My Problems with Guild Wars 2

[Dblbaconator]

The story is there, actually, if you care to look. You may not know those details, but your character does. The game itself just skips over some steps, and makes them entirely optional.

But that's bad story design for two reasons:
1. If you make the story optional, but not presented easily, then there are people who will never realize why they're doing what they're doing. When I played the beta, I never really knew why I was helping anyone apart from "well, they're charr, and I'm charr, and they need help, and I need XP...alright I'll go do it." Even if you abhor reading quest text, at least the story of what you need to do is splashed right in front of you, and you can look back at it any time until you complete the quest.
2. If you continue designing your story based off of assuming players actually dig into it, eventually you will have people get lost because they missed something along the way. This problem is exacerbated by references to GW1 that many players may never have experienced or heard of. My beta experiences left me further confused as I continued to play, and I wondered just why I should care about anything I was doing.

Also, I like how you say that players should go around and talk to every NPC to get the story, when you basically do that in WoW with quest text! Imagine that.

I'll also concur with the disjointed feeling some have mentioned by having to abandon their current path for a while because they had to go grind up some more levels elsewhere before resuming. It makes the game play...oddly. When your momentum gets thrown for a curve, it's easy to lose incentive to keep playing, and probably contributed to my decision not to buy the game.

You really don't look at the game critically, I've got to say. Every post of yours I've seen has been glowing with praise to a fault, with your seeming disregard for anyone else's criticisms. The game's alright, but it's not that great.

[SirRobin]

Mounts killed wow world pvp.
If you get back to the battle 10 seconds after you died then whats the point of killing anyone?

How about a little extra speed buff then? Maybe not mounts per se but something to put a little extra pep in your step.

[DrakeWurrum]

But that's bad story design for two reasons:
1. If you make the story optional, but not presented easily

They're presented plenty easily. You go talk to people, and the story is there.

I wondered just why I should care about anything I was doing.

Because you're a hero. This entire game is predicated on the idea that your character is a hero, and out in the world with the goal of being a hero. When you see people in trouble, you don't run up and ask "Hey, what are you paying?" You're a freaking hero, you just jump in and help, as far as your character is concerned.

You really don't look at the game critically, I've got to say. Every post of yours I've seen has been glowing with praise to a fault, with your seeming disregard for anyone else's criticisms. The game's alright, but it's not that great.

This is nothing more than a pathetic attempt at a personal attack, and only weakens your position.

[Cthulhu 2020]

How about a little extra speed buff then? Maybe not mounts per se but something to put a little extra pep in your step.

Once 2 week WvW resets are implemented, and not daily resets like they currently are, I imagine people and guilds will be more inclined to upgrade keeps/towers even further, which includes waypoints, although they're very expensive, and cannot be used with enemies nearby. Still, when every keep/tower has a waypoint, it'll be easy to go to the nearest one to an attack. This does somewhat trivialize the whole aspect of slow response, but as I said, they're very costly at 1 gold and probably won't be used except on very secure areas.

[Deleted]

I laugh at people who think all the dungeons are the same.

My guild completed all story modes and ALL possible explorable modes. We are farming Flame Citadel ATM.

And I have to say.. explorer modes (except AC - it sucks :P) are fucking awesome. The multitude of different boss mechanics is amazing. So many different challenges, I applaud the developers. I also like the fact that they were not afraid of making "boss" encounters that.. don't require you to fight anything, just you and your reflexes and planning.

Story modes are bland, I could agree with you, but damn, exlo rule

[Deleted]

gw2 is far from perfect but it isn't dumbed down and it's definately not for everyone, that's a good thing

[Deleted]

Still better than the WoW clone type questing. Run here, talk to dudeman, get quest, kill 10 rats/boars/bears/bandits etc. No story in that either. Granted, GW2 also has this, just presented in a better way. Just like WoW took previous MMOs, added a quest system for a change, and became the standard.

Actually WoW quests have tonnes of story behind them. The trouble is that most people can't be arsed to read the quest text any more.

To be fair, I remember I had to turn off the slow quest text almost immediately as you often ended up getting attacked while it was still rolling...

Sure there are the random kill/farm type quests but then there are whole lines like Dunwalds - or indeed the whole zone of Hyjal was one big story development. Leyara's locket is pretty much pure story. And then there are little stories like the Blood Elf widow who gets you to recover her husband's journal, discovers he'd had an affair, then enlists you to get revenge on the other woman and rewards you with her wedding ring!

There are also quest lines like the one you mention (betrayal) not to mention the whole Drakuru affair or the saga of Thorin in WotLK.

[Deleted]

Yeah, I agree with the OP on a lot of his points but his first mistake was in thinking this game was going to be his new "MMO home" for the next few years in the same way as WoW was. This is a pick up and play for bursts at a time kind of a game; sure, some people will get a few years out of it but they would be a minority I guess. One thing I wish they would add is a button which ended the downed state because it sucks dying when there is noone around and you have watch that stupid bar go down before you can ress at a waypoint and walk back to where you were. And dungeons are a waste of time after you have done a couple; it's just five people kiting constantly and hitting dodge on CD giving an illusion of action when actually it is all very snoresville. As a casual game to play in between others it is good though and was well worth the money.

