Guild Wars 2

Dear GW2 community,

While I understand and appreciate how awesome you think the Coast is, things are starting to get a little out of hand. With the implementation of the guesting system, there has been a massive influx of “tourists” to our fair server.

For a while, it was fine. I love Tarnished Coast’s community too. Our RPers are creative and our general chat is polite and helpful. However, since guesting I’ve stopped considering places like Orr to be a part of Tarnished Coast.

Our server is the place where the most people go for completing events and making sure temples are open. Very well. It’s a noble goal, but the thing is, the map is so full that it becomes impossible to tag anything on the best days (mostly in Orr), and on the worst days (with increasing frequency) for world events like the Shatterer and Claw our server’s timers are unreliable because there is the very real possibility that you’re going to be kicked into Overflow until the event is over and miss it altogether.

So, as of late, I’ve taken to guesting on less popular servers (ie anything other than TC) for high level areas and world events, and SURPRISE! I could actually get loot and rely on the timers. I was simply blown away by how much less lag those servers had.

Guys, I’m going to be that old man on the porch waving his broomstick, but I don’t want to have to constantly guest on other servers just to play the game normally any more than I want to drive to the community pool in the next town over because ours is too full from tourists. So, please, kindly get off our lawn.

TL;DR
Stop guesting on TC exclusively. Spread yourselves out among other servers or go back to your own server. There’s too much lag, it’s impossible to tag in Orr, and the timers for world events are becoming unreliable because you’ll probably be kicked into overflow until the event is over because of how many people are here.

EDIT:
I want this to be very clear: I’m not condemning RPing or people who guest on TC for RPing. All of you are fun, creative individuals whom I am proud to have on TC. In my personal opinion, you are all what make/have made this server so special to me. Moreover, you aren’t really at fault here. I HIGHLY doubt that the influx of RPers is causing such lag.

In addition, it’s not right to say that we need a new Unofficial RP server. They were here first. They established themselves here and the stray RP guest is not what’s causing issues.

What we need is a different mindset and mitigation. We can’t bog down any one server as the unofficial this, that, and everything else server. If these duties must exist, they need to be spread out among a number of servers, and they shouldn’t punish the RPers.

As a guest occasionally on TC i want to thank you for your comunity and welcome but im not there to steal your dragons or harass your zombies.

After so many months of only meeting people from TC when they were trying ( and usually succeding ) to kill me in WvW i wanted to visit.

Note: Oohh an old man with a broom shouting get off my lawn, can you please tell me which town and where i have an urge to organise a flash mob

Oh, I don’t mind guests, Cargan. I’m happy to have you all.

What really bothers me, though is that there are consistent pushes to declare TC the unofficial RP, Orr, Event, and Leveling server -which, face it, is 90% of the game.

So, there is a constant influx of people to the point where is becoming a problem. That’s what bothers me because I want the “unoffical” anything to be more spread out as to avoid overburdening any one server as has happened to TC.

That said, I like your idea. I need to get the biggest broom I can find and make sure my house is in the quietest retirement home I can afford.

I transferred to Tarnished Coast right before they implemented paid server transfers because every time someone complained about empty zones, dead servers, or the inability to complete dynamic events someone from Tarnished Coast told them it was a server problem and they should just transfer. So, I think the server kinda brought it on itself. But, I understand your complaint – I’ve been noticing lag on big events lately.

All game developers should have this sentence on a placard where they can see it every day.

Any system in an online game that can be abused will be abused.

Dear OP,
I regret to inform you, that I must decline your request. As of this writing, i have decided to start guesting your server, in the hopes that I may be the one that pushes you into an overflow. Although, the punishment IS MINE, since we both know, your server is terrible.

walks all over your lawn
grinds feet
stomps around

What are you gonna do about it?

