OP: Ive past the era of bashing games that dont look or sound appealing to me. I suggest you do the same because you get less headaches. I hope everyone who is looking forward to this game that it meets or exceeds your expectations.
There will be no sharding or copies of these zones because dynamic events thrive and get better with more people participating in them instead of becoming isolating and trivial to players.
Originally posted by Somsbal Originally posted by Vegetto That sounds like religious dogma..i just don't want to let the lord into my life? I am saying that anyone with any sort of respectable education got taught to give balanced opinions on anything they discuss, especially in the public realm. Bascially, all praise is from believers and any criticism is from trolls or evil-dooers. Let's balance it out? Are people honestly refusing to discuss this game? Am i being watched by the CIA? What good is every post saying it's the best thing since sliced bread to me? Should i quit me job, sell my belongings and devote my life to GW2? Should i start knocking on neighbours doors to ask them if they have considered if something was missing in their lives? I'm not judging the game, i'll try it, probably play it, but can people have some foresight and have a balanced discussion for once? I don't usually bother, but it's spamming crap out of this website, i can't move for it. It looks good yeah, i'm sure it will be great fun to play, but lets tone it down a bit with the exaggerations (yes i'm aware of the exaggerations above lol)
There will never be balanced discussions according to you. So stop looking for them. You said you'll tryout the game, what more do you need? Maybe i've mistaken you with another poster, but didn't you once said that you only trust your own opinion? Also, if you really want balanced discussions, and aren't just complaining for the sake of complaining, visit the GW2Guru forums instead. Even though it's a fansite, it's about the only place on the internet where you can criticize the game without sounding like a hater.
Nope, wasn't me, i look at others opinions. I spent all day today looking at customer reviews on programming books to decide which ones to get.
Which is partially why i look at this site, to get a good overview of a game before i try it.
Originally posted by Vegetto Nope, wasn't me, i look at others opinions. I spent all day today looking at customer reviews on programming books to decide which ones to get.
Which is partially why i look at this site, to get a good overview of a game before i try it.
I don't think this site is the best for balanced player reviews then though.
People here are either haters or fanboys, "inbetweeners" are pretty rare.
Though also once the game [comes out] it'd be easier to record issues to back up your statements.
This however, says one thing there isn't much to actually bash, maybe that it doesn't have raids and retention is in the question which is funny because games with raids are having retention issues themselves lol, umm no sprinting, not faction based,no sitting as of right now, crafting isn't like a sandbox,no customizable player housing/guild halls [yet], umm what else trying to think...I might of missed something but that's mainly what I can see be an issue, ah and reducing particle effects, that's about it...
Anyways takecare.
A* for Thinking objectively.
I remember writing reports at Uni and you would get downmarked if you couldn't give advantages and disadvantages for something. Sometimes you would really struggle to find a disadvantage in something that works so well, but if you don't, then nothing progresses.
Very true, it isn't bad for people to "bash" depending on what they bashing on or what they are concerned about.
I might get banned for this. - Rizel Star.
I'm not afraid to tell trolls what they [need] to hear, even if that means for me to have an forced absence afterwards.
P2P LOGIC = If it's P2P it means longevity, overall better game, and THE BEST SUPPORT EVER!!!!!(Which has been rinsed and repeated about a thousand times)
Common Sense Logic = P2P logic is no better than F2P Logic.
I agree with the OP actually. But the problem isn't with GW2, if GW2 comes through on all their promises it will be great. The issue is that we've heard this story too many times before. Giant feature lists, hype-driving marketing, and rabid fanboism. Like the OP I will try it and see for myself, but hes probably just one of the many MMO-players who have been driven to being jaded and not trusting of feature-lists and marketing catchphrases. But at least the OP is willing to get back up on that horse and give it another go!!!
"They essentially want to say 'Correlation proves Causation' when it's just not true." - Sovrath
I don't want to post this in the GW forum because they you get flamed by all the fanbois who haven't played it yet. Granted I haven't played it either and I'm not hating or anything but it's being hailed as the next big game changer for the genre. People are talking about how innovative it is like they do for every upcoming MMO and in my experience you can get a very good picture of what the game is by looking at it. When early SWTOR beta footage was leaked it just looked like a WoW clone, yet people would flame you and say you're an idiot because you haven't played it. While that is true, it's also true you can see what a game is by watching someone else play it.
