Guild Wars 2

MrSteven · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:19

I don't know about you guys/girls but every time I Play a beta weekend or stress test I end up choosing a different profession to play once the game goes live. Last night I had a go with the Sylvari, In the last beta weekend and stress tests I was obsessed with the Asura and usually im not into the nature aspect of games like elves, flowers earth etc etc, but last night I decided to try something I would never choose normally which was a Slyvari Guardian and I don't know how it happened but them 4 hours flew so fast, I really enjoyed playing both the race and the profession and I'm definitely going to be playing that on the live servers (as long as there's not another stress test and if there is i might miss it out!) Its amazing how Arenanet have balanced all the classes so well I think as I was comparing a Guardian to a Paladin in WoW and never played until this last stress test (stupid I know) I think I will really enjoy leveling as the guardian, the only problem I see is that It may fall short in WvW as I think it will work better with a ranged class, although I believe a guardian has some range with a scepter and staff and I dont mind playing support at all.

Any of you have same problem or did you pretty much know what you were going to play a while ago?

Nemeses · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:38

Sin_Chase said:
Getting max level in MMOs these days is really really easy.

I remember playing Anarchy Online and for a long time coming across max level players was a RARITY! It was also something to behold because the investment to get there was massive. It was also an MMO in which you could twink high level items onto low level players. I have spent 10s and 10s of hours twinking a char with calculators, spreadsheets and item databases to equip ONE single item. The feeling once you manage it though is utterly immense.

MMOs have certainly lost that wonder aspect when looking towards the max level and high end gear. It's all far too accessible for my liking now - Sure being more difficult restricted casual players from getting it (Easily anyway) but it also made it an achievement when you finally managed it.

It's inevitable though, appeal to a bigger market, make more money.

So people who stayed at home had no jobs were something to behold yeah right

Devious · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:44

I might have a go tonight when I roll in from the pub if I feel upto it, though probably not a good idea.

Didnt have much time on it last as I was tired as.

Sin_Chase · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:44

wab said:
So people who stayed at home had no jobs were something to behold yeah right

People who invested the time, be it employed or otherwise.

You are clearly a current-gen casual nab if you cannot appreciate why the older generation MMOs had better senses of achievement and wonder.

Nemeses · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:46

Sin_Chase said:
People who invested the time, be it employed or otherwise.

You are clearly a current-gen casual nab if you cannot appreciate why the older generation MMOs had better senses of achievement and wonder.

lmao older ... lol ..AO was about time spent playing if your were lazy stay at home let the government pay for me you were max level if like the rest of us you had a job it took you longer, being max or not did not make you a good or bad player!

Robbo · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:47

Sin_Chase said:
People who invested the time, be it employed or otherwise.

You are clearly a current-gen casual nab if you cannot appreciate why the older generation MMOs had better senses of achievement and wonder.

I agree. The new age of MMO 'gamers' will never understand.

Nemeses · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:50

Robbo said:
I agree. The new age of MMO 'gamers' will never understand.

New age? I bet I have being playing them longer than you both.

I just understand the difference MMO's of old had huge leveling curves to make you play fro longer, so sub for longer, most people I knew in AO and the other mmos of that time the ones who maxed first were 99% of the time people who did not work.

Dasheh · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:50

I don't think that levels should take longer to get in GW2. In other MMOs you can easily spend weeks grinding out a few levels, and it can get boring really quickly to barely progress at all in the game. With GW2, you get a quicker progression up to 80, without the grinding, and once you do get to 80 there will probably still be an increase in difficulty as you go on, if the original GW is anything to go by. Don't forget that they're saying 90 minutes to a level or so after 30, that still gives us over 100 hours just to get to 80. That's going to fluctuate slightly depending on how you play, but with the PvP and other distractions I'm sure there will be more than enough content to keep us occupied.

I think the point is the journey to 80 is designed to be enjoyable, rather than having a boring grind to get to where the real content starts and you can actually play. I know I'd prefer this, and although it may mean there is less "end-game" content as such, you can still go back and play through the other areas you have missed, seeing as the world seems to be so large that you will struggle to see all / most of it in the main levelling process. I'd rather have this to having to wait a long time to start enjoying the game, which usually tends to ruin a game in my experience.

bemaniac · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:51

mmos are all pretty new in the grand scheme of gaming. Phantasy star online was the first proper console one and that was easy to level.

Sin_Chase · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:52

wab said:
lmao older ... lol ..AO was about time spent playing if your were lazy stay at home let the government pay for me you were max level if like the rest of us you had a job it took you longer, being max or not did not make you a good or bad player!

It took time and dedication to use that time. It was not easy getting max level, nothing to do with your circumstance and everything to do with investing a MEANINGFUL quantity into a MEANINGFUL reward.

Basically you are just bitter, being the casual that you are, and prefer to be given what everyone else can get on a plate because you log in for an hour every other day.

Being max level with decent gear in old-school MMOs meant you WERE a good player. Unlike now all you need to do is invest a little time with zero skill and be rewarded everything anyone else can get. Sure, it takes you an extra week but you are indistinguishable from a good player on the face of it which is what you prefer. When it actually comes down to it though you have 'All the gear and no idea'.

ChrisJSY · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:52

wab said:
lmao older ... lol ..AO was about time spent playing if your were lazy stay at home let the government pay for me you were max level if like the rest of us you had a job it took you longer, being max or not did not make you a good or bad player!

I was in my mid-late teens (not early, dah) when I first played it, even I had the free time but didn't get there that quickly, it has nothing to do with being good or bad exactly..edit.
(The first got there through exploiting, naturally.. some strange bug about all handing in solo missions and standing ontop of each other while handing it in whilst teamed giving x6 the amount of exp)

He has a point though, there's very little in the way of awe these days in MMOs for experienced MMO gamers. We've seen it all. Edit: and casuals are catered too mostly, for profit, numbers, etc.

