Guild Wars 2

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Of course there are downsides.

• The cost increases.
• This reduces incentive for ANet to manage the amount of stuff we need to keep.
• This worsens inventory management issues for hoarders. Instead of giving them an incentive to get rid of stuff, it postpones the inevitable moment when they have to learn that they can’t keep it all.

I have bought all the upgrades for banks, materials, shared inventory, and most bags. I will always buy them all. So I’ve got nothing against ANet adding more

However, let’s not pretend that solves anything at all. The fact is that a good game offers a variety of loot for a variety of good reasons (as well as some bad ones) and that enjoying the game means learning how to manage loot. (A game that offers only ‘good’ loot or drops it immediately to the bank gets dull quickly, because it feels unrewarding.)

Your mistake (and it’s huge) is that inventory management is a virtue. It’s not. It’s a personal character trait. For some people, it’s valuable. For others, it’s not.

To your three bullets:

• There are no cost increases that are not balanced off by revenue increases. As I said, the stopping point is when the price of adding slots is larger than the revenue gained by selling those slots.

• Of what value is ANet controlling our micro-management? You are advocating that ANet manage our stuff (by restricting how much stuff they offer). That costs far more than just creating slots.

• Hoarding is not a problem. So, it does not need to be solved. Furthermore, it has no impact on non-hoarders.

I once did a study comparing the same issue for computer disk space. The conclusion was that it is far more expensive to manage space than it is to simply buy more. The payoff time for purchasing additional storage is measured in weeks.

There is only one factor that indicates one should stop hoarding (in that study): when the human doing the hoarding can no longer find things in the clutter.

Guys, there’s no downside to creating more bank slots, bigger bags, and more inventory bag slots. Those who have chosen to spend their time managing inventory simply don’t buy them. Those who have decided that time is money, and therefore they want to think about it less, they buy them. Which earns ANet more money.

Almost everybody wins, and absolutely NOBODY loses. Why is there even a discussion about this? This is a no-brainer:

ANet should just continuously add slots to all locations, until the amount of real-world money they receive for doing so drops to near what it costs them to create and maintain the extra slots.

There are only a handful that don’t need a rework. Occasionally I find one that is at least playable. But, not often.

The biggest problem is that they play to different skillsets. Some people will do better at one while doing worse at another. But, nearly all of them are required in order to get the highest masteries. It’s really grossly unfair, especially to older people (like myself). I simply cannot compete well enough to reach the highest tier in most adventures. Thus, it is impossible for me to ever fill out my masteries.

There are a lot of reasons to dislike HoT, and only a couple of reasons to like it. Adventures aren’t at the top of the list of bad things, but they’re close.

Why should we have to do inventory management at all? I can’t think of a single game reason why I should have to be a part-time accountant to play a game.

If there were a lore reason, I could understand it. But, there’s not.

If there were a game mechanic reason, I could understand it. But, there’s not.

I’m willing to spend a lot of money to get more space. And, until someone can articulate a valid reason why not, I’ll continue to argue for more space.

OK, that’s what I was hoping.

Thanks!

Got it! Thanks!!!

Many runes (etc.) say that some percentage of one stat is “converted to” another stat. For example, the second superior rune of exhuberance converts 3% of vitality to healing power.

Does it really mean it is converted? Because if so, then it’s actually removing more vitality that the first rune of it’s kind added (25 vs. > 30).

This would seem to be a major detriment, if it’s worded correctly.

Does anybody know for sure?

OK, thank you for the info!

There’s an item where you can change the stats on a piece if ascended armor, trinket, etc. (I forget the name right now.)

Does that allow you to change to ANY stat combination? For example, I’m trying to outfit my engineer as marauder. But, there aren’t any rings or accessories with those stats. If I buy one of those stat-swapper things, will I be able to pick marauder?

Allow multiple items to be selected and moved from inventory to bank, bank tab to bank tab, etc.

MoarChaos.8320:

Yes please. You also need to post this in the quality of life changes thread if you haven’t already.

I don’t know where that is. Has it got a different name?

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

For account-unlocks, you are supposed to receive 2 BL Keys, instead of the duplicate item. I had to contact the CS Team to have my Noran’s Pass replaced; glad to see it worked for you.

