Reactions to the Finale, Judgment [Poll]

[Lost in Hyrule.2963]

I am interested in seeing a sample of the responses people had to the release. Please keep all comments and discussion cordial. Please only respond to the poll if you have played through the release for yourself.

Edited May 1, 2021 by Lost in Hyrule.2963
Adding [Poll] to title

[Dracyon Imperius.6309]

Well, now we have to interact on as many threads as possible, since Anet has deleted the original thread. Reactions are bound to become even more negative with the censorship. I'd use more colourful language, but I don't want to give them an excuse to squash player feedback.

[Crono.4197]

I hope this thread will stay and ArenaNet won't delete it, like the old one, which had tons of votes and over 150 comments.

 

I will post the same answer that I posted on the deleted thread and another thread, because I can't find better words to use for this release than those:

 

Worst ending that could have been. Killing Primordus together with Jormag? Primordus didn't even have an arc of his own, he was just there for 10 minutes and then boom, bye bye forever. I usually defend pretty much everything that ArenaNet does, but this time it was so bad that it made me ask myself why I even play this game anymore, if they're going to ruin the story. Jormag was rushed but at least had some development in Icebrood Saga. Primordus, the Elder Dragon that had a presence in Guild Wars: Eye of the North, the one who caused the asura and skritt to go to the surface and for the dwarves to disappear from the face of Tyria, the big bad of the franchise...disappeared just like that, just for the sake of rushing story.

 

And the execution of it, don't even get me started....yeah you go in an instance for 10 minutes, the dragons look at each other JoJo's Bizzare Adventure style, and then they fight for 3 seconds, Jormag spits a beam and they both explode. This finale was done just for the Saga to end, ArenaNet don't seem to care about the story of this game and this worries me, because it's the thing that kept me in this franchise for so long. The story got worse..and worse...and worse, but each time I said that it's ArenaNet's game, that they can do what they want with it, that something amazing will come out eventually...but that never happened. Instead, we got a rushed ending.

 

ArenaNet, you disappointed me for the first time ever. I thought you guys were better than this and that you would end up the saga amazingly to make up for how lackluster Champions episodes were. I was wrong. With Primordus dead and the Sea Dragon having basically no lore in the game, what do I have left now? I don't care about raids, pvp and all that. The story and lore were what mattered the most to me and you butchered them. But I'm pretty sure you guys won't care, keep pumping items in that Gem Store instead, I'm sure that will help a lot and keep players happy...not.

 

And deleting posts that show you the mistakes you made and ways to improve the release? Really ArenaNet?

[Pyriin.3291]

Since the other poll was taken down im just here to coment what i said in the other one, although more cordial.

"This ending/patch was the most revolting thing i have ever played in gw2, basicly no content othen then a finale with a gameplay so bad i give it a generous 0/10 and storywise -10/10, it sunk so low that it would reach primordus in the molten core of tyria..oh wait...😑"

Im not a person that cares about achivements or rewards, i just want to have fun and feel a meaningfull adventure, pvp wvw, raids etc. I did everything. Icecream saga didnt give anything to me. So im considering if EoD is worth it

[radda.8920]

always so bad, whatever the topic.

the ouright destruction of all guild wars 2 lore

Edited May 1, 2021 by radda.8920

[BlueJin.4127]

Sigh... Here we go again.

 

The entire Champions is a disaster and Dragonstorm is a fitting end. This instance is nothing but mindless and boring visual effects and knock downs spam-fest with no substance. Anet should reduce the health of Braham and Ryland so that this poorly designed instance can at least end quicker. Right now, it’s 20 minutes of mindless and boring drag.

 

I really hope that the new legendary amulet doesn't require grinding Champions, but we know it will.

Edited May 2, 2021 by BlueJin.4127

[Avenrise.3592]

I've spoke of my pain at the 30 minute conclusion to a decade long story on the main Discussion board so I'll save repeating myself and just say this- as someone who has loved the story from launch despite the issues and gameplay problems (looking at you Zhaitan) I think 'Very Negative' in this poll isn't low enough an option.

[Jaken.6801]

What I liked
 

• The overall art (even if they were just heads)
• The Ryland thing, even though it still felt too short
• The Kaiju Battle (even if it was disapointing)

 

What I didn't like

 

• Everything else

 

Too many things to go in and my abridged list in the last thread has been deleted.

To sum it up, this release crushed any high hopes I had for the future of the story, like they did with the dragons.
Even if they do a fake out, retcon, etc. it won't help, since anything that comes now isn't earned.

They litterally killed of things we were engaged in for over 8-11 years in the most undeserving manner possible, with nothing to replace it.

