Guild Wars 2

Patch is live.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/info/updates/Game-Update-Notes-March-16-2015/first#post4882432

Vargamonth.2047:

I don’t expect the beta tests to start rigth now, but if people are expecting to have specializations introduced on a weekly basis, that would mean a 2 month dealy at least, which I wouldn’t call “shortly” at all.
It’s either that, or beta testers not having access to specializations (which is definitely something that should receive extensive testing and feedback) and some other relevant features for quite a long time.

You seems to assume that there will only be one beta test. It is rather likely that there will be many different tests, focusing on different things. It is also quite possible that the specializations will start being tested before they have all had their deep dive.

Vargamonth.2047:

Closed beta tests were announced to start shortly after Rezzed (which is already over) and to be free of NDA, so I expected to have loads of information by now.
Either I have a completely different idea about the meaning of “shortly”, or the amount of content on those beta tests is going to be ridiculously small at best.

Rezzed ended yesterday.
Shortly doesn’t mean 2 seconds after.
It means a couple of days or possibly a week.

raubvogel.5071:

They say Q3. See page 4 http://www.kdbdw.com/bbs/download/193934.pdf?attachmentId=193934

To be fair they have said expansion for Guild Wars 2 every year since release. They are just speculating. And have been very much wrong before.

I would assume the main reason for lack of new info is due to PAX East and Rezzed. Both which are now over, which should mean they should start going back to their weekly blogs.

Closed beta should start up this or next week. After that we should be able to get an ETA.

Siphaed.9235:

Unfortunately, no ETA yet. And that is very worrisome too.

See, when Heavensword was announced back in October 2014 for FFXIV, they still had a ballpark of “Spring 2015” rearing and ready. Now it’s only 5 months later and they’ve got a solid release date, pricing, and versions.

GW2 HoT announced in January of this year with 0 ballpark and 0 information about anything other than that there would be a boxed version. No season for release, no year, and certainly no pricing.

So you would rather they just have a set release date no matter how beta testing goes and potentially release something that is completely broken?
Setting a release date/period more or less forces them to release is at that time, anything else would be a PR nightmare. Just like how releasing a broken game would be a PR nightmare. So basically a lose/lose.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

Last I heard, they disbanded or cut back on their dungeon team after the head guy left and afaik wasn’t replaced.

They merged the dungeon team into the LS teams. And two of the most celebrated dungeons (Molten Dungeon and Aetherblade Retreat) were done AFTER that happened.

Still no confirmation if there will be a build saver or not as far as I am aware.

One could of course point out that we have clearly survived for almost 2,5 year without one, so it is probably not that high on the priority list.

Don’t waste support time for something like this.

You won’t get an item for an event that almost 2,5 years ago. Especially not since it could potentially be impossible to prove that you were actually there.

Meglobob.8620:

The utter stupity of Anet devs NEVER FAILS to surprise me…

STOP! STOP! Removing content already in the game…no other devs do it and for very, very good reasons.

Actually it is quite usual for devs (especially in MMOs) to remove stuff, I would actually say that most do it.

It is also a big sad to see people rage without actually checking the information first.
They made it rather clear that it will not be removed permanently but rather be put into rotation a while after release. But I suppose that doesn’t matter?

I got the impression that the new map will actually be BETTER for fighting against each other. Mainly due to it breaking up massive zerg-balls that runs around in the current ones.

Also keep in mind that they did seem to imply that they will put it on rotation at some point after release, so we will most likely get the old borderlands back now and then as well.

PorceleinEve.2973:

well, no new dungeons, no new fractals, no trait saving, not many maps, not much map diversity either (all in jungle), no new race, no fix of the zhaitan fight, no underwater combat revamp, no new weapons (still no blacksmith in tyria thought to make a huge axe that needs both hands) still the same gear for us to grind. let’s be honest, the jury is out on those things.

we’re still waiting for the evidence on the specializations.

if this isn’t a filler expansion while they work on a proper one i don’t know what is…

You seems to know very much about stuff that have not been mentioned at all actually, so would love to see a source for all this.
Or is it simply you assuming stuff, which is basically what the whole point of the post you quoted was?

