So I gave GW2 a chance and...

[Raspharus 249]

Seeing Joe's angry review, and hearing the praise for this game, I decided to take a risk and buy it. Well the "risk" was not that great cause I only spend 10 bucks. Anyways, being fond of mages and such, I decided to go for a mage first. The classes looked interesting enough. After I finished the tutorial, I can say that I was very confused regarding the first missions. Going and helping certain people and whatsoever.  Nevertheless I understood that the game wanted to take a different perspective on the usual go there kill that fetch me items.

 

However what made me question its guts was the fact that the game felt lifeless. Sure I participated in some random events like escorting a caravan or so, but other than that, I didn't see that many players. Coming from WoW I was of course in search for some low level dungeons in order to level up faster, meet some people etc. Turns out I need to be like 30 in order to participate in dungeons. Ooookay... yeah cool. 

 

All in all the game looks, decent I guess but it gave me the impression of another copy paste generic mmorpg. So far I have sinked a lot of hours into WoW and some couple of hours in to tera and rift. Whereas they seemed pretty decent gw2 seemed more like a snooze fest. Now I know, I know I only got to level 10 or 11, no guild and so. That's why in fact I decided to open this topic, to ask you guys if the game gets better. Any dungeons? How is the endgame? How is the pvp? Are like the first levels boring just like in WoW?

 

I know that the AJSA is a pretty big community on gw2, and again seeing the praise that the game got both for the reviewers and communities such as reddit, made me think that maybe I misjudged gw2. 

[Laserrifle125 590]

 How is the pvp? Are like the first levels boring just like in WoW?

Boring?! Your talking about a mode where you siege castles with siege weapons and have hundreds players on the battlefield.

[adpop 4]

Bruh, I got one problem with this game (GW2). It is waaaaay to easy. The endgame for PvE is kinda non-existent, so you will probably spend most of your time doing WvW or PvP.  Also, this game is kinda based on the philosophy that it's the journey that's important, not the goal. You can do most of the end-game stuff when you are at level 30 and the only restrictions are gear which is really easy to get (Just go for Exotic's if you don't want to spend time getting gear. Get Ascended gear if you like getting the best gear). PvP in short is heaven. It is probably the best PvP experience I have had in any MMO (I've played a lot of MMO's). There are two modes for PvP, Conquest and Deathmatch. Conquest is what you probably want. Deathmatch is kinda stupid in my opinion and is only there because Call of Duty fanboys were complaining. In Conquest you capture nodes. Each node will give your team points periodically. Killing enemies will also give you points. There are a couple of maps (the Battle of Kyhlo being the most popular). Some of the maps also have secondary objectives that can influence the game, but the nodes are the most important objectives. For the expansion Heart of Thorns, thy are adding another PvP mode called Stronghold. This takes a bit of influence from MOBA's. Here is a link to find more info on it (PvP). WvW is a three way fight between servers to conquer objectives (towers, supply depots, etc.). While you hold these objectives you gain points periodically. It is actually kind of fun, but if you play on a toaster you can get fps drops. Here is a link for more info (WvW). There will be many changes to it when the expansion releases. for more info look at this (HoT, WvW). PvE in short can be boring. When you first do the dungeons, they might be hard but they will get really easy. When the expansion drops, we will get another region of the world called the Maguma Jungle and maybe hard core content!!! Right now the only time I really play PvP is if I want to do Fractals or for the Living World. The lore and story for this game is actually good. In short GW2 tries to innovate in many areas, but sometimes it just fucks up. WvW and PvP are worth checking out. And if you really feel like doing PvE, don't do the Personal Story, it is a piece of shit. Only do it if you want to familiarize yourself with the characters as some of them actually play an important role for the living world. 

Hope this helped!

[Ysnar 937]

Seeing Joe's angry review, and hearing the praise for this game, I decided to take a risk and buy it. Well the "risk" was not that great cause I only spend 10 bucks. Anyways, being fond of mages and such, I decided to go for a mage first. The classes looked interesting enough. After I finished the tutorial, I can say that I was very confused regarding the first missions. Going and helping certain people and whatsoever.  Nevertheless I understood that the game wanted to take a different perspective on the usual go there kill that fetch me items.

 

However what made me question its guts was the fact that the game felt lifeless. Sure I participated in some random events like escorting a caravan or so, but other than that, I didn't see that many players. Coming from WoW I was of course in search for some low level dungeons in order to level up faster, meet some people etc. Turns out I need to be like 30 in order to participate in dungeons. Ooookay... yeah cool. 

