For the cheap price of the box one get a fantastic mmo worth playing for many many many hours. I think its the currents market bright light as Anet showed how a simple buy to play mmo can create enough contend to keep you entertained for quite some time.
It has all the stuff you want from modern mmo's and some extra.
What made me quit GW2 for awhile is the "i dont feel that iam advancing" i mean you get your weapons and spells and then you never feel more powerfull. WvW is fun for a few hours a week, Dungeons are exciting if your a warrior / Gaurdian ( dont bother taking anything else these days)
Its worth every cent of the box price, but (endgame) is just meh Its the main reason i stopped playing it and only come back once awhile when my other games are getting to much.
Still Anet made one hell of a mmo and you just cant please the whole world.
Lets face it GW2 is the rare gem that manage to break the WOW mold and made it B2P with monthly updates far more worthy than the traditional pay to use/sub model.
Yes I know some people dont enjoy GW2 and thats perfectly fine thats just human nature, we all can't enjoy the same thing that would be absurb, but you cant say GW2 i not a success in MMORPG industry.
Is GW2 success such a bad thing in grand scheme of it all?
I dont think so, GW2 made a dent that WoW clones are not the absolute in MMO there are rooms for changes and improvements.
That's why hundreds of my mmo loving friends and I are not playing it, right?
Hundreds of your friends (even though i doubt you got 100's of friends) compared to thousands who enjoy GW2. Sorry to tell you this but you and your friend do not matter.
So I m guessing you and your friends do matter?
Did you see me making any claim here that i got 100's of friends and they all are enjoying the game so GW2 is a success?
I will tell you what actually matters. Game is still selling, servers are always packed and game gets continous monthly updates. ANET is still hiring while other companies are either firing or laying off or closing their offices.
"The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.' -Jesse Schell
"Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid." -Luke McKinney
My measurement of success for MMORPGs is quite simple.
- Would you pay monthly to play the game ? -
GW2 is something I definately wouldn't pay monthy and thus the game in my book is a failure.
If you were only to look at BOX SALES to determine success, you could say that even D3 was a huge success even though the game is completely lacking.
So, because I won't pay monthly for WoW it's a failure? Won't Blizzard be surprised!
I see one major sign of success in the fact that they recently had to increase the server cap on their servers to allow more people per server. As you should know, the server population status represents the number of active players logged on at that point in time (as demonstrated by the fact it fluctuates up and down), and when the active population reaches a certain level (Full) they shut down the ability to create new accounts on that server. They were at the point where four or five servers were consistently full so they upped the population cap across the board for all servers. You don't increase the population cap if you're not getting more people in. Continued growth some nine months out to me is a string indication of present and sustainable success.
By comparison, consider other MMOs at least six months old and what's happened to their servers. How many combined and closed servers due to shrinking populations? How many had to open up cross server activities in order to get enough interested people together for content requiring groups?
If the pve was harder, like it was in the betas, then it might be interesting. But they dumbed it down quite a bit because a lot of people were finding it hard to adjust to the new gameplay style. I remember AC in the betas. That was tough.. now it's easy :.
Still a great game that hopefully changes the mold of others. I would be quite interested in other games developed by them in the future.
I have to agree with you there. GW2s low difficulty is really it´s main problem. They had it perfect in the first beta weekend but some whiners cried instead of considering learning to play the game making PvE too fast and easy.
They could of course add a huge grind instead but upping the difficulty is far more fun. Too bad that Jeff Strain quit, I don´t see him making that mistake.
And yes, harder difficulty might turn off some casuals but long term it would be worth it. I hope they reconsider this for the expansion.
I remember how fighting two normal mobs at once was a real challenge during the first beta weekend and three mobs? Damn, you're dead. Too bad they nerfed the difficulty, but it seems to have made a comeback in some of the new content. Those Aetherblades are mean.
Then again, I also remember all those "GW2 is too difficult" and "you can't solo most DEs" complaints, which are ridiculous, but still there. I still wonder how some people are unable to solo non-group DEs. They're so easy.
What I do know is ..for me...the crafting is excruciating.....and the WvW (aka zergfeast) is simply awful.
IF I look at XFIRE's user trend line...I would say I wouldn't want an investment doing what GW2 usage is doing.
Net net..I don't care whether some think the game is a "success" or not.The game is not relevant to my interests...now that I've seen no Arenanet interest in fixing what I feel are stunning WvW design flaws.
