Guild Wars 2

Versuvious.2568:

Okay, quick introduction first right?
I’m a Guardian main since the early days with 8k+ hours of play time with the class for 3 years. Mainly plays PVE & PVP only.

I have 5 toons but Guard is the one i love and kept using even with the nerfs way way back, kept quiet and did not complain (vigor, radiant power, empowering might and many more nerf/changes), even with the power creep of HoT i stayed Core and did not complain. I recently bought HoT (3 days ago) because I need some new content and finally gave in just to use an elite specialization (DH)

Pvp perspective from 61% win ratio, went up to 64% after using DH. (yes, i’m not bad at pvp, but i’m not as good as those pro’s who are in legendary.) I did not complain even when the Matchmaking is really messed up.

The Issue
We saw the upcoming balance update & I’m prettu sure that we’re gonna face a big big problem if Anet messed up the balance for our beloved class once again.

Let’s talk about the Utilities & Traits that needed some rework.
Right now, this comes to my mind.

1. Hallowed Ground – Too long CD compared to other specs. 1 Stab per pulse (meh) Still too long CD for a mediocre trait even if traited with Master of Consecration.
2. Signets – Judgement is ok, not too much good but because of stun break that was added before it became ok. But Bane, Mercy and Wrath are a little bit lackluster. Not sure if they’re going to renew this or not. It isn’t broken, but its not that much useful.
3. Honorable Staff – Boon duration 20% inline with the trait line of Empowering Might and Pure of Heart, the trade off is really bad because you need to give up those 2 traits that are much better than boon duration knowing we dont have better boons compared to tempest, scrapper, chrono & herald.
4. Glacial Heart – I love it before because I can get it and still use permeating wrath or absolute resolution. Now, its in line with the 2 which are far better than this trait.
5. Spirit Weapons – Needs to be reworked again. (2x reworked, but still Meh except for PVE. But even in PVE its not that much good except for the shield)
6. Radiant Retaliation – Wat.
7. Radiant Power – The change you made on this minor trait, made Radiance line a lil bit more weaker as it is already not that good even before changing it.
8. Inner Fire – PVE good. PVP bad.

I know there’s a lot more and I want to put them here but the wall of text is already bugging me. But you guys can add them up if I missed out something.

Discuss. Keep an open mind and lets not try to flame each other. We Guardian main (or ex main) should help each other and collaborate.

TLDR; Trait & Utility talk and discussion that needs to be reworked and fixed to be inline with the other Classes. Let’s help each other so we don’t become the next Trash Tier Class.

Edit: Formating

I have 2 guardian/DH (Human and Norn), and I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said here and I like how you’ve addressed this head-on for the Guardian community.

I do alot of WvW and Pve. In WvW Guardian is very wanting IMO. In Pve its not that bad.
Spirit weapons are utterly useless in both modes (WvW/Pve) “In my humble opinion”.

The thing that bothers me the most about the class is the Dev’s were so afraid that the healing and condi cleanse they gave the Guardian would be so over powering that they literally cut back every thing and it shows when trying to do make any kind of template with the guardian. Every single thing is mediocre by comparison to other classes (except ranger which is as bad or worse).

Guardian’s health pool is less than a medium class so if you don’t dedicate something to improving the guard’s health then all condi attacks that by-passes armor will melt the guard down to half-way before it can clear it. But if you do fortify the guard’s hp then it’s DPS becomes very subpar compared to other classes.

Am I wrong here? I know some burn guards have had some success but in my case its been far from a I-win button, and the same goes for Dragon Hunter. I’m far from the best at PvP but I’m not the worse either. Then again I’m mainly running celestial with a few sentinel pieces with carron/soldiers weapons (all ascended btw).

In WvW DH hasn’t been that good for me, then again the traps are easily avoidable in open world compared to trying to take a platform in pvp where the DH’s trap covers the entire platform of the capture point.

I suppose if I gave up travelers runes I could make the class more DPS efficient. but in WvW that’s just not an option. To fall behind has led to more deaths than I can number which brings me to the staff and speed buff. Its a nice option, but it would also be nice if a 25% speed boost was offered in the templates as well to give more diversity.

I understand there are trade-offs but IMO the Guardian is so skewered its really not as efficient at any one thing like other classes.

Spirit weapons are pretty much useless.

I’m all about wvw but I also do a great deal of pve. Only once did I ever rely on SW’s. I can’t remember the name of the boss and instance but it was the one where you had to run and fire at the boss while jumping over disappearing floor panels (as little asuran). In that instance it was helpful to me, but that was the only case.

Personally I’d like to see them (spirit weapons) shelved and something else brought in to define the Guardian more since other classes heal better, provide better stability, better DPS. Better tanking (thanks to having a HP lower than a medium class).
Guardian/Dragon Hunter is like the so-so class of the game that’s not really wanted or needed in top tier pvp tournaments or raids. The only other class that is as bad or worse is ranger (and yes I have both).

Burn guard is not bad, but its far from having an I win button and is easily countered. If it was all that it would also be in the top tier PvP meta and its not. So I hope the Dev’s use some wisdom before they nerf the heck out of it over the cries of the thieves that have had the I-win-button since launch.

I say no to anything else till more pressing issues are addressed…like being able to stay in the same instance and not getting kicked, along with stability. addressing hacks and third party programs. Balance tweaks. ect ect.

I’m not the best pvper but I’m not the worst either. I dueled with a daredevil the other day in wvw and it was a good long fight till he figured me out.

The guy above me is correct. Traps work better in that game mode (pvp) because of the small capture point being covered by most of the trap.

In WvW and Pve its a different ball of wax. shrink the trap size in pvp and I bet it wouldn’t even be an issue.

However I want a heads up if we are going back to a wow style rogue wars, because I’m just going to level my thief and be done with it…and so should everyone else…..

Heck I thought you was someone else with my first post (sorry about that).

You may not need those things if you’ve been in game for a while but others do if not. Truth I think the game provides enough economical hardships for players without finding new ways for them to buy things essential for play.

