons." Particularly that MMORPG article.

So say ANet is developing Feature X. Now Feature X takes 6 months from concept to release. Now they have two choices, one being hold Feature X for an expansion OR release it in an update for free. It's up to ANet to decide when/where they release anything they work on, there's absolutely nothing stopping them from releasing anything you can possibly imagine via the LS. The LS, like an expansion, is merely a form of content delivery and until people understand that, we'll still get crap like "I don't think they can do it!" when there's no reason why they can't do it now versus later. The question I often ask people is do you want features as soon as they're finished or do you want them all bundled up 1-2 years from now? Imagine for a moment that they developed and sat on Guild Missions, Account wallet, Ascended gear, Fractals, new Achievement system, etc. Would you be okay with that or would you rather we be in the place we are now where we have all those things that were given to us over the course of 1.5 years?


On the topic of the LS team sizes I think it's roughly 60 people out of the 350 at ANet so there's a ton of people still doing other stuff, including two big background projects that have nothing to do with the feature build.

 

[Matchew]

Alrighty bought and installing now, can't wait to join in and play.

Now I'm new to this game and this type of paying model, but wouldn't it make sense for ANet to release expansions so that they have another source of income coming in?

 

[Retro]

.Anyway, expansions can add a lot of the little things that aren't normally at the top of wish lists, but I'd really love to have.

Like what? You might be surprised when they start announcing stuff in the Feature Update. I'm not expecting any new zones or anything (that's more along the lines of Living World content), but a lot of bells and whistles are probably coming.

Alrighty bought and installing now, can't wait to join in and play.

It's a long download, probably best to leave it running overnight. When you registered your account, you should have gotten a username (name.####). Post that and we'll get you into GAFGuild, probably before you finish installing.

 

[Lunar15]

This was the only interesting part of the cutscene:

Just because it showed what could be a new location. The rest was all fairly unsurprising and, quite frankly, expected at this point.

 

[Jira]

This was the only interesting part of the cutscene:

Just because it showed what could be a new location. The rest was all fairly unsurprising, and quite frankly, expected at this point.

Magumma incoming. IMO we'll be going into Maguuma proper first then to the Wastes to confront Mordremoth at some point.

 

[Matchew]

Thanks Retro my username is: Matchew.2319

 

[Jira]

Alrighty bought and installing now, can't wait to join in and play.

Now I'm new to this game and this type of paying model, but wouldn't it make sense for ANet to release expansions so that they have another source of income coming in?

Be sure to roll on Stormbluff Isle if you're in NA.

 

[Retro]

Magumma incoming. IMO we'll be going into Maguuma proper first then to the Wastes to confront Mordremoth at some point.

So which way first; the bridge on the north side of Brisban Wildlands or that fort with all the Legendary 80 bandits?

 

[Lunar15]

So which way first; the bridge on the north side of Brisban Wildlands or that fort with all the Legendary 80 bandits?

BOTH!

Seriously, they should use my suggestion of having a prolonged campaign as the next living story session. It makes sense to have episodes be set up like an expedition into further reaches of Mordremoth's territory. I think that flows better, and actually should help them in terms of making new content. Heck, they could do a thing like the election where there's two routes we could take, and the community has to complete activities to choose which path we take next.

Plus, if they want to bring the action back to older zones? Well, Scarlet didn't send out all those toxic spores for nothing. Surely they'll bloom into some nasty stuff.

 

[Jira]

So which way first; the bridge on the north side of Brisban Wildlands or that fort with all the Legendary 80 bandits?

Unsure really. I think we'll get a new zone each month, especially since they want to have a faster pacing with this LS with less filler. I'm conflicted about what levels the new zones might end up being. It's likely they'll make them so that the Asura and Sylvari have some more leveling zones. Question is will they make sure the theme of all of the new zones tie directly into the current LS?

 

[Retro]

Apparently the first line made me look like an asshole and I just wanted to say this wasn't aimed at anyone here. This was really a combination of many different sources where I read "They can't do X in the LS because reasons." Particularly that MMORPG article.

