EphraimGlass

Who needs math? Us simple country folk get along just fine without any of that there fancy stuff.

1? Chaaaaarge!
1, 2, 3 .... RUUUUNNNN!!!!
veteran? hmmm, ok give it a shot.
champion? fugetaboudit!
PvP? No way, Jose!

I'm not a min/maxer and I've never used spreadsheets for games. Sure, I equip the best gear that I can conveniently acquire, but I don't go nuts over it. In games with gear treadmills, I ignored dungeons and raids and just played the bits that I enjoyed. If any part of the main quest line or a story arc required specific gear and that gear was difficult or took a long time to get, I quit the game. Anyone wants call me noob because of my gear or attitude towards gear? They can go right ahead. No skin off my nose. Among my 9 characters, I only have 3 pieces of exotic gear and 4 of them have dinged 80. My main, who is level 80, has 1 exotic and the rest is a mix of blue, green and yellow - yes, level 72 blue boots, iirc. Thank all the gods of Tyria and warm fuzzy kittens that none of the PvE content is gated behind minimum gear requirements. Eventually, my characters will have gear that combine t3 racial skins with crafted exotic stats, but that is stil months down the road.

A few days ago, my thief, level 58 at the time, got a green head piece drop. When checking the dropped head piece against what my thief was wearing, I was surprised to see that she was wearing a level 7 mask. Granted that she undoubtedly could have survived some fatal encounters with more level appropriate gear, but those few occasions aren't enough to justify me grinding for higher stat gear.

And my response in that same thread:

Quote

Dear Anet,

I do not like your new more powerful gear
I do not want to feel like I have to drudgingly play through your game for the privilage of having fun playing your game
I will run dungeons because it is fun and I feel like it
I will sPvP because it is fun and I feel like it
I will WvW because it is fun and I feel like it
The promise of shinys does not make me want to do somthing, nore does it make it fun
If I wanted to work for shinys I would do it in real life, real life does it better - its called a job

I play a game to play a game

I work to work

Do you get it if I type in short sentences? Because I do not think you do


Sincerely,

Briar

PS. When I am bored I will stop playing, this should be a non issue as you already have my money

Brilliant, Enkidu!

This was a major element in Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep, which featured an alien race (the Tines) with a sort of hive mind mediated by constant ultrasonic communication. "Persons" to this race were actually packs of several individuals that, in isolation, were unintelligent. If the individual units of a person spread out too much, communication degraded and the mind started to disintegrate. If two pack/persons got too close to each other, their internal communications became disrupted, causing other problems.

When this race was introduced to communication technology, their options expanded enormously. A pack could be covered in sound-deadening material loaded with communication gear. The pack could spread out as far as it liked without losing intelligence, and could intermingle with another pack communicating on a different frequency.

A bunch of skritt with throat mikes and earbuds could be awesome in operation.

I'll make this short and simple

Don't Spawn Camp

act like you've won before.. in all the matches Janthir has won, we have never spawn camped (hint: pushing people back to their spawn is NOT spawn camping)

spawn camping is something immature bored people do

this serves two purposes
1. it guarantees your enemies will be able to push out giving you fights even if the score is lopsided (case example FA dominating the map last night even though the match has been decided)
2. you'll always have some fights somewhere because people will be able to move out

it's easy to spawn camp

specially when the other team has stopped playing, it's ridiculously easy to spawn camp

really the only servers I can think of that does NOT camp is Denravi and Janthir

I know NSP is dominating the lower tiers so i'm not sure if they're spawn camping since there're no reports of it

but just a psa

don't spawn camp

CandyPanda, on 24 September 2012 - 02:35 PM, said:

This is correct. If you do 1 run per day per dungeon, you gain 30 tokens for that run. If you do all three paths, that's 90 tokens. In less than 5 days, you will own an exotic two-handed weapon.

The point is to not rush content. As it is, I am halfway done for my Inquest Shortbow, arguably one of the worst dungeons to do -- Crucible of Eternity. It only becomes a grind if you force yourself to run it. Do one a day, get your items slowly and don't force yourself to do a dungeon if you don't want to that day.

I think it's safe to say that if you want to be doing damage at range, you should roll a different class.  But the Guard is far from useless in wvw.

I won't reiterate what others have already said about Wall of Reflection and Sanctuary, because those along with Line of Warding can turn the tide of a battle in your favor if used at the proper times.  Yes, like others have said, you won't get as many drops.  But what you will get is your teammates in vent saying,  "That Wall of Reflection was awesome" or "Way to split their entire team in half with Line of Warding" or "Your sanctuary saved my ass".  I don't hear anyone saying "Man, awesome timing on your Hundred Blades!"

