Guild Wars 2

So the new Beta keys are purely down to RnG, given the way RnG has worked over the last 2 1/2 years it might be better if Anet just tell us how many people they want for the Beta Test, as if they only want say 2000 people….yea you get where this is going.

So instead of players taking an active role to get a closed beta key, it is better for them to RNG emails from a list of potentially dead accounts? Access that could have gone to active players instead?

randomization is a working method to get valid empirical results. It is not that hard to understand really. Beta access is not something given out for funsies to the players, but, as the word beta test heavily implies, to test things. Another concept that isn´t really hard to understand.

Yeah, an event where the chances of winning the US lottery is higher than finding a portal to a beta key. GG Anet.

GG hyperbole, you win again.

CodeHavoc.7926:

Yeah, an event where the chances of winning the US lottery is higher than finding a portal to a beta key. GG Anet.

Well it’s not an open beta after all.

Do we actually have info on the chances?

So… signing up on a mailing list is less of an RNG?
At least with this system it guarantees that people that get invited are at least playing the game.

EDIT: Below – bah :P

Singing? like X factor? Now there’s an interesting way to do it!!!!

I like this new current method, makes it much more fun to get

Tried it for an hour. Nobody got one. Looks like they expect you to grind all week for the “chance” which is fairly lame, especially with the zerg around and everyone competing over targets.

TurtleofPower.5641:

Tried it for an hour. Nobody got one. Looks like they expect you to grind all week for the “chance” which is fairly lame, especially with the zerg around and everyone competing over targets.

And yet there are multiple reports on reddit already about people getting it. Less than two hours after release.

You are also assuming that every single user in the map would post in map chat if they got one.

I dont think that PETA would approve of the vast extermination of all living creatures that is likely going on in the Maguuma Wastes as of about 2 hours ago (well maybe everything except the legendary sand giant). I wonder if Anet is keeping a tab of how many creatures are exterminated in these zones for however long this event lasts. That would be an interesting number to see.

I would like to have a rough idea of the chances. Not so I could moan about it, it’s entirely up to Anet to decide how many players they want for their beta, but simply so I could make an informed choice as to if it’s worth spending my time in game doing something that’s really no fun at all, when I’d rather be playing my Engi who’s too low for the zone.

lordkrall.7241:

TurtleofPower.5641:

Tried it for an hour. Nobody got one. Looks like they expect you to grind all week for the “chance” which is fairly lame, especially with the zerg around and everyone competing over targets.

And yet there are multiple reports on reddit already about people getting it. Less than two hours after release.

You are also assuming that every single user in the map would post in map chat if they got one.

Unless there are screenshots to back up the reports.

The mailing list was also RnG, but so is someone who hasn’t logged in for months logging in going to SW and getting a key, its almost like they did it this way to try and pull people back into the game…

Its not really a difficult answer for them, they will already know the ball park figure they want for a closed beta test, 2,000 , 5,000 , 20,000, don’t waste peoples time, I was farming SW before the announcement of beta access, and I don’t care either way, but im guessing people will feel cheated if Anet only want a small number of people and people waste a week chasing something that never existed,

This just screams Pre Cursor drop rate all over again, why can they not be straight up with us.

Ok I Did It.2854:

Unless there are screenshots to back up the reports.

The mailing list was also RnG, but so is someone who hasn’t logged in for months logging in going to SW and getting a key, its almost like they did it this way to try and pull people back into the game…

Its not really a difficult answer for them, they will already know the ball park figure they want for a closed beta test, 2,000 , 5,000 , 20,000, don’t waste peoples time, I was farming SW before the announcement of beta access, and I don’t care either way, but im guessing people will feel cheated if Anet only want a small number of people and people waste a week chasing something that never existed,

This just screams Pre Cursor drop rate all over again, why can they not be straight up with us.

And there are screenshots on every one of those reports. So there is that.

