Guild Wars 2

So far, ArenaNet have been conversing with its player base, but from the response a lot of people have shown, they’re intentions have been about as transparent as a stained-glass window. It might look nice on the outside, but you have little idea what exactly transpires beyond.

1. I think there needs to be blogs at least once a week, outlining definitive points and ideals. Through these there should be strong outlines of what is happening, along with short and long term goals. There have been some decent blogs in the past, but they don’t happen often enough. ANet needs to make time and commit themselves to interacting with the public.

2. The GW2 webpage should also have polls, not only on fun topics, but to raise ideas of what the public would enjoy, and the game log in screen needs to reflect this, to draw as many people to participate. Perhaps, they can even somehow try to incorporate the poll into the screen itself.

3. For larger, once off events, perhaps ANet should consider closed public betas. They can include an NDA, and I’m sure many players would be thrilled to be included in this process. ANet will even eventually have a collection of trusted individuals who’ll be glad to test content, time and again.

I think these few points are far more important than most people realize. ANet don’t want to give specifics, but they have no need to be specific on most matters. If ANet came forward months ago, and told the public that they’re planning on implementing high-end, final tier gear that will be released in increments through content updates over a long period of time, would there have been such an uproar over ascended gear? Think about it.

I agree with you about transparency.

What I would suggest is using the already in-game feedback box that was used during the betas to actually get a feeling of players feedback directly from within the game.
Not so many people visit the forums.

More frequent blog posts will not hurt either.
It was stated that they don’t want to discuss things prematurely since they don’t want to disappoint but it is not a tactic that works well and has lead to the current debacle.

Once off events imo should be reworked entirely, not sure how, maybe your suggestion is a viable option.

Great post, however it will probably be deleted shortly.

That is a tall order, you know how much time and effort it would take for them to be transparent? It be about an hour a week. That is 52 hours a year. That is a lot of time. It is best that ANet remains behind a lead wall so we don’t know what is coming until it hits us!

I’ve seen again and again, that people are begging for Anet to communicate honestly and openly. We’re not getting any response at all.

It could be a sign that original developers have nothing to say anymore (powerless).
I mean would you defend something you think is wrong.
The power balance has changed within Anet.

I agree. I keep checking for updates and get frustrated more and more when I don’t see anything. The most we get from them regularly is to keep our conduct proper. But they don’t realize the more they will communicate with us, the less annoyed we’ll be.

I wholeheartedly agree with the polls and weekly blogs, or even economic or racial statistics like they showed us after release.

Morrigan.2809:

What I would suggest is using the already in-game feedback box that was used during the betas to actually get a feeling of players feedback directly from within the game.
Not so many people visit the forums.

This is actually a great idea, I loved filling in these and giving my thoughts on the process. Maybe there can be an option in the game menu, cause I’m sure some people wouldn’t want to partake in this.

Though I still think some sort of poll of the week feature would be nice.

I know there’s no point in making demands, but I really think a designer’s respond is merited. I’m not only talking about my post, from everything people have said, not only here but throughout the forums and also in game, people are becoming fed up. ANet need to address this issue, but most importantly, they need to open effective communication lines.

You’re already losing customers and you’re going to lose a lot more. It’s not a threat, and I’m not trying to be an kitten, it’s just a simple fact.

Good Afternoon!

I could not agree more that we need a little bit more communication.

In a previous post I said much the same thing. You know that the developers have meetings weekly to discuss these matters. Just a simple blog from each of the teams (sanitized for NDA of course) talking about the game would go along way.

That being said they are starting to do a little bit of that now. GW2Guru starting the 30th is having a monthly “State of the Game” stream with Johnathan Sharp. From what i can read it mostly deals with PvP but there will be a Q&A as well.

GW2Guru’s Anouncement:
State of the Game Stream

My original and quite lengthily but well worth a read if you are interested in my thoughts.
A Players Thoughts

Secrecy only breeds a Tinfoil Hat mentality

The Last Jagaroth.1652:

Secrecy only breeds a Tinfoil Hat mentality

This is absolutely true, which only drives the point how critical it is for ANet to address their playerbase. Not only regularly in the future, but right now to calm people cocerning the latest issues.

I agree whole heartedly.
But we will get nothing and we will like it.
This breeds contempt and malice.
You cant force them – Frankly they have gone just as silent as Bio did when
it hit the crapper. After the summit it went dark – with a little here and there.
Looks the same here.

Narkosys.5173:

You cant force them – Frankly they have gone just as silent as Bio did when it hit the crapper. After the summit it went dark – with a little here and there.
Looks the same here.

I remember watching the titanic of gaming called Bioware sink with a heavy feeling in my heart. The founders left, and they pretty much ruined one of my favorite gaming franchises. This was a sad time indeed.

Now I can’t help but think back of all my GW2 expectations. Seeing those enthusiastic faces with so many promises of something better. It feels like I’m now standing at the precipice and just can’t shake this foreboding.

The fact that they closed the massive thread with all the feedback on the ascended gear shows that they aren’t interested in conversing with us.

Mandrax.7342:

The fact that they closed the massive thread with all the feedback on the ascended gear shows that they aren’t interested in conversing with us.

That is my feeling too.
I am also reminded of Bioware and yes seeing all those interviews of the GW2 team, the photo’s on FB and the joy that they had in the game, breaks my heart..
I simply cannot understand the silence.
At this point it will even be a improvement if they outright say that they have lost control of their company, because then at least these changes and the change in attitude towards the players will make some sense.

i dont think that the blog is the solution… what we need is only more partecipation here.

This forum is the major source of direct feedback by the community, so it must be the same in the opposite direction, from devs to us.
Silence strategy and PR talking, here its out of place, because this forum is not for advertise Gw2, but for talk about Gw2.

The fact that they closed the massive thread with all the feedback on the ascended gear shows that they aren’t interested in conversing with us.

i used that thread a lot too, but after 200 pages, the discussion has become quite redundant.
The only thing i found inappropriate on that move was the moderation message, with the link to the whiteside’s reply for more informations, that is one of the causes of all this mess.