How is this game still popular?

Why not ? It's a casual MMO without a subscription. Of course it's still popular.

I quit this game solely because of gliders, and now they're adding mounts so I don't bother.

>>388087596
If you ask us the people who quit the game long time ago which is very small minority population of the game's, the answer is simple: we don't know.

>>388087596
Its not popular. If you think shill posts make it popular then it seems like they are working.

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>>388090094
Explain this, then. It has more subs than the FFXIV subreddit

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>>388087596
Why is singleplayer WoW popular?
Why is fetch quest simulator FFXIV popular?

Why is any MMO popular? Addiction and an obsessive fanbase that tries to lure in fresh meat whenever they can. Just look at FFXIV on /v/, it's probably the worst game being discussed on the board at most hours, yet people claim to love it.

>>388090272
ffxiv seems to be more active

>>388090272
The game is F2P, of course it is more popular.

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>>388087596
Nothing really does what GW2 does when you think about it. WoW and FF14 are essentially the same thing with different skins, and they're two big dogs right now.

>>388090272
MMOs are a saturated market. At least in the West. Only WoW, FFXIV and GW2 still have notable playerbases because nothing that gets released does anything that those three aren't doing better(in the eyes of the western majority of players). For the time being it's basically a shared monopoly of the available playerbase of MMO players. Eventually one of them or all of them will die off and something else will take a spot.

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>>388090669
sandbox hasn't yet been covered, but it seems like no one can do it right for whatever reason

>>388090669
You forget that EVE is still pretty active and profitable.
BDO is doing alright from the looks of it

that's basically everything for MMORPGs, but "MMOs" like Warframe and PUBG are probably doing better than everything, but WoW.

>>388090789
It's like with arena shooters. Lots of people say they want or at least imply that they want arena shooters that require lots of skill, tactics and reflexes. But in the end they actually don't, they're just saying it because it sounds good. And because they're envisioning a perfect game where they are the perfect player. And then they go and play games like CoD/TF2/CS/OW instead.

People clamour about sandbox MMOs where you can do anything, in the spirit of Molyneux. Because once more, people envision the perfect MMO with unlimited freedom, a second life in a fantasy world where you're a hero and you're free to do anything. And then players realize that without a clear goal of some sort they just feel lost. Without the framework of a themepark they find themselves at a loss of what to do. Or they don't realize why they aren't enjoying themselves and start nitpicking at minor problems of the game because it has to be the game's fault that they aren't having fun when in fact they got exactly what they wanted. Or at least thought they wanted.

We've seen this cycle repeat itself innumerable times by now.

>>388087596
I loved GW1 and found gw2 so disappointing. The whole "your skills are based on your weapon" is the worst system I've ever seen I think.

>>388090864
Compared to the three that were mentioned the active playerbase of BDO in the west is insignificant. I wouldn't know about EVE, I reckon there can't be too many people gushing over a spreadsheet simulator. I could be wrong, since Football Manager is really popular as well.

>>388091824
>The whole "your skills are based on your weapon" is the worst system I've ever seen I think
i dont get why this triggers so many gw1 players

yes all weapons in gw2 have specific skills tied to them but you end up with a minimum of 20-50 actively used skills depending on class in a single build in gw2 as opposed to the total of 8 per build you had in gw1

>>388087596
it's just fun

exploration is cool, zones look pretty, game has this sense of scale where you feel tiny as you jump up a huge mountain with a chest on top

don't need to do dumb item level grinding just to do content that will give you more item level so you can increase your item level and get told you suck cause your item level is low

after max lvl you level masteries that don't give you higher stats but instead new stuff you can do and use. like gliding or ancient magic or special skills for certain zones that make them feel unique.

community works together on the "meta" for each zone, events immediately pull players together and if you are downed or dead everyone ressurects you. ask questions in chat and people answer you. generally comfy community outside of maybe PvP.

i'm not saying the game is insanely amazing or "the best MMO" or anything, but i personally just really enjoy it. I hadn't played it since Season 1 ended and have now been going through Season 2, Heart of Thorns and Season 3 and have enjoyed the story a ton.
The writing can actually be really funny with some endearing characters.

Game is also cheap as fuck. base game is free, heart of thorns cost me 12€ and 2000gems cost me 16€ which allowed me to buy all of Season 2 and Season 3 (which I would have gotten for free if I had beenplaying the game as they released)

I miss City of Heroes

>>388092128
I played a warrior, was one of the first on my server to be in full oranges or whatever, to the point that my account got brute forced and they used my account to bot farm.

I used the same few abilities the entire fucking game. It was mind numbing and I just kept assuming it would get better.

turns out a good number of people disagree with /v/

>>388092235
the item level shit still happens in GW2, people will kick you from raids if you don't have Ascended gear or if you are playing a non-meta class/build

>>388090864
I thought I heard EVE veterans complaining about the state of the game and saying player numbers are dropping

>>388092372
ah that sucks, I haven't been doing raids or fractals at all, just a dungeon i hadn't done yet here or there

I figured there would be some elitism somewhere

how do people even see what gear you have? i never found an inspect option

>>388092542
they have to link their gear when applying

>>388092704
do you have to provide a stool sample and a written essay of 10 pages as well?

