Guild Wars 2

Any chance we get the ability to use guild-chat while not being in-game, maybe by adding a function to GET guild-chat-text and POST guild-chat-line?

Of course this requires authentication of some sort but I understand that is being looked into already.

I was wondering if any of you have seen the Fern Hound in LA that used to be outside (to the left of) Main Haven Headquarters.
I can’t find a really good screenshot of him where you can also see the location very clearly but he is standing with his owner just left of the door (outside) from this picture http://gw2.mmorpg-life.com/img/map_pois//mid/LionsArchpoiMainHavenHeadquartersimageGw2120120809231150345_m.jpg

Sadly I don’t know the name of the owner NPC (if he even had another name as ‘civilian’).

I did find him in the refugee camp after the destruction so he did survive the attack, I think I also found him afterword’s in the destroyed LA, while no completely sure. But I cannot find him anymore in the new LA so I was wondering if any of you had found him, and where?

Obtena.7952:

Pricing will NOT change because of player feedback on the forum because players do not understand the impacts of price changes on the company; it may change if they don’t sell enough copies. Shareholders do not respond well to that kind of whimsical corporate behaviour.

Just because your posts are not deleted does not mean Anet is not opposed to what you think. Our censorship in NA tends to be less strict as what may be experienced in Asia. Organizations are more tolerant of dissension.

You have no idea if a certain number of players in Asia is a hit for GW2 or not … maybe their target was much lower than they actually got. We don’t know and they aren’t going to tell us either. If the Asian release of GW2 couldn’t be sustained because of low population, it would have been shut down by now. Obviously that’s not the case yet. It’s quite irrelevant if GW2 only has a small fraction of the total Asian market. That’s not a measure of how that portion of it’s market contributes financially to the game. Maybe Asians spend more money in the gemstore than NA’s players… THAT’S what is relevant.

It’s way more complex than “Oh, we only got X million players in Asia … we fail”. That’s an overly simplistic view.

Sales have already begone, so changing the price at this moment is out of the question anyway.

Question then becomes what do they offer for it, and not only in the form of content but also as a service / the total package.

Again, it might be that they simply change their model and then the price is perfectly reasenable but then they should let everybody know that.

Infusion.7149:

It’s $40 if you count the character slot for pre-ordering (something that should have been part of the deal from the beginning).

I don’t understand the fuss, since now there is an incentive to pre-order the standard edition.

Before there was no incentive to pre-order assuming the beta events’ progress doesn’t get saved.

When I refer to the cash-shop I always get the argument ‘but you can get those items in-game for free’, so now I will do the same… The additional character slot is nice but you can not say it’s $10,- because you can get it in-game for free.

But seriously it’s just based on what people expect or get used to. I have no problem with the$50,- expansion but have a problem with the cash-shop focus so have been complaining about that.

Other people have got used to that but now complain about the price of the expansion.

For a B2P game $50,- is really reasonable, even if it would have less in hard content then other MMO’s, you get that back for not being bothered with a cash-shop and having the fun items in-game.

For a cash-shop game $50,- is a lot for an expansion, you expect it to be max $40,- maybe even free but are then willing to be bothered with the cash-shop and having much of the fun items in there instead of in the game-world.

Anet released GW2 as B2P, then moved to cash-shop but meanwhile did act as if they where using some special model (in any commercial they pointed out that GW2 did not have a subscription, as if that is special these days) now they release an expansion that based on the price is again more in line with the B2P model. Is this fair? Only if they move back more to that B2P model but then they should announce that. If they don’t then I agree $50,- is a little to high. Only the future will tell us (or Anet, at some point).

It’s like how a lot pf printers are really cheap but the inc is very expansive, basically you pay the printer when buying the inc. There however are also expensive printers (mainly both by smaller and bigger companies) that have cheaper inc because you paid the printer when you did buy it, not with the inc. Both payment models work, but when you start selling the printers for the high price and keep selling the inc for the high price people will complain or move to another brand.

The last seems to be the case with GW2… or the manufacturer did use the ‘cheap printer, expensive inc’ model, but decided to go to the new model ‘expensive printer, cheap inc’ but forgot to mention this switch to the buyers.

Drayos.8759:

ScorpioSting.5917:

Wow…

You guys should consider to tatoo on your hearth: “I love ANET”.

(-_-)

It became obvious why gaming industry makes jokes of us (50$ for a little expansion even for players that already have the game) with ppl like you throwing money like that… GG

well ACTUALLY.

think of it this way.

if u buy hot on its release, u’ll have 3 years of gametime in that expansion now, lets devide that over the 3 years, as its the replacement of the sub.

thats like… 0.8p (1.6Dollars) a Month, which is CHEAPER then anything on the market currently, so no actually those buying are smart and actually see this in their thoughts, Ur the reason companies laugh at us,

U see right through the MONTHS of playtime which DOES Cost money.

U see right through the countless content releases they do ALL THE TIME for free.

u see right through they give u a way to get gems WITHOUT paying.

u see right through the fact they have ZERO pay to win in their stores and force u into no purchase besides the expansion, its THEIR sub model, Devide it over the time u will Play and theres the real cost ur paying.

buying a phone instantly is ALWAYS cheaper then paying for a Contracted phone.

Same with sub v B2p.

You seem to not understand why people find it to high. Yes GW1 had the same price, yes I expected this price (and have no problem with it) and yes it’s a fair price for a B2P game.

The problem is that GW2 have been behaving as a cash-shop game the last 2,5 years, not like GW1, not like a B2P game so people who got used to that also expect the expansion to be the cost they see with other cash-shop games and that is in the range from free to max $40,-.

Imho they complain about the wrong thing, they complain about the price of the expansion while they should have complained about the cash-shop focus but thats another discussion. In the end the problem is that people now see GW2 as a different product and so expect a different price.

You compare it to a P2P game, but with a P2P game you also have all those items in the game that a cash-shop game has in the cash-chop (much like GW2) while a B2P would not have a focus on the cash-shop so would have them in the world.

On the other hand, with a B2P game you can expect to pay extra for additional character slots what you would not expect in a P2P game and with a P2P game you expect GM’s in-game answering your question what you also don’t really have in a B2P game.

So you can’t purely compare the 3 models only looking at the price, you also have to compair what they offer for it.

GW2 has been offering what many cash-shop game offer so now they expect the price of the expansion to be in the line of such a game.

If GW2 had been offering what you expect from a B2P game then the people where also expecting the price of the expansion to be more that of a B2P game.

Daddicus.6128:

Devata.6589:

Yeah just do some general stuff and earn a currency that way… boring! That simply is not fun, and we have seen the same with influence, it was a boring system. You should get specific task to do with the guild, challenges you complete as a guild. That makes a guild fun.

Seems to be working fine right now.

I disagree. The guild-missions are fun but influence just slowly drops in based on what guild-members do. There is no challenge or fun game-elements involved in getting them. It does not feel like an achievement you do as guild.