Too bad those silly Pink Quaggan Backpacks aren’t account-unlocks. I’ve received 3 or 4 of those. Sigh.

I didn’t realize it was an account unlock. That makes sense, then.

Greener.6204:

Hey Daddicus, I did some digging and I see that you tried to bring this to the wiki’s attention more than a few times. Sorry it didn’t get addressed.

Quick summary: Due to the changing mechanics of the BL Chests, the wiki must throw out all previous information that had been gathered and start anew. We don’t know what changes were made to the drop rates between versions. We had been updating an archive listing but that’s fallen by the wayside (effort > return; or too few knew about the page, including me).

A listing of previous archives led me to your most recent set of 59 chests (don’t look at the actual page; a new data structure makes it frightening).

I know it’s discouraging to see work disappear, but in order to have a remote chance of figuring out odds we’ll need to keep on gathering solid data. Only with a large buy-in from the community can the numbers be accurate (or perhaps we can get hints from Anet on how their loot tables work ).

I thought it was something like that. Maybe I’ll draw a line across my data and post only the new stuff I get from now on.

Thanks!

Yes, that’s very true. It’s actually quite a trade-off. While tanking, the battles last long enough where condition damage actually has an effect. A glass build would kill things faster, but there wouldn’t be the staying power.

So, in battles against one or two open-world bad guys, glass is much better. But, in battles expected to take a while, tanking is better.

I wish there was a combo that included expertise and condition damage, but split between power/precision and toughness/vitality. I’m not sure minion toughness alone is enough to survive long in viper gear vs. longer combats.

I think I will try removing the minions for a while to see what that does. But, it will be with a view towards viper + minions. I just don’t want to spend all that money changing to viper only to find I can’t survive in open world.

Thank you for all your help!

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

The odds are
1) it’s possible you’ll get it
2) it’s not impossible, but it’s unlikely you’ll get it
3) highly unlikely, but miracles do happen
4) you’re dreaming if you think you’re going to get that

5) put money aside as a cheapo buy offer; remove and replace the offer with as much as you are willing to afford. 100% chance of acquiring it at some point.
[/quote]
:)
:D

mtpelion.4562:

No one person individually opens enough chests to know. People can aggregate results on the Wiki, but sadly that doesn’t happen often and without restarting the counts every time the contents are cycled, the information that is present is likely to be highly inaccurate.

Yeah, I noted that. I track my own, but I’ve only opened 293, which is apparently nowhere near the amount needed.

I used to add them to the wiki’s research page, but my edits disappeared about a year ago. I didn’t know if they were folded in or just removed, so I didn’t want to re-add them.

I did get two Noran’s safe room/keys back-to-back a few weeks ago. Interestingly, I didn’t actually receive the second one, possibly because I already had one in inventory. I actually received two BL chest keys instead. So, that might be a warning for folks.

Amaimon.7823:

so the entire point is now “I don’t want to have to pay waypoint fees to go somewhere”?
gods, I wish I had your troubles

No, my point has always been that the option (to walk or gate in) should exist.

OK, thank you. I’ll check into that.

I will say that I’m not interested in maxing damage, but in staying alive (I hate dying). But, what you’re saying about my carrion makes a lot of sense, especially the expertise part.

OK, I see.

Does anybody know what the actual odds are?

Here’s a possible idea: Allow selection of more than one item in the bank or inventory, to move them as a unit.

I frequently find myself going to the Silverwastes, but with some other zone’s items. It would be nice if I could store these in my bank all next to each other, and then drag and drop them as a group. And, drag out the items for, say, VB.

OK, without food (etc.), I’m stuck in the 3k range. He’s a carrion necro with ascended gear and necro runes. He is missing two max infusions on armor and one sigil. The other five armor pieces all have +5 condition dmg infusions on them (9/5, actually, but that doesn’t matter here). Trinkets have only agony infusions.

So, can being short 2 armor infusions, one sigil, and 5 trinket infusions really be that important?

OK, I see my problem, or at least part of it. I was using the damage listed when you hover over the skill. But, that damage is already adjusted for factors like my power and the enemies toughness.

(I did it by taking my armor and trinkets off, and then noticing that the damage output of my staff changed downwards. In that state, my dps was ~350.)