Oh come on, I didn't say that. I said "you're too mean there, that first line, like you're talking down to people." There's only one asshole in this guild and it's me... and Kos... and maybe Xeris... but definitely Kos.

Seriously, they should use my suggestion of having a prolonged campaign as the next living story session. It makes sense to have episodes be set up like an expedition into further reaches of Mordremoth's territory.

Yep, Maguuma should feel like you're cutting your way into unexplored jungle, fighting for every inch while unspeakable horrors lurk just beyond the brush. The Living Story presents another unique opportunity. Like Southsun, there could be events to claw out footholds in enemy territory, clearing forests for roads, establishing camps at fortified positions, building bridges over valleys. The difference here is, every two weeks can push you deeper into enemy territory and not just *feel* like a struggle but actually be one. Imagine if the whole of a new zone was just completely unexplorable at first, but through dynamic events you eventually start to carve pathways through the forest. At the end of two weeks, everyone on the server gets a reward based on how far they were able to push (and since they're doing a similar thing with WvW Tournament, it makes sense here to make it "Server vs. Server PVE"). At the end of the two weeks, everyone gets bumped up to the same level of exploration and the story pushes on.

Unsure really. I think we'll get a new zone each month, especially since they want to have a faster pacing with this LS with less filler.

I think you could stretch that a bit, especially if one of those months is just spent preparing for the fight.

 

[Ashodin]

I expect dense ass forests. DENSE.

Maguuma and Caledon are kind of dense in spots, but I want to have to feel like I have to break trees down just to progress in some areas.

Something dense like this yo

 

[Retro]

Something dense like this yo

Worse than that. The influence of the Elder Dragons seeps out from them, even if they're not active. Destroyers were running all over the place before Primordus awoke, etc. So I would hope for Maguuma, the dragon's influence has just been spreading out and festering for years, so that the really unclaimed parts of it are like rainforest choked by vines and brambles until it's positively claustrophobic. Mirkwood-style, but tropical, to the point where walking into Mordremoth's Domain is like stepping underground. Where wandering off the paths means things you can't even see to fight grab you.

That jungle should be scary.

 

[Ashodin]

Worse than that. The influence of the Elder Dragons seeps out from them, even if they're not active. Destroyers were running all over the place before Primordus awoke, etc. So I would hope for Maguuma, the dragon's influence has just been spreading out and festering for years, so that the really unclaimed parts of it are like rainforest choked by vines and brambles until it's positively claustrophobic. Mirkwood-style, but tropical, to the point where walking into Mordremoth's Domain is like stepping underground. Where wandering off the paths means things you can't even see to fight grab you.

That jungle should be scary.

Yep Claustrophobic was what I was going for too. Straight up total canopy cover. Make it like a jungle death trap.

 

[Jira]

Yep Claustrophobic was what I was going for too. Straight up total canopy cover. Make it like a jungle death trap.

Fuck both of you. You guys didn't deal with the spiders in Maguuma in GW1 uggggggggggh. Though I do like the idea of a completely untouched for hundreds of years forest. I really do hope that we have a similar thing to Southsun as Retro said. It only makes sense that if Maguuma is under Mordremoth's control that there be no real safe havens to speak of and they have to be built up.

 

[Mxrz]

Like what? You might be surprised when they start announcing stuff in the Feature Update. I'm not expecting any new zones or anything (that's more along the lines of Living World content), but a lot of bells and whistles are probably coming

Low end armor and weapons were main thing I was thinking of. Something like the Istani set in Nightfall, or the Weird Shing Jea Ninja PJs. Polymock. That Norn arena. New quests/hearts. Stuff that probably wouldn't ignite the masses, but might could squeak in to a giant bit of content.

One "big" thing I *really* want is the return of missions. Loved those things. I met people doing those that I'm still playing with years later. Always felt they better conveyed a story too, but thats a subjective thing.

Oh, Nightfall armor was flashy. If you played a male ritualist. You can't get flashier.

Mine was a female. Really loved this set on pretty much every class. Nightfall/Elona was just mmo euphoria for me.