So far from all the footage of Guild Wars 2 that I've seen, you log in, create a character and start doing standard MMO quests. I couldn't see what was different about the game, the graphics look like the standard dated cartoony style we see in every MMO since WoW, the UI looked the same, the combat looked the same too. People are saying it is getting rid of the Holy Trinity, I've heard that all before too and tbh it is still based on it but by the looks of it every class can do most things like heal. In MMOs I've played which do this in the past, you still have the Holy Trinity there but it just makes each class more generic and they all mostly play the same.
I'm going to find out what the game is all about myself, I just don't see what is so special about the game. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it comes out and people say they're bored of another themepark WoW clone or something lol. What all these new MMOs tend to lack for me is they make everything far too easy, they get rid of the world by allowing you to warp everywhere and they get rid of death penalties. PVP and PVE would be far more fun for me if I fear dying because I know I could lose something. Until then these new MMOs often just feel like meaningless grinds because nothing can kill you, if another player does you never lose anything, in SWTOR you can spawn where you died so you don't even lose time any more. That is why I'm so looking forward to Planetside 2, because it is something different that I haven't experienced since I last played in 2003 before SOE ruined it. Playing the MMO genre since WoW feels like playing the next COD every year where they barely change anything and I got tired of that by the time MW2 came out.
For your sake op I hope you don't fall into the category of "one of the people who won't like this game" but let's face it not everyone who plays the game will like it but I don't think that will have any bearing on the games success or failure.
I don't want to post this in the GW forum because they you get flamed by all the fanbois who haven't played it yet.
Yes because MMORPG is a love fest. :P Anyway who said it was special? It looks like its going to bring back exploration for one that is a big plus. I like that the game seems to be making it more social friendly another plus in my book. And its free after you buy the game a nice bonus to boot.
20 bucks we'll have "This is like WoW" threads after beta/release only to be corrected once a video lin shows up. You have to literally try hard to not look in order to not see a difference.
It's just how it is though. Game can't attract everyone and luckily op got some common sense to try it out like I did because I believed the same shit till I played it, might happen to him.
Also where is this "Saving christ" or savior remarks originated from, a fan that was trolling? All naysayers do is that, currently we only have fans making threads giving some actual concerns lol there are a few who are getting out of hand but last I check no one is acting like it's the savior of christ or w/e lol.
Like a good concern for example is, no sprinting mechanic, umm there was a list that had some good points as well brought up by Pinkplot(sorry if I misspelled your name).
The way you balance arguments(I saw someone mention it) you just bring up valid concerns with videos and ish, just logical ones.
Like it's funny example when you claim the combat is like WoW's you should bring up a video of WoW in action an GW 2 in action, which won't happen and I already feel great because I tried out almost all anticipated MMORPG's except ArchAge, so I [know] what the combat is like.
It'd be nice to just post a video showing what you saw that made you think that way...well of course one could argue and say "But GW 2 fans been trolling us." what you do is counter it with videos usually,least that'd help.
One fan brought up no sitting in GW 2, minor but if you guys wanna bash GW 2 bash with that lol. No one has yet bash at the right things lol. I'm dead ass, we just had someone call it WoW 2.0 brought up two pointts and missed em by a mile and didn't show video proof or any thing logical at that.
Though also once the game [comes out] it'd be easier to record issues to back up your statements.
This however, says one thing there isn't much to actually bash, maybe that it doesn't have raids and retention is in the question which is funny because games with raids are having retention issues themselves lol, umm no sprinting, not faction based,no sitting as of right now, crafting isn't like a sandbox,no customizable player housing/guild halls [yet], umm what else trying to think...I might of missed something but that's mainly what I can see be an issue, ah and reducing particle effects, that's about it...
Anyways takecare.
DId you actually think GW2 would be exempt from this? A huge percentage of complaints on this site are superficial and subjective. That's what you get when the topic is about opinions.The closer we get to release the worse it's going to get, I hope you all know that.
As for why there's little in the way of sensible rational critique, it should be self evident, the game hasn't released, the sensible rational folks will usually wait to play something before they go about offering their idea of what will make it better.
