Add dificulty options to every instanced content?

[DeanBB.4268]

While I am not against difficulty levels, I don't see the need, and seems like a waste of developer time to me.

[derd.6413]

@KryTiKaL.3125 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@neoteo.3975 said:So everyone that is saying no is happy with the current dificulty?

no, raids are too easy

Then why are you voting no for them adding more difficulty options?

The poll is about adding

higher

difficulty tiers, aka harder raids and dungeons.

because either raids releases are gonna slow down to one every decade or the difficulty options are only gonna make number changes (which i don't consider so much harder as just more tedious)

[KryTiKaL.3125]

@derd.6413 said:

@KryTiKaL.3125 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@neoteo.3975 said:So everyone that is saying no is happy with the current dificulty?

no, raids are too easy

Then why are you voting no for them adding more difficulty options?

The poll is about adding

higher

difficulty tiers, aka harder raids and dungeons.

because either raids releases are gonna slow down to one every decade or the difficulty options are only gonna make number changes (which i don't consider so much harder as just more tedious)

Or they could release the raids on the schedule they currently have and simply release the Hard Mode option for it later on as another content update. Which would be another way to add longevity to these releases especially if they add a couple of higher difficulty options for existing Raids between new Raid releases.

As for how the difficulty ramps up in that scenario that can be something Anet poses as a question to the community. They have done feedback threads before and followed through on some of it, and if Anet really wants to improve on its communication going forward then it would only benefit them to consider higher difficulties for Raids and the like and then ask the community about what they think would be the best method to go about it.

Discussion is everything and I know I personally would rather they go the route of adding additional mechanics to impose a harder difficulty curve to the Raids.

[derd.6413]

@KryTiKaL.3125 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@KryTiKaL.3125 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@neoteo.3975 said:So everyone that is saying no is happy with the current dificulty?

no, raids are too easy

Then why are you voting no for them adding more difficulty options?

The poll is about adding

higher

difficulty tiers, aka harder raids and dungeons.

because either raids releases are gonna slow down to one every decade or the difficulty options are only gonna make number changes (which i don't consider so much harder as just more tedious)

Or they could release the raids on the schedule they currently have and simply release the Hard Mode option for it later on as another content update. Which would be another way to add longevity to these releases especially if they add a couple of higher difficulty options for existing Raids between new Raid releases.

so we have the same raid released 4 years in a row before we get a new one. the new difficulties still need to be developed. they're not gonna spawn out of thin air because you didn't release them with the raid

As for how the difficulty ramps up in that scenario that can be something Anet poses as a question to the community. They have done feedback threads before and followed through on some of it, and if Anet really wants to improve on its communication going forward then it would only benefit them to consider higher difficulties for Raids and the like and then ask the community about what they think would be the best method to go about it.

Discussion is everything and I know I personally would rather they go the route of adding additional mechanics to impose a harder difficulty curve to the Raids.

with the current raid release schedule the additional work is just not feasible and the issues with raids lie mostly elsewhere (which is that most players just want the rewards without the effort and anet has chosen for the middle ground that pleases nobody)

[Yumenei.7943]

I’m unwilling to do the same content over 4 or more difficulties. There is a good reason why I don’t play World of Warcraft BFA.

[trixantea.1230]

Most of my arguments about adding a lower difficulty with lower rewards for raids to help unexperienced players practice and learn are valid but it seems that many people who are dipriving them from accessing this mode are here on the forums in order to keep their status as ''entitled raiders''. Sad.

[KryTiKaL.3125]

@"trixantea.1230" said:Most of my arguments about adding a lower difficulty with lower rewards for raids to help unexperienced players practice and learn are valid but it seems that many people who are dipriving them from accessing this mode are here on the forums in order to keep their status as ''entitled raiders''. Sad.

And this is why your arguments aren't valid, or at least easily pushed back against.

You're resorting to this kind of post in response rather than trying to convince myself and others any different. Myself and others gave our arguments against the position you took, the response you are resorting to now only enforces the idea that we have about you and those others with a similar perspective to yours.

You call them "entitled raiders" yet wouldn't your stance qualify as exactly the same but just on the other side of the line? You say these "entitled raiders" want things to be their way and forget what other people say yet your exact stance is that they should let you have things your way and forget what other people have to say.

Like I said in a previous post, there has got to be some give so that this conflicted coexistence can slowly fade away and I feel like I detailed pretty well why I believe what I believe in terms of this situation because I have personally been in exactly the position you're in, believing the exact same things.

