An Open Letter to the Guild Wars Community

JupiterStarWarrior

JupiterStarWarrior

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2008

Oklahoma City

Noble Order Of Valiant Angels

Me/

TO: Guild Wars Community
FROM: Jupiter Star Warrior
DATE: Thursday, August 21, 2008
SUBJECT: Game Updates Responses and General Discussion

Dear Guild Wars Community:

In the time I have spent on Guild Wars Guru, I have noticed a few disturbing attributes I wish to address to the community on a whole. First, I would like to discuss my opinion and observations regarding the general community's responses to game updates. Then, more specifically, touch up on insulting ArenaNet employees. Next, the community's behavior regarding ideas bounced in certain forums. My idea is not to insult, but to inform and, hopefully, teach those willing to learn certain and proper and general respect to other users.

It has come to my attention that there is something seriously wrong with responses before, during, and after updates to the game Guild Wars. Often, when updates happen, there are certain individuals who complain because a certain skill has become, in these individuals' eyes, useless or tainted. In certain instances, certain skills do become useless. However, other instances just simply requires a bit of rethinking to make the touched skill useful again. People making builds just need to work out the build. Why not recreate the build for yourself? That way, you got something that's uniquely yours, instead of a cookie-cutter build that most everyone uses?

Also, why do certain people blatantly insult the employees of ArenaNet when they are simply trying to make a fun game more fun and well balanced? The ArenaNet employees work hard at what they do. Stating that skill balancing is tough work is a fair assumption, especially when programmers and developers must do so without dramatically altering the game engine and causing the game to crash. Insulting the employees of ArenaNet makes the community look degrading and, forgive my choice of word, stupid.

On an unrelated note, I have also come to realize that on certain forums, there are players who, after reading an idea, say that the idea presented “sucks” without offering any specific reason why. Instead of insulting the topic starter, responses should offer a reason why the proposed topic is not a wise idea to the game. Responses should also offer constructive feedback, and include ways of making the idea a better one, if applicable. Thinking logically, developers may actually implement the idea if the community works together and present a wise, clear idea. Instead of saying “useless idea is useless”, why not state why that idea is useless? People do not have to be intelligent to act intelligent.

Finally, when presenting an idea to the community,k or even responding to an idea, users should try to proofread a post before submitting it, making that post more legible to read. Legible posts give credibility when they are presented in a clear manner, where all can read without getting a headache.

Taking at least one or all of the approaches above will make this community better than what it is. The suggestions are not meant to call anyone out, nor are they supposed to be offensive. On a whole, we as a community should take the time to be better than what we are. The Guild Wars community is a large community, and represents us as a human race. There will be differences of opinion, but insulting someone is no way to react. Growing up, we were taught proper manners, so we should use them and help each other out.

Thank you for your time in reading this letter:


Jupiter Star Warrior

JupiterStarWarrior

JupiterStarWarrior

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2008

Oklahoma City

Noble Order Of Valiant Angels

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sai Rith
I gotz first post!
That wasn't the point of this letter, you know. -_-

ALF71BE

ALF71BE

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2008

In your fridge, stealing your pickles. for mah subway

R/

tl;dr

in b4 close.

What's with people and their "open letters" eh?

Sujoy

Sujoy

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Sep 2006

In Livia's Cleavage (.)ME(.)

The Early Monk Heals The Worm [EMHW]

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by JupiterStarWarrior
TO: Guild Wars Community
FROM: Jupiter Star Warrior
DATE: Thursday, August 21, 2008
SUBJECT: Game Updates Responses and General Discussion

Dear Guild Wars Community:

In the time I have spent on Guild Wars Guru, I have noticed a few disturbing attributes I wish to address to the community on a whole. First, I would like to discuss my opinion and observations regarding the general community's responses to game updates. Then, more specifically, touch up on insulting ArenaNet employees. Next, the community's behavior regarding ideas bounced in certain forums. My idea is not to insult, but to inform and, hopefully, teach those willing to learn certain and proper and general respect to other users.

It has come to my attention that there is something seriously wrong with responses before, during, and after updates to the game Guild Wars. Often, when updates happen, there are certain individuals who complain because a certain skill has become, in these individuals' eyes, useless or tainted. In certain instances, certain skills do become useless. However, other instances just simply requires a bit of rethinking to make the touched skill useful again. People making builds just need to work out the build. Why not recreate the build for yourself? That way, you got something that's uniquely yours, instead of a cookie-cutter build that most everyone uses?