Nemeses · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:53

ChrisJSY said:
I was in my early teens when I first played it, even I had the free time but didn't get there that quickly, it has nothing to do with being good or bad.

(The first got there through exploiting, naturally.. some strange bug about all handing in solo missions and standing ontop of each other while handing it in whilst teamed giving x6 the amount of exp)

He has a point though, there's very little in the way of awe these days in MMOs for experienced MMO gamers. We've seen it all.

Yeah well if you were a teen thats hardly the same ... I wish I was a teen then still

.

And no he is as per usual a 100% wrong none of those games (and I played IoK .thats aging me

) they were all about time spent playing, leveling up and nothing to do with skill what so ever, zip zilch Nada it was time spent playing!

Robbo · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:53

wab said:
New age? I bet I have being playing them longer than you both.

I just understand the difference MMO's of old had huge leveling curves to make you play fro longer, so sub for longer, most people I knew in AO and the other mmos of that time the ones who maxed first were 99% of the time people who did not work.

The hugely simple terms in which you try and explain your point of view, really just proves the point that Sin_Chase was making.

You're bordering on the ridiculous attitude of calling better players than yourself no-lifers, and the people who do that are usually the ones with the problem.

I'm not saying that's what you are doing, before you get upset, but the way you put your points forward could be taken in that fashion.

Sin_Chase said:
It took time and dedication to use that time. It was not easy getting max level, nothing to do with your circumstance and everything to do with investing a MEANINGFUL quantity into a MEANINGFUL reward.

Basically you are just bitter, being the casual that you are, and prefer to be given what everyone else can get on a plate because you log in for an hour every other day.

Being max level with decent gear in old-school MMOs meant you WERE a good player. Unlike now all you need to do is invest a little time with zero skill and be rewarded everything anyone else can get. Sure, it takes you an extra week but you are indistinguishable from a good player on the face of it which is what you prefer. When it actually comes down to it though you have 'All the gear and no idea'.

Indeed.

Sin_Chase · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:53

bemaniac said:
mmos are all pretty new in the grand scheme of gaming. Phantasy star online was the first proper console one and that was easy to level.

PSO is a pseudo-MMO. It also sucked.

Logsi · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:58

I'll be taking my sweet time with this game to max level. Have WoW for power leveling to get realm firsts so this will be my downtime game i expect.

walk on · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:59

i remember when getting to max lvl was something that would take me a YEAR, not a week or two of semi casual play, it was a moment to work towards. Rip lineage 2, Aion etc..

Nemeses · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:59

Robbo said:
The hugely simple terms in which you try and explain your point of view, really just proves the point that Sin_Chase was making.

You're bordering on the ridiculous attitude of calling better players than yourself no-lifers, and the people who do that are usually the ones with the problem.

I'm not saying that's what you are doing, before you get upset, but the way you put your points forward could be taken in that fashion.

Indeed.

No I am not calling them no lifers, tho a lot were

, my point is that boy funny how to you 2 I have repeat my point over and over, is that leveling in game like AO was not about skill but about time spent playing.

And I have never moaned whined bitched about people leveling faster than me cause they have the time and I don't, I just find sins argument laughable.. bit like the one he had about the 680 yesterday.

MrSteven · 10 Aug 2012 at 12:59

I have to agree with Sin, I remember playing vanilla WoW and even TBC, If you had any of the tier gear on especially 2/3 in vanilla you were a good player people in my guild worked and we were just starting Naxx before the game ended. It made other players look up to you as there were very few people with it on, it also gave people something to aim for a long term goal which just doesn't happen in 'today's' MMo's. Same for TBC if you had tier 6 on by the end of it you again were one of the few to have it and again people in my guild had full time jobs they just invested their time well once they were on. After TBC WoW and other mmo's (cant speak for all) just became to easy to get the top level gear.

Nemeses · 10 Aug 2012 at 13:01

MrSteven said:
I have to agree with Sin, I remember playing vanilla WoW and even TBC, If you had any of the tier gear on especially 2/3 in vanilla you were a good player people in my guild worked and we were just starting Naxx before the game ended. It made other players look up to you as there were very few people with it on, it also gave people something to aim for a long term goal which just doesn't happen in 'today's' MMo's. Same for TBC if you had tier 6 on by the end of it you again were one of the few to have it and again people in my guild had full time jobs they just invested their time well once they were on. After TBC WoW and other mmo's (cant speak for all) just became to easy to get the top level gear.

Getting gear and hitting max level are 2 very different things. Sins point at the start was that people who hit max level were players to be held in awe, and nothing about gear, so I'm a bit lost how you agree with him :confused:

Fenris · 10 Aug 2012 at 13:02

walk on said:
i remember when getting to max lvl was something that would take me a YEAR, not a week or two of semi casual play, it was a moment to work towards. Rip lineage 2, Aion etc..

I'm sorry but holding Aions leveling up as anything other than a relentless grind is laughable. I did 1-55 once and I will never, ever do it again. Aion as a whole represents one of the least entertaining periods of my life.

Leveling as a whole is an utterly absurd concept to hold as a measure of skill or achievement, it is something everyone has to do and will achieve at some point. Even the ones who level absurdly quickly do it by grinding for hours upon which is more of a demonstration of how you spend your free time than a test of any relevant skill.

If you want to attribute skill to an MMO player (which I would argue is difficult to begin with) I would argue PvP is the only viable avenue. It is after all the only part of most MMOs that can't be completely predicted and actually evolves.