So, I think I have in understanding of it now. Using just my #1 skill, but with 5 minions (4 skills worth), it’s in the 2300 range.

I think I’m getting the hang of it.

Khisanth.2948:

They can be as long as you don’t have other people around scaling things up. Assuming the fight was meant to be soloable in the first place. In the case of Mordremoth during the last phase I have broken its bar solo when scaled for 3 or 4 people. Had to use Tornado but most other classes have equally “good” elites.

To a lesser extent this is why it sucks to have more people around for the wyvern at the end of the noble’s chain and the jaka itzel chain, wyvern matriarch and vinetooth prime.

I thought I read somewhere that battles don’t start scaling until a fifth person is in combat.

Ayrilana.1396:

The fight isn’t that long and it would make the achievements very easy to get.

So, your argument is that because they poorly designed the achievements, that should prevent them from fixing a major problem in the battle itself?

I will concede that the meter(s) should provide an accurate comparison between builds, professions, and other factors. But, the math still doesn’t add up. I must be missing something.

Anyhow, I can use it for comparisons, which is what I really want anyhow. So, thank you!

OK, I previewed a chest, and I’m still confused. The preview simply showed me all kinds of possibilities. I don’t see how that allows someone to have a better (or worse) chance at one of the super rares.

Tanner Blackfeather.6509:

Folks, OP has already explained that due to Blue/Gray color blindness, a particular zoom level, and the color palette of Ember Bay they couldn’t see the waypoints. I.e. there was a misunderstanding thinking there were no waypoints!

True, but I still don’t like not having the option of getting to the map without paying.

Linken.6345:

is the waypointing fee to much or something?

It’s the principle.

The rest of you missed the point again: I have completed all four chapters of Living Story 3.

I want to get BACK to Bloodstone Fen and Ember Bay. Apparently we can’t do that without spending some kind of money.

Amaimon.7823:

What? Where? I have full map exploration on my main, I never had to pay ingame or real gold to get anywhere. All zones were publically acessible, some with or and some requiring a story step

Yeah, that’s exactly what I said: you can walk from anywhere to anywhere in Tyria, EXCEPT Bloodstone Fen and Ember Bay. Even Southsun Cove has an asura gate.

But, skill 1’s don’t do 3-5k per sec. They do hundreds, and take (usually) around a second for each. But, even the more rapid ones are 3-4 per second, which doesn’t add up to thousands per second.

The other skills do more damage, but they have a recharge time. So again, it doesn’t add up to thousands.

Now, you multiply by the power factor, which doubles it (by default) at level 80. But, then you have to account for the opponent’s toughness, which essentially cancels out your own power (assuming equal stats).

To get to even the measly 3k you cited, your power would have to be in the 10k range.

You’re all missing the point. In this game, before season 3, you could walk from anywhere to anywhere. But, now there are two zones that you simply can’t get to unless you pay money (in-game or real).

That’s just not right, so I was asking whether I was missing something. Apparently, I wasn’t missing anything.

Ayrilana.1396:

Checkpoints between phases would be a bit too much.

I strongly disagree.

Ayrilana.1396:

Break bars are a game mechanic so should be included.

Only if they work properly. I don’t remember this mission well enough, but the vast majority of break bars in HoT can’t be broken by a single character. There simply aren’t enough skills available to do it before it regenerates.

That may be, but I’m trying to figure out how. It’s the mathematician in me.

I see waypoints now. The default view is at the top level of the map, and they’re hard to see at that level (especially for someone who is blue/gray colorblind).

Thank you!

I have the story all done (for all four zones). I want to get BACK to them, and specifically Ember Bay, with a character who has already been there.

I want to do some of the achievements and map the zones completely. And, I don’t want to have to spend more real-world money to do it.

The wiki indicates that the only way to get back to Ember Bay is to:

• Pay gems,
• Pay gold and unbound magic, or
• Re-do the previous mission?

This seems absurd. Is it really true?

Are the other new zones like this, too?

Hevoskuuri.3891:

Also, experienced players might beat the fight, but what about a casual player with green/yellow/exotic mixed gear who picks Thief, for example? There’s no way he can survive that. I strongly believe that the story mode should be something everyone can enjoy, but at the current state Hearts and Minds demands either high skill or optimal gear.

