Jump to content
  • Sign Up

Incentivizing multimode play


Jason.3485

Recommended Posts

I read a lot of people that only play one or two game modes that they just don't get enough content. I personally like to get the most from my money and experience everything in whatever i do. Thus in gw1 and gw2 I have always played all game modes. In Gw1 there were Zaishen chest keys, HoM statues, and cross content titles that encouraged people to play all content available. Maybe Arena Net should do more of that as the game ages to try to get people to diversify and increase there play. Then who knows some people may learn to like other modes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I had to do some WvW and Fractals for my Legendaries, but I am still not a fan of those. I guess getting the most bang for my buck means that I prefer to spend my time and money towards the mode I like best, which is Open World PvE.

I will admit that this limits the amount of content but I have solved that by leveling up Masteries on Alt accounts. :p I.e. just do it all again on another account and get the feeling of progress. Since I still enjoy the immersive World immensely, this works for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never had a problem with not enough content. Even now that only very little content is released I can easily bridge the gap until the next expansion by doing things that kinda got left behind during the content rich times. I'm mostly playing open world, raids, fractals, achievement hunting, collecting shinies, etc.

PvP and WvW never really clicked with me. I play WvW from time to time for new shiny stuff like the warclaw or a new legendary. I often read on these forums that PvP with its 5 or so maps is a lot more diverse than PvE because you never have the same encounter twice or something like that. I can't even begin to imagine how much PvP content these people have to catch up to if I can't even keep up with PvE content at times!

I thought PvP could hold my attention for a while with its new game mode (forgot its name, so you can guess how that went). Despite the PvP exclusive legendary shinies and the game mode presumably yielding a lot of gold not even my inner skritt could get me back into PvP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please, not another thread asking Anet to force players to do content that they prefer not to do. There are several, diverse types of content in GW2, none of which is hidden from players. If someone wants to play some, or all, of the content, then that is their choice. The game (and studio) shouldn't force it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't play PvP, but it's not because of a lack of rewards and I don't think additional rewards would persuade me to start. I collect mini pets and there's a whole series of mini llamas which are only available from PvP but I've never gotten beyond "winning" the first one when it was a participation prize in a tournament (with possibly the worst team in the history of PvP, who are all legends for agreeing to help me even though none of us knew what we were doing).

The problem, if you can call it that, is a combination of the fact that the game mode itself does not interest me at all and there's so many other things to do that I've never felt the need to resort to playing a part of the game I don't enjoy just for the rewards. Instead I can spend my time doing things I find fun, and get other rewards while I'm doing it.

If Anet want me to start playing PvP the way to do it would be to add more match types or other options. In GW1 I only did PvP in Fort Aspenwood and Jade Quarry, so if there was something similar in GW2 I might do it occasionally. But it still wouldn't get me into the existing match types because it's just not something I find fun and I've got too many other options (both in this game and outside of it) to waste my free time on playing a game that's not fun for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I kinda like that, outside of some legendary stuff, i'm not forced to play something i don't like. Legendaries are and should be different, you're basically creating the ultimate item, so of course, you should put in the work and maybe do stuff you're not comfortable with occasionally. Other than that, it's my time, and i shouldn't have to PvP for 100 hours just to progress at something.

There's tons of content in this game, and obviously, if you limit yourself to one or two things, it's going to dry up.

But i'm not for strictly forcing people to do it, and there's already a lot of incentive to go out and try different things if you want to.If all you're asking for is incentive though, there's plenty of that in game already, it's just that people already found what they like and no amount of "incentive" will make them even try something else unles they themselves want to. And that's ok. You'll occasionally get people who exhausted the content they're playing and will want more, but for most people that aren't married to just 1 type, there's plenty to do in the game, almost too much to be able to do it comfortably.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best way to incentivize multimode play is to make all the modes fun to play. That's it. That's the incentive.

I do PvE, Living World, WvW, Fractals, Dungeons, Cat Camp (The Steel & Fire vision of the past), jumping puzzles, festivals, map completion, and collections because I find those things fun.

I ignore raids, strikes, PvP, upper-level fractals, challenge mode dragon response missions (and grudgingly do regular DRMs because I need to for story and fashion/emote rewards), and most HoT and PoF adventures (especially the griffon courses) because they're boring or way more work than they're worth for me to find entertainment in them.

For me, the issue isn't complex. Make stuff fun and people will do it. Try to force it, and watch the content completion numbers taper miserably across the playerbase.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are there not already incentives to play PvE and WvW and PvP? Don't they all offer something unique? Legendary armor, for sure, but other skins you can only obtain from those modes?