We still have heard nothing about the challenging group content.
We have heard nothing about the number of maps.
We have not hear anything about if all maps will be jungle (in fact we have seen areas in the trailer that are desert, which is quite possible that it will be playable).
No new playable race is indeed confirmed.
No information about changes to Zhaitan fight, but unlikely that they would “waste” resources on something like that.
Why waste time on underwater combat when a very small part of the game uses it and no new content for it will come with the expansion?
What would new weapons add to the game that is not already here?

So about half the stuff you claim to know about is something we have basically no information about.

GW1 support team is quite small.

GW2 issues takes much higher priority.

minbariguy.7504:

I guess my point is that there wouldn’t be so many unhappy frustrated people posting on the forums if ANet communicated more clearly. And ANet is completely missing out on a chance for the internet to see them working hard to communicate with their players, which would vastly improve their reputation as a company.

How many unhappy posts are in regards to being upset with being kept in the dark with no communication or information? Now imagine the forums without all those posts because ANet finally decided to communicate.

Now…doesn’t that make the forums a happier place? :-)

But thats just the thing.
During release and the time after that they WERE communicating more. And yet there were still just as much people complaining and attacking them on every turn, thus they decreased the communication, in order to avoid having to spend time feeling bad about people attacking them (and yes, many attacks were directed towards specific members of the team).

rotten.9753:

Let me rephrase, which gear should I pick instead of berserker’s?

For getting optimal at support and control?

Giver’s.

Ah yes, I am sure they did choose to get the bad publicity that comes with a delayed patch on purpose…..

Why would they even announce a release date on March 10th if they planned it for March 31th all along?

rotten.9753:

Which gear helps me in being better at controlling mobs? Which stat exactly?

For support, healing power helps only in reactive support which is much worse than active one.

Condition duration?
Boon duration?

Malediktus.3740:

We need an update on the update. Or do you intend to release this next Tueday? 2 Weeks later it would be 31.03. I think this is just a ploy to stretch the few updates before the addon even thinner.

But what can they say?

“We are working on it. It will be released when it is ready”

Will that satisfy anyone or will it just create even more annoyance and rage?

rotten.9753:

Ye….

I don’t think you understand the difference between a build and a gear. Since when using zerker gear stops you from running full support or full control spec?

Nothing stops you from doing it. But you will be doing it quite badly compared to someone that actually have the stats for it.

Gear is rather often seen as a part of a build after all.

The problem is that the game is not even remotely close to being built for a console.
Most (all?) other MMOs that have come to console have been built with console play in mind.

Silicato.4603:

Selecting specific betatesters.

An example:

Imaging that you do a product and you want to sell it. You need reviews, to make it popular, and you need good reviews, to make it desireble.

And you have this pool to make the job of reviewing:

- a lot of persons who doesnt know you or your product and that in addition nobody knows about them and have 0 influence on others
- your parents & family
- your friends (some of them veeeery influencial, with a lot of followers)
- your competency, who hates you, and are very influencial
- your enemies

You decide to not have NDA (cause the goal was to sell the product, it is no time for secrets, but for good reviews)

So who will you select? Or better: who you’ll never select?

When you choose your friends and your family you dont have to fear about bad reviews, even if there is NDA. And when you choose influential people, you’ll sell better that good reviews.

Thats why i expect this phase of betas is for people diferent than the most of us: we are just players, we are not influencial and our opinion is not bought yet by friendship.

That is of course assuming that friends and family:

1: Don’t already have access to the alpha.
2: Will outright lie about the game if they find it bad.

I don’t know about you, but when I ask for feedback from friends and family they usually don’t lie about what I am doing bad.

No, Monday is one week, seeing as you got a response on Monday.

They do work 24/7 every day of the year.

Even with all information it will take time to investigate things and such. Especially if there is a high load on support at the moment.

