The Guild Wars community

fusa

fusa

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2007

GW has by far the worst community I've seen for online games. Other games I've played asshats were completely shunted after a while, and either left, eventually banned, or changed their habits. In GW its the norm.

Malice Black

Site Legend

Join Date: Oct 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shuuda
YOur first and second being a card box and a newspaper, right?
Pffft..

I've moved up to a laminated cardboard box, and a sleeping bag

Stolen Souls

Stolen Souls

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Feb 2006

I'd rate the GW community in general as "bad". It is pretty bad when you have to turn off the chat channels and set to DnD just to avoid the nonsense. When the ratio of idiots to good, helpful people is 10/1 (ratio not to be analyzed, studied, and incorporated into an essay showing that 10/1 may not be completely accurate), there's something wrong. Like others have said everyones' experiences vary, but in the three years I've been playing I would never have described the GW community as "good". And it seems to be getting worse.


As for the forum community...

the_jos

the_jos

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jun 2006

Hard Mode Legion [HML]

N/

I think the GW community, both ingame and on the forums is fine most of the time.
Once in a while I encounter the occasional idiot in the game but it does not happen that often. Even not when playing PUG.
I've seen other, also non-gaming, communities with far worse behaviour then the GW community.

There is however a difference between GW gamers and forum users.
When I look at my own postings here on guru I know I am more direct then in the game.
Chat is a sensitive tool and I've seen escallations several times, not only in GW but on various places.
Forums can be moderated but more important, one has more time to post.
When I make a posting even though they can sound hard I know why I posted them like that. I have been hard on the general player base Saturday but did that for a reason. I know there are several ways to view a problem but sometimes just decide to focus on one specific way of looking at things.
This is something you'll hardly ever see from me in the game, because chat is not the place for long pieces of text.
I also know other players have very stong opinions here but are milder when you speak to them in the game.

The main problem in GW being kids might be true for some but not all.
I've had at least two players who got in my guild at age 14 last year and both got a promotion later because they were acting responsible enough to be officers. The same with other players slightly older, let's say 15 or 16.
Sure, some reactions I get from them clearly indicate that they are not adults but in general they are very nice players to chat to and to play with.
Also, I have seen adults behave in a way that I would not expect from adults but looking at the language it was clear they were adults.

I think the internat makes it easier for people to say things they would not do when they were on voice chat or in real life.
It's also easier to get irritated or offended from what I've experienced.

Koricen

Koricen

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Apr 2008

[LoA]

I've played online video games for many years, and I have learned not to talk to people.

http://fishbowl.pastiche.org/archive...wad_theory.jpg
(I couldn't get the link to the Penny Arcade comic because the archive is currently down.)

This is true for just about anything on the internet. Only on extremely rare occasions do you find someone that is atleast a decent person, and not an outright bastard. Most people think they know everything and anyone that disagrees with them is wrong. All they do is scream "noob", "phail", and whatever other retarded misspellings and abbreviations that have come about. Not to mention the people that use "lol" as if it were punctuation.

With that being said, I have found Guild Wars to be one of the better communities. If someone asks for help or information sure there are assholes that call them a "noob" for no good reason other than to make them feel better about themselves, but there is almost always someone who will help/inform them, which is far more than I've seen in other online games.

But I still keep Local chat off 99% of the time.

Kusandaa

Kusandaa

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jul 2006

N/Mo

GW community is horrible, right before Diablo2 on my list... D2 being THE worse community I've seen so far.

The problem with GW is indeed the community. They are the rude and immature people that will insult you for a yes or a no. In teams, they ask for suggestions: you give them, they insult you and leave your party. They don't say "thanks" when you help them, and they have this horrible thing known as netspeak. Man do I hate netspeak. "ey do u hav a 1337 rt tome PLZZ?????????". Not to mention most sound so... needy during trades. The aggro-crazy people who insult you for telling them to slow down, with no regards for the team whatsoever; the ones who rage because THEY made the team fail; the PvE and PvP elitists who regard you as an utter noob and a real, big failure because you're more or less familiar with the thing they appear to be SO good in or because you play differently.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolen Souls
As for the forum community...
So many trolls. So, so many trolls.

