Curse

Thunder79 · Oct 14, 2007, 12:52 AM // 00:52

Casual players don't have tons of time...casual players make progress at their own pace. They play the game at their leisure. I'm sure a lot of casual players play the game solo with Heroes/Henchmen. Some try to PUG but a lot have given up on that either due to the inability to find a PUG or because of the quality of PUGs (both player competence and player attitude). This game attracts a lot of casual players because of the ability to solo....they don't have to group up to play a lot of the game. The biggest thing is...they can't complete a lot of the game in big chunks because they don't have tons of time. They simply don't have enough time to work on everything this game has to offer.

What should be done to make it more casual friendly?
-Improve the party search system so people can search for people outside of the outpost they are in...make it easier to find people who want to group. For those who need other humans in their group this would be the biggest boon to casual players who would rather play with people.
-(I'll be the first to say it in this thread)...allow 7 hero parties...that will do the most to help out casual players. It would open up a lot of Hard Mode to casual players (those who solo a lot) while the rest play the game as usual. It would have little impact on the rest of the game who already plays the game on easy mode with their full groups of human players and 24 pve-only skill slots. It would eliminate the need of people to get a human group when they don't necessarily want a PUG. Right now people are forced into PUGs because 3 heroes and 4 henchmen can't do what they need them to do...or the henchmen are outright banned (elite areas like the elite missions in factions, the Domain of Anguish, and UW/FoW). 7 heroes should not be implemented without an improvement to the party search system since it would hurt the potential PUG playerbase.

Both of those things would do amazing things to help out casual players.

Avarre · Oct 14, 2007, 12:59 AM // 00:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunder79

Some try to PUG but a lot have given up on that either due to the inability to find a PUG or because of the quality of PUGs (both player competence and player attitude).

People talk about the 'casual players' as if they were an immense, innocent body, like 'the People' in communist ideology, that can do no wrong and are always maligned. I think to be closer to the truth, the 'poor quality' of PUGs is more likely to be so because casual players are part of them.

Personally, I don't see why people are so in favor of always dumbing down the game, or making it easier and more accessible to casual players. When a hardcore player finishes the game, they play it more, grind parts, and so on. When a casual finishes, they're most likely done, on to a new game. There should be some challenge retained to hold their interest. Instead, Anet has basically made everything available, shafting older players and giving less staying value for casuals.

The game is already ridiculously casual, and there isn't really much to do besides grinding title tracks once you get past the rather short storyline. Compare this to time during Prophecies, where people without money could use collector items, and at the same time there was a depth of things to get for more hardcore players (skins instead of stats).

Snow Bunny · Oct 14, 2007, 01:03 AM // 01:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avarre

People talk about the 'casual players' as if they were an immense, innocent body, like 'the People' in communist ideology, that can do no wrong and are always maligned. I think to be closer to the truth, the 'poor quality' of PUGs is more likely to be so because casual players are part of them.

Personally, I don't see why people are so in favor of always dumbing down the game, or making it easier and more accessible to casual players. When a hardcore player finishes the game, they play it more, grind parts, and so on. When a casual finishes, they're most likely done, on to a new game. There should be some challenge retained to hold their interest. Instead, Anet has basically made everything available, shafting older players and giving less staying value for casuals.

The game is already ridiculously casual, and there isn't really much to do besides grinding title tracks once you get past the rather short storyline. Compare this to time during Prophecies, where people without money could use collector items, and at the same time there was a depth of things to get for more hardcore players (skins instead of stats).

You win the thread.

This game is as casual as you make it.

However, most people just want to keep dumbing down the game. Despite the fact that PvE only skills dumb down the game to the extent that Helen Keller could get Guardian/Vanquisher if she put her mind to it.

HawkofStorms · Oct 14, 2007, 01:28 AM // 01:28

The game was actually more casual during prophecies. IE, you didn't need to use a cookie cutter build to get into PUGs and there was a more social aspect. People couldn't get l337 gold gear and greens didn't exist, but that's okay because basically everybody used collector equipment, thus allowing the casual player to have the same equipment as the moderately rich (who even with 200k, couldn't afford a lot of nice weapons).

Now, casual means giving everybody greens and money out of the sky to make people happy. People who are new to the game now think they are "l337" for having greens and max stat items and lots of inflated money. People have become more uptight about PUGing and less forgiving about experimentation with builds.

gremlin · Oct 14, 2007, 01:31 AM // 01:31

Removing or adding content makes little difference its all how the game is perceived.
The Game is just the Game neither casual or not.
The players however, are all shades, ranging from totally apathetic to dangerously addicted.

As long as there is someone who just has fun it will be casual.

As long as there is a person who upon hearing that someone counted all the flowers in tyria and gained something from it there will be those wanting to do the same and for those players the game becomes their life.

Bryant Again · Oct 14, 2007, 02:33 AM // 02:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mineria

Like Dungeons and Dragons Online, where you can choose between different instance modes, like solo, normal and hard?
Not sure what you mean with that, since I didn't read about some party optional system. Got a link?

In terms of partying. In GW2, it's stated you can go through the whole game by yourself or with people.

