Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Game lacks direction
DKLond
Member RarePosts: 2,273
I'm trying to be fair about it - and I will add that I think the game is beautiful. Combat is fast, visceral and FUN. The main cities (especially Divinity's Reach) are among the most spectacular I've ever seen. There's a TON of love poured into this game. This isn't some half-assed design by a bunch of weak developers trying to cash-in. This is a labor of love, clearly.
Sadly, I don't think they wanted someone like me to enjoy it.
Ok, so I'm past the whole "no power progression at 80" thing. I know this game won't have it - and I know I'm probably not going to have GW2 as a long-term home. That's ok, and it was a small investment.
But, I'm trying to enjoy my time levelling in the game - and it's not always easy.
I have no idea why I'm doing what I'm doing. The dynamic events are fun - but I don't know why they happen or why I'm helping. Sure, the "Centaurs are attacking" - but there are no people to relate to or to feel compelled to help.
I run around in that gorgeous world trying to find something to do, and it's not hard to find. But I stumble upon it at random without direction or any long-term purpose.
So... I just need to "have fun" - right?
Problem with me is that I need direction and I need purpose. I fully understand that people who DON'T need that will likely love GW2. It's the perfect game for people who just like to play around without thinking about why. My ex-GF was exactly like that in WoW - and she could spend hours doing things that basically had no meaning beyond entertaining her, and that's great.
I'm just trying to make sure it's not me misunderstanding something about the game.
Is it SUPPOSED to be aimless and about "fun" without purpose?
Comments
I've listened to them (all the scouts I come across, for instance), but they provide only very general information. They don't have a personality and I don't feel engaged in any of the conflicts at all.
I'm playing a Human Thief. So far, the story has been average - at best - and the dialogue/writing is pretty bad. It's OK - but it's BY FAR not enough to sustain my interest in levelling.
By npcs he not only meant the scouts, but any sort of npc. Some of them come running to you to ask for help.
You are basically saying you prefer the old classical quest driven themepark. What you call sense of direction others would probably call handholding. Thats okay, its just a matter of tastes. I liked the old system too but I prefer GW2 as i think it gives a more vibrant an alive sense of immersion and rewards exploration-
Have you had to steal anything yet?
I prefer direction, not ancient quest design.
It's ok if you want to box me in as a person you can get a grasp on (themepark WoW fanboy, or whatever) - but it has nothing to do with who I am.
There's no reason they couldn't combine direction with DEs - they just didn't. At least, they didn't succeed as far as I'm concerned.
I've spoken to several NPCs - but the story is lackluster and the presentation doesn't deliver or engage. If I have to go out of my way to find an NPC that inspires me to do something, that's not good.
I am forced to ask:
Having played WoW (wild guess), where did you ever care for or relate to the people (NPCs) there? I myself never did. I only cared for my next lvl up.
In Guild Wars 2, dynamic events don't just "start" like that. It's NPCs just doing what they do. An asuran scientist going out to collect skritts to study. A charr engineer trying to repair his submarine. A camp of refugees being attacked by the people you just rescued them from...
You have to LOOK for the stories around the DEs. They're not force fed to you in GW2.
Gotta agree with DK. The game kind of just throws you into the world and wants you to run around and quest/explore organically. There's no real direction unless you want to complete all of the tasks in each zone. This type of playstyle might be great for explorers/casuals, but I think the hardcore powergamers will get bored easily. I know I'm bored most of the time while I'm pveing. You are basically rewarded for zerging pve by doing DEs as they are the best exp (outside of story quest), so most of the time is spent running around hunting DEs.
Where they failed was in making the story quest so instanced, and having huge level gaps in between each chapter. The story quest needed to have more tasks to do in the open world, thus giving the player some direction instead of running around aimlessly.
No, WoW had bullshit writing. Well, a few areas had some pretty interesting stuff (Duskwood in vanilla) - but otherwise, no.
However, the quest design in itself had much more direction - even if the stories were pointless.
TSW is probably the best example of story-based direction that I can think of.
I really like the DEs and the way the world is so open to exploration - but if it's going to be like that - I really need something to motivate me to pursue the events, beyond just gaining XP.
I am a level 25 Norn. I have to say, that I really enjoy this game. However, it seems like that there is a greatly decrease in Dynamic Events when you get into higher zones?
In lower zones theres DE's everywhere, now I allmost cant find any.
One thing that would help a lot is if the map showed ALL current events in the area - and you could get a small story-based exposition by clicking on them.
It feels really wrong that I have to search randomly, hoping an event is currently on-going.
Honestly I would be fine with having to pay a gold fee to "hot join" a DE in the zone I'm in.
Please explain what you mean by that (red). Otherwise I don't know what you're looking for to make you invest in events. °O
And from the yellow part I deduct you aren't even really sure about what you expect here... or I just misunderstand.
When you have experienced the area, you will see all Dynamic Events. At least thats what I think.
I do not want hot join. It just makes everything too easy to "join". A raid boss is down on 5 hp, you hot join, do a little damage and you get well rewarded.
I think I'm just against all this teleporting, except for waypoints. Im more against watching my character fly on a dragon for 45 mins before I arrive to my destination.
ehh everytime I'm "late" to a DE I'm lucky to get a Bronze rating. Most of the time I get squat. So don't really see the issue.
so ppl complain swtor is to straight forward and has plentiful of direction now theres not enough in gw2? you get a world to explore which is not enough? does not make sense. some are hard to please i guess.
play Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. that has a world that can be explored with direct. just not an mmo :P
"Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life."
-------------------------------
You shouldnt get anything for having participated so little at all :P
In WoW - as crappy as the story is - you never need to go looking for something to do. In GW2 - not only do you have to actively search for something to do, you also need a REASON in terms of storytelling. I could probably do without a reason if, at least, they had a better way of showing where the events happen - because I don't enjoy wandering aimlessly until I find one - even if it's just 5 minutes. 5 minutes without an apparent purpose might as well be an hour.
The "yellow part" is just a repeat. If I want to explore - I'll go explore. When I want to achieve something or level up - I don't want to have to go exploring - hoping to find something appropriate.
Exactly...which is why your argument getting "well rewarded" doesn't make sense...
This video should explains it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CyqGJHTjes