Guild Wars 2

Smooth Penguin.5294:

More evidence that Evon’s win is guaranteed:

Regina Buenaobra.6193:

Colin just said on the livestream (which just ended a few minutes ago) that the Fall of Abaddon refers to the events taking place before the original Guild Wars game.

Regina Buenaobra.6193:

In case you’re curious about what Colin actually said, you can view the recording of the livestream here: http://www.twitch.tv/guildwars2/c/2585362

No matter what your reason is for voting for Evon, it’s a done deal. As the saying goes: Nothing in life is guaranteed, except death, taxes, and Evon Gnashblade.

I sort of wish the content were separate from the NPCs we’re voting for. I really want to see the Fall of Abaddon, but I like Kiel and dislike Evon. But I find myself in the tough spot of voting for a person just to see an event that really intrigues me. Evon doesn’t stand for my interests, while the game mechanic does, and now he has my vote. It just doesn’t feel right.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

… up until Evon promised discounted Black Lion Keys.

Really, that’s what did it for you…?

Screw the BL(BS) keys. I was really going to vote for Kiel, I hate Evon and his avaricious BLTC crap. He is the typical business man (charr), just out to make coins at your expense. At least Kiel goes into the field and acts like she gives a kitten . She deserved my vote, untill…

Evon, the son of a kitten that he is, offers us the Battle of Abaddon … WTF!!! I hate you Evon, and now I really want to vote for you, which just makes me hate you all the more! Balthazar kitten you!

LHound.8964:

According to the wiki, it’s a once time deal!

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Achievement_rewards#Achievement_rewards

Yeah, I saw that, which made me wonder what will come after 10’000 AP.

The 3000AP chest lets you choose between the Hellfire or Radiant Vambraces and at 6000 you choose between the two Mantles. I’m just curious to know if we’ll eventually get another shot at the ones we don’t choose, or is this a once off deal?

Even since before GW2 was released, ANet promised extra incentives to those who carry their accounts over from the first game to the second. I’m very surprised players are acting shocked over this now.

The strange thing everyone who brings this ‘problem’ up seems to assume is: “you played GW1 so you automatically have 500 freeby points”…

Hah! I finished all three campaigns and EotN, plus played a few months extra and I’m not even at 20 out of the 50 HoM points. The people kicking up sand assume it’s all kittens and giggles…

Seriously, GW2 players think they know what grind is. Go grind the insane amount of points you need to get reputation titles. Have a look what it takes to grind the weapons and prestige armors needed. Go battle the hard mode dungeons and the realm of Torment.

If you knew what it takes to get those 500 APs, then you’d understand those players earned it. And to compare the effort to gain the 500 AP from HoM to what it takes to get 500 in this game… it’s a joke.

Can’t see why anyone would disagree with this being an issue. I remember there was a post where a dev said condition damage is problematic and that they are working towards a solution.

Then again, that was last year, so yeah…

I have the option selected in the menu, but when I’m on top of a horde of sparkle bodies, I still need to spam the F button like mad. Is it bugged, or did I miss something?

I’ve been on a break since F&F ended, really needed to catch up on all the games I’ve bought but not yet played. I’m really excited to see all the neat new things in game, today’s achievement update most of all.

However, when I inspected my bank, I realized that there still isn’t a collection tab to store badges and tokens. The grey out option when you right click them has been there since December, but nothing’s been done about it. For a game that’s so keen on letting one gathering up so much clutter, it seems very reluctant to add a feature that has been in mind over half a year now.

I honestly thought it would have been included by now.

Karizee.8076:

• For each milestone you chose which skin to unlock. Once unlocked, you can withdraw and use that skin infinite amount of times like HOM skins.

Queue the orchestra:
Haaaallelujah! Haaaaallelujah!

I’ve been curious about this since it was announced. Thanks for that man! High Five

Afya.5842:

Which one do you prefer?

1)
Police: Why did you stab him with a sword?
Kid: Because it brings flashy sparkles

2)
Police: Why did you stab him with a sword?
Kid: Because it splashes blood

I’ll go with sparkles.

Or…
3)
Police: Why did you stab him with a sword?
Kid: Because I have some severe issues in my head, so I probably need to be locked up and receive professional help.

