Guild Wars 2

Hi All,

Changing servers has been discussed a lot in this forum, but having only just bought the game, I joined the Desolation server.

The decision was based on a post I read a while ago saying it was a majority English speaking server – however now that I’m in the game, it takes AGES to join a WvW game.

As my game is only about 3 days old, I was hoping I’m able to change servers to a less ‘busy’ one.

Is that possible for new accounts? Or is the only option spending £15+ just to change server…

Thanks!

what they should do is give one free server switch every month, or something close to that.

You can use ingame gold to transfer rather than spending cash but if your account is only 3 days old I don’t imagine you’ve had a chance to earn that much gold yet.

Try putting in a support ticket, they have a very responsive support team.

what you can try while earning gold to transfer is to guest for free on other servers- this will allow you to find one you like and when you are ready you can go

Czinczar.3786:

what they should do is give one free server switch every month, or something close to that.

No. This would ruin WvW. They should however give you the option to change servers if you are new to the game.

I would have to say that if the game is only 3 days old, just create a toon an a different server. You couldn’t have possibly gotten too far in the game.

One switch per account would be reasonable; not once a month.

If you just started then just make a new character on a new server, 3 days lost advancement isnt worth the crazy prices to switch servers IMO.

Im also in Desolation and the long queues for WvW are a result of us being successful. Generally the more successful a server is, the longer the queue. However the queuing system is broken at the moment- its not first come first served and so re-queuing frequently is a batter strategy than just sitting around in the queue.

Either way, expect about an hour wait during peak times.

Uberrod.1342:

I would have to say that if the game is only 3 days old, just create a toon an a different server. You couldn’t have possibly gotten too far in the game.

All your characters are bound to your home server- you cannot create alts on a different server.

Uberrod.1342:

I would have to say that if the game is only 3 days old, just create a toon an a different server. You couldn’t have possibly gotten too far in the game.

Rifter.6591:

If you just started then just make a new character on a new server, 3 days lost advancement isnt worth the crazy prices to switch servers IMO.

He can’t do that, once you choose your home server, where you create your first character, all your characters after that automatically are on that server as well. He needs a server transfer. You cannot create characters on different servers, your account is set to 1 server.

He can’t delete his character and remake on a different server? Well that’s poor game design if I’ve ever seen it.

I presume if you pay to transfer servers, it transfers all of your characters then?

Atherakhia.4086:

He can’t delete his character and remake on a different server? Well that’s poor game design if I’ve ever seen it.

I presume if you pay to transfer servers, it transfers all of your characters then?

Why is that poor game design?

Yes, if you transfer all your characters are moved to the new server.

Atherakhia.4086:

He can’t delete his character and remake on a different server? Well that’s poor game design if I’ve ever seen it.

I presume if you pay to transfer servers, it transfers all of your characters then?

Yes it transfers all your characters.
He can’t hop servers because of wvwvw, he can however guest on another server for free and do any content apart from wvwvw.

Atherakhia.4086:

He can’t delete his character and remake on a different server? Well that’s poor game design if I’ve ever seen it.

I presume if you pay to transfer servers, it transfers all of your characters then?

It’s not poor design – it is by design due to WvW. Otherwise bandwaggoners would simply delete to jump to the winning server.

And yes, all your toons are included in the transfer fee.

I think it would be a rather logical decision to reset the home realm upon deletion of all characters. This would make it easier for new players to pick a realm of their liking and still discourage older players from doing so.

Karizee.8076:

It’s not poor design – it is by design due to WvW. Otherwise bandwaggoners would simply delete to jump to the winning server.

Where is the incentive in deleting all your characters just to “bandwagon” onto top WvW realms? Surely you realize that almost all of the progression is erased by deleting the characters?

Desmond.5396:

Czinczar.3786:

what they should do is give one free server switch every month, or something close to that.

No. This would ruin WvW. They should however give you the option to change servers if you are new to the game.

Yes. I would think a two week grace period is enough.

