Curse

SotiCoto · Sep 17, 2007, 11:37 AM // 11:37

A matter that direly needs to be addressed IMHO.
No... this isn't a complaint one way or another about the general-purpose difficulty of Guild Wars as a game.

I simply wish to emphasize in no uncertain terms just how subjective the matter of ease or difficulty actually is.

These boards are littered on a regular basis with complaints from some people about content being too difficult... and usually countered with direct objections from the other side that it is too easy. Nobody generally goes any further than that... besides the occasional slagging match.

But on what basis does a person deem something "too easy" or "too difficult"?
I'm sure it differs from one person to the next.

Personally, I consider something "too easy" if the entire thing is over before I really got to experience it.... i.e. if the enemy can all be one-hit killed with C+space and the group wiped out in under 10 seconds. As such, Shing Jea in normal mode is demonstrably "too easy" for a level 20 team. Bukdek Byway, though "easy" ... is not what I'd consider "too easy" since the battles can't be instantly C+spaced away to nothingness in mere moments.

On the flipside... I consider something "too difficult" if the mobs cannot be beaten without someone dying. While in theory it is possible to survive almost anything in Guild Wars, there are some areas where death is unavoidable without a very specialised team. For example... the Domain of Fear in Torment, without any Lightbringer ranks, I would personally consider "too difficult" (though with enough Lightbringer it becomes manageable)... whereas Raisu Palace, even without Celestial Skills, is what I'd consider perfect difficulty and good fun.

Now... other people will have different ways of defining these.
I'm sure there are some who consider the game "too easy" if they CAN get through without dying. Heck, there are probably some who consider it "too easy" if they can get through at all.

And THAT is where the problem lies.

.... It also leads me to my next point:

Personal Challenge

Now pay close attention. This is indisputable fact.

In a game like Guild Wars... there is almost infinite scope for a person to make the game more difficult for themselves.
Contrariwise, there is very little scope for a person to make the game easier for themselves.

So why... therefore.... does the game revolve around those calling for it to be harder?
The folks who have difficulty with things already have no choice but to either get superior help to get through the tougher areas..... or just not to go at all. Yet for those who want a challenge.... all they need do is reduce the size of their party.... or change their build to a more awkward one. They could try playing primarily as their secondary class for instance. Perhaps all they need do is accumulate a bit of death penalty. There is almost infinite potential for them to make the game more difficult for themselves...... BUT instead, they expect A-Net to do it for them, and consequentially the same content is exponentially more difficult for those who were already challenged.

Now.... I'm not saying I find PvE in general to be difficult. I have a bit more trouble than some people here in a few places, but on the whole I'm satisfied with the difficulty of Normal Mode PvE. I only use Hard Mode for farming however.... since I'm not comfortable with that level of difficulty.
And likewise there are many who can't even do as much as I do because they find the game too challenging for one reason or other. Simply giving them a different build won't make it easier for them. Some people just lack the innate mind-set needed to make it in the harder parts of the game....
Exactly how are they supposed to enjoy what they have purchased if the game is ever more revolving around those who bay for it to be tougher (who are too damned lazy or uncreative to set their own challenges).... and ever further out of their reach?

Believe it or not.... PvE is not supposed to be a sport.
It is not meant to be competitive. Leave that for PvP.
It really needs to be a stimulus for thought and creativity; NOT a test of reflexes.

[p.s. I won't take too kindly to the "lern 2 play" tards chanting their mantra here. It isn't relevant nor wanted. I'm a conservative, 0ld-sk00l gamer; not one of these modern age casuals.]

[p.p.s. This is NOT a cry to make Guild Wars easier. This is just a request for people to be a bit more understanding of the ability level of others.]

Faer · Sep 17, 2007, 12:24 PM // 12:24

For me, "easy" is: Flag heroes, maybe call a target, go AFK, come back, move on to next group of foes, repeat. As you might expect, I consider "difficult" anything that actually makes me pay attention to what I, or my team, is doing.

Sadly, this is how I play all of Normal Mode PvE, and I get by with it in Hard Mode on occasion as well. It's just too tedius for me to bother concentrating when I have a team of AI that, while fairly retarded, can get the job done with very little interaction from me. It's all about Build Wars in PvE, and personally, I don't find Build Wars fun. I do it because I want to mess around in Hard Mode End-Game Content with friends and guildies, and that's it.

This, to me, is easy. Setting up a build, and being able to let the game play itself.

