Why New Players STRUGGLE Sticking With Guild Wars 2

We've all been there, trying a new game and not 100% if we are going to commit to it, and Guild Wars 2 is not excluded from that struggle. I believe I have found the reasons why and the solutions too why new players struggle sticking with Guild Wars 2.
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[@erkantopaloglu345]

When you see people flying everywhere and you are just walking...

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Bit disheartening for sure

[@CouchSquirrel]

Even ~200 hours in with decent gear and four mounts, I still feel like a loser without a skyscale.

[@syncopatedglory]

@CouchSquirrel that sounds like a self-esteem problem friendo, i ran around for months with just a raptor and loved the hell out of that thing. there were loads of us running around on foot in WvW following behind people mounted on warclaws, i would be in groups where i didn't even have a *glider* and was clambering down from stuff like a dork before rushing to catch up with the group. i never felt bad about it, and no one ever had anything negative to say. there's so much to do in this game that i hadn't even made it to HoT to unlock the glider when i was doing this stuff. i don't play anymore, but gw2 is one of the most noob-friendly games i've ever seen. these people understand that everyone is at different stages, and you only have what you have. /shrug

[@XAn0nymousX0]

How is it a "self esteem" issue. It's objectively bad to not have a skyscale as a new player. Everyone flies through map metas while you lag behind just trying to get a tag on something before it dies. It's not a good experience and it's one of the reasons new players aren't sticking around.

[@CouchSquirrel]

@@XAn0nymousX0 I was gonna reply to them with exactly this. When I said "feel like a loser", I wasn't implying I am depressed every time I play GW2, I just meant that having to run the long way around on every meta sucks compared to flying directly to it. That being said, I got my Skyscale probably a couple weeks after that comment, so I am no longer "suffering from a self-esteem problem" 😂

[@DemethVLK]

To me, the main reason why new player leave is because they fail to find objectives and goals. The game fails at ponting at that. We, veterans, know where to fins goals (sometimes we don't) but new players don't know how. The game is off-putting in that sense. No Gear progression patern/ clear markers for what to do next, etc. The entirety of the game is our oysters, we just need carrots to do it

[@arandomfish9755]

Yes, this I agree. Honestly the game has much to offer but are pretty obscure, mainly hidden behind the UI like achievement (which is kind of a guide/goal list) or the LFG is a maze that's not intuitive or user friendly and takes time to work through; not the best impression especially for the new age attention span.

[@Nkodtb]

Exactly. This is why they really need to improve the core experience

[@Dan-oz9xj]

I'm a new player who just bought the game, coming from BDO. Initially, I'm loving the story so far. I have a question: should I boost my character to level 80 or progress organically? There's this annoying part where I enjoy the story/quest, and then the next quest will only be available to me after reaching another +10 level. It's so frustrating.

[@nexeus7302]

@@Dan-oz9xj you should never boost as new player. Didn't you watch the video? The game has learning curve (like many other MMO's), and if you boost you wil be lost and overwhelm with info. Don't do that. Boosts are there, but for vets and definitely not for new players. Play the story, READ your skills and what they do, and I mean EVERY skill from EVERY profession on every weapon available for your profession.

[@bae_velvet]

I agree, I started 2 weeks ago and I really wanted to give it a try so I had to look for what the game could offer me because once I reached level 80 I didnt know what to do, sure I knew what existed but not how to get there. The game looks nice but its definately for people that WANT to like it. If you dont want to, you wont google things and get anywhere, so now I have to spend time watching videos about what I could do and how the game works, because the game wont tell me anything T_T

[@af6756]

Yes, complexity. It feels fluid and open world but then again there's soo many things thrown at you at the same time you end up wondering whether it's actually worth investing hours into learning about it all.

[@BlackDeath-wt1oz]

Yes, one of my issues exactly. Seems like it could be a fun game, but I'd have to devote a hundred hours to actual gameplay plus an untold amount of time on wikis, forums, KZbin and Google searches, just to learn the basics of the game.

[@zeffmalchazeen3429]

I used my OCD to play this game, like, completing all markers, heart quest, waypoints, events, vistas in every single map. Once I hit a level where I can proceed with my story, I do the story, then proceed on completing the maps again. I was quickly burned out. I even bought the whole game during a sale just to push myself on reaching to level 80. I stopped around 60 and uninstalled the game.

[@nathan38938]

​@@zeffmalchazeen3429funny you say this cause this is my favorite part of this game, exploring maps and completing then and then playing story

[@recur9245]

Really I am new player and if you just play the game lvling up exploring and story it's not bad at all it's when the new people use a lvl 80 boost things just get thrown at you it's over stimulation xD It's way more fun not using a boost because the game is so big

[@recur9245]

I did use a lvl boost with game but it just blew my brain out so went back to new character haha

[@xlrators5378]

I feel like it's very easy to get into GW2... However, you can get burnt out easily if you don't have goals.

[@cypherdroid]

That's my problem i got bored because i dont know what to do.

[@lostpotato8363]

Was the same for me then included fractals into my routine and ibs5 when I can find a group and now it feels better, even my gold gain is getting better. Then if Im lost I just do map exploration or check the wiki for world events or keep working on the collection achievements I’m keeping track of. It is very important to kinda know where youre going since the game doesn’t tell you to go anywhere

[@fazoodle7972]

Right on

[@Nhouyengah]

I had the same feeling and stopped the game for about 5 months, got all lv 80 and no idea what to do... picked up the game again with the goal of getting legendaries, the game feels great when thriving towards something

[@hobbitpsi]

I had a goal. problem is the game makes it too damn boring to get that goal. I'm sorry but my goal was make a druid to be a healer. Nope.... can't just level. Have to run around the entire damn world looking for hero points. Exploration is great when it's a choice. Forcing me to have to explore to find those points is just stupid.

[@Skyace13]

From what I’ve seen, the jump from free trial to paying is the hardest. As players experience inconveniences (mostly inventory related) and are directed to a cash shop as a solution, trouble starts. Most people are okay with pay for convenience or pay for content, but you are asked for both fairly early. Pay for convenience is an inherently frustrating model on its own as well

[@Baniished]

You hit the nail on the head. This was exactly me, I loved GW1 and finally jumped into GW2 and was frustrated by inventory issues. I soon realized I couldn't fix it without getting the expansion and all the other things that I was being blocked from became apparent. It was off putting and I quit disappointed... I'm finally coming back again with a few friends so here's hoping try 2 will be different!

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Oh I agree! Specifically throttling older content and the new player experience who deturbs more players from committing to the game!

[@mariusnico6938]

New player here. I quit after level 40, because it was very annoying to not have any main campaing and side quests around that campaing. You have the quests every 10 levels, but outside that there is no direction to follow. That was the only annoying thing. Maybe if gw2 would have been my first mmorpg, things would be different, but after playing aion, wow and drakensang is very hard to hard to play this game, because I feel there is no direction to everything I done. Especially because I get to play a few hours a week, and feel that there is no progress.

[@sohu86x]

Imo the biggest problem with free is the lack of mounts. You can't get around without em!

[@madprophetus]

The worst is paying for convenience and then getting thrown into a terrible combat system that consists of blinding yourself with over the top particle effects while being expected to perform pixel perfect dodging while ranged enemies spam you with unavoidable damage. This game is a frustrating mess. It's like doing my taxes. It makes every purchase feel regrettable.

[@anantisocialsinsight]

Honestly, I started gw2 last month and i never thought the graphics were bad. It allows people with bad pc to play. I think it’s great it fits both worlds

[@CaffeinatedDad]

True! It offers everyone a chance at a great game with little to no PC drainageA

[@GhostlyMVP]

I tried this game a few years ago and the main things that put me off were the UI layout/lack of customization, the jarring amount of currency/items, and the lack of direction while leveling between story missions. I did like the combat/pvp and the horizontal progression is appealing, so it probably deserves another try, eventually.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Yeah the ui and graphics are showing their age, still a great game imo!

[@michixlol]

Gw2 seems to be a game that needs a few retrys. And with every retry one learns more and is maybe sticking for a bit longer too

[@jamesp1389]

​@@michixlol yup I tried 3 times before finally getting it and enjoying it 😅

[@Stunex]

funny, I just talked with a friend about gw2 and he complimented the UI, how clean and stylized it is and that the lack of customization is not a real issue (he just starts out). I think the level gaps between story missions is bad design but you can do virtually anything to level up, that's probably why there are no real directions.. You want to farm mats and craft? Or go play WvW or PvP? You want to just run around and explore the world (find vistas, POIs, waypoints, etc)? ... Everything is a valid approach in GW2. I think the "intended" way is to do renown hearts and events, which basically makes up the quest system in gw2. I think Anet could do a better job at making this clear tho.

[@m4rcin847]

​@@Stunex No, its not a bad design. Leveling process is one of the smoothest Ive seen in MMOs. Problems starts when you hit 80 and finish main story. You are bombarded with millinons of items and currencies you have no idea what to do with. Pay for convinience starts to show up HARD there. Not as hard as Black Desert witch was designed as a pay for convinience platform (just like mobile games), but things are pretty obvious.