Right now all that can be offered are superficial opinions, backed by little more than heresay and speculation. Whether it be positive or negative it's all speculation right now, the game isn't even finalized yet. What's there today could be gone tomorrow.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
Originally posted by RizelStar Originally posted by Vegetto
Originally posted by RizelStar
Though also once the game [comes out] it'd be easier to record issues to back up your statements. This however, says one thing there isn't much to actually bash, maybe that it doesn't have raids and retention is in the question which is funny because games with raids are having retention issues themselves lol, umm no sprinting, not faction based,no sitting as of right now, crafting isn't like a sandbox,no customizable player housing/guild halls [yet], umm what else trying to think...I might of missed something but that's mainly what I can see be an issue, ah and reducing particle effects, that's about it... Anyways takecare.
A* for Thinking objectively. I remember writing reports at Uni and you would get downmarked if you couldn't give advantages and disadvantages for something. Sometimes you would really struggle to find a disadvantage in something that works so well, but if you don't, then nothing progresses. Very true, it isn't bad for people to "bash" depending on what they bashing on or what they are concerned about.
Well not bad as such, but like today, there were books on C++ and the reviews that said "book was rubbish, wasn't clear, waste of money...2 stars"..i completely ignored.
The best reviews were the 5 star reviews, that within the 5 or 6 paragraphs, contained a majority of criticisms. Basically, it's easier to list the few bad points of a great product, than list the obvious endless list of good points.
So, you know when something 'should' be good, so you just compare and contrast the bad points, if they are mostly cosmetic or down to preference, then you're on a winner.
GW2 in this instance would appear to be a winner, but it's a bit early in the day yet, such is the genre and the honeymoon period. Out of the 3 big ones upcoming - Tera, GW2 and Secret World, i judge them all with equal concern, but at the same time, i'm completely open to them impressing me.
Ignorance isn't a crime. It's totally cool to not know about something. In fact, I freely admit being ignorant to a multitude of things.
What's annoying though is when you freely admit being ignorant, demonstrate your ignorance in a post, and then come to some crazy conclusion based on your ignorance.
If you would have came here and said "hey guys, I'm just learning about GW2, what is it that makes GW2 so different from WoW?" You would have got a bunch of posters happily jumping to answer your question.
But instead, you state your ignorance and then make outlandish claims like "yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if GW2 is branded as just another WoW clone when it comes out LOLOLOLOL!!"
It makes it clear that your intent was not to learn about a game that you are admittedly ignorant of, but instead to just rile other posters into starting a flame war...and there is a word for that...
the game isn't spcial, it's not the 2nd comming of the lord-o-mighty
It's game .. .. and im sure as hell going to play it
Now this is what I'm talking about right fucking here.
Simple, direct, and gets to what it is all about.
Well said
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
Originally posted by Vegetto Nope, wasn't me, i look at others opinions. I spent all day today looking at customer reviews on programming books to decide which ones to get.
Which is partially why i look at this site, to get a good overview of a game before i try it.
I don't think this site is the best for balanced player reviews then though.
People here are either haters or fanboys, "inbetweeners" are pretty rare.
I've noticed that even if you want a game to succeed your labled a fanboi, and if someone questions one single aspect of a game, he is labled a hater.
I feel the real problem, is people finding it easier to just label them and then dismiss them. Its a classic move, why debate them when you can just dismiss them.
You see it everyday on the news between liberals and conservatives, its no wonder people are at each other throats all the time.
People here are either haters or fanboys, "inbetweeners" are pretty rare.
I've noticed that even if you want a game to succeed your labled a fanboi, and if someone questions one single aspect of a game, he is labled a hater.
I feel the real problem, is people finding it easier to just label them and then dismiss them. Its a classic move, why debate them when you can just dismiss them.
You see it everyday on the news between liberals and conservatives, its no wonder people are at each other throats all the time.
I think there are plenty of those the thing is they tend to be lurkers. Don't blame them really. Trying to be objective about a game tends to get you "no love" from the majority of others. You get heckled as being a fanboy by some and referred to as a hater by the others since you have varying opinions pending on the issue at hand being discussed in the game.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
Don't play it, OP. Some of us just like WoW clones and cartoony/anime graphics, and we just can't seem to get enough of it. There's nothing special about GW2 and no reason to think about it another minute. Good luck and God bless.