 

All in all the game looks, decent I guess but it gave me the impression of another copy paste generic mmorpg. So far I have sinked a lot of hours into WoW and some couple of hours in to tera and rift. Whereas they seemed pretty decent gw2 seemed more like a snooze fest. Now I know, I know I only got to level 10 or 11, no guild and so. That's why in fact I decided to open this topic, to ask you guys if the game gets better. Any dungeons? How is the endgame? How is the pvp? Are like the first levels boring just like in WoW?

 

I know that the AJSA is a pretty big community on gw2, and again seeing the praise that the game got both for the reviewers and communities such as reddit, made me think that maybe I misjudged gw2. 

 

Welcome to GW2!

 

As a fellow member who has dumped 3k+ hours into the game, I'd like to tell you that my experience in the beginning was very similar, but for me, it was my first MMO.  When I joined a guild (before the AJSA), they showed me the ropes, taught me all about the different types of stats, gear, skills and classes while we levelled up.  If there's one thing that I can identify as unique in GW2, its the community.  While you do get some bad apples (particularly in the PvP scene), the majority of my interactions with the player base was very pleasant, people are usually happy to give advice and even some mats/gold if you ask nicely.

 

In your case, I advise that you join a guild, such as the AJSA EU guild, especially one that has TS.  If you strike up a conversation with them in guild chat/TS, you'd get a much clearer impression of GW2. 

 

Secondly, you need to keep in mind that the trinity does not exist in this game... the nature of gameplay is also different... for instance, damage absorption isn't such a priority as is dodging, using obstacles/walls to evade and timing of skills/combos. 

 

The other thing I'd like to point out is that you most likely picked the elementalist class.  That class is mostly used as a glass cannon and can be difficult to master if you aren't familiar with GW2 gameplay.  I suggest that you start with a different class, such as the warrior or guardian... however, if you feel lucky, then I suggest you try out the engineer, I had a LOT of fun with that class and its a blast to play that class on PvP.

 

Furthermore, the game showers you with xp for exploring and crafting as well.  I can lvl up 5-7 levels by just exploring a small part of each racial starting area.  You also gain about 7 levels for each crafting discipline you master (reach lvl 400/500).

[Raspharus 249]

Well I wasnt aware that the ajsa even had a ts channel wow. Now the community makes me want to really play the game. I will try to redownload the game and join the guild. Do I need to be invited in order to join?

[Treeps 195]

Well I wasnt aware that the ajsa even had a ts channel wow. Now the community makes me want to really play the game. I will try to redownload the game and join the guild. Do I need to be invited in order to join?

Yes. We have a NA guild and an EU guild.

 

If your account is in NA servers, apply to this thread:

http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/topic/12184-official-guild-wars-2-na-sign-up-reply-for-an-invite-if-youre-committed

 

If your account is in EU servers, apply to this one:

http://angryjoeshow.com/ajsa/topic/21020-official-guild-wars-2-eu-guild-signup-thread-reply-for-an-invite-if-youre-committed

 

 

Don't forget to read the first post and follow the instructions. 

[Hashirama Senju 357]

Just to add my own two cents to it.

Being a former WoW enthusiast, I took on GW2 with a pinch of salt initially. Having been playing in WoW for about three years or so, along with a few other smaller MMO's, I was initially skeptical about Joe's review about this game, being a whole new take on RPG that WoW had given to me. So, I took into this game and immediately did not know what I was supposed to do! Being led around by the whole quest design of 'kill x mobs and come to NPC' or 'gather x amount of items and give to NPC' pattern, I wasn't used to the freedom of doing what you want in order to level up. Also, I entered a rather lively guild before the Angry Army, and they said to me when I asked about questing and leveling up to "Just wing it, dude."

Okay.

But when I got more into it, I can see that GW2 really does offer something different. It's not as fast paced as WoW, and it offers more options about how you want to level up your characters. You want to level the old fashioned way, you got it. You want to travel around completing your map, there you go - you can do that no questions asked. Heck, you can even level up by learning your crafting trade (that's how I level up from one to roughly 20+ level on all my toons in the beginning).