Lets say you would have a guild-dungeon and you completed it and got a special reward based in your effort, that would give the guild a challenge, goals and rewards.

Daddicus.6128:

Devata.6589:

Again, it’s not about not allowing small guilds to exist or not giving them a guild-hall.

Devil says it is. He flatly stated that any guild smaller than 15 should not have access to guild halls. (He was generously willing to go down as far as 10.)

I said every guild should have one but I also openly asking questions (not making a judgment) at what moment you could really talk about a guild.

So to an extent I might agree with him. It is more like a feeling so nothing concrete, but if ever person could get a guild-hall it becomes more something like personal housing, and not a guild-hall. For a guild-hall you need a guild so then you get the question ‘what is a guild’.

Now personal housing every single person should get (when that would be in the game).

Daddicus.6128:

Devata.6589:

In fact, if a game is built around the principal you describe here (buy your rewards) then you will get a very boring game.

Incorrect. That’s the way it is designed right now, and it works great.

There is certainly content that I choose not to get (like Legendary weapons). But, that’s my choice, based upon economic reasons.

What they’re demanding is that I be excluded from content simply because I don’t meet their arbitrary reason.

Like I said, that is the weakest point in GW2. That is not great, that is boring.

I mean, even look at your own example.. you are not getting you legendary weapon because of economic reasons.. It’s a game. Getting a legendary weapon should be for completing legendary content, not based on economies. People can brainlessly grind gold and buy a legendary.. That takes all the value (from a game perspective) out of the legendary and indeed just makes it some economic thing.

I am baffled that you even give this as a reason why it’s good. Yeah I did not get a Legendary, not because I was not able to defeat that epic boss but because of economic reasons… Really, this is the explanation why it’s good? I would give this as reason why it’s bad. Different tastes I guess.

Daddicus.6128:

Devata.6589:

Maybe the question many people ask themselves is what size makes a guild. Is one person a guild? I would say no. Personally I would say you need a minimum of 15 people to be considered a guild but at the very, very least 5. Of course this is an oppinion and I agree to disagree with people about this.

Finally, someone who admits that it is an opinion. Thank you.

Devata.6589:

Another thing is that a bigger guild should have something to show for it or / and a bigger guild should not be bored soon because everything is designed for smaller guilds.

Why? This is just an opinion, too.

Devata.6589:

Take the scaling, to some extent that is fine, but do / use it to much and it is extremely unfair. I remember from the CDI about this subject that some people asked why a bigger guild should have the ‘right’ to have more. Well it’s not about the right, it’s about manpower.. or lets look at it form the other side. Why does one guild (a bigger guild) have to put in way more man-power and man-hour to get the same?

I fail to understand why you believe big guilds have to put in more manpower. If it were done correctly, every guild would have to put in exactly the same amount of manpower per person.

Devata.6589:

I am all for giving all guilds (and then again the question, when do you talk about a guild) equal opurtunities so that getting a guild-hall is also availible for smaller guilds is fine, just as that they should also be able to get at least all the basic functionality. But there is no shame in the fact that a bigger guild has more to show for it, they also put more man-power and more man-hour into it.

Why? Why should any group of people get more just because they have more people?

“I fail to understand why you believe big guilds have to put in more manpower. If it were done correctly, every guild would have to put in exactly the same amount of manpower per person.” In this sentence you are contradicting yourself, and by doing so answering the question you ask me.

“Exactly the same amount of manpower per person”, but with more people that means.. more manpower in total.

“Why? Why should any group of people get more just because they have more people?”
Not because they have more people but because they put in more manpower = more effort and more afford effort be rewarded.

Most important is that it makes the reward also feel better (also for smaller guilds BTW). If everything is just something everybody can get it’s less rewarding, if it’s really something that takes effort and manpower and.. then it feels more rewarding.

When you scale you don’t have this feeling because it might have felt like a challenge but at the same time you know you could also have done it with 5 people so it simply feels less rewarding.

Also keep the difference between open world activities and guild activities clear, with the guild the whole purpose is doing things with the guild as group, so you should also look at the group as total, not just at what every member does individually like you would do in open world activities (and why scaling does makes more sense in the open word).

Like I said, I am for making tiers to allow every guild to get his item, so with Wintersday guilds can for example unlock a x-as tree.
Tier one is a small tree, tier 2 is the same size but with presents, tier 3 is the same but now with a snow effect, tier 4 is again like tier one but now a huge tree, tier 5 is like tier 2 but now huge and tier 6 is like 3 but huge.

Tier 6 might only be something big guilds can complete while tier one you can even complete with 5 people. (as an example).

In that way every guild should be able to get a tree for Wintersday but there are indeed differences. To me this seems like a completely fair solution that also really keeps the challenge and reward feeling for all size guilds.

Furthermore locking the rewards behind content that is linked to the reward (like the WvW portal example) and you have a perfect system that works for smaller and bigger guilds, gives guilds goals things to do and makes it feel rewarding imho.

Broom.2561:

Devata.6589:

Broom.2561:

I’m going to throw an example at you…

In Warhammer Online, guilds could gain access to all kinds of goodies by just playing the game. Mind, not doing special missions, just playing the game. Pretty much how influence started out before GW2 decided to go and make it something you could buy for gold.

Warhammer added something though. How fast ‘influence’ accrued depended on how many members a guild had. The smallest of guilds would be a bit slower than the largest, but they would STILL get the good stuff, eventually.

And honestly, I don’t remember these arguments over there… maybe because it was a faction based PVP game, and everyone having certain guild facilities (like faster travel) made it easier for the entire faction.

I’m getting REALLY tired of this attitude where people want to deny other people content because they feel cheated if anyone else but them gets access to it….

Yeah just do some general stuff and earn a currency that way… boring! That simply is not fun, and we have seen the same with influence, it was a boring system. You should get specific task to do with the guild, challenges you complete as a guild. That makes a guild fun.

Now that’s something I strongly disagree with. For me, personally, a guild is a place where people hang out, help each other, exchange information about games and do things together that they enjoy doing.

Please note that line: DO THINGS TOGETHER THAT THEY ENJOY DOING.

I think every guild should play as they like, and no one should be forced into specific types of content for something as basic as guild facilities. Especially, I might add, when this is one of the main features of a paid expansion. And a model where you get influence for doing what you like doing is FAR more in line with that than restricting advancement to group activity of any kind.

ADDING group content to this is always an option, especially if they manage to get the scaling right and maybe add some group-only incentive (special decorations maybe, or an influence bonus). But I really think the influence model (with influence scaled to guild size) is at the core a good one for allowing EVERYONE to experience the content in their own way.

First of all I am not talking about basic as guild facilities, every guild should be able to get it’s basic guild facilities. And also the ‘do what they like’ should not be a problem when you link the reward to the content. I gave this example before.. Earn a portal to a WvW map by holding a keep or tower in that map for x time, same for other WvW themed decoration and so on. Want to unlock an jumping puzzle for the guild-hall, complete some Jumping puzzles with the guild.

