Tell me your favorite things about Guild Wars 2 (returning player)

[Knightmare.1867]

Hey there, I'm a returning player. Haven't played in years, just bought path of fire, and I mained thief class for a long time. I'm looking to get back into the game when I get internet on my PC again (about a month away), but I mostly see negativity on the forums, so I'd like to read about the positives of guild wars 2!

What are your favorite aspects of the game? Looking for detail.

[Danikat.8537]

One of my favourite things to do in literally any game is explore the maps, and I feel like GW2 really encourages that. I don't just mean map completion chestlists and rewards, for me it's more about the level of detail that goes into the maps. It's clear that a lot of thought went into making this world interesting to move around in, the game often makes good use of verticality and terrain to make maps more varied beyond simply the cosmetics. But most importantly there's all kinds of things to find.

 

On many occasions I've been distracted from map completion or following the story or whatever I was doing by some interesting scenery and I'm busy climbing up, wondering if anyone at Anet realised players could get up here...and then I find a chest or an NPC or a jumping puzzle or something which says they knew someone would find their way to it, and made sure there was something there to find. I love that, and the fact that it means there's lots to do in each map beyond simply the story, map completion and meta events.

 

I remember once I was looking through the achievements for Auric Basin, checking which parts of the Tarir meta event I'd done when I spotted one called 'The Golden Chicken' where the description was just "Find a gold chicken in Tarir. If a gold chicken exists, where would it hide in a golden city?" So that was my evening gone. Whatever I had been planning to do was forgotten and instead I was looking for that chicken. In the process I went around a lot of parts of Tarir I either hadn't visted since HoT came out or maybe hadn't visted before and had a lot of fun getting to know the map better.

[Knightmare.1867]

> @"Danikat.8537" said:

That is really interesting, the part about the golden chicken was great, I will definitely have a blast exploring all the area's, since I've never had the chance to play any of the DLC's yet! Thanks for your input and letting me know. Really curious to see what others have to say then, as well.

 

Edited to fix typo.

 

[TamX.1870]

> @"Knightmare.1867" said:

> What are your favorite aspects of the game? Looking for detail.

 

There are many, but what I like most is the lack of gear treadmill (games that keep constantly obsoleting gears by raising levels or other ways, so that you are forced back to get back where you were). Here you need basically gear your toon just once for the content you play, and that's it, although of course balance changes change some things (you may need to gear up to different role, or gear up a toon you hadn't played for long time).

 

I like how there is lots to do, so that if you get too much some content, you can go doing something else or try something you hadn't tried ever before. I mostly play in "periods", I might be very active for few weeks or months, and then I'm more or less at background for months. It is nice how you can always continue where you left.

[Knightmare.1867]

> @"TamX.1870" said:

That does sound quite appealing, and I too loved how it wasn't all about geargrind! Thanks for your input, I appreciate it!

[Kaliwenda.3428]

I really like the way the game encourages a cooperative spirit. People learn that helping is a good thing for everyone, you don't have to compete for mobs or nodes. Lots of times I've had people jump in when I'm having trouble, and I tend to do the same for others.

 

And I also do love that there's no gear grind, that's no small thing!

[Tsakhi.8124]

My GW2 family is at the top! Plenty of ways to help others and a stellar community. I also love the locales and the characters. Always lots of things to do, too. Welcome back!

[Opopanax.1803]

The map environments are beautiful and fun to explore the nooks and crannies!

 

The professions are great and lots of fun to play around and build new ideas with.

[Ashen.2907]

The active, highly mobile, gameplay.

[Infusion.7149]

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/guild-wars-2-design-manifesto/ <-- blast from the past

 

* No level treadmill as far as stat gains. That includes not having RNG on exponentially more expensive upgrading (fractal AR is exponential but imagine if upgrading could fail with 50%+ failure rate).

* Play at your leisure, you're not obligated to play due to a subscription or gear creep. I've had guildmates that took years off (for whatever life reasons , including hospitalization or whatnot) come back and were excited to play again.

* A game world where things act and feel alive rather than interacted with by text boxes and popup dialogues exclusively. I don't think people realize how spoiled they are , we saw this happen when voiceovers were missing due to the pandemic.

* Combat that isn't about spamming potions

* The ability to make any class in any gender and race.

