2024

GW2 Gets World Bosses Right

It’s a Sunday morning, and I had a bit of time to game before life got started. I noticed someone named Older Than Time Too who was running a boss train. Basically you just follow this person around while they complete world bosses. There were 50/50 in the squad, and bosses were dropping in record time. It’s been a long time since I participated in this sort of event in GW2 but I was instantly reminded about how much I LOVE how this system is implemented. There was almost zero down time, everyone was able to participate and receive the rewards, and the event themselves felt larger than life.

The chatter in squad was positive and uplifting, everyone greeting one another, saying good morning (or evening, depending on time zones) and the community was top notch. It was a stark reminder to me about the differences in game communities. in Warcraft there is no way you’d get a 50+ team of people to bounce through older content the same week that a new expansion dropped. Of course GW2 also does a fantastic job of keeping these fights and zones relevant, no matter how old / new of a character you’re playing.

It’s been quite some time since I dedicated myself to just one MMO, and even longer since that MMO was GW2 (has it ever been? I’m not sure that it has) but over the past 12 years GW2 has always lacked the staying power that other games like WoW / Wurm have had over me. Could this time be different?

Probably not, but at least I’m having fun.

Progress on Quail Landing

Each wall takes 20 bricks + 20 mortar. Each landing takes nails + planks. Needless to say, the building is coming along, it’s just moving at a snails pace. I’m loving the progress though and I can’t wait to add the lights to the top of each tower. Hopefully that helps others see it from some distance away.

Happy gaming!

World Bosses? Absolutely

It amazes me that no matter what time of day it is for you, if you port to a world boss fight in Guild Wars 2, chances are you will not be the only one there. These events are still hugely popular with crowds, and I love it. 12 years later, we’re all still gathering to complete these together.

The GW2 Wardrobe is Underrated

GW2 has one of the most robust wardrobe systems I’ve played with over the years, and I think it deserves way more attention than it gets. Not only can you dye each piece with multiple colour channels, you can also have pieces that completely change your character – such as the screenshot above which is displaying a pirate hand (hook) and a peg leg.

Unlocks like these are account wide, so your characters can instantly have access to dye & appearance items no matter who you’re playing. The only other MMO I’ve played in recent times that has such a robust system, is FFXIV – and these reminders are what bothers me about World of Warcraft’s system, which appears antique by comparison. WoW just recently gave players the ability to unlock appearance gear account wide, previously you had to unlock it on a character who could wear that type of gear. They also do not allow for any dye, restricting your customization further. I understand that implementing these things so late into the game’s life isn’t something that can really be considered (thank you spaghetti code) but the more I play other games, the more I realize how much WoW lacks and how it has not risen to innovation over the years – probably because it never had to.

The latest expansion has released, and I’m slowly making my way through the story (really slowly) and exploring the first zone, Lowland Shore. I think because I have not completed some of the prior expansions it has put me at a bit of a disadvantage. I don’t have the flying mount, for one. There seem to be some places I can’t reach or some objectives I can’t do because of it. Since it’s all new, I’m not sure if I’m missing out or if there’s other ways to reach these places that I just haven’t stumbled into. I won’t be posting any spoilers, but I will say I’m enjoying myself, and I hope it lasts.

As always, happy gaming – no matter where you find yourself!

Nomadic Gamer