[@fullmetalathlete]

It's just so complex, there are so many different currencies and loots given, and trying to determine what to do or how to do it is an endless wormhole of googling...it just needs to be simplified by a lot.

[@Syll7179]

Started One week ago, litteraly i just cannot play properly without google, its so complex …

[@frankmills1917]

What if Anet throws a quest for a legendary item right at the beginning? Make a story about it and have it as an achievement. That way new players are introduced to the achievement system and what it offers.

[@Horrormane]

Tbh as a new player the game did give me fancy color named items and since it doesn't tell me why I should get excited it just feels like another random item (I notice there's two slots, I guess you can come up with builds?) Unless as you say there's an entire mechanic I'm not even aware of yet.

[@yammoto148]

I mean they already did that with Caladbolg, but if its something in the core game it might be better.

[@purplelurple8029]

The problem is, once they have a goal ( achievments and legendaries for expample ) they get gate keeped by elitists, who only play with others, that have years worth of kill proof for certain areas. New players cant get to the new and fancy content and raids and stuff, the "static practice groups" in discord are a joke and an even more valid proof, that new players are just getting gated.

[@nobodyisprfct]

No real incentive until they stop making a profit. Very time consuming game. When you have old school players overpowering certain events becomes difficult. Very few people want to lead raids or other groups for 1 reason or another.

[@Dhaiwon]

I tend to play MMO's largely because the crafting and farming materials, so I tried to get into that early. It mostly left me confused, and with farming materials not feeling as relaxing/rewarding as it sometimes does in other games I had trouble sticking to it, which eventually led to my attempt at it fizzling out.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

The crafting whilst having a spot does not have as much emphasis or direction. It takes alot of wiki information and trial and error

[@Dhaiwon]

@@CaffeinatedDad That kinda resonates with what it felt like to be honest :)

[@nikolaibobrov7592]

"Drawn in with Picasso, and then given a hand-painted drawing from me in first grade" this is such a perfect analogy because there is no difference between your first grade drawing and Picasso; just like how in GW2 you really are given what you're promised but it takes some time to level and really enjoy the game.

[@tjepting1]

I just started yesterday and love it. I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about low player counts, but I got in a guild already, and I just hope when I get to harder difficulty group type content, I can find people. I love the world setting though and the story pieces so far. I actually love that there is 10 years worth of content, because I like knowing if I am going to get into something, that it is something I can spend a ton of time on and enjoy. Also with the new expansion coming out soon, I think this is the perfect time to start playing and catch up so I am ready to experience the new content along with everyone else. I am really loving it so far and excited to see where it goes.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's interesting because gw2 has had a consistent amount of players for a very long time albeit probably not like wow or ffxiv, but certainly is doing quite well given the games model. The world is fantastic and I highly recommend you taking your time going through it!

[@PureRandumosity]

I’ve tried so hard to get my collection loving friends into the game. Where they fall off is always during the leveling. They see people running around on mounts and gliding and want them but I have to tell them they need to get to HoT and unlock masteries. I also forgot that even auto looting was gated behind a mastery. Once I start trying to explain what to do they get overwhelmed and give up. I’ve noticed if something during the leveling doesn’t peak their interest they give up because they have no idea what to strive for, what to look forward to or even have a reason behind it all. Us Vets were eased into it all and saw the game grow and we could form goals little by little. I couldn’t imagine being a new player now, it’s so overwhelming when I try to explain all the things to do to my friends

[@BRBgettinSTONED]

Seeing all these types of comments make me not want to try the game

[@PureRandumosity]

@@BRBgettinSTONED if you’re not a motivated person who can set goals for yourself, GW2 is hard to get into. The combat is fantastic though and all the classes feel very different from one another, giving it a shot just for that might be worth it. And honestly if you want something to hold your attention for an extremely long time it’s worth trying. Find something you want in the game and work towards it, the game has become a complete sandbox style over the years

[@SoahcGhost]

Been playing this game since its pre-order early access. Started with friends from highschool and college and still we hop on to run amuck in wvw or run metas in pve. None of us are consistent players but we can always pick up the game and enjoy it with no issues.

[@diamondsanchez224]

For me, I almost quit the game a week after I just started. I picked Guardian because I read up that it's a good beginner class. Off the bat, my biggest gripe with the game was how little it explained. I will never forget the time where I needed to kill enemies underwater for a story mission, but couldn't because I had no weapons nor abilities, and nothing I equipped worked underwater. It wasn't until I asked around that I realized only specific weapons like tridents and spearguns work underwater. Fair enough but why didn't the game ever tell me that? And if it did tell me things, such as to assign attributes to weapons, it would tell me to click the Hero menu but nothing else on where to go or how to do it. However, soon after hitting level 30, the game felt brutally difficult. I could barely keep track of anything going on when there were so many enemies or players on the screen. This led to me feeling overwhelmed and unable to think, which in turn led to so many deaths. Other people recommended I try the Ranger but I didn't want to start all over again after all that progress to get to level 30. I almost quit until I said "Fuck it," and made a Necromancer, boosted them to level 80, and had a blast, then learned anything I was missing from there on my own. Necromancer's minions, AoE, range, and self-sustain made it far easier for me to absorb what was going on and make decisions accordingly. I think for the game to be more appealing to new players, they need to update their tutorials and tooltips with explanations that actually tell you how to do things. I shouldn't have to have the community be my tutorial. The community can help me with details, optimization, or tips, but the game should teach me how to actually play. I really think GW2 would also benefit from allowing players to switch their characters' classes, even if you are limited by how often you can do that, or at the bare minimum let players try out a class in character creation to see if they like it before settling on their choice.

[@michixlol]

Gw2 has a veeery steep learning curve at the beginning. I totally agree with that. Too little time to learn every ability by itself.

[@RidoDrago]

Tbh, its an mmo. And the community is nothing like any mmo, ppl are really helpfull. Just ask? Also, its nothing like any mmo where you can swing your 50 kg sword underwater. Same goes for mount skills, different mounts with different utilities. Ive quit the game after 1 year from the start since end game was dull. Ive just returned a week ago and im already up to date thanks to the lovely community not only answering every question i have, but also gave me all extra info that i would need next without me asking everything one by one. Also, its almost a stereotype that a ranger/archer is one of the best classes you can explore a new mmo. Ive tanked WoW for more than 10 years and i still started with a ranger in GW2 since i know its 99% chance that itll faceroll till end game. Please, ask questions and search the Wiki.

[@diamondsanchez224]

@@RidoDrago That is no excuse. When I played World of Warcraft, OSRS, even FFXIV, those games explain the essentials for you to succeed, while the community could simply give tips and show you things that would make your playthrough easier or more enjoyable. I said it's fair enough to have specific underwater weapons, but the game needs to explain that. The community answering questions about how to have an easier time acclimating is fine, but basic essentials should be on the game. Otherwise, that's how a game loses players. Having a bad tutorial makes players quit. This especially doesn't account for solo players, who often don't want to engage in the community, yet take up a vast majority of players in most MMOs. It's not on the community to be a game's tutorial.

[@TheGreatDrake]

Yeah to me while I enjoy the game and the combat system is really good when you understand it but when you first start it sets you up to fail. As each weapon type gives different skills so you need to figure out the appropriate combination but you also have weapons switching so that is multiple weapon skill sets you have to keep track of. Than there are your trainings and specializations where you can unlock everything eventually but you can't reset your points spent so if you screwed up in making a build your stuck that way until you unlock what you actually need.

[@BigBroccoli_]

When I got my first level 80 through a boost, all I knew to do was the main story so I did just that. But after that, I just didn’t know what goals to do next because it’s really hard to know. So I ended up watching all the amazing content creators and now I’m working on getting my first set of ascended gear!

[@crazymage5316]

As someone who tried getting into the game. I was stuck in this endless cycle of trying to find a class that feels right for me. Problem with it being none the jobs starting actually feel good and given being locked into only 2 character slots . It was alot of trial and error and even more wasted time to actually find a job you like playing

[@gokudouvo314]

Same

[@benjaminfast5496]

That's the unfortunate way the progression works in this game. You eventually get 3 trait lines, but they're spread out at lvls 21/45/71. That's such a large gap. And new players don't know where to put their Hero Points and I imagine it's very overwhelming. And the truth of it is, you don't get a true feel of the classes potential until 71 when you can have 3 trait lines. and really customize the class to what you enjoy.

[@SirAlric82]

You can try going into the PvP lobby. There you can try out your characters at level 80 with all traits and skills unlocked to get an idea to what you can expect when you reach max level. Then you pick the class you liked best and go back to leveling in PvE.

[@SirAlric82]

@@benjaminfast5496 - It doesn't really matter on which specialization or trait you spend your hero points, since you are going to have all of them (except the elite specs) unlocked by the time you reach level 80. In other words, there is no wrong choice to be made.

[@benjaminfast5496]

@@SirAlric82 Yeah, I'm meaning for while they're leveling up to that point. Like, at level 21, which one to focus on first? Then at 45, which do you focus on? Also, trying to figure out which utilities to unlock at the same time. If you put all of your points into skills, then you don't have many points to traits. It can be overwhelming and confusing for a new player. Looking up guides or asking other players is almost necessary. Lol. But yes, once you reach level 80 you have them all unlocked and then you have the freedom to play around. But that doesn't help for a player who's leveling their first character.