That is a fair way. You say you don’t like to do specific missions, I don’t want more currency that comes from anywhere but nothing, I want specific task and goals so you can finally feel like you really achieve something with the guild.

Linking the reward to the content should for the most part solve the problem of having to do content to get a reward you want as a guild who really wants WvW portal is also likely more into WvW and can you really complain that to get a WvW portal you need to do WvW content? Well you complain about anything but I think it would be a really bad complain.

(with influence scaled to guild size) yeah of-course (not) , a smaller guild should get more influence per man-hour then a bigger guild. Because that is fair right?

While you can have some influence to the side I prefer real task as only that really feels like completing something, GW2 is already to much one big currency grind, if there is anything I really consider bad in GW2 is that everything is so currency-driven. Lets not get it right with the guild-stuff and have that less currency-driven. I gave perfect examples how the fear of “being forced into specific types of content they don’t like”. You want a char-car in your guild-hall you need to do a task in WvW, you want a really big version of it ou also need to do something in WvW but need a big group in order to be able to complete it, nothing wrong with that.

And just for the record, we have middle sized guild so it would mean we would likely also not be able to get everything or it would be really hard. But that does make it more special when you do get that unlock you want.

Imho the people complaining about the $50,- (what under the current circumstances is not completely unreasonable) should not now be complaining about the $50,- but should the last 2,5 have been complaining about the cash-shop focus (you know, like I did). Because for a B2P game (What GW2 was supposed to be) kitten,- expansion in completely reasonable, however the heavy cash-shop focus in stead of having those items in the game-word is not reasonable.

However, what happened is that some people got used to that but then now also expect the price of an expansion that you see with such cash-shop games. That is also why I say it’s not a completely unreasonable complain but I stay at my statement that they complain about the wrong thing.

Broom.2561:

I’m going to throw an example at you…

In Warhammer Online, guilds could gain access to all kinds of goodies by just playing the game. Mind, not doing special missions, just playing the game. Pretty much how influence started out before GW2 decided to go and make it something you could buy for gold.

Warhammer added something though. How fast ‘influence’ accrued depended on how many members a guild had. The smallest of guilds would be a bit slower than the largest, but they would STILL get the good stuff, eventually.

And honestly, I don’t remember these arguments over there… maybe because it was a faction based PVP game, and everyone having certain guild facilities (like faster travel) made it easier for the entire faction.

I’m getting REALLY tired of this attitude where people want to deny other people content because they feel cheated if anyone else but them gets access to it….

Yeah just do some general stuff and earn a currency that way… boring! That simply is not fun, and we have seen the same with influence, it was a boring system. You should get specific task to do with the guild, challenges you complete as a guild. That makes a guild fun.

Tarnicus.2865:

Devata.6589:

I don’t think anybody says anybody should be excluded for anything, it’s only about how you design it. Do you design it with a minimal size guild in mind and allowing for difference between guilds where a bigger guild is indeed able to get more or bigger? Or do you design with no minimum size in mind and scale everything so that it is all pretty much the same for everybody and everybody can get anything when putting in the same personal effort. But guilds are not only supposed to be about personal effort but also about the effort as a group.

That is the big difference between how you should scale guild-stuff vs open world stuff.

Let’s pretend a guild hall = 1000 units of effort. I’d like to see a system where 1 person can contribute that 1000 units of effort, even if that takes a year. If 10 people are contributing, then that makes it 100 units of effort per person. If you have a guild of 1000, then 1 unit of effort each and voila the guild hall is complete! Making multiple paths to contribute to that effort would be the ideal scenario.

Yeah that I agree on but has some problems. Let’s say you have specific content like guild-mission that unlocks some decoration. How are you going to keep the same ‘units of efforts’ while allowing it for everybody to be accesable?

You cannot just complete it by spending more time on it.

The way I would solve that is by making 5 versiosn of the decoration and allowing to do the content in 5 different ways. Small guilds might only be able to do the easiest path, while for big guilds maybe only the last two are a challenge. In that way you can all get that type of decoration but as small guild you might not be able to get the biggest or most shiny version.

Your version with units only really works with currency what is frankly an extremely boring way of rewarding.

Tarnicus.2865:

Devata.6589:

Tarnicus.2865:

FrizzFreston.5290:

While I definitely agree on cross gamemode missions. Im not sure catering to really tiny guilds is a thing that would be healthy for the game. At least regarding the bigger goals for a guild anyway.

snip

I’m still new to the game, and have not read all of the thread so am unsure of whether or not this point has been addressed.

I wholeheartedly disagree with your point of “I’m not sure catering to really tiny guilds is a thing that would be healthy for the game.” Health of the game = income to Anet. Nothing else.

Currently small guilds, such as the one I have, are able to exchange gold for influence, thus making it easier to purchase guild upgrades. Given we are a guild of two and will never increase it beyond that number, so how do we gain the majority of our influence? I buy gems and exchange it for gold, and then in turn, exchange it for influence.

How is that not “healthy for the game” when it directly puts money in Anet’s pocket?

“Given we are a guild of two” Does that mean you are a guild?

“How is that not “healthy for the game” when it directly puts money in Anet’s pocket?"
It trivialized the content for bigger guilds and does not reward them for managing to come with more people putting in more man-power and more man-hour. That makes is less fun for bigger guilds. When a considered less fun the player-base will shrink and that results in less money.

In fact, if a game is built around the principal you describe here (buy your rewards) then you will get a very boring game. I recently learned that the monetize person at Anet has the title ‘Lead designer’ what really worries me as that would possibly result is a game designed more in that way, but it does hurt the game.

According to the game, yes we are a guild. If we weren’t a guild, the game would not denote us as one. If I am able to purchase/earn a guild hall, it does not detract from you being able to do. Your guild will have just as much playing with your new toy as we will, if not more given that you have more people to enjoy it with.

The suggestions in this thread about scalability allow for all to enjoy the guild hall feature and play the game as they wish to. There are so many real life reasons that many cannot or will not enjoy large guilds. To limit guild halls to large guilds will ultimately hurt Anet’s income as they are limiting their market.

I find big guilds less fun, as do many others. I’ve run them, been a member in them, and have gotten to the stage in life where I won’t be in one, regardless of the in-game incentives. Take a look at many MMORPGs (I’ve been playing them for 15 years now) and you will note that enforced large grouping is not popular. It might be enjoyable for some, but making it optional (which GW2 currently does quite well) is the way to make everyone happy.

This debate ran rampant in WoW when I used to play; how does it require more skill to do a 40 person raid when people press one or two buttons constantly rather than for a team of 2-10(insert any number) to press multiple buttons constantly, and why should they be rewarded moreso for doing so? I have no idea of the current state of WoW but when I left years ago, they had implemented systems for everyone to eventually achieve high level gear through multiple means, be it PvP, PvE, crafting, etc.