* No kill stealing or random PKing (player killing) ; mobs generally take more than one hit outside of core Tyria. Rolling for loot? We don't have that.

--> In fact a [massivelyop](https://massivelyop.com/2016/04/07/massively-overthinking-grouping-kill-stealing-and-open-pvp-in-mmorpgs/) article states it is best at dealing with KSing:

 

>! **Brianna Royce**: _This problem has been solved many times over by Guild Wars 2. The solution isn’t finding a better way to decide who gets how much experience and who gets “ownership” of a mob; the solution is to just stop worrying about it at all and instead give everyone who contributes to a fight exactly the same amount of experience and loot. Individuals aren’t penalized, but there’s still benefit to grouping, formally or informally, since you kill stuff that much faster._

>! _There’s no reason modern MMORPGs should be doing anything other than that system right there, end of story._

>!

>! **Patron Archebius**: _If you help kill something, then you should get XP and credit for the kill, assuming you did more than a certain percentage of the total damage. I think Guild Wars 2 did this pretty flawlessly. There’s nothing more annoying than hopping into a game and having to stand around the noob areas waiting for stuff to spawn; or, alternatively, for the starting region to be massively overpopulated with monsters to a ludicrous degree (looking at you, Black Desert. Pretty rare for boogles of weasels to just congregate outside of town)._

 

* Realm vs realm combat with a relatively even footing stat-wise.

* Art quality given the aging engine and the limitations it has

 

-----

 

They also responded very clearly to some player requests such as gliding and mounts (people were whining about no mounts at launch , waypoints are more sparse after mounts were added).

 

I would advise you look at https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Release for a top-level overview of what has changed over the years.

 

In the near term the schedule is set for Icebrood Saga Champions :

Chapter 2: Power — planned for January 2021

Chapter 3: Balance — planned for March 2021

Chapter 4: Judgment — planned for May 2021

[Danikat.8537]

I agree on the lack of a treadmill. It's really nice to know that if I take a break from the game for whatever reason, or simply feel like focusing on one area or maybe levelling a new character for a while I won't fall behind or miss out on anything. Even if I don't log in at all for months the worst that will happen is I'll need to buy whichever Living World episodes I missed, but having to pay for new DLC is pretty standard.

 

I also like that I can do so many things solo. My free time is erratic, so it's hard for me to know how long I'll be online for and I certainly can't commit to playing at the same time every day or week to meet with a regular group and go through everything with them. I will group up with people when doing something that needs it (and big things like Dragon's Stand often take some planning to make sure I'll have enough time to complete it) but I really like that if I want to I can just log in and do whatever I have time for and feel like doing with whoever happens to be around at the time.

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

Community is a great part of the game. If you have a question, you can just use map-chat and usually get an answer. Sometimes you are told to look it up on a website or the wiki, when the answer would be rather detailed and a lot to write. A growing number of guilds focusing on different aspects of the game, some are more specialized than others. When doing Open World content you are almost never alone, either people randomly join you or quickly come to help if you ask for it.

 

Curiosity is rewarded. There are tons of hidden chests and secrets scattered over Tyria. If you are not familiar with a new territory, take your time and watch the vistas completely. Some of them give hints about secret passages. Some of them lead to complex areas, even Jumping Puzzles where an even bigger treasure waits at the end.

 

You can make your own character. Almost infinite ways to customize the armor and build. Depending on the content you intend to play, you may have to adjust your customization, but there is always more than one way of doing something well.

 

Engaging meta-events on every map, which allow you to immerse in your environment. In the end it sure is a button-mashing HP sponge that needs to be destroyed, but in most cases it does not feel that boring. There is dialogue and atmosphere built around the events, so you feel like you play an important role. The rewards prove that the effort was worth it. In Core Tyria those meta-events may appear a little anticlimactic, but some of the ones in the Expansions and Living World sometimes spark the desire in you to return to that swamp, where you just had to fight a giant Wurm.

 

[Knightmare.1867]

> @"Kaliwenda.3428" said:

> @"Tsakhi.8124" said:

> @"Opopanax.1803" said:

> @"Infusion.7149" said:

> @"Danikat.8537" said:

> @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" said:

 

Thank you all so much for your replies! I loved reading about this, and is making me very excited for when I get internet back on my PC. I appreciate the detailed replies, and I honestly agree with all of you about those things, so thanks! <3

[Blindefender.9834]

Really enjoy GW2 crafting system. I like the way low level materials are required for high level recipes. This keeps them relevant. You don't wind up with a bunch of obsolete materials nobody wants.

