Chadramar.8156

I'm actually quite happy with the references to Mordremoth, at least as far as ambient dialogue is concerned. Yes, in an ideal world there's be a lot more references to a lot of events and a lot more things to talk to a lot of people about, but as it is I'm happy for every like of racial dialogue for the PC and for the occasional background developments (like the sylvari's efforts and empathy for the Risen in Siren's Landing). What I'd still really like is an apology, both from non-sylvari background characters to sylvari background characters, and from our non-sylvari "friends" towards a sylvari PC. I remember Rytlock and Marjory being real you-know-whats during HoT, and now both had a taste of what an Elder Dragon can do to THEM, so maybe a bit of introspection is in order on their part. The GW2 story has this longstanding, aggravating habit of making the PC everyone's Agony Aunt while almost never receiving any support, concern or apology in turn, which makes those "friendships" feel pretty laughable IMO. Rytlock's actions during the climax of this new episode are a prime example of that. Braham's recent development, on the other hand, is a very welcome breath of fresh air in that regard.

My opinion of Rytlock has taken three solid hits so I'm kinda "meh" about him. First his hostility towards a sylvari PC during HoT, second his lack of reaction to the PC's death and resurrection in PoF, and now his attempt to murder us. Also, there's the complete lack of apologies or concern for any of this, especially given the poignant combination of #1 and #3. (Braham, whom I couldn't stand, is actually getting to be quite all right in my book because he DID apologize and is making a genuine effort to be "better" in general, and as a result feels he has the most potential to become a real friend.) Also, it's a bad look when a near-total stranger like Crecia who just went through the same Jormag-mess as Rytlock, shows more concern for a downed-and-dying PC than a supposed old friend.

That is a very good point! I didn't consciously think about it while it was all happening, but when Braham discovered that his bow was missing I had a definite "Oh s* don't tell me it was Ryland, I was happy they were hitting it off so well" moment followed by an "I knew it!" in the war room. That was quite satisfying, and only possible because we got to see/hear it develop in the background. It's also a good use for that stupid communicator, especially compared to what they used to do with it i.e. omnipresent omniscient asura remote-controlling the player character.

Thank you for that explanation.

This episode was really good and felt like a proper chapter rather than a mere prologue. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed it, most episodes have at least some moments that tick me off, but this one didn't -- and the map is well-done too. Attended my first concert today and am still humming SOUL! KEEPER! DRAGON! REAPER! to myself. ;)

Pretty much this. Way too much self-important posturing, way too much magitech-this-that-and-everything, way too much "Taimi is the only one who knows anything". And if she does bite it, being remote-controlled by a different asura who instantly assumes her role (i.e. what Gorik seems to be built up as) isn't going to be any better. The only asura I've met and didn't immediately despise were Demolitionist Tonn (RIP) and Warmaster Efrut. If we must have an asura in the "guild", can they just have their niche and stick to it, please? The really ticked-off part of me wants her death to be no more than a brief laughing stock and then instantly and utterly forgotten, like the Commander's death and resurrection which she turned into a slapstick moment. I don't really have much positive feelings for any of the "guild mate" NPCs. There are some moments in which I do like one or the other, but that's rare and tends to be overshadowed by "meh" or negative ones ... especially with all the "let's put all the emotional focus on the NPCs, even at the PC's expense" moments in this game. That said, I don't loathe Braham as much as I used to, in fact even felt happy that he got along so well with a certain someone in the new story, until the

I loved the concert as well! All the chaotic fun happening during it makes it hard to pay attention to the lyrics, but now that the songs are on Soundcloud, we can listen to them at will and uninterrupted. SOUL! KEEPER!DRAGON! REAPER!

Fear Not This Night. Every single time without fail.Every moment in the personal story, HoT and the Caladbolg mini-arc in which you get special dialog as a sylvari character, especially with the Pale Tree.The Shadow's attack on the Pale Tree during LS2 ... then finally killing it after learning the terrible truth.The various visions from the Pale Tree and Aurene's egg.Playing with and teaching Aurene.Poor Vlast dying for my character, then finding his memory crystals.Regaining my memories in the Underworld."Still standing."The Zephyrite hymn for Aurene.Dragonflight.Aurene's ascension.Wintersday and the Festival of the Four Winds. There's such an air of delight and whimsy to it, just being able to kick back and have some relaxing fun. The Wintersday jumping puzzle and maneuvering the Labyrinthine Cliffs are a "joy of movement" thing for me. And the music for both is good too.And some memorable firsts! First world boss, which was the great jungle wyrm in Caledon.First time seeing Tequatl burst out of the water.First time beating Triple Trouble.First time doing the Auric Basin meta.First time in Dragon's Stand.First time on a raptor, griffon, jackal and skyscale. They add so much fun to the game.Other fond memories relate to what I did with good people, but this is what made the game itself memorable.

