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Guild Wars 2 |OT4| The only subscription you need is this thread.
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Super Adventure Box returning next month for "Back to School". Believe!
Thanks guys, I'm gonna try sword and GS tonight and will check with karma vendor for better gears .
Kos Luftar
Member
Anyone else find it strange that WvW Guilds call playing WvW in a big group, "raiding"?
I love double axes on my ranger too, and the feature pack changes gonna be sick, might on hit!
Oh boy, here's another article retro!!!!!!!
http://www.mmogames.com/gamearticles/the-tyrian-chronicle-does-guild-wars-2-need-an-expansion/
Oh boy, here's another article retro!!!!!!!
http://www.mmogames.com/gamearticles/the-tyrian-chronicle-does-guild-wars-2-need-an-expansion/
Spehornoob
Member
I wouldn't be averse to an expansion that took us to Cantha or something.
Though, in my opinion, the only thing the game really absolutely needs right now is newer, permanent story+explorable dungeon content. ANet has gotten better and better at encounter design and I'd love to see a new dungeon from them sometime.
Though, in my opinion, the only thing the game really absolutely needs right now is newer, permanent story+explorable dungeon content. ANet has gotten better and better at encounter design and I'd love to see a new dungeon from them sometime.
shysaursoft
Member
At least that one attempts to take an even stance, examining both sides of the argument.
An expansion is not likely, ever. They won't fragment the player base, it'll kill GW2. Not to mention make it harder for them to keep doing LS2.
I'd be more excited for the feature pack. All their resources went into mega servers, trait change, etc, that bigger exciting features should be on the docket, as well as TP redesign, PvP game type, WvW changes, etc.
I'd be more excited for the feature pack. All their resources went into mega servers, trait change, etc, that bigger exciting features should be on the docket, as well as TP redesign, PvP game type, WvW changes, etc.
LiveSpartan235
Neo Member
Great now it brought all those "GW2 needs an expansion to survive" and the "LS needs to die" people out of the wood work on the GW2 reddit.
Spehornoob
Member
I'm not sure how big the GW2 team at ANet is. I read somewhere that the living story team was about 20 people. Is it possible the have a team working on the Living Story while having another team working on an expansion?
Either way, I think the Living Story would be sufficient, without need for a whole expansion, if they start adding a little more variety than just a couple missions and cutscenes. Throw in a new dungeon or a new world boss every few months and I'd be happy. Not sure if that's feasible or not but hey.
Either way, I think the Living Story would be sufficient, without need for a whole expansion, if they start adding a little more variety than just a couple missions and cutscenes. Throw in a new dungeon or a new world boss every few months and I'd be happy. Not sure if that's feasible or not but hey.
shysaursoft
Member
Agreed. I understand people clamouring for an expansion, because they've been trained into thinking that expansions are required to keep an MMO alive - but I much prefer how GW2 does things. It's not unlike, ironically, how F2P games do things: constant content updates, and then big Feature Packs that add in what an expansion traditionally would. Warframe is a damn good example of that - Update 14 overhauled so much of the game, it might as well have been an expansion pack. But it was free, and just a regular update.
The GW2 subreddit is good for news, and nothing else. Avoid the comments at all costs.
KernelPanic
Member
Did expansions fragment GW1?(didn't play it)
Expansions would make them more money, content updates are free, expansions cost $$.
In theory, an expansion should result in more quality since ANet would put more investment into it with the expectation of money coming in.
Things like new classes, increase to level cap, new continent etc. Not saying GW2 needs those things or anything though.
I think people clamoring for an expansion are really clamoring for a substantial update that shakes things up and changes the game substantially.
Expansions would make them more money, content updates are free, expansions cost $$.
In theory, an expansion should result in more quality since ANet would put more investment into it with the expectation of money coming in.
Things like new classes, increase to level cap, new continent etc. Not saying GW2 needs those things or anything though.
I think people clamoring for an expansion are really clamoring for a substantial update that shakes things up and changes the game substantially.
It didn't because the setup was different. The way GW2 works is a seamless, no money required once you buy experience. To add another big purchase that is required on top of that would be devastating to the players.
Spehornoob
Member
GW1 expansions were different than the typical expansion model in that they were standalone (other than Eye of North). You could buy Factions or Nightfall and just play it. and play PVP with anyone on any game.
It was cool, but Guild Wars 2 is such a different game that I don't know if that model would work. GW2 is, I think, more PVE focused than GW1 was, and PVE in GW1 was really more of a co-op RPG than an MMO. So it's hard to say if that expansion model would work at all in GW2.