[@conganh2111]

There used to be a really bad "3rd party gold selling " problem. That's why some of base game features are limited.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

True I can see that, occasionally I still see outside websites popping up saying for gold lol

[@Endrosz]

Love the camera turn to show the large amount of players waiting for Tequatl!

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Ha thanks! I put avengers music to it!

[@FrycoN]

Game have more than 10 years, it's very hard for a new player to jump in to the game and not feel overwhelming, but if they decide to keep playing they will have fantastic time in it.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

True! Most players were able to eat into the game piece by piece not all at onceA

[@vor946]

The game clicked on my second approach - even more so, when I lost the mount. I started to really enjoy exploration of core zones, and am currently revisiting them on my second character. My biggest problem initially was "how will my journey to lvl 80 look like?". First character took 30h to level out, but the latter half of the levels were very quick due to overdue story missions, which are basically Tomes of Knowledge with extra steps. Does not help that these story missions in core game are terribly boring, though. Then it was "what to do at lvl 80?". I asked around in the city, everyone said to just buy the expansions, which I did. Now, HoT really did it for me. This game is awesome, and open world content is what I enjoy the most. Unfortunately, my weaver turned out to be quite unfun in the long run, with the necessity to juggle twenty few skills, alongside boon, pet and the hardest - HEALTH managing. I rolled him, because I thought I would enjoy complexity. Now I have a revenant, which is perfect for me. Super bursty and agile with assassin, or CC/AoE powerhouse with dwarf. Energy management to spice it up a little. Reached 45 in 10h. The only bad taste is the item shop, especially utilities, like additional bank storage. Valid point that the F2P account is basically a trial, but still - good luck, if you do not want to pay anything more than for expansions.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

The .Oregon I play the rev the more I absolutely love the gameplay! Something about dancing between skills and managing the energy system really makes it engaging. The open world content makes everything worth it!

[@cruick32]

My issue originally with the game was I used the Lvl 80 boost thing when I really shouldn't have & it ruined my experience of the game, I didn't play the game after that for 2yrs, I recently came back to the game & am enjoying it a lot more because I am taking my time with the game & experiencing all the content it currently has to offer.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Yeah that's a trap alot of players don't recommend. If you go for it it leaves you kinda saying with am I suppose to do?

[@nautilaz]

I started in 2012, left, came back in 2018 and did the max level boost on a warrior. However, I never got "into" that toon because I skipped all the learning and story. Now returning again, I am starting the story for him and I like it better.

[@sealboy1211]

I’m like 80 hours into gw2, I actually loved the 1-80 journey and I did not feel a slog starting until I got to heart of thorns. I think it was just k yea, this zone is highly vertical, can’t wait for the glider. Then you get it and your like I still can’t get over there. Figure out bouncing mushrooms and nope still pretty stuck, updrafts? I still can’t get around very well and it’s kind of claustrophobic in a weird way. I’ve had to ignore hero points taunting me on the map because I just can’t get up there. Going from the open exploration of core world to this almost metroidvania experience has been jarring. I just unlocked munoch(?) hunting and can progress the story, will see what’s next.

[@Jannah_2k]

Same for me with Heart of Thorns. I liked the core game. HoT been nightmare to navigate, spending too much time trying to find how to go where needs to go. AND sadly the metagame event when it happens, it starts to lag for me on that zone. It makes it feel heavy. Had no such issues on Tyria. So everytime i have played now, it's been shorter and shorter sessions since HoT has kinda been not so much "fun". Feels almost forced going through it. And someone already said that "wait until you get to Tangled Depths.." so there is worse ahead? X)

[@mortus3255]

I agree 100% map design is HoT was awful

[@sealboy1211]

@@Jannah_2k I figure if it becomes to much for me to get through in one go, I will embrace the essence of guild wars and go somewhere else for awhile till I feel ready to conquer this challenge.

[@Horrormane]

​@@sealboy1211I felt the same and once I got there I skipped to End of Dragons and it has brought back the spark. There's some spoilers, but nothing that would ruin the idea of going back and experiencing the story. It's like "the heroes defeated a bunch of bosses, here's some new friends, you know them already!". If anything I can't wait to finish that one to get back to the earlier stuff as a more seasoned adventurer to learn all the details.

[@SirAlric82]

The thing with HoT maps is that they were designed to be very hard to explore at the begininnig and then become progressively easier to navigate once you unlock the various masteries. Sadly, many people could not get past that initial wall and gave up.

[@helenwilliamson9002]

I am a casual player and an old gamer 67 years old and it is harder to play for me but keeps my mind going and sometimes I get frustrated but I still come back and play or even lvl a toon. thank you for the content.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Agreed! Something about this game helps keep your mind focused onto something without making it feel too punishing for bot playing perfectly! I appreciate your kind words!

[@RasPudin]

when i started this game as a new player 5 years ago it still is my best experience in any game ever being a NECROMANCER and then discovering i can become a REAPER ... went from i like this beautiful world to I WILL REAP SOULS NOW lmfao

[@steamyrobotlove]

The best advice I was ever given when it comes to any game is “take your time.” Your best friend will be curiosity and Google or just asking in map chat. :D I know it seems like a brush off and tutorials should absolutely be in the game IMO, but really, don’t be afraid to take it slow and learn about every system/event that interests you. This game has so much content and the developers really seem to care about their players. You’re gonna like it here :)

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Well said! It truely is an mmo that offers quite a bit and has alot of nuanced systems but overall taking your time is going to be your best friend in this game!

[@aar021]

Enjoying the game and your content. Thank you 🙏

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Glad you enjoy it! Thank you for the kind words!

[@N7xVoss]

I really liked this videp Cafe! All the points you brought up were really good.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Hey Thanks Nyx!

[@eduardogomes7037]

I think you'll agree with me that the more you play and understand, the better it gets. I had friends try the game and not sticking with it due to some of the reasons you mentioned, but one that stood out to me is that they were coming from WoW and they didn't understand the game at all, was out of their comfort zone, it relates to the complexity that you talked about. People don't really get that the design of the game wants you to log in and have fun, that would be crazy in an MMO, to actually have fun. XD

[@eduardogomes7037]

Oh... and one you forgot to mention that made my proggress in the game so much slower is accessibility in terms of machine power. You have to have a good computer to play it, otherwise you can't participate in a lot of the stuff. Most of my years in GW2 i couldn't participate in big events and played in fully low settings. My dream was to get a good computer to be able to really experience the game. And this is a big one, if you think about it, a lot of the biggest games, like wow, lol, fortnite, minecraft, etc. They can run on a calculator.

[@eduardogomes7037]

And last but not least... Also no servers in south america for example. They never expanded.

[@zometthecomet]

@@eduardogomes7037 😅 I wouldn’t either have you seen where you live ? No offence but holy!! We North Americans are not use to leaving our home land for any reason! Why would we?

[@eduardogomes7037]

@@zometthecomet haha i live in europe now my friend! I just mean that the game is missing out on all those players haha

[@zeffmalchazeen3429]

as a long time wow player, I do have fun while playing the game since 2005. I jumped to FF14, I do have fun as well. But when I tried GW2, I got bored around level 60. Maybe WoW and FF14 had a clear goal on what to do including endgame.

[@timcrowder2535]

All really good points. In addition to what you mentioned there is one big thing that really made it a challenge for me personally to get into the game: the core profession and elite spec design. A new player can choose a profession that sounds great to them, spend X amount of hours leveling up to 80, then realize they don't like any of the elite specs. That happened to me several times and led to massive burnout after grinding different professions up to 80. In a lot of cases elite specs change gameplay up SO much that it no longer resembles the core profession that you originally enjoyed (there are some elite specs that I do feel like are natural progressions of the core professions). Yes you can watch videos but watching a video of someone playing is very different that playing it yourself. The opposite is also true. There are some elite specs for core professions that don't interest me that I think look really cool. Do I really want to waste the time grinding levels just to see if I like it though?

[@aidenmartin6674]

If you go to the PvP lobby you can equip any of your character’s elite specs (if you own the expansion it comes with). If you don’t want to do pvp there are golems in the lobby that you can attack to see how your skills work.

[@chibi_undercover9663]

@@aidenmartin6674 That’s good but very far from the actual experience of playing the class. Playing Druid on golems vs in fractals for example. You don’t always have a clear idea of what a spec does until you’ve spent a few days trying it out.

[@Ashenwolf888]

Then stay the core spec? Nobody is forcing you to play an elite spec.

[@benjaminfast5496]

@@chibi_undercover9663 Agreed. Playing on a golem that doesn't do anything does not give you an understanding of playing a class in HoT maps which are rough to get through solo unless you're a really skilled player. Also, most new players won't realize you can jump to the PvP area and do such a thing.