I definitely agree with the approach of cutting down the number of NPCs in an arc/episode because there are frankly too many to include with the limited time and budget. However, I've long felt that the supposed protagonist gets put on the emotional backburner a lot in the name of giving the NPCs and their issues spotlight time. Are there are plans to improve on that? As it is, it leaves the impression that nobody really seems to care about the player character or what s/he is going through up to and including death -- which in turn makes it very hard for me to develop any positive emotions for these supposed "friends" the writers made us abandon the Pact for (still a massive WTF moment IMO). Braham's apology is an overdue step in the right direction, at least. What about the PC and Aurene, will their connection matter in the future? In keeping with the above, Caithe (a character I like, mind) swooping in to become Aurene's emotional focus and interpreter while I'd been craving a moment of connection and reunion with her ever since Balthazar dragon-napped her made me wonder what our bond with Aurene was supposed to be good for after all, except to provide a handful of places to press the special action key. Yes, the final cutscene with her was great and so was flying with her at last, but there are so many "missing moments" and missed opportunities between that and the long-ago episode where we teach and play with her. If you hope to give a bit more attention to the different races/cultures, will that also include letting them shine in the department of providing unique inputs and solutions? LS3 onwards has been far too heavy on Taimi knowing everything and solving everything with magitech, IMO, and the addition of Gorrik doesn't help in that regard. I really want to see sylvari magic and Dream-connection, Norn prowess and spirit-lore, charr discipline and ingenuity, etc. given room to help us save the day too!

Definitely not. And I particularly do not want another exclusively human-themed expansion right after this exclusively human-themed expansion. The norn and especially the charr are desperately overdue for some time in the spotlight, and I mean proper time in the spotlight, setting and lore and story and and characters and gear (!) and all, not completely shoved aside like sylvari were in "their" expansion after Verdant Brink. The devs can't just bank on GW1-nostalgia, especially since this game has multiple playable races.

Gotta add some more: I was delighted to see Aurene doing flybys to help us during the map-metas, just as we ask her to do in the story. That's our girl! My burning question now is, where is Caithe? She did pledge herself to protecting Aurene.

I sincerely doubt you'll get any new players by just slapping quotes from complete unknowns on a trailer. My friends may trust my opinion, but why would a stranger be impressed by seeing praise from some StringOfCharactersDotStringOfNumbers person? Regardless of what one individually thinks of big websites or big-name youtubers, their opinion would carry more weight. For example, I've heard various people claim that AngryJoe's GW2 video back in the day was one of the best bits of publicity GW2 ever got. And frankly, right now I think a lot of these people, if GW2 is on the radar for them at all, are more likely to be burned by the mount lootbox BS you pulled. Other than that, I'm sorry that I don't have much feedback because I'm generally advertisement-shy and tend to be cynical about trailers and whatnot due to too many disappointments.

I'm really not keen on the 100-word format. If nothing else, I'll split mine into "map" feedback and "story"-feedback. Map: Good first impression, due to a decent variety of locales. It's mount- and glider-friendly and quite fun to move around in as a result. In terms of atmosphere, it also does a good job underlining how atrocious the Joko-regime is with or without him. The brand-metor thing seems a bit confusing though. Thumbs down for collection achievements that just sit in my inventory afterwards; PoF did such a good job letting us "consume" such items for karma. Also for the fight with Warden Amala. I also don't like that the Sunspear caches don't have location-cues in their achievement list. Story: Stop painting Taimi as the only brain in the world. Stop letting Braham trample all over the PC as if we didn't lose and suffer more than he did, without any of the support he got. Stop making us care so much about the NPCs who in return don't even acknowledge THAT WE DIED. Give me more of Aurene and our "bond" instead of these fake friends. I'm still annoyed we didn't get a mutually emotional reunion with her. Thumbs up for her redesign and for the profession-specific moment, down for the lack of much-needed racial dialog again. Let the Commander finally be more of a character and less of a story-vehicle and NPC-enabler.

