How Guild Wars 2 CAN keep you playing!

[Shylo.1426]

Hear me out...loot needs to be improvedThe World Boss event had me excited, but had me realize what would keep me playing more often.World boss related slayer gear , loot that has exclusive stats that can only be accessed through slaying the world bosses. You don't need a rune for the gear because it's tied to the gear and REQUIRES you to obtain a full set to make the best of the gear. What I'm saying Is.. REAL loot. Give me INCENTIVES. I want my big bad kills to have meaning.Nothing about the end phase of the boss fights are memorable.

Imagine.. Going from - I want that skin -> I want that GEAR !Lets Look at an example :New gear for every world boss that dosnt step on the toes of existing loot chests, is account bound (almost like the loot from the Tequatl Rising event but more unique) and can't be broken down for mats or runes with exclusive runes already heldExample medium: Mask of the shatterer slayer (ascended) Exclusive rune stats with a bonus effect ( the effect maybe also has a () x modifier while in a shatterer instance event map and a ()% at full set equipped ).

[chaosdurza.3291]

I like part of your idea. I think it would be cool to take a lot of the stats from PvP and put them as exotic drops from world bosses. Make them salvageable, and have a 100% chance to give the insignia necessary to stat swap an ascended piece of gear. Don't make it have unbelievably low drop rates like the Tequatl pieces, just 1 piece per boss. Better if we even just got a box that let us choose the piece of armor/armor weight we get. Pick like 4 of the harder boss events and add 4 different stat types into PvE, only obtainable from killing those bosses. Would add a lot of value to boss events.

[wickedkae.4980]

We need further progression beyond what we have. The fact that I am still using the same armor from 5 years ago is an issue. I also have nothing to look forward to in building up my character. Anet needs to look to other MMOs for inspiration if their devs are unable to think of new ideas.

[Kabuki Theatre.9752]

@wickedkae.4980 said:We need further progression beyond what we have. The fact that I am still using the same armor from 5 years ago is an issue. I also have nothing to look forward to in building up my character. Anet needs to look to other MMOs for inspiration if their devs are unable to think of new ideas.

What MMO for inspiration would you suggest?

[Shylo.1426]

I was thinking WoW and ESO when I wrote this up. Why not make them uniquely ascended with a built in rune that cant be overridden? Its supposed to be a unique reason to challenge world bosses.

[castlemanic.3198]

@Shylo.1426 said:Imagine.. Going from - I want that skin -> I want that GEAR !

I mean, that's the opposite of what GW2 has aimed to be this whole time. Guild Wars 2 is designed in such a way that the gear you have will never become obsolete, and that you'll always have the ability to be at the same max level you were 5 years ago. The entire reason why the mastery system exists is because the developers wanted to provide horizontal progression instead of gear progression. That's been their aim the entire time. It's not like the developers forgot about that idea either (because they created legendary armour and changed legendaries to be a convenience item where you can swap stats at will), but they instead chose to implement it in a way that doesn't leave inactive players behind for when they return (legendary items are the same power level as ascended gear). It's all been by design. The developers aren't 'lazy' or 'out of ideas'. They're choosing to do something else. If that doesn't work for you, that's okay, there are plenty of MMOs that can appeal to your gear progression desire. This MMO doesn't have gear progression, nor should it imo.

[Puki Man.4068]

I think Gw2 could learn a few things from Gw1. The open world zerg fest of Gw2 has no adventure just a mad scramble for loot. I like the latest storylines of LWS3 and 4 as they are more instanced and feel more personal, even a bit more of an adventure - I would love to have configurable heroes to be able to take into the instanced play; I would also like to see the introduction of more Elite skills which actually require you to kill some boss, this would make for a different line of quest where you have to go hunt the boss. It would also make the skill builds much more variable and configurable rather than everyone has the same set of skills. Will there be a Gw3??

[Chasind.3128]

There is no character progression or anything you do in this game that is actually impactful. Anet wanted it this way so casual players wouldn't worry about "grinding" to constantly keep up with gear changes.