1 week?
Monday was 3 days ago. That is not even half a week. Also keep in mind that just “removing the authenticator” is a rather big thing. They must make sure that you are the real owner and such after all. Especially if you have had your account compromised.

That said the reason for the delay might be all new people streaming in from the sale last weekend.

PvP is a game mode, they won’t really scrap a game mode unless there were really good reasons for it. And based on the amount of tournaments they have it seems rather likely that PvP is actually a rather active thing.

Dungeons are part of a game mode on the other hand, in which most people don’t do them.

You post is also very ironic..

^ So they should focus on developing every single aspect of the game that was here at release despite how small part of the community actually uses it?

That is not really a good use of resources.
A good use of resources is to put resources into the things that the majority of the players do.

Sariel V.7024:

Assume that’s true. That puts the release date at a minimum of 8-9 weeks away, and that’s assuming they start talking about the specializations this week.

I’d say we’re looking at late summer at the earliest.

Well seeing as BETA haven’t even started yet I don’t think anyone thought that it would be here sooner than that.

And how are they going to implement Hard mode and Vanquish in a game where the maps are open world and enemies respawn?

ZudetGambeous.9573:

In a typical boxed expansion, the majority of the repeatable content is in the form of dungeons/raids. Generally for a $40 expansion you will get 8-10 dungeons with 8-10 additional hard modes, and 2-3 raids. These dungeons are generally what keep people playing the content as they search for new gear and master the encounters…

Is there an equivalent in HoT? What will keep us playing after we finish the story 2-3 weeks in?

I just haven’t seen any info on this, i’m sure it is somewhere, but I can’t find it.

Keep in mind that it is typical for games that need people to stick around for months and pay subscriptions. Games with no subscription usually don’t focus all that much on making grinding dungeons a top priority in expansions, simply due to them not needing people to stick around.

I would also love to see examples of all these $40 expansions that gives 8-10 dungeons, 8-10 hard modes and 2-3 raids. All I could think of that would even come close to that would be WoW, and as far as I am aware that have not been the case for quite some time.
There is also the little detail that you pay about $180 a year just to play it.

^ Actually based on information around the web he left on his own accord rather than being fired, so that theory doesn’t really hold.

Ragnarox.9601:

If they give us new skills new utilities new traits then ok, but having only 1 weapon with no change to other things 60 € is just too expensive… 20€ should be the price.

We already know that we will get new skills, new utilities and new traits.

bababear.9630:

Is there any new info on when we’ll get this patch :< next Tuesday would be nice but I get the feeling we’ll be waiting longer.

When it is ready.
They will not give us any information before that most likely.

The problem is that it is usually those people that are posting (happy people usually don’t post about being happy after all), and it is those people that are getting heard or seen by the larger internet. Which hurts both the game and ArenaNet as a company.

Dondarrion.2748:

Just watching a video now of Phantaram teaching him PvP… how’d Sodapoppin get the Llama Finisher already??

Because the Llama Finisher is buyable in the gem store at rank/level 1? :P

Stability is currently too strong.
This change will mix everything up a bit and require some bit of thinking rather than just spamming stability. This is a good change. And if it turns out to not work out well I am certain that ArenaNet will change it back or to something else.

Silicato.4603:

Cause it is easier to manage and control the opinion of 20 than 200. And it is not the same the opinion of a person with 2 followers that the opinion with 20.000 followers. Ones is more influential than the other.

In any case We well see if i am right or not when we knew who are the chosen ones and what kind of public internet coverage (or how i like to call it: marketing) they do.

But how can they control the opinion of people if there is no NDA?
Even if I have a grand total of no followers at this point, if I start streaming HoT beta I am quite certain that I would start getting rather many followers rather quick. And ArenaNet could do nothing at all about stopping me from saying whatever I want, due to the lack of NDA.

If they wanted to control what people said they would have an NDA that stopped people from saying what they wanted.

Test.8734:

Are we in bizarro world now? Are you saying that ArenaNet did not just lose Chris Whiteside, who was Lead Producer?

