I always hate reading a review when you know the reviewer spent so little time playing. GWEN does have issue, of course nothing can please everyone all the time. But when I say it has issues I know this I have played it.
As to people saying casual players will have a bare hall...well let me see. I have 3 heros on display two sets of armor including the Asuran, yes the Asuran, not sure why someone said it could not go in the hall no issue with mine. I never bought the head piece I prefered the dark glasses but hey that is me.
I have a couple of destroyer weapons. I love that dungeon what end game dungeon lets you split your time up inside and do it when you have the time?
And the grind for aesthetics is still *GASP!* a grind for AESTHETICS. Hooray to Guild Wars, who provides max armor, max weapons AND max skills early enough to where the rest of the game is purely based on player skill.
Actually, you're not just grinding for aesthetics. Every racial skill you earn (like LB and SS skills in Nightfall) gets more effective the higher your rank in those titles. Dwarven skills get better with higher dwarven ranks. Asuran skills get better with higher Asuran ranks, etc, etc.
The point is, you get those ranks - for the most part - by farming the reputation points you need to get them higher. Farming is a time-based activity, not a skill-based one. The more time you put into farming, the higher your ranks, the better your skills (skills you can't use in PvP, BTW).
In other words, you're heavily rewarded for sinking time into this game which is 180 degrees contrary to how Prophecies was marketed.
GWEN has all the feel and playability of an Asian grinder now. That's how far they've moved from the original vision.
Funny I know lots of people who've conquered GW:EN without ever having to Grind.
Of course I mean GRIND as defined as something you HAVE to do in order to progress in the game. Any titles or ranks I needed to progress in Guild Wars happened naturally as I progressed through the plot; everything else (including the PvE skills) are merely OPTIONAL, BONUS skills that give an edge. And you're right, they're not for PvP, so why are you crying? That means they're not necessary to compete. If you don't want the skills, then it's simple to NOT grind towards it.
Of course I mean GRIND as defined as something you HAVE to do in order to progress in the game.
The reason people aren't making sense to you is because your definition is wrong. The 'nutjob' emote was in poor taste, as well.
'Grinding is a pejorative term used in computer gaming to describe the process of engaging in repetitive and/or non-entertaining gameplay in order to gain access to other features within the game.' -- Sorens, Neil (2007-03-26). Rethinking the MMO. Gamasutra.
GW, by means of requiring repetitive task completion (kill X mobs, rezone, repeat) to access armors, gather certain materials, increase ranks in Kurzick/Luxon, Sunspear, Lightbringer, Asura, Deldrimor, Norn and Vanguard title tracks, to access certain content and to outfit one's monument... has grind.
GW enforces a moderate level of grind by offering PvE skills that give players an edge in the more challenging areas -- a player who can (and is willing to) play 18 hours a day, 7 days a week will have a substantial edge over players who can only find the time for 12 hours a week, regardless of reasonable differences in skill. This stands opposed to Anet's original design philosophy for Guild Wars.
This stands opposed to Anet's original design philosophy for Guild Wars.
In fact, they've moved so far from their original promotion of "skill, not time", they don't even promote the game that way anymore.
Prophecies was unique among MMOs (which is why so many people argue whether it is or isn't). GWEN has brought the game to the level of virtually every other "me too" grinder on the market.
As noted in another post, I've gone back to City of Heroes for now. Yeah, it's a major-league grinder, but at least it's different. I'm just sad to see A-Net taking the game in this direction.
I was one of the biggest supporters of this game through Factions, and even through Nightfall if only for the heroes.
Now, GWEN has completely turned me off to the game.
And for you, Lazaro, here's one back at ya':
One more thing that pisses me off about all the "l337" crap in GWEN: Seems to me, I paid the same price for the game that everyone else did. Why should I be denied access to the same features the "leet kiddies" can get simply because they have more time to grind out that crap?
So simply because I have less time to grind than someone else, that makes me less of a customer???
Not according to my credit card, it doesn't!
If A-Net is taking GW2 down this road, they should offer two versions of the game: one version with all the leet crap people can pay extra for, and a basic version that provides no access to that stuff. Call it the "grind-free" version. I'd buy that.
In my case, I have 23 characters spread across 2 accounts. Most of the extra slots were purchased before Nightfall was released. Had I known then that the grind to make them effective via reputation farming would have been so extreme, I wouldn't have bothered buying the extra slots.
First off 23, thats ridiculous. But I dont see how this reviewert cant get away with giving it such a crap review. EVEN G4 gave it a 4 our of 5, PC gamer an 80% range score (which isnt bad seeing that they dont give 100%s and still thought it was good). Obviously the reviewer has something against Guildwars. Hell, he probably sucks more than the average porn star at Guildwars and because of his poor gaming skills he is writing this review. I mean, i am not hardcore, I may look as if I am from my hours in my sig, but I havent played for three weeks..I mean, I dont have trouble, and I am not hardcore. Grow SOME BALLZ reviewer, and to mmorpg.com, you are partially responsible for letting this idiot post this $#!t review. What a buncha idiots, and then to go putting it in the email, and on the front page like its actually credible. Comeon guys! I am losin faith in this site for its unbiased reviews of games when they allow trash like this to be posted.
Your hours do not look all too 'hardcore', Finalhour, I wouldn't worry about that. (I have 3000 hours clocked over 32 months, and would likely have more if EotN hadn't been such a disappointment).
Your response is kind of all over the place. What points do you disagree with? What is incorrect in the review?
I do think the review is poorly written (As others stated, it makes no mention of PvP or the minigames), but I don't particularly disagree with the content.
Your hours do not look all too 'hardcore', Finalhour, I wouldn't worry about that. (I have 3000 hours clocked over 32 months, and would likely have more if EotN hadn't been such a disappointment). Your response is kind of all over the place. What points do you disagree with? What is incorrect in the review? I do think the review is poorly written (As others stated, it makes no mention of PvP or the minigames), but I don't particularly disagree with the content.
The whole review in general was pretty bad but here were the points that I disagreed with:
Well to start, the review is negative, citing the "small" number of new skills, numbering "only" 150..I mean come on its an expansion not a new campaign. Next he goes on to criticize the graphics and even the landscapes as he characterizes the graphics as average" comparing Guildwars to other games which include games form other genres..last time I checked Hellgate London was not an mmo..*cough* idiot *cough*....Plus other reviews of the game, such as G4's review recognized the landscapes and cool graphics over all. This isnt a DX10 game, why hold it up to that standard...does this reviewer know anything? Next he holds the game accountable for a few stupid players..though I will guess that he is just a complete noob and they were merely calling him on it. GWEN isnt for people who dont know their way around the GW franchise. Come oN! He rates the customer service as indifferent. Now I have had my share of issues with NCSoft, but support forums? I dont know about you but those are useless...yet he cites the lack of them. Yeah..God forbid we have actual contact with NCSoft professionals..Lets leave it to other gamers to solve our problems....did I mention the reviewer makes no sense and is an idiot? thats a problem too, he criticizes the lack of anything "meaty" but is it me or is GWEN an EXPANSION? HELLO!? And its not as if the dungeons aren't fun and time consuming and MEATY, maybe not to the storyline but its meant to be short, to be an EXPANSION. Later on he says that the story is ripped from the lord of the rings? WTF!? Guildwars dwarves are different..different story to it too...what a F***en LOTR fanboy...Someone shut this guy up...This guy's review totally BS's a good expansion to a great series that will take the world by storm with GW2. Its judgement of it as merely a preview of GW2 is unmerited...and if that is the kind of review I can expect to see on mmorpg.com from now on, then I am done reading them
Agreed. Like I said, though, it hit on some of the key issues in EotN.