Eru Valenehtar

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Oct 2006

New Jersey, USA

The Moon's Rebirth [Luna]

Mo/

I have no complains with the guild wars community. But I must say, I have my few friends that I met on the game, and an amazingly nice guild. So I just turn off my chats and enjoy the delights of a nice, kind guild.

Things are so much more pieceful when you create your own little world.

But, yeah, the PvPers are quite ruthless to anyone, no matter how well you do, it's your fault.

Stolen Souls

Stolen Souls

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Feb 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kusandaa
So many trolls. So, so many trolls.

If you're calling me a troll, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not. Simply stating the obvious truth, and the one that seems to be trolling, is you.

...unless you wanna tell me the community is a good, wholesome, helpful one.



EDIT: Took the quote of me the wrong way. My apologies.

Ctb

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

W/

Quote:
The main problem in GW being kids might be true for some but not all.
You know, I wound up in a PUG one night with a kid who was (or claimed to be) only 11 and his/her dad. I had to kind of drag them through the various rules that governed the game and explain a lot of basics, but s/he was very polite, they never got overly frustrated, and seemed to enjoy learning the various aspects of the game.

Maybe it was just because s/he was playing with a parent, but I can't highlight that kind of decency in most of the adults I've met.

Quote:
Man do I hate netspeak.
I won't deal with anybody who can't type something approaching a real language. If they try it once, I warn them, if they flip out or do it again - onto the ignore list you go, go find someone else to trade with.

I don't have the patience to try and decipher the manic gibbering of 12 year olds who think they're typing on a phone keypad to their "BFF Jill"

pizzamonkey

pizzamonkey

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Dec 2006

Mad Town

Nice Insides [nice]

Mo/

This weekend in RA I met some of the worst flames n disses n insults I ever come across in this game. Egotists, morons, jerks, etc. Overall, the GW community is better than other games I've played but damn RA at peak hours is a nightmare.

therangereminem

therangereminem

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

R/Mo

yay flame thread flame away go go go

my turn so yeah if youwant poeple like that go into a r9+ group where every one tells every oes else a reason to chaneg the build then call each other iway newbs and then rage pve as more pople that are nice and understanding but no matter what game yu play where you play how there alwasy a blanky blank blank

Kusandaa

Kusandaa

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jul 2006

N/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolen Souls
If you're calling me a troll, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not. Simply stating the obvious truth, and the one that seems to be trolling, is you.

...unless you wanna tell me the community is a good, wholesome, helpful one.
Oh no I wasn't calling you a troll at all... sorry if I made it sound like it >_<. In fact I was agreeing with you regarding forum community.

But the community is far from being helpful. Ask a question in local chat and most of the replies you get are "look wiki" or "lolnub /uninstall if u dunno how 2 do dis".

On a lighter side, I do meet nice people every now and then. I had some good experiences in the past days, but compared to all the stuff I've seen in 33 months, it doesn't change my views much.

Stolen Souls

Stolen Souls

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Feb 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kusandaa
Oh no I wasn't calling you a troll at all... sorry if I made it sound like it >_<. In fact I was agreeing with you regarding forum community.

But the community is far from being helpful. Ask a question in local chat and most of the replies you get are "look wiki" or "lolnub /uninstall if u dunno how 2 do dis".

On a lighter side, I do meet nice people every now and then. I had some good experiences in the past days, but compared to all the stuff I've seen in 33 months, it doesn't change my views much.

Ah, alright. My apologies, then.

Yeah if you dig long enough you can eventually find a gem buried in all the dirt. I've met a few nice people, as well. My opinion stands, though...the GW community is overall bad.

