New Dungeon, Fractals of the Mists

[Kelesti]

It's fucking 2 stats... If you want your gear to be better throw superior crests in all your exotics and you'll be able to bitch slap people when it comes to raw stats, someone in ascended CAN NOT customize their gear an will be bonned in all oter aspects that aren't that dungeon, I will take my flexibility with runes and crests and gems over some minor stat increase any day... Well.... Unless Ascended gear look REALLY REALLY cool.... But that's a totally different story xD

i swear to god you don't even read what i post, you just make some stupid comment and move on.

I read it just fine. You blend a lot of irrelevancies into your posts, but fact of the matter is this:

Is it more stats? Yes. Infact, on that ring in the screenshot, it's 5 Power, 5 Precision, and 3% Magic Find. Is it a lot? No. Was 12 spell power and 10 haste rating a lot in t10? ...not...really? Point is, it was there, it was an upgrade. This is the kind of thing that makes it a big deal. Saying "ITS ONLY A LITTLE BIT" as you have, again and again (do I need to quote you and others who are following your lead?) does not negate this as fact.

As of right now, if I take a piece of Berserker Exotic Gear, and socket in an Exotic Ruby into there, I will have less stats than I would with an Ascended berserker piece of gear. It doesn't matter if it's two points, ten points, or one thousand points. The point of the matter is, it is as a fact confirmed to be less.

Do runes help? For a lot of builds they help quite a bit. For others, you just go with Divinity Runes as soon as you can afford them. So for the average player, it now becomes "Can I afford to give up stats, and viability in this dungeon because of the new Infusion mechanic, for a rune?"

The fact that the resistance mechanic, which has been quoted as intended to gearblock people:

After a certain point, our new Ascended items and Infusions become crucial tools for survival.

is also counter to their design of readily accessible at any time, not needing to grind certain sets of gear to do certain things, to "keep up" if you will. This isn't about Ascended Armor "looking cool" or not, because the look of it is completely irrelevant at this point. I couldn't care less if it makes my character sparkle when she pees. I really couldn't. Fact is, to do this new content they're introducing, sooner or later you will need this (and the other slots as they open up) to get by. While also having higher stats in a game that was branded and sold as never having linear progression.

In six (eight?) months from now, when people have capped out on Ascended Gear, and suddenly feel like they aren't progressing anymore, what stops ArenaNet from adding "Majestic" or "Celestial" gear, as part of their "Continued Progression Initiative"? Going for Legendaries that will still be on par with the now-Ascended weapons they have? Why bother? Too much work and it's not a stat upgrade. And we've already proven thanks to this that Cosmetics as a form of progression in this game is not what these people want.

So what makes it okay to go from Exotic to Ascended, but not okay to go from Ascended to Majestic? You never did answer that one.

[Valeron]

For now. The blog says more of this type of content is coming with the infusion mechanic in mind. We don't know if they are just more infusion dungeons, zones, bosses or encounters.

We do know Anet have stated plainly this is an ongoing mechanic in the coming months.

Only thing I hope is the return of the Mursaat.

Have to look for the bright side right?

[Fencers]

So called "complimentary" ascended gear & legendaries are suppose to ease the gear gap according to Anet.

I have a feeling those will either be not-so-complimentary or tied to some tedious process directional content. AMid all of this I am perhaps most troubled by that claim of "complimentary" gear & legendary equips.

Let's see how that will work in the coming months. But I'd be saving my BL keys and gems for those Forge stone thingies. Ya'know, for the complimentary gear.

MMO champion has no appropriate rolleyes simile which communicates the mixture of amusement and distrust I am going for. Imagine this is it though:

Only thing I hope is the return of the Mursaat.

Have to look for the bright side right?

Well this mechanic isn't necessarily a "dark side" either. It just is what it is.

Anet can change direction if they feel it makes the game profitable. Retention is pretty important to their business model.

They are hardly the first or to be the last. The bright side is so far the practice doesn't look to be predatory.

[Kelesti]

Only thing I hope is the return of the Mursaat.

Have to look for the bright side right?

The skins on the mobs stop mattering when the content itself isn't fun.

[Valeron]

The skins on the mobs stop mattering when the content itself isn't fun.

Oh well, I'm still having fun with the game. Am I happy with what they decided in this? No, but I still very much enjoy the game. I've tried playing other mmos recently but I just can't get into them, mostly because they aren't as entertaining to me as GW2. Will this new direction cause me to not have fun with the game? Possibly but I kind of doubt that. But if it does then I'll just stop playing, no big deal.

[VincentWolf]

am i the only one who actualy like the gear treadmill in pve? (gear treadmill should stay away from pvp!)

Unfortunately no, you are not alone. There are many the likes of you.
I personally can't stand it, think we should only work for cosmetic items and actual top gear should be available easy, fast and solo.

Highly disappointed in anet for doing this, will probably quit now unless they make it easily and cheap available through solo play.

[Ravenblade]

The skins on the mobs stop mattering when the content itself isn't fun.

I will see how their new content turns out. I am not calling it "not fun" yet. I have been positively surprised before.

[Deleted]

always look on the bright side of life ~

[Socram]

Am I at gw2guru here or why are the mods trying to compete with each other for the best doomsday atmosphere?

ANet observed the player feedback on their game and realized that more players wanted better incentives to play PvE content than agreed to the flat endgear philosophy.
So they changed their mind and went for it, nothing more or less. Such things happen in this world.
Some may call this approach hypocritical, I call it flexible... maybe because I'm more of a PvP player that rarely does PvE. But when I do, I'm actually glad to see some progress in my char.

[Deleted]

this progress will be short lived since they won't add new tiers in the future. after ascended and legendary are in it's done.