This thread is hard to keep up with, but in a way that is a good thing. Silence never helped or solved anything. Also, here's the obligatory thank god for Jim Kittening Sterling, son.

This is a very good point and IMO a very healthy mentality, though I may be biased because it's how I like to play, too. I guess the difference between your vote and mine is that I've struggled to find the game itself as fun as you do. At any rate, just asking how rewarding a game is does not tell the whole story without asking what people even consider to be rewarding. Someone who thinks cosmetics are worthless and only wants ph4t l3wt will not be satisfied with that perfect RP outfit for their character and vice versa. As someone who above all wants to enjoy what I do, and has a extremely low "loot motivation", my ranking of what I find satisfying would be: 1) Immersion. In my character, in the world, in a story.2) Creating something. In this game, that is limited to crafting and trying to find a fitting look for what I want my character to be.3) Discovery and exploration. The "joy of movement" is very much a thing for me, too.4) Meeting little (or larger) goals and achievments.5) Cooperation. Severely restricted by extreme social anxiety and bad experiences with abusive people. Getting loot doesn't even make the list, unless it's that perfect-looking item for a character's theme. Nor does any kind of "exclusivity" and the related ego-stroking, regardless of whether it's content or looks or loot. The last satisfying/rewarding thing of all is just buying something. There's zero "meaning" and connection in something that I just fork money (or gold) over for. I'd still buy some mount skins if they ditched the predatory lootbox BS, but it's not "rewarding" to have something that is bought instead of self-made or specifically worked towards through related activities. By far the most rewarding/satisfying things in the game for me, this year, were the Caladbolg mini-episode because I love the sylvari and have long been annoyed with the lack of closure for HoT or news on "mom's" dire condition, and the gryphon collection. Oh, and seeing Aurene swoop in and trying to save me during the PoF story, because I was really worried they'd pull a Braham with her.

None of this has anything to do with what I said. I said that companies do NOT in fact "need" to stoop to unethical, unregulated, deliberately exploitative moneygrubbing schemes to survive, as proven by every game and developer that does not do these things. This is NOT a matter of lootboxes or the industry can't operate, which is the implication in all the "they have to make money somehow" excuses. Please note that I never claimed that everyone in this industry is filthy rich -- I'm quite aware of BS like post-launch layoffs, writers saying they get no royalties like in other sectors, crappy conditions and compensation for voice actors. But the industry as a whole, the big corporations, is filthy rich, likely in part because it is so badly regulated. Lootboxes are NOT a necessity.Gambling is NOT a necessity. And if they were, the company in question would not be worth supporting. Maybe they missed the mark with their intended target audience. Maybe they alienated an established fanbase. Maybe they royally screwed up their finances. Maybe they were overly ambitious and simply didn't have the time, resources or skills to deliver. Maybe the work environment was so bad that they lost employees in droves. Whatever the reason, it can't be on the customers to bail them out via unregulated gambling. We do not do anyone, not devs and other creators who genuinely want to deliver a good game and certainly not ourselves, any favors by turning a blind eye on or actively making excuses for shady business practices.

Oh, and count me among the people who would definitely pay for a set of skins that was just the basic models with 4 dye channels that take all dyes well. No washing out, no "all your reds are purplish now". No silly gimmicks like sparklesmoke or bony body paint. Put the price of such a set somewhat below the fancier Halloween skin bundle, and I think most people would say it is fair, and many would buy it. Is it disappointing that the base mounts only have one channel and many dyes don't look right on them? Sure. But as I said, I still think it's a distinct step above the "dirty dish rag" base glider. While two channels as baseline would have been perfect, I'd still pay for the full four well-dyeing channels because I love the mounts and I think PoF did many things well. But no RNG, no gambling. Even if I loved and wanted and would use every single skin in this lootbox fiasco, I would not buy the bundle as a matter of principle. Also: wouldn't doing the decent thing and letting players pick what they want for an okay price provide much more useful feedback?

That is not an argument. The game industry is filthy rich, partly because it is badly regulated. Nobody, especially not the corporate suits who tend to push these unethical and exploitative moneymaking schemes, "needs" to scrabble for every sad cent to survive. They do it because of sheer greed. And franky, if a company "has" to rely on lootboxes, that is not a company that deserves to continue business because it does not live on customer satisfaction with quality products, it lives on scummy predatory practices that are overdue for better legislation across the planet. When I look at the games I enjoyed the most over the past years, none of them engaged in this BS. Many games do not. Please do not help the shady parts of the industry, especially among the immensely rich AAA studios, normalize increasingly unethical practices. This is not a situation of "oh these poor devs need to make money every way they can or we won't have any games anymore". It never has been, it never will be. And even if it was, it wouldn't be worth it.