Because not only should each character be independently able to choose which server they want to play on, but if you make a character on a wrong server, you shouldn’t be forced to go out and buy a new $60 game or a $20 game pass (which is only $10 less than I paid for the game) to fix the error.

Something as important as a once-in-a-lifetime decision to choose your server is simply too large a decision to make for a player starting out for the first time. Perhaps if you had to level to 10 to get off some newbie island and once you left the newbie island you chose your server and were stuck with it, fine.

But how many people out there bought the game because a friend told them it was awesome and in your eagerness to join them, you forgot to ask which server they played on. Thinking the problem can be corrected, you just make an character to see how the game works with the intention of remaking when your friend comes home from work only to find out your SOL because you made a life-altering decision 30 seconds after you installed the game and before you could even decide what kind of character you wanted to make.

That’s why it’s poor game design and shows a complete lack of concern for the playerbase. It’s the kind of error a new game designer makes… like when you were in highschool and your teacher told you to make a tic-tac-toe game and you coded for every possibility except for if there was a tie and you forced them to shut down the game and restart it.

Novice game design showing no foresite whatsoever. Something you’d expect from someone taking their first programming or game design 101 class.

Czinczar.3786:

what they should do is give one free server switch every month, or something close to that.

Just allowing a couple free transfers in the first month after a new account is activated would resolve most issues of this nature without opening the door to WvW imbalances.

Atherakhia.4086:

But how many people out there bought the game because a friend told them it was awesome and in your eagerness to join them, you forgot to ask which server they played on. Thinking the problem can be corrected, you just make an character to see how the game works with the intention of remaking when your friend comes home from work only to find out your SOL because you made a life-altering decision 30 seconds after you installed the game and before you could even decide what kind of character you wanted to make.

The game CLEARLY tells you that your server selection is permanent and there is a transfer fee if you want to change servers.

Karizee.8076:

Atherakhia.4086:

But how many people out there bought the game because a friend told them it was awesome and in your eagerness to join them, you forgot to ask which server they played on. Thinking the problem can be corrected, you just make an character to see how the game works with the intention of remaking when your friend comes home from work only to find out your SOL because you made a life-altering decision 30 seconds after you installed the game and before you could even decide what kind of character you wanted to make.

The game CLEARLY tells you that your server selection is permanent and there is a transfer fee if you want to change servers.

And EVERY other game that gives you the EXACT same message is for that specific character, isn’t account wide, and can be recitified by deleting your character.

And let me guess… you read the ToS too?

Atherakhia.4086:

Because not only should each character be independently able to choose which server they want to play on, but if you make a character on a wrong server, you shouldn’t be forced to go out and buy a new $60 game or a $20 game pass (which is only $10 less than I paid for the game) to fix the error.

Something as important as a once-in-a-lifetime decision to choose your server is simply too large a decision to make for a player starting out for the first time. Perhaps if you had to level to 10 to get off some newbie island and once you left the newbie island you chose your server and were stuck with it, fine.

But how many people out there bought the game because a friend told them it was awesome and in your eagerness to join them, you forgot to ask which server they played on. Thinking the problem can be corrected, you just make an character to see how the game works with the intention of remaking when your friend comes home from work only to find out your SOL because you made a life-altering decision 30 seconds after you installed the game and before you could even decide what kind of character you wanted to make.

That’s why it’s poor game design and shows a complete lack of concern for the playerbase. It’s the kind of error a new game designer makes… like when you were in highschool and your teacher told you to make a tic-tac-toe game and you coded for every possibility except for if there was a tie and you forced them to shut down the game and restart it.

Novice game design showing no foresite whatsoever. Something you’d expect from someone taking their first programming or game design 101 class.

So Delete you characters so that you have none created and swap server?

Well if you have recently bought the game, why don’t you ask for the support?

