Guild Wars 2

I am fully in support for opening up salma gates or least leaving how things were, there can still be instanced and none instanced.

However:
This needs to be posted in the suggestions section for the developers to see, not this game discussion

Are you people talking about Salma District?

Well, any profession with leap skills can get inside.

You can also buy consumables which gives you a leap.

Eiken.6821:

I am fully in support for opening up salma gates or least leaving how things were, there can still be instanced and none instanced.

However:
This needs to be posted in the suggestions section for the developers to see, not this game discussion

Do you happen to know if this thread can be moved entirely to that forum, or if we’d need to make another thread?

I want to add my frankly infuriated voice to this.
I hope representatives from ArenaNet reads this and understands how many previously very happy customers they’re severely letting down here, myself included.

I would be very, very surprised if people using uninstanced Salma caused some kind of glitch or malfunction in the game code, and equally so if there’s another reason for closing off Salma than “you’re not supposed to be able to go there.”

I enjoy Guild Wars 2’s gameplay and PvE experience a lot. A lot lot, but I play MMO’s for the RP experience, and the experience has been severely hampered by this change, and left me, frankly, kitten ed right off.

Get in the game, ANet.

Zurkian.1276:

LowestTruth.2635:

No, bugs are anything that does not function as intended, negative or positive. This was obviously a bug, as confirmed by an ANet rep five months ago and just now fixed. Also obviously because you can’t get into the place without gyrations. Accept it, move to “now what can we do about it?” phase.

I’m fairly certain understanding why Anet decided to patch Salma, whether it was causing glitches in the game or not, comes before pleading with the devs to reevaluate their decision and give us RPers a compromise. Understand it or not, there is likely a much broader answer other than “because it is a bug” as this game has many, some much more game breaking than uninstanced Salma and Anet has neglected to fix those.

Well, that would be why I started this thread.

However, in the process of digging into the information we have available, I did note the thread from five months ago wherein the issue was raised and answered by an ANet rep. He confirmed it was a map bug, should not be accessibile, asked for and received a video… and lo, it was fixed today. That is the report & resolution process at work. So I’m pretty sure we know the why — it would be nice to confirm whether there were additional server issues at work, but we can hardly demand that. Hyperbole aside, the last question at hand is “whyever did ANet do this?” and more “ANet, look at how we’re using it. What can we do?”.

The why is pretty clear; admittedly, I come from software testing so the why is most definitely acceptable to me. Bug is a bug. We’re getting more into philosophy now.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Uninstanced-Salma-District

[Below is a copy of an email I sent to the company at the address listed in the forum rules, which will likely be ignored. It has been edited in an effort to comply with the forum rules]

A few months back, I made a conscious choice to start playing a MMO. I will not mention the largest active MMO to which I chose not to return after their latest expansion, or the two other prominent MMOs I played immediately prior to trying Guild Wars 2.

I have enjoyed [the] game’s unique selling points despite a noticeable lack of features which I have enjoyed in other MMOs. However, those selling points lost their novelty with me after only two weeks of play.

What has kept me playing the game for the past few months, and looking forward to buying future expansions, has been the accessible game world and roleplaying community. I want to be clear that I was not a fan of the gear-hunting or dungeoning communities. The accessible world and roleplay have kept me engaged despite the many apparent disdains the game shows for roleplay; such as un-sittable chairs, unsleepable beds, relatively few emote animations (NPCs have many animations that players lack), and the unnecessarily limited clothing options caused by armor class restrictions. Most roleplay sessions result in clever ways to work around GW2’s many limitations [meaning in-character actions, not game exploits] in order to have a rewarding roleplay experience.

Attempting to further close off one of the areas heavily, if not solely, used for roleplay displays to me utter contempt for the community. I have every confidence that someone in your company is a logical enough person to rationalize every careless effort made by members of [your company] which have the net effect of stifling roleplay in your game. To me, such an explanation does not diminish the fact that your game continues to be, perhaps increasingly, combative to roleplayers.

This is likely the action which will cause me to leave your game and [not return].

[This is the sole post I will make in this thread. I will not be answering or responding to anyone citing this post.]

I’m a french Roleplayer. The big community for us is on Mer de Jade. (Some guilds on other serveur but, really a little). I don’t speak english very well, I can’t explain all I want to say. But no matter, a lot explain that before me. I just want to added my voice.

