Guild Wars 2

Furyos.9538:

I got hit for 5000 and then backstabbed by a guy for 8000 tonight in my full defensive setup and then followed up with him stealthing and finishing me while invisible.

Intended?

Oh, I’m sure he intended to do all of that to you, yup...

...

*runs away, dodging thrown objects*

Also, the spawn rates in cities are obviously busted. I never see hostile mobs spawn in them at all.

>.>

Jayne.9251:

Well he did cite the song title so I wasn’t sure

Glad you caught that.

Your assumptions still need a little work, though.

Radio Free Europe reminds me of the Summer of ’84.

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

Again, I really need specifics. I’ve never into this issue on the live server, or while testing, so I’d need to look at the exact spawn to see if anything odd is going on.

Hi, Jeffrey.

Thanks for actually checking in on this.

A place that seemed very broken to me was the camp in Brisban Wildlands, Hidden Lake region, just west of the Seraph Observers waypoint. The spawn rate there just didn’t seem right at all. Every time I went through there, all the NPCs—merchants and such—would be dead due to the bandits constantly overrunning the area.

Trying to keep up with them, and keep the NPCs alive, was impossible alone, and even a party of 5 (in the zone’s level range) was hard pressed.

This was not due to an event. This was normal spawn that I dealt with many times over the course of several weeks. Haven’t been there lately, but last time I was there it was still crazy, and way out of line with the rest of the zone.

FYI. Thanks for looking into it.

Karuna.1357:

Looking forward to this matchup. Even if we do find ourselves overpowered in this tier it will be a learning process for us and a necessary step in our continued progression.

The TC community is very tenacious and will not back away from a fight.

Yeah!

…

Well, except when the kettle whistles. I’ll back away then, so I can pour my tea.

Oh, and if the cats sound like they’re up to no good? Y’know, I kinda have to go check that out.

And yah, the calls of nature. That’s reason for pause. Playing an Elementalist attuned to water can make putting that off quite risky.

But other than that… uhm… bring it on!

Jayne.9251:

Lol. Not a R.E.M. fan I take it?

Oh, I love to nap. I’m an extreme napper.

I was referring to the common interpretation of the Mayan calender, that indicates December 21st marks the End of the World As We Know It.

I think there’s actually a prophecy that roughly translates to: ’when the sullied waters rise to meet the gate of night, then shall the serpent swallow the whole of the world.’ *

Clearly, "sullied waters" is the Tarnished Coast and "gate of night" is Black Gate. The serpent is... I dunno. Probably Nexon.

So, grab your ankles and alla dat, ’cuz the final curtain call is tomorrow!

---

* There is no such prophecy.

Jayne.9251:

Just thought I’d throw in a little levity:

Yes, I am saddened that TC’s excursion into tier 2 will be cut tragically short by the sudden onset of Armageddon.

Apocalypse is a real downer.

Happy holidays!

Stiv.1820:

I think the large part of the playerbase that you are talking about want classic stealth and probably a lot want it just removed. Every game that has a stelath class has forums full of hate for that class due to the nature of stealth and probably party due to the nature of the people who tend to play those classes.

Absolutely.

But my impression is that the level of “ERMAHGERD KITTENING THIEVES!” is extremely high here, and it’s indirectly having an impact my own experience.

It’s never going to go away completely, but I do think there are things that could be done to keep it down to a dull roar, while also making it a more interesting gameplay dynamic. I believe there’s room for improvement on the system.

[this post was deleted once for self-imposed language filtering included for humor value. Said filtering has now been replaced with the arbitrarily-deemed-acceptable alternative filter of “kitten”… because that’s such a significant difference, really]

Stiv.1820:

This is like CoH/CoV stealth vs perception.

No, not really. The basic idea is the same (as it is in many, many systems), but the implementation would be very different (and would consequently avoid the issues the Co* system had). These would not be passive attributes.

It could work fine if balanced but my point is just it’s unnecessary.

This is where I think you keep getting stuck.