I am still pretty torn on if I feel Guild Wars 2 is genuinely a success or not, if your going by games sold then sure it could be considered successful since it sold pretty well but that is only one side of the story. This game had a lot of good will already afforded to it with the original Guild Wars so it was always going to sell well regardless due to the fanbase and the insane amount of hype that was generated with years of trailers and promises.
There is no doubt the game looks fantastic, the game-world and the character designs are solid but I I personally found the game play to be about as dull as a butter knife. I was literally falling asleep while leveling because of just how soft and disconnected I felt with the combat. It is the only MMO I have played in the last 10 years that I had to force myself to hit max level and really by the time I was there I was just so tired of the same abilities over and over that I just couldn't stay interested.
I feel that Guild Wars 2 is one of those rare games that comes around that people absolutely wanted to succeed so bad, that they ended up convincing themselves that it is greater then it really is. All the same criticisms that would have completely killed any other MMO were now acceptable with GW2 (the themepark elements, the tab target combat, the lack of that real meaty combat feel, the crafting etc.) and even praised by the same people who spent years saying those elements were unacceptable for them. That is why I am so torn on if I think its successful or not.
If the pve was harder, like it was in the betas, then it might be interesting. But they dumbed it down quite a bit because a lot of people were finding it hard to adjust to the new gameplay style. I remember AC in the betas. That was tough.. now it's easy :.
Still a great game that hopefully changes the mold of others. I would be quite interested in other games developed by them in the future.
I have to agree with you there. GW2s low difficulty is really it´s main problem. They had it perfect in the first beta weekend but some whiners cried instead of considering learning to play the game making PvE too fast and easy.
They could of course add a huge grind instead but upping the difficulty is far more fun. Too bad that Jeff Strain quit, I don´t see him making that mistake.
And yes, harder difficulty might turn off some casuals but long term it would be worth it. I hope they reconsider this for the expansion.
I remember how fighting two normal mobs at once was a real challenge during the first beta weekend and three mobs? Damn, you're dead. Too bad they nerfed the difficulty, but it seems to have made a comeback in some of the new content. Those Aetherblades are mean.
Then again, I also remember all those "GW2 is too difficult" and "you can't solo most DEs" complaints, which are ridiculous, but still there. I still wonder how some people are unable to solo non-group DEs. They're so easy.
In terms of difficulty, just move to a different zone. GW2 is not quest chain driven so you will not miss story content or items by going to a harder area.
The game was developed for casual players, those that are not as "epic" as other players, wouldn't play. Look at how dumb downed WoW has become, it's starter areas are very simple now. Hard content would lose business, so the developers let "you" decide where and how to play.
This game and others are all perfect for RPG. Developers have laid out a platform for us, and yet we want to zoom to level cap and still be gratified. Slow down and make the game an experience and have fun.
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
Grats on success, but until developers stop catering to the current addiction to being seen and heard every 2.5 minutes that kids seem to have fallen victim to, all we are going to get is a social hub to stand around in, with a few things to do on the side.
I don't personally count a mashup of armor with generic stats, and a goal of "looking cool bro" as a victory.
Beautiful game though.. freaking gorgeous, but still no first person camera to enjoy it with, just looking at my ass...
There is no doubt the game looks fantastic, the game-world and the character designs are solid but I I personally found the game play to be about as dull as a butter knife. I was literally falling asleep while leveling because of just how soft and disconnected I felt with the combat. It is the only MMO I have played in the last 10 years that I had to force myself to hit max level and really by the time I was there I was just so tired of the same abilities over and over that I just couldn't stay interested.
...
I find that interesting to say the least. The combat system in GW2 requires you to pay attention to your skills and what they actually do, and situational awareness is necessary. Seeing when a mob is about to deliver a big blow and avoiding that blow for example are big parts of the combat... you can't sleepwalk through it nor can you simply stare at your skill bar and fire off skills off cooldown. It's definitely (to me) one of the more engaging combat systems I've played in an MMO ever. You even should be adjusting your combat style based on how traits are allocated due to the effects these traits have on skills.
Well, to each his own I guess. After over 2K hours now, with a ton of that spent in WvW I'm still a long, long ways from growing tired or bored with this game.
