[Guild Wars 2] Why are you still playing?

[Deleted]

I recently started playing it. It's really good. But honestly - I like WOW more.

[Deleted]

Pretty much what Karizee said on the first page.

You might have some small goals for the day, but you end up doing something completely different which might not reward you with stat upgrades or new gear, but with a lot of fun memories or new things you just explored you could do.

While Guild Wars 2 is a theme park MMO, it still got a lot of sandbox feel to it. The path isn't really set for you, you can go and do whatever you want and still get, or feel rewarded, unlike in World of Warcraft your path is set and you can only follow this path to get rewarded.

[Glytch]

I'm creating this not to flame, it is a question for those who have played from the start to explain what makes GW2 have longevity. I personally got bored fast, but am curious to understand the mindset of the fans. What is the catch for you? What specifically keeps you playing? Only positive comments requested! And only from those who have played since launch...

b/c im not treating it like wow

[Lazuli]

Pretty much what Karizee said on the first page.

You might have some small goals for the day, but you end up doing something completely different which might not reward you with stat upgrades or new gear, but with a lot of fun memories or new things you just explored you could do.

While Guild Wars 2 is a theme park MMO, it still got a lot of sandbox feel to it. The path isn't really set for you, you can go and do whatever you want and still get, or feel rewarded, unlike in World of Warcraft your path is set and you can only follow this path to get rewarded.

There are a ton of things you can do instead of following the 'set path' in WoW... geez people so uneducated in the game nowadays just hate on it with zero knowledge kinda gets annoying over time. Pretty sure all people do in GW2 is spam CoF and fractals...

I never feel rewarded in GW2, ever. 2 silver per event even if they're long and hard (no pun) the only thing that rewards you are dailies. Daily this, daily that. One chest per day, etc. And even those just reward you with a shitty rare which is in turn usually and ecto or nothing.

Unless you play a lot you don't acquire much wealth, which leads me to feel the other game is much more casual, surprisingly. At least I feel progression outside of GW2. Legendary for me would still be eons away, once I got my T3 transmuted I have nothing to go for. No builds to play with, and who runs anything but zerkers gear I'll never need another set. Booooring.

Playing with builds is what got me in GW1 for years and tackling content at different angles, I don't consider grinding for measly rewards a fun experience. Ascended is bullshit and should have never been in the game. Not fun getting those.

[Deleted]

There are a ton of things you can do instead of following the 'set path' in WoW... geez people so uneducated in the game nowadays just hate on it with zero knowledge kinda gets annoying over time. Pretty sure all people do in GW2 is spam CoF and fractals...

I never feel rewarded in GW2, ever. 2 silver per event even if they're long and hard (no pun) the only thing that rewards you are dailies. Daily this, daily that. One chest per day, etc. And even those just reward you with a shitty rare which is in turn usually and ecto or nothing.

Unless you play a lot you don't acquire much wealth, which leads me to feel the other game is much more casual, surprisingly. At least I feel progression outside of GW2. Legendary for me would still be eons away, once I got my T3 transmuted I have nothing to go for. No builds to play with, and who runs anything but zerkers gear I'll never need another set. Booooring.

Playing with builds is what got me in GW1 for years and tackling content at different angles, I don't consider grinding for measly rewards a fun experience. Ascended is bullshit and should have never been in the game. Not fun getting those.

The set path in World of Warcraft is that there really is NOTHING you can do except dailies (a hell a lot of dailies), raid, and PvP.

You can do your archeaology, which rewards you with nothing good. You can do your other professions, but the only profession you ever only really need is Enchanter and Jewelcrafting, you don't even need other peoples Blacksmith or Leatherworking because everything is just in LFRaid tool.

The only set path there is, is doing dailies, to earn your gold, and do some dungeons, to just being able to do raids, and do that over and over and over again.

You can't do Archeology to earn your gear to start raiding, you can't use your blacksmithing to gear you up for a raid, you can't do anything except dailies to reach the bigger stuff.

