[MERGED] A note from a long time RPG player

Call this an opinion, rant, or rebuttal, I don't care. I'm simply writing this as a counter to common complaints about the new update. I've been a fan of RPG games for a long time and I do not like to see a game that gets stuff RIGHT being screwed over by a whiny minority.

Ahem.

Sorrow's Furnace. It's name brings joy and fear among the GW community. With the new huge summer update, many changes were made to better suite the gamer who didn't have time to spend 200+ hours a week clicking on monsters all day. Changes were made to faction so those who dislike PvE but still wish to unlock skills can do so. PvE has been changed to get more drops, the 'gambling' chest, more gold sinks, and the green items.

Many were overjoyed about these updates, while some others complain.

Here are the most common complaints along with my informed sexy response:

Gold items are useless now! They didn't hurt anyone because they weren't needed!

It's true that gold items weren't needed in order to become "uber" in GW, however to say they are 'useless' is rather ..dare I say it, retarded thing to say.

Gold items, while might be a little bit more in terms of drops, are not perfect. Everyone has their perfect weapon in their head. Me, I like getting health from my swords and shields, along with armor penetration on my short bow. Someone out there might like the improve casting speed, while others might like that +1 chance. There is many different stats when it comes to a gold item, so there is still a large demand for gold items. The only major difference between pre-SF and now is that more people can sell their gold items at a much fairer price.

What also made the economy funky in GW was the fact in order to get the benefits of these said items, you had to spend endless amount of times making a character specifically meant for farming. The 'economy' was only open to farmers and hardcore gamers, not the casual gamers.

I'm going to say this once and once only: If a game REQUIRES 'farming' to get certain access into a game (in this case, gold items or runes), it is either a bad game, or its called World of Warcraft.

With the increased drops and chest, I can join in the trading game and customize the character I want it to be, WITHOUT wasting a character slots to farm.

I specfically do not remember my DnD games require me to farm. I simply got to Point A to Point B, killing stuff and taking loot. Guild Wars has hit that state now, and it should never turn back.

Green items make it too easy for NOOBS to get good items, and they make gold items useless

Wrong again. The green items, while badass, cannot be modded or customized. Anyone who charges a ridiculous amount of money for a green item needs to get shot.

Green items are powerful, yes, but they are static. Gold items can still be customized, while green items will always remain the same. Hell, I guarantee you that someone out there doesn't care much for green items because it will not suite their character.

I like this change because it adds a reason to go for boss mobs now in SF and if I want a green item bow, I can simply get another green item and trade with another player (unless the player isn't thinking). Speaking of which, I have a green hammer, anyone have a green shortbow?

The increased skill cost is too much

Disagreed. The problem with GW's economy before was gold wasn't really needed. You can bundle a crap load of gold and have nothing to spend it on. A good economy in a game needs to make feel gold worth something, and needs stuff for people to spend it on (and proper way in getting that gold). I've designed some Persistent Worlds in Neverwinter Nights, and I do know a thing or two about game economy. Having gold sinks is a necessary trait in all economies. You can get easily over a plat before you get a skill point now, so there is no reason to even complain. With the increased loots, gold item drops, and so forth, getting money isn't that hard.

My suggestion for those having trouble: Sell salvage items and weapon drops (unless its purple or gold), and sell runes. I made over 5k within a few hours by simply doing that. No farming, just straight playing.

Suggestion to Anet - If anyone from Anet is reading this, I know a good way to suggest Gold sinks for Guild halls. Upgradable guild lords, archers, and defences. You can level your footman from level 20 to 21 for <insert cost here>. You can replace an archer with a fire or air. This way, it would allow a guild to totally customize their guild hall to their specific strategies and an excellent way for gold to be spent. It would also require GvG builds to be very diverse, instead of the cookie-cutter FOTW.

There is a skill trainer with all the skills now in the fire chains. NO WORK IS INVOLVED IN GETTING SKILLS

You want to know what work? Work is lifting 50+ pounds and serving batshit insane customers with their kids. Work is designing the next greatest project. Work is what is required to MAKE A LIVING.

Work is NOT clicking monsters all day and spending uber amounts of time so your damage is increased by a decimal. They are some of us with real lives to attend to you, and the great thing about GW is I don't have to spend time to get to the 'good parts', I'm already there from level 1 to 20. Now if I want to get a certain skill, I simply do quests, kill mobs, and sell loot. Once I get that skill point, I go to oh-so-dreadful skill trainer with all the skills and done.

This is how a game should be. Get in, get out, spend an hour or two, and have fun. It's like sex, only by yourself or the sex.

That's all for now. This game is nearly flawless

And before I forgot, suggestions to Anet

- Random 8vs8 arenas
- Random 16vs16 Relic runs
- A mission that requires you to defend the fort as long as possible. The longer you last, the higher the rewards from mobs and the level.
- Nerf "I will avenge you" and Ether Renewal. People are avoiding tombs for a reason.

- Mark Iradian
Writer of Chronicles of Garas (A dark tech fantasy webcomic)

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