When I played Rift, I was able to own multiple housing instances, including the most expensive ones, and had one of the largest guild halls. Doing so did not detract from anyone’s enjoyment but increased my own. If housing and guild halls were not instanced, then I would have a different point of view, as I did when I played Ultima Online. With instancing, the number of instances is unlimited.

Again, it’s not about not allowing small guilds to exist or not giving them a guild-hall. I think also small guilds should be allowed to have that (while I might disagree that a 2 person guild, is a guild). All I am saying that there is no shame, in fact it’s also good to have differences between large and small guilds. A build guild can have more and bigger things, they also have more people putting work into tit so it’s just fair they also get more.

Raire.7983:

If duos can’t capture or upgrade Guild Halls, then that will be disappointing. It also makes a key feature of HoT redundant to me, and it’s not like the package reeks of value for money, as is.

Why, just ask some friends / a guild to help you with it. Our guild would be willing to help.

mcwurth.2081:

everyone here is talking about how small guilds are not worth the efforts and blabla!
You know what? I BOUGHT GUILDWARS! I want my OWN guild. Like everyone else should be able to have their own. I have my own guild and some friends who are even less on then I am (I am on each day they are more once a month due to real life and such) and yet I want a guild hall. But I do not feel like “growing” my guild with random people I never met before, I find it insanely hard to find people on GW2 with the same mind set as I have and play the game in similair ways. It would mean recruiting that would take away my own game time as a “guild leader” having to organize all aspects of the game (including the parts I do not like, erhm yes I dislike pvp aspects).
I cant trust some random person to be allowed into the guild vaults/bank/cove. I would need to fix that all the time when people ask can i have have have have have.

So yes, even small guilds should be able to get a guild hall. 5 people should be enough. party size. that is what we have the LFG tool for. That is how I hope it will turn out!

Having a small guild also has it’s advantages.. like having more bank space per members and you do have any of the following problems.

" It would mean recruiting that would take away my own game time as a “guild leader” having to organize all aspects of the game (including the parts I do not like, erhm yes I dislike pvp aspects).
I cant trust some random person to be allowed into the guild vaults/bank/cove. I would need to fix that all the time when people ask can i have have have have have."

It’s not about you not having access to anything, it’s about rewarding based on the effort.

Jaken.6801:

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Devata.6589:

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

There is no physical CE for HoT. That information has been in the HoT FAQ since inception.

The ‘cream of the crop’ is the Ultimate Edition, and that is only available through ArenaNet.

Let’s stay factual, the Faq states there are no plans for a CE, plans can change.

Best of luck on that. =)

Sadly I believe you are right.
Simply because they allready selling the ultimate edition and said there won`t be another edition.
Furthermore it would be unfair for the people who bought ultimate to support the game and weren`t able to pay more since there was no higher option available.
A collectors edition on the level of the ultimate edition but also with physical goodies would some people who went ultimate because of the lack of a collectors be verry angry.

Since they went with a digital prebuy giving them back their money won`t be happening as well, as they can already use some of their digital goods allready, like the 4000 gems etc., which might already be gone.

I do not believe ANet will say. Look, if you buy the collectors and can proove it, we will give you back 50$. However the 50$ gems you allready used. Sorry, your loss.
But hey, your collectors has 4000 Gems again for just the usual collectors price of 150$.

I love the game but their marketing can go straight into the dessert.
Don`t promote only digital openly and ignore the usual boxed editions. It gets people confused, they make mistakes and then get angry which leads to bad press. Marketing 101.
Sure bad press is better than no press, but not if it could be avoided.
In fact, next time just have a collectors edition or at least something similiar to the ultimate as well.
Not everyone wants digital. Doesn`t matter how hard you want to push it.
Even if I got the money for ultimate I rather take the core base version in stores.

True, on the other hand, there is no real reason to already buy the UT. There is no beta yet and the release is also some time away, so anybody who would really want a Collector’s Edition wait.

Also there is an easy way to solve it. The UE has be both using their in game shop. If a person registers a CE to an existing account with UE simply don’t add anything from the UE to the account (no second mini, no second 4000 gems and so on) only if the CE would also have something else extra in-game, add that. Then refund the $100,-.

This process could even be automated.

Problem solved.

vampiresslilith.1689:

sorry you all but guild wars 2 is becoming like world of warcraft.
this is not cool if i wanted to pay for a Expansion for a game ill play world of warcraft and guild wars 2 still has not fix HOM to get your stuff from come on there try to be like wow but guild wars 1 and 2 is better then wow i will say this the only game i like more then gw2 is star trek online they dont make you pay for there Expansion.

GW2 was released as B2P game, so you should have expected ‘more expensive’ expansions and you should have expected them sooner, meaning HoT might have been the 3th expansion, meaning you would already have paid more by now.

So the fact that it cost $50,- does not make it more as WoW. In fact during the last 2,5 years GW2 has become more of a F2P game with a heavy focus on the cash-shop and that is why you now seem to expect a cheaper or even free expansion. Maybe they want to move back to the B2P model (then the price is reasonable), maybe not but if anything changed it was the turn to a model where you expect cheaper expansions. The fact that they now ask $50,- for the expansion is not a change from what GW2 originally was.

Tarnicus.2865:

DevilLordLaser.8619:

Frankly?

snip

Here’s the thing – this is Guild Wars.

snip

No this is Guild Wars 2. In Guild Wars I had an amazing guild hall. Yes I was running a decent sized guild at the time, but I didn’t get it through help from anyone but myself. I bought it, just like I expected to be able to do so here.

Just because yourself or others enjoy playing in medium to large sized guilds shouldn’t meant that those who do not or no longer enjoy such social activities should be excluded from enjoying guild halls.

I don’t think anybody says anybody should be excluded for anything, it’s only about how you design it. Do you design it with a minimal size guild in mind and allowing for difference between guilds where a bigger guild is indeed able to get more or bigger? Or do you design with no minimum size in mind and scale everything so that it is all pretty much the same for everybody and everybody can get anything when putting in the same personal effort. But guilds are not only supposed to be about personal effort but also about the effort as a group.

That is the big difference between how you should scale guild-stuff vs open world stuff.

Tarnicus.2865:

FrizzFreston.5290:

While I definitely agree on cross gamemode missions. Im not sure catering to really tiny guilds is a thing that would be healthy for the game. At least regarding the bigger goals for a guild anyway.

snip

I’m still new to the game, and have not read all of the thread so am unsure of whether or not this point has been addressed.

I wholeheartedly disagree with your point of “I’m not sure catering to really tiny guilds is a thing that would be healthy for the game.” Health of the game = income to Anet. Nothing else.

Currently small guilds, such as the one I have, are able to exchange gold for influence, thus making it easier to purchase guild upgrades. Given we are a guild of two and will never increase it beyond that number, so how do we gain the majority of our influence? I buy gems and exchange it for gold, and then in turn, exchange it for influence.

How is that not “healthy for the game” when it directly puts money in Anet’s pocket?

