Guild Wars 2

The idea of a character (player) owning or renting a property is an excellent one (and this is covered by other players in other posts. I am using that as a springboard here for another idea). They could for example purchase property outright as a structure from a menu of options and be offered a choice of plots on which to place it else the landscape would be dotted with misplaced vendor tents, cottages, houses or small fortifications (or even boats acting as residences or market spaces) and that would turn Tyria into a real mess. Alternatively, rental could be paid with the amount of silver or gold invested defining how long a given vendor spot is located in any one place for example. Failure to pay the rent would mean the voiding of your agreement wherein you would effectively be ‘evicted’ from it and would have to cease trading (with any outstanding trades to be honored by you via the Black Lion system.

But what would you sell there? Well, the idea occurs to me that in addition to the obvious (vegetation, wood, ore) you can send some of the armor, equipment and other items that currently end up going to vendors or to the Black Lion to a new interface and that passing characters (other players) can open that up and choose what you have on offer and pay you directly for it and it would be sorted into light, medium or heavy classes to make purchasing simpler. There could be two modes. Either they pay the asking price or they haggle (bargain, re-bargain for the price in an attempt to lower it and this in some countries that I have visited is an art form in itself).

An additional element which nobody seems to have covered yet is that of operating a business as a GUIDE or a SCOUT. I presently and freely assist other players around Tyria on a meeting by meeting basis but what if you could establish a ‘post’ at which you wait for requests (requested in person or via mail) for a party or individual who wants to pay for you to take them to a given place or to guard them (or you agree to do it free out of the goodness of your heart just for the sake of the adventure). The potential here is enormous. New players could for example ask that you come with them on a quest or assist them in a dangerous region (within reason, as a noob who is very low level will be repeatedly killed and possibly get you killed while you are bringing your client back from the dead). It changes the way things work in Tyria but not all that much for this goes on at the moment except it is not organized such as I’ve described above.

Hmm, request denied, Iruwen.3164. It would be open to everyone I feel else where is the fun in a time displaced world of fun and adventure and really wild things if it’s just going to be populated exclusively by mesmers? (and I have at least one of every class of character because I wanted to try out each and every one. So far my favorite has to be the ranger but the others, including mesmer are close behind).

That’s more or less what I had in mind Ronah.2869 but orientated towards historical situations so that characters can interact with history. For example, going to Lion’s Arch you suddenly realize that it is the old city, the original city and that you have to warn people about Orr rising but nobody wants to listen to you and may even cast you out. Whatever the outcome you find yourself back in the present which gives players an incentive to explore the city they were just in which is now below the waters.

As for more futuristic elements, it is my understanding that one of the Asura story lines [spoiler] involves meeting a future version of yourself [end of spoiler]. Given that players will be eager to visit the past again they will have to find a glamour again. Since these glamour’s are essentially pockets of time and are time-locked they play out again and again and again without end and the character can choose to visit and interact or simply explore the area of it’s effect.

I had considered the possibility of whole maps as glamour zones but exploration of such a large area would mean gaining control over it which may be an additional feature – the character receives points for example or come into the possession of a spell or perhaps a device and when they have a sufficient number they can stay in the past for an extended period to explore and interact, even remaining there when they log out and back in once more. I refer to this time-warp idea as a glamour as it is an ancient word for a bewitchment, a thing you are drawn too whether you like it or not. to be glamorous refers to a user of magic.

An additional element which I’ve also considered is the acquisition of unique ‘time-locked’ items which are unique to the distant past which can be obtained and brought back to the present with you. You could for example obtain items which can be sold on, ancient armor, weapons, etc. Although I have not given this any great consideration, it is my opinion that while in the past the character can access the bank, the Black Lion (perhaps) and of course use vendors as normal. I would strongly suggest that ArenaNET not ‘advertize’ the location of such time-warps with events around them because to do so would in essence announce their presence. The element of surprise is a BIG part of this idea and makes it all the more special in my opinion (but nice suggestion nevertheless).

I’ve had an interesting idea and it is my belief that it has not been proposed before (if it has, forgive my ignorance). It would be interesting to add a new feature to Tyria: time-warps (known as a glamour). By way of example, a character could be wandering around common locations in whatever region they are exploring when they suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves confronted by a bizarre changing of their immediate environment (perhaps illustrated as a shimmering field as the necessary elements are loaded up). When realization finally dawns they discover that things are as they once were and that they have been somehow moved backwards some considerable distance in time but not necessarily in space.