It’s dumb if the the game don’t allow you to change servers if you have 0 characters bound into the game! The only options that you have is:
- Ask support for doing it!
- Ask a refund (You probably can) and buy the game again (brand new account). This is stupid but i would probably do it if i made a mistake and i couldn’t correct it!
- Pay the server transfer to transfer a 0 characters account into a new homeworld. (this is even more stupid, but i think it’s the only way now!)…

Nevertheless, this should be valid if you have bought the game recently and you have 0 chars in your account, or it could be abused!

Cheers.

Daemonne.5018:

Atherakhia.4086:

Because not only should each character be independently able to choose which server they want to play on, but if you make a character on a wrong server, you shouldn’t be forced to go out and buy a new $60 game or a $20 game pass (which is only $10 less than I paid for the game) to fix the error.

Something as important as a once-in-a-lifetime decision to choose your server is simply too large a decision to make for a player starting out for the first time. Perhaps if you had to level to 10 to get off some newbie island and once you left the newbie island you chose your server and were stuck with it, fine.

But how many people out there bought the game because a friend told them it was awesome and in your eagerness to join them, you forgot to ask which server they played on. Thinking the problem can be corrected, you just make an character to see how the game works with the intention of remaking when your friend comes home from work only to find out your SOL because you made a life-altering decision 30 seconds after you installed the game and before you could even decide what kind of character you wanted to make.

That’s why it’s poor game design and shows a complete lack of concern for the playerbase. It’s the kind of error a new game designer makes… like when you were in highschool and your teacher told you to make a tic-tac-toe game and you coded for every possibility except for if there was a tie and you forced them to shut down the game and restart it.

Novice game design showing no foresite whatsoever. Something you’d expect from someone taking their first programming or game design 101 class.

So Delete you characters so that you have none created and swap server?

That doesn’t work

Blacklight.2871:

Desmond.5396:

Czinczar.3786:

what they should do is give one free server switch every month, or something close to that.

No. This would ruin WvW. They should however give you the option to change servers if you are new to the game.

Yes. I would think a two week grace period is enough.

Yes I think it’s only fair a player that just bought the game should be able to transfer at least once in maybe the first month.

It’s very easy to pick the wrong server, or an innactive server when you are new here.

A once or twice transfer for a new player won’t affect WvW in the slightest.

This is very shortsighted of ArenaNet not allowing to settle in and pick the best server for a new players play style.

Atherakhia.4086:

And EVERY other game that gives you the EXACT same message is for that specific character, isn’t account wide, and can be recitified by deleting your character.

And let me guess… you read the ToS too?

See, there’s your problem right there.
This is not “EVERY other game”, this is Guild Wars 2. What they do in other games is irrelevent. Different games have different ways of doing things. And BTW, "EVERY other game " is incorrect. I have played many games that work the same as GW2, toons are account bound to a specific server.

To the op, actually if there is a que for WvW, that is a good sign and you want to stay on that server. If no one on your server is playing WvW, your not going to have very much fun in there yourself.

Solid Gold.9310:

Blacklight.2871:

Desmond.5396:

Czinczar.3786:

what they should do is give one free server switch every month, or something close to that.

No. This would ruin WvW. They should however give you the option to change servers if you are new to the game.

Yes. I would think a two week grace period is enough.

Yes I think it’s only fair a player that just bought the game should be able to transfer at least once in maybe the first month.

It’s very easy to pick the wrong server, or an innactive server when you are new here.

A once or twice transfer for a new player won’t affect WvW in the slightest.

This is very shortsighted of ArenaNet not allowing to settle in and pick the best server for a new players play style.

I agree, there should be a grace period to select your server. If your just starting the game, you need to learn a bit about how it works.

I agree that there should be a 1 or 2 week grace period from purchase. But otherwise, the current system is fine.

Czinczar.3786:

what they should do is give one free server switch every month, or something close to that.

Yeah, I mean 1 transfer is over $20 and close to 36 gold worth of gems.

They’ve already solved the hopping to the best wvw score problem with 1 transfer every 7 days, I don’t see why it needs to be so kitten expensive to change servers.

