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This is true but it is also hard for new players to look at a game like GW2 and feel like they will ever get to that end game and not burn out before they get there. Mounts except the first one are a major grind, the power curve in the newer xpacs is also real and will turn off a lot of new players after they spend hours and hours going through the main part.
Its a good game I always go back, matter of fact downloading it again right now but it does have issues like every other game.
So I still have no clue whether this game is right for me.
If someone is interested in doing a little bit of everything then yes, the game has a lot to offer. But the reason I quoted the bit I did and I replied in the way I did, is because it all gets old really really fast and then there's no signs on the horizon for anything new coming and when it does, it's a 5-10 minute thing and that's that.
Fractals is nothing but a variation of what you see in tier 1. Slightly different mechanics but in the end you just repeat the same thing over and over. Getting ready for tier 4 isn't really all that difficult even for a beginner if you craft a set of ascended, get trinkets via the various currencies and spend a bit of gold for agony infusions. Fractals are abandoned.
Raids are very limited and not really all that hard to get into either. Yes, the tryhards are pushing for full ascended but you can do just fine in exotics as well. Raids are abandoned.
Strikes are... a joke. A single boss fight that doesn't last long with nothing else. No build up, no trash mobs, no backstory, nothing. It gets old less than a week in from the release day and sadly that's the only thing they bother with when it comes to instanced group content these days. Again, easy as anything to finish them since exotic gear is more than enough.
Dungeons are long abandoned and there's no reason to do them other than achievements or skins. And even if someone does, the community that still does them is almost entirely not new player friendly with their impatience if someone wants to follow the story or doesn't know how to skip half the dungeon.
I've played this game for a few thousand hours and it's not a game I will ever recommend to someone looking for instanced group content as their main thing, until ArenaNet stops focusing almost entirely on open world zerg content... which I don't think will ever happen.
If you don't like cosmetics then honestly, you need to REALLY like hunting after achievements or be in love with the gameplay to actually stick with the game long term. Gear level doesn't ever increase so your character getting stronger will not happen once you have a full set of ascended. Good thing is that even if you drop it, with no subscription fee or ever increasing gear score, your character will be just as good if you decide to play it again a year or two down the line.
If you enjoy leveling though, you may wanna give ESO a try. The combat mechanics and animations are not the best around but there's plenty of story to go through and zones to explore. (Slow leveling so avoid it if you want to hit the cap fast). Really solo friendly as well. Similar to GW2, you have a ceiling to stats as that game also focuses on horizontal rather than vertical progression. Do try it out the next time they have it for free though or just buy the base game on a discount before committing to the full thing as the combat in it is not everyone's cup of tea.
I actually like achievements. My main issue that I don't understand the GW2 concept. I mean, in a traditional MMO/RPG you have the gear and character progression. But all my characters are already lvl 80 because I got a level boost for every single one of them. So if I understand this correctly, my goal now is to achieve the legendary (?) armor set.
Is there anything else to do after that, can you improve your characters in any way or is the goal just dyeing your armor from yellow to blue?
To be clear - not dissing the game, I just want to understand it. Why would I max professions when the equipment isn't improving by doing that? Just to have that checkbox "300/300 recipes" checked?
It's not a game where the gear progression is focused on jumping from a higher tier of gear to the next. A lot of players focus on "collecting" or setting a goal for something they really want in the game and then work to achieve it as a lot of things can take some effort to get. You can think of this in terms of a more "sandboxy" approach even tho it really isn't classified as such.
Is a good bit it of making your character look good? Yes, that is part of it. But I could say the same for collecting a higher tier piece of gear in a game with vertical gear progression only it would be focused on getting more OP and there is more pressure to obtain a more powerful item.
You won't really find that kind of stress in this game. Do you get more powerful? Sure, you can, but its not stupid OP to the point where its a huge gap of alienation to new or old players like some other games. You still have to unlocked Masteries, Mounts and work for Ascended or Legendary gear that will take time, buts not the gear that will be game breaking to other players that are looking to join the same content. e.g. you can run Raids in even Exotic gear if you are good at your class and actually pay attention to the mechanics.
What sets the Legendary gear apart, if anything, besides the cool skins, is that you can at any time, freely change the gear stats (it will cost you something with Ascended gear.) That can't be done on normal gear.
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Endgame
GW2 isn't as linear as other MMOs, where the clear goal is to get better equipment.
Once you hit level 80, you'll want to start getting the Elite Specializations for more options. You'll want the Masteries for better mobility/options on various gameplay avenues. You'll want the best Jadebot sensors and modules.
There are Meta Events and world bosses across the whole map with rare drops. There are mini-dungeons, jumping puzzles, and sunken chests.