Firebird Gomer.9563:

Yeah Kamara that’s fine and right. But they have and do make outfits and new armor all the time. It wouldn’t be impossible for them to make some of the more popular items. Or heck some of the more elite armors from FoW.

I really did expect them to make FoW armor for the HoM’s that would have been nicer than what is in the HoM skin wise.

Yes they do kick out an outfit/ armor here and there. I’m just not sure if its already been in the content/ object files for awhile. They may be new to us but they could have been around since early development also.

Personally I’d love to get a look at it all.
Many things can be done even with old content and textures giving them an entirely different look. Its also very cost effective.

When I seen “stability” I was thinking of not getting kicked after having to wait on cue to get into the battlefield :/…really hope that irons out soon.

They did. The thing to keep in mind is it was also being packaged with a new release and I’m sure they were pushing deadlines. They we’re open and upfront with the community that it would have to be revisited after the expansion was released.

No curve ball’s were thrown.

Well I’m Native American and we are kinda funny about owls. At least my tribe is. Actually come to think of it we’re funny about a whole lot of things lol.

All kidding aside the lore jumped track between the game and books (in my humble opinion) with everyone flying around with wings, but it is fixable, or at least explainable. As the dragons fade more magic returns, perhaps owl will also

My WvW main is also Norn and I was also touched by owl’s story. I don’t know why, but it kind of stuck and drew me in.

Nerf’s are always ugly but to put WvW back into perspective we all know it needs to be done for the health of the sport and everyone’s play. Yes I call it a sport because the team aspect of WvW is what really connected with me. And in a very big way considering I never was much for pvp in the many years I’ve played MMO’s…till now.

WvW in GW2 is very special. Even female players like myself are crazy about it. Do you all have any idea how many MMO’s have “tried” to increase more interest in PvP over the years across its playerbase? Somehow ANET “got it right” (in spite of some flaws and changes).

The best that we can do is to remain fair and open minded and take all classes into consideration as tweaks are made.

For every special there needs to be a counter. No one class should have the “I win button”.

In my opinion there is too much condi along with ground targeting ( I have 2 guardians/dragon hunters btw). Players that can stealth shouldn’t have op spike damage. Damage over time yes, but not spike. I agree that all specials should be usable (ranger spirits come to mind. get rid of them). Players like tough battles and no one ever liked being one-shotted “no one”.

People don’t like to be gamed by stealth players either. Stealth is ok but lets be fair, no one should be able to always avoid death, and do huge spike damage.

No more flavor of the month builds, and no one build should be able to counter 75% when others are more around 25% with less usable specials and damage. If that’s the case then the class needs to be re-thought.

Most of all hacks need to go, and a “server only” broadcast/chat channel implemented. We may all be sharing servers but not just anyone can come help in WvW. A means to connect with people on our own servers is needed. Especially for the lower pop servers that need to call for reinforcements. I’m now on a tier 1ish-2ish server but I’ll never forget how hard we struggled to hold our place on AR, and it is them and those like them that bring the need to mind. /salute

That’s my 2 cents.

Trust me they have gone above and beyond to protect their players. You don’t want them removing it. I know it burns to get that shiny (if your anything like me lol) but the wait is very short compared to them having to figure out what your account once had and trying to get it back to you. Other than that you have a great friend and congratz

Tachi.7361:

I don’t think anyone here thinks it’d be that easy, to be honest. It doesn’t change the fact that these are skins some people would like to see updated for GW2 though.

Truth is most have no idea what all goes into modeling. Including some Dev’s. I’m not trying to be argumentative at all. I’m very much a layman and before I got into it I was blown back by what all it entailed, and that not all game Developers know how to do it.
Coding alone is a mammoth job. I’m just saying it would probably be easier picking out maybe one or two “very popular” items like the belted tunic outfit that everyone could use for the amount of time and return it would bring.

Not to burst anyone’s bubble, but just to bring across a 3-D object is not that simple and it really depends on if there is already an import program. Modeling is very time intensive. Even if it is brought in, that doesn’t mean it will fit the base models in GW2. Some shaping/scaling will have to occur even if a transparency is applied over the base model. Then it has to be parented. Every single piece. which is usually head, neck, upper chest, lower chest (front and back), upper, lower arm, hand ect ect. its a lot of work. Then it has to be rigged to follow the specific walk/run cycles/ animations/emotes. Now multiply that times gender and races. That’s “if” the programs used are compatible and the bones match (bones/ skeleton= jointing bending). Textures would probably have to be re-done completely which is also time consuming. Truth is its usually faster to start with the games base avatar package than fiddling with something that was made to go with a different set of coded objectives.

I’m not saying it can’t be done, but in the end it needs to cover their cost for them.
Weapons objects however are much easier….unless they have a particle effect.

Now a community workshop for modeling with a modeling dev poking their head in to give tips here and there? I’d bite, just for the expanded learning experience for tips from a pro… That and to give my lite armor classed female avatar something without fishnets and a skirt (sorry but it needed to be said).

Progress. Nothing is worse on a games rep than a handful of players using and getting away with an unfair advantage.

Here is what is going to happen (because people that are really impassioned about their game are driven to be heard).

More players are going to start using reddit, and trust me you all don’t want that because that’s taking the venting out of house. The truth is if they had thought they were being heard here they never would have started going over there to begin with.

This game is very saveable and it can be turned around. Believe me, I lived through the broken spine of SWG, and it could have been saved had they listened to Ralph Koster.

Get back over here on “your forum” put the ball of control back in “your court”.
Take polls or give a “touch base” once a month for Pve, PvP, and WvW and remain steadfast with it. You have my word you will see a turn around in community attitude. RIght now you have nothing to lose. I do like this game, and I want to see it succeed.

I’m not trying to be pushy, and I hope this advise is taken as one who has a solid understanding of gaming communities and would just like to see the best for all parties concerned. Other than that your WvW desert map was amazing…a little big but amazing.