ShiningSquirrel.3751:

Atherakhia.4086:

And EVERY other game that gives you the EXACT same message is for that specific character, isn’t account wide, and can be recitified by deleting your character.

And let me guess… you read the ToS too?

See, there’s your problem right there.
This is not “EVERY other game”, this is Guild Wars 2. What they do in other games is irrelevent. Different games have different ways of doing things. And BTW, "EVERY other game " is incorrect. I have played many games that work the same as GW2, toons are account bound to a specific server.

To the op, actually if there is a que for WvW, that is a good sign and you want to stay on that server. If no one on your server is playing WvW, your not going to have very much fun in there yourself.

I presume you’re another one that reads the complete ToS before logging in too.

Feel free to announce another game that works the same way as GW2. The only games that have similar restrictions that I’ve found are MMO’s and I can’t think of a single one that makes it impossible to ever change servers without paying a fee.

There’s a right way to do things and a wrong way. It’s much like the way things work in the real world… if you’re going to do something different than the tried, tested, and approved way you better improve it. There’s no way anyone could confuse the system we have here as an improvement on anything that has ever come before it.

Use in game gold and guest to find the right server- how hard is that?

In game gold is a great idea if 6 months after release they finally want to change servers… I’ve been playing since release and I still don’t consistently have 36g (price is rising constantly).

Atherakhia.4086:

ShiningSquirrel.3751:

Atherakhia.4086:

And EVERY other game that gives you the EXACT same message is for that specific character, isn’t account wide, and can be recitified by deleting your character.

And let me guess… you read the ToS too?

See, there’s your problem right there.
This is not “EVERY other game”, this is Guild Wars 2. What they do in other games is irrelevent. Different games have different ways of doing things. And BTW, "EVERY other game " is incorrect. I have played many games that work the same as GW2, toons are account bound to a specific server.

To the op, actually if there is a que for WvW, that is a good sign and you want to stay on that server. If no one on your server is playing WvW, your not going to have very much fun in there yourself.

I presume you’re another one that reads the complete ToS before logging in too.

Feel free to announce another game that works the same way as GW2. The only games that have similar restrictions that I’ve found are MMO’s and I can’t think of a single one that makes it impossible to ever change servers without paying a fee.

There’s a right way to do things and a wrong way. It’s much like the way things work in the real world… if you’re going to do something different than the tried, tested, and approved way you better improve it. There’s no way anyone could confuse the system we have here as an improvement on anything that has ever come before it.

Bro, relax. There are a number of things the devs/designers of this game have done/suggested that I completely disagree with. But how accounts are bound to a single server certainly isn’t one of them. It works best this way, anyone who doesn’t think so can leave. No one is stopping you. If people could create multiple characters on different servers they would just grief in WvW. It doesn’t take a genius to figure this out. They are doing this with PS2 and look at the current state of that game, lol. The OP can guest on a server if he wants to until he has enough gold to transfer. While I think a one time server transfer token isn’t a bad idea, there are numerous other things the devs need to be working on right now. Please go complain about a legit issue.

Atherakhia.4086:

I presume you’re another one that reads the complete ToS before logging in too.

Nope, your wrong again.
Never read the TOS. No need. The TOS is just common sense in all online games.

-Don’t cheat.
-Don’t be a jerk.
-If it feels wrong, don’t do it.

3 simple rules that should keep you safe in any online game.
BTW, what’s with the TOS anyway? What has that got to do with how you play the game or how transfers work?

ShiningSquirrel.3751:

Atherakhia.4086:

I presume you’re another one that reads the complete ToS before logging in too.

Nope, your wrong again.
Never read the TOS. No need. The TOS is just common sense in all online games.

-Don’t cheat.
-Don’t be a jerk.
-If it feels wrong, don’t do it.

3 simple rules that should keep you safe in any online game.
BTW, what’s with the TOS anyway? What has that got to do with how you play the game or how transfers work?