You might think it’s unnecessary. And I might even agree with you. But that’s not the point. My questions are: would it make the gameplay more interesting and bring greater depth to character builds? And would it help mitigate a lot of the issues that a large part of the playerbase currently have regarding “stealth” (read: invisibility) in this game?

Anything beyond the dynamics of Pong are unnecessary. What I’m seeing here is a design problem. Is that problem, at least in part, a matter of perception? Sure. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth looking at. And that doesn’t mean that looking at it can’t result in an overall better game for everybody.

Stiv.1820:

Are you asking for a utility that you press to completely see through stealth that you can use on demand?

Nope. What I envision is something like this: two attributes: Stealth and Awareness. Both attributes would be components to certain skills/abilities (much in the way Stealth functions now). The attributes could be scaled and improved through build. So, if you want Stealth that counters most Awareness, you gotta give something up for it (and have Stealth in your load-out). If you want Awareness that sees through most Stealth, you gotta give something up for it (and have Awareness in your load-out).

I’d probably make Engineers and/or Rangers the Awareness kings, because 1. it makes sense conceptually and 2. it’d let those professions bring more to the WvW table. I’d probably also expand the accessibility to Stealth, but obviously keep Thieves as the specialists.

But that’s me, and it’s just one example, one possible idea. My fundamental point is still simply: the system as it stands could be improved in such a way as to mitigate dissatisfaction, without really taking anything away from those who’re currently satisfied.

It’s in all our best interests to brainstorm to that end.

Stiv.1820:

If you want them to re-work the thief into the cookie cutter version from all other games that is fine with me.

At no point did I say this, so… that’s a lovely Straw Man you have there.

I actually mentioned my own preference twice. It wasn’t “Re-work the thief into the cookie-cutter version from all other games.” I favor an attribute that counters stealth.

The rest of your response reads to me as just another rehashing of “learn to play”.

I know how to play. I still think the stealth system in this game could be a lot better, thereby satisfying a broader group of people, thereby keeping higher numbers in a aspect of the game I very much enjoy: WvW.

Daaaaw, feel the love!

Stiv.1820:

After playing a thief to 80 and doing a lot of PvP I am able to kill many more thieves than kill me with UP-LEVELD crappy geared alts of other professions. Very easily with their level 80 sPvP counterparts.

If you want to be good at PvP in this game you need to actually play every single profession to level 50+ (if you need gated skill learning) then at least sPvP for a while with them. When I ran into the first d/d Elemetnalst that rolled me, I didn’t come here to complain. I created one leveled it until I got a full understanding of every D/D skill and ele’s utilities then went into sPvP and learned how to PvP. I can now kill the dps based ones and stalemate or force a retreat from the bunker ones.

Sorry it takes so much effort! You don’t get to win in this game by mastering one profession.

Here’s the thing. I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said here. In fact, I emphatically agree with the assertion that experiencing every class/profession will greatly improve how you play the game (not just in PvP either).

However, despite this, I still have issues with the Thief and with stealth mechanics in particular. So, if you’re trying to present a counter-argument to those issues, it’s missed the mark.

I don’t even think the ability should be called “stealth”, ‘cuz that ain’t what it is. It’s temporary invisibility.

I find its implementation to be hokey, and I think it’s essentially the same mistake that has been made by many other games, resulting in the same negative reaction we’ve seen time and time again.

I love the fundamental idea of a stealth mechanic. But I believe any such mechanic needs to have a counter/contesting attribute. My familiarity with a large number of RPG systems makes this a no-brainer for me. However, ANet has gone another way. I don’t think it’s working out too well.

Can “stealth” be dealt with in this game? Sure. Can one “pwn da thieves” if they work at it? No doubt.

But is it fun? Engaging? Is it an elegant, intuitive system? Does it make visual sense?

A disturbingly large number of people don’t seem to think so. From a design perspective, I consider that to be a big problem. ‘Cuz, even if I’m mostly fine with it myself, if all those people move on to greener pastures, my own game experience suffers.

So, I don’t think variations of “learn to play” squelching are all that helpful here. I’m much more interested in evolving the current system into a form that will leave most people generally satisfied.

