Guild Wars 2: Content That Could Be Improved

Key Takeaways

ArenaNet could Improve Guild Wars 2‘s Personal Story by allowing free movement during cutscenes for new players’ engagement.
Dungeons could be revitalized for new player experiences through complete reworking and proper rewards.
Addressing power and speed creep by buffing Mordremoth and restricting flying mounts in Dragon’s Stand could restore the difficulty of “HoT” that fairly allowed all players to participate.

As a long-time player of Guild Wars 2, I can’t help but feel a tinge of nostalgia and disappointment when I look back at some of the game’s missed opportunities. The game has had its fair share of high points, but there have also been moments that left us scratching our heads and wishing for better.

In the span of over a decade, the realm of Tyria in Guild Wars 2 has undergone numerous transformations, with ArenaNet’s “mini-expansions” hinting at even more exciting revelations for fans. Although there’s excitement about what lies ahead, it could also be beneficial to reflect on some of the game’s initial content and characteristics to identify what resonates well and what might confuse newcomers.

Despite some unfixable errors like underemphasizing Player vs Player (PVP) and the risky addition of ascended gear, Guild Wars 2 has demonstrated potential to rectify its mistakes over time, for instance, by reintroducing “Season 1.” As players anticipate the upcoming mini-expansion, it might be beneficial for the studio to refurbish neglected areas of the game if they have a free moment in the future.

Personal Story, Expansion Hatches, & Dungeons

Breathing Fresh Air Into New Players’ First Experiences

The issue: Guild Wars 2’s Personal Story presentation can be offputting for new players, and dungeons have been untouched since launch
The (potential) solution: Give players freedom of movement or redo the cutscenes; rework dungeon content and rewards

In the opening storyline of Guild Wars 2, known as the Personal Story, it was found to be outdated at launch. The static presentation of dialogue-driven cutscenes featuring two characters acting out a conversation without any movement is a significant drawback in what otherwise is an action-packed game. As players progress through later arcs, they are granted more freedom during dialogue scenes. For a potential rework of the Personal Story, offering full character mobility during dialogues, alongside bug fixes, would be beneficial. Additionally, learning from how its predecessor presented cutscenes could further improve this aspect in Guild Wars 2.

To make it easier for players who have multiple characters (alts), ArenaNet could introduce an optional step in the Personal Story called a “Shortcut Hatch”. This step would be placed just before the point where players normally join one of Tyria’s orders. Players who have already completed their personal story can use this shortcut to jump directly into expansion content, ensuring they have all the necessary narrative context. Additionally, ArenaNet should consider updating the dungeons that are connected to the Personal Story. Although these areas might not seem important to the studio or veteran players, new players often look for dungeon content first. Unfortunately, the dungeons scattered across Tyria have been lacking in quality for quite some time now.

Leveling & Tutorials

Bringing New Players Up To Speed (Without The Spam)

The issue: Players are not sufficiently informed about essential mechanics during their leveling journey
The (potential) solution: Rework or remove the junk rewards for level-ups and insert two or three break points to hammer home must-know game mechanics for new players

For newcomers learning the game, the current system for rewarding level progress leaves room for improvement. Instead of providing meaningful instruction on key skills like dodging, it’s often buried under an avalanche of text. Level-up achievements, intended to motivate players to reach level 80 efficiently, are frequently activated unintentionally. This results in players being overwhelmed with equipment at every level, rendering regular loot drops and story rewards obsolete.

As a newcomer to GW2, I firmly believe that a more engaging and personalized leveling system would significantly aid in my understanding of the game. Instead of numerous insignificant rewards, offering fewer, yet substantial ones, could make the journey more rewarding. Additionally, interspersing every twenty levels with brief, instance-based challenges (complete with rewards!) would serve as an effective teaching tool, reinforcing essential game mechanics before I advance further in the leveling process. The current system of navigating a minefield for level 5 boots, frankly, feels lackluster.

Mordremoth At Dragon’s Stand

A Once-Great Expansion Finale Broken By Flying Mounts And Power Creep

The issue: the final battle in the Maguuma Jungle has been broken because of power and traversal (mounts) creep
The (potential) solution: Buff the Body of Mordromoth and limit the use of flying mounts in Dragon’s Stand

the speed of Guild Wars 2‘s mounts, particularly those with wings. Essentially, experienced players are outpacing newcomers significantly due to their excessive velocity.