Going full support in wvw, I never have a shortage of things to do and am having a blast.  Even if you're not getting as many drops, I think you would be hard pressed to find a class that is more valuable to a coordinated group.

I do apologize for making another topic about this, but I had to.
I had to because I'm miffed.
I had to because I love this game and I want it to be the best it can be.

Let me spew a few things out and then you can give me your thoughts on them.


Balance.

What is balance? I suppose for most people it's an equal opportunity environment.
Let me explain to you something from a logics point of view.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BALANCE

Allow me to explain. This is PvP. Player versus player. The very name is self-descriptive. The basic act is two players struggling for dominance. The goal is to defeat the other player. You cannot defeat the other player without... you guessed it, and ADVANTAGE. Without an advantage, both players would basically mirror. There is no victor, ever.

Where does advantage come from?
Multiple things, my friend, multiple things. In the context of a gw2 player versus another gw2 player, advantage comes in: position, line of sight, visibility, mobility, gear, weapon strength, weapon range, skills, stats points, levels, boosts, latency, player skill, player reactions, player analysis. These, along with others, are things that, if taken advantage of, will allow you to defeat another player.


What players think they want.

Let's take a look at human nature, if you will. Everyone believes that they have something special to offer. Humans in general love competition, which is basically the act of PROVING your superiority in some form or facet. So, when players cry BALANCE, they don't want two 110lb guys each armed with a dull stick and the same fighting experience hitting eachother until they die simultaneously (because that is what balance is.) PLAYERS DESIRE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THEIR ADVANTAGE AT SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM. In many games, you will often see players only desire to have it based on SKILL.

"It's not about gear, it's not about levels, it's just SKILL that determines the victor."

GUESS WHAT?! SKILL IS A LIE! IT'S A WORD YOU USE TO DEFINE THE UNDEFINEABLE. Skill often is a vague word that players use to describe THEIR advantages or strengths in a certain situation. Skill is in actuality a combination of various things. It could be responsiveness, critical thinking, ability to analyze the situation, ability to memorize, judgement, communication. They're all attributes that we find desirable, so skill is the summation of those. Skill is the word you use to basically define what makes one human being superior to another.


Why players don't like these aspects of WvWvW

Players are notoriously emotional. Although we don't think of it, as soon as something seems to fall outside of our definition of 'skill', we feel like something is unfair. Why don't you like night raids in WvWvW? Because you can't control it! You were not given the opportunity to compete and yet it affected you! Of course you're mad! Why don't you like orbs? You can't get those on your own! You needed a team, and your TEAM let you down! It wasn't fair. Now you have a disadvantage! WTF?!

Well, guess what? Your definition of FAIR is BIASED and WRONG.
If you assault an enemy keep, and a player gets into a cannon, he CLEARLY has an advantage over you. Do you think that's UNFAIR? No! Why? "Because you are assaulting a keep! You have put yourself into a disadvantageous situation on purpose so it's FAIR!" YOU HAD CONTROL! You didn't have to assault that keep. IN REALITY, HAVING A KEEP IS JUST AS UNBALANCED AS HAVING AN ORB OR HAVING MORE PLAYERS.

Why don't we view these other things as unfair? There are probably many reasons. But we believe and know that we ALL had access to these keeps, and we ALL worked to take them. No one started with more keeps. So why are orbs or having more players unfair? They aren't! You just think they are! You can't explain why, but your emotions give you that response!

GUESS WHAT? People worked for those ORBS! People used 'SKILL' (judgement, thinking) to play on a server with enough people, or to get in the battlegrounds ASAP and take the orbs as fast as possible BECAUSE THEY KNOW it's important.

Let's be honest here and I'm going to make a big statement.
If you aren't playing WvWvW with all of your time, spending all of your gold on siege, being level 80 with the best gear, etc, you are not as skilled  in wvwvw as someone who has.

We all knew the rules. We were all aware of what it takes to win. You CHOSE to not be as skilled as you can be, because you have other things that are more important to you. THAT'S FINE! But realize that people who CHOOSE to make WvWvW the most important will be better at it and win more often.

These are just facts.

Don't be a punk! WvWvW should not cater to you and your definition of 'skill'! Part of the fun is seeing if your OTHER SKILLS can make up for the ones you LACK (such as orbs or less players). And if you just don't like it? Don't play it! I do not mean to be one of those people that say 'haha go back to WoW'. But it just makes sense. If you don't like the gladiator arena, you don't join it! You do not decide to change the gladiator arena to make it fit your rules.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL SERVERS START THE WEEK ON THE SAME LEVEL. THAT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ENVIRONMENT. THE GAME IS 'BALANCED'.

