Nightfall: the demise of faction farming
VitisVinifera
So I've been anticipating this coming on: the end of alliance battles, repeatable faction quests (called the 'bus'), and farming faction.
I'm guessing the 10% decay will cause many alliances to lose nearly all their faction in quick order, and noone will really care about maintaining their outposts, perhaps except the Cava/HzH holders.
Considering this was a central theme of Factions, to see it die a miserable death is a metaphor of Factions in general.
There are probably other ways of looking at this, so post 'em
I'm guessing the 10% decay will cause many alliances to lose nearly all their faction in quick order, and noone will really care about maintaining their outposts, perhaps except the Cava/HzH holders.
Considering this was a central theme of Factions, to see it die a miserable death is a metaphor of Factions in general.
There are probably other ways of looking at this, so post 'em
Livingston
Quote:
Originally Posted by VitisVinifera
So I've been anticipating this coming on: the end of alliance battles, repeatable faction quests (called the 'bus'), and farming faction.
I'm guessing the 10% decay will cause many alliances to lose nearly all their faction in quick order, and noone will really care about maintaining their outposts, perhaps except the Cava/HzH holders.
Considering this was a central theme of Factions, to see it die a miserable death is a metaphor of Factions in general.
There are probably other ways of looking at this, so post 'em There will probably be a couple of guilds that will become zealots in regards to keeping Cavalon and Zu Heltzer, even if they aren't guilds that have ever held them before.
But yes I do see much of this dying off as it will be even harder to get into alliance battles. However, I bet people will still farm faction in order to get amber and jade for the 15k armors, but that won't really sustain it...
Livingston
I'm guessing the 10% decay will cause many alliances to lose nearly all their faction in quick order, and noone will really care about maintaining their outposts, perhaps except the Cava/HzH holders.
Considering this was a central theme of Factions, to see it die a miserable death is a metaphor of Factions in general.
There are probably other ways of looking at this, so post 'em There will probably be a couple of guilds that will become zealots in regards to keeping Cavalon and Zu Heltzer, even if they aren't guilds that have ever held them before.
But yes I do see much of this dying off as it will be even harder to get into alliance battles. However, I bet people will still farm faction in order to get amber and jade for the 15k armors, but that won't really sustain it...
Livingston
ShadowStorm
You're right. In fact, I suspect, the entirety of Factions outposts will become Ghost Towns. Kaineng will remain somewhat populated, just because it's a major trade hub like Lion's Arch. And Shing Jea will have people in it, although they'll all be Assassins and Ritualists because people looking to make new characters with the campaign specific classes will have to pass through the island. But even big cities like Cavalon and House Zu Heltzer will be empty because there's no reason to be there except as a traveler passing through.
Vasburg Armory and Leviathan Pits probably will stay about as populated as Marhan's Grotto is right now, just because there will be people looking to show off their new 15K armor. Hell, Prophesies outposts will have more people in them than Factions outposts just because they scattered hard to get Non-Elite Skill trainers in distant locations.
This will happen. Mark our words.
Vasburg Armory and Leviathan Pits probably will stay about as populated as Marhan's Grotto is right now, just because there will be people looking to show off their new 15K armor. Hell, Prophesies outposts will have more people in them than Factions outposts just because they scattered hard to get Non-Elite Skill trainers in distant locations.
This will happen. Mark our words.
Fates
I think many prophesies towns have more people in them now compared to factions. I've moved 5 of my 7 toons back to Tyria, other 2 are parked in the deep. Factions has been dying for a while, Nightfall will only hasten it.
Chuba
It's a great thing for people who have spent the last few months grinding faction for their guild. Finally a reason to stop and actually start enjoying the game, except of course for the select few who actually enjoy grind...
VitisVinifera
I wonder if alliances will have any place in Nightfall. I haven't heard of any indication that they would.
Blackhawk
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuba
It's a great thing for people who have spent the last few months grinding faction for their guild. Finally a reason to stop and actually start enjoying the game, except of course for the select few who actually enjoy grind...
I agree, hopefully be less of this "You have to farm xxx Faction a day to stay in the Guild" crap.
Tijger
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackhawk
I agree, hopefully be less of this "You have to farm xxx Faction a day to stay in the Guild" crap.