“Given we are a guild of two” Does that mean you are a guild?

“How is that not “healthy for the game” when it directly puts money in Anet’s pocket?"
It trivialized the content for bigger guilds and does not reward them for managing to come with more people putting in more man-power and more man-hour. That makes is less fun for bigger guilds. When a considered less fun the player-base will shrink and that results in less money.

In fact, if a game is built around the principal you describe here (buy your rewards) then you will get a very boring game. I recently learned that the monetize person at Anet has the title ‘Lead designer’ what really worries me as that would possibly result is a game designed more in that way, but it does hurt the game.

Daddicus.6128:

DevilLordLaser.8619:

[GTFC] puts together a team of ~15 on a designated “get your butts online” day and fights hard for three hours to vanquish the map and claim our stake. Everybody who was there feels awesome, as well as exhausted, at having earned our ground.

Lanfear logs on, solos the event in twenty minutes because of massive, drastic downscaling, and claims the same stake, earning the same ground for his twobie guild

Tell me – why, exactly, did we waste our three hours again, when it would have been enormously quicker and easier to just send one designated dude to go and get the unlocking out of the way?…

Your logic is fatally flawed. You are changing both the numbers requirement and the time requirement. He’s not asking for that. I don’t think any small guilds will complain about having to spend the same 3 hours, if that’s what is required.

What we ARE complaining about is that we simply will be precluded from doing it AT ALL, for the simple reason that we aren’t big enough. If implemented, that would be completely arbitrary.

Everything in this game except dungeons scales. Why shouldn’t guilds scale like everything else?

Maybe the question many people ask themselves is what size makes a guild. Is one person a guild? I would say no. Personally I would say you need a minimum of 15 people to be considered a guild but at the very, very least 5. Of course this is an oppinion and I agree to disagree with people about this.

Another thing is that a bigger guild should have something to show for it or / and a bigger guild should not be bored soon because everything is designed for smaller guilds.

Take the scaling, to some extent that is fine, but do / use it to much and it is extremely unfair. I remember from the CDI about this subject that some people asked why a bigger guild should have the ‘right’ to have more. Well it’s not about the right, it’s about manpower.. or lets look at it form the other side. Why does one guild (a bigger guild) have to put in way more man-power and man-hour to get the same?

I am all for giving all guilds (and then again the question, when do you talk about a guild) equal opurtunities so that getting a guild-hall is also availible for smaller guilds is fine, just as that they should also be able to get at least all the basic functionality. But there is no shame in the fact that a bigger guild has more to show for it, they also put more man-power and more man-hour into it.

Is it possible to place the decorations and other items we place in the guild-hall on top of each other and can they also partly float (if at least a part is placed on a surface)?

Maybe even place items partly inside each other?

Those small things would allow for much more freedom in decoration / building. Like if you want a maze with very high walls, you could do that by placing two walls on top of each other.

When you really need help with some mission simply ask help form another guild to help out. If another guild asked our guild for help we would also be willing to help and I think most guilds would.

Jaken.6801:

Devata.6589:

Jaken.6801:

What a shame.
After seeing the cool wooden box given out as promotions I was really waiting for a collectors edition.

i know you want to push digital, but I would really enjoy a good boxed edition and not the yawning one we got last time.

You have a picture of that wooden box? And did that contain the game? I could take a gamble and wait to see what Anet offers at GamesCom, but if they don’t (and the release date of 28 August is correct) I then need to hurry getting a hard copy before release.

Around 10:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjQf3wzsrLg

Was only given out on these press events. Had some hopes something similiar would be released as a collectors edition.

Yeah that box would work fine as the box of a CE and would stand perfectly next to original GW2 CE. They could sell it as CE in the merchandise shop or even on public events like E3 and GamesCom.

I do really want a hard copy, and do really not want to buy gems, upgrading to the Deluxe is as far as I see only possible with gems, so what I plan (for now, might change my mind) on doing is something I do not like, and that is grinding gold, so much until I have enough for 2400 gems. I will buy the Standard edition before launch or whenever I have the 2400 gems (whatever comes first). I could ten upgrade to the Deluxe edition.

This is not my preferred way but the only real way I see (I am sort of forced into this way), meanwhile I hope there will come a CE or at least a Deluxe or UE hard copy available. So I am basically giving some additional time to come with such an edition. If a hard copy like that will become available before I have bought the standard edition I will go for that.

It’s not like I am not willing to pay $75, $100,- or $120,- but as it stands I simply do not have the possibility to buy the version I want.

ColinJohanson.2394:

Lord.4270:

Hi,

We are a guild of 3 guys . We love WWW.
With Guild halls , we will have to do guild missions.

So why we have to do puzzle jump and things like this , when in this game we just love killing people on the battlefield !

Why can t we play as we want .. ??

HoT will include a solution for this for both guilds that are WvW, and PvP oriented that want to build and expand their Guild Halls and need the favor generated by guild missions. Same goes for guilds that have a mix of players interested in all three. More info down the road a bit on how this will work once we’ve got it a little more solid on our end.

Edited to add: Everyone will have to do the actual mission to capture the guild hall once per hall though no matter what. If your group online is too small, you’ll need to invite friends (or pay/beg/sing-songs-to-woo peeps in Lion’s Arch!) to come with you and help you claim the guild hall to own one. Or you could always grow your guild

I do hope it is not going to be ‘do something with your guild and earn some currency (like favor) and build what you want’. While I completely understand different guilds have different preferences and you don’t want them to have to do something they do not want, the currency system is very boring, it is way more fun for guilds to have specific task that reward specific things / unlocks / blue-prints for that guild. (just like the way you claim your hall).

In that way you really feel you are working to something, completing task for unlocks, knowing ‘I helped with that challenge so partly because of me we have that unlock’. That is just 10 times more fun than just doing stuff and having some currency slowly rolling the.

There has been a lot of talk about this in the Guild and Guild-hall CDI and you can easily make specific tasks without really having to force guilds into doing something they do not like. For example, make gates to the WvW maps in the guild, but for that need to hold (have the claim) a building in that map for x time and WvW themed decoration can be linked to goals / challenges / tasks you set out in WvW. While a gate to the PvP will require you to do something in PvP, decoration themed to a dungeon, or even a portal do a dungeon can be unlocked by completing challenges in / with that dungeon and so on.

That way you give specific goals, give new reasons to do many of the content but don’t force people to do content they do not like.. I mean, sure if they want to unlock anything they need to do anything, but can a guild really complain that they have to hold a keep in a WvW map to get a WvW map, because they don’t want to do WvW. Sure, some will complain, but overall this is a really reasonable and the most fun way to do it.

FrizzFreston.5290:

Devata.6589:

No, if you would buy an expansion for $50,- every year (if Anet had given that opportunity) that would also have easily funded the game (it might have even earned them more).

The fact that they did not give that opportunity is because they could indeed earn the money with those items.