I’ll go with that one.

I’m all for the option to turn blood on/off. I just wish people would stop blaming the problems of the world on entertainment and start holding those responsible for heinous deeds accountable for their actions.

Why not try this:

Get a whole lot of gamers (say 600-750, not sure) to sign up for testing. Let them agree to an NDA and have a set period (the entire week after the latest patch went live, maybe?). The chosen players can go crazy and play their hearts out during that week, submitting their finds.

When the time comes for the next patch, ANet can again invite the players they liked, while excluding those they didn’t (like info leakers or players who didn’t log the agreed upon hours). Also they invite new players, and keeping the ones they’re building a trusting relationship with.

Wouldn’t something along those lines work?

morrolan.9608:

Fey Zeal.7032:

TESO won’t be coming out until 2nd quarter 2014 unfortunately. Anet must thank the mmo gods every day for the window they’ve been given.

Can’t say I give a kitten about TESO. Other Elder Scrolls fans I know also can’t be bothered about it. Nothing I’ve seen makes me want to care about the game, and it’s becoming hard for me to understand why people do. Also, from what I’ve heard, Cyrodiil will be a large focus of the game, which sounds like WvW 1.5 and since WvW didn’t catch me in this game, TESO just doesn’t seem to have a whole lot for me.

Wildstar on the other hand could potentially kill my GW2 interest. And after that I’m heading for WH40K Eternal Crusade. I must say, Behavior knows how to interact with their fan base, I always gave kudos to ANet, but man, Behavior is taking it to another level.

killcannon.2576:

Still waiting on the list of what has changed in this “Living World”.

A lot of stuff being added and then taken away again. Apparently that simulates the real world, things are there one day and then it’s missing a few days later.

My only qualm/concern with this comes from the Elder Dragons. How will they be handled to create a large enough impact. My issue with this is:

- If the Living Story is the intended road that will be leading up to the next dragon, then it will have to be done very well. The Living Story could be a more than capable device to drive an intriguing narrative, however, what the Living Story has offered thus far falls short of the magnitude of what an Elder Dragon story should present.

- There should be months of build up. The personal story was used as a set up towards the fight with Zhaitan, and for the most part it did an adequate job. I think ANet can do better and they’ve learned a lot between now and then. If done right, they can up the ante and introduce the next Elder in an explosive way, displaying it’s power across the world and actually show it as a threat to every player.

- The impact should still be present long after. Let’s say there’s numerous Living Story event’s that shape the path to Primordus and after months of Living Story a (permanent) dungeon is introduced so players can down him. After all of this happened a player returns to the game after a hiatus, and all he sees in the wake of the dragon is a new dungeon. What that would basically mean is that the after effects of such a destructive force was basically negligible. No, there should be two (or so) zones added to display the dragon’s dominion, and parts around Tyria should be changed forever. That way new/returning players would look at it and go “What the hell happened here”, while those who were there can go “Ah, I remember that, that was epic”.

ColinJohanson.2394:

Edited to add: Our primary focus right now is on making the core Gw2 experience as strong and compelling as possible, we’ll release a blog post later this month detailing more specifically our plans for Gw2 in the second half of 2013.

If I can make one request Colin, please keep the blog post as clear and open as possible. The start of the year blog that detailed the first half of the year had far too many vague proposals and common place concepts.
“We want to expand on the community features”
“Our stories should play out and have far reaching consequences”
“We want to develop unique systems that reward players in exciting ways”

What I disliked about the previous blog post was that a whole lot was said without really telling the reader anything at all. I’m not saying the post was purely negative, but my intentions are merely to clarify and explain my areas of contention, in a constructive way, off course.

I’d prefer it if more is explained through example. I know this isn’t always easy, but it will clarify you guys and gals’ intentions a whole lot more, rather than leaving an unsatisfied feeling that I’ve read a whole lot and still don’t really know what’s going on.

For instance, when talking about community, the guild features could maybe have been mentioned. Or with story features you can mention more of where personal stories would go, painting an idea of how zones can be affected and focusing on the whole permanent vs temporary content grievance and how that will be addressed in the future. Maybe even talk about what the idea behind loot is and the goal to make things more rewarding, perhaps throw some early details so the fans can give input. After all, some people visiting the forums might have valuable ideas that might help in the design process, or the global idea of what fans might want could sway you guys into a certain direction.

