AMA Going on now.

[Ravenblade]

I believe now that they were always intending having a vertical progression but at a slow and subtle rate. The introduction of Ascended gear caused a spike which would not have been there if it were already in the game. Now they can go back to slow and subtle. Yes, there was an end in sight before and it was achievable and I think that's their long-term plan. The problem is that bridging of gaps right now is supposed to be long-term 'work' aka grind. I think it would have been more fun if you had to do a lot of scavenger hunts to gather parts over time rather than outright grinding for tokens and mats and what have you. I believe they haven't really used much of their potential by resorting to standard solutions which are giving you some awkward dejavu's instead.

[Zilong]

Exactly, I'm imagining it'll be like what they did with the Apothecary Gear, where it brought in a stat comp we didn't have, I wonder if we will ever get a Vitality/Toughness/Healingpower (not in that order) gear set...

I've wondered the same thing, and eventually maaaaaybe almost. I just keep remembering that I think it was Jon Peters or some one else said In the end we want people to be more offensive than deffensive. Of course there will be more supportive builds but it shouldn't be the main focus.

While this isn't the actual quote, I'm pretty sure it was something among those lines. And a Vit/Tough/Healingpower gear would only "contradict" that.

I could be wrong.

[Durzlla]

I've wondered the same thing, and eventually maaaaaybe almost. I just keep remembering that I think it was Jon Peters or some one else said In the end we want people to be more offensive than deffensive. Of course there will be more supportive builds but it shouldn't be the main focus.

While this isn't the actual quote, I'm pretty sure it was something among those lines. And a Vit/Tough/Healingpower gear would only "contradict" that.

I could be wrong.

Lol as long as a support focused build is viable I shall run it!! My pet will be my damage!!

[Zeek Daniels]

AMA = "Ask me anything" or "Absolutely mundane answers"?

The questions were stupid imho. Why not ask about new content? All i had seen were questions about ascended gear and anets stance on gear progression as well as their thoughts on appeasing their playerbase.

The questions were dumb. I would have asked. What are your plans for future dungeons? And will additions to FotM be the only new dungeons you add? And if your adding new dungeons outside FotM will those have both a story and a explore and come with new dungeon sets?

That is a good question.

[zito]

zomg cities as dungeons.

I hope they do it.

[Barbas]

Exactly, I'm imagining it'll be like what they did with the Apothecary Gear, where it brought in a stat comp we didn't have, I wonder if we will ever get a Vitality/Toughness/Healingpower (not in that order) gear set...

New combinations of stats are pretty much a given.
"There will certainly be different combinations and potentially new types of stats added to a specific rarity with no overall % power increase."

But I was referring to this "That is why there is no plan for new Rarity Tiers of loot but there are plans to enhance or gain items within the existing rarity design whose properties continue on a shallow power curve."

[Durzlla]

zomg cities as dungeons.

I hope they do it.

I'm Durzlla, and I fully support this message.

[zito]

I'm Durzlla, and I fully support this message.

Well the original question was bringing cities back to life and more foot traffic. Dungeons probably will do it to an extent but dynamic events in cities and custom events would probably be better.

Actually it would get more foot traffic if they put in the town mini games like they promised besides keg brawl :3

[Durzlla]

Well the original question was bringing cities back to life and more foot traffic. Dungeons probably will do it to an extent but dynamic events in cities and custom events would probably be better.

Actually it would get more foot traffic if they put in the town mini games like they promised besides keg brawl :3

They said they have a small team working on the mini games actually... I'm kinda hoping either Moa Racing, Polymock, or the shooting gallery end up as the next one... And it'd be AWESOME of they add events like the ones in Ebon Hawk to the rest of the cities (IE prisoners being spring settling down riots etc)

[Doozerjun]

I really do think they need some alternate activities to lighten the mood up. Here's hoping they add those in before the new year.

[Lazuli]

It saddens me to say that I feel pretty done with Guild Wars 2. I do not like the turn it took with Ascended gear and it looks like they have no thought of removing it, or changing it.

THIS is what everyone is worried about? Lol... this is a minor problem compared to the other atrocities this game has like how no one in pvp is changing meta cuz there are no fucking builds to work with, or how you can't save build templates, which honestly doesn't matter because usually someone just chooses a build and sticks with it indefinitely, making zero variety. No GvG. Boring combat still, with no variety other than your 3 utilities lol... and don't even mention weapon swapping, it was a lazy ass design. They went about the entire game in such a way where it can be balanced easily, and they STILL failed in that respect. They were brave, very brave when it came to GW1 adding so much variety in skills and builds letting the player do literally whatever the hell they wanted.

Let me quote the manifesto then translate it for you "guild wars 2 takes everything great you loved about guild wars 1 and puts it into a fully persistent world" Translation: "we took everything you loved about guild wars 1, shit on it, and made you a fully persistent world"

Honestly the ascended gear doesn't even bother me, it's the game being shit in general that doesn't give me the motivation to log in for weeks now, especially after the shotty "balance" update last time, what a joke, 2 people balancing the game...dafuq!? Maybe they should rethink their PR, stop being retarded, or just quite once and for all. ANet sucks now. This game is horrible, I'd rather play MoP. I could mention a hundred more things wrong with the game like how when you DO change traits it costs money and how it costs money to travel in GW2, etc. I think that shit people are saying about the Nexon chick is right.