I think the way to go there is to add a counter attribute, that will have the added bonus of bringing greater depth and variation to builds. But that’s me. At the very least, I think a dialogue about it is good, and I think the WvW community probably has the most informed perspective on it.

TLDR: It’s possible to think the current system ain’t that great, even if you’re able to work with it.

Sypsy.7318:

So you’re spawn camping.. and calling it unfair that you can’t spawn camp?
Why don’t you just go to another map and have some proper fun?

If it’s the spot I’m thinking it is, and it looks like it is, it’s near (too close to) a camp. So, it wouldn’t be spawn camping.

I think you should play both.

An Elementalist, through their weapons, can contribute in several different ways, which is nice. Some of them are relatively safe and low-stress.

Seems to me a thief is much more uniform in playstyle in that it’s always about getting up into someone else’s business. But I think it’s also the more survivable option, overall (frankly, I find being the kamikaze Elementalist to be fun sometimes).

But why limit yourself? Leveling in this game is not a lengthy process. Bring ’em both up, and you can play whatever suits your mood.

I saw a situation where we already owned the tower, but still had the NPC Commander at spawn ready to go.

At the very least, that shouldn’t happen.

Ultimately, I find the BO event to be a hamfisted, slapdash attempt to address legitimate gameplay issues.

Hot Boy.7138:

Again I ask, how do you catch up to the team or get to the objective if a single enemy player is in your way?

You claimed in your first post that you want to understand.

If that’s true, the first thing you should dispense with is the assumption that fear has anything to do with it. That’s very likely not the case.

Second, you need to acknowledge that most people aren’t in there for the reasons you are. They’re playing WvW, not 1v1 PvP.

There are any number of reasons why one might not engage in combat with a single player, especially if said player is in proximity of a holding. For example, no one has any way of knowing if you’re a scout or not. Or bait.

Furthermore, players can be doing several things in the base they retreat to: ticking siege in case an attack is imminent, building siege, or just keeping an eye out and report on chat.

It isn’t arena-style or structured PvP. It’s a large-scale competitive/cooperative game scenario, and there’s many ways in which people can contribute. A lot of them don’t involve direct combat. If you genuinely want to understand it, perhaps you should try getting involved.

Personally, I will avoid 1 vs. 1 for all sorts of reasons. Being afraid ain’t one of ‘em. And I think that assuming that’s the reason is a bit silly. It’s a game.

Vagrant.1094:

Something else you could try is on reset night, placing most defensive siege yourself, or via a few people you can trust. 90% of defensive tower and keep siege that goes up in EB on Friday nights is placed by myself and a few others who know exactly where to place it for maximum effect. The result of this is that other people tend to see it in those places week in, week out and replicate that.

As I seem to be the very type of player Hekatombaion is looking for, I’ll echo this as well. If I consistently see siege in particular places, I’ll note that. If I use siege in particular places and find it to be super effective, I’ll remember that too.

So when I’m running about, and I don’t see defensive siege in those places, I’m much more likely to plop some down.

Hekatombaion.4320:

I know that thing makes your chat super busy but I’ve never once got a response from whispering our commanders (excluding those in my guild/in teamspeak with me.)

I’ve not had a commander not respond to me yet, and I’ve whispered a handful so far. Usually it’s been to coordinate something specific, but it’s also just been social exchanges.

Could this be a telling difference in general social dynamics?

Even when our population is still fairly large we lose points really fast. As soon as the offense stops on CD we’ve got almost no ability to defend places. I’d have to guess that our players who show up no matter what have no idea how to man a mortar, and rarely think to use the burning oil.

This again makes me curious about the social environment on your server. How prevalent is ongoing, public dialogue about what’s happening on the map? Do you see a lot of people asking what they can do or where they can go? ’Cuz that appears to be a fairly common occurrence on TCBL.

I learn what to do (and where to do it) usually because I ask. But I ask because the overall tone of the chat usually encourages it, and the prominent guilds don’t shut people out.