But the fact that they even bother logging in (and thus downloading or at the very least updating the client) does show that there is an actual interest. Signing up for a mailing list takes a grand total of 5 seconds and require next to nothing. Downloading and actually playing the game on the other hand requires quite a bit.

Ok I Did It.2854:

lordkrall.7241:

TurtleofPower.5641:

Tried it for an hour. Nobody got one. Looks like they expect you to grind all week for the “chance” which is fairly lame, especially with the zerg around and everyone competing over targets.

And yet there are multiple reports on reddit already about people getting it. Less than two hours after release.

You are also assuming that every single user in the map would post in map chat if they got one.

Unless there are screenshots to back up the reports.

The mailing list was also RnG, but so is someone who hasn’t logged in for months logging in going to SW and getting a key, its almost like they did it this way to try and pull people back into the game…

Its not really a difficult answer for them, they will already know the ball park figure they want for a closed beta test, 2,000 , 5,000 , 20,000, don’t waste peoples time, I was farming SW before the announcement of beta access, and I don’t care either way, but im guessing people will feel cheated if Anet only want a small number of people and people waste a week chasing something that never existed,

This just screams Pre Cursor drop rate all over again, why can they not be straight up with us.

Its a combo, its pulls people back into playing while simultaneously guaranteeing that those who are invited to the beta are active players. I like my chances much better against the number of people farming DryTop and SW vs the number of people that have an email address.

well i know i am not find any i know it 100% becous my rng is soo bad

It was lottary anyways now at least they give keys to active players at least

Ok I Did It.2854:

lordkrall.7241:

TurtleofPower.5641:

Tried it for an hour. Nobody got one. Looks like they expect you to grind all week for the “chance” which is fairly lame, especially with the zerg around and everyone competing over targets.

And yet there are multiple reports on reddit already about people getting it. Less than two hours after release.

You are also assuming that every single user in the map would post in map chat if they got one.

Unless there are screenshots to back up the reports.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/346dhk/portal_to_heart_of_maguuma/
If you don’t think it’s worth the risk vs reward then don’t do it. Wait for Open Beta.
Can’t win if you don’t play.

lordkrall.7241:

TurtleofPower.5641:

Tried it for an hour. Nobody got one. Looks like they expect you to grind all week for the “chance” which is fairly lame, especially with the zerg around and everyone competing over targets.

And yet there are multiple reports on reddit already about people getting it. Less than two hours after release.

You are also assuming that every single user in the map would post in map chat if they got one.

Well the chances that someone would get it is good. Even if the chances was less than a percentage, if you have several hundred if not thousand players doing events and killing mobs well chances never scale up to 100%, but very close.

Two full rounds of Silverwastes with full maps and not a single person got one. Talk about a grind a la korean style.

Mathematically that already shows my chances are to low to bother considering my busy schedule for this week.

No new content and only 1 massive grind update after months.

Disappointed is all I have to say.

Xuro.5861:

Two full rounds of Silverwastes with full maps and not a single person got one. Talk about a grind a la korean style.

You are assuming that every single player in the map would post about getting one in the map chat if they did. I don’t think even half the people would do that actually.

Rng hates me for 2. something years in this game, i doubt it will magicly start to work now in my favour. I’m gonna save myself from more disapointments.

lordkrall.7241:

Xuro.5861:

Two full rounds of Silverwastes with full maps and not a single person got one. Talk about a grind a la korean style.

You are assuming that every single player in the map would post about getting one in the map chat if they did. I don’t think even half the people would do that actually.

I was already waiting for a regular poster to point the obvious out. The next step is probably that someone points out that my ‘bad luck’ is no indication for the borked droprate system and I should just be happy the content is free. After which someone else will state how they got it on their first kill and the cycle will be complete.

Yay.

Xuro.5861:

lordkrall.7241:

Xuro.5861:

Two full rounds of Silverwastes with full maps and not a single person got one. Talk about a grind a la korean style.

You are assuming that every single player in the map would post about getting one in the map chat if they did. I don’t think even half the people would do that actually.