I much prefer the experience (as in the gameplay and camaraderie  not xp) being the reward. That may not incentivize one to come back to grind again and again and again, but they supposedly wanted to avoid that and that's what the multiple options and high cost dungeon armor are for. Even then, I would try to avoid fetishizing the armor as a relentless goal, but take it as a side benefit of the dungeons you so love to do. If you don't love to do dungeons... Why are you doing them?

Now as for some bug fixes, tweaks, and tuning, there's certainly that to be done, but anyone surprised that it isn't perfect within the first week of launch is insane.

I dont think the elistist attitude will be such an issue. For starters the majority of the people doing dungeons (which is essentially the only place where they can "keep you out") will be doing dungeons to get their exotics anyway! Its a bit of circular reasoning I think.

I will need exotics to be accepted in the dungeon which most people will repeat just to get the exotics. I know that some people just like doing dungeons and will keep doing them beyond getting their Exotics and thats fine that however still doesnt change the fact that there will be plenty of other people who are still trying to get exotics who will be more then happy to team with you. If a group of players think that 4 - 6% advantage is that important frankly I feel Iwouldnt want to join them because chances are it will not be fun playing with them anyway and Exotics or not Exotics If I am doing any content I am doing to have fun first and foremost.

Knowing how to play you character and helping out your team is definitely more important. The first time I did Ascalon Catacombs during the 2nd beta weekend I joined a PUG, 2 of the PUG had tried the dungeon before us but just couldnt finish it and had to give up. The other 3 were going to run it for the first time. We had a really smooth ride and the 2 who had failed before just couldnt believe it! Its not like any of us had exotics yet. I have no doubt that player skill is many folds more imporant than any statistical advantage!

That being said aquiring Exotics is just a matter of time. Luckly every gameplay mode enables you to get them. Yes it takes a huge amount of time but there is no need to get out of your way to get them really. Just play the game the way you enjoy and when you can afford them buy them or craft them. Its a simple as that!

Jump to the left?

Yep, it was also on this site:
https://sites.google...update-tracking

I figured someone would post it eventually. Big dragons means we're gonna need big weapons. Really, big weapons.

"Yo, I heard you wanted to fight dragons, so I placed dragons inside your dragon so you can fight dragons while fighting a dragon."

Sorry, had to do it XD

Reikou, on 30 July 2012 - 05:46 PM, said:

Thanks for your long thought out OP.  Your concerns are valid and honestly, if I didn't think the way I did, nor experienced what I did through three betas and two stress tests in WvW (I spent most of my time in WvW), I may be concerned too.  I have faced the dreaded swaps in Ilum... seen "trade fights" take place... things that just make me wanna cry.

First and foremost - I play WvW for fun... not for rewards, not for exp, not for gold.  If I wanted more karma, more exp, more gold, I'd be doing it in PvE... which honestly, I think levels and rewards players MUCH more than WvW, even with objective trades.  I don't care about server wide buffs... I never bothered to check what they were.  I have a lot of fun fighting... and I have a LOT of server pride along with guild pride.  If I represent my guild well and at least one person recognizes our contributions to WvW, I am happy.  Fortunately on the server I'm on, many guilds already recognize us because we've had a history of gaming together.

Second - as a few others pointed out.  ALL IT TAKES IS ONE TROLL LIKE ME to wreck this whole trading system.  I remember back in Daoc, players use to "trade kills" to try and farm realm ranks.  Our forces would just constantly mow down these "illegal" 'bouts.  The server itself enforced trade kills and in the end of the day, players KNEW who was legit and who wasn't.  That's what mattered.  Regardless, I can muster up enough players like me who will refuse to cooperate.  I know my guild will refuse, and I know many other guilds on our server who will detest this behavior.  We will rush out and kill, and slaughter, or be slaughtered.  The easiest thing for us to do is set up siege and bunker in at a tower that one of these servers are supposed to take over... and the funny thing is... at the end of the battle we would have gotten MORE rewards for defending, not only in the timed (I think 3 minutes) defense bonus, but also from all the kills and loot bags we'll wrack up.  In fact, I believe my server will be a TROLL server against this system of trade.  Sucks to be trader servers that are matched up against us.  =)

Third - for those that want reward... defend.  Defense will remain a viable way of consistently getting rewards.  Sure we get a bonus every three minutes.  Great... but we also wrack up rewards through kills.  More so, if the enemies get demoralized and go elsewhere... we just FOLLOW them.  Okay, so ONE server on our map quit.  We'll head to the other server attacking our towers and defend against them.  They quit too?  Well, we'll go to another map... heck, there are three more right?  By the time we finish with trade players there.., we can rotate back to the map we started on.  And after that... seriously, that's probably like 4-6 hours of gameplay right there.  I'd dead tired and need a break.