Don't play it, OP. Some of us just like WoW clones and cartoony/anime graphics, and we just can't seem to get enough of it. There's nothing special about GW2 and no reason to think about it another minute. Good luck and God bless.
No! The OP has to play it. Years of mingy WoW clones will have caused permanent damage; give the OP a chance of recovering.
I don't want to post this in the GW forum because they you get flamed by all the fanbois who haven't played it yet. Granted I haven't played it either and I'm not hating or anything but it's being hailed as the next big game changer for the genre. People are talking about how innovative it is like they do for every upcoming MMO and in my experience you can get a very good picture of what the game is by looking at it.
What you're saying isnt exactly true. Most players, fanbois, and even some haters have already played the game whether through the betas or at a game convention. We have all had ample opportunities to get our hands on the game and to get our feet wet in the GW2 world. So its not speculation based off of gameplay videos, screenshots, and a whole lot of fapping its opinions formed from actual experience in the game. Why are people saying it will be the next big game changer? Because they know for a fact what it is and what it can do. They have put their hands wrist deep into the game and pulled out gold nuggets. I got a chance to play it at PAX and then (i hope) in the upcoming beta event. I was absolutely blown away. Every feature , every detail, and every idea that was promised has been delivered on - atleast from what i played through.
But atleast you plan to try for yourself...btw you just missed the beta sign up. it wnet up on the 22nd and was up for 48 hours! I got in there as quick as possible.
MMO's are the ark of the gaming world. Let it take us in new directions.
I just don't see what is so special about the game. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it comes out and people say they're bored of another themepark WoW clone or something lol. What all these new MMOs tend to lack for me is they make everything far too easy, they get rid of the world by allowing you to warp everywhere and they get rid of death penalties. PVP and PVE would be far more fun for me if I fear dying because I know I could lose something. Until then these new MMOs often just feel like meaningless grinds because nothing can kill you, if another player does you never lose anything, in SWTOR you can spawn where you died so you don't even lose time any more.
Well to me it's all about the challenge, where player skill and teamwork determine the outcome. I don't like gear grind, I don't like PvPPPP but overcoming a good challenge with a few in-game friends or a very close arena-style PvP fight is what it makes it worthwhile.
That's why I don't really like reputation grind, gear grind or silly achievements stuff which basivcally comes down to endlessly repeating the same stuff over and over again. And I think game developers do that far too often because it seems to be an extremely hard job to make challenging content, especially PvE.
I give Arenanet a ton of credit for trying something new, and my skeptcism has nothing to do with that GW2 will just feel like another WoW, because I understand that there are a lot of significant differences.
My skepticism is that GW2 will be the final step in making MMOs more and more casual that we've seen over the years since WoW came out. Since dynamic events are by definition meant to be done by PUGs, I have trouble believing they will be challenging at all. Sounds like a death penalty is basically non existent, which has driven me crazy in every MMO I've played since WoW. I want to be afraid to die again.
I'm sure it will be a good game and I'll probably get a solid month or two of entertainment out of it, but unless there's something out there that they haven't announced yet, I don't see much more than that. The PvP sound be fun but I'm sure by then it will start to get very repetitive.
I'm looking for an MMO that I can enjoy for a very long time. Even though I'm enjoying TOR right now, I don't see myself playing past this summer, and I don't see it with GW2 either. Sadly, that seems to be how MMOs are going to be developed for the foreseeable future, give people 1-3 months of entertainment then they move on to the next thing. I want a game like EQ where I play for a long time rather than quickly grow tired of it and move on to something else.
Comments
OP: Ive past the era of bashing games that dont look or sound appealing to me. I suggest you do the same because you get less headaches. I hope everyone who is looking forward to this game that it meets or exceeds your expectations.
There will be copies of zones, actually.
Yeah, i know, it sucks
You said you'll tryout the game, what more do you need? Maybe i've mistaken you with another poster, but didn't you once said that you only trust your own opinion?
Also, if you really want balanced discussions, and aren't just complaining for the sake of complaining, visit the GW2Guru forums instead. Even though it's a fansite, it's about the only place on the internet where you can criticize the game without sounding like a hater.
