vertical progression and past content

[mercury ranique.2170]

With ascended cooking we (most likely) get better stats. This is a break with tradition to avoid any vertical progression, although horizontal progression also means some vertical progression as more options gives more power and cause the newer options also need to be viable and therefor on par or slightly better then existing ones. A good example is how much easier dungeons have become due to horizontal progression.So this is not a complaint about vertical progression. I like that GW2 tries to avoid it being a big thing, but it is inevitable if you want to create new content that is interesting and challenging.

This is what brings me to my main concern, (something I would like to hear others about).What to do with existing content and how to ensure you need to keep up.

I just rerolled a new character in GW1 and that game actually has a lot more vertical progression. It is harder to create a character, especially as it is more soulbound. You need your skills (using tomes or playing through the game)and get the right heroes(or use mercenary, but those are gemstore exclusive). This is actually refreshing as it requires you to go back to old content you wouldn't do on an existing character. With GW2, most things are accountwide. Once you master level 500 cooking, all your characters prevail from it. Same goes for gliding, mounts, etc. The skills and builds only requires level 80 and heropoints which is easily gained.

So to me it can go several directions. We accept that vertical progression happens to some extend and this means it makes old content easier, or we try to find ways to counter it and keep old content in balance with new content.

One thing that pops in my mind would be a historic challenge mode. Specially with the upcomming build options, it would be nice to have an option to get additional rewards when doing content with specific (older) builds. I think it would be interesting to get an effect that grants more magic find. How it works?

Not using certain aspects of builds like elite specialisations, lvl 500 food , ascended gear, gets you a rating. When talking to any renown heart in a map (where this is introduced) and at the start of dungeons and low level fractals, you get an increase of magic find of e.g. 50%

So what do you think?Vertical progression does happen to a limited extend. Is it ok or would you like to see something done to keep older content interesting and newer content not too far out of reach? What are your thoughts of achieving this?

[Voltekka.2375]

If memory serves, ascended food wont have more stats (+45 to all stats, bonus to MF, gold, wxp) . We already have +45 to all stats/-15 condi duration food already. So this wont be vertical progression at all.Gw2 has little to no vertical progression. Only powercreep with each new expac. Or a new stat combo.

[Hynax.9536]

Ascended foods aren't meant to give a great advantage over normal 400 food, i honestly don't even know what is the point in it actually (yeah, i expected it to be stronger but it is not the case).Aside from that gw2 already has a system to increase difficulty and reward of content : the challenge motes (poorly used but it is there). They hardly would give more rewards to palyers not using elite specs as they are the main selling points of expacs, and right now MF is quite a joke.

[Strider Pj.2193]

Ok so... ascended armor wasn’t in the game initially, and in reality that was more vertical progression.

Why worry about it now?

The reality is this brings most of not all stat adding items to ascended level.

There has been no indication of going higher than that. The test of the crafting disciplines (minus jeweler) have hit ascended level.

[TheGrimm.5624]

@mercury ranique.2170 said:With ascended cooking we (most likely) get better stats.

Can you share numbers? Haven't seen the patch yet.

[Linken.6345]

@TheGrimm.5624 said:

@mercury ranique.2170 said:With ascended cooking we (most likely) get better stats.

Can you share numbers? Haven't seen the patch yet.

There is a reason you havent seen patch it releases in about 1½ hours.The OP dident watch the stream where an example ascended food were showed that made this post useless.

[TheGrimm.5624]

@Linken.6345 said:

@TheGrimm.5624 said:

@mercury ranique.2170 said:With ascended cooking we (most likely) get better stats.

Can you share numbers? Haven't seen the patch yet.

There is a reason you havent seen patch it releases in about 1½ hours.The OP dident watch the stream where an example ascended food were showed that made this post useless.

Was curious if they had released stats to one of the online MMORPG type sites.

[DeanBB.4268]

+1 for all my core-only accounts. Default bonuses! Sweet!

[DonArkanio.6419]

I am all for making old content relevant.

I think the best solution, however, would be to make Dungeon and similar stuff rewards needed in the current crafting system.

So, for example, in order to obtain the Mist Shard armor, you need to go back to let's say Ascalonian Catacombs. Just make it thematic.

This way, the design forces ANet Devs to take care of the old content due to it being still relevant.I hate the fact that this whole wohoo horizontal progression just screws the old content making it A. Useless, B. Irrelevant.