Who is getting hit with the nerfbat? All I’m asking for is if I have to make big switches to ascended equipment there needs to be a “free vendor”…Please. These constant adjustments keep crunching my progress.

I had no issue with a player rezzing another player but the mass rally bot was a pain. The new desert map is not a total loss if its made the sole map and gets some WP tweaks. A lot of good work went into it…but its missing gliding which would make it epic!

PyrateSilly.4710:

Torque.2948:

I bet if we took a toll to see if HoT failed there are less fan boys than the people that actually know it failed. Which means it failed basically!

The problem with this is no matter how YOU got the information it would be wrong. Why? Because you are not seeing what ANet is seeing about who is playing where and how many are playing at any one time. No matter what you or I believe it would never be what ANet is seeing ………… and they are not discussing numbers, they never have in over 10 years.

What they have been doing is trying to push a square peg in a round hole. Several MMO’s have already made the mistake of leaving their playerbase out of the loop which led not only to an epic failure but ones that are still talked about to this day which has hurt any effort to overcome the stigma that they created by doing so.

The industry has an ego problem in general, and their super secret target groups giving feedback needs to catch up on their meds. Then stick to whatever it is that they “really understand” which has proven to not be MMO changes that players will appreciate, make profits, and in turn make happy shareholders for the company to date.

Success is easy when you broaden the scope of your hearing to more than a choice few.

Vayne.8563:

DaShi.1368:

Actually, I stand corrected on your first point.

On your second, I said that I believe that you are. Dissembling my words isn’t going to change my opinion. Supporting your statements with facts and evidence and not anecdotes that can’t be verified will. I’d also believe that if you didn’t care what I believe, you wouldn’t post about it so much.

It’s think it’s a fact that Facebook games exist and tons of free to play MMOs exist that aren’t free to play and they charge for all sorts of unreasonable things. I think it’s a fact that people’s expectations in general are trained by their experiences. The conversations I claimed I did have are only natural.

If you go to most free to play players who like the game and you give them more reason to buy the game, ie you can get these other features as well as the new content, of course some of them are going to say yes I’m planning buying the game. My next paycheck or when I get money or when I hit 80. It’s a perfectly reasonable response.

It’s even possible some people say theyr’e going to buy it, and never do, or have no real intention of it, but they say it anyway. But I have no reason to make it up and it’s a very logical thing for a lot of people to say.

Just about everyone in my guild has bought HoT, so I don’t have that conversation so much with returning players. I have it with free to play players. What’s really that hard to believe.

In a culture where you have games like SWToR That are free to play but “pay too walk”, or games like DDO or Lotro where you have to pay for areas, races and professions to unlock them, how unreasonable is it to say that a specific buff isn’t available for free to play accounts?

It’s like we live in completely different worlds.

Because in this particular instance those guildies may have contributed to a mechanic that they can not use yet the guild needed their help to acquire it… So yes it was a kitten- move to milk money….

didn’t look like anyone was on. If so all they had to do was go around?

Personally I checked out the new desert BL map and its amazing, but players are correct in the fact that it is “too big” for the purpose it serves. To save it? I would suggest more WP’s. Some of them for teams (servers only), and perhaps some more dangerous by being open for all to use. No one want’s to spend most of their time trying to get to where the action is. WvW’ers want to fight!

I’m not sure why we have two maps other than something to do while waiting on player map que. If it was up to me I’d add a few more tweaks to the new map with a center capture point and bring in more of a EB set up and use just the one map.

Other than that someone needs to get off their kitten and get it done. We’ve waited long enough and broke and unfinished is not going to suffice….. However if you bring in gliding also…I’m pretty sure development will be cheered for it for months to come.

Also superior siege being moved to a vendor was a nice step in the right direction.

Has anyone received a reply or some kind okittennowledgement that they are looking into this yet? And I’m still having the same issue and everything I’ve tried to do to work around it has been bust thus far.

P.S. no idea what made the filter squirrel-out.

I keep getting kicked out of game and receive this error message.

Operating on: windows 10 Pro. 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Version: 1511
OS Build 10586.36
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-4690k CPU@ 3.50GHz 350 GHZ
RAM:8.GB

I’m also using avast premier anti virus.

Any help appreciated and Merry Christmas

P.S. I’ve seen the merged thread but there are no fixes that I could find.

Firestone your a GW2 treasure. Much respect for your work, your style, and the color it brings to the community canvas.

Please tell me your on Tarnished Coast? /salute

Happy and Merry Christmas to all

I envy you folks. I am always running short on them.

ham.8209:

Kamara.4187:

ham.8209:

Leamas.5803:

ham.8209:

good question honestly in my book both the Commanders/mentor tags are a joke. at

lest to me for i always look up information in the gw2 wiki . and the first time i just let

chat go to see and make sure iam getting it the right way . then chat goes back off

most of the time . BUT for thos who are new to the game and have not looked at the

wiki information and do not read . ahh ok yeah the Commanders/mentor tags are

ok for that . or thos that just go with the kill it all mind set it is ok for them . but

honestly like i said the Commanders/mentor tags are a joke . and the funny part of the

Mentor tag tho is you get it free . and can use it as you see fit . or if you feel like it . and

i know thos that paid for the Commanders tag,s do not like that :P

The tags are just convenient rally points, even for those who know the events. There aren’t enough landmarks in the game to really effectively give reliable instruction and keep people on target. It’s easier for the players and also for those leading the events, than it is to try and direct people blindly.

ok lets get this straight and right for the record book,s !!!!! we do not need players

leading the events not one reason at all . so you can toss that out the window and

while we are at it too there is something called a wiki even tho most do not read them

they are what tell you how and what to do in events . and we do not need

reliable instruction there again is something called a wiki for that . and not only that

but those that think they are some how leading the events, . ahh they are only

leading the blind players at best. and yes the game needs a far more better compass

then its got now. that i will give you on that one. iam not knocking you or any thing

just saying the facts as they are.. just like how it be nice if all these players with said

information . would put it to good use and go to the official gw2 wiki . and post good

and proper game information . instead of saving it for the game . like i said not

knocking you . just saying the way i see it on this topic is all .

