Droknar rushers in early arenas

One way to stop elite skills would be to put a level limit on the Signet of Capture. If you get rushed to several places you can buy a signet of capture no matter what level you are, so put some level restrictions on this also and that will stop elite skills from entering the lower level arenas. Or if anyone purchases a Signet of Capture they are then restricted from Ascalon/Yaks Bend Arenas. This way there would be no level limits, but, the consequences of purchasing a Signet of Capture would end their chances of every playing in the Ascalon/Yaks Bend Arenas.

And another way to prevent droknars armor from lower level arenas, once you've visited Droknars you can no longer enter Ascalon or Yaks Bend arenas. Key points in the game that would give unfair advantages in the Ascalon/Yaks Bend arenas would cut off that players ability to enter those arenas. So if one got rushed to Beetltun (sp) for Galrath Slash, boom, you're now cut off from Ascalon/Yaks Bend Arena.

But, as far as the PVE game goes, you can rush/run all you want to, get every skill and best armor and best weapon. That's fine and dandy. But, when it comes to the lower level arenas, these need to be balanced to the level of play that they are meant to be.

Why should you not be allowed to twink your character if you know how?

Not saying you shouldn't be allowed to twink, just saying you can't bring those characters into the Ascalon/Yaks Bend arenas. You can twink all you want and play the PVE game, nobody is complaining about that. Just no twinks allowed in Ascalon/Yaks Bend arenas. Plain and simple.

Im nto sure if u guys know how hard it is to get to droknars even running... There are lvl 24 pinesouls and the programmers purposely spammed ice imps everywhere to slow you down... To get to droknars is hard running, id say ud have a better chance doing the missions...

I would agree with you, accept I completely lost interest in low level arenas a LONG time ago. It will always be to some extent an item war.

Last I checked, there was only Ice Imps in the first part of Lornar's. And yes, I find that area the hardest part to run. A freeze spell on you right as you're entering the tunnel with the worms can screw everything up. Other then that, if you know what you're doing, the run is simple.

Those low level PvP arenas are there to ease the new players into PvP. What would you say if you were just leaving Pre-Searing and entered the small PvP match and faced a warrior with Droknar's armour, and a ranger with elite skills? I don't think you'd be very happy. The Ascalon arena is for just low level characters, not low level characters with high level skills/armour. "Just choose your skills wisely", easy for you to say. Do you know what skills I had for my very first character when I wanted to try PvP? I had only the ranger and monk skills acquired in Pre-Sear. I don't want to be fighting a level 20 spider from the UW (Thankfully ANet put an end to that).

[I had only the ranger and monk skills acquired in Pre-Sear. I don't want to be fighting a level 20 spider from the UW (Thankfully ANet put an end to that).]

Heh Amen to that. Something I've already noticed is the timer runs down the 29 seconds and nobody joins for many cycles. So, it plainly looks like the lower arena PVP is just about ruint completely and many newcomers have either quit or just don't play any PVP at all thanks to idiots who just enjoy griefing and ruining the game for others.
This is really hurting the early game PVP A-Net, I hope you are listening and do something about it "soon".

Well untill a-net decides if running is a nono, i will keep assuming that its ok and earn my money

Hey i love helping people, whether the outcome of their doings is good or bad

Most of the time the droknars rushers I've seen are the stupid paladins. And every time I've seen one, I've beaten them with my smite monk. It's good to know that a smite monk can kick the ass of a droknars rusher. What would be best is completely remove the lornars pass, I think its called that, or remove the arenas before the droknars one. I think they should add one in pre-searing.

If you mean the rushers are w/mo then yes most are, i for one only use purge conditions (for when pinesouls use traps) then off i go I used to use mending before i got my +45 -3 in stance shield, now no use for it :P

Yeah a PRE-SEARING ARENA would be GREAT, obviously there will be no twinking whatsoever there. Great idea. No Droknars armor, no elite or out of balance skills. Why didn't I think of that also.

Problem with a pre-searing arena is that there is little room for different builds. :\ I don't think you'd get enough variety from it.

Well I don't think this particular arena would be about variety... it would be about practice. There are quite a few new players who really need to see this side of the game BEFORE they go through the Academy. I've actually had a few newer guild member ask me about this "PvP thing" to which I can only respond "go see for yourself."

