Geographic Determinants in Guild Wars

Snow Bunny

Snow Bunny

Alcoholic From Yale

Join Date: Jul 2007

Strong Foreign Policy [sFp]

I suppose this is more of an open response thread, but whatever

Does where you live at all influence your choice to play GW or influence your amount of gaming time?

I suppose I ask this only because I seem to encounter disproportionate numbers of players hailing from the American Mid-West, as well as a lot of English, Dutch, and Swedish.

I have a variety of different circumstances myself, but I am more interested if anyone else has noticed disproportionate numbers of people from more specific areas.

ShadowsRequiem

ShadowsRequiem

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Oct 2005

Inde is Smoking [Hawt] *ToA*

W/E

Yah when the weather is below zero here in i'd rather just stay in and play XD

enter_the_zone

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Nov 2007

R/

GW suits the UK quite well due to 2 reasons.

1) It's pick up, drop, pick up again nature is beloved in a nation in which the average person works 60hrs a week.

2) It is immersive enough to capture and hold the attention of those who are on the dole/benefits while no monthly fee makes it attractive to them.

These basically come down to the f2p nature of GW, which coupled with its' graphics and depth are enough to gain a substantial following.

wu is me

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Oct 2007

I think theres been research on how much people played a particular FPS game(forgot which), and their "utility", measured by their game time on the particular server, from playing the game, and they found there was correlation between latency and game time.
Gw being a game of skill, it would be pretty safe to presume that the analogy holds?

Although, I still play gw with relatively higher latency than I hear other ppl recieve, cos its that much fun =P

Stormlord Alex

Stormlord Alex

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Dec 2005

Beyond the Forest of Doom, past the Cavern of Agony... on Kitten & Puppy Island

Soul of Melandru [sOm]

W/E

Umm... I hail from England here, but... I don't think being English is the reason GW got me hooked

More like a bout of depression, pressures from family over dropping out of me 6th form course, and having my girlfriend die in a crash drove me to get lost in Guild Wars... Rawr. That's my sob story

As for noticing people? Ummm... I notice lots of dutch lads (and lasses!) playing. Because, like, half my alliance is... well... Dutch

Shakti

Shakti

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2006

Home...

Vier Reiter [Vier]

Hmmmm interesting point. I hadn't thought about it geographically. I guess I'd say it's more lifestyle really. In the case of my husband and I, we're both kinda "homebodies" in a way, both very not into the bar/club scene. We like having fun with our friends and spending time laughing together.

(~interlude~ Ever had a LAN party with a bunch of friends playing GW while drinking? Try it sometime if you're of age lol. Bunch of gamers, much booze, good broadband connection. Do missions (THK And ring of fire are fun as hell) while doing drinking games. 1st one to die near the ether seal takes a shot!~ etc...sounds geeky but it's veery fun ~end interlude~)

I guess geography would play into lifestyle types though...

Onarik Amrak

Onarik Amrak

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2007

Astral Revenants

P/W

I think socio-economic factors have a greater effect than geographic location.

Zahr Dalsk

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Aug 2007

Canada

I think I accidentally triple-posted here during a bout of lag. Apologies if so; I can't see the posts right here but they might still be there.

Onarik Amrak

Onarik Amrak

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2007

Astral Revenants

P/W

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zahr Dalsk
I think I accidentally triple-posted here during a bout of lag. Apologies if so; I can't see the posts right here but they might still be there.
Actually, that's your first post in this thread.

RedStar

RedStar

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2007

_____________________ (\__/) (\__/) (\__/)Help (='.'=)(='.'=)(='.'=)Bunny (")_(")(")_(")(")_(")

[Bomb]

E/

Maybe the internet connection I have, but then again it's not that great.
And I don't have a specific time to play, I play when I'm bored xD.

Quote:
I think socio-economic factors have a greater effect than geographic location.
Eww don't talk about socio-economic, it makes me think about bad things.

Pleikki

Pleikki

WTB q8 15^50 Weapons!

Join Date: Nov 2006

???oo ???ugs ???lan [?????????]

In Finland its allways at winter -5-30 Celsius so Yeah i play when i got time from my works , friends etc and weekends alot

MithranArkanere

MithranArkanere

Underworld Spelunker

Join Date: Nov 2006

wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigo

Heraldos de la Llama Oscura [HLO]

E/

I chose GW because I tried it in the Battle Isles presentation and Factions preview weekends. After playing in those, I went as fast as I could to buy the game.

Then I learned about the no-fees, the quick leveleing and all those things... and it was even better!

It was a bit harder to find the game because where I live in, but I could.

nekopowa

nekopowa

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2006

Croatia

A/P

I can't really say i play GW because of weather/geographical location. I play it because it feels like a somewhat intelligent and fun way to kill free time when i'm bored, rather than playing mmorpgs where you camp a location and kill the same type of monsters for weeks. It was fun, clever and more skill based than anything else i've tried, while it lasted, now i'm waiting for either a big update or GW2. Got everything i wanted, and it's no fun playing alone ^^

Bryant Again

Bryant Again

Hall Hero

Join Date: Feb 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Onarik Amrak
I think socio-economic factors have a greater effect than geographic location.
Gonna have to agree with this here. I also find many many other games more forgiving in terms of "limited game time."