I agree that GW2 is a success and I actually quite enjoyed playing ranger and warrior which I leveled both to 80. But playing GW2 I realized how much I like holy trinity, meaningful crafting and working economy and traveling on a mount instead of clicking portals. Still a nice game and worth my money but when Rome 2 Total War and EQN come out I can as well uninstall it.
YES it is a success no denying it but the topic goes MUCH deeper than that.
The only thing i never liked about this game was not the game it was the way Arena .Net tried their best to lie to users about their true agenda behind this game.If you support such a crooked developer you are allowing them to mislead people in the future and supporting wrong morals.
We can look at a present game right now called FFXIV.Like the OP says we can't argue GW2 success but what we have is two VERY distinct developers.
Every design decision Arena net made was questioned early on and all Arena did was make excuses and tell everyone they were doing it for the good of the industry.
Then we have Square Enix who instead of excuses ,said you know what you are right,we are going to set in motion plans to make this game right,so that players and the developer are proud.
There lies the two very big differences between developers.One is willing to acknowledge fault or lack of effort the other just excuses and cover ups.You see as a consumer,there is never anything holding a player back from enjoying a game,but there is EVERY reason for consumers to speak out when a developer is trying to be even a bit misleading in their agenda.
Personally i wish EVERY game success,i wish all the employees of every developer a long and happy career but the truth is a lot of developers will treat their employees even worse than they try to mislead us.They also will put morals aside just to sell you a product.This is why you NEED to question everything a developer does it matters to everyone and is not about weather a game is a success or not.
If i circled in a round a bout way,what i am saying is i have NOTHING against GW2 what so ever,but Arena Net i consider a low ball operation like i do their parent company NCSOFT.I don't forget corrupt companies like NCSOFT and the way they treated Lord British,nor do i forget Blizzard and their spyware they embed on players systems, nor do i forget Hasbro for trying to manipulate price hiking across the world nor do i forget EA for stealing money from it's employees and neither should anyone else forget.
I never thought ANY of the FF games were deep - complicated - YES - deep No. People seem to think if they have to do 20 separate functions to what one simple elegant function can, then it is deep. No that is convoluted.
Deep means the background lore has been well thought out and can be shown in the game. FF is just like other console to PC game not deep just convoluted.
Square Enix could make absolute crap and people would extolling the virtues of that company.
As far as the Lord British debacle - there are 2 sides to EVERY STORY and we only heard his, not NCSoft's. Please give me a break with this compnay is bad and this other one is the savior. All companies are out for one thing, profit. If they don't make a profit, the company dies. If A.Net was doing as bad as the naysayers say, then we wouldn't see the below listed on A.Net's website.
CAREERS
We’re always searching for world-class talent. Take a look at our current job openings at ArenaNet’s offices in Bellevue, WA. Click on any of the listings for a full description and how to apply.
Beautiful game though.. freaking gorgeous, but still no first person camera to enjoy it with, just looking at my ass...
You've played GW2 combat, right? Remember what you're doing against mobs that can actually kill you? Ever considered how that'd look in 1st-person view?
You're carpet isn't going to like GW2 1st-person view ...
The game is good. It's made other games that have the point and click movements or stand still and use a skill gameplay seem obsolete now.
If a game has those systems in it I'm already bored of it because it feels clunky and old.
But I haven't honestly played gw2 much other than the weekly wvw resets with my guild. Mainly because after going through the pve once I don't have a reason to redo it. Making other characters feels like a chore. If we could have WvW separate from PVE level progression I'd be playing it a lot more I think. But I really don't want to try another character and grind it up to 80 to be relevant in wvw situations.
If the pve was harder, like it was in the betas, then it might be interesting. But they dumbed it down quite a bit because a lot of people were finding it hard to adjust to the new gameplay style. I remember AC in the betas. That was tough.. now it's easy :.
Still a great game that hopefully changes the mold of others. I would be quite interested in other games developed by them in the future.
I have to agree with you there. GW2s low difficulty is really it´s main problem. They had it perfect in the first beta weekend but some whiners cried instead of considering learning to play the game making PvE too fast and easy.
They could of course add a huge grind instead but upping the difficulty is far more fun. Too bad that Jeff Strain quit, I don´t see him making that mistake.
And yes, harder difficulty might turn off some casuals but long term it would be worth it. I hope they reconsider this for the expansion.