But serouisly I just recently got to farming orr and I found it funny/sad how everyone there is trying sitting waiting for the events, running like chickens with their heads cutt off trying desperately to hit mobs, no teamwork all competition for the loots in one big zerg. I noticed no one uses for great justice their either lol wonder why. Can’t give any advantage to the enemy! Which is the player next to you not the mob. Its all cut throat and funny until you get rezed and it warms your heart a little, just a little before you go back to the coldness of loot/karma farming. Ever since that experience I always wondered, why with all the beautiful areas in the game, this is the only place to be? Why cant other areas have these kind of farms, spread people out or give them options. Obviously you cant offer this kind of loot to lower levels but why not make it so once you hit 80 similiar or equal loot happens like in Orr. Then youd have the whole world populated zerging working against each other i mean working together for the greater loots i mean good. For great loots! (should be a skill +100 power to yourself and -100 power to nearby allies)

Guesting implies a temporary stay. Guesting to a server should only work for 24 hours as a trial period. After 24 hours, you are locked out of guesting to that world for 30 days.

I mean really, how was this issue not foreseen?

Guys, I know TC is the best and all since we got RPers and the best community evar but we should just tell everyone else that they can’t come to our server even though they can. But we should post all the time on the forums and tell people that this server is #1 at everything and it’s the best best best server! TC power!!!

Toxyn.9608:

Guesting implies a temporary stay. Guesting to a server should only work for 24 hours as a trial period. After 24 hours, you are locked out of guesting to that world for 30 days.

I mean really, how was this issue not foreseen?

Another alternative might be that to “guest” on a server, you need to be invited by someone who is on that server. After all, there is a different between inviting a guest into your home and a random hobo from off the street who just steps through your door and starts raiding your fridge.

i started on TC, and it’s pretty great. I am not looking forward to zergs of people who are jsut there to loot and pillage, then disappear. Then again, if there were a few server merges, this wouldn’t happen. How many server worlds are there, currently? Maybe merge some of the smaller population ones.

danbuter.2314:

i started on TC, and it’s pretty great. I am not looking forward to zergs of people who are jsut there to loot and pillage, then disappear. Then again, if there were a few server merges, this wouldn’t happen. How many server worlds are there, currently? Maybe merge some of the smaller population ones.

There are currently 24 NA servers alone and none of them are listed as below “High” capacity.

The issue isn’t that there aren’t enough people on some servers; it’s that they’re going somewhere else to play.

Lmao, I never guested on TC before, but I’ll definitely guest there now!

Arena Net needs to hurry up and make official designations of RP servers.

If the number went from 1 to 5 servers, the guesting people will spread out more.

Simple solution.

Make it so that guests cannot receive loot from chests in events. Those who are guesting to ‘visit’ or ‘meet’ a community will continue to do so for valid reasons, those who are visiting other servers simply to coattail on events will stop. Those who are exploiting timers on events to chase events from server to server will stop.

It was incredibly frustrating to get bumped out of two Jormag spawns today because of overflow. I have no issue with guesting but either home server people should get priority or they need to have the events occur in the overflow as well. Hopefully I’ll get in on the next Claw spawn but who knows.

>_>;; Guess this is a new form of World Invaders?

Cross.6437:

Toxyn.9608:

Guesting implies a temporary stay. Guesting to a server should only work for 24 hours as a trial period. After 24 hours, you are locked out of guesting to that world for 30 days.

I mean really, how was this issue not foreseen?

Another alternative might be that to “guest” on a server, you need to be invited by someone who is on that server. After all, there is a different between inviting a guest into your home and a random hobo from off the street who just steps through your door and starts raiding your fridge.

That would not be as effective as a flat limitation, but it would help.

Toxyn.9608:

Guesting implies a temporary stay. Guesting to a server should only work for 24 hours as a trial period. After 24 hours, you are locked out of guesting to that world for 30 days.

I mean really, how was this issue not foreseen?

This is by far the best suggestion I have ever seen on these forums.
As it stands now people are just using other servers for their person gain.

Toxyn.9608:

Guesting implies a temporary stay. Guesting to a server should only work for 24 hours as a trial period. After 24 hours, you are locked out of guesting to that world for 30 days.

I mean really, how was this issue not foreseen?

No? Guesting was made for friends to play together. Some people rolled on different servers for different reasons. Being locked out of a server for 30 days goes against that.