I disagree and let me explain why. From a player perspective that has only really been in gw2 for approx 6 mo I’ve found it as an accurate gauge to let me know if there is a group presence at an event, and two it has been really helpful catching event trains before settling in and using the group function panel. Not everyone coming in knows people or belongs to a guild with helpful members. I’ve learned much from both PvE commanders and WvW commanders.

you can do that and it is fine and good and i respect it and since your new to the game

and its the holidays . and iam in the mood of giving so let me give you this and hope

it helps you a lot being a new player . and welcome to the game as well hope you fully

enjoy it too!! . now for my gift to you

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Main_Page

this has the most best information when it comes to this game. now there are some

well other sites but they are lacking in information . and i would only recommend using

this one

Thank you Ham Booked marked to my toolbar now. /salute and Merry Christmas

Ok I’m gonna take a stab at this with very laymen knowledge (not a pro).

When 3D objects are made in a program they are usually a flat gray object and after applying a texture it is rendered together for the final look in the program. If a light source is not also parented to the object it will usually render out dark and undefined.

So part of the reflection your seeing is most likely the light source that is parented to the hair object or texture (it can be applied to either or both).

Hope that helps and other than that your avatar looks like a cute little rascal.

ham.8209:

Kamara.4187:

ham.8209:

Obtena.7952:

Luckily, Legendary armor isn’t relevant to most of the people playing this game anyways.

yeah really funny how they do not care about the shine armor set,s like they used to in

gw1 . in gw2 only thing they care about now is there bright shiny armor and weapon

skin,s for get about the stats just make sure the skins are nice and shiny and pretty and

glow . and wish to pay top gold for them nice bright shiny skins . which makes no since

but hey why care just give us them glowing bright shiny skins, and we all happy

campers lol

15k armor in GW1 didn’t have any better stats than that which you could buy at a vendor for lvl 20 characters.

We were happy about that btw because GW1 was more about how you played your build ( Buildwars) rather than doing a rehash of gear wars like WoW and other mmo’s do over and over. And personally if I wanted that I’d just go play WoW again.

yes it was build wars i will give you that . as it is a real shame gw2 does not have that

but the point to the gw1 armor and the 15k armor it was just that 15k armor and all

nice and shiny with the stats too . but it just was so nice and shiny and you worked

hard to get the best set,s unlike here in gw2 we only got boring glowing shiny over

priced skins . shame the game went like that and not the other way around

Ham I have to agree with ya on the skin part. Personally I’d like to see more individual pieces of armor introduced. As far as stats go I’m kind of funny about that. If it is to be introduced with better stats I’d like it to be no greater than the spread between exotic and ascended. Meaning only about 2-3 points better on attributes than the ascended pieces. I’m a big WvW player and not so much into the raids so I like a more balanced playing field. I do craft. In fact right now I have master crafter. but not everyone likes to craft, and I get that.

Other than that thank you very much for the reply /salute

ham.8209:

Leamas.5803:

ham.8209:

good question honestly in my book both the Commanders/mentor tags are a joke. at

lest to me for i always look up information in the gw2 wiki . and the first time i just let

chat go to see and make sure iam getting it the right way . then chat goes back off

most of the time . BUT for thos who are new to the game and have not looked at the

wiki information and do not read . ahh ok yeah the Commanders/mentor tags are

ok for that . or thos that just go with the kill it all mind set it is ok for them . but

honestly like i said the Commanders/mentor tags are a joke . and the funny part of the

Mentor tag tho is you get it free . and can use it as you see fit . or if you feel like it . and

i know thos that paid for the Commanders tag,s do not like that :P

The tags are just convenient rally points, even for those who know the events. There aren’t enough landmarks in the game to really effectively give reliable instruction and keep people on target. It’s easier for the players and also for those leading the events, than it is to try and direct people blindly.

ok lets get this straight and right for the record book,s !!!!! we do not need players

leading the events not one reason at all . so you can toss that out the window and

while we are at it too there is something called a wiki even tho most do not read them

they are what tell you how and what to do in events . and we do not need

reliable instruction there again is something called a wiki for that . and not only that

but those that think they are some how leading the events, . ahh they are only

leading the blind players at best. and yes the game needs a far more better compass

then its got now. that i will give you on that one. iam not knocking you or any thing

just saying the facts as they are.. just like how it be nice if all these players with said

information . would put it to good use and go to the official gw2 wiki . and post good

and proper game information . instead of saving it for the game . like i said not

knocking you . just saying the way i see it on this topic is all .

I disagree and let me explain why. From a player perspective that has only really been in gw2 for approx 6 mo I’ve found it as an accurate gauge to let me know if there is a group presence at an event, and two it has been really helpful catching event trains before settling in and using the group function panel. Not everyone coming in knows people or belongs to a guild with helpful members. I’ve learned much from both PvE commanders and WvW commanders.

ham.8209:

Obtena.7952:

Luckily, Legendary armor isn’t relevant to most of the people playing this game anyways.

yeah really funny how they do not care about the shine armor set,s like they used to in

gw1 . in gw2 only thing they care about now is there bright shiny armor and weapon

skin,s for get about the stats just make sure the skins are nice and shiny and pretty and

glow . and wish to pay top gold for them nice bright shiny skins . which makes no since

but hey why care just give us them glowing bright shiny skins, and we all happy

campers lol

15k armor in GW1 didn’t have any better stats than that which you could buy at a vendor for lvl 20 characters.

We were happy about that btw because GW1 was more about how you played your build ( Buildwars) rather than doing a rehash of gear wars like WoW and other mmo’s do over and over. And personally if I wanted that I’d just go play WoW again.

