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[nataku]

The dragon and lion mask came early. Dragon looks really good on charr.

There now a ram balloon and the new dyes. Going to wait to see how the gold dyes turn out.

Bah, no horns again.

 

[Wanderer5]

Bah, no horns again.

There dragon horns there I think.

 

[Moondrop]

So I tomed my guardian to 80 last week and geared him both functionally and superficially. I'll post a pic when I find a less archaic image host. But my real goal was to experience some hardcore WvW guardian action before the meta changes, so I brought him to reset night.

Shocking report: guardian is quite effective on the frontlines. Spreading double stability and protection, the loot stick- I see the appeal and was definitely boosting my allies. Yet though I know it was just my first night, there was a lingering sense I was mostly a "buff bot," and guardian never threatened to surpass warrior in my eyes.

Paradoxically I felt like even more of a "buff bot" than my cleric warrior, even though I likely did more damage as guardian and maintain that cleric warrior is the better healer. Whereas the guardian provides super valuable boons while pumping out decent damage, the cleric is able to push even deeper into the red and dish out more control effects while healing and cleansing.

Perhaps I was too hasty in creating this guardian and my heart wasn't fully in it, though I'm enjoying learning the profession in sPvP. But my commitment to warrior has been redoubled.

Warrior hammer is 100% a control weapon.

There's a bunch of TC still with hammer marks from last night's escapades that would tell another story. The problem with your statement is the "100%"- on my cleric, sure it's 100% for control. But on the power tank set I play now in WvW, at least 50% of the purpose of hammer is AoE dps. It's the warrior's best AoE melee weapon. When we call for bombs, warriors bring the Earthshaker and not merely for the stun as good teams will likely have stability throughout their frontline. We do it to procure downies.

With the coincidence of my return to WvW in this new set and the release of a new Monster Hunter, I'm more convinced than ever that WvW at its highest levels is PvP Monster Hunter. The term "blob vs blob" always amused me because it connotes two brainless amoebas bumping into each other (to be fair, I'm sure on lower servers there are fights like that). But in T1, each blob has a head, a body, a tail, and most importantly a real living brain sending orders to control the rest of its "body." And in both games, you the individual cannot blithely stroll up to the head of a large monster and hack away- you have to dodge its jaws and strike in the soft underbelly. Now that I play a mixed set, the parallels of balancing damage mitigation against your damage output are even stronger.

Relatedly, I've decided to make a second ascended heavy set for WvW. Spent most of my mats on the guardian, but at least I have a new goal.

Spoiler

Monster hunter too good send help.

 

[shysaursoft]

Spoiler

Monster hunter too good send help.

Found out how I play Monster Hunter, and how my friends play, are very different.

 

[_woLf]

Anet charging for masks that were free in GW1 makes me sad

Really shows how different the two games are...

 

[Wanderer5]

Found out how I play Monster Hunter, and how my friends play, are very different.

Heh it not as simple. Charge Blade has been a joy getting the hang of (end results can be so wicked through).

 

[shysaursoft]

Heh it not as simple. Charge Blade has been a joy getting the hang of (end results can be so wicked through).

I'm a Hunting Horn guy myself, though I got disillusioned in MH3 with it due to being punished for using it in the campaign. Hoping the buffs to it in 4 will bring me back to it.

Anet charging for masks that were free in GW1 makes me sad

Really shows how different the two games are...

And yet, the more they stay the same:

dat name change fee, and none of which could be bought with in-game gold...

I prefer the new system.

 

[Kos Luftar]

Leave it to Moondrop to turn every game into a math formula.

 

[Moondrop]

Found out how I play Monster Hunter, and how my friends play, are very different.

I know your cartoon is humorous but I must dispute the oversimplification. I gunned in Tri and indeed it requires extensive knowledge, aim, and positioning to succeed. But now that I'm learning to be a blademaster, it not only requires significantly higher reflexes but a different kind of knowledge about the nuances of monster attacks and positioning.

The metaphor I would choose would be between more technical fighting game styles (e.g. in GW2 an S/F ele or SD engi) versus read-and-react styles (which I favor).

We should hunt sometime, Mik.

Leave it to Moondrop to turn every game into a math formula.

But math is fun! You should see my MH Tri spreadsheets; I learned pivot tables to handle the interchangeable bowgun parts.