Personally I would much rather have had to pay that $50,- on a yearly base and then have those items in the game as fun rewards for content, crafts and so on. So I do not see it as a positive that those people pay for it because imho because of that I also get a lesser product for it. I the rather did have spent more money on it and get a better product for it.

It’s partly a what-if situation what you’re describing and most of it is just speculation that all that money goes into more making more gemstore items so that you get lesser content for it. I would say that at least parts of the money went into making living story season 1 and 2 and all the feature updates that we got for free. Paid to the people who made the content and very likely made this very expansion.

The gemstore items development pays itself out way more than what people are paying for it, yes. But that doesn’t automatically mean all that money goes back into the same development or makes other developers less able to deliver good content.

Plus, most of the reason that people are buying from the gemstore, is because they are enjoying themselves and ArenaNet has provided them with the means to keep themselves entertained. Which in the end, is all what a game is about.

That’s why it’s everyone’s OWN right to buy something. If you want something else from ArenaNet that they aren’t providing you, then you obviously shouldn’t buy their stuff. It’s that simple.

This is like telling people not to buy their favourite brand of pizza because you don’t like the quality of that pizza.

I did never say the money would not also go into things like the LS, it obviously does. What I say is it effects the games in multiple ways.

For example “is because they are enjoying themselves and ArenaNet has provided them with the means to keep themselves entertained.”, people could likely entertain themselves even more if such items dropped from content. Let’s say the wing dropped in a from some mini-dungeon, people would be doing that (playing the game) to get it and enjoying themselves that way. Now they are grinding gold (for some enjoyment, for other acceptable and for other pure bugger, but they want the item) or buying it. But buying it is no playing and grinding is usually considered one of the worst forms of ‘playing’ in a MMO, plus that it tends to burn out / bore people overtime. So too much grind in a game is not good in the long run.

“That’s why it’s everyone’s OWN right to buy something.” Sure it is, again I did not say it wasn’t, while I would rather see them not doing that because it does also affect MY game-play.

" If you want something else from ArenaNet that they aren’t providing you, then you obviously shouldn’t buy their stuff." They do some stuff very right and some stuff really wrong, but let me be clear, I do not buy gems’.

But getting back to the point, all I asked was for somebody who did say the $50,- price was not worth the content, but does spend money on something like the wings to explain why he / she thinks the wings are then indeed worth the money. Or is it like an addiction, they can’t stop buying if they see the shiny, but when seeing a complete expansion it is not this one shiny thing so they can think clearly?

Anyway, I did get many responses to my question but nobody answered it so maybe the conclusion is, they can’t explain it themselves?

adormtil.1605:

Devata.6589:

FrizzFreston.5290:

Isn’t it people who throw money around (the whales) who sort of funded the game over the last few years? If anything, they made at least some of game possible for you to play without paying.
If you loved playing Guild Wars 2 for these years then 50 or 100 euro is completely nothing for an MMO. Any subscription MMO makes you pay twice that a year. Just to play it.

It’s in everyone’s right to buy the expansion or to not buy it. And it’s very likely that if you just now loved walking through the new Lion’s Arch, that that was possible because someone threw money “mindlessly” at ArenaNet. It’s like having a ticket to the amusement park for free because someone else paid twice.

No, if you would buy an expansion for $50,- every year (if Anet had given that opportunity) that would also have easily funded the game (it might have even earned them more).

The fact that they did not give that opportunity is because they could indeed earn the money with those items.

Personally I would much rather have had to pay that $50,- on a yearly base and then have those items in the game as fun rewards for content, crafts and so on. So I do not see it as a positive that those people pay for it because imho because of that I also get a lesser product for it. I the rather did have spent more money on it and get a better product for it.

anyway, this is going to much into another direction, all I asked was how those people find the $50,- not worth the content (not saying that’s not valid) the expansion gives but do find a single wing worth 1/8 the price of the expansion.

That you can optain without spending extra real money as I said. The expansion actually is real money. What so hard to understand we need more value from things that we buy with real money especially at 50$.

I specifically addressed my question to people that spend money on it.

“people spending money on these things are just a smaller group but can you (if you are one of them) please explain to me …”

So the fact that you can grind for it does not matter, those people who spend money on it apparently did find it worth the money.

Not to say that I also find it a little strange that people are fine with the boring experience of grinding to obtain such items instead of paying $50,- for expansions (and playing for such items, not grinding, if that would be the case), personally I rather spend money on a good product (so $50,- but having these items in-game) then spending less money on a lesser (grindy) product. The most valid reason I see for finding $50,- to high is because so many of these items are not in-game but in the shop. But that is another discussion.

FrizzFreston.5290:

Isn’t it people who throw money around (the whales) who sort of funded the game over the last few years? If anything, they made at least some of game possible for you to play without paying.
If you loved playing Guild Wars 2 for these years then 50 or 100 euro is completely nothing for an MMO. Any subscription MMO makes you pay twice that a year. Just to play it.

It’s in everyone’s right to buy the expansion or to not buy it. And it’s very likely that if you just now loved walking through the new Lion’s Arch, that that was possible because someone threw money “mindlessly” at ArenaNet. It’s like having a ticket to the amusement park for free because someone else paid twice.

No, if you would buy an expansion for $50,- every year (if Anet had given that opportunity) that would also have easily funded the game (it might have even earned them more).

The fact that they did not give that opportunity is because they could indeed earn the money with those items.

Personally I would much rather have had to pay that $50,- on a yearly base and then have those items in the game as fun rewards for content, crafts and so on. So I do not see it as a positive that those people pay for it because imho because of that I also get a lesser product for it. I the rather did have spent more money on it and get a better product for it.

anyway, this is going to much into another direction, all I asked was how those people find the $50,- not worth the content (not saying that’s not valid) the expansion gives but do find a single wing worth 1/8 the price of the expansion.

Luna.9640:

Devata.6589:

Luna.9640:

The thing is while i find Jumping Puzzles funny and do them (I even did 4 hours long guide runs when Silverwastes JP came on after the patch) others don’t.

There are people who not only dislike this type of content but they’re bad at them and unable to complete them at all even with your help.

Why punish this group of players when you have the tools to provide them with more than 1 options (Jumping puzzles) in order to achieve their goal ?

This game offers huge variety of content why restrict it ?

So personally I would say ‘more of this’, not less.

Only if there is and NPC or something that you can interact with and push “HARD MODE” please.

Not everyone want always hard content some of us want to get relaxed and play casual that is why everyone need to have the OPTION to choose.

I am all for that, I even suggested that on these forums, but then the hard mode should also reward you better. (with better rewards I do not just mean more gold, as currency’s are the most boring reward a game can give you)

The way I suggested it was as follow. You do x content and it rewards you a silver hammer, (easy mode), do it on medium and the hammer gets a golden head, do it on hard mode and it gets a nice effect as well. (again you could do the same with multiple items in the same content but one being a guaranteed reward and another being rng)

But rewarding the same (as you seem to suggest) would not make hard mode rewarding enough anymore..