SotiCoto · Sep 17, 2007, 12:29 PM // 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faer

For me, "easy" is: Flag heroes, maybe call a target, go AFK, come back, move on to next group of foes, repeat. As you might expect, I consider "difficult" anything that actually makes me pay attention to what I, or my team, is doing.

Sadly, this is how I play all of Normal Mode PvE, and I get by with it in Hard Mode on occasion as well. It's just too tedius for me to bother concentrating when I have a team of AI that, while fairly retarded, can get the job done with very little interaction from me. It's all about Build Wars in PvE, and personally, I don't find Build Wars fun. I do it because I want to mess around in Hard Mode End-Game Content with friends and guildies, and that's it.

This, to me, is easy. Setting up a build, and being able to let the game play itself.

Fair enough... though if it weren't for situations like that, I'd have found myself dead a great many times by now whenever I get DCed in the middle of a battle.
It annoys me greatly when that happens.... but more often than not, when I reconnect the enemies are all dead and there are a few bits of loot to pick up. I'd rather it be that way than to reconnect and find the party loitering around at a Res Shrine with death penalty.

Admittedly.... the best possible scenario is to get reconnected to find nothing much has changed and both sides are still fighting each other.
To feel like I make a difference is important to me.....

fenix · Sep 17, 2007, 12:32 PM // 12:32

Honestly, I was let down by the difficulty of EOTN. I played through reasonably casually, and finished it in 2 days. But the point is, I finished it all with 3 heroes and 4 henchmen. There was two occasions that I failed a mission. The final mission. I failed it twice in a row, due to my mistake on hero bars, which was solved when I changed them (my 3rd attempt I won without a death, let alone anyone below 80% health). Now this may seem like I am bragging, but I am now. Let me make that clear. I just had no difficulty with the game at all. Sure, Dinosaurs would wipe me now and then, but I had one or two Hard Res's, which more than made up for it.

I have decided to show my exact bars, in order to see what I was working with. This will show you that I didn't run anything out of the ordinary, I just ran average bars, and didn't lose. So here they are:

Firstly, I am a Warrior, so I used the following:

Dragon Slash, Standing Slash, Sun and Moon Slash, Flail, "There's Nothing To Fear!", "Finish Him!", "For Great Justice!", Sunspear Res Sig

Not that out of the ordinary. TNTF gave excellent defense, Finish Him made targets at ~20% health instantly die, and FGJ allowed me to spam Dslash over and over.

Next my Elementalist Hero bars. I ran 3 of these, although the 3rd was different. They were:

Searing Flames, Glowing Gaze, Fireball, Glyph Lesser, Heal Party, Mark of Rodgort, Fire Attunement, Res Sig

For my 3rd Ele, he would bring Cure Hex instead of Mark of Rodgort, and Res Chant instead of Res Sig.

Quite a standard build. I then ran Mhenlo, Lina, Cynn, Herta. Cynn added to the fire damage, Herta had wards which was very handy, and the monks did their jobs well.

Now sometimes, I changed my hero bars. Like when I was doing Gadd's story, and the last missions. These bars were General Morgahn, Hayda and Livia. Bars:

Hayda: Spear of Lightning, Merciless Spear, Aria of Zeal, Go For The Eyes!, Expel Hexes [E], Signet of Synergy (or Mirror of Disenchantment), Aggressive Refrain, Res Sig

Morgahn: Spear of Lightning, Merciless Spear, Ballad of Restoration, Watch Yourself!, Song of Restoration [E], Signet of Synergy, Aggressive Refrain, Res Sig

Livia: Spiteful Spirit, Reckless Haste, Enfeebling Blood, Blood Ritual, Well of Ruin, Glyph Lesser, Signet of Lost Souls, Res Sig

Once again, standard bars. The Paragons have excellent defense, and excellent offense, and the Necro adds in defense in the form of melee shutdown, as well as damage. I used the same 4 henchmen.

I ran these two combinations for the entire game, without any problems. When I went against the end boss, I had brought Sandstorm + Savannah + Livia, with myself bringing Winter, but found it to be too janky, so I swapped to the Para/Para/Nec combo, and the boss was dead without anyone below 80%.

So, overall, I had no problems with EOTN, with reasonably simple bars. The difficulty isn't a problem, it's just about having smart skill bars, and being prepared for what you are going to face.

