GW2 does not lack player interativite cause thats something that depends on you...
if u want to interact with people u will.
i like playing solo but after a while i just started to interact with people arround me and now i got like at least 4 FULL time partners that always play together doing explo/dungs/pvp... and i just started to looking for that interactivite 2 days ago -_-
There's always roo for imrovement, but additional emotes and /inspect are at the bottom of my list. I also don't think they add anything social to the game. If you want to know what another player is wearing, ask them. That's also more social than spying on them via chat.
Guild Halls, improved dungeons, more complex dynamic events and other things that encourage co-operation are what would improve GW2's social structure.
Also, please, tinfoil hats and XFire numbers? Again? Whyyy?
In < red > list em.
Guild Halls?
Think about it. Social the first few days or even a week. After that, pfft.. Runes of Magic had more social mechanisms than GW2 and their guild halls were still rather boring.
More complex dynamic events?
It's still not social. You don't even know the people that helped you. They may as well have been NPC's, complicated or not..
Emotes at the bottom of this list for being social? REALLY? Emotes are the source of expression betwen players. This says a whole lot about your feelings, and your post.
Guild Halls allow for GvG matches and other competitive events between guilds. They're also a place to hang out with your guild mates and show them those emotes you're talking about.
As for more complex DEs, they require players to interact more with each other. For example, during Halloween there was a Lunatic Court event in Kessex that required players to defend three separate locations simultaneously to open the gates to the Mad King's realm. As a result, map chat was more lively than usual. DEs should encourage players to use the map chat to coordinate attacks and such, especially in high-end areas like Orr. There's a "war" going on, but it's more like three separate lines that don't cross. If there was a difficult event that required some players to use siege engines while others storm the gates, for example, people would talk to each other more.
Also, right now, DEs are so simple most players don't really learn how to play the game. Then they enter a dungeon with their glass cannon AoE DPS builds, get slaughtered and go complain on the forums or just quit dungeons altogether. If DEs required at least some thinking and encouraged group play more by rewarding buffs, combo fields and other ways of helping other players, people wouldn't have so much trouble with dungeons and would be a bit more eager to play together. After all, dungeons are the only PvE activity that requires grouping in GW2. Of course, they need to fix the bugs that plague many dungeons, too. Those fixes are long overdue.
I've never been a fan of emotes. I can express myself just fine through text.
Originally posted by Eluldor I'm pretty sure xfire is only used by the hardcore crowd, and even amongst that crowd - it is still not used by many (nobody I know uses it ). Pretty easy to see this as a valid claim since its numbers are fractions of any game's box sales or subscriptions. Plenty of folks don't even think people still use Xfire Expanding on the definition of hardcore, these folks will be most always be playing the new games at release. Perhaps more accurately, the folks who continue to use xfire game way too much and go through content way too fast and are not an accurate reflection of the majority. They are simply a reflection of people without other hobbies :P
There is a pretty good selection of games that Xfire users play. Scroll down, they are not hardcore games.
It it not used by mnany - this is true. It is, however used by some, enough to give a sample set. The sample set is used to show trends.
Trends which showed GW2 usage at 5x what it is currently, and MoP usage at 3x to what it is also currently. It also showed the SWTOR spike of users, along with TSW, and every other MMO game, apparently.
All flukes? lulz.
I'll give you that it provides some degree of accuracy for the folks who may play through content the fastest, and then would be able to help predict a downfall using that information. The rate of the downfall is still out there to be influenced by other sources, and if anything it shows that people are spending more time gaming than doing other things
I think my post history speaks for itself - I am generally dismissive of ill-thought out criticisms of GW2, and indeed the odd breathless fanboy outburst.
However, despite this - I find the OP's critical point of view to be true.
It isn't the best presented arguement, and it mirrors a number of other simlilar threads, but it is fundamentally right.
GW2 does not lack the tools for RP interraction, nor does it force solo play - far from it. These arguements are way off the mark.