In Guild Wars 2 I can use any crafting profession, and even switch between them and skill them up to gear myself up. I can gear myself up doing any dungeon, I can gear myself up foing the fractals, I can gear myself up doing WvWvW, I can gear myself up only by doing the Trading Post. The grind in Guild Wars is not mandatory to get anywhere. The grind is there, but you don't NEED to do it, you can do something else instead.

[Mandible]

Because I forgot to turn off payment last time. So atm I´m going to see how the last raid is and then quit. Their idea about not having new 5 man is horrible - not just because the scenarios are too fast done, and with that too open for my taste. But also because the current 5 mans are boring from the start. They just don´t appeal to me in the same way that fx. the hour of twilight ones did, or icc 5 man - that and going with the same 5 man instances will turn you insane after so long.

[Kelimbror]

Because I forgot to turn off payment last time. So atm I´m going to see how the last raid is and then quit. Their idea about not having new 5 man is horrible - not just because the scenarios are too fast done, and with that too open for my taste. But also because the current 5 mans are boring from the start. They just don´t appeal to me in the same way that fx. the hour of twilight ones did, or icc 5 man - that and going with the same 5 man instances will turn you insane after so long.

I believe you are lost sir.

[Karizee]

I believe you are lost sir.

Or maybe he just got found ;-)

Fate - tricksy stuff!

[Rukh]

I often open guild wars 2, stare at the character select screen and go "nah". There just isn't that sense that I'm progressing towards a goal. Skins and nick nacks are alright, but generally in other games you do them as a side thing for fun but the main thing is progressing. You could go for a legendary, but there's nothing you can do with a legendary you can't do otherwise. It's just another hard to get skin.

GW2 needs dynamis. A one-week raid lockout that is hard, and long. It kind of sounds like I'm saying guild wars 2 needs something else but that is just your dirty mind.

[Sting]

I haven't played since the launch of MoP, and the people I played with are all gone too. What's the best way to get some good gear / character progression going? Any important new stuff added? I noticed the laurels, no clue what they are. I'm a level 80 Guardian.

[Lane]

Meh, I'm starting to feel discouraged again. Outside of SAB I honestly don't remember the last time I had 'fun' in GW2. I have literally spent the past 3 months doing nothing but farming for gold and it's just never enough.

[Fencers]

Meh, I'm starting to feel discouraged again. Outside of SAB I honestly don't remember the last time I had 'fun' in GW2. I have literally spent the past 3 months doing nothing but farming for gold and it's just never enough.

Isn't that mostly self imposed?

I know a lot of your posts are concerned with playing many alts, gaming the play systems, collecting many trinkets and so on. Typically solo or with like a couple of people.

Don't recall how large you said your guild was-- was it just like 4 people or something? Whatever. You understand the point; seems you kinda burnt yourself out.

[Lane]

GW2's the only MMO I've played where I have really struggled to make gold. I am usually financially comfortable and can afford almost everything I want for myself and for my bf. It's not for lack of effort either. I have tried various suggested farming strategies as well as read extensively on ways to make money via the TP. I am simply not gifted at the latter and apparently unlucky with the former.

It doesn't help that I'm always the breadwinner for both my bf and I. He not only isn't able to play as much as I am, but he's always been terrible at making gold. I try to tell myself it's the knowledge that in a game designed to make accumulating gold a challenge I've made it doubly worse for myself with the thought that I need to earn for two. I spent almost 100g buying gems for both of us last month, which was roughly half of what I had (I didn't want to wipe myself out completely). Even that wasn't really enough for the things we wanted, which doesn't include anything new they add/have added. Every time that happens I feel even more discouraged by the ever increasing gold->gems exchange when my income remains stagnant (much like real life :P).

I suppose you could argue it's self-imposed. It's not really all that different from wanting an apartment with certain amenities. It's easier and significantly cheaper to get one without them, but not nearly as enjoyable.

[Ghostpanther]

It's pretty fun in small doses. Very easy to pick up and play as most of the Guild Wars games have been.

I don't necessarily play games for enjoyment alone though; I am interested in how/why they work, the social, business and evolutionary aspects.

Guild Wars 2 is very interesting to observe. Decently fun to play occasionally. Kinda like League of Legends or Starcarft 2; super interesting games in many aspects, I don't derive much personal enjoyment from playing.