I was already waiting for a regular poster to point the obvious out. The next step is probably that someone points out that my ‘bad luck’ is no indication for the borked droprate system and I should just be happy the content is free. After which someone else will state how they got it on their first kill and the cycle will be complete.

Yay.

An acquaintance of mine got on, in two weeks got an abyssal dye and a precursor, decided he was bored, and stopped playing.

Meanwhile, I’ve been playing since beta and have never touched a precursor. So… yeah, luck happens. Sucks, but what can you do about it, other than live with it or rage quit?

Morfedel.4165:

An acquaintance of mine got on, in two weeks got an abyssal dye and a precursor, decided he was bored, and stopped playing.

Meanwhile, I’ve been playing since beta and have never touched a precursor. So… yeah, luck happens. Sucks, but what can you do about it, other than live with it or rage quit?

I’m a PHP developer. When a system doesn’t work as intended, or there is a better alternative, I improve on my initial designs. That’s why my framework has developed quite well over the past 7 years. I give my customers 2 years long free upgrades incase I find ways to improve their initial product. All part of the service I offer.

ArenaNet however decided that RNG + Skinner Box is the way to go and to never improve upon this system (adding new currency is a band aid at best).

A well developed system would increase the droprates over time for a person if they have been unlucky for months/years to ensure every player has their ‘happy’ moment. An even better system would be one that rewards actual effort instead of pressing 1 once and resulting in bronze completion with the same item rewards as gold completion. This however is far more expensive to develop & maintain so they choose the cheap version instead.

I’ve been playing since Guild Wars 1 and while I’ve sadly been getting older over these past 10 years (wtb age reduction skill) I’ve also seen well respected companies turn to crap due to financial restraints setup by investors/management. This case is sadly no different.

I still play for about 5 minutes per day as I keep a slight sense of hope that someday they will understand that the skinner box & rng won’t work forever as content but it’s also fading a bit more every day seeing the current developments.

This entire ‘event’ for the next beta only reconfirmed why I decided to become inactive in the first place.

edit: spelling.

I am looking on the bright side. My partner and I are getting some good farming done. If we get a portal, super, if not, well, it just beta, lol. Though I told her, I bet she gets one more then me, which be funny, cause she would not really play it without me anyways, lol.
Also what is everyone deal with the RNG? I swear the goddess been kind to me. I been playing a lot, and get lots of loots, so it seem like it working ok. I not suffer for things, is it just people not wanting to actually try for something, or am I missing something?

Gobble D Goop.4081:

I dont think that PETA would approve of the vast extermination of all living creatures that is likely going on in the Maguuma Wastes as of about 2 hours ago (well maybe everything except the legendary sand giant). I wonder if Anet is keeping a tab of how many creatures are exterminated in these zones for however long this event lasts. That would be an interesting number to see.

That’s funny because they said the Sand Giant always drops one. People should get on that. I know I will once I get home from work.

Kal Spiro.9745:

Gobble D Goop.4081:

I dont think that PETA would approve of the vast extermination of all living creatures that is likely going on in the Maguuma Wastes as of about 2 hours ago (well maybe everything except the legendary sand giant). I wonder if Anet is keeping a tab of how many creatures are exterminated in these zones for however long this event lasts. That would be an interesting number to see.

That’s funny because they said the Sand Giant always drops one. People should get on that. I know I will once I get home from work.

I joined a Sand Giant kill when it was under 1/2 health. I don’t recall if I got silver or gold credit. I certainly didn’t get a portal.

Xuro.5861:

Morfedel.4165:

An acquaintance of mine got on, in two weeks got an abyssal dye and a precursor, decided he was bored, and stopped playing.

Meanwhile, I’ve been playing since beta and have never touched a precursor. So… yeah, luck happens. Sucks, but what can you do about it, other than live with it or rage quit?

I’m a PHP developer. When a system doesn’t work as intended, or there is a better alternative, I improve on my initial designs. That’s why my framework has developed quite well over the past 7 years. I give my customers 2 years long free upgrades incase I find ways to improve their initial product. All part of the service I offer.