[Ashen.2907]

@trixantea.1230 said:Most of my arguments about adding a lower difficulty with lower rewards for raids to help unexperienced players practice and learn are valid but it seems that many people who are dipriving them from accessing this mode are here on the forums in order to keep their status as ''entitled raiders''. Sad.

Working through something difficult to achieve rewards or whatever is the opposite of entitlement. An apparent lack of comprehension of the facts at hand are why the self proclamation that your arguments are valid is questionable.

[trixantea.1230]

@KryTiKaL.3125 said:

@"trixantea.1230" said:Most of my arguments about adding a lower difficulty with lower rewards for raids to help unexperienced players practice and learn are valid but it seems that many people who are dipriving them from accessing this mode are here on the forums in order to keep their status as ''entitled raiders''. Sad.

And this is why your arguments aren't valid, or at least easily pushed back against.

You're resorting to this kind of post in response rather than trying to convince myself and others any different. Myself and others gave our arguments against the position you took, the response you are resorting to now only enforces the idea that we have about you and those others with a similar perspective to yours.

You call them "entitled raiders" yet wouldn't your stance qualify as exactly the same but just on the other side of the line? You say these "entitled raiders" want things to be their way and forget what other people say yet your exact stance is that they should let you have things your way and forget what other people have to say.

Like I said in a previous post, there has got to be some give so that this conflicted coexistence can slowly fade away and I feel like I detailed pretty well why I believe what I believe in terms of this situation because I have personally been in exactly the position you're in, believing the exact same things.

Up to this point my arguments were all logical and valid because they aim to help every player get the chance to experience raids and to reduce the toxic behavior within the raid finder. There are many players who wish to see what raids look like and struggle to get into them but they can't access the content because they don't fulfill the requirements established by elitists.

The lower difficulty you're arguing aginst won't hurt anyone. Insterad, it'll offer more friendly environement for unexperienced players and help the raid community grow up. But.. I think that there is no need for me to argue any further when you refuse to put yourself into their shoes.

@Ashen.2907 said:Working through something difficult to achieve rewards or whatever is the opposite of entitlement. An apparent lack of comprehension of the facts at hand are why the self proclamation that your arguments are valid is questionable.

Up to this comment I say ''lower difficulty with lower reward'' for the third time. I didn't ask to add easy raids and give the same reward.The entitlment I'm refering to is when the elitists diprive others from raiding then argue against the idea of an easy mode for unexperienced players so they can always keep their status within the community as ''the skilled special boys'' who are able to clear raids.

[KryTiKaL.3125]

@trixantea.1230 said:

@KryTiKaL.3125 said:

@trixantea.1230 said:Most of my arguments about adding a lower difficulty with lower rewards for raids to help unexperienced players practice and learn are valid but it seems that many people who are dipriving them from accessing this mode are here on the forums in order to keep their status as ''entitled raiders''. Sad.

And this is why your arguments aren't valid, or at least easily pushed back against.

You're resorting to this kind of post in response rather than trying to convince myself and others any different. Myself and others gave our arguments against the position you took, the response you are resorting to now only enforces the idea that we have about you and those others with a similar perspective to yours.

You call them "entitled raiders" yet wouldn't your stance qualify as exactly the same but just on the other side of the line? You say these "entitled raiders" want things to be their way and forget what other people say yet your exact stance is that they should let you have things your way and forget what other people have to say.

Like I said in a previous post, there has got to be some give so that this conflicted coexistence can slowly fade away and I feel like I detailed pretty well why I believe what I believe in terms of this situation because I have personally been in exactly the position you're in, believing the exact same things.

Up to this point my arguments were all logical and valid because they aim to help every player get the chance to experience raids and to reduce the toxic behavior within the raid finder. There are many players who wish to see what raids look like and struggle to get into them but they can't access the content because they don't fulfill the requirements established by elitists.

The lower difficulty you're arguing aginst won't hurt anyone. Insterad, it'll offer more friendly environement for unexperienced players and help the raid community grow up. But.. I think that there is no need for me to argue any further when you refuse to put yourself into their shoes.

@"Ashen.2907" said:Working through something difficult to achieve rewards or whatever is the opposite of entitlement. An apparent lack of comprehension of the facts at hand are why the self proclamation that your arguments are valid is questionable.

