Is it too much to ask for content to be permanent?

[Deleted]

I love this game. I really do. But I have a life, I have a job etc. you get my point. When I love a game I do end up generally finishing most of what it has to offer, even if sometimes I'm behind to curve of progression so to say, as in I might not do X thing while it's the new shiny patch, I do it together with next patch or something, when I get some time... but I can't here. For you see, content goes away. After 2 weeks... and that sucks.

If there's anything that annoys me about Guild Wars 2 it's this, the fact that content goes away in 2-4 weeks. Sure, new content comes... but I will always be reminded I never managed to and never will manage to finish that content which is gone by the non-lighted achievements. I will remember that I missed out on some good lore if I didn't finish 15 achievements asking me to kill/loot 398457932759792659256897295 mobs/things every 2 fucking weeks!

I mean come on! And worse, to top the cake, if I, let's say take a break from the game, then come back in a few months because... I don't know, I had lots of work, or went on vacation or simply didn't feel like playing for a little while... I am presented with new content in the form of only one patch, the one I return too, and some tiny tidbits missed in removal from previous patches I missed.

As I said, if there's anything that annoys me about this game is that I can't do content at my own pace... because the content is gone. And it's not that... one major event is gone and I missed it, I can understand that, it happens. But when ArenaNet works to make some of those amazing patches then removes like 90% from them every 2-4 weeks and I know I had not finished all there is to do it just makes me unhappy.

For example, there was the election thing. It makes sense for the election thing to be in a limited time... but the problem is that with my limited time I had to decide, should I finish the achievements, should I play the survival and the ball carrying game (which I liked both), should I go on the aspect race? I didn't have time for all and in the end I split my time in such a way that I didn't manage to get any done as much as I wanted... and what's worse, I still have some tokens for Gnashblade and I know I was 15 events and 2 games away from my mini-charr... but I will never be able to get it, as the tokens don't work anymore even if applied.

And now another patch has rolled out and I just looked at the achievement list... basically kill 500 mobs while representing each city, kill another 100 for some random reason, collect 30 ballons all across Tyria etc. I'm being honest, as much as I wanted to play and as much as I liked the game when it launched, just seeing that list and knowing I have 3 days to do it since next week another part of the patch comes and that will most likely have another "kill 203948290 mobs" makes me not want to log anymore.

As I said, I love the game, I like that the world is amazing and feels alive... but could some of this damned content remain there and not leave after 2-4 weeks so that I can do it?

What do you think, do you find it ok that 90% of the content goes away (forever most times) after 2-4 weeks?

Disclaimer: I don't want content to be made easier. I don't want there being less content. I just want content to stay.

[mistahwilshire]

It's never made sense to me since there's such an insanely miniscule amount of stuff to do at max level anyway. It's almost like they wanted me to stop playing after I finished leveling the classes I liked.

[zed zebes]

I haven't liked how much of the content has been temporary, but you should have done some more research before making this thread since a lot has been addressed before.

The Queen's Jubilee stuff lasts the entire month. Killing mobs while repping a city is a very easy achievement. It also rewards you with a ton of loot. The actually time consuming stuff is the Gauntlet since the difficulty will keep many from getting all the achievements. You also get credit for doing the LS themed daily in your dailies. So you can get to the meta achievement without doing all the meta achievements.

It has also been said that more permanent content is coming. The first year was to establish the schedule and put in place these annual events. Now those assets are in place and there's more time and people for the company to work on new things, additions to the last event, and brand new permanent stuff.

Remember that old, bad PR statement about an "expansion's worth of content" coming? It was bad word choice, but I think I understand the pre-PR meaning of it. They built GW2. They released GW2. They then had to build the post-launch GW2. That's what the Living Story is about. It is the building of the continual game that expands beyond what was there at launch.

[NightZero88]

I only come back to play the patch and then leave again. I've not done the past 2 patchs (voting and the one before) but have done all the others. That being said I can state that in only about 4 hours a day over the weekend you can get all the achievements to get the meta without much trouble.

Personally I think that maybe lasting a bit longer would be better but you can get stuff done if you put in a bit of effort. I agree it's tough with having a family and what not, I don't have one personally but my game time has gone way down over the past few months (no more raiding in WoW, only doing the patch in GW2, etc) but I still manage to get stuff done if I want too.

