Guild Wars 2

I want to post my only concern and suggestion about GW2, which prevents me returning to the game after having taken a long break. I discussed this with the GW2 support team, where they sent me here to let others review the problem and suggestion I have.

Being a big GW fan, since the beginning of GW 1, I’ve got GW 2 from the launch date but I took a long break after I played it for the first few weeks. Now a few years later I want to go back in the game to play WvW with my friend. I want to join his server and guild, but transferring costs approximately 25 euros. This is in my opinion an inordinately amount, also considering the fact that the game itself was 60 euros. Another alternative is to delete my characters, which takes away the fun since I have to start all over again. Having said that, so far it unfortunately looks impossible to play WvW with my friend.

So my only concern is the inordinately high costs of the transfer and not being able to transfer for free the first time. This makes the game much less enjoyable to me and all of the people that have a friend or guild on a different server and want to play WvW together. It also is not fair towards those who picked a server in the beginning, not knowing which one to choose, but later on wanting to join a friend or guild and finding out transferring is almost impossible.

I assume the high costs of the server transfer is there to prevent players or guilds from leaving servers frequently (and screw up the rankings) and to let players transfer to less populated servers, but this still is not fair for those who want to transfer once and for the first time. I hope Arenanet will look into the transfer system and make it more fair and enjoyable for players and those who want to return to the game. For example, make the first transfer free, then let players pay gems cumulatively on the amount of transfers.
Until then, me and my friend will be playing together on a different game.

It used to be free. It was changed to paid after players and guilds used this feature to mass transfer to one server, raise it up in the rankings then abandon it to go to a different server, leaving the abandoned server to struggle in a ranking that was now to high for it.

The decline of the Henge of Denravi due to server transfers

It could be worse. For example, WoW charges $25 for each character.

Idk about completely free if you think about it harder i believe that might lead to some ppl somehow exploiting that ability. Thats why i suggest giving a strong discount on the first transfer but idk if theres no way ppl could exploit that then sure make the first one free.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

It used to be free. It was changed to paid after players and guilds used this feature to mass transfer to one server, raise it up in the rankings then abandon it to go to a different server, leaving the abandoned server to struggle in a ranking that was now to high for it.

The decline of the Henge of Denravi due to server transfers

It could be worse. For example, WoW charges $25 for each character.

“This is why we can’t have nice things.”

Desolation also had a similar problem. Made worse by the matchmaking algorithm used back then.

With only a few weeks of play on a character(s), and considering the cost seems to be of concern, one might reconsider deleting all characters to transfer at no cost.

That, or go through one’s inventory to check for an item from long, long ago that might be worth a goodly amount of Gold to exchange for Gems to offset the cost.

Good luck.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

It used to be free. It was changed to paid after players and guilds used this feature to mass transfer to one server, raise it up in the rankings then abandon it to go to a different server, leaving the abandoned server to struggle in a ranking that was now to high for it.

The decline of the Henge of Denravi due to server transfers

It could be worse. For example, WoW charges $25 for each character.

The gem costs of transferring were always intended — they were even mentioned before the game was sold. (I believe the original amounts were higher; I’d have to check the wiki history to be sure.)

The reason it was free to start with is that guesting was broken at launch. The only way to play with friends was to transfer worlds.

Originally, transfers were unlimited. For the reasons stated by Fleshie, this was reduced to once per day and later once per week.

Once guesting was introduced to the game, the free transfers ended.

tl;dr ANet made clear that transfers would cost US$10-20. They waived the fee when there was no other way to play with friends.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

It used to be free. It was changed to paid after players and guilds used this feature to mass transfer to one server, raise it up in the rankings then abandon it to go to a different server, leaving the abandoned server to struggle in a ranking that was now to high for it.

The decline of the Henge of Denravi due to server transfers

It could be worse. For example, WoW charges $25 for each character.

Yes, but making the first transfer free and then the next ones paid cumulatively that problem will be much less. At the same time it will remain fair and enjoyable for all returning players, players who want to reach their friends/guild etc.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

The gem costs of transferring were always intended — they were even mentioned before the game was sold. (I believe the original amounts were higher; I’d have to check the wiki history to be sure.)

The reason it was free to start with is that guesting was broken at launch. The only way to play with friends was to transfer worlds.

Originally, transfers were unlimited. For the reasons stated by Fleshie, this was reduced to once per day and later once per week.