Anyway, I’m really excited to see what awaits us Tuesday, and I can’t wait to read the blog. Keep up the good work guys and gals.

Alright, another question popped up.

As you complete achievements and increase your achievement score

So, are some rewards tied to specific achievements, while others are awarded as your score progresses? Does it mean that finishing dailies and monthlies will also help you obtain some of these rewards, since they both affect your score as well…?

… kitten useless blog

Ugh, this blog post was disappointing. The only question I have is how these skins will be handled. HoM style, once off, vendor sold… but the blog post dodged my concerns like a pro.

Khisanth.2948:

Azjenco.9425:

I really feel the new achievement additions need a thorough blog post.

or just wait a week.

By Friday people will be making assumptions and there will be arguments, so I prefer we nip it in the bud before it leads to that.

Two main details I got from this:
1. ANet will be focusing on rolling out more content quicker.
2. Four teams are tasked with evolving the Living Story.

What I like:
1. ANet have their mind in the game, getting out content to keep the game involved.
2. Their teams are specifically dedicated to be assigned on delivering on parts of the world. (It’s something I kinda knew, but it’s good to “see” it in action)

My concerns:
1. Taking all of ANet’s staff into consideration, how many people are working on Living World in comparison to the other guys.
- Living World is an interesting concept (one I’m still waiting to realize its full potential, as it’s not really there yet) and all, but I’m worried that it’s starting to take priority over other developments that are equally important.

2. Quantity over quality.
- A steady stream of content is a novel cause, but not if it comes at a price. Will the new content be adequately tested? Sorry to say, but the monthly content came with a fair share of bugs, so will hastened content mean more bugs? And will this content have any meaningful additions? Not to rub salt in any wounds, but Southsun will forever be an ever present reminder of when well meant content goes bad.

3. Short-term versus permanency.
- This is a sore point for me personally. I am not a fan of temporary content, and GW2 has become the home of fleeting devices to get people to play (I guess), and I really can’t see the desire behind this. But people differ and some may like it. Though not sure how many enjoy the idea, I still find myself on the side of the fence where I’d like to revisit (even if only to a lesser extent) the things that have been carefully crafted for the game. This video brought that dejected feeling up, as the previous Living Stories removed a lot of the great ideas added, so I’m starting to think this will become a trend for GW2.

I really feel the new achievement additions need a thorough blog post.

Ahhh, at last! A staff skin that has me excited.

First, I’ll just point out the obvious example: DCUO.

With GW2 — a game so focused on character appearance — why are your skins and stats all connected? Why do you need to do the same content into tedium just to fit a skin? Why skins and stats aren’t independent in this game is beyond me. Even PvP has a display case to hang you collections, so why’s PvE getting the shaft?

If the answer is ‘to sell transmutation stones’, then that is a poor response. They can still be relevant in some other way, say transporting a style over to another character.

I just can’t understand why the item with the stats you want and the item you choose to use as your style would not be independent.

CryxTryx.9208:

I demand that more people read and appricate my initial response to this thread. I feel that is it great and not recieve the admiration it deserves.

Wow, talk about narcissism… and here it comes, riding a train with a big neon sign. XD

HawkMeister.4758:

What happened to it?
Ok, let´s see if I can put down the list from memory..

• Halloween Event(gets deleted)
• Southsun Cove Karka Invasion(leaves an empty island)
• Winters Day(gets deleted)
• Fractal Dungeons(grind till the cows come home)
• Living story starts (new content comes in, gets deleted and comes in, gets deleted and comes in, gets deleted ..)
• Moto Dungeon(gets deleted)
• Dragon Bash(soon to be deleted)

I think that about sums it up, right?

Yeah, all of this temporary content is killing the game for me. Content needs to stay or have a concrete, lasting effect. Colin did promise that Living Story is still in a ‘testing the waters’ phase, so I’m hopeful that things will go better as we head towards Christmas.

Holiday events seem to have an excuse (being ‘holiday’ events and all), but really there is no excuse. Even the holidays should have a lasting (gameplay wise) effect on the game.

