Guild Wars 2

Q1. When did you begin playing? (post bw’s)
A1. Day 1. Pre-purchased it, was playing on the 25th.

Q2. how many hours total do you have? (/age)
A2. 232 Hours, 59 Minutes

Q3. What’s your most gold banked so far?
A3. 5g.

Q4. Do you have a max level character (s)? (number if more than one)
A4. One. Necro

Q5. List 1-3 areas / zones / events / tp; where you spend most of your time for income.
A5. Straights of Devastation, Cursed Shore

Q6. Do you mainly use MF or not?
A6. No.

Q7. Have you ever got an exotic weapon from a mob? If so, how many and total?
A7. Nope

Q8. Have you ever got an exotic weapon from a chest? If so, how many and total?
A8. One.

Q9. What’s the most number of rare weapons you have looted in one day or 8hrs time?
A9. Two

Q10. How many rare or exotic weapons do you “expect” to loot in one hour of time?
A10. None

Q11. How many lodestones have you looted total so far? (all types)
A11. None

Q12. Do you craft? If so, do you have a 400 crafter? if so, how many?
A12. No.

Q13. Do you sell your looted crafting mats? (specify optional)
A13. Yes.

Q14. Do you feel your return, (in terms of items, completion, income, etc) for your time, has been worth it?
A14. No

Q15. In ONE word, what needs improved most; from your perspective?
A15. Bug Fixes, Fix Necro trait synergies, Fix Necro minion AI, Fix lag on larger DE’s and events.

Another “no reason to be here” area with miniscule rewards and harder than needed mobs given this. The only reason I use it is to lower the cost of way points with the free transport to/from LA.

. Honesty in conveying information accurately. Warts and all with no half truths and hidden meanings.
. No stonewalling when there is a difficult issue….man-up and face it…it IS your game after all…don’t just hide/ignore your paying customers.
. Factual rather than based on spin, half truths and rhetoric.
. Respect for the player base…we are mostly adult and understand that things actually need to change at times…even very basic things like the “manifesto”…..just tell us and we will help you do it properly.

Just make sure the upgrade you are trying to apply is not of a higher level than the back armour.

ShiningSquirrel.3751:

Oldbugga.7029:

Characters are stored on ANet servers…servers are backed up regularly (well that is an assumption…. they wont deny it as they would look really silly)….therefore character data IS available…..it may be just a little bit tiresome to get it…but data IS available so why can’t characters be restored? I think it is more a policy thing again rather than a tech issue….especially over 3 months into the game.

Things are not always as easy as they appear. I manage a database application. The server is backed up several times a day as it is critical information. If a record is deleted, I cannot restore it without restoreing the entire database. That would mean doing a “rollback” on our entire application. It’s very easy to imagine that the GW2 database could be very similier as this is actually VERY common.

Thanx for that. I am aware of the types of systems issues that may be involved (in a past life I was a systems auditor and a systems analyst).

My point was simply that the data IS available in one format or another and 3 months into the game you would expect that ANet would be able to access that to restore a character (a very common support issue with gamers for whatever reason). My concern is that their priorities seem all directed at new content rather than fixing what is there (yes bugs) and supporting existing clients with at least minimal facility.

Edit: Having said all that, I can see why they may have opted for the “no-restoration” policy from the get go. Character restores will take a considerable infrastructure to handle, policy development surrounding what/when will and will not be restored etc etc, avoiding exploitation and handling the inevitable whining associated with THAT process. But avoiding very basic support processes is NOT the answer just because they are difficult.

Characters are stored on ANet servers…servers are backed up regularly (well that is an assumption…. they wont deny it as they would look really silly)….therefore character data IS available…..it may be just a little bit tiresome to get it…but data IS available so why can’t characters be restored? I think it is more a policy thing again rather than a tech issue….especially over 3 months into the game.

Adore the necro concept and for the large part its potential in this game. For me it is the support role and the playstyle that demands a lot of attention. BUT I am having lots of troubles getting the max out of my necro given the current joint impact of bugs and poor trait/skill design/synergy (both incidental and intended). I have tried alts but they don’t seem to offer me anywhere near the “involvement” that a necro demands.

I have stopped playing till some of the bugs/trait issues are fixed…….I just find it so disappointing and frustrating that the issues have been going on as long as they have.

Given some improvement in the issues in the future I will come back to my necro but until then I will just read the forums looking for patch notes etc.

Agree…good work on ridding a lot of areas of botters

When they don’t want to listen they will find all manner of ways of avoiding the issue. This red post really does give us an insight into what they think of the issues raised here by the community.