Well to start, the review is negative, citing the "small" number of new skills, numbering "only" 150. I mean come on its an expansion not a new campaign.
100, plus 50 PvE skills. It's half (or a third, depending on how you look at it) what's in the campaigns, in a game that's 75% of the cost of the chapters. The reviewer, I imagine, is trying to convey the value of EotN. You say, 'it's only an expansion, not a new campaign' - well, a reviewer has to compare it to something, and the campaigns are a good starting point. 50% (or 33%) of the skills for something that costs 75% of the price. Less value for the same dollar.
Next he goes on to criticize the graphics and even the landscapes as he characterizes the graphics as average" comparing Guildwars to other games which include games form other genres..last time I checked Hellgate London was not an mmo.
Anet has stated in the past that GW isn't an MMORPG either. See MMORPG and CORPG for reference. Hellgate London is, many would argue, a CORPG.
Plus other reviews of the game, such as G4's review recognized the landscapes and cool graphics over all.
On Earth, reviewers do not always agree.
This isnt a DX10 game, why hold it up to that standard?
Because the game is/was released in late 2007, with other games also arriving on the shelves. It's generally appropriate to compare a game with the games of the same time period.
Next he holds the game accountable for a few stupid players. Though I will guess that he is just a complete noob and they were merely calling him on it.
It's possible. Given the tone of your reply, you could've been one of them.
Having admitted that, I do have to point out that when you're reviewing an online game, it's a good step forward to comment on the community. GW's community is not fantastic. Towns are, even with preventative measures taken, mostly filled with spam. Pick up groups tend to be abominable as often as not, and the creation and management of a guild (something I am all too familiar with) can be a major struggle.
He rates the customer service as indifferent. Now I have had my share of issues with NCSoft, but support forums? I dont know about you but those are useless...yet he cites the lack of them.
Their customer support is not fantastic, with one exception I heartily approved of.
If one has an issue with the game, harassment or other players, the process is convoluted. One must visit their site, access NCsoft support, use the 'ask a question' feature to submit their issue, and then face a flurry of automated (sometimes hilariously misguided) replies. If you had an issue with a player, you will never be notified if/when the issue is resolved. This is to protect the customer, which is a necessary evil, but frustrating nevertheless.
All of this isn't intuitive. Even with that said and done, the replies and contact I've had in perhaps a dozen contacts with NCsoft have been lukewarm at best. All that being said and done, Anet did implement a feature that lets players report one another. It's rather well implemented (if rather late in terms of timeline) and deserves a kudos.
Yeah..God forbid we have actual contact with NCSoft professionals..Lets leave it to other gamers to solve our problems....did I mention the reviewer makes no sense?
I don't understand what you're saying here, so I can't really reply.
Thats a problem too, he criticizes the lack of anything "meaty" but is it me or is GWEN an EXPANSION? HELLO!?
An expansion shouldn't be an excuse to release less content. A player is allowed to buy a game with a reasonable expectation that they'll get good value for their dollar. With EotN, people can look at the price and say, "Well, it costs $60 when the other chapters cost $80, so I guess there's 25% less content. They'd be rather disappointed.
And its not as if the dungeons aren't fun and time consuming and MEATY.
Depends on the player. Many I knew had no interest in dungeons. I don't want to argue over a definition as vague as 'Meaty', but I will say this: Dungeons are not for everyone, and chronically reuse art, monsters, challenges and features. There's not much depth or originality between dungeons, and I personally found it a bore to complete the full set.
maybe not to the storyline but its meant to be short, to be an EXPANSION.
An expansion shouldn't be an excuse to release less content.
Later on he says that the story is ripped from the lord of the rings? WTF!? Guildwars dwarves are different..different story to it too...what a F***en LOTR fanboy...Someone shut this guy up...This guy's review totally BS's a good expansion to a great series that will take the world by storm with GW2.
Here we're moving away from the legible arguments and moving more into the raw opinion of an enthusiastic player.
I can see where & why he said it (A number of very different races band together to defeat the big bad evil) but I do think it was a bad argument on the reviewer's part. Moving on.
Its judgement of it as merely a preview of GW2 is unmerited...
I think it's pretty merited.
HUGE SPOILERS
The entire storyline is essentially meant to introduce the races of GW2. What's the ending cinematic? An ad/prelude to GW2, complete with the other race of GW2 and the (incredibly frustrating) reality that the great destroyer isn't really dead, so you have to play GW2 to finish.
Hmm, I thought the review was fine. I was on the fence about buying the game, the reviewer cleared up alot of things making my decision easier. That's the whole point of reviews right? So people who are familiar but have not actually experienced it, can make some informed decisions?
You guys are saying things about mini games but honestly I don't care about things like that. I wanted to know if the graphics and sound changed, if the gameplay changed, how many more skills, how many more items, WAS IT WORTH THE PURCHASE.
So I'm not sure what all the whining is about. He answered all the major questions I had. Even after reading all the negative comments from "not-hardcore-but-hardcore-enough-to-log-into-a-forum-and-complain" players, I only learned one additional thing that the reviewer didn't have. However the final conclusion is the same. The game is overprice, wait a bit and buy it when there's a price-cut. Can anyone honestly say otherwise?
Quite a lot of GW:EN's features has been left off in that review, to the point that the text can't really be taken as a reference point.
Is the storyline short? Yes. However that's mainly because GW:EN does NOT focus on the storyline, rather on all the secondary, repeatable content. Primarily dungeons. Which you can also do in hard mode later on if you think they aren't challenging enough as they are. They definitely make up for the lack of standard missions. Remember GW:EN is supposed to keep you busy till GW2 comes around.
That simple omission makes the review not so credible.
And it goes downhill from there.
Then I'll take a few jabs are some comments up there... Like
GW enforces a moderate level of grind by offering PvE skills that give players an edge in the more challenging areas -- a player who can (and is willing to) play 18 hours a day, 7 days a week will have a substantial edge over players who can only find the time for 12 hours a week, regardless of reasonable differences in skill. This stands opposed to Anet's original design philosophy for Guild Wars.