ANet using living story to launch expansions from…?

Yes, yes, and triple yes! That’s the best idea I’ve heard so far. I really hope Sky Pirates starts the story that will lead into the coming expansion — and the introduction of the Tengu!

I have this sneaky suspicion that ANet will announce the GW2 expansion somewhere around the 1st anniversary.

That’s a bit disappointing to hear. Well, hopefully fighting them inside the dungeon will be a bit more meaningful, since enemies last a bit longer in dungeons than they do outside.

Rising Dusk.2408:

I used a level 80 Warrior, punched everything in the face, killed them all in three auto attacks, and didn’t even get a chance to see any of their skills. Yes, just the type of bad guys I was hoping for.

Wait a second, I’m a bit confused. Aren’t the Aetherblades supposed to be introduced with the next update? How did you get to face them before that?

I just read the blog on the Aetherblades and this piece really caught my attention:

Aetherblade Thug
This slow-moving power hitter can immobilize and knock down his opponents.
Aetherblade Thumper
This hearty pirate has a three-hit combo and a protective shield.
Aetherblade Swashbuckler
This pirate deals bleeding and crippling, and throws daggers to opponents beyond the reach of her rapier.
Aetherblade Taskmaster
What these brutes lack in speed they make up for in applying conditions.
Aetherblade Striker
This caster can channel a lightning attack and a dazing aura.
Aetherblade Grenadier
Like the name implies, this scoundrels throw grenades that pack a wallop.

First I just want to admit that I’ve been a vocal moaner when it came to ANet’s enemy design choices, how CC is somehow considered challenging play and enemies weren’t really created to function in conjunction with their fellows.

Now notice the parts I highlighted. This really got to me, and I must say I’m impressed. It’s hard to say how these guys will operate in actual combat, but wow, I like what I see here. I get the idea there’s some thought placed into their methods and I really hope they’ll work the way I see it in my mind.

Sure, the thug has immobilize and knockdown, but I like the slow-moving part. What I’m hoping for is that the immobilize can be dodged, and if you’re not paying attention to this guy, the knock down will be your punishment for doing so. Mainly you’ll need to keep an eye on the other Aetherblades (such as to avoid the Taskmasters conditions and the Swashbucklers bleeds) as you’re taking down the thug.

What I’m interested in though is to what capacity the Thumper’s combo and shield will be employed. How the Swashbuckler’s cripple will work (hopefully in melee, which means you’ll need to keep this one at bay, while watching out for the Thumper and Thug). What conditions will the Taskmaster employ (hopefully not more CC and rather clever usage of vulnerability, weakness, and especially torment). What indicators will the be for the Striker’s daze aura. And what types of grenades will the Grenadier pack, as I’m reckoning he’ll control battlefield placement to an extent.

All in all, this piece of information has me excited. The lack of enemy imagination, constant temporary content, and uninspiring character builds were all part of the reason I took a hiatus from GW2. All my reservations are being addressed in the latest update, and I would just like to thank ArenaNet for doing so.

Tyria is a brilliant world, and its saddened me to leave it be at the start of this year. But this was what I’ve been waiting for and I can’t wait for next week.

What baffles me about the thread is the fact that people keep moaning that the most OP classes are getting a new condition. Meanwhile two paragraphs above the condition piece it clearly states that all classes will receive heavy updates across the board.

Why not wait five days, then we can all see who is still OP or nerved into the tarmac. But until then it’s sort of pointless to get upset over a matter that will soon be addressed.

As for me, I really like the idea of a torment, and hope more classes will be getting in on the tormenting action eventually. I’m also excited about the trait diversification that ANet will bring to the table. I’ve been rather vocal about traits being a bit bland, so this is great news to me.

I stopped playing early April. I really can’t get myself to play this game, and it’s just such a sad thought. I played GW1 in preparation for 2’s release, merely for the lore alone. I pre-ordered and had a ball during the beta weekends.

