IndigoSundown.5419

The incident you describe sounds odd to me. I don't know what the commander would have been smoking. Definitely odd to leave it to to after someone joins. Still, not toxic, though perhaps inconsiderate in that someone who joins based on LFG lacking such may have wasted a small amount of time. As to LI for DS... <shrugs> I guess whatever floats their boat -- though I'd have no interest in playing with people where such things matter enough to make an issue of it. In fact, I'm grateful when people advertise such preferences so I can avoid them .

Some say quality in IBS dropped off significantly. As with many such things, once something like that has been said, it's not hard to get other critics to chime in. Eventually, those critics accept that their opinions are consensus. This happens on all sorts of online social media and about a multitude of topics, and is usually the product of only paying attention to what you agree with. So, did IBS represent a drop in quality? Maybe, maybe not. I recommend you make up your own mind.

One of the complaints I see frequently in the forums is that, "All of the rewards in GW2 are purchasable in the store rather than earned in game." Infusions are a notable exception to what many see -- rightly or wrongly -- as an overwhelming trend. The OP's notion would definitely add fuel to that fire. While I can understand the OP's desire to obtain a desired infusion by spending rather than playing, I'm concerned that were ANet to comply, they would be removing an incentive tor repeat older content, and that is definitely not in the best interests of the game.

Before Ascended debuted.

ANet will sometimes do things that they think are good for the overall health of the game that make some players unhappy. That was inevitable. The Mastery system is designed as keep-players-busy content, which thus keeps players playing. Some people want what masteries offer and don't want to hunt points. However, it is likely in ANet's overall best interest to keep the system as is, rather than allow people to sidestep the intent behind the system. Don't old your breath.

Here's a radical idea. Buff weapons rather than specific mechanics or traits. That way, anyone using the weapon gets the benefit, whether they are using an LI or HI build. Sure, this leads to power creep, but we have that anyway. However, if the goal is to make more players enjoy the game, then surely it's possible to increase the effectiveness of those who struggle. If the HI players complain that this makes the game too easy for them, well, we've had that since about Day 3..

Open world bosses are a perfectly fine opportunity to learn profession mechanics and practice rotations while needing to consider what the enemies are doing. You do have to get over the idea that you don't have to play well. You can even practice not seeing what's going on...

What keeps me from seeing what the Minister is doing in Kaineng Overlook? Mechs, lots and lots of mechs. While an effects slider would be a wonderful addition to the game, it wouldn't get rid of the mechs. 😆

Thanks for the fyi. I might actually think about another character if some of the aggravation of boosted leveling has been removed. Now, if they'd allow you to "Use All" with Tomes of Knowledge... 😬

I don't mind getting low level gear while doing anything in open world. I just salvage it, which is what I would do were it max level gear. I wouldn't mind getting gear from leveling rewards. Normally, I'd just salvage it. What I do mind is having to destroy it piece by piece to get rid of it.

WvW, strikes. Occasionally someone in guild will want to so something else and if it is contiguous with one of the other activities and they need another I'll go. Otherwise, that's about all I can stand.

I can understand that take. However, what happens when there are no drops worth any amount of excitement? Then, 100% of what you experience is getting the salvage bait, etc. I also suspect those clamoring for more valuable drops to infuse excitement into the game for them are expecting friendlier drop rates than GW2 provides for the ultra-rare RNG drops. The problem with that expectation is that the more often X drops, the less noteworthy it becomes. Fair enough, especially if the reason you're after the rare item is to sell it. I doubt eliminating gold-gems/gems-gold would make the game feel rewarding. We'd still have the same old 99.99% salvage/TP bait we have now, and there would be fewer gem store sales because a lot of people will just not buy gems for whatever reason. the people who've been using gold-gems to get store items would likely feel less rewarded.

