New..or faded?

What Now

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2007

Playing back through the games after a long time PvPing I started to wonder.

Found it weird how so few American guilds GvGed yet American districts were the liveliest of them all. Some were actually crowded but I couldn't help but wonder, what were they crowded with?

Most I seemed to talk to were really old timers who just played occasionally or loved the game too much to put it down found very few people who were actually new despite being in one of the first towns.

The people I see when I pass through I can't help but wonder if many of them are new or if their all old time players who just faded into the background of GW and are the only thing really left now.

How long have you guys been playing? Hoping there's some life still left in this game and that it's not simply overrun by old fans.

Onion Guy

Onion Guy

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2008

Co

The Mentalists [THPK]

N/Me

Over 3 years :P

jiggles

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2007

N/

44months

12chars

Antares Ascending

Antares Ascending

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2008

E/

Just 3 years..on and off at times

wtfisgoingon

Banned

Join Date: Jun 2006

Here's my honest opinion. Americans do GvG, but they lack some intelligence to come up with any productive strategies. They are either followers of the current metas.
There are SOME American GvG guilds that do think, but the majority do not.
It is also getting rather boring to wait for the timer for GvG as more and more players are quitting GW everyday.


/age tells me I've had the game for 3.5 years, but it's actually only 2.5 years that I've played, as I've only started really playing since the release of Factions.

Lykan

Lykan

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

StP

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by What Now View Post
Playing back through the games after a long time PvPing I started to wonder.

Found it weird how so few American guilds GvGed yet American districts were the liveliest of them all. Some were actually crowded but I couldn't help but wonder, what were they crowded with?
What has pve districts got to do with how many people are gvging? If people are gvging they are in their guild halls doing it.

44 months

Chocobo1

Chocobo1

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2007

New Zealand

CoA

N/

Quote:
Originally Posted by wtfisgoingon View Post
Here's my honest opinion. Americans do GvG, but they lack some intelligence to come up with any productive strategies. They are either followers of the current metas.
There are SOME American GvG guilds that do think, but the majority do not.
It is also getting rather boring to wait for the timer for GvG as more and more players are quitting GW everyday.


/age tells me I've had the game for 3.5 years, but it's actually only 2.5 years that I've played, as I've only started really playing since the release of Factions.
Wow thats a nice offensive sterotype you got there.

Darcy

Darcy

Never Too Old

Join Date: Jul 2006

Rhode Island where there are no GW contests

Order of First

W/R

I've been playing for 34 months and have 8 playable characters. I spend several hours every day playing GW.

Lord Of Blame

Lord Of Blame

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2008

USA

Marked Souls [MkS]

E/N

6 months here.

Me<3You

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2007

Roffle Brothel [RoFL]

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by wtfisgoingon View Post
Here's my honest opinion. Americans do GvG, but they lack some intelligence to come up with any productive strategies. They are either followers of the current metas.
There are SOME American GvG guilds that do think, but the majority do not.
It is also getting rather boring to wait for the timer for GvG as more and more players are quitting GW everyday.


/age tells me I've had the game for 3.5 years, but it's actually only 2.5 years that I've played, as I've only started really playing since the release of Factions.

Pretty Sure most Euros only know how to 8v8, must be alot intelligence and powerful strategies.

The Red Messenger

The Red Messenger

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2008

America

started in november 2005, but played off and on...probably spent about 2 years actually logging in, between deployments and odd jobs.

i did gvg about 6 times, and we lacked the organization, player base, and patience to get good. we had intelligent players, but they just werent on at the right times or busy doing pve.

on the "americans are dumb" comment that seems to spring up now and again...keep in mind that a large portion of the american players are ages 9-15. its normal and acceptable for parents to buy their kids video games in this country. im not saying other countries dont do that, but it seems like a lot of the european and australian player base is somewhat older.

Master Fuhon

Master Fuhon

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2006

From a non-prejudiced perspective, regional problems with players will usually be based on them having more options for activity in a specific region. One thing I would look at with American gamers is purchasing power and a market flooded with leisure activity. Someone with more purchasing power opens up a wider range of activity, someone with less does what they could already afford. When the market is flooded with activities, people have wide ranges of activity to choose from also.

