Faline.8795

So any thought of finally adding housing in the next expac? Or is housing a dead issue that will never come to GW2?

> @"medivh.4725" said:

> Are you sure? How come I am always out of karma

Maybe your spirit is out of whack with the universe.

> @"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:

> What has mats to do with Professions? All Professions can gather any mats, purchase any mats, sell any mats.

> Perhaps, you are referring to Crafting Disciplines? Not sure.

Yeah, crafting.

I am going to agree with the OP, even though he finds paragraphs to also be a high learning curve. lol /hug

Professions still confuse me. Having to _guess_ what mats to use... I shouldn't have to refer to an outside source to avoid frustration.

SO MANY BUILDS! And if you pick the wrong build, forget getting into a group.

Way too many stats. Could use some trimming.

But of course I realize I am speaking for myself. There are a lot of people who like that stuff. I think it can end up chasing some away.

> @"Linken.6345" said:

>

> You can download it to a usb if you got a big enough one.

As I said, there are no internet cafes here or anything with a computer. You have your own computer or you get nothing. lol

> @"Solitude.2097" said:

> Any big city nearby , that has internet cafe/multiply gaming PCs and sit there and downloadGW2 /play single games , ?

Nothing like that.

Plus I don't own a laptop. So I can't travel to the city to d/l and bring it back.

> @"Senteliks.2360" said:

>

> Edit: Also, it puzzles me. Give how you are returning player and I assume you own expansions. most of LS, why exactly don't you jump in and check for yourself will the

> game sink or not?

Because I have to re-download it. It isn't on my computer anymore.

And because I internet by satellite (rural America. Beautiful, but very limited internet), I have MASSIVE data limits. So it is a monumental effort to download a game like this.

I know this question comes up a lot. So I'll add to the noise.

Haven't played GW2 in a long time. Toying with the idea of coming back, but there is always that old bugaboo of wondering if the game is going to be around.

With layoffs and people leaving the studio, I wonder if it is worth the time to invest in it.

Of course, rumours of GW2's death have been around for a loooong time. But it is certainly something that keeps someone like me from coming back or investing in it.

Even though I've had the game for years, I think I'd still be considered a "new player" because I've barely touched it. Haven't even finished the vanilla storyline.

So let me give you my singular thoughts on what you said re: new players coming in.

> @"Kite.2510" said:

> I love the game! I'm playing it since launch!

> But I have a hard time convincing anyone to join, and lets face it, the game has some major flaws. First and foremost is the mistreatment of new players, and I can't exactly lie to them! It's not exactly that they are doing nothing for them. It's just that they completely ignore those who are coming it blind in terms of franchise knowledge and for every positive the game had, it's followed by a big "but".

>

> * The game doesn't have subscription, **but **there are some mandatory purchases one has to make!

I don't really know any "mandatory" purchases anyone has to make. There are certainly optional ones. I don't consider the living story chapters to be "mandatory". For a completionist view, yes. But they aren't "mandatory".

> * The vanila game is free, **but** it sucks compared to the rest (leaving a bad first impression).

I actually enjoy the vanilla part. There are other reasons I don't play.

> * The story is very good, **but **not the initial one! It's very poorly told with your character having wooden dialogue and having you meet your new best friend in each act.

I don't have a frame of reference, since I've not gotten past the vanilla storyline. But I've enjoyed it.

> * You can buy both existing expansions at the price of one, **But **you'll have to pay a kitten ton of additional money for the living world content where most story is told.

Again, skippable unless you *need* to know the whole story.

> * The game's leveling system keeps old content relevant, **but **once you learn a mastery, you cannot experience the game without it again!

Can't you roll a new toon? Or do masteries carry over?

> * All of the game's attributes mater for all classes, **but **if you are not playing with offensive attributes you are playing it wrong!

Cookie-cutter builds exist in every game, sadly.

> * The game has Dungeons! **but**, they are pretty much a joke in terms of balancing, and the devs have abandoned them for newer stuff.

Yeah, bad them for getting rid of dungeons.

> * The game has guild missions! **but **they haven't been updated in many years!

I hate guilds. So don't care. But I know where you are coming from. Most people love guilds.

