Guild Wars 2

Since my time in wvw, on occasion I’ll hear a player say that the opposing server has a spy in our group, watching everything we do, using up all the supplies, or whatever mischief that can be done. Is this something that actually happens, or is it just paranoia?

It’s a bit of both.

Some people make alt accounts so they can read the enemy’s chat, sabatoge their supplies and waste their tactivators.

A lot of people blame “spies” when there really wasn’t anyone spying too, though. Their zerg gets wiped so “someone must be spying” when in reality they just don’t want to admit that they were being careless about their movements on the map.

Sometimes it’s spies, sometimes it’s trolls, sometimes it’s people making excuses because they don’t want to admit defeat.

But yes, there absolutely are spies in WvW and it’s a very scummy thing to do. We had one from TC last week that was wasting all of our keep supplies and even stated in chat that he was from TC.

SourCricket.7924:

Since my time in wvw, on occasion I’ll hear a player say that the opposing server has a spy in our group, watching everything we do, using up all the supplies, or whatever mischief that can be done. Is this something that actually happens, or is it just paranoia?

It definitely happens, I’m not so sure about using up supply and pulling tactivators but I know of at least one case where our server has spied on the opposition server to report movements and strategy.

I really doubt that every time someone says ‘there is a spy’ that there actually is one. Often luck or scouting plays a big part.

I think it is individuals that do the spying rather than something being organised at a strategic level by the server’s leaders.

I don’t really like it but I do know that we have had multiple spies from other servers on our team speak/discord and I also know of one case where we had one on theirs.

So I guess, even though it sucks, if everyone does it, then it balances out.

Through the first year of GW2 there was always a spy or TS spy, after the first year I don’t think I’ve heard of any until this thread.

That moment when you realize someone built 10 rams around the supply hut. Yeah it’s true.

I think the problem is, that nobody wants to have a disadvantage over another server if the other server has spies. So there are quite some guilds that plant spies on other servers just to be sure not to have that disadvantage. So they will say “last week they pulled our tacts, now we do it” and legitimate all actions with that.

For me it should be the honorable thing not to have spies, not to need the additional intel, not to pull tacts, waste supply or hide or destroy enemy omega golems and I would think it would be nice if commanders decided not to resort to this kind of actions even if they may be sometimes at a disadvantage through that decision.
But different commanders have different opinions about this and that is how they will play and there is nothing we can do to stop it.

Its true. Its always been true. They even stand over your bed and spy on you when you sleep, quietly chanting “1”, “1” and “1” over and over.

Now you know.

Because Anet let people transfer at-will for four years, lots of people have friends on enemy servers.

It doesn’t take much to ask them where their blob is going.

SpellOfIniquity.1780:

It’s a bit of both.

Some people make alt accounts so they can read the enemy’s chat, sabatoge their supplies and waste their tactivators.

A lot of people blame “spies” when there really wasn’t anyone spying too, though. Their zerg gets wiped so “someone must be spying” when in reality they just don’t want to admit that they were being careless about their movements on the map.

Sometimes it’s spies, sometimes it’s trolls, sometimes it’s people making excuses because they don’t want to admit defeat.

But yes, there absolutely are spies in WvW and it’s a very scummy thing to do. We had one from TC last week that was wasting all of our keep supplies and even stated in chat that he was from TC.

Yea, thats just what a SPY would want us to belive. We are wise to your spy tricks.

Lots of people do it. Mainly to promote more fights.

RodOfDeath.5247:

Lots of people do it. Mainly to promote more fights.

I think thats the main argument James Bond use too. Both with spying and with women.

Some people have an amazing ability to read the map really well too. Including keeping one of the live versions up on another screen. Works wonders for coordination.

Plus there are a lot of folks who actually enjoy fighting. Which means finding other people with a more engaging version of Marco Polo is useful. I just run full on at the enemy without pants. I’ll get some sort of reaction. Even if it is along the lines of “I never want to see that again”.

I have noticed some friendly zergs (in the ~20 person range) moving around without a commander tag recently. I think this is in part to hide their location and in part not to attract pugs. Usually they run with another commander running, so it’s kinda nice to have two zergs hitting two targets or sandwiching an enemy zerg.

SourCricket.7924:

Since my time in wvw, on occasion I’ll hear a player say that the opposing server has a spy in our group, watching everything we do, using up all the supplies, or whatever mischief that can be done. Is this something that actually happens, or is it just paranoia?

Please change the title to reflect your post.

Some servers use spies a lot- we had a few battles in the last few weeks where it was exceedingly obvious that they were listening to our TS as they knew our every move. Spies on maps are not uncommon so they can co ordinate attacks across maps.

It’s all part of the game and can make it more satisfying when you beat them anyway- especially when you beat a guild that transferred off with a group of pugs:-)

I think to promote fights enemy locations should be revealed on the map whenever they get close to anything you own or if one of your players is within sight of them, which would make it much more realistic.

Araphelbliss.4016:

I just run full on at the enemy without pants. I’ll get some sort of reaction. Even if it is along the lines of “I never want to see that again”.

I used to think he meant his character, until that accidental Skype video call…

Baldrick.8967:

Some servers use spies a lot… It’s all part of the game and can make it more satisfying when you beat them anyway- especially when you beat a guild that transferred off with a group of pugs:-)

I think to promote fights enemy locations should be revealed on the map whenever they get close to anything you own or if one of your players is within sight of them, which would make it much more realistic.

Spying through alt accounts is as much a part of the game as stacking for advantage. It is gaining an unfair advantage outside of the game itself. It is cheating.

Removing what little fog of war there is in the game wouldn’t make it more realistic.

I don’t mind that they know our position, which could be discovered with good scouting anyway. What really hurts defense when we’re already outnumbered is a spy inside the keep burning up supply and pulling tactivators within 15 minutes of a planned assault. This has happened even when the attacking server was way ahead of us in total score, so they were probably just trolling for a fight and bags.

It does exist. It’s already pathetic to resort to spying period but it becomes utterly ridiculous when used against servers you are impossibly superior to.

About this topic, as with a load of others, players have to take the part of the blame that befell them.

Reality is, if ppl stop using fallacious reasoning to justify spying (a.k.a. others might do it so we will do it for sure so we don’t operate at a possible disadvantage) they will contribute to keeping the problem small instead of letting it grow.

It does happen but people tend to blow it out of proportion, it gives many an excuse for a loss or what have you so it’s a good scape goat.

The reality is, there are scouts all over the place so it’s not difficult to figure out zerg movement at all even without a spy.

The only time it truly has an effect is when the “spy” uses up all the supplies of the enemy by building pointless siege or pulling the tactivators, but that’s not really the same thing as spying.

Nuzt.7894:

The only time it truly has an effect is when the “spy” uses up all the supplies of the enemy by building pointless siege or pulling the tactivators, but that’s not really the same thing as spying.

I guess we should call that variety a Saboteur…

It was a big deal at launch and died out. The whole $60 deal was a big deterrent to most people.

When the core game went on sale for $10, it spiked again. And then died out after a while when returning to its normal price.

When the game went F2P and now anyone can just make a noob and hop in WvW running a second computer/client, it’s up from before relative to population size.