Personally, as someone who only dabbles in WvW, I'm jealous of the reward tracks offered to WvW'ers and PvP'ers. But I only treat WvW as PvE and avoid fighting other players when possible. That's my preferred game mode.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They've done enough of this over the years to understand whether it works or not. If it does work, they'll continue. If it doesn't, they wont.

I do agree with AgentMoore. Ensure the content is fun, remove any controllable obstacles that may cause toxicity or division (bots especially) and it becomes less of an issue. It's a video game - one of thousands - and we're here to be entertained. If it's not entertaining, the interest will be limited

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For myself it isn't about the incentives of loot or rewards, it is about how different the game modes are in relation to your character skills and traits.

In PvP and WvW the skills are different than PvE, and in some cases vastly different (hello Mes 1 dodge as a glaring example). I appreciate that different game modes will require different builds, but if the skills and traits worked the same in every game mode it would encourage exploration between modes. Put another way, from my perspective you need to know all the professions twice, once for PvE and once for everything else, as the differences appear to be that significant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Mungo Zen.9364 said:For myself it isn't about the incentives of loot or rewards, it is about how different the game modes are in relation to your character skills and traits.

In PvP and WvW the skills are different than PvE, and in some cases vastly different (hello Mes 1 dodge as a glaring example). I appreciate that different game modes will require different builds, but if the skills and traits worked the same in every game mode it would encourage exploration between modes. Put another way, from my perspective you need to know all the professions twice, once for PvE and once for everything else, as the differences appear to be that significant.

There is definitively a difference in all three modes.

And it’s been begged for directly and indirectly from all sides:

  • PvE players want big numbers on events.
  • PvE players (and many WvW/PvP players) don’t want to be ‘one shot ganked’ when they are running around in those modes.
  • PvP has the amulet system to attempt to ‘standardize’ and make balancing easier, which is limiting to those that worked hard for their specific build type and armor choices
  • WvW wants their unique builds where PvE wants Berzerker/Vipers for damage and minstrel for support.

It makes it hard NOT to have different skills and still try to please most players.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@"xan.8936" said:I read a lot of people that only play one or two game modes that they just don't get enough content. I personally like to get the most from my money and experience everything in whatever i do. Thus in gw1 and gw2 I have always played all game modes. In Gw1 there were Zaishen chest keys, HoM statues, and cross content titles that encouraged people to play all content available. Maybe Arena Net should do more of that as the game ages to try to get people to diversify and increase there play. Then who knows some people may learn to like other modes.You're right we need 2 threads per week saying "ANET HATES ME BECAUSE I HAVE TO WVW FOR MY LEGENDARY" instead of the usual 1.

Reality is you are right.Reality is Anet knows it.Reality is a spoiled "Open World PvE" playerbase will not accept any activity that has a fail condition and that they cannot be completely carried through.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To the OP: I think you used the right term at the start: incentivize

That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘force’ as some others have pointed out.

Making rewards that require all modes would be great.

However provide alternatives that may take longer and more effort in another mode.

They kind of did that with legendary armor. Raid armor can take the shortest time if you play it regularly, but I at least have access to Legendary armor via WvW, it just takes me a lot longer. PvP also can obtain legendary armor.

The problem I have is (and likely others) often there is no alternative way to obtain.

For an example: make Gift of exploration available after rank 2000 in WvW once you have collected 5000 skirmish tickets. (Random numbers used, not actual time comparisons)

Make GoB obtainable in an exchange for 4 Gifts of Exploration. Or more maybe I don’t know..

So the incentive is there, but not the requirement

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@"mindcircus.1506" said:Reality is a spoiled "Open World PvE" playerbase will not accept any activity that has a fail condition and that they cannot be completely carried through.That's a bit cynical, no? You assume this statement holds for every player who enjoys OWPvE? Perhaps in your experience, but let's not paint an entire community with such a broad brush.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Strider Pj.2193 said:To the OP: I think you used the right term at the start: incentivize

That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘force’ as some others have pointed out.I disagree. If Anet were to add more incentives to particular content, then in order for players to achieve them, they would have to play the content; otherwise, they would not be able to achieve those incentives. That's why I felt it would be forcing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@kharmin.7683 said:

@Strider Pj.2193 said:To the OP: I think you used the right term at the start:
incentivize

That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘force’ as some others have pointed out.I disagree. If Anet were to add more incentives to particular content, then in order for players to achieve them, they would have to play the content; otherwise, they would not be able to achieve those incentives. That's why I felt it would be forcing.