1. Communication
HONEST communication about issues is NEEDED. The constant stonewalling just inflames issues and polarises the playerbase.
{We went for hundreds and hundreds of posts about issues, genuine, gamebreaking issues for the necro and never got one response. This is just like the tactics Blizz uses hoping “it will all die down”. This is how Blizz lost me and ANet is rapidly approaching that threshhold.} Your playerbase can see right through the thinly veiled “spin”.

2. Intentionally broken traits/abilities and trait structures.
If traits/abilities are too powerful then be HONEST and tone them down….don’t “futz” it by splitting the over totally unsynergistic rows or intentionally leaving them broken and ignoring the player complaints.
{add 178987] broken necro traits/abilities here}

3. Respect your clients and you will get HEAPS more respect back
{comments by someone famous like L2P Death Shroud (in its delivered context) are trolling at its most basic and not appropriate, showing only contempt and disdain for the playerbase}

Thanks…..pretty bland stuff.

Oh no, another “I think I know what this thread is about so I will trash it”. Read the kitten thread.

I just received a mail from ANet seeking feedback via some preset links in the mail. As usual every link in that mail is broken (including the support link) as it has been in every other email I have received from them.

I would really like to provide feedback but am unable to. (I was hoping to before I go in for cancer surgery this afternoon…could be a while before I am able to). Oh well I think I have said enough on the forums anyway but I am particularly keen to answer the specific feedback issues they wanted.

GreyFeathers.8175:

They are trying to keep that 2% of gamers happy that grind and do have hours to spend each day playing but your casual gamer is suffering. It’s not only new content but I see the same bias happening in normal dungeons. Try to get a group for story mode sometime ( You’re a level 80 and have not done this dungeon ? Sorry no noobs in my group ). It isn’t just this update it’s happening through out the entire game.

I still refuse to play in PUGS and if that means I can’t play certain areas so be it and if it gets to the point I’m missing out on too much I’ll simply stop playing. What they need to do is modify dungeons so smaller groups can get them done or at least allow a group of only 2 -3 players to do them. Sadly the type of player that’s rising to the attention of Anet and unfortunately the loudest on these forums isn’t the type of person I want to spend my gaming time with.

Story Mode should be something a single player can do and not a group of people. If they want to cater to P vs P and Hard Core gamers great just stop killing the casual gamer in the process as well. I have no intention of doing dungeons save for the story and game lore that’s involved and if the massive group events is what I have to look forward to, there isn’t much to look forward to. I’m not the only one who feels this way either I would expect.

I feel 100% the same as you do. I hate PUGS with a vengeance and you are right, the type of people being most pandered to are not the ones I want to play with anyway. Might just be that I am getting old and cranky, but ANet is rapidly tarnishing whatever shiny bits attracted me to the game.

I liked the event design etc and ANet need kudos for that.

Yeah I have had a bit of a whinge about the lag and some of the content was just a bit “undercooked” in terms of bugs. The horrendous lag ruined it for many (I almost quit in PH3) and ANet need to address that.

ANet also have to be commended for their rapid response to many of the bugs at the time…not easy with a bazillion users hammering away. I hope they have learned lots of lessons from this for the next time…especially that HONEST communication with the players goes a long way.

AFRDZAK.4710:

I really enjoyed it.

The Scavenger Hunt was bugged for me, so I never got going with that.

Phase 2: I was in SoS before the “invasion” of LA. But once in SoS, the event chain was very fun; and watching the island get built was pretty sweet.

Phase 3 was epic. Laggy, hectic, long…but epic and a lot of fun.

I basically agree with this.

But…the lag is a real issue and MUST me addressed in any future events.

This game already is getting a following because of its innovation compared to older more established MMO’s . Anet need to make sure that that innovation is not tarnished with half baked content and developments.

Many players have come over from other MMOs purely to avoid the arrogance of the devs and their treatment of their player base. Already I have seen ANet starting to develop the same arrogance with the players…especially with class bugs and totally ignoring player concerns (well it seems that way). This game is NOT polished enough yet for the devs to fall into that attitude. Communication, TRUTHFUL, warts and all, goes a long way.

I endured the lag-fest (even from Oceania) and the rewards were OK but I still cannot see anything one-time about what was played. Nothing changed in Lions Arch, the island is there, the mobs are there, the settlements are there, nothing has changed at all…..the only one-time thing was the ancient crab (and his hangers on). What is so one-time about this? More a policy issue than a “technical” one it looks like.

I am in Oceania (yeah upside down) and managed to get out of bed early enough to see the whole thing through…but I am retired and it was not a big issue.

Having said that, the event itself WAS NOT UNIQUE in its effect on the world after the defeat of the Boss. In my mind it could be repeated (make up some story line here about resurrection). Everything is exactly the same as before the kill…the island is still there, the trash is still there and the settlements are still there…the only thing missing is the ancient one.