ArenaNet however decided that RNG + Skinner Box is the way to go and to never improve upon this system (adding new currency is a band aid at best).

A well developed system would increase the droprates over time for a person if they have been unlucky for months/years to ensure every player has their ‘happy’ moment. An even better system would be one that rewards actual effort instead of pressing 1 once and resulting in bronze completion with the same item rewards as gold completion. This however is far more expensive to develop & maintain so they choose the cheap version instead.

I’ve been playing since Guild Wars 1 and while I’ve sadly been getting older over these past 10 years (wtb age reduction skill) I’ve also seen well respected companies turn to crap due to financial restraints setup by investors/management. This case is sadly no different.

I still play for about 5 minutes per day as I keep a slight sense of hope that someday they will understand that the skinner box & rng won’t work forever as content but it’s also fading a bit more every day seeing the current developments.

This entire ‘event’ for the next beta only reconfirmed why I decided to become inactive in the first place.

edit: spelling.

So how are they supposed to randomly give active players keys without risking too many players getting keys? If you’re so good at improving the system, why don’t you design a different way to randomly give keys out, ensuring they only go to active players.

It’s understandable that the drop rate would at least start out on the low side until they had an idea of just how many players are ACTIVELY trying to get Beta keys. You can bet they have a max number range of testers in mind. So you start off with low drops and as time passes, if you are not getting enough testers you increase the drop rate. If you are getting too many you decrease it. No one said that the drop rate chance was going to stay the same for the ENTIRE event.

Your drop rate should go up the more you’re in those areas… if they cared about doing it fairly. In reality you’re going to hear a lot of “my friend who never plays” stories because that’s what happens with RNG.

Donari.5237:

Kal Spiro.9745:

Gobble D Goop.4081:

I dont think that PETA would approve of the vast extermination of all living creatures that is likely going on in the Maguuma Wastes as of about 2 hours ago (well maybe everything except the legendary sand giant). I wonder if Anet is keeping a tab of how many creatures are exterminated in these zones for however long this event lasts. That would be an interesting number to see.

That’s funny because they said the Sand Giant always drops one. People should get on that. I know I will once I get home from work.

I joined a Sand Giant kill when it was under 1/2 health. I don’t recall if I got silver or gold credit. I certainly didn’t get a portal.

You must have done it wrong, cause it is definitely a guaranteed drop.

The punchline is that when you get in the beta the thing you will be testing is the new precursor drop rate, which will be increased from .000001% to .0000012%!

So excited for this!

TurtleofPower.5641:

Your drop rate should go up the more you’re in those areas… if they cared about doing it fairly. In reality you’re going to hear a lot of “my friend who never plays” stories because that’s what happens with RNG.

Or they should just let it drop in all game modes? so that people who enjoy things other than grindfests could get one….

Kal Spiro.9745:

Donari.5237:

Kal Spiro.9745:

Gobble D Goop.4081:

I dont think that PETA would approve of the vast extermination of all living creatures that is likely going on in the Maguuma Wastes as of about 2 hours ago (well maybe everything except the legendary sand giant). I wonder if Anet is keeping a tab of how many creatures are exterminated in these zones for however long this event lasts. That would be an interesting number to see.

That’s funny because they said the Sand Giant always drops one. People should get on that. I know I will once I get home from work.

I joined a Sand Giant kill when it was under 1/2 health. I don’t recall if I got silver or gold credit. I certainly didn’t get a portal.

You must have done it wrong, cause it is definitely a guaranteed drop.

Just did giant and didn’t get the beta invite

Jedge.3619:

Kal Spiro.9745:

Donari.5237:

Kal Spiro.9745:

Gobble D Goop.4081:

I dont think that PETA would approve of the vast extermination of all living creatures that is likely going on in the Maguuma Wastes as of about 2 hours ago (well maybe everything except the legendary sand giant). I wonder if Anet is keeping a tab of how many creatures are exterminated in these zones for however long this event lasts. That would be an interesting number to see.