Vagrant.1094:

It’s more a matter of watching the people who frequent whatever map you choose to play, and spotting the ‘talent’, so to speak. You’re quite correct in saying that many people are unwilling to learn, or believe they already know best, or simply want to run with the zerg and kill folks. However, there will be a percentage of people who are new to WvW, start off running with the zerg (as we all do) but are willing to branch out into other key areas as they begin to learn the meta of WvW.

I talk with a tonne of people via whispers. I doubt anyone realises the amount of whispers I receive and send every time I’m in EB. When I spot someone that performs tasks beyond simply following an icon around, who will repair walls, rebuild siege, defend supply camps, do what I say needs to be done over team chat, I take note of that person and make sure I talk to them, get to know them, and make sure they know I appreciate their contribution.

This speaks directly to the points I made above as a perfect example.

Hekatombaion.4320:

I’d definitely agree that CD is pitiful about holding on to our points during our off hours

Couldn’t this probably be said of most or all servers?

From my (admittedly limited) experience, it’s not just lack of numbers but lack of cohesion. “3rd shift” crews seem to be largely composed of a hodge-podge of single players and small parties. They all may mean well enough, but getting them on the same page can be akin to herding cats

Over a longer term, though, they can become familiar enough with one another that they morph into a sort of pseudo-guild. Consequently, they get better at holding ground on off-hours. They’ll still lose it in the end, but it becomes harder and takes longer to roll over them. I believe I’ve been seeing this dynamic evolve on my own server (’cuz the different population peaks have really pressed the 3rd shift crew, forcing it to get more organized).

But I’d think that ‘pitiful’ is probably the default for off-hours?

I’d like to know a little more about how TC actually trains their pugs. I’ve been making gradual efforts of that nature for a good while now but it’s very disheartening as most either think they already know everything or are not interested in learning (‘somebody else will know how to do that.’)

I’m pretty much a free agent in WvW. I don’t belong to a huge guild and I don’t really know anyone yet. I think this is where a server’s general social environment can have a real impact. TC’s social environment is usually—usually--rather upbeat and inclusive, and that has gone a long way towards deepening my own investment and participation in WvW.

For example, I’ve never felt hesitant in saying, “I’m a noob, tell me what to do,” and I don’t get shamed for doing so. When I ask about things, there’s often someone who’s more than happy to instruct me, and without disparaging commentary.

On the other hand, there are attitudes and behaviors that can be off-putting and disheartening. Especially when they’re coming from commanders. From what I’ve seen, one snotty and insulting commander can really damage the morale on a map, even if their tactics are sound. It can lead to people jumping ship and, subsequently, the map being lost. Fortunately, on TC, I’ve only seen this happen once or twice so far.

So, I guess what I’m suggesting to you is, it helps to cultivate a certain social atmosphere. You’re not likely to find the type of people you’re looking for, ‘cuz their nature tends to thwart that very effort. But if you create the right environment, they’ll come to you, willing and eager to be involved. Instead of seeking them out, you have to lure them in.

Once you do that, they’ll find most of their own answers. ‘Cuz, again, that’s how players like that tend to operate in general.

DivineBeing.2086:

phaneo.4597:

Guess it’s something else regarding some guild transferring over. Saw the other post after my first one. If we get guilds that exploit, I’m leaving WvWvW (not that my crappy 3hr playtime means much to server anyways, but I always held pride in fighting for a server well known for mature players) until things are set right. I’d rather lose in T3, rather than exploit my way to victory in T2. We want respectable guilds (which we have), not the one’s that are hated or feared (from that other thread).

Honestly, if this is true than you were bound to leave sometime anyway. There are bad apples out there and some are bound to show up on your door step. If you leave the server because of these bad apples than honestly you are letting them win and you will be running for the rest of your life.

Speaking only for myself, it’s not running, it’s taking control of my own experience. It’s not about the bad apples themselves, it’s about the level of impact that they can have. I don’t want to win that way; it’s icky. And if the behavior becomes rampant, it makes the environment toxic. That’s not something I’m inclined to put up with. Not in a game.

The bad apples need to be kept in check and rendered impotent. There’s not a lot we, as players, can do about that. That’s ANet’s job. The exploits need to be fixed. I don’t care about bad apples, as long as they can’t really do anything to affect the larger picture. Right now that’s not the case, and it seems like the situation is rapidly getting out of hand. If it gets much worse, I’ll back out and do something else until ANet clamps down on it.