Edge? PvP-wise, no, as it's always been through the franchise... PvE? Err yeah ok? So someone who did more PvE runs in Prophecies back in 2005 didn't get more money than someone who played less? Didn't they get their ascended sets, and later their titles, faster? Nothing new, and in the end, there is no "edge" whatsoever that influences gameplay, it's all cosmetic. So no, this isn't even remotely opposed to Anet's original design philosophy for Guild Wars in any way.
For the same reason I see no point in freaking out if you think your HoM won't be packed like an egg at GW2's release. Besides, GW1 will still be supported when GW2 comes out.
Aww crap I don't even feel like having a bite at trashtalk regarding the community and the "not MMO" for the 187687346583745th time. You could try to carve some sense right on their face they'd still deny it.
Anyway, back to OT, I think GW:EN fills the bill and manages to offer yet something different from the previous installments.
I'll take a few jabs are some comments up there... Like GW enforces a moderate level of grind by offering PvE skills that give players an edge in the more challenging areas -- a player who can (and is willing to) play 18 hours a day, 7 days a week will have a substantial edge over players who can only find the time for 12 hours a week, regardless of reasonable differences in skill. This stands opposed to Anet's original design philosophy for Guild Wars.
Edge? PvP-wise, no, as it's always been through the franchise... PvE? Err yeah ok? So someone who did more PvE runs in Prophecies back in 2005 didn't get more money than someone who played less? Didn't they get their ascended sets, and later their titles, faster? Nothing new, and in the end, there is no "edge" whatsoever that influences gameplay, it's all cosmetic. So no, this isn't even remotely opposed to Anet's original design philosophy for Guild Wars in any way.
Take note of where I specified the PvE skills.
PvPwise, EotN doesn't offer anything beyond 10 skills per class, as I stated in my earlier comment.
PvE-wise, EotN really skews the game balance. I'm not talking about cash, I'm talking about effectiveness. A player who has maximum ranks in the Norn title will have a powerful Ursan Aura, which is seeing widespread use in many high end PvE areas in Guild Wars.
Having to spend repeated hours to get your Norn title up just so your character isn't outclassed by the Ursan Aura peeps is a disparity in 'Skill vs. Time Spent', especially with the skill being so incredibly effective for tanks, with minimal strategy/work involved. It's the same with many other PvE skills.
Yeah I saw that... And I still don't get all that "PvE balance" jazz. Some builds like 55HP monks have been able to solo specific areas of the game for years... Did they impair your PvE experience too?
PvE-wise, EotN really skews the game balance. I'm not talking about cash, I'm talking about effectiveness. A player who has maximum ranks in the Norn title will have a powerful Ursan Aura, which is seeing widespread use in many high end PvE areas in Guild Wars.
So no one could ever go through those "many high end areas" before the introduction of the Ursan Aura? And they're still impossible to complete without it?
Having to spend repeated hours to get your Norn title up just so your character isn't outclassed by the Ursan Aura peeps is a disparity in 'Skill vs. Time Spent', especially with the skill being so incredibly effective for tanks, with minimal strategy/work involved. It's the same with many other PvE skills.
Hmmm, ok so if I sum it up, your main gripe is that you can't find PuGs to farm "many high end areas" anymore because your build isn't as favoured as before, correct?
Also why do so many people make it sound like getting Norn/Vanguard/Asura/Dwarven points is such a feat? You get points for every single critter you kill with a bounty on, you get points from missions and quests, by handing in books...
Yeah I saw that... And I still don't get all that "PvE balance" jazz. Some builds like 55HP monks have been able to solo specific areas of the game for years... Did they impair your PvE experience too?
Not much. There is a difference, though, between a solo build that requires minimal grind to set up, and what we're seeing with the advent of Nightfall and Eye of the North. What's the difference I'm talking about, you ask? Anet didn't plan for 55 monks. They planned to implement PvE skills the way they did. It's a question of poor game design.
So no one could ever go through those "many high end areas" before the introduction of the Ursan Aura? And they're still impossible to complete without it?
I'm not quite sure what your game experience is (I suggest if you're finding the game impossible, you might want to try some easier spots) -- I do find that, as I said earlier, the new features implemented by EotN are low-skill, ridiculously high effectiveness. What this does is create a gap between players with minimal reward for talented players.
My quibble is that a game company took their product, and turned their backs on what was an original and rare promise in game design. EotN was lazy and unpolished in many areas, and creating "time filler" with grind was just one issue among many.
Hmmm, ok so if I sum it up, your main gripe is that you can't find PuGs to farm "many high end areas" anymore because your build isn't as favoured as before, correct?
Oh, not by far. I have many other gripes, as you see in my review earlier in the thread.
The tone of your reply is pretty hostile. Let me ignore that and try to give an example of what the problem is. Mallyx. Generally considered the 'Ultima Weapon' of Guild Wars. People who have max rank in the Norn title can bring a party of 8 people with Ursan Aura on their bar, beat the four areas leading up to Mallyx, then beat the boss himself. Rinse, repeat.
In fact, you can rinse & repeat for just about any areas in Guild Wars. There's a few other PvE skills that are almost on par with it.
It's not that my build isn't favored (no build is up to par with Ursan Aura or Dragon Spam), or that I can't find PUGs to farm with (I have a regular circle of those I game with). It's that the inclusion of the kind of grind brought by Nightfall & EotN is reducing the quality of Guild Wars.Try recruiting skilled players from among the hordes of people who farmed their PvE titles up. It's a mess.
It goes beyond PvE skills, though. PvE items, picked up from various quests or bought with gold have also changed the nature of the game. Rarely will you see a group approach a high end area without Essence of Celerity (+25% speed to movement, attack, skill & recharge), or Powerstone of Courage (removes all DP & gives a 10% morale boost). It's as though they're trying to sell the expansion by making the content so overpowered that people can't get by without it. They've made GW too easy.
Also why do so many people make it sound like getting Norn/Vanguard/Asura/Dwarven points is such a feat? You get points for every single critter you kill with a bounty on, you get points from missions and quests, by handing in books...
160,000 points to get max title. Half of those are obtained in hard mode.
You get about 3,000 points per 1.5 hours spent clearing areas, give or take. Completing the game (which takes about 8-12 hours) nets you 20,000 points. I haven't done much grinding in the recent past, but that's about where the numbers were when I last tried it. Figure the title is obtained in about 80 hours of grind, give or take depending on downtime and efficiency. That's 80 hours per title (4 EotN titles) per character, if you want maximum effectiveness.
Vanguard title is the worst one that was implemented. Why? Because there's only 3 explorable areas you can farm to get ranks in the title. There's relatively few quests (which rarely offer more than 500 exp), and 3 dungeons that give you 6,000 points total.