[Socram]

You can't know that for sure yet, and even if they won't implement new quality tiers they might accomplish the same with increasing item levels instead.

[Scyth]

Am I at gw2guru here or why are the mods trying to compete with each other for the best doomsday atmosphere?

So just because they are mods, they can't express their opinion too? Give them a brake mate!

I kinda agree with them, this is a complete turnaround on what Anet were trying to sell before release, but we will see how it all plays out.

[Gray_Matter]

In six (eight?) months from now, when people have capped out on Ascended Gear, and suddenly feel like they aren't progressing anymore, what stops ArenaNet from adding "Majestic" or "Celestial" gear, as part of their "Continued Progression Initiative"? Going for Legendaries that will still be on par with the now-Ascended weapons they have? Why bother? Too much work and it's not a stat upgrade. And we've already proven thanks to this that Cosmetics as a form of progression in this game is not what these people want.

So what makes it okay to go from Exotic to Ascended, but not okay to go from Ascended to Majestic? You never did answer that one.

I find it more likely (and Fencers won't like this) that the Ascended items will be released gradually over the next year. After that, there is a good chance that an expansion will be released that includes a new level cap (probably another 20 odd levels) and 8-10 new maps. That's the only way that they can cater for those who want progression and those who just want to play because they enjoy it. It would be very easy to start at the exotics again at that point. It doesn't bother me. I have reached level 80 but I am still playing the same way that I was. Busy moving through Mal Leap to try and clear the map.

What really excites me is the prospect of a raid (as in military raid, now MMO) into a hostile instanced Lions Arch to try and do some task (Kidnap/Kill/Liberate). This type of thing can easily be created with the Fractals structure.

---------- Post added 2012-11-15 at 10:50 AM ----------

Unfortunately no, you are not alone. There are many the likes of you.
I personally can't stand it, think we should only work for cosmetic items and actual top gear should be available easy, fast and solo.

Highly disappointed in anet for doing this, will probably quit now unless they make it easily and cheap available through solo play.

Why does it be that the gear should be easily accessible? I like being able to work for things. I don't mind spending some time. I also have no problem with giving people the option of doing it solo. I would prefer it that way. I am not talking about working for something like doing the same dungeon 100 times. As long as I don't get bored during that process I am happy.

[Grable]

this progress will be short lived since they won't add new tiers in the future. after ascended and legendary are in it's done.

Lol and you know that how? By trusting them? The irony.

[Zeek Daniels]

@ ppl still wondering if Anet is going to add new dungeons, zones, open world encounters to the game with the infusion mechanic in mind. The answer is no. Because then Anet would be doing a complete 180 like kelesti and Fencers have been saying.

The thing is that this dungeon is self contained. Anet has said it themselves plenty of times. There systems allow them to add and subtract content with very little effort. Remember the Hunger Royal event took only a few hours to do? They wont be adding seperate "infusion" dungeons as Fencers called it, but they will be expanding the current one. There is no reason to add a whole seperate dungeon, since this one is infinite it makes more sense to keep building on the current one. And they have said that is what they will do.

Now as for infusion gear playing a role later down the road. The way i see it is that they are slowly going to release Ascended Armor slots, this is kinda the same thing as blizzard not giving access to all 3 MoP raids at the same time. This way players who are doing the FotM dungeon will not only have time to collect each new piece as they are prolly gonna put at least a month in between new slot releases, but it also keeps them from burning out on higher difficulties so quickly.

After all the slots have been released this will be the last tier added to the game besides legendary armor. Now ppl have asked me how i know this. Its because of how its not the Ascended armor and its stats that let you progress through the dungeon but the Infusions you put in that armor that let you progress. On the Infusion blog it says there is only going to be one type of infusion when this is released. Its a Defensive infusion that goes in your ring and your back. Im going to make the assumption that all rings will be limited to defensive infusions only. I dont know about backs but just going to guess that those will be defensive as well.

It later stats that the first tier of infusions will be of "Fine" quality. So now we know that there are different levels of infusions. Later in the article it says that in the future more "High end" infusions will be released.

So because the way the dungeon works and because they way they are releasing gear and releasing infusions, they dont have to make a whole new tier of gear after this gear is fully released. Instead they will be releasing stronger and stronger infusions. And as long as the benefits infusions provide are limited to your time spent in FotM dungeon then there is no reason for ppl to worry after all the ascended pieces have been released.

So players who want personal character progression will get it as long as they stay in the dungeon. And once they exit the dungeon they will be as strong as anyone else.

Now we dont know if ascended gear is as easy to get as exotics . Ive never made anything via mystic forge so im a little bummed about the backslot being made there.

[Fencers]

I find it more likely (and Fencers won't like this) that the Ascended items will be released gradually over the next year.

That doesn't bother me.

I am not actually upset about these items at all, personally speaking.

[Gray_Matter]

That doesn't bother me.

I am not actually upset about these items at all, personally speaking.

Sorry, I should have put it later in my post. I was referring to you not liking the extra player levels.

[Deleted]

I logged out after clearing the last dungeon with the deathwing og guild wars2, less than a week after release. I never wanted to log back in since. That was so disapointing.

[Zeek Daniels]

I logged out after clearing the last dungeon with the deathwing og guild wars2, less than a week after release. I never wanted to log back in since. That was so disapointing.

Aww that means u missed the Halloween event. It was alot of fun.

[Durzlla]

this progress will be short lived since they won't add new tiers in the future. after ascended and legendary are in it's done.

There -may- be one after ascended (god i hope not) but once the legendary armors, and rings and blah blah blah is added in there will be nothing more, and if there is -then- i will be all gung ho about how Anet lied to us and need to be burned alive and all this doom and gloom kel and friends are reciting.