Guild Wars 2

The decision from anet to give certain servers free transfers prior to the start of wvw season 2 has completely ruined the season for those servers that did not recieve the free transfers. What exactly is the point of trying to build a strong server community and recruit players/guilds to your server if it is rendered useless by servers having free transfers. Why would anyone pay 80+ gold to transfer to your server if they could go to another one for free?
I assume arenanet thought they would strengthen some of the lower ranked wvw servers through this decision but in actual fact they decided the result of wvw seasons the moment they made it.
Take Gandara for example, they were in Bronze league, and then after the mass exodus to that server through free transfers they are now top of silver and soon to be in gold. Fighting them outside of prime time hours is near impossible when you constantly have outmanned buff.

Free transfers before seasons. A VERY bad and unfair move from anet

The threshold for free transfers was quite silly too: for example Gandara (which finished second in the last Silver League) got free transfers – meaning that our queues have gone from 40/10/0/0 to 200/150/150/150 overnight. Thanks Anet!

They should have put a cap on the number of incoming transfers and made it first-come-first-serve.

Gandara was never in a Bronze league position, get your facts straight. This is of course the precise point, since we ended up as the only international Silver league server with free transfers. That and we already had a strong community with two WvW guilds confirming that they would move before free transfers were announced, though I suppose Anet had no way of knowing that.

Don’t talk too much about Gandara, or they’ll lock this thread … “We do not allow WvW matchup blablabla…”

I agree with the OP. The too late end of cheap transfer ruined this season.

My example would be Augury Rock. It’s basically a silver server with a strong night population, which explains why it stays 8/9th on the ladder. But now they will be stomped for 9 weeks because of these transfers.

Why would you join and PAY for a transfer to a server which will obviously lose all its Mu, when you can have an easy win for free ?

Like : Hey, we’re 9th of the ladder, we haven’t won a Mu against our future opponents for weeks/months, we finished last of the previous season, and you’ll have to pay 2400 gems to join us. But come, we have cookies !

Whining about current situation will do no good. Now it’s time to start planning for the megaserver change.

There are no wvw changes for megaserver.

Bertrand.3057:

Gandara was never in a Bronze league position, get your facts straight. This is of course the precise point, since we ended up as the only international Silver league server with free transfers. That and we already had a strong community with two WvW guilds confirming that they would move before free transfers were announced, though I suppose Anet had no way of knowing that.

My bad, i was told by someone gandara were in bronze league and took them at their word. However the fact that they got free transfers from silver league is even more ridiculously unfair

My thoughts on free transfers is that they should have been limited to bronze servers only, instead of just a handful of bronze servers. It’s just like someone else said, who will pay to move to bronze when they can go for free to a diff. server. That being said while my server wasn’t free we did get a handful of wvw guilds which was nice, but we have no chance against the sheer numbers that the free bronze servers got.

its all a matter of perspective. the servers that got free transfers were all pretty much in the boat you’re feeling right now before the seasons started and anet’s testing the tiered cost transfer waters with this, so the idea is the lower servers get free transfers, higher not so expensive, highest costs a premium… if you’re not doing well your server slips and people can come back for free… or low cost; get the idea? you can campaign for people to come back if where they went to tanked / didn’t go as planned and it costs little to nothing instead of the standard outrageous cost.

if you look at kain in na that server sat at the bottom for a long time barely able to work up 25 people a night but they were finally able to get enough people to win a match up and win it well. gom wasn’t free but seems to be doing well; while other servers that constantly held status quo in mid tiers had people and guilds who would have never thought of leaving finally make the jump because the risk & cost was finally low enough to do so.

imo its a good system while it does tend to hurt servers who’ve held a certain status for long periods of time, but isn’t that the whole point? churn the waters somewhat?

I would have preferred to see the free transfers limited to bronze servers only but I see where the other tiers are facing the same problem of fighting for a limited resources and it is fair that they had an opportunity to work on retention and recruiting of the population as well. The key is the limited resource. We only have so many people playing and if you want them on your server you have to set the conditions for them to feel welcome, want to be on your server more and enjoy themselves once they have arrived. That means diversity in play styles, clear and honest communication and a willingness to integrate their best practices. I can’t tell you how many people I interviewed prior to the move and most of them were very keen on avoiding a community the made sunshine promises and blew smoke up there 5th point of contact.

The price was the breaking point but honestly the people that moved had to be in a position where they were willing to move prior to the cost. The cost was just the incentive to make the move.

To make it more interesting, Anet should have just made it free to transfer to whatever server you want for a period before the season started. Now THAT is churning the waters

Free transfers only widened gaps between servers as everyone stacked the most likely to win servers. My own server picked up about 10ppl and lost about 100+ simply because my server had a less likely hood of winning compared to the server that was 1 rank higher than us.