Umm...the only reason I do play games is to have fun. If they are not fun..then I do not play them. Not knocking your point however. But the reason I have not played GW2 much lately is because it is not as "fun" as it use to be. For myself, the game lacks a good LFG tool. I know some will think I am placing this lack of a feature and my enjoyment on myself, but it is what it is. WoW is a better MMO because mainly of it's excellent LFG features. Imo of course. But in defense of GW2, it has no sub fee. But, nothing is going to be as good if there is not a price to go with it.

[Fencers]

not nearly as enjoyable.

Hehe, but the irony is you seem to have made it not enjoyable. XD

To be honest, I don't do a damn thing in GW2 to make money. I barely put forth any effort in the game. Have like 4 laurels total, 300~ gold, like 700 gems. Don't have a damn thing to spend any of that on besides teleports. I just run around act stupid with a few friends and that's that.

Was going to buy the forever pickaxe but then I was like, "Wait, I have like 20 copper ore because fuck gathering in MMOs."

Natch, I am not gearing up my character, 5 alts and my husband's characters. Though I think there is a kind of mania you are describing that is really all you.

Can just spend like real money and get that stuff. Which is how the system is designed; to make gold to gems inefficient. So the "grind" is something you are doing to yourself.

[Karizee]

Umm...the only reason I do play games is to have fun. If they are not fun..then I do not play them. Not knocking your point however. But the reason I have not played GW2 much lately is because it is not as "fun" as it use to be. For myself, the game lacks a good LFG tool. I know some will think I am placing this lack of a feature and my enjoyment on myself, but it is what it is. WoW is a better MMO because mainly of it's excellent LFG features. Imo of course. But in defense of GW2, it has no sub fee. But, nothing is going to be as good if there is not a price to go with it.

There is a LFG in game but it's not very good.

Everyone that's not running with friends or guildmates is using http://gw2lfg.com/
Takes less than 2 mins to form a group. Over 3.5 million groups formed in the last couple months.

[Lane]

Hehe, but the irony is you seem to have made it not enjoyable. XD

I was actually approaching a point of financial comfort, but then exchange rates went to Hell combined with some very bad investment decisions I made this month. It's all just gotten to me and sapped away at the enjoyment factor.

Can just spend like real money and get that stuff. Which is how the system is designed; to make gold to gems inefficient. So the "grind" is something you are doing to yourself.

I'm flat broke so, no, I can't spend real money to get it. GW2 was fun and all, but it was also a financial decision to get away from subscription based games because it was rapidly becoming something we were struggling to afford. Not having to shell out $30/mo. has been a real help, but it's come at the cost of a lot of the "luxuries" we became accustomed to in other games. Even spending $30/mo. on gems in GW2 wouldn't be efficient as the gems->gold conversion is equally terrible and not everything can be purchased in the store.

[Fencers]

I'm curious now.

What luxuries do you get in sub based games for $15 monthly?

Presumably you are investing a lot of effort into wealth in GW2. So what exactly are you working for that is a given in sub based games? And what is effecting enjoyment in GW2 by absence?

[ShimmerSwirl]

I'm curious now.

What luxuries do you get in sub based games for $15 monthly?

Presumably you are investing a lot of effort into wealth in GW2. So what exactly are you working for that is a given in sub based games? And what is effecting enjoyment in GW2 by absence?

What affects my enjoyment is the fact that game design is severely limited by the fact that the game needs its various systems/features to generate profit. A sub game by comparison can build features on the premise of, "Do players enjoy this?" instead of "Can we make money off this?" To me, that design limitation is the biggest drawback to b2p/f2p games.

[Fencers]

What affects my enjoyment is the fact that game design is severely limited by the fact that the game needs its various systems/features to generate profit. A sub game by comparison can build features on the premise of, "Do players enjoy this?" instead of "Can we make money off this?" To me, that design limitation is the biggest drawback to b2p/f2p games.

Do you have anything within GW2 that fits that premise?

I can name no play system in GW2 that is designed around making a buck.