Regardless, it remains grind. You can try to ignore it, but it's there.
Guild wars started out with minimal grind, a terrific game design, great character customization. They were the online RPG with minimal grind and solid PvP. The game radiated polish and uniqueness. A player didn't have to invest 300 hours into repetitive tasks just to be on par with his comrades. I could give my 12 year old goddaughter a copy of the game & she would be able to play seriously with me within the week.
EotN, by contrast, feels like the game designers took a bunch of "Oh, wouldn't it be cool if" suggestions from a crowd of 14 year olds, then rushed the entire design process. There's none of the quality design, less character customization, more grind and virtually no thought given to PvP. There's no polish, and the uniqueness has gone down the drain, with EotN leaving GW less like GW and more like every MMORPG on the market.
That being said, I do stand by my original review on page 5 of this thread. If you're a player who finds that he enjoys dungeons such as UW or the Warren, or if you're a player that's new to the GW universe & still really enthusiastic about it, then EotN might be for you. Overall, though, my opinion is that it's not great value for your dollar, and it really lacks polish and effort as a whole.
Not much on the PvP front in GW:EN? I agree, it's focusing on PvE. Although it might feel at odds with the franchise's standards considering GW's PvP being the core of the game, I can see the logic behind it.
They've been (and probably still are) having a hard time keeping everything in check to offer a challenging and balanced PvP offer. Recall how Paragons cried "nerf!" more often than not in the few weeks following NF's release. Why? Because players were quick to setup Paragon spike teams. Was that Anet's original idea? I doubt so, I bet they designed the profession to take up ONE spot in a team. One could say they should have seen it coming since people prefer the quick and easy way, though that's another matter. Bottom line, they were left with headaches trying to figure out how to keep the profession fun and useful but still in line with other "classes". Same goes for spirit spamming Rits and so on. Personally I can't blame them for taking a different approach this time around.
Besides, the Hall of Monuments (which is the central piece really) builds upon titles, most of which are PvE based.
Is there grind? I am sure not denying it. As I said in another post somewhere on this site, that is one thing you could blame ArenaNet for, i.e. not being very innovative on that front. However, again, from my experience, it is still the least painful implementation of "grind"... All you need to do to get those darn points is to get out of town (save for minigames) and start busting stuff, honestly what did you expect, a new rank falling from the sky on a sunny day? I think the mentality is "I need those points, I'll have to go kill stuff", where it should be "I feel like going out and killing stuff, why not grab some points while I'm at it".
Have high-ends areas gotten too easy? Maybe, maybe not... IMO difficulty took a hit there when people started relying too much on pvxwiki and the like. Besides, weren't those areas reserved to predefined teams with standard skill bars? 5-man Oro, B/P for Tombs etc. does that ring a bell? A player not meeting the above mentioned requirements used to be laughed out, called names if not ignored... Now at least these new GW:EN PvE skills brought unfavoured professions (especially Mesmers come to mind) back into the high-end game content. For the record I did a Tombs run a while ago with a mesmer using almost exclusively GW:EN rank skills. Yeah sure most of the group members were like "WTF a mesmer" and all that cookie-cutter-I-see-through-my-butthole mentality and it took a while to gather up enough people willign to try something different but it was a blast, that mesmer really had thought through his build and it was extremely effective. Could he have gotten a Tombs group at all prior to GW:EN? Outside of his guild I highly doubt so.
That brings me to another point regarding your concerns towards GW:EN, the only skill that is mentioned is Ursan Blessing, though the expansion has much more to offer. Consider the other alternatives.
Finally, rather than going the "GW:EN is a waste of money" in this thread, try visiting some fan sites and discussing what you think should be improved, we could all benefit from it.
The thing about grind is that it means different things to different players. People approach the game in different ways, and for some, grind is the very antithesis of having fun. That's what gets me. Guild Wars was, once upon a time, the sole online RPG that didn't cater to those who tolerate/enjoy grind. For some, it's "I feel like going out and killing stuff, why not grab some points while I'm at it". For others, it's, "Why should I have to get points in the first place?" It's just people and their playing style. You can try to rationalize it, but that won't change how some people approach their gaming.
Secrom on Difficulty
Beyond Ursan Blessing, the PvE skills remain at that level of 'better than your average skill'. They're not overpowered all on their own, but they're still fairly ridiculous when you compare them to the quality of comparable skills. Personally, I do SCC's with my circle of friends. (Basically, a team of 8 mesmers, 8 necros or 8 sins, whichever, using skills that are mostly or all skills of that one class). It keeps the challenge up and forces you to approach the game in new ways. The typical PUG isn't so enjoyable anymore, with the new skills. I don't use PvE skills or items in general, but I can't exactly ask other people not to do the same, which sort of limits the playing field a smidge.
Secrom: Finally, rather than going the "GW:EN is a waste of money" in this thread, try visiting some fan sites and discussing what you think should be improved, we could all benefit from it.
I have, believe me. I've been fairly active on GW Online & Guru, as well as the official wiki. The trouble is, the good comments (and I'm not saying all of my suggestions are/were perfect) get lost in the shuffle of complaints and demands. I speak as a player who has gamed in the top 50's of GvG, and run a major community, as a game designer, writer and artist, but I doubt Anet would be able to sort my comments and suggestions from the next person's.
If I were to have any one suggestion of mine listened to? I'd tell Anet to drop Izzy and put Ensign in his spot. Ensign is a consummately skilled GW player, who has taken part in winning a dozen major tournaments. His suggestions on balancing GW are probably the most in depth and well thought out that I've seen anywhere. If they really listened, they would/should be listening to that one person.
(Rumor has it that Izzy took Ensign onto his team of advisers regarding the skill balances, but aside from the nerf to LoD, there's been little happening on this front)
Even if Anet were listening, they've stated more and more often that, "We probably can't implement this suggested feature because our team is busy working on GW2."
Originally posted by Hyudra For others, it's, "Why should I have to get points in the first place?"
And you STILL don't have to! They don't make or break your character.
Personally, I do SCC's with my circle of friends. (Basically, a team of 8 mesmers, 8 necros or 8 sins, whichever, using skills that are mostly or all skills of that one class). It keeps the challenge up and forces you to approach the game in new ways. The typical PUG isn't so enjoyable anymore, with the new skills. I don't use PvE skills or items in general, but I can't exactly ask other people not to do the same, which sort of limits the playing field a smidge.
So you still manage to setup a group to your liking, right?
We're kind of back at when you said "It's just people and their playing style." Anet introduced stuff for players who spend their GW time exclusively in PvE (the game appealed a larger crowd than they might have expected) without impairing the PvP peeps...
And sure as punch can you tell people "I'm not interested in playing with people relying on this and that, could you change?"
