Why is ascension the benchmark of success?

Irrelevant. It's a benchmark in the game and something you need to do for future releases, as well as for UW/FoW, to fight the Mursatt, etc.

The game's written such that it's something you need to do. Period. That's it. It is the way it is.

LOL yes and that statement comming from you is contradictory, thank you

I know what you mean. The ONLY time ascension does anything for you is if you get rushed through temple/sanctum cay and hit your mirror at lvl 15. If you do the missions and quests like you're supposed to, most likely you'll be at 20 long before you finish Kryta. Ascension only gives you an XP bonus, big deal! I mean if you get to lvl 20 by the end of kryta anyway, does another skill point really matter that much? It's stupid, it should actually mean something. Sure you can't go into the UW/Fissure unless you're ascended...but honestly, that's not a big deal to me at all. I never go there much anyway 'cause it's usually a waste. The ascension missions were difficult the first time I did them (well one of them was) every other character I've ascended I've done all the missions once, maybe twice if I was in a bad group. (And I'm talking doing them with PUGs too). It's easy once you've done it before, and even your mirror self isn't very difficult. It's just kinda...you do it.

Ascension should really mean a lot more, say once you ascend you can wear the max armor, or your character looks different and more experienced/badass or something.

Ascension should be renamed "pointless detour"

What?

Whatever you like. I thought you were staying out of this thread... well maybe not. I guess you'll stay just to attempt to make fun of me for whatever reason. I'm surprised you're not trying to be the better person here since you're obviously more "mature". I suppose I'll be the one to act cool and actually leave the thread.

Guess what? I'm suggesting something else or whatever. If you want to be an ass and try to be the voice of Arenanet... well you're doing it right now. Ascension is no accurate benchmark for anything. It's something you have to do, but I don't think it means much at all.

By the way, you don't have to ascend to fight the Mursaat. All you have to do is go through Lornar's and do infusion at the Iron Mines. Congratulations on getting your facts wrong and trying to tell me that it's irrefutable fact.

I thought that you WERE arenanet?

if you hit lvl 20 before you do your mirror, you get 2! bonus skill points and half aside from the 20 standard level up skill points. so imho, lvl 20 at mirror> lvl 15 at mirror.
And ancension has the potential to be used as a literary device in later chapters to give us new powers and stuff to be used.
this is still chapter one and we don't know how to use our ascended powers fully yet storyline wise anyways

Ascending is a big deal for those of us who had to deal with PUGs for the Big Three Missions before it. *shivers* I didn't know that SO many incompetent people could get to this point in the game....wait....that's because it's not even a little hard until then.

As for bonuses, I think that when you ascend you should get access to new skills or whatnot. Maybe even get a natural armor bonus or something.

i don't have a clue what all this nonsense is about which is harder: ascension, thunderhead, ring of fire etc etc. and therefore which is a sign of achievement etc etc.
in my utterly humble opinion they were all piss easy - i think we all have to admit this game is not hard.

i did the final mission with 3 real people and a henchie - was not a challenge at all.
and i'm honestly not sayin this to brag its just the only way i can justify the above comment made about this game being easy.

and another minor thing - if u think completing a computer game is an achievement...
hehe thats the funniest thing i ever heard.

bye all.

Hall of Famer item for biggest wad of BS in the history of this game.

ascention is only for gvg, wanting to go to fow and uw imo. its very important for pvp because you can change to meet your teams needs and not locked to "i can do this...." "well what else can you do?" "um......"

the lvl cap is good for balance this isn't your power hungry game like others are which in return eventually ruin the game. now people are complaining about taking an opposite direction then the things they were complaining about in the first place

just suck it up and play the game and don't waste your time fussing about everything. if you are bored or just don't want to play then don't. its free come back when you want.

For some though, power hungry and gold hungry and nerf bitching are all siamese twins, joined at the empty cranium.

well i cant be bothered to argue about it

Right.

Its in the human nature to get things done as fast as possibly.

Um... guys? Can we turn off the flamethrowers?