Even Cantha isn't big enough, because the only thing left, is the one elder dragon that matters the least. The one they use as a key dangling in front of eyes teasingly for years, with no glimps to it.
We had dragons we cared about and they were uncenemoriously killed of as a sacrifice for the next expansion (doubly so, as there was no celebration at the end. Just a lame "our work here is done" and everyone vanished from EotN)

Anet can do way better, which they have shown.
However, that was mostly when they worked, based upon a sound foundation.
They cut that one now.
The hypetrain they started just minutes before the release, crashed before it even started for me.

[Randulf.7614]

I enjoyed the instance but not the interminable Ryland fight. The Dragons looked cool and it had a great feel to it, but it needed a bit more mechanics. I’m not a fan of meta bosses in instances either. It’s not a huge deal, but the lack of exploitable, dynamic open World recently is very much not what GW2 is all about.

 

Really disappointed in the story direction and how they threw away two iconic foes so easily, esp Primordus after his links back to GW1. The lore, the story continuity all seems a bit broken at this point.

 

Ive been looking forward to campaigns in the Shiverpeaks and Depths since the beginning and I’ve played through what has not always been the best content. I’ll never get to see that content now.
I really thought the direction of the end of ls4 was as bad as it got, but this just felt empty at the end. A flat ending, no traditional GW style celebrations and no EoD trailer.

 

Im not dismissing the clear hard work, but Icebrood Saga went from high potential to a rushed finish. That is a directional problem and one that has plagued the game a few times now. 

 

My enthusiasm is def drained and even though I almost certainly will continue onto EoD, I’m finding myself wondering if I care at all.

 

Anet are far too talented and imaginative for this to be the best they can deliver. I’d have rather waited if COVID was the issue or a delayed expac and have meaningful, enjoyable content to play rather than now not wanting to jump back in for quite some time

Edited May 1, 2021 by Randulf.7614

[Fueki.4753]

It's been the lowest point of the game so far.

Even the rest of Champions, which was the prior lowest point, is significantly better in comparison.

[zealex.9410]

Let down and sceptical wether to even invest in any big arc moving forward if it means that the writters can throw it under the bus when they get bored with it.

 

I hope eod is worth this ending.

[Ayakaru.6583]

The last topic got censored, this one will follow suit real quick.

Wrote a whole (short) script on how the story could've handled, if it really had to be ended this time.. but I can't even recover that comment now, so.. 

so I guess censorship is the way the sails catch wind now..

*gleans over starboard.. "the bottom of the sea is starting to look very friendly now"

[FrigginPaco.4178]

I don't envy their position as a whole. I have no idea what kinds of pressures they're facing internally, but externally on the player side here, it's just so frustrating to always be on the cusp of having a cohesive game/narrative and then something happens that directly opposes what they've established in the past.

Then there's the engine limiting what they can do - or time crunch - or the development of the xpack... On these notes, I think my sympathy is more or less deserved.

But just continuing through IBS like a battering ram through a crowded street didn't feel like the right way to do it. Maybe they wrote themselves into a corner, but I don't think that's accurate. I hesitate to say "communication is the solution" flippantly, but I hardly think more communication would have been harmful.

I get real tired of saying "GW2 is almost the perfect MMO" and things like this just crush me.

[Zola.6197]

49 minutes ago, Randulf.7614 said:

My enthusiasm is def drained and even though I almost certainly will continue onto EoD, I’m finding myself wondering if I care at all.

Yeah, this is where I'm at. I feel like I'm going through the motions because I'm 9 years in and have probably dumped hundreds of dollars into my account through the gemstore. I should just uninstall the game if I had any sense, but I feel like I'm chained to the radiator in ANet's basement on principal at this point. -_-

[Mini Crinny.6190]

Careful what you say here, mods might remove if it receives too much negativity

 

Very dull, pretty boring, all of a sudden we can kill both dragons when apparently we couldn't, gw2 story not worth to get the expansion, subbing for FFXIV and will probably buy Endwalker when it comes out this year.

Edited May 1, 2021 by Mini Crinny.6190

[Kaliwenda.3428]

I think the other poll got taken down b/c the text of one of the answers was modified after many people had already voted. 

[Tyloric.7520]

When I finished the final battle I was left with a feeling of, "...that's it?" We didn't even get an epilogue.... it just kind of ends without any hint or suggestion of what might be coming next. This was a story so many of us original GW1 players were waiting for and it just... didn't amount to anything. I can't imagine the pressures that are going on in house but as a player I can say that this was immensely disappointing.

[Fleabite.7528]

Astonished that the original poll was taken down. All businesses should be willing to listen to criticism and feedback from their paying customers  - even if it makes for some discomfort.

 

The finale - while technically ok - had plot inconsistencies; disposed of two giants of the game in minutes; gave no real sense of chapter closure per previous episodes - and left everyone I know within GW2 deeply disappointed, and nervous for the future of the game. 

