Guild Wars 2

Imaginos.3756:

From a friend, which I totally agree with.

Why isn’t there a slider in the options menu for “Max Number of Particles on Screen” at once?

Many of the particle effects seem to me to be overly excessive and if cut down some wouldn’t affect the look much if at all. That kind of slider would be far more friendly to older machines/video cards.

Actually, and this is a bit odd, but changing your Animation settings between High/Medium/Low will also alter the number of particle FX you see. For example, going from medium to low no longer shows any of my on-hit FX from Frostfang, or any of the cool streaking or trail FX. It also changes the look of some Asura gates.

Long I ago I did suggest adding a separate slider or dropdown for VFX, but sadly it hasn’t happened. I do agree that it’s something that would be beneficial for a lot of people — for example, I don’t want to lose my Legendary FX, but I would like to get rid of the cloth physics applied to bodies of water. I can’t currently do that by dropping my animation setting to low, otherwise I lose the VFX. It shouldn’t be one or the other, IMO.

From a friend, which I totally agree with.

Why isn’t there a slider in the options menu for “Max Number of Particles on Screen” at once?

Many of the particle effects seem to me to be overly excessive and if cut down some wouldn’t affect the look much if at all. That kind of slider would be far more friendly to older machines/video cards.

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Imaginos.3756:

Some of these are pretty good questions, others are facetious.

That’s how I work. I don’t take this game too seriously or I wind up insane and drinking.

Or maybe sane and drinking, it’s hard to tell some days.

Side note: Guild Halls were a place for guilds to meet up and chat/spar/RP in guild wars 1. That would be a nice addition to gw2.

We’re talking about it in the CDI but I still haven’t heard many good compelling reasons why to devote a huge chunk to that content when we could push for other content.

I would like Guild Halls, personally, just for fun. But when I see people talking about how starved we are for content . . . and we’re looking at getting people to put a lot of time and energy into Guild Halls . . .

I just have to step outside the whole thing and go: “Why?”

I agree I’d rather get new content or if content gets revised have it revised so people continue to visit it…I’m looking at you southsun. Such a lovey island that doesn’t get visited much due to current setup.

Nevets Crimsonwing.5271:

IndigoSundown.5419:

- snip -

There’s a reason the LFG has a text box. It’s NOT for grouping with RANDOM strangers. Strangers, yes, but not RANDOM ones.

Not sure I believe that. The text box is certainly there for people to post the path they want to do. It can also be used to post requirements, but I believe that was either a secondary design consideration if not happenstance.

I suggest the instance owner have full kicking rights and immunity to kick. Abuse as described above is already against the TOS and should result in a ban.

But, if you insist on having insurance against kicking for the rest of the group, why not implement a checkpoint system wherein if a team gets beyond point X in a given instance, say at 50% or 75% of the dungeon, party members cannot be kicked?

That should keep griefing to a minimum while still allowing the instance creator to set the terms of the party.

Edit: Or even better, how about if a group member has been in the instance for a given time, say 5-15 minutes, they can’t be kicked?

Your suggestion would certainly cut down or out the instances of people being kicked at the final boss in favor of guild members. It would also provide insurance for path seller who would surely be in the instance long enough to qualify for that immunity. What it would not do is allow for the removal of a party member who bails but fails to leave the group before logging out. This does happen, and is certainly a legitimate use of kicking. In fact this is the only circumstance under which I’ve kicked anyone.

Would this serve those who feel their group was invaded by someone who didn’t want the composition they posted? Can they ID such people quickly enough? My guess is, “Yes.” I can certainly ID someone who’s using a meta build or not in small group content.

I’d have no objection to timed immunity. Even if people get kicked, it would be early on, meaning less wasted time.

In theory both “halves” of the party could be put in new instances, at the point where they left off. Players could chose which “half” they wanted to be in. Both halves would then have to to recruit new players (or not if they decide to finish it by themselves).

There would be no practical difference between kicking/being kicked or just quitting. People would vote with their feet. You’re not forced to compete the instance with anyone you don’t like, and you’re not prevented from completing it either.

Some people could still be greifers and leave a party high and dry or kick a player at the last minute, but that wouldn’t be as bad as being kicked right out of the instance. You’d at least have the chance of recruiting more members.

Dungeon sellers wouldn’t like this idea obviously.

What Indigo wants if for nobody to be able to play a dungeon the way they want.

Want to run a zerk speed run dungeon and that clerics necro joins your group? Too bad.
Want to run a fashion role play dungeon and that zerker elitist joins your group? Too bad.

The instance creator wants to find like-minded individuals to play with. THAT is why HE should have control of the party composition. So that ANYONE can “play how I want.”

