Developer Appreciation Thread (:

You see, the problem with most of Anet's nerfs is that they are not done to fix things like that at all. Anet nerfs things based on "popular demand" which is also known as "mass complaining by bad players about any legitimate common build that they do not have the skill to beat."

Having your favorite build and/or skills ravaged by a nerf bat is not fun, especially when they didn't need to be nerfed.

Most of the nerfs are not actually done to "balance out the classes", as you claim, but rather they are done to "appease the majority who are bad players, who lodge illegitmate complains for months and months until Anet finally caves to their demands".

You have a point that good players can adapt to the new nerfings, but that only lasts for a few months until Anet again nerfs based on illegitmate complaints about skills/builds that are not overpowered. Never being able to use your favorite skills or builds effectively again is extremely frustrating. This is why in cases of things like game balance and what should be nerfed, Anet would do well to not listen to player suggestions.

This man speaks the truth.

Also, I hate hearing people resort to "well we don't have to pay a monthly fee". Basically these people are saying we should expect a subpar game. Anet chose a pricing model that worked for them. I hold them to the same standards as any game with monthly payments.

The thing that frustrates me more than anything is the absolute refusal to hear any sort of comments from the dev team. Sure, they act like they're in touch with the player base, but they aren't really. Lets hear actual comments from dev teams on important issues. What classes do they consider to be 'finished'? Are elementalists at a point now that they are happy with? What skill changes do they see being needed in the next couple of months? How about a time line on things like trade/storage improvements or any other thing you're working on. I know other posters on here could come up with alot better questions than those. I just would like an actual insight into what the devs are thinking with some of these updates, just a little reassurance that things are going the right way.

And sorry, Gaile Gray coming into Lion's Arch/Kaineng or where ever it is she visits nowadays doesn't count as Anet involvement with the playerbase. Sure, she can chat about holiday events or minipets or the weather where she lives, but whenever someone asks a meaningful question about skill changes or timelines or balance issues or the like, its always "I'm not sure" or "I'll have to ask about that". Comments from actual developers would be nice for a change.

Yes but if actual devs were sitting in LA/Kaineng and talking, they wouldnt be working on the game. >.>

Yes direct dev contact would be nice, but im happy enough to filter info through Gaile, no matter how vague it may be some times. Its still got a marketing/PR spin, so take it with a grain of salt, but at least Gaile isnt like Crazy Ken (Sony's Ken Kutaragi) or the Regginator (Nintendo's Reggie Fils-aime), shes way more down to earth about telling us that she doesnt know when it comes to certain things.

I do wish that we knew WHO within the dev teams were making whichever game changing decisions.

All hail A.Net! The BEST game company out there. The BEST, don't even frigging try and argue.

Why are they the best? They listen, they act. And so far, they've proven all their critics wrong. (Even me when I was in my bad mood)

Go check out the Dev Tracker Section of the Forum, there's like 12 new threads. (From 6/17)

Guild Wars was my first (and is still my only) MMORPG. Before I had Guild Wars, I just played console and handheld games. I had never realised, or even dreamed of, a game that could be changed whilst I was playing it to make it better.

And the changes have been great. Glitches have been fixed within a day of being found, skills have been balanced that were dominating the game, and lesser skills 'boosted' to allow them to come into circulation more; it's all genius.

As for nerfs, I have never viewed them as a bad thing. Even when I was just starting to get into doing SF farming with a minion master, and they changed the minion rules, I wasn't bothered much -change is a good thing. Without these skill balances, the whole game would just repeat itself over and over, just using the same monotonous order of attacks. With the changes, we've been forced to adapt and change our strategies, which has always been good fun.

The other thing that I was very Impressed about was the way ANet tackled the Augury Rock farmers: Instead of just changing the enemies without any noticed, they introduced new NPCs and a whole little story, with new enemies and a weapon to compensate. I thought the little story, about the scarabs being drawn to all the bloodshed was a very good idea, as well as bringing in a staff to 'soften the blow' to the 55 monks who were angry about the nerf. Little touches like these really made the game for me.

As for ANet listening to us, I think it had been fantastic. Referring back to my original point, I think its brilliant that they change the game in the first place, but they don't just do that based on their own decisions, they actually come and listen to us about what we want. Everyone wanted Iway nerfed: it happened, and cleverly too. It wasn't a devastating nerf to upset the Iwayers, just a small nerf to take the edge off it.

Things like Wintersday and Halowe'en as well were amazing, and the idea for the mini-pets: it shows they really want their members to be happy. They aren't just like some company who sells you a product and then just takes your money and ignores you, ANet sell you the product and keep coming back to check your happy. Think about it: ANet didn't have to change anything from the day Guild Wars came out: All they HAVE to do is keep the servers running, so you can play the game. It doesn't say anywhere that they HAVE to keep updating it with new items etc, they don't HAVE to balance skills or anything like that.

I just got Factions a couple of days ago, and I'm already enjoying it immensley. Everything that ANet has done, from the special holiday updates, to the new items, the fantastic competitions that allow you to get part of yourself in a game, The GWWC itself! that never HAD to happen, but it did.

I think ANet have done a wonderful job in everything. Even stuff that no-one liked, such as the rollback, were handled proffessionally and quickly, with ANet heaping apologies on left, right and centre. The rollback never had to have happened, but the economy would be ruined, and so ANet acted with us in mind again and did it.