Edit: I don't mean it is unsuccesful though but it´s long term playability would be increased a lot with higher difficulty.
That was one biggest mistakes arenanet did listend to those whiners first beta weekend was awesome, but the casuals and those who are use to easy gameplay cry so hard arenanet listend to them they made the game alot more easy that was a bad move by arenanet.
There is no doubt the game looks fantastic, the game-world and the character designs are solid but I I personally found the game play to be about as dull as a butter knife. I was literally falling asleep while leveling because of just how soft and disconnected I felt with the combat. It is the only MMO I have played in the last 10 years that I had to force myself to hit max level and really by the time I was there I was just so tired of the same abilities over and over that I just couldn't stay interested.
...
I find that interesting to say the least. The combat system in GW2 requires you to pay attention to your skills and what they actually do, and situational awareness is necessary. Seeing when a mob is about to deliver a big blow and avoiding that blow for example are big parts of the combat... you can't sleepwalk through it nor can you simply stare at your skill bar and fire off skills off cooldown. It's definitely (to me) one of the more engaging combat systems I've played in an MMO ever. You even should be adjusting your combat style based on how traits are allocated due to the effects these traits have on skills.
Well, to each his own I guess. After over 2K hours now, with a ton of that spent in WvW I'm still a long, long ways from growing tired or bored with this game.
If only it were as interesting in practice as it is on paper.
You don't have to pay attention to your skills, you only have a handful of skills to use, and you can have them all unlocked by level 3/4. Not only do you have a small amount of skills, but you can generally kill anything with only 1-3 of them! So no, you don't have to think much at all.
Yes, dodging exists and it does matter for escaping those big blows. And it doesn't take much to do so. I'll be fair and honest and say that dodging is actually done well in GW2, but it doesn't prevent the combat from being generally dull.
GW2 is not engaging, and yes I've unlocked every skill on every class with the Ele being the most involved class since you can switch between schools of magic. And even then, there is little synergy between the schools AND spells cooldown so quickly that it's often slower and more work to kill mobs creatively than it is to just quickly spam them to death with a few basic skills.
Anyway, you feel it's engaging, that's fine enjoy it. I personally feel that it's one of the most shallow combat experiences you can get these days.
In terms of difficulty, just move to a different zone.
That's a hard to understand concept for WoW clone players. They are so used to be lead by the nose to the next quest that they are overwhelmed by the freedom GW2 gives them.
Think a zone is too easy? Move to a place where mobs are higher level. It's up to YOU, the player, and YOU won't be penalized for it unlike other games.
Lets not make a sandbox out of it.
I mean speaking about someone being overwhelmed by the freedom this game gives them is a bit exaggerated, in my opinion.
If we were talking about EVE or Minecraft, I would understand it, but GW and freedom? Not so much.
Well maybe on the themepark freedom scale
What part isn't free to move to? There is not a single zone you can't enter other than having to have dungeon level requirements. Even WvWvW and sPvP you can jump into after the intro area.
IMHO sandbox doesn't mean you are able to go as you please. Even Eve has it's limit to area progression. Can't reply on Minecraft because I haven't played it myself, but I have watched my kids play it.
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
In terms of difficulty, just move to a different zone.
That's a hard to understand concept for WoW clone players. They are so used to be lead by the nose to the next quest that they are overwhelmed by the freedom GW2 gives them.
Think a zone is too easy? Move to a place where mobs are higher level. It's up to YOU, the player, and YOU won't be penalized for it unlike other games.
Lets not make a sandbox out of it.
I mean speaking about someone being overwhelmed by the freedom this game gives them is a bit exaggerated, in my opinion.
If we were talking about EVE or Minecraft, I would understand it, but GW and freedom? Not so much.
Well maybe on the themepark freedom scale
What part isn't free to move to? There is not a single zone you can't enter other than having to have dungeon level requirements. Even WvWvW and sPvP you can jump into after the intro area.
IMHO sandbox doesn't mean you are able to go as you please. Even Eve has it's limit to area progression. Can't reply on Minecraft because I haven't played it myself, but I have watched my kids play it.
Being able to enter every zone is what you call freedom?
There is no real freedom in GW 2 as there are few choices players can make. You are on rail just like in every other themepark game.