[Kelimbror]

While the greedy part of me wishes all content was permanent, it wouldn't really be good for the game. Part of the reason they can do dynamic content is because the world is constantly changing. With the pace they create things, it also prevents a stockpile of overwhelming content for new players. Better to let it be how it is, though I'd prefer it to be a tad bit longer.

[Razael]

Your post is explains better than i could word myself why i no longer feel motivated to log in and play.
Half of the patches revolve around killing X number of mobs and clickin Y number of balloons. The other half , usually in the form of mini games , small story segments , while fun, are gone within 2 weeks. I just can't wrap my head around "having" to play or else you never see it again. I understand the whole concept of Living Story, and while helping the game truly feel dynamic, i feel theres many drawbacks to it. Chief of which is people missing content if they can't play on that time frame.

I feel i got my moneys worth with Guild Wars 2, but i hoped it would be my Go-to MMO but i just don't see that happening, unless they come out with something that blows my mind, that isn't a Achievement asking me to kill a thousand mobs with a certain condition.

[Svifnymr]

For myself, I don't mind the temporary content that much. It's generally paced in such a way that I'm mostly bored of it before that two weeks is up anyway. It could stick around forever, but after a month it'd be empty content just cluttering up the countryside. (click on the holographic pumpkin kite basket to spawn a hologram or aether pirate or plastic spider or... )

The dungeons should probably stick around, but otherwise the events really are time limited in scope.

I mean, Southsun still has the queen events but no one on my server is there to do them. It seems like a good example of content that should have stayed temporary.

I do think they need a mechanic for "catching up" in the story though.

[Zeek Daniels]

I dont mind the temp content i havent played GW2 since April or May due to finishing up college but im about to get back into it on the anniversary and i dont feel like i have missed much other than a few dungeons which they said they will bring back eventually.

[traen]

Mmorpg is not a single player. It should never be designed the way where anyone can achieve anything no matter how bad or lazy he is.
Players should be motivated to play on regular basis and players should be motivated to improve their own skill.

Look at wow for example. Why to bother doing anything if you can get it later at any time, for example 2 years later when you can solo all the bosses? No wonder that it's losing subs.

Look at the bright side: a new unique content every few weeks! More content that you can consume! That sounds like the best mmorpg in the world!

[Karizee]

The very nature of Living Story with it's chapters and dynamic events is one of the things that makes this MMO so innovative.

The 2 week cadence does feel a bit pressured to me but I'm very happy with the 4 week overlapping patches they are rolling out now.

I do like that they are adding more permanent content and that content will be rolling back in (Living story dungeons rolled into Fractals, periodic travel to Labyrinthe Cliffs, etc) but for the Living Story and the whole concept of living breathing world it makes sense for many of these chapters to be one time events. We cannot build Southsun Cove again for instance, that chapter is done. We cannot vote again on what council member we want, the election is done and the story moves forward as the players decided.

[zito]

A lot of the releases were designed to be participated once a year. Holiday event type things.

Halloween, wintersday, dragon bash, queens jubilee are all updates that are gonna happen every year at a specific date.

Southsun the first update stayed, Flame and frost went on for 4 months and nothing in that patch needed to stay (it was just new events to tell a story) besides the Molten Facility which is coming back to stay forever later this year. Super adventure box is coming back, the secret of southsun was another flame and frost (new events that told a story) which gave permanent new events. Sky pirates once again added new events that just told a story and the dungeon is coming back as a fractal later this year. Bazaar of the 4 winds was prob the only odd ball of the updates.

We actually got a lot of permanent things, people don't think of the nature of the updates. On top of that THEY WERE FREE. People complaining about free stuff is just boggling.

[Kelimbror]

On top of that THEY WERE FREE. People complaining about free stuff is just boggling.

Just a bit of a fact check: They cost anywhere between $29.99 - $59.99...which is the cost of the game. They are 100% not free. Though I agree with your sentiment.

[Svifnymr]

A lot of the releases were designed to be participated once a year. Holiday event type things.

Halloween, wintersday, dragon bash, queens jubilee are all updates that are gonna happen every year at a specific date.