Up to this comment I say ''lower difficulty with lower reward'' for the third time. I didn't ask to add easy raids and give the same reward.The entitlment I'm refering to is when the elitists diprive others from raiding then argue against the idea of an easy mode for unexperienced players so they can always keep their status within the community as ''the skilled special boys'' who are able to clear raids.

I have been in their shoes, thats my point. Know how I finally became able to actually participate in Raids and "higher end" content in other games? I motivated myself to meet those requirements. The requirements you're being asked to meet on GW2 for raiding...are not all that substantial. They are probably the most achievable out of many other MMORPGs. Use these traits, these utilities, these weapons and armor with this stat set and follow directions. Thats all. That isn't a big hurdle, that is not a big leap. The only thing holding you and others back is the fact that you don't even want to meet those very simple and easily achievable criteria to be able to experience Raids.

Rather than acknowledging that you are attempting to put all of the blame on people you are dubbing "elitists" because it was suggested to you that what you were doing, build, gear, and stat was was not living up to the requirements for Raids. This happens on any other MMORPG and it is something people typically have no problems with...yet here, for some reason, it has become a problem for players like yourself.

The Raids that we have right now are already plenty easy and like I already said, they don't require that much out of you. This has nothing to do with people wanting to keep some status within the community, hell I imagine many of them, as is evident by this poll, are actually unhappy with the current difficulty presented in Raids, Dungeons and the like.

You're right the the lower difficulty won't hurt anyone, but it doesn't help either. It doesn't contribute to the quality of the content in GW2 and the biggest hurdle that players like yourself need to overcome to experience this content, by my guess, is yourselves. I won't deny that there are toxic players in this community, but that isn't the point I'm trying to get across. The point I'm trying to make is that you are holding yourselves back from this content and apparently don't want to admit that. You'd rather go the easy route, claim everyone suggesting to you that you need to change your builds, change your gear and change your approach to accessing Raids is simply an "elitist" that is trying to deny you something that you are simply denying yourself.

You wouldn't go skydiving without the proper equipment, would you? And an instructor to go along with you on your first jumps. You're essentially telling the instructors "I don't want to use the equipment that best handles this activity and you shouldn't make me". You can't teach someone who isn't willing to learn and you can tell they aren't willing to learn because they are shunning the materials that they need in order to do so.

[Ototo.3214]

@KryTiKaL.3125 said:

@"Ototo.3214" said:There's already a variety of different difficulties across instanced content like others have said, and I'm perfectly fine with how it currently is. Challenge motes also already exist for some if you really want it to be harder. I really don't need or want some popup saying "how hard you want it?" every time I enter an instance.Someone also already brought up that rewards shouldn't be different by difficulty either, which I agree with. But if rewards aren't different then there's really no point. I guess you could just make the reward an achievement...But they already do that with CMs...

Except these "different difficulties" don't provide nearly the kind of challenge that appeals to players, especially not the hardcore ones.

I've repeated multiple times in this thread already the excessive difference in the speed in which just new

Raid

content is 100% cleared in comparison to MMORPGs with Raids as well. That is very telling as to how difficult, or how not difficult, in general the PvE content is in GW2. When your "toughest PvE challenge" has a new release and it gets 100% cleared

that very same day

and lacks difficulty scaling it prevents that content from having appropriate longevity and also clearly doesn't challenge these players nearly enough.

Except that wasnt really the suggestion, it was to add an annoying thing constantly asking how difficult i want stuff. I don't want that. I'd much prefer they just stick to raids and fractals being the more difficult content and if you want more difficulty, then that could be done by making the raids/CMs more difficult than they are. CMs are already a difficulty toggle, we don't need more.However, if they make the base raids more difficult, I would like to see easy mode versions of the raids like FFXIV has, because some raids have super interesting lore that I'm sure casual and more story focused players would enjoy. I feel that could be done by using the Story mode vs. Explorable mode that dungeons have. I wouldn't mind that toggle.But a difficulty selection every time I enter a story instance? No.

[maddoctor.2738]

@trixantea.1230 said:There are many players who wish to see what raids look like and struggle to get into them but they can't access the content because they don't fulfill the requirements established by elitists.

How is adding a lower difficulty going to allow them to fulfill those same requirements? Or for some magical reason if a different tier is added those requirements will vanish?

[maddoctor.2738]

@Ototo.3214 said:However, if they make the base raids more difficult, I would like to see easy mode versions of the raids like FFXIV has, because some raids have super interesting lore that I'm sure casual and more story focused players would enjoy. I feel that could be done by using the Story mode vs. Explorable mode that dungeons have. I wouldn't mind that toggle.