But it doesn't give Guilds anything significant to work towards. Before you cry - 'what about the buffs!', let me say this - 'what about the buffs?' They are fluff for the most part and don't feel like the kind of achievement they should be.
WvW doesn't feel quite right too - I played AoC before this and found that despite the combat being buggy as hell and frustrating, the sense of achievement at defending YOUR OWN keep, or demolishing THEIR keep gave a sense of catharsis GW2 currently doesn't.
In my not-so-humble opinion there should be meaty stuff for Guilds to get together to do - Guild Quests, Guild Dungeons, and more persistent acheivements in Guild-centric PvP.
Exalted were a force to be reckoned with in AoC and elsewhere in the day, and aimed to be so in GW2 as well. But as nameless 'Red Invaders' or 'keepless vagrants' we find nothing to focus on - no solid center around which this necessary online identitiy and presence can form.
This is not the fault of players or Guilds - it is the framework of the game in which we find ourselves and it should be tackled by ANet with all due haste.
Guild Wars 1 had guild wars and it was only because lore made up choices to join other NPC GUILDS and later on your guild could fight other guilds in favor of your "guild/faction"...
Since every race or guild willing to fight joined up to fight the dragons there really is no reason for people to keep fighting against each other when they're fighting the dragons in order to save the world.
The only ones I can think of which could help the world of Tyria and aren't joining in the fight, yet, are the Tengu. Since last time they got screwed up they locked themselves inside dominion of winds and only the 6 gods, probably, now know what they're doing inside.
"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life." -------------------------------
This is because there is no grouping in GW2. No group dynamics = no reason to socialize, period.
But there IS GROUPING... Only difference is that you don't have to click on someones portrait and select "invite". You're "automatically" given the chance to do events when you all engage in it... I had a great exp with community so far on random events, maps, w3, etc... People are linking events on map, asking for help, helping or just doing random exploring together.. I helped more random people, and also had random people helping me (without even asking for help most of the time) waay more than I seen in any other mmorpg so far and I really don't get this "there's no social community in GW2".
"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life." -------------------------------
GW2 have a few tools that help you to be social, it's not a game that forces you to be social. I'm in a guild and we are always social, we do dungeons together etc. I agree that GW2 need more tools to help players be more social and open up the community a bit. I don't want GW2 to be a "forced to be social" game. A few more tools and it will be fine.
On XFire - We have closed threads relating to XFire, because they just lead to fighting (people hardly ever bring up XFire numbers to make positive points, for instance) and because it generally winds up looking like this:
XFire is accurate!
XFire is worthless!
So please refrain from further XFire discussion in here. Here's MikeB's post on the matter.
To give feedback on moderation, contact mikeb@mmorpg.com
Originally posted by bcbully Corners were cut. I know people don't like to here that, but it can be seen in systems throught the game. A lot of RPG elements just didn't make the cut.
shouldn't this belong in the GW2 forums under requests?
I am very happy there isn't code for addons so we don't play guild-ons 2 instead of gw2. and that there isn't and inspect button or command those i wish to ask about their wear i ask in a tell.
Love the antisocial arguemnt, yeah that's why almost ALL of the bonuses in the game are guild related and can only be earned temporarily via participation with other guildies.
The other bonuses in the game come from WvW which pretty much eliminates any argument that they don't have well thought out pvp objectives or pointless kill fests.
Why is it that people who are generally anti-social themselves project that onto other games? sure this game doesn't have notifications when someone logs on or off on the friends or guild roster but that doesn't stop you from talking to someone at random when you are impressed with something they did. I just joined an active guild the reason i joined, is not only did they rez me when they didn't have to to get credit for a champion kill, they gave me items for free and asked if i wanted to join their very large party of people while they went thru and rampaged an area for completing a map, even tho my participation wouldn't add to their points in the guild, AND dropped some banners for me to use for the 30 min bonuses to everything.