[@SirAlric82]

A question: if you really enjoyed the core specialization of class X but don't enjoy any of the elite specs of the aforementioned class X, why don't you stick with the core specs that you liked then? Who said that you must play an elite specialization? They offer the option to play your favourite class in a different way compared to the core version, but they are in no way mandatory. There is not a single piece of content that requires you to be with an elite spec.

[@chronodis]

Gw2 also has an arrow, it's in the top corner and constantly points at story and world unlocks

[@vojinvmilojkovic7622]

I am about to jump into Gw2 since years ago, and i totally had this issues... So many items, materials, boosts, soooo many possibilities and im sitting there thinking what to do first and now i am watching your videos to motivate myself to return after path of fire being my last expansion. p.s you are doing a great job, if you are not an arenanet partner, then....

[@_Libosido]

I took break from GW2 but play it since release (I have still DVD installation discs :D). Biggest selling points for me, what dont offers another MMOs are: - all your progress and better gear is account wide - there is no monthly fee for playing the game - all your progress in the game isnt powercreeped by "new patch", if you bough exotic gear ten years ago, the exotic gear is still good for playing - proffesions matters - best gear is craftable for min maxing but you can have good times with cheap exotic gear from trading post _(auction house)_ - game community is friendly and no toxic -in the game isnt spectate of gear, or dps meter, or gear score etc., gathering nods are not 1 pick only, no pvp in open world (beside WvW), home instances for all players etc. Ofc game have many flaws, like without wiki you are lost or buffs in the game are too much OP, but game is still best in MMO genre.

[@maximetauran3415]

The biggest problem is mostly that players that are used to MMOs like WOW or FF14 expect GW2 to be roughly the same. But GW2 is very different than other MMOs. You surrely are not as guided as others but you are still guided, you just have to pay attention to the map. Leveling up is also more about enjoying the moment than rushing to max level to farm endgame. The endgame is very different too because of horizontale progression. Anet should not change in anyway those elements that make the game great but find a way to better market the game philosophy so that new players know what they get into.

[@TebTengri]

Biggest reason I can't get into it. It's too disimilar and mostly it just seems like it's only to be different, not any better

[@maximetauran3415]

@@TebTengri GW2 is not different to be different but has a different philosophy regarding how you play. It gives more freedom and doesn't require as much personnal investment as others (no subscription and no gear treadmill for example). It's not about being better either, but more about how you want to play.

[@kimrasmussen7188]

@@maximetauran3415 wrong, i guess you didnt play any other mmos at all.

[@maximetauran3415]

@@kimrasmussen7188 guess again...

[@kimrasmussen7188]

@@maximetauran3415 i guess you didnt pay attention then. and i literally quit the game, because i couldnt play the way i wanted to. not gonna grind a skyscale or whatever, just to get around in the zone.

[@MattShubert]

It's interesting that every point you bring up is something I find in favour of GW2 over other MMOs. Speaking as someone going through the new player experience right now, I don't really see the 10 years of content as something to "catch up" on since progression is horizontal - instead of giving me a higher ladder to climb, I see it more as an ever-expanding room of toys to play with at my discretion. No other MMO I've played feels that way, it makes being a new player so damn fun because I can really pick what I want to do and chip away at my own goals over time.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Agreed! I know the reasons are common why people leave but they could be viewed as strengths

[@kubium7546]

For new players from my own experience is like having mountain of toys that will fall on you when you just take one for playing. And its not fun getting hit by mountain of toys.

[@popot.2847]

One of my first impressions of the game which I liked was the lack of direction which liberates me into going on an adventure and freely roam around this sandbox world, most MMO's show/tell you which places to go or direction to follow and I think most players nowadays have become attached to this sort of mentality where they need a direction to follow instead of striking it out on their own and exploring I like being a Nomad.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

That's the beautiful part of this game, just being able to go out and do what you need to and have fun without being required to do anything!

[@firstorlast340]

@@CaffeinatedDad That's exactly the thing most people don't find beautiful. Why do any of it? What's the point of spamming dailys, metas, fractals, w/e? What's the point of map completion? It doesn't drive your character to a meaningful higher level of power. You cap power through gear pretty easily in the game then everything else starts to feel like a pointless chore. At least GW1 had a vast ocean of builds to play with and you were driven to play the game in order to unlock skills to play a build you wanted to try so you could do a FoW run, DoA, 55 hp monk farm, run people to LA, etc. There was a POINT. GW2 feels like 100 different dinners crammed together on the same plate with the insane amount of resources and currencies. STOP THE CURRENCIES! Consolidate that garbage system. Also, why am I doing the same things over and over every day?

[@imdamanization]

The core tyria experience needs to be more streamlined imo(bring it up to 2023 standards) and they need to optimise the UI. The achievement tab is particulary daunting and annoying. and maybe it shouldn't show me mastery tracks for expansions I haven't been to yet, I wanna take my time but I feel stressed knowing that there are many things to "complete"

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Even though they don't push for it, most playtime think in the sense of completionist. I have to finish all the map before moving on when that's just not the case!

[@dizzastah4775]

6:05 Oof. That caught me off guard :D Some memelord knowledge you have there ;)

[@proximityAlert]

Hey @caffeinatedDadGaming, do you have a video with your recommended keybinds? I'm curious how youve set yours up, especially for ease of use.

[@MrDeenav16]

I am having a hard time sticking with the game because it's hard for me. The game is a really good game, but grinding the hero points in expansion zone is taxing to me. Having to also grind mastery points in order to unlock movement like using wind tunnels or flying mounts ect just so I can access areas to get to heropoints on the map all the while getting killed because of lack of skill coupled with not having my specialization fully unlocked, i dont know i just lost motivation. I bought everything so i will go back but I am having a hard time. This is just open world which the community says is easy. A lot of players love the difficulty but for a filthy casual like me , its not as enjoyable. Also theres not really any builds specifically for grinding hero points. I am sure some one would say go on a HP train or what ever but i didnt know how to use the LFG, theres vids but once I joined a group I couldnt get to the group they were so far and I hadnt discovered those areas and that was the only group doing it so I gave up and was like mabey I should just finish story first , and this was all annoying so I gave up for the time being.

[@ParagonOblivion]

In regards to the mastery point farming, I felt the same for my first run around Heart of Thorns Hero Points, since their difficulty was decidedly not what I was expecting! There aren't many builds on the usual websites (metabattle, hardstuck, etc.) specifically for soloing hps, but I found several builds on KZbin that performed super well, like Lord Hizen's celestial builds that focus on survivability over dps to outlive most solo content, if that helps? And LFG is a bit of a tough one, but mostly I look for HP trains and ask when the next one is starting since most groups who run them have a schedule somewhere ,or stuff like 'chest TP' to get into New Kaineng to solo the much easier HPs there. If any of that helps, I hope it might serve you to get back into the game! If not, sorry I couldn't be more help... ❤ cheers mate.

[@Skadi.-]

okay go grind in wow/black desert/ffxiv and comeback to gw2

[@MrDeenav16]

@@Skadi.- ok

[@MrDeenav16]

@@ParagonOblivion this helps, thanks for taking the time to give me some tips , love this community.

[@benjaminfast5496]

@@Skadi.- I know to some this might sound cheeky or something, but it's also very true, lol. The grind in GW2 is actually enjoyable and pretty easy, at least the leveling to 80. Grinding for gear and such, I can't compare as I don't really focus on that stuff as much.

[@keats27]

For me, there's definitely a disconnect between storyline running and fractals, strikes, raids, even world bosses (and I've been in for a few of those). I still have never run a fractal or raid. My next level came from wvw. And that is my primary focus. I also think the crafting skills are overdone. I want to be able to look at the recipes I have (and maybe don't have) and know what to make next. I'm guessing there are some nice videos on every trade skill, I just can't be bothered--at least for now. I'd also like to know how to reliably put an infusion on a piece of ascended. My ascended pieces are better without infusions than exotic gear with upgrades. I think I've bought and applied an infusion one time. Then I was like, well, those stat adds are not worth the effort. Now I'm getting ready to up the game a bit, and want those little stat adds. And I'm not entirely sure how to get and apply the best ones.

[@Phevo75]

Infusions are not really for the little stat upgrades they bring. They give you agony resistance which you need to run fractals above a certain level. That's all they are there for in my opinion

[@thezoar6508]

Hello! I’ve been watching a handful of your videos. They have been quite helpful! I’m currently playing a virtuoso and having a blast. I do have a question, I’m not sure how geared I need to be. But it seems like a lot of enemies and bosses especially are very meaty and take up to 5-10 minutes in some cases to kill. Is this just how the game is? Or would it be just my lack of knowledge and skill?

[@ignackokeny9859]

There are beefy world bosses, for example lets say most of the meta event bosses, or some from fractals, raid bosses are one of the beefiests

[@Horrormane]

Did you figure out how to do the combos to reduce the weird armor bar that some enemies have? That was my biggest struggle for a long time. Some skills put circles on the ground and some other skills benefit from it. When you do that, those enemies go down easier.