May I remind you of Arah story? Adding a new mode so players can experience the story means the end of the Personal Story all over again. It was content only finished for the story meaning eventually there were no players to run it with. If they really add a new mode for story purposes then it should be a single player content.

[Ototo.3214]

@maddoctor.2738 said:

@Ototo.3214 said:However, if they make the base raids more difficult, I would like to see easy mode versions of the raids like FFXIV has, because some raids have super interesting lore that I'm sure casual and more story focused players would enjoy. I feel that could be done by using the Story mode vs. Explorable mode that dungeons have. I wouldn't mind that toggle.

May I remind you of Arah story? Adding a new mode so players can experience the story means the end of the Personal Story all over again. It was content only finished for the story meaning eventually there were no players to run it with. If they really add a new mode for story purposes then it should be a single player content.

I'd be fine with the easy mode being single player, doesn't really matter to me. Honestly, I'm fine with the current state of things, raids are somewhat challenging but not so difficult I want to bang my head through a wall. But if people are so adamant about it needing to be frustratingly difficult, people should still be able to experience the story of the raids without it being gated from them, imo. I like how FFXIV makes easy modes of the raids with reduced rewards. GW2 doesn't have a duty finder esque thing though, so I'm fine with it being solo content.

Edit: though I could see some bosses being...weird as solo content. Quite a few mechanics would probably need to be removed

[Warkind.6745]

Normally I'm in the "more options is a good thing" camp, but this is really taking the to an unnecessary degree. FoTM already has tiered difficulty. Story content is faceroll easy and lets you bring friends. Raids are rough, yeah, but the game needs something that you can't just pick up and polish off in a day.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Why can't there be both? Both an easy mode and a (more) difficult (than currently exists) mode?Why the need to 'change' players? If some want to play a certain way, and others play a different way, why should it be either of their concerns?

[maddoctor.2738]

@Ototo.3214 said:I like how FFXIV makes easy modes of the raids with reduced rewards. GW2 doesn't have a duty finder esque thing though, so I'm fine with it being solo content.

Is there a gear treadmill in FFXIV?

[KryTiKaL.3125]

@"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:Why can't there be both? Both an easy mode and a (more) difficult (than currently exists) mode?Why the need to 'change' players? If some want to play a certain way, and others play a different way, why should it be either of their concerns?

That isn't the point. The point is that the casual players already have difficulty "settings" appropriate for them to experience and access, the Veteran players do not. The more veteran and hardcore players only have access to this one difficulty and nothing above it.

No one is trying to change players, no one is saying "only have the most difficulty options available. What is being said is that veteran players would like to have the option to make the content much more difficult. The state right now is that the hardcore players don't really have access to the ways that they like to play because Raids and other supposed "difficult" PvE content is actually very easy for them.

@"Warkind.6745" said:Normally I'm in the "more options is a good thing" camp, but this is really taking the to an unnecessary degree. FoTM already has tiered difficulty. Story content is faceroll easy and lets you bring friends. Raids are rough, yeah, but the game needs something that you can't just pick up and polish off in a day.

Except Raids are picked up and polished off in a day. That is exactly what happened with the most recently released Raid on GW2, Key of Ahdashim. Guilds were 100% clearing it the very same day that it released. So Raids are not "rough" they are disappointingly easy and that has been expressed by a few people already in this thread.> @Ototo.3214 said:

@KryTiKaL.3125 said:

@Ototo.3214 said:There's already a variety of different difficulties across instanced content like others have said, and I'm perfectly fine with how it currently is. Challenge motes also already exist for some if you really want it to be harder. I really don't need or want some popup saying "how hard you want it?" every time I enter an instance.Someone also already brought up that rewards shouldn't be different by difficulty either, which I agree with. But if rewards aren't different then there's really no point. I guess you could just make the reward an achievement...But they already do that with CMs...

Except these "different difficulties" don't provide nearly the kind of challenge that appeals to players, especially not the hardcore ones.

I've repeated multiple times in this thread already the excessive difference in the speed in which just new

Raid

content is 100% cleared in comparison to MMORPGs with Raids as well. That is very telling as to how difficult, or how not difficult, in general the PvE content is in GW2. When your "toughest PvE challenge" has a new release and it gets 100% cleared

that very same day

and lacks difficulty scaling it prevents that content from having appropriate longevity and also clearly doesn't challenge these players nearly enough.