If you're having an anti-social time, it's definitely not the game.
I know... It's weird... Sure, I come from an old, established GW1 guild... And so my 'social' life was easy to establish in the game.
But I find quite a few socials in the game. Especially late at night. For example, last night I was mining Mithril & Orichalcum (sp) in the Cursed Shore and got a party invite during a DE that started when I came back to the northern outpost to sell my loot. I accepted it and we ran the chain from north to south.
Then I went back to harvesting and got another group invite and we went mining/harvesting and skill-point collecting...
And yet, periodically, I run into these "this game is the most anti-social game ever..." It's like these people never played in a REAL anti-social MMO. You want "anti-social" go play Eve Online and head down to 0.0... Not including the bots, there are close to 400K anti-socials playing in that game...
Originally posted by bcbully Corners were cut. I know people don't like to here that, but it can be seen in systems throught the game. A lot of RPG elements just didn't make the cut.
Could you please elaborate??
The little things, they added up for me. Things like going to the "battle master guy" The one you enter into a spvp match. Why does he give you a list of "servers"? It may sound silly, but it was a jarring immersion break.
Blending of the game worlds. This is a step in development where pvp and pve are balanced to create one world. GW2 left that out. You can say that it was because of this and that, but it was a step left out, and again it was a jarring design decision to me, that left the game world being 3 seperate games in one box.
Emotes, I've never played a game with so few.
Gear design 1-80. A decision had to be made that variety pre-cap is not that important.
I logged into GW2 today to give it another try and I lasted about 15 minutes. I just don't get that MMO feel from it. It isn't a bad game, but it has nothing worthwhile to keep me playing it.
I agree that GW2 isnt very social as compared to some other mmo's..
but emotes and inspecting people do not make a social game.Why would one need to inspect anyone in todays mmos? everyone pretty much has the same gear for the most part.Whatever the latest and greatest is,thats what people shoot for.
emotes,to me,are nothing but fluff.
What rivalries are you looking for? im not sure I follow really...do you mean other factions? I would think that the other servers that give your server its run for its money would be your rival.
Inspects are rivalries. In GW2's case it would be legendaries.
Progression is another form of rivalry. Individual PVP "duels" might be another rivalry. Essentially someone having more than someone else, be it status, gear, or recognition.
These are some of the rivalries I was talking about. [not more factions]
RvR is not really any form of rivals, because, well you can just change servers. Also any victors who performed exceptionally are anonymous.
edit: players for SWTOR have been also telling EA that there needs to be more competitive rivalvies (in this case, minigames, Swoop Racing, Pazzak, Sabaak, Freeroam 3D space combat PVP, etc). EA also ignored this and people just stop playing. An uncompetitive MMORPG is just asking for disaster.
While the term rivalry is synonomous with the word competition, people tend to use it when refering to specific person, team etc rather than the broader term competition when applying it towards general game features.
I agree with you, MMORPG's agree best when everyone is competing (in a fair & friendly way) with everyone else. It's what I enjoy best about them and why I stick with a title like EVE which provides this is just about every aspect of the gameplay.
But we're not all wired the same way, many people (perhaps a majority of players) don't care for this design mentality, and ANET decided to create their game catering to their preferences instead.
They can't really lose customers, they got what they wanted from everyone from the initial purchase price and they'll likely get most folks to return when the next expansion hits.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
As a saving grace, GW2 does provide a few emotes, like /bow. You can't /smile, /frown, /bounce, etc, though. There are only a dozen emotes that are allowed, which are non-confrontational. EverQuest 1 & WoW released with something like 100+ emotes .. GW2 can't do that too?
GS3 sported more than 2000 distinct verbs...takes a lot more time to animate all of those wireframes across multiple races...who would've predicted that? (oh, wait...).
