GW1 was a boring lobby based game with a very empty and lonely world. GW2 is a fully fledged MMORPG with a living world. Apples and oranges except the name.

Originally posted by SuperDonk
... every zone feels the same ...

You obviously (and you admit it yourself) want a sandbox so you're biased anyway, but this part of your post is just wrong, and anyone who has played the game knows it.

I want to hit 80 so I can have the full range of Trait points available for build theorycrafting.

After that it's going to be maxing out my slots w/ Exotic/Legendaries and the cosmetic grind is a big + to me as I already have 2-3 sets planned out that I want to grind for.

I am not the "hardcore" MMORPG player I used to be. I accept that.

GW2 is thusly perfect for me and my playstyle and life style.

I also love WvW but am saving it (mostly) for once I hit 80 (because I'm a hyper-competitive git) and plan on creating/rolling with a regular 5-person team for structured PvP (tournament mode of course).

All with no monthly fee, AAA quality (all games have bugs at launch, come on now!) and the promise of Arenanet to deliver on content updates, live events (still waiting for live events Anet LIVE TEAM get to it!) and expansion down the road offering (I hope) more weapon sets, more skills, and fun features like housing/guild halls.

It's a MMO, through and through.

I like what's different and unique about GW2 when compared to WoW - something TOR failed at IMO was not being different enough (I went back to WoW for a while after TOR, since TOR = WoW but not as good).

And though I'm a sandboxer at heart, there hasn't been a good one since SWG and SWG was a buggy, broken, unbalanced, steaming pile of mess.

Originally posted by The_Korrigan

GW1 was a boring lobby based game with a very empty and lonely world. GW2 is a fully fledged MMORPG with a living world. Apples and oranges except the name.

Originally posted by SuperDonk
... every zone feels the same ...

You obviously (and you admit it yourself) want a sandbox so you're biased anyway, but this part of your post is just wrong, and anyone who has played the game knows it.

GW1 and GW2 are so different that it's hard to compare - but hey the guy said *feels the same* - this is his feel for GW2, you can't tell somebody that what they're feeling is wrong, it's a unique personal experience.

I mean you COULD tell somebody that, but it would be pretty silly, as the feel of something is 100% subjective.

To some people GW2 could feel like Tetris - no matter how absurd that is to most, it could be totally true for one individual, you can't call it wrong because you're not in their body to *feel* that from their perspective.

I always want a sandbox MMO.

That said I will say I am enjoying GW2. More than I enjoyed GW and I really like that. Anet did manage to make a real honest to gods MMORPG. I applaude them. GW and GW2 are different games and I really don't compare them.

Now if I can only get my hand/eye coordination and Mind Speed up  so I can enjoy WvWvW without it being a cliff jumping contest all the time lol.

Yes, I am PvPing again. Imagine THAT.  WvWvW reminds me so much of DAoC... with much better graphics and less lag ;)

Now if we can only get the Players on my server (Devona's Rest) enthused about WvWvW....

Originally posted by Gardavsshade

Yes, I am PvPing again. Imagine THAT.  WvWvW reminds me so much of DAoC... with much better graphics and less lag ;)

Same here GW2 WvWvW has that DAoC feel - but I must admit, even for all the lag and performance issue DAoC still did it better - and I am not looking through rose tinted glasses to the good ol days, Warhammer's RvR sucked (the whole game sucked BIG time for me, honestly one of the worst MMORPGs I ever played), GW2 comes close - but DAoC still is the champ IMO.

So yeah GW2 is better graphics, less lag, but it also feels so hollow and pointless :/

Why is it so hard to build large scale RvR like DAoC did 10 years ago today, where players felt like they actually were standing up for their realm. That feeling of your entire realm rushing to defend a keep was priceless.

GW2 - there is no feeling of unity at all - 

Originally posted by DMKano

Originally posted by The_Korrigan

GW1 was a boring lobby based game with a very empty and lonely world. GW2 is a fully fledged MMORPG with a living world. Apples and oranges except the name.

Originally posted by SuperDonk
... every zone feels the same ...

You obviously (and you admit it yourself) want a sandbox so you're biased anyway, but this part of your post is just wrong, and anyone who has played the game knows it.