Except that wasnt really the suggestion, it was to add an annoying thing constantly asking how difficult i want stuff. I don't want that. I'd much prefer they just stick to raids and fractals being the more difficult content and if you want more difficulty, then that could be done by making the raids/CMs more difficult than they are. CMs are already a difficulty toggle, we don't need more.However, if they make the base raids more difficult, I would like to see easy mode versions of the raids like FFXIV has, because some raids have super interesting lore that I'm sure casual and more story focused players would enjoy. I feel that could be done by using the Story mode vs. Explorable mode that dungeons have. I wouldn't mind that toggle.But a difficulty selection every time I enter a story instance? No.

To be honest no one is objecting to that, there being a means for players to access this content. However it is already pretty damn easily accessible. Raids are not terribly difficult even as they are now. As per the back and forth that was had a little earlier in this thread, a big obstacle that isn't overcome by a lot of players is their willingness to shift away from their own personal way of playing, as in shifting from using their own specifically tailored build in favor of a build (gear, stats, weapons, etc) that has been designed to perform a role in Raid content. For some reason many players on GW2 are completely against this idea, even though literally every other MMORPG with Raids has a similar adherence to a Meta so that each player involved in the Raid actually contributes enough as a part of the team. ESO, WoW, FFXIV, all have this approach and GW2 is no different. One could argue that ESO has more choice diversity involved but even then there are still weapons and skills you use in ESO to properly handle the more difficult PvE content and you're just being dead weight should you not be using them.

Also I wouldn't suggest that they have this popup for "Select your difficulty" every time you want to enter a story instance, honestly thinking that particular method would be the only way to implement it is a little silly. I would more suggest that they do what they did in GW1 and have it be this thing you toggle on in UI, like in the section that also controls turning on your commander tag, rather than it be something that pops up in a window every time you want to enter an instance.

@maddoctor.2738 said:

@Ototo.3214 said:I like how FFXIV makes easy modes of the raids with reduced rewards. GW2 doesn't have a duty finder esque thing though, so I'm fine with it being solo content.

Is there a gear treadmill in FFXIV?

Yeah, there is. Many people like that kind of content though, and it has served FFXIV pretty well as its arguably the best MMORPG out right now for PvE content. Its a kind of content that appeals to players like myself where it gives you an established goal to work towards, it can help motivate you to improve and learn. PvP in FFXIV though is...not great, very boring.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Hmm. I've been playing Guild Wars 2 since 3 days before launch and Guild Wars years before that; does that make me a Veteran? I would guess so. Funnily enough, I have no desire for more challenging (difficult) content than what is already offered. In fact, I would not mind the oft-proposed 'training/easy' mode for Raids.

[KryTiKaL.3125]

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:Hmm. I've been playing Guild Wars 2 since 3 days before launch and Guild Wars years before that; does that make me a Veteran? I would guess so. Funnily enough, I have no desire for more challenging (difficult) content than what is already offered. In fact, I would not mind the oft-proposed 'training/easy' mode for Raids.

Thats why I typically include mentioning hardcore players because an increase in challenge more applies to them rather than someone with your perspective where you don't have the desire for it. You already have your accessible content, which is what this game already has, hardcore players currently don't really get the same challenge on GW2 that they would get on other MMORPGs like FFXIV and WoW, even ESO at this point.

[Ototo.3214]

@maddoctor.2738 said:

@Ototo.3214 said:I like how FFXIV makes easy modes of the raids with reduced rewards. GW2 doesn't have a duty finder esque thing though, so I'm fine with it being solo content.

Is there a gear treadmill in FFXIV?

Yes but I'm not sure how that's relevant to what I said.

[Ototo.3214]

@"KryTiKaL.3125" said:To be honest no one is objecting to that, there being a means for players to access this content. However it is already pretty kitten easily accessible. Raids are not terribly difficult even as they are now. As per the back and forth that was had a little earlier in this thread, a big obstacle that isn't overcome by a lot of players is their willingness to shift away from their own personal way of playing, as in shifting from using their own specifically tailored build in favor of a build (gear, stats, weapons, etc) that has been designed to perform a role in Raid content. For some reason many players on GW2 are completely against this idea, even though literally every other MMORPG with Raids has a similar adherence to a Meta so that each player involved in the Raid actually contributes enough as a part of the team. ESO, WoW, FFXIV, all have this approach and GW2 is no different. One could argue that ESO has more choice diversity involved but even then there are still weapons and skills you use in ESO to properly handle the more difficult PvE content and you're just being dead weight should you not be using them.

