Why am I so unproductive at this game?

I have been playing Guild Wars 2 for over two years now. I've had my share of breaks here and there like everyone else. but I honestly feel like all of the time and money that I have spent on this game was misdirected. I love the universe, the music and the way it sounds, the way the world has been built, most of the animations and the lore in general. I like the game on its own. It feels different from other games that I've played.

But sadly... I just can't get good at it. I've been struggling for the past two years at finding the main class, and even though there are characters where I've put a lot of focus on... I still can't get them right. It doesn't matter if I'm wearing the good gear and the right build, I just can't make it work. This is more noticeable in PvP. It has gotten to the point where I just feel demoralized and wonder as to why I keep trying. It doesn't help that the community is not what I once believed it was. Each person I met is worse than the last one. The game itself doesn't feel rewarding -- I spent six months working towards a legendary and it felt awful; it lead me to a 5-month break and it didn't help much.

-A character that I once considered to be my main was a Thief. For almost two years I did everything on this character. I completed all maps, I unlocked most achievements, I completed all of the story instances and so on. I was always dying; always having issues with this character. But I was always hopeful that I was going to get better. I didn't and after wasting time and resources to give this character a legendary I simply stopped using her.

• I tried to focus on Warrior. I even have three warriors. I tried the three of them. I tried to be a core tank, a condition-damage based Berserker and a DPS Spellbreaker. It didn't work. I feel disoriented and ridiculously underpowered. I've been trying to use that almighty PvP Spellbreaker build for weeks now but it's absolutely pathetic at how I'm so incapable of holding my ground against anyone.
• I also tried a Ranger. A DPS Core one. I was actually having a lot of fun with this character. Made her full Marauder for that extra survivability and precision and things were going smoother. PvP wasn't going so bad as well. But then it started to go downhill. A number of people troubled me because I was using those stats... and the amounts of times that I tried to face specific enemies over at PvP over and over again just to fail.

I honestly don't know what to do anymore and why am I even writing this. I tried to be creative with the game; make all sorts of videos and even projects such as music videos, machinimas and trailers but the community just ended up ignoring and insulting my work. And due to several GPU-related issues and the lack of a better choice, I can't submit myself at attempting other long-term video games and such. There are other MMORPGs on my list... like SWTOR and TESO, but sadly those aren't capable of captivating me just as well. I'm shit at them too of course. I just can't understand why I'm so bad at this. I've seen people solo certain bosses and dungeon paths without breaking a sweat and I need to put a lot of energy and focus against one miserable Elite. A part of me really wants to quit this game. I have no friends, no purpose there and I can't really have fun anymore...

This all feels like buyer's remorse. I feel like I shouldn't quit because all of the time and money that I've spent on this game would go to waste. It's such a mess.

I need a second opinion on this.

tl;dr: Been playing for years, still suck at the game, idk what to do anymore.

Edit 1: I have 27 characters. 3 per class: Core, HoT and PoF specs. They're all pretty much level 80 and have their own builds and roles to play.Edit 2: I've also tried raiding, dungeons, Fractals... and pretty much everything that the game has to offer.Edit 3: I know that it's not a race to become the best. I don't want to be the best, but I want to be above average at least. I want to feel proud of myself and accomplish things instead of failing them again and again.

You say you completed all maps, most of the achievments , and all of the story. That isn't sucking at the game. Heck, a lot of people suck at pvp. You probably won't be happy if you keep comparing yourself to people who can solo dungeon paths.

Twitch-based combat is reliant on good reflexes and the ability to think on your feet, both of which are inborn abilities. Not everyone can become elite PvPer, just like not everyone can become a top athlete. That's just something that you have to accept.

I'm definitely feeling some buyers' remorse myself. I've spent so much time on the game (never mind that most of it was boring grind) that going on a hiatus feels like waste. But it feels like I spend more time being annoyed at things. Doesn't help that the community got a lot worse after the introduction of raids and DPS nonsense.

...so, actually, thanks for your post. Made me stop and think about how little I'm enjoying GW2 in its current form. And there's plenty of MMOs that I haven't tried yet, so it's time for me to uninstall and move on to the next game on the list.

I think you are worrying too much at trying to excel at the game. Ive p.ayed almost daily since launch with 24k AP and i still cant get into things like rotations, combos, Blast finishers, optimum build etc etc. I did a dps check on one of my toons i was proudest of last week and it was so far off the benchmarks for raids it was embarrasing. But to be honest, i find myself just not caring about that. I have fun with the game and with those i do play with, so thats all that matters.

Dont compare yourself to those who do elite skilled things, forget commnity videos and play for fun and yourself. And surround yourself with a like minded guild.

