Guild Wars 2

[madbassman39]

Alright, the game has been out for a week, thoughts?

 

Personally its everything I was hoping for, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe all those youtube videos plus the beta weekends allowed me to get my expectations in line (although I, like johnny, had high expectations that were met), but overall I'm very happy.

 

My biggest concern is the leveling, although less important, seems to be going very fast. The highest level I ever got any character in any MMO was in WoW, and that was to level 32, after 2 weeks, and I stopped playing after that for the reason that I just started playing other games. I'm concerned that in a week at level 29 I may end up reaching max level at the end of the month. I know that levels don't really matter in this game cause you get down-leveled and then lower level content is still challenging (although with better weapons and skills you still kick ass), but still it concerns me.

 

The WvW is amazing, I haven't played the 5v5 pvp yet, but I intend to. The downed trading post bothered me once, but for the most part I haven't even tried to use it. I enjoy just wondering around and then finding quests to do, that's awesome, and I love the combat, its more action-y than most hotbar mmos.

 

Crafting I find to be annoying, I'm a weaponsmith, and I cannot find enough materials to craft weapons that will give me any XP to get to a crafting level of 75 to start crafting anything beyond bronze weapons. While cooking on the other hand is just as easy as going to the guy and purchasing more goods and then experimenting. The crafting itself is fun, like discovering new formulas, but weapon crafting doesn't open enough to you to gain any xp, and the few items I can craft to gain XP I have to craft using very hard to find items (tiny scales, tiny totems mostly). The weapons I crafted were good to use up to level 20, which I found surprisingly neat. I want to be able to use raw materials in the crafting exploration so I can start making iron weapons but the game wont let me. Maybe its just me.

 

Any seasoned MMO player can tell you how different combat and exploration is in this game over the current line up of MMOs, but if you have a limited experience in MMOs, you may not be able to spot what makes this game unique and different. Its an interesting blend, but over all my favorite MMO to date.

[Mister Jack]

Crafting will be much less of a pain in the ass once the trading post actually works and you can buy supplies.

[Johnny]

If GW2 is anything like GW1, most of the content will be max level anyway. I think 70% or something of the first game's PvE content was at max, and most of the PvP definitely was.

 

(That's in contrast with most MMOs where most of the stuff is low level, but all anyone cares about is the few max level thingies.)

[Cyber Rat]

Here is the Seal Clubbers' Clubbing Club logo (monochrome version):

 

 

Anyone who wants to join in from either the EU or US, we're on Gunnar's Hold (officially EU server)

[madbassman39]

how does one join?

[Cyber Rat]

Send me your display name and I'll add you when I jump in-game next time.

[Mister Jack]

Two things.

 

1) Has anyone found or heard about an engineer skill build that's supposed to be really good for solo/groups?

 

2) Has anyone on this forum made a guild for american players?

[Mister Jack]

Anyone else playing this? Specifically while the halloween event is going on?

[madbassman39]

I haven't played since I got X-com but I want to hop back on

[Code_Yuki]

I've got the game it only interested me for a short while. The world is beautiful, the design is great, but I don't like the combat. The combat to me didn't feel dynamic enough and that was enough to put me off the game.

[jayc4life]

I don't mind the game, it's my first MMORPG, but my friends are way ahead of me in terms of levels (they're 50-something and I'm 35), but so far, despite them being on the same server as myself, it's just felt like a singleplayer game with everyone else in the same instance. Perhaps it's because I haven't tackled any of the dungeons yet, but there's no real sense of party co-ordination about the game at all. I'll probably persist and trudge on through it, but I don't know if I'll be bothered rolling a new character once I hit Level 80 or finish the main story.

 

I'm on Whiteside Ridge (EU server), if anyone else is on there.

[madbassman39]

Jumped back in a few days ago. Forgot how much I loved the dynamic quest system. The heart quest are just meh, but the real beauty are the dynamic quests.

 

I was in an area and there were some traders using the trade route and one of them collapsed. The other trader says "We can't stay here, leave him." The next said we should give him some time, but they needed to be prepared incase any ice monsters attacked. Then a quest of defending them against waves of enemies started up.

 

After successfully fighting off the hoard with a few players, a giant Moa came out and attacked us. We killed that guy and went our separate ways. I continued to my personal quest location, and was called over by an NPC who was standing with a pack mule, who told me that the road was too dangerous to travel alone, and needed my help. I helped him and we were trapped by an avalanche and some troll like Jotun attached us boxing us in. About 6 or 7 other players jumped in to help out and we safely transported the traveler to the nearest check point.

 

I continued heading to my quest and another quest popped up, again more travelers but this time they were guarded by NPCs who asked if I would help. Since they were heading the same direction I was, I decided to help them, and fought off checkpoints of monsters and creatures.

 

Finally I got to a bridge that was underattack. I failed the quest, and the bridge blew up underneath me killing my character. After respawning I went back to the bridge and I couldn't get across without having to go the long way around, but they decided they needed to rebuild the bridge. So I helped with that.

 

All of this in a 2 hour gaming session.

 

I forgot how much fun it was to just wonder in this game.

[Mister Jack]

Christmas event starts today.

[jayc4life]

Got my first character (human thief) to level 80 a few days ago, not finished the "story" quests yet, but have been doing some WvW skirmishes.

 

... that is, until a clan of ~1200 Russians joined an opposition server (I'm on Whiteside Ridge (EU) ) and we've been steamrolled ever since.