Which is also why I expounded on the idea. Incentivizing would be making a mode easier for some things to be acquired, and harder in others.

But still be able to be acquired in your preferred mode.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Strider Pj.2193 said:

@Strider Pj.2193 said:To the OP: I think you used the right term at the start:
incentivize

That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘force’ as some others have pointed out.I disagree. If Anet were to add more incentives to particular content, then in order for players to achieve them, they would have to play the content; otherwise, they would not be able to achieve those incentives. That's why I felt it would be forcing.

Which is also why I expounded on the idea. Incentivizing would be making a mode easier for some things to be acquired, and harder in others.

But still be able to be acquired in your preferred mode.

Right, but in the context of the original post, I felt the suggestion would force players into content which was my point. That's why I disagreed with your statement. /shrug
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@kharmin.7683 said:

@Strider Pj.2193 said:To the OP: I think you used the right term at the start:
incentivize

That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘force’ as some others have pointed out.I disagree. If Anet were to add more incentives to particular content, then in order for players to achieve them, they would have to play the content; otherwise, they would not be able to achieve those incentives. That's why I felt it would be forcing.

Which is also why I expounded on the idea. Incentivizing would be making a mode easier for some things to be acquired, and harder in others.

But still be able to be acquired in your preferred mode.

Right, but in the context of the original post, I felt the suggestion would force players into content which was my point. That's why I disagreed with your statement. /shrug

Right, except you removed the whole point of my post in your disagreement. /shrug.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally I wish the WvW and PvP armour had a real unique look to it, like the PvE armour. beingslightly more shiny and tenticles isnt really 'legendary' A change to the PvP and WvW armours would bring more people in who want that new legendary look.

For me personally Id honestly love to see open world PvE areas with Faction based PvP combat in it. So you could align yourself with a faction and fight other players inside that area within the PvE map (optional for those who wish to take part in it... Since I gather there is a lot of super casual players out there who wouldnt lift a finger for the thought of it.) I know this is possible to an extent due to some Maps already having open world PvEvP content (charr bikes) or Guild hall arena's. Fighting mobs will always go the same way due to the limitation of skils and animations. Fighting players however always changes, no two fights are the same (the end might be, but the way the fight progresses changes).

Another highly requested feature by many players was the option to Duel, probably will never be seen in the game due to the rather ancient spaghetti code.

As for content like WvW, heck make rewards for defending a castle higher than capturing, picture defending the stonemist castle and getting 1-5g after fighting off two factions. WvW lacks an instant reward for taking over a keep, castle or camp. (i'm not including those 'champ bags' as instant reward, since that is for the killing of the boss).

Do players need to be incentivised to go into the WvW and PvP game modes? I'd say yes they do (providing the rat lord cheaters and bots can be removed and a decent balance patch bought out.) These game modes are a big thing to many new players, every time I look into an MMORPG I make sure it has a form of PvP be it openworld or instanced PvP, if it doesn't I tend to avoid the game.

TLDR:Increase the rewards, Better looking items, encourage defending keeps/forts/castles in WvW for higher rewards than attacking (or equal rewards with a cooldown per keep (e.g. defend the keep get rewarded, cooldown till next reward from this keep 10m)) Create more Exclusive skins for WvW and PvP only, armours, weapons ect.

Its time to MTGA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Strider Pj.2193 said:

@Strider Pj.2193 said:To the OP: I think you used the right term at the start:
incentivize

That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘force’ as some others have pointed out.I disagree. If Anet were to add more incentives to particular content, then in order for players to achieve them, they would have to play the content; otherwise, they would not be able to achieve those incentives. That's why I felt it would be forcing.

Which is also why I expounded on the idea. Incentivizing would be making a mode easier for some things to be acquired, and harder in others.

But still be able to be acquired in your preferred mode.

Right, but in the context of the original post, I felt the suggestion would force players into content which was my point. That's why I disagreed with your statement. /shrug

Right, except you removed the whole point of my post in your disagreement. /shrug.

I only wanted to react to that one statement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I enjoy a variety of different games, from competing against other players in fighting games, to solo oriented games like the Metal Gear Solid series. Of all the games I enjoyed, there are only 2 games where I enjoyed playing multiple game modes; Warcraft 3 and GW1. Generally, different game modes have enough differences that what I enjoy in one game mode just doesn't exist in another game mode. Sometimes, this can happen even in the same game mode.