I agree with your sentiment. Free transfers had the opposite of the intended effect, for a number of reasons.

1) Anet didn’t take it account the fact that Glicko ratings didn’t reflect server strength. For NA Silver, BP and YB were on the way down, due to losing a number of guilds, but they couldn’t fall in the ranks fast enough to hit the 13-15 spot for free transfers. As a result, HoD now GROSSLY outnumbers them.

2) Why would anyone transfer to 20-24 when 13-15 are free? If anything, it promotes transferring off the 20-24 servers to the 13-15 servers, which is what happened.

3) Free transfers always promote bandwagoning. Anet probably hoped guilds would spread out across the free servers, but that never happens in practice. Rather, guilds always go where other guilds are going.

I imagine free transfers hurt the rank 20-24 servers and maybe helped some of the 13-15 servers a bit, but at the expense of creating large bandwagon servers and gross population imbalances.

While the free transfers didn’t help, WvW has been doomed since day one due the dumb way winners are decided. Free transfers aren’t the root of the problem here.

Carzor Stelatis.9435:

The threshold for free transfers was quite silly too: for example Gandara (which finished second in the last Silver League) got free transfers – meaning that our queues have gone from 40/10/0/0 to 200/150/150/150 overnight. Thanks Anet!

But hey look at the bright side, you’re winning! I mean winning the silver league must be more important than actually being able to play WvW, right?

The ups and downs of servers…
Some get stronger, some get weaker, some stay around the same.
When the third tournament starts… HoD will have imploded, they’ll get weaker, some other server, or a few other servers will gain a lot.
It’s the way it is.
Anet makes money from people constantly transferring around everywhere.
You don’t pay a subscription, so stop whining.

Phoebe Ascension.8437:

There are no wvw changes for megaserver.

Really.. cos the way I read their latest announcements there is changes afoot, all they have come out to say is that WvW wont be turned into that faceless EotM rubbish as they know the community values server pride a bit more than they expected.

If nothing was changing then they would have no need to drip feed the information to us.. something is going to change, how much and how significant we don’t know and wont know until a time of their choosing.

I have to say I do not understand the thoughts behind the free transfers. Servers did stable out again after s1 and now just before s2 all get messed up again. I’m really wondering why they do not lock transfers when they announce the season and make it possible to transfer again after the season (or if you transfer during the season or in the lock out period you can only enter the edge of the mist during the season). This would ensure you don’t get bandwagons all on one server (look to gandara for example now, they have massive que’s) or server die due to the season (basecly s1 on underworld was the first shot to get underworld killed and s2 is the execution of underworld). In my opinion the way the seasons are working now, will turn healthy server in unhealthy servers and unhealthy servers into death servers instead of making servers healthier. Mabby a few servers might get into a better position due to the seasons but somehow those are less as the server that do get a disadvantage of it (and I see the situation gandara is in at the moment also as a disadvantage, so I’m quite happy I’m not playing on there).

mango.9267:

2) Why would anyone transfer to 20-24 when 13-15 are free? If anything, it promotes transferring off the 20-24 servers to the 13-15 servers, which is what happened.

I’m not one of those “tin foil hat” guys or anything, but this is really has me scratching my head.

I have to wonder if it’s intent was to just move all of the lower rank WvW’ers off the bottom tiers. Megaservers, imo, are already pushing us more into zero server loyalty/community. The only means left to be part of a server is through WvW. If everyone transferred off the bottom servers, could they just shut them all down and no one would complain?

Many people are in agreement of the Selected Fees of Transferring Servers. I agree totally. I play on Northern Shiverpeaks, after paying my 1800 Gems to transfer. We typically played around the Bottom Ladder of Silver League after diligently working our positioning there. Our server watched “Henge of Denravi” Server amass numbers from surrounding Servers. However obtaining these “new” or “transfer” Players didn’t make them better as a Server. They have the same amount, if not more Hackers in WvW, which is for some reason being ignored by ArenaNet, Their numbers swelled severely, contaminating accurate results from Week 1 of this Tournament. Our Server is getting steamrolled not by Superior Skill, but the sheer numbers they obtained. With that result, Henge of Denravi will likely become Third Place in Silver League, not because they earned it through sheer skill, but by their hordes of kitten. Understandable tactic, but shameful in regards to the fact of the matter they as a Server have not improved in skill, or talent because of these transfers. Crystal Desert got slapped in the face as their primer Guilds left them. Honestly other Servers in Bronze League could have used the population boosts over us in Silver League.