[madbassman39]

New event starts today: Flame and Frost Prelude. Looking forward as I've missed out on all but the Xmas event so far. I'll probably be participating in this later today.

[Mister Jack]

How exactly does this event work, anyway?

[madbassman39]

As far as I know you go to the specific area and the event will just be there. Like a normal quest or something that leads a chain of events to follow.

 

I could be wrong, I'll find out later tonight after I get home from work.

[jayc4life]

Yeah, the winter events basically had a bunch of fun stuff scattered around the game world, but the main "story" of the event was told via dungeon-like instances. I'd imagine they're sticking to the same formula with this.

[Mister Jack]

[deanb]

So played a chunk of this (might play a bit more but it finishes tonight). Kinda neat, quite liked the character creation though I'm not sure what's counts much towards how that pans out for the rest of the game though in the Instanced story quests bits of my creation choices got referenced.

I quite like skills changed depending on weapon equipped, and use opens new skills. Haven't got far enough to open up much other skills. Another thing I liked was purchasing using items with "Karma" (especially good because you don't seem to get much money). Overall it's quite neat, but I don't think I'm the right mindset for MMOs, though I do like GW2s subscription model, aka the lack of one.

 

My dude, Malchani:

[Mister Jack]

I am not typically of the right mindset for MMOs either, and I don't know about anyone else but after playing GW2 I think I've realized that the subscription model has been the very thing keeping me from getting into them.  When I consciously know the game is sucking money out of me every single month, I feel obligated to play it often so I don't feel like I'm wasting that money, which makes the game less fun because it starts feeling like an obligation.  I don't play GW2 all the time, but I can pick it up, play it for a while, put it down, and come back later completely stress-free.  I have bought a few things from the cash store, but it's always been on my terms.  Playing it just feels different to me, and not just because of the gameplay.

[madbassman39]

So I've been playing this game for the last 3 or 4 weeks now. I think its my stress relief because I have had a few very stressful days at work, and I come home and just explore the world (which rewards you with quests, skill points, and others). I really enjoy the game, the combat felt kind of dull in my 30 to 40 range after I unlocked all the skills, but now that I am starting to really get into grouping I started to learn how to properly play the game. Five attacks, one self heal 3 buffs, and your elite skill (which my warrior in groups uses a buff for all characters and instant revives people in the vicinity).

 

I jumped on last night after the patch and I was moved to an over flow server for the Iron Marches, which is a first since I've been there. I was so happy to find out that I had that many people in that zone as most 40-60 zones are nearly empty.

 

Anyhow I still need to stop the Clockwork invasion and listen to the queens speech.

 

Here is my Charr Warrior

Edited August 21, 2013 by madbassman39

[Saturnine Tenshi]

Looking good, bassman. The latest event has really increased activity in certain zones, though the purpose is generally just to rebuff the invasions. Probably won't stay that way. I hear the events will be semi-permanent even after this Living World story ends, but they'll be far less frequent.

 

One of the reasons why I disliked Guild Wars was the dearth of skills you can use at a time. It's like your brain is only capable of remembering a select few skills! The same goes for Guild Wars 2. I eventually got over it thanks to everything the game has to offer.

 

It would also benefit you to find a decent guild if you don't already have one. The guild commendations you get from guild events are useful for purchasing gear (and the events are otherwise neat diversions). I made my own, Thyme Lords—lords of thyme and space, as a placeholder. Still looking for another after leaving my last guild. Are you playing a banner warrior then? They're fairly useful in parties. It's nice that you can build your profession to suit different styles of play. Although it does seem that most just go for straight DPS glass cannons, unfortunately.

 

My main is a ranger built for survivability. Currently working on a rogue built for trickery, which buffs the party in addition to typical roguish feats.

 

Edit: You can totally idle through those invasion events so long as you get in. If you're busy and just need the event completed.

 

Also (Don't have the base GW2 launcher set to take .bmps, only Steam. So it's low quality .jpg):

 

Ranger:

 

Thief:

Edited August 21, 2013 by Saturnine Tenshi

[madbassman39]

I actually joined a guild late last week. I did my first guild raid with them but they wanted me to use Mumble and I couldn't get that to work.

 

As far as my warrior goes, I'm making him more of a tank character who throws out banners for attack and defense, with a shout to remove conditions when playing in a party. When playing PvE its mostly just what ever I feel like playing as.

 

Most people do play warrior as a glass canon with high DPS, I feel like I'm playing it wrong by not choosing to do so, but every time I join a party people always are happy that I can take the damage and support.

 

I have a guardian that I am only using in WvW to see how far I can take a character through WvW as well as an Elementalist that I had played with a friend just to try something different.

 

Elementalist:

Guardian:

 

Also, I don't understand why the texture of the rock and my boots are looking so badly in my Charr Warrior picture, my graphics are up all the way.

[Saturnine Tenshi]

I forget: does WvW scale your level? If it doesn't, that's going to be a huge challenge.

 

As far as your warrior goes, I'd play it however you enjoy. I made my wife's warrior into an axe/axe banner warrior with healing power, and it seems to benefit the party. People mostly want you to be in berserker's gear for any class because they feel the only approach is to nuke everything to hell and hope for the best. Mainly because they want dungeon speed runs. There are a great deal of builds out there, though. Play what suits you, man.