tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post8376628171654044198..comments2024-03-28T10:18:05.213+00:00Comments on Inventory Full: How We Live Now: GW2Bhagpusshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499162165023939880noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-70230929640121283972017-07-30T09:15:04.282+01:002017-07-30T09:15:04.282+01:00While updating the patcher for the first time in m...While updating the patcher for the first time in months, I was idly musing on whether the Living Story writers drop acid before coming up with each episode. After reading Mr. O'Brien's comment on "not shipping things", it's clear to me that this is a company-wide practice.<br /><br />ArenaNet seems to be obsessed with laying foundations and creating templates. They're master architects and artists as attested by their audio-visual assets - the smart move would be to utilize their core strengths and outsource the areas in which they have a less than stellar track record, most notably weaving a narrative web that doesn't require a doctorate in etiological philosophy and an altered consciousness to unravel.<br /><br />Just thought I'd dip my toes into this conversation in 2017. I'll be completing the last two episodes of the current season some time before autumn. Maybe winter. The wheels on the bus go round and round...<br />Karinshasthahttps://lightfallsgracefully.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-62492415380597568642017-07-29T02:11:20.882+01:002017-07-29T02:11:20.882+01:00I've also noticed that GW2 is currently the an...I've also noticed that GW2 is currently the anti-ESO, starting out great before falling apart rapidly instead of following it's initial success. ESO started out badly, but it actually recovered and is actually at a good place right now with a sense of genuine direction instead of GW2 "let's throw stuff at the wall and hope it sticks".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-26396160848855036882017-07-28T22:51:13.133+01:002017-07-28T22:51:13.133+01:00As far as I understand it, every Xpack will includ...As far as I understand it, every Xpack will include every previous XPack, so if you buy the new one you will also get HoT. Whether they will add HoT to the base game as the post-expansion Free to Play option, though, we will have to wait to find out. They definitely haven't promised to do that.Bhagpusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499162165023939880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-1323048621767972582017-07-28T22:49:05.080+01:002017-07-28T22:49:05.080+01:00I agree it will be a watershed. They burned a good...I agree it will be a watershed. They burned a good deal of good will with HoT and they've won some of it back but another misreading of the audience could be, if not fatal, very challenging for them.<br /><br />The current playerbase, however, seems to be quite comfortable with an MMO that looks much more like the MMOs GW2 was supposed to replace so if they carry on in that mode it will probably serve them quite well. They won't get back many of the players who left because of the way things were going but at least they shouldn't alienate too many of the ones they still have.Bhagpusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499162165023939880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-54538282736976619992017-07-28T15:32:18.980+01:002017-07-28T15:32:18.980+01:00In my opinion, Papaya is the make or break expac f...In my opinion, Papaya is the make or break expac for GW2, as it's ANet's final chance to prove that they have learnt from their mistakes in HoT. However, looking at their recent behavior, they have learnt the wrong lessons from it. Instead of trying to go for "good" instead of "supposedly perfect", they have doubled down on that behavior and now have added on the fact that they only reveal content at the last minute, making player feedback next to useless. I have no real hope for expac 2 and I believe that it might be the death kneel of GW2 IMO.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-53369274367596219502017-07-28T08:16:49.315+01:002017-07-28T08:16:49.315+01:00I'm actually interested in the announcement on...I'm actually interested in the announcement on Tuesday, despite not having played the game actively since Autumn 2015. It came up in a recent conversation with family as possibly the only game we all really enjoyed playing together for any length of time (WoW is a candidate but one can't afford to sub or buy the expansion due to new mortgage and baby on the way). So a good free/buy to play game is our best bet and we have history with GW2. <br /><br />It's been a wry running joke with my husband that I log in our two Azura every time there's a new LS chapter and do a /cry emote as they've been abandoned. We actually played them this week for one session of running around Silverwastes - a zone we didn't complete on these two. Not much else to do though without HoT. I guess when the new expansion launches we might get that for free though...?Telwynhttp://gamingsf.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-71874468480497757982017-07-27T19:33:07.075+01:002017-07-27T19:33:07.075+01:00The game is finding an audience, that's for su...The game is finding an audience, that's for sure. It's just not the audience it set out to find back in 2012. But that's how these things go. If you want a game that never changes you have to play offline. Even single-player online games change constantly.<br /><br />I have over 10,000 hours in GW2 now, although that's inflated because I leave it on while I'm tabbed out. Still, I wouldn't have played it all this time if I didn't enjoy it. <br /><br />It's good enough. It has been better, or at least it's been better for me, and it's been worse. I was no fan of Colin Johanson's approach. I think Mike O'Brien has done a better job, overall. Soon we'll see how the next guy does. My guess would be not much will change - unless the sales of the expansion are once again underwhelming, in which case plenty will. I'd bet on the second Xpack doing better than the first, although I should probably wait until next week before saying that. We don't officially know what's in it yet...Bhagpusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499162165023939880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-30402910018863263932017-07-27T19:07:27.751+01:002017-07-27T19:07:27.751+01:00-shrugs- yes there are people complaining, but man...-shrugs- yes there are people complaining, but many more that are sitting and playing the game. Anet monitor retention rates quite closely :P<br /><br />Shit there was one halfwit who complained about the jumping puzzle on the new map... And then there are all those who are still HATING that the game has raids, rather than accepting that it is better to have healthily supported diverse content in a game. <br /><br />Ultimately I thought that livingworld season 1 was pretty trash for the most part, the writing was even worse than it is now... the pacing was horrible, the gaps were bad, the bugs were shocking and ultimately 90% of it was achievement grind with no real substance behind it. <br /><br />Sure there were a few standouts that are dead never to return. But that is it, they are dead... gone... I mean sure we have those crappy fractal reworks of the old story dungeons, but they lost what made them great in the process. <br /><br />I agree that they need to get a better handle on the writing side of things, but it is so much better than any other point in GW2 history that I cannot disagree with Mike here. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09040459878413195167noreply@blogger.com