Nope, wasn't me, i look at others opinions. I spent all day today looking at customer reviews on programming books to decide which ones to get.
Which is partially why i look at this site, to get a good overview of a game before i try it.
I don't think this site is the best for balanced player reviews then though.
People here are either haters or fanboys, "inbetweeners" are pretty rare.
Very true, it isn't bad for people to "bash" depending on what they bashing on or what they are concerned about.
I might get banned for this. - Rizel Star.
I'm not afraid to tell trolls what they [need] to hear, even if that means for me to have an forced absence afterwards.
P2P LOGIC = If it's P2P it means longevity, overall better game, and THE BEST SUPPORT EVER!!!!!(Which has been rinsed and repeated about a thousand times)
Common Sense Logic = P2P logic is no better than F2P Logic.
OP you are right !
the game isn't spcial, it's not the 2nd comming of the lord-o-mighty
It's game ..
.. and im sure as hell going to play it
I agree with the OP actually. But the problem isn't with GW2, if GW2 comes through on all their promises it will be great. The issue is that we've heard this story too many times before. Giant feature lists, hype-driving marketing, and rabid fanboism. Like the OP I will try it and see for myself, but hes probably just one of the many MMO-players who have been driven to being jaded and not trusting of feature-lists and marketing catchphrases. But at least the OP is willing to get back up on that horse and give it another go!!!
"They essentially want to say 'Correlation proves Causation' when it's just not true." - Sovrath
For your sake op I hope you don't fall into the category of "one of the people who won't like this game" but let's face it not everyone who plays the game will like it but I don't think that will have any bearing on the games success or failure.
Yes because MMORPG is a love fest. :P Anyway who said it was special? It looks like its going to bring back exploration for one that is a big plus. I like that the game seems to be making it more social friendly another plus in my book. And its free after you buy the game a nice bonus to boot.
DId you actually think GW2 would be exempt from this? A huge percentage of complaints on this site are superficial and subjective. That's what you get when the topic is about opinions.The closer we get to release the worse it's going to get, I hope you all know that.
As for why there's little in the way of sensible rational critique, it should be self evident, the game hasn't released, the sensible rational folks will usually wait to play something before they go about offering their idea of what will make it better.
Right now all that can be offered are superficial opinions, backed by little more than heresay and speculation. Whether it be positive or negative it's all speculation right now, the game isn't even finalized yet. What's there today could be gone tomorrow.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
A* for Thinking objectively.
I remember writing reports at Uni and you would get downmarked if you couldn't give advantages and disadvantages for something. Sometimes you would really struggle to find a disadvantage in something that works so well, but if you don't, then nothing progresses.
Very true, it isn't bad for people to "bash" depending on what they bashing on or what they are concerned about.
Well not bad as such, but like today, there were books on C++ and the reviews that said "book was rubbish, wasn't clear, waste of money...2 stars"..i completely ignored.
The best reviews were the 5 star reviews, that within the 5 or 6 paragraphs, contained a majority of criticisms. Basically, it's easier to list the few bad points of a great product, than list the obvious endless list of good points.
So, you know when something 'should' be good, so you just compare and contrast the bad points, if they are mostly cosmetic or down to preference, then you're on a winner.
GW2 in this instance would appear to be a winner, but it's a bit early in the day yet, such is the genre and the honeymoon period. Out of the 3 big ones upcoming - Tera, GW2 and Secret World, i judge them all with equal concern, but at the same time, i'm completely open to them impressing me.
You know man...
Ignorance isn't a crime. It's totally cool to not know about something. In fact, I freely admit being ignorant to a multitude of things.
What's annoying though is when you freely admit being ignorant, demonstrate your ignorance in a post, and then come to some crazy conclusion based on your ignorance.
If you would have came here and said "hey guys, I'm just learning about GW2, what is it that makes GW2 so different from WoW?" You would have got a bunch of posters happily jumping to answer your question.
But instead, you state your ignorance and then make outlandish claims like "yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if GW2 is branded as just another WoW clone when it comes out LOLOLOLOL!!"
It makes it clear that your intent was not to learn about a game that you are admittedly ignorant of, but instead to just rile other posters into starting a flame war...and there is a word for that...
Are you team Azeroth, team Tyria, or team Jacob?
