Pausing Game

I'm sure we've all been in the situation where something in real life interrupts us (the phone rings, door bell, crying child etc.) and we've either had to leave our party or, if soloing, abandon our character to (usually) die. Wouldn't it be nice in those occasion if, instead, we could pause the game? Now before you say it's ridiculous to try and pause an online game, hear me out...!

Given that GW uses instancing this shouldn't be a major problem. If you are soloing with henchmen then I can't see any reason why pausing (in an instanced area) would not be possible. When you have real players in your group it's more tricky, but some kind of "pause request" screen where players can vote (like you have for skipping cut-scenes) could work - if everyone agrees the game is paused for a short time, which has to be continually renewed. This would allow people to have short breaks (grab a beer, answer phone) without having to leave the game, ruining it for everyone.

I don't support this at all... its already annoying when people go AFK during missions, let along adding a voting option for it.

Its an interesting idea nonetheless however.

But if your PUG is in a massive battle at the end of a long mission and your healer suddenly has to attend to one of her children briefly isn't it better to allow the option to vote and pause the game briefly rather than her being forced to leave entirely? People do have real lives and these can sometimes (shock horror!) take precedent over their virtual ones

I beg to differ from the number of nublets going AFK with no warning during an Elona Reach run O_o

By the way, what does PUG stand for? And BWG stand for...?

they terms I see all the time but not sure what they're for

PUG = Pick Up Group

With henchmen... I suppose...

Disagree. Pause is left out of MMO's because its rude to make others wait on you in such a way, and it should in no way be incorperated because of annoying people always alwAYS ALWAYS hitting it. I can see some moron now creating a vote for a pause, failing the vote, trying again, failing again, trying again.....

sorry, this is too disruptive to play. If you have to use the bathroom or answer the phone I suggest finding a safe spot and giving a quick warning to your group.

If you have a moron in your PUG then they can create trouble in endless ways. Since I'm propsing a system were everyone has to agree unanimously then they can simply be ignored. But if somebody wants to deliberately cause trouble then there are far worse ways they could do so.

Plus, even if pause is left out when you are playing with real people I see no reason why it couldn't be incorporated when you are soloing and/or with henchmen? Sometimes you do need a break/rest or have to attend to something. What is the problem there?

Don't get me wrong, but I'd much sooner leave someone behind before I wait for them to get back...

If I need to go to the loo, I give a warning 3 mins in advanced and take no longer then 1 min.

1 min is the max I'm willing to wait for someone... after that I'll start to get annoyed... a pause feature, vote or otherwise just seems so out-of-place in this game.

and a pause button adds to it. Sure a moron can ruin the game for you in endless ways, but having to vote will be just as disruptive and will add another way for a moron to ruin the game. It's simple, he keeps asking to pause, and you'll have to keep taking 2 seconds to hit no when your vote screen comes up. Have you ever played a game online where you could pause the game before? I have, its no fun. It's hard enough getting through a mission without someone wanting to pause the game every 2 mins.

A pause button has no use or validity in an online game. If your group leaves you behind when you've warned them you need to take a second off to use the restroom or answer the phone or what have you, thats up to them. If they get killed because you werent there, thats thier problem. If they blame you for it, find another more reasonable group. Pause is useless even when your soloing or with henchies, you have all the time in the world to move to a spot you've already cleared and then you can do what you need to do, and take as long to do it as you need, without a worry for your character since you were smart enough to move him to a place you've already cleared

pause is too disruptive to add.

Don't you guys ever get phone calls, need bathroom breaks yourselves, or have other reasons for life to break into your fanasy world? An hour long intense mission can create needs that have to be addressed now. A PAUSE button would be very helpful in a henchies only mission. In a PUG your at everyone's mercy i guess. If I get a call of nature in the middle of a mission I generally get dropped from connection (neterr=007) before I get back. Netarena says it is my problem, but it only happens consistantly, and immediately on missions in post-searing. I can stand for hours in a safe area with no problem, it is not my connection.

It would be useful, but in SMALL text so it isn't disruptive as well as only one player can start a pause vote twice every 10 or so mins...maybe 20 or 30, or even whole mission.