You are NOT on 'rails'. You don't have to do anything you don't want. How is that on rails - on rails means you HAVE to do A>B>C>D>E>F>G>H - you don't have that with GW2. You can go into WvW at lvl 1. You can only lvl by crafting. You can lvl by exploring, etc. There IS NO RAILS in GW2......
In terms of difficulty, just move to a different zone.
That's a hard to understand concept for WoW clone players. They are so used to be lead by the nose to the next quest that they are overwhelmed by the freedom GW2 gives them.
Think a zone is too easy? Move to a place where mobs are higher level. It's up to YOU, the player, and YOU won't be penalized for it unlike other games.
Lets not make a sandbox out of it.
I mean speaking about someone being overwhelmed by the freedom this game gives them is a bit exaggerated, in my opinion.
If we were talking about EVE or Minecraft, I would understand it, but GW and freedom? Not so much.
Well maybe on the themepark freedom scale
What part isn't free to move to? There is not a single zone you can't enter other than having to have dungeon level requirements. Even WvWvW and sPvP you can jump into after the intro area.
IMHO sandbox doesn't mean you are able to go as you please. Even Eve has it's limit to area progression. Can't reply on Minecraft because I haven't played it myself, but I have watched my kids play it.
Being able to enter every zone is what you call freedom?
There is no real freedom in GW 2 as there are few choices players can make. You are on rail just like in every other themepark game.
You do get funneled over time into less areas but most themeparks do this. WoW's latest expack does this as well, there are more then one option zone to level. You do have a few more options at low level in GW2, then say some of the other games like it, but it's the same sort of questing in different areas.
Saying that you get bonuses for vistas/and the skill points but I would call them mandatory if you want to level in that area, unless you enjoy repeating events. I think on rails is a bit harsh as there are more options then some themeparks.
In terms of difficulty, just move to a different zone.
That's a hard to understand concept for WoW clone players. They are so used to be lead by the nose to the next quest that they are overwhelmed by the freedom GW2 gives them.
Think a zone is too easy? Move to a place where mobs are higher level. It's up to YOU, the player, and YOU won't be penalized for it unlike other games.
Lets not make a sandbox out of it.
I mean speaking about someone being overwhelmed by the freedom this game gives them is a bit exaggerated, in my opinion.
If we were talking about EVE or Minecraft, I would understand it, but GW and freedom? Not so much.
Well maybe on the themepark freedom scale
What part isn't free to move to? There is not a single zone you can't enter other than having to have dungeon level requirements. Even WvWvW and sPvP you can jump into after the intro area.
IMHO sandbox doesn't mean you are able to go as you please. Even Eve has it's limit to area progression. Can't reply on Minecraft because I haven't played it myself, but I have watched my kids play it.
Being able to enter every zone is what you call freedom?
There is no real freedom in GW 2 as there are few choices players can make. You are on rail just like in every other themepark game.
I have to agree with the other posters about your comment. You know little about the game or perhaps never played it.
If you had played, then you would have known to compare it to other themepark games that have quest chain systems. No chains allows freedom, and GW2 has no chains.
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
Combat is fun and excitting its one best in mmo's, its not dull at all.
GW2 only problem i have its to easy and way to much focus on dungeons.
No disrespect, but I'm using your statement as an example. I see so many folks saying something to this effect, and then I see people complaining that they can't complete a Dynamic Event quest on their own because it is too hard. I know of no game with a perfect balance, and I doubt there will ever be one. Everyone has different skills at playing games. /shrug.
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
Lets face it GW2 is the rare gem that manage to break the WOW mold and made it B2P with monthly updates far more worthy than the traditional pay to use/sub model.
Yes I know some people dont enjoy GW2 and thats perfectly fine thats just human nature, we all can't enjoy the same thing that would be absurb, but you cant say GW2 i not a success in MMORPG industry.
Is GW2 success such a bad thing in grand scheme of it all?
I dont think so, GW2 made a dent that WoW clones are not the absolute in MMO there are rooms for changes and improvements.
Depends on how you measure success. If it's in terms of gameplay, some would disagree violently with you. If it's in terms of fiscally, you'd be wrong. If it's in terms of being unique and having a decent following, I'd agree that you are correct.
Fiscally wrong? Did you see the financial reports? they're doing an amazing job and that's without asian market and gem transactions.
"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life." -------------------------------
Lets face it GW2 is the rare gem that manage to break the WOW mold and made it B2P with monthly updates far more worthy than the traditional pay to use/sub model.