I am just pointing out that Chris haven’t been a Lead Producer for quite some time. Thus him leaving now does not mean losing a Lead Producer, seeing as that was not his title.

BobbyStein.2315:

This is good advice. While I don’t have a firm release date to share just yet, I do recommend that you wait until the Personal Story is restored (with minor improvements) before playing into chapter 6.

I’ll be making a post in the next couple of weeks that will give more details on what changes the update will include.

Edit: Also, thanks for playing. Looking forward to seeing the videos. Are you playing on NA or EU servers?

From this thread: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/lore/Recently-started-lore-focused-let-s-play/first#post4868746

I would assume that they are considering all possibilities, but there simply isn’t enough demand for a SEA server for it to be worth investing in it.

Test.8734:

Thus how small the expansion appears to be. It would be more a last, desperate effort while trying to prevent key people (like the Lead Producer) from leaving the company, than something carefully planned and polished.

Chris have not been a lead producer for a very long time. Yes, it is a big loss, but people keep claiming ArenaNet lost something they didn’t actually lose.

They have stated multiple time since more or less release that they have big projects working in the background. It is very likely that this is one of these projects.
We also know that the Sylvari thing was planned from the start and yes, while it is fully possible that they could deliver it with the Living Story system, it is unlikely that it would work out well.

lighter.2708:

Isn’t that just a beautiful way of saying you will be paying for nothing.
ill see how many content it actually has on release, if it is only as many content as a major patch that other games get every three month for free but for 60 dollars then i’ll rethink the purchase.

I would love to see all these other games that give major patches every three months for free actually.

Vikkela.7261:

The guys saying it is “because you have a bad internet/computer”, need to read this:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/support/Latency-Lag-for-EU-Players-merged/first

Which is a rather ironic thread to post though, seeing as the thing that thread does is more or less prove the whole “bad internet” (in this case suppliers) part.

People disliked it because it was content delivered in small pieces rather than something big at one time. Like lets say an expansion.

But then again now people complain about not getting stuff every two weeks while we wait for the expansions.

Simply goes to show that people will complain about whatever system of delivery is currently used.

Doggie.3184:

On this note, is Josh Foreman still with Anet? I hadn’t seen him around for a while and heard rumors of him not with Anet anymoar and it doesn’t say that on the wiki.

I believe he was in a Point of Interest quite recently.

Dadnir.5038:

I’d say around 2 to 3 month before they realease the xpac (or maybe before beta release)

Beta release should be in a few weeks so it is unlikely we will have heard about all of them by that time at least.

Galphar.3901:

And that’s why we have a 89 page Traits thread that got closed and a second Traits thread that is now up to 10+ pages with no real input from any dev. I’ll believe the “more communication with the community” when I see it.

You are aware that the 89 page thread actually have a post that outright state that the traitsystem will be changed with HoT and that we will know more before release, right?

AhmiraSoulrage.1387:

obviously I dont understand how this megaserver thing works. So since you all are in agreement that I’m stupid, can you explain how you find your friends from other servers. How you ensure your in the same group or whatnot. guild invites work like friends? I’ll try to understand the linked post when I’m not working

Guild are cross-server.

All maps in PvE is also shared by all servers (of the specific region).

When you join a group and go to a map it should put you in the same map, if not you can right-click on the portrait of the other person and press Join in [map name] that will move you to the same version of the map, unless said map is full. Then the other person can join you instead.

And yet it happens every single time. Which is why they no longer give us information like that.

No one gains anything from yet another groundless kittenstorm.

And yet people would take that as a promise and if it wasn’t released within a week a major kittenstorm would happen.

BellewTheBear.2081:

Soooo….still no update or communication? Does the patch need a day or two of QA? Or a week or two? How is the QA going so far? Is everything panning out or is it a jumbled mess? A little information would be nice to hear.

What can they say if there is nothing new to report?

“Hello guys, I just dropping in to say that there is nothing to say. Bye!”