Yeah a pause vote bad idea. Example Your phone rings, You hit vote to pause button, now you either A) wait for whole group to vote. or B) leave to answer phone. IF you wait then answering machine has picked up or they hang up. IF you just leave and someone votes no and continues then the same problem exists that exists today. Its easier just to AFK, someone or some people in party might gripe or will gripe pending on group. With henchies find a safe spot to stop. Most cases you can do this for those rare cases you cant, then you cant. Whats worst case scenerio? You come back to computer to find yourself standing on rez platform with henchies standing there with you. I know people have times they have to stop/leave game. Trust in my situation ( and I wont poor everybody with that) I HAVE to leave sometimes. People I play with know this. They know there are times that I just have to go. So when that possiblity is on the table, I dont commit myself to something BIG. Last missions/quests in game, UW, FOW, SF etc. so far I have been there for them from start to finish way more times than I had to leave. they are cool with it, obviously they are, I would assume if they werent when I offered to help them again they would decline one way or another. But that doesnt happen.

If you are out with henchmen or solo I can't see any problem with this. But pausing with people would be just something else to argue over and voting during a mission would be nuts. I don't mind a break once in a while but it is beginning to get bad all the away from keyboards. We have been known to take 5 minute breaks in the tombs at the beginning of a level or somewhere else. Usually they just drop behind. I'm tired of the people who join a group in a hard mission and go away for the whole mission on the chance you will go on without them and they skate though for nothing.

Sounded like a good idea however I think incorporating this would be difficult, especially if you’re playing with other players. Besides people moan when you afk. I don’t think anyone would vote. Unless they made some kind of team chat room they could go in for a while until you got back.
But personally I think it’s jut best to find a safe-ish spot and afk for a while and hope for the best that you don’t wake up or a rez platform.

pausing the game.... that is a HORRIBLE idea
basically adding a "pause" would effect the whole party, and thats not very fair to the other people in your party
this idea is narrowminded and inconsiderate to others

Great idea. Add a pause function while with a full henchmen group, that really sounds nice to me. For example, if you feel like playing GW, though, you're almost sure something will happen very soon (phone ring, doorbell etc.) you can just take henchmen instead, so you can pause along the way. I don't think this will affect the gameplay, since it'd be with henchmen anyway, which are never used for high end PVE.

Solo'ing though, is something else, with a pause function you can have a reaction that's endlessly quick (pausing the game nearly constantly and reacting on whatever you see what to do to save your ass), and that reaction isn't that important while with a full henchmen. Maybe though, if they'd put a "oncee every 30 minute" limit on the pause function, so you don't use it for any other reason then truly being afk for a while.

The vote paused idea is great, though, people would use it for different reasons, like discussing a stratagy real quick. I still like it though, but I don't think this will what ANet think about it.

Well more fool you then.

My guild and regular friends are patient - if someone ANNOUNCES they are going afk then we appreciate it - real life DOES get in the way sometimes - get used to it - the good people try to alert you when this happens, the bad, impatient folks either dont alert you, or quit, or dash off attracting agro ignoring that someone has just politely said they are afk.

Since Im used to playing in groups of patient people a pause feature would work for us for sure - on long missions we in effect do this anyway when there is a natural pause / safe place - to give people time go get a drink etc (particularly in Tombs /FOW) but yeah in an emergency it would be handy.

In terms of disruption - if it's set that default is *no* pause (ie people have to actively vote for it) then that could be less disruptive ...

Person A types AFK and hits pause
the others have to confirm if they agree - while waiting for confirmation the game continues are normal ...
So a group of patient people who work together could use it - a group of hotheads could choose not to be affected by it

Sister Spice

/signed

I only endorse this when you are the only human in the party. If you are in a group with more than one hman player, this shouldn't be allowed.

/signed

I agree with the OP to an extent and with SaucE.

I do not feel pausing the game when with PUG is a good idea. Its easy to say "hey... brb, wait for me." and if a fight should happen while your gone, its generally ok.

However I have had to step away from my computer a couple times and while playing with hench. I thought I had left myself in the clear, no roaming band of enemies anywhere on the map. But I come back to find that one did pass by and my overzealious hench had charged off into battle and died/lead the fight back to me. I returned just to see myself die.

A pause of sorts would be nice.