Curse

Karia Mirniman · Sep 15, 2007, 03:29 PM // 15:29

I’m a bit depressed.

It’s a nice day, the mirror didn’t scare me this morning, I’ve got things to do and plans’ for later.

Hmmm, what caused this feeling?

Oh yes. I played GW with my coffee.

But that can’t be the problem. Last night we had great fun, almost a party, everyone listening to the same net radio, dancing, endless totally random chat

and music requests, mine was Linkin Park - In The End.

Must be something else.

I wonder if it’s the new poverty. The finding that I’m getting poorer unless I ‘work’. Oh silly, a computer game is an enjoyment, an entertainment, something created to give pleasure. It can’t be work, work is ironing, washing smelly socks, finding the socks.

I’m not poor. 300k is nice to have. Ok I did work incredibly hard to get it doing the same 4 quests over and over again.

Oh I remember now. I was slowly getting poorer before, I think I had 8k, parasite heroes taking everything, the occasional something nice costing a bit too much. Then I ‘worked’ (I wish I had one of those bot armies) and got enough together to make some of them happy, buy a mini pet as a gift for a friend and that so cool vabbi jacket I keep for special days.

But this morning, coffee, croissant, sunshine and GW. it’s back to the drudgery. Around I go in an attempt to get the ‘so totally anal’ cartographer title

and I’m not getting anything other than unfogged map and a slowly increasing need for prozac. I’m playing a game that’s saying ‘This is a real life simulation, this is not a game’.

Looking around now, 19 level 20 Heket for 10 gold makes me feel like I’m unwanted. How will my having a title compensate for my permanently grey armour, because to feed my heroes I don’t dare waste gold on dye. When I go all over the place killing everything I’ll very occasionally find a gold. But why bother doing that, It’ll be some not quite useable shield with an inscription called ‘one step forward two steps back’. Oh and don’t get me started on those dreadful chests.

I wonder if there’s a low dose Prozac. One for mid level GW gamers.

For me the enjoyment comes from all sorts of things. The place itself; I love the chill feeling in the mountains, that creepy emptiness east of Dunes of Despair. I love the stories, the little day to day issues the npc have. I love the fun when it’s time to socialise. I used to love that I could afford buy things; that I found useable weapons and the idea that I was eventually going to get the nice looking Luxon armor.

But what I don’t like, what is pushing me back to dusting, the overpowered dyson and the cat litter tray is the almost total lack of drops, the new poverty. I don’t remember ever playing a game so noticeably stingy. I can go almost everywhere, kill most things. But a few whites and blues are no compensation for the effort. I’m sure I’m not really much different from the majority of players, well in fact that’s not true, I do play too many hours.

If I’m feeling the need to save my gold like a Japanese housewife, so I have enough for some special set of skills or weapons needed in a particular mission, what must be happening to the poor new players desperate to get enough together for AL45.

It is really ridiculous that the ‘ecomony’ is more important than the enjoyment provided by the game. Don’t give me fancy words in the hall of monuments if I can’t afford to look fancy.

So my anti-depression plan. The next time I need to be reminded about work, I’ll ‘play’ GW as the designers intend. Until then I’ll window shop, meet my friends, be random on local chat and log off when CSI starts.

Karia

Kakumei · Sep 15, 2007, 03:35 PM // 15:35

Oh hey, another one of these.

Quote:

I’m not poor. 300k is nice to have. Ok I did work incredibly hard to get it doing the same 4 quests over and over again.

Wait, so you have 300k? What on earth are you complaining about? That's a fine amount of money for a vast majority of the frivolous purchases.

Quote:

But this morning, coffee, croissant, sunshine and GW. it’s back to the drudgery. Around I go in an attempt to get the ‘so totally anal’ cartographer title and I’m not getting anything other than unfogged map and a slowly increasing need for prozac. I’m playing a game that’s saying ‘This is a real life simulation, this is not a game’.

Then don't get the title? Why are you struggling to get something you don't even really want?

People who play this game are so weird.

Deathly_Overlord · Sep 15, 2007, 03:42 PM // 15:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kakumei

People who play this game are so weird.

^ LOL

Another " Oh noes loot scallingz!!!1" thread?

You have 300k why are you complaining? - And if you are so sick of the game dont play :P

onerabbit · Sep 15, 2007, 03:48 PM // 15:48

omfg i hate gw! im emo, i only have 700k! oh noes! Depression!! ahh .. cant get this damn title! *cuts wrists*

Government Flu · Sep 15, 2007, 03:55 PM // 15:55

I do get tired of the grinding factor of Guild Wars, but from what I hear, this is a staple in most online RPGs. To the original poster, let me tell you something. I've pissed away more gold than I can remember or account for over my 16 months of playing Guild Wars. From multiple guild capes, to multiple characters carrying 15k armor dyed white or black, even one warrior clad in full obsidian, gloom shields, fellblades, IDS's, greens upon greens upon greens...

(And a fully stocked guild hall...I didn't pay for all of it, but contributed a hefty sum.)

There's still something to enjoy in the game. Perhaps you can't enjoy the fun because you're trying too hard to get something silly and pointless. I admit I wondered why I recently spent about 150k for elite armor and black dye for my assassin, but now that it's out of the way, I can enjoy the game...

Until the next grinding factor comes into play. Anyway, just take it easy. Relax and just play for once instead of worrying about titles, armor, and weapons.

Remember: Guild Wars gives an option to the hardcore players and casual players. Choose a side and stick with it. Don't complain about expenses when a collector blue is just as effective as a 200k elemental sword.

mr_groovy · Sep 15, 2007, 04:06 PM // 16:06

40k in storage over here

oh nooeeesss. I'm so poor my avatar is baithing in my sorrow.