Northern Shiverpeaks Server prides itself on hard work and dedication. You want to make a name for yourself or become a Celebrity Commander, the opportunity to field people is here. However, respect and honor is earned here at this Server. Northern Shiverpeaks may not have the coverage desired or numbers, but they do not lack the efficiency of Group Busting (Zerg Busting), and we can typically handle 2v1’s and 3v1’s with considerable tenacity. Northern Shiverpeaks continues to strive for perfection, and their excellence shall not be underestimated. We will take your Tier 3 Structures when you least expect it.

However we encourage as a Server newcomers in our WvW Experience, we do not discourage outsiders coming to be apart of our community, we just make it known we won’t put up with immaturity of unreasonable implication.

If curious about our community, just visit our TeamSpeak 3 Server:

www.northernshiverpeaks.org (no password)

There just look for the Shield Symbols on names in our Server, they are usually Moderators ( “M” ) or Administrators ( “S” ) that can facilitate requests.

Mute Paladin.5043:

Many people are in agreement of the Selected Fees of Transferring Servers. I agree totally. I play on Northern Shiverpeaks, after paying my 1800 Gems to transfer. We typically played around the Bottom Ladder of Silver League after diligently working our positioning there. Our server watched “Henge of Denravi” Server amass numbers from surrounding Servers. However obtaining these “new” or “transfer” Players didn’t make them better as a Server. They have the same amount, if not more Hackers in WvW, which is for some reason being ignored by ArenaNet, Their numbers swelled severely, contaminating accurate results from Week 1 of this Tournament. Our Server is getting steamrolled not by Superior Skill, but the sheer numbers they obtained. With that result, Henge of Denravi will likely become Third Place in Silver League, not because they earned it through sheer skill, but by their hordes of kitten. Understandable tactic, but shameful in regards to the fact of the matter they as a Server have not improved in skill, or talent because of these transfers. Crystal Desert got slapped in the face as their primer Guilds left them. Honestly other Servers in Bronze League could have used the population boosts over us in Silver League.

Northern Shiverpeaks Server prides itself on hard work and dedication. You want to make a name for yourself or become a Celebrity Commander, the opportunity to field people is here. However, respect and honor is earned here at this Server. Northern Shiverpeaks may not have the coverage desired or numbers, but they do not lack the efficiency of Group Busting (Zerg Busting), and we can typically handle 2v1’s and 3v1’s with considerable tenacity. Northern Shiverpeaks continues to strive for perfection, and their excellence shall not be underestimated. We will take your Tier 3 Structures when you least expect it.

However we encourage as a Server newcomers in our WvW Experience, we do not discourage outsiders coming to be apart of our community, we just make it known we won’t put up with immaturity of unreasonable implication.

If curious about our community, just visit our TeamSpeak 3 Server:

www.northernshiverpeaks.org (no password)

There just look for the Shield Symbols on names in our Server, they are usually Moderators ( “M” ) or Administrators ( “S” ) that can facilitate requests.

I’m not sure about how many hackers are present on our side, but there is a certain guild on your server that shall remain nameless that has numerous speed-hackers.

I’ve never seen so many until playing against NSP and CD.

Well until you actually have the YouTube Videos, you have nothing, We have people constantly using Frapps and video recordings. Watching HoD Players using Cross Profession Abilities on other Professions, Instant Reviving after Downed, Constant Invulnerbaility, and Speed Boosts.

The “one” person you mentioned was dealt with by ArenaNet as they were caught, so until you turn in your Hackers, we will be making videos of yours and anyone elses’ and submitting them until they are addressed.

And ArenaNet is replacing my words with “kitten” so use your imagination I guess.

Mute Paladin.5043:

Well until you actually have the YouTube Videos, you have nothing, We have people constantly using Frapps and video recordings. Watching HoD Players using Cross Profession Abilities on other Professions, Instant Reviving after Downed, Constant Invulnerbaility, and Speed Boosts.

The “one” person you mentioned was dealt with by ArenaNet as they were caught, so until you turn in your Hackers, we will be making videos of yours and anyone elses’ and submitting them until they are addressed.

It’s not one person; it’s several people in one guild.

And from what I have seen, HoD does not take kindly to hackers. One Mesmer in another guild that shall go nameless hacked into CD’s Overlook last weekend and was instantly called out in map chat.

Good to hear Hod called out the Mesmer but wish your server would call out the numerous hackers that we have videos of .

Mute Paladin.5043:

Our server watched “Henge of Denravi” Server amass numbers from surrounding Servers. However obtaining these “new” or “transfer” Players didn’t make them better as a Server.

