Guild Wars 2

Lord Kuru.3685:

Master Stumpy.4263:

Lord Kuru.3685:

For Plan 2: Imagine the rage in map chat (and the forums) if the event fails. I don’t think it’s a good idea.

Then it would certainly do the job of making everyone work for proper completion. If it fails it’s not a long wait until the next event.

The problem is that there will always be situations where even if everyone works for it, you’ll fail the event (for example not enough people, following clueless commander, overflow). This will cause a huge amount of anger and finger pointing when it happens. And the next the event comes up no one will participate. They’ll go somewhere else. Somewhere where rewards are better.

Without farmers, there probably aren’t enough people to do these invasions — that’s the real problem. The content just isn’t compelling enough for people to play for the fun of it (and thus work hard to win).

Not sure which server you’re on, but on sea of sorrows, if you dont move to the zone in the first 30 seconds, you’re in overflow, and our overflows still have enough people to do or almost do the event. If the farmers weren’t at the events, they most certainly would still get finished. If the map was full of only goal oriented players it wouldn’t be a problem finishing on time.

Edited for clarity:
As it stands now, the farmers hurt more than they help. The time it takes to do one pirate event due to scaling from one massive zerg makes it impossible for them to clear all of the pirate events in the time allotted for the meta. Essentially, even though they are “Helping” by doing anything at all, they are still sandbagging the event by making the aetherblade events take so long. (Since event completions are the only things that lower the aetherblade bar.)

Secondly, There’s nothing wrong with giving your best shot and failing something, people were complaining it was too easy to begin with. Raising the stakes by adding the champion counter mechanic would focus everyone on the goal, and alleviate some of the problems here. If it fails, people still get the normal loot, they just miss out on the champion boxes.

Treeline.3865:

Solution 3: Leave the farmers alone or simply nerf the events; That way we probably won’t show up – Either way we’re still contributing to the events.

The time that is wasted milking events for champions unfortunately outweighs the contribution of completing that event. All that needs to be done for there to be a happy medium is split into 2 farming groups, people still insist on being in one massive group because more champions spawn.

neon.4863:

Honestly, the problem is that completing minion events advances completion by only a tiny amount when compared to AB and molten. If minions advanced completion faster, the events would not fail 90% of the time (since most of the time farmers do, indeed, end up killing all of the AB on the map). Every time I’ve seen it fail, AB were all dead with 8+ minutes to spare on the clock. Sure, the AB wave generally takes 20 or so minutes because people focus on them rather than the minions, but it’s really disheartening to run to a minion event with a group of 3-4 people, finish it, and watch the progress bar tick by what, 2%? Especially compared to molten drilling machines which can be soloed without even taking any significant damage.

Edit: Also it’s worth noting that the AB waves are much, much more difficult than the other waves, and not just because of the zerg upscaling – all the mobs are vets by default, which only happens with AB, and with stunlocks and the high damage output of Strikers, small groups are mowed down in seconds by pirates (so the only real way to kill them is, you guessed it, zerging).

A group of 5-6 can take down an AB event without issue. The champion spawn after is a different story, but they waves stay vets until more people show up. Vets are easily enough handled. Now, if there is a zerg in one area and 5-6 people try the area next to it, it may have some scaling issues.

Esplen.3940:

For solution 2, there are already enough afkers. Just another drawback you forgot to mention.

To get the rewards in the map, currently, you don’t need to participate. As long as you’re in the map you will get rewards upon completion.

Forgive me, but people afk because rewards are given regardless of win or fail at the end, this can be curtailed by taking away the fail rewards also. Regardless, something needs to be done.

Lord Kuru.3685:

For Plan 2: Imagine the rage in map chat (and the forums) if the event fails. I don’t think it’s a good idea.

Then it would certainly do the job of making everyone work for proper completion. If it fails it’s not a long wait until the next event.

Hello,

So, with the new event, people have found a new way to sandbag event completionists in order to obtain more personal wealth. While this is not arenanet’s fault per se (arenanet gives them the choice, they choose to play that way). I think I’ve come up with some ways to make players cooperate for the good of the server/overflow during the invasion event.

The Issue
Players crowd up in the aetherblade phase to intentionally scale the events to a point where multiple champions are included in the event. This makes the event more suited for the number of people, and while not adding much difficulty to the event, inflates the amount of time it takes to complete the specific event. Meaning the majority of players who don’t care about the end goal and only want to farm the spawning mobs spend entirely too much time on one event. Thus making it harder for those trying to complete the meta event to complete it in a given amount of time. They slow play each event to try and get as many champ spawns as possible before moving to the next event. While it still contributes towards the meta event, it does so at a snails pace. This causes the meta to run out of time before the pirates are killed.

The Solutions
Soultion 1
The Plan
Make individual pirate kills count towards the meta event.
Currently the pirate events must be completed to progress that particular piece of the meta event. Making the pirate kills progress the event will keep farmers doing what they plan on doing anyway, but will contribute more to the meta event.
The Drawback
Players may leave once the pirate section of the meta is complete, making it harder for the rest of the players.
Solution 2
The Plan
Remove champion boxes during the event. Instead, throughout the meta event have a running count of the champions killed during the meta event. If the meta event succeeds, then every player that gets credit for completing the meta event will get this number of champion boxes for completion.
The Drawback
Implementation of this mechanic could take more time than the first solution.

Anyone else have any ideas?

Hello everyone,

Ever since the last patch I have been getting blips of lag every 3 seconds steadily when doing the holiday jumping puzzle. This doesn’t happen anywhere else in the game. It doesn’t happen when I’m in the waiting area for the jumping puzzle, only during running it. Prior to the most recent patch, I was able to run the puzzle on a loop, but now i’m lucky to finish it once.