[@flashjaysan1]

I bought every extension they released because I truely love their economic model. However my main issues are the lack of true official gamepad support (I'd love to play on a Steam deck or the Rog Ally without having to fake a mouse) and the complexity of combat system. I keep dying over and over without really understanding what I'm doing wrong. I don't get how to place my player around enemis and avoir being hit. I find that I have absolutely no time to react before being hit and I take damage before even having understood what was going on. Since I don't learn from my mistakes I end up hoping I'll do more damage to the enemi to kill it quickly before I get killed and multiple enemis combat is something I simply try to avoid. Those are my main concerns and if you have any advice to give me, I'll be very grateful.

[@_GCode_]

The horizontal progression is going to turn a lot of new players off after they hit 80 and get exotic/ascended gear and their elite specs. Many players are not suited to long term horizontal play as it can impact goals that people need to keep playing long term. Doing harder instance content to get drops that don’t make you any stronger is going to deter many players from wanting to learn and play such content. Chasing legendaries for some QoL enchantments is not going to keep loads of new players playing daily for a long time. It’s just a reality GW2 grinders have to face and that is most new players after reaching their goals of getting geared/elite specs, many don’t stay because there’s nothing much to chase after that.

[@eduardogomes7037]

Yeah... They come from WoW and all it's look alikes. In that game, it is all about the gear grind and feelling powerful, you don't need too much skill if you have stronger gear than most. GW2 is different, u get the build you need quite easily and then to be good at it is another story. Personally, I always felt great when I did good at pvp or pve because I knew it came from skill and not only from gear.

[@hailburngw2824]

yea thats why you get into WvW and join a wvw guild that chases fights and not ppt. thats where the fun begins.

[@_GCode_]

@@eduardogomes7037 The skill overcoming better gear is valid but the truth is a lot of people don’t want to put the time and effort in to learn tough and long instances group content just for the joy of besting it. Many players need a carrot at the end of the stick to reward them for their efforts and getting ascended gear they already have and/or leg crafting items are not going to cut it for many new players. That’s why the average GW2 player plays on and off to scratch an itch and/or to play versus other people. It just back to the main point that horizontal progression is not in the majority mindset of most players so the return rate on new players are not going to be high to begin with.

[@eduardogomes7037]

@@_GCode_ Fair enough! Need a change of mindset, play for the fun and not for the candies. But i understand that the candies might be the fun so.. ;D

[@ghostplanetstudios]

In my experience new players leave because they come from games that lead them around by the nose and GW2 just isn’t going to do that. It expects you to be an adult, and look up things you’re curious about. Learn about its system gradually, develop your own goals in the sandbox to strive toward, and then go after them without prompting. Plenty of games do this as well but many don’t expect it from GW2. I watched a stream where a new player ended the tutorial, was placed into overworld right outside Rata Sum, and immediately gave up sighting being lost. He ran left, he ran right, he saw an entire open world before him, endless possibility, but with no immediate carrot hanging in front of his face he simply felt overwhelmed and logged off. This just isn’t the kind of player this game was made to cater to. The fundamentally incurious. It never has been, and at this point I don’t think it ever will be.

[@Warcrafter4]

I feel like a major part is intimidation and cost. Fractals and legendaries are both insanely expensive and upfront with how expensive they are. This drives a lot of people away thinking that they simply aren't worth the effort. Combined that with fractal's agony gates can get them kicked from parties or just not being able to find parties because of the 100 levels. As outside of dailies levels 0-25 aka beginner levels are rather dead.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

True fractals could use a fresh take to make them interesting. Let's see what next Tuesday does for them

[@fylimar]

Relatively new player here. I'm in the lucky position, that I'm playing with friends, who play that game since beginning, so I can always ask someone. I really like the game, the story and artwork is great, love the music and am a big Asura fan. ANd I agree, sometimes the game can get frustrating, but it is so much fun. And I really love the community - whenever I need help and none of my friends are online, there was always a person to answer my questions or help me out.

[@drivingcrazy5336]

I spent 8 hours doing a lw instance just for a fucking achievement for not getting touched by the boss's AoE. Most of my time spent watching how Wynne died over and over. 😂

[@96Caleb96]

When i first logged in a few months ago i found high level players having fun in new zones and alot of new players doing activities at the same time as me, people talking in each map, some things you NEVER see in mmos these days.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

That is true. There are tons of players having a great time all over the place now and each map has a reason to go back to it!

[@tonecyphers9239]

I think that's intentional. People are always running events and teaching people the game as it should be. I like that part of the game. I can go to just about any map and see a Commander running around doing the events. I also like that the game can be pretty punishing. The level scaling doesn't allow plays to just solo champions and world bosses. It still requires grouping up

[@brian332]

This game, inho, offers the best new player experience out there. Imagine 'mentors' map chatting asking people what they can help out with, and answering questions. Like wow.

[@pHixiq]

SWTOR and Guild wars 2 are by far my favorite mmos. By a large mile

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I've heard great things about Swtor!

[@farhansaber9330]

I've always loved the classes of guild wars and skills and such but I always find it hard to stick with it

[@Boats_N_Bros]

Am in the process of downloading the game now. The only really worrying point you brought up was the bag space. I bought the original game over a decade ago so i doubt the account is still accessible. If I do use the "trial account" how bad is the bag space?

[@Assassinss77]

For some reason I want to add to this comment section. When I started and every time I returned I did the story. It is one of the strongest points for me, I love the story, I love the voice acting and I love how well it feels to play each different path. I played WvW most of the time after I have done my story and after getting into guilds it became something that I did not enjoy that much. I played pre end of dragons expansion. WvW for the most time was an empty waste where even if we came online as a group we could be wandering without no more than 2-3 fights after 2 hours. This was not fun and after experiencing it for the most time I decided to give up on WvW because it was not fun anymore ( also the fact that you need to be a certain class to be part of the group as some just do not offer any value in zergs). Then I moved on to PvP. In PvP most games were filled with afk people and the deciding factor was who has the afk. Even after grinding for higher rank it was not something I wanted to do again. So after this I ended up going for fractals and looking for raids. But the problem is between ascended and legendary it is not worth the time invested to farm it. Yes it looks good but I don't really care if it looks better than ascended if it still deals the same dmg as ascended. Long story short the lack of progression is what made me stop playing the game. You just hit a point far too quickly where there is no more to farm. I could farm money but for what? There is no better gear to buy so it is kinda pointless.

[@aliveagain]

I see what you're saying. End game kinda does feel more so for collectors and fashion oriented folk. Especially those that'd want to optimize convenience, whether that be for exploration or pvp build changes (legendary stat swapping). I think guildwars 2 is a great place for story/character enjoyers as well. I tend to stop playing pretty soon after I catch up with the story. Maybe this time it will be different.

[@Trompok13]

is so funny to me that the only people calling it a dead game is mostly wow players and they are at the 1 mil player mark and going down not up xD

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Looool shots fired!

[@mi-vy4cz]

gahgaghahg that grandma at 1:22 always gets me

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I try to find ways to add thise cuts in!

[@leetshots]

speaking as someone who bought the game at launch then left it for reasons i cant remember (probably wildstar or wow) and who came back a couple of months ago, i am finding just following the storylines and completing the zones you pass through (i didnt even complete them all, i played to 60, loved thief and boosted it) has plenty of stuff to do. mostly solo outside of joining in zone events. i'd say the main thing that will put people off is the daunting number of things to do and the sheer timesink the game feels like at a time. i got first two expansions, so i probably have a good 2-3 months of play left before i have to decide "now what?"

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It does have ALOT and it doesn't always seem to lead into one another. It makes you question if what you are doing is even worth your time! I can completely understand!

[@darkwater1967]

Going back to do World Completion for my first gen 1 legendary weapons, it definitely feels like the core maps are a lot less populated than they were before HoT, hence some truth to the game seeming dead to newer players running core maps after EoD.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Right right, it's interesting although I've seen more people coming to play the game recently!

[@MrXephone]

As a GW1 veteran, I barely played GW2 (lvl47...). I just re-installed it, and enjoy my time. I was suprised to find a lot of players, the game feel alive, even in the low level zones

[@IohannusTwine]

Funny Story and probably someone here has experienced this. I have been playing Guild wars 2 since POF came out. When I first started playing (coming from WoW) I couldn't understand what I had to do in game (there was no guides, or the amount of creators in youtube to explain the game) so I quit the game. A few months later I got frustrated playing wow, and I quit. Decided to come back to GW2 where I played the ranger for the first time and i Loved it so much that I decided to stay a little more. Then I asked the comunity for some help to finish a quest, they where so helpful that it made me stay, never went back to WoW. HAHA :)

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's slippery lol once you spend some time you appreciate the game and then it grows from there. I'm also trying to promote the game as much as possible!

[@IohannusTwine]

@@CaffeinatedDad I also try to promote the game here in my country, Portugal. :) I wish more Portuguese would find this game and try it, and give it a chance. I used to make a a joke..."the game developers from Guild play Guild Wars. Can you confirm that the developers of WoW play WoW?" :D Now it's not a joke anymore since the only thing they made good was "inspired" on an existing mount in GW2 with some improvements, so I guess that shows what game they play, huh? haha (just joking, don't want ppl upset with me everyone is free to play the game they like :) )

[@HeathenHammer123]

I just started this weekend. had a blast I'm level 35,

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Happy dor you! It's a great game!