[Araun.1638]

I won't be able to say anything new.

Graphics and quality of ending cinematic - fantastic. The models of Primordus and Jormag - unbelievably nice and detailed.

The treatment of both in the story and plot itself - my worst vision which i never expected to happen so fast and so ... disappointing.

I am playing since GW1: Factions, 2007. I was very happy to forward the story into the canthan continend, new specializations, new enemies, new dragon. But the recent patch killed the essence.
Our nemesis, our arch-enemy - Primordus - was just killed within 10 minutes instance. Together with him Jormag, the dragon we woke up in the last chapter. Primordus wasn't even able to manage any chaos. He did nothing. He woke up just to die immediately.

I can not lie - i had immediately the same feelings WP expressed in his video. Even if it hurts me somehow - I am playing GW1 and GW2  almost half of my life - the game is reaching its end in worst manner it could.

I doubt I'll obtain EoD.

[Zuras.5394]

Wow really?? Old poll taken down?? Trying to hide the truth from people?  Truth hurts I guess. NOT a good way to treat your fan base. 

[Pifil.5193]

As I said in the previous poll it was a massive letdown and I can't believe they just threw away two Elder Dragons like that.

 

It was so rushed they didn't even bother with a meta-achievement for the new "world boss". I'm seriously concerned about EoD now.

[Shadowmoon.7986]

Why did we not just let balth and braham kill the dragons the first time? 

The only positive is this awful storyline is done. Move along, these are not the expansion like content we are looking for.

[Teratus.2859]

Been posting in other threads about the same subject so I don't want to get too long and drawn out with this one.

Suffice to say my views are strongly negative.
The biggest victim of this patch is the story content in my opinion, it was really bad overall although this is entirely because of the Dragon story.
The Story with Ryland in the follow up mission I actually enjoyed a lot even though the fight with him dragged on far far too long.

Jormag I feel was mishandled a lot in this patch, it's actions didn't fit with the intelligent and cautious behaviour it has shown all the way through this saga.
Primordus on the other hand was handled atrociously and was completely wasted and thrown away like he was nothing.. an extremely, extremely disappointing end to a Dragon many of us have been waiting for active content on since his debut in Gw1 back in 2007.. that is a very very long time to wait just to see him thrown away like this.

I've had a lot of my faith in this games future shaken by this patch as a result.. if Primordus can be mishandled so badly despite 14 years of waiting.. then how can I honestly say that I expect better from the Cantha I've been waiting to see again for close to a decade as well?
And the same extends to the Sea Dragon too another Elder Dragon encounter that after this finale leaves me feeling like it too will be just thrown away just to get this Dragon story done and over.

For the first time I feel a deep sense of concern for Gw2.. A game I have loved and had so much faith in for so many years I now look at with concern and fear about it's future.
I don't like this feeling and don't like how my previous excitement for the next expansion has been replaced with fear and uncertainty.
I see so many annoyed people talking about this patch, so many saying they are done with this game and it only feeds those fears and concerns.

End of Dragons already had a high bar to hit before this patch after the largely disappointing reaction people had to HoT and PoF.
I now fear that bar has been raised significantly higher because of this awful finale and the consequences for Gw2 if this 3rd expansion fails are significantly higher than they were a few weeks ago.
If End of Dragons drops the ball and fails to impress.. I do honestly believe now that it will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Edited May 1, 2021 by Teratus.2859

[Ashantara.8731]

It's about what was to be expected in regards of quantity (i.e., length) and quality (i.e., story-telling). As for rewards, those were a lot more appealing than before. 🥰

 

Thoughts:

• When did Jormag's intellect drop by 100% to be so easily lured into this trap?
• What happened to Eir's bow?
• How/Why did Braham survive that?
• Ryland: finally gone!
• So... Primordus.... At least they spared us one Elder Dragon storyline.
• Pristine Dragon's Eye: droprate?

 

Edited May 1, 2021 by Ashantara.8731

[TheQuickFox.3826]

I feel sad. Such a waste of story potential.

 

Not that the mission itself was bad. The mechanics were nice, the visuals were nice. And if it was just a struggle between the dragon champions in absence of the Elder Dragons themselves it would be a nice prelude for things to come.

 

But this? This was too easy. And I don't mean the mission difficulty. I mean to end the epic story of Primordis en Jormag this way. I was so hyped for the awakening of the Elder Dragons after I saw the end of Guild Wars: Eye of the North and later the Claw of Jormag world boss. (Where the claw was just a lieutenant of Jormag)

 

I wish that ArenaNet just left the elder dragons alone for now (with the skeleton crew working on IBS) and deal with them one by one in future expansions. Only that would have paid respect to the greatness and majesticy of these Elder Dragons.