[Solanum.6983]

There's so many things that when combined make this the only MMO I actually get lost in.

 

The Community: This is the top of my list, The GW2 community is the best I've experienced in any other game. People are friendly and quick to help and will even go out of their way to do so.

The Combat: The action combat system is amazing and Having so many different skills, professions, weapons, specs to play around with that can completely change your fighting style is very exciting.

The Environments: The Art team knock it out of the park almost every time with Maps, It's a lot of fun to explore and just take in how beautiful the game is.

Mounts: The mount system is another positive, you can't just fly up high and skip over content or make other mounts useless, each has their own niche and Mounts like griffon and roller Beatle are so much fun to master.

Gear: It's relatively easy to gear up a character to max stats and there's no endless grind.

Living world being free: I almost overlooked this but the fact that by simply playing within the 2/3 months between releases you get the current episode unlocked for free os great!

The Cost: The expansions are so damn cheap for the sheer amount of content you get. going on from the previous point too, you really don't have to spend much to get years and years worth of previous content.

 

[Danikat.8537]

> @"Solanum.6983" said:

> Mounts: The mount system is another positive, you can't just fly up high and skip over content or make other mounts useless, each has their own niche and Mounts like griffon and roller Beatle are so much fun to master.

 

That's a good point, they really impressed me with the mounts. I was one of the people who always said GW2 didn't need mounts, and I still think mounts like I've seen in other games wouldn't add anything worth having, but I've been really impressed with what they did. I still don't think they're necessary for base game maps and I often do play without using them, but I like that they found a way to make mounts an addition to the options available instead of just another kind of speed boost.

 

And yeah, I also like that the flying mounts don't have completely free movement so you can't just fly over everything and drop down on your destination. It can be frustrating sometimes, but planning out or exploring a route for the skyscale or griffon can be fun too, and I like that it doesn't totally invalidate the challenge from the map design, or the other mounts. (Especially since, as I mentioned in my first reply, exploring the maps is my favourite part of the game.)

 

[Crono.4197]

Most people have already mentioned what I'm about to say, but I'll still say it:

 

- The fact that there's no gear grind once every three months, like in other MMOs. You gear up with the gear you want once and that's it.

- The game's story is good (not everyone might agree on this one though). The game is fully voiced and is story-focused, unlike other MMOs where stories are not voiced, not very serious or they just exist for the sake of introducing a new dungeon, new gear or whatever. Here, the story matters as much as the rest of the content.

- General friendly community. This changed a bit with the arrival of raids and strike missions, but as long as you avoid those, the community is still pretty much friendly as ever. You can start a random chat with people, you can get people to help you in-game, etc.

- World Bosses and Metas - I think this is what I love the most about the game. Boss battles in Guild Wars 2 are not stiff like in other games (boss would stand in one place and everyone just hits him until he drops dead) and aren't 1 hit death boss battles either (like make one mistake and the whole party is wiped, like in other MMOs).

Each boss has its own mechanic and many bosses are animated, aren't sitting in one place (for example Claw of Jormag, moves from one spot to another, flies, etc. ; Shatterer performs various pleasantly animated attacks and he also flies at one point, Mouth of Mordremoth moves all over the place, doesn't sit only in one spot...and many more).

In many bosses or metas,while they aren't "you get hit once, everyone dead" style, you still need to learn what to do and cooperate with everyone in order to win, which I totally love. In my opinion, Guild Wars 2's way of handling world bosses and metas is better than in other MMOs because as long you can cooperate with people and learn mechanics, you can take down the enemies. It's not a DPS fest where you can't participate because you don't hit 1000000000 dps per second, like it is in Tera or Runes of Magic for example. It's a way to make people enjoy the events while also not being annoyed.

[Knightmare.1867]

> @"Blindefender.9834" said:

Ahh, I've never really experienced the crafting system! That'll definitely be something to look forward to.

 

> @"Solanum.6983" said:

You make wonderful points. And mounts were never a thing when I played, so that is hella exciting. Thanks a lot for your comment.

