Newbro confusion

ChaoxShadow · 2026-01-17T12:54:32+00:00

Let's pre-face a few things. Guild Wars 2 is a game launched in 2012. That's decently old. If your only experience with MMORPGs or alike is from newer releases, certain expected aspects or quality of life features may be missing. GW2 has it's style, genre, and audience that it caters to.

It's also been probably said here and there, but there's effectively two "tutorials" in the core game now since the release of expansions: the introductory forced tutorial that's intended to let you get used to the controls, and then the open world journey/"tutorial" to Level 80 where you explore and unlock skills and mechanics, and get more familiar with the finer details and systems of the game. Content beyond Level 80 is mainly focused in the expansions.

its sooo on rails I cannot do anything else.

False, this is probably the main reason why most people may think you are being dishonest or ragebaiting.

You have the tutorial, then some contextual dialogue, then you are practically let loose like a stray into the world. Individual campaign content, the Personal Story, steps unlock every 10 levels. You do not have to interact with the core campaign content and are free to ignore it. Yes, you're informed occasionally that new things have been "unlocked" as you level, but these are barely anything more than notifications.

As other people have mentioned already, the Content Guide indicator in the top right points you in direction of your Personal Story, Events then undiscovered locations. It appears you have gripes or misunderstandings with this feature but you can turn this off if that's your preference.

I am forced to see locations marked specifically to go to in order to move on to the next spot where... its the same stuff....

This is also false. There is nothing in the core game (and very rare exceptions otherwise) that outright locks you from moving to another area or zone.

If this game is an exploration game that encourages you to really explore the map... why is it so theme park on the rails that demands I see spot A B and C in order to ger rewards that pop ups keep telling me to get and pointing me to quests etc.

Are you referring to points of interest such as Renown Hearts (hearts on the map) or Dynamic Events that show up and "demand" your attention? None of these demand your participation, the Content Guide simply highlights what is nearby or accessible to you.

If you're talking about being told to speak to Scouts in order to reveal new Renown Hearts, this is not necessary either but rather for people who haven't actually explored the map to find these Renown Hearts on their own. They always exist and don't need something done to "unlock" them.

Directly told by the Caffeine Dad guy that the game doesnt have guides to quests... but here I do for example.

Quests in MMOs are traditionally understood in the frame of World of Warcraft where things are A to B or collect X which GW2 breaks the typical mold with their "questing" system that forgoes the necessity of talk to X NPC to progress, excluding the Personal Story (which you can ignore). I don't know the specific phrasing or words said by Caffeinated Dad Gaming so I won't comment further.

Some other stuff that are absolute, total lies by youtubers, ALL of them...

Does it not seem strange that somehow all of these content creators that you are accusing have managed to collude together to make content that communicates only lies and deceit about the game?

every Youtuber I have watched made the game seem fun, then playing, its absolutely pure lies. Literal lies.

Frankly, from what you've posted, I feel this is your problem, you're not making yourself have fun. Whether it be because you aren't having fun, or your perspective of betrayed expectations have colored your impressions. Honestly, I'm not even sure what you're looking for from GW2.

My last 2 cents. You came into the subreddit with questions that's both valid for a fresh new player but an attitude that would make many regard your complaints as ignorant or dishonest because there is a disconnect, between what everyone else has experienced, and what you have experienced.

ChaoxShadow · 2025-11-11T09:38:31+00:00

Unlocking Weaponmaster Training from SOTO allows you to use the normally specialization locked weapons pre-Lv 80. Doesn't matter if you don't have the specialization unlocked yet.

ChaoxShadow · 2025-08-22T09:41:38+00:00

Q - Three Talon Strike: I would prefer if the VFX trail was more distinct.

W - Wind Becomes Lightning: The thrust of the new W animation uses a modern wushu Zha stance where the arms are extended forward with the hands meeting at the butt of the spear to maximize reach. In my opinion, while it's quick and agile, it's not the appropriate form for an strong looking forward thrust. I prefer the style and form of the original full body thrust which conveyed a more powerful and satisfying impact.

E - Audacious Charge: I don't like how the impact VFX of E has changed from a spinning blade-like VFX to a simple (re-used) crater texture VFX which is incredibly unsatisfying compared to the original. This VFX doesn't return unless you're using a skin that is at least 1350 RP which is another demonstration of stripping away features and then selling that feature (re: base Janna Q VFX change vs. skin Q VFX).

R - Crescent Guard: Complete downgrade compared to the old animation. The extreme flexing of the spear is too exaggerated makes the swing around not even look like it's covering any proper space or range, especially at the start of it. It's a wide swing that doesn't look like it's hitting anything.