Snow Bunny

Snow Bunny

Alcoholic From Yale

Join Date: Jul 2007

Strong Foreign Policy [sFp]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolen Souls
My opinion stands, though...the GW community is overall bad.
Heh.

Just logged off SC again.

I played 6 matches; every single one I was called a racial and homophobic epithet.

Bryant Again

Bryant Again

Hall Hero

Join Date: Feb 2006

And here I was hoping to get back into SC : ( Why are strategy game players always so negative? You excluded of course, Bunny...

Aerian_Skybane

Aerian_Skybane

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2006

House of Caeruleous [HoC]

R/E

Thats because they are busy pwning noobs, you know? They have to get their micro perfect you know? They don't have time for noobs who can't uber micro. Its tough n all to be nice in RL with all those noobs n stuff.

Dr Strangelove

Dr Strangelove

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Dec 2005

Wasting away again in Margaritaville

[HOTR]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryant Again
And here I was hoping to get back into SC : ( Why are strategy game players always so negative? You excluded of course, Bunny...
Because there's zero chance of being perma-banned for most of them.

Deathly_Overlord

Deathly_Overlord

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2006

A house :)

LaZy!

Mo/

I think it is safe to say that all online games have their unsavourable members, but through my experience of playing online, my personal opinion is that GW has a very freindly, helpful and talkative community. Although WoW is often shunned for being full of elitists and people who really dont have a clue at whats going on, it has a fairly decent community, who are active and talkative ( But not when raiding -.-'), which, to be honest is what I look for in a guild. But, despite this I would say out of the two games, World of Warcraft definately has more people who think they can boss you about and get hardcore with a keyboard, such as when yesterday , I ninja'd some guy's chest , he went mental, spammed me with " n000000b" for at least 10 minutes and then said he would report me with every guild in the game for being a " nanja" - he used the word " fack " quite a lot aswell...

But anyway, my point is that all games have nice people and people who shouldnt be allowed near computers.

Xx_Sorin_xX

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Dec 2006

W/

You must be ignoring the guru community. Lately this site has gone down hill fast. Threads that accuse anet of helping rawr in the latest tournament, of anet's employees being accused of starting the duped ambraces, and of the PvE vs PvP issue. All the big threads are filled with whining, raging, insults, with common sense lacking.

DDL

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryant Again
Why are strategy game players always so negative?
Do you think it's something to do with 'free time'? As in, if you're playing a strategy game you have a lot more spare time while playing to type insults, whereas typing insults in, say...an RA match pretty much needs to wait until you're dead..or you'll spend so much time typing you'll get killed (presumably).

Fril Estelin

Fril Estelin

So Serious...

Join Date: Jan 2007

London

Nerfs Are [WHAK]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ctb
The LOTRO community is awesome. Smart, helpful, friendly. If they'd get their botspam problem fixed, there'd be next to no reason for an ignore list.

LOTRO: A+
Since I can't really contribute due to the lack of involvement in other MMOs, I'll only emphasize your opinion with this article:
http://gigaom.com/2007/10/25/lord-of...-meets-web-20/

People will undoubtedly laugh at the carebear attitude, or ridicule the "arty-farty" facet of the game. But I'm pretty sure it's one of these things that can make a community "nice", because it's not only about killing (check out the blog of the Pacifist WoW player).

On the other hand, many people said that EVE's community is nice but I've read so many reports of backstabbing/character killing/assassination/stealing and stuff like that it must have both extremes (in space, no one will hear you scream ...).

I hope (dream) that GW2 will also have this lyric dimension to the game (and also a nice clean Web2.0 interface for encouraging player creativity).


Quote:
Originally Posted by HawkofStorms
Its not just the internet.