I'm no pro but the reason you're bad is literally because you think you are. Emphasis on the thinking part, you're doing too much of it and not just letting yourself go and letting stuff fall where it may.

Idk but if you want to become better at the game you may have to follow videos and work on yourself, PvP is ever so changing, even with no balance patches (which are rare anyways) it varies on how you play (which you are trying to work on) and on your opponent's style of play and skill, i've had days where i was facerolling on a vanilla warrior build and other days no matter how hard i tried i was getting wrecked while playing the same build, or even that godly spellbreaker build and still sucked like hell, i remember precisely that 3 matches in a row i didnt score a single kill...not 1 kill! even though we won one of those 3 dreaded matches, it happens, keep trying, focus on a build that at least currently have some upper hand in pvp due to balance issues, its a start, take an idea also of how other classes play, how their skills rotate, when is their optimum moment to drop their condi burst or direct spike damage and try to evade, think in the shoes of your enemy so you are 1 step ahead of him, granted not everyone can do that, but successful players have it innately in them.

For PvE on the other hand, go with training runs to learn the fights in raids with meta build, CPS for example, you are not required to have that great of a DPS as your major role is support, get familiar with the fights then join a guild that raids and does training runs, that way you will be granted a soft carry of sorts and from there you can refine your gameplay and skill level.

All in all keep trying, for me i haven't gone balls deep in raids yet, i tried W1 and W2 and cairne on W4, W1 downed first 2 bosses, W2 downed first boss, failed miserably on second, W4 downed cairne but didnt try to go for the next one, the game isn't super hard once you know how and when to dodge, how to utilize all your skills and utilities correctly, thats how other players solo dungeons and harder bosses, they know the ins and outs of their class as well as their enemies and how the encounters unfold.

@Randulf.7614 said:I think you are worrying too much at trying to excel at the game. Ive p.ayed almost daily since launch with 24k AP and i still cant get into things like rotations, combos, Blast finishers, optimum build etc etc. I did a dps check on one of my toons i was proudest of last week and it was so far off the benchmarks for raids it was embarrasing. But to be honest, i find myself just not caring about that. I have fun with the game and with those i do play with, so thats all that matters.

Dont compare yourself to those who do elite skilled things, forget commnity videos and play for fun and yourself. And surround yourself with a like minded guild.

This is the same as me on every level. I've been in the GW franchise now for over 12 years and never had the meta build/gear/1337 skillz but still enjoy playing.

Enjoy the game for what YOU can get out of it. After all we have a million other things in life to cause stress and worry.

I've been playing since beta and feel your pain, OP. When I have bad play days, I often wonder why I feel so bound to this game, then remember how much I loved GW1 - almost like Stockholm Syndrome toward people who aren't even in the same room. GW2's twitch based play hasn't perfectly clicked with me, either: telegraphs and skill inputs always seem off by half a second, and sometimes I'll even go down mid dodge.

@Randulf.7614 said:I think you are worrying too much at trying to excel at the game. Ive p.ayed almost daily since launch with 24k AP and i still cant get into things like rotations, combos, Blast finishers, optimum build etc etc. I did a dps check on one of my toons i was proudest of last week and it was so far off the benchmarks for raids it was embarrasing. But to be honest, i find myself just not caring about that. I have fun with the game and with those i do play with, so thats all that matters.

Dont compare yourself to those who do elite skilled things, forget commnity videos and play for fun and yourself. And surround yourself with a like minded guild.

Perfect advice, speaking from experience. In other online games I've played, I mastered the content and grew to lead, educate, and carry my friends, which is something I love doing. Unfortunately I can't have that experience in GW2, which I've begrudgingly come to accept. There was a time when I wanted to do raids and T4 fractals regularly, but GW2 2017 demands a level of flawlessness I can't meet, and it has started to erode my love for the game and my general confidence, which is something I've been trying to cope with. Anyways, the point I'm trying to make is to not dwell on your perceived shortcomings and enjoy the game at your own pace. I know it's difficult, especially when you get the "git gud l2p crowd" breathing down your neck, but at the end of the day, you play for yourself and not them.

Do not use PvP as a benchmark. Internet latency is (or lack of) is as big a determinate as skill, and in my opinion is the reason why real-time twitch PvP generally fails in the context of an MMO.

@TexZero.7910 said:I'm no pro but the reason you're bad is literally because you think you are. Emphasis on the thinking part, you're doing too much of it and not just letting yourself go and letting stuff fall where it may.