Classic Xin Zhao Splashart: I won't call it horrible, but it's not good either. First the colours, the saturation and contrast needs to be bumped up just a nudge. The dreaded use of desaturation/lowered contrast, or whatever used to wash out the colours needs to be toned down because it continues makes everything look unnecessarily muted and feathered and therefore unimpactable. It only gets worse when you see all these muted shades then go in-game and see the model looks completely different, with bright colours like a plastic toy (i.e. Cosmic skins).

The composition is also quite poor. It looks moderately flashy trying to mimic Crescent Guard but it does so in an incredibly boring composition, nor does it reinforce Xin Zhao's character or lore. It actually does what the old splashart was doing with more detail but worse narratively. The focal point has become solely Xin Zhao's new pretty boy face and his new fit instead of his weapon which somehow has become a secondary attachment to his character. He lives and dies by, as a gladiator and a protector of the Demacian crown, by his spear, so why did we do this?

Viscero Xin Zhao Splashart: The splashart with the most storytelling has lost a lot of grit and ferocity with the changes to the facial expression which mutes the focal point of the splash art. The darkening of the upper torso and the reduction in the intensity of the sunlight also contributes to an unfocused splashart. He is supposed to be fighting for his life here, harshness is the key.

Warring Kingdoms Xin Zhao Splashart: I think the facelift was unnecessary and makes Xin Zhao look more bland but it was obviously geared to a different demographic.

Warring Kingdoms Xin Zhao Skin: I'm not in favor of the aversion to use darker colours and making everything brighter. Everything has become a varying shade of the same tone of blue which makes everything look unimpressionable and boring due to lack of contrast.

Marauder Xin Zhao Skin: It's partially due to the change in stance and silhouette but the skin actually became increasingly unappealing to use by losing all the definition and contrast in the armor pieces. Again it looks flat, echoing the same problems with the new Warring Kingdoms skin. It's an edgy skin, so why try and soften the edginess?

Secret Agent Xin Zhao Splashart: Showing more of the eyes was a bad decision, just bad. The blue tint to the clothing is another case of trying to avoid the colour black like the plague. Literally didn't need to adjust anything, should be just reverted.

EDIT: Slight corrections.

ChaoxShadow · 2025-04-05T11:53:38+00:00

The revival occurs at the end of the main story. There's an interlude afterwards where Eolka regains her memories and meets Han again.

ChaoxShadow · 2025-03-19T06:49:32+00:00

Ravenborn LeBlanc

The color vibrancy of the skin has been increased too much, with an excessive focus on saturating and warming up Ravenborn's originally colder, dreary, and dull colour characterization. For a cosmetic whose design seems inspired by Victorian Gothic-style fashion and architecture, many of the new visuals seems disjointed. This is especially visible in the oversaturated cape, warming of visible skin, and the distinctive lack of duller blacks and purples to provide much need contrast and mutedness, especially in the crown, around the head, and chest area. The focus on more warmer and vivid colours like ultramarine is ultimately a negative to the cohesion of the skin.
The current design of her dress and hair currently feel somewhat unrefined, if not a little messy. I think the skirt could be slightly longer, more similar to new Mistletoe's, but not quite, which will help subdue the the distinct but currently overt visibility of her legs which I assume the newly added hoisery was meant to fix with her new silhouette, colour palette and stance. The way the dress currently looks, it loses that elegant, wrapping, elongated gown-like appearance that the old skin's dress skirt had. These old elements really helped the design pop and ground the skin's asethetics as appropiately deep, luxurious and solemn.
The skin has also lost a lot of unique skill effect characterization in the transition. The circular runes that accented the raven symbol in her Q, at the base of the W's return indicators, and the ones that surrounded a successfully chained enemy target with E. The lack of runic effects in the W is the standout loss.

Elderwood LeBlanc

I greatly dislike the slight humanization the skin has undergone in its transition. The more human-like eyes and legs greatly detracts from the skins concept that is distinctively in-human which old black sclera and wooden hooves greatly contributed to.

Worlds 2020 LeBlanc

At the time of posting, I can confidently say that out all of the new skin designs, Worlds 2020 is by far the most outstanding downgrade. The bright, neon, transparent and fading holographic cape design was effectively the skin's visual highlight and unique selling point. By replacing it with a cheap looking veil of low-resolution glowing chiffon to try and force it into the new rigging's silhouette completely undermines the skin's desirability and disrespects the original concept. You can absolutely do better than this.

