PvE-centered game or Guild Wars

I know there are many who enjoy mmos without a very developed PvP. Please understand that I do not consider PvE to be as enthralling as PvP.

So far this game looks very fun and appealing, but only as a single player game. As hardcore as a game may be, fighting monsters with an algorithm-derived tactic will always be a matter of method, or, god forbid, gear check. As a result, I personally feel a game is boring and/or carebear when there is inadequate PvP.

1. Time Spent vs. Player Skill -Levels and Passives
With so many passives, it is easy to see that the PvE is an expansive experience with many builds to explore. On the other hand, I cannot imagine PvP being balanced with so many passives and such a high max level. Consequently, I fear PvP might turn out to be basically PvE in disguise (based largely on time spent rather than player skill), thereby undermining the essence of PvP being a break from the methodical grind.

In PvP, how much emphasis is/will be on levels and equipment?

2. Endgame and Player-supported content
At endgame (or when the player has an understanding of the types of monsters and bosses that exist and can exist in the game), dynamic content often comes from interaction between players.

What group content is/will be made available besides the foreseeable boss-killing and when (at what point in a character's progression) is such content balanced?

PvP

GGG has not yet revealed a lot about their PvP plans.

Personally, I hope there will be a balanced PvP-mode, where you can fight with pre-made characters, with pre-made gear and skillsets. I always thought the isometric view of ARPGs is ideal for a real competitive kind of game, but the thought of having to balance all these variables in gear, passives and active skills is just not feasable, especially if it is coupled to PvE. Nobody likes it when a skill is nerfed because of PvP and visa-versa. That is why I think it is good to completely separate the competitive mode from PvE and other modes, you can't level a character in this mode, you can just choose pre-made characters and let your actual skill do the work.

Of course people want to PvP with their PvE characters too, so that should also be possible, but people should expect that this kind of PvP will never be completely balanced, and flavor of the month will dominate and people will get upset because they need to level a new character to be competitive in endgame (which can take weeks) and then they nerf it and people will be upset again.

PvE endgame
Have you checked the Dev Diary about End-game Maps? End-game is itemized, so player can craft and trade it, it's genius.

I don't think there is an official statement about the gear factor in PvP (edit: actually, there is. It is right in the beginning of the PvP dev diary). But I can give you my opinion based on playing the beta for almost a year, and being a PvP player in D2.

"

Zhen wrote:

I know there are many who enjoy mmos without a very developed PvP.

PoE is not an MMO. It is an online ARPG, similar to the online mode of Diablo 2, but with instanced areas.

"

Zhen wrote:

With so many passives, it is easy to see that the PvE is an expansive experience with many builds to explore. On the other hand, I cannot imagine PvP being balanced with so many passives and such a high max level.[/b]

I am quite sure PvP will take a long time to balance. Maybe years from now. I am pretty sure we will be able to enjoy PvP before the balance is all good though. In the end, maybe GGG will have to go with two different "rulesets" for skill effects for PvE and PvP.

"

Zhen wrote:

Consequently, I fear PvP might turn out to be basically PvE in disguise (based largely on time spent rather than player skill), thereby undermining the essence of PvP being a break from the methodical grind.[/b]

I don't get that "consequently". Even if we had a perfect balance, PvP could still be very gear dependant.

But yes, there's no doubt about it that the latter will be the case. Skill can only carry you so far when your enemy is no newbie either and has vastly superior gear. ARPGs in general and PoE in particular are loot games. Your items will very certainly play a large role in the PvP performance of your character. However, skill will be the deciding factor when you meet an opponent with roughly the same quality of items.

"

Zhen wrote:

What group content is/will be made available besides the foreseeable boss-killing and when (at what point in a character's progression) is such content balanced?

There will be no PvE content that can not be done solo.

Thanks, I didn't read that before.
http://www.pathofexile.com/news/2010-11-29/dev-diary4

Edit: I will probably just be playing GW2 as Diablo wasn't really my type of game so this probably won't be either.

I'll just lurk a bit to see what GGG has to say about what they'll be doing with regards to PvP but I don't imagine PvP will get much dev attention.

"

Zhen wrote:

I'll just lurk a bit to see what GGG has to say about what they'll be doing with regards to PvP but I don't imagine PvP will get much dev attention.

The devs take PvP very seriously.

http://www.pathofexile.com/news/2011-08-03/dev-diary-pvp

Well, GW2 will be an awesome game, but PoE is free to play, so you can always check it out.

Also, Path of Exile has been designed with PvP in mind and I think it is very important for GGG to do it well. GGG knows that for many people PvP is one of the main reasons people keep playing the game.

I've always been more into PvE when it came to hack and slash games such as Diablo 2. I can see the appeal of PvP, but Diablo 2 and Path of Exile are both focused on PvE -- and rightfully so.

PvP, in my opinion, is supposed to be a part of the endgame. Thus, PvE would be everything else that precedes the PvP endgame.

PvP can be worked on with time. It is not something easy to get right. PvE, on the other hand, seems to be working quite well.

Only time will tell.