Look on the bright side, it keeps a certain element busy without bothering other players

Livingston
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackhawk
I agree, hopefully be less of this "You have to farm xxx Faction a day to stay in the Guild" crap.
If I were in a guild that said "You have to farm xxx Faction a day to stay in the Guild," I believe I'd tell them where they could stick it...
Livingston
Livingston
VitisVinifera
Quote:
Originally Posted by Livingston
If I were in a guild that said "You have to farm xxx Faction a day to stay in the Guild," I believe I'd tell them where they could stick it...
Livingston I was in such a guild -- KEYS, who instituted this just after they lost Cavalon. I have no beef with that, that's their prerogative to hold the capital, and that's probably the only way you could hold it.
I did leave because of that though -- I'm a working stiff.
Still I find it wryly ironic that Anet is abandoning what was clearly a deeply flawed concept from the start, and was central to Factions.
I hope Anet learns from this: instead of putting a focus in aspects that will be completely obsolete when the next GW comes out, just add more good pve gameplay (Proph).
Livingston I was in such a guild -- KEYS, who instituted this just after they lost Cavalon. I have no beef with that, that's their prerogative to hold the capital, and that's probably the only way you could hold it.
I did leave because of that though -- I'm a working stiff.
Still I find it wryly ironic that Anet is abandoning what was clearly a deeply flawed concept from the start, and was central to Factions.
I hope Anet learns from this: instead of putting a focus in aspects that will be completely obsolete when the next GW comes out, just add more good pve gameplay (Proph).
Blackhawk
Quite a few people I know have been in and kicked out of Guilds that insisted on a certain amount of Faction to be farmed and also got pretty nasty towards people who didn't meet the required "quota"
I'm glad it's got no part in Nightfall, and should also stop the name calling over what armour (not spelled 'armor' where I come from) someones wearing in certain outposts as well.
I'm glad it's got no part in Nightfall, and should also stop the name calling over what armour (not spelled 'armor' where I come from) someones wearing in certain outposts as well.
Sable Phoenix
Quote:
Originally Posted by VitisVinifera
So I've been anticipating this coming on: the end of alliance battles, repeatable faction quests (called the 'bus'), and farming faction.
I'm guessing the 10% decay will cause many alliances to lose nearly all their faction in quick order, and noone will really care about maintaining their outposts, perhaps except the Cava/HzH holders.
Considering this was a central theme of Factions, to see it die a miserable death is a metaphor of Factions in general.
There are probably other ways of looking at this, so post 'em If this turns out to be true, I say good riddance.
Nightfall is going to completely kill Factions anyway. Factions is quite simply a poor game when compared to Prophecies, while Nightfall seems like it will be more like Prophecies than not. When held up against two Prophecies-style Guild Wars games, Factions will simply wither from a population standpoint, a testament to inferior design.
I'm guessing the 10% decay will cause many alliances to lose nearly all their faction in quick order, and noone will really care about maintaining their outposts, perhaps except the Cava/HzH holders.
Considering this was a central theme of Factions, to see it die a miserable death is a metaphor of Factions in general.
There are probably other ways of looking at this, so post 'em If this turns out to be true, I say good riddance.
Nightfall is going to completely kill Factions anyway. Factions is quite simply a poor game when compared to Prophecies, while Nightfall seems like it will be more like Prophecies than not. When held up against two Prophecies-style Guild Wars games, Factions will simply wither from a population standpoint, a testament to inferior design.
Mister Overhill
Look for Factions to go cheap after the release of Nightfall, and that may pull more people in, at least for awhile.
Carboplatin
i am looking foward to the end of factions. The qualities of guildes have went down dramatically since the release of factions. I miss my old guild from prophesies, which was disbanded.
Due to the crappiness of faction guilds, i've been "guildless" for months =(
Due to the crappiness of faction guilds, i've been "guildless" for months =(
dwc89
I believe it will slowly die , except for a few "die hards".
Only reason I have been in factions the last month or so has been to cap skills, and I have a few weeks to get masters on 4 missions. Unless one of my chars needs a skill I doubt I'll go to factions after NF is released.