I have, believe me. I've been fairly active on GW Online & Guru, as well as the official wiki. The trouble is, the good comments (and I'm not saying all of my suggestions are/were perfect) get lost in the shuffle of complaints and demands. I speak as a player who has gamed in the top 50's of GvG, and run a major community, as a game designer, writer and artist, but I doubt Anet would be able to sort my comments and suggestions from the next person's.
That is indeed unfortunate to hear though I can't see how bashing the expansion will help get your opinions through.
And you STILL don't have to! They don't make or break your character.
Well, firstly, equipment & character art is a huge part of GW's reward system.
Second, again, you'll have a hard time finding groups who aren't running unbalanced EotN builds.
Also, it's getting hard to keep a serious PvE guild going (Let's not even get into how hard it is to keep a PvP guild going in the current meta) - people are quitting GW, and it's getting harder to find PvE'ers who don't run cheap EotN builds. The game difficulty is dropping along with the quality of players.
GW is a community game, and with the troubles inserted with EotN, we're losing out on that.
So you still manage to setup a group to your liking, right?
Depends. Can usually get 5-6 of us on a good night, but it can be as much as a 2 hour wait to find people to fill the final slots, even on weekends.
It's sort of like IWAY was, back in the day. (I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of HA, but let's not get into that) You've got an easy, cheap build that everyone and their grandmother is running. As a result, it's harder to find quality recruits, to differentiate the quality recruits from the newblets, and to get morale up for a less conventional setup.
We're kind of back at when you said "It's just people and their playing style." Anet introduced stuff for players who spend their GW time exclusively in PvE (the game appealed a larger crowd than they might have expected) without impairing the PvP peeps...
I don't really follow what you're saying here, but uh, lemme try.
You're saying Anet designed EotN to be a PvE game? That's fairly established, yeah. Though if you're not someone who enjoys dungeons, then you're getting about 10 hours of playtime out of EotN for your $60 bucks. (With more if you have multiple characters, of course)
And sure as punch can you tell people "I'm not interested in playing with people relying on this and that, could you change?"
Oh, yeah. I can also ask people to play a pink elephant, but the chances of them listening are about equal.
That is indeed unfortunate to hear though I can't see how bashing the expansion will help get your opinions through.
I'm just stating my opinions, as people tend to enjoy doing. In my review earlier, I was trying to give one perspective on the state of the game post-EotN.
Maybe people will read my comments & think, "Ok, this isn't a great buy" - (I'd consider that my doing them a favor)
Or maybe they'll read the tone of my reply & think, "This player isn't much like me. I'll take a gamble & try EotN". That's fine too.
I like the WoW related link in your sig, by the way.
Comments
I always hate reading a review when you know the reviewer spent so little time playing. GWEN does have issue, of course nothing can please everyone all the time. But when I say it has issues I know this I have played it.
As to people saying casual players will have a bare hall...well let me see. I have 3 heros on display two sets of armor including the Asuran, yes the Asuran, not sure why someone said it could not go in the hall no issue with mine. I never bought the head piece I prefered the dark glasses but hey that is me.
I have a couple of destroyer weapons. I love that dungeon what end game dungeon lets you split your time up inside and do it when you have the time?
Overall I am happy with the $40 I spent on GWEN
Actually, you're not just grinding for aesthetics. Every racial skill you earn (like LB and SS skills in Nightfall) gets more effective the higher your rank in those titles. Dwarven skills get better with higher dwarven ranks. Asuran skills get better with higher Asuran ranks, etc, etc.
The point is, you get those ranks - for the most part - by farming the reputation points you need to get them higher. Farming is a time-based activity, not a skill-based one. The more time you put into farming, the higher your ranks, the better your skills (skills you can't use in PvP, BTW).
In other words, you're heavily rewarded for sinking time into this game which is 180 degrees contrary to how Prophecies was marketed.
GWEN has all the feel and playability of an Asian grinder now. That's how far they've moved from the original vision.
Funny I know lots of people who've conquered GW:EN without ever having to Grind.
Of course I mean GRIND as defined as something you HAVE to do in order to progress in the game. Any titles or ranks I needed to progress in Guild Wars happened naturally as I progressed through the plot; everything else (including the PvE skills) are merely OPTIONAL, BONUS skills that give an edge. And you're right, they're not for PvP, so why are you crying? That means they're not necessary to compete. If you don't want the skills, then it's simple to NOT grind towards it.
The reason people aren't making sense to you is because your definition is wrong. The 'nutjob' emote was in poor taste, as well.
'Grinding is a pejorative term used in computer gaming to describe the process of engaging in repetitive and/or non-entertaining gameplay in order to gain access to other features within the game.' -- Sorens, Neil (2007-03-26). Rethinking the MMO. Gamasutra.
GW, by means of requiring repetitive task completion (kill X mobs, rezone, repeat) to access armors, gather certain materials, increase ranks in Kurzick/Luxon, Sunspear, Lightbringer, Asura, Deldrimor, Norn and Vanguard title tracks, to access certain content and to outfit one's monument... has grind.
GW enforces a moderate level of grind by offering PvE skills that give players an edge in the more challenging areas -- a player who can (and is willing to) play 18 hours a day, 7 days a week will have a substantial edge over players who can only find the time for 12 hours a week, regardless of reasonable differences in skill. This stands opposed to Anet's original design philosophy for Guild Wars.
In fact, they've moved so far from their original promotion of "skill, not time", they don't even promote the game that way anymore.
Prophecies was unique among MMOs (which is why so many people argue whether it is or isn't). GWEN has brought the game to the level of virtually every other "me too" grinder on the market.
As noted in another post, I've gone back to City of Heroes for now. Yeah, it's a major-league grinder, but at least it's different. I'm just sad to see A-Net taking the game in this direction.
I was one of the biggest supporters of this game through Factions, and even through Nightfall if only for the heroes.
Now, GWEN has completely turned me off to the game.
And for you, Lazaro, here's one back at ya':
One more thing that pisses me off about all the "l337" crap in GWEN: Seems to me, I paid the same price for the game that everyone else did. Why should I be denied access to the same features the "leet kiddies" can get simply because they have more time to grind out that crap?
So simply because I have less time to grind than someone else, that makes me less of a customer???
Not according to my credit card, it doesn't!
If A-Net is taking GW2 down this road, they should offer two versions of the game: one version with all the leet crap people can pay extra for, and a basic version that provides no access to that stuff. Call it the "grind-free" version. I'd buy that.
Amazing, yet another review without any mentioning of PvP. Start to think that the MMORPG reviewers are just ignoring PvP features in games.
My gaming blog
23, OMG , c`mon man, 23!!!!!
I'm sorry. Does that number somehow offend you?