Spehornoob
Member
I dunno. I know I'd personally be fine with paying for a significant expansion. What I don't want to see is little mission packs (like extra living story stuff) being nickel and dimed on the Gemstore.
EDIT; Oops. Double posted.
I've only done the Wurm twice or maybe three times amd every time I have happened to be at the Crimson Wurm. I understand how the toxin part works and sort of how to do the end fight, so I should probably read up in the other two.
My freezerburn Guardian spec has a sick look to it as well!
What be that there thang in your hands?
How can anyone not want this back? That looks amazing :O
Edit: Double post derp
shysaursoft
Member
It did. I had a friend that only had Prophecies, and not Nightfall - and when our team went to do Nightfall the friend could not play with us until he bought Nightfall. And he didn't want to.
So, yeah. Fragment.
The only way a significant expansion with a bunch of new zones and features would work, is if it was completely free to any and all players who own GW2. It would be incredibly awesome but also incredibly expensive for Anet and I just can't see that ever happening.
Unless the Gem Store is doing extremely well for them. "BRAND NEW HUGE FREE EXPANSION" sure would bring in a lot of attention though. But do they even need it, with the ongoing Living World stuff.
Unless the Gem Store is doing extremely well for them. "BRAND NEW HUGE FREE EXPANSION" sure would bring in a lot of attention though. But do they even need it, with the ongoing Living World stuff.
People that dislike SAB make me not want to live in this world anymore.
My only reason for waking anymore is the hope that our fearless, SAB loving, leader will kick the SAB haters from the guild so we can have some purity.
Yeah, the rapids sucked.
My only reason for waking anymore is the hope that our fearless, SAB loving, leader will kick the SAB haters from the guild so we can have some purity.
Yeah, the rapids sucked.
GW2 at Gamescom: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/arenanet-at-gamescom-2014/
If youre attending gamescom, keep an eye on social media or visit us at the Twitch.TV booth in order to win charr plushies, t-shirts, and Guild Wars 2 Collectors Editions!
Cute
If youre attending gamescom, keep an eye on social media or visit us at the Twitch.TV booth in order to win charr plushies, t-shirts, and Guild Wars 2 Collectors Editions!
Cute
theMrCravens
Member
I hate RMT and BLTC and keys, and it baffles me how some of you rather have that to feed Anet for LS than paid expansions.
I still think expansions are the better content delivery method for MMOs.
...but this is a battle I can't win on GAF since I've realized for a while that most of you guys playing are pretty casual, so the Living Story system is somewhat perfect for you all.
I have no problem with that, but just wish my dream GW2 of multiple "huge" content batch (like GW1) would've happen.
I still think expansions are the better content delivery method for MMOs.
...but this is a battle I can't win on GAF since I've realized for a while that most of you guys playing are pretty casual, so the Living Story system is somewhat perfect for you all.
I have no problem with that, but just wish my dream GW2 of multiple "huge" content batch (like GW1) would've happen.
Spehornoob
Member
I'm not a fan of the RNG emphasis for some of these updates, and there are things I think the living world could do a lot better (ANet has some great world builders and some awesome lore, but I think they really need to work on their moment-to-moment storytelling). But I'd rather have that than go through what WoW is going through now. A year with no content updates at all.
shysaursoft
Member
I buy quality of life items to support ArenaNet, like the infinite tools, and stuff like that. But that Anet isn't forcing me to pay anything past the client fee, is the whole reason WHY I'm comfortable throwing them a few bucks now and then - because their business practices are still better than 99% of the alternatives. Sub fees for MMOs are a sham, propagated under the lie of "it lets us give you quality content more often!". And as we all know - that's utter bull.
So while the Black Lion keys are certainly open to debate in terms of how ethical slot machine stuff like that is, it's still not required to play 100% of the game, so I can't really fault it other than ethically.
This has zero to do with "casual" play or not. In fact, I'd argue that Living Story is better suited for the content locust hardcore players, because instead of blowing through a $60 expansion in a week and then whining for the next two years for the next expansion, the hardcore are given regular content updates every two weeks, and most of it has been rather substantial thus far - all we need next is a new dungeon, really.
Here's the reality: since launch, GW2 has had more than an expansion's worth of content to play through, all at zero cost to the player. Granted, most of it was temporary, so if you weren't there for it, you missed it. But if you're a "hardcore" player, you surely didn't miss any of it. I know I didn't.