 

[shysaursoft]

I know your cartoon is humorous but I must dispute the oversimplification.

It's not an oversimplification at all. I really do play MH at that simple a level: run up, hit monster in head. Repeat until dead. Dodge if it looks like I'm going to get hit.

It's not "efficient", but it's how I fun. I know other people are ace with Switch Axe changeups charge combos dodge cancels and all that jazz, but I just don't play at that level. Now Bayo 2 is another story...

And yes, we should - but you might not enjoy it so much after the third time I hit you in the face after a failed leap attack to try and mount Did that last night to a friend - they just happened to keep being exactly where my hammer slam came down, after the monster moved.

 

[Moondrop]

It's not an oversimplification at all. I really do play MH at that simple a level

Oh my bad, I assumed you were the creature on the right performing the mental calculations. But now that I look more closely I see he is a lizardman and the hammer-wielder has the minotaur features. I'm too ashamed now to play Monster Hunter with such poor attention to detail.

But no worries re: hunting, I pugged my way through Tri, and though I try to play well I don't use bombs or many items. People thinking pugging in GW2 is bad? Ha. I'm going to have to write "Sharing is caring!" as one of my canned chat messages due to all the noob supply thieves.

 

[shysaursoft]

Oh my bad, I assumed you were the creature on the right performing the mental calculations.

After all the talks we've had, you *really* thought that? I'm the guy that insists Zerk is not the optimal "end game" gear because I *feel* it isn't, fuck what the mathemagicians say The guy on the right is a friend of mine, who *does* think in math, and plays games like that. We are, of course, polar opposites in almost every way.

I don't get it. I keep telling people I'm not the smartest block in the chicken coop, and yet...

And yeah, for future reference, I'm this tool

 

[Moondrop]

After all the talks we've had, you *really* thought that?

I have a high opinion of you I guess. I'll work on it.

But indeed there is a certain pleasure in playing a game at a very low level while others are going hardcore. That game for me is Marvel Heroes- while the rest of the GAF supergroup is debating minutiae of endgame gearing, I'm chiming in that Cap must be equipped with a Super-Soldier Serum (even though it's a meh item) because canon.

 

[shysaursoft]

I have a high opinion of you I guess. I'll work on it.

But indeed there is a certain pleasure in playing a game at a very low level while others are going hardcore. That game for me is Marvel Heroes- while the rest of the GAF supergroup is debating minutiae of endgame gearing, I'm chiming in that Cap must be equipped with a Super-Soldier Serum (even though it's a meh item) because canon.

We're more alike than I thought:

 

[_woLf]

I prefer the new system.

So you prefer having to pay for everything instead of only having to pay for some things and getting other things free?

Hmm.

 

[shysaursoft]

So you prefer having to pay for everything instead of only having to pay for some things and getting other things free?

Hmm.

Don't be obtuse. You don't have to pay for everything. A fair amount of content is handed out as rewards, or tied to in-game activities. We're up to our ears in festival/seasonal/content skins.

The Gem Store is what keeps the game going, but you don't *have* to spend real money is what makes the key difference here. Seeing something nice I like, and being able to get it with gold, is to me very much akin to the hoops I had to jump through to get the dragon mask in GW1. Which is soulbound to a character I no longer have, so I can't even use it. Because they don't have account-bound skins. That's WAY better. *grump*

Of *course* it'd be way awesome if everything now and forever in GW2 is only handed out as rewards, no Gem Store stuff at all. Since we're in Imagination Land, I'd also like a first-person camera and for Charr footprints to face there right way.

GW2 is not GW1. They're not the same game, they're not entirely the same business model, and yes, a GW1 helmet skin is for sale for real money or in-game gold on the store, instead of being tied to a bunch of fetchquests. I'd have liked it to be tied to in-game events too, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it because, well. Just buy it with gold. I just think it's really not that big a deal.

I mean, you're free to not like it, and express that you don't like it. I'm just throwing in my 2c.

 

[theMrCravens]

It's really not that big a deal.

People like you are too lenient on these issues, and main reason why these game companies get off with it.

Honestly, just don't post about it, and let the anger vent from others.
If company changes tactics from all the foul cry, then more power to all of us in the end (even for you).

 

[shysaursoft]

People like you are too lenient on these issues, and main reason why these game companies get off with it.

