Thinking about buying...Few class questions after looking up info.

[namelessone]

what does that even mean?

Look up the word "progress" in dictionary.

[Valeron]

Look up the word "progress" in dictionary.

1. Movement, as toward a goal; advance.

when we talk about horizontal versus vertical, we are mostly talking about the statistical power progression of your character. There are other forms of progression besides that, I mean even look at your suggestion of looking at the definition of it.

[lawow74]

what does that even mean?

Bigger numbers, basically, on your gear. Which I can understand, if you don't like the GW 2 achieves, doing map completion, trying to get a legendary or nifty gearbits and then customize them to your delight, do sPvP or WvW. If you've done all of that you care to, and don't enjoy just playing the game because it's fun, then you would lose interest.

If you want to keep chasing the bigger numbers on gear, this isn't the game for you. There's very little of that involved here.

[Valeron]

Bigger numbers, basically, on your gear. Which I can understand, if you don't like the GW 2 achieves, doing map completion, trying to get a legendary or nifty gearbits and then customize them to your delight, do sPvP or WvW. If you've done all of that you care to, and don't enjoy just playing the game because it's fun, then you would lose interest.

If you want to keep chasing the bigger numbers on gear, this isn't the game for you. There's very little of that involved here.

well what he said was so open ended. progression can mean anything that works towards a goal

[namelessone]

1. Movement, as toward a goal; advance.

when we talk about horizontal versus vertical, we are mostly talking about the statistical power progression of your character. There are other forms of progression besides that, I mean even look at your suggestion of looking at the definition of it.

"Advance". Sure, doesn't have to be numbers, but something needs to advance. Otherwise it's not progression. If my character's power is not advancing, what IS? Honest question.

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well what he said was so open ended. progression can mean anything that works towards a goal

Sure, what goal does the game have?

[lawow74]

Personally, I do want to see the story advance. I want to see us go back to Cantha, or Elona, find out what's been going on and do something about it. See if they'll reveal other Elder Dragons, bring back the Mursaat/Seers, or good old bad old Palawa Joko. I'm willing to wait, and hope they'll release an expansion, and not push up the level cap or add gear treadmilling as part of it.

Right now I'll settle for them doing something more with Scarlet than this flittering about laughing like a loon scattering gribblies for us to kill routine.

[rhandric]

"Advance". Sure, doesn't have to be numbers, but something needs to advance. Otherwise it's not progression. If my character's power is not advancing, what IS? Honest question.

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Sure, what goal does the game have?

The game? None in particular, though it gives the players plenty of goals they can set for themselves, whether it be seeking a certain look (both in armor and in dyes), achievements, participation in the living story, completing dungeons and/or fractals...the game just doesn't hold your hand and say, hey look, this is what you need to be doing to progress!

[namelessone]

The game? None in particular, though it gives the players plenty of goals they can set for themselves, whether it be seeking a certain look (both in armor and in dyes), achievements, participation in the living story, completing dungeons and/or fractals...the game just doesn't hold your hand and say, hey look, this is what you need to be doing to progress!

You can say this about literally any game in existence. Any game allows you to pick your own goals. Even tetris - for example seeing how many times per second you can switch it on and off, how many lines you can collect without using any L tetrominoes, etc. I can hardly call it a horizontal progression. Or rather, it's not progress, it's just finding ways to kill time.

Yeah, I get it, new gear for the sake of new gear is not something everyone enjoys, and I agree with it. But they could open new areas, expand the story - there are so many things that can be done without the need to increase numbers.

[Fencers]

Well, in terms of gameplay the goal(s) of Guild Wars 2 are expressed as progression through the character levels, acquisition of gear to the game's power ceiling and completion of the personal story.

There are goals in Guild Wars 2 set by gameplay. It's not a directionless game in terms of goals.

IIRC, the very first interactions in GW2 informs one of 2 of the 3 goals the game sets out in all but one gameplay mode. I think the reveal is by level 3 or something. Warcraft does it by level 10 or 12, if memory serves. EQ was like level 35-ish or something absurd. Just for comparison sake, natch.

However, because GW2 is largely nonlinear in it's play structures one can create extrinsic goals not directly pushed by gameplay. Though possibly informed by gameplay- such as jumping puzzles, world completion or PVP competition.

Which some people take to mean it's a "set your own goals" type of game. Which it is not necessarily, but one can as GW2 intends to facilitate such a play environment.

[Milocow]

The problem with necros is that they offer no utility in a dungeon.
They may have 18k base HP but they have NO access to vigor. (dodge only every 10 seconds)

[Lovestar]

One thing you can do to try out the different professions is go to the PvP lobby (Heart of the Mists - crossed sword icon). There you are boosted to 80 with free access to all traits, skills, stats, runes, sigils, etc. You can play around on the target golems or profession golems, there's even a boss there. Try the different weapons, they greatly affect the playstyle.

This is the single most useful thing I have ever learned about GW2... ever. Thank you. ♥

[Doomtrain]

Back to the OP:

Going to start by saying, I'm a filthy casual. Take from this what you will. After playing from Halloween to Feb, I played through GW2, hit all the story stuff and hit 80 on a couple characters. Then I sort of hit a wall, where this game doesn't have any more vertical advancement and, as posted by others, became a "dress up" game. I went to SWTOR for 3 months, loved the stories (esp. imperial agent and bounty hunter), but then I did just about everything that game had to offer and didn't see much of a reason to continue. Went back to WoW to pick up my chars from where I left off (just after Cata), and played through the panda xpac. I was refreshingly surprised by the quality of everything and really enjoyed taking several characters up to 90. After a while though, I actually felt myself missing Guild wars 2. So I logged in. Then it struck me. THIS is the casual gamers' MMO.

Is this game for everyone? Nope. Is this the best game ever? hell no. It is what it is. Its a beautiful and fun game with 2 week updates. Most of the folks complaining about game balance issues and classes not being fun or the game not progressing.. they all are looking for the game to be something its not, just as I was. Yes, there are things ANET needs to fix that are glaring issues with some classes. Don't play what isn't fun for you. Some folks play those "broken" classes and have since launch because they are fun to them! . Don't read into the QQ completely. ALL MMOs are broken works in progress. Find what you think is fun and play it.

When something new comes out that strikes my interest, I'll probably give it a go, but I love the fact I can just pick up where I left off with GW2 and unless there's some cheap event where they're giving away "precursors", I'm probably ok to miss it. And... its fun for me. So, as long as its fun, I'll keep playin. Give the game a try, but keep an open mind. Try to play it for what it is, not for what you or anyone else thinks it ought to be.