It’s also common sense to think that you could choose your server every time you make a character.
It’s also common sense to think that should you delete that character you would then be able to rechoose your server.

Hmm Sux that if you have no Character created that you can’t switch, but oh well.
Is there a way in game that a guild/Friends can financially assist through Gold/Gems while doing a Guesting?

They can mail you gold. Don’t think you can mail gems?

Atherakhia.4086:

Because not only should each character be independently able to choose which server they want to play on, but if you make a character on a wrong server, you shouldn’t be forced to go out and buy a new $60 game or a $20 game pass (which is only $10 less than I paid for the game) to fix the error.

Something as important as a once-in-a-lifetime decision to choose your server is simply too large a decision to make for a player starting out for the first time. Perhaps if you had to level to 10 to get off some newbie island and once you left the newbie island you chose your server and were stuck with it, fine.

But how many people out there bought the game because a friend told them it was awesome and in your eagerness to join them, you forgot to ask which server they played on. Thinking the problem can be corrected, you just make an character to see how the game works with the intention of remaking when your friend comes home from work only to find out your SOL because you made a life-altering decision 30 seconds after you installed the game and before you could even decide what kind of character you wanted to make.

That’s why it’s poor game design and shows a complete lack of concern for the playerbase. It’s the kind of error a new game designer makes… like when you were in highschool and your teacher told you to make a tic-tac-toe game and you coded for every possibility except for if there was a tie and you forced them to shut down the game and restart it.

Novice game design showing no foresite whatsoever. Something you’d expect from someone taking their first programming or game design 101 class.

Most of us have to suffer and pay the consequences of our mistakes in the real world, I’m not sure why it should be different here. In your example, you made several mistakes that led to your dissatisfaction. Why should Anet be the one to solve your mistake? You were given advanced warning and several ways to solve it if you decide to ignore the warning* (paying for transfer fee, guest until you have enough gold, guest in your friend’s server, stop playing the game, etc.). I think that’s as much as Anet should do.

*And you did decide to ignore the warning. In another post you said that most games do server selection differently, so you assumed this game worked the same. Therefore, you ignored the fact that GW2 is a different game and does not abide by the rules of other games.

Atherakhia.4086:

It’s also common sense to think that you could choose your server every time you make a character.
It’s also common sense to think that should you delete that character you would then be able to rechoose your server.

Why would you make that assumption? Why would you just assume anything in a game you had never played before? Simply because the last game you played did it that way? And do you honestly think that’s a valid excuse?

Like someone else said, allowing toons on different servers is inviting griefing in WvW, it has already happened due to the free transfers, so this is not “it could allow griefing”, it DOES allow griefing.

Guild Wars 2 is not any other game. If you purchase any game and just jump in without even reading the online manul, then you have nothing to complain about, it’s your own fault.

Giving new players free transfers for a couple of weeks to help them find a home would be a good thing.

You all seem to be under the assumption I’m one of these people. I’m content with the server I started on, I didn’t bother transferring when they were free, I didn’t plan to transfer when I learned it would cost money with 2 weeks warning. I’m fine.

It doesn’t change the simple fact that it’s poor game design to not allow players a way out. There’s nothing to make you think the server choice would be permanent for your whole account. There would be no logical reason to think deleting all of your characters and remaking them wouldn’t give you the same server selection. Why? Because I can’t think of a single game where this is the case.

If GW2 was out there to start a precedent, I would have hoped it would be at making a fun game and not at screwing new players over. But I guess that’s too much to ask?

No hair off my back.

Reading my post again I realize it sounded like I was referring to you specifically. However, I was just commenting on the example you provided.

Also, there you go again with “Why? Because I can’t think of a single game where this is the case.” Why should that affect Anet? I don’t understand how you can use this as a valid reason to justify someone not reading the warning. Specifically, here’s the warning you get when you select initial server:

“Are you sure you wish to select [server name] as your permanent home? If you want to move to a different home world in the future you will need to purchase a world transfer.”