That’s funny because they said the Sand Giant always drops one. People should get on that. I know I will once I get home from work.

I joined a Sand Giant kill when it was under 1/2 health. I don’t recall if I got silver or gold credit. I certainly didn’t get a portal.

You must have done it wrong, cause it is definitely a guaranteed drop.

Just did giant and didn’t get the beta invite

He was joking.

Doesn’t really matter who participates. 90% will only be mapping out the new content in order to get an upper hand on launch day.

Its the same story for any expansion in any game made over the past 20+ years.

A handful of players will actually report issues. The rest will be documenting every crevice for their own purposes.

Nyx.7342:

TurtleofPower.5641:

Your drop rate should go up the more you’re in those areas… if they cared about doing it fairly. In reality you’re going to hear a lot of “my friend who never plays” stories because that’s what happens with RNG.

Or they should just let it drop in all game modes? so that people who enjoy things other than grindfests could get one….

But people who enjoy grindfests are the best bug testers. Repeating the same action over and over is the definition for both grinders and bug testers.

cocowoushi.7150:

So instead of players taking an active role to get a closed beta key, it is better for them to RNG emails from a list of potentially dead accounts? Access that could have gone to active players instead?

I’m sure they have a way of telling if you are active.

Getting an email as the result of RNG takes no effort on my part. This seems a bit more like the Hunger Games.

Weyrd.2794:

Nyx.7342:

TurtleofPower.5641:

Your drop rate should go up the more you’re in those areas… if they cared about doing it fairly. In reality you’re going to hear a lot of “my friend who never plays” stories because that’s what happens with RNG.

Or they should just let it drop in all game modes? so that people who enjoy things other than grindfests could get one….

But people who enjoy grindfests are the best bug testers. Repeating the same action over and over is the definition for both grinders and bug testers.

Its prob more because their focus in the expansion will be on open world content like sw instead of instanced things.

You receive a portal once every ten precursors. Good luck!

Weyrd.2794:

Nyx.7342:

TurtleofPower.5641:

Your drop rate should go up the more you’re in those areas… if they cared about doing it fairly. In reality you’re going to hear a lot of “my friend who never plays” stories because that’s what happens with RNG.

Or they should just let it drop in all game modes? so that people who enjoy things other than grindfests could get one….

But people who enjoy grindfests are the best bug testers. Repeating the same action over and over is the definition for both grinders and bug testers.

Maybe but they have their own testing for most things bug related anyway I’m sure.

They’re probably more interested in what the general public can screw up in the game than what they can find lol.

notebene.3190:

Getting an email as the result of RNG takes no effort on my part. This seems a bit more like the Hunger Games.

Farming SW or DT for hours and hours takes no real skill or effort either, it’s just plain grinding in the most stereotypical way.

i kinda hope we get to keep the stone looks nice. but i got super lucky getting it within an hour XD

Xuro.5861:

Morfedel.4165:

An acquaintance of mine got on, in two weeks got an abyssal dye and a precursor, decided he was bored, and stopped playing.

Meanwhile, I’ve been playing since beta and have never touched a precursor. So… yeah, luck happens. Sucks, but what can you do about it, other than live with it or rage quit?

I’m a PHP developer. When a system doesn’t work as intended, or there is a better alternative, I improve on my initial designs. That’s why my framework has developed quite well over the past 7 years. I give my customers 2 years long free upgrades incase I find ways to improve their initial product. All part of the service I offer.

ArenaNet however decided that RNG + Skinner Box is the way to go and to never improve upon this system (adding new currency is a band aid at best).

A well developed system would increase the droprates over time for a person if they have been unlucky for months/years to ensure every player has their ‘happy’ moment. An even better system would be one that rewards actual effort instead of pressing 1 once and resulting in bronze completion with the same item rewards as gold completion. This however is far more expensive to develop & maintain so they choose the cheap version instead.

