About DRMs, grind and the stats (gw2efficiency)

[Luthan.5236]

I realize there are already a ton of threads about DRMs. I realize there are players that solo them fine - and that they might also be easy with groups and the lfg tool. And I already posted a bit in another thread about suggestions in the group content forums.

 

To me they feel like the most grindy content so far. Fractals seem faster. And more different stuff to to. The defense seals rewards are low (especially if you want to spend them to get a faction of your choice for the tide turner). This makes it grindy since they are needed for a lot of stuff (skins and achievements tied to it from the ventor).

 

Though: I am pretty fine with optional skins and just not getting them - this is okay.

 

Major concern seems the meta achievement(s) (1 normal one ... also tied to the other back item where you need the thing from the meta ... and the one for stretch emote): There seems to be no PvP reward tracks yet. (If such got introduced the problem would be solved for me.)

 

There now is actually an annoying amount of grind - as compared to other stuff where it is not that grindy. The Visions of the past and the 2nd chapter - that required Strikes and/or the solo strike mission: Here you have an option to do the reward track instead when you do not want ot play group content. + the strikes actually would not be too grindy I guess. (Getting the Visions of the pas stuff for the footsteps I think needs strikes. Have not done that yet.)

 

The DRMs now are 10 DRMs and 5 teams repetition at least for the top responder. 4-5 (+ paying hard earned seals) for the tide turner. I do now know the optimal composition to do the achievements with the lowest amount of DRMs. (Certainly it is not required to to each of them 5 times ... but still a lot of repetitions are needed.)

 

Now ... check the mastery for the 15 times Bjora eastern meta done ... and compare it to the amount of people that have done the champions mastery or even only the one for 20 DRMs done - it is lower there. Even though there are 10 different DRMS and the Bjora meta was just 15 times the totally same thing ... more people completed the Bjora achievement for 15 repetitions there. (And even though was possible to complete the bjora meta achievement without the achievement for 15 repetitions of the meta event. Must have been because of the master point associated with it ... but you can get mastery points from other sources.)

 

I think now that we are slowly moving towards the next story stuff. (Next expansion with expansion story.) And we already are in the process of this transition to the expansion by having additional achievements to make us replay older story. (+ a ton of other side stuff to do: now Fractal Rush)

 

... I think it should be time to overthink the DRM. I placed this here in the general discussion forums cause it is also about the other parts of the game. And DRMs and how they take up time - compared to other parts of the game.

 

One option would be to move the dailies on a rotation soon ... (if the followd the same pattern this would at least mean 3 chests/5 seals - 15 easy seals ... when it is daily time). Another option might be to heavily scale them down to make them soloable easy and fast. (Remember: I am not talking about the handful of hardcore optimized players soloing them with an optimized build. More about your average player trying to finish the meta achievement) (Maybe adjust seal cost and increase them instead.) To allow for faster and/or solo achievement completion.

 

Or ... (probably easiest option and would be in line with the other stuff - they even added a shiver reward track): Add reward tracks for the  stretch emote and for the other champions mastery thing.

[Vayne.8563]

I agree it's unnecessary grindy. Don't forget you can also get seals from the Dragonstorm meta, along with 2 gold.

[Luthan.5236]

Yeah. I saw that. Considering doing that - since it is (the public version) on a timer - and more fun and probably faster than 1 DRM lol.

 

I'm also checking the exact requirements for the Champions meta and the Stretch Goals later. Seems if you do all the other challenging stuff (that comes with mastery points) ... it almost should be possible by just buying recipes (I think there are achievements for only recipe unlock and I think they are cheap in seal costs) to unlock enough achievements for the meta.

 

Maybe some "supporter" ones where you need to buy chests (which also cost seals) + then getting seals from the Dragonstorm. At least the mastery points where possible without much grind. (Drizzlewood buying commendations from the quartermaster + meta every now and then. And the Dragonstorm seems to offer some easy ones for just dodging ... them I'm fine with also the Insights from DRMs. Do not need the other special ones from DRMs for doing challenging stuff.)

 

Nevertheless: This DRM stuff feels like the first content where they actually intended it to be grinded. (Already the mastery where you need to first get the boon to carry it over in another DRM - to get better rewarsds - feels like it it wants you to grind. Where for most other content it actually punishes for playing repetitivele. + time gating and other stuff.)

 

They should overthink this a bit - wile also taking the stats into account. (They surely have more detailed stats than gw2efficiency where only the more serious players use that website.) Since it is still relatively new (last DRMs that got added not tooo old and no l ater stuff after Icebrood) ... I'm actually pretty sure they will make some tweaks when the next expansion gets released. (Earlier would be nice though.)

[AgentMoore.9453]

Aw, I was hoping from the title that you'd have a graph for us. I like graphs.

 

But yes, DRMs are grindy, not as fun or profitable as other content, and generally unpopular with everyone I know. They're basically story steps turned into repeatable content to try and stretch what little resources the LWS5 team had, fill gaps in the story, and keep devs from curling up under their desks and weeping as they murmur the word 'deadline' to themselves.

 

The devs claim IBS was supposed to be huge compared to what was delivered, and I believe them. What I don't believe is that some boss in the company decided axing a season and then trying to sell an expansion was a good move. I think we can generally agree expansions are good for the game and usually well-received, but at the cost of a massively disappointing conclusion to the franchise's dragon storyline? We'll have to wait to see the sales for EoD before we can decisively say if it was worth it.

 

I wish ArenaNet weren't so bad at project management. It's like if they needed to make lemonade and tea they wouldn't just have a lemonade team and a tea team (a team, if you will) working with equal resources, or maybe finish making the lemonade first and explain to the customers that the tea will be made afterward so that both drinks can be good (and hype them for it periodically). No, instead they'd put 90% of the team on tea and leave one guy with a truckload of raw lemons and fear in his heart because he promised the community it'd be amazing and he now realizes it won't be.

 

DRMS are tepid, gross lemon water and it's seriously killing my hype for anything that might be coming.