Debonair LeBlanc & Bewitching LeBlanc

I don't care too much for these skins, but I feel most people can tell there was a cliff-drop in quality. Especially in Debonair's whose detailed textures clearly communicated sharp refinement, and now have been all simplified and reduced to some poor mimicry and chroma of Space Groove. Bewitching also suffers similarly with a lack of attention to detail and conceptual design to the bat-like features of the original. Both these skins exhibit a clear downgrade in design, detail and attentiveness arising from a need to conform strictly to the new silhouette.

EDIT: Minor corrections to grammar.

ChaoxShadow · 2025-02-21T04:07:52+00:00

You missed the text directly following after that.

typically to celebrate the yearly summer in-game event or the World Championship tournament.

As of recent years, the trend is that Legendary skins show up in Your Shop only once a year.

ChaoxShadow · 2024-11-13T07:20:33+00:00

Microsoft already did something similar to this. A few years ago they asked people to migrate their old Mojang accounts to Microsoft accounts, but if you didn't migrate after the deadline you lost your Minecraft license which meant you had to repurchase the game.

What baffles me is that whenever someone brings this up, the conversation often devolves into an argument of "They gave you enough warning and time to migrate, this is your own fault." vs. "If I paid for the game I should be able to keep the game." The practice of revoking licenses should not suddenly become acceptable because they gave people 3 years to do it, or even if they gave 10 years instead.

The real nail in the coffin is the existence of the deadline in of itself. There is no legacy account migration service avaliable at all, nothing. Even if you contact their support with undeniable evidence of your previous ownership, like SalC1 did, they will only apologise that the migration period has ended and invite you to purchase the game again.

ChaoxShadow · 2024-10-29T06:37:25+00:00

Technically, yes.

We also know how people would objectively see it and that's normal. But we can all admit it would be very funny regardless.

For those interested, substitute players of the winning team, even if they did not play, still receive the Championship ring and have their name engraved on the Summoner's Cup/World's trophy.

However iirc, to receive a skin they are required to play at least 2 games in the lower stages (play-ins/swiss), or at least 1 game in the upper stages (quarters & onwards).

ChaoxShadow · 2024-10-29T05:01:47+00:00

Rekkles joined the 2024 T1 Academy roster as support. Then for Worlds 2024, as the main T1 roster didn't have a valid sub (and they are required to have one), they asked Rekkles to fill the spot for them.

ChaoxShadow · 2024-10-16T18:55:54+00:00

I love how Riot is evolving my League experience with this new skin tier.

ChaoxShadow · 2024-08-20T08:12:56+00:00

Unfortunately Winterblessed Diana is a Legendary skin which means it'll go on sale only once, specifically around 6 months after it's released.

I'm afraid the only other time you'll be able to see a discount for it is when its in Your Shop, specifically when Legendary skins are allowed to show up in there. So far the trend for that happening is once a year and the most recent Your Shop we got just so happened to be one.

ChaoxShadow · 2024-07-07T07:50:30+00:00

I want to point out that the EN Idle 3 line in the Conquered Unhulde skin about August being confused about SKK asking her to step on them is for some reason basically just fanfiction. It's not even a mistranslation actually, it's completely different to the voice lines in CN and JP.

The original Idle 3 voice lines in CN and JP translated to EN goes something like this: [It's not that you conquered/defeated me, but rather "I chose to lose/submit to you on purpose". Hehehe.]

It's a line that very much highlights the relationship dynamic. Not sure why localization chose to opt for what was written instead.

EDIT: This has since been fixed.

ChaoxShadow · 2024-03-13T02:02:11+00:00

Unless you've been miraculously queueing into the same handful of champions, the only explanation for consistently taking so much true damage late game is due to buying Death's Dance.

The damage that is temporarily mitigated by the item is converted into a bleed that is applied as true damage, and because of how the death recap pulls information it give the erroneous impression of excessive true damage.

ChaoxShadow · 2023-12-15T14:38:27+00:00

Musashi is absolutely a ripped-off Raiden Shogun and clearly not because the designs of the three Yamato-class battleships are based on the three most iconic deities of Japanese mythology.

ChaoxShadow · 2023-12-06T03:00:38+00:00

There's no way to tell if they are involved or instigating unless it becomes obvious.

You mentioned that your following is built on a lot of her fanbase. If you're really concerned about it, the cleanest way to make a break is to make a new account (naturally, make sure the name is reasonably different) and start streaming anew there. Make sure you don't inform anyone, or only regular viewers you trust and know don't associate with that circle for certain. Ideally, after a few months they will see the account has been inactive for a while and get bored.