But emotes really aren't terribly connected to 'social structure'. It's a roleplaying element, with a player base that has effectively discarded roleplay.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
Yeah I like playing MMO's cause I like to play with other, but not everyone I see. I would hate to do a stop and chat everytime I seen someone walk by. Emotes aren't what make the game social people do, emotes add a little RP to the game though. They are working on a ranked GvG pvp give them time it will become Guild Wars soon. Quit the crying about this game being unsocial, and solo-centric. Pretty sure y'all make these threads to get attention, and I've seen enough just wanted to add my 2 cents to one finally.
Originally posted by ShakyMo It really annoys me that you don't see player names in pvp.
If someone beats me one on one,I want to seek them out and have another go.
If there are certain groups of players that play well and give me a hard time, I want to recognise them.
Problem with WvW is that everyone is pretty much the same. About the same race compositions, classes, gears etc. There really isnt much to make a distinction between server X and Y so everyone is just an anonymous face in a sea of anonymous people.
GW 2 has convinced me that Guild vs Guild and Faction vs Faction is far better than Server vs Server because there is little distinction between different servers.
Originally posted by ShakyMo It really annoys me that you don't see player names in pvp.
If someone beats me one on one,I want to seek them out and have another go.
If there are certain groups of players that play well and give me a hard time, I want to recognise them.
Problem with WvW is that everyone is pretty much the same. About the same race compositions, classes, gears etc. There really isnt much to make a distinction between server X and Y so everyone is just an anonymous face in a sea of anonymous people.
GW 2 has convinced me that Guild vs Guild and Faction vs Faction is far better than Server vs Server because there is little distinction between different servers.
This is why nothing beats DAOC after all these years. The realm pride is big motivational factor than server pride. And the fact that players jump servers to join winning side doesn't help it either.
Originally posted by ShakyMo It really annoys me that you don't see player names in pvp.
If someone beats me one on one,I want to seek them out and have another go.
If there are certain groups of players that play well and give me a hard time, I want to recognise them.
Problem with WvW is that everyone is pretty much the same. About the same race compositions, classes, gears etc. There really isnt much to make a distinction between server X and Y so everyone is just an anonymous face in a sea of anonymous people.
GW 2 has convinced me that Guild vs Guild and Faction vs Faction is far better than Server vs Server because there is little distinction between different servers.
This is why nothing beats DAOC after all these years. The realm pride is big motivational factor than server pride. And the fact that players jump servers to join winning side doesn't help it either.
Faction PvP is ok but I prefer Guild vs Guild because you feel more connected to a group of people which you has choosen and which has choosen you rather than faction hardcoded groups.
Forcing people to be social doesnot help a game. If people want to be anti-social, they will in any situation. I feel the coop nature of the game is a crutch for people who do not like to chat. I do chat all the time - my nature but others not so much.
What the OP is talking about is not social, it is elitism (like the looking at others armor, weapons, etc). That is all it did in Rift, was to foster some to have a feeling of 2nd classness.
Games I've played that nailed pvp. Daoc, planetside - rvr Eve, perpetuum - gvg
Most mmos suck though for pvp. Gw2 is in the ok category though along with its predecessor & war, rather in the suck category with wow, rift, swtor, coh, Aoc & tsw.
The problem is at the core of the games design. It lacks meaning and challenge. Anyone can steamroll dungeons and PvP has no purpose. So where is the need for community? Casual game produces a casual community.
Comments
GW2 does not lack player interativite cause thats something that depends on you...
if u want to interact with people u will.
i like playing solo but after a while i just started to interact with people arround me and now i got like at least 4 FULL time partners that always play together doing explo/dungs/pvp... and i just started to looking for that interactivite 2 days ago -_-
Guild Halls allow for GvG matches and other competitive events between guilds. They're also a place to hang out with your guild mates and show them those emotes you're talking about.