You’re retconning history here. The last time NSP beat HoD in a matchup was Aug. 10th http://mos.millenium.org/servers/view/42/93 HoD was doing a fine job of improving itself since S1 ended where we started this season reflects the work we did to get here… long before free transfers.

Mute Paladin.5043:

They have the same amount, if not more Hackers in WvW, which is for some reason being ignored by ArenaNet, Their numbers swelled severely, contaminating accurate results from Week 1 of this Tournament.

If this is an issue it’s up to Anet to solve it, no one on HoD is advocating cheating.

Feel free to contact HoD through www.hengeofdenravi.com if you have proof of cheating, while we can’t ban them from the game we can ban them from our Teamspeak, our guilds and our community website. We’re as powerless to do anything meaningful about it as you are.

Mute Paladin.5043:

Crystal Desert got slapped in the face as their primer Guilds left them.

I’d let CD speak for themselves here. This was a planned exodus and was discussed with HoD’s community extensively before it occurred. Guilds leave, HoD has lost a lot of guilds over time, I’m sure NSP has as well. What’s the relevance? Who are we blamming?

Mute Paladin.5043:

Honestly other Servers in Bronze League could have used the population boosts over us in Silver League.

Maybe.

Anet needs to own up to the population imbalances and make some meaningful improvements. These free transfers are a hot mess and could have been handled better but, at least as is stands now, there’s some volatile match ups coming ahead so lets enjoy the possibilities of some unexpected outcomes.

I wish NSP the best of luck, maybe you should set your goals to beating Borlis Pass, SoR or higher. Nothing is written in stone.

Every server has hackers.

The best way to combat hackers? Report them and stop arguing amongst yourselves over which server has more hackers.

Arthos Ravron.3796:

Every server has hackers.

The best way to combat hackers? Report them and stop arguing amongst yourselves over which server has more hackers.

Same can be said about poor winners/losers – the corpse dancers/emote spammers/smack talkers… Actions of some do not reflect the actions of an entire server….

Free transfers only work if its free to transfer to a server ranked lower than your own. The way they were implemented it was just bandwagon city and I think it hurt more of the free transfer servers than it helped.

The HoD/NSP bickering needs to stop, were talking about how free transfers killed WvW. Not about hackers.

MURKATRON.8425:

The decision from anet to give certain servers free transfers prior to the start of wvw season 2 has completely ruined the season for those servers that did not recieve the free transfers. What exactly is the point of trying to build a strong server community and recruit players/guilds to your server if it is rendered useless by servers having free transfers. Why would anyone pay 80+ gold to transfer to your server if they could go to another one for free?
I assume arenanet thought they would strengthen some of the lower ranked wvw servers through this decision but in actual fact they decided the result of wvw seasons the moment they made it.
Take Gandara for example, they were in Bronze league, and then after the mass exodus to that server through free transfers they are now top of silver and soon to be in gold. Fighting them outside of prime time hours is near impossible when you constantly have outmanned buff.

Free transfers before seasons. A VERY bad and unfair move from anet

Good move imo. Apparently you will need to recruit harder and offer more incentives next time.

Server stacking is a horrible and bad for the games health.

I’m not going so far as to say free transfers ‘ruined WvW’. Our server, DH, certainly lost some experienced players and commanders, and we’re working with those changes. Lord knows, I got a bit teary on hearing we’d lost some of our team, but that’s the way it works. People need to be in the type of gaming community they prefer.

My request/suggestion, if anet has good reason for these transfers, is to have these types of transfers available for a short time AFTER a tournament. Really! Do you think it would be acceptable if two weeks before the big tournament the NCAA or any sport association said ‘ok kids, go to any team you want to now?’ WvW is a gaming community, and as such the players do develop a sense of knowing how their server plays, communicates, and their strengths.

A transfer time right before the tournament allows no time for recovery by servers. Either to fill the gaps left by those who transferred, or absorb and learn team work with the new players/guilds received. So the tournament is not really a true test of servers abilities because of this.

I’m fiercely loyal to DH and will stick with them, sink or swim. There’s some great folks and good players, and I’ll continue to enjoy being a part of the DH world.

This happened before the first tournament/season last year. Lots of lower tier servers suffered because guilds decided they wanted to play in gold or the top of silver. Nothing has changed.
Transferred from EU to NA hoping by some miracle things might be different – no chance.
As for HOD not being a better server; the score & player numbers say they were. Not their fault they out numbered us, although I understand the frustration.