Honestly, just don't post about it, and let the anger vent from others.
If company changes tactics from all the foul cry, then more power to all of us in the end (even for you).

I don't think I'm being lenient at all, I'm being realistic. I don't feel they've overstepped in any way with me.

Don't tell me not to post, and I won't tell you not to post. People are free to put their opinions here, and others are free to comment on them. This thread isn't just a soap box for the disgruntled - if it were, the community would go to shit fast.

I do agree however, if enough people simply don't buy the thing, then sure, ArenaNet will likely revise their system. They've done it before. I'm not going to be buying it anyway - I've never bought a cosmetic skin from the Gem Store with real money, ever. I've only spent real money on the functional things, like Permanent harvesting tools. I've not even spent gold on cosmetic skins. I might at some point, almost did with the Explorer outfit, but didn't want a complete outfit, just the jacket. So I didn't get it.

Don't try and turn this into "you are part of the problem" BS. You're free to not like it, but keep that Manichean crap in check.

 

[Moondrop]

Wait, we're still having an argument about new skins being predominantly in the gem shop in 2015?

All the skins that were released at launch were created with the motivation that they would be a part of the sale of the game- you payed for them with real money, whether you've unlocked them or not. And the same motivation lies in the creation of all new post-launch skins- to entice you to spend money.

This is the GW2 system- p2princess- and I don't understand what system would be better to replace it. I'd rather work more hours at my real job than grind the Silverwastes for RNG.

Also I don't understand how people think this game would still exist without whales turning gems into gold with every gem store release.

 

[shysaursoft]

This is the GW2 system- p2princess- and I don't understand what system would be better to replace it.

Apparently, a $60 xpac every six months, if Reddit had it's way.

Since *everything* on the Gem Store can be bought with gold, is the main reason I don't take much offense at their setup. The alternative is paying $15 a month, AND having a Gem Store, where you CAN'T buy things using in-game currency (FFXIV *cough* WoW *cough*).

We've got it good, I think. But I really do understand the frustration of "but this skin was free in GW1, and now it's not in GW2". I get it, I really do. I just think the grand scheme of things, it's about up there with stubbing your toe. Hurts, but no reason to throw the couch in the firepit.

 

[Moondrop]

Since *everything* on the Gem Store can be bought with gold, is the main reason I don't take much offense at their setup. The alternative is paying $15 a month, AND having a Gem Store, where you CAN'T buy things using in-game currency (FFXIV *cough* WoW *cough*).

Ugh I loathe premium currencies and play virtually no mobile games as a consquence. But I wouldn't pick up my pitchfork even if gold-to-gem conversion was abolished, not until true P2W items are introduced. And no, I don't count bonus sprockets.

 

[Ashodin]

If there's anyone part of the problem it's me. That greatsword skin picture I posted a page or two back? $300+ Holmes.
(including all the other stuff I bought of course)

 

[_woLf]

Don't be obtuse. You don't have to pay for everything. A fair amount of content is handed out as rewards, or tied to in-game activities. We're up to our ears in festival/seasonal/content skins.

Please list the amount of festival/seasonal skins that have been made available to us not via the gem store. I have a hard time believing it's "up to our ears", but I am welcome to be proven wrong on this because I honestly cannot remember that many aside from the Battle for LA stuff (which to me, isn't festival/seasonal). And yeah, a fair amount of content SHOULD be handed out as rewards, or tied to in-game activities. That's part of, you know, being a video game. That's what people paid $60 for in 2012, and that's what people are paying for now.

The Gem Store is what keeps the game going, but you don't *have* to spend real money is what makes the key difference here.

The transfer rate is hardly friendly to anyone outside of hardcore, or at least incredibly dedicated players. Most casual players or those new to the game want to be involved in the festivities too, but they haven't built up the wealth to afford a 300gem transfer. And they just spent money on the game to begin with, why are they being asked to spend even more?

Seeing something nice I like, and being able to get it with gold, is to me very much akin to the hoops I had to jump through to get the dragon mask in GW1. Which is soulbound to a character I no longer have, so I can't even use it. Because they don't have account-bound skins. That's WAY better. *grump*

You had to gather 250 Jade Wind orbs. That was nowhere near as difficult for a new player (given that the quests took place in the new player area) compared to having to gather enough money to transfer for gems. And you got a ton of them from seasonal quests -- are you arguing that seasonal quests are "jumping through hoops" and would rather just skip it and pay up front instead? I like my MMO festivals to have some meat to them other than "We changed the look of everything and you can buy some special shit for real money, enjoy". Festivals having a story and being actually interesting is hardly jumping through hoops.