Why A.Net ? Leave us Salma, leave us Caudecus Manor, and the Fang Island, and all the cool place you do, please.

Having access to un-instanced Salma District wasn’t hurting anyone. It wasn’t giving anyone an unfair advantage, it was accessible to anyone. It wasn’t giving anyone access to anyplace they couldn’t find from instanced Salma – it’s difficult to even call having access to un-instanced Salma an exploit since it didn’t reveal anything, nothing was hidden – since both use the exact same map file.

Yes, it was originally intended to be blocked from players, but some adventurous souls found ways in. And once players found ways in they did something remarkable – they USED it! Players found places they could use as homes. They found an open tavern. They found a hospital (the only real one in the entire game). They found an orphanage. And they USED these places, because un-instanced Salma allowed more than 5 people, because un-instanced Salma allowed people access without needing an invitation. You could find people there constantly. Un-instanced Salma District promoted fun.

And isn’t that what Guild Wars 2 is about? The main reason I became interested in GW2 was because, back when the Manifesto Video came out, it seemed like the devs got it! They understood what fun is, what is fun in an MMO and what is not. And it seemed like they wanted to make the most fun game they could.

Accessing un-instanced Salma may have been accident, but it was a good one! People had fun. Taking it away diminishes the fun in GW2.

Gotta fix what ain’t broken…

The RP groups that developed in uninstanced salma were great. I hope they can carry on somewhere else. I loved having an RP hospital, though — and just other places to RP that weren’t necessarily pubs…

If nothing else, it would be a great gesture from Arenanet to at least allow all guild members to access the same instance. It would be a good stop-gap until guild halls are added.

Talenna.4052:

If nothing else, it would be a great gesture from Arenanet to at least allow all guild members to access the same instance. It would be a good stop-gap until guild halls are added.

Ehh.. decent enough. But then what about cross-guild RP?

Sarlyan.7450:

Although I agree that places such as this shouldn’t be cut off if they’re popular, I have to say I prefer seeing RP out in the world rather than in a single cramped district .

Where would you put an orphanage in the open world? Why would you put an orphanage in the open world? There are centaurs and destroyers and krait and all manner of horrible things. Some concepts are simply better suited to a city environment.

I am actually pretty disappointed in this action. I really think instanced “story” areas like Salma should be open for players as they are not only fun to explore but offer a huge immersion for players that do prefer to Roleplay. I would hope ANet would reconsider this.

Please don’t take away uninstanced Salma District from the roleplayers. This is a very popular spot in the heart of Divinity’s Reach—the RP community’s capital. The community has made great use of uninstanced Salma and active RP goes on there every single night as well as weekly events, and player run organizations such as a teahouse, safe haven, a player run hospital, and a player run tavern. This is a unique location of the city that cannot be replaced. It is truly a one of a kind.

Uninstanced Salma brings RPers together where instanced Salma cannot due to its party restrictions.

Can we please get an answer on this?

I haven’t used Salma much, but it was great knowing it was there for events with more than 5 people . There are so very few (none) places that can both host more than 5 players, but also be out of the way enough to avoid the trolls.

If you didn´t notice ANet, this is so called player created content which you´re desperately trying to kill off.

You know, the type of content that actually keeps players in your game. The type of players that don´t follow the next MMO shiney out there like a Skirtt on speed.

Congratulations.

I’ve not really used it either, though I have kicked around in there a time or two. It would be a shame to lose a good RP spot.

ANet, we know you want us to get involved with the living story. Well, that’s great, but how much living story can you put out? However much it is, however fast it comes, I can assure you it’s not going to come fast enough to keep players occupied.

However… here’s a group of players asking for an area with NO content. No story to write, no need to worry about class balance, no need to invent new settings. Give us the places that are already there (Not just Salma, but places like Cragstead, too.), and we’ll happily make our OWN living stories and play them out. Some of us will buy transmuation stones or town clothes to look the parts we want to play. Others will get mini-pets to follow them around as part of their costume., or special weapon skins.

For the effort they take, RPers can be some very profitable players, and we can become very loyal to the game that holds our characters. A bit of support can go a long ways with us, but so can a bit of rejection. If we feel shoved aside, we’ll move aside and find another place to play.

You want a player community to interact with? RPers are a good place to start, but this isn’t a good way to get our attention.