Now, what azyume is talking about is also important… although I’ve never experienced it and believe it to be rarer than PHIWs joining someone’s party on LFG without reading the description and completely ruining everything.

Can anyone come up with a solution to address BOTH issues?

DonQuack.9025:

To clarify- I swear i think the only people scared of being kicked as party members are those that are incapable of making it and terrorists.

You are wrong. Besides since when “terrorists” are afraid of anything? Your own statement makes no sense at all.

If it is too hard for you to understand, let me explain clearly: We, as players, want to put a stop on the abuse of certain players. Said players are causing griefing by kicking everyone minus themselves and their buddy, of course, to give the spot of players, who played the whole dungeon even got the last boss to 10% and deserve their reward, to their own guild mates or for path selling scam.

IndigoSundown.5419:

• Given that we have that feature, why should anyone be immune?

To prevent pugs from kicking you at the last boss in a dungeon to let guild mates run with you.

Wife and I ran a fractal last night. We started the party. Had 2/5 pugs. WE GOT KICKED FROM OUR OWN PARTY.

W

T

F

ANET?

Yes we need party leader option , I am helping to level my friend who bought gw2 maybe 2 weeks ago and party system just suck . We create lfg "AC p1/p2/p3 all welcome " and people who join, kick my friend becasue he wasnt 80,exped or whatever they think. I can understand it in lfg like"only meta zerkers". But what the hell is that we create our own lfg , with our own rules and then just 2 pugs (who suck anyway) just click kick cause they dont like party which we created . Something must be done.

Maybe true kicking option where one player call vote to kick write why and every party member can click yes or no . If 3 players click yes , person is kicked . If no you cant call vote to kick same person for 10 minutes .
Or maybe just party leader option who uses lfg,kicking,inviting etc. If party leader is offline for 10 minutes , next person takes the lead .

IndigoSundown.5419:

So, the host is now dependent on the good will of the rest of the party, right? Other players in the group have always been dependent on that same good will. Why is the “host” special? Because he started the LFG?

Yes. Precisely. All the other players in the group made conscious decision to join his group, instead of creating their own. If they don’t want to group with the party leader, they could have joined a different group or made one themselves.
Remember, currently when setting up LFG, you have no control at all on who will join, not even an accept/deny prompt – while the people that join do have some control (because they can pick and choose from all lfg offers). This puts group creator at disadvantage compared to other party members.

Also, i think that people should not be trivially able to ignore reasons behind group creation, and kick the person that created it.

I don’t agree with any sort of immunity, everyone should have equal powers since there is no more host. However the kick system is broken.

There should be a rule for kick vote. One person to propose and another to second is not correct nor fair. It is democratic and fair if the notion is shared by the majority of players.

My suggestion is to change the kick vote depending on how many players compose a party:

Every single player in the party can see and vote for the kick, including the one that is being voted.

*Full or 4 members in the party: Once it is suggested for the kick, needs at least 3 positive votes (agreeing with the kick); if receives 3 negative votes, the player isn’t kicked from the party;

*Party with 3 players: Needs 2 positive votes for the kick or 2 negative to deny;

*Party with 2: No option to kick, only to leave the party.

Well things will never be fair to where players will not get kicked undeservedly. Which is why party owners should be able to have some sort of leverage.

DonQuack.9025:

Everyone does have that immunity. Its called make your own group.

I’m confused. Even if you make your own group, other members can still kick you.

Something needs to be done. Perhaps open a poll where you need 3 or more votes to be able to kick someone from party.

Definitely some people have been abusing of the new system. Sadly I fell for their schemes a few times. People are taking over parties, kicking everyone and doing as they bid without a care about the others. It sure gives you the sensation of being powerless when you and your friend, which created the dungeon party, are kicked from your kitten party when the last boss have less than 10% of HP because the other players felt their own guild mates deserved the rewards more than you, when in truth they wouldn’t even had made to the boss without your help…

…You don’t like how the grass and trees look, so you think the world will look better without them at all?

-blink, blink-

Well, to each their own, I suppose. I’ve never heard of a way to turn them off.

More taters Mister Frodo.

Underwater combat hasn’t been all the much fun for me. However, if they keep the same level of attention to detail for the design of any new underwater area I’d probably check it out at least once.

UW combat mechanics would require a large overhaul before we see anything like this. At the moment, many professions are dwarfed due to >50% utility skills not working in water (thieves and mesmers spring to mind).

It’s sad because it really could be an amazing part of the game…I always though an UW dungeon where you start at the surface and gradually submerge through levels would be awesome. Add in a breath timer (or a timer for say water toxicity levels) where you have to find small air/land pockets.

