to the extreme!!!

Finally, this is exactly what PvP needs to help rejuvinate it. The bonus faction will be nice and a great way to put the balance tests on overdrive. The real cream center is going to be the balance changes though. Griefer ranger builds have really sapped the fun out of tombs. It takes forever to make any progress either way. A half-hour long 8v8 match isn't necessarily a bad thing. However rangers just slow the pace to a crawl and don't provide the long intense match two extremely close in skill teams can create. Maybe you guys finally got rid of some of that Blizzard touch.

Secondly, who named this? Take away their naming privileges, PvP Xtreme is a really bad name. Make sure they don't name the summer update "PvE Xtreme!" I know they at least have Gaile's creativity (she could probably whip up a short event name/story in 15 minutes) going for them, tap into those minds a little bit better. Extreme was new about 5-6 years ago, now it just makes it look like you are marketing it to a bunch of retarded childern.

Why didnt they call the weekend "PVP quick get everything why you can and stop bitching about grinding weekend"

Because, even if you play constantly through the whole 72 hours, you still won't have everything unlocked.

Pretty soon its going to be time to start marketing Chapert 2. If they don't at least pretend to keep their customers satisfied nobody will buy it. Expansion sales probably aren't too impressive in general, but I predict that GW will crash and burn with Chap 2.

I'd vote for that too! But a different weekend, there are weird people like me that actually enjoy them both...

This is exciting! Something to look forward too!


I don't think the community has ANY problem with weekends that kinda is like a Beta Weekend. New stuff introduced. Yes. thats great! A twek here a tweak there. Hell, I never saw anybody complain throughout the Beta Weekends,,,

Well I did ...when they did the full UAS Saturday morning and I didn't know untill Sunday morning...spent my time leveling...hmrf...didn't like that.

I welcome any change, good or bad. I am looking forward to it, even though I might not be able to play. ALL Good!


Have a great weekend all, and especially to you Gaile.


Ratatass

5 times the faction is where the game should stay. Its a temporary fix to the abhorrent faction rewards. Too bad only last 2 days.

I agree. You have to win tons and tons of times to get decent faction. I guess practice makes perfect (or at least much better). I'll be there.

i'm sorry but i'm gonna have to say that there is anything but a lack of players on guildwars. I use xfire and guildwars has been in the top 5 for minuets played (and over 2million people use xfire) since release. Also i've been to many gaming stores over the past month and guild wars is always sold out. or only they have 1 or 2 copeis left, also everytime i log on i always find several people online and districts closed because they are full. From what i've seen i'd say guild wars is doing pretty good in the way of users being online but that's just what i've seen

I think I know what I'll be doing this weekend.

I'm looking forward to the balances more than I am the faction. Hopefully, for a few glorious hours, there will be no unskilled players exploiting Flavor of the Month builds.

It would be awesome if they gave us 3 days of UAS... or at least max faction for the start of the weekend.

You know Weezer a while back, for a long long time I opposed a UAS button for PvP battles. Now though, I'm all for it. I mean even though I've already got all the stuff I really want, (I'm only missing some monk skills), I don't want to have to go through the game or do the same PvP crap against the same builds over and over to unlock the rest, honestly just give us some skills...even for a weekend...and test things. I'm all about that now.

Really could care less about faction or fame. Just want something NEW that will keep me interested (bring me back).

Really, the most fun I ever had in the game was just experimenting with different builds back in beta. Otherwise, what is PvP? You're using the same build you've run a thousand times before, and stomping an opponent that is using a build you've seen a billion times already because they aren't inventive enough to make an original build, and you don't have the tools to experiment with whatever you've got.

Indeed. I find it interesting that my biggest opponents have either all disappeared or switched views.

Wow, I remember our debates awhile back. Good to see you've come correct.

Arena.net still doesn't get it - they put a prophetic frog in PvE to hint at some updates, but the update is PvP related. That's like going in to Soup Plantation and surprising the patrons with steak and ribs. But us meat eaters, tired of surviving on weeks of forced salads and spinach for the occasional hot dog, are ready to dig into the blue plate special only to find out the surprise is barely two bites of steak and an extra rib. Who is supposed to get excited for that?

Now they scratch their heads wondering why people are underwhelmed. This is an awesome game, and I play it more than anything, but it should be as clear as day by now that you HAVE to let people play what they want to play. Forcing PvE play mechanics (faction, unlocking) in a PvP competitive environment will always be a poor fit unless you can earn enough to unlock everything in a day. Especially when since day one, PvE players can enjoy 100s of hours without more than one forced PvP play mechanic.