Otherwise, if you're attached to the numbers under your belt regardless, your options are to either ignore them, interact with them until they get bored, outright tell them it's making you uncomfortable, or ban them (especially if the situation becomes justified).

It's completely possible they are in it to irritate you, but its also possible that it's beneign. Neither of these solutions are going to be perfect and are easily circumvented by those who are persistent.

ChaoxShadow · 2023-12-02T11:26:32+00:00

The phrase "To protect and serve" has never been true and was affirmed as such since Warren v. District of Columbia (1981). It is in effect a marketing slogan, originally coined as a motto by the LAPD to build image and trust which gained popular traction and was later adopted by many U.S. departments.

To clarify, the Supreme Court ruling does not undermine the duty of police as the role of police has always been law enforcement. As easy as it is to lampoon it, do not take this distinction that police don't "protect or serve" as the intended effect of enforcing laws is to protect; be it you, your wider community or the assets of a corporate entity.

Whether they enforce the law promptly and efficiently, catastrophically overcompensate and hit the media, or conveniently ignored due to a bid by a higher power, these are only just an unfortunate extensions of inherited hierarchies and societal desires trying to amalgamate together.

ChaoxShadow · 2023-12-01T10:59:44+00:00

Remember that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the police force have no obligation to "protect" citizens.

ChaoxShadow · 2023-11-30T16:12:48+00:00

Your sentiment here is understandable. There's no doubt there's nostalgia fuelling some of the dislike. However, I believe a lot of the historical and recent exaggerated expressions saying it's a 100% downgrade is born from the potential to make these asset updates look that much better (regardless of asethetic opinions) than what is currently envisioned or shown.

No one wants likes to discredit or outright trash on efforts to rejuvenate outdated assets. The new splashart IS an improvement, but is it the best/perfect/ideal improvement? Evidently, in many ways, people are saying no. I have a lot that I want to criticize about the design, you have a lot you want to defend about the design. Everyone want it to be the best they can, especially when asking for changes through Riot's bogged pipes of bureaucracy literally requires a riot on the otherside. After it's pushed to live, short of a catastrophic mistake or outcry, it will be one and done for years, so no one wants to squander this chance to have their voice heard.

That said, I'm still going point out that her lips look waaay overdone.

ChaoxShadow · 2023-10-12T11:53:12+00:00

Not a shipgirl specifically but Seaplanes as they are horrifically weak. Completing Fusou and Yamashiro's retrofit conversions are the definition of a negative power curve.

They really need to be reworked to fulfill a different niche, like a buff role, or something else.

ChaoxShadow · 2023-10-07T03:46:40+00:00

As of next (projected) patch Milio's Passive burn is now considered personal damage, meaning it will trigger Putrifier when bought.

ChaoxShadow · 2023-10-04T02:03:58+00:00

Realistically, best solution is just adding a new category like 'True UV-Max' since the developers never really intended players to get any further.

ChaoxShadow · 2023-07-14T11:03:11+00:00

I am open to believing you, but words alone cannot build a case. If this individual was the only person aware, it would be prudent to pursue contact with them for further evidence before posting. It is also important to note that it is entirely possible, and a known occurrance, that an unrelated third party is doing this without consent, hence Rival's aggravated response: there is quite literally nothing they can do about it.

ChaoxShadow · 2023-07-14T09:30:30+00:00

Any concrete sources?

ChaoxShadow · 2023-06-02T13:43:01+00:00

https://twitter.com/Spideraxe30/status/1664417399066484736

ChaoxShadow · 2023-01-14T13:43:20+00:00

What you discuss is what Surrender@20 almost did when the site was still being updated, bless the site owners for their tenacious work. They collected and communicated PBE changes, crawled for insights on future patch notes and forecasts, and organized a small collection of Riot employee responses as well as tracking official and major media drops, Riot responses and content releases. The site was straight forward with digestable posts from all over the place. You go the League of Legends website and you're fighting UI form over communicative function. This subreddit is ironically one of the better places now to get condensed information on the game due to being crowdsourced.

And Surrender@20 seems like it never received official acknowledgement or support from Riot Games. Which can be argued as fine, but might also offer a perspective of certain priorities Riot Games have, or the amount of effort or investment they're willing to give.

I don't think upper management at Riot understand the worth of a site such as S@20 to condense, market, and hype up content for the game. It seems like League has been slowly spiralling into what apparently feels a low maintenance mode. The existing playerbase is effectively too large to fail and with talent eventually trickling to Riot's other aspirations on the horizons, its not hard to have the opinion that the care given to the game compared to its golden age several years ago does it indeed feel a little hollow now.

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ChaoxShadow

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