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

It should be easy enough to code in that all Elite skills are removed, and all armor is dropped to a certain level when entering Ascalon arena. The Ascalon Arena really shouldn't be about "PWNING N00BS", and bringing elites and high level armor is just evidence that people are TRYING to do just that. Since ANet has told us they want people to have fun, and getting "PWNED" in this arena could turn people off PvP entirely, toning down skills and armor here would probably be a good idea.

I'm sure that ANet felt that adding XP to PvP kills in Ascalon would keep people from continually fighting there, but obviously it still isn't enough for some people.

Prehaps another way is to increase the XP for PvP kills in this arena. Seeing as how these people have already circunvented all the lower end missions, rapidly increasing thier level to 11 shouldn't be an issue.

They could potentially try adding another arena that does not reward faction or XP. It would be just for fun, and hopefully less Elite/Forge armored punks would be in there.

I think it would be easier to implement the checkpoints

A.net has already addressed the end game armour issue in lower lvl arena's (since july 22) by preventing chars with end game armour to actually wear the armour when you enter arenas. in essence you will be fighting naked in the arena. elite skills on the other hand has not be patched yet.

Well, i decided to have a little try at pvp. I started a new character for the sole purpose of pvp.
We had two consecutive wins and then met a team with a smiting monk who had droknars armour and was using shield of judgement.
How was he allowed in ascalon arena ffs?

All the other players didnt even know until i broadcast a message about it being an elite skill.
One of them was disgusted with it. He told me they should be reported and banned. He even said that it could drive new players away if they knew of such an "exploit".
I had never thought about it like that before. He is quite right i suppose.

Before i venture further into pvp, if i consider it to be worth my time, i will just ask something...

If PvE is so screwed up by being linear and boring the second time around, farming is nerfed and PvP is full of exploits....what is Guild Wars all about? What's left?
Fix it....

wow... and I just mean wow.

Its real easy to get to Droknars. Just pay any of the numerous rushers out there the fee. 2k? Takes no effort or skill on my part, just a bit of gold.

RebelLeader, please try reading and understandin before you decide to jump right in and start tossing insults around.

As for the rest of this thread, preventing upper level Armor in the lower arenas is only a partial fix. Which would cause you more problems: a warrior that takes almost no damage from your melee attack or a ranger that can fill you with Poison Arrows? Elite skills (and heck some of the later game skills) are very overpowered if they're being used by a level 9 against other level 9s. They're powerful skills that are needed to succeed in later parts of the PvE experience and obviously in the lvl 20 arenas. They have no place in Ascalon or Yak's Bend. Put a checkpoint in and if someone passes it, lock off the arenas.

Its a simple fix to noob ganking in the arenas.

The problem is not in the armor itself, but the fact that a character with Droknar's armor in low-level arenas is making the battle unfair for others. If you had that same guy with his good armor in your mission group, I can bet you'd be very happy to have an efficient tank for your party .

There is nothing wrong with being rushed to Droknar's to buy your armor early. I plan to do the same for my 3rd character - I have already done ALL the quests and missions TWICE and don't want to repeat all of them again - only the ones I like to do.

It is wrong to go to low level areas with this armor though ... the simple and easy solution would be restriction on armors one can wear to enter certain areas. That can't be too hard to implement?

But then, what about people capping elites in Southern Shiverpeaks and then going in low level arena? I don't know how (and if) that could (and should?) be prevented.

Actually no. I think its unfair and unbalancing and would make the win (if we got it) unsatisfying. I'd leave (and left) the group.

It should. Skills are far more effective then armor (and actually easier to obtain then Drok's armor as it takes no materials or gold to cap a skill)...

Can you even get out of Pre-Searing without gaining atleast one level? Best I saw was a lvl 2 monk at Sanctum Cay with Drok's armor trying to get a group to take him on the mission for 2k per person, to be paid afterwards naturally.

I've seen level 1's in Droknar's armor too... it is possible...

That was the single most intelligent thing, ever said on these boards.

Agreed and Anet should have better sense than to brownnose those rushers and their worshippers.

Anet, get off your knees and do something about it.

Ya I noticed there are far fewer districts compared to before...oh well.

I never ventured into arena until I was level 20, then of course went to Lions Arch.

Now I just started a new character, she is level 9 and attends the Ascalon arena. I have found that you are teamed with the same people and compete against the same people, over and over and over again. I do not know enough to say whether it is because new players don't know about the arena yet, or whether there are fewer overall new players, or whether they are scared away by the superleets there.