[mauried.5608]

Once you introduce gear grind , then the level cap has to go up, otherwise all thats happening is that players stats are being increased by other methods which effectively increase the players level without changing the number.The whole point of a level cap is to stop progression when you reach that level.If you dont like this then you have to play games like WOW, where the level cap just keeps being increased forever.

[VDAC.2137]

@wickedkae.4980 said:We need further progression beyond what we have. The fact that I am still using the same armor from 5 years ago is an issue. I also have nothing to look forward to in building up my character. Anet needs to look to other MMOs for inspiration if their devs are unable to think of new ideas.

I disagree on this and the fact that I can still use armor I put a lot of time and gold into is an important factor in keeping me playing and coming back to the game after taking hiatuses for various reasons. I don’t have to grind and make sacrificial offerings to RNG for new gear. I hated that in other MMO’s — your hard work becomes obsolete and you can’t even get the gear without doing endgame content but no one wants you there unless you already have the gear. No thank you!

[Ototo.3214]

@wickedkae.4980 said:We need further progression beyond what we have. The fact that I am still using the same armor from 5 years ago is an issue. I also have nothing to look forward to in building up my character. Anet needs to look to other MMOs for inspiration if their devs are unable to think of new ideas.

Considering Anet continues to state that they focus on horizontal progression instead of vertical progression, using the same gear for 5 years is intended. It's honestly the reason I continue to play GW2 when I've stopped playing most other MMOs. What's even the point of getting gear with better stats? So you hit harder? Except they'll just make the bosses have more HP and also hit harder. It really does nothing but turn the game into a gear grind for the sake of grinding gear to keep up.

[Ototo.3214]

But as to the actual topic, World Bosses do need some love and a unique armor set would be pretty cool.

[mauried.5608]

Provided it doesnt create gear grind, so no better stats than any other armor thats currently obtainable in the game, but thats not what the OP seems to want.

[Cyninja.2954]

Because world bosses require better than exotic gear (or even rare gear for that matter)?

What about the people who finish the proposed gear grind? They are essentially back to square one (where they are right now).

Your suggestions is basically only a temporary gear grind infusion which does not solve any underlying problem. On the contrary, it throws up multiple new ones:

• best in slot gear from world bosses devalues all existing gear and content (as well as resources)
• difficult world bosses get avoided (hello triple trouble) or complained about so much until nerfed (hello Tequatle)
• temporary gear infusion only work in gear systems which provide constant new gear grind

@Shylo.1426 said:I was thinking WoW and ESO when I wrote this up. Why not make them uniquely ascended with a built in rune that cant be overridden? Its supposed to be a unique reason to challenge world bosses.

Very evident. Both of those games have perpetual gear grinds in place though as well as recurring level cap increases.

[SkyShroud.2865]

What players like is consistency.A consistent schedule of releases. That is to say, if every 3 months will release something for certain mode, keep to that schedule. Players are not gonna keep checking the site for updates and players are not gonna wait for updates they don't know when will come.

Balance change that doesn't require to relearn entire thing so often. Let say a new raid wing come and that is after many balance patches. The players return to try this new wing but thanks to the balance changes, they have to relearn all their classes again. It is not a very attractive cycle.

Now, let' also talk about ad-hoc updatesI am unsure how anet operate but if anet operate like a progression companies do then, they should have made some contents they have no plan for. Some people think unplanned contents creation is a waste of time but this unplanned contents creation in reality can help save time if one day you suddenly need it. This is also a clever way to maximize resource utilization, you cannot have people doing nothing afterall. This means that time to time, anet could have a surprise update.

In this day of ageThere are tons of games out there, plenty of people play multiple games. No company should spend all their energy assuming ways to retain players but should also consider ways how to get players to keep returning to play the game.

[Thornwolf.9721]

Im a big hide, furs and bones guy and I frankly dislike like 90% of our armor we currently have. Im working on a few legendaries, and the skyscale but after the skyscale I probs will take another Hiatus until next season starts. I am not a big grind kind of guy, not unless its engaging and alot of the Grind in this game is kinda meh. I've been running the shrine boots and pants along with the mistward helm and eyepatch skin for like years now on my male norn.