[Deleted]

The story is there, actually, if you care to look. You may not know those details, but your character does. The game itself just skips over some steps, and makes them entirely optional. If you care to know the details as well, you only have to look.

So one-liners like this tell the story.

Great storytelling right here. But meh, the gameplay is more important (no sarcasm, I mean it).

[Ghosty]

Wait so the OP power levels to 80 in 4 days then complains that there is no story involved in the zones or DE's. I'm guessing he skipped through as many of the cut scenes as he could as well. Now many of his other points may be valid based on his opinion, but to say there is no story when you blew past most of the content as fast as possible to rush to 80 invalidates any opinion he might have on the quality or quantity of the story content.

[SirRobin]

So one-liners like this tell the story.

Great storytelling right here. But meh, the gameplay is more important (no sarcasm, I mean it).

I love GW2's story for as much as what it isn't as what it is. So many games recently have have felt like they were ramming their "story" down my throat whether I wanted it or not, I'm looking at you TOR, and I'm frankly fed up with it. GW2 not only has a story but, like with Skyrim, its an optional story. I don't think I have a single personal story quest even up to the thirties. Most I ignore as soon as the tut is over.

Best of all? GW2 has no problem with letting me do just that.

"Are you going to make me start watching cutscene after cutscene?"

"Nope."

"I love you."

"Security!"

[Shiny212]

Agree with alot of your stuff, especially downed state being pointless and annoying.

[Waltzinblack]

Wait so the OP power levels to 80 in 4 days then complains that there is no story involved in the zones or DE's. I'm guessing he skipped through as many of the cut scenes as he could as well. Now many of his other points may be valid based on his opinion, but to say there is no story when you blew past most of the content as fast as possible to rush to 80 invalidates any opinion he might have on the quality or quantity of the story content.

I never complained about there being no story in zones or DEs. I complained that the personal story was shit, but that is it.

[DrakeWurrum]

So one-liners like this tell the story.

Great storytelling right here.

Wait, so what you're telling me is that you expect him to give a grand speech that tells the entire tale for you?

THAT is immersion breaking.

[Deleted]

Me and my girlfriend were also quite disapointed in the story line. A giant attack on Claw island? A few footsoldiers here and there.

Potential spoiler down below




The biggest ???? moment was towards the end of the storyline, where they succesfully introduce 2 new characters whom i have no idea comes from or have meet, those being Apatia and the Butterfly cyborg wannabe. Who are they and why should i care about a norn in a cage? No clue, carry on.
Then the personal story is broken, making you unable to progress any further. This lasted for 8 days and there were 5 places in the story line where this happened, which shows how tested some of the content really was.

Finally get to fight against Zhaitan and the loot is bugged, dropping level 20-40 loot, nevermind the fact that the ending was about as exciting as the Borderlands 1 ending.

[fecalizer]

Just to add a bit in regards to the personal story, I find my character's personality to be mindlessly boring. Zero character depth, he is what he is (which is a saint) and it never changes. There was a fair amount of discussion on this during the beta, that if they wanted a "personal" story they needed to present with decisions that go beyond "should we defend or ambush the bad guys." They needn't go so far as allow us to create "evil" characters, by my god, if I remember right there is a portion of a human personal story wherein you choose to save an orphanage or a veteran hospital.

I think the majority of gamers can handle a nonperfect character that is a hero nonetheless.

[Deleted]

Wait, so what you're telling me is that you expect him to give a grand speech that tells the entire tale for you?

THAT is immersion breaking.

Are there only extremes for you? It doesn't have to be a grand speech. But just having one line that tells nothing and call that "story". Nah.

[draykorinee]

Another thread for negativ eopinions would have been better off writing it in the dedicated one, even I am getting bored of the constant to and fro in these forums, although Im glad im not alone in my complete and utter disappointment in this game I just dont think we need another thread about it :S Good points you made btw agree with them all.
On a side note, Mounts didnt kill world pvp, it didnt exist on most servers way before flying mounts.

[micklavier]

I enjoy the long walks in WvW. It makes me choose my path/surroundings/actions MUCH more carefully. Mounts are not needed IMO.

Also, downed state is a lot of fun when you rally and take over a point. I love when an enemy thinks they've got me and I get up and start firing away. IMO it adds something new to PvP.

[DrakeWurrum]

Are there only extremes for you? It doesn't have to be a grand speech. But just having one line that tells nothing and call that "story". Nah.

I'm just saying, I don't know what you're expecting, when you consider how it's handled in other games, with characters giving you their life story for each and every quest, when all I wanna do is do the quest, get my exp/gold, and move on to the next.