Leavers

Frequently in random PvP you will see someone leave as soon as the game starts, pretty much dooming the rest of their team. I have seen cases where people were trying to build a team at Ascalon Arena and just kept leaving until they got the team they wanted; I had about 10 wasted battles (half 3 on 4, half 4 on 3) until they finished.

I understand that sometimes babies wake up + start crying, the police knock on your door, your phone gets unplugged, etc; I wouldn't want to turn away the folks who has this kind of problem, which eliminates things like exp or faction penalties.

Instead, what about simply saying that leavers are barred from PvP for 3 minutes. That would mean that people abusing the system might as well play out the battle, while someone who had a legitimate interruption would hardly be inconvenienced as they'll take 3 minutes to deal with the baby anyway.

Geoff

make it unallowable to map away while in a fight. That way they'd have to close guild wars and open it again if they want to do what they're doing and go from ascalon into the arena. or something.

Both of those are good ideas.

I had overheard not two, but three, people discussing in Shiverpeaks Arena trying to get on the same team. I mean, there are only a few people playing in that arena, so the chances are pretty good there, but they indeed kept on quitting teams over and over.

I reported them as griefers, complete with screenshots, not because it was obnoxious so much as because it made the arena UNPLAYABLE. There were so few people playing there to begin with that I kept getting on these quitters' teams. (Unfortunately, I put one of them on my friends' list and there was no detectable cessation of activity--I can only assume that Anet did not consider that griefing.)

The best way to prevent leavers is make the arenas non-ramdom. At least this way you can pick the team you want.

People will still leave just as much with the integration of a timer or forcing them to quit the game.

You also have to consider connection problems, or game problems (error 7 & error 10).

Speaking of which, I would someday love to see a way to have someone be able to reconnect to a Tombs battle when dropped. I don't think it would work for GvG or 4v