A New Flagging System

Since Hero Battles are gone, the flagging system needs an upgrade for PvE.

So I was thinking this, on top of selecting hero 1, hero 2, and hero 3 which is used a lot in HM to spread heroes, why not add more for tactics.
There will be close, normal and spread. Just click to cycle.
Close is for avoiding aggro, normal is what it is now, and spread has the heroes and henchies very far apart.

Then there is the formation.
Green = Frontline
Yellow = Midline
Red = Backline





A new template system for this? That way, you can save the options on your computer.

Formations sound interesting, but I wouldn't like the idea of removing flags. While a nice addition, flags offer static positioning options that while difficult to micro, offer precise control.

Regardless, adding these would be great. With the ability to label heroes as either Frontline/Midline/Backline (or tie it into Attack/Guard/Avoid system) this would be very useful for hero teams. Henchies could be sorted by Profession, which although not perfect is at least better than lumping them all in the front or back. Their current nature of aggro'ing everything is obnoxious.

Also, nice MS Pain job =)

I like the ideas, formation while still keeping the flags would be my 2 cents. /signed

It's a nice idea, but removing flags would limit a player's flexibility in positioning heroes/henchmen. It would also cause problems with party make-up, using the above examples, you have 3 front-line positions in each, placing casters in such builds as Discordway & Sabway up front. Also, taking into consideration the terrain is an important aspect of many missions & vanquishes. Another thing that would come into play is multiple player H/H parties, which just adds another difficulty in setting something like this up.

Now, if there were a way to position henchmen individually (flags for everybody!), that would be great.

Sounds like something that should have been in at launch, keep the flag though.

I see too many variables to make this effective. As mentioned, what do you do when you have 2 players with 3 heroes and 3 hench? What do you do when you have 8 melee, 8 casters, or any combination between them? I typically run with 2 Monks, 1 Ranger, 1 Mesmer, 2 Necro, and 1 Elem when I run hero+hench. I do this when I play any caster class and my Ranger as well. What would be my frontline characters since I have no melee?

The only feasible way I see them adding formation designations is to allow the player to set them up. Having a few (like you displayed) to choose from will only work for some people. I would rarely use your formations, so it wouldn't affect me at all. Allowing me to design my own would though. However, I do not see that as being something the Live team will spend time/money on, nor do they need to.

They need to fix problems, or introduce new game features (quests, armor, skill updates, etc.), not mess with making the game easier (already easy enough). Besides, I would hate to see the number of bugs something like this would introduce.

interesting idea.

Im curious how it could be programmed to recognize your backline? In particular when using something like discord or sabyway. If you just use the ele/mes/necro/paragon as midline....then the necro healers would be midline.

It would have to somehow identify the healers in the group. It seems like it has possibilities. Unfortunately, I see a lot of issues in dungeons and in places where there are tight areas, odd corners, long corridors, so forth.

What if taking your idea to a different step......

Keep heros flaggable just like they are. Keep the main group flag as well. But in the main group flag, you have formations. This might help getting your 4 or less henchies spread out better. There simply could be 4 different formations for the henchies. A box..a triangle..2 across..and one. They just need to have nice spacing.

Then there would still need to be a 5,6,7 hench formation for people who dont have heros or only have 1,2 ...
I think it would easier to code the henchies in a formation. That way it would always default a monk to the backline or an occasional rit hench healer.

Also, if they were to implement something like this... Give us one small box thats removable like the heros skill bar that shows us henchy DP.

Flag system works fine, be nice to be able to spread henchmen that's for sure.

Formation stuff would be interesting for movement so when you get ambushed the group isn't all bunched up when walking.
Get a little RTS in GW

I personally just have the flag commands bind to my keyboard for quick and easy access to flag and release.

Practical implications;
-Would have to have a system were the player can designate heroes/henchmen as to what colour they are associated with at any given time or a outpost.
-How would the player interface with the formation program.
-Players would have to be able to change formation on the fly.
-Would the Leader of the group be in control of all A.I. or would each individual player have control of their heroes formation pattern.
-If individual players have control of formations of own A.I. would it be feasible to format an option to allow formation control to others in the group.

I'm going to stop now so many questions, such a time waste. Anet regrets heroes, seen by how they erased them from the PvP equation and how heroes will not be in GW2 (sidekicks don't count).

Your idea is good, it changes game play in a minor way and would make for interesting strategy. Having a hero monk follow me 10 feet back at all times would be cool.

Nice paint skills >:O im jealous how you do that?

ANYWHO! i like the concept of formations but it would differ on positioning in the team bar rather than class type because what if you have an orders derv or a spellblade ele

IF we could have this AND flags i would be happy, but we dont need it.

*waits for Arenanet to pump out Guildwars Tactics*

Can we just get a way for the heroes to all not run on top of each other?

Apparently heroes are scared unless they are standing in your shadow. If their to far apart they will aggro everything, to close your gonna get bombed.

Right now it's a bad mix of those, besides, if you want to play single player this will broaden the options.

I took my idea of position flagging when I played Dungeon Siege. I didn't find the positioning all that useful, but it did help in considering how you want your group to set up. I just think it would be better to include this with the order of how you want your hench set up and where you can flag them separately (keep casters/healers in the back, etc)