Or a full water map with a Leviathan world boss?

reapex.8546:

I read somewhere they wanted to redo underwater combat. Also, when we get the Deep Sea Dragon (2017+) there will probably be underwater cities and dungeons.

I bet you still wont be able to drown.

At the very least I would like to see underwater used more often and in more creative ways. Imagine a portion of a dungeon, where you are in a cave and it gets darker and darker and then there is a mysterious pool of water in front of the party, that is the only way to go , the only way to advance. I love the underwater fractals.

I always thought having an underwater city would be really cool. Since there is an underwater race known as the Quaggan, why not add an underwater city for them?
I don’t know much about the Lore, but it seems every playable race has a city. Yeah I know the Quaggans aren’t a playable race, but I’ve always wanted more underwater features to be added in the future. Also, a underwater dungeon that is completely submerged would be awesome in my opinion. So I was curious, what do you guys think? Is there anything you guys would like to see added that’s simialir to this?

Halloween events in GW1 were hotly anticipated and generated hours upon hours of fun for a month. This two week deal is a sad comparison.

World is becoming potatoed… :/

This “new player experience” and the new trait system totally ruined the game for me. After leveling 6 characters up to 80 I don’t really enjoy this new way at all.

For me it feels like instead of 80 levels, Anet has lowered the character level limit. Because, leveling up means my character grows and gets increased stats. Now it does not happen, only after certain amount of levels (3?) – between the stat gains for me it feels like no leveling up at all, the “player experience” is slow and sluggish, I feel like something is holding me back, compared to the “original” player experience.

Wish I could choose whether I want this “dumbed down”, level-gated experience or the original one. Or it should be only for the first character per player, because afterwards it’s rather annoying than useful.

Just my $0.02.

No more boring than playing a Red Queen’s Race where you’re chasing better numbers in order to fight monsters that have better numbers, and in the end the gameplay is the same as if the numbers had never increased at all.

What I find interesting is trying out new skills, new tactics… new forms of gameplay, basically. If I’m doing the same thing as I was doing before, it doesn’t make a difference if I’m dealing 10DPS to monsters with 1000 health or if I’m doing 10000DPS to monsters with 1000000 health. While if the gameplay is different, it likewise doesn’t matter if I have the same statistics I had before.

If the endless carrot-dangling is your idea of fun, there are plenty of games that cater for that. People are free to play what they enjoy… and that goes for us as well as you.

WoW is the success story it is because it’s perfected many of the sneaky addictive mechanisms to hook players in and keep them playing. Notice how Blizzard has never announced plans for a WoW 2? That’s because they don’t want two games competing for their own massive player base. They even canceled their mysterious Project Titan MMO for likely the same reason. And the players themselves have invested so much time and energy into WoW that the thought of dropping it all and leaving is frankly terrifying to them.

Games like Guild Wars are catering to a different audience, the ones who don’t want the game to be about gear treadmills and running raids over and over and over for a 0.02% chance to get that new gear you want. (Although arguably, GW2 is heading down that path now.)

GW1’s massive skill options was fun, yes, but there was also a downside. It made balancing a real headache, and to be honest, outside of a small selection of top tier skills, the vast majority of skills were never, ever used. Orison of Healing was the baseline heal skill to which all other healing skills were compared, but no Monk worth his salt EVER carried it on his bar. (If he did, it was a dead giveaway that you were dealing with a newbie.)

Not interested in gear treadmill games where every couple months everything I’ve worked for becomes garbage and I have to start acquiring new gear all over again. No thanks, been there done that got the T-shirt. There’s plenty of those kinds of games on the market if that’s what you like.

I prefer getting better at my game, not my gear getting “stronger” (which is fake anyway since those kinds of games increase the monster’s and player’s health).

The previous game, Guild Wars 1, had no gear progression at all and only 20 levels. People played it for years.

Gear progression games are usually games where you grind dungeons to get higher gear. When an expansion comes out, that gear is now second rate and you level some more and start the grind again. This game isn’t a gear progression grind game, by design, and you shouldn’t expect it.

Hint: In ‘vertical progression’ games, you’re not really "getting *STRONKER" if the enemies are properly scaled. You’re just seeing bigger white numbers than you did a couple weeks ago. Let the deception sink in a bit then ask us if WE’RE the crazy ones again please.

GW1 survived for 8 years doing exactly what you claim is ridiculous. What’s even better, try health pools of 500ish and ‘HUGE ATTACKS’ coming in the form of…. “Whoa! 129 damage!!”

This game is based off of an instanced semi-strategy game. They’re doing great leaps (at the detriment of their true fans) to make it more ‘appreciable’ to all the other ‘classic MMO’ sillies out there.

Mmmkay…