IMO Factions created a hostile atmosphere in GW , the idea of Kurz vs Lux in theory was not bad - in practice it made the game less enjoyable than it already was.
What has amazed me of late is the number of characters I see who are not in Guilds, I have seen a lot. The FF I would think had a lot to do with it.
I left a long standing and pretty good guild a couple of months ago, number of members became important - what attracted me to the guild was becoming non-existent. We won't get into what went on with alliance members.
So I left and created my own guild, a couple of friends came along. We just recently joined an alliance that does not FF except for char need or fun.
I hope that the ability for alliances is not effected, because it can create a group of players who can play and have fun together and share info, etc.
So I await NFs release and while I do that I will play what parts of proph I enjoy and get those last 4 missions to masters for my main char.
ign - Huntress Velasca
Only reason I have been in factions the last month or so has been to cap skills, and I have a few weeks to get masters on 4 missions. Unless one of my chars needs a skill I doubt I'll go to factions after NF is released.
IMO Factions created a hostile atmosphere in GW , the idea of Kurz vs Lux in theory was not bad - in practice it made the game less enjoyable than it already was.
What has amazed me of late is the number of characters I see who are not in Guilds, I have seen a lot. The FF I would think had a lot to do with it.
I left a long standing and pretty good guild a couple of months ago, number of members became important - what attracted me to the guild was becoming non-existent. We won't get into what went on with alliance members.
So I left and created my own guild, a couple of friends came along. We just recently joined an alliance that does not FF except for char need or fun.
I hope that the ability for alliances is not effected, because it can create a group of players who can play and have fun together and share info, etc.
So I await NFs release and while I do that I will play what parts of proph I enjoy and get those last 4 missions to masters for my main char.
ign - Huntress Velasca
Cyclades of Knossos
I have to sadly agree, Factions has not been a good game all round. The ideas were mostly good ones I think, they just turned out to be failures when put to the test.
Blocking people's passage to certains towns unless primary quests were completed, blocking people's access to certain parts of towns unless you knew who to talk to, all of these road blocks made the gaming experience needlessly frustrating and hostile.
I can see why they were introduced - to try and increase the sense of community and encourage more interaction, but overall I got so tired of Factions I stopped playing for three months.
I only recently returned to try out the Nightfall preview weekend and this looks a little more like it, though the overtones of Factions is still there.
Right now I'm after three things, the grandmaster cartographer title of Cantha, the Protector of Cantha, and skill capping (of which one Assassin skill is also 'blocked' because it's only available through a side quest, VERY annoying)
After I have these things down (and I suspect two of the three will be complete in the next 2-3 weeks) I doubt I'll go in to Factions again.
Blocking people's passage to certains towns unless primary quests were completed, blocking people's access to certain parts of towns unless you knew who to talk to, all of these road blocks made the gaming experience needlessly frustrating and hostile.
I can see why they were introduced - to try and increase the sense of community and encourage more interaction, but overall I got so tired of Factions I stopped playing for three months.
I only recently returned to try out the Nightfall preview weekend and this looks a little more like it, though the overtones of Factions is still there.
Right now I'm after three things, the grandmaster cartographer title of Cantha, the Protector of Cantha, and skill capping (of which one Assassin skill is also 'blocked' because it's only available through a side quest, VERY annoying)
After I have these things down (and I suspect two of the three will be complete in the next 2-3 weeks) I doubt I'll go in to Factions again.
Evilsod
The real question is what will become of Urgoz and the Deep?
Tien ak
I don't think it'll go people will still want to get the Jades for the 15k armor for their characters or Hero's so it'll still be a money sink...it may even double what with people trying to get all the 15k armors for their Heros.
Evilsod
I'm unsure whether or not it'd be a worthy gamble on buying up lots of Amber and Jadeite. If people continue to buy them to create 15k armours after Nightfall is out the prices can only go up. But will people actually want to anymore?
Mister Overhill
I pre-ordered Factions, but couldn't really get into it, and put it aside for Oblivion and some other games. Now that I am getting into it, and with Nightfall on the way, I have the distinct feeling that I've missed the boat.
King's Spectre
I hope that AB doesn't completely go away. It's a fun way to casually PvP. I'll not miss faction grind or pressure at all.