Fiddlestyx.9714:

This is by far the best suggestion I have ever seen on these forums.
As it stands now people are just using other servers for their person gain.

I also wonder if they are even staying on the guest server between events, or ‘going home’ or to other servers in the interim. The ‘exploiters,’ it would stand to reason, would be chasing their person gain (loot) and not be hanging around to experience the community or do things with people on the server.

Chorel.1720:

Toxyn.9608:

Guesting implies a temporary stay. Guesting to a server should only work for 24 hours as a trial period. After 24 hours, you are locked out of guesting to that world for 30 days.

I mean really, how was this issue not foreseen?

No? Guesting was made for friends to play together. Some people rolled on different servers for different reasons. Being locked out of a server for 30 days goes against that.

If it is disrupting the natural ecosystem of the server, then it is not worth allowing people to circumvent the server transfer price.

Kalea.9167:

Fiddlestyx.9714:

This is by far the best suggestion I have ever seen on these forums.
As it stands now people are just using other servers for their person gain.

I also wonder if they are even staying on the guest server between events, or ‘going home’ or to other servers in the interim. The ‘exploiters,’ it would stand to reason, would be chasing their person gain (loot) and not be hanging around to experience the community or do things with people on the server.

You kind of have to stay here. If you want any chance of getting in another event somewhere else, you need to slip in before “Overflow” becomes a word on peoples lips.

I know your feeling. Today, when I tried to kill Jorlag my client crashed, I connected right away and BOOM! I was in overflow, that sucks.

Guesting is for friends to play with each other, even though they may be on different servers. As such, it would make sense that being invited to be a guest on a server by an online native in your group or on your friends list would be a prerequisite to guesting on that server.

The lag and overflow during Tarnished Coast events is kinda funny, but not really. If it were not due to these limiting issues, I’d love for every single player to get to visit our entertaining server, but it simply isn’t practical. It is annoying that my native TC friends who are not guesting can’t participate in our TC events because they are trapped in an overflow. So much for guesting allowing friends to play together, eh?

So, shoo. Get off my lawn.

Cross.6437:

Guys, I’m going to be that old man on the porch waving his broomstick, but I don’t want to have to constantly guest on other servers just to play the game normally any more than I want to drive to the community pool in the next town over because ours is too full from tourists. So, please, kindly get off our lawn.

A few words of advice . A geezer with a broom is much less effective than a geezer with a side-by-side and 2 this will likely inspire more to go to TC

Cross.6437:

You kind of have to stay here. If you want any chance of getting in another event somewhere else, you need to slip in before “Overflow” becomes a word on peoples lips.

Well but we know some people are chasing events across servers. So they must be going home just for those events and then coming back to wait. I guess they are farming events and not doing WvW?

What a boring life. The annoying part though is that we have to make a choice now between what we do. Level or dungeon or whatever, or camp an event so we don’t get pushed into overflow.

I still stand by my suggestion of not letting guests come over, get loot, and go home. Think about the economy implications? It’s sort of like tax-free importing of goods. Even on other games, you’d have to make a mule and generally pay a fee to move goods across servers. If people are farming 2x the events and bringing that wealth back to a single economy, it’s really exploitative in more than one way.

This isn’t just about us being deprived of our own ability to enjoy the game that we paid for, on the server that we’ve chosen to be devoted to for one silly reason or another, through thick and thin.

Toxyn.9608:

Cross.6437:

Toxyn.9608:

Guesting implies a temporary stay. Guesting to a server should only work for 24 hours as a trial period. After 24 hours, you are locked out of guesting to that world for 30 days.

I mean really, how was this issue not foreseen?

Another alternative might be that to “guest” on a server, you need to be invited by someone who is on that server. After all, there is a different between inviting a guest into your home and a random hobo from off the street who just steps through your door and starts raiding your fridge.

That would not be as effective as a flat limitation, but it would help.

Allow me to share a rather interesting experience I had in Queensdale the other week.

