Do you feel you are the target group of A-Net

[zistenz.1945]

I was, but now I'm in the middle of the point between play a bit more, or drop it already.

I'm not against the shop, I have both expansions and all the LWS-s, I bought gems and a few useful items too, and don't care all the fashion, so I'm indifferent with that, but I'm so tired of all the new different maps with different mechanics, the different (and usually time-gated) new map currencies to collect for some map-specific not-so-useful-but-must-have thingy, the different new masteries to grind to not to be frustrated too much with all the new mechanics on these specific maps, the different resources to harvest to craft very specific (and often time-gated) components, the different old contents and concepts that I loved but abandoned for different (and unspecified) reasons, the imbalanced economics that causes more frustrations (you have to revise your old core recipes, ffs!), and such.I feel I was in the target group: a guy with money and a lot of free time after work to play strictly PvE, who completely avoids pvp/wvw, or raids, fractals, or any so-called "end game" content, because they sound more like work than fun (for me, of course), but could play hours of events and work for various achievements and crafts (except legendaries; they're s.ck). I love to play, to explore, to help others just for the collective gameplay feeling and not for the social activity. I loved the old core campaign, even the bizarre and exotic events in the LWS2 too, but I felt something broke in HoT, and especially in PoF. I have yet to finish them both, but I don't feel it will happen soon. I see they want to show everything new and different within every new map, and because of these they become too packed and overweight, and fizzle too fast.

So yeah, I think I'm not in the target group anymore.

[TheGrimm.5624]

@kharmin.7683 said:

@Obfuscate.6430 said:

Who are these rewards for? As a veteran I feel like they aren't really aimed at me. I am torn between being frustrated by new, less casual content - and being frustrated by spending my precious free time trying to learn that challenging content only to earn rewards that I can't really use. So, I feel I am no longer a part of arenanet's target audience.For me, this is a very valid point/statement. Thanks for putting it into words.

I think we all post here because we are engaged and have enjoyed some portion of time here and would like to see more and still see vast potential here. Could be wrong there. This poll in general has an underlining question people have asked a lot over time. Where do they draw their metrics from? I feel they review the forums since I have seen a number of forum concepts appear in game over time. Communication, they have a bad track record, but I also would be weary of engaging on the forums as players themselves are quite contrary and PR is not easy, but I think they could still improve even if its a we are interested in this and this.

To the OP, PvXer here so it's a mixed bad. More meta's good, nothing for WvW bad, no new elites yet, bad, expansion vs LW, good. Trader side, they continue to devalue things overtime so bad. Balancing, not so good, combat still ok but removing more builds and dumbing down combat, leaning towards bad. Would I recommend to others, yes, is there a ton for new players, yes, for vets, questionable but expansion is promising.

[nichoo.9246]

In my case, i can't say "Yes, i'm on the target group" or "No, i don't appertain to the target group". I'm a bit of casual player with some moments where I've got the availability of time to play in a row and do almost all modes, and with some other moments where I can only play PvP or some PvE events and that's it. I used to play Ranked PvP and I got incredibly bitter seeing that this mode is increasingly full of bots, quitters, trolls and people who will insult you for the more trivial reasons; not to mention the lack of new maps and that some classes just infuriate me because they seem to have a few unfair advantages above others and you just survive in the arena instead of play haha. I don't like raids, and I'd like to play fractals/strike missions more but I lack the time to do them. WvW is the mode that least I've played (I'm still quite a newbie regarding it) and yet I see the heavily neglected it is. Contrary to what (it seems) most people have stated, I've enjoyed the Icebrood Saga so far and I think the story has been way more interesting that the previous LW's, although I recognize there are some "gaps".

Having so many options for customize our characters it's something that just blew my mind, especially because I came from WoW in a time this was not possible and SWTOR where you've only got a few options to do it before it was put behind a paywall. Nonetheless, while I don't have a special opinion regarding Gemstore, I'd like mount skins and glider skins weren't "gemstore exclusive" and that we could actually loot some in-game, even if it's behind a "Collection Achievement".

Having said this, I really love the game as if it was a second home but (obviously) it isn't perfect. I'd like some changes and a major focus from Anet in some existing modes, but I am realistic and know that maybe I won't get to see them. So, I still try to enjoy the game as it is while I can, but I don't know if all the things mentioned previously make me part of the target audience. I still think the game has enormous potential.

[Solanum.6983]

Yes and NoAt the beginning I was mostly Involved in Open world PvE so I was happy but then I got more into WvW and that Game mode barely even gets balance patches anymore.

[Thornwolf.9721]

I don't honestly believe I was ever apart of it. They want the open world PvE crowd, and it seems to me that is ALL they want with a revolving door policy and I as a player am not of that niche. I do the content; I play it all for sure but I am NOT exclusive to that content and spend only the amount of time required to get the items (If I do want any at all) that I want.

And Example is I did the bare minimum in PoF and S4, I unlocked the masteries and the mounts but I did nothing else. Because I cared very little about anything going on within the maps/story/lore/region. And I've done everything within Icebrood saga because I had hoped for a ton of norn stuff, but really its been lukewarm and going into cantha likely I might care... or I might not. It just depends~

At heart Im a wvw player.... thats my favorite mode and one I wished would get more dev time. Which automatically makes me problematic for them, for they clearly dont care and never will care and will NEVER do anything for the mode. I understand this and I've accepted this; So if the new E-specs are not my fancy then clearly Im not meant to play the content as thats the only part of expansions I give a dang about anymore. Everything else? Well it just doesn't matter.