It needs an on off toggle. In some cases it helps (glider) and in others it just wrecks you.
And yes the verdant brink mastery points high up in the canopy have been miserable in my case as well. Nothing like that little slip that sends you sliding down to the bottom of the wreck to just get stuck in a recess with no way out except to way-point….its been frustrating and least of all enjoyable or entertaining. I don’t mind being challenged or things being difficult but I do mind when my time is wasted with an over the top run/reset to get back to the challenge.

PopeUrban.2578:

Kamara.4187:

PopeUrban.2578:

Just a flesh wound.3589:

PopeUrban.2578:

Kamara.4187:

PopeUrban.2578:

Kamara.4187:

PopeUrban.2578:

What I’m saying is absolutely true. Guild systems were not designed to make solo bank guilds, or provide “duos” with banners and the like in the first place. The revamped system simply reinforces the idea that a “small guild” is intended to be at least a party’s worth of players, and even then is extremely generous with those requirements, allowing use and progress of all systems to be done solo, including guild missions. You will make progress no matter your size, you simply won’t make it as fast. In this respect it is no different than the old system.

If you can PUG for a dungeon, or a fractal, or LFG for a map taxi, you can do the same one time for a guild hall. I’ll personally help you with this if you can’t find anyone else.

You can still get banners. They’re just more expensive. If you had banners unlocked before, go buy them with favor in the guild initiative. If you didn’t, go level a guild hall and a scribe like any size guild also has to.

Again, the difference in the new system is that you have to put in the work wheras in the old system you didn’t have to put in any work and just got influence and the selection of things it provided on top of the rewards you already got for playing content.

That system, as I’ve said repeatedly, was broken and skewed extremely in the favor of guilds with massive player rosters. Now the only thing skewed in the favor of those guilds is progression speed but not the ability to progress or the ability to actually utilize earned upgrades

Funny thing is I don’t recall reading “anywhere” that such changes were being applied to the game when I pre-ordered HOT (4 Copies I might add for the whole family).

Had I known prior, it would have influenced my decision…and saved me a few bucks.

There are some really cool things about the expansion that I do like, but the truth be told I’ve not even bothered to log in for close to a week now because it seems like everything with HOT has slanted or nerfed things in such a way as to funnel players “more towards buying gems”….

I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m over getting into a game just to see my time and investment turned upside down by an industry that can’t even be bothered to include us in the loop before making dramatic changes.

Its time for players to have some protections. We are after all what determines the success or failure of a game.

The argument that ingame economic decision are made from the lens of encouraging people to buy gems is just plain wrong due to the basic nature of the gem exchange.

Specifically, the more people that buy gems and convert them to gold, the cheaper it becomes to buy gems with gold.

No amount of nerfing gold gain or increasing gold costs encourages or rewards converting gems to gold.

With admin privileges and a couple of key strokes I’m sure any of that can be altered just like in every other MMO that has admin functions for economy adjustments..
not to mention there is nothing balancing, devaluing, or adjusting those dollars they are taking in. Its pure profit.

With admin priveledes and a couple keystrokes they could send also charge your preferred payment method thusands of dollars, sell your personal details to a number of direct avertising firms, or delete everything on your account, strip you naked, and jump your characters off a fatal cliff.

Yet they don’t.

If the basis of your argument is “well they could do something underhanded” that’s not really much of an argument.

Do you apply the same logic to every service which you pay for and every product you buy, or is it reserved for this one specifically?

or delete everything on your account, strip you naked, and jump your characters off a fatal cliff.

Yet they don’t.

Lol. Not your best example of what they won’t do to you, since they did do it to one guy. He “deserved” it, but still. ANet will do it if they decide to. :P
Character stripped naked, jumped off cliff, then deleted

I was specifically referencing that (hilarious) event actually.

Greed has no bounds, which is why regulations are applied sooner or later. In fact its already happened in some nations that recognized their people were being taken advantage of. My example is forsaken world. The game milks the heck out of players.

Funny thing is the game is in fact a product of China. While the players of China are protected from many of the fleecing game mechanics in Forsaken World, those same rules don’t apply to their U.S. or Euro markets…Which are bending players over the cash register at every turn….

“Free to play games” have turned into a one trick pony that always leads the player down a path of walls and obstacles that strongly encourage players to open their wallets.

Which is another gripe of mine. When you actually purchase a game up front you shouldn’t find trash mechanics like that in the back bone of the games economy.

I don’t blame Anet for this. I loved GW1 and with GW2 they created a beautiful world with many amazing new concepts. They have my respect here.

However I do blame those that hijacked the game out from under them. Their history and hand is all over the vampiric squeeze towards the paywall….

On the same note I realize you are a huge fan and you don’t agree with any negative remark made towards the game. I respect that, but by the same token I am entitled to my views and opinion, and I strongly feel that I’m either close or on the right track till proven otherwise.

I don’t know if you’ve checked my post history, but I agree with a large number of negative points about the game.

Attempting to discredit me as a “white Knight” whos feedback and opinions are thus valueless doesn’t address the point, nor does using a completely separate game and company to back up yours.

They do push people to open their wallets, and they do so by a quite frankly overpriced gem store which sucks most of the art assets and rewards from being avaliable ingame to being microtransactions. The amount of new “rewards” added to the gem store compred to the rewards added to the base game is, quite frankly, a disgustingly heavy amount of lean on the cash shop for a game that just released a fifty dollar expansion. RNG cash shop boxes are a similarly disgusting and predatory microtransaction tactic that only persists because poeple are dumb enough to buy them.

However!

Anet does a great job of having their overblow microtransactions set up in such a way that they don’t measurable impact the ability to play and succeed in the game itself, which is why it’s one of the only games that I still tolerate despite the heavy handed lean on the gem store.

However, the assertion that the ingame economy is balanced around gems to gold conversion is flat out wrong.

No I didn’t look up your post history, but yes I did assume you were a “white Knight” having ran into other post by you on the forum. To be quite frank I had to take pause when I read an actual negative statement from you concerning the game LOL.