I’d come back to do my daily events, and judging by map chat, the Shadow Behemoth was up- hence the presence of a blue dorito in Godslost Swamp. I wasn’t familiar with the commander, but I figured he had it up to show his guildmates/random lost people where to go. So I paid it no mind and went back to troll/bandit farming.

A short while after it died, someone in map chat said something about commanders, at which point a Coaster piped up and said they were hoping to get a dorito for their guild leader to use in WvW. Which got the reply, “Yes please, more TC commanders to farm for badges!”

It just went downhill from there. That same person (the commander on the map) also said something along the lines of “All of you can shut up and go back to RPing making marshmallows in your keeps,” as well as making other insults about TC’s WvW crew and RP. His flaming caused others to join in… and yes, I know they were guesters because they said things like “I’m from (server name omitted), we play for real and don’t do this kitten **** you all do.” Eventually I had enough of it and told them as politely as I could to get off the server, which they thankfully did (though likely to chase timers and not because of my request).

Really, I have no issues with guesters who come because of our community- and when I say that, I mean they come because they want a mature, active, friendly community and not because they want a bigger audience to troll. I also don’t mind if you’re a hobo off the streets if you’re a nice hobo with some great stories who I can have conversations with regarding pink elephant pants or runaway dragons. But if you not only raid my fridge without a word of thanks, but also curse me out and insult my family… well then. We’re going to have issues.

For this reason, I would support Cross’s suggestion- that the only way to guest on another server would be being invited by someone. Guesting was, after all, meant as a way for friends on different servers to still play with each other- this would fulfill that original purpose while cutting down on the coattail-ers.

I do like hopping to other servers just to check out the communities there, and for convenience if, say, Balthazar is derped, but at this rate, the problems solved by implementing restrictions would be worth any inconveniences. Yeah, I know there will be people who will still coordinate to smuggle in troll squads and event hoppers, but the average troll/hopper won’t bother to organize that, and will likely just be lazy and stay on their own servers. It will be harder for people to just drop in if they’re interested in the personality of a server, but again… it won’t be much different (better even) than before paid transfers, when many servers were full. And I’m sure people could arrange something to help interested players over.

The people who will be hit hardest by this, unfortunately, will be the players in sparsely populated servers… that’s the only thing that gives me pause.

You be your old man with a broom. I’ll be the hick in the rocking chair with the shotgun.

[Rocks back and forth] “Git off mah land!”

……ok I’m kidding, I like seeing people, but still… funny visual I’m surprised nobody mentioned.

You sorta brought this all upon yourselves.

You made the bed, now lay in it.

I don’t think it’s right to force a guest into overflow. They have every right to the content on the server they are playing on as you do. They paid the same price.

You don’t want lag? Guest to any of the other 23 servers for YOUR PvE needs.

Tarnish Coast is the best server.

All the other servers have RP haters, living in an empty lifeless world…

Falunel.7645:

The people who will be hit hardest by this, unfortunately, will be the players in sparsely populated servers… that’s the only thing that gives me pause.

Remember that you can be in a guild that isn’t ‘native’ to this server. Now, granted, a lot of guilds might not be keen on this idea because they may have a pvp focus for WvW on TC (yes some of us do like our pvp) … but if there are guilds that have a community, leveling, or RP focus that doesn’t mind opening doors for guesting purposes, there are ways around this.

It may require people to seek out a host — that’s the thing I’d not like to impose on a player, but if it cuts down on trolls like that, I’d certainly understand. That’s why I proposed no chest loot, but I do realize some are spiteful enough to want to come and troll anyways. And I know exploiters will find a way to get an invitation to our server to work around requiring an invitation. So limits on chest loot may also be required. But it may take more than one ‘fix’ to really address the situation.

Though someone looking to guest could certainly go to the guilds forum and find someone to sponsor them, by joining a guild. There are ways around it.

Something has to be done though; when guests come to our server and then have the gall to tell us that if we don’t want lag then we should guest to another server… the system is broken.

Kumu Honua.2751:

You sorta brought this all upon yourselves.

You made the bed, now lay in it.

I don’t think it’s right to force a guest into overflow. They have every right to the content on the server they are playing on as you do. They paid the same price.