I dunno if this is where Phaneo is coming from, but it’s how I read his post, and I largely concur with it.

Re: Downed State

Like a lot of things in this game, I like the basic idea, but I’m not so thrilled with the implementation.

However, I think it’s very likely to evolve over time, and probably for the better.

Oft times it’s just a delay of the inevitable, which can come across as pouring salt on the wound. It can also render a character effectively unplayable if they’re caught in a Downed/Rally loop.

Other times, though, it makes for a very dramatic, memorable note in the experience. Enough so, that I think it makes it worth keeping.

Just needs some work.

Lalnuir.4957:

I will easily make 10 times that due to be not being able to alt f4 so I have no issue with this change.

Good point.

‘Course, I’m kinda lousy, so I won’t make that much. But even the odd kill or two would cover any discon losses.

graverr.6473:

Azure Prower.8701:

Knew this was going to happen.

Things like being in combat and escaping from a zerg safely into your keep. Then the moment you reach the inside safety you disconnect = auto death.

Seriously,what are the ods for that to happen.

It’s already happened to me once.

But I’d rather pay for the odd extra repair than have alt+f4 back.

Ideally, the repair costs in WvW would be made even more trivial, or just removed entirely.

But I can live with this.

Handin.4032:

The moment WvW becomes an exploit-fest, is the moment it starts to die.

This needs to be kept firmly in mind on both sides of the equation.

While server communities shouldn’t let this sorta thing stand, neither should ANet.

I came on last night and saw a player using the same cheat that same player had used several nights previous.

That just shouldn’t happen. Not only should the person be gone already, but the cheat in question shouldn’t have survived the latest update.

This stuff needs to be fixed, fast.

Cord.5371:

Hydrophidian.4319:

Cosine.1786:

Some people need to a banner to rally behind that isn’t just ‘for scores’, you know? That Dolyak only had two days until retirement.

Also, she was raising adopted kittens.

Now the kittens are abandoned.

Alone.

In the cold.

Huddled together for warmth, their weak mewing cries swallowed by the howling winds… unheard.

So sad.

Goody, I need a new pair of mittens! Kitten Mittens mmmmmmmmm……even better, I hope they match my snazzy new Dolyak Boots!

Clearly, you’re not my target audience.

Cosine.1786:

Some people need to a banner to rally behind that isn’t just ‘for scores’, you know? That Dolyak only had two days until retirement.

Also, she was raising adopted kittens.

Now the kittens are abandoned.

Alone.

In the cold.

Huddled together for warmth, their weak mewing cries swallowed by the howling winds… unheard.

So sad.

I like the idea of siege being overwritten at cap, based on value and usage.

I also like the idea of reclaiming siege. But, as many have already pointed out, this would just lead to griefers destroying siege. So, here’s my idea for that:

Have the option for placed siege to be tagged or untagged. If it’s untagged, anyone can break it down. If it’s tagged, only the person who built it can break it down. However, if it’s tagged, anyone can see the name of the character who built it, as well as the guild they’re in.

Vagrant.1094:

DD ele is just FoTM at the moment

I don’t think it’s that simple.

WvW had nothing to do with my shift to D/D. And I shifted before it became a ‘thing’.

I shifted because I found, through play, that it was, as a default, the most viable and effective option for the widest array of situations.

I still carry around the other weapons, but they’re for highly situational uses.

I think a lot of Elementalists will stick with D/D as a default unless and until some tinkering is done to the other options. FOTM won’t have much, if anything, to do with it.

Sharpclaw.7510:

Hydrophidian.4319:

If we go to tier 2, fine. If we don’t, fine. As long as it’s fun, I’m not that worried about it.

I’ll piggyback on this to add that ‘fun’ for me doesn’t even necessarily mean winning. It means fighting good opponents. If we go to Tier 2 and get out faces caved in, I’m not going to care much so long as the fights are exciting.

Exactly.