First I never said I believed the entire game wrapped around gem/gold exchange. I do however strongly feel that with HOT players are being “squeezed harder” making purchasing gems to exchange for gold more attractive.

My mention of “another game” was an example of regulation and non regulation being applied to a player base and how it differs in a positive and negative way.

When I just started playing GW2, which wasn’t that long ago. I blew a pretty penny fast tracking my avatars. I was crazy in-love with the game. Especially with WvW.

My investment extended to purchasing it for friends and family (x7 all together).
It was something we could all do together as a family.

The significance’s of this need was made even more personal because after this year my eldest son will be leaving home to go off to collage. So yes my tiny family makes a very tiny guild, and while Anet may have had their reasons to change things to the way they have, their reasons don’t usurp the very real reason of why I was originally sold on the game and purchased then pre ordered it. To say I’m disappointed with the changes that HOT brought to the table is an understatement.

I wasn’t looking for the worlds help when I invested in GW2 for all of us, I was simply looking for fun things that we could engage in, and accomplish as a family.

PopeUrban.2578:

Just a flesh wound.3589:

PopeUrban.2578:

Kamara.4187:

PopeUrban.2578:

Kamara.4187:

PopeUrban.2578:

What I’m saying is absolutely true. Guild systems were not designed to make solo bank guilds, or provide “duos” with banners and the like in the first place. The revamped system simply reinforces the idea that a “small guild” is intended to be at least a party’s worth of players, and even then is extremely generous with those requirements, allowing use and progress of all systems to be done solo, including guild missions. You will make progress no matter your size, you simply won’t make it as fast. In this respect it is no different than the old system.

If you can PUG for a dungeon, or a fractal, or LFG for a map taxi, you can do the same one time for a guild hall. I’ll personally help you with this if you can’t find anyone else.

You can still get banners. They’re just more expensive. If you had banners unlocked before, go buy them with favor in the guild initiative. If you didn’t, go level a guild hall and a scribe like any size guild also has to.

Again, the difference in the new system is that you have to put in the work wheras in the old system you didn’t have to put in any work and just got influence and the selection of things it provided on top of the rewards you already got for playing content.

That system, as I’ve said repeatedly, was broken and skewed extremely in the favor of guilds with massive player rosters. Now the only thing skewed in the favor of those guilds is progression speed but not the ability to progress or the ability to actually utilize earned upgrades

Funny thing is I don’t recall reading “anywhere” that such changes were being applied to the game when I pre-ordered HOT (4 Copies I might add for the whole family).

Had I known prior, it would have influenced my decision…and saved me a few bucks.

There are some really cool things about the expansion that I do like, but the truth be told I’ve not even bothered to log in for close to a week now because it seems like everything with HOT has slanted or nerfed things in such a way as to funnel players “more towards buying gems”….

I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m over getting into a game just to see my time and investment turned upside down by an industry that can’t even be bothered to include us in the loop before making dramatic changes.

Its time for players to have some protections. We are after all what determines the success or failure of a game.

The argument that ingame economic decision are made from the lens of encouraging people to buy gems is just plain wrong due to the basic nature of the gem exchange.

Specifically, the more people that buy gems and convert them to gold, the cheaper it becomes to buy gems with gold.

No amount of nerfing gold gain or increasing gold costs encourages or rewards converting gems to gold.

With admin privileges and a couple of key strokes I’m sure any of that can be altered just like in every other MMO that has admin functions for economy adjustments..
not to mention there is nothing balancing, devaluing, or adjusting those dollars they are taking in. Its pure profit.

With admin priveledes and a couple keystrokes they could send also charge your preferred payment method thusands of dollars, sell your personal details to a number of direct avertising firms, or delete everything on your account, strip you naked, and jump your characters off a fatal cliff.

Yet they don’t.

If the basis of your argument is “well they could do something underhanded” that’s not really much of an argument.

Do you apply the same logic to every service which you pay for and every product you buy, or is it reserved for this one specifically?

or delete everything on your account, strip you naked, and jump your characters off a fatal cliff.

Yet they don’t.

Lol. Not your best example of what they won’t do to you, since they did do it to one guy. He “deserved” it, but still. ANet will do it if they decide to. :P
Character stripped naked, jumped off cliff, then deleted

I was specifically referencing that (hilarious) event actually.

Greed has no bounds, which is why regulations are applied sooner or later. In fact its already happened in some nations that recognized their people were being taken advantage of. My example is forsaken world. The game milks the heck out of players.

Funny thing is the game is in fact a product of China. While the players of China are protected from many of the fleecing game mechanics in Forsaken World, those same rules don’t apply to their U.S. or Euro markets…Which are bending players over the cash register at every turn….

“Free to play games” have turned into a one trick pony that always leads the player down a path of walls and obstacles that strongly encourage players to open their wallets.

Which is another gripe of mine. When you actually purchase a game up front you shouldn’t find trash mechanics like that in the back bone of the games economy.

I don’t blame Anet for this. I loved GW1 and with GW2 they created a beautiful world with many amazing new concepts. They have my respect here.

However I do blame those that hijacked the game out from under them. Their history and hand is all over the vampiric squeeze towards the paywall….

On the same note I realize you are a huge fan and you don’t agree with any negative remark made towards the game. I respect that, but by the same token I am entitled to my views and opinion, and I strongly feel that I’m either close or on the right track till proven otherwise.

And by the way the entire world watches the NY exchange market daily, yet year after year there are always those that are being indited for insider trading. And a games economy doesn’t even need a person at the keyboard to monitor it. A running script can keep fluctuations within a set parameter while increasing or decreasing inflation and sinks to just an individual. I’m not saying Anet/NCsoft is doing that. But I am saying it is not beyond the capabilities of what can be done with code.

I’d suggest putting this in the bug section. Granted I have many issues I gripe about with GW2 but their tech support is top notch and have my respect.