An area is specifically going to be dominated by a game in an area with fewer options, or if the game is considered one of the best options. In America, gaming is frequently a leisure activity; it competes with more than other games. Maybe some continent lends it's best and brightest to a specific game for PvP, but most people dedicate themselves to something that pays them instead of something they pay for. I pursue other venues to find my meaning in life; I didn't know that wasn't normal in other parts of the world. It's inevitable that if you have good players they will very likely find a better option offered to them.

If a veteran is still playing the game, it is to achieve stability and continuity. The people who change builds and make things happen are generally dissatisfied; but sometimes they leave instead of staying long enough to shake up the meta. There are a rare few who feel at ease in understanding the game who change how it is played and enjoy it as ever-changing, but this takes a level of comfort and understanding that most won't have. You particularly don't find this type of investment in gamers who consider it a leisure activity also.

The majority just sits around waiting for the outside event that makes things change, whether it be new insight or a nerf bat (this is a world phenomenon, not an American one). This seeps into the GvG world. And when the changes happen, the players evaluate whether it is something they want to cope with. It's a large investment of time for an MMO player to quit; it's easy if you get a new priority though. Some people reach a level of dissatisfaction that is never constructively utilized towards making new builds and making things more interesting. They usually leave. This happens when due to whatever limitations, the player cannot rework the game to be played the way he wants to play (playstyle forced by designer).

If you can understand some of that or have observation skills of your own, you will have a better understanding of the landscape of players within a game at any moment in time. If you only want a number, then my number is 36 months of game ownership; on-and-off enough for the game to feel new. Definitely a fade into background type player.

Pleikki

Pleikki

WTB q8 15^50 Weapons!

Join Date: Nov 2006

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

44months.. .... ......

I pwnd U

I pwnd U

God of Spammers

Join Date: Oct 2005

in the middle of a burning cornfield...

Scars Meadows [SMS] (Officer)

44 months on this account plus about 3 months when my brother and I shared an account. oO

Spaced Invader

Spaced Invader

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2005

Joined Closed Alpha in early 2004, so almost 5 years.

Hailey Anne

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2007

A/E

44 months .

tuna-fish_sushi

tuna-fish_sushi

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2005

California

E/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spaced Invader View Post
Joined Closed Alpha in early 2004, so almost 5 years.
OMGAWD please tell me what minipet you got for your fourth birthday present and in a few months tell me what you got for your fifth birthday present WOW

I got 42 months under my belt

Sin City Gamer

Sin City Gamer

Academy Page

Join Date: Dec 2007

Las Vegas, NV, USA

Death Design Cult [DDC]

14 months. Got my dad to start playing about 6 months ago, and my younger brother started about 2 months ago.

So, yes, there is still fresh blood in the water XD

Abedeus

Abedeus

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Jan 2007

Niflheim

R/

38 months.

Would be sooner, if there was ANY marketing working in Poland. I've found out about Guild Wars few months after release, because there were no reviews, no trailers, NOTHING where I live. And only a visit to the local game shop (well, MediaMarkt...) revealed GW to me.

immortius

immortius

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2005

Black Cats

E/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by What Now View Post
How long have you guys been playing? Hoping there's some life still left in this game and that it's not simply overrun by old fans.
First played in the E3 for Everyone event. Took part in all the beta events I could. Played on and off after release, including a 1 year break until just recently.

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Red Messenger
on the "americans are dumb" comment that seems to spring up now and again...keep in mind that a large portion of the american players are ages 9-15. its normal and acceptable for parents to buy their kids video games in this country. im not saying other countries dont do that, but it seems like a lot of the european and australian player base is somewhat older.
I believe the average age of computer game players in Australia was found to be 28 by some survey or another.

Rak Orgon of Beowulf

Rak Orgon of Beowulf

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Oct 2007

just chillin

Omg Gwen Is Legal [EotN]

26 months, got NF right after it came out. put it down for about 3 months one time, havent had an extended break since then

Lycan Nibbler

Forge Runner

Join Date: Sep 2006

AZ

I resisted the game for a few months, so its 37 months here. I would think that the guru posters length of play would likely be skewed a little seen by how people still stick around here even when theyve basically stopped playing and the newer players going to the wikis first.

Arduin

Arduin

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: May 2005

The Netherlands

Limburgse Jagers [LJ]

R/

44 months, still playing (albeit a tad less...).

Only GvG'd once, I'm not a person for deep human-human online interaction.

Rocky Raccoon

Rocky Raccoon

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2007

Massachusetts, USA

Guardians of the Cosmos

R/Mo

43 months here.