State of the Game – Thursday, August 4

Dear Arena.net

Well it seems the PvP side gets yet more updates, leaving the casual and RP gamer cold. When will we see content that that causal and RP gamer can use. Considering there is a lot of us. I'm starting to get fed up with all these updates that just pander to the wants and needs of PvP players. I'm sorry but if something is worth having then it's worth working for. The direction each and every update takes is starting to disgust me; A.net said this game was for the casual gamer. Yet every update seems only to benefit a select audience, which covers the PvP player and the expert gamers. I'm sorry but Arena.net is starting to really disappoint me. Personally I don't moan and complain about every aspect of the game and how it's not good enough for me. I don't moan because that’s not how I work, I put my trust in Arena.net to be fair to everyone. But now it seems that trust was misplaced. Guild Wars is not a game for the casual gamer, it not a game for the role-player, it seems to be a game which is for the PvP player.

The Casual Gamers and the Role-Players have said what we would like to see many times, yet we have not received any of it. The PvP gamer moans and complains constantly and like a spoilt brat they get everything they want.

I think it's about time Arena.net stuck to their guns, and starting producing this dynamic content they boasted about and offering something for everyone. If the Guild Wars continues to pander only to the PvP and expert gamer, then I'm afraid myself and many more will not be buying chapter 2. Remember your financial model relies on keeping everyone interested and happy, yet it seems your forgetting about a large chunk of your player base.

We don’t demand content, but we need it to keep us interested. Other wise we will just stop supporting the product and move on.

Gabriel Strange
http://www.gamesxtreme.net/

Can I have your stuff?

we dont demand it but unless we get it we are gone.

SURE

are you forgetting the new areas scheduled in a few weeks?

in that case if you are in so much of a hurry what will you do a month after the free areas are added?

i want her stuff also

Probalby not.

As they have techinally mis-sold lots of people this game, let slook at the box.

'Prove your worth in a words wher SKILL decides VICTORY.'

What skill, the PVP want everything now so they can have the best and take the advantage. What skill is their in having everytrhing now.

'Explore a world that dynamically grows and changes with new content while you play.'

So wher is this world changing content, and why do I have to restart the game everytime.

A.Net claimed it's for the casual gamer yet it heavily Bias to the PvP and expert gamers.

In many countries what they have done is illigal, they have mis-sold a lot of games to players who are not getting what they payed for.

oh jesus christ! its only a game! if you hate it so much, then just quit.

THisis the firt time I ahve said anything like this, yet it seems the PvP player say it all the time. And I'm only saying it new because I'm well and truely pissed off.

Sure yep new areas, now where will they be, Oh post assension towards the end of the game. Oh now Mr Casual gamer will get to see this wonderful new content in say Ohh 200 hours worth of game play. So lets see, the casual gamer player about 2 hours a night, say 4 nights a week. So they will get to see this new content in 6 months, so they expect us to play 6 month before we see some new content. The PvP player gets their content Now.

Now can you see what the issue is, it seems unless we cry like a poilt brat we don't get anything which will really benifit us.

Yep and we say that to the PvP player and they don't stop their moaning and bleating. So why shoudl we.

If it takes mass complaines and moans to get something done, then it looks like us casual gamers will have to moan louder and longer.

You know, I consider myself a casual gamer. I play the game about 10-12 hours a week and that's on a good week. Guild Wars is the first PC game I have ever bought due to the fact that I usually stick to console games. But what attracted me to Guild Wars was the no monthly fee. That feature alone has made this game more than worthwhile for what I paid for ($50.00), and certainly out-values any complaints I have about this game. I think too many people take it for granted that Arena.net actually tries and cares about their customers. I mean, can you (gabby2600) atest how long it takes to balance skills in this game or develop new missons and regions for people to explore. Guild Wars is not a perfect product. But for the $50.00 I shelled out for, I am more than happy with what I paid for.

I'm not gonna jump down your throat cause I'm gonna assume you didn't read the latest update post by a head developer, James Phinney.

Here's the link:
http://www.guildwars.com/news/gameupdates.html

I am a pve'er and love this game, i am happy with it as is and am extremely excited about the new updates coming. but i have a question to pose to people and i am NOT doing this to be a pain in the ass.

how many NON SUBSCRIPTION online games have you played, that after 3 months they give you a free patch with as much content as this one is expected?

this is my first RPG on the pc of any kind and dont know if this is the norm?

I'm not particually intersted in new areas. Yes they are nice, but waht it seems a lot of people want (mainly Role-players) is props. Somthing you can use for fun. These need no game balance, they need somple models, and a few tweaks to make sure the character moves right with them.

Role-playign districts are being screamed for, I mean if they can put in language districts the a role-playing district won't be that hard.