I agree with everybody that it is a shame Anet took this place away from the roleplayers. I admit I am not exactly a roleplayer myself, but for the sake of those people who do roleplay alot in this game and even use the uninstanced Salma district, I agree that Anet should reconsider this chance.

If it isn’t a exploit that can give people an advantage, or a problem that would take down the whole fabric of this game, why take it away?

I really wish a dev would comment on this. If there was no real reason to close it off, it should be reopened. If there was a reason it should be explained.

Basicly i dont even get why it must be closed off in the first place as it was supposed to. Its like the place is quaranteened to some horrible plague. Even the Collapse that SHOULD be closed off from the general public is just there wide open with incompetent NPC Seraph who just blink feeling useless and ignored whenever you pass through them. Most illogical development decision. Its not like the actual hostile areas dont have a fully accessable uninstanced versions, and below that there is the small green spot of ground where you enter the ANet-designed “personal story” instances.

Personal story instances are just 5 people bubbles at most. “Showing off your story” to other players sounds fine and good up until the point that it doesnt collide with the real personal story, you know, the one that is part of the real RP in the MMORPG.

Please bring back uninstanced salma. The hospital was a very good roleplay hub.

The roleplay community in GW2 is around at least 10k, and we tend to stick around and buy lots of stuff, as well as play all aspects of the game.

I would love ANET to remove all the invisible walls in the game except where it would allow players to take advantage of an area. It ruins the immersion and my exploration.

I got in fine, there weren’t any invisible walls from where i entered. All you need is an ele lightning warhammer and you’re set.

BazeDragon.3927:

Talenna.4052:

If nothing else, it would be a great gesture from Arenanet to at least allow all guild members to access the same instance. It would be a good stop-gap until guild halls are added.

Ehh.. decent enough. But then what about cross-guild RP?

Not ideal, I know, but better than nothing at all. I have no idea of how coding works, but being able to invite as many and any people as you like, to your instance, could be a solution.

As a long-standing RPer across several games, I was thrilled to find so many open areas in GW2 with so much RP going on. I would love to see more, such as an inn in Claypool.

I think game devs often underestimate how devoted RPers can become to a game; how much we’ll spend on the right fluff (wearing armour skins of all classes in wardrobe slots, buying items for RP use etc); how they can breath life into an area, as well just keeping the game active by living out their stories and characters’ lives.

Allowing us to invite whoever we want to our home district would greatly enhance our enjoyment. I’d pay a fair bit of RL cash for an instanced home fort and ship too, if I could invite friends and guild to it, without a character limit.

I realise that group size is fixed, due to the combat AI, but need this (or even grouping) apply to ’social’ areas?

As a non-rper, I really dont see what the big deal is. Salma is a small part of the city that’s hardly “required” for roleplaying. There are tons of neat houses and inns to be at in the other areas.

That said, I dont understand why its blocked off to begin with, Anet could open it up with minimal effort.

Dawdler.8521:

As a non-rper, I really dont see what the big deal is. Salma is a small part of the city that’s hardly “required” for roleplaying. There are tons of neat houses and inns to be at in the other areas.

That said, I dont understand why its blocked off to begin with, Anet could open it up with minimal effort.

Within Divinity’s Reach, there’s about 10, maybe 15 open buildings. Less in the other cities. Some zones have about the same as DR, but a fair few have events that can disrupt RP.
Salma itself has something like 8 open buildings, all of which on Piken Square were used as the base for a guilds RP – most other open buildings are also claimed. Those guilds that were based now can’t find a new home without invading some other guilds space (which can cause problems with overcrowding, metagaming ect)

I’m not a RPer and I personally have never entered Salma district that way but whenever I was visiting this area I thought that it would be a great place for RPing.

So I would really love to see that place open for bigger groups than five people, in which way ever.

For what?

I mean, what possible use can you get out of it?

Raestloz.7134:

For what?

I mean, what possible use can you get out of it?

Please read the thread. But to summarise: There’s no “use” in the traditional PvE/PvP sense. For the majority of players the “glitch” that allowed us to enter (which, by the way, was as simple is jumping off a wall), had absolutely no impact. It didn’t cause any instabilities that I am aware of (if I’m wrong, please correct me ANet), and it didn’t give anyone an unfair advantage.