Also I wouldn't suggest that they have this popup for "Select your difficulty" every time you want to enter a story instance, honestly thinking that particular method would be the only way to implement it is a little silly. I would more suggest that they do what they did in GW1 and have it be this thing you toggle on in UI, like in the section that also controls turning on your commander tag, rather than it be something that pops up in a window every time you want to enter an instance.

I think that mentality kinda stems from the fact that GW2 actually lets you play a class nearly any way you want. You can't really do that in FFXIV, which is the only other MMO I really play. Gear has set stats that you can sort of mix and match but you can't really play like...a tank as a DPS or anything like that. A MNK is a MNK and a WAR is a WAR, you can't make them play differently. But you can take a ranger and make it like 300 different playstyles in GW2 if you really want, not that all of them are necessarily good. Sure, FFXIV has metas on which classes are better and whatnot, but GW2 has that further exacerbated by having different meta builds within classes on top of certain classes then also being meta on certain bosses and all that nonsense. It's also hindered by the fact that there are currently no build templates in the game (not yet at least), so people that have their favorite build for open world or whatever don't like being told they need to go get a whole other new set of armor just to raid with then learn that play style. I personally don't mind playing the meta builds at all, most of them play close to how I play my classes in open world anyway. But if I could freely switch gear and traits and stuff around without it taking 10 minutes or requiring a 3rd party program that would be really nice. Like, I'm enjoying sPvP in GW2 now that I'm starting to try it, even though the build I'm running is infinitely different from how I run it in open world. And a lot of that is due to how it lets me assign unique traits and stats in PvP and all I need to do it change the weapons.

I'm also not entirely sure exactly how a difficulty toggle in the UI would work though, like...would everyone in the raid group need the same setting in order to do it? I didn't play GW1 so I'm not sure how that works. But honestly...I still think CMs do just fine for that: join the instance and if you want it to be more difficult you just activate the mote.

[Aaralyna.3104]

Can't really vote this as not ALL instanced modes need more difficulty options.

• Dungeons are abandoned material and already have easy (story) mode and normal mode. No change needed here.
• Fractals already have difficulty modes via their levels and tiers and CM. No change needed here.
• Story (expac and living world season). No significant change needed. Its already rather easy to solo them and if you struggle you can team up with up to 5 others to make it even easier. Do all stories need a harder version, no. Adding the occasional Challenge Mote however in some parts is nice (like Living world season 2 had 2 CM bits and Hot 1 CM bit if I recall well). I would welcome these back but not in every story part or episode.
• Raids. I would like to see more modes here. We can use an easy mode (where boss in example won't enrage (so you can take your time) and where things are maybe a bit more forgiving for mistakes. Basically keep the tactics but give players the option to do it without the need of being meta build and minmax skill rotation). I also know theres hardcore raiders that want a more difficult mode so maybe a raid CM (idk add some instabilities or other flavors or the likes)? Call it explorable, normal mode and CM. Rewards and drops and achievements should be the same on all modes. Maybe add a bit more raid currency in the higher difficulties (idk what its called, that stuff ppl farm for legendary items and use to show off to allow someone in raid). This way raids would become accessible for everyone that wants to play in a 10 ppl setup (and get some achievements/masteries/the chance to make their legendary items as well). I think this may be good for the raiding scene as well since the step to even enter them as a casual player (main target group) is way too big and who knows players may stick to it and improve and try the normal and challenging modes. Casuals do like 10 person instances too (I liked the winterfestival one even tho I needed to be carried there dps wise and we hit the enrage timer...). From previews those raid places look amazing but at current rate I would never even see a glimpse from them... Shame to go to waste for the mayority of the playerbase.

[KryTiKaL.3125]

@Ototo.3214 said:

@"KryTiKaL.3125" said:To be honest no one is objecting to that, there being a means for players to access this content. However it is already pretty kitten easily accessible. Raids are

not

terribly difficult even as they are now. As per the back and forth that was had a little earlier in this thread, a big obstacle that isn't overcome by a lot of players is their willingness to shift away from their own personal way of playing, as in shifting from using their own specifically tailored build in favor of a build (gear, stats, weapons, etc) that has been designed to perform a role in Raid content. For some reason many players on GW2 are completely against this idea, even though literally every other MMORPG with Raids has a similar adherence to a Meta so that each player involved in the Raid actually contributes enough as a part of the team. ESO, WoW, FFXIV, all have this approach and GW2 is no different. One could argue that ESO has

more

choice diversity involved but even then there are still weapons and skills you use in ESO to properly handle the more difficult PvE content and you're just being dead weight should you not be using them.