Also, you have been able to duplicate festival helmets that at least one of your characters already has since December 2006. That makes them effectively account-bound.

Of *course* it'd be way awesome if everything now and forever in GW2 is only handed out as rewards, no Gem Store stuff at all. Since we're in Imagination Land, I'd also like a first-person camera and for Charr footprints to face there right way.

If you want to be condescending, then so will I: you continue having to put up with mindless money grabs and cheap gem store cash ins. I'll be with the group of people who actually want to see the game improved. My opinion is not that everything needs to be handed out only as rewards. My opinion is that it's frankly complete garbage that festivals are no longer as fruitful and as in-depth as they used to be, because ArenaNet has gone the path of quick cash-ins with the gem store. The only item I can get in this festival without the gem store is a backpiece that is 100% reliant on RNG via, you guessed it, spending gold. Great. Awesome.

I've opened 16 of the envelopes a day since the event went up and I still haven't got the piece needed to make the backpiece. I will give ArenaNet credit where it's due here and say at least they made it sellable on the trading post, but still -- I'd much rather have a series of neat quests that you could do that helps explain the festival to the player, immerses them in it, and then rewards them at the end.

GW2 is not GW1. They're not the same game, they're not entirely the same business model, and yes, a GW1 helmet skin is for sale for real money or in-game gold on the store, instead of being tied to a bunch of fetchquests. I'd have liked it to be tied to in-game events too, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it because, well. Just buy it with gold. I just think it's really not that big a deal..

And what of the new (or existing) players who can't afford it? They just completely miss out? Just because you don't think it's a big deal doesn't mean it isn't one.

There are a lot of things GW2 does right. But to argue that this isn't a glaring issue that has been around since launch just simply is not accurate.

 

[shysaursoft]

I've said my peace. I have no further comment on the topic of the Gem Store. I'm not trying to convince anyone to like it - only say that I don't mind it. If that makes me some horrible bad guy who ruins games, fine.

Now if we're talking about the Festival of the Ram itself: I agree, it's an underwhelming festival and nothing like Wintersday or Halloween. It's way too light on content, and there aren't enough skins to earn through it. This is the first time this festival has happened, and I suspect it might be the last - so being a one-shot, they didn't spend much time on it.

If you are new to the game, I can see how the Festival would be a dissapointment. All I'll say is, it's not the norm. The other festivals are far more involved.

I've opened 16 of the envelopes a day since the event went up and I still haven't got the piece needed to make the backpiece

I'll give you one. I have ten. They're 60s on the AH. You earn more selling a stack of lumber. If you don't have the money to buy it off the AH, you won't have the money for the Forge transmute to make it the exotic version.

Please list the amount of festival/seasonal skins

Halloween: 6 weapon skins, 3 shoulder skins
Wintersday: 1 armour skin, 3 backpack skins, 8 weapon skins
Dragon Bash: 2 backpack skins, 1 helmet skin
And since we're counting: LW Season 1 Rewards: 2 back skins, 1 hand skin.
SAB: 16 weapon skins

You could argue things like Dragon Bash and SAB aren't festivals - but they were content, and you could earn skins without using the Gem Store, so I feel it counts.

Saying "but what about new players! They'll miss out!" isn't valid, because there will ALWAYS be new players. What about new players to GW1 who joined on the final day of the event, and didn't have time to get all the things needed for the skin? Poor them, ArenaNet, you monsters.

 

[Moondrop]

There are a lot of things GW2 does right. But to argue that this isn't a glaring issue that has been around since launch just simply is not accurate.

I am still unable to identify the "glaring issue" issue; perhaps my shades are too dark. How do people expect Anet to pay for the salaries of people to sit in front of their computers and rig up new virtual clothes? With $60 you spent in 2012?

 

[shysaursoft]

I am still unable to identify the "glaring issue" issue; perhaps my shades are too dark. How do people expect Anet to pay for the salaries of people to sit in front of their computers and rig up new virtual clothes? With $60 you spent in 2012?