What Ysnar explained is actually very correct in GW2, where there's no trinity existing on the classes - no DPS dealer, no tank and no healer. Everyone can heal here, everyone can deal out huge tons of damage and everyone can tank with the class they want: just need to know what kind of build and how you plan on doing it. And dodging is a must in this game. It's more about your skill in playing GW2 rather than relying on stats from your items and weapons. It does give you a better chance when you use the stats, but it's not the be-all, end-all of the concept of the game.

In regards to the endgame, I'd say the end content is there if you want to have a go at it (personally I kinda hate the ending and how it played out. Damn Zhaitan lol). There's WvW that is tons of fun to play around with when you have a good zerg running around the Mists; there's legendary and ascended items to craft after you go into the dungeons around here; there's world bosses that provide you with a chance of getting the items needed to craft them as well. sPvP is decent, although I am looking forward to Stronghold, which is loads of fun (Thanks Double Cannon for this!). And if you're bored, of course we have the guild to look out for. I'd say the AA guild is pretty much a great guild community-wise, really. We're a crazy bunch in TS, even when we're not chatty a lot in the game chats. But we're always here.

Pretty much my side of the things, sorry if this is late. Hope to see you in Tyria, son.

[Navywolf 3]

I've recently returned to GW2 after a 2 year hiatus.  Haven't met any of the AA guild members yet other than chatting with them in guild chat, but they certainly sound like a friendly lot.  There was a guild event today to get an achievement, (I think that was the goal) but unfortunately I had RL tasks to complete so I couldn't take part.  

 

So far it's been a solo experience for me, other than the escort quests and such, but the world certainly isn't empty, I see other players regularly.  Most of the AA members I've seen online are level 80, so I'm hoping some more new blood joins up soon as I'd like to have some leveling partners.  Overall I'm having a good time with the game.  It certainly is heads and shoulders above WoW.   I am looking forward to the WvW and making a contribution to the AA's goals, whatever they may be. 

[tarascon 20]

Here's my take on the game.

First, Angry Joe made all the points about GW2 that I would've posted here but won't waste time reiterating. The only negative I recall him mentioning is the waiting time for WvW. But I haven't tried that yet. And, as an ex-player of DayZ, I'm a bit fried on PvP atm.* 

 

Having said that, I will repeat these two points--big pluses in my book. 1) It's basically a one time cash outlay... no monthly fee like another MMO I spent years in (LOTRO). I must've spent an easy $1000 (and I'm not wealthy by any means; I sacrificed RL comforts to play that game). 2) No pointless "meet & greet" runarounds, no time spent going from A to B and back again to A (and sometimes B once more). Those two points that AJ mentioned are what sold me on trying GW2. And, imo, the game looks great. I love the artwork on the load screens and the general aesthetic of steampunk in a fantasy world.

Yes, it's super easy to level up (every time my Norn farts he gets xp) but that doesn't matter because there is lots of stuff to do and explore. And that's another thing I like--there are no travel restrictions. You can just get on your hindlegs and run anywhere at any level; no closed areas until you meet certain level requirements. Of course you must be willing to die a lot but if you survive all the aggro the endorphin release for getting another waypoint is worth the blood and guts.

Then there's the built-in "camping doesn't work here" aspect of the game. You're more than welcome to chip in or pass on any event or encounter. Plus, the annoying thing about having a quest to get a certain target or object and then find your effort foiled in other MMO's does not apply here. In other words, after you've spent time to get to the target only to find some other player getting there first (or worse, some capped player gratuitously murdering everything in the landscape) and then having to wait around for a respawn has been removed from GW2.

I know your post is months old atm so let me wrap this up by adding that I appreciate the honesty of your OP but would recommend that you stick around.

Me? I love this game.

 

* That whole game devolved quickly into a killfest 'cuz most of the other stuff was (and remains?) broken.

[Doctor_GLaDOS 150]

My opinion of Guild wars 2 is simple.

All MMORPG's feel lifeless if you are playing solo.

However My problem with it is lack of healers, and because I allways play as a healing class, GW2 is not for me.

[SkintightDaBoom 0]

Honestly, I think you just aren't its demographic. You just walked into a game you've never played before and wanted to rush into leveling up? Plus, it doesn't look like you did much research if you thought dungeons were the best way to do it anyways.

 

Edit: Wow I didn't realize how old this post was, but as someone who came back to the game because I thought the same thing you did at first I think Guild Wars 2 is a game that you have to take in and not take too seriously to enjoy the experience. I came back because out of pure guilt for never playing it anymore really, but now I know that it was worth all of my time getting to 80 because the endgame content is fun as hell.