You don’t want lag? Guest to any of the other 23 servers for YOUR PvE needs.

Uhm, yeah. So that’s the caliber of guests visiting TC. Granted, it is not representative of the entire sample of those visiting, there very well may be people using guesting as it was intended…

But seriously ANet. Those of us who are on the server or have paid for transfers to the server are the ones entitled to experience non-overflow content on the server. Those of us who built the community and who are the community. As Kumu stated, we made the bed. If they liked the bed so much, why do they just want to visit? Have their cake and eat it too? Then transfer.

Guests should receive services as available, not at the expense of natives.

Kalea.9167:

Falunel.7645:

The people who will be hit hardest by this, unfortunately, will be the players in sparsely populated servers… that’s the only thing that gives me pause.

Remember that you can be in a guild that isn’t ‘native’ to this server. Now, granted, a lot of guilds might not be keen on this idea because they may have a pvp focus for WvW on TC (yes some of us do like our pvp) … but if there are guilds that have a community, leveling, or RP focus that doesn’t mind opening doors for guesting purposes, there are ways around this.

It may require people to seek out a host — that’s the thing I’d not like to impose on a player, but if it cuts down on trolls like that, I’d certainly understand. That’s why I proposed no chest loot, but I do realize some are spiteful enough to want to come and troll anyways. And I know exploiters will find a way to get an invitation to our server to work around requiring an invitation. So limits on chest loot may also be required. But it may take more than one ‘fix’ to really address the situation.

Though someone looking to guest could certainly go to the guilds forum and find someone to sponsor them, by joining a guild. There are ways around it.

Something has to be done though; when guests come to our server and then have the gall to tell us that if we don’t want lag then we should guest to another server… the system is broken.

Kumu Honua.2751:

You sorta brought this all upon yourselves.

You made the bed, now lay in it.

I don’t think it’s right to force a guest into overflow. They have every right to the content on the server they are playing on as you do. They paid the same price.

You don’t want lag? Guest to any of the other 23 servers for YOUR PvE needs.

Uhm, yeah. So that’s the caliber of guests visiting TC. Granted, it is not representative of the entire sample of those visiting, there very well may be people using guesting as it was intended…

But seriously ANet. Those of us who are on the server or have paid for transfers to the server are the ones entitled to experience non-overflow content on the server. Those of us who built the community and who are the community. As Kumu stated, we made the bed. If they liked the bed so much, why do they just want to visit? Have their cake and eat it too? Then transfer.

Guests should receive services as available, not at the expense of natives.

No it’s not the calibur guesting. I have not guested off my server because I like my server. Even though I have friends that play on TC. Even some in my guild.

In fact, by your opinion I would actually have more of a “Right” to guest to your server than many of those that already do.

You STILL made your bed with the advertising. Now you get to live with those consequences. So if you don’t like how it all turned out, you can guest to another server to get away from it.

Anet created guesting to allow friends who settled on other servers to play with their other friends. You do not get to dictate how and when they get to do so. Maybe if TC didn’t advertise so hard to obtain the population it now has it wouldn’t be in the situation you have.

Forcing non-natives into overflows would just alienate them from the friends they are trying to connect with and THAT would be wrong.

Kumu Honua.2751:

You STILL made your bed with the advertising. Now you get to live with those consequences. So if you don’t like how it all turned out, you can guest to another server to get away from it..

It’s wrong to assume that anyone has the authority to speak on TC’s behalf. I’m from TC, and I don’t even have that authority.

The things I say are the general observations and frustrations of a single player. If it resonates with people, then there might be something to it. However, even then we shouldn’t confuse the words of a few individuals for the feelings of the server. So, by all means, go to TC and see for yourself and make your own judgements.

But the thing is, we as a community consented to this role for TC, not just the people of the server, and it’s a problem. The guesting system doesn’t have a built-in system for alleviating these problems, so we as a community need to make a conscious counter-push if we want to see any improvements.

Come to TC, enjoy your 1-5 fps and crashes during dragon events because of all the other guesters.

