Mystic Worlds

Becoming Niche Gamer

Losing Steam in GW2

I've lost a good bit of steam in GW2 after hitting max level and completing my selected crafting professions. I've done about half of the PVE instances and a few Fractals. Unfortunately, I'm finding my biggest obstacle to enjoying the content is time. Either I'm not willing or unable to spend 2 hours in a single session completing one piece of content. I enjoy the GW2 dungeons but I don't have the time to wait for a group to form and then finish the run.  With the primary come-as-you-are-for-as-long-as-you-can content completed, also know as leveling, I'm feeling like a fish out of water.

Clearly, my tastes and lifestyle have changed.  I left hardcore raiding several years ago and since that time, I've played games that I've enjoyed but few have stayed the long course since World of Warcraft. I can't be kept happy with a gear grind.  I just don't give a damn about having the best of the best, if it requires a massive time sink.  What does sustain me and get me to grind is decent crafting that has a profitable consumer market and player housing.  I understand the shortage of games with player housing. What I don't understand, is how so many games get the crafting and economy mix wrong.  

Beyond the gear carrot, player housing, crafting and a vibrant economy are the other sticky activities for MMO players.  How is it that AAA fantasy games I've played since WOW have gotten it wrong?  I found Warhammer crafting just a touch above useless except for making consumables for yourself, and even then not great.  Rift's is further up the scale than Warhammer but honestly, not by a whole lot.  You could craft or not and be just fine, which is cool for non-crafters but leaves a hole in the post leveling activity for many others.

Rift Player Housing Envy

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Rift. The class selections and soul system were real highlights. I enjoyed the dynamic events and LOVED the questing areas. I found crafting lack luster and was one of the only games where my max level character didn’t max out her profession. That aside, I thought it would be quite a while before another game topped my time in Rift. 

Guild Wars 2 quickly dispelled that idea. Tyria, in and of itself, is stunningly beautiful and feels alive. I don’t know if it’s possible for me to embrace traditional questing again, where I have one and only one, avenue of completing quest objectives and leveling. Not to mention that it bumped my previous favorite class of all time, Rift’s Cleric, to second place. I love me some GW2 Guardian. She’s pure questing bliss. Solo or group, it doesn’t matter; I adore this class’ versatility.

I’ve been sitting at max level for quite some time now in GW2. For the most part, I’ve only played my Guardian. I have a level 6 Necro but can’t count her. Since hitting max level, I’ve been doing 5-mans here and there but mostly finishing out my professions which is rapidly coming to an end as well. I have no desire to farm for legendary anything and the long WvW queues are not conducive to my play schedules. I want to be in Tyria, I enjoy it so much but I don’t want to force myself to find things to do just cause. I need my grind-worthy content and carrots.

GW2 - Culmination of My Halloween Activities

I found a bit more time to sneak into GW2 and participate in the Halloween events.  Of the few things I did during this first in-game holiday event, The Mad King's Labyrinth was by far my favorite.  It was absolutely perfect for players who wanted to do a holiday related event minus evil machinations of jumping puzzles or running around fulfilling quests.  It wasn't much more than a slaughterfest inside a maze. Think the dynamic events in the upper tiered zones.

There were lots of bad guys all skinned appropriately for Halloween. Mobs of players roaming around in groups killing everything in sight and mining candy.  Seriously, how much candy corn does one need?? Clearly a metric ton! I rarely saw anyone pass up mining another piece.  Or for that matter, skipping the opportunity to slash-carve a face into another pumpkin. I merely followed suit... tink-tink and slash-slash, skip to the next target.

I found time to pop into GW2 for a couple of hours on two different evenings and enjoyed myself both times. By the second night, players were more organized.  A few elected to camp certain locations or climb up on top of rock-faces as watchers, so they could call out where doors and bosses were spawning.  It was easy and entertaining, zerg fun. I'm still hoping ANet has the ability to eventually provide an option to turn off animations from other players. I believe Rift and Runes of Magic provide it.  This game seriously needs a way to remove what other people are casting from your field of view.  It can be down right brutal.

I didn't obtain by deed, anything special like the cool themed backpacks.  My holiday gear was purchased from the cash shop but I don't care.  I still enjoyed the little time I spent in the game and consider my Witch's costume worth every gem.

 

Can you tell what the hell is going on?

 

Neither can I but who cares, it drops loot!

*Smile*