Bryant Again · Sep 17, 2007, 12:40 PM // 12:40

I guess I don't consider the game getting "easy" as much as it is "boring". The difficulty in PvE is not a test of reflexes or skill, but how you put together your build. I find it boring and easy when I put together a build that steamrolls a whole campaign. The challenge for me is when I have to come up with different builds for different areas. When I come up with a build and am able to use it for an entire continent is when I conclude that it was not challenging enough.

In this sense, GW:EN has so far disappointed me. I've had vary little variation in my teambuild, and have had to vary little with my teambuild in dungeons: I use the same set up for every one of them, with the only change happening to my build (and I take out the MM in a few).

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

In a game like Guild Wars... there is almost infinite scope for a person to make the game more difficult for themselves.

And the only way to do so is horribly boring (insert annoying "you can't have your cake and eat it too lololol" saying.)

Darkobra · Sep 17, 2007, 12:53 PM // 12:53

I think the game's quite easy as long as you know how to adapt and to learn how to counter. It's not possible for some one to know every single skill in the game when they've just started, nor is it possible for them to know how to counter the enemies they've just started to face.

The idiots who just say "learn 2 play k?" are mainly the people who want to seem like they know it all, which is even more so if that's ALL they say. People who are more experienced can actually provide help for others and how to counter the areas they struggle with, providing they at least tell others what they're struggling with.

You don't immediately learn the game and newer players do struggle. With help from older players, giving advice to attack small groups at a time and wait for others to regen energy, you'll eventually find the game far easier than when you just started.

SotiCoto · Sep 17, 2007, 01:01 PM // 13:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryant Again

I guess I don't consider the game getting "easy" as much as it is "boring". The difficulty in PvE is not a test of reflexes or skill, but how you put together your build.

But those two really do play a part. You might not appreciate it just because you can steamroll through everything... but I know from personal experience that even two people with totally identical builds and equipment can often get totally different results. Often this is down to experience using the build, but sometimes it can be as whimsical a matter as connection speed / reliability or... yes.... even reflexes. I'm absolutely useless at interrupting as Mesmer or Ranger... and the only such option available to me is to Daze the enemy and wail on them as much as possible. There are other folks out there who can quite easily interrupt spells with 3/4 second cast times. I'm just not that talented.

Quote:

I find it boring and easy when I put together a build that steamrolls a whole campaign. The challenge for me is when I have to come up with different builds for different areas. When I come up with a build and am able to use it for an entire continent is when I conclude that it was not challenging enough.

Why do you phrase it as though "boring" and "challenging" are opposites?
That is something I have yet to understand.... but I'd imagine it is down to differences in background and personal psyche.
And what precisely do you mean by "steamrolling"? .... If you're talking about builds that will kill anything without even making use of its full potential.... then I'd almost be inclined to agree. If you just mean one build that can beat everything.... then I'd tend to have a different opinion.
Considering that I draw the entertainment from the overall feel of the fight and not the specifics of the skills used.... the simple fact that it is a clash of forces and somehow I must come out on top in order to progress to new depths.... I'd have to query what part of it you find entertaining? Are you more focused on lack of variety in your own bar than the variety of your surrounding world? Do you prefer to be forced to change what you do systematically than to change it of your own volition and choice?

This isn't criticism; just genuine curiosity...
I've never found "challenge" to equate to "fun" in particular... so this is somewhat of a psychological exercise for me.

Quote:

And the only way to do so is horribly boring (insert annoying "you can't have your cake and eat it too lololol" saying.)

You don't like tweaking your build for novelty value rather than necessity?
You never ran around Shing Jea Island in your underwear?
You find such things boring? Sounds kinda ironic, to me.... ^_^;

If it is boring, then it only demonstrates a lack of self-entertainment ability and creativity. I'm sure you could manage to find something amusing to challenge yourself with if you tried.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkobra

You don't immediately learn the game and newer players do struggle. With help from older players, giving advice to attack small groups at a time and wait for others to regen energy, you'll eventually find the game far easier than when you just started.

While that is true to a degree.... the matter of skill and mentality still plays a part.
I count myself among those sorta people who.... while reasonably experienced at the game (with certain exceptions), lack the simple skill needed to excel at certain parts.
While experience alone is sufficient for almost all of Normal Mode PvE .... it takes something more to do well in the Elite Areas or Hard Mode. Knowing the skill-bar and how to use the skills is one thing, but knowing the optimal place to position yourself relative to the enemy and the rest of the party, being able to adjust it as they move in synchronisation and timing your skills around theirs isn't dependant on experience alone.