The dragon events are becoming almost unplayable for me because of the lag and crashes I get due to all the people, plus the extreme culling problems. I don’t want to have to guest on another server, this is my home. It feels like a bunch of entitled strangers are tromping in, breaking my furniture, eating all my food, then flipping me off on the way out.

Speaking of which, I’ve definitely noticed a huge influx of map chat trolls lately.

If you’re friendly and considerate, I really don’t care. But we definitely have a slew of guesters who don’t give a kitten about the native population, and certainly some who are just plain unpleasant, selfish, and downright hateful. Go home, please. Why would you guest on a server where the lag is so bad you can hardly get anything done, and you clearly hate the people there? I don’t get it.

Can’t we have a rotation of three servers a month or something as “official” PvE servers?

This way at any given time, you have two other options where it’s guaranteed that there’ll be an above average amount of people. The monthly rotation ensures that all the servers get some sort of activity, and no one server will be burdened by extra people for more than a month.

Egon Vidar.9125:

Come to TC, enjoy your 1-5 fps and crashes during dragon events because of all the other guesters.

The dragon events are becoming almost unplayable for me because of the lag and crashes I get due to all the people, plus the extreme culling problems. I don’t want to have to guest on another server, this is my home. It feels like a bunch of entitled strangers are tromping in, breaking my furniture, eating all my food, then flipping me off on the way out.

Speaking of which, I’ve definitely noticed a huge influx of map chat trolls lately.

If you’re friendly and considerate, I really don’t care. But we definitely have a slew of guesters who don’t give a kitten about the native population, and certainly some who are just plain unpleasant, selfish, and downright hateful. Go home, please. Why would you guest on a server where the lag is so bad you can hardly get anything done, and you clearly hate the people there? I don’t get it.

Trolling. Some people live for it. Guesting is the dumbest thing I have seen in a long time. Anet just seems to knee jerk with the way stuff is done. As if there is no thought put into it, they just quickly implement something and hope it sticks.

Are we partly responsible? Yes. I would even say that I am partly responsible- I’ve told quite a few people who were lonely and wanted a good community to come to TC.

Do I regret it? Not at all. Many people who I directed here fell in love with the server- talked to other players, made friends, joined a guild here, eventually transferred, and are having a blast. TC is an amazing server, and I am not hesitant at all to share it with other people… who really want to experience the community.

That’s the issue. Legitimate guesters are good and peachy- I will still tell people looking for a great community to come here, and should a change be implemented that requires a host, I will be one of the first to step up and start bringing interested guests here. However, I am willing to wager that the current lag and overflow issues are NOT being caused by legitimate visitors, but event hoppers- the ones who swarm the server without a (friendly) word and then depart right away to farm another server. Even if the problems are in part caused by legitimate guesters, they will be much better when restrictions are in place. The rest, I will shrug and accept as the price of calling a great server home.

To be truthful, I don’t like advocating restrictions. I looked forward to guesting. I invited people in hopes that they’d find a home here, and love it so much that they’d begin giving back. I wanted more people to come here and enjoy the community, and leave happier in a way that had nothing to do with loot. Sure, I did realize there would be some trolls, but thought that the majority of people guesting would be good-natured and interested in the server’s community itself… but again, I thought a random commander in Queensdale had his icon on to help people.

Falunel.7645:

Are we partly responsible? Yes. I would even say that I am partly responsible- I’ve told quite a few people who were lonely and wanted a good community to come to TC.

Do I regret it? Not at all. Many people who I directed here fell in love with the server- talked to other players, made friends, joined a guild here, eventually transferred, and are having a blast. TC is an amazing server, and I am not hesitant at all to share it with other people… who really want to experience the community.

That’s the issue. Legitimate guesters are good and peachy- I will still tell people looking for a great community to come here, and should a change be implemented that requires a host, I will be one of the first to step up and start bringing interested guests here. However, I am willing to wager that the current lag and overflow issues are NOT being caused by legitimate visitors, but event hoppers- the ones who swarm the server without a (friendly) word and then depart right away to farm another server. Even if the problems are in part caused by legitimate guesters, they will be much better when restrictions are in place. The rest, I will shrug and accept as the price of calling a great server home.