Also, why do certain people blatantly insult the employees of ArenaNet when they are simply trying to make a fun game more fun and well balanced? The ArenaNet employees work hard at what they do. Stating that skill balancing is tough work is a fair assumption, especially when programmers and developers must do so without dramatically altering the game engine and causing the game to crash. Insulting the employees of ArenaNet makes the community look degrading and, forgive my choice of word, stupid.

On an unrelated note, I have also come to realize that on certain forums, there are players who, after reading an idea, say that the idea presented “sucks” without offering any specific reason why. Instead of insulting the topic starter, responses should offer a reason why the proposed topic is not a wise idea to the game. Responses should also offer constructive feedback, and include ways of making the idea a better one, if applicable. Thinking logically, developers may actually implement the idea if the community works together and present a wise, clear idea. Instead of saying “useless idea is useless”, why not state why that idea is useless? People do not have to be intelligent to act intelligent.

Finally, when presenting an idea to the community,k or even responding to an idea, users should try to proofread a post before submitting it, making that post more legible to read. Legible posts give credibility when they are presented in a clear manner, where all can read without getting a headache.

Taking at least one or all of the approaches above will make this community better than what it is. The suggestions are not meant to call anyone out, nor are they supposed to be offensive. On a whole, we as a community should take the time to be better than what we are. The Guild Wars community is a large community, and represents us as a human race. There will be differences of opinion, but insulting someone is no way to react. Growing up, we were taught proper manners, so we should use them and help each other out.

Thank you for your time in reading this letter:


Jupiter Star Warrior
Keep your day job, changing this community is near impossible. All the good people have left long ago.

Zahr Dalsk

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Aug 2007

Canada

Quote:
Originally Posted by JupiterStarWarrior
That wasn't the point of this letter, you know. -_-
It is on this forum

Anyways, yes, for the most part, I agree with your letter - detailed responses are nice.

In some cases however ideas are simply too stupid to deserve anything other than, "This is retarded" and perhaps a brief explanation why. Like that guy who wanted items to break over time, and the guy who wanted to add achievements to the game, and the guy who wanted more titles added.

credit

credit

Banned

Join Date: Jan 2008

Team Apathy [aFk]

W/P

tl;dr

Based off the title, good luck.

ShadowsRequiem

ShadowsRequiem

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Oct 2005

Inde is Smoking [Hawt] *ToA*

W/E

errr tl;dr

anyone tell me what that huge wall of text means :F

jiggles

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2007

N/

tl;dr summary plz

ALF71BE

ALF71BE

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2008

In your fridge, stealing your pickles. for mah subway

R/

Away with you! I said it first!

Trub

Trub

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Mar 2006

Sitting in the guildhall, watching the wallows frolic.

Trinity of the ascended [SMS]+[Koss]+[TAM]=[ToA]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sujoy
Keep your day job, changing this community is near impossible. All the people that really gave a dam have left long ago.
Sad, but sometimes the truth hurts.

Daenara

Daenara

Bad Romance

Join Date: May 2006

Aussie Trolling Crew HQ - Grand Matron

Mo/

Open letter seems to be the catchphrase of the season. >.>
Anyway, the community is as it is. If you don't like it, make your own forum where can you rigorously moderate the comments so only constructive ones can go through.

Zahr Dalsk

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Aug 2007

Canada

I'd write an open letter to the Guru community talking about how much entertainment the place gives me, but I'm afraid it might be locked.

The place does entertain me, though, there's no doubt about that. More so than the game we discuss, even.

Snow Bunny

Snow Bunny

Alcoholic From Yale

Join Date: Jul 2007

Strong Foreign Policy [sFp]

Avarre and Sha have much better writing.

There's a reason we get frustrated with devs and people's idiot ideas.



For those of you who want a summary: JSW doesn't like the flaming that goes on in this forum, thinks it's bad we flame Izzy, Regina, and Gaile, and wants us to approve more mindless suggestions in Sardelac.

Dolemite Thornleaf

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Oct 2007

Oz

E/

An open letter to people who keep making these. Don't.
If you feel the need to make a thread that begins with this phrase, turn off the computer and go outside. Your grounded from Guild Wars for two weeks.

Guillaume De Sonoma

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2005

aFk

Me/Rt

None of you are Avarre please stop.