If you study politics enough, you learn that people are selfish and short-term oriented. They don't care about how things affect other people or think things through to thier conclusions. They want tax cuts NOW, but also want improved services, with no regard to the defiecet, etc etc
You're right, but it's also very much about culture. A bit like MMOs where each game cultivates its own culture, by the way the game is structured and how the company deals with its community. GW has the problem of being a complex game, catering for many player styles, who are bound to disagree (which can be followed by shouts, insults, etc.). Fansites definitely serve as the punching ball for many GW players (though on GWG you get a lot more trading than bickering).

Last, but not least, look here on GWG on how many nice people are doing stuff for the community, like organising Balls and special events, answering Q&A. There are tons of nice people, we can only hope to cross their path.

Zinger314

Zinger314

Debbie Downer

Join Date: May 2006

N/Me

Yeesh, I get insulted even when I don't post. I get no luck.

As said before, lack of a monthly fee (and any apparent GM support) is what causes the bad playerbase.

Diddy bow

Diddy bow

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Oct 2006

Jawsome!!!!!!!!!!!

looking for one :p

A/D

Its only bad at events and stuff but thats not so much guru rather just the fact that some people see the internet as a tool to let everyone know they failed primary school.

I guess being a free MMORPG could have somthing to do withit but i think its just an internet/RPG thing.

MMSDome

MMSDome

Raged Out

Join Date: Sep 2005

I encounter most verbal abuse in GW. When I played MOHAA (Medal of Honor: Allied Assault) in my prime I would get verbally abused because everyone thought I hacked cause I was really good and blah blah. GW generally does have some shitty verbal abuse however.

For example:

I was in RA yesterday and we got messed up early and other team is like "Dont try guys your monk is bad" so then the monk got all pissed off. I PM'd him and was like "Dude chill its a game" and he replies "Shut up im rank 6 champion and I wont take his shit."

^^^ The e-peen is an awful thing.

Snow Bunny

Snow Bunny

Alcoholic From Yale

Join Date: Jul 2007

Strong Foreign Policy [sFp]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xx_Sorin_xX
You must be ignoring the guru community. Lately this site has gone down hill fast. Threads that accuse anet of helping rawr in the latest tournament, of anet's employees being accused of starting the duped ambraces, and of the PvE vs PvP issue. All the big threads are filled with whining, raging, insults, with common sense lacking.
There's a very large difference between players accusing a company of in-game collusion and of what I encounter in other games. While I do agree that the aforementioned dispute is a good example of the word of the law versus the spirit of the law, it is important. Anet's self-devised rules (until recently) clearly stated a prohibition of eligibility of guilds with employee members, regardless of the purpose of said membership. The bypassing of this rule by ANet is significant and should be discussed. Yes, there will be flaming and insults thrown around, but on an internet forum, it's almost to be expected.

When I log on to play CounterStrike, TF2, Starcraft, Rome, etc, I'm logging on to play.
I'm not logging on so that as soon as I begin to do well/poorly, my fellow players call me (fag, RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GOer, N*****, jew (used offensively with other slurs), etc.)

Yes, I have crap-talked other players and been crap-talked to. Yes, there's resentment among PvPers, especially the HA community and whatnot.

But, unlike the Diplomacy (SC scenario) match I played earlier this afternoon, I have never (in guild wars) encountered a player immediately calling me all manner of exceedingly offensive slurs for simply playing the same game.


Age

Age

Hall Hero

Join Date: Jul 2005

California Canada/BC

STG Administrator

Mo/

I am not sure but I would have to say that my Star Trek Gaming community can are little better and the boards I am on.They are better behaved as well especially the one I am an Admin. on.

Alex the Great

Alex the Great

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2007

America.....got a problem with that?

[Lite]

W/

WoW palyers made me angry when i did the free trial.
i log on to my friends WoW when he is grounded, and thier community is just as bad as ours, maybe worse.

bart

bart

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2005

Here are my ratings of the community in the online games that I've played.

In chronological order
Ragnarok Online (B-) Played for a week or 2. General chat was lacking. Only trades mostly.

Knight Online (C-) Played for 6 months. No idea why but a lot of Turkish players play Knight Online. Don't understand a word they say and they always kill steal.

