So Long Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 has always been a game that’s easy to return to. In many ways this has been the game’s biggest selling point for me. The lore doesn’t appeal to me that much but the games frictionless approach to combat and character stats have always made it easy to jump back into after being away. So for the last three years I have been a regular visitor to Tyria. However, many of the changes that came with the October expansion, Heart of Thorns, were not to my liking. That’s not to say that they were bad. They seem to have found favour in some quarters. But from my perspective the changes made to Guild Wars 2 have not improved or enhanced it and took the game in a direction contrary to my tastes. As a result I have stopped playing the game entirely.
In many respects I find abrupt change interesting. Guild Wars 2 was sold upon release on the idea that it wasn’t based around forced grouping, the holy trinity of classes and the ubiquitous gear grind. The game was flexible and decidedly different from the average MMORPG. Over recent years there has been a slow about turn on all these aspects of the game. This autumn’s expansion has been a further validation of this, with content that could only be completed via a group and a return to traditional raiding with new class variations to facilitate such gameplay. The increased focus on PvP by developers ArenaNet means that Guild Wars 2 has even less appeal for me now.
As a mature gamer I’m not heart broken by these changes and I do not blame the developers for trying to keep Guild Wars 2 financially viable. I hope it works out for them. The fact is that things change and they don’t always change in your favour. Therefore I shall not be playing Guild Wars 2 any further as it no longer has anything to offer me that I like. I see no reason to repeat old content, having taken three alts to level cap. So as of today I have uninstalled Guild Wars 2 and wished it a fond farewell. No tears, no fuss. The entire situation reminds me of my relationship with Doctor Who. I use to like it but it changed too much for my taste so we parted company. Such is life.