I agree with the thread that the event should be repeated…especially for those who missed it….I mean it is not like it is “farmable” or “bottable”

2 almost 3 (PS and this is without the issues of being an Oceanic player and timezones)

Bugs since day 1 not even acknowledged and the lag in the event made it unplayable at times.

Many many times the Boss damage was applied immediately to me (mostly resulting in death) even though I had heals and several spells flashing, already cast, waiting, to be “processed”. At times the spell lag was over 10 seconds and then they “dropped off”.

If they are to have more of these events then PLEASE get the infrastructure right or at least make it equitable for the players.

Neferteri.7342:

This may be a crazy suggestion, but for people who apparently have had their lives ruined because they may miss out on a one-time-only event… Why not just once stay up late or get up early? Even if napping before/after, stay for half an hour or an hour. This won’t apply to people at work at the time, but for those complaining that it might be 9pm or 6am or something outside of work hours. It’s just a game, and I’d like to think that most people can deal with missing something here or there, but if it’s absolutely imperative that you get in on this, wouldn’t one night of ruined sleep be okay? It’s not like this is going to happen often. Especially as Matthew mentioned that it may be worth considering having future events at different times for different time zones.

But it is every time one of these events occurs for the same group of people…..its a global game and should be driven by a appropriate policies. I wonder what the reaction would be if the time were 9.00 am PDT Monday….every time.

Most of the arguments here seem focused on the armor itself.

What about the infusions? Are they going to end up like the BL Keys and be almost impossible to attain through play rather than having to buy them (or their components to create in the forge). My fear is that the components WILL end up having to be purchased….opinion only.

People keep looking at all the skills available to the necro, and there are a lot of good ones. But that’s the problem with a lot of the necro skills and traits. When you list them, people tend to look at the extreme of the capabilities of each and at that extreme, many of the skills are potent.

But to put them into a viable build, you cannot reach these extremes most of the time, the skills quickly are dulled by not being able to match all the prerequisites for the extreme results. Most necro builds are a poor compromise, maybe one specific skill blended with a heap of mediocre partially “implemented” skills and traits that can’t reach their full or even sometime usable potential.

This is what we miss…the synergy of our skills so they complement each other better rather than be an either/or choice into mediocrity.

And epidemic can spread conditions to those opponents who avoid your marks/wells. Focus on an opponent (usually melee) who will trigger them and use epidemic to spread it to ALL nearby enemies..including those who avoided the marks/wells. It also forces ALL nearby opponents to dispell…not just the target….sort of like an AoE semi-interupt….sort-of…but it can buy time.

The epidemic cooldown is pretty short so it can generally be applied quicker than the regen on many condition removals…..if they do dispell then its another cooldown they have used and your team may be able to take advantage of that. Our support role is NOT all about damage and spreading but our synergy with our team mates and making the opposite side do something other than zerging the team. It IS a support tool and should be looked at in conjunction with team mate condition application and not just the conditions we apply.

When you straight list all the siphon abilities, without numbers, you think WOW. Then you look at the numbers and many become very much “MEH”. Then you take out the bugged ones and try and build a playable siphon build…..hmmmmm. Then you look at a condition build..at least one of them is viable atm.

Kain Francois.4328:

As a condition warrior myself, I agree with a per-player bleed stack. I wonder how it would look on the UI though..

It could be as simple as another “condition” row for your conds only below the current one.

Maybe we could amalgamate 10 or 20 or 50 chests for say a “locker” that has something decent in it…or at least cash them in for Karma…I too haven’t seen a key in many weeks and I refuse to buy any gems after the first lot I got for keys and ended up with the garbage currently in the chests…especially at the current cost of keys.

Its not like we expect ANet to solve all the problems because the earth is round, there is a dateline in the western Pacific, people work when others play and sleep. It is just that we wish they would consider all that when they are designing/planning these once-only events and their times. If it finished a few hours earlier then most of the Oceanic player could still participate AND go to work…although it would mean a very early morning for them…..just some more thought about your WHOLE playerbase and not just the biggest numbers.

We in the Antipodes always cop this (remember WoW anyone)….it is the Sunday (PT)/Monday ( Oceanic work-time) issue we have all experienced before and unfortunately numbers rule apparently….if we are not from the USA or Euro then bad luck…

Hey my JH actually hit a mob and killed it.

Delryn.7235:

Serpent Eyed.8365:

only thing that made it hard to do is that because of distance, only my Flesh Wurm attacked instantly, where as mobile minion were as hard to get to attack the dragon as to make Charr vegetarian

That actually made me think. It’s true that whenever I summon my flesh wurm he’s the only minion that WILL attack instantly and keep attacking until all the enemies engaging it or I have died, and he’s immobile. All the other minions MUST follow you and they all have a horrible time actually being part of the fight.