If I did not know it could even out later on, I would be EXTREMELY discouraged to ever play in arena, having been pounded by the same loser Enchanter-Armor-wearing, Illusionary-Weapon-wielding mesmer OVER AND OVER.

One things for certain i've went to the shiverpeaks areanas and many times the counter for joining just resets after the countdown. and when you do fight it's against the same twinked up team over and over. I tried it twice and just got tired of it so continued on my questing which was much more fun even the third time around (getting all my skills this way is more fun). The group was like all maxed out and you can't even dent them. Less and less people are doing low level arena's now cause of this and wait it out till they get to finish the game and head to lion's arch to have a fair fight now i find. That's ok with me cause then those twinkies can wait all day long in those low level arena's with no one joining.

You will probably see alot of people in the shiverpeak arenas still but they aren't there to fight at all, they are mainly there just as a virtual chat room and goofing around with weird subject matters. which i think is much more fun! I myself have a favorite place to start chatting with total strangers, it's only 1 district and no spam, wow the joy! lots of regulars there i find. fun times!

Well, keep playing.. you get to change your secondary class waaaay down the line. So if you get that far, you shouldnt have a problem

So when they gonna change it so people can't run to Droknars and then come back and play in Ascalon/Yaks bend arena? Come on Froggy give us some insight look at all the posts and looks at this topic. It needs to be looked into. I still think level 20 and ascension required to enter Droknars is the best move. It will also stop people from coiming to UW/FOW under level 20 as well. As it is now a good group of guildies could carry a lowbie all the way through to Acension and he'd probably beat his doppleganger quite easily as well. Just close the gate from Beacons Perch into the southern Shiverpeaks, then it's a longgggggggg circle around to Droknars from there. You did it well enough with Mineral Wells and having to make a large arse trip to get to there and those elites, so do the same for the Droknars armors as well.

Otherwise just close off Ascalon/Yaks Bend arenas to anyone who has entered Beacons Perch and/or Lions Arch. Cause it's clear as just as soon as you close off Droknars they will just move to the next lower level of gear with the highest armor values, those being around 70-75 I believe somewhere out in the wilds.

That won't work. What if a person just plays straight story lines and get to LA at lvl 10. It happens and it isn't that hard. What if they don't have Droknar's armor tey just fair all the way to LA. They get LA skills and then try Ascalon Arena just for a try. Should they be punished becuase they hapened to play the game in a different way?

I say if they can do it without being dragged though by a runner, they made it fair and square....

.....or they can level restrict armor like most games do, but I know those words make people squirm in thier computer chairs.

No it wouldn't be fair I suppose if a person played the game normally and reached Lions Arch and wanted to play in the arenas. But, neither is it fair that players exploit the system and get runs to Droknars and even Mineral Wells and get Elite skills such as Shield of Judgement or at Dragons Lair Shield of Regeneration just to name a couple and come back to Ascalon and Yaks Bend arenas and just smoke everyone that plays the game as it was intended.

Definitely need some restrictions on entering these two arenas with uber armor and uber skills. And they still don't deserve Droknars Armor until after Ascension and one should be lvl 20 to ascend.

And for those that say it doesn't affect the economy, well it certainly does. There were different levels of armor to be purchased along ones path to ascension. As it stands now, many people are just bypassing buying any other armor and getting direct runs to Droknars and only buying one set. Thus all those materials people have gathered waiting to sell to players as they upgraded their armor along the path of the game are now worthless and useless and the sale of them is small compared to what they could have been if players played the game correctly and upgraded along the path from lowest to middle to near highest to highest.

Heh, here's a sure fire way to slow the exploit of Droknars runners, make it so you cannot upgrade to the higher form of armor until you have aquired the armor below it, hehe, that would have people having to travel futher and BUY MORE MATERIALS to eventually be able to buy Droknars. Sort of an ascention of armor by type along the path, want Droknars armor, you better have the set just before it if you do, required to get it.

You can't get to dragons lair without ascending, that means that you can't get it without being level 20.

The thing is you don't have to be lvl 20 atm to ascend. So they can get it and then come back to Ascalon and/or Yaks bend arenas. One guy was bragging he ascended at level 10. Musta had some great guildies or friends to push him through all the missions and ascend at level 10. They changed the Ascension experience or didn't you know? You now just get 50,000 experience instead of automatically becoming lvl 20. I suppose this was done for exploiting players like this person who rushed to ascension and made level 20 with ease once again without playing the game correctly.