Yes I know some people dont enjoy GW2 and thats perfectly fine thats just human nature, we all can't enjoy the same thing that would be absurb, but you cant say GW2 i not a success in MMORPG industry.
Is GW2 success such a bad thing in grand scheme of it all?
I dont think so, GW2 made a dent that WoW clones are not the absolute in MMO there are rooms for changes and improvements.
I must be thinking about games in different ways than You Gw2 lovers. The Gw2 I played did not break the WoW mold at all, it was WoW taken to the next level, more WoW than WoW will ever be. Maybe I don't put as much into specific features but more to the overall feel of the game, and if the WoW I left for good was the defintion of Themepark, Gw2 just took this definition and doubled up. As much as I like alot of the technical features in Gw2, as a whole the game feels hollow to me.
I would have loved to see another kind of game in that beatiful world and much better uses of all those nice mechanics. With that in mind it has failed to be something for me, but it surely is a success to others. I think Gw2 presented some interesting technical ideas, but I hope those who copy these will not copy the formula, which a continuation of the last 10 years Themepark trend (aka WoW cloning).
Is GW2 success such a bad thing in grand scheme of it all?
I dont think so, GW2 made a dent that WoW clones are not the absolute in MMO there are rooms for changes and improvements.
It is a success and nobody can deny or argue that.
Now, to answer the highlighted question. No, it is not a bad thing at all. While It still has some traditional content, it is executed differently. That makes it an automatic different experience, something fresh in my opinion. It has a lot of room for improvements on the current content and adding new and different stuff.
With that said, it is a great thing that it tried to be a different mmo because it gives other companies more ideas to innovate, change, improve, and come up with fresher ideas based on all the different stuff we have now instead of flat out cloning. If every mmo plays the same and only 1 or 2 features + graphics look different, THAT is the bad thing in grand sheme of it all. GW2 has a lot of different things so it is a great deal as long as they keep improving their stuff (not making it a copy / paste from other mmos)
Comments
For the cheap price of the box one get a fantastic mmo worth playing for many many many hours.
I think its the currents market bright light as Anet showed how a simple buy to play mmo can create enough contend to keep you entertained for quite some time.
It has all the stuff you want from modern mmo's and some extra.
What made me quit GW2 for awhile is the "i dont feel that iam advancing" i mean you get your weapons and spells and then you never feel more powerfull.
WvW is fun for a few hours a week, Dungeons are exciting if your a warrior / Gaurdian ( dont bother taking anything else these days)
Its worth every cent of the box price, but (endgame) is just meh
Its the main reason i stopped playing it and only come back once awhile when my other games are getting to much.
Still Anet made one hell of a mmo and you just cant please the whole world.
Did you see me making any claim here that i got 100's of friends and they all are enjoying the game so GW2 is a success?
I will tell you what actually matters. Game is still selling, servers are always packed and game gets continous monthly updates. ANET is still hiring while other companies are either firing or laying off or closing their offices.
"The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.'
-Jesse Schell
"Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid."
-Luke McKinney
So, because I won't pay monthly for WoW it's a failure? Won't Blizzard be surprised!
I see one major sign of success in the fact that they recently had to increase the server cap on their servers to allow more people per server. As you should know, the server population status represents the number of active players logged on at that point in time (as demonstrated by the fact it fluctuates up and down), and when the active population reaches a certain level (Full) they shut down the ability to create new accounts on that server. They were at the point where four or five servers were consistently full so they upped the population cap across the board for all servers. You don't increase the population cap if you're not getting more people in. Continued growth some nine months out to me is a string indication of present and sustainable success.
By comparison, consider other MMOs at least six months old and what's happened to their servers. How many combined and closed servers due to shrinking populations? How many had to open up cross server activities in order to get enough interested people together for content requiring groups?
Oderint, dum metuant.
I remember how fighting two normal mobs at once was a real challenge during the first beta weekend and three mobs? Damn, you're dead. Too bad they nerfed the difficulty, but it seems to have made a comeback in some of the new content. Those Aetherblades are mean.
Then again, I also remember all those "GW2 is too difficult" and "you can't solo most DEs" complaints, which are ridiculous, but still there. I still wonder how some people are unable to solo non-group DEs. They're so easy.
What I do know is ..for me...the crafting is excruciating.....and the WvW (aka zergfeast) is simply awful.