A few porps and maybe a storage agent for the guild halls. You know content that requires a model, some textures, and a new routine for the character animation. It's not much but it's somthing, and it's easy to add.

For the casual gamer, they could add simple things that have no real game impact so don't require any balancing. it's nto much but it's new content to be played with and you can have more fun.

I mean in Pre searing you can buy a flute, yet you cannot use it with the /flute command. Which to me makes not sence.

Yet the PvP players get vast changes to their side of things, and I'm sure their changes took a lot longer than putting in a few instruments would take.

i completely agree. you arent paying monthly fees, where as any compliants should be addressed in a more timely fashion if you were. since i'm not paying to play the game every month, i'm perfectly content with what it is.

Can you guys not wait a week or 2 for the upcoming big update? I'm looking forward to it to, but that's no reason to get all impatient and start declaring ultimatums.

Just calm down and wait for the update.

I've read it, and I'll reserve judgment of the changes until I experence them, I'm actually talking about NOW as things currently stand in GW.

Not many, but what the point of the patch if your not going to get the use of it for 6 months. That said, seeing the PvP players get everything, and the PvE players get very little leavse a bad taste in my mouth.

From what I have seen of the PvP it seems great, the balance is their, and time spent getting stuff in PvP seems to come clse to time spent getting the same stuff in PvE. So they have gotten that licked.

What about the PvE, you know the economy is screwed, and has crashed today. The exploiters and farmers are driving the price of items and the difficult curve of the game up.

Now because people are saying it's to easy. they have made some bonus mission so hard that the casual gamer (the player who is likely to do the bonus missions), cannot do them. So now to actually play the game and Enjoy it I will have to start looking in to have I can exploit the game.

I to reserve judgement, A/net record in this area has not been good, so why should this update be any better.

Tell that to the PvP players next time they demand something. I'm sorry but were all in the same boat. Yet 1 half of that boat get bread and water and the other gets wines and steak. I think we deserve a right to complain don't you.

Like many I think we mis-undertstood each other. Look guys, what gabby is talking about is Role-Playing (not necessarily RPG or PVE); e.g. districts that are designated for players who want to ensure that everyone speaks in the appropriate fashion as such. To gabby: I hope sooner than later that you get the update that you're looking for (new districts, in town outfits, different hairstyles), but I personally can't stand it when players really complain about this game. Like you, I heard it one too many time from PvPers, and I'm just sick and tired of all the complaints coming from all sides. If starting this thread made you feel better, I won't hold it against you, but like I said before, I'm more than happy with what I have.

If you've read it, then you know that they are addressing some of the exact issues that you complained about in your first post. Why not reserve your complaints then until after the update?

Not so. If you are talking about the present, there is an imbalance in grand scale PvP, and it's called Spirit Spamming. And, yes I have grown weary of people complaining about it non stop.


I guess we are just different in this aspect, but I truly enjoy really difficult PvE missons. The challenge of it just appeals for me; and no, I don't try to look for an exploit.

Oh I like a challange as much as the next man, however this is a challange and their is utter impossabilty.

I tried to do Auroa Glade last night, and by the time I got through the vine gate and picked up the first crystal the AI team alread had two of the bases. I was Like WTF, their is no way I could have gotten there faster. The first character I took through thier, things were differant, then AI team took things at about the same pace as the player. it was a challenge but not impossible.

Then I tried to do the bonus, I don't know what they have done to it, but any character who has naturally progressed to that point will be whiped out. Instead of just one group coming at a time, then a few running back to form the next group. One gourp comes out, and you engadge them, then all their mates come out and pound you in to the ground. So instead of say group of 6 to deal wiht, you rapidly get a group of nearly 20 to deal with, along with about 5 healers, and 10 casters, All of which agrissivley pound the life out of you. Just two of the White Mantle Seekers can take out a lvl 20 assended character with the best armour in about 1 second, and I counted at least 4 of them.

It's gone from being a challenge to being impossilbe for the character you have there through natural progression. The first character I took through it, I took me 4 attempts to do it, now thats a challenge, however I have tried this 12 times in the last two days, with a mixture of some of the best players I can find. And each time we get whiped out before their second crystal bearer gets close to us.

It's not our tactics because we changed them every time, trying to find new ways to do things and new locations to fight in. Things have changed and it's not for the better.

the point is to let Anet know what I think and maybe give them to make some changes and add those to the massive update?

sides, I never really complained until now- with the state of the game letter. it seemed like a perfect opporunity to post my grievances with the game and hope they can fix at least SOME

Amen.

How do you make a blade sharper? You grind it against a stone. Sometimes to make things better we need to, ourselves, also do some grinding. Personally, I enjoy seeing constructive criticism about this game. It brings to our attention things that may need some refinement. I do not approve of plain whining but I don't think that is what is happening here. So grind away in my opinion.