I’ve been playing since Guild Wars 1 and while I’ve sadly been getting older over these past 10 years (wtb age reduction skill) I’ve also seen well respected companies turn to crap due to financial restraints setup by investors/management. This case is sadly no different.

I still play for about 5 minutes per day as I keep a slight sense of hope that someday they will understand that the skinner box & rng won’t work forever as content but it’s also fading a bit more every day seeing the current developments.

This entire ‘event’ for the next beta only reconfirmed why I decided to become inactive in the first place.

edit: spelling.

This post here explains the problem beautifully.
Bottom line the RNG in game doesn’t work. It’s an unfair and inadequate way of getting people into beta. How about this for a system? First off, how about being transparent about thing? Just come out and say “Hey, we’re looking for X amount of people for this beta.” Then make the portal item something that any player can get after some amount effort. Lets say you can get it if you trade in 2500 Bandit Badges for example. Now instead of making that item a sure entry into the beta, make it an entry ticket (since we know that they can track people who get the item). Oh so what do you know? Now there is a list of interested players, who are also all active. Now if they get more entries than the X amount they needed, THEN they do a random draw, which unlike the game’s RNG, would be fair because it would pick everyone at one time from a fixed poll of entries.
Now for those who like to argue that there’s no problem with the RNG , or that my example system is no better than the current system. Let’s go back a few months, to when they introduced Firefox Clusters. When that was released everyone was lodging Malchor’s Leap, amoungst them there was me and one of my guildies who played about the same amount of time. Once a day, everyday, I would go to Malchor’s Leap and I would lodge every tree in that zone. At the end I would have 1-4 Firefox Clusters. About 3 weeks in I was talking to my guildie and she said tells me she has more than twice the amount of clusters I have. So I asked her how she got it and she tells me that she just goes to Malchor’s Leap. So I ask her how many times a day does she clear the area, and she tells me that she doesn’t, she just goes once a day to the cluster of trees around the Melandru statue. Turns out she would get at around 6 clusters from lodging only about 6 trees, as oppose to me getting a max of 4 cluster from over a dozen trees (and I mean I seriously never got more than 4 clusters from a whole map clear of trees). See these items weren’t that special, yet there was a significant , and unfair, difference in drop rate between two players who’s in game activity was very similar.

I said it before and I say it again; RNG is broken. And giving people beta access based on it is a slap in the face to ever one who suffers from from the current system.

P.s. I was typing this at work and had to stop a lot so I might have made suggestions other already have but I can’t go back and check all the time.

cocowoushi.7150:

So instead of players taking an active role to get a closed beta key, it is better for them to RNG emails from a list of potentially dead accounts? Access that could have gone to active players instead?

So instead of players from each of the 3 core game modes having potential access to the beta keys, it is better to omit PvPers and WvWers by having a steep RNG factor in only two PvE maps?

Ultimaistanza.4793:

cocowoushi.7150:

So instead of players taking an active role to get a closed beta key, it is better for them to RNG emails from a list of potentially dead accounts? Access that could have gone to active players instead?

So instead of players from each of the 3 core game modes having potential access to the beta keys, it is better to omit PvPers and WvWers by having a steep RNG factor in only two PvE maps?

It’s beta may be PvE only, so that seems fitting. There was a full 24 hours of stronghold recently for everyone. There may be a WvW coming up as well.

oh dear an mmorpg that uses a random based loot system, we better complain about it even though it has worked perfectly since they were invented.

seriously there is nothing wrong here

lordkrall.7241:

So… signing up on a mailing list is less of an RNG?
At least with this system it guarantees that people that get invited are at least playing the game.

It guarantees that people who grind a lot get invited. It doesn’t guarantee even that those who get the invite are interested in the beta at all, unlike what would happen if people added their names to a list.

Besides, who are you to say that the feedback from someone who’s playing the game right now is more valuable than the feedback of an old player who decided to ask for an invite and is willing to return to the game for the beta?