The time frame in which I often play means that what qualifies as “winning” has to be… rethought a bit. ‘Cuz it’s not gonna involve ERMAHGERDZERG type expansion, that’s for sure.

For me, it’s been mostly about holding the line more effectively and efficiently. And this week has made it clear to me that we, as a larger community, still stand to learn a lot from being right where we are.

JakobGW.5730:

I don’t agree with Rhonyn that TC is ready for tier 2 for reasons stated above. I do think you all need more coverage. But when I read posts like your’s that explain that TC doesn’t want to go to tier 2 to get stomped because they aren’t ready but not due to lack of numbers, that raises a big, red flag that there are other reasons why you don’t want to be in teir 2. A plausable one could be that you simply can’t do it, so you decide instead to farm easy wins.

I think you’ve got two problems here…
1. The TC community isn’t operating with a hivemind.
2. A significant percentage of the TC community, if not the majority, doesn’t share your mentality or priorities.

To quote Sharpclaw, “The fights are fun. Should I care about anything else?”

Which pretty much sums up my own view on the matter. If we go to tier 2, fine. If we don’t, fine. As long as it’s fun, I’m not that worried about it. I have no driving ambition to climb the ladder at all costs. If things become stale, my attitude might shift… but, as I’m generally on during off-peak hours, and I’m still learning the ropes, I’m probably gonna be one of the last people to get weary of any status quo.

In any event, in my own case, a consideration like “farming” isn’t even on my radar. And I think that’s probably true of most TC players. The options, as you present them, appear to be:

1. Gun for Tier 2.
2. Farm Tier 3.

But those just aren’t the only options. A lot of people just don’t look at it that way.

@Krosslite:

Not a bad overview, but I think it suffers from too much simplification and generalization…

Firstly, World of Warcraft was part of a broader design continuum. Before it hit the scene, the MMO field was pretty diverse. Before WoW even launched, there were several games that had broken the mold established by the genre’s antecedents. In fact, at the time, I considered WoW’s departures from the “conventional” model to be fairly conservative (much as I view GW2’s departures today).

So I don’t think this design amalgamation you cite can be so cleanly attributed with the success of the title. In fact, I think there’s a strong argument to be made that it wasn’t really that big a factor. Because a lot of subsequent MMOs tried to duplicate that very same formula, and then crashed.

I don’t think one can simply dismiss the following…
- 1. Blizzard’s nigh-impeccable reputation at the time.
- 2. The fact that the MMO was based on an established IP.
- 3. The fact that the IP was native to the medium and thus was already familiar to the target audience (gamers).
- 4. the cartoony “family friendly” aesthetic of the game.
…as potentially critical contributors to the title’s anomalous level of success.

As for this…

The problem is for those that had been in MUDs and the earlier MMOs this model turned away form those elements that made it popular to those user. To those users Guild Wars 2 is a return in a way to how MMOs were before WoW in their eyes destroyed the MMO genre.

Speaking as someone who was around and active in the MU* days, I’ve never seen GW2 as even remotely being a return to that approach to a virtual space. Not even close. There are other MMOs, past and present, that’ve come much, much closer.

True it is not a full return since for example this is no official Roleplaying server which many could be found in EQ for example, but it is still a walk down memory lane to a degree that has appealed to many of them.

It’s not a given that having an “official” roleplay server is a good thing for promoting a roleplay community. There are pros and cons to official vs. unofficial. Personally, I prefer the latter.

Finally, I think you’re setting up a false dichotomy with console gamer vs. immersionist (someone who favors a persistent virtual world). They aren’t either/or. I grew up as both, still like both, and get different things from what each has to offer. I’m definitely far more of an immersionist myself, but there’s a spectrum there.

There is very little variation in the silhouette and shaping of medium armors.

This is a problem with all three armor types, but it’s most pronounced with the medium selection. There is a ridiculous number of long and bulky coats.

There also seems to be a lot more clipping issues—certainly much more than I’ve encountered with light armors—so mixing and matching is also more limited.

I think there needs to be (a lot) more variety across the board. But medium armor is the most in need of attention.