There is progression and things to do, it's just not gated by Gear Score.
Guild Wars 2 is one of the best MMO's around - there are no fees, no surprises - just game maps which can be explored, and re-explored. I've been playing now for ten years and its still holding my attention. Essentially the game consists of the following:
Guild Wars 2 - the initial game was released with comprises of the core maps ... then Heart of Thorns was added as an expansion that opens up the ability to glide and to use thermal currents to 'fly' - once unlocked, these abilities can be used on any map, irrespective of location. Then came Path of Fire which unlocked mounts, although since 2022, new accounts are automatically given raptor mounts which can be upgraded. In Path of Fire, more mounts are available that have to be won and then upgraded for full capabilities unlock.
Finally, the third expansion End of Dragons was released recently that opened up a new section of the map and which includes the ability to make golems (jade robots) that can aid you in combat. I wish to note that all of the expansions come with the core land areas included, so if you just pay for any of the expansions, it automatically unlocks those core regions for exploration.
There are significant events in the game, a living world - and a personal story (that can be avoided, or played as you wish) and we also have New Years celebrations, Halloween events (which are enormous fun) and WintersDay - which is the games version of Christmas.
If you create a 'main' character avatar and unlock various things on it, those unlocks are automatically passed on to any other characters that you create for the account; so say you unlock mounts - any new character will get those too, plus access to armor, dyes, etc. And new accounts are given the ability to create an instant level eighty - the highest level possible in Guild Wars 2, so you don't even have to grind (although I did when I began playing in 2012).
Only paid accounts get it. Free accounts get a 10 hours free trial raptor and then it's back to running. Cannot be upgraded either until you go to Path of Fire maps and start working on the masteries.
What...? The core maps and the ones released during season 1 and 2 of Living World are available for everybody, regardless if they have purchased an expansion or not. Expansions and Living World episodes give their own maps only.
You forgot about the Legendary Armory which allows you to equip a piece of legendary gear on multiple characters at the same time.
Ah yes, I did forget about that detail you are right, thanks for pointing it out.
Both Story, soundtrack and atmosphere of the Vanilla continents are some of most awe inspiring moments in an MMO, even now. I don't think anyone else can name another game with such a large scale full of events. Speaking of events, there are NPCs roaming about, attacking other enemy NPCs. You don't see that in other MMOs.
Moving on to the Heart of Thorns, it is quite a chore going through the map but "HP Trains" or Hero Point Trains are the way to go to get those quick Hero Points for new abilities. You don't want to linger in HoT for long, its not an Expansion worth investing your time in. Most Vet players would recommend you to skip over to Path of Fire to get a mount.
Path of Fire is the best Expansion when compared to everything ANet has delivered throughout the years. The Expansion gives you mounts that has their own abilities. Rabbit allows you to jump higher, Raptor has faster movement speed with two dashes, etc. The Story is decent but Vanilla will always be the best.
End of Dragons is the worst of them all. Ranging from Story to voice acting. At this point of the game, I've pretty much laid off and moved on to better MMOs like FF14. The voice acting in EoD is just like any modern day movie you'd watch where an Asian character would attempt to speak like a Caucasian. Give it to you simple and short, imagine you land beyond the Great wall of China and you get a bunch of Asian people going "Oh that's totally disrespectful, my guy" "Flying was so yesterday, tsk" Do you get what I'm saying? If you want an example of a good Asian medieval fantasy Faction, look up Grand Cathay for Warhammer 3. So without a doubt that was some political bravado going on in ANet. Despite all that, there is admiration for ANet to have completed the Expansion regardless being on a tight budget.
With all that said, do enjoy the game while its still around. The game welcomes all, there are no limits to what you can do. Community is decent if not better than its competitors like ESO, people will tag you along for events and help you more than you can ever ask without needing to return the favor. The game itself comes down to you having fun and that's what Guild Wars 2 is about.
Came back to it about 6 months ago, and have with a friend worked my way through the free base game, HoT (still the most frustrating and annoying areas they have ever created), PoF and all the way through to Living World 4.
Absolutely loving the story arc, the maps of the base game and PoF are great fun to explore, (the use of mounts which they incorporated into the game in Pillar of Fire, has made it a lot more easy to get through.
My aim is now to complete Living World 4, Icebrood Saga and then move onto the End of Dragons.
Most maps i am in are still busy, there are always people willing to lend a hand through main chat, their isn't such a toxic culture as there are in most other MMO's.
The game is a lot of fun for exploration, not sure you need to plough a lot of money into the game, the occasional purchase.
But i agree - try out the free game, and see if it works for you.