Luna.9640:

Ariurotl.3718:

Hmm. Indeed, why would they involve jumping puzzles (optional content) in collection item hunt (optional content)? Puzzling.

Tell me something that is not optional in this game ?

(mind you i’ve completed most of the content in this game – including Mad King solo and naked – just to prove that even gear is optional)

Lol, yeah you are right.. so why do you then point to locking this item behind something ‘optional’ as a JP. Your words.

I think that is also what Ariurotl was referring to.

Luna.9640:

The thing is while i find Jumping Puzzles funny and do them (I even did 4 hours long guide runs when Silverwastes JP came on after the patch) others don’t.

There are people who not only dislike this type of content but they’re bad at them and unable to complete them at all even with your help.

Why punish this group of players when you have the tools to provide them with more than 1 options (Jumping puzzles) in order to achieve their goal ?

This game offers huge variety of content why restrict it ?

If it would be easy for everybody to obtain it with no problem, it would also take away value for the item what then again would take away the reward level it gives to the content that rewards it. Making it a dull experience to get it (and devaluating the content itself because the reward from content, adds value to the content).

So while it looks nice on paper what you say, if everything would be done as you say you would get a dull experience overall. It’s good that it is a challenge for some. Another item might be easy for them to obtain (because they are good at that content) but hard for somebody who might have no problem getting this item (because he is good with JP’s).

That sort of challenges, and the appropriate reward is exact what makes games fun. In fact, the biggest complain I have about GW2 is the fact that most items are behind a currency grind because that does exactly do as you say. People can get all items in many different ways, but overall it makes it a boring experience. The items have no value (people can be brainlessly grinding for them, or even buy them, so I might have earned the money with a hard challenge, but it does not reflect that on the item) and content feels like it rewards bad, in fact then people start judging content on how much gold it drops.

So personally I would say ‘more of this’, not less.

—

A good example are JP’s in general, in general they do not make a lot of gold and don’t have specific rewards or drops (well a few like this one, do), so while many might consider the Southsun Cove JP way more challenging then killing a world boss, doing that JP multiple times does not really give me anything to show for it, it’s not rewarding (The world boss rewards gold). It would be way more fun if that JP had something to show for it, like one guaranteed item, and one RNG that can only drop there (to show people who have that item did it multiple times). Of course JP’s have the problem that memsers can portal people up there, but that’s yet another problem, and is solvable.

This ‘problem’ with no specific rewards is the same for all type of content. Of course, I understand a company rather puts those rewards / items in the game in a way that people can spend money on getting them, but from a game-play viewpoint I think such direct rewards are much better.

adormtil.1605:

Devata.6589:

adormtil.1605:

Can you not buy those wings by trading gold for gems and buying them with the gems?
I am pretty sure you can not buy the expansion with gems.

Like I said.. or do they grind for the gems.. but then the question rises if that is any fun. I mean grinding is such a boring brainless task.

Gold is easy to optain if you do a lot of dungeons or fractals and for PVE that is the most fun thing you can do.
You also get a lot of gold in doing WVW. You get gold just by playing and enjoying the game.
I never grinded in this game and I have over 100 gold that I do not even need to use for anything.

Depends on what you like I guess. I do like WvW, but running with the group I only like to do once in a while, and that is the only thing that earns you money in WvW, the rest mainly costs you money.

Speed running dungeons is not really my things, and when just doing dungeons for the money (as many do) it even becomes boring (while doing a dungeon because that wing drops there makes a dungeon more fun to me, it gives more incentive, lack of such items as rewards is what makes a lot of content also more dull, gold is a boring incentive to me). Also with normal PvE you don’t make a lot of gold, only if you focus on the champ-trains or Word-bosses.

So I can’t say normal play makes you a lot of gold, also the 100 gold you talk about would give you about 400 gems? The wings are already 500, and then you might also want the rock and one of the new skins, and a finisher and… All together costing you thousands of gold.

You see, the wing is one example and when looking at them separately your right, getting this wing is doable without too much grind, but getting these items in general (put together) it required grinding or buying and then it makes me wonder why people seem to be fine spending money on such items but then say the expansion in not worth $50,-.

I have no problem with the $50,- while at the same time I do then want some less grinding, or buying in the game, but getting such items as rewards for content, adding to that content. So if there is any complain about the price it would be if this would not happen.

Why? This is positive! It gives more meaning to the JP. “Why didn’t you allow people who dislike this type” You could say that about anything you have to do to get something, but that would mean everything would just become a random drop from anything (what is already happening to much) what would make the game dull and boring.

This way there is a clear challenge ahead, you want that Pincess, you have to complete that JP. That is what games should be about, challenges, and some challenges you might like better (or find harder) then other.

I think this is a positive.

adormtil.1605:

Can you not buy those wings by trading gold for gems and buying them with the gems?
I am pretty sure you can not buy the expansion with gems.

Like I said.. or do they grind for the gems.. but then the question rises if that is any fun. I mean grinding is such a boring brainless task.

There are a few of the old buildings and sights I do miss, like the lion statue, the high bow with the two stone lions on each side, the dive-plank, the entrance to the sewers (haven’t checked if the sewer system itself is still there) and some small fence I was always jumping on.

But overall I do find it a huge improvement as the original LA was sort of messy, it did grow on you but it was a mess nonetheless.

What I do very much miss in the new LA is the ability to get into all the new buildings.. All the thick walls are supposed to be building you can get into (as can be seen by the all the windows) but you cannot get in them.

I understand that creating that would likely have almost doubled developing time for LA but a main city should have most buildings accessible imho, in addition they could do some nice things with it. They want a living world, how better to do that by indeed having the buildings being real buildings you can get in and letting the NPC’s move inside when it is raining our at night.

I find it amazing how now so many people spend 1/8th of the price of the expansion on some wings, but complain about the $50,- expansion not being worth the price. Sure the two might be related, if you buy those wings you don’t expect kitten,- expansion and if you get kitten,- expansion you expect such wings in the game itself, but it still amazes me… Or do most people simply grind gold for the gems? (But do they then enjoy the game?)

Income usually spikes around an expansion so the people spending money on these things are just a smaller group but can you (if you are one of them) please explain to me why you complain about the $50,- not being worth the content (what might be a valid reason.. I mean for that price I do in fact expect those wings (and such items) to be a reward in game) but then are fine with such a price for those wings.. how is that worth the price?

Xar.1387:

Gaile Gray.6029:

The standard edition will be available in a “boxed copy” version from some authorized retailers. Some of those retailers are engaged in the pre-purchase program. Others are offering a pre-order, which is not the same thing and will not gain the benefits of the actual pre-purchase.

Hope this helps!

Hey Gaile!
By saying “standard edition” you mean the final version of HoT? This one which is going to appear on release?

She means the most basic $50,- one.