[@SealFormulaMaster]

I just started and... I don't know what to do or where to go. Are there sidequests to do? If so, where are they? And, where do I get the story quest? And, where do I find any NPC at? I heard Mesmer can use a Greatsword to cast spells, so I'd like my tiny dwarf/halfling guy to swing a big metal stick around like a wand. I grew up playing FF11, Fiesta, Runes of Magic, and such, so I'm use to some of the oldschool stuff, but everything I've seen so far feels archaic to the extreme, which is saying something since it's at least 4 years newer than some of the oldest stuff I grew up on. I also have no idea what I'm doing. What's the different damage types, buffs, and such? Where are the potions? Heck, it took me a good hour to learn I had a character menu. I don't mind not having tutorials when the games easy enough to figure out, but this seems a bit much. Even when I learned how to open my character menu, I was greeted by more information like stat allocation. What does a Mesmer need? I don't need a build recommender like in newer games, but having priority stats listed on the class select screen would be nice. And I don't know how bad the monetization is (I play Destiny 2 so anything is better than what Bungie does), but I really hope I get a permanent mount at some point, or at least the ability to run. The travel time is a bit tedious, especially when you die and just want to get back to where ever you where to keep trying to do the event thing. I know I should explore, but as a new player I just want to get in and try stuff out first before I commit to the game enough to dive into the world and lore.

[@NotBer]

What I liked most from GW2 is the open world. I enjoyed exploring the map and getting lost. Unfortunately, it was ruined with HoT. The zones were extremely hard to navigate, which normally I wouldn't mind, but the enemies too strong and almost always are in a group. Unlocking waypoints and hero/mastery points became frustrating to do alone and now you have to wait for a train instead. Problem is, a lot of them have Skyscales and I couldn't keep up with my Raptor and Glider.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Yeah that is unfortunate from a newer or younger account. Many don't have the skyscale so traversing around in tyria isn't as enjoyable or well fast

[@maironannatar7335]

The unguided experience is what hooked me to buy the game early this year. It gives me the freedom to do things on my own, and not feeling like Im doing things wrong. Also the freedom on builds is also what got me in. And now im almost on the 200th mastery.

[@shitori_1410]

Yeah, idk why they hate that.

[@firstorlast340]

If you didn't play GW1 then I can see how GW2 feels like it has build freedom while it is the complete opposite of the truth when compared to GW1.

[@kmurphy0620]

As a new player, looking ahead I see the lack of vertical progression in the game giving this game a more apparent expiration date than other MMO's where I'm certain I'll reach the limit of achievable power on the class(es) I care about, and doing the content I care to, then not logging into the game for a few years before catching up again on whatever progress. It's cool that they didn't want vertical progression to be different than WoW, but I really think the game is missing it.

[@parky669]

I have a Max level character, my main problem with the game is the vertical progression. I don’t know if there is something I don’t understand so feel free to help me… please. Once you’re geared out with exotic/ascended. There’s nothing to do to improve your character right? All gear seems equal? There isn’t anything like..rare? I just don’t know what im working for.

[@leeprosser4682]

Skyscales, I know that’s going to be controversial. They’re great for those that have already done the grind and achieved the mount, and congrats on that. But… for those of us that haven’t the shear number of people using them means that… hero point trains can be difficult to keep up with, bosses & bounties can be dead before I get there etc. Some areas aren’t really even accessible to Skyscaleless players now because the groups of players needed to get through to the boss overland, rather than flying, aren’t there e.g. Watchtower Cliffs in Lake Doric. My in-game focus for the last month has been to get the mount just so that I can keep up and enjoy the game

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It does put new players at somewhat of a disadvantage doesn't it? I mean the convince and speed of the mount makes a huge difference. I do hope you still enjoy the game after getting your dragon!

[@MrJokerswild06]

I just recently started the game. I'll admit there's alot of info to take in but I'm managing that the things that's bothering me is that the elite specializations are at max level I believe you should have access to them much earlier to play with them to even see if this is the class ypu really thought it was.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Hey before you get too far with a class, try going to the pvp tab (2 swords on the top menu) enter the heart of the mists. Once there you can test every profession/specialization that you have access to for your account!

[@MrJokerswild06]

I watched a video amd saw you could do that I'm really wanting to play a herald. My thoughts were just on how long it would take you to get the class itself. Another comment I saw someone post was about not having goals. Well if you could let's say unlock a elite class every 20 levels those are short term goals that keep players engaged because they know they are able to obtaining something new over shorter periods of time.

[@frequencyoftruth2303]

​@@MrJokerswild06 Herald is a dpa/buffer hybrid kind of like bards in EverQuest

[@tonecyphers9239]

@@MrJokerswild06 The elite specializations require you to buy the expansions. This makes sense to me because if they just gave them out, there would be no incentive to purchase the expansions. These guys have to get paid somehow. The hero points also require you to play through the expansion zones to get fully trained. Again, it forces the player to actually play through the game and experience it. I'm totally cool with that. The only expansion I didn't enjoy was HoT. It was a mess for me and I felt I was wasting too much time trying to get hard to reach spots than actually enjoying the environment. I still don't have gliding maxed out. It's too frustrating

[@rept7]

The fact the single player experience, especially while leveling, feels fun and like you can play however you want, only for entry level fractals to be a total bore (Running past all foes you can isn't my idea of fun) or to require a rotation and build you have no way of knowing without looking one up on the internet, certainly isn't helping.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

True guild wars 2 does lose some immersion and fun in its entry end game content because many of the activities are lack luster in excitement tk be fajr

[@Coretalless]

When I first got GW2, I got to about level 30 with my first character and put the game down for a while then picked it back up again, got to level 80 and created many new characters to explore, I put it down, now I have picked it back up again to work on my legendary.

[@5H4D3]

Given how many people you see in basically every map event in the game, you can hardly call this a dead game.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Absolutely not! The game is popping!

[@jhondiick4202]

indeed ; more and more players play it now@@CaffeinatedDad

[@trxe420]

Most closely related is hard, because I see a lot of other games in GW2, but for me it's ESO because both games have a heavy focus on exploration. I think the freedom you have to do what you want can be a problem for new players who are used to games on rails and also inventory is a huge issue. I literally had no clue what to do with half the stuff in my inventory, should I sell it? Why can't I sell this? What the hell is Luck? Anet should look at introducing a much better tutorial system if they are revamping the core game.

[@GuruChaz]

Trying to get through the main story plus I was trying to hit every heart is what killed it for me 8 years ago. It was fun starting with everyone and then I just found other games to play. For some reason, I would horde the new expansions when they released but didn't play. Now, 8 years later, I reinstall and finish main story and make 80 and find out Living Season 1 and 2 is just more of the original game. I blew that off and watch video summaries on KZbin. Getting into HoT is where the meat is and then don't skip anything else after that. Now, you can unlock gliding and masteries and earn things that better your character and makes game more fun as you go through the storyline. You can always go back to the boring crap later and you will want to in order to earn the Legendary Amulet from the achievement of completing everything.

[@DJIronChef]

I just started playing this week, I barely got my bearings together but I have no clue if I'm doing it right. I feel like I don't hit hard enough and I'm missing a ton of stuff and don't know how to make it happen. Also kinda bummed I can't get mounts unless I spend money

[@CaffeinatedDad]

True the mounts bit is a downer. What level are you? What am happy to help if I can!

[@kimsebimse6603]

im a new player :) the only issue i have is actually the complexity of the game. your first points dont bother me at all. but the complexity and lack of direction etc is daunting. even after lvl'ing up to 80 i still feel pretty confused about the mechanics. i tend to just spam hit various buttons and hope they do something good. its easier to understand what the weapon skills are etc. but the various buffs and conditions.. what to pick.. what is "best" etc.. very confusing. and there is online very little direction. and Wiki is.. well, wiki is wiki..

[@CaffeinatedDad]

True! The pop ups and conditions and boons are very confusing to most players just getting into the game

[@kimsebimse6603]

@@CaffeinatedDad aye, and also because the combat is pretty fast paced. at least for a new player :D but i am also a strong believer in learning by doing, so thats what im doing atm :)

[@ronpaynter7054]

I went from GW1 to GW2 when it first came out. Season 1 was amazingly fun to play through. Unfortunately irl got in the way so I ended up not playing for yrs and yrs. I jumped back in a couple yrs ago to check things out and it was still pretty fun. The only thing is that there isn't that much new content unless you are willing to pay for it. I'd say that has a lot to do with it. Once you've gone so far and done so much you have to pay to continue and I imagine that puts a damper on things for a free to play persons enthusiasm.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I believe this sentiment is true. Once you've paid for most of the game experience why continue?

[@alkaid5756]

btw you can hit max level in around 4-8 hours of playtime now, if you know how anyways, the adventures guide achieves are a big exp boost, and then theres other ways to level such as stacking exp boosters.

[@Tracker947]

The beginning as a new player is the best part by far. It's unique and fun. Once you hit max level, all the end game content is just kinda generic except for a handful, which get old.

