Next living story will add more permanet content

[Rhywolver]

According to this reddit thread the next living story will add more permanent content. ANet employee Lady Avant answered a few questions ingame, which give more information than most interviews we've seen in the last couple of weeks.

For example, there is a team working on end-game gear progression now and they have enough content in the works to release an expansion, but might release it like they have in the past.

Full Q&As in the pictures.

[Meledelion]

For example, there is a team working on end-game gear progression now

WTF does that mean?
1. There is no end-game
2. I DO NOT WANT GEAR PROGRESSION!

and they have enough content in the works to release an expansion, but might release it like they have in the past.

Heard that before...

[Rhywolver]

Yes, everything said should be taken with a grain of salt. Gear progression could mean anything, ppl on reddit thought it could be something like ascend jewelcrafting or maybe ascend runes and sigils.

I don't want gear progression either. Hell, I still have exotic stuff in nearly all slots.

[zed zebes]

I imagine gear progression is ascended jewelcrafting or maybe some sort of legendary accessory or backpack. It can also mean they plan to do more things like the Spinal Blade backpack, which had its own form of progression in order to create the ascended version. Precursor quest is gear progression as well.

[Meledelion]

No that's gear attainment, not progression.

[Sylvanie]

Given that she said that they "have a dedicated team working on end-game gear progression, that is all [she] can say" in response to comments about shield aesthetics, this appears to be about looks rather than stats. I also doubt that an ArenaNet employee would just casually indicate a major change in the game's focus in an offhand reply.

[Shaede]

As much as I disagree with alot of their decisions I do think they are pretty awesome to be talking and hanging out with people in game. I wish more companies did this

[Achaman]

As much as I disagree with alot of their decisions I do think they are pretty awesome to be talking and hanging out with people in game. I wish more companies did this

tabula rasa had it.. but it was usually around the time of a new update

[Valeron]

I wonder if the gear progression is just different levels of infusions. wooden potatoes was talking about that in his video podcast

[zito]

God no more vertical gear progression please. Stats don't make things interesting.

Enough content for an expansion I call BS. Remember south sun first release? LOL yea expansion sure...

[Fencers]

WTF does that mean?
1. There is no end-game
2. I DO NOT WANT GEAR PROGRESSION!

There is no PVE endgame currently. But there is nothing to like stop Anet from adding one.

Besides, the way the question was answered in the chat screencap could be interpreted many ways.

[lawow74]

To be fair, the addition of Ascended gear was catching all other forms of equipment up to the power ceiling of Legendary weaponry(as well as additional monetization of the game)and even that brought a lot of controversy with it. I don't think ANet is going to invalidate the acquisition of these items by pushing the stat budgets higher. I think going forward we might see more things like the Spinal Blade Pack, where you can upgrade an item to better stats via the MF, and further customize things with shiny effects and whatnot.

[Zephyr Storm]

WTF does that mean?
1. There is no end-game
2. I DO NOT WANT GEAR PROGRESSION!

Heard that before...

Pretty much this.

[zed zebes]

To be fair, the addition of Ascended gear was catching all other forms of equipment up to the power ceiling of Legendary weaponry(as well as additional monetization of the game)and even that brought a lot of controversy with it. I don't think ANet is going to invalidate the acquisition of these items by pushing the stat budgets higher. I think going forward we might see more things like the Spinal Blade Pack, where you can upgrade an item to better stats via the MF, and further customize things with shiny effects and whatnot.

Actually, Legendary was the same power as exotic. Ascended just added another tier of power above that.

Ascended gear was probably the greatest waste of time in their development. It added extremely little to the game, pissed people off, lost them players, and didn't keep "progression" players. It's just this big old pointless grind that exists within the game, being only relevant to high level fractals.

[Deleted]

maybe some kind of upgrading existing gear for new looks
not like transmuting the looks but joining few items to gain new looks which will be legendary or something

[Meledelion]

It's just this big old pointless grind that exists within the game, being only relevant to high level fractals.

Which you can no longer access...

[Deleted]

gear progression like the pre cursor "quest / craft" line or like just cosmetic stuff or even maybe a grear treadmill? i hope its not the latest

[Valeron]

even maybe a grear treadmill? i hope its not the latest

I seriously doubt that it is this. While they have made some mistakes (don't start Zephyr) they certainly know that their playerbase wouldn't stand for this.

[Arlee]

Well the did mention Legendary Armor last year and then decided to push it back to this year. So that might be what she meant.

[Valeron]

personally hope that legendary just stays with weapons. if they have to make armor legendary, hopefully it is just the same stat levels as ascended but with the addition that one can mix around the stat combinations like they can with the legendary weapons