A lot of the PvP players who're complaining only want to play their radical solo/team build ideas sometime this decade. I've put in 700+ hours and I STILL only have my two PvE classes fully unlocked. You can't pay me to ever go through any adventure more than once, and I really liked PvE at the time and want the expansion for more. But I'm 100% focused on PvP, and playing without all the available strategic tools to plan with is counterproductive to that mode and is fundamentally anti-competition.

From now on, they should let the frog talk to PvE players only about PvE things. I didn't even know about it because like a lot of PvP players, I don't venture into the city unless it's to buy equipment. Give PvE players all that role playing stuff and they'll be thrilled. Give them special events and unique (NON-PVP!) items and equipment. And in return, a legion of PvP focused players will be happy for many moons to come if you simply remove these cuffs from around our creative and competitive ankles.

Simply put, let salad eaters have their vegatable buffets while the rest of us dig into 16-ounce Ribeyes with all the fixings. The cool thing is, this way almost all of us are pleased because at anytime we can choose to nibble on food from the other side of the table instead of having it forced upon us when are stomachs are aching for something else.

How bout a frog in Lion's Arch and a toad in an Arena or tomb area?

Gaile, I dont know how hard this would be, or even if it would be possible, but...

Is there any way to mark out the dev chars ingame? like an aura or different color scheme or something (like the bosses)?

What I was thinking of, was something along the lines of "Anet Devs vs. Players" challenge. I'm pretty sure there would be lots of players who would love to get a chance to beat you guys up...ingame of course

There was Own the Devs at E3, but E3's ridiculous 20 minute time limit prevented it from playing out as full matches.

Quoted for the truth.

Quoted for truth again. Because everyone needs to read it at least 3 times.

Can anyone please tell me when this starts and ends in GMT?

I don't know what time PDT is here...

I'm glad Anet is doing this. The weekend PvP world event is a good thing. Lots of players live and die for PvP in GW, and the opportunity to earn mega-faction is just too good to pass up. Even fringe PvPers will jump in for some warm, chocolatey faction goodness.

That being said, I'm more interested in the balance changes. Example: I'm a 320 hour + W/N (PvE char), and I play my character pretty much to the limit imposed by the coding in both PvE and PvP. I bring Rend Enchantments where appropriate, always take a res signet to PvPers, and change up my skills appropriately in PvE areas. I also know how to use them, and in what order, to bring about the desired effect. In short, I know what I'm doing, and I do everything I can within the limitations of my character.

So, the other night in the Temple, some guy is looking for a FoW group, and asks people to PM him with classes. Having some time, I shoot him off a quick "W/N". His response? "You _______ n00b! You can't even tank! Don't bother me, you loser!"

You know, he was right about not being powerful enough to be part of his team. There were probably 20 - 30 other characters in there that were more powerful than me. And there's really nothing I can do about it within the limitations of the game, other than change my character's secondary profession.

That one response defines to me what I feel is the most important thing to get right in this game, and the only thing beyond the Summer/Fall update that I'm really looking forward to. Getting the balance right. In the end, the best thing for Anet to end up with is a game where there is more of a balance between the builds, where any class combination can be looked upon favorably in matchmaking.

Until then, I'll continue to enjoy the game (which I really love) as much as possible, and deal with the limitations imposed upon me, including the upcoming PvP weekend.

???

1- the mere existence of The Frog is a PvE wonder and if people would stop thinking about "updates" and "devs" and instead start thinking about RP (what, after all, is the point of PvE?) they would see this for what it is... a very very cool prophet of the Guildwars universe...

2- I've seen The Frog hint at new classes, new skills, new items, more character customization, guild hall upgrades, removable capes, continuation of Gwen's involvement, Sorrow's Furnace coming very soon.... The Frog is not all PvP...

I seriously want to restate my first point! The Frog itself is a MASSIVE PvE addition, if people would see it as that instead of as a live forum for hints about updates and chances to ask for stuff to be changed....

grumble grumble...

off to pray to Frog and then go into PvP... Slug out...

EDIT: Being a diehard PvE lover who has recently been completely turned on to PvP to the point of tragic addiction, I have to second your second thought though... I do wish there was a UAS and no refund points... the biggest difference between me and someone who has no taste for the "vegetable buffet" as it was so eloquently put is that I don't mind jumping over for a quick snack of cream pasta with all the toppings and sides. It does however disturb me when I have to leave an active party (double entendre intended) at TGI's to do so however.

Pacific time is GMT-8

Different timezones service.

Detailed timezones.

That would be a sure way for those poor people to be bombarded with either:

a) Compliments

OR

b) Complaints

I wish anonymity for them.

Greenwich Mean Time converter:

http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/

There are some world times above the forums at www.guildkarma.com ;^P