> * You can follow all the story up to the current patch (after paying) **but** the season 1 story is lost for good.

A lot of games have stories you don't get if you miss the time window.

> * Good news! They are adding back season 1 in repayable form... **But**, they are adding it back at a late story season 5 area as mini dungeons!...

Good on them.

> * Each expansion offers new gear with new start combinations, **but **they are much harder to make and have no significant advantage compare to the one you are getting easily in the vanila game.

That is the problem when you have horizontal levelling.

So yeah, GW2 is good storywise. There are just other reasons why GW2 isn't attractive to new players.

> @"Obtena.7952" said:

> > @"Faline.8795" said:

> > So with the new expac, are they going to be doing something different, or will it be "more of the same", thus not really bring attractive to new players?

>

> Let's hope it does ... because it's the 'choir' that pays the bills.

Yes, that is true. But are they paying the bills enough? Is this new expact GW2's "last chance" to lift itself before ANet gives up?

And do they really just want to keep what they have? Are they really not going to go for new blood?

So with the new expac, are they going to be doing something different, or will it be "more of the same", thus not really bring attractive to new players?

> @"voltaicbore.8012" said:

> The sad reality is that the right answer in many of these situations is to either (A) shrink operations to fit what P is capable of bringing in without betraying its core uniqueness, or (B) abandon P in as financially efficient a manner as possible, and move onto the next thing. The layoffs indicate that (A) has already happened for GW2 to a great extent, and some seem to think that (B) is happening behind closed doors as well.

That certainly is the way it is looking to me. Though I am hesitant on (A). They've brought some people in, so my guess is that someone said "Give us X time and Y funds and give us one last chance to turn this around."

So what we're seeing today is GW2's last gasp for revival. If this doesn't work, (A) may become the reality.

The problem is, they are giving us pretty much the same thing they've given us in the past. So why they think the results will be any different, I don't know.

1) Give me something to chase that I want to chase. (Glam isn't it.)

2) Give me someone to talk to.

3) Give me a way to group for content that doesn't make me uncomfortable.

That will be the win for me.

This is ANet's big problem. I don't know WHAT will make GW2 better. All I know is that what it is isn't working.

That's a horrible position for a company to be in. How can they fix it when they don't know what the problem exactly is?

I listed some very generic items. Game is too lonely. Game has limited ability for the shy to participate. (Meaning these people don't like the current group-making system.) No interesting end-game.

How to address such very generic complaints? idk.

How do you progress your character when the game is against progression? Find that answer and maybe we'll find the road to a great GW2.

> @"Melech.4308" said:

> Regarding World Chat:

>

> I'm trying to picture it, but all I can see is an endless stream of text flowing down the chat window at 1000 lines per second and not giving you a chance to even read anything

World chat should be optional. Don't want to see it, opt out. But it should be a choice.

Choices are good.

> @"Obtena.7952" said:

> That is worth a bump ... NO one signed up to this game wanting a WoW clone (or if they did, they found out FAST it wasn't) and for some reason, people think doing that is the only way to make GW2 great again.

No one in their right mind would ask for a WoW clone. If they wanted a WoW clone, just go play WoW.

On the other hand, just because WoW does something doesn't mean it should be rejected. Some ideas are good.

Obviously, what GW2 is doing isn't drawing enough people (and thus enough revenue). Of course, they haven't shut down the servers, and they haven't gone into maintenance mode. But if it was making good money, we'd see a lot more content, more expansions, etc.

If we're satisfied with the status quo, then okay. But I suspect that we're not.

So it's helpful to look at why people aren't playing. (And thus not spending money.) Those were my reasons. Others have other reasons.

But if we were to take the position that we like GW2 as it is, then nothing will change and GW2 will continue down the path it is on. It isn't going to get better, it won't make more money.

GW2 needs to change, at least somewhat, or eventually go the way of all flesh. Sooner rather than later.

This is my opinion and probably doesn't reflect what other people think. This is just me.

I've had Guild Wars since...I don't know. Not terribly long after it came out.

Yet I rarely play it.

Beautiful graphics, love that there is tons of voice acting in there. Makes the world seem more alive.