LOL, I love this misson. It's so obnoxious. Granted though I haven't found the time to do the bonus (I definitely plan on it), but I got through this misson on my second try, and that's with 2 guild mates (3 players total) and the rest henchies.

The whole team died except me (W/Me) and Alesia and there were swarms of enemies scattered about. My guildmates thought it was all over and were discussing new strategies. All I did was grab a crystal and place it one of the thrones. I then grabbed another crystal, waited for the computer to place it in the other throne, and then I quickly replaced his. I grabbed the last crystal and sprinted (Sprint Rules!) for the last throne and made it; keep in mind I was being chased and pelted on all the while and Alesia was great decoy. Anyways, I attuned all the crystals and boom we were all transported to the new area...my guildmates didn't even know what happen.

Anyways, sorry about the tangent...but the Glades misson really cracks me up.

We just have to look at how things get done in Guild Wars:

PvP Players:
Pvp players whine and moan and make demands, they get what they want, they wine and moan it's not everything they want to A.net change it.

PvE/ RP Players:
We ask nicely for things, we make sugestions and offer up ideas. PvP players put these ideas down by saying whats the point in that. And lo and behing we don't get anythign we want.

So looking at how A.net gather feedback, us PvE and RP playrs should be whineing and complaining like spoilt children, then we will get what we want. We won't like moaning and complaining, but if it gets results then it's the only logical step.

The best solution to stop all whining and moaning and to get fair representaion for all sides. Is for A.net to actually take responsability for feedback. They should not rely on sites like this to do thair work. As only the vocal minority will get what they want. As we can see by the list of updates, what the PvPers moan about they get, and as they moan non stop, they are listened to.

SO the current model for getting feedback is broken and bias. A.net needs to have some way of getting good quality feedback, in a manner which offers equal representation. And the casual gamers does nto feel intimidated buy the ego driven die hard gamer.

I suggest some form of ingame feedback system. so if you ahve an issue, it can take a snapshot of your character and location. as well as your feedback. this will offer a wealth of information to build content from. SO if a player is stuggling with one part of the game A.net will know what their build is and what equipment they have so they can adjust accordingly.

At the moment, anyone who say's it to easy, could quite well be lieing or are using exploits or equipment given to them by friends. So in other words A/net could be makig changes to the difficulty and the content of the game. based of a pack of lies, and every shepp following suit. Because the 1337 gamer cannot be seend to be lessewr to another, so they will more than likely lie.

A prime example of the utter lies:
I have now had several people say to me they have cmpleted the entire game all the quests, mission and bonuses, with Just their character and the healer henchie in there team. I arn't saying it's impssoble, but I would jsut like for once one of these people to prove it to me.

I will team up with them and a healer henchie, and I will die at the start of the mission, so I can spectate without effecting their methods. THeir I can sit and watch them do Abaddon's Mouth and it's bonus with just them and a healer henchie.

Now with people saying such things A/net will change the game difficulty to suit them. However if the feed back was given at or near the end of the mission. Then their claims could be proved, and things will change acoring to proper feedback rather than what could well be a pack of lies.

Try the bonus, trust me you will get whiped out.

The rest of the mission is really easy if you have a warrior with sprint.

Been there, did the bonus. Kill all the mantle first before you run into an enclosed area with no place to manuver.

Don't worry we will...right now we are goofing around in the Crystal Desert, but we'll finish that bonus in due time.

In regards to all this animosity with the PvP vs PvE/RP, I think you're looking at it in the wrong way. Guild Wars wouldn't be as strong and popular as it is without the people who paid to PvP in this game; dont' forget they paid the same amount of money that you did to play this game. I'm certain that Arena.net is well aware as to how their game is being played in regards to statistical comparisons between PvP and PvE/RP. And I'm pretty certain that Arena.net has a list of priority issues that they have to deal with first; these issues more than likely are in the interests of PvPers (not just hard core PvP only, but casual PvPers too) which is the majority group as you know. In due time, you guys should get the updates that you are looking for and even if you don't and both you and I become disenchanted with the game and drop it, I can say it was fun while it lasted.

But, like I said earlier, I hope that you get the updates you are looking for sooner than later.

Funny how I did it again just 2 days ago with henchmen. And only failed once because I accidently triggered the mass poor out. On my second go I did it fine. The mantle will take the right pedastal and then the left as you take the center.. just run to the left, then right, then center and you have the mission w/o the bonus done. I don't see how they have made it harder *shrugs*

I like the challange. Because it's a race against the clock.. and them taking 2 pedastals to your 1 by the time you get there is *REALISTIC* when you follow the storyline. The mantle beat you to the area, they got there first.. so it should be fully expected that they will have started attuning pedastals before you - and btw, they only have the right pedastal attuned when you get there and are just a few steps from the left pedastal. But considering the storyline for getting there.. if they have changed it to give the mantle an advantage/head-start then I agree with it as it fits in with the story.