GW1 and GW2 are so different that it's hard to compare - but hey the guy said *feels the same* - this is his feel for GW2, you can't tell somebody that what they're feeling is wrong, it's a unique personal experience.

I mean you COULD tell somebody that, but it would be pretty silly, as the feel of something is 100% subjective.

To some people GW2 could feel like Tetris - no matter how absurd that is to most, it could be totally true for one individual, you can't call it wrong because you're not in their body to *feel* that from their perspective.

Ok, then all areas in all MMORPGs look the same. No matter if the theme is cyberpunk (charr), technomagic (asura), high mountains or plains, snow or forest, it all looks and feels the same. In GW2, Divinity's Reach feels like Black Citadel. In WoW, Stormwind feels like Orgrimmar.

Nonsense.

Originally posted by The_Korrigan

Ok, then all areas in all MMORPGs look the same. No matter if the theme is cyberpunk (charr), technopunk (asura), high mountains or plains, snow or forest, it all looks and feels the same. In GW2, Divinity's Reach feels like Black Citadel. In WoW, Stormwind feels like Orgrimmar.

Nonsense.

It is nonesense - when you are trying to rationalize the *feel* of something - as it may not be based on logic and reason. That's why when somebody says "I feel ....." it is 100% subjective experience that might not make much sense to anybody else.

Originally posted by DMKano

Originally posted by The_Korrigan

Ok, then all areas in all MMORPGs look the same. No matter if the theme is cyberpunk (charr), technopunk (asura), high mountains or plains, snow or forest, it all looks and feels the same. In GW2, Divinity's Reach feels like Black Citadel. In WoW, Stormwind feels like Orgrimmar.

Nonsense.

It is nonesense - when you are trying to rationalize the *feel* of something - as it may not be based on logic and reason. That's why when somebody says "I feel ....." it is 100% subjective experience that might not make much sense to anybody else.

Saying that (e.g.) a snow covered area feels the same than grassy plains is just nonsense. Apples feel like oranges too, they are both fruits and round, ok?

But I'm done arguing the obvious. There's actually nothing to argue about.

Originally posted by Jackdog
Just me but I can never go back to a quest hub, gear grinding EQ/WoW clone. Loved LoTRO, EQ2, and for a while SWToR GW2 put the fun of playing just for the sake of exploring and socializing back in the game for me

How do you socialize and explore in GW 2? Just curious because it seems to me everything is pointed out for you on the map so what is left to explore for? I guess looking for DE's is the only thing I can think of.

Also socialize? I never felt less need to socialize, except for maybe SW:TOR. Difference here is that you atleast play with other people when you bump into them doing the same Heart or DE quest. But I rarely or ever need to actually speak or coordinate anything with them.

Only instances I have actually socialized is when doing dungeons...

Originally posted by Yamota

Originally posted by Jackdog
Just me but I can never go back to a quest hub, gear grinding EQ/WoW clone. Loved LoTRO, EQ2, and for a while SWToR GW2 put the fun of playing just for the sake of exploring and socializing back in the game for me

How do you socialize and explore in GW 2? Just curious because it seems to me everything is pointed out for you on the map so what is left to explore for? I guess looking for DE's is the only thing I can think of.

Also socialize? I never felt less need to socialize, except for maybe SW:TOR. Difference here is that you atleast play with other people when you bump into them doing the same Heart or DE quest. But I rarely or ever need to actually speak or coordinate anything with them.

Only instances I have actually socialized is when doing dungeons...

First if you don't feel the need to socialize, why do you want to socialize?

There is something  here that doesn't make sense.

Or do you mean since people aren't forced to socialize they don't socialize with you?

If you want to explore,why are you following the map? Why don't you disable the map markers?

Are you being penalized if you aren't as fast as you could be? Does the map tell you how to jump to that vista over there?

Are you competing with other players to get somewhere?

Why are you sacrificing your personal satisfaction of exploring? Because the other dude has a GPS and so you feel gimped?

And no, not everything is marked in the map.

Socializing isn't restricted to talking or chatting and coordination happens by just playing your character - whenever you use a CC or cripple the mob attacking your fellow player, whenever you notice the other guy is green and you drop a combo field able to remove conditions you are coordinating.

