Originally posted by Ausare

Originally posted by Torvaldr

Originally posted by Vesavius

Originally posted by oubers

Originally posted by BadSpock

I sometimes felt bad helping other players get their kills and tagging mobs etc. but than I realized I could do NOTHING in PvE that would hurt another player in any way, and I instantly began to completely LOVE the changes Anet made with GW2.

Randomly running into a large group escorting  a couple of NPC's with wave after wave of Centaur.

Didn't have to ask to be invited, wasn't "hurting" anyone and was able to significantly impact and help the group through crowd control, damage, and healing.

Beautiful.

Players actually talked, we rezzed each other and people said "thanks" and even naturally found a rythem in skill/profession combos to help smooth things along (like Ele dropping a fire wall and ranged sticking behind it etc.)

Best part of the game, hands down.

must agree with the spock man here.

I too agree.

It will take some just longer to flick the mental switch though I am afraid... and some never will :(

So why don't people do this in other games?  This isn't some new paradigm really.  I can help others in RIFT without hurting their rewards.  I can help others in EQ2, if they allow it, without hurting them.  I can help others in public instances in STO without hurting them.  Why is it now you're willing to have a mind shift, but not in other games that don't punish others for helping them?

Cause they want you to believe that GW2 is the second coming of Christ.  Frankly the second coming of Hype.

I am inclined to agree that the game has been overhyped. I enjoyed the beta event for the most part (though I am pretty unhappy with GW2's treatment of the ranger class), and found much to be admired about the game. Even so, many of the elements that are being described as, "revolutionary," seem far more incrementally evolutionary to me. Still, with the exception of the Ranger class, I am looking forward to the game.

Originally posted by Meleagar

No, casual doesn't mean "easy", and solo doesn't mean "never plays with others", and that is something that  Anet has, shockingly, really understood and taken to heart.

Without saying a word to other players, I was involved in one group or raid-quality event after another.  I could log in, and log out, and go AFK as I wished, and play as good or as bad as I was able, with no grief or guilt, without putting anyone else at risk or ruining anyone else's game.  I could figure out what combination of skills and weapons I personally liked to use, and use that to my heart's content, and nobody could disinvite me or prevent me from participating.

Yes, I do enjoy talking to others, and I do enjoy playing as best I can; I just don't like being excluded from top end content and rewards because some 14 yr old e-Napolean doesn't think I'm professional enough.  I also don't like putting other people at risk because I don't play the most efficient, min-max character possible.

The game mechanics itself told me what my contribution level was, and I didn't have to beg someone else, or play to their liking, to get my rewards. Nobody could grief me, ninja-loot, steal my kill, or jump in and ruin content. If I was halfway through a quest and felt like doing something else, I could wander off and not get textually assaulted for it. I could jump in and help other players, and they could do the same for me, freely. If I like an area, I can just stay there to my heart's content. The game doesn't tell me to "get out" of an by reducing my rewards to zero.

Yes, this game is revolutionary, but that won't be fully recognized by many until a few months down the road as casual players and soloers start draining away from games unfriendly to their playstyle and filling up GW2 servers, and as people who have either never played or have left the genre realize GW2 is exactly what they've been looking/waiting for.

This is brilliant, genre-altering game design. It's not readily apparent; because the true differences are deep in the structural bones, not in the superficial activities, which are much like other games. When people realize there really is no reason to rush through the game because the same thing is available from the very beginning, and when people realize they can play this game any way they want and not suffer from lack of inclusion in content, that's when the enormity of what Anet has created here will become apparent.

 

Well said sir... I have had the same experience in the BWE's... Kill when you want, Craft when you want, Explore when you want. It gives every player control of exactly how you want to spend your time in game. What else can you ask for.

Originally posted by tordurbar
Huh? I am mainly a solo player and a casual and I disagree with the OP. Yes you can solo but if you want the skill points in congested areas you MUST have more than one player to do it.  I did manage to solo kill most of the time but never was able to survive (as a necromancer) multiple mobs in a restricted area (could not even complete my level 10 quest as a level 14). I do think this is a great game and I will play it upon release but I do not think that it is casual or solo FRIENDLY.