Vissarion.6509:

You think ncsoft will loose the chance to make tons of moneys out of gliders? O.o

Expect to see them only in gem store)

Now where is my SAB themed glider?? take my money

Heey, heey, they ask $50,- for an expansion, that is justifiably for a B2P game, not for a cash-shop game. I expect all new skins to be added in the game, not in the cash-shop.

About that skin, they should but that in the dungeon, and put the dungeon in the world again. I farmed that dungeon a lot when it was available to get the mini and the back-pack. I farmed it as long as it was available and did not get the mini, and did not get the backpack. It’s one of the reasons why temporary content is so bad, Anet eventually did see that but forget to fix these things completely, like putting this reward back into the game.

Angelica Dream.7103:

Devata.6589:

The physical CE is the best for me, but not available so as it stands I’m not sure what to do. Hoping they change the plans and do release a CE maybe?
Buying the standard edition and upgrading to the UE to have a physical copy and the most complete package is also not possible. So I don’t know yet, truth is, there is no good substitute for the CE.

I am curious Devata, why is a physical copy better?

Decoration. I also have the CE of the GW2, having a Physical Copy of HoT standing next to it is nice, having HoT but no physical edition standing next to it feels empty. It’s like having a puzzle but pieces are missing.

The physical CE is the best for me, but not available so as it stands I’m not sure what to do. Hoping they change the plans and do release a CE maybe?
Buying the standard edition and upgrading to the UE to have a physical copy and the most complete package is also not possible. So I don’t know yet, truth is, there is no good substitute for the CE.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

There is no physical CE for HoT. That information has been in the HoT FAQ since inception.

The ‘cream of the crop’ is the Ultimate Edition, and that is only available through ArenaNet.

Let’s stay factual, the Faq states there are no plans for a CE, plans can change.

Ardid.7203:

Physical Edition =/= Collectors Edition

No, but when people look for a substitute for the CE they are likely to start looking for another Physical Edition.

ArmoredVehicle.2849:

Many people that seem so happy about the char slot are also forgetting 1 thing: char slots can be bought with in game gold in a matter of days.

People have been easily blinded by the char slot that arenow hailing Anet as gods. I find it pathetic as it doesnt address the main issue.

For those that had an issue with the price they still have it (while for some, that issue by itself is something they can settle with, while the combination of issues isn’t). I have said that from my first post here, Anet will still have to proof to them that the GW2 expansion is worth a price above what the market does. For a B2P game that price makes sense but as GW2 has behaved last a cash-shop games the last 2,5 year many look at other cash-shop games to decide a price and so find it to expensive.

That said, I still praised Anet for what they did. The way they handled the people who did buy the game during the last year, and that they indeed do give one out one character-slot is just very good. You are right, it does not solve the issue a lot of people have with the price itself but it did fix the other issues people had.

Firelysm.4967:

Some people will always complain, I’m grateful for reasonable character slot for standard edition, And i’m more then happy to say Thx for the hard copy for people that want that kind of a thing, personally i don’t mind, but at least people have a chance, and all i can say is THX for taking your time!

In my country we have a saying:
“Be happy if some one offers you a finger, never grab the hand!”

I hope community wont grab the hand now that you gave them a finger ^^

This is a completely different discussion, not related to the price and the character-slot. There simply are enough gamers (especially PC-gamers I think) that like to have a CE, I did buy the CE for GW2 so I would like a CE for HoT, it’s not just complaining.

If there is no CE available I would have to settle for a hard copy, but then it turned out there is no UE hard copy, and now it turns out there is even no Deluxe hard copy, only leaving the standard edition and requiring you to upgrade to get the Deluxe version (and it automatically means you can’t upgrade to the UE). So it’s not as much as a complain as a request to find a way to still release some sort of CE or reasonable substitute.

Jaken.6801:

What a shame.
After seeing the cool wooden box given out as promotions I was really waiting for a collectors edition.

i know you want to push digital, but I would really enjoy a good boxed edition and not the yawning one we got last time.

You have a picture of that wooden box? And did that contain the game? I could take a gamble and wait to see what Anet offers at GamesCom, but if they don’t (and the release date of 28 August is correct) I then need to hurry getting a hard copy before release.

[Suggestion] (maybe I should make a separate topic for it?)
I guess only having one version at retailers is likely because it’s harder to get them to sell multiple versions.

However this really puts people who want a hard copy in a bad position, there is already no option for them to get the UE simply because they want a hard copy, and if they then as an alternative option want the Deluxe, they have to buy a standard edition and then upgrade to Deluxe (the process of upgrading to Deluxe is also not clear, you can buy a deluxe upgrade with gems, but that is for the GW2 deluxe version).

It really surprises me that ArenaNet seem to have forgotten those people or made the choiceto not cater to them, as with the original sale they clearly did not. GW2’s CE was one of the biggest CE’s I have ever seen.

Anyway, I might have a suggestion. You guys have your own place to sell physical items, the merchandise shop https://www.guildwars2.com/en/shop/ . Sell a CE there, and it does not have to be a CE like the original one as that would be too hard to arrange at this point, but simply use the arts you now use for the standard edition and let it be printed on a metal box. (Remember how nice that box that came with the CE was: https://nerdybookahs.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/gw2_collectors-edition_010.jpg) so something like that but for one DVD. Let the content be that of a the UE and you are done.

Just be sure that announce it at least this week before people did tart buying the Standard edition (by lack of better)

Gaile Gray.6029:

Devata.6589:

Gaile Gray.6029:

The standard edition will be available in a “boxed copy” version from some authorized retailers. Some of those retailers are engaged in the pre-purchase program. Others are offering a pre-order, which is not the same thing and will not gain the benefits of the actual pre-purchase.

Hope this helps!

“The standard edition " Also the Deluxe version right? That is what the Faq says, however the retailers I checked only had the standard edition.

You can upgrade to the Deluxe through the in-game store. The only boxes are Standard.

Hmm not so happy about that. No CE was bad, No UE as hard copy was not so nice, then at least the Faq says there is a hard copy for the Deluxe version (or better, it says there is no hard copy for the Ultimate) so when I want a hard copy I am forced to buy the standard edition and then upgrade (that I BTW do not yet see an option for in the game shop) but that is not even possible to the UE.

Gaile Gray.6029:

The standard edition will be available in a “boxed copy” version from some authorized retailers. Some of those retailers are engaged in the pre-purchase program. Others are offering a pre-order, which is not the same thing and will not gain the benefits of the actual pre-purchase.

Hope this helps!

“The standard edition " Also the Deluxe version right? That is what the Faq says, however the retailers I checked only had the standard edition.

Not completely sure how you would then prevent anybody using the Api to see all information from any guild.

Anyway, it’s great to know you guys are working on this functionality.

With all the new guild-stuff coming up are we maybe also going to see more options with the Api for guilds. Like seeing the roster or the MotD? There are obviously some privacy issues but I guess you could make a address white-list in-game to solve that issue.

Same question in general, we we getting more options for guilds.