To be truthful, I don’t like advocating restrictions. I looked forward to guesting. I invited people in hopes that they’d find a home here, and love it so much that they’d begin giving back. I wanted more people to come here and enjoy the community, and leave happier in a way that had nothing to do with loot. Sure, I did realize there would be some trolls, but thought that the majority of people guesting would be good-natured and interested in the server’s community itself… but again, I thought a random commander in Queensdale had his icon on to help people.

Thank you, Falunel. Well spoken and stated more eloquently than I would have.

I did not advertise beyond my own personal friends to bring them to TC, or to people that I met by way of gw2lfg who were unhappy where they were and looking for a guild and/or server. However, I certainly supported ideas to help bring population to TC that might have helped us out in WvW, or otherwise contribute to the established community that we had.

I am not opposed to the concept of guesting or the spirit of being able to for free visit a server, see what it’s like, play with a friend who is in another time zone and/or guild who you might not otherwise be with all the time. I personally have a good friend who might have been in that situation, rolled on another server in another guild, but wanted to guest with me on occasion. There might be people who don’t want to live on an RP server but want to see what it’s like before transferring.

This is not however the spirit of guesting that we are experiencing. What we are experiencing is an influx of people exploiting the system, bouncing from event to event. Some will argue that it’s not exploitation because it can be done and the game permits it, I’m pretty sure that it’s not within the spirit of guesting as implemented.

Finally, having played on MMOs that have had queues, you bet I would impose a queue on guests and prioritize natives over guests for non-overflow areas. As I’ve already stated, natives have either made the choice to be on that server permanently, from launch, or paid to move there, or used a free transfer.

When you start playing the “guests are paying customers” card and infer that they are entitled to the same access to content on a server as a native, this overlooks the “sacrifice” that guildmembers have made to cohabit a server. To play together for months. To build relationships. Maybe we like showing up at a world event tenfold together, and to have a few of our guildies stuck in overflow because of an inundation of guests chasing multiple loot chests, well… that’s where I will request that ANet favor natives over guests.

Community is built by those present all the time. When you say ‘if it’s too laggy guest elsewhere’ you’re basically saying guests’ privileges are more important than the hosting server population native rights, and I just won’t agree to that.

Sanctum of Rall is having the same issues.

Our guildmates are unable to get in to do dragon events without getting kicked to overflow.

Cross.6437:

Toxyn.9608:

Guesting implies a temporary stay. Guesting to a server should only work for 24 hours as a trial period. After 24 hours, you are locked out of guesting to that world for 30 days.

I mean really, how was this issue not foreseen?

Another alternative might be that to “guest” on a server, you need to be invited by someone who is on that server. After all, there is a different between inviting a guest into your home and a random hobo from off the street who just steps through your door and starts raiding your fridge.

That’s actually how I had assumed it was going to work. It was always described as a feature designed to allow people to play with their friends no matter what server they were on. It seem like an invite feature would be perfectly in keeping with that stated goal. And then people could sell server invitations for gold…Oh…wait…I’ve said too much…

Desolation is better…

Dunan Atreides.5436:

Can’t we have a rotation of three servers a month or something as “official” PvE servers?

This way at any given time, you have two other options where it’s guaranteed that there’ll be an above average amount of people. The monthly rotation ensures that all the servers get some sort of activity, and no one server will be burdened by extra people for more than a month.

It might be even better to just focus guesting on the 3-5 least populated servers. They’ll have the most headroom for lots of guests and least chance of overflow, plus their native players may actually appreciate the company and the more frequently opened Temples.

But given the experience of TC, Blackgate, and SoR (two other servers with similar guesting problems to TC), I don’t think it’s a great idea to have a random rotation that will still include the highest pop, already-full servers, when the low pop ones offer more chance of a real win-win.

So, guesting = Trolling?

I honestly didn’t see that one coming. But it certainly stands to reason. The guests can crap in the bed, since they don’t have to sleep in it.