[@deadvodka]

While I agree, that the beginning was a fun experience, I strongly disagree with the content becoming generic. I've left the game after reaching several of my goals and now came back after 7 years of absence and I'm blown away how much content there is in the expansions and lws stories. I haven't even touched 4 and IBS, nor EoD yet.

[@jgsource552]

Explain.... New player exp is the worst part, cause you have to play the base game.. how is that the best part lol

[@kimrasmussen7188]

@@jgsource552 you may not like it, but without the quality of the core game, there wouldnt be any expansions at all. 17 mio accounts in 10 years would suggest that the lure works fine. it is the hook, that is failing over and over.

[@ophielasrage]

@@kimrasmussen7188 i didnt like it. Thats why i quit and never gave it another chance.

[@kimrasmussen7188]

@@ophielasrage if you dont like the start, then theres good chanche that you will like the end game. they are as different s night and day. and you can level in pvp from level 10. it is one of the easiest and fastest mmos to level in.

[@yanxunkee2365]

I played gw2 only for 2 years (casual) I can confidently say that the learning process is the real fun part came from, all the struggles i faced eventually turned into the true gaming experience for me (Poor English I'm sorry

[@SD-Casual]

Lack of custom UI is about to make me quit very soon.I dont mind having 3 bars full of buttons as long as I can customize and bind them but here , major turn off for me.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

You can keybind every button however I do sympathize with you about the lack of movable UI elements

[@MNMNT_OG]

I never understood the "dead MMO" comments, it's actually mind boggling. I see so many new and old players whenever I log into the game, of course especially in the starting zones but even beyond that.

[@MrJotaFelipe]

I personally feel the start of the game is one of the best parts of it, specially as a new player! The initial zone is a great "tutorial zone".

[@benjaminfast5496]

I strangely agree. With FFXIV, the start is such a boring grind that, as much as I love alts, I cringe at the thought of starting over and going through all the beginning stuff again. Enter GW2, I've got 18 characters, that I juggle between. I've deleted many over the years and started new ones. I just really love going back to the start in this game with a new race/class combo and experiencing it again. Perhaps that because I feel like I get lost in the endgame? I feel like there's no direction once you reach 80. Other than going through expansions/living worlds I kind of just aimlessly walk around. Once I get tired of that, I start a new alt, and it seems to excite me again. Lo.

[@MrJotaFelipe]

@@benjaminfast5496 I feel the same way! And I also have that feeling of being lost in endgame. So many currencies, so many metas, and specially with all the drops and bag management. In that last case, I just wish it was "simpler" o easier to track. The only exception I feel towards this, is legendaries, it's ok they are that hard. Still, I genuinely think, GW2 is one of the best games out there.

[@benjaminfast5496]

@@MrJotaFelipe Yeah, when the game launched on Steam they incorporated the adventurer's guide volume thing to help with the leveling and guiding them on what to focus on. I think it's great! However, that doesn't continue at level 80. if I want to get a legendary weapon, I need to grind masteries to unlock the vendors that gradually give you info on how to find them or something. I'm not sure, I'm still confused on how that works, lol. But there's little to no direction on how to start Fractals/Raids. Starting WvW is confusing because you start out in this dead area where there isn't a single person in sight. It's so strange. That being said, I agree that this is one of the best games out there and I have logged in almost every day for the last 2 years, save for the odd break to try out a new game.

[@BACON-nf2rr]

Me and my friend are loving the game overall, my only issue with it is the story/living worlds have very unbalanced rewards and so unless u want to spent hundreds of hours playing story from A-B u have to skip and get spoiled, like mounts in POF or if u wanna do some fractals and raids u need to jump to some living world stuff and its just dumb. I want to do the story on my pace and on the meantime play pvp, raids, strikes, fractals but instead i have to jump around the story and get spoiled so i can play other content. Its also just as u said complex, u have to look at tutorials on yt all the time only to get told i need to jump the story get living world x get ur accessories there... Like wtf...

[@Despond]

One big gripe for me are there are too many mounts now, rather than just be a complimentary addition now the whole game including meta, events, maps are all based around mounts. There are like 8 hotkeys for different mounts, I miss back when your character was the main focus. I think a land and sky mount at most would have been fine but they just went berserk with the mount system now I feel like my character is secondary.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I can see that, although I was expecting you to say that the skyscale has trivialized basically the rest of the mounts

[@K33SKAAS]

Hey Caffdad, I'm a casual player that comes back to do some fun spvp every now and then. I only play casual just for fun. But somehow I manage to make people mad (even when they're beating me) for playing core condi thief. Why is it that this build aggravates people? I feel like im doing fairly okay with it, especially since im not good enough to play d/p daredevil.

[@edzebes]

I've always felt its easier for players to get into gw2 if they don't play it like an MMO. Non-MMO players seem to adjust better since they're used to just exploring and looking for stuff. Your average MMO player is looking for the optimum track to max out.

[@Nkodtb]

The open world stuff is my favorite in this game..they should improve on the map rewards to give an incentive to players to go there. And not only that, but inform new players about the map reward system and how to go about it. since obviously Open World Content is the first thing players are involved in when starting a new game. Also I noticed anytime when I bring new players to this game, there's a drag in between events and other open world activities that we complete. I've had friends who got bored because they thought doing the hearts for example were boring and not rewarding enough and after we were done we go across the map finding some other stuff to complete. So their impression was that the rest of the game was boring. Hell sometimes even I get bored when doing the core leveling at times with my friends. But the potential is there to make it better. Anyway yeah anet, please improve the core leveling process.

[@josephteller9715]

There were a number of issues with the game... I bought in when it was not free to play, I payed for the initial game (the first expansion came out a year or so later). Connecting up with players and getting involved in a Guild etc basically never happened. There were not very many players around, the graphics were problematic and the combat system was not easy for someone coming from a tab targeting mmo as I was (I had been a WoW player). The jumping puzzles were a neat idea but did NOT work well on the laptop I play on (limited screen size may and no special controllers may have something to do with it). Lack of videos explaining things was a problem there... and the maps were such it was easy to get lost. And the currencies and loot boxes, well I don't like Loot boxes or RL currency buying anything in the game. I was willing to pay money out front, and/or a subscription but features like bag space costing more money (rather than something you can make with the crafting system) was annoying to say the least. Oh and the crafting system, even with months of play, pretty much produced nothing terribly useful. I like a good solid craft system and it was not when I experienced it.

[@painfullyaware5221]

Although I've enjoyed some of your content in the past, this video is so on point that I just have to subscribe; well done!!. Understanding the base game isn't too bad, but I quit years ago when I hit Heart of Thorns; instant WTF!? I'm just now coming back, this time with a Steam account so I can start fresh.

[@sealboy1211]

I am having a similar reaction to heart of thorns. Only been here since post steam so I wonder if I didn’t have this self imposed goal of “get through this” to get onto the other xpacs, if I would have any desire to see it through.

[@moof1315]

You should resurrect your old account. Your old characters will have birthday gifts that include xp boosters and level boosts. Plus you already bought hot so you'll have a mount full time.

[@painfullyaware5221]

@@moof1315 Thanks!

[@moof1315]

@@painfullyaware5221 and look up the character adventure journal under the achievements section of the hero window. Following that will level characters up in no time.

[@painfullyaware5221]

@@moof1315 👍

[@1dozmos]

Hands down 100% agree with this - I've played this game for over 12 months now, all I do is PVP - because that's all I know how to do... Beyond PvP - this game is a COMPLETE labyrinth.. Now, you can join guilds and use the LFG - the trouble is, as a new player - WHY AM I DOING LFG? WHY ARE WE DOING THIS META? WHY ARE WE DOING FRACTALS? eg..... What is the purpose of it? I have no freakin idea outside of PvP!!!

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Ha! That's what a lot of players have said! It's so confusing to misate through all the shenanigans of this game with no clear path!

[@SirAlric82]

Why am i doing LFG? - Because you want to find a group to complete content with. Why are we doing this meta? - Because it's fun and gives a lot of EXP and loot. - Why are we doing Fractals? - Same reason as the meta.

[@1dozmos]

@@SirAlric82 I hear you and agree with all those points but I guess what I’m trying to say is… what do I get from it

[@dizzastah4775]

Guild Wars 2 has this fine dining vibe. It's exquisite, scrumptious and has lots of umami

[@bitzturnbyte9334]

I come back to GW2 every year or two. The main things that remind me why I quit are all the items in my inventory and not remembering what to do with them. I always feel like I can't throw them away because they "might" be important. If it was only a few it wouldn't be so bad but when you have 50+ items, its daunting. I know they do this to sell the bag slots but since they make them character bound instead of account bound I will never buy them. The other main thing that gets me frustrated is doing old achievements. Talking about you Dodgy Crowd. Its just frustrating because of RNG and you can't skip the dialog. Its a 10 minute waste of time every time you fail.

[@dg9388]

The biggest issues i have getting into the game are the bag/bank space being almost nothing and the transmog charges or whatever they're called. Its nice that you can dye your gear at least but then you have the horrible miss matched weapons. I get they need to make cash to support the game, but knowing i have to have these charges every time i want to change the way my gear looks makes me not want to waste my time.