Guild wars (B-) Played for a year. These days log on for 5 mins every once in a while. Community is ok. I don't PvP so I don't mix with the "leet" crowd. People I PvE with when i was playing were usually friendly sometimes will come across a bad player (remembers a time when the surviving monk refused to rez somebody who had a green drop in SF) every now and then. Hate that ppl con other ppl a lot (the reason it became B- instead of B). Had it tried on me a couple of times.

Guild Wars Guru (B) Been on GWG since i started playing GW (look at the date i joined). The community has been good especially the first year of GWG. Ppl were helpful and you could kinda trust ppl who use the trade forums. These days even though I don't frequent the trade forums much i do see ppl saying "Buyer was a fake", "Bid is false" or "I retract my bid (without giving a reason)".

WoW (B+) Still playing (2 years). the ppl in the server that I am on are very close to each other. The guilds know of each other and there is a sense of pride and respect for one another. If you're a baddie the whole server will know about it because word gets around fast (through forums and through word of mouth). Of course there are always the rotten apples (abuse of trade channel sometimes, loot ninjas and BG trash talk) but rarely you hear ppl conning other ppl when trading. In my 2 years I've never had somebody try to con me.

Savio

Savio

Teenager with attitude

Join Date: Jul 2005

Fifteen Over Fifty [Rare]

I'm not sure why any of you care what others say.

Yuhe Ji

Yuhe Ji

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jan 2008

Los Angeles

E/

I do think that there is much more unwarranted comments in games that are not RPGs. I only play a few, but in Counter-Strike a few weeks ago, a guy was calling people noobs and telling them to stop using that "noob gun", etc. I always felt slightly offended, because I want to know what can make a human use such lowlevel behavior. If they really want people to listen to them, they shouldn't be using words like that. I just don't know what is going on in their minds when people do things like that. I don't hear it in GW as much, at least not directed at me, since people will recognize skill, and opposing teams typically aren't shouting insults at each other the way they do in FPS and RTS games.

Avarre

Avarre

Bubblegum Patrol

Join Date: Dec 2005

Singapore Armed Forces

Personally I think people claiming GW has one of the worst communities haven't played many games online. Overall, it's not that bad - could be better, but far from the worst.

Fear Me!

Fear Me!

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2005

E/R

I can't really help you here Snow Bunny, GuildWars is my first, and only mmorpg to date. Although I understand your perspective, and agree with a prior poster that any community will have its fair share of people suffering from e-peen, and have extended the approval of their self worth to an online medium such as this game.

manitoba1073

manitoba1073

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2006

ManitobaShipyards Refit and Repair Station

(SFC)Star Fleet Command,(TDE)The Daggerfall elite,(SOoM)Secret order of Magi

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ctb
Oh god...

I'll just keep it simple: my opinion of the forum community is terrible. Has been for two years now. It almost seems like you only get the real, real hardcore players on the GW fansites and they seem to REALLY resent any opinion that doesn't revolve around the way they play.
I agree fully and must add that the other thing that really pisses me off here is the hypocritical BS most of the time. As you noticed from quite a few posters here for awhile now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Age
I am not sure but I would have to say that my Star Trek Gaming community can are little better and the boards I am on.They are better behaved as well especially the one I am an Admin. on.
Thats cause they know Id have to come down like an Akira drop a full spread of quantums on them if they werent. That and I only have enough patiance to save 1 community.

Phineas

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Nov 2005

UK

Quote:
Originally Posted by Savio
I'm not sure why any of you care what others say.
Given that this is also aimed at the forum community I think you've just handed in your notice to quit this place.

In general...

I agree with several others here that GW started out good. A lot of people had not developed a "I've been there and done that" attitude and with waves of new players coming in it was kept fresh in that sense. Now we've all been there and all done that so the shine has gone from the game and the few new players are only finding jaded people who don't so much want to play as just waste time in GW. That's my experience as a Non-GW:EN owner who does not see so many people in game (in Europe) as I used to.