Now this is what I'm talking about right fucking here.
Simple, direct, and gets to what it is all about.
Well said
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
I've noticed that even if you want a game to succeed your labled a fanboi, and if someone questions one single aspect of a game, he is labled a hater.
I feel the real problem, is people finding it easier to just label them and then dismiss them. Its a classic move, why debate them when you can just dismiss them.
You see it everyday on the news between liberals and conservatives, its no wonder people are at each other throats all the time.
Yeah, what he said ^^^^.
President of The Marvelously Meowhead Fan Club
I think there are plenty of those the thing is they tend to be lurkers. Don't blame them really. Trying to be objective about a game tends to get you "no love" from the majority of others. You get heckled as being a fanboy by some and referred to as a hater by the others since you have varying opinions pending on the issue at hand being discussed in the game.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
Don't play it, OP. Some of us just like WoW clones and cartoony/anime graphics, and we just can't seem to get enough of it. There's nothing special about GW2 and no reason to think about it another minute. Good luck and God bless.
No! The OP has to play it. Years of mingy WoW clones will have caused permanent damage; give the OP a chance of recovering.
What you're saying isnt exactly true. Most players, fanbois, and even some haters have already played the game whether through the betas or at a game convention. We have all had ample opportunities to get our hands on the game and to get our feet wet in the GW2 world. So its not speculation based off of gameplay videos, screenshots, and a whole lot of fapping its opinions formed from actual experience in the game. Why are people saying it will be the next big game changer? Because they know for a fact what it is and what it can do. They have put their hands wrist deep into the game and pulled out gold nuggets. I got a chance to play it at PAX and then (i hope) in the upcoming beta event. I was absolutely blown away. Every feature , every detail, and every idea that was promised has been delivered on - atleast from what i played through.
But atleast you plan to try for yourself...btw you just missed the beta sign up. it wnet up on the 22nd and was up for 48 hours! I got in there as quick as possible.
MMO's are the ark of the gaming world. Let it take us in new directions.
If you can't see the difference between GW2 and WoW, you shouldn't even be allowed to play MMORPGs.
(>^_^)> MMO Veteran <(^_^<)
Currently Playing: Tera Online
Really stopped right there.
You can't see what is so special about GW2 because you haven't opened your eyes.
I could say the exact same thing about EvE Online, create a character and start doing standard MMO quests (the tutorial stuff).
And I would be very, very wrong.
Well to me it's all about the challenge, where player skill and teamwork determine the outcome. I don't like gear grind, I don't like PvPPPP but overcoming a good challenge with a few in-game friends or a very close arena-style PvP fight is what it makes it worthwhile.
That's why I don't really like reputation grind, gear grind or silly achievements stuff which basivcally comes down to endlessly repeating the same stuff over and over again. And I think game developers do that far too often because it seems to be an extremely hard job to make challenging content, especially PvE.
Cast your vote: The importance of character customisation
I give Arenanet a ton of credit for trying something new, and my skeptcism has nothing to do with that GW2 will just feel like another WoW, because I understand that there are a lot of significant differences.
My skepticism is that GW2 will be the final step in making MMOs more and more casual that we've seen over the years since WoW came out. Since dynamic events are by definition meant to be done by PUGs, I have trouble believing they will be challenging at all. Sounds like a death penalty is basically non existent, which has driven me crazy in every MMO I've played since WoW. I want to be afraid to die again.
I'm sure it will be a good game and I'll probably get a solid month or two of entertainment out of it, but unless there's something out there that they haven't announced yet, I don't see much more than that. The PvP sound be fun but I'm sure by then it will start to get very repetitive.
I'm looking for an MMO that I can enjoy for a very long time. Even though I'm enjoying TOR right now, I don't see myself playing past this summer, and I don't see it with GW2 either. Sadly, that seems to be how MMOs are going to be developed for the foreseeable future, give people 1-3 months of entertainment then they move on to the next thing. I want a game like EQ where I play for a long time rather than quickly grow tired of it and move on to something else.
I didn't bother reading the OP as it was long winded.
I'll tell you why I'm excited for GW2:
1) AAA MMO without a monthly sub
2) Dynamic Events
3) Abandoning of the MMO Trinity
4) Art Design