PopeUrban.2578:

Kamara.4187:

PopeUrban.2578:

What I’m saying is absolutely true. Guild systems were not designed to make solo bank guilds, or provide “duos” with banners and the like in the first place. The revamped system simply reinforces the idea that a “small guild” is intended to be at least a party’s worth of players, and even then is extremely generous with those requirements, allowing use and progress of all systems to be done solo, including guild missions. You will make progress no matter your size, you simply won’t make it as fast. In this respect it is no different than the old system.

If you can PUG for a dungeon, or a fractal, or LFG for a map taxi, you can do the same one time for a guild hall. I’ll personally help you with this if you can’t find anyone else.

You can still get banners. They’re just more expensive. If you had banners unlocked before, go buy them with favor in the guild initiative. If you didn’t, go level a guild hall and a scribe like any size guild also has to.

Again, the difference in the new system is that you have to put in the work wheras in the old system you didn’t have to put in any work and just got influence and the selection of things it provided on top of the rewards you already got for playing content.

That system, as I’ve said repeatedly, was broken and skewed extremely in the favor of guilds with massive player rosters. Now the only thing skewed in the favor of those guilds is progression speed but not the ability to progress or the ability to actually utilize earned upgrades

Funny thing is I don’t recall reading “anywhere” that such changes were being applied to the game when I pre-ordered HOT (4 Copies I might add for the whole family).

Had I known prior, it would have influenced my decision…and saved me a few bucks.

There are some really cool things about the expansion that I do like, but the truth be told I’ve not even bothered to log in for close to a week now because it seems like everything with HOT has slanted or nerfed things in such a way as to funnel players “more towards buying gems”….

I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m over getting into a game just to see my time and investment turned upside down by an industry that can’t even be bothered to include us in the loop before making dramatic changes.

Its time for players to have some protections. We are after all what determines the success or failure of a game.

The argument that ingame economic decision are made from the lens of encouraging people to buy gems is just plain wrong due to the basic nature of the gem exchange.

Specifically, the more people that buy gems and convert them to gold, the cheaper it becomes to buy gems with gold.

No amount of nerfing gold gain or increasing gold costs encourages or rewards converting gems to gold.

With admin privileges and a couple of key strokes I’m sure any of that can be altered just like in every other MMO that has admin functions for economy adjustments..
not to mention there is nothing balancing, devaluing, or adjusting those dollars they are taking in. Its pure profit.

Kreejaffa.3682:

Perhaps MMOs are not the games for you. All MMOs, and most online multiplayer games have regular updates to keep things running smoothly, and to add new features. This is just the way things are.

GW1 really doesn’t have updates anymore, which is why you do not have to update often.

I would suggest either getting better internet, or trying a single player game that requires less updates.

Sorry.

Hot is far from being a clean release and yes you can play MMO’s OTR.

Driver I hate to break it to ya but this will probably continue for awhile till they get all the kinks out. Till then keep putting those yardsticks in your back pocket and keep the shiny side up.

PopeUrban.2578:

What I’m saying is absolutely true. Guild systems were not designed to make solo bank guilds, or provide “duos” with banners and the like in the first place. The revamped system simply reinforces the idea that a “small guild” is intended to be at least a party’s worth of players, and even then is extremely generous with those requirements, allowing use and progress of all systems to be done solo, including guild missions. You will make progress no matter your size, you simply won’t make it as fast. In this respect it is no different than the old system.

If you can PUG for a dungeon, or a fractal, or LFG for a map taxi, you can do the same one time for a guild hall. I’ll personally help you with this if you can’t find anyone else.

You can still get banners. They’re just more expensive. If you had banners unlocked before, go buy them with favor in the guild initiative. If you didn’t, go level a guild hall and a scribe like any size guild also has to.

Again, the difference in the new system is that you have to put in the work wheras in the old system you didn’t have to put in any work and just got influence and the selection of things it provided on top of the rewards you already got for playing content.

That system, as I’ve said repeatedly, was broken and skewed extremely in the favor of guilds with massive player rosters. Now the only thing skewed in the favor of those guilds is progression speed but not the ability to progress or the ability to actually utilize earned upgrades

Funny thing is I don’t recall reading “anywhere” that such changes were being applied to the game when I pre-ordered HOT (4 Copies I might add for the whole family).

Had I known prior, it would have influenced my decision…and saved me a few bucks.

There are some really cool things about the expansion that I do like, but the truth be told I’ve not even bothered to log in for close to a week now because it seems like everything with HOT has slanted or nerfed things in such a way as to funnel players “more towards buying gems”….

I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m over getting into a game just to see my time and investment turned upside down by an industry that can’t even be bothered to include us in the loop before making dramatic changes.

Its time for players to have some protections. We are after all what determines the success or failure of a game.

PopeUrban.2578:

Kamara.4187:

PopeUrban.2578:

Kamara.4187:

PopeUrban.2578:

As for concerned parents. Really? If you have issues with lessons or methods of thought a form of entertainment is instilling in your child, stop allowing them to access that entertainment. That’s your responsibility as a parent, not Arenanet’s responsibility as a video game developer.

And that is where you are wrong concerning gambling. There are actually age limits and laws governing who can be exposed to gambling. Let me guess, you’ve not had children of your own yet?

Gambling fake money and fake pink blobs is not covered by gambling laws for the same reason people aren’t arrested for assault when they stomp someone in PvP.

I actually professionally cared for children for seven years straight as a live in “manny”

If your children are gambling real money, that isn’t the game’s fault. That’s your fault and you are the one legally culpable.

Buying gems with real money to gamble away actually is dancing on a slippery slope, and making a couple of well placed phone calls could turn it into a PR nightmare.

No, it really couldn’t. Cash shop currency and gambling boxes were not invented by GW2. This issue has already been taken to the courts multiple times, in much more exploitative and predatory RNG lockbox models.

That’s usually the first steps before regulations happen. and btw. I commend you on being a manny but its not the same as actually being a father, which I hope you will have that incredible experience sometime in your life.