I read your post anyways and frankly who cares?

farmerfez

farmerfez

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2006

You should know

W/

wut

/youhavetoomuchtimeonyourhandsandshouldjuststfuandp laythegame

Mr. Undisclosed

Mr. Undisclosed

I phail

Join Date: Mar 2007

Phailville

D/

Quote:
Originally Posted by ALF71BE
tl;dr

in b4 close.

What's with people and their "open letters" eh?
The original open letter got attention so everyone thinks "o hay, people will give meh attention if i putz open letter in teh title!". When I see posts titled "An Open Letter" I don't read them and instead choose to make fun of the poster for being stupid.

IllusiveMind

IllusiveMind

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Oct 2005

Mehtani Keys

The Extraordinary Revolution [ReVo]

P/W

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Undisclosed
The original open letter got attention so everyone thinks "o hay, people will give meh attention if i putz open letter in teh title!". When I see posts titled "An Open Letter" I don't read them and instead choose to make fun of the poster for being stupid.
I thought I was evil but you beat me to it.
/moarlulz

SerenitySilverstar

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

Oh please responders, continue to prove why you don't deserve to pass your genes on to the next generation.

I'm with you Jupiter, though it does feel like a losing battle trying to herd cats and kindergarteners.

Div

Div

I like yumy food!

Join Date: Jan 2006

Where I can eat yumy food

Dead Alley [dR]

Mo/R

Quote:
Originally Posted by ALF71BE
What's with people and their "open letters" eh?
They wanted to be cool like Avarre.

Free Runner

Free Runner

Forge Runner

Join Date: Oct 2005

GW2G

Knights Of The Sacred Light [KSL]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SerenitySilverstar
Oh please responders, continue to prove why you don't deserve to pass your genes on to the next generation.
Its the Open Letter part really. Whenever people see it their mind goes blank and a rage comes over them. Thoughts run through their minds - "I've gotta post! gotta stop this Open Letter BS once and for all!". They sucumb to them.

ALF71BE

ALF71BE

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2008

In your fridge, stealing your pickles. for mah subway

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Snow Bunny
For those of you who want a summary: JSW doesn't like the flaming that goes on in this forum, thinks it's bad we flame Izzy, Regina, and Gaile, and wants us to approve more mindless suggestions in Sardelac.
Ah so it was about that...

I thought it was something related to all the pr0n posted last night.

LOL silly me.

JupiterStarWarrior

JupiterStarWarrior

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2008

Oklahoma City

Noble Order Of Valiant Angels

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Snow Bunny
For those of you who want a summary: JSW doesn't like the flaming that goes on in this forum, thinks it's bad we flame Izzy, Regina, and Gaile, and wants us to approve more mindless suggestions in Sardelac.
That's partly right. The part about the "approve mindless suggestions" is not right; I just don't like to see people saying crap like "u r a noob!!!!!1111oneone lolololololzzzzzzzz".

Though, unrelated, at least you're calling me by my initials... Most others here call me "Jupiter", but that's okay, too. ^_^



But, I'm not trying to get attention. An open letter is supposed to be read by a community. In this case, it's FOR a community.

Quote:
...perhaps a brief explanation why...
That's exactly what I mean when responding to bad ideas. I've seen them myself (quite frankly, the "break items" idea was bad).


Again, I'm not trying to vie for attention; I get that enough from IM bots (which are annoying -_-). It's just to bring light to what's going on.

But, if that's how things are, then whatever. I just feel sorry for this community as a whole. *shrug*

Sai Rith

Sai Rith

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2006

W/

Lol Guild Wars.

Jenn

Jenn

Resigned.

Join Date: Sep 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by SerenitySilverstar
Oh please responders, continue to prove why you don't deserve to pass your genes on to the next generation.
tl;dr

summary plz.

(Jokes, of course . It's really too true.)

The GW community fails. Most are unintellignet, effortless, whiny, cynical, bitchy, ignorant, apathetic over-generalizers who think a quick and rude one-liner will give the readers an erection.

CronkTheImpaler

CronkTheImpaler

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2006

midwest

AE

W/Me

ill shoot my thoughts before this gets Locked!! in principle i agree with the OP. people are rude and obnoxious. you will never ever change that. play any on line game and its all the same. EX: i was in a COD4 clan for around 1 week i realized that all they did was curse and tear people apart. they didnt even take the time to do it in a creative and clever way. they did all this with the CONSOLE scroll saying "espect all players" lmao.

Second, as for the poor grammar.... well i have an asisstant (SP) that handles these things for me in day to say life.