I do wonder what changes will be wrought to the events each year. Seems to lose a bit of mystery if Mad King Thorn smashes the statue again. I'd assume that the backpiece procurement may change to the current methods also and become accountbound in the process, but I have two alts with the lesser book that I'd like to upgrade too.

Southsun the first update stayed, Flame and frost went on for 4 months and nothing in that patch needed to stay

Southsun had the problem of "be there at noon on Friday or miss the event", which I missed. That's why I like the new use of instances for some such events.

Flame and Frost was generally regarded as going on for way way too long. it's a perfect example of the counter to the OP, folks did it right away and wondered why it was still there.

On top of that THEY WERE FREE. People complaining about free stuff is just boggling.

While I agree with most stuff, saying "they were free" doesn't really justify the update cycle one way or the other. Updates are to keep the folks engaged in the game, so their opinions do matter. Anet doesn't want folks to buy the game, play the core zones, then quit, so they need to take into account the opinions of the players.

[zito]

Just a bit of a fact check: They cost anywhere between $29.99 - $59.99...which is the cost of the game. They are 100% not free. Though I agree with your sentiment.

No, the game itself and whatever was included cost 60$. Anything else they added after that is free and the permanent new content is included (if someone buys the game today) is free.

The updates are free the game was not

While I agree with most stuff, saying "they were free" doesn't really justify the update cycle one way or the other. Updates are to keep the folks engaged in the game, so their opinions do matter. Anet doesn't want folks to buy the game, play the core zones, then quit, so they need to take into account the opinions of the players.

You don't seem to know how updates originally were in Guild wars 1. It usually contained small updates of quests every few months and holiday events and then you had to buy an expansion.

If you play the game you are part of the update cycle and they are free. People complaining about missing "updates" are complaining they don't play (they have ample time to do everything in the updates) and are complaining about free stuff. And there is always an update going on no matter if you missed the previous update or not, there is always something new for you to do.

[Fencers]

I don't see why one should care if the content is permanent in GW2. The nature of the game from a design POV lends itself well to fleeting content.

I suspect it would be a lot more tiresome and thin if say a new jumping puzzle was in all the time. You'd just run the JP of the bi-month once or twice then move on. Just like the already existing JPs. The time limited factor and thematic presentation is the driving force behind content that is essentially a collection of mini games w/ a limited interface.

Frankly, it's not even sensible to expect some of this LS content to be permanent.

[Kelimbror]

No, the game itself and whatever was included cost 60$. Anything else they added after that is free and the permanent new content is included (if someone buys the game today) is free.

If you can't access the updates without spending money, then it is not free. This argument is used incorrectly all over these forums. While it's at the low, low cost of what I posted..it's not free. I can't just download GW2 and access this new content on its own. I know you would like to argue semantics over this, but the point is that this shouldn't be used to justify content. It has a cost, albeit a very low cost.

Mainly, the price shouldn't be a factor in this discussion or really many discussions over the quality of content. It is not free, but it is irrelevant. Trash is still trash whether it is given to you or you paid $100 for it and v/v. (GW2 is not trash obviously)

[zito]

If you can't access the updates without spending money, then it is not free. This argument is used incorrectly all over these forums. While it's at the low, low cost of what I posted..it's not free. I can't just download GW2 and access this new content on its own. I know you would like to argue semantics over this, but the point is that this shouldn't be used to justify content. It has a cost, albeit a very low cost.

Mainly, the price shouldn't be a factor in this discussion or really many discussions over the quality of content. It is not free, but it is irrelevant. Trash is still trash whether it is given to you or you paid $100 for it and v/v. (GW2 is not trash obviously)

I was talking about the content for the game that is being added in updates is Free. Not the actual game itself.

Don't get smart Kitty, this is prob where your mom would smack you upside the head for being a smart ass.

[Fencers]

Don't people complain in other games regardless of their free updates as well?

It doesn't seem too bizarre to think something is crummy even if it's free. Free doesn't mean you have to love it or can't bring fault against a piece of content.

[Grummgug]

This made me quit years ago.

[carnifex2005]

The cadence of the content is perfect (every two weeks, major areas staying up for 4 weeks). After playing other MMO's with permanent content and now doing this type of content, I've come to the conclusion that permanent content is overrated. A month at a time is more then good enough for me.