> @"Crono.4197" said:

Yes the community has always been really helpful, and i'm glad to hear it's still mostly that way. And I'm looking forward to experiencing lots of other new stuff too.

World bosses sounds like it'll be fun, too. I remember doing them in the past. Thanks for a detailed replied, too. :)

[Excursion.9752]

Its been a journey Open World > Dungeons > Story / living world >Fractals > WvW > Raids > PvP

 

So far I think it has been the people that lead me into those areas that I enjoy the most. When I first started I wanted nothing to do with anything related to Fractals, WvW, Raids, or PvP. But the people I met along the way pushed me along.

 

Long term goals. The things that has driven me that is game inspired. I recently just completed all of my long term goals. Up till now they are what kept me pushing on. So now I am searching what to do next. End Game is a unique monster you can make it as hard or as easy as you would like. But everyone will hit their saturation point and need something different. Thankfully for you, that is a long ways away.

 

For now I play for the experiences I share with my friends and the laughs along the way.

[Wisty.4135]

Exploration and combat for sure. Also charr.

 

Exploration - maps are gorgeous and littered with secrets that are just fun to look at and find (and break on occasion).

 

Combat - Fluid and rarely clunky, with enough variation between classes to feel unique. It just feels good to weave skills together in a rotation while maintaining active defenses such as dodging.

 

Charr - big fluffy murdercats. What's not to love?

[sokeenoppa.5384]

My favorite thing to do is to get together with my guildies in discord and go raiding. So far nothing else ingame hasn't offered me this kind of experience.

[XYLO.7031]

Beetle. Drifting with my 7-person drift guild. Map exploration with a new toon + beetle = waypoint dopamine effect. It's like the entire world has all these checkpoints: just put on some good music and drive.

 

Making characters is always fun for me as well. I JUST found out SB renegade is so addicting. It's more pew pew than LB ranger. Not as much as deadeye, but I don't like how with deadeye you're pretty much stationary like a sniper. I like to run and gun like the p/p thief but with more visual effects.

 

Metas are still the heart and soul of this game. I still do TT like an addict. The only thing keeping me from leading a squad or helping out officially with condi team these days is beetle (::laugh::). I do DS casually as well. I like jumping into a failing meta and getting my other buddies to save a run.

 

Story is still fun to go through with different characters. It really shows you the care they gave the game.

 

RP and Cosplay is still something I do casually as well.

 

In a nutshell, anything and everything in the open world keeps me here these days. Why be stuck in an instance when there's so much they designed for you out there?

 

EDIT: Map chat (in some places) is HILARIOUS. Lore is great too.

[The Fear.3865]

Exploration

 

Raids/Fractals

 

PvP/WvW

 

Events

 

Gemstore

[Naxos.2503]

Charrs.

 

...Hmm ? Detail ? Oh fine.

 

It's extremely rare nowadays to find a non human race that looks Really non human, but is still done well. To my knowledge, there exist really a handful of these, and many are subscription based.

 

In this game, even the humanish races feel properly different from humans. You feel there are cultures established, life. This is a game that succeeded in fleshing out it's world. Every part of the world feels like it is in the right place, and the characters in it do not feel out of place, some even comment on the situation displaying a form of awareness. There is continuity. It's something I always use to describe Guild wars 2 to others, but : it's a product of love. You can tell by the amount of detail and attention it received that the creators of it really took good care of making that world fit.

 

On the more mechanic aspects : This is a game with a fantastically meaty combat. All classes feel and look unique, and you can feel the impacts on yourself and others. Lastly, it is reviled by some, but I like the condition systems in this game, as well as all the CC aspects of it. Simply put, the combat has been done well (balance on the other hand is still a work in progress).

[Ashen.2907]

> @"Danikat.8537" said:

> > @"Solanum.6983" said:

> > Mounts: The mount system is another positive, you can't just fly up high and skip over content or make other mounts useless, each has their own niche and Mounts like griffon and roller Beatle are so much fun to master.

>

> That's a good point, they really impressed me with the mounts. I was one of the people who always said GW2 didn't need mounts, and I still think mounts like I've seen in other games wouldn't add anything worth having, but I've been really impressed with what they did.

>

 

Yeah, I think that the mount implementation was well done. I still don't care for the addition, but I can acknowledge work well done even if I don't personally care for the end product.