Imagine discovering a glamour close to the breached wall in the Diessa Plateau for example; you could see the city as it was and a party of Charr moving up the hill, an advance scouting party for it is the preamble before the battle. It is up to you to somehow foil their efforts or to join them to make sure that they succeed depending on your chosen race. In another instance you could find yourself lost in time and witnessing the birth of the Sylvari or join legendary Asura in great discoveries! Whatever the case, once a given series of events has played out to it’s logical conclusion you find yourself once more back in your original time and the landscape back to it’s present form. The potential for this idea is enormous – things which have only been experienced by those who played the original Guild Wars, and it’s add-on packs (nightfall, eye of the north and factions) can now be experienced by Guild Wars 2 players.

In order to keep these glamour’s as elusive as possible it would be interesting to program their triggering point so that it moves around randomly so it will randomly intercept with an exploring character. There would be no paradox to consider as the character either assists and succeeds or fails and the glamour sequence ends and returns them to the present. I for one would love to see ruins resurrected to their former glory and perhaps such glamour’s would help new players unfamiliar with Guild Wars to understand what happened to create the ruins that they take for granted.

You raise an interesting element and yes, I agree that this would make the interface much more dynamic. I also wish to propose a modification and that would be to allow the concealment of the users avatar (character) and the turning off of the UI (so both are off at the same time) so that it is possible to take video and make still images of the truly amazing landscape and characters in Guild Wars 2 without your character being the relative center of every image. At the moment I get around this little problem by placing my character as close to a surface (a wall, tree, etc.) as possible and then sitting down. Most of the time this acts to conceal your character and allow the taking of an image.

Agreed, SnowWhite.9680 and that is an excellent point. If you block somebody you are obviously sending the message that you do not want to see them, talk to them or know what they are doing. I for one have no wish to let those who have offended me know where I am in world so they can come find me and bug me – nor do I believe that you should be informed as to where they are, because that basically sends the message that if they are in a region you’re best advised to avoid it. As I’ve suggested above, prevent them communicating with you, hiding their avatar and muting it from communicating or making noises which may alarm or irritate you. In as far as we cannot kick them out of a region we may be in, we can at least ‘ignore’ them in this manner with those options in place.

Indeed that function does remove them as a friend SmudgerUK.4715 and that name does not appear on the blocked list (unless you choose to put it there) but I offered a suggestion that the system be improved, expanded upon to add options that allow more control over how it is handled. Muting especially would really be of use. I often play music while playing Guild Wars 2 and when at the bank have to put up with questionably maladjusted players ringing bells which can be very irritating.

What Guild Wars 2 really needs is a major reworking of the friends and blocked list. At the moment if you happen for any reason to have a falling out with a ‘friend’ the only option you have is to block them as you can only ‘remove’ them as a friend.

Blocking them simply removes their name from the friends list and relocates it to the blocked list where it can be seen. In my experience this acts to remind you of them and you may be really upset by that. There are also instances of residents who for one reason or another (begging for money, items, using bad language or just being annoying) in local chat end up getting placed on that blocked list as well.

As with the former friends they too are shown there and remain a nasty reminder. It is my suggestion that ArenaNET move to radically rework the friends list so that it is possible to ‘mute’ ‘block’ or ‘defriend’ them.

The MUTE function will act to prevent anything that they type into chat being displayed in your window, and as an additional function will turn their character virtually transparent so that you do not have to look at them. Additionally it will block any sound that they are making (as bell ringing, setting off explosions, etc. can be very annoying).

The BLOCK function will move any name that you select (either in world or from the friends list) to the muted listing wherein you have the option of either SHOWING or CONCEALING their names on a case by case basis. There would also be a master default which blocks or shows all names listed so you do not have to look at them.

The final option, DEFRIENDING can be used only against those who are on your friends list who have in some way caused offence and you no longer wish to have anything to do with them. Make no mistake, defriending them will remove their name from your friends list (and yours from theirs automatically). It will no longer appear on the blocked list and provides the option for allowing them to contact you or muting all future communications from them depending on YOUR choices, not theirs.

However, should you wish to refriend them (as you have settled your differences) and they are standing close-up, a message shall appear on screen asking if you are sure that you are doing the right thing. There is no limit to the number of times you may defriend and then refriend a player – but if you make a habit of it, you might want to seek professional help.