As for more complex DEs, they require players to interact more with each other. For example, during Halloween there was a Lunatic Court event in Kessex that required players to defend three separate locations simultaneously to open the gates to the Mad King's realm. As a result, map chat was more lively than usual. DEs should encourage players to use the map chat to coordinate attacks and such, especially in high-end areas like Orr. There's a "war" going on, but it's more like three separate lines that don't cross. If there was a difficult event that required some players to use siege engines while others storm the gates, for example, people would talk to each other more.
Also, right now, DEs are so simple most players don't really learn how to play the game. Then they enter a dungeon with their glass cannon AoE DPS builds, get slaughtered and go complain on the forums or just quit dungeons altogether. If DEs required at least some thinking and encouraged group play more by rewarding buffs, combo fields and other ways of helping other players, people wouldn't have so much trouble with dungeons and would be a bit more eager to play together. After all, dungeons are the only PvE activity that requires grouping in GW2. Of course, they need to fix the bugs that plague many dungeons, too. Those fixes are long overdue.
I've never been a fan of emotes. I can express myself just fine through text.
I'll give you that it provides some degree of accuracy for the folks who may play through content the fastest, and then would be able to help predict a downfall using that information. The rate of the downfall is still out there to be influenced by other sources, and if anything it shows that people are spending more time gaming than doing other things
This is because there is no grouping in GW2. No group dynamics = no reason to socialize, period.
I think my post history speaks for itself - I am generally dismissive of ill-thought out criticisms of GW2, and indeed the odd breathless fanboy outburst.
However, despite this - I find the OP's critical point of view to be true.
It isn't the best presented arguement, and it mirrors a number of other simlilar threads, but it is fundamentally right.
GW2 does not lack the tools for RP interraction, nor does it force solo play - far from it. These arguements are way off the mark.
But it doesn't give Guilds anything significant to work towards. Before you cry - 'what about the buffs!', let me say this - 'what about the buffs?' They are fluff for the most part and don't feel like the kind of achievement they should be.
WvW doesn't feel quite right too - I played AoC before this and found that despite the combat being buggy as hell and frustrating, the sense of achievement at defending YOUR OWN keep, or demolishing THEIR keep gave a sense of catharsis GW2 currently doesn't.
In my not-so-humble opinion there should be meaty stuff for Guilds to get together to do - Guild Quests, Guild Dungeons, and more persistent acheivements in Guild-centric PvP.
Exalted were a force to be reckoned with in AoC and elsewhere in the day, and aimed to be so in GW2 as well. But as nameless 'Red Invaders' or 'keepless vagrants' we find nothing to focus on - no solid center around which this necessary online identitiy and presence can form.
This is not the fault of players or Guilds - it is the framework of the game in which we find ourselves and it should be tackled by ANet with all due haste.
Just my two pennies on the subject....
Guild Wars 1 had guild wars and it was only because lore made up choices to join other NPC GUILDS and later on your guild could fight other guilds in favor of your "guild/faction"...
Since every race or guild willing to fight joined up to fight the dragons there really is no reason for people to keep fighting against each other when they're fighting the dragons in order to save the world.
The only ones I can think of which could help the world of Tyria and aren't joining in the fight, yet, are the Tengu. Since last time they got screwed up they locked themselves inside dominion of winds and only the 6 gods, probably, now know what they're doing inside.
"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life."
-------------------------------
But there IS GROUPING... Only difference is that you don't have to click on someones portrait and select "invite". You're "automatically" given the chance to do events when you all engage in it... I had a great exp with community so far on random events, maps, w3, etc... People are linking events on map, asking for help, helping or just doing random exploring together.. I helped more random people, and also had random people helping me (without even asking for help most of the time) waay more than I seen in any other mmorpg so far and I really don't get this "there's no social community in GW2".
"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life."
-------------------------------
On XFire - We have closed threads relating to XFire, because they just lead to fighting (people hardly ever bring up XFire numbers to make positive points, for instance) and because it generally winds up looking like this:
XFire is accurate!
XFire is worthless!