Like you OP I played for the world. A month after release all my friends left, but I kept pushing on, exploring, gearing my characters in dungeon exotics — cosmetically mostly, because finding the right look meant more to me than the number crunching did. I defended keeps in WvW, which was great fun. I PvP’d to rank ten, an oddity for me since I never do PvP. I’ve bought a few thousand gems to upgrade my bank and bag space, to buy new character slots, and acquire some snazzy fashion accessories. Thought mostly I wanted to spend my money, because I believed ANet deserved it.

For me the game also had then freshness, an seeing all the world has was what it was all about. Two things killed the game for me.

1. Temporary content is the worst idea. Festivals are one thing, but having something pop-up, and throwing some exclusive items its way to lure people in, then close it off is just moronic. Why would developers choose to take content away after introducing it? It really makes absolutely no sense. Why not add content, and instead of taking it away place it elsewhere, or let it evolve in a sense? The world is supposed to expand and grow, that’s the point of it all. But slapping something on just to tear it off after a while is a seriously flaw in my opinion.

2. The empty repetition became too much. At a stage, near the end, I only logged in to complete the dailies, then logged back out. Now, this can become a point of contention as people may see this point in different shades, but to me it removed some of the games charm.

The idea is that you can play the game your way. At first I loved the idea of diversified dailies and monthlies, but the day I stopped playing I logged in, chose the dailies I could finish the fastest, then logged out. Then it struck me, it wasn’t actually fun. It made me pause and consider the entire game, ascended gear, tokens, legendaries, dailies, monthies, daily world chests, even the living story, it has all devolved into a huge “shopping list” of ticks that begged to be completed so you can move on.

Some may not mind, but for a game that promoted you can play your way, and that it emulates a living world, that’s not alright for me. The magic died. I can’t help but think there are more clever ways for people to be a part of the world, for people to have more to see and experience, and become part of the world. Gear is becoming more important, and the world feels like a cheap trick that needs to fool you into playing.

Well, that’s what the once enchanting game has become to me. It was a sad feeling for me, it was like the realization that I lost a friend.

randomfightfan of sector 2814. You have great rage in your heart.

Sorry, couldn’t resist myself. Your title brought that image to my mind.
Seriously though, I’d be angry too. I remember similar occurrences in WoW. Especially dungeon loot clashes, and since I was a leather healer, it annoyed me when rougues rolled on gear with healing power on them. I don’t know why more games follow a separate gear and gathering system like GW2, anything but feels so archaic and backwards in comparison.

According to the update page found here:
https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/releases/april-2013/
In the April update slot we have the SAB, which will be on going until the end of April. However, instead of marked just April, as the other months are noted to be only the corresponding month, the SAB is noted as April 1, 2013.

So I’m curious to know, will we soon see an announcement for a forthcoming April update?

I’m having the same problem now. WTF? O_o

This should be a permanent mini-game. I’m all for holiday events, but ANet need to stop with the temporary content. New content needs to be added to the game, not cycled in and out. I’m sure they think it adds value to the content, but really it only makes it feel that content have less of an impact.

By the end of the year we will look back and over half the content (and as it happens the more enjoyable content) would only have been temporary additions to the game. Seriously though, SAB by all right deserves to stay as a mini game.

Azurack.4293:

What do they smoke when they made this?!

Something from the 80s, I’d bet.

Karizee.8076:

Azjenco.9425:

Did they say it’s not going to be permanent?

Nope. Someone just made that up.

I’m glad to hear that. Just wish we could get some official confirmation on this though.

skullmount.1758:

Shadow Blade.1324:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/1b2412/spoilers_super_adventure_box_what_we_know/

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/1a5g19/when_is_the_new_jumping_puzzle_coming/

Shame none of this was on the official forums.
given its not permanent will you also remove certain fractals and spvp maps and reintroduce them for limited times and see how that works out because clearly people who like doing activities have more fun when they aren’t in the game….

Hmm, thats disappointing that the box isn’t going to be permanent (especially when there are sooo many achievements for it). I really hope they reconsider and leave it there permanently.
Still haven’t found a coin myself.

Did they say it’s not going to be permanent?

If this is the new large multi-layered JP that’s been promoted in other threads, I really thought it was at least going to be a permanent addition to the game. I’m all for holiday events and all, but adding content, then taking it away feels like you’re being rushed to experience it all, and if you don’t want to play it over and over, well then tough luck, cause you’ll never see it again. I really don’t like that.

