ArenaNet did with Guild Wars 2 something that I have always felt was a problem with many MMORPGs – they avoided trivializing their content out the gate. The level scaling feature that adjusts higher level characters to that of the zone that they’re in is a good feature that allows you to make progression anywhere in the game, even at the lower level areas. But that’s not all, ArenaNet also took a bit of a different approach to endgame content and QA Manager Mike Zadorojny’s new developer blog explains the philosophy behind their reimagining of the endgame content.

Some of the dynamic encounters in Guild Wars 2 can culminate in an epic boss fight very akin to how some raids might work in endgame content from other games with perhaps with RIFT being one of the closest in similarity with their zone invasion events. ArenaNet’s approach introduces players to these encounters very early in the game and continues to ramp it up from there.

"Starting with each player’s first introductory adventure, we pit them against large-scale boss encounters—one for each race—just to whet their appetites and give them a taste of the boss battles to come. We wanted to show players that this really is just the beginning. We want the experiences that players will have while progressing through the game to be a journey that they take with their character, something that they will remember and cherish."

This has in part eliminated the need to rush to the endgame to experience this sort of content, and allows ArenaNet to challenge players with large scale encounters while offering ways to refine the basics of the game and not requiring players to rush to level cap and master a whole new way of playing.

"Our goal with Guild Wars 2 was to continue to build upon what we’ve shown you before while finding new and interesting ways to engage you as a player, regardless of your level. Each new experience, new dungeon, and new giant boss is a chance for us to layer on more difficulty, or teach you an interesting aspect about your profession and what you can do when you combine forces with other players. Guild Wars 2 is a game about banding together with friends and complete strangers to accomplish great things in a world ruled by uncertainty and challenge."

Along with world bosses and dynamic events, ArenaNet also included explorable mode dungeons for players that enjoy a more coordinated group challenge. And while the amount of content that launched with Guild Wars 2 is impressive for a subscription free game, ArenaNet plans to take it even further now that the game has been released. Read more about it and ArenaNet’s endgame approach in Zadorojny’s full blog.

Source: The Endgame Reimagined