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Because the people who play GW2 are completely different than the people who play WoW or FFXIV or BDO or Runescape.

GW2 appeals to people who like the IDEA of an MMO, but don't like the depth of one.

It's a comfortable kiddy pool, and that's all a lot of people want.

I think the game sucks, but I can see its appeal.

>>388092878
>WoW
>FFXIV
>depth

good thing I wasn't drinking water cuz it would be all over my screen now

>>388092878
Are you seriously implying that WoW or Runescape have depth? Don't make me laugh.

>>388092878
Are you seriously implying WoW or fucking casual FFXIV has any depth?
Seriously the only game mentioned in this thread with depth is Eve.

>>388092878
>WoW
>FF14
>BDO of all things
>"depth"

really?

>>388087915
I really liked gliders.

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>>388093007
>>388092986
>>388092937

GW2 doesn't even have roles.

Fucks sake it doesn't even have more than 5 buttons per rotation.

I'm not saying MMO's are fucking hard, they aren't, but GW2 is shallow as fuck when it comes to RPG mechanics.

>>388092878
I never would have thought this would be such efficient bait.

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>>388087596

>3rd worlders and soccer mom's

>some few whales who keep the itemshop scam going and the company liquid

Seriously they love this stuff. I wonder why the numbers aren't higher.

>>388087596
Because it's good, for a MMO. You should stop listening to /v/.

The community of the GW franchise is a silent majority, you will not see a lot of them here or even in the official forums and fansites.

Everyone shit on GW2 when you see it mentioned somewhere, it was the same for GW1 in it's time, it seems like the worst online game ever if you listen to people. GW2 is popular it's just how things are.

>>388093162
The Weaver class is more complex and has a higher skill cap than every single WoW or FF14 class combined.

>>388087915
Gliders are good and they're adding combat mounts. Both are fun to use

>>388091780
star wars galaxies was essentieally a sandbox MMO and it was pretty popular. I don't think it's a lack of people who actually want to play, it's more that devs don't understand what is meant by sandbox and try to fill the void in their knowledge with microtransactions..

my favourite MMO ever was a niche space sim where all events, all politics, everything was dictated by other players and it was the most fun I ever had in a game.

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>new expansion coming
>suddenly /v/ is full of GW2-posters.

I wonder who could be behind this post..?

>>388093356
/gw2g/ bot obviously

>>388093162
at least in WoW the "roles" boil down to which 5 button combination you'll be pressing anyway

>>388093162
>"rotation"
>in GW2

come on nigger

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>mmo thread
>shit flinging everywhere
>mfw playing everquest for the first time and having loads of fun

Holy shit. I know the excuses as to why Blizzard won't introduce progression server like Everquest does, but I'd love to go back to the days of spell ranks, talent trees, and actual class utility. Until then I'm really having fun with Everquest. Grouping is important, lots of spells, classes all do something unique. Would love FFXI progression servers too, but XI has always been niche and it wouldn't be profitable.

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>>388093217
>Play GW back in 2006
>Friends make fun of me for not playing WoW, FFXI, or EQII

>>388092749
When you're trying to get a raid setup working and don't want to babysit new players but only want to get shit done, linking your gear if only to show that you're not some newfag or a dumb leecher is the least you can do.

>>388093315
They are not combat mounts. Each one of them has only one engage in combat skill, then they disappear.

>>388087596
>How is this game still popular?

Serious answer. Because you can just dip in and out whenever you feel like it without committing your entire fucking life to it and be none the worse off either progression or money-wise.

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>>388093162
>>388093417
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVxYN1F8K9s

GW2 is pretty high APM for an MMO.

And it does have roles. Just not the traditional trinity.

>>388093804
This.
Once you buy it it's yours, minus the newest content.

>>388093850
WoW babies won't understand, they have add-ons to tracks all their cooldowns and stuff, the game's basically playing itself.

>>388093850
>those dots
oh shit

>>388093850
>MMO rotation video
>Terrible music

Every time.

>>388094298
could always be be worse

could be a pvp montage with screamo

>>388093213
Surprisingly accurate

3rd worlders are the worst

Because this guy forced some anons to play it yesterday?
>>388000000

>>388087596
>How is this game still popular?
You reminded me that this game exists. The first Guild Wars was interesting. The sequel didn't even manage that. Wasted money.

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>>388087596
>How is this game still popular?
The games is pretty stagnant overall actually.

>>388090520
I don't know about WoW and FF14 being the same, but I think it's thrue that anet found their niche, that's why the game is still going. It's not the best I've played, but not a bad game either.

>>388096338
>Lineage 1

jesus

>>388096816
>korea

they are the reason why whenever someone is talking about the mmo as a market demography they specify the western market

>>388096338
>wildstar at 1-2k
>gw2 ~20k
>lineage1 80k
what the actual fuck, why is lineage1 still this popular?