I hope they decide to make it a permanent addition to the game.

I completely agree. Now that F&F has kicked into action, I’m loving every second of it. And seeing these in game dialogue scenes rather than the previous (lifeless) dialogues, at least these have brought some spirit and atmosphere to dialogue scenes. I really hope this is a sign that the old ones are out and these ones are in.

Don’t you just love it when you go out to buy something at a store, and you need to play on a slot machine for a while to get a ticket so you can get the item you came to buy initially. Isn’t it fun? No, because stores don’t work like that.

I hate the whole “oh, it’s like gambling and you get to win your prize” response just as much as I hate the “that’s how they make money, if you don’t like it, then just leave”… So, ANet likes to make money by adding gambling into a game. WTH?

Here’s an idea, it’s crazy, but bare with me. Why not sell the items for gems? Sort of like they did during Wintersday… crazy I know. They’ll still make money, because people will actually pay directly for the things they want, or just let players buy a ticket at the BLTC and also reward a ticket at the end of F&F. That way you ‘re rewarded with a story themed item by playing the story, and those who’re interested in buying more items get to do so.

Sounds like a sound way to do business, rather than making suckers think they actually stand a chance.

Halloween all over again… yaaaay… :/

Just when you thought the devs learned a good lesson and improved on this mindless fiasco when Wintersday came along, here they go and fall face first into the same hole they dug last time. Learning from past mistakes seems harder than one would think.

What makes me headbutt the hell out of my desk though is the inane backwards thinking that went into all of this. Adding chances to find special items in BL chests is not a bad idea, but if it’s story themed then also add ways to earn said items in the kitten game.

I mean, the fused weapons are basically F&F themed items, so logically one would think these items would be obtainable in the F&F storyline. Instead we now have to pay just to have an insanely slim chance to get even close to one of these items. Here’s a crazy idea, why not reward people for playing the kitten story you’ve been working your butts off over the last few months, that way you can physically display your appreciation, and make it so that alts can also play the story and get their own item. But no, greed conquest all every time.

Draygo.9473:

Azjenco.9425:

3 – The full art cinematics. These are my favorites by far. The art of this game is really what makes it so exceptional, and having a display of moving artwork that tells a part of the story is really thrilling. My only gripes are that there aren’t more of them and that we can’t rewatch the ones we’ve previously seen. Also, the release cinematic shown a few years ago that showed the basis of the Zhaitan story isn’t anywhere in the game, which is definitely disappointing.

Its in the game.

Do you mean to tell me this is in the game:

Because I’ve most certainly never seen it anywhere in the game.

It sort of depends what cutscenes you’re referring to. There are sort of three different sort of scenes in game.

1 – The dialogue scenes where two characters converse with one another. These I dislike. It takes you out of the game, and I dislike the feel of only two characters interacting with one another. It just doesn’t flow for me, as I would rather have these sort of conversations occur naturally in game, or have the camera pan between the talking characters.

2 – The in game cutscenes where the camera leaves your character to display an important event occurring. These are fine, it naturally blends gameplay with the happenings of the story. They can definitely do more of these to tell the story.

3 – The full art cinematics. These are my favorites by far. The art of this game is really what makes it so exceptional, and having a display of moving artwork that tells a part of the story is really thrilling. My only gripes are that there aren’t more of them and that we can’t rewatch the ones we’ve previously seen. Also, the release cinematic shown a few years ago that showed the basis of the Zhaitan story isn’t anywhere in the game, which is definitely disappointing.

So basically, Flame and Frost is part of the Living Story, but the Living Story is not exclusively limited to the Flame and Frost story. It’s sort of the same concept as:
all apples are fruit, but not all fruit are apples.

Eurhetemec.9052:

Yet by MMO industry standards they communicate more and better (in that they are polite, decent and dignified – unusual in this industry) than literally 95% of MMOs out there. Claiming they don’t is simply counter-factual. So if that is their greatest failure they clearly don’t have many failures!

Blizzard communicate more right now, but it’s strictly one-way and very recent, and most of it is meaningless. Even a year or so ago they would have been behind Anet in that.

