My favourite improvement was that my team had no trouble sticking together when teleporting to the city or out again. It felt so natural that it took us a while before we realised that it was very different in the last beta where one of us usually ended up in overflow :)

As for the minimap, I don't mind holding shift to ping on it myself. But I agree that that function is more important then dragging the map around, so I wouldn't mind if they switched it, so that holding shift lets you drag the map around. Although that is kind of nitpicky imo.

I'm not sure what to think of the tiered skills. On one hand I liked that I need to try skills that I otherwise wouldn't chose. On the other hand I dislike losing choice.

Fricken LOVED it. I need this game to exist already, everytime the beta ends it's depressing as hell knowing I have to wait to play it more. I keep trying other games to hold me over, but with the acception of a moba-style battle here and there, nothing is keeping me interested. Nothing else actually makes me ~want~ to play. I agree with the map thing though, I love being able to move and change the size of my map, but not being able to ping or draw on it like I could before was disappointing.

Great update and loved the changes... BUT I still hate the map. Cant change direction with the map open. So your char is on auto run, running into trees and walking off cliffs. I dont like that zoom in and out when you open and close the map. Also when moving and the map is open it should go transparent. Map really needs some work.

I don't like the new map either, preferred the previous one, this one seemed in the way. Also, why don't they have quests in the city. I was exploring the city, trying to open portal and name areas, this weekend and I think at least killing rats or knocking around some hoods would add some interest.

Solid changes but I can't help but notice several negative changes:

- Mystic Keys no longer drop from mobs (I killed many, many mobs, and got to level 40). Still penty of chests dropping, though...

- Dye seeds no longer 'planted'. Dyes only obtainable through cash shop or rare 'undiscovered dye' RNG items which unlock 1 random dye. Keep in mind, dyes are also no longer account bound, but character bound.

- Glory reward system changed from paying exactly for the item you wish to unlock, to having to pay for RNG boxes which has extremely low chance of giving the items you want to unlock. In other words, extreme grind on RNG for sPvP players.

- Mystic Forge is an itemshop gimmick: Turning 4 items in to receive one that your class can use is great, but here is the trick, the item you get back only has 1 stat on it (making it completely useless), unless you buy mystic forge stones, which adds the second stat upon using the mystic forge to replace items.

Those four changes heavily promote cash shop usage and are really starting to hug that thin line of 'pay2win' asian cash shop models. They also promote RNG based grind, perhaps in an attempt to keep people playing longer.

The other changes have been awesome however, I just hope more people realised the bad changes aswell. Speak up!

Originally posted by raapnaap

Those four changes heavily promote cash shop usage and are really starting to hug than thin line of 'pay2win' asian cash shop models. They also promote RNG based grind, perhaps in an attempt to keep people playing longer.

That still does not make it pay2win in any way. It's more like pay to get more out of your game which is still ok in my books. With that said, it is sort of worrying direction and I hope ANet know what they are doing.

Originally posted by raapnaap

Solid changes but I can't help but notice several negative changes:

- Mystic Keys no longer drop from mobs (I killed many, many mobs, and got to level 40). Still penty of chests dropping, though...

- Dye seeds no longer 'planted'. Dyes only obtainable through cash shop or rare 'undiscovered dye' RNG items which unlock 1 random dye. Keep in mind, dyes are also no longer account bound, but character bound.

- Glory reward system changed from paying exactly for the item you wish to unlock, to having to pay for RNG boxes which has extremely low chance of giving the items you want to unlock. In other words, extreme grind on RNG for sPvP players.

- Mystic Forge is an itemshop gimmick: Turning 4 items in to receive one that your class can use is great, but here is the trick, the item you get back only has 1 stat on it (making it completely useless), unless you buy mystic forge stones, which adds the second stat upon using the mystic forge to replace items.

Those four changes heavily promote cash shop usage and are really starting to hug that thin line of 'pay2win' asian cash shop models. They also promote RNG based grind, perhaps in an attempt to keep people playing longer.

The other changes have been awesome however, I just hope more people realised the bad changes aswell. Speak up!

 

 

You know, as much as I have defended ANet's cash shop in the past, these changes are getting closer to crossing the line. It still does not make the game pay2win and I will still play it but I am really starting to worry about the implications of the following:

Nexon took over 15% shares in NCSoft.

"'This investment has been made to combine the development skills of NCsoft with Nexon’s global publishing platform,” said Nexon chief executive Choi Seung-woo. “Through the long-term partnership, the two firms will aim to grab a greater number of opportunities than before.'"

"NCsoft’s CEO Kim wrote in an e-mail message to his employees on Monday that the firm is now joined by a “friend,” which will jointly dive into the global gaming market."

This person now works for ArenaNet.

Look at her job title, past work history and notice the connection. Now look at the recent changes to GW2 as they are outlined by the person I quoted.

I really am concerned about this path. I am very interested in GW2, love the game, but I don't know I want to support a company that is starting to use the model I hate with every bone in my body.

i hear yeah i did the beta test my self what i did was made diff classes and lvl them up each day to get enough unlocked skills   like for under ater and on land   all and all they were all great  one asked which one was my fav   it was hard cuz iam more of a ranged type of guy  i poly go with ranger and necro    i love pets : )

Hmm I see at least 1 more BWE if not 2, then its final for a release date. September anyone?

Originally posted by gaeanprayer

Fricken LOVED it. I need this game to exist already, everytime the beta ends it's depressing as hell knowing I have to wait to play it more.

It's better than the inital open beta, but I think ArenaNet  have a lot of work to do still on the game. Sure a lot of the casual crowd will do it, like you, who hop from beta to beta, inital release to inital release of whatever game comes out, but long-term GW2 needs to latch onto something to make it last. If ArenaNet are still going for the PvP rowd then they need to put into GW2 some form of PvP endgame to make players keep loging in. As it is once you complete GW2 there is little point to keep playing beyond very casually.

The new minimap had issues with icons being too small when it was zoomed out too far. I liked the old one better. The skill tier system is utter garbage. I think it would be better if the tiers unlocked at levels instead of skill points. Traits tier I didn't have a problem with too much. I liked how you could see what the runes did w/o putting points into them unlike when a skill tier was locked.

yayayaya ...

goodgoodgood ...

now release it.