PopeUrban.2578:

Kamara.4187:

PopeUrban.2578:

As for concerned parents. Really? If you have issues with lessons or methods of thought a form of entertainment is instilling in your child, stop allowing them to access that entertainment. That’s your responsibility as a parent, not Arenanet’s responsibility as a video game developer.

And that is where you are wrong concerning gambling. There are actually age limits and laws governing who can be exposed to gambling. Let me guess, you’ve not had children of your own yet?

Gambling fake money and fake pink blobs is not covered by gambling laws for the same reason people aren’t arrested for assault when they stomp someone in PvP.

I actually professionally cared for children for seven years straight as a live in “manny”

If your children are gambling real money, that isn’t the game’s fault. That’s your fault and you are the one legally culpable.

Buying gems with real money to gamble away actually is dancing on a slippery slope, and making a couple of well placed phone calls could turn it into a PR nightmare.

Wildkitten.3872:

Kamara.4187:

Wildkitten.3872:

The real issue is you are wanting to twist the definition of guild. It has always been assumed that a guild would be at least the size of a standard party to begin with in just about every game that has a guild with it being normally larger than a standard party size. GW2 has always encouraged guilds to be larger than 2 or 3 or 4 because much of the guild content requires groups larger than even the standard party size to complete. It is not new to HoT as you insinuate that it is.

So we both agree that GW2/HOT is not compatible for those families that just wanted to group and play together. The Problem is this needs to be pointed out before purchase.

Common sense would dictate that playing a Massively MULTIPLAYER Online game would have some requirements to do some things with other people and not just be a single player game that required an internet connection.

Did you play GW1? Because it wasn’t that way.

PopeUrban.2578:

As for concerned parents. Really? If you have issues with lessons or methods of thought a form of entertainment is instilling in your child, stop allowing them to access that entertainment. That’s your responsibility as a parent, not Arenanet’s responsibility as a video game developer.

And that is where you are wrong concerning gambling. There are actually age limits and laws governing who can be exposed to gambling. Let me guess, you’ve not had children of your own yet?

PopeUrban.2578:

From there micro guilds have the same options to progress at a slower rate than everyone.

facepalm

Wildkitten.3872:

The real issue is you are wanting to twist the definition of guild. It has always been assumed that a guild would be at least the size of a standard party to begin with in just about every game that has a guild with it being normally larger than a standard party size. GW2 has always encouraged guilds to be larger than 2 or 3 or 4 because much of the guild content requires groups larger than even the standard party size to complete. It is not new to HoT as you insinuate that it is.

So we both agree that GW2/HOT is not compatible for those families that just wanted to group and play together. The Problem is this needs to be pointed out before purchase.

Teofa Tsavo.9863:

The current definition of Guilds never existed prior to HoT, not in GW2, not in GW. No “invite and kick” shenanigans to meet a minimum number.. as in other games.

It is pretty crappy that this new “definition” gates Guilds created under the nonrestricted definition and upgraded for years with non-restricted upgrades.

Taking earned content away and placing it behind a paywall is wrong. Had this happened to other spheres of the game people would have rioted.

Funny. Not a word of complaint, that I can recall, regarding 1-2 member guilds prior to this. Not a word from Anet prior to this. Since launch they have been a part of the game and allowed the content they could accomplish, while larger guilds had number gated content just for them.

It is never acceptable to take away previously earned content and paywall a revamp of it.

I also can’t accept being called an entitled little whiner.. as I really didn’t get much personal gain by placing banners in world zones or buffing wvw structures and camps.

This! And I apologize that I’m just not a HOT cheerleader. Yes there are things I like about it. Gliding is a kick, but in so many ways content was just stretched and slanted to drive players to the trading post game….I didn’t buy HOT to be a cash-cow.

PopeUrban.2578:

Kamara.4187:

I remember reading that “small guilds will be respected” when they were talking about the Hot guildhalls…

Now I’m thinking “wow if that wasn’t just like a campaign promise in the end.”

They actually are respected quite well.

Unless your definition of a small “guild” is less than a party’s worth of people, which is not anet’s (or most people’s) definition of a guild.

As a guy that runs a small guild I’m pretty happy with the whole thing.

Well obviously others feel differently…including myself.

I remember reading that “small guilds will be respected” when they were talking about the Hot guildhalls…

Now I’m thinking “wow if that wasn’t just like a campaign promise in the end.”

I have master crafter and yes its way over the top, and no I won’t be flipping out the credit card to acquire the mats to do it this time because it seems to have encouraged gouging. The cost for making an ascended patch for armor has doubled with Hot.

I’m over it and shopping for an alternative.

The bottom line with what is wrong or right with your post is your attempting to pigeonhole customer complaints with a blanket of rational.

When people purchase something they are entitled to their opinion, and assessment of the product, even if they voice those complaints wrapped with emotion.

For those of us that have been around for a very long time and remember some of the first MMO’s like UO, we are very familiar with the impact that game changes can have on a community.

While your trying to frame this communities response in a neat package of dismissal while candy-coating, or skimming past the industries continued trend of leaving an established player-base out of the loop when changes are decided; keep in mind they, “the community” are what determines the success or failure of said changes.

As for emotional responses “I get that, and fully understand it.” Because when you’ve dedicated many hours to building and playing in a particular MMO for several years, its not only an investment of your time, but it can also change the landscape of friendships/guilds, and how you entertain yourself in your free time if those changes are not received well by the community.

In fact the company doesn’t really need your chivalrous defense because unlike the player-base they are shielded by many laws of protection, while those that have invested in it at the consumer level, then poured many hours of their time into it have nothing because the industry has been allowed to run rampant with no regulations in place to protect the players investment.

You know I loved that executioners outfit and would have snapped up on it if it wasn’t for that awful skull at the belt line.

it is one of the few outfits I’ve seen that didn’t look like it belonged in a strip joint and makes a good general everyday wear that doesn’t offend the lore.

get your modeler to drop that skull and I bet you’ll sell alot more of them.