Shanna.4762:

NO!!! The cultural set’s need to stay for that race, if you want a specific look then please roll that race. It adds something to each race to give them a very signature and unique look that you should only be able to get by being that race.

Cultural aesthetics are not actually exclusive to their respective races. See: dungeon armors.

A look is not unique if you have a half-dozen people standing around wearing essentially the same thing. I’ve already seen this in the Grove.

If we want an environment wherein everyone can look distinct, then there has to be at least a considerable expansion of available options.

This can be achieved by removing existing restrictions, adding many more pieces, or hitting upon some combination of the two approaches.

DivineBeing.2086:

For those on TCdo not be discouraged. This took 2x overnight server populations to take out TC’s overnight crew.

My observations:

In the wee hours of the morning (EST), the Coast was being severely pressed. It pushed back and, with what seemed to be a “skeleton crew”, reclaimed its Borderlands.

That didn’t last long, however. As it turned out, it was only a brief interlude between enemy offensives. The next wave hit, and once again there was a whole lot of struggle with, apparently, even a smaller contingent available to hold the line.

Mistakes were made, lines of communication got crossed. Even so, I saw a (heretofore unseen by me) refined level of coordination start to emerge, the beginning of something that I can only assume is necessary in the higher tiers. The Commanders involved really rose to the occasion. Despite the fact that ground was being lost, I was impressed.

It was a thoroughly engaging experience to watch and participate in. I gotta thank everyone who made it so, including the opponents. And while the Coast’s overall methodology could no doubt improve, I don’t think its performance was anything to be ashamed about.

But I’m a noob, so what do I know?

P.S.: for the love of Hubbard, Säm, get some sleep.

BFNK.6748:

Yes, it’s true that opening all of these armors to every race will result in uniformity

I’m not sure if you’re referring to my post here, but if you are, that’s not what I was saying. I was asserting the opposite.

Cultural armors promote a level of character uniformity within the context of a particular race. Due to the highly stylized looks involved, even a totally different color palette does little to offset this lack of variety.

In other words, there are some armor pieces out there that can have their appearance dramatically altered by just changing their color(s). From what I’ve seen, this is much less true with cultural armor, because the pronounced style overwhelms the palette.

If restrictions on cultural armors aren’t going to be lifted, then I’d like to see a lot more cultural pieces introduced. Preferably, they wouldn’t even be full sets, but rather items designed for mixing and matching with the current sets. It’d also be nice if some were not restricted and were compatible with the culturally-themed dungeon sets. If a human wants to “go native” with a Sylvari look, for example, there should be more than one costuming option.

Sometimes I’ll do something not-too-bright, and I’ll think I’m so awful, I should probably not bother at all.

Then I see a post like the one atop this thread, and I feel much better.

fellyn.5083:

Besides that… why? Let each race have something unique.

That seems like a fine idea at the outset.

The result, however, isn’t uniqueness, it’s uniformity. If you want to look “cultural”, your options are extremely limited. Consequently, anyone who wants a cultural look ends up looking much like anyone else who wanted the same thing… which seems to undermine the point of it?

As I see it, to do the concept right, there’d have to be many, many more cultural set options. But that would be a tremendous increase of workload, and likely not worth the hassle.

The more options we all have, the more diverse and distinctive characters will look.

Personally, I want to be able to look across a field and be able to visually identify a certain character. I used to have that. I don’t have it here, and I miss it. And going on 4 months without any substantial additions to our options hasn’t gone unnoticed by me.

BFNK.6748:

I’m writing this since all of those talks left me with a certain impression in mind – that we will have (almost) full cosmetic freedom. I can understand if a cloth character is not able to wear plate armor, but this one-race-only thing is not so nice to be honest.

Cultural armor is about the only thing I can understand. Even so, I’d rather everything be available to everybody. As a cosmetic choice, “going native” makes a lot more sense to me than “homeless person”. Also, cultural aesthetics are already shared through dungeon armors, so I don’t get the arbitrary restrictions.

As for armor types, I never identify a character’s profession by what they’re wearing (and good thing too, ‘cuz I’d frequently be wrong). Instead, I always go by what they do. Many of the sets don’t really visually convey the armor type they’re supposed to represent. So I don’t see why some armors (or even all) can’t be cross-type.