Also I wouldn't suggest that they have this popup for "Select your difficulty" every time you want to enter a story instance, honestly thinking that particular method would be the

only

way to implement it is a little silly. I would more suggest that they do what they did in GW1 and have it be this thing you toggle on in UI, like in the section that also controls turning on your commander tag, rather than it be something that pops up in a window every time you want to enter an instance.

I think that mentality kinda stems from the fact that GW2 actually lets you play a class nearly any way you want. You can't really do that in FFXIV, which is the only other MMO I really play. Gear has set stats that you can sort of mix and match but you can't really play like...a tank as a DPS or anything like that. A MNK is a MNK and a WAR is a WAR, you can't make them play differently. But you can take a ranger and make it like 300 different playstyles in GW2 if you really want, not that all of them are necessarily good. Sure, FFXIV has metas on which classes are better and whatnot, but GW2 has that further exacerbated by having different meta builds within classes on top of certain classes then also being meta on certain bosses and all that nonsense. It's also hindered by the fact that there are currently no build templates in the game (not yet at least), so people that have their favorite build for open world or whatever don't like being told they need to go get a whole other new set of armor just to raid with then learn that play style. I personally don't mind playing the meta builds at all, most of them play close to how I play my classes in open world anyway. But if I could freely switch gear and traits and stuff around without it taking 10 minutes or requiring a 3rd party program that would be really nice. Like, I'm enjoying sPvP in GW2 now that I'm starting to try it, even though the build I'm running is infinitely different from how I run it in open world. And a lot of that is due to how it lets me assign unique traits and stats in PvP and all I need to do it change the weapons.

I'm also not entirely sure exactly how a difficulty toggle in the UI would work though, like...would everyone in the raid group need the same setting in order to do it? I didn't play GW1 so I'm not sure how that works. But honestly...I still think CMs do just fine for that: join the instance and if you want it to be more difficult you just activate the mote.

Well in GW1 when you completed the every Story Mission for a particular Campaign (Prophecies, Factions, Nightfall and Eye of the North) it would unlock the option for Hard Mode. This would put two new buttons at the top of your party formation panel on your UI, one for Normal Mode and one for Hard Mode.

So yeah everyone in the Raid group would need Hard Mode toggled on, similar how in GW1 if someone entered your party and they were not eligible for Hard Mode (aka weren't on a level 20 character and hadn't unlocked Hard Mode yet) then it would turn Hard Mode off. Obviously it would work a bit different in GW2, I imagine it would be something akin to that and giving the Squad leader a message warning that someone didn't have Hard Mode toggled on.

So its something ArenaNet has done in this engine before so I imagine they are entirely capable of doing it again. The largest obstacle would simply be how they designed the fights for the harder difficulty. FFXIV Trials, all the way up to Extreme, seem to actually change the entire Trial itself (for some of them) depending on which difficulty you're playing in. Often times as well there is a narrative element to this, so they've attached lore to the change in the encounter.

ArenaNet could do something similar and add maybe just one or two more difficulty options for Raids and Dungeons, maybe even just do it for Dungeons at first so they can try to at least make the things relevant again and not just dead. Dungeons are essentially a corpse GW2 just carries around for no reason right now, they need to at least do something with them and I honestly believe that a Hard Mode with increased rewards would do some real good in breathing life back into them as well as provide another avenue, if they go the FFXIV route, of stretching the narrative a bit more as the new Hard Mode could be a more up to date version of the Dungeon appropriate for the current timeline in the GW2 story.

[maddoctor.2738]

@Ototo.3214 said:

@maddoctor.2738 said:

@Ototo.3214 said:I like how FFXIV makes easy modes of the raids with reduced rewards. GW2 doesn't have a duty finder esque thing though, so I'm fine with it being solo content.

Is there a gear treadmill in FFXIV?

Yes but I'm not sure how that's relevant to what I said.

If it has a gear treadmill then maybe people run the easier modes to get their gear for the harder ones and not because it's easy mode. Like in many other popular MMORPGs with easy mode raids.