I think just getting there with that kind of gear is rare. (This is at the end of HoT, after all.)

But, I have full ascended gear, and I still have no chance against it. I can beat the bosses, but flying kills me almost every time.

Pifil.5193:

The penalty box is only an issue when you’re trying the instance in a party, right? Some (myself included) have no desire to ever play the story in a party (something I think they know by now) fixing the other defects would help us to complete the instance without frustration.

That’s a good point. I really would like to complete it solo anyhow.

So, maybe the penalty box doesn’t REQUIRE removal (as I originally state). But, it still sucks once you’re in it; I’m being nothing but a leech and just hoping somebody in the party can complete it. That really doesn’t feel good to me.

slpr.2647:

this!!!!
I have only tried it 2 times. wont go back. i shouldn’t have to do the WHOLE thing over every time i die. I wont. Im a casual, i just want to get the darn story done.

Sean, it really needs more checkpoints.

Hevoskuuri.3891:

Exactly. But, worse: for me, it’s impossible, because I can’t see the updrafts. I’m virtually guaranteed to die as soon as the flying part starts. If I’m lucky and stumble upon an updraft by accident, then I might have a chance. But, that’s one time in 20, at best. So, when the rocks show up to knock you out of the sky, it becomes as probable as rolling 20 four times in a row (on a d20 die).

So, my only hope is to go with a party. But, then we have the idiotic penalty box. I’m a leech, who can’t possibly help my team. That feels really good inside.

NOT!

OK, something seems wrong. How can skills that take more than a second to execute, and do damage measured in 3-4 digits per hit, make it to 5 digits per second?

Can somebody please explain how damage can get that high per second.

Paulytnz.7619:

My guess is to put more importance into being successful in the fight. I mean for most of the game most players can goof off and still pull through with what they are doing. They just don’t care how well they do because they don’t have to. There is little penalty for failing.

That makes some sense, but I would really like to hear it from ANet. Because if that’s the case, then it’s just one more example of how they gated everything behind either extremely difficult content or artificial delays. But, the last mission? That seems far-fetched even for HoT.

Ah, OK. Thanks!

Khisanth.2948:

The updrafts are mostly transparently/white. Not being colorblind isn’t really much better off there. The sparkly effect on the floor isn’t doing it any favors either.

Ah. Then, just making them higher-contrast might help. Or, maybe tint them to contrast with the background.

SeanConroy.9580:

I’ve been keeping an eye on this post, and I’ve seen several comments asking for the removal of the penalty box. Unfortunately, that mechanic is intricately involved in the design of the entire instance and removing it is simply not feasible.

That’s unfortunate, Sean. Because, with the penalty box, the mission is simply not worth the time spent playing. I recommend abandoning your other fixes, because they won’t help significantly in comparison to leaving the penalty box.

But, perhaps you could explain WHY there’s a penalty box? I’ve not seen a single valid reason suggested for its existence, and it’s near-universally despised. But, there MUST be a reason for ANet to have spent the amount of time needed to construct it.

Thanks!

I see, though, that I forgot something: I play PvE only (plus fractals and dungeons, but not raids). I suspect the aerodrome of which you speak is in PvP or raids somewhere?

mtpelion.4562:

Daddicus.6128:

To what is this referring? I don’t understand the OP at all, but obviously whatever s/he’s referring to is known by the rest of you.

Please enlighten me?

Black Lion Chests have a super duper really rare chance to drop a “node”. Using the node will unlock a permanent gathering node in your home instance (i.e. allow you to mine mithril, gather Omnomberries, or chop hard wood logs).

Your “home instance” is the area in each racial capital city where most of the personal story instances occur. “Salma District”, is the home instance in Divinity’s Reach, for example.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Home_instance

Ahh. Thank you; that makes sense now.

thefinnster.6904:

I have to wonder how a judge would rule if you argued this was an invasion of privacy either under the Data rights protection act or the telecomunications act 2013 or even human rights act article 8 i.e my right to privacy in my conumications
not that im planing legal action but i do feel these dps meters skirt close to the edge in a grey area

The data belongs to ANet, and they have now given permission openly. So, it’s not invasion of privacy.