Did you get too close to their base? If you get anywhere near their base they will all poor out. However if you camp just 1 of the pedastals (like say the one closest to your starting spot) then you should only get them in managable groups. They seem to only poor out if your fighting gets too close to them.

I've fought groups of 6 white mantle (abbot, 2 seekers, 2 knights & the elementalist mantle (as well as other combinations)) with henchies, non-ascended and beat them without anyone dying. Yes I'm sure that 2 seeker's could take out anyone if they never got healed, weren't killing the seeker's and had no backup/support from the rest of their party.. but to claim that they can just kill and are thus over-powered is rediculious. what probably happened is the person was targeted by the mantle ritulist's and elementalists and thus was under a world of hurt from them and the 2 seeker's just topped it all off.

your problem lies in that you triggered the mass out-pooring of the mantle. That *is* avoidable.. don't blame anet or the mission if you failed to do that.

It took me 2 tries on my 1st time through to do the mission (bonus is another story) and I'm not a good player.. in fact I'm a very much a casual player.. yet I can do the mission and the bonus just fine. With henchies. I'm sorry that you fail to do it, but it's not that the mission is super hard.. it's a challange yes, but impossible? only if you trigger the mass-flood of the mantle.

and none of my characters have droknir armor. Non have even ascended yet. I buy the armor as I progress through the game and have the skills and equipment that I have found or gotten from quests or collectors (ie no max-damage weapons, or max bonuses shie;lds, etc). Yet I can do the mission & bonus.. with henchies.

it IS your tactics. Try doing a search here and on other GW fan sites for Arora Glade and look at how msany people post tactics to beat the mission and/or bonus. People do it. If you fail to do it then it;s something YOU are doing wrong. Because if I can do it with henchies... you should be able to do it as well.

Here's a tip if you want to do the bonus - get center, get left, run back and defend the center. You'll only get small groups at a time. have a runner to go attune left again if they re-attune it (you want 2 pedastals attuned just in-case the runner gets through and attunes center pedastal). Use skills that cripple the runner.

All I can say is if they have changed that mission to be harder then I'm glad. I like the challange, but it's a doable challange unless you go to close to the mantle base.. at which point you might as well re-start the mission.. unless you've already bleed the mantle a lot.. then the fight shouldn't be too hard.

Anyways, sorry if I offended you. Isn't my intention to offend.. just having my say on this.. and butting in my opinion about this mission.

I did that before, and it worked fine.

I tried it last night, and you get swamped with White Mantle as soon as you go for the first crystal bearer.

I think what has happend is before the Whitel Mantle used to head back and reform a group. They would only have one group formed at once so you never got swamped.

From what I saw last night it's clear they from two groups, the second group runs as soon as the first crystal is used or dropped. So the first group want head back to reform, and before you know it the second group is on you. and if your lucky to take the second crystal bearer a third group comes running out.

This means you don't have a breather between groups, so even if you do kill the first group you have no time to recover for the second. This woudl not be so bad, if the White mantle groups were small, but they are constructed of 6-8 members.

The two group system the While Mantle use, was used on me last night. As I rush from the vine gate to the pedestal, the had already taken two bases. Where before they would have only taken one.

So this means you now have to dispatch 6-8 White Mantle in about 20 seconds before the next group comes. If you can't do this you get flooded with them in 40 seconds flat.

OK I tried every tactic I could find here. And yes the first time I did the bonus I was with all henchies. However the changes we saw are a little under 48 hours old. So as of two days ago you may have not cought them. As I had two guild mates who did the bonus 2 days ago with no troubles. Today they cannot do it becasue something has changed.

I even tried waiting close to the first base, which is the longest run for them. and the same happend. The White mantle flooded out. In my previous post I mention that they seem to be using a two group strategy. this is a great challenge for the main mission. But RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GOs it up if you want to do the bonus. Becasue as soon as you kill the crystal bearer the second group is running at you. You have the time it takes for them to get to the first base to take out the entire first group and recover all the lost energy and health.

Yet when my guild mates tried it two days ago they never used the two group strategy, and they were at the farthest base away from where you come in. It has somehow been snook in over the last few small updates.

It's not just me I have spoken and grouped with ther players to try it and all of them have said things have gotten a lot harder.

As for the seekers, we tried it witth human players with two lvl 20 Monks and two W/Mo's. even they could not cope with the spike damage they now deal out. Nothing can save you when your health goes from full to 0 in about 1 second. it's even worse if two characters get hit like that, as no amount of healers can save you. Thir is not time to fall back and resurect, becasue the second group is already on it way.

It's not a problem with me, as I said I have done this bonus before and doen it with guild mates. The problem lies with something that has changed. to make the mission more of a challenge, but it's side effect is that the bonus is impossible.