Predictions For GW2's Future?

[Hagi]

I think it will do a few things very well. I also think it'll do a few things less well.

I believe it'll be great for exploration and roaming due to the dynamic events mechanic.
Likewise there's a good chance it's structured PvP will be good based off GW1's PvP.

I also think it will lack raiding appeal due to the lack of structure in classes and combat. Likely there won't be any real raiding progression to speak of.
World PvP I believe will also be less than stellar due to the same lack of structure as well as the fact that you'll always be there with random players and most people simply don't use coherent group tactics but do their own thing (which is perfectly fine, but leads to zerging).

It'll be a good MMO. It likely won't be the greatest MMO since the dawn of mankind.

Well there is no raiding anyway. XD

True

Was referring to the end-game instances though which I don't think will have the challenge and progression needed to satisfy the type of player who enjoys raiding.

But seeing as, like you say, there's no real raiding those weren't the type of player ANet is attempting to draw on anyway.

GW2 will likely be good at what it does, possibly great. But there will remain several aspects of MMOs for which you're better off with other games.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

True

Was referring to the end-game instances though which I don't think will have the challenge and progression needed to satisfy the type of player who enjoys raiding.

But seeing as, like you say, there's no real raiding those weren't the type of player ANet is attempting to draw on anyway.

GW2 will likely be good at what it does, possibly great. But there will remain several aspects of MMOs for which you're better off with other games.

The endgame dungeons will certainly have challenge. Everyone who's tried the dungeons say they're brutally hard, even on story mode ("easy mode"). As for progression, though (as defined by pursuing better and better gear), that won't be available. All endgame gear is equally powerful, but you can only get certain unique-looking armors from dungeons.

The dungeons are only for 5 people at a time, which I know a lot of people dislike. But there are also the world bosses (even in endgame), who can be beat up by as many people as want to join in, and they will scale up in difficulty the more people are there.

The lack of gear progression at endgame is something that will bother a lot of people. But on the other hand, it will be an attractive feature to a lot of other people. Just depends on if you enjoy chasing a carrot or not.

 

[Hagi]

True

Was referring to the end-game instances though which I don't think will have the challenge and progression needed to satisfy the type of player who enjoys raiding.

But seeing as, like you say, there's no real raiding those weren't the type of player ANet is attempting to draw on anyway.

GW2 will likely be good at what it does, possibly great. But there will remain several aspects of MMOs for which you're better off with other games.

The endgame dungeons will certainly have challenge. Everyone who's tried the dungeons say they're brutally hard, even on story mode ("easy mode"). As for progression, though (as defined by pursuing better and better gear), that won't be available. All endgame gear is equally powerful, but you can only get certain unique-looking armors from dungeons.

The dungeons are only for 5 people at a time, which I know a lot of people dislike. But there are also the world bosses (even in endgame), who can be beat up by as many people as want to join in, and they will scale up in difficulty the more people are there.

The lack of gear progression at endgame is something that will bother a lot of people. But on the other hand, it will be an attractive feature to a lot of other people. Just depends on if you enjoy chasing a carrot or not.

I definitely agree. Didn't mean to imply that GW2 won't offer any challenge. But I don't believe it will offer the type of challenge raiders seek.

Raiding is very much a game of learning mechanics, figuring out optimal rotations and practice. It's much more about skill in statistics than it is about skill in twitch.
Combat in GW2 seems to go against all of that, at least when going by the advertisements. Focussing much more on twitch skill and much less on needing to know all the numbers.

The type of player who enjoys the raiding game doesn't seem to be the type who'll enjoy GW2's combat. Or if he does it's not because he/she likes raiding but rather because of other preferences.

As for the world bosses, having random players able to join in without any troubles goes against the organised nature of raiding as well. From many perspectives that's a great thing. From some other perspectives not so much.

GW2 seems to have a very different type of end-game. Which altogether is a great thing, some more diversity is definitely needed in the MMO world. But it won't be for everyone. If you just want hardcore raiding then this won't be the game for you. Likewise, if you just want a sandbox (the MMO type) world then this probably isn't the game for you either.

 

[viranimus]

Oh god! Flashbacks to Kedge Keep.....


Oh wait I enjoyed Kedge Keep.

Yeah have no problem with underwater fighting if its done well. WoW even post cata was NOT done well. EQ might have had some problems but honestly it worked well enough for me.

 

[Worgen]

What do I expect for Guild Wars 2?

For it to crash and burn or at least barely hit a niche market, like all other non-WoW mmos.

The problem with that assumption is that it doesn't have a monthly cost, so people can play it and something like wow at the same time, its the sort of game that doesn't really need to worry about hemorrhaging players since you can always come back to it.

OP: I'm assuming that we will eventually see the sunspears again and the next class will be the dervish, the dervish was awesome in gw and I'm really curious to see what they would be like in gw2.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

I definitely agree. Didn't mean to imply that GW2 won't offer any challenge. But I don't believe it will offer the type of challenge raiders seek.

Raiding is very much a game of learning mechanics, figuring out optimal rotations and practice. It's much more about skill in statistics than it is about skill in twitch.
Combat in GW2 seems to go against all of that, at least when going by the advertisements. Focussing much more on twitch skill and much less on needing to know all the numbers.

The type of player who enjoys the raiding game doesn't seem to be the type who'll enjoy GW2's combat. Or if he does it's not because he/she likes raiding but rather because of other preferences.

As for the world bosses, having random players able to join in without any troubles goes against the organised nature of raiding as well. From many perspectives that's a great thing. From some other perspectives not so much.

GW2 seems to have a very different type of end-game. Which altogether is a great thing, some more diversity is definitely needed in the MMO world. But it won't be for everyone. If you just want hardcore raiding then this won't be the game for you. Likewise, if you just want a sandbox (the MMO type) world then this probably isn't the game for you either.

It is true that GW2's challenge lies more on the "twitchy" side than on the "knowing all the numbers" side. But it's not entirely twitch, either; a lot of it also comes from knowing both your enemy and your allies, and what abilities everyone has. There's a hell of a lot of teamwork involved in the dungeons. (Not so much with the world bosses, I agree, but there is still some there.)

I think some hardcore raiders will be won over. Probably not most of them, because you can't spreadsheet your way to victory and because once they've completed all 8/24/32 dungeons (the number depends on your definition), there isn't much reason to do them again. But because GW2 is buy-to-play, they could just buy the expansions when they come out, do those dungeons, and then quit playing again.

ArenaNet is fine with that playstyle, basically treating it as another $60 addition to your collection of games that you pick up and play whenever you feel like it, rather than an MMO that you need to play like a second job. (Which is a relief to me, since my time as a hardcore MMO player is coming to an end.)

 

[Stormfire Rebellion]

I want more than anything for the Elonian Centaurs to become a playable race...I still feel bad about leaving them to their horrible fate in Nightfall.