However, to the minority of us (in terms of overall game population, can’t speak for server population), who populate at least three servers that I know of – Tarnished Coast (US), Piken Square (EU/EN) and Mer de Jade (Jade Sea? – EU/FR) – it was one of the more interesting and player-friendly hubs for Roleplaying, in large due to the number of open buildings (as I explained in a previous post). I’m fairly sure a lot (or at least a fair number) of roleplayers were actually hoping that access would be given to the other home instances (I for one would love the Asura home instance) to be moved to the open world, with access to the home version alongside.

Or even as they are already designed to be instanced. Home Instance and World Instanced. So RPers could go into the World Instance and not bother normal gamers using the map chat. It would mean RPers would have places to go and RP in peace.

As a roleplayer from Drakkar Lake (DE) I would love to see the Salmagates entirely open or the invisible wall down again. I guess the reasons are already said more then once.

What gets me is that they’re fixing their invisible wall glitches…But Sylvari eyes still cross when you make the iris smaller, that one human haristyle still glitches through your character’s face in normal animation, the gat tiles of certain map areas are still all messed up, Sylvari armor doesn’t move or sit the same way it does on human models which makes no sense because sylvari and humans are built the same way, certain armor sets still clip through themselves, the hilarious mortar glitch in ascalon, how many times events in Gendarrin fields glitch out and don’t complete themselves, why is the veteran Broodmother that was summoned from a Level 3 event now a champion level monster, why do they think the personal story is entertaining when all they do is throw wave after wave of the exact same mobs at you, that don’t give you exp for killing them, for some piddly little tiny drop of experience. Killing hordes of Risen is the opposite of entertaining. Make the helper NPCs stronger. Why can’t I scale up to a level 80 map(as the game advertised) but my friends scale down to a level 50 one? Why is all this level 80+ content open for like a week and then shut down so that I will never ever be able to play it or get any of the things from it because I have to work at a job so I can give you money for all the transmutation stones I use?

And really, why would you go through all that trouble to form entire districts of cities so that no one can really use them? I mean yeah. Okay. I have a bunch of skritt in my home instances which is awesome because I love skritt. However, I’d be willing to give up skritt for the chance to Roleplay in the Great Lodge or something. There’s no real point to these areas being instanced beyond the presence of NPCs, which is really lame because certain paths of the story will leave it pretty much empty.

But for real, fixing those other glitches is probably a little more worth your while than stopping people from enjoying an environment you’ve created for them.

So I sent an email to Anet, sounding like

“So, as I -hope- you’re aware, the recent walling off of uninstanced Salma District in Divinity’s Reach has left -a lot- of previously perfectly happy customers at a bit of a sour disposition, as evidenced by

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Uninstanced-Salma-new-walls/

and

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Uninstanced-Salma-District/

Probably hundreds of your paying customers are waiting for an official response from the ArenaNet team, and hopefully a solution to all our problems, preferably before you start losing active players.

Sincerely
a concerned roleplayer and Guild Wars 2 fan"

-And- I thankfully got a reply that reads

“Hi Katrine!

Thanks for contacting the Guild Wars 2 Support Team.

We understand that you are upset because of the bug located near Salma Distric in Divinitys Reach. We are already working on this issue because as you stated it is affecting a lot of active players and we do not want to lose them. If you have any feed back, concern or doubt please let us now. We are more than happy to receive it and work to solve the issue.

Regards,

GM MadMaster
Guild Wars 2 Support Team
http://support.guildwars2.com/"

So it seems they’re at least aware of our plight.

I guess there’s just hoping and waiting then.

While none of thehome districts for any race should have been closed off to begin with – glitching through them when they were meant to be closed is basically exploiting the game.

If one exploit is bannable, why is another good?

I would be for all of them being opened, or none of them being opened. But against some. And now thakittens closed maybe rper will start using some of the many spots in dr and other cities that are there for them – like the refugee district in bc above rin, or the inn in a boat way up in the air above la, or various lab spots in rata sum… and others.

Kichwas.7152:

While none of thehome districts for any race should have been closed off to begin with – glitching through them when they were meant to be closed is basically exploiting the game.

If one exploit is bannable, why is another good?

I would be for all of them being opened, or none of them being opened. But against some. And now thakittens closed maybe rper will start using some of the many spots in dr and other cities that are there for them – like the refugee district in bc above rin, or the inn in a boat way up in the air above la, or various lab spots in rata sum… and others.

Uhh…we already use those. Seriously.