I think the meaning of that warning is clear. It specifically says you are choosing a permanent home, and that to transfer you have to purchase a transfer. There are no conditions about that last statement. It is literally saying that you have to pay for transferring, no matter what.

With guesting this is sort of a non-issue. I agree with those that say new players should get 1 server transfer withing 1-2 weeks of logging in for the first time, but in a game with persistent world server clashing pvp, you can’t have infinite (or any) free transfers.

And any argument that is based on previous iterations in the mmo industry is completely invalid. This argument is similar to “Star Trek Online has flying starships, so why doesn’t GW2 have starships?!”

Lesson to be learned: Be careful with your server selection or pick one at random and guest to your friends server. If you only really care about WvWvW then you probably did research before deciding.

The reason this is an issue is because the warning message about changing servers does not tell you there is a huge queue to play WvW. I just bought the game last week and picked a server at random. Turns out I picked a popular server and now I can’t play WvW. The game never told me there were queues. Now my expurience is ruined. I don’t even care what server I’m on, I just want to play WvW!

Sereloth.4378:

Reading my post again I realize it sounded like I was referring to you specifically. However, I was just commenting on the example you provided.

Also, there you go again with “Why? Because I can’t think of a single game where this is the case.” Why should that affect Anet? I don’t understand how you can use this as a valid reason to justify someone not reading the warning. Specifically, here’s the warning you get when you select initial server:

“Are you sure you wish to select [server name] as your permanent home? If you want to move to a different home world in the future you will need to purchase a world transfer.”

I think the meaning of that warning is clear. It specifically says you are choosing a permanent home, and that to transfer you have to purchase a transfer. There are no conditions about that last statement. It is literally saying that you have to pay for transferring, no matter what.

That’s the point though… while clear, it isn’t specific. when reading that, I would presume I’d
1.) Get the same pop-up for each character I make thus allowing me to make a character on any server I want.
2.) Get the same pop-up should I delete that character and recreate it.

And since this screen pops up for the first time when creating a character, these scenarios are reinforced. And since I have 25 years experience playing MMO’s and every single MMO I’ve ever played works in the same way as the 2 scenarios I listed, I can’t be held completely responsible for expecting the game to work this way.

And that’s the point. And why I’d be in favor of ANet sending every player a 1 time use token that can be used to transfer servers and when new players join, this token is waiting for them in the mail.

And for what it’s worth, I’d probably never use the token because I’m quite happy with my current server. Even if it is Ferg’s and we can’t seem to fight our way out of a wet paper bag.

Thank you all for your comments. It looks like I stirred up a bit of a sore topic :s.

It seems that the answer is quite simply, you can’t.

The token idea would have been great. I picked my server on an educated decision, however reading about the servers doesn’t give actual experience into the queue times and the number of active people.

I’m not willing to pay the extra to transfer to a smaller server, so I will just stick it out and hope queue times decrease in time.

Thank you all again for the responses. Anet, if you read this, I’d vote up the 2 week transfer token – but I’m sure you have bigger problems to worry about

Everyone should agree that granting a grace period to new accounts would be ideal. There really is no reason to not agree.

Up until now, I thought Anet DID include one, but only because common sense suggests so.

Well Atherakhia, you were right from the beginning. I will gladly eat my words. According to the official answer, transferring servers can be done for free if you delete all of the characters on the account.

eisberg.2379:

Uberrod.1342:

I would have to say that if the game is only 3 days old, just create a toon an a different server. You couldn’t have possibly gotten too far in the game.

Rifter.6591:

If you just started then just make a new character on a new server, 3 days lost advancement isnt worth the crazy prices to switch servers IMO.

He can’t do that, once you choose your home server, where you create your first character, all your characters after that automatically are on that server as well. He needs a server transfer. You cannot create characters on different servers, your account is set to 1 server.

Ok well thats just stupid then, so if your server dies and you want to start another character for a fresh start elsewhere you cant without paying half the cost of the game again?

hmmm that right there makes me want to stop playing…..