First off 23, thats ridiculous. But I dont see how this reviewert cant get away with giving it such a crap review. EVEN G4 gave it a 4 our of 5, PC gamer an 80% range score (which isnt bad seeing that they dont give 100%s and still thought it was good). Obviously the reviewer has something against Guildwars. Hell, he probably sucks more than the average porn star at Guildwars and because of his poor gaming skills he is writing this review. I mean, i am not hardcore, I may look as if I am from my hours in my sig, but I havent played for three weeks..I mean, I dont have trouble, and I am not hardcore. Grow SOME BALLZ reviewer, and to mmorpg.com, you are partially responsible for letting this idiot post this $#!t review. What a buncha idiots, and then to go putting it in the email, and on the front page like its actually credible. Comeon guys! I am losin faith in this site for its unbiased reviews of games when they allow trash like this to be posted.
Shame on me.
Your hours do not look all too 'hardcore', Finalhour, I wouldn't worry about that. (I have 3000 hours clocked over 32 months, and would likely have more if EotN hadn't been such a disappointment).
Your response is kind of all over the place. What points do you disagree with? What is incorrect in the review?
I do think the review is poorly written (As others stated, it makes no mention of PvP or the minigames), but I don't particularly disagree with the content.
Well to start, the review is negative, citing the "small" number of new skills, numbering "only" 150..I mean come on its an expansion not a new campaign. Next he goes on to criticize the graphics and even the landscapes as he characterizes the graphics as average" comparing Guildwars to other games which include games form other genres..last time I checked Hellgate London was not an mmo..*cough* idiot *cough*....Plus other reviews of the game, such as G4's review recognized the landscapes and cool graphics over all. This isnt a DX10 game, why hold it up to that standard...does this reviewer know anything? Next he holds the game accountable for a few stupid players..though I will guess that he is just a complete noob and they were merely calling him on it. GWEN isnt for people who dont know their way around the GW franchise. Come oN! He rates the customer service as indifferent. Now I have had my share of issues with NCSoft, but support forums? I dont know about you but those are useless...yet he cites the lack of them. Yeah..God forbid we have actual contact with NCSoft professionals..Lets leave it to other gamers to solve our problems....did I mention the reviewer makes no sense and is an idiot? thats a problem too, he criticizes the lack of anything "meaty" but is it me or is GWEN an EXPANSION? HELLO!? And its not as if the dungeons aren't fun and time consuming and MEATY, maybe not to the storyline but its meant to be short, to be an EXPANSION. Later on he says that the story is ripped from the lord of the rings? WTF!? Guildwars dwarves are different..different story to it too...what a F***en LOTR fanboy...Someone shut this guy up...This guy's review totally BS's a good expansion to a great series that will take the world by storm with GW2. Its judgement of it as merely a preview of GW2 is unmerited...and if that is the kind of review I can expect to see on mmorpg.com from now on, then I am done reading them
Agreed. Like I said, though, it hit on some of the key issues in EotN.
100, plus 50 PvE skills. It's half (or a third, depending on how you look at it) what's in the campaigns, in a game that's 75% of the cost of the chapters. The reviewer, I imagine, is trying to convey the value of EotN.
You say, 'it's only an expansion, not a new campaign' - well, a reviewer has to compare it to something, and the campaigns are a good starting point. 50% (or 33%) of the skills for something that costs 75% of the price. Less value for the same dollar.
Anet has stated in the past that GW isn't an MMORPG either. See MMORPG and CORPG for reference.
Hellgate London is, many would argue, a CORPG.
On Earth, reviewers do not always agree.
Because the game is/was released in late 2007, with other games also arriving on the shelves. It's generally appropriate to compare a game with the games of the same time period.
It's possible. Given the tone of your reply, you could've been one of them.
Having admitted that, I do have to point out that when you're reviewing an online game, it's a good step forward to comment on the community. GW's community is not fantastic. Towns are, even with preventative measures taken, mostly filled with spam. Pick up groups tend to be abominable as often as not, and the creation and management of a guild (something I am all too familiar with) can be a major struggle.
Their customer support is not fantastic, with one exception I heartily approved of.
If one has an issue with the game, harassment or other players, the process is convoluted. One must visit their site, access NCsoft support, use the 'ask a question' feature to submit their issue, and then face a flurry of automated (sometimes hilariously misguided) replies. If you had an issue with a player, you will never be notified if/when the issue is resolved. This is to protect the customer, which is a necessary evil, but frustrating nevertheless.
All of this isn't intuitive. Even with that said and done, the replies and contact I've had in perhaps a dozen contacts with NCsoft have been lukewarm at best.
All that being said and done, Anet did implement a feature that lets players report one another. It's rather well implemented (if rather late in terms of timeline) and deserves a kudos.
I don't understand what you're saying here, so I can't really reply.
An expansion shouldn't be an excuse to release less content.
A player is allowed to buy a game with a reasonable expectation that they'll get good value for their dollar. With EotN, people can look at the price and say, "Well, it costs $60 when the other chapters cost $80, so I guess there's 25% less content. They'd be rather disappointed.
Depends on the player. Many I knew had no interest in dungeons.
I don't want to argue over a definition as vague as 'Meaty', but I will say this: Dungeons are not for everyone, and chronically reuse art, monsters, challenges and features. There's not much depth or originality between dungeons, and I personally found it a bore to complete the full set.
An expansion shouldn't be an excuse to release less content.
Here we're moving away from the legible arguments and moving more into the raw opinion of an enthusiastic player.
I can see where & why he said it (A number of very different races band together to defeat the big bad evil) but I do think it was a bad argument on the reviewer's part. Moving on.
I think it's pretty merited.
The entire storyline is essentially meant to introduce the races of GW2. What's the ending cinematic? An ad/prelude to GW2, complete with the other race of GW2 and the (incredibly frustrating) reality that the great destroyer isn't really dead, so you have to play GW2 to finish.
Glad to see Eye of the North placed 3rd with 20% of the vote in the "Best PAID Expantion of 2007" in the "Readers Choice Awards".
The OP hasn't played GW:EN properly to be qualified to review it. It is a hasty opinion which lacks depth - both in his text and his gameplay.
Seriously LATE and mediocre review.
Hmm, I thought the review was fine. I was on the fence about buying the game, the reviewer cleared up alot of things making my decision easier. That's the whole point of reviews right? So people who are familiar but have not actually experienced it, can make some informed decisions?
You guys are saying things about mini games but honestly I don't care about things like that. I wanted to know if the graphics and sound changed, if the gameplay changed, how many more skills, how many more items, WAS IT WORTH THE PURCHASE.
So I'm not sure what all the whining is about. He answered all the major questions I had. Even after reading all the negative comments from "not-hardcore-but-hardcore-enough-to-log-into-a-forum-and-complain" players, I only learned one additional thing that the reviewer didn't have. However the final conclusion is the same. The game is overprice, wait a bit and buy it when there's a price-cut. Can anyone honestly say otherwise?