IIIPowerIII · Sep 15, 2007, 04:19 PM // 16:19

haha same for me... 250k atm. Nothing to buy, got some title to finish, but as soon I start to work on them, I become Bored... :| So now I hang in GH and chat... Until I find something to do... :P

Esan · Sep 15, 2007, 04:58 PM // 16:58

I appreciate the effort you put into that post, Karia, but trying to write anything eloquent here is simply putting pearls before swine. Our number one, some would say only, competency is our ability to regurgitate internet memes that have done the circuit from 4chan to the penny arcade forums.

Darkobra · Sep 15, 2007, 05:01 PM // 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by onerabbit

omfg i hate gw! im emo, i only have 700k! oh noes! Depression!! ahh .. cant get this damn title! *cuts wrists*

Don't forget to use Mending to fix that. What, do the idiots SCAMPER to these threads? I'm starting to see a trend. If it has more than three lines, people like you won't read. So I'm going to try to keep this below four lines for you.

Eldin · Sep 15, 2007, 05:10 PM // 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karia Mirniman

I’m not poor. 300k is nice to have. Ok I did work incredibly hard to get it doing the same 4 quests over and over again.

The richest I have EVER BEEN is 70k. Currently I am living off of 40k and haven't made any real profit in ages - I'm living off of ecto sales from the olden days when they were worth something.

That's my ranger. My other characters are all at about 15k.

You are fabulously rich by comparison to me, good sir.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karia Mirniman

But this morning, coffee, croissant, sunshine and GW. it’s back to the drudgery. Around I go in an attempt to get the ‘so totally anal’ cartographer title

and I’m not getting anything other than unfogged map and a slowly increasing need for prozac. I’m playing a game that’s saying ‘This is a real life simulation, this is not a game’.

If it's hard and you don't care much for it, don't get it.

I'm currently at 90% cartography, which in itself is quite rewarding. That's about as far as one can get before they need to start doing wall scraping and necrotic traversal to uncover 0.1%.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karia Mirniman

If I’m feeling the need to save my gold like a Japanese housewife, so I have enough for some special set of skills or weapons needed in a particular mission, what must be happening to the poor new players desperate to get enough together for AL45.

You are friggin' rich.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karia Mirniman

It is really ridiculous that the ‘ecomony’ is more important than the enjoyment provided by the game. Don’t give me fancy words in the hall of monuments if I can’t afford to look fancy.

GW has quite a bit of enjoyment that is not economy-related, and some of the methods for making money are enjoying in themselves (like UW farming with 3 rangers, it's fun to socialize with them whilst you work).

The HoM is hated by everyone. The need for max titles and stuff, I know, is unfair. We can just pray ANet fixes that.

Stolen Souls · Sep 15, 2007, 05:20 PM // 17:20

I wish I still had my 300k. omg I r teh depressed!!

Onarik Amrak · Sep 15, 2007, 05:26 PM // 17:26

So can i have that 300k? It sounds like you don't need it.

Loviatar · Sep 15, 2007, 05:27 PM // 17:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eldin

The HoM is hated by everyone. The need for max titles and stuff, I know, is unfair. We can just pray ANet fixes that.

.......the HALL OF THE MUNDANE..........

MY DRUNKARDS ALL QUALIFY........ill drink to that

no item OVER MIN gets in

only pre max armor...........i love it already

A HALL OF THE MINIMUM

dare i use the word *special* for it?

wolfwing · Sep 15, 2007, 05:29 PM // 17:29

Well being rich in money doesn't help that the drops you get suck of late :>

zwei2stein · Sep 15, 2007, 05:50 PM // 17:50

BiP. It solves everything.

Operative 14 · Sep 15, 2007, 05:52 PM // 17:52

I can kind of see where the OP is coming from. I've built up a respectable sum (239k ATM, 251k last week; highest it's ever been). But not matter how much I save, I feel like I still have to save even more. It's hard to get out of that 'save all the gold you can' mentallity that you have when you're building up your funds.

Though granted, I'm not sure in what way you have to maintain your heros. I've never seen Koss ask for a drink of water, much less it being neccessary for him to have a complete set of armor made out of peices costing 20K+ each.

I had a lot of fun getting my cartographers title to!

at least until it stalled at 93.2% becuase I can't figure out where the other 7.8% is.

Tom Swift · Sep 15, 2007, 05:53 PM // 17:53

Two thumbs up to the OP

The new poverty is not about cash.

It's about finishing a hard fight on your way somewhere else and then looking around, seeing the miserly 10g, and saying, "now, what did I do that for again?"

There was no cash reward - no movement forward on a title - not even a real challenge in the fight itself - if anything that fight just slowed me down and kept me from getting to what a I really wanted to do, whether advancing cartographer, finishing a quest or just looking at the scenery. It provided no reward, no benefit, nothing to move the game forward. And there are dozens of fights like that on the way to do anything in this game. It's called grind and it's no fun. If mobs actually dropped something at least then one could say, ok, that slowed me down but I got something from it.

The new poverty is a poverty of enjoyment, not money - 30 minutes grind to get the two minutes of fun.

Bleh!

YunSooJin · Sep 15, 2007, 06:20 PM // 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esan

I appreciate the effort you put into that post, Karia, but trying to write anything eloquent here is simply putting pearls before swine. Our number one, some would say only, competency is our ability to regurgitate internet memes that have done the circuit from 4chan to the penny arcade forums.

QFT x100000900