Merging the various threads does feel like a silencing tactic, no doubt about it. And that just makes an already despicable situation even worse. That's my worry as well. And while it's not always a "good developer, evil publisher/marketing department" binary, it's probably true more often than not, so unless this makes big enough waves, I am not hopeful. At any rate, this has massively torpedoed the goodwill I had for PoF and the game in general. I really looked forward to the mounts, I love using them, I enjoyed doing the gryphon collection because it felt like a "meaningful" in-game, lore-related way to earn something nice (the steep 250g price tag aside), and I knew that Anet would obviously monetize mounts. That was fine by me, because I thought they would handle it like the glider skins. Mind, I do think glider skins are a bit overpriced and I only ever bought one when I finally got sick of the ugly standard glider. At least the baseline mounts are undeniably of higher quality than that rag, but they still share the same issue of having only a single dye channel and not taking many dyes well, specifically lessening customization options and the associated appeal so people spend more money. But this? This has turned "mount skins" into a swearword, a bitter example of corporate greed. And it's equally bitter to see many people both fall for it and defend it. Wasn't there a thread recently in which someone expressed concern about the state of the gem store? At the time, I didn't fully agree with them, but expressed my dislike for the existing RNG elements and warned against blindly defending a company just because it makes a game one enjoys, especially when moneymaking schemes are concerned. That person is a prophet, I swear, the Cassandra of GW2.

So unmitigated greed is a "favor" now. How lovely. An actual "favor" would be adding skins that can actually be earned by playing the game, preferably by doing something related to the skin in question, which would have the added benefit of actually adding some meaning to the things and tying them into the world. Another obvious way to show "favor" woud be to put them in birthday presents. If we move beyond "favor" to "ethical business practice", the obvious decision would be to make them directly purchasable, like glider skins and outfits. Also add some to the expensive PoF editions, like HoT with its glider skin. There is nothing even remotely "favorable" about gambling, ever. It's specifically designed to be exploitative, and people need to stop making excuses for this garbage.

There can't be enough talk about terrible practices like this, as far as I'm concerned. This is the absolute worst way to implement these skins.

Gambling, especially unregulated, is unethical and predatory. This is a disgrace and needs to be changed ASAP.

Caithe, Canach, Rytlock, in that order. I don't care one way or another about Zojja, Rox or Logan, though finally getting away from "JENNAH!!!" this "JENNAH!!!" that can only be good for him, provided it sticks and he actually puts the Pact first now. And I actively have varying levels of dislike for the rest, especially Taimi and Braham.

The waypoint video is a cool gimmicky thing, and that's it. Instead of wigging out over it, I'd say cheers to the person who did it because it's fun to see people do cool gimmicky things. What harm does it bloody to do anyone else?

Again: have the people who use the nonsense about "skipping content" as an excuse for their hate-on for mounts ever done any of the following: Dungeon speedruns.Fractal skips.Entered another player's mesmer portal in any other situation.Received stealth or swiftness from another player in any other situation.Sat on their butt while another player did any kind of encounter or puzzle mechanic.Slotted portals, blinks, skills or traits that grant swiftness or stealth on their own characters.Used teleport to friend.Used a city portal.Used a waypoint.Used a VIP lounge pass.Used "travel to guildhall", "leave guildhall" or the PvP area equivalent.People are "skipping content" left and right all the bloody time. In some cases, you're flat-out expected to do it and abused if you don't want to, don't know how or can't do it 100% perfectly 100% of the time. But somehow it's mounts, whose mechanics enable and encourage new ways of exploration, who are used by at least a part of the playerbase to travel across the maps more because "joy of movement" is a thing for them, are a bad thing and will ruin the game, because -- why again? Ah. Of course. Because of the filthy casuals, greatest evil in gaming, whose mere presence sullies any game with their vile noxious stench. Funny thing is, the person acting selfishly here is you. You're the one insulting others. You're the one demanding that everyone comply with how you think the game must be played instead of being (horror of horrors) "allowed" to move around the world as they want to. Good.