OP said casual/solo friendly does not mean easy.  OP is right.  I died a hell of a lot more often in GW2 beta weekend than I have in other mmorpgs.  The level scaling mechanic really keeps the game challenging, which is a breath of fresh air.  A lot of solo and casual players love challenge.  I f*ing hate easy games, I really really do.  (that is why I am a Dark Souls fanboy)  I also consider myself fairly casual as far as mmorpg's go.  I want the time I get to spend in a game to be as fun as possible and challenge = fun for me.  As far as not being able to complete your level 10 quest at level 14, the game delevels you to 10 to keep it challenging.  I never had a problem soloing any of the skill point areas as a Necromancer.  Of course that is not to say I never died doing it, but I did solo a lot of them.  On ones I couldn't solo I simply waited for other players to show up and we dealt with it together without me having to convince them to group with me.   

Originally posted by Ashen_X

Originally posted by Ausare

Originally posted by Torvaldr

Originally posted by Vesavius

Originally posted by oubers

Originally posted by BadSpock

I sometimes felt bad helping other players get their kills and tagging mobs etc. but than I realized I could do NOTHING in PvE that would hurt another player in any way, and I instantly began to completely LOVE the changes Anet made with GW2.

Randomly running into a large group escorting  a couple of NPC's with wave after wave of Centaur.

Didn't have to ask to be invited, wasn't "hurting" anyone and was able to significantly impact and help the group through crowd control, damage, and healing.

Beautiful.

Players actually talked, we rezzed each other and people said "thanks" and even naturally found a rythem in skill/profession combos to help smooth things along (like Ele dropping a fire wall and ranged sticking behind it etc.)

Best part of the game, hands down.

must agree with the spock man here.

I too agree.

It will take some just longer to flick the mental switch though I am afraid... and some never will :(

So why don't people do this in other games?  This isn't some new paradigm really.  I can help others in RIFT without hurting their rewards.  I can help others in EQ2, if they allow it, without hurting them.  I can help others in public instances in STO without hurting them.  Why is it now you're willing to have a mind shift, but not in other games that don't punish others for helping them?

Cause they want you to believe that GW2 is the second coming of Christ.  Frankly the second coming of Hype.

"incrementally evolutionary to me"

Agree thats a good take on it, and way games should be, they learn and try to evolve the genre to keep it fresh and interesting (i.e not stagnating/copying current formats to cynically cash in)

to the guy say we can help players in other MMORPG. yes we can but that is fun???? big NO and that is the big diference between help other players in WoW / Rift / LOTRO  and do that in  GW2,  you can help but isnt fun, is instead boring like hell. 

must be a big hater of GW2 to not agree on this, or not even play GW2 to dont see the HUGE diferencence between help people on GW2 and do the same in others MMORPG.

in this point is trully revolutionary at least i never play other MMORPG where help others was so satisfying. 

in the rest of features is a evolution not a revolution, but if you are waiting for a entire revolutionary MMORPG ( or any other game), is better you give up because that will never happen.

Originally posted by Bladestrom

Originally posted by Ashen_X

Originally posted by Ausare

Originally posted by Torvaldr

Originally posted by Vesavius

Originally posted by oubers

Originally posted by BadSpock

I sometimes felt bad helping other players get their kills and tagging mobs etc. but than I realized I could do NOTHING in PvE that would hurt another player in any way, and I instantly began to completely LOVE the changes Anet made with GW2.

Randomly running into a large group escorting  a couple of NPC's with wave after wave of Centaur.

Didn't have to ask to be invited, wasn't "hurting" anyone and was able to significantly impact and help the group through crowd control, damage, and healing.

Beautiful.

Players actually talked, we rezzed each other and people said "thanks" and even naturally found a rythem in skill/profession combos to help smooth things along (like Ele dropping a fire wall and ranged sticking behind it etc.)

Best part of the game, hands down.

must agree with the spock man here.

I too agree.

It will take some just longer to flick the mental switch though I am afraid... and some never will :(

So why don't people do this in other games?  This isn't some new paradigm really.  I can help others in RIFT without hurting their rewards.  I can help others in EQ2, if they allow it, without hurting them.  I can help others in public instances in STO without hurting them.  Why is it now you're willing to have a mind shift, but not in other games that don't punish others for helping them?

Cause they want you to believe that GW2 is the second coming of Christ.  Frankly the second coming of Hype.

"incrementally evolutionary to me"

Agree thats a good take on it, and way games should be, they learn and try to evolve the genre to keep it fresh and interesting (i.e not stagnating/copying current formats to cynically cash in)

 

I cannot disagree.