(Having > @Marshall Sed.8643 said:

@Randulf.7614 said:I think you are worrying too much at trying to excel at the game. Ive p.ayed almost daily since launch with 24k AP and i still cant get into things like rotations, combos, Blast finishers, optimum build etc etc. I did a dps check on one of my toons i was proudest of last week and it was so far off the benchmarks for raids it was embarrasing. But to be honest, i find myself just not caring about that. I have fun with the game and with those i do play with, so thats all that matters.

Dont compare yourself to those who do elite skilled things, forget commnity videos and play for fun and yourself. And surround yourself with a like minded guild.

Thank you. I needed to hear this, too.

My golden rule is that when I have time to play a video game, I do it to have fun. If I notice I'm not having fun (i.e. I start to get stressed, frustrated anxious or angry) I will quit that activity or game straight away.

Leisure time should be relaxing, because life is stressful enough as it is. Don't compare yourself to better players lol, you will just disappoint yourself. Just take it on face value that they are skilled and be happy for them, but you must also be content with yourself.

Life would be a nightmare if you beat yourself up every time you saw a dude driving an expensive car, or a girl out of your league, etc.

Just chill and have fun : )

..........

Also, internalize your goals. Focus on doing what you can do, not what you can't.I get killed a lot solo roaming in WvW. However, most nights I've taken 10 times more camps than those times they caught me. I'm good at a niche that works for me. Find that niche and win for yourself.Also, I smile when I do win one, as they just got beat by a 62 year old severely handicapped arthritic on rural broadband. I'll take the wins I can. Sometimes the 6 Gods smile at me.

As a casual who has a family, works 44-60 hours per week, and wants my play time to be relaxing, I live by these 5 rules:

1) Play Necro, since they are almost unkillable in PVE.2) Don't PVP.3) Don't PVP.4) Don't PVP.5) Don't PVP.

Works wonders for me.

am not sure you've come to the right place for help...

I wanted to ask, just in case, but do you feel comfortable with the controls? Mouse turning and key bindings are imo absolutely necessary for things like pvp.

I'm an 'alone together' type mmo player, I like helping people and joining in but strictly do not want to make friends or socialise. With such little personal time it'd be unfair on my irl friends and family if I did.

If online communities do appeal to you there are other avenues if mmo's aren't fulfilling your needs. DeviantArt has many communities for those with an artistic bent. Or maybe you could focus on Guilds and helping newbies, sounds like you'd be good at that having seen so much of the game and put such effort into artistic side endeavours. There may not be a need for buyers remorse, it sounds like you have got some enjoyment from the game at least and with no subs you can come back without having lost anything.

But you do deserve a hobby, an interest, possibly a way of socialising, that is a positive in your life. If GW2 is failing you at that then there is no fault on your part. Or maybe I'm just way off the mark. Either way good luck and all the best to you in the future.

I guess a solution to literally everything you wrote would be getting yourself a Guild.Nice and friendly Guild will either help you get better or make you not care at all about how good you are or are not as you will only care about the fun you can have with them.Also don't compare yourself to people who solo-dungeons. Almost nobody can do that, so it has nothing (NOTHING) to do with how good you are.PvP usually takes so much longer to be good at then any other mode, Meta builds are not always the easiest way but the most efficient way, and that requires certain amount of experience. Meaning, if you are not good at PvP you can just stop it, BUT of you feel that small ich that you need to play more then it means you enjoy it anyway and that will virtually inevitably lead to you getting much better over the course of time.

Anyways, surround yourself with nice people and don't give a damn f*** about anything else.

(PS: also Thief is very very very hard to solo in PvE so definitely don't worry a bit about that)

It seems you've completed feats in the game already worthy of pride and joy. To better oneself is to be at peace with oneself. Enjoy what you've accomplished and continue to challenge yourself with what lies ahead. PvP centred game-play can be frustrating, indeed, but try to focus on having fun and not necessarily pushing to excel in a fit of anger/contempt.

Have you tried finding a guild yet? I do mostly WvW and thoroughly enjoy reset day with guildies, we get stuff done as a group and it's very fun - even if we end up dying a lot.

PvP in any MMO and especially GW2 with so many balance issues will lead you nowhere. There are far better specialized games for that and you should take a look at them.

GW2 is heavily a PvE game, you can try Fractals, open world etc. There are a lot to do. Even if you work for legendaries, do it slowly : set some little goals that will lead you to the shinies. It takes a lot of time I agree, but it feels satisfying at the end.

If the game feels stale or unentertaining just play something else. No reason to put you through that boredom and you can always come back without having to rush for new gear unlike all others MMOs.