Bottom line, due to the cited hype, I expected a high degree of customization in this game. I’m sorry to say it’s not really there, and much of the design seems to work against ever reaching that level. It’s not completely horrible (if it was, I wouldn’t be here), but it’s a considerable distance away from “you can look exactly like you want to.”

For a few of my characters, that just isn’t an option. I would prefer everyone look relatively distinct. That ain’t been happening either. I see the same handful of sets constantly recurring on all races.

Remove restrictions. Introduce new sets into the cash shop, and in game. Get rid of “fine transmutation stones” (with a wider variety of cosmetic options, the demand for reg. stones would increase), and let us actually make our characters look the way we want them to, as promised.

CarelessKrow.8032:

No thanks, I’ve had my share of farming Risen and I’d rather not have to kill more Risen in WvW.

Agreed. Zombies are overdone.

Make it a jackalope invasion instead!

Beorn Saxon.4762:

I doubt this would ever happen, but my suggestion to anet would be to neutralize two servers so they could not attack each other IF the third server gains X% (75%?) of the globe.

That strikes me as being too ham-fisted, but it’s on an interesting idea track.

Having certain incentives trigger under certain conditions might spice things up and promote more of a “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” type of mindset?

SoPP.7034:

The fact that these sentiments were aired over a year ago is interesting.

These sentiments have been aired for years. This is a (unfathomably) common pitfall in design.

Personally, I’d favor some sort of attribute that countered stealth. In order to make a thief super-stealthy enough to reliably thwart that attribute, it would have to be at the cost of effectiveness in other areas. Conversely, in order to make that attribute potent enough to see thru most stealth, sacrifices would have to be made elsewhere in the build.

Call it “Detection” or something. Give it to Rangers and Engineers.

dreztina.4820

If I end up in a situation where your numbers are able to overcome my skill, then I have absolutely no problem using my last recourse to deny you a kill that you most certainly don’t deserve. If that’s a problem, where’s the statement from Anet saying they consider it an exploit and want it to stop? As far as I know, Anet has never said a word about their stance on it.

I am Jack’s giggling onset of schadenfreude.

If cultural armor is just about the looks, then shouldn’t it just be skins?

ryan.3915:

Not sure if CD has that much to share, since you guys are obviously advanced in your tactics. One of which is using ele focus skill 4 to protect siege and keep walls. I don’t know why our eles hardly ever do that. We just sit there and let the siege get hit by other ballista.

Well, I’m pretty new to the WvW scene, so this was news to me. I’ll be pickin’ myself up a focus tonight!

‘Course, I’m on Tarnished Coast, so that doesn’t really help you at all… >.> …but still! Uhm… thanks for the heads-up!

*bookmarks this thread*

I’d like to see cultural armors changed into skins, period.

I’d like to see more cultural armor sets added and/or have the type restriction removed.

Being able to craft some would also be nice.

Folks, please read the thread. The player is no longer in the guild, and it took a little while for the player to figure out that it was effectively a scam.

Which, if I’m not mistaken, is the point of the thread. The guild leadership takes advantage of well-meaning, perhaps naive players who’re operating under the assumption that this is really a guild, that they’ll be able to get help on stuff, do team activities, etc. In actuality, it’s just a scheme allowing a select few to dupe “marks” for as long as they can get away with it.

Yes, it’s very sleazy. But, no, from ANet’s vantage, I don’t think there’s anything that can really be done about it. The best bet is to set up many good alternatives, so a sucker’s game like that can’t thrive.

- Centaur tossing.

- Bear tossing.

- Running through a corn field and seeing the stocks sway about.

- My Engineer inadvertently launching herself over a cliff and exclaiming “Feel the fury!” just as she faceplants on the ground.

- “By Ogden’s Hammer, what savings!”

- My Sylvari standing in the Garden of Dawn bedecked in her cultural armor.

- The way my Norn laughs (at people).

- “Swimming, swimming, swimming…”

- The antics of Skritt in general.

…feel free to add your own.