[Rauderi.8706]

@"AgentMoore.9453" said:I used to feel like the target group because I'm a casual player who would still occasionally chip away at long-term goals or challenge myself with puzzle and riddles peppered through the game. I'm also someone who would be excited to see what neat thing got put into the gem store next and had no problems budgeting each month for gem purchases to support the game. Back then, it felt like they spread their efforts across a variety of difficulties and content types and you could either cartwheel through the game or minmax at your leisure.

That has changed.

..now I feel like the target group is some combination of people who are willing to buy low-rez, low-effort items from the gem store (compared to past offerings, I miss you, armor sets) and folks who enjoy bullet hell mechanics, heavy visual noise, and exacting content like raids and upper-level strikes/fractals. I also feel like the lag, bugs, and lack of attention to game maintenance has accelerated in recent years - old problems that have gotten so much worse.

In summation, it feels like an effort is being made to focus on stretching content with grind while catering to a more intense crowd and simultaneously quality is falling short in areas like map design, story scripting, accessibility, QoL, and gem store offerings. Stuff's getting tedious. It worries me.

As a disclaimer, this could also just be me playing a game for 7 years and seeing the wear and tear on an old toy. I doubt it, though.

I'm in the same camp.

In short, my reward-to-time ratio has gotten worse as time's gone on. And I don't mean gold/hour (I don't farm) nor am I expecting rewards for zero effort. But there's a difference between "do something 1-5 times" or "once/day for two weeks" and "do this 100 times" or "do this once/two-hour event 50 times" that I've seen creeping into the game as deliberate padding. "Achievements" are either this kind of nonsense grind or pitifully unaware of how fail states and iteration times need to be established to make their 'challenge' to be fun.

The two-hour event cycle is bad enough. Tack on needing the One Sacred Map for something like Dragon Stand or Drizzlewood, and GW2 just doesn't seem to respect my limited play time.

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

I would say no. Not necessarily as a matter of gameplay (though I do lament that DPS rotations keep getting harder), but as a matter of culture. I just don't mesh well with the people at Arenanet.

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

I have not spent money on the game lately. The whole insane number of money sinks introduced this season without real substance, discouraged me. Otherwise I think I am. The rate of content ever since I started playing when Bitterfrost Frontier came out has been consistent and engaging.

I have liked all the class updates. The cosmetics. Content features (minus Strike Missions). New maps I want to be in.

There has been a lot of decisions Anet has made that they refuse to learn from (mount pricing), but the game has been good. However, everything after Grothmar Valley's top notch content (aside from new map resources being s**t) leaves one wanting. The two episodes per map didn't work for me, especially the 1.5 hour Drizzlewood meta turning into a 3 hour meta. The maps themselves and achievements have been fun. It's just that Drakkar and that whole afternoon length meta are flops for me when you did them a few times. No reason or time to ever go back.

[coso.9173]

Yeah, I play mainly for the story, the new maps and over events in open world and achievements. All of this is what is usually added the most ?

[brenda.9723]

No, bc they change their target group all the time XD.

Vanilla was mostly for casual gamers, who sometimes liked to do slightly harder content.HoT was totally not for the same casual gamers in vanilla (just look at the mobs XD).PoF was a mix between the two, with fewer (but stronger) enemies.GW2 maybe wants to appeal to the story focused players, but the story is not good enough to be a story driven game (the main storyline of the dragons is a mess XD).GW2 maybe also wants to be there for the hardcore players, but there are very few raid releases.

GW2 mostly delivers on the fashion wars aspect of the game XD.Personally I really like the fetivals. But i really miss tradional questing in GW2, so there is not an option to do a small story quest when you want to.

[DeanBB.4268]

I bought the game, both expansions, and buy gems with real money. I'm fairly certain I am their target audience. Whatever that means in a game like this.

[Fueki.4753]

I'm definitely not their target group.I don't buy special gathering tools.I don't buy Gliders or back packs.I don't buy Outfits (other than the Monk outfit, which I only use on my Mesmer).I don't buy Mount skins (except for the Winter's Day collection).I rarely get Black lion weapon skins.

Basically, I don't partake in anything they put their most work into.And yes, I believe that they have put more work into that stuff than have put into The Grindflood Saga.

[Fenom.9457]

Yes, I’ve always loved the game, why would I still be here if I didn’t? Icebrood saga first half has been overall pretty great (barring a few issues and missteps here and there), but going into the second half is the first time ever i feel I may be falling out of the target group. The number one thing I love and that keeps me playing and speculating and invested in the game is exploration, new maps (or at least new places, extensions of existing maps are just as good to me), expanding lore, ongoing stories.. but this next episode doesn’t have a new map. I’m hoping the following episodes will, or at least the final chapter, but my paranoid side can’t help but worry this is a sign of changing times and doo mane gloom, anet will be adding maps much more rarely or maybe not at all! But given we’re headed to cantha I know that’s not true, and if it’s just icebrood part 2 that’s like this and following expansions and living world are back to normal, I can live with it