And yes.... I somewhat resent that I should be denied a substantial amount of game content because it was added soley for the sake of those who have the skill, when despite my best efforts I cannot do as they do.

TheHaxor · Sep 17, 2007, 01:05 PM // 13:05

Difficulty is an illusion. You are given the tools (skills, armor, runes, etc.) to make the game as difficult as you would like it to be. Those of us who just like to steamroll through the game have the ability to do so because we know how to build a team capable of doing it in the shortest amount of time possible. By being creative, you can make the game as difficult as you like. The reason the game is not more difficult overall is because the average-below average player also needs to be able to succeed in the game. If the more casual player is not able to succeed, then the game community dwindles because many of them will decide to quit the game. This is not to say that the game doesn't reward the better players. For example, if you can complete an elite area faster than most people, you will be rewarded with more quality drops than those who can't complete it nearly as quickly.

I think people are upset mostly by the difficulty of EotN. They feel the elite endgame content (destroyer weapons) are too easy to obtain. I would have to agree. However, I don't think the difficulty of the areas need to be adjusted, just the drop rate of the high-end items (See: Onyx stones). The game mechanics also need to be fixed (See: Ferry to Duncan).

KamikazeChicken · Sep 17, 2007, 01:19 PM // 13:19

Too easy: Standing there with 0 skills and having 7 hench complete your objective. This describes 90% or more of GW PvE, NM and HM.

Some people are more than able to have hench do everything for them, yet some people fail utilizing the exact same party. Whether something is easy or hard depends entirely on an individual's skill level (this includes ability to control aggro, pull aggro, call vital targets,etc.). Gimping yourself (DP, etc.) doesn't remove your skill level and won't actually increase difficulty of the area. This is why people require additional, more-challenging content from Anet, or they simply go off to a new game.

reverse_oreo · Sep 17, 2007, 01:20 PM // 13:20

Personally for me, this game is easy. I am in a very pve happy guild (sms) but even when i am not playing with them, H/H is still very easy to me. I decided to see how my team would handle THK HM without me. I build 3 hero bars and brought 4 henchies and got to the end flagged them and sat back and watched. They died, as i tohught they should, but it took a long time for that. Had i been participating, calling targets ect...i have no doubt in my mind that it would have been an easy win. For me, the only hard things about this game are the end missions on HM. Even those are easy with the right people. Take mallyx for example. He is supposedly very hard. Not so much..paragons and rits are your friends. They make this game so easy. All im saying is this game could be harder, but the casual player i think would have difficulty playing in any of these areas without dying a lot. Oh well, its all personal perspective. I personally think the game is not hard.

SotiCoto · Sep 17, 2007, 01:21 PM // 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheHaxor

Difficulty is an illusion. You are given the tools (skills, armor, runes, etc.) to make the game as difficult as you would like it to be.

Y'know... the funny thing is... if I had the h4x ability to wash through all three campaigns, Eye of the North AND the Elite Areas like I do the starter islands.... I would most probably use it. I expect others would too (and then complain the game was too easy because of it, despite nobody forcing them to use it)...
No such thing exists though.

Urgoz's Warren likely won't ever be accessable for me, and it certainly won't ever be as easy as Shing Jea (I just want to see what it looks like for myself first-hand, and how Urgoz himself looks; I don't care how nasty the enemies are as I don't consider that entertainment).

On the flipside, it is a piece of cake to make Shing Jea as difficult as Urgoz's Warren normally is.... relatively speaking. Just strip down naked, remove all attribute points and start wanding. Eventually it will become a matter of careful positioning to keep yourself alive. Lower level characters still do find things like the Captured Son quest to be awkward.... remember... (though I usually do it as a matter of course on the way to Zen Daijun).

WasAGuest · Sep 17, 2007, 01:24 PM // 13:24

I found EoTN to be very easy actually. Since NF and the AI fubar I simply stopped taking a warrior for anything other than a crippler, knockdown(er) or nothing more than someone to get in the mobs way and tie them up for a few seconds.
This held true in EoTN as I still found a warrior (AI) was useless for anything other than the above gimicks.

I tore through EoTN rarely loosing even a hench by doing the following:

Smiting monk (me) - mainly cause I was bored
SS Neco
MM Rit with Explosive Growth and Boon of Creation
Derv or Assassin with crippling or the fast attacks for keeping mobs dazed.

Henchies included Lina, Mhenlo, Eve and Zho.