Last, i honestly think most A-net devs and creators are employees. Its a job not a passion to make us happy. they have an objective to accomplish (business model). Make Money. They do what they feel is right for the success and longevity of the game. all this is done in the context of knowing they need to keep the game somewhat fresh until GW2 is launched.

anyways thats all i have to say about that. (forest gump)

If its cool, just throw this in as my open letter to whoever gives a poop. im gonna go farm chaos plains. latez


Cronk

JupiterStarWarrior

JupiterStarWarrior

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2008

Oklahoma City

Noble Order Of Valiant Angels

Me/

[quote=Illfated Fat][quote=SerenitySilverstar]Oh please responders, continue to prove why you don't deserve to pass your genes on to the next generation.
Quote:

tl;dr

summary plz.

(Jokes, of course . It's really too true.)

The GW community fails. Most are unintellignet, effortless, whiny, bitchy, ignorant, apathetic over-generalizers who think a quick and rude one-liner will give the readers an erection.
LOL! I'm sorry! I had to laugh!




Never mind; wiki is my friend. >_>

ALF71BE

ALF71BE

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2008

In your fridge, stealing your pickles. for mah subway

R/

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Tl%3Bdr
If you don't know what tl;dr means, why are you posting Open Letters?

CronkTheImpaler

CronkTheImpaler

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2006

midwest

AE

W/Me

ill fated fat i just saw that reply... lmao one lines ar the FAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lets call them the drive by trolls. they hit ya BANG !!! then there gone. no need to stick around to defend ones retarded comments.

Cronk

Xx_Sorin_xX

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Dec 2006

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by CronkTheImpaler
ill fated fat i just saw that reply... lmao one lines ar the FAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lets call them the drive by trolls. they hit ya BANG !!! then there gone. no need to stick around to defend ones retarded comments.

Cronk
You do realize you described basically what you just did, right?

MStarfire

MStarfire

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Nov 2007

[SOS]

Rt/

tl;dr, but I think I got the gist.

Get a life. Stop worrying about what happens on ONLINE FORUMS. Seriously. It's pathetic.

skitzinoc

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Oct 2005

PoB

E/

LOL at SerenitySilverstar.


you can't "herd" those who are actually the ones herding carebears like you.




Good point on the insulting ArenaNet employees though JSW. Never understood that. I mean messing with forum goers is hilarious, but leave the poor people alone who are just trying to get a paycheck.

SerenitySilverstar

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2006

Let's see. If they provide a witty comeback, they're stooping to your level.

If they don't respond, you guys think you Win.

If someone tries to give a reasoned response, they're ridiculed.

And you wonder why gamers get such a bad name.

Antheus

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jan 2006

These forums serve no real purpose anymore.

At one point, they were used for exchange of game related information, farming, pvp, builds, strategies...

Wiki has all of that now. Everything there is to know about GW. Nothing new is coming, nothing is changing, there's guide for every mission, every title.

This trend started when focus of game shifted after Prophecies, where grind started replacing content worth discussing.

As for suggestions forum - all valuable suggestions have been made long ago, and some made it to the game. Others are simply meaningless or daydreams that are completely unrelated to current or past GW design.

Overall, I don't believe there has been any insightful thread made on guru in well over a year, the last that sparked controversy were perhaps some revolutionary farming discussions.

skitzinoc

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Oct 2005

PoB

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by SerenitySilverstar
Let's see. If they provide a witty comeback, they're stooping to your level.

If they don't respond, you guys think you Win.

If someone tries to give a reasoned response, they're ridiculed.

And you wonder why gamers get such a bad name.

My herding coment wasn't ment to be an insult, just a statement. You have carebears trying to be above the norm and taking it upon themselves to fix and clean the community. Then you have the trolls feeding off it pissing them off more. Two groups "herding" each other and it's big circle jerk. Pointless in the end like this post.

CronkTheImpaler

CronkTheImpaler

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2006

midwest

AE

W/Me

um sorin... if you have ever noticed im the king of the rambling go nowhere post??? hmmmm ever notice? no ok then SHAT UP!!!!!!!!! i never make sense my grammar is horrible.. get off my jock. besides it wasnt even a one line retort, it was simply commenting on a previous post i found funny. now i suppose youll say thisis a one liner too???



Cronk..


see you got me off topic. im monologueing here!!

Savio

Savio

Teenager with attitude

Join Date: Jul 2005

Fifteen Over Fifty [Rare]

Closed because this thread won't go anywhere.