Play for yourself, and no-one else. And by that, I don't mean be selfish or try to take advantage of others, because it can also be fun to help others. Level a Mesmer and go to the end of a JP and advertise your portal in the map chat. If no-one answer, who cares? You did a nice JP. If you help someone, awesome! You're dying a lot on your Thief? Try another stat combination, with more resilience, try to find a build you enjoy playing, even if you die sometimes with it. There are very few game modes that really require some amount of "skill". You suck at PvP but still enjoy it? Play Unranked, and only listen to polite, constructive people. Anonymity can bring the worse out of people, since they won't face the consequences of their actions. If someone is a kitten, no matter how true what he/she says, you can safely ignore everything said, they're will always be a nicer player that can give you the same advice without trying to make you feel miserable.

Be honest with yourself, either set a goal you know you can achieve as you are now, or one that require efforts, but that you have a clear idea what it will takes. Be proud of your achievements. After five years of playing, I still have no legendaries, I've never really focused on it, but still., you've got a legendary, that's really nice! Don't expect recognition, don't expect fame, don't expect anything but to have fun. If you do a guide, do it because you enjoy doing it. People enjoying it too is a bonus (a nice one, but a bonus still). Yes, there will be people more gifted than you, that make things you can only dream to do. Either give yourself the means to be like them, or be content with what you can do at your own level, between the two options, none is the superior one, both have merits and disadvantages (or even better, set your own goal in-between)

And finally, do not get too much attached of how much you've spent. If you had fun in GW2, it's money well-spent. I don't regret paying monthy for Wold of Warcraft for 7 years, even though I had plenty of bad moments. I also had plenty of good moments, and they're far more precious to me. Take the good, leave the bad. It's a game, nothing more, and nothing less.

@RandomWolf.3986 said:tl;dr: Been playing for years, still suck at the game, idk what to do anymore.

Go spellbreaker

@Shirlias.8104 said:

@RandomWolf.3986 said:

tl;dr: Been playing for years, still suck at the game, idk what to do anymore.

That's the problem with tl;dr's. OP stated they tried that all ready.

I recently got back into game and have had similiar thoughts. I started to hate my Revenant, cause grinding Glint's Bastion was annoying. I give up on Herald, cause I thought I suck at it. Now I'm Herald again. And I have 8 different characters (for every class) and not one have Legendary/Ascended. It's not my goal. My goal is to do what I WANT to do. I mostly do PvE, I explore, I like Personal Story (plan to finish it on other 8 chars). It gets boring, I know. But if I need, I take a break. It's that simple. The game is MY playground, not some dps/condi meta douchebags. They don't want me in their dungeon/raid? Screw them!

Before HoT, I even deleted ALL my characters and started over. Yeah, madness. But now I have 9 specific characters (3 of norns, humans and sylvaris), each with different Personal Story. And I love it. I just need 6 more slots for 3 of asuras and charrs o.O

EDIT: I'm not expert on building characters, but in years I learned to base my builds on different foundations than a ROLE (dps, healer, etc). I get skills and traits that will help me: do more damage, surive a little longer, cleanse conditions, break from stuns, run faster (very important! xD). So I can be a better character myself, not pick traits for some meta build or whatever, which I don't even understand. Seek connections that are there to be found. You use those Utility Skills? Pick traits that shortens the cooldown.

You got some really nice, heartfelt responses to this topic. People really felt for you and put time into replying with these long paragraphs of encouragement and comfort. I think that's one of the best reasons for sticking around - for people like those who posted here.

I suggest to play other races/professions. According to ArenaNet a female Charr Revenant is the rarest race+profession combination ( source ). You could help raising their number^^I guess a male Charr Mesmer is the second rarest, as I've seen only 1 other in the Open World since release, but maybe I'm wrong and they all are exclusively in PvP and WvW or hiding somewhere else.

Getting better is a matter of getting used to a profession and its various builds and weapons and finally to figure out ones own prefered playstyle. E.g. when I explored the PoF maps with my core power mesmer, I had Sw/Sw and GS equipped first but got overwhelmed by mobs in groups pretty fast. It was frustrating until I swapped the GS for Staff, it went a lot better since then. Other Mesmer players rarely use a staff, especially not the power mesmers as far as I can tell, but I don't care. I found the fun of exploring again. I also use a different rune compared to the "meta" and it's even more fun.

As you stated you tried Thief and Warrior but had lots of fun with Ranger, maybe Mesmer or Engineer you'd like too because of illusions or turrets/gyros?

Once I did the map completion with my most played character, on most alts I just do the hps on core tyria maps and some waypoints there but I'm far away from map completion with any of them. It takes enough time to get all hps, even with mounts.

Otherwise a break isn't a bad thing either. I took several ones but always returned after a few weeks. A break refreshes the perspective and whitewashes the past, and is necessary from time to time :-)