But it can't capture me.

- No world chat. Makes the game very lonely. Map chat is too limited. I know, I know. "Get into a guild." Some people don't like guilds.

- No random matchmaking. The most popular games, World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV have random matchmaking for their dungeons. It's wildly popular. Sure, Guild Wars 2 has a group finder, but it involves finding a group, applying, and maybe getting accepted or rejected. A lot of people don't like that. Letting the game make the groups takes that pressure away.

- No appreciable end game. Conquering the next raid or dungeon or working toward that cool looking weapon isn't enough of a draw. GW2's bread and butter is avoiding the power chase. Okay, fine. But what they do have doesn't work for enough people. Gamers want to chase _something_. What? I don't know. But what GW2 isn't it.

- Lack of enthusiasm from the developers. Maybe I should rephrase that. At least, _public_ enthusiasm. Communication from the GW2 people is rare. I would like to hear a lot more, a lot more frequently. More communication tells me that they still have faith in the game. Silence is what you get from a corpse. It does seem they are working on that, lately. Let's see if it sticks.

- Not enough new content. Have to keep rolling it out. Updates are too far between. That, as well, bespeaks a game that isn't doing well, perception-wise. Reality doesn't matter. Only perception.

I know, for some of that, people will say "Want chat? Get a guild. Want groups? Get a guild!"

That doesn't work well, especially in today's environment. Players today, a large number of them, don't want to be tied down. They want to play and then go back to their life.

The next argument is, "If you want to play solo, don't play an MMO". Problem is, that outlook will eventually kill GW2. Because that isn't where the marker is heading. Solo is where it is at. Yes, wandering the world and coming on a group to slay a boss is great. But overall, people want to do what they want to do when they want to do it. Not wait for some group to get together and eventually do it. That is where the market is heading, and we can either adapt to it or cross our arms, pout, and watch GW2 flounder.

GW2, for it's part, is very solo-friendly. Except for raids and dungeons (and some world bosses), there really isn't anything you can't do by yourself. But there are things that GW2 _can_ do to help the solo player. The aforementioned random group maker. The world chat.

End game, I don't know. If not a gear chase, then what?

Anyway, that's my opinion. ymmv

> @"maddoctor.2738" said:

> > @"Faline.8795" said:

> > Is NCSoft willing to give up profit just to have a virtual presence in the West?

>

> It's the opposite, NCSoft is making profit in the West so why would they stop their projects that are making profit?

How do you know that? How do you know that they aren't breaking even or even posting a loss?

> Guild Wars 2 is their highest profit maker, the other 3 games are not performing very well.

How do you know that, too?

> Your post is like asking why is Activision-Blizzard still releasing expansions for World of Warcraft and why they keep their servers running, since Candy Crash makes about

> $100 million more money than Blizzard, which includes all Blizzard IPs, not just WoW, which means Starcraft, Diablo AND Overwatch included.

> Why do they keep the less profitable games going?

>

> As long as games make profit, even if it's smaller than other games they will continue existing, because they apply to different players.

Well, yes and no. You do bring up very valid points, but there are answers to your questions.

First, killing a game sends a bad message. Keeping a title around will draw people to other titles.

So there is reason to keep a low-performing title around. As I said in a previous post, there are such things as "loss leaders."

But also there comes a point where resources are best used elsewhere. Since you brought up World of Warcraft, there is always a healthy worry over there about how much longer Blizz is going to put up with WoW, giving how much it costs to develop new stuff.

But if we really went the route of "any profit is good profit," Wildstar would still be around.

Someone, somewhere, has drawn a line in the accounting sand.

I know it sounds like it, but I am not trying to be doom and gloom. And I find it interesting that WoW seems to have a large chorus of people who are continually talking about its demise, while both GW2 and FF14 are the opposite. People want WoW to crash and burn while people want GW2 to continue and grow. Talk about different audiences!

I'm just questioning an economic reality.

> @"maddoctor.2738" said:

> > @"Danikat.8537" said:

> > One way to look at it is this: If GW2 was shut down which NCSoft game would you play instead? Blade & Soul? Aion? Lineage?