I see zero reason GW2 has to conform to what has come before in terms of content delivery, type, or paradigm.
GW2 at Gamescom: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/arenanet-at-gamescom-2014/
If youre attending gamescom, keep an eye on social media or visit us at the Twitch.TV booth in order to win charr plushies, t-shirts, and Guild Wars 2 Collectors Editions!
Cute
Omg. I need the Charr plushies. I like T-Shirts too. Methinks I will keep a close eye on their social media and twitch streams.
Just because people have a differing opinion doesn't make them 'casual'. The whole LW vs Expansion typically comes down the not wanting segregation. I personally if it was a simple choice would hands down go for an expansion. You get new stories, new zones, new dungeons. But that comes at cost (no pun intended). It splits up the userbase. Plus, it goes against Anets ethos of pay once, play forever.
theMrCravens
Member
Just so you know, the original concept of GW2 was supposed to be expansion based before they "tested" the LS thing early in 2013 (Frost and Flames signposts!).
shysaursoft
Member
* Citation needed.
(Not being snarky, I'm genuinely curious where they confirmed they would be doing expansions.)
Either way, I think we lucked out and got the better deal. GW2 stands apart, and tall, because of the two-week LW system, and how it keeps the game fresh. The alternative would be an xpac every two years that adds in a few new dungeons, that people will be sick of in a week.
New professions can be added via LW, an xpac is not needed for that.
I did the WoW thing. I can see why people like things that way. I wouldn't want to go back to it though.
Kos Luftar
Member
Whatever method they choose to expand the world of Guild Wars 2, so I have more places to explore is fine by me.
Currently I prefer the Living World method but I wouldn't mind if they announced an expansion/campaign.
Currently I prefer the Living World method but I wouldn't mind if they announced an expansion/campaign.
Our average probably is higher. Last Saturday was not an atypically high number for Mission night, though we had a great number on mumble.
Irritating false choice; I have never traded gems for gold and I dislike Black Lion chests conceptually, but I have still purchased gems both to be able to get other things I actually did think had value offered on the gem store and to genuinely support the game when it delivered more total (and ongoing) value in terms of time/entertainment than I expected from the purchase price.
We have absolutely no evidence to support the idea (or reason to think) that Black Lion chests, other RNG elements tied to the gem store, or encouraging players to trade for gold would cease with an expansion. In fact, in all likelihood, when an expansion does come out, these practices will be alive and well as a revenue stream.
casuals ruin everything right?
I don't even really know what it means for this game. Is it total hours played? Hours played per week, per day? Frequency with which you do the most difficult group, or competitive content? Desire to have best-in-slot gear?
If it really were a question of "should we deliver content in a way that caters to casual players or hardcore players?" then, I admit it, I would much rather they choose "casual style."
But I don't really think it's that simple. The most hardcore... hardcore players crying loudly for an expansion would almost assuredly be the first to devour everything it added in under a week, and then shift the scope of complaint to how little content it added for the money. Meanwhile casual returning players and new players drawn by the expansion who naturally play at a slower pace would ultimately get more value from it. Of course there will then be cycles of people who feel left behind (especially if the level cap is raised) and then need to "catch up" before they can play again; but that still doesn't make the experience better for the hardcore, it just means they have to hear about casuals whining about how long it takes when it took them 20 minutes.
I think the question is more along the lines of "would we rather get huge bursts of population increase and dropoff around the epicenter of an expansion release, or smaller influxes and drops every two weeks with a steady content drip." That includes both casual and hardcore people and everyone in between. In a sense of recurring revenue I think they have at the very least demonstrated the viability of the current model.
But I very much expect a boxed expansion in the game's future anyway. I think it's unrealistic to think otherwise, and if in 5 years GW2 has no expansion you can point to this post to make me eat crow. People just constantly clamor for it loudly and eventually NCSoft will point to the forced expenditure of an expansion (if you want to play you have to pay) as an untapped mine of further cash to be gained from a loyal audience. I expect it to raise the level cap because that's what MMO expansions do and for me to hate it while enjoying the new actual content and gameplay changes. I'd just like for as much time to pass as possible while regularly getting things for free (and buying a handful of gems when I feel it's deserved) before being required to shell out money for the full experience.
I mostly agree, although I wouldn't quite say zero reason.
I've been mostly fine with how content has been handled in GW2, I'm just waiting on the good company to release playable tengu.