With this, I was even able to rip through all the masters quests and dungeons using only H+H. Funniest yet, the builds I used weren't even what I would call, all that great... beware of oozes when relying on MM though. lol

Second time through it, I was playing a Paragon with DA and TNtF and am finding it even easier with the same above setup as the paragons' skills really help.

I talked to someone the other day who was having problems with NF and EoTN and after talking with them, they were still trying to get the warrior to "tank". I suggested to this person to take a dervish with a certain build so that the derv could attempt the job of "tank". Person whispered me 30 minutes later elated that they finally got through the mission they had been stuck on for a week. What I found funny, is that I made the suggestion only half thinking it through cause they were insisting that "someone" had to be able to tank.

Edit: Without giving a spoiler, I had to ditch Zho at the end for obvious reasons (obvious for those that have finished EoTN).

SotiCoto · Sep 17, 2007, 01:30 PM // 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by KamikazeChicken

Too easy: Standing there with 0 skills and having 7 hench complete your objective. This describes 90% or more of GW PvE, NM and HM.

From what I've found it constitutes a little under 40%... and isn't time-efficient.

Quote:

Some people are more than able to have hench do everything for them, yet some people fail utilizing the exact same party. Whether something is easy or hard depends entirely on an individual's skill level (this includes ability to control aggro, pull aggro, call vital targets,etc.).

Much what I've been saying.
And it shouldn't. Skill might come into play if you're being paid to do something, but if you are voluntarily aiming for entertainment then skill shouldn't come into it.

Quote:

Gimping yourself (DP, etc.) doesn't remove your skill level and won't actually increase difficulty of the area. This is why people require additional, more-challenging content from Anet, or they simply go off to a new game.

It doesn't remove skill level, but it sure as hell might force you to use it.
And so freakin help me.... if I can bring entertainment back to the original Pokémon games by completing them upside-down or even by sound alone (yes... I did just that, though it took a while)... then I'm sure you can bring entertainment into Guild Wars by being creative with your play style and setting up your own obstacles. Nobody is forcing you to play it the way you're already good at.
And people certainly do NOT need more challenging content at the expense of those who are denied its experience.
Hard Mode should never have been assigned special titles or extra rewards for using it.... as the folks for whom Hard Mode was made would surely consider the extra difficulty its own reward. As it stands, it only demonstrates that there is extra content that is denied to a large portion of the population. This goes especially for the Elite areas.

Etta · Sep 17, 2007, 01:59 PM // 13:59

It’s the knowledge of skills, areas, enemies and builds that separated the veterans from the casuals. The casual players may only have ever played one or two professions and have no idea about other classes and their skills. Also they may not have all of the chapters therefore only have limit amount of skills, hence the below par heroes skill bars which lead to poor performance overall. They’re also mostly relying on pugs and someone who know how, to get the thing done.

Compare to the Vets, who have mostly everything, strong set of skills, builds and experiences. Take SF ele for example, a couple of them can still get you pass most places in Eotn, sadly but it works. Not so lucky for those who only have Prophecies or Factions.

Now Eye of the North is aiming at lv20 players, but what kind of lv20 players are they aiming for? Those who do elite areas all the time, those who finished all of the missions in hard-mode? Or those average lv20 Joe, who may not even been to the ring of fire, unwaking water or gate of madness? Or lastly those who played as normal, played all or most of the professions, finished all 3 games never bother with hard-mode but have a good understanding of the game?

The first group will find Eotn as easy as taking candy from a baby, the second will get beaten up by that baby. While the third group will buy himself a new candy.

WasAGuest · Sep 17, 2007, 02:04 PM // 14:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

Hard Mode should never have been assigned special titles or extra rewards for using it.... as the folks for whom Hard Mode was made would surely consider the extra difficulty its own reward. As it stands, it only demonstrates that there is extra content that is denied to a large portion of the population. This goes especially for the Elite areas.

Now this I agree with 100%. HM is supposed to be optional, completely. However, with the added addition of LS, and the other "free" (as in non-money sink) titles, HM is NOT completely optional. HM should only have one difference; the mobs. All drops, rewards and titles should be the same in NM or HM.

Note: I don't even find HM "hard", I find it annoying, but certainly not "hard". I find it these days nothing more than a "fast track" for farming cash, drops and points. Even the old fall back argument of "challenge for reward" falls flat on HM vs NM arguments. It's easier to solo farm in HM than it is in NM even with the scatter-brained AI in HM (as in they scatter in AoEs).