I'd give ANet 10/10 for everything, and if there is a prize for the company who look after their members the most: its not Halifax, its not Tesco, its 100% ANet.

/Signed

For a year or so, I'd been utterly bored of videogames(except for the odd game of Pro Evo or Footy Manager)-then Guild Wars came a long. Nine months later, it still keeps me entertained.

Thanks Anet

/signed

There will always be glitches/problems with any game. People will always have somethign they would like changed or modified or things they are generally unhappy with. There are a few things that i would wish to see different, but overall for my 100 bux (50 for each chapter so far) it has been one of the best investments of my time/money that i have spent. i have gotten countless hours of entertainment and satisfaction out of this game and hope to get that or above still out of it. ANET i commend you on putting out such a game and taking such pride in it. you all have done a great job and you will continue to have my respect and i will continue to play this game as much as possible. Thank you.

While all this is true and I feel the same way on most of your points.... I still feel as of late that they have been showing some vast improvements with the way they communicate with us. They've been working hard to do a vast many things that we have been longing for. Right now they are dealing with the most popular but less complicated issues... If they can get those done faster it means people happier faster. Other things may take a long time coming because without and exact rightup you are begging for issues to come into play when you update it in.

Granted not everything that they do will be liked by the majority, but if you check the Dev tracking forum all Gaile did last night was post like mad! She stayed on the forums at least trying to get a good idea of how people felt and was even kind enough to let us know that the network news actually has something in it now! (still not much tho lol). (And lord knows I still want that 12v12 team list back and refuse to do 12v12 without it!)

The Scribe was one of their best ideas yet, it works generally cryptic like the Frog and still allows people to keep up with the latest in current or soon to be events. And granted to most this might seem like a lame addition, I see it more as them trying harder to communicate whats going on!

While Gaile and the Dev teams has failed misserably in the past and are not without making mistakes still, they are at this point and time making a very positive step forward toward better relations with its player base.

For that they most deffinately deserve applause!

The fact that ANet does anything about their game after release puts them a good deal above most game companies. The fact that they have done as much as they have in the last year and two months shows how dedicated they are. They aren't infallible and they aren't perfect. But they try. And they often accomplish. That counts for something.

Guild Wars is not perfect. It has its flaws. The forced repetition of every single primary quest and mission over each character comes to mind; as does the massive numbers of faction leachers. Not to mention the fiasco of Elite Mission access. Things could be better, but the same is true of anything. At least an effort is being made to make things better. Many players see fit to complain vehemently about the smallest detail. Many cannot understand why their 2000th hour should not be as exciting as their 20th. But many millions have chosen to entrust ANet with their money in exchange for a piece of code and a cardboard box.

Over the past year, Guild Wars has compelled four hundred hours of my time. At minimum wage that's $3000. And I paid $120. The value it has given me is much, much more than many of the games that I have played. For creating an innovative new business strategy, I salute you. For dealing with the issues we insatiable players raise, I salute you. Most of all, for creating such a beautiful piece of gaming art, I salute you.

/Signed. Even when I disagree with certain things, I still support this game and the hard work its staff performs.

/Signed, I feel the same way as well.

Ahaha.

We all apreciate the work of Anet, this is the bets online game I've played for a long time. Of course I will still post constructive criticism (means will tell what I don't like, why is that and how I would like it changed).

Ok guys from Anet, get those dudes from the Factions team to do the faction/reward/battle changes and I will mary you ^^

/signed

Guildwars is a great game, but people still look only on what is missing, instead of looking at the great things

/signed

Anet has made a game that's quite a match for any other out there.

The best game in the world. As a "uber gamer" world say


Omg teh guildwarzz iz teh pwnage .. its 1337 all day 24/7

i really praise Anet and they would be the "Pwnerer" in my book.(purepwnage.com(haha))

Yea Anet is best, helpful,changes, updates everyweek, good vibes, AND in game chat with froggy and gaile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and alex . somttimes!

But a bad guildwars community.. and DONT OPEN THE GATES!!! make them play the game! hell add gates to tyria!!!

/signed
IGN brokenmonkey

/signed

Anet is doing an awesome job

/signed for Propheties
/not signed at all for Factions

first off I would like to say that anet has done a good job.

however as rpg player. I under stand rpg players. When they choose a class or a charactor chances are they going to sick with that charactor throught thick and thin. I don't see nerfs as good thing. well just because a popular skill is used there will be people who don't like it. I play elemental I can see there is alot of people who don't want to see my class they way it should be. the elemetal class has be nerfed to the point where it is not useful in hoh pvp!

Agreed!

ANET is company, Guildwars is its product... a product which they profit from.

All they are doing is improving their product in an attempt to make more profit, which, as the person above points out, is shown when we buy additional products.

Have they or are they doing a good job? or are they only just fixing the things which were a bad job in the first place?

When other companys are successfull do you have an appreciate petition for those?..

Do people have a 'Fords car design appreciation' for making their cars safer?..

or do you have an appreciation post for McDonalds for now serving more healthy foods?

what about microsoft?.. do we show our appreciate to them when they fix security loopholes or bugs fixes?..

no we dont, dont be so daft... we show our appreciate with our money, the devs may appreciate this sentiment you show, but would much prefer you got your friends and family to buy the product to keep the company profitable and ahead of the charts.

/notsigned, my appreciation will be in my credit card.