I think it’s because for the mobile minions their top priority is following you, so if you’re moving around or the enemy they need to attack is too far from you, they simply won’t attack because they need to make sure to stay close enough to you. Or they might simply stop attacking and run to your side because they need to make sure to follow you, happened many times to me – which also explains why the ranged mobile minions have an easier time fighting since they can attack while still remaining close to you.

Could be but I have had my flesh golem wander off into the distance attacking all manner of objects(Hirathi Highlands) and mobs(where ever they want)…a long way from me.

Sheesh…I just wish they would fix the bugs on the skills we already have…..especially before any additions/expansions gobble up their resources needed to fix them.

As mentioned in another thread I am also having troubled with sigils on weapons not appearing to trigger their benefits.

I too have noticed that the sigils do not always trigger on weapon swaps.

I run a condition necro using a staff/dual dagger setup with sigils of geomancy(mainhand) and doom(offhand) on the daggers.

The bleed (geomancy) is only triggered sometimes during the weapon swap and I have not seen the poison (doom) trigger at all….and I am not only talking about the graphics of the proc (which also seems random) but the actual debuff placed on the mob I am fighting.

And on top of all the above they are on a cooldown….WHY? Cooldowns do not belong on passives….they are meant to impose a choice on scarce resources…not as a direct nerf.

Also I am trying to come to grips with minor traits having a compulsory 30 sec cooldown. Seeing they are not optional in the trait line and cannot be avoided/withheld during use, isn’t it a bit counter intuitive for them to carry a cooldown. If it a matter of nerfing the ability then adjusting the raw damage/healing is a far more equitable way rather than a cooldown on a trait-line-mandatory skill.

Edit: My understanding is that cooldowns are to make you value a resource and when you chose to use them. These passive but mandatory trait skills do not fit this type of resource/skills management.

barti.7685:

it’s a great day for necro because a dev decided to type 5 sentences in.. i would call it a great day for necros if some of the bugs are fixed imo

Exactly…actions speak louder than words (I heard that before somewhere). I hope and hope this is not just spin.

The problem is that it is compulsory in that trait line. a simple solution would be to make them an optional trait say at 10 points in the curses line and make one of the other traits that is currently available at the 10 point mark the compulsory 5 trait.

Next patch…just fix some bugs for goodness sake….this is not what we paid for.
Longer term…..Minion AI, trait synergies/trees, relative damage.

Reanimator…..i have yet to see it do anything at all that adds value and is worth 5 trait points
Full of life……I think someone got the percentages or sign wrong in that one….useless for another 5 trait points
Flesh Worm…as already said an immoveable melee?

Plus add the general lack of synergy between traits and trait trees as already mentioned above.

Please…some necro fixes ….with about a third of our skills bugged…yes a third …especially in the blood line……we are corralled into support condition roles that have little synergy with the bugged and disjoint trait combinations.

^ won’t happen. They are adopting the Blizz standard stonewalling tactics in dealing with broken classes and legitimate complaints about class bugs. I have all but given up expecting any meaningful repair of the class.

Although it is mentioned that there are 4-5 possible 2.5 second fears (above) how many of them can we actually fit into ONE VIABLE build without completely butchering the build.

Hmmmm…..I think we have frightened him off for now……..

Truly though, thanks for the post Karl. Some feedback on other issues would go a LOOOONG way to quelling the rising tide of resentment that has come about mainly due to the isolation and abandonment felt by many necros who have posted bugs on the forums.

If the damage is a percentage of the players death shroud life force then we logically can only take the same number of hits? IE bigger life force =bigger individual hits as % stays the same…in other words the damage scales directly with the size of the life force???
EDIT: der
OK I see it now…..you would still think the ticks should not scale with the increased life force…but I can see why they have done it that way…ease of coding.

In other words, if i read that right, THEIR DAMAGE scales with our life force…..that is plain dumb and poor design as we get no benefit at all from the extra life force.

Why do I get the feeling we are becoming more broken every day…..no wonder I have stopped playing…waiting for some dev activity to prevail in fixing our bugs.

It is the lack of meaningful feedback that aggravates a community more than anything else. We have posted hundreds of detailed posts but have gotten little feedback or directional statements from ANet which would allow us to get a handle on our favorite class’s bug fixes. All we need is SOME…ANY…meaningful feedback on the major bug issues.

As I said in another thread….it is what “floats your boat” at the time.

Sometimes I just want the unpressured freestyle of GW2….sometimes I want the linear hack and slash of D3 and sometimes I want the discipline that the WoW gear treadmill imposes. I sincerely doubt any one game can fulfill all those roles simultaneously in a meaningful and sustainable way. It is horses for courses most of the time. And when you think about it many people expressing their differing views about the game really only reflect this.

Thanks…..I was wondering

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