Even worse so... let them wreck open the doors to Stonemist... players are so damned bloodthirsty that they'll rush there over and over and over again without bothering with the 3rf floor defense... or for keeps, with the 2nd floor defense.  Players have bumrushed Stonemist for HOURS ON END... dying to arrow carts and ballista in the Lord room, because that's how players are.  God you know how many videos are out there about how a group of 5 or 10 defended against HUNDREDS for HOURS on end at Stonemist?  And how long do you think it will take to demoralize an entire SERVER from claiming what is rightfully theirs through political negotiations?  An hour?  Two hours?  Maybe three?  Regardless, the defenders are reaping way more rewards in the end... let em' get demoralized.  I couldn't care less if I was defending...they are a trade server.

Now about that server pride...  Have you or others, heard of games like Daoc, or Warhammer On-line?  I'm not being sarcastic or condescending, but rather giving examples of games where "faction pride" was extremely high.  Faction pride was huge on the pvp servers.  It was all about which faction was greater... or who did what and killed whom when...  If you checked the server forums, they were filled with flaming left and right... damn, check our Guru forums now... they are starting to swell with a lot of bragging... and it doesn't even have to do with server pride... let's talk GUILD PRIDE!  And honestly, it's not just the ex-Daocers or War vets... but any pvp oriented guild who wants blood, blood, and more blood.  Trade Servers are going to hate them and not want them fighting on their warfronts.  The pure flat out competitive spirit of players will come out... and honestly, right now, the rewards mean jack crap to me... they do NOT outweigh the fun factor nor the server or guild pride factor.  ANet did nothing of the sort to create stupid daily or weekly quests ala Ilum.  They have kept it reasonable, and almost... negligible to players like myself who don't even notice them.

And what rewards are we talking about again?  What, 1000exp for defending a tower for 3 minutes?  Or however many minutes?  That's it?  Seriously?  What, when I hit 80 I'mma farm Skill Points in WvW?  Is there a grind somewhere that I'm missing?  Badges of Honor for armor?  I don't see the draw to this "reward" that's being addressed.  Then again I tend to be blind to these things... please please point out the great rewards we get from WvW... because I honestly don't see them on a game mechanics level.

Now rewards of great memories and battles and friendships forged in the heat of battle... that I understand.

So in light of my experiences, I highly suspect that at least on my server, we won't have that ultra-politically charged merry-go-round objective trading going on.  =)

Smarter? Honestly, anyone can successfully master the basics of WvW with an average IQ. It's not like you need to have graduated form West Point to play. The key factor in success is organistation and leadership and when they are lacking you just have to accept the reality of the situation and blend into the zerg to make the best of it until your friends and team mates come online.

Some people will simply refuse to follow the plan. To some it's just more fun to run around attacking random players than playing the objectives. Some don't even know what the objectives are. Some see winning and losing as secondary to having fun, and their fun is not derived from their success.

In my experience of PvP, FPS, MOBA competitive gameplay I find that the single most destructive player is the one yelling and screaming and insulting everyone else. He destroys the morale of the group. It's the dumbest thing you can do imo. Yelling at random people in chat does not help anyone, it is the opposite of leadership, it's just begging to lose... a fact that is usually in evidence when they complain that they always get teamed with noobs and haven't won a game all day.

For the majority of the players, WvW will not be the entire game. WvW should be there for those times when I feel like sieging a keep or taking my little part in a huge strategic battle.  

If I am part of an organized team when I do so, that is great. If I decide to hop in solo and look for other people (or go on a sentry hunt), then that should be fine as well.

There will be players (hopefully on every server) who take it really seriously. That is a good thing. It will provide a more dynamic atmosphere in the zones. At the same time, their experience in WvW is no more important than the player who decides to hop in for an hour or two on a random Thursday afternoon while waiting for friends to log before raiding Orr.

So, this concept of casual/hardcore is really moot. The zone design allows for many different types of players to fight alongside (and against) one another and still have fun. Any future designs should be in furtherance of that model.

As to rewards, that issue applies to the whole game. You don't get a reward after you play a game of football in the back yard with friends - you do it just because it is fun. We have been conditioned by other MMOs to expect rewards in order to keep us playing and paying (http://en.wikipedia....tioning_chamber). Changing that conditioning may feel awkward and, for some, will take time, but we can recondition ourselves to play just for the sake of having fun.