Interesting blogposton this:

http://biobreak.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/guild-wars-2-playing-together-alone-together/

Originally posted by bcbully
TSW ability system and progression is more akin to GW1 than GW2 is.

You know, if I fire GW1 now and go PuG, I bet there will be a monk with ressurrect, I bet I'll find a monkwith mending, I bet I'll find a ritualist without FoMF, I bet I'll find an elementalist with flare, I bet half of them will have a self-heals (yeah self healing sucked in GW1)... and you know what?

It sucked.

that is why most players given the options of going with AI party members or humans went with AI - at least Ai idiocy is predictable and you can adjust for it.

Many people complain that GW2 system is too restrictive compared to GW1, but at least almost all weapons are viable allowing all professionsto have a few different builds pre-traits/runes.

Can't  say the same of GW1 where in some cases I've over 100 skills to choose but I only actually choose between 12.

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Originally posted by MorpheusMJW

Skills are lacking for PvP: GW1, was so phenominal for PVP because you have 8 slots and hundreds and hundreds of skills to chose from, so you don't really know what your opponent has equipped until they use them on you and you react. With GW2, you see a warrior with a hammer, you can automatically narrow down his skill count massively, except for his ulility skills, this isn't a huge issue but still feel PvP is lacking.

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I think the problem with this post is understanding the difference between difficult and different.  

-Story Quests - The biggest difference between GW1 and GW2 is that GW1 allowed no checkpoints in instances.  I never finished playing it. As a normal person, I didnt have 2 hours to repeat an entire storyquest. I felt there was a way to balance this, but this is what this crowd wanted.  In GW2 I find the diffiuclty to be about the same once you get past the intro story stuff at level 30.  Checkpoints are there but things reset. The wife and I found this, at times, to be more difficult, as the creatures reset but your armor damage doesnt.  I loved that there are actual times where it is far better to just reset the story as opposed to continue on more weakened and without a plan.  

As for their continuity, I refer to what you said about leveling, which, counteracts your complaint about the story.  Usually story quests are 3 levels away from one another. They are closer depending on how close the next phase of the story relates to the previous phase.  By the time I get to the area, participate in the events and heart quests on the route I am usually well above the level of the quest.  

This is a common problem with the way people play the game, and yes you have to play this game different. You can't just jump from quest point to quest point ala every other MMO. You actually have to do some exploring along the way. If you don't want to play like this fine, but you will be underleveled in places. 

PVP - Again, another esageration by the OP.  GW 1 had 6 skill slots.  GW 2 has 10. So, take away the 5 that are allicated to a weapon (that change with weapon swapping).  There are still a heal and 3 utility slots that can take up to 30 additional skills.  Not to mention a slot that can take an additional 10 skills.  You have as near a combination pattern as you do with GW1.  All weapon slots did ws organize groups of skill slots.  

Dungeons - You like the Trinity.  Again, you knew this goig in. So you're playing hte wrong game.  This is a game that demands you think on the fly, figure out whose doing what and where. You also can organize groups in voice chat programs, like every other game or type out strategies ahead of time, like every other game. The difference is i'm not saying "tank, heal, dps.... beep beep". YOu're saying look you go here do this, you do this. IF this happens you fall back and do this and then o udo this.  It is real strategy.  Trinity is not strategy, it's the game telling you what you're doing and you shut up and do it.".  

From all accounts the dungeons are quite difficult, especially in explorable mode.  ARe they undefeatedable. no, who would design a quest that couldn't be defeated.  

Originally posted by adam_nox
I found GW1 to be a very boring non-mmo.  It was a lobby game with an odd 'pick a skill' system, sluggish gameplay, and lacked anything other lobby rpgs have, such as action based combat and an exciting loot system.   It was the first game to take the bad parts of mmos and leave out the good.  I'm still baffled by it's 'success' today.

The main reason GW1 was successful was its pvp. Not many mmos do the balanced pvp approach and they catered to that crowd.

I played GW1 and prefer GW2 as the depth of the NPC interactions and general play has more depth than GW1. The original chapter of GW had a great storyline and after that not so much.

As far as Game Play - it is very different and a hybrid of many different games and also PvP style is also part of it. I think the idea is, you don't have to change playing style to go between PvP and PvE.