There's too many loop holes and bypasses in this game, they need to be plugged and each character needs to be played up to level 20 and not rushed to anything.

Cmon folks. It's a challege to see how far you can get from Droknor's without ascending. It's fun to be lvl 12 at Coppermines and those other places. It's much more fun than playing through the storyline for the 4th time.

I'm not going to grind the storyline for all my characters. My monk beat the game. And the storyline ain't that great. So why grind the storyline 3 more times?

Your WRONG! It was done for players like me who reached lvl 20 BEFORE ascension. If you reached lvl 20 before ascension then Ascension reward of automatic lvl 20 means nothing! This was an attempt to make Ascension worth something to those players who had already reached lvl 20. Read GW website to see. They give this as thier reason for changing the Ascencion reward. They mention nothing about runners whatsoever.

By this Anet meant for players to ascend from lower lvls. Of course not lvl 3, but Ascension has never then worth much, Ascension is only about 2/3 of the way through the game.

BUT I will confess: I've competed in low lvl arenas with and without droknar's armor. I've also competed in lvl 20 arenas. The lvl 20 arenas are more fun by far. Better players, fights take much longer, etc.

I think it's odd that people think it's a challenge but cut corners doing so. If your level 12 character could reach that area by themselves, I could see the challenge.

I will concede that Anet has been rather shortsighted in regards to hardcore players needing challenges. They need to provide a better way for players to unlock skills and stuff without having someone repeat the same story over and over. Yet at the same time I don't think it's a rationalisation for finding exploits to make the game more enjoyable at the price of players who don't.

I know the argument that it doesn't hurt anyone, but I think that's been shown that it does.

I dont see why armor restrictions wouldn't work. Cant they just make it so that you have to be a certain level..or even ascended to equip Droknar's Armor?

So, it's wrong for me to have dronkor's armor at lvl 12. Running from Draknor's to Coppermines IS a challenge for a lvl 12 with max armor. just try it. I died about 12 times on the trip. And barly made it into Copper Mines.

Why don't you try it and see if it isn't a challege? THE GAME IS BORING NOW. What else should I do? What do you suggest I do? Exploring the map with a low lvl character with max armor is fun. So give us some suggestions.

Because people would getthe next lvl armor. If they can't get Dronkar's armor they'll run for Amoon Oasis armor.

I AM BORED. There is nothing left to do. They've been promising new explorable areas all summer and summer is almost over. The only FUN thing to do IS cut corners. Maybe I should quit playing the game.

Heh I've said it before I'll say it again if they would make the zones increase as the player increases in levels like from normal to nightmare to hell, then the challenge to continue to play the same character would remain. Lvl 20 really cuts a players challenge short I will agree to that. And I agree the story as a whole suks and is choppy and doesn't flow worth a chit. But, I still believe in following the path and not diverting to exploiting or using a "cheat" to get to high end content before I deserve it.
Now I would whole heartedly agree if you can run Lornar's pass with your level 10 and get to Droknars on your own, by golly yeah you deserve the armor, but, fact is you can't and that's what makes it fudged up for the arenas in Ascalon and Yaks bend.

The player base by using this running exploit is changing the game from what it was intended to the way they want it so they won't be bored. Welll hell running around in droknars in the early game is just as boring, no fear equates to no challenge.

I don't think this game will last long because it's really too simplified now as it is. PVPers want everything on a silver platter, people who have played the content once want everything on a silver platter and the speed of which things come is just too fast, even if playing another character up is boring, playing the same content even with Droknars is boring as well. For one thing levels come wayyyyyyy too fast for a level 20 cap. Wayyyy too fast. Boss mobs with elites should be rare, it should take time to aquire level 20 and elite skills, but, as it is it's so dang easy it's boring pretty quickly.

When a game like this turns eventually into pure PVP it will become boring and stale. Shadowbane was a good example of that. GW's is popular because of the PVE game and the ablitity to play with or without henchies and unlocking the skills, people are not only leaving because PVP is boring, but, because PVE is too fast and boring as well and running just makes it get to that end even faster.

The sales of the origional game were great. I'll be interested in seeing if they have the same sales success with the expansion. I don't think they will have the response to purchase it as much as they did the origional game before everyone found out how simple and easy and too fast it really was.

I respect your position. I makes sense. I may leave this game. for the very reason's you posted Sonya. Leveling is too fast, and the game is boring, and everything happens too easily.