GW2 Update - Where are they now?

Pending MIA

I haven't been playing as much GW2 since hitting level 80,  Nothing to do with the game in particular.  It's more a coincedence of timing.  The national novel writing event, NaNoWriMo starts on November 1st.  This is the year that I am committed to finishing a work of fiction in November!  Time is passing, so much faster than many of us realize.  I don't know about you, but I'm  not getting any younger.  I've hit a now or never mentality.  Is it writing or is it jewelry?  It's time to make up my damn mind and move forward.

What this means for gaming is I shouldn't be gaming at all for the next several weeks.  For me however, that's an unrealistic expectation because gaming relaxes me and helps me clear my head.  I will continue to do harvesting, crafting and whatever zone events I run into for the" no more than an hour" during the few days a week I allow myself to play.  People tempting me with Pirates 101 are very wicked souls!

GW2 Update

I've spent the last two weeks uncovering the high level zone areas - getting waypoints, points of interest and skills points.  I have to tell ya that I really enjoy the sense of chaos and danger lurking in the zones above level 70.  Unless you're in an enclosed NPC enclave, there are no safe spots.  Even then you're not guaranteed  safety.  You're just as likely find yourself dead if you go for a prolonged AFK.  It's a war zone friends, time to recognize.  Waypoints and friendly NPC controlled enclaves fall on a regular basis. *Smile*

Sitting at max level in another game, I've come to a few conclusions for myself and GW2.  In the interest of a short post, I'll do it bullet style.

Not so happy parts:

• I'm not enticed by fake levels.  Rift lost me at the end when I'd done most of the 5-mans and felt uninspired to do the new zone.  Ember Isle was gorgeous but I'm not into fake dings - points to spend in something that I clearly didn't need since I managed to max level and do Tier 2 dungeons without them.  I feel the same way about continuing to ding in GW2.  I don't need anymore skill points from leveling.  I've purchased every skill I want and have ZERO intention of grinding the crazy requirements for legendary skins.  *HURL*  Even if they were uber gamebreaking gear I wouldn't grind for it.  It's simply not important enough to me. 
• End game karma gear isn't rocking my world either.  The skins are aiight, nothing to write home about to me and I have equivalent stats from purchasing crafted gear on the cheap.
• When I have an hour or so to play, I usually can't get into WvW.  ZOMG the WvW queues.
• Game camera is the worst  Now that I'm not leveling and paralyzed by the fear of not completing a map, I try my hand at vistas when they're nearby. That camera. I mean DAMN.  I shouldn't be this aware of the game camera, its limitations and awkwardness.  Tight spaces, vertical or horizontal are annoying.  And don't be in a situation with both!  The camera goes into an EPILEPTIC SEIZURE trying to resolve the graphic boundaries.  You can't tilt it to see where you are or where you're trying to jump to next.

Still in love parts:

• On the bright side, I sill enjoy crafting very much even though many items sell for less than it costs to make them.  It's mostly a resource supplier market.  I'm the sort of gamer who is fine with that because I find harvesting relaxing.  Almost 300 cooking and same on Jeweler, and I've not been at all tempted to look up recipes.  I enjoy the mini-game aspect of crafting.
• I haven't tired of how stunningly beautiful Tyria is when I'm rolling through the zones.  Just takes my breath away.
• My Guardian still feels like the best class in the world.  Well, it's at least my favorite of all time.
• I enjoy the instanced aspects of my personal story even though I've given up on the storyline itself which got sorta boring.  I just ignore the NPCs they send along when I can because NO ONE that stupid or skillless would be sent along.  They'd be scrubbing pots and peeling potatoes.

What I need more of:

• Guildhalls or player housing please - I need something I'd be willing to grind for and those are the things that would get me to sign on the dotted line
• More vanity costumes in the Cash Shop - yeah... uhm,  I have my Chef outfit but I'd be willing to drop cash on more RP-worthy elements.
• Cash shop gear skins for heavy gear where my ass isn't hanging out would be appreciated.  As a Guardian, I simply REFUSE to wear armor with my navel and ass showing.  Really guys?? Get over that crap already. My level 80 crafted gear was so horrible in this regards, I purchased transmute stones and reskinned with what I'd been wearing at level 70.
• Some people will blow a gasket but I'd like to join dungeon groups without spamming in chat.  I don't want to have to stand idle in that area waiting for a group.  I want to be out in the world doing stuff while waiting.  I'm not dying to PUG trust me.  When you have relatively small windows of time to play, standing around spamming for a group isn't what you want to do with that time.
• Normalize travel costs.  When compared to how much items sell for on the market, the cost of travel seems ludicrous.  Before I use a portal, I ask myself how much that will cost me compared to the mats I can sell from that area.  Players should be encourage to go anywhere and everywhere, as their precense adds to the activity in a zone, especially since we're downranked.  I think most people jump in on events that happen in their vacinity, so we should be encouraged to go, not sit where we are unless it's lucrative to go.

Reality check - short is never short for me.  Anywho, I'm still enjoying GW2.  No game is perfect.  I'm still having fun but will be MIA for much of November.

Comments

[Sarzan]

I hear ya. I have 3 80s atm and that is mostly because of wanting to hit crafting levels without grinding an area and not making progress outside of crafting. The real endgame events for gear are the 3 main dragons for "insta loot". If you dont do that, its the Orr cycle of events for mats and drops to decon to make epics. If you dont do those, you need to find groups to grind instances.

I dont know. It really feels like the same old same old. Perhaps, that is the way it will always be unless you go to the Eve/Original EQ/UO model where you make your own fun.

Its still kinda fun to play another class, but once you get the skills unlocked, the traits only add to effectiveness. So by 15 you have a pretty good idea how they play in general. Its still kinda fun, but my ADHD will be assuaged somewhere else for a few months...

[Alysianah aka Saylah]

Totally understand where you're coming from and I only have 1 character. I'm not into rolling alts much. WOW being the exception because I played the game for several years. GW2 is still fun when I play but not sure what I'm going to do once I max crafting and do the 5-mans. Maybe more content will have been added by then but even so, without more levels I get a bit less motivated.

[NoAstronomer]

"Normalize travel costs"

One reason for keeping travel costs high is to force the player to plan their travel. If your cost to travel to a zone is enough to make you think before you click then you should have a definite goal in mind for what you intend you and you're likely to make the most of your travel dollars while you're there.

If the travel cost is low then you zone in and out never spending much time in any one zone. So you wind up spending more time traveling and less time doing stuff.

Mike.

[Alysianah aka Saylah]

Mike - not sure what got this comment trapped in the spam filter. Sorry about that. Few things more annoying that taking the time to post a comment only to have it hit the black hole.

I can agree partially with your comment, think first and maximize your time. But no one is benefiting from people sitting idle in Lion's Arch or the Capital cities while they're waiting do to content. Wouldn't the world as a whole benefit if people felt more inclined to check out more zones to see if something strikes their fancy while their idle?

Sometimes I think about popping into Gendarren Fields or Queensdale when I'm waiting on people. Then I think about the cost just to go see if there's quick fun to be had while waiting and usually decide against it. I really don't recall the cost of travel being a consideration in other MMOs beyond the cost of purchasing mounts. Maybe Aion in the low levels but that's about it.

It really strikes me as odd when I can purchase Rare and in some cases, Exotic quality armor for the same amount or less than traveling from Divinity's Reach to Orr.