And what about the people who spent $10 to get the game? Clearly, they don't deserve all the content, so Anet should cut out a race or profession choice for them or something.

Perhaps I've just played too many F2P games with really dubious transaction systems, to consider what Anet does with GW2 an issue in any way. We could have Archeage's system.

 

[silvermember]

Apparently, there is a bug on the main site that let's you buy Guild wars 2 for only 4 dollars. I got me a second copy. Whether it goes through is an entirely different story.

I am still unable to identify the "glaring issue" issue; perhaps my shades are too dark. How do people expect Anet to pay for the salaries of people to sit in front of their computers and rig up new virtual clothes? With $60 you spent in 2012?

Apparently to some people 60 dollars in 2 years is enough money for a company of 300+ people to pay their employees for 2 years and still allow the investors to recoup their initial investment into guild wars 2.

The truth is people are going to complain about not getting things for free, let them do it. Eventually they will either suck it up or quit, the fact that Arenanet seems to be making 100 million a year from the game indicate the noise generated by the "but but guild wars 1" didn't do X crowd, is insignificant.

 

[Wanderer5]

Meh don't mind the system that much, nor spending some real money at times, but the gold/gem exchange is pretty nice for some of the cheaper stuff on there especially. It might not be amazing, but Anet has to get money somehow and hey least it not a bunch of pay to win really. It probably one of the better systems out there in MMOs.

 

[Ashodin]

The new system is specifically built on either time or money. You either have one or the other. Time to make gold, or money to buy it.

 

[Moondrop]

The new system is specifically built on either time or money. You either have one or the other. Time to make gold, or money to buy it.

Now we're getting closer to the heart of the issue, but I'll still refrain from being too real. I feel as if there's a bizarre, unjustified resentment against those at the point in their lives for whom spending money is legitimately a better decision than spending time.

 

[Mxrz]

I've spent far less money on GW2 than I did GW1. I got no complaints.

Guardian wvw - feh buffing. Tank up, charge zerg. Being at the head of a charge, smashing into another zerg is about all the fun I've had with it outside of small group play. The only thing I buff is my charr swagger.

 

[Retro]

The Gem Store is another part of the big, central reason I play Guild Wars 2; its respect for me as a player. I've talked extensively about how the game is built to respect my time investment, but not very much about the financial side.

I've bought a lot from the Gem Store, both with the gold-to-gem conversion and straight up purchasing gems. When the game launched I had just gotten paid for some freelance work and had something like $300 in my paypal account, which my wife and I split to buy character slots, bank slots, etc. Since then I've gotten gem cards for Christmas, bought a couple gem cards with accumulated change, or just straight up bought gems when I saw something I liked. I'd be hard pressed to give an exact figure since it's $15 here and there over the span of 2.5 years, but I figure it's probably well over $600 on gems alone between the two of us, or about $200 a year since launch.

You know what though? Beyond the initial boxed sale (which I think everyone would agree is reasonable; if you want to play the game you should have to buy it), all of it was my choice. None of it affects my ability to play the game, none of it is mandatory, nothing is gated behind a paywall, made impossibly hard to encourage a gem store purchase, or inaccessible in any way without paying cash. If I bought something on the gem store, it wasn't because the game was made to hold a gun to my head and force it, or even encourage it. It's because I wanted it and thought it was worth changing gold to gems or grabbing a gem card with the leftover singles from going to strip clubs Taco Bell.

ArenaNet respects my choice to spend cash or not, and in doing so makes me a fuckload more likely to actually spend cash because I don't feel like I'm being forced to or because I'm being scammed into it (hello, mobile games!). Yeah, we have to pay $3 for a helmet that was free in Guild Wars 1 if we want it.... but we also get Living Story updates every two weeks for months at a time, free of charge, and the people who craft that stuff need to get paid. So, I'll take the truckload of content and the occasional, optional cosmetic purchase, thank you.

Also, looking at it another way, if we were playing another MMO, we'd be paying ~$360 a year in subscription fees just to log in. And $25 to transfer to the same server, one-way, per character.... and $60 for an expansion that negates all of my progress for what amounts to a week's worth of generic content and a Facebook game... and god knows what else they're charging you for in games like Archeage.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

Well, I feel the GW2 Gemstore skins are in a good place, and they are good for the economy. On the TP, they are around 70g up to around 300g for most of them. You have a few of them that is much more expensive (like Halloween, dreamthistle themed) but in general, accumilating that sort of gold is a really nice goal for a casual-medium player.