Although an argument could be made that mounts should have been disabled throughout the entire “Heart of Thorns” expansion, mounts, especially flying mounts, have invalidated the exquisite design of the Heart of the Maguuma and made it impossible for new players to keep up with the meta event rush, Pandora’s Box has been opened. The skyscale, griffin, and springer may have trivialized the experience of the Heart of the Maguuma, but ArenaNet should still find an excuse to disallow flying mounts (and maybe Jade Bot Waypoints, too) in the Dragon’s Stand map while buffing the jungle dragon.

Living World & Expansion Packaging

Untangling The Mess For Prospective Players

The issue: the buy order of Guild Wars 2’s content is confusing and obscure for new players
The (potential) solution: repack the Living World seasons into their respective expansions

When purchasing the initial three expansions for Guild Wars 2, players might assume they can play through the entire content sequentially. However, this assumption would be incorrect, as crucial Living World seasons must be bought individually. This is particularly confusing, especially for “Season 3” and “Season 4,” which build upon the storyline, masteries, and gameplay from “Heart of Thorns” and “Path of Fire,” respectively. New players to Guild Wars 2 often complain about feeling like they’ve been charged extra, or nickel-and-dimed, after buying what they believed was a complete set and jumping into the game. Even though they can trade gold for in-game currency to fill in those missing story segments, it isn’t always evident from marketing materials that these seasons are sold separately.

Even if the player buys the game with free cash shop currency bundled in, they may have spent their gems on something else, unaware of these obscure conventions. Since Living World is now officially over, each season could just be integrated into each expansion. “Season 3” and “Season 4” should be bundled in with “Heart of Thorns” and “Path of Fire,” respectively. “Season 1” and “Season 2” should be folded into a free “Scarlet’s War” expansion. The Ice Brood Saga (at least in its current state) should also be free, or better yet, reworked and expanded into a proper expansion.

Icebrood Saga – Champions

Fulfilling A Promise For What Could Have Been A High Point

The issue: Champions was developed during a pandemic and a major studio layoff, resulting in a low point for the game
The (potential) solution: overhaul “The Icebrood Saga,” specifically the final episode, Champions

Following the success of Living World Season 4, the anticipation for “The Ice Brood Saga” reached unprecedented levels within me as a gamer. The stunning trailer, the long-awaited glimpse into Charr homelands, and the reemergence of Guild Wars 2’s darker, grittier atmosphere had me excited that this Living World replacement could reach new heights for the game. Unfortunately, it was not to be. COVID-19 restrictions made it difficult to release the saga’s episodes on schedule.

Hidden from public view, ArenaNet’s publisher made significant reductions in their staff members. Consequently, the narrative was abruptly ended, leaving many fans disappointed with the final episode, Champions, which is often seen as a low point in the chronicles of Guild Wars 2. To improve upon this disappointing sequence and align it better with ArenaNet’s established quality, it would be beneficial for them to rework and revise this part, providing a more fitting farewell for the first awakened Elder Dragon. The positive response to “Season 1” serves as proof that such improvements can be made again.

The Final Core Battle Above Orr

Reworking A Cataclysmic Climax

The issue: a buggy and underwhelming final boss of the core game isn’t a good look
The (potential) solution: fix the worst offending timing bugs and give Zhaitan a proper sending

The culmination of all the player’s efforts, Zhaitan is set to be an epic battle. Indeed, the visuals and reveal of the monstrous undead dragon are awe-inspiring, and this one could have been one to rival the greatest end boss fights in video game history. However, the story instance leading up to it, and the glorified cannon fight itself, is, after more than a decade, riddled with bugs, delays, and, ultimately, a complete letdown. Why this pivotal fight remains in such a sorry state is one of the game’s biggest mysteries.

One thing is sure: the Ruined City of Arah story instance needs a rework, especially the final battle on The Glory of Tyria. Pressing a button to slowly drain Guild Wars 2’s primary overarching villain of health is not a good way to hook anyone in, especially given how divisive the presentation of the Personal Story is. The bottom line is that Zhaitan needs a rework to become the big finale that the Ekder Dragon always deserved.

2024-11-06 06:34