ValaOfTheFens · Oct 14, 2007, 04:23 PM // 16:23

We need Beer Polymock Thursdays. When you win a game you get a Dwarven Ale in your inventory.

eudas · Oct 14, 2007, 05:33 PM // 17:33

I don't think guild wars can get any more casual. if the casual players got any more casual, they wouldn't even log in.

i don't think "hardcore" and "casual" crowds mix too well; they play for entirely different reasons.

eudas

MoldyRiceFrenzy · Oct 14, 2007, 11:45 PM // 23:45

its socialism =(

dread pirate fargus · Oct 15, 2007, 12:29 AM // 00:29

the game IS casual. to complete the game you dont have to grind ANYTHING. the grind is just there for the hardcore players who want a grind.

hey i actually enjoy having something to aim for.....

Vinraith · Oct 15, 2007, 02:54 AM // 02:54

The game's casual enough.

You can't see me · Oct 15, 2007, 02:59 AM // 02:59

New Skill:

"Casual Play" Requires: 0 Energy Activation Time: 0 Recharge: 0

(Spell) For 100 seconds, all monsters in your current area lose 1000 health per second. When this spell ends, all monsters drops are transferred to your inventory. All drops that could not fit will be offered to you in the unclaimed items box. (This Spell CAN be used in PvP) (Attribute Casual Magic)

That's the only way this game could get easier. Needs to be more challenge, and less straight up grinding. I don't mind grinding when there's a challenge to it, but it gets redundant to do the snowman dungeon over and over again, even in hard mode.

Zeek Aran · Oct 15, 2007, 03:22 AM // 03:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by You can't see me

Needs to be more challenge, and less straight up grinding. I don't mind grinding when there's a challenge to it, but it gets redundant to do the snowman dungeon over and over again, even in hard mode.

GWEN HM is actually a challenge to me compared to other parts of the game in hardmode. Surprisingly. Anyway, GW is too casual as it is for reasons stated hundreds of times before.

bog boy · Oct 15, 2007, 06:50 AM // 06:50

i definatly think that guild wars is casual enough.
titles arent neccesary but are their for the hardcore players.
u can just pick gw up play a mission turn it off unlike things like WOW where u fall behind if u log off for 30 seconds

Gattocheese · Oct 15, 2007, 07:03 AM // 07:03

The game is already super casual. And thats the way Anet wants it. If you look at GW and who has bought it, the majority of players are casual players. They are trying to appeal to casual players because they are the bigger market, and now with GWEN they are trying to appeal to other MMO players.

I personally dont like the casual aspect being a hardcore person myself. I am the type of person who tries for the ultra rare items and uber leet armors. I do agree business wise the direction that this game is going and has become, but as a person who dumps thousands and thousands of hours in video games it makes the game rather boring for me.

I believe that they can cater to both worlds on casual play and hardcore play in GW2. I really hope they can do that. Because what the game has turned into has stopped me from playing alot. Not a bad thing. There are other games on the horizon. Playing games is my hobby and i enjoy it. But in my eyes i feel like i am being forced to quit playing a game that i greatly enjoyed playing for hours on end. All the things that i held dear in GW is basically in the toilet.

Again, all games of the future will start to become more and more casual. Its just a bigger market. Years ago only a few homes, kids or teens had the new console or computer games and played their hearts out. Now everyone and every age likes playing video games, not to the extent where it consumes their whole life, but enough to enjoy games and buy em.

Sergeant of Marines · Oct 15, 2007, 07:09 AM // 07:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by You can't see me

New Skill:

"Casual Play" Requires: 0 Energy Activation Time: 0 Recharge: 0

(Spell) For 100 seconds, all monsters in your current area lose 1000 health per second. When this spell ends, all monsters drops are transferred to your inventory. All drops that could not fit will be offered to you in the unclaimed items box. (This Spell CAN be used in PvP) (Attribute Casual Magic)

That's the only way this game could get easier. Needs to be more challenge, and less straight up grinding. I don't mind grinding when there's a challenge to it, but it gets redundant to do the snowman dungeon over and over again, even in hard mode.

QFT...........that is all I need to say

Edge Martinez · Oct 15, 2007, 07:15 AM // 07:15

Since this can be a single player game if you're not playing a Warrior, Ele or Monk, the only thing I can think of to make it any more casual is to drop the DP to -10%, so you can go up or down the same amount, but not more or less.

acidic · Oct 15, 2007, 08:39 AM // 08:39

srsly why not just roll the ending credits when you make a character that would be wonderful for us casual players

leprekan · Oct 15, 2007, 08:39 AM // 08:39

Make gw more casual? This is a gag post right? Anet has been dumbing down this game for more than 2 years trying to cater to the "casual player". Seriously just how easy does it need to be? You can c space through the whole damn thing even in hm.

Refund attribute points. What you want to try a new build? Better not change anything till you kill some bad guys to make the refund points.
Lowered the exp point cap to make getting skill points easier. If that wasnt good enough we now have TOMES!
Infusion no longer have to infuse one piece at a time.
Skill capping .. we used to have to do it while the monster was ALIVE. I'm sure I am not the only one that got to do hells more than once to get a skill from a boss that didnt even use the elite before he was killed.
Green weapons *vomits* so everyone can have their perfect item (even though there was already collector weapons).
Inscriptions so timmy can have his perfect uber sword of doom.
Let's up the drop rates on runes so nobody bothers to sell them to trader!

Those are just highlights I am sure others have personal pet peeve ones to add to the list. Point being Anet has managed to dumb down the bulk of the community to the point many of us PREFER the henchies. Everything comes so easy now that to give people something to do Anet introduced title GRIND! Aren't we having fun now!! Thank you casual gamer!

Etta · Oct 15, 2007, 08:42 AM // 08:42

Make the game more casual! What is this? Might as well just give them /godmode and be done with.