Why Bother With Ascension?

Since I have ascended and gotten to droknar's forge I have really enjoyed the game...capturing skills, fighting lev 24-28 mobs...I feel that the game really started once I gto to droknars....
However ascending has really nothing do do with it..I made level 20 by the time I got to druids overlook in the story line..I could've just paid someone 5k gotten run to draknor's and pretty much picked up teh game from there..in other word the fact that I am ascended is worth shit.
I loved teh ascencion part of teh game because it really separates the men from the boyz..I loved the misisons..stratgey etc...I still go back and hench some of them when I'm bored...but there is really no reward for ascending.
I think Anet should make things like skill capture as well as the high level armor available only to ascended players..that way it is worth your while to do it...
How does teh comunity feel about ascension? Do you thikn there hsould be more of a reward or a distinctive mark, like the /rank animation for rank 3 and above, or something like divine aura?
I for one would love to see something that shows how hard you have worked and sets you apart form unascended players.

whats the def of ascension?

Ya in the storyline, Anet makes it seem that Ascension makes you so much more powerful and able to defeat the mursaat/white mantle but in reality it's nothing all that great. All you get is a measly 50K XP for ascending...big deal. Anyone who runs from Beacon's Perch can easily carry on with the missions without having ascended.

I like your suggestion about droknar's or equivalent armor only available for ascendants...

Yeah, that would stop the forge rushers. But then a new problem arises...the sanctum cay rushers? Then the ascension mission rushers? I don't know if it will go that far, but many are desperate for the armor..

uhh 50k xp i think thats what you do it for.

I'm a forge rusher for the point that feel that it makes the game easier for one of your newer characters, but if the orignal posts suggest was made reality I would be willing to accept that merely for the fact that it makes sense.

Then again I'd be willing for some kind of alternative as well. That doesn't remove or limit a persons ability to travel where they want.

You know not every player is so overleveled that they reach 20 well before ascension. I've ascended at 17, 13, and 15 respectively. And besides 50k xp is what...3 skill points at lower levels? If you skip that it's your own problem.

even players who've been rushed would be idiotic not to ascend. 50,000 xp, 2.5 skill points at level 20, is hard to argue with factoring in time spent. it's much better than FoW or UW grinding in terms of skill points/hour

It's supposed to make you stronger in a sense that many people arive at around lvl 16, and 50k xp is just enough to jump you up to 20.

I do like the idea of droknar+ armor only being available to those who ascend, it pisses me off whenever some new guy meets up with me in the iron mines or something and keeps asking what the mursaat are and what "infused" is.

Both already exist.

I'm getting pissed at the "cheaters" - if I see any character past Augury who's not 20th, that person does not get a party with me or anyone in my groups. I automatically refuse blind invites as it is, but if you're in Southern Shiverpeaks or beyond and you try to get game, I'll broadcast my dislike for you. You can play the game any way you want, but it's my hope that non-20ths will only be acceptable teammates to other non-20ths. I say it this way because there's no way to tell if a 20th ascended or just levelled, but a non-20th definitely didn't ascend.

There's no reason to skip Ascension. Why would you? Let's see... 1) you're a lame player and you don't have the ability to take down your doppleganger. 2) you're trying to get an advantage in lower arenas by not levelling, so you can still get into Ascalon or Yaks arena with max armor and elites you shouldn't have faction for, hoping to PWN TEH NOOBZ or whatever. Also lame. 3) you think you're cool and refuse to conform. We like conformity. We need it. There's no way to build an effective team with 8 leaders and no followers.

Course this has a side-effect I enjoy, if you can convince even one person to not pay a runner for the simple fact he'll get to Droknar's and never get on a team until he hits 20th anyway... maybe they won't arrive so damn stupid. Seeing someone in Drokar's asking "what is this blue text [unidentified] on my item mean?" will drive me to kill someone in real life eventually. Possibly your mom. So save an innocent life... don't party with non-20ths past Augury.

Excellent suggestion! It probably won't be considered because it'd be perceived as DRACONIAN but I love it anyway.

If you don't ascend you miss out on the final 30 attribute points, well, you must do the desert.

Also it gives some game experiance (not Exp pts). The three tests are tough (even I passed them with henchmen). I even memorize some other players that decided to 'quit the game' cuz of those missions - cuz I guess they are far difficult to make with "rushers style". It servers maybe as somekind of filterh...BUT you may take the shortcut for 5k.

It was funny that I saw rushers even in Hell's fireplace and I am quite in wondering how did they get there? Staying afk while the other 7 complete the mission?

The dude said right - if you have not been acsended you have no access to the 15x2 atribute quests and probably cannot enter the Tournament area with this character.

30 attribute points is HUGE.

You need to ascend to get to Tombs, im pretty sure thats the main reason for it.

I thought it was only 15. The other 15 you get in the desert before you ascend. Like a half now, half on delivery sort of deal

No ascension =

1) miss out on 15 attribute points.

2) Cannot go to Tombs then HoH to help PvP and gain favour of Gods for Temple of Ages

3) Start whining like a little kid when Korea or Europe takes the favour of god away from America (no offense here, just speaking from american server side. When I log into Temple of Ages, just so happens America loses the favour, and there you go, "f u korea" or "f u europe" I don't even want to start saying how much worse it gets...Go to HoH with guildmates or get a good group, win it back, sure it ain't easy, but sitting there swearing ain't helping a whole lot either).

I agree. Ascending means that you personally have caught the attention of the gods! and what does this mean? You have access to a small dwarven city... village really.

...

huh?

Is Ascension not a prerequisite for doing the "Change your secondary" Quests? Smells like it should be...

The infusion run should be part of ascension, then it would mean something. That's where you become powerful enough to stop the mursaat.