Bront

Bront

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2008

Honored Order of Light

W/Me

Guild Wars has been probably the worst one i've been in besides Diablo 2 too, but my MMO experience is mostly text based other than Diablo 2 online and Earth and Beyond. Earth and Beyond was pretty clean, but didn't have a large player base. Diablo 2... well, it was a free for all, so it took all kinds.

That said, it hasn't been too bad. Only one time where I ran into a real asshat griefer. Most of the problems I've run into with PUGs has been with player ability and builds, and that could be lack of experience.

Magikarp

Magikarp

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2007

[HAWK]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Savio
I'm not sure why any of you care what others say.
thank you. finally someone helps me feel like im not taking crazy pills.

of course there are stupid people, there are stupid people in every game.

instead of getting upset and saying GWs has a crap community, be sickeningly sweet, and take all the little insults with a glance, and dont look back... at least thats what i do, and i always have fun (or at least fun making fun of the losers who try to insult me with my friends on vent lol).


everyone has a different experience with each and every game. some of you say WoW gave you a great experience, while i've had 3 WoW accounts, two getting hacked, and one having some jerk constantly mess with me. its all going to be different from each of your points of view, but overall, if you're that upset about blah blah blah, then maybe this isn't the game for you guys..

Snow Bunny

Snow Bunny

Alcoholic From Yale

Join Date: Jul 2007

Strong Foreign Policy [sFp]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zinger314
Yeesh, I get insulted even when I don't post. I get no luck.
Wasn't trying to flame you, just stating my everlasting disagreement on that particular topic.

You cannot deny, however, that you are a human advertisement for WoW


Vengeful Spirit

Vengeful Spirit

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2007

Rt/

I have found the majority of GW's community to be quite helpful more than most online games i play and alot better than xbox live of course thats not saying much

Lady Lozza

Lady Lozza

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

Oz

Angel Sharks

Me/N

Maybe it's just been my experience, but I've found the NA server (now district) to have always been full of the most arrogant players in GW. Loud and nasty and willing to mouth off at anyone, espcially those who manage to string a sentence together correctly.

The EU servers (now district) were really nice up till about a year after release when it seemed there was an influx of kiddies whose parents refused to keep paying for WoW access. EU was (and is) flooded with kiddies who think crude sexual references are the funniest thing in the world, who beg for money and runs at every opportunity. Though to be honest if forced to choose between the two the immature kiddies are better than the immature, discriminory adults I've experience of in the NA districts.

Having said that there are still plenty of nice players, experienced that during the Canthan New Year event running ingredients for the alliance in our sponsored districts.

Compared to other games. WoW was worse when I played (from release for a couple of months) according to friends that still play some servers have cleaned up quite a bit.

TF2, my understanding is that it's best to steer clear of US servers, but I've no reason to venture so far afield as servers run in Oz for us and to be honest the servers here ar great.

CS... well it would be fair to say that (even compared to Ultima Online) CS was the worse of online communities I've ever been a part of, but I've not played CS for a while - I understand that Steam servers are quite clean.

I've played a lot of online games, rps, fps, rts, GW is better than average, but certainly not the best. The best go to the niche games that had a small but dedicated audience who were there to indulge in a love they shared for the game rather than "amuse" themselves by seeing how much they can viably swear in the one sentence.

Edge Martinez

Edge Martinez

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2005

NC

DKL

The GW community isn't bad, but the thing I notice is that people tend to throw blame around for the slightest of things. The only other online games I play are twitch FPS's, and generally things are more mature on those games. Sure, you have the guys who run their mouths, but you also have the option to shut them up with a few well placed shots. In GW it's typically your own team who are giving you grief. Nothing you can really do except leave the team, screwing everyone because one moron gave you grief.

The exception to this is Halo3 on 360. What a bunch of douchebags!