Guild Wars 2

The real simple fix-all solution is to treat the current free transfer on 24 hour cooldown system as if it were the “Guesting” system it has been hotfixed to replace until its implementation. This means:

-No WvW participation period for new transfers for 7 days. You have to prove your citizenship before you can represent that server, seems legit.
-No Realm Bonuses period for new transfers for 7 days. You have to be able to contribute to reap the rewards, seems legit.
-A host of issues will be cleared up with this one simple Arena Net designed limitation that has yet to be enforced, including:

• Spying
• Supply draining
• Bandwagonning / Fair-weather freeloading / Queue-clogging / Realm Bonus Leaching
• Volatile population shifting / Server imbalancing
• Match integrity disruption
• Community degradation

A simple limitation, already intended by Arena Net to have in place along with Guesting, but the oversight of not having implemented it along with their substitute free transfer system but by all indications intended to be put in place when “Guesting” does arrive anyways.

Fix it. Please. Thank you.

+1 for your support.

This is a much, much better solution than eliminating free transfers altogether, thereby inconveniencing all the people who want to switch servers for other reasons (like joining a certain guild, or in my case just jumping around looking for a server with more random conversation) just to stop people from WvW jumping.

The only problem I can see is that barring people who do switch servers for other reasons from WvW for 7 days would be kind of harsh. Maybe someone likes WvW, wants to switch servers to join a guild, and in the process they end up banned for a week from something they enjoy.

Still, I don’t think it is asking much. While you still have the option after 24 hours to transfer again, you will effectively be resetting your 7 day timer, to discourage abuse of the system for WvW purposes, and encourage server stability for both WvW and PvE guild/community/population reasons.

After all, it was in Arena Net’s original design anyways, that “trying out” another server, which is what a mere 24 hour cooldown on free transferring effectively is already, locks you out of WvW permanently on that server while remaining a guest. If you decided you liked it enough to (at that time guesting is enabled) pay to transfer there, then you could WvW because you’d be representing your “home server”. There is no “home server” in the current system. Everyone is a vagrant, those who do settle do so by choice, not restriction.

One possible workaround if Arena Net and popular opinion considers a 7 day lockout upon newly transferring too harsh (say you want to WvW with your friends right away and do not intend to merely server hop 24 hours later). Give you the option of retaining the ability to transfer again after the current 24 hours expire but take the 7 day WvW lockout, OR agree to a 7 day transfer cooldown in exchange for the ability to WvW instantly (stating your intent to commit to the transfer for at least 7 days and not “spy” “supply drain”, basically imbalance WvW against Arena Net’s intentions).

Thoughts?

If it was only for pvp it would not be so bad, the only reason I could see why changing server atm is to be able to play with EU friends when you are on NA server. It would really suck if I could free transfer to go play with them 20 min and be bared of pvp for the remaining time of the week.

One thing that I could see to this whole idea, to make it work would be that you are not bared from pvp if you go back to your home server. Say 7 days (or until server rematch) for the server you just joined. But no limitation if you go back. This way, people can switch server all the time to go play with friends.

It could work. But there are a few things you need to consider:
– Head over to the dynamic events forum. Check the threads talking about the temples in Orr, and how many people are asking if it’s open just so they can switch servers to get bits they need for their legendary, avoiding the DE chain to open the temple. If they had to pay to switch, they might instead try to complete the chain, giving everyone a better chance to get it completed. Well, unless there is actually a bug involved.
– Server transfers are a planned revenue stream for ANET. You’ll need to be really convincing to get them to voluntarily close off a revenue stream.