The declared aim of the system was for people “to play with their friends”. But it is clearly being used for farming, temple accessing etc. purposes.

Anet should put in some restrictions such as time limits, or invitations.

I chose TC because of a guild but once i found out it’s the unofficial RP server i was delighted because people who RP are simply the best community ever.

It’s sad that guesting is disturbing the peace now. We don’t need immature transplants to start griefing and trolling all over the place.

Kumu Honua.2751:

You sorta brought this all upon yourselves.

You made the bed, now lay in it.

Just to clarify, not all of TC made this bed, just a vocal, enthusiastic, and perhaps naively excited minority, mainly on Reddit. Most of TC didn’t even know it was going on and weren’t involved in it, especially the RP’ers who tend to hang out elsewhere (either in-game or places like here), and are now bearing the brunt of the problems (not just the lag and overflows, but ‘lol kitten’ type harrassment).

Kumu Honua.2751:

I don’t think it’s right to force a guest into overflow. They have every right to the content on the server they are playing on as you do. They paid the same price.

Up until the end of free transfers that may have been true, but not anymore. People who pay to be on a server have more right to the content on that server than non-paying guests from elsewhere.

And most who have been on the server since before the end of free transfers didn’t pay in money, but did pay in commitment and investment into the community.

And I’d say it’s even less right for guests to force natives into overflow. Both are ugly, but one is clearly the lesser of two evils.

You don’t want lag? Guest to any of the other 23 servers for YOUR PvE needs.

Pretty sure ANet would consider that not working as intended.

Thrumdi.9216:

So, guesting = Trolling?

Not universally. For example, there are RP’ers on other servers b/c of guild affiliation, friends, etc. who guest over to TC to RP with their RP buddies. Definitely not trolling, and brings all the things we value to the community, and not enough of them anyway to cause the lag, overflows and other issues that the general PvE farming zerg brings.

And not even all of the ‘PvE farming zerg’ are trolling either, just a vocal minority. But we can deal with them, unrelenting humor usually shuts down trolls pretty well. It’s the technical issues – overflows, lag, etc. – that are the problem players can’t do anything about.

kKagari.6804:

Lmao, I never guested on TC before, but I’ll definitely guest there now!

Then welcome, we have the best cookies, lag, and overflows. Enjoy

kurtosis.9526:

Just to clarify, not all of TC made this bed, just a vocal, enthusiastic, and perhaps naively excited minority, mainly on Reddit. Most of TC didn’t even know it was going on and weren’t involved in it, especially the RP’ers who tend to hang out elsewhere (either in-game or places like here), and are now bearing the brunt of the problems (not just the lag and overflows, but ‘lol kitten’ type harrassment).

Of course not. I’m not that naive. But it was done.

Up until the end of free transfers that may have been true, but not anymore. People who pay to be on a server have more right to the content on that server than non-paying guests from elsewhere.

There’s no such thing as non-paying. Every single last person in this game paid for the content. You do not have the right to demand that certain sections be denied that right. If I want to join on TC and group with my friends there. I should not be forced to be separated from them just because I am a guest.

And I’d say it’s even less right for guests to force natives into overflow. Both are ugly, but one is clearly the lesser of two evils.

They don’t force you into overflows. Everyone gets the same treatment. It’s entirely fair. Guests and natives alike get sent to overflow. It’s based entirely on population. Not “Class” of citizen.

The solution for you if there is an overflow is….wait for the queue to pop. Or you can guest yourselves to a non-over-saturated server.

Huh. Makes me glad I decided not to transfer to TC.
Who the hell decided TC to be the unofficial server for… everything?

This issue should theoretically sort itself out, but I think the heavy cost of transfers will prevent the problem from being solved quickly.

Either way, I think in time people will realize that making an official ‘event’ server was a bad idea when they’re constantly missing out due to the 1000 other people who had the same idea. Especially when that server was already the RP server, which is usually the polar opposite of the achiever-horde.

Then perhaps they’ll guest elsewhere.

I’m happy with good ol’ Maguuma, the unofficial ‘kitten it’ server, where ‘not giving a kitten’ is a national pastime.