There are two basic types of reward systems under discussion here. 1. Serendipity (one gets a drop via RNG) PROS * A lot of people like the thrill of anticipation before every chance * The more rare the drop, the greater the drop's value (this value could be gold, prestige or personal satisfaction CONS * You may never get that drop (aka "RNG Hates Me Syndrome") * Even if you get do get it, the time frame to obtain could be lengthy 2. Aggregate (each participation accumulates a currency, which eventually allows you to purchase the desired item) PROS * Anyone who wants it can get it * The time required to get X is a known quantity (it may still be long, but it is not open-ended) CONS * The drop's value is only personal satisfaction. Once anyone who wants X can get it, the prestige of having it tanks. Further, ANet tends to make such items account bound to encourage participation in the content, so there is no gold value. * The anticipation tends to get put off until one gets the final piece of currency needed to get X. If you look at the pros and cons for each, they're pretty much mirror opposites. A common complaint about GW2 over the years has been that the game feels unrewarding. Every time these complaints accumulate, ANet throws in an event that drops greater amounts of salvage bait and other materials. However, the complaints keep coming back because the game's reward system lacks excitement. RNG drops provide that excitement. So, will ANet keep the few RNG drops the game has? Likely. It's in their interest to cater to as many different wants as possible. Be thankful they allow you to purchase infusions via currency at all -- if they made the ultra-rare drops account bound, that would go away. However, since it would also remove the desire on the part of some players to get those drops to sell them, that's not likely. Is it "wrong" to ask? Of course not! Are you likely to get what you ask for in this case? I don't know, but I wouldn't hold my breath. 😉

To add to what Vayne said, another of the top-tier MMO's, ESO, charges for DLC in aditon to expansions. Or, you can pay a monthly fee to get the DLC (but not XPac's ) at no additional cost.

As of a minute ago, there was no option to add the game to the Steam Library and begin a download. There are no notifications about any delay, the game is just not available -- though that could change at any time.

Because if one doesn't, one is leaving it up to ANet -- and that's proven to be unfortunate more times than I can easily count. ANet staff and management are human beings. While they might have an idea about what a given player would like to see, chances are good they don't. If you care about the outcome, constructive suggestions are never a bad idea.

By, "buff the rewards," do you mean supply more of the same old same old that ANet supplies in huge quantities everywhere in the game they want people to play? If so, that would not be an incentive to me to participate. If something else, what?

While I understand, OP, that you don't want to have to level mount masteries to progress stories, I wonder why you see that as any different than any other of the make-work tasks needed to advance story?

I'd love to see this suggestion adopted. ANet probably monetized this system because as the game has aged, it's likely that more and more of the people who might be inclined to get bag/bank slots already have them. So, that revenue stream would have been shrinking. I could, of course, be completely wrong about that. If I'm right, though, then ANet will be reluctant to remove the cost. I might be willing to buy loadouts if they were account wide. As character bound items, they're ridiculously overpriced. That would at least be a partial remedy. Of course, ANet may view the loadouts as a boon to players who never used Arc templates. To Arc users, of course, the system is pretty bad. The cynic in me thinks there are just two chances that either the OP's suggestion or even mine would happen, Slim and None. And, Slim has left town.

1) Banter with the guild on Discord while doing strikes or WvW. 2) Strikes. 3) WvW, most of the time. 4) Fluidity of movement in and out of combat. 5) No ninja-stealing of nodes.

Do ANet staff have more data than we do? Yes. Do some ANet staff know more about the code they've used in GW2 than we do. Yes. Do some ANet staff have a better idea than we do what will sell and what won't? They should. Do ANet staff know everything and never make mistakes? No.

GW2 was billed as the MMO for people who hated traditional MMO's. Sure, ANet said if you liked traditional MMO's, you should check out GW2. But, it's not going to be possible for any game to appeal broadly across both demographics. You couldn't pay me to return to the two "juggernaut" sub MMO's. Not that I am totally in love with GW2, but it has had enough to keep me playing for ten years.

Right: low-intensity builds Honorable Mention, Right: Strikes Wrong: relative lack of pay-off for playing a higher-intensity build. Dishonorable Mention: Wrong: boon vomit

1. Heart of Thorns for replayability. 2. Path of Fire for map completion. 3. End of Dragons was a big fail for me, as I haven't played most of it all all, never mind over and over, and I've only felt the incentive to have completed one map.

ANet may have already decided to do something different with the Living Story Season bundling once the Steam release hits. They may have decided to keep things as is. They may rerelease the "return to" for the Steam release, tying free access to season stories to logins. Doubtless, there are other options available to them. Alternatively, Net may not have made a decision. It's not like they're going to announce what will be ahead of time, right? Why be transparent when you can just keep mum and present the player-base with a fait accompli? Regardless, the existing verbiage saying "everything you need" is misleading, and will bite them if not changed.