Push the boundaries but don't go so far all at once that you alienate your target customer base. This is the fine balancing point where many companies struggle in my opinion. They need the product to be familiar enough that consumers can readily grasp it, without being merely a reintroduction of the consumer's pre-existing favorite. After all, if the game is merely WoW again, but lacks WoW's (going on) eight years of polish, content, and population why would a player leave his friends and stable of developed characters for neo-WoW ?

Eh I wasn't as impressed with this game as everyone else is mate. However no one can deny they bring some good stuff to the table other mmos have to look at. In all honesty my opinion of the best mmo is....

A themparkish PvE system and a sandboxy pvp system... where you guild is your faction and you fight over territory.  Gear should matter, just not as much as wow.... 5 or 6 lv 25s should be able to bring down a lv 50.  If you have good gear it should give a slight to moderate boost not a omfg pwnage everday boost. people wanna do raids endgame... why not make them all through out the game. Instead of making endgame the goal, make playing the game the goal.

I totally agree with Zeck.

many other games lack the ability to play together if you are not exactly same level. Maybe GW2 puts an end to this. i would enjoy it.

Originally posted by Torvaldr

Originally posted by Vesavius

Originally posted by oubers

Originally posted by BadSpock

I sometimes felt bad helping other players get their kills and tagging mobs etc. but than I realized I could do NOTHING in PvE that would hurt another player in any way, and I instantly began to completely LOVE the changes Anet made with GW2.

Randomly running into a large group escorting  a couple of NPC's with wave after wave of Centaur.

Didn't have to ask to be invited, wasn't "hurting" anyone and was able to significantly impact and help the group through crowd control, damage, and healing.

Beautiful.

Players actually talked, we rezzed each other and people said "thanks" and even naturally found a rythem in skill/profession combos to help smooth things along (like Ele dropping a fire wall and ranged sticking behind it etc.)

Best part of the game, hands down.

must agree with the spock man here.

I too agree.

It will take some just longer to flick the mental switch though I am afraid... and some never will :(

So why don't people do this in other games?  This isn't some new paradigm really.  I can help others in RIFT without hurting their rewards.  I can help others in EQ2, if they allow it, without hurting them.  I can help others in public instances in STO without hurting them.  Why is it now you're willing to have a mind shift, but not in other games that don't punish others for helping them?

Woosh, woosh, wo wo woosh!!

I think everybody should stop playing other games and start playing the Game that ends all other games:)

Guild Wars 2 is the new shit you wanne be part off and play!

http://gw2wvw.com/main/gw2wvw-mmorpgs-suck/

Sums it up perfectly. 

Originally posted by Crackbone

http://gw2wvw.com/main/gw2wvw-mmorpgs-suck/

 

Sums it up perfectly. 

That AoC video is priceless!

Originally posted by Meleagar

Originally posted by Crackbone

http://gw2wvw.com/main/gw2wvw-mmorpgs-suck/

 

Sums it up perfectly. 

That AoC video is priceless!

Yep, I nearly piss my pants everytime I see it. :D 

Originally posted by Crackbone

http://gw2wvw.com/main/gw2wvw-mmorpgs-suck/

 

Sums it up perfectly. 

That is hilarious!  Thanks for sharing :)

Originally posted by brett7018

Originally posted by Crackbone

http://gw2wvw.com/main/gw2wvw-mmorpgs-suck/

 

Sums it up perfectly. 

That is hilarious!  Thanks for sharing :)

No problem :D 

Originally posted by Meleagar
I can see the argument that GW2 does require multiple people to clear an event, but my point is that you don't have to formally be a member of any group or raid to participate and get full rewards (except dungeons), nor are you forced to socialize with them in order to get into those groups/raids.  The other players involved might as well be NPCs if you don't feel like socially interacting with them.

Exactly right, OP.  No more having to LFG and wait for half your play time before you can go do something.  No more having to worry about one of your party ragequitting because you do play "up" to their expectations.   Help others as much or as little as you want and talk to them as often or as little as you want.

Even though I didn't stop and talk to everyone I saw when playing the game, there was a real sense of community.  An unspoken bond between players for helping each other out and accomplishing tasks together.  Something seriously lacking in other games, I think.  And that includes GW1.

It remains to be seen if the game will truly catch on beyond the (albeit large) group of GW followers.  I hope it does because I think it's a fantastic game and really is what I think many many people want out of an MMO.