Okay GW2GAF here's my question for you
Why do you play Guild Wars 2?
Generally curious why you still play all this time what makes this MMO stand out?
I read this on my phone as I was just waking up and completely forgot to answer it.
The "why do I play" part isn't particularly interesting, and echos both Walrus' and your own comments. I like that I can explore and find something new (especially in places I have been before), and I'm finding as I play alts I can re-do something and still find it thrilling (returning to a Jumping Puzzle I haven't done in ages is fun all over again). From a gameplay perspective I've had a lot of fun tearing things up on my second warrior and mesmer using weapon combos I hadn't really used before but had always been available to me. On my first warrior I found a build that worked and I liked and had settled into a rut. It's hard to create a gameplay mechanic that makes players want to shake their playstyle up without feeling cheap, like you're forcing them to try something different just for the sake of doing something different... but I'd love to see ArenaNet try, and I think Specializations might just be a subtle push in that direction. Alone, the replay value there is great, but to touch on what Walrus mentioned, it's also the respect it has for my time and preferences. I have not tried for a Legendary weapon, so I haven't exposed myself to the grindier parts of the game. I am aware they exist and have made a conscious decision not to engage in them. But that is
my choice, and it is a
legitimate option that does not affect my ability to play the rest of the game.
And that ties into why GW2 stands out over other MMOs. If this were any other MMO save for a very small few (of which GW2 is the highest quality example), I would
have to grind out a Legendary, not just because that's the only real goal I'm given but because I would need the Legendary to do whatever comes next. There is no content in GW2 that is gated behind other blocks of content with the sole exception of high level fractals (and I would argue that you still get to experience them, agony effects aside).
Every MMO I've played with the exception of Guild Wars 2 has one very narrow, focused path that basically boils down to "get better gear to do new content to get better gear to do new content.,." with occasional pauses where you've reach the top (or as far as you're welling to go) and you're just sitting there, running / flying around in circles using the game as a glorified chat room. Even diversions from that path like PVP are still completely dependent on your ability to grind the best gear, and even if skill could
potentially play a large part, the fact that dependance on gear progression is such a key part of the game's design means you never really
know if the other guy was a better player or if he just had better gear.
I hit exotic gear on most of my characters a long time ago. I've slowly gotten some ascended pieces here and there (mostly accessories), but for the most part I just I don't even look at gear anymore beyond looks and potential sale value. I play the character I want because I like the way that character plays. I roll a second version of a profession purely for cosmetic reasons.
I've done everything there is to do in this game except high level fractals and a scant few dungeon paths (mostly the big, long Arah ones I can never commit time to). So in a weird sort of way, there's nothing left for me to do, but also
everything. There's still DEs I haven't seen, little places in the world I haven't been to, tons of players with weird builds or looks (one of my hobbies is taking screenshots of interesting characters). There's new players who need help, and I can actually help them in a way that doesn't feel condescending or showing off, but in a natural, "Let me show you what's over here" kinda way. There are dungeons I've run dozens of times that are made interesting by the class composition (which is something the restrictive roles of the Trinity could
never deliver) and the people playing. Running a dungeon with some people feels completely different from running the same dungeon with different people, in the pace, attitude and strategy.
We're 6 months away from the 3 year mark and I still feel like there are zones I haven't given proper attention even after getting 100% world completion on two characters (Frostgorge sticks out as a zone that doesn't get enough love from me). At this point in WoW the launch content was deserted; everything was discovered and documented and left for dead with the exception of a few pockets (erotic roleplayers in Goldshire, twinks wanting runs through the Deadmines), the expansion had come out and been digested quickly, and everyone was waiting for the next chunk of content (which would have been a new raid and the introduction of fucking tedious daily quests).
The wait for TBC felt like it took ages. In contrast, I feel like I haven't had enough time with "Vanilla Guild Wars 2" to see everything there is. I feel like long after HoT releases I'm still going to find things that were in-game since launch.
A new name for a character maybe?
http://minus.com/i/zWS9RXLiGOji
Ha, reminds me of my wife and I's characters from the Vanguard beta. The human areas were packed to the gills so we created halflings to escape the lag and load times. Hers was a cleric named "Sugarbush" and mine was "Biter Sweetspot" the rogue.