GW2 PvP and WvW: While I love competing in fighting games, I just couldn't ever get into competitive modes in MMO's or RPG's. The closest thing I get to enjoying competing in these types of games is MOBA, and that's actually a variant from RTS. Being forced to do WvW for Gift of Battle is more than enough.

GW2 PVE open world solo vs zerg: I enjoy the freedom of playing solo. Playing solo in open world is like playing an adventure game where I can do a variety of things in my own way. Zerging, however, is too mindless and repetitive for me. I have limited freedom and the combat is a mess of incomprehensible visual clutter that drags on without interesting mechanics. Even when playing solo, while I love HoT and LWS3 maps, I hate core Tyria maps because enemies just get 1-shotted. PoF and LWS4 maps, I also hate because of the annoying 900~1200 aggro range of almost all the enemies.

GW2 PVE instances: Not as mindless as open world zerging, but still too repetitive.

Considering even different activities in the same PVE open world can vary significantly in enjoyment, I'd rather not be pushed further into different game modes. GW2 isn't the first game I played, and I already have played different game modes in GW2 enough to know that I don't like them. The more it forces me to play modes I don't like, the less I play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@DeanBB.4268 said:Are there not already incentives to play PvE and WvW and PvP? Don't they all offer something unique? Legendary armor, for sure, but other skins you can only obtain from those modes?

Personally, as someone who only dabbles in WvW, I'm jealous of the reward tracks offered to WvW'ers and PvP'ers. But I only treat WvW as PvE and avoid fighting other players when possible. That's my preferred game mode.

The reward tracks might look impressive, but you need a minimum of 8 hours to complete one without boosters. Talking about WvW, not sure about PvP.So, in PvE, you actually get more stuff if you continuously play for 8 hours than you would a reward track, like if you did fractals and metas and whatnot for 8 hours, you'd get 10x more stuff than a reward track offers.

Some stuff is unique to WvW though like you said, such as a good amount of legendary components, transmutation charges and hero point unlocks for specializations. That is pretty cool, but seeing as how you're not doing hero points when you WvW, it's kind of mandatory to let WvW people be able to unlock specializations without going into PvE as well. Spirit shards as well, if you're not leveling alts with books, you can convert all of those into spirit shards, and i think that's by far the best way to get spirit shards so far, i might be wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@xan.8936 said:I read a lot of people that only play one or two game modes that they just don't get enough content. I personally like to get the most from my money and experience everything in whatever i do. Thus in gw1 and gw2 I have always played all game modes. In Gw1 there were Zaishen chest keys, HoM statues, and cross content titles that encouraged people to play all content available. Maybe Arena Net should do more of that as the game ages to try to get people to diversify and increase there play. Then who knows some people may learn to like other modes.

Maybe.

Personally, after more than eight years, I have a pretty solid idea of which content in the game I do not enjoy. The incentives would have to be pretty significant for me to do jumping puzzles, craft, or scavenger hunts/collections.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Learn to like" only works under the assumption people haven't tried gamemodes and decided they dislike them. As soon as you introduce incentives/rewards to play certain gamemodes where it's required/near required, you end up with the issue of the GoB and GoE where players feel punished and forced to play modes they do not like. Sure some people discover they actually like WvW/PvP/PvE but others refuse to do that content and when they're expected to do it, that just turns them off, possibly of GW2 as a whole.

That GW2 has 3 distinct modes was always a risky decision, both for how much (or how little) they overlap and where to put development resources. The bonus XP/MF weeks are a good way to encourage players to try different modes if they're on the fence while not forcing the issue, imo (though they need to happen more often). Because a lot of players, myself included, know what we like and what we don't like so no amount of incentivizing things will make us suddenly like something we hate because some virtual gold or shiny is added to it.

You may as well be asking people to eat something they dislike to outright hate for $5. Sure some people will take the money but a lot of people won't because it's not worth the discomfort (especially if it lingers afterward) for something like that.

The issue isn't with rewards or incentives, it's that different people are different thus not everyone enjoys the same things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@kharmin.7683 said:

@"mindcircus.1506" said:Reality is a spoiled "Open World PvE" playerbase will not accept any activity that has a fail condition and that they cannot be completely carried through.That's a bit cynical, no? You assume this statement holds for every player who enjoys OWPvE? Perhaps in your experience, but let's not paint an entire community with such a broad brush.I could sit here and dispute you but...I disagree. If Anet were to add more incentives to particular content, then in order for players to achieve them, they would have to play the content; otherwise, they would not be able to achieve those incentives. That's why I felt it would be forcing.You yourself play semantics over the word "forced" and just prove the entitled nature of the vast majority of OWPvE players better than I ever could.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...