Expecting detailed patch previews (and let’s not pretend that isn’t what this is about) when a company does real updates on a monthly schedule isn’t very reasonable. If this were WoW, where a patch with significant changes might come every 2-4 months (or less frequently, even, at times!), then you could expect them. Even a bi-monthly schedule would offer a reasonable expectation. Monthly though? Not reasonable. I’m sure you won’t like to hear that, but I really feel that’s the way it is.

Well, I wasn’t referring to their politeness or decency. We all know how friendly this group of people are. I was merely pointing out that their methods of communication could be a lot better. The ascended fiasco is a brilliant example of how keeping people in the dark can backfire. I’m also not saying they need to keep a constant flow of information, divulging every speck of detail. No, two interviews, an AMA or QnA a month and a blog post weekly is not asking too much. Far from it, which is why I’ve said that perhaps hiring someone to take on these duties might not be such a bad idea.

Although the company doesn’t have a whole lot of flaws, pointing that out and saying just because of that fact it makes their biggest flaw negligible is rather dumbfounding. To reiterate, I’ll point back to the ascended period. The forums were filled with backlashes, there were blogs and articles pointing out how it diminishes the company’s image, and the AMA that happened a month later was almost entirely filled with ascended concerns. So tell me again how seemingly insignificant said flaw is, and I’ll point out again how silence can harm and cripple a companies image.

Blizzard took upon this newfound openness because of their tarnished image. Like I said, Anet is the better company, so I don’t know why they don’t learn from their competitors missteps.

Because of the nature of their monthly updates, I’d say transparency are more than needed. The game is constantly changing and in flux, which means people, especially those who take a break should hear about what is happening. I can’t quite understand why you fight the idea of strong communications, since it would not only help fans, but also the company.

In Guild Wars 1, whenever you get banned or suspended, Dhuum would appear and kill you. He’s basically a grim reaper, and I thought that was a brilliant way of telling someone that you’ve been judged.

But I like the prison idea, that would be great.

Latorn.4209:

I’d love to know what Anet is working on currently. I’m not frequently on these forums so I’ve probably missed a lot, but they haven’t communicated with fans like they did with their AMA in a while have they?

Anet’s inability to efficiently communicate with fans must be by far their greatest failure. So many issues of the past could have been avoided had they simply gone the extra mile to extend the courtesy of keeping the player base in the loop. And how many loses have they suffered because of it? We’ll never know, but I am certain they are well aware of the figures.

For the life of me I just can’t understand why it’s still handled so poorly half a year after release. Anet struggles so with this, which is just odd. Even Blizzard, a company I’ve come to view in low regard, has a moderately open approach when it comes to fans, and I see Anet in a far greater light than those guys.

The last AMA was months ago, their interviews are scarce, and we rarely see actual information. I mean, just look at the front page, the scarcity of blogs are scary. I don’t understand why they don’t appoint one or two people with the sole purpose of communicating in fast and effective ways what’s happening behind the scenes. These guys can be the face of the company, and constantly keep a finger on the pulse of the game, while keeping fans in the loop.

Anet hired an entire team to combat bots, and that shows dedication. Well, I’d say keeping the game clean of bots and communicating with the fans are equally important. Both of these aspects, if handled poorly, can spell disaster for a game.

Yeah, the only blog with “information” this month has been about the end of culling. And since it’s already been told that it was coming, the blog didn’t provide any new information. Well, that and the hasn’t been any updates as to what content will be coming. There’s only been tidbits on the WvW rewards, but again that was mere tidbits. As for any real information, we’ve been in the dark.

At least last month there was some info on the updates to the dailies and the guild missions stuff, plus the monthly update page was updated with features a lot sooner, but this month we’re being left completely in the dark.

To think, the update is less than a week away, and aside from the WvW changes (which were technically moved up from Feb), I have no idea what the “expansion worth of content” is going to be.

I’m just curious though, since dailies cover so many parts of the game, how exactly do you play the game? How do you pass the time? The only PvE part of the game that isn’t covered by dailies are the dungeons. However, if you compare a person who runs some dungeons over a few hours to someone meandering the word, the dungeon runner’s loot will outweigh the the other person’s.

Yes, thank you. Guesting was being abused, and hopeful now this whole overflow problem will go away.