My major issues with GW2 are story presentation, which an expansion would do nothing to fix.
I'm fine with how they're delivering story, in fact I would be happier if they do a little bit more slowly to focus on increasing the quality. And as much as it's not going to happen, I'd love to see less emphasis on Elder Dragons and more on actual interesting parts of the lore that then filter into meaningful change for the game.
shysaursoft
Member
How to easily spot a GW2 casual:
- Has less than 15k AP.
- Does not have a Legendary.
- Does not have full Ascended armour.
- Fractal level still below 50.
- Does not have Dungeon Master achievement.
- Isn't rank Dragon in PvP.
- Has yet to finish their Personal Story.
- Does not constantly complain about a lack of raids.
- Isn't part of a hardcore WvW guild.
- Wasn't there for Early Start.
- Didn't do a Finisher on Scarlet.
- Didn't lag out during Lost Shores.
- Has less than 2500 hours played.
- Has less than 3000 deaths.
- Doesn't have a level 80 for every profession.
Truefact.
If you said that on reddit, you'd get run out of town. They're *gaga* for Elder Dragons over there. I never quite got the fascination.
- Has less than 15k AP.
- Does not have a Legendary.
- Does not have full Ascended armour.
- Fractal level still below 50.
- Does not have Dungeon Master achievement.
- Isn't rank Dragon in PvP.
- Has yet to finish their Personal Story.
- Does not constantly complain about a lack of raids.
- Isn't part of a hardcore WvW guild.
- Wasn't there for Early Start.
- Didn't do a Finisher on Scarlet.
- Didn't lag out during Lost Shores.
- Has less than 2500 hours played.
- Has less than 3000 deaths.
- Doesn't have a level 80 for every profession.
Truefact.
If you said that on reddit, you'd get run out of town. They're *gaga* for Elder Dragons over there. I never quite got the fascination.
I believe these were the last words of Maximilien de Robespierre.
Achievement points divided by Age, duh.
I buy quality of life items to support ArenaNet, like the infinite tools, and stuff like that. But that Anet isn't forcing me to pay anything past the client fee, is the whole reason WHY I'm comfortable throwing them a few bucks now and then - because their business practices are still better than 99% of the alternatives. Sub fees for MMOs are a sham, propagated under the lie of "it lets us give you quality content more often!". And as we all know - that's utter bull.
So while the Black Lion keys are certainly open to debate in terms of how ethical slot machine stuff like that is, it's still not required to play 100% of the game, so I can't really fault it other than ethically.
This has zero to do with "casual" play or not. In fact, I'd argue that Living Story is better suited for the content locust hardcore players, because instead of blowing through a $60 expansion in a week and then whining for the next two years for the next expansion, the hardcore are given regular content updates every two weeks, and most of it has been rather substantial thus far - all we need next is a new dungeon, really.
Here's the reality: since launch, GW2 has had more than an expansion's worth of content to play through, all at zero cost to the player. Granted, most of it was temporary, so if you weren't there for it, you missed it. But if you're a "hardcore" player, you surely didn't miss any of it. I know I didn't.
I see zero reason GW2 has to conform to what has come before in terms of content delivery, type, or paradigm.
I agree. Arena Net have a better set of microtransactions than 99% of companies that run similar business models. Outside of the odd controversial item like the watchwork pick axe, nothing really gives players a big pay to win advantage. Like you said, most things are optional QoL items, or cool skins that you don't need. You could make an argument that too many new skins are locked behind the gemstore but at the end of the day they aren't harming anyone. I myself have bought the odd skin and the odd infinite tool but that was a choice cor convenience and to support Anet.
As for BL keys and chests, I don't really see the issue with them myself either. Sure, they are designed like slot machines, and will certainly work on that 'just one more spin' guy. But it isn't a mandatory thing, it's a completely optional lottery to partake in with the hope for riches.
shysaursoft
Member
Lore, especially in MMOs, always seems to be shallow at the start. Then after you've been playing for 5 years you look back and go "oh, there was actually a lot going on, and it was all pretty fleshed out". GW1 was the same - it was pretty dumb and shallow all the way through, but it all adds up to something greater than the sum of its parts. Same with WoW, Ultima Online, etc.
Hindsight, rose-tinted glasses, etc.
Bolded what I've done. I'm mostly casual.
shysaursoft
Member
All you casuals, kindly mail me your gold and materials and unsubscribe.
(via: http://the-designs.tumblr.com/)
(via: http://the-designs.tumblr.com/)
Elder Dragons are to GW2 what Thanos is to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
So much teasing.