[@tristanetdaryl210]

Hello ! Thanks for your video ! Personally , with 2 friends we start GW2 and stop after 2 weeks and around 100+ hours of gameplay ! The leveling was really cool the HOT and POT 100% map completion was fun but after that ... evrything looks empty ... When you get some ascended jewel and exotic set nothing more... You need a tons of gold to craft your ascended set , fractals is one of the worst system of grinding ive seen in an MMO , to found acsended stuff in fractals you need to stack resistance on your ... ascended stuff ??? Raid looks by far a private place impossible to reach for new players and after that in all content that you will play there will be a level 400+ full stuff that will carry you and make the events or fractal looks easy and worthless ... And to match others comments ... For GOD what are we supposed to do when we are done with ascended jewels ?? Farm gold for hours to grind your crafting and get your ascended set ? Follow a level 400+ in WvW and getting PL ? Buy a raid carry ? The main positive point that i'll remain is that the community was wonderfull with all the informations and help !

[@wptian8017]

Im at the same place as u but i dont get why people are so negative about this game. Sure ascended gear are hard to get and requires farming but that is also the BEST stats gear in the game. most games don’t just hand out top gear without u grinding for them. U can actually clear fractals tier1&2 with little to no AR. Crafting ascended is not as hard as u think, i am just playing the game casually and already collected materials to help me craft few pieces of ascended that i can use infinitely for the rest of my time with this game

[@R2N81]

There are so many things to do but people should spare tremendous time for them (Achievements,vs...) The mechanic and the content would easily scared people at first glance.Expansions,Living world contents are separately selling,which could easily make negative impact on people...Veterans and new players are totally different with this game;new players have nothing to do if they don't spare at least months on this game because there is no shortcuts for almost nothing in GW2

[@CaffeinatedDad]

True and I don't believe the casual approach to the game is incentive for them to stay longer-term. I can come back whenever I want yo where as sometimes that cost sunk fallacy spurs more dedication to the game

[@rafaeljardim6650]

hello there! new player here, and this video is pretty accurrate :D but i'm trying to learn. there is still one thing that i didn't understood yet, i saw some streamers/youtubers with a really big bag ( i think is 85 slots or something) and searched on the wiki but didn't found anything about it, only the 32 slots one. Why is that?

[@louisanderson3174]

Bro I just follow the story. Where ever my chapter story goes I max out the map and farm, then go back and work on my crafting to stay caught up. My only issue is what do I need to do once I hit 80 and finish the story? I think I will see what vanilla GW2 has to offer, ex. jumping puzzles, clear maps, dungeons, then move on to Thorns then Fire. I feel like I shouldn't short myself vanilla GW2 due to wanting to hit 80 super quick then jump on dlc.

[@mrmeepsyt5917]

GW2 is a great game. I have never seen an MMO with this kind of quick accessibility to PvP (and after some grinding END game PvE and WvW pvp) and compared to other MMO games it is not P2W at all, BDO is x10 grind with x2 to x10 price tag if you want to be PvPing open world and high level. Elder Scrolls Online forces SUB/pay for cosmetics or your playing inventory management and will never achieve comparable cosmetics free to play + quests are set on easy level which sucks. GW2 has its downsides for me, needs graphics and although its classes are unique and great IMO its missing some Fantasy classics that other games cover (BDO with its 26 classes that split into +- 40). A new class or 3 new classes and maybe some new weapons like gauntlets/spear would help a great deal. Albion Online is great too IMO but far more of a sandbox/time consuming than other MMO if you want to do certain high end content.

[@BlackDeath-wt1oz]

As a brand-new player of about a week and a few days, the game is fun for the first 15 or so levels. After that, however, it certainly lacks guidance, the map will guide you to the nearest objective, whether you are able to complete it, or not. Exploring can be risky because I ended up at a level 72 area as a level 15 on accident. No idea how I got there. A big issue for me are the controls, they feel old and clunky and that's my thoughts after coming from Ultima Online which released in '97. I find it difficult to fault a game for having content, but the content could certainly be explained more clearly, every 30m to an hour I have to stop and watch YT vids on what some things mean and even after the vids it's not clear. There are players everywhere you go, yet few type, and even fewer are willing to help. I would argue that most of the player base are friendly and willing to assist newbies, however the only conversation I've seen in game was a max lvl shit talking a level 10 for being proud of his new weapon. Saying things like, "You should be embarrassed, I know I would be.". Again, only more than a week in and I am already thinking of uninstalling. I've played New World which has a lot of similar components to GW2, I hit max level in that game before I got bored. Graphics are not a huge deal to me, especially in the MMO genre, as most of the good ones are older, but I know they are a massive part for a lot of other people. The slow start is excruciating, you get a temporary mount at the beginning which does greatly help with the speed at which you travel, but when the timer runs out, what happens then? Bag slots are insanely small for the amount of loot you acquire, and speaking of loot, what is trash and what isn't? Didn't see the store mats button until day 3, I had just been selling everything bcus I had no place to store it. It can certainly be a fun game, but if I'm honest, I don't feel as though it is worth playing as a new player in 2023. I would rather play New World, or even go back to Ultima Online, which is 15 years older than this already 11-year-old game. However, if you are willing to purchase the expansions and have some friends to play with, it may be a really fun game. But for a casual solo, I would recommend skipping this title and trying something else. Next up for me is FFXIV Online, perhaps I will have a better time there. Now to clarify, not talking shit about ANet or GW2, but for my type of play style, it is beyond boring after level 15. I've played 3 differnt classes, each one was similar, really fun for the first 15 lvls, after that, eh. Perhaps I will return in a year from now and eat my words, but as of right now, I can't see myself enjoying my time any longer. Good luck to those of you who are going to play, I wish you a better time than myself.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

See this is the type of stuff I like to see, respectful disagreement but not undercutting others likes and thoughts. Personally I had the opposite effect with FFXIV I felt like it was drug out and the combat was too slow for my take although even one of my mods loves the games I'm happy for them!

[@acken4336]

New world has the worst leveling experience i've ever played.. couldn't even get to max level the two times I tried. Boring af

[@BlackDeath-wt1oz]

@@acken4336 Yeah, the game doesn't hold your hand, but still guides more so than GW2 imo. It does lack in the terms of fantasy, mostly the weapons are swords, axes and shit like that. I however, quite enjoyed it, the real game begins after max. Took me around 2 weeks to hit max, when did you play it? Because it was complete ass when it released, but the current game is fun, playable, and enjoyable. But I do get it being boring. Leveling isn't too bad but again, it depends on when you played it, around release it was extremely slow, it's certainly faster now

[@acken4336]

@@BlackDeath-wt1oz i didnt play on release , actually was a bit late into it. I most of the times don't have problems with level i actually like to level a lot of toons so I can try a bit of all and see what I enjoy but yea in that terms NW is a bit different since you level weapons. I was going into rapier and musket , tbh i really wanted to lvl just to try pvp it looked awesome but idk 2nd i was trying was the same, they even said they had rework leveling experience but it felt the same.. at this point just having a bit of fun in wow and wait for new mmo releases , they all seem so outdated at this point

[@nikolasferreira3247]

My main problem as a new player is the lack of communication with players. I lost count of how many times i asked for help or tried to chat with someone only to be completely ignored. Even now that i'm in a guild, players barely talk with each other.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Yeah I've noticed that guilds just somewhat run themselves, players log in for a minute then job back out

[@chalphon4907]

Just trying it out for the first time now and my char is lvl 11. I have no idea where the "main story" is, I have a bunch of crap cluttering up my bag and I cant vendor it to make space, and I have no idea where to go... oh and I just got a new weapon which made all my abilities disappear and brand new ones to pop up. Apparently I'm a melee class now...

[@CaffeinatedDad]

I'm order, every 10 levels you'll get a new story quest chain that'll appear in the top right of your screen. Inventory is... well it's a pain until you have better bags. And yes when you swap weapons, you get new skills. Just like a warrior with a greatsword will have different skills than a hammer

[@holgualoxford3871]

I briefly played 10 years ago, returned a couple months back and made a new char. I found the "newer" player experience to be great for me. I had all sorts of stuff to do or not do and explore and discover and research as I wanted. I also ran into TONS of people on the core maps. Its really nice to see activity happening as a low level player as other higher levels come do things. Granted it took awhile to figure out WHAT and WHY they were doing these things. So many games leaves the new player in old forgotten content with no one around to trudge from quest marker to quest marker. Great direction, very boring. I had much more fun with this games leveling and it was pretty fast too. As for "Free". I dont have any sympathy for anyone expecting some grand amazing gaming experience completely free... stop being a user and a cheap wad. Spend the 30$ you were going to spend on booze, e-cigs or pot and put it into what you are trying to glean value from.

[@recur9245]

Yeah people expect everything to be handed on a plate at least we don't have subscription xD

[@Nekonix36]

My problem with GW2 now is I have like 5 or 6 level 80's and trying to figure out what to do with any of them is a chore.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Well I suppose mmos in general are to blame for that problem. Having a fully open world exploration game is not common