>

> Given how Blade & Soul, Aion and Lineage II combined make less money than Guild Wars 2 in the NA and EU, shutting down Guild Wars 2 would mean NCsoft no longer has any meaningful games in those regions. Removing Guild Wars 2 would mean shutting down NCsoft West completely.

I don't really know how much regional presence makes that much of a difference. Is NCSoft willing to give up profit just to have a virtual presence in the West?

Is anyone who makes the decision really asking, "Am we willing to give up a million dollars in profit just to say we have a Western game?"

There are such things as loss leaders. If running only a minorly profitable game gets you to look at other games from NCSoft, that could be a viable reason to keep a minorly profitable game going.

Yeah, sure, putting out more content would certainly get more people involved, and more money into the game. But that brings us back to the original question: Why spend money for 25 cents profit per dollar when you can spend money on 75 cents profit per dollar.

Sure, we don't know GW2's cost/revenue ratio. I don't know the other games, but certainly it's higher than a mobile game.

> @"Strider Pj.2193" said:

> So.... revenue doesn’t mean profit....

>

> And it doesn’t give you margin either.

>

> Revenue (if that is what you saw) is more of a raw number. So, if you truly saw revenue, but didn’t see EXPENSE, then you really don’t have an idea how the product is doing.

>

> GW2 has always been relatively small. Revenue is likely to be small. But if the margin is 25%, (as an arbitrary number) they’ll leave it alone. If margin is 5%, that’s a different thing altogether.

You are absolutely right about that. We can however hypothesize. We do know that MMOs have a heavy outlay for design. These things aren't cheap to make.

Now, if we weren't getting any more content, that would be one thing. But of course, no one wants maintenance mode.

With the recent quarterly report coming out naming GW2 as second-to-last in income revenue, would they be asking if the money being put into GW2 be better spent on another title that costs less and makes more money?

If they spent $1 on GW2 and made $1.20, but on some other title they can spend $1 and make $1.75, wouldn't that $1 be better spent elsewhere?

This is one of the reasons I just can't see an expac announcement coming, but who knows?

They haven't shut down Aion yet, so there's that.

So I boosted a toon. I filled the XP bar and I keep getting this message "Your current ability is fully trained and ready to master!"

I see that it won't unlock until I do either "Torn from the Sky" (whatever that is) or "Sparking the Flame" (from Path of Fire).

So am I supposed to skip all the Living Stories before that and jump directly to it? Or am I supposed to go through it all in order and live with that obnoxious message all the time (and lose out on all the xp I'm not getting credit for since my xp bar is full)?

I boosted a character and I have finished my first full bar of experience points. It keeps prompting me about Masteries, but says I have to finish a storyline that is way down the line for me. If I continue to do quests and stuff, what happens to all that experience? Is it lost?

> @"Dawdler.8521" said:

> > @"Faline.8795" said:

> > 1) World Chat. The game seems so empty and quiet to me without an ongoing conversation. I know guilds can help with that, but it's limited and I like to be online sometimes without having a leash on me.

> Global chat has been **terrible** in every single game that have it. Its all just spam and nonsense. I remember in particular the Archeage chat that updated about 10 times a second with just sale spam. Anet did the right choice in not doing it.

World of Warcraft has this and it is great. Yes, there is spam, and yes there are trolls. But you also have some interesting conversations and it helps make the world seem more alive.

People always have the option to turn it off.

More choices are always better than fewer.

> @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" said:

>

> - Losing weight by eating chocolate.

Actually, you can do this. I lost 10 pounds and still ate chocolate every day. Just need to stay below your TDEE. :)

> @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" said:

>

> It always sounds like the solution to all problems, automated grouping. But there is an enormous risk that newbies get teamed up with farmers and speedrunners. That is the most horrible condition to get into that content and risk that some of them will try once and probably never again. In addition, elite-players and those who see themselves as such feel mocked for being teamed up randomly with scrubs and people who want to watch the cinematic. I had that pleasure in FFXIV already. One of the major reasons why I quit that game.

>

I've never had that issue in FFXIV. But I have had it in WoW. It's one of the chances that comes with a random group.

But with a random matchmaking tool, there is always the option not to use it and form your own group.