I’m not an uninstanced Salma person…but there are reasons for the RP there. It has: The only manor you can safely RP in, a great inn with splendid rooms/great bar area, an orphanage, a hospital, a shew of nice homes, etc.

Salma offers more RP spots than any other area in the game. Entire cities like Ebonhawke have 3 interior areas. Salma has around 8.

Anyway, the bar at the top of LA is called the Cloud Skimmer. It gets used daily. I can’t speak as much to how much use Charr or Asura areas get because my RP characters have no reason to ever go there.

Kichwas.7152:

And now thakittens closed maybe rper will start using some of the many spots in dr and other cities that are there for them – like the refugee district in bc above rin, or the inn in a boat way up in the air above la, or various lab spots in rata sum… and others.

The spots with constant NPC chatter, instanced for only five people, or heavy thru traffic? They are all used, every day, but there’s a reason folks congregated in Salma. Lack of chatter, no interupptions, lots of empty space & buildings. There is no area open that is currently like it and as useful.

Please change this back.

As a player from Drakkar Lake, I can only say: Tear down this wall!
Seriously though, I rarely do RP in the uninstanced Salma, but I don’t know why it should be closed. Support already told us that it’s perfectly ok to go there, so there doesn’t seem to be a problem with it. If it works, why fix it?

Kateness.7368:

“Hi Katrine!

Thanks for contacting the Guild Wars 2 Support Team.

We understand that you are upset because of the bug located near Salma Distric in Divinitys Reach. We are already working on this issue because as you stated it is affecting a lot of active players and we do not want to lose them. If you have any feed back, concern or doubt please let us now. We are more than happy to receive it and work to solve the issue.

Regards,

GM MadMaster
Guild Wars 2 Support Team
http://support.guildwars2.com/"

I hate to say it, but that sounds like a form letter. Especially when they call it a bug. This isn’t even a GM issue, it’s a Dev issue.

I hope I’m wrong, and I hope they’re listening, but…

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

We’re listening. That area was never intended to be accessible, but we’re looking at other changes we can make that won’t confuse players trying to visit their home instance or continue their story, and won’t get in the way of RPers. I don’t have an ETA for when a change will go in, though, sorry!

Thanks for the response. In the meantime, do you think it would be possible to undo the invisible walling so that we can use the area for the time-being, untill you have something more solid?

It makes me so happy to know that you are listening, Anet!

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

We’re listening. That area was never intended to be accessible, but we’re looking at other changes we can make that won’t confuse players trying to visit their home instance or continue their story, and won’t get in the way of RPers. I don’t have an ETA for when a change will go in, though, sorry!

Much appreciated, thank you.

I think the older areas that were made unaccessable should be remade accessable through cleverness. :/

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

We’re listening. That area was never intended to be accessible, but we’re looking at other changes we can make that won’t confuse players trying to visit their home instance or continue their story, and won’t get in the way of RPers. I don’t have an ETA for when a change will go in, though, sorry!

Beautiful. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Why not make a hidden back entrance, and plop down an NPC just inside who explains what RPing is and what the uninstanced area is used for?

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

We’re listening. That area was never intended to be accessible, but we’re looking at other changes we can make that won’t confuse players trying to visit their home instance or continue their story, and won’t get in the way of RPers. I don’t have an ETA for when a change will go in, though, sorry!

Thank you for your time for both listening and responding <3

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

We’re listening. That area was never intended to be accessible, but we’re looking at other changes we can make that won’t confuse players trying to visit their home instance or continue their story, and won’t get in the way of RPers. I don’t have an ETA for when a change will go in, though, sorry!

Now that I’ve had time to think on this (was in a dungeon), I can think of an easy way to approach this:

Open up the home districts, and inside (or outside), near the gates, put a home-instance marker, like with the Living Story instance markers. Maybe with a house symbol or something on it. People run up to that marker and get the prompt saying “enter your home instance?”. Have story quest markers appear as they’ve always done.

I wouldn’t put the home instance marker right in the middle of the gates, because it would get annoying to people trying to enter the non-instanced version of the district, and would cause confusion in the Applied Development Lab (Asura home).

Doing this would also allow you to open up specific dungeon areas, too, for example Caudecus’s Manor, Honour of the Waves, and maybe Crucible of Eternity (for the inquesty types!). These could be RP friendly locations as much as the home districts are. But I’m getting ahead of myself with those.