Guild Wars 2

I’m sure most of you already know about or have heard something about the “anti-grind code” enabled in Guild Wars 2. This code is similar to the one used in Guild Wars, essentially making it inconvenient and unrewarding to “grind” for certain materials repeatedly over a long period of time. It seems to kick in after about 30 minutes.

The good thing about this code is it works to curb the rapid, inhuman inflation caused by botting programs. This is a global good for Guild Wars, making everything more affordable for everyone—from 1 to 80. However, I don’t feel as though the game was built around having such a code in place.

The problem I have is not that “I can’t spend an hour grinding mobs for fine crafting materials.”

The problem is that I NEED to.

I would consider my playstyle slightly abnormal—possibly going beyond what would be expected of most players in terms of how they progress through the game. If a zone is marked 15-25, the general consensus is get in at 15, leave at 25. I don’t. I stay and try for 100% completion in every zone I do, meaning that I am usually level “28-30” by the time I leave.

However, even I have the issue of not having nearly enough fine crafting materials to level my professions. Doing diverse content (read: all of it) generally nets me a handful of each type of crafting material, but usually nowhere near the amount expected of crafters. It costs upwards of 8 fine crafting materials to make one “masterwork” insignia, which is good for 2-3 crafting levels. The problem is that I need to make between 8-10 of these to level my crafting skill to the next threshold, and that’s if I’m only focused on leveling.

If I want to make a set of cohesive gear that I want to use? I would need 6 insignias of ONE type! That’s -48- of a single type of fine crafting material, and there just aren’t many options except for farming to get them all.

Removing the anti-grind code is a silly solution. Short-sighted and a detriment in the long run. But lowering the amount of fine crafting materials seems like an all-around good. 24 Thick Bloods for a set of armor seems a lot less daunting than 48, and is much less reliant on me using the Trading Post to get it.

I’d much rather be able to look at a set of crafted pieces and feel proud that I put it together, not bitter that I had to supplement my own stock with that of others at a hefty cost.

I agree with your post.

Just wait till you need 15 rares of one type for one insignia. HA!

I don’t know if you have crafted any Rare sets, but those generally require 90 of a certain fine material (vs. 48 for Masterwork versions). Farming 90 of said materials can be a pain in the butt, especially when you find out that your drops start to diminish after an hour or so of farming. I suppose ArenaNet could add certain items on an “Exceptions List”. I know certain items can be farmed for extreme periods of time in GW1, such as crafting materials and holiday drops.

Honestly, crafting materials should be one of those exceptions so that leveling up crafting disciplines aren’t such a pain in the butt.

Well thought out OP, and I appreciated the different perspective. It was fresh, informative and provided a viable solution. Although I disagree with your solution and here is why.

Sadly in games such as this where the mechanic of killing monsters, taking their stuff, and either using said stuff to profit / craft, is at least 50% of core game play, it would take a complete over haul of the game systems in place to make the anti farm script acceptable. In a game where 50% or more of the core mechanic revolves around killing monsters and gaining loot, it is asinine to punish players for doing just that.

Just wait till you want to craft yourself an exotic, that rely on ectos from rare gear and materials that don’t tend to drop. Or contemplate one of the mystic forge recipies…

I might say that we could just buy gems, sell for gold, and not mind that we are effectivly having to pay real world money for virtual crafting materials. But that seems kind of lame to me..

But on the other side of it, maybe trying to craft your way through on your first character was not the idea invisioned by Anet. But who knows.

It´s been said already that the anti-farming code isn´t working as intended.
Obviously this bug still hasn´t been fixed!

Get a move on ANet!
I´m not much inclined to log on when I know I´m wasting my time due to your buggy code stealing my mats!!

Patience is required. I’m sure that as they gather data about the effectiveness of their efforts, Arenanet devs will adjust the diminishing returns threshold until legitimate players can still do what they want to do while hardcore farming and botting is discouraged.

It is helpful to different things, in game and out, to get around the penalties. Log out for a few minutes every hour or so, get a drink or a snack, see what’s on tv, chat with a friend, check your email… move from one area to another and alternate between gathering mats/killing mobs and other activities. Go to the WvWvW or PvP areas for a while…

The spirit of the anti-farming measures is to discourage players from doing the same thing for hours on end. So it stands to reason that you will have the best results by following the spirit of the game and doing a variety of different things instead of killing mobs until you get your 30th crafting doodad.

Also, recognize that the TP is there to supplement harvesting mats and to provide you with the last 4 or 5 items you need to craft that masterpiece. By refusing its help you are making a choice, and it’s a choice that the game is actively preventing by discouraging you from farming for mats constantly. If you have a surplus of one material sell some and use the money to buy what you need. You still gathered the mats, you simply converted the gathered items into a form that you can use more effectively through the trading post.

If you choose to go against this, then you will likely run into trouble even after the diminishing returns threshold is adjusted. But you have made an informed choice to do this rather than go to the TP to supplement gathering efforts and so you accept the handicap by doing so.

tolunart.2095:

It is helpful to different things, in game and out, to get around the penalties. Log out for a few minutes every hour or so, get a drink or a snack, see what’s on tv, chat with a friend, check your email…

So going afk and doing these things is wrong. I must log out first. I will try to remember that…

I didn’t like it when Guildwars told me to take a break. It’s like saying –
“Are you are aware you have been enjoying yourself too much? That’s not healthy…”?

Yes, you must follow my orders to the letter or the Guildwars Goons will come to your house and smash your computer.

Sigh.

tolunart.2095:

Yes, you must follow my orders to the letter or the Guildwars Goons will come to your house and smash your computer.

Sigh.

Constructive as ever. My fault.

The solution is not in reducing drops through DR, but to start banning those that are botting. DR only hurts the legit player IMO.

Diminishing Rewards is just pulling a Nexon. “Let’s hurt the majority of the community to make up for the few bots that exist.” There’s more legit players than botters, therefore to punish the mass for the few. Reminds me of America.

I can’t believe they put in anti-farming code before fixing the butt-backwards trophy system, and giving you a way to harvest the items you need. Major Anet Fail.

I believe the current anti-bot code is a placeholder.
Obviously it will need to be tweaked so that it doesn’t affect people who are playing.

pretty much killed my desire to level up my crafting because i am now forced to buy this stuff off the AH because i cant farm it. That inflation you mentionedit curbing? yea this will actually cause crafting mats to go up…since they will be harder to get… its a nice atempt but it will cause more issues then it fixes.

Completely agree with the OP. Anet need to fix this anti botting code…it’s making the game crappy for normal players.

What sucks about this is that while I find this mechanic absolutely absurd, the prices of materials would be much lower when selling on the trading post, because people could farm for longer thus there would be more items in the game. While I hate drop DR more than anything I am somewhat glad it isn’t an epic mob grinding free for all, because it leaves some profit to be made selling crafting materials.

I don’t believe that the DE and dungeon anti-farm mechanic is a good idea seeing as the amount of $$ rewarded from both of these isn’t really that much.

This system is a well thought one but I think, it is not working right because it is funny when you get 2s as a reward from a dungeon. There should be a minimum amount so you don’t feel like your effort is not respected.

But whatever it is, an anti-farm system is needed and I’m glad GW2 has.

Putting more effort into detecting or manually removing the bots would have been a better use of resources. The current system hurts every player, not just the bots. But when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.