Is the storyline short? Yes. However that's mainly because GW:EN does NOT focus on the storyline, rather on all the secondary, repeatable content. Primarily dungeons. Which you can also do in hard mode later on if you think they aren't challenging enough as they are. They definitely make up for the lack of standard missions. Remember GW:EN is supposed to keep you busy till GW2 comes around.
That simple omission makes the review not so credible.
And it goes downhill from there.
Then I'll take a few jabs are some comments up there... Like Edge? PvP-wise, no, as it's always been through the franchise... PvE? Err yeah ok? So someone who did more PvE runs in Prophecies back in 2005 didn't get more money than someone who played less? Didn't they get their ascended sets, and later their titles, faster? Nothing new, and in the end, there is no "edge" whatsoever that influences gameplay, it's all cosmetic. So no, this isn't even remotely opposed to Anet's original design philosophy for Guild Wars in any way.
For the same reason I see no point in freaking out if you think your HoM won't be packed like an egg at GW2's release. Besides, GW1 will still be supported when GW2 comes out.
Aww crap I don't even feel like having a bite at trashtalk regarding the community and the "not MMO" for the 187687346583745th time. You could try to carve some sense right on their face they'd still deny it.
Anyway, back to OT, I think GW:EN fills the bill and manages to offer yet something different from the previous installments.
__________
Ever wondered what a hardcore WoW raider looked like?
R.I.P. Laura "Taera" Genender
Edge? PvP-wise, no, as it's always been through the franchise... PvE? Err yeah ok? So someone who did more PvE runs in Prophecies back in 2005 didn't get more money than someone who played less? Didn't they get their ascended sets, and later their titles, faster? Nothing new, and in the end, there is no "edge" whatsoever that influences gameplay, it's all cosmetic. So no, this isn't even remotely opposed to Anet's original design philosophy for Guild Wars in any way.Take note of where I specified the PvE skills.
PvPwise, EotN doesn't offer anything beyond 10 skills per class, as I stated in my earlier comment.
PvE-wise, EotN really skews the game balance. I'm not talking about cash, I'm talking about effectiveness. A player who has maximum ranks in the Norn title will have a powerful Ursan Aura, which is seeing widespread use in many high end PvE areas in Guild Wars.
Having to spend repeated hours to get your Norn title up just so your character isn't outclassed by the Ursan Aura peeps is a disparity in 'Skill vs. Time Spent', especially with the skill being so incredibly effective for tanks, with minimal strategy/work involved. It's the same with many other PvE skills.
Hmmm, ok so if I sum it up, your main gripe is that you can't find PuGs to farm "many high end areas" anymore because your build isn't as favoured as before, correct?
Also why do so many people make it sound like getting Norn/Vanguard/Asura/Dwarven points is such a feat? You get points for every single critter you kill with a bounty on, you get points from missions and quests, by handing in books...
__________
Ever wondered what a hardcore WoW raider looked like?
R.I.P. Laura "Taera" Genender
Not much. There is a difference, though, between a solo build that requires minimal grind to set up, and what we're seeing with the advent of Nightfall and Eye of the North. What's the difference I'm talking about, you ask? Anet didn't plan for 55 monks. They planned to implement PvE skills the way they did. It's a question of poor game design.
I'm not quite sure what your game experience is (I suggest if you're finding the game impossible, you might want to try some easier spots) -- I do find that, as I said earlier, the new features implemented by EotN are low-skill, ridiculously high effectiveness. What this does is create a gap between players with minimal reward for talented players.
My quibble is that a game company took their product, and turned their backs on what was an original and rare promise in game design. EotN was lazy and unpolished in many areas, and creating "time filler" with grind was just one issue among many.
Oh, not by far. I have many other gripes, as you see in my review earlier in the thread.
The tone of your reply is pretty hostile. Let me ignore that and try to give an example of what the problem is. Mallyx. Generally considered the 'Ultima Weapon' of Guild Wars. People who have max rank in the Norn title can bring a party of 8 people with Ursan Aura on their bar, beat the four areas leading up to Mallyx, then beat the boss himself. Rinse, repeat.
In fact, you can rinse & repeat for just about any areas in Guild Wars. There's a few other PvE skills that are almost on par with it.
It's not that my build isn't favored (no build is up to par with Ursan Aura or Dragon Spam), or that I can't find PUGs to farm with (I have a regular circle of those I game with). It's that the inclusion of the kind of grind brought by Nightfall & EotN is reducing the quality of Guild Wars.Try recruiting skilled players from among the hordes of people who farmed their PvE titles up. It's a mess.
It goes beyond PvE skills, though. PvE items, picked up from various quests or bought with gold have also changed the nature of the game. Rarely will you see a group approach a high end area without Essence of Celerity (+25% speed to movement, attack, skill & recharge), or Powerstone of Courage (removes all DP & gives a 10% morale boost). It's as though they're trying to sell the expansion by making the content so overpowered that people can't get by without it. They've made GW too easy.
160,000 points to get max title. Half of those are obtained in hard mode.
You get about 3,000 points per 1.5 hours spent clearing areas, give or take. Completing the game (which takes about 8-12 hours) nets you 20,000 points. I haven't done much grinding in the recent past, but that's about where the numbers were when I last tried it. Figure the title is obtained in about 80 hours of grind, give or take depending on downtime and efficiency. That's 80 hours per title (4 EotN titles) per character, if you want maximum effectiveness.
Vanguard title is the worst one that was implemented. Why? Because there's only 3 explorable areas you can farm to get ranks in the title. There's relatively few quests (which rarely offer more than 500 exp), and 3 dungeons that give you 6,000 points total.
Regardless, it remains grind. You can try to ignore it, but it's there.
Guild wars started out with minimal grind, a terrific game design, great character customization. They were the online RPG with minimal grind and solid PvP. The game radiated polish and uniqueness. A player didn't have to invest 300 hours into repetitive tasks just to be on par with his comrades. I could give my 12 year old goddaughter a copy of the game & she would be able to play seriously with me within the week.
EotN, by contrast, feels like the game designers took a bunch of "Oh, wouldn't it be cool if" suggestions from a crowd of 14 year olds, then rushed the entire design process. There's none of the quality design, less character customization, more grind and virtually no thought given to PvP. There's no polish, and the uniqueness has gone down the drain, with EotN leaving GW less like GW and more like every MMORPG on the market.
That being said, I do stand by my original review on page 5 of this thread. If you're a player who finds that he enjoys dungeons such as UW or the Warren, or if you're a player that's new to the GW universe & still really enthusiastic about it, then EotN might be for you. Overall, though, my opinion is that it's not great value for your dollar, and it really lacks polish and effort as a whole.
I won't quote you to keep the text's length down.
Not much on the PvP front in GW:EN? I agree, it's focusing on PvE. Although it might feel at odds with the franchise's standards considering GW's PvP being the core of the game, I can see the logic behind it.