I would if I had enough money for the postage.
At what point in GW1's life did its first expansion hit?
You and your crow eating
How to easily spot a GW2 casual:
- Has less than 15k AP. Only have 3.3K
- Does not have a Legendary. I'm still working on my first one
- Does not have full Ascended armour. I only have ascended trinkets
- Fractal level still below 50. Not even at 10 yet
- Does not have Dungeon Master achievement. I think I'm only half way
- Isn't rank Dragon in PvP. I'm a bunny, come at me bro
- Has yet to finish their Personal Story. It is a myth
- Does not constantly complain about a lack of raids. Never really felt the need for one
- Isn't part of a hardcore WvW guild. Only a member of GAFguild
- Wasn't there for Early Start. Not sure what this is
- Didn't do a Finisher on Scarlet. T'was before my time
- Didn't lag out during Lost Shores. I wasn't even there
- Has less than 2500 hours played. No where near yet
- Has less than 3000 deaths. You'd think I had, but only at 700
- Doesn't have a level 80 for every profession. Only at two so far
I.. I'm the biggest casual of them all and I never even sleep! Life.
shysaursoft
Member
GW1 was an odd duck, since it was designed as "chapters" from the start.
Stand-alone Chapter 1, Prophecies, launched in April 2005.
Stand-alone Chapter 2, Factions, launched in April, 2006.
Stand-alone Chapter 3, Nightfall, launched in October, 2006.
The first of two Expansion packs, Eye of the North, launched August 2007.
The second of two Expansion packs, Bonus Mission Pack, launched November 2007.
There's also the Guild Wars Beyond content, but I don't know much about it. I think it's just free stuff to do, added in for people waiting for GW2.
You needed to own one of the three Chapters, to be able to play Eye of the North or BMP.
It's worth noting that Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall can be finished in about a week each if you bolt through the campaign missions and ignore side-quests. Prophecies has 25 missions, Factions has 13, Nightfall has 20.
Realistically speaking, Guild Wars 2 has more story content than all three GW1 chapters combined, due to each race having their own missions, and variants on missions based on choices, etc. But of course, you have to make a character for each race if you want to experience it all, and it all tends to end up in the same place about midway.
However, the quality of GW1's missions far surpasses those in GW2. They were longer, harder (snerk), and generally quite more involved, multi-phased, and able to be played in a Hard mode for extra challenge. Though most did involve a lot of pointless walking from A to B and dealing with pop-up encounters.
Eye of the North being "end game" can take a bit longer, since it's more convoluted.
Right, but with this kind of constant update system I think we have the ability to actually get involved in that lore and not have to look back at it later and put together a bunch of small facts. Something like the breaking of the Foefire (regardless of how it has happened or will in coming updates) could've been a cool event worthy of how big of a deal it is if it was played out over the course of months as the focus of the story. Longer story instances with more meat to them, an excuse to add onto existing AC paths (maybe some kind of additional story mode?), working directly with the Priory to locate and reassemble the crown, then who knows what afterwards depending on if it works or not.
Right now I guess that everything feels so random and short lived that it's hard to really get invested. I enjoy it and I'm very happy with their method of content delivery, I just think it could be better.
shysaursoft
Member
No argument there. Things could always be done better.
Though I think they're shying away from things playing out "over the course of months" because they tried that with Season 1, and the playerbase didn't like it. They wanted "answers now, stuff to happen now, not to wait, why isn't' there a new dragon every week", type stuff.
I think the pacing for Season 2 has been damn good. Not perfect, and the writing is still 'getting there', etc - but everyone has different tastes.
But it still beats waiting two years for an expansion before we get to experience new story and content.
All you casuals, kindly mail me your gold and materials and unsubscribe.
(via: http://the-designs.tumblr.com/)
I'm currently in a Library and I just laughed a little too loudly.
Same! Well, some things are impossible to do and some I don't want to. Legendary, ascended armour, dungeon master, achievement points and some other bits and bobs are all on my list. Idk if I'll ever get round to one of each profession at level 80 though.
Hehehe. Stamps cost a lot these days!
shysaursoft
Member
Note: I don't think there's *anyone* in the guild who, according to my joke list, isn't a casual.
Though once I hit Fractal 50, and Dragon rank in PvP, I'd be damn close to being a real boy.
Though once I hit Fractal 50, and Dragon rank in PvP, I'd be damn close to being a real boy.
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