Guild Wars 2

Arenanet could open an API for other developers create nice programs, like WoW Armory to say a minimum!

When a company open the API for any system it always helps the sistem grow. Facebook for example… most of this success came from programs that developers build upon the API.

I would like to be able to chat with people who are in the game while I am not. I could do this with Anarchy Online.

This message was brought to you by a Kitten with a Keyboard

API opens room for some good things, but also to ALOT of bad things.

Hmm… I’ve heard a lot of bad things about WoW’s API, like players monitoring party’s damage output and kicking players that don’t have perfect damage/healing/etc values, even if there wasn’t any visible performance trouble with the group. Doesn’t sound like its actually helping anyone. (The group has to start over, start looking for a new member, everyone has to wait, even if there wasn’t any actual trouble with the team. And of course the individual needs a new group.)

Well, that’s the beauty of games releasing API’s… they choose what is available to the public and what is not. They could make only your character information available and chat functionality… It might be kind of cool to see what applications some people could make to help expand the GW2 experience.. although I’m pretty certain they said originally that they would have a team dedicated for such things. If I remember correctly, they wanted to have an “extended experience” team that developed phone/tablet apps like a map that would allow them to see world events going on and then notify other players of it or something like that.. does anyone else remember this?

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Extended_Experience

The idea behind this may be pure and awesome.
But when it gets down to how players use information, it doesn’t work.

Most players overlook the mentality changes that come with “simple, convenient” tools such as Armory.

I, for example, don’t like my character information available to the public.
My character isn’t special or anything – but I just don’t like sharing its information.
Likewise, I don’t care about other characters’ information either.

Then you say “oh, well then there would just be the option to refuse access to your character information in the Options”.
It’s not that simple.

Players become truly addicted to information.
They start making rules – allow access to your character’s information or you can’t join Group/Guild.
And it’s downhill from there, all the way to obnoxious elitism.

In the end, you start seeing players asking Exotic gear and specific builds to faceroll something that can be done with any build in Fine gear.

“Players become truly addicted to information.
They start making rules – allow access to your character’s information or you can’t join Group/Guild.
And it’s downhill from there, all the way to obnoxious elitism.”

Yup. Go look at the Diablo 3 forums. Those forums were full of hatred and condemnation to begin with. As soon as the ability to link your post to your character was introduced, then people’s comments were immediately being discounted or otherwise invalidated based on whatever criteria suited the person (not enough hours played, hasn’t reached level X, whatever).

Exactly. It’s a plague in any community, and any benefits on those “features” are vastly outweighted by the problems they cause.

I understand your views pdg and Nurvus, the thing is, if they open an API that can be used for non-intrusive things like linking to external chat clients, so i could use for example msn/yahoo/aim/gtalk in game without alt+tab, thats not gonna harm you at all is it?
if they even went to far as to open an api that allowed people to build addons for the color blind to help them play, or in an extreme case, alter the FOV to a reasonable level….lots of things that can be done without them giving access to your personal info.

I gotta ask tho, why would you want to be part of a guild/group who are worried about what kinda gear you have? honestly, i dont get it…..i mean they could just make you link the gear you got in a chat window and tell you to kitten off if you dont fit their standards…….or refuse to do it……

This is an absolutely terrible idea.

There wont be a Game API, there will be a web API (officially someday) so we can link into the BLTC (can already do that), chat, check character sheets, previews, and things like event notifications for those of you who like to event hop like me

I made this recommendation/suggestion to Anet back in the early days of GW1, hopefully us web developers will be able to do some really neat things for you guys, officially, soon

@Jazhara Knightmage
It’s perfectly okay if they make things like letting YOU access YOUR account from a cellphone, etc.
It’s perfectly okay for ANet to implement a way to chat in MSN, etc, without alt-tab.

It’s not okay to access other player characters’ information Armory style.
Anything that extracts information from characters not your own, however, is a bad idea.

Essentially, anything players can use to obtain information from your characters prior to joining a group/guild is bad.

I would also like to see an API. However I don’t think the API should give information about all players (like the information need for an Armory). GW2 should just create an Armory them-self and give the option to disable or enable this function for every char (not account but char)

The API should mostly give some real-time client-information like "falling (the event that also triggers the screaming) or getting x damage and so on.

It would also be cool to write to the interface so you can put information on the screen.

I personally hope ArenaNet will build in support for AMBX http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAEanIqlZEU . that would be a good job for the Extended Experience team. But if they do not I would use the API to make some sort of AMBX-support (will never be so good if ArenaNet would make it because of the limitations in an API).

The discussion about guild not allowing members with low dame out-put and so on. Well you can prevent that by not giving out information form other players, also not from in your party, but really.. I do not see the problem. If you are in one of those guilds you leave the guild and join a guild that is more fun to play with.

In addition I would also like to see ArenaNet building the option to use guild-chat and other guild-options (like starting upgrades, managing members and so on) from in a browser. I think this sort function should be made by ArenaNet and not by giving options in an API. Just for security reasons. It is then still possible to embed it on a personal site and change the styles.

Devata, I’ve explained above, and it does not work.
If there is option to display information in an Armory-style, guilds and groups will start forcing you to link your information, or be rejected by the guild/group.

1. Sharing character information for everyone to see – optional or not? NEVER.
2. ANet should provide all the UI customization options.
3. Using chat programs in-game or having remote access to the information on YOUR account? Yes.

Nurvus.2891:

Devata, I’ve explained above, and it does not work.
If there is option to display information in an Armory-style, guilds and groups will start forcing you to link your information, or be rejected by the guild/group.

1. Sharing character information for everyone to see – optional or not? NEVER.
2. ANet should provide all the UI customization options.
3. Using chat programs in-game or having remote access to the information on YOUR account? Yes.

But like I said.. I do not see that problem. Then you join another guild. If you don’t like a guild who does that then why would you wanna be with such a guild? I think you don’ t so you look for another guild. Problem solved.

And then there are the function I also said.. so just an API thats gives you information real-time. That does not fit in any of your 3 options. Anyway, i don’t mind custom UI’s.

About groups.. I don’t think it will happen in ‘random’ groups. People who really care a lot about that, will find such guilds and find groups in those guilds.

I know this is an old topic, but still waiting for the API.. I think its a great idea, but they should look at Eve Online’s API.. Its great and has brought alot of great apps, website and tools to the world.. You only get access to your guild/character by a secret code, almost every corp requires this from you, also you have a full permission code that you can see a lot more data..
Maybe not the ability to look up other player, but only able to see if you have a code from them. Its works for Eve Online.. and I think it will work for Guild Wars 2 aswell.. I’d like to have a guild API ( that only the guild leader can get ) so you can get guild info, and change stuff in the guild, like change players ranks, activate upgrade, kick players from guild, invite players to the guild, edit message of the day, see active upgrades, see players online/offline and more..
And for the limited player API, see all characters (lvl, prof,crafts, stats and more). And full API, see gold per char and bank and items in the bank/collectable-storage(chat ability as youself from web or anywhere)..