They've been (and probably still are) having a hard time keeping everything in check to offer a challenging and balanced PvP offer. Recall how Paragons cried "nerf!" more often than not in the few weeks following NF's release. Why? Because players were quick to setup Paragon spike teams. Was that Anet's original idea? I doubt so, I bet they designed the profession to take up ONE spot in a team. One could say they should have seen it coming since people prefer the quick and easy way, though that's another matter. Bottom line, they were left with headaches trying to figure out how to keep the profession fun and useful but still in line with other "classes". Same goes for spirit spamming Rits and so on. Personally I can't blame them for taking a different approach this time around.
Besides, the Hall of Monuments (which is the central piece really) builds upon titles, most of which are PvE based.
Is there grind? I am sure not denying it. As I said in another post somewhere on this site, that is one thing you could blame ArenaNet for, i.e. not being very innovative on that front. However, again, from my experience, it is still the least painful implementation of "grind"... All you need to do to get those darn points is to get out of town (save for minigames) and start busting stuff, honestly what did you expect, a new rank falling from the sky on a sunny day? I think the mentality is "I need those points, I'll have to go kill stuff", where it should be "I feel like going out and killing stuff, why not grab some points while I'm at it".
Have high-ends areas gotten too easy? Maybe, maybe not... IMO difficulty took a hit there when people started relying too much on pvxwiki and the like. Besides, weren't those areas reserved to predefined teams with standard skill bars? 5-man Oro, B/P for Tombs etc. does that ring a bell? A player not meeting the above mentioned requirements used to be laughed out, called names if not ignored... Now at least these new GW:EN PvE skills brought unfavoured professions (especially Mesmers come to mind) back into the high-end game content. For the record I did a Tombs run a while ago with a mesmer using almost exclusively GW:EN rank skills. Yeah sure most of the group members were like "WTF a mesmer" and all that cookie-cutter-I-see-through-my-butthole mentality and it took a while to gather up enough people willign to try something different but it was a blast, that mesmer really had thought through his build and it was extremely effective. Could he have gotten a Tombs group at all prior to GW:EN? Outside of his guild I highly doubt so.
That brings me to another point regarding your concerns towards GW:EN, the only skill that is mentioned is Ursan Blessing, though the expansion has much more to offer. Consider the other alternatives.
Finally, rather than going the "GW:EN is a waste of money" in this thread, try visiting some fan sites and discussing what you think should be improved, we could all benefit from it.
__________
Ever wondered what a hardcore WoW raider looked like?
R.I.P. Laura "Taera" Genender
maybe its focused to pve cuz..i dunnoo....PVP SUCKS
The thing about grind is that it means different things to different players. People approach the game in different ways, and for some, grind is the very antithesis of having fun.
That's what gets me. Guild Wars was, once upon a time, the sole online RPG that didn't cater to those who tolerate/enjoy grind. For some, it's "I feel like going out and killing stuff, why not grab some points while I'm at it". For others, it's, "Why should I have to get points in the first place?"
It's just people and their playing style. You can try to rationalize it, but that won't change how some people approach their gaming.
Beyond Ursan Blessing, the PvE skills remain at that level of 'better than your average skill'. They're not overpowered all on their own, but they're still fairly ridiculous when you compare them to the quality of comparable skills.
Personally, I do SCC's with my circle of friends. (Basically, a team of 8 mesmers, 8 necros or 8 sins, whichever, using skills that are mostly or all skills of that one class). It keeps the challenge up and forces you to approach the game in new ways. The typical PUG isn't so enjoyable anymore, with the new skills. I don't use PvE skills or items in general, but I can't exactly ask other people not to do the same, which sort of limits the playing field a smidge.
I have, believe me. I've been fairly active on GW Online & Guru, as well as the official wiki. The trouble is, the good comments (and I'm not saying all of my suggestions are/were perfect) get lost in the shuffle of complaints and demands. I speak as a player who has gamed in the top 50's of GvG, and run a major community, as a game designer, writer and artist, but I doubt Anet would be able to sort my comments and suggestions from the next person's.
If I were to have any one suggestion of mine listened to? I'd tell Anet to drop Izzy and put Ensign in his spot. Ensign is a consummately skilled GW player, who has taken part in winning a dozen major tournaments. His suggestions on balancing GW are probably the most in depth and well thought out that I've seen anywhere. If they really listened, they would/should be listening to that one person.
(Rumor has it that Izzy took Ensign onto his team of advisers regarding the skill balances, but aside from the nerf to LoD, there's been little happening on this front)
Even if Anet were listening, they've stated more and more often that, "We probably can't implement this suggested feature because our team is busy working on GW2."
So you still manage to setup a group to your liking, right?
We're kind of back at when you said "It's just people and their playing style." Anet introduced stuff for players who spend their GW time exclusively in PvE (the game appealed a larger crowd than they might have expected) without impairing the PvP peeps...
And sure as punch can you tell people "I'm not interested in playing with people relying on this and that, could you change?"
That is indeed unfortunate to hear though I can't see how bashing the expansion will help get your opinions through.
__________
Ever wondered what a hardcore WoW raider looked like?
R.I.P. Laura "Taera" Genender
Well, firstly, equipment & character art is a huge part of GW's reward system.
Second, again, you'll have a hard time finding groups who aren't running unbalanced EotN builds.
Also, it's getting hard to keep a serious PvE guild going (Let's not even get into how hard it is to keep a PvP guild going in the current meta) - people are quitting GW, and it's getting harder to find PvE'ers who don't run cheap EotN builds. The game difficulty is dropping along with the quality of players.
GW is a community game, and with the troubles inserted with EotN, we're losing out on that.
Depends. Can usually get 5-6 of us on a good night, but it can be as much as a 2 hour wait to find people to fill the final slots, even on weekends.
It's sort of like IWAY was, back in the day. (I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of HA, but let's not get into that) You've got an easy, cheap build that everyone and their grandmother is running. As a result, it's harder to find quality recruits, to differentiate the quality recruits from the newblets, and to get morale up for a less conventional setup.
I don't really follow what you're saying here, but uh, lemme try.
You're saying Anet designed EotN to be a PvE game? That's fairly established, yeah. Though if you're not someone who enjoys dungeons, then you're getting about 10 hours of playtime out of EotN for your $60 bucks. (With more if you have multiple characters, of course)
Oh, yeah. I can also ask people to play a pink elephant, but the chances of them listening are about equal.
I'm just stating my opinions, as people tend to enjoy doing. In my review earlier, I was trying to give one perspective on the state of the game post-EotN.
Maybe people will read my comments & think, "Ok, this isn't a great buy" - (I'd consider that my doing them a favor)
Or maybe they'll read the tone of my reply & think, "This player isn't much like me. I'll take a gamble & try EotN". That's fine too.
I like the WoW related link in your sig, by the way.