IF I look at XFIRE's user trend line...I would say I wouldn't want an investment doing what GW2 usage is doing.
Net net..I don't care whether some think the game is a "success" or not.The game is not relevant to my interests...now that I've seen no Arenanet interest in fixing what I feel are stunning WvW design flaws.
I am still pretty torn on if I feel Guild Wars 2 is genuinely a success or not, if your going by games sold then sure it could be considered successful since it sold pretty well but that is only one side of the story. This game had a lot of good will already afforded to it with the original Guild Wars so it was always going to sell well regardless due to the fanbase and the insane amount of hype that was generated with years of trailers and promises.
There is no doubt the game looks fantastic, the game-world and the character designs are solid but I I personally found the game play to be about as dull as a butter knife. I was literally falling asleep while leveling because of just how soft and disconnected I felt with the combat. It is the only MMO I have played in the last 10 years that I had to force myself to hit max level and really by the time I was there I was just so tired of the same abilities over and over that I just couldn't stay interested.
I feel that Guild Wars 2 is one of those rare games that comes around that people absolutely wanted to succeed so bad, that they ended up convincing themselves that it is greater then it really is. All the same criticisms that would have completely killed any other MMO were now acceptable with GW2 (the themepark elements, the tab target combat, the lack of that real meaty combat feel, the crafting etc.) and even praised by the same people who spent years saying those elements were unacceptable for them. That is why I am so torn on if I think its successful or not.
HEAVEN OR HELL
Duel 1
Lets ROCK!
In terms of difficulty, just move to a different zone. GW2 is not quest chain driven so you will not miss story content or items by going to a harder area.
The game was developed for casual players, those that are not as "epic" as other players, wouldn't play. Look at how dumb downed WoW has become, it's starter areas are very simple now. Hard content would lose business, so the developers let "you" decide where and how to play.
This game and others are all perfect for RPG. Developers have laid out a platform for us, and yet we want to zoom to level cap and still be gratified. Slow down and make the game an experience and have fun.
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
Grats on success, but until developers stop catering to the current addiction to being seen and heard every 2.5 minutes that kids seem to have fallen victim to, all we are going to get is a social hub to stand around in, with a few things to do on the side.
I don't personally count a mashup of armor with generic stats, and a goal of "looking cool bro" as a victory.
Beautiful game though.. freaking gorgeous, but still no first person camera to enjoy it with, just looking at my ass...
I find that interesting to say the least. The combat system in GW2 requires you to pay attention to your skills and what they actually do, and situational awareness is necessary. Seeing when a mob is about to deliver a big blow and avoiding that blow for example are big parts of the combat... you can't sleepwalk through it nor can you simply stare at your skill bar and fire off skills off cooldown. It's definitely (to me) one of the more engaging combat systems I've played in an MMO ever. You even should be adjusting your combat style based on how traits are allocated due to the effects these traits have on skills.
Well, to each his own I guess. After over 2K hours now, with a ton of that spent in WvW I'm still a long, long ways from growing tired or bored with this game.
Oderint, dum metuant.
I never thought ANY of the FF games were deep - complicated - YES - deep No. People seem to think if they have to do 20 separate functions to what one simple elegant function can, then it is deep. No that is convoluted.
Deep means the background lore has been well thought out and can be shown in the game. FF is just like other console to PC game not deep just convoluted.
Square Enix could make absolute crap and people would extolling the virtues of that company.
As far as the Lord British debacle - there are 2 sides to EVERY STORY and we only heard his, not NCSoft's. Please give me a break with this compnay is bad and this other one is the savior. All companies are out for one thing, profit. If they don't make a profit, the company dies. If A.Net was doing as bad as the naysayers say, then we wouldn't see the below listed on A.Net's website.
CAREERS
We’re always searching for world-class talent. Take a look at our current job openings at ArenaNet’s offices in Bellevue, WA. Click on any of the listings for a full description and how to apply.
You've played GW2 combat, right? Remember what you're doing against mobs that can actually kill you? Ever considered how that'd look in 1st-person view?
You're carpet isn't going to like GW2 1st-person view ...
That was one biggest mistakes arenanet did listend to those whiners first beta weekend was awesome, but the casuals and those who are use to easy gameplay cry so hard arenanet listend to them they made the game alot more easy that was a bad move by arenanet.
