Guild Wars 2

Currently, after the Megaserver feature rollout last patch, when a player types something into /map chat in PvE, anyone on the map can view it. While this is a good idea in principle, it breaks down the barriers between server culture and identity, making one server seem much like any other server (with the exception of WvW). In addition to that, /map reaches not only all players on the map from your server, but also all players on the map from other servers, some of which may not understand your language and/or be annoyed by it.

The proposal is relatively simple: currently, in PvE, the /team chat command has no functionality. Why not enable /team chat so it acts as a server-specific /map chat, that can only be seen by members of your server?

This proposed new PvE functionality of /team chat allows for the following actions, which are currently impossible under the current functionality of /map:

+ Server-specific guilds (e.g. those that do any amount of WvW as a guild) may now recruit from members of the same server without the need to spam others/filter members from different servers

+ Server culture may potentially be retained through the ability to only communicate with server-mates

+ Players reached by this chat channel can be assumed to understand the language you use (e.g. Vizunah Square (FR) players are assumed to understand French, and so on)

+ Roleplaying (which may predominately located on specific servers, e.g. Tarnished Coast/Piken Square) may now occur without excessive interference from people outside of your server (though /say may provide just as good a channel due to its localized nature)

Any thoughts on the benefits/downsides of enabling /team for PvE to serve as a server-specific /map chat channel?