Nothing really looks good on a male norn and I wish they would let us transmog ourselves to be without a shirt or something, so we can show off those tattoos or male charr can show off their fur patterns. Just kind sucks that I feel norn which is the race I love the most (Viking werebeasts with celtic/native american roots? ) at leasst in the lore continues to get the shaft. This is why I hope we get a norn expansion, with norn armor, the option to always be in beast form cosmetically so our armor just fits on it and a good backdrop into some serious lore for them. (A pipe dream I know) I also hope the game gets a bit darker, and moves away from the stuff we have already gotten with us getting cooler stuff. So far alot of it has been unimpressive (Outside of this seasons living world.)

[zealex.9410]

@mauried.5608 said:Once you introduce gear grind , then the level cap has to go up, otherwise all thats happening is that players stats are being increased by other methods which effectively increase the players level without changing the number.The whole point of a level cap is to stop progression when you reach that level.If you dont like this then you have to play games like WOW, where the level cap just keeps being increased forever.

I believe eso has gear grind but no lvl cap increases.

[mauried.5608]

How does it work ?Whats the motivation to grind for more gear if your level doesnt change.If the gear does improve your stats, then its really increasing your level by stealth.Either way, if the gear grind makes killing monsters easier, then your level has gone up.

[Ultramex.1506]

@wickedkae.4980 said:We need further progression beyond what we have. The fact that I am still using the same armor from 5 years ago is an issue. I also have nothing to look forward to in building up my character. Anet needs to look to other MMOs for inspiration if their devs are unable to think of new ideas.

i disagree with this as it will affect WvW, Ascended is only 5% higher than Exotic but 6 armor pieces+1 weapon+6 trinkets+runes+sigil+infusion will make lot of different, this will boil down to who have higher number not skill like every PvP in other MMO.

[Vayne.8563]

@"Chasind.3128" said:There is no character progression or anything you do in this game that is actually impactful. Anet wanted it this way so casual players wouldn't worry about "grinding" to constantly keep up with gear changes.

This isn't true. The same situation here existed in Guild Wars 1 which was a hard core game. It's just that hard core players, REAL hard core players, are more about improving their skill. Getting more gear to get higher numbers only matters to the hardest core players if they're getting better. You could max out your gear in Guild Wars 1 very easily and yet there were many hard core players in that game...and they got better. They used better builds. They had better technique. It's not about casual and hard core. It's about the gear treadmill being a hamster wheel that some of us never want to go on again.

Oh look a new expansion,. guess I'd better gear up again. Nope, not me.

[Evil.1580]

More collections like the Skyscale will make people playing the game

[Kylden Ar.3724]

@"Chasind.3128" said:There is no character progression or anything you do in this game that is actually impactful. Anet wanted it this way so casual players wouldn't worry about "grinding" to constantly keep up with gear changes.

That's something they got right in the designs.

[Ashen.2907]

@Shylo.1426 said:Hear me out...loot needs to be improvedThe World Boss event had me excited, but had me realize what would keep me playing more often.World boss related slayer gear , loot that has exclusive stats that can only be accessed through slaying the world bosses. You don't need a rune for the gear because it's tied to the gear and REQUIRES you to obtain a full set to make the best of the gear. What I'm saying Is.. REAL loot. Give me INCENTIVES. I want my big bad kills to have meaning.Nothing about the end phase of the boss fights are memorable.

Imagine.. Going from - I want that skin -> I want that GEAR !Lets Look at an example :New gear for every world boss that dosnt step on the toes of existing loot chests, is account bound (almost like the loot from the Tequatl Rising event but more unique) and can't be broken down for mats or runes with exclusive runes already heldExample medium: Mask of the shatterer slayer (ascended) Exclusive rune stats with a bonus effect ( the effect maybe also has a () x modifier while in a shatterer instance event map and a ()% at full set equipped ).

I bought a car five years ago. It had four wheels. Now, five years later it still has only four wheels. WTF!

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

Every World Boss should get their own ascended weapon set. I'm actually in favor of more unique skins being added to specific metas.

[Kidel.2057]

Ascended may be too much since it's easy content.

They can have their own skins or vanity item. Maybe even a pet. The system is already there for guild decorations.