Saving 200 gold to buy the very cool Chaos Greatsword skin. That is a 2-week of dedicated playing goal right there. Less if you're farming or doing anything you can to make as much money as quickly.

I feel, that gemstore weapons are really fair, but I do feel that Black Lion Boxes are still not exciting and worth it. I think that the scrap rate is way to low. The last time I bought a set of 25 I got 2 scraps, and I wanted a weapon that required 5 tickets. That's insane.






Regarding the Livestream from last week @ Do you guys have any concerns about mastery points like the "you need to upgrade your mastery so you can jump on this mushroom"? I am afraid it will feel like unnecessary gated content.

I don't mind the idea that you can jump really high mario style on a mushroom, but as an contextualized PRESS F, I am not really sure if I feel is something that should be part of the mastery system?

When we are talking about traversal, I thought it would be more like, climbing up vines, parkour-style, or maybe dash on the surface of the water, or some other sort of traversal ability that gives you increased control.

Gliding is that of course, but the gliding looks sort of rough right now. I thought it would work like Aion, so you could glide by just double jumping. There seems to be a delay for a few seconds before you can glide.
What concerns me is that if you only have 5-10 seconds to glide before the glide meter runs out , it would leave you to a lot of trial and error gameplay, and that is not very fun. I think it will be very not fun, for people who are already struggling with the harder jumping puzzles as it is.
It's really risky what they are doing. I just hope it will feel more balanced, and smooth than controlling and using the aspects of the bazaar of the four winds. Those abillities always where clunky, a bit like costume brawl and the mini games, and I feel like, if Gliding is going to be a core-experience, it better damn control smooth, tight and animation bug free. Aion did it well, so I hope it will feel good when we get closer.



It's strange that this is all scary because its different. I imagine it would be like drytop, with falling to your death every second, or falling to your death every time you miss a gush of wind or havent upgraded your mastery enough. Secondly even though the zones will be dense and full of hostiles like Drytop and SW, I hope there will be spots where you can relax and take in the scenery like Southsun has.
Southsun has some cruel CC, but I never had trouble farming mats there or outrunning those pesky roided up clams!
But I guess overall I just find myself really impressed with ArenaNet. I feel this expansion could be something really special layout/terrain wise, or it could become something that just gives players a headache and makes them not want to return to.


And people are so different on that. Like, I really like Orr, but I know a lot of people don't. I like Orr a lot more than Drytop because of the sandstorms I think!

 

[Retro]

Yeah, it goes without saying Black Lion Chests are the absolute worst thing about the gem store, and I haven't bought keys in ages because it's just not worth it. There's nothing in them that anyone needs though, so it's still a very optional purchase. (For what it's worth, I usually just buy the Black Lion weapon skins off the TP if I want them).

If they increased the number of scraps needed for a ticket but made them a guaranteed drop, ensuring you're always making progress even if you don't hit the jackpot, I think I'd be much more likely to toss a couple bucks at keys now and then.

 

[Wanderer5]

Yeah I don't really bother much with the keys nowadays unless a free offer appears or getting them on sale once in a blue moon. Since I make a decent amount of gold, I just put up a order for a weapon I want when they come out, and for 65-70g I get the skin I want. Course I don't do this frequently, but there hasn't been that much of BLC weapons that I really wanted, plus I had a couple tickets to used from that last batch of key farming from personal story before the change. I still have one ticket too that I was lucky to get, but I will continue to save it for now.

 

[Anno]

The hell happened to Maize Balms today? I have a few thousand stashed and bags are still reasonable, might have to try to get in on the borders of this move tonight.

 

[Kos Luftar]

The hell happened to Maize Balms today? I have a few thousand stashed and bags are still reasonable, might have to try to get in on the borders of this move tonight.

What happened?

 

[Thorgal]

Asura = GOAT race .

 

[Anno]

What happened?

Sadly it's already correcting a bit but I'll keep my eye on it, bags especially since they didn't move too too much. In the meantime I quickly offloaded some of my stash for twice what I would've a week ago.