EternalTempest · Sep 17, 2007, 02:15 PM // 14:15

I think this is also one of the reason's for GW 2.

Each previous game becomes easier if you have access to latter campaign's.
The new jobs add new dynamics not found in the pervious games (and new skills) always makes the previous one easier.

In reguards to Gw:en, there so many possilbiites of of professions and skill selection now, it is possible to find a combo can blaze through the conent.

SotiCoto · Sep 17, 2007, 02:42 PM // 14:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by EternalTempest

I think this is also one of the reason's for GW 2.

Each previous game becomes easier if you have access to latter campaign's.
The new jobs add new dynamics not found in the pervious games (and new skills) always makes the previous one easier.

In reguards to Gw:en, there so many possilbiites of of professions and skill selection now, it is possible to find a combo can blaze through the conent.

You do have a point there.

The more potential that is added to the player but not to the environment.... the more easily the player will be able to just sweep through that environment. Later environments have been made with this in mind.... quite possibly just to bring up the environment to a level of difficulty comparable to that of the original environment without all the additional aid.

The thing is.... we all have our own particular "comfort levels" .... and mine happens to have been reached at around Raisu Palace with all Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall content level. Factions is still the campaign to which I compare all others... Eye of the North however has been made quite differently to that, even to the point of expecting reliance on PvE-only skills (which aren't something I'm fond of, for the most part) and those Consumables (which require cash investment).

While A-Net can't go back to change Prophecies to make it match all the new content added in the meanwhile.... it isn't entirely necessary that they try to amp up the difficulty all the time to try and keep it difficult. If a person wants to use skills from only the one campaign then there is no reason why they can't.

Taki · Sep 17, 2007, 02:52 PM // 14:52

Differing experience and skill levels will lead to some people finding the game too easy and others too hard. Nothing hard to understand about that. But while people can "get creative" to make the game harder by doing stupid and rather pointless things like playing in underwear in hard mode with 3 people unpside down, instead of the way intended and designed, they can also "lern2play" to make the game easier.

As you learn more about the game and apply that knowledge GW gets boringly easy as you know what to expect and how to beat it. Or at least how prepare to beat or exploit most of whatever you may face. But outside of people with learning disabilities there are players who don't want to spend the effort to get better. They don't want to read skill descriptions, pay attention to what mobs and other players are doing or what's going on around them. They don't want to do basic research and experiments on game mechanics or build combinations. They can't be assed to improve but will whine all day about it as that takes less effort and thought. And it's as simple as that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

Much what I've been saying.
And it shouldn't. Skill might come into play if you're being paid to do something, but if you are voluntarily aiming for entertainment then skill shouldn't come into it.

This is another thing people differ on. For many, playing a game of basketball, baseball, beach vollyball, golf, tetris, go-kart racing, gymnastics, or whatever, is more enjoyable if you're decent at it. That is, it's more fun to hit a baseball than it is to strikeout - regardless if voluntarily aiming for entertainment or getting paid to hammer homeruns. It's more fun to do that double back-hand-spring or triple twist in the air than to land upside down on your head and almost break your damn neck. And it's more fun to have a challenge - however slight - when playing a game like GW. If you're not thinking while playing a game it's just another idiot box.

Cebe · Sep 17, 2007, 02:55 PM // 14:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

Eye of the North however has been made quite differently to that, even to the point of expecting reliance on PvE-only skills (which aren't something I'm fond of, for the most part).

I wouldn't say EotN expects you to "rely" on PvE-Only skills. I refuse to take most outright, since I like my current builds, and most seem useless at a low rank when you're first starting out in Eye of the North, by the time you finish the game and have accrued enough reputation for them, you don't need them any more...

The only ones I've used is Breath of the Great Dwarf, on a Mantra of Recovery Mesmer in the final mission against The Great Destroyer, Pain Inverter, because it's funny to watch people kill themselves, and Light of Deldrimor in Dungeons for the pittiful "treasures" and dumbass ghosts.

Vinraith · Sep 17, 2007, 02:59 PM // 14:59

Too easy makes the game boring. Having to impose artificial restrictions on yourself to make a game challenging is fundamentally unsatisfying. It's really that simple. Similarly a game that's too difficult is frustrating. Both conditions are to be avoided. A game needs to be challenging and consequently satisfying without being impossibly frustrating. Skill level varies from player to player, but in my opinion the game SHOULD require one to elevate ones skill to really progress. I'd err on the side of "too hard" over "too easy" any day of the week.