If only it were as interesting in practice as it is on paper.
You don't have to pay attention to your skills, you only have a handful of skills to use, and you can have them all unlocked by level 3/4. Not only do you have a small amount of skills, but you can generally kill anything with only 1-3 of them! So no, you don't have to think much at all.
Yes, dodging exists and it does matter for escaping those big blows. And it doesn't take much to do so. I'll be fair and honest and say that dodging is actually done well in GW2, but it doesn't prevent the combat from being generally dull.
GW2 is not engaging, and yes I've unlocked every skill on every class with the Ele being the most involved class since you can switch between schools of magic. And even then, there is little synergy between the schools AND spells cooldown so quickly that it's often slower and more work to kill mobs creatively than it is to just quickly spam them to death with a few basic skills.
Anyway, you feel it's engaging, that's fine enjoy it. I personally feel that it's one of the most shallow combat experiences you can get these days.
Combat is fun and excitting its one best in mmo's, its not dull at all.
GW2 only problem i have its to easy and way to much focus on dungeons.
What part isn't free to move to? There is not a single zone you can't enter other than having to have dungeon level requirements. Even WvWvW and sPvP you can jump into after the intro area.
IMHO sandbox doesn't mean you are able to go as you please. Even Eve has it's limit to area progression. Can't reply on Minecraft because I haven't played it myself, but I have watched my kids play it.
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
You are NOT on 'rails'. You don't have to do anything you don't want. How is that on rails - on rails means you HAVE to do A>B>C>D>E>F>G>H - you don't have that with GW2. You can go into WvW at lvl 1. You can only lvl by crafting. You can lvl by exploring, etc. There IS NO RAILS in GW2......
Another clueless hater......
You do get funneled over time into less areas but most themeparks do this. WoW's latest expack does this as well, there are more then one option zone to level. You do have a few more options at low level in GW2, then say some of the other games like it, but it's the same sort of questing in different areas.
Saying that you get bonuses for vistas/and the skill points but I would call them mandatory if you want to level in that area, unless you enjoy repeating events. I think on rails is a bit harsh as there are more options then some themeparks.
This looks like a job for....The Riviera Kid!
I have to agree with the other posters about your comment. You know little about the game or perhaps never played it.
If you had played, then you would have known to compare it to other themepark games that have quest chain systems. No chains allows freedom, and GW2 has no chains.
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
No disrespect, but I'm using your statement as an example. I see so many folks saying something to this effect, and then I see people complaining that they can't complete a Dynamic Event quest on their own because it is too hard. I know of no game with a perfect balance, and I doubt there will ever be one. Everyone has different skills at playing games. /shrug.
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
Fiscally wrong? Did you see the financial reports?
they're doing an amazing job and that's without asian market and gem transactions.
"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life."
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Anybody have the figures? Like rate of return on GW2? Heck if it beats 10%, it was golden. ....
I must be thinking about games in different ways than You Gw2 lovers. The Gw2 I played did not break the WoW mold at all, it was WoW taken to the next level, more WoW than WoW will ever be. Maybe I don't put as much into specific features but more to the overall feel of the game, and if the WoW I left for good was the defintion of Themepark, Gw2 just took this definition and doubled up. As much as I like alot of the technical features in Gw2, as a whole the game feels hollow to me.
I would have loved to see another kind of game in that beatiful world and much better uses of all those nice mechanics. With that in mind it has failed to be something for me, but it surely is a success to others. I think Gw2 presented some interesting technical ideas, but I hope those who copy these will not copy the formula, which a continuation of the last 10 years Themepark trend (aka WoW cloning).
"I am my connectome" https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HA7GwKXfJB0
It is a success and nobody can deny or argue that.
Now, to answer the highlighted question. No, it is not a bad thing at all. While It still has some traditional content, it is executed differently. That makes it an automatic different experience, something fresh in my opinion. It has a lot of room for improvements on the current content and adding new and different stuff.
With that said, it is a great thing that it tried to be a different mmo because it gives other companies more ideas to innovate, change, improve, and come up with fresher ideas based on all the different stuff we have now instead of flat out cloning. If every mmo plays the same and only 1 or 2 features + graphics look different, THAT is the bad thing in grand sheme of it all. GW2 has a lot of different things so it is a great deal as long as they keep improving their stuff (not making it a copy / paste from other mmos)