So please refrain from further XFire discussion in here. Here's MikeB's post on the matter.
To give feedback on moderation, contact mikeb@mmorpg.com
Could you please elaborate??
I know... It's weird... Sure, I come from an old, established GW1 guild... And so my 'social' life was easy to establish in the game.
But I find quite a few socials in the game. Especially late at night. For example, last night I was mining Mithril & Orichalcum (sp) in the Cursed Shore and got a party invite during a DE that started when I came back to the northern outpost to sell my loot. I accepted it and we ran the chain from north to south.
Then I went back to harvesting and got another group invite and we went mining/harvesting and skill-point collecting...
And yet, periodically, I run into these "this game is the most anti-social game ever..." It's like these people never played in a REAL anti-social MMO. You want "anti-social" go play Eve Online and head down to 0.0... Not including the bots, there are close to 400K anti-socials playing in that game...
The little things, they added up for me. Things like going to the "battle master guy" The one you enter into a spvp match. Why does he give you a list of "servers"? It may sound silly, but it was a jarring immersion break.
Blending of the game worlds. This is a step in development where pvp and pve are balanced to create one world. GW2 left that out. You can say that it was because of this and that, but it was a step left out, and again it was a jarring design decision to me, that left the game world being 3 seperate games in one box.
Emotes, I've never played a game with so few.
Gear design 1-80. A decision had to be made that variety pre-cap is not that important.
I could go on, but things like this stand out.
I logged into GW2 today to give it another try and I lasted about 15 minutes. I just don't get that MMO feel from it. It isn't a bad game, but it has nothing worthwhile to keep me playing it.
While the term rivalry is synonomous with the word competition, people tend to use it when refering to specific person, team etc rather than the broader term competition when applying it towards general game features.
I agree with you, MMORPG's agree best when everyone is competing (in a fair & friendly way) with everyone else. It's what I enjoy best about them and why I stick with a title like EVE which provides this is just about every aspect of the gameplay.
But we're not all wired the same way, many people (perhaps a majority of players) don't care for this design mentality, and ANET decided to create their game catering to their preferences instead.
They can't really lose customers, they got what they wanted from everyone from the initial purchase price and they'll likely get most folks to return when the next expansion hits.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
GS3 sported more than 2000 distinct verbs...takes a lot more time to animate all of those wireframes across multiple races...who would've predicted that? (oh, wait...).
But emotes really aren't terribly connected to 'social structure'. It's a roleplaying element, with a player base that has effectively discarded roleplay.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
If someone beats me one on one,I want to seek them out and have another go.
If there are certain groups of players that play well and give me a hard time, I want to recognise them.
Problem with WvW is that everyone is pretty much the same. About the same race compositions, classes, gears etc. There really isnt much to make a distinction between server X and Y so everyone is just an anonymous face in a sea of anonymous people.
GW 2 has convinced me that Guild vs Guild and Faction vs Faction is far better than Server vs Server because there is little distinction between different servers.
My gaming blog
This is why nothing beats DAOC after all these years. The realm pride is big motivational factor than server pride. And the fact that players jump servers to join winning side doesn't help it either.
Faction PvP is ok but I prefer Guild vs Guild because you feel more connected to a group of people which you has choosen and which has choosen you rather than faction hardcoded groups.
My gaming blog
Forcing people to be social doesnot help a game. If people want to be anti-social, they will in any situation. I feel the coop nature of the game is a crutch for people who do not like to chat. I do chat all the time - my nature but others not so much.
What the OP is talking about is not social, it is elitism (like the looking at others armor, weapons, etc). That is all it did in Rift, was to foster some to have a feeling of 2nd classness.
Games I've played that nailed pvp.
Daoc, planetside - rvr
Eve, perpetuum - gvg
Most mmos suck though for pvp.
Gw2 is in the ok category though along with its predecessor & war, rather in the suck category with wow, rift, swtor, coh, Aoc & tsw.