Gandara dont even use TS still they gonna win silver easy,at least its fun fighting them in prime time so much lootbags :)

We have also seen this with Kaineng. Fear not, they fall as fast as they rise

From what I recall…Kaineng was supposed to come and face us in Tier 1…I never did see them…alas, the missed loot bags

I am pretty sure Gandara has a lot of fun stomping all those servers

Gandara is not stomping anything.Their night crew and morning blobs in all maps win their MU.

I was amazed at how bad their players were.Nothing near skilled or even decent.

Graendall.4765:

Gandara is not stomping anything.Their night crew and morning blobs in all maps win their MU.

I was amazed at how bad their players were.Nothing near skilled or even decent.

that’s exactly what’s beyond my ability to understand A.Net move: they are rewarding opportunism, bandwagoning and poor organization with victory, while other servers that spent months working on improving get a pat on their shoulders.

skyhawk.5149:

Free transfers only widened gaps between servers as everyone stacked the most likely to win servers. My own server picked up about 10ppl and lost about 100+ simply because my server had a less likely hood of winning compared to the server that was 1 rank higher than us.

I think you have missed the point .. server transfers, free or not are not angles at ANET’s sentiment or lack of for servers, its motivated purely on making money or saving money.. transfers no matter what will make them money. If your playing the game on a ghost town then its unlikely your ingame experience is going to tempt you to spend coin in the cash shop, so its better to place the carrots and let us feed again.

Sure servers get stacked and server get pillaged.. and then the big megaserver announcement is dropped as an aftershock.. by moving the players out of empty servers and pulling a mass server change it has allowed them to avoid the “we need to merge servers as we have too many now in relation to the population balances that the game needs to stay health” .. which directly and indirectly hurts their gems sales as fewer players log in for any period of time.

So as much as it is poor population management .. our interests and feelings are only important when they can have an adverse effect on their business model.. afterall GW2 is a business product it’s not something that’s put out there for the love.

After the latest season/tournament concludes I am sure the servers will see movement once more as players ultimately like to hive around where the chances for loot, achievement, challenge are higher.. and by then xfers will be at cost once more.. rinse repeat the cycle, throw in some temporary content and what you get is periodic spikes in the gem sale books that help to smooth out the gold coffers over a longer period of time.

Do the majority of us enjoy it.. doubtfall, but then no one has forced anyone to xfer… but what’s the alternative apart from lingering on a dead server, logging in less and eventually logging of for good.. which only serves to widen the issue.

Graendall.4765:

Gandara is not stomping anything.Their night crew and morning blobs in all maps win their MU.

I was amazed at how bad their players were.Nothing near skilled or even decent.

Stomping pointwise, I meant. We fought against them yesterday and it was quite a challenge, lots of organized guildzergs.

The Glicko system not taking active WvW population for rankings before the season ruined WvW for most people. I used to WvW everyday, but this season has just bored me with the imbalance and poor match ups. Before the free transfers the matchups were just starting to even out. I should not have to transfer to get a fair matchup now.

Speaking of transfers… Did Anet up the space on servers? I notice a bunch of servers are now marked as “High” population instead of “Very High” and you can now get onto Blackgate as of this moment where as it is usually “Full.”

WvW is inherently balanced. they said this before release. I think it’s unavoidable that people will band together and gang up on smaller guys. this is WvW. drama, and betrayal is part of the fun.

ive been on a a bad WvW server, and everyone moved including my entire guild. thats just the way it is. it’s utopia to suggest you could control it without restricting people from playing with their friends.

Grevender.9235:

that’s exactly what’s beyond my ability to understand A.Net move: they are rewarding opportunism, bandwagoning and poor organization with victory, while other servers that spent months working on improving get a pat on their shoulders.

This!

Sad Swordfish.9743:

WvW is inherently balanced. they said this before release. I think it’s unavoidable that people will band together and gang up on smaller guys. this is WvW. drama, and betrayal is part of the fun.

ive been on a a bad WvW server, and everyone moved including my entire guild. thats just the way it is. it’s utopia to suggest you could control it without restricting people from playing with their friends.

You can’t stop them from moving (nor should they have), but why was cost for server 1-12 the same? With 13-15 free? Maybe a scale where 1 was the most and each rank down was cheaper….. Then they could have had the free transfers (but limited) to fill in the bottom 3 slots of silver bronze. It still may have resulted in blowouts, but mass stack of hod was expected…..

Graendall.4765:

Gandara is not stomping anything.Their night crew and morning blobs in all maps win their MU.

I was amazed at how bad their players were.Nothing near skilled or even decent.

I blame the new people. One particular example was coming up to t3 Anza and finding 3 hiding inside from 5 FR, two of which were upscales. I charged the 5 alone, those 3 only came along after I’d stomped one of the upscales and actually called for them to come out and fight. Such disgust.