Also, today after my first run, the chest was empty:
http://i.imgur.com/w2OLF.jpg

What i’ve tried:
Monitoring cpu and memory usage. Neither pings 100% when these blips happen
Computer is clean from malware
Resetting my internet connection
Rebooting my modem (no router on this machine)
Running the puzzle with the graphics settings turned all the way down
Windows Aero has always been disabled

Specs:
AMD Phenom x4 9750
Nvidia GTX260
4GB DDR2 800 RAM
20MB Download/2MB Upload Internet
Windows 7 64-bit

Sinsko.9342:

ShiningSquirrel.3751:

Stonesolid.2706:

Tell me.. what does Anet stand to gain by NOT giving the item to existing customers? What could they lose if they did compared to if they don’t?

Q: “How come the only way I can get this exclusive pet/skin is to subscribe to this magazine?”

A: Because that is what “exclusive” means, it’s “exclusive” to players who subscribe to the magazine.

Q: “How come the only way I can get this exclusive pet/skin is to buy the digital deluxe edition?”

A: Well you already have the Digital Deluxe Edition so you are not entitled.

WHAT?!?!?!?!?

You have an older DDE. The DDE being offered now is different.

Sinsko.9342:

When you step back and you analyze it from ALL ANGLES there’s a right way to do this, and a wrong way to do it… That’s all.

They can run their business however they like, but clearly there are plenty of customers who support ArenaNet to take time out of their day to come here and post their concerns about how they’re running this promotion – and again, those are the people that are ALREADY customers.

So what is better for ANY business? To keep an existing customer (who is buying gems, and obviously into the frivolous digital merch because they got the DDE in the first place), or to get a new customer?

If the promo was for something other than the DDE, then it would be ok… but it’s not. There’s right and there’s wrong. ArenaNet can handle this however they choose, but just cause they have that right doesn’t make it right.

And just because you think it’s wrong doesn’t make it wrong.

Also, you’d be surprised to learn that in most cases it is actually to a company’s benefit to gain new market share instead of spending money to keep customers. Some people will never be satisfied, and scrambling to appease those people is a far greater task than reaching out to new customers.

Sinsko.9342:

Gaile Gray.6028:

This is for new accounts.

Don’t forget, those who purchased previously had other opportunities: Beta access, Head-start access, digital items, the post-trial offer, event participation, etc. With each promotion there are different incentives.

As someone who has been supporting GW2 from the start, buys gems, active in telling friends, follows closely on status updates & even going out of my way to vote up the outstanding support from ArenaNet and their product (such as pushing for GOTY, etc)… this is a virtual slap to the face.

It’s things like this… the little things… that really make a customer feel like they got betrayed by the company they put their faith in.
“So what it’s just a hat” or “Yeah it’s just a virtual item that you probably wont use” – well guess what? So is EVERYTHING from the Gem Store that I’ve dumped more money into than a monthly subscription would yield. Does that mean I should pull my interest in virtual items?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>From the website:
For a limited time, buy Guild Wars 2 and get a free upgrade to the Digital Deluxe Edition (a $20 value), which includes a host of in-game items along with the exclusive Wizards Hat.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It’s called DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION – If its a different promotion then call it something else. I purchased DIGITAL DELUXE and it should include what comes with the DIGITAL DELUXE edition. Because my Digital Deluxe did not come with the Wizard kitten

Flip that coin around and give the hat to the customers as a bonus for being a member of the Digital Deluxe Edition and you will get praised and may even encourage customers to upgrade.
However get stingy on those there from the start and these little things WILL eventually add up, because who really knows what the next Digital Deluxe Edition will include?

Whatever it is, this is the first step in the wrong direction from ArenaNet – no matter how petty it may seem, it always starts small… and gets bigger… I never pegged them as a company to do this kind of stuff, but as a consumer… it’s my guard coming up for a company I trusted.

It’s not a step in the wrong direction. You appear to be taking this very hard for a promotional offer that adds nothing of value short of an appearance change. I almost thought you were being satirical by using the “slap in the face” cliche.

I bought the game during the free trial weekend, if I would have waited 20 or so days I could have purchased this as well. Am I upset? Am I saying that the one-time Lost Shores event should be re-done, for people who didn’t understand what was going on because they had just got the game for the trial?

No.

I am happy with the money I paid for this game, and think highly of Arena Net for their never subscription based policy regarding guild wars. If they want to offer a special item to entice more people to become a part of this community, I don’t have a problem with that.

I cant speak to the plans for Guild Wars 2, but the people who got in early in Guild Wars 1 had continuing benefits. They received their character birthday gifts sooner than anyone, meaning they could demand higher prices if they received a rare miniature, as the miniature was even more rare because they were the first to get the potential to acquire the items.

What this boils down to is an entitlement issue. If I buy a 2011 model car, and then the 2012 models come out and the 2012 model has a feature that the 2011 model did not have, do I go to the dealership complaining about it? Do I write an angry letter to the automobile manufacturer demanding my 2011 model be updated with this new feature?

No.

I don’t know why there is an entitlement issue that has deep roots in MMO communities. Perhaps it is because of the ongoing nature of the game, perhaps people feel like they are an invaluable asset to the games community because they paid some money once upon a time. I have some news for those people, you aren’t entitled to anything.

You don’t pay a monthly fee, and you buy gems because they benefit you, pretending that you buy gems to support the company making the game is a nice sentiment, but the truth is you benefit from those gems. You aren’t buying them out of the kindness of your heart.

Look, you’re entitled to your opinion, and I can respect that you have one, but I’m also entitled to mine, and from my point of view I have no problem with this offer. As a matter of fact, they could give out something awesome like flaming pirate flags. I’d still be alright with it, sad I missed out, but because I’m sad, doesn’t make them wrong.