Vaal 84

Vaal 84

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2007

UK

R/

The UK is miserable and full of Chavs. Guildwars is pretty, interesting and you get to wack stuff with swords.

Being serious for a second, i work 65 + hours a week. I love the fact that i have a great game to come home to which isnt costing me money when im at work.

Snow Bunny

Snow Bunny

Alcoholic From Yale

Join Date: Jul 2007

Strong Foreign Policy [sFp]

I understand what you mean Bryant, but I'll offer my own example. I'm actually Irish, came to the US when I was 14 with my mother. We move to California.

Over the summer, I don't play Guild Wars - the weather's too nice, and so are the beaches

But in the fall, when I'm on the East coast, I play more often because it is not warm, and in New Haven there's truly not much to do, much less go to sunny places.

So, my geography, in a way, does determine if I play GW

Zahr Dalsk

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Aug 2007

Canada

Quote:
Originally Posted by Onarik Amrak
Actually, that's your first post in this thread.
Ok. The forum must have deleted the others, because I saw them for a single page view and then they were gone.

Anyways, there's sunlight where I live.

I hate sunlight. Therefore, Gw.

Darksun

Darksun

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2005

USA

Karr's Castle

W/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by enter_the_zone
GW suits the UK quite well due to 2 reasons.

1) It's pick up, drop, pick up again nature is beloved in a nation in which the average person works 60hrs a week.
Actually the average person in the UK works 43.2hrs per week, but I do love the pickup/drop nature of it. Things like WoW are cool because of the depth, but it's nice that GW is just accessible enough that I can more fully explore all the classes instead of it taking so long to just max 1.

R A C

R A C

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Sep 2005

In my parent's basement

R/Mo

Yes, when it's miserably cold out side I play games. When it's miserably hot I do not as my house has no AC and running a computer at full performance to play games for any appreciable length of time is not an option. Way too uncomfortable.

Jennie

Jennie

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2007

Newfoundland, Canada

The City Below [Down]

R/Rt

I am from Newfoundland, Canada. I play mostly in late fall and winter and spring... basically when its cold and snow on the ground. Late spring and summer I don't play much at all. Winter lasts too long here. I hate the cold and snow so I don't go outside a lot during those times (only to go snowmobiling ) so I get more time for guild wars.

Turtle222

Turtle222

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2007

:D:D

D/W

I don't know, i use it as a stress relief. better than holding a harbinger of death between my fingers

cosyfiep

cosyfiep

are we there yet?

Join Date: Dec 2005

in a land far far away

guild? I am supposed to have a guild?

Rt/

my husband got my into this game!!

but its also really hard to go and do ANYthing outside when there is a windchill alert or a blizzard warning....much safer to just sit in front of my computer and watch my pixels move about. (much warmer too)

enter_the_zone

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Nov 2007

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Darksun
Actually the average person in the UK works 43.2hrs per week, but I do love the pickup/drop nature of it. Things like WoW are cool because of the depth, but it's nice that GW is just accessible enough that I can more fully explore all the classes instead of it taking so long to just max 1.
Ah, I do love those surveys. These surveys only include your job, not all the sideline work you do. No one will ever answer about that in a survey since

a) if your employer finds out, you could be in deep dooda

b) much of this kind of work is paid in cash, and many don't declare it.

This also excludes the "non compulsory" work which almost everyone does at home.

From the page itself
Quote:
This is still likely to be a low estimate, however, as it includes the time of those who may have been absent for most of the reference week and does not reflect undeclared time worked on second jobs.

Also, I should clarify that I'm only including the private sector, since many public sector jobs have shorter working hours. As an example.

A)

Private Sector :
Senior IT Administrator : Average of 50+ hours a week, as well as "keep up" time for skills base, new products etc.

B)
Public Sector:
Senior IT Administrator (school): Average of 35 hours a week (95% "finish" early on Friday), "keep up" time included.

And I know that for a fact, since I was A consulting for many, many B's for five years.

IslandHermet

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shakti
Hmmmm interesting point. I hadn't thought about it geographically. I guess I'd say it's more lifestyle really. In the case of my husband and I, we're both kinda "homebodies" in a way, both very not into the bar/club scene. We like having fun with our friends and spending time laughing together.

(~interlude~ Ever had a LAN party with a bunch of friends playing GW while drinking? Try it sometime if you're of age lol. Bunch of gamers, much booze, good broadband connection. Do missions (THK And ring of fire are fun as hell) while doing drinking games. 1st one to die near the ether seal takes a shot!~ etc...sounds geeky but it's veery fun ~end interlude~)

I guess geography would play into lifestyle types though...
my guild does this every weekend over vent we have drinking games. (1 was every time a guildie said what or huh we took a drink lets just say this guy says what or huh ALOT we got way to drunk that night a few ppl passed out at the comp lol) (once you start to get sauced up start throwing rules in that makes no sense like everytime you go afk to take a drink you have to take another drink people get shitfaced this way).


first person to post a thread about ursan has to take a drink (now I think we are all going to get drunk) lol