 

[Noisy Ninj4]

There's a bunch of TC still with hammer marks from last night's escapades that would tell another story. The problem with your statement is the "100%"- on my cleric, sure it's 100% for control. But on the power tank set I play now in WvW, at least 50% of the purpose of hammer is AoE dps. It's the warrior's best AoE melee weapon. When we call for bombs, warriors bring the Earthshaker and not merely for the stun as good teams will likely have stability throughout their frontline. We do it to procure downies.

Of course hammer does decent damage when run with power, any melee weapon worth its salt will. But every skill other than the autoattack is a debuff, knockback, stun, or knockdown.

 

[spiritfox]

Black Lion Chests are just plain gambling and I will never support that. The gem store is not perfect, but I've made my peace with it.

 

[Retro]

Black Lion Chests are just plain gambling and I will never support that. The gem store is not perfect, but I've made my peace with it.

Yep. It could always be better. Not just BLCs, but also the pricing scheme; some items feel way overpriced (single armor pieces, especially when compared to full armor suits), dyes are kind of a crap shoot (you should always be guaranteed to get one of the new ones) and there are way too many disappointing items like boosters and primers, etc.

But it could also be so much worse. Like, insanely bad. Anyone who thinks the GW2 gem shop is bad needs to look at games like Archeage ($10k for 15-star gear, anyone?).

 

[Mxrz]

Fractal 50 successfully done. Cliffside was brutal. The group went all no-fun-allowed despite not being super-duper, but the thief and I pulled some mvp level stuff to get through. Another healing power chest too. Wee.

 

[Boss Doggie]

I personally still think opening envelopes is more rewarding than selling them to TP

 

[Ashodin]

I personally still think opening envelopes is more rewarding than selling them to TP

as long as you get gravy boats

 

[Levyne]

At first I would take the guaranteed 3 gold from tp, but the margin has slimmed to nothing, so yeah, open them.

 

[Morokh]

Regarding the Livestream from last week @ Do you guys have any concerns about mastery points like the "you need to upgrade your mastery so you can jump on this mushroom"? I am afraid it will feel like unnecessary gated content.

I don't mind the idea that you can jump really high mario style on a mushroom, but as an contextualized PRESS F, I am not really sure if I feel is something that should be part of the mastery system?

I kind of have the same feeling about it, especially when they keep poiting at it like it's the next big thing.

The way they try to define masteries related to navigating the jungle definitely make it sound like some sort of 'gating', and it only raises more questions about the system itself.

One thing that could be interesting about it though, if we take it that way, is that they could easily introduce level 80 areas in the 'old world' without affecting people that are levelling, cause it would require a mastery to acess those areas.




Regarding the Gem Store, I really don't mind when items like these masks that are completely 'out of place' are for sale and not available.
We also have for pretty much every event one or several items you can just work for by just playing,in this particular case, the backpack, hell even Halloween had an outfit you could get for the first time.

I was very concerned about the gem store when I came back to the game between LS1 and the start of LS2 because by then, save for a few LS1 or time-gated related things, EVERY new complete full set of armor, and weapons were basically gem store-only items.

But with what they brought since then, if this is an indication of things to come i'm pretty confident that we will have a decent balance, if not a change about how things work.
From LS skins becoming permanent, to their focus shifting more on outfits and 'one shot' isolated items, and having new sets of armor available through playable content, I feel it's going in the right direction.
(Data-mining seems to point at that)

There has been some shitty items and bundles outside of all that, but it's not like it's not obvious and completely optional.

I just wish they would take a look at the gem-store weapon sets and realize that some of them would have been way better suited as playable content.
Once again I don't mind the sets like the Dragon ones, or the Zodiac or Tempest ones, but if you take something like the Pact-Fleet ones they would have made for an awesome set to be crafted in any way (crafting/collection/MF upgrade), similar to the Ambrite weapons.

 

[Nemesis121]

At first I would take the guaranteed 3 gold from tp, but the margin has slimmed to nothing, so yeah, open them.

I am still flipping them, fastest gold to be made int he game..takes 10secs

 

[Ashodin]

Bam, I got the spear precursor, but I sold it for 80g. Sad

 

[Boss Doggie]

Wow, a precursor that only costs 80g?

I wonder what would happen if that thing gets confirmed as a land weapon?