[Doozerjun]

This game is horrible, I'd rather play MoP.

Then go play it

[grandpab]

Easy fellas!

[xizzu]

All answered questions: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0By5N...Vm8/edit?pli=1. Thanks to EndlessDreamer.6780 from the official forums.

[Matheren]

So I have a question:

Nowhere in their text or video manifesto have they stated "our game doesn't feature gear treadmill/vertical stat-based gear progression" yet people are jumping on that like crazy. I watched a video about end-game from a couple months ago, and they did state the gear rewards at the time were legendaries, which are "appearance prestige" items - but that's not the same as outright saying "we aren't doing a gear treadmill."

I've read a ton of threads on their forums and elsewhere about this topic, but not once has anyone actually posted documented (video or written) proof of them flat out saying this wasn't going to be part of their game. Was it ever actually said?

[Fencers]

Hm. Just read through the AMA. Yea, pretty awful answers really. What is the point of an AMA if Anything I Ask receives an oblique reply?

Like there are two "answers" [big air quotes] where Anet actually give a varied response. Most replies were just question dodging of the, "Hey we're looking into that <issue>! Stick around for more vague information at the appropriate hour of ??'o clock, ??rd of Whogivesafuckuary!" sort.

Not surprised the only questions to receive non-bullshit answers had entire paragraphs talking about how great Anet believe their dev team are and hard working.

Yes, truly. Truly, no staff has had to balance a live game with millions of players ever before. Kudos, Anet. You guys are doing herculean work.

Give me a break.

[freeforumuser]

Hm. Just read through the AMA. Yea, pretty awful answers really. What is the point of an AMA if Anything I Ask receives an oblique reply?

Like there are two "answers" [big air quotes] where Anet actually give a varied response. Most replies were just question dodging of the, "Hey we're looking into that <issue>! Stick around for more vague information at the appropriate hour of ??'o clock, ??rd of Whogivesafuckuary!" sort.

Not surprised the only questions to receive non-bullshit answers had entire paragraphs talking about how great Anet believe their dev team are and hard working.

Yes, truly. Truly, no staff has had to balance a live game with millions of players ever before. Kudos, Anet. You guys are doing herculean work.

Give me a break.

Oh, I'm sure they will keep doing those dumb one-time only events because they think they are truly infallible and the rest of us are just too shallow to fathom their glorious masterplan.

[Klavier Gavin]

THIS is what everyone is worried about?

I think I got misunderstood. No, the gear itself is not what saddens me, it's the turn. As in, the thing they "promised" for five years that there will be no more gear added after you reach the max one, which is, in this case, Exotics. That's what makes me sad, that they broke that promise.

I can't trust ArenaNet now, because they might just change and turn everything they want, and of course they can, it's their game. But I don't want to be a part of that. The trust and loyalty of a customer is important, it's not good if you break it.

[Tea]

I like the amount of answers about spvp :P

And also "will be here for another 4 hours" and almost nothing said after that... :P

[Gray_Matter]

[RANT]
A lot of people here won't like this but the responses that I have seen to this and other threads just make me sick.

It seems to me that the GW advocates are worse than the WOW flamers that first came into the group at release. The whole concept of vocal minority that has been bandied around here springs to mind.

Between the sarcasm, threats to quit and direct critisms of A/Net, I don't know what to make of the members here any more. It seems to me like A/Net can't actually win. It's been like this since they released the game.

1. First, at release, people spend litterally hundreds of hours online and go through all of the content. Some people will argue that there is no content, others will be happy with the amount content. It depends on what a person classes as content. A group of these people start complaining bitterly about lack of content and request refunds (with hundreds of hours of game time played).
2. Next, there is a chunk of people who want some sort of progression in the game. They start complaining about end game content. As above, they start requesting refunds with hundreds of hours of game time because the end-game is not what they thought it was.
3. A/Net decide to start catering for the people who want some sort of end-game progression, however minimal, by releasing a new dugeon with scaling content. They release some new gear that has minimal impact on the players who prefer not to have progression. There is an immediate outcry from another minority who about how A/Net have broken their promises and how the game will now have 10 tiers of gear in the future. These people also start threatening to quit.

There have been at least 2 million sales of GW2 and I can promise you there a lot of diverse groups in there. The majority are probably don't fit into any of the cliques above. People complain that the answers are a bit vague. Can you blame them? It doesn't matter what they say, there are always people prepared to jump down their throats. People just keep twisting everything that they say.

Do I think they are perfect, far from it. But they are also no where near as bad as people here make out. Fractals, while also not perfect, has been one of the better sets instances that I have run, it not the best. But people will always look for something to complain about. It's in their nature.

I think I will give this forum a break for a bit. It's become a cess-pool of counter productive twaddle. I am sure no body will miss me, though, I don't fit enough into the "negativity mould". I prefer to play games for fun and not pick every decision that the manufacturer makes apart with a fine tooth comb.
[/RANT]