Once guesting was introduced to the game, the free transfers ended.

tl;dr ANet made clear that transfers would cost US$10-20. They waived the fee when there was no other way to play with friends.

I feel like everyone should have the right to have the first transfer for free. For example, think about all of the (new) players that picked a random server in the beginning and got a friend/guild later on. That doesn’t make the game enjoyable at all if you have to pay an inordinately amount of money right away just to reach their server for WvW.

I agree that we should all get a free transfer — I even made that suggestion a couple of times. I don’t think it’s practical though, to implement it at this late date.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I agree that we should all get a free transfer — I even made that suggestion a couple of times. I don’t think it’s practical though, to implement it at this late date.

its never too late :/

Let us also not forget that you can transfer worlds with gold. You don’t have to spend real world cash.

Although not perfect, it’s not a bad system. The reason you have to pay 22.5 Euros for the transfer is you are going to a full server. If you transfer to a low population one it’s only 6.25 euros.

The good thing about GW2 is gold to gem conversion. You could transfer to a low population one for 180g. The high population you want is around 520g. If you focus on farming the gold you can do it without paying any real life money.

The bigger issue with WvW is the declining player base on low tier servers, lack of rewards, slow balance patches and general polish/ development.

Save your money. Do some farming to make gold, convert to gems, transfer. Or, ask your friend to help by loaning you the gold you need for the gems to transfer immediately.

Umoo.5680:

Being a big GW fan, since the beginning of GW 1, I’ve got GW 2 from the launch date but I took a long break after I played it for the first few weeks.

Now a few years later I want to go back in the game to play WvW with my friend. I want to join his server and guild, but transferring costs approximately 25 euros.

You have options here.

You only played a few weeks, if you don’t have any 80’s yet wouldn’t be that bad to delete the characters, liquidate whatever into the bank move and level, it’s a pain but it’s free. If you’re going to play with a guild it wouldn’t be as bad either, you can enter wvw from level 2 and earn tomes of knowledge for levels from the reward tracks.

Do you plan on getting the HoT expansion? instead of paying for a transfer, you can buy that on sale and it comes with a free level 80 boost. If you don’t might as well just start up a free account on his server.

I assume your friend has been playing a while, maybe borrow enough gold to transfer and pay them back later, multiple ways to earn gold in the game depending on what you prefer to do. Even just going around in wvw gathering mats along the way and breaking down all the junk loot, will get you enough in time to sell for a good chunk of gold.

P.S I do agree with one free transfer for an account and then the rest you charge. Many players I’m sure had no clue about the wvw and server relations when they first started gw2. Heck free accounts get a free transfer when they upgrade, so all paid accounts should get one regardless.

FYI…^One can not choose the server with a Play4Free account, which may be why those accounts get a free transfer when upgrading to paid.

@OP: Don’t forget about Server linking in WvW. Your worlds may be linked, and you may be able to play with your friend, (if in the same region).

Good luck.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

FYI…^One can not choose the server with a Play4Free account, which may be why those accounts get a free transfer when upgrading to paid.

@OP: Don’t forget about Server linking in WvW. Your worlds may be linked, and you may be able to play with your friend, (if in the same region).

Good luck.

Uh yes you can, you choose it like every other account. I made one about a month ago and placed it on FA.

Really! Perhaps, something changed. I’ve always read that one was not allowed to choose.

Thanks for the update. =)

Only problem is having to level one character to 60 in order to unlock wvw/eotm account wide.

They probably should have just picked one of the dead servers and made all the free accounts go there until it fills up then mark a different server. After all it is suppose to be a trial of sorts and you do get the free transfer after you pay to upgrade anyways.

But yeah, many players have free accounts to play on another server and take breaks from their main matchup, or in some cases spying.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Really! Perhaps, something changed. I’ve always read that one was not allowed to choose.

Thanks for the update. =)

You can choose the server. You just can’t change server afterwards. I made my free account around 1 month after free accounts became available.

Farming 520g is not worth spending so much time on or borrowing such an amount just to transfer to another server. How painful it is, I gathered my courage and I’m now thinking of deleting my character. So far I know I will lose my map progress (70%), missions, crafting, soulbound armor, weapons and ofcourse all off the time I spent on my lvl 80 character, just to transfer to another server. In all of the time I spent gaming this is no doubt the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen. I still hope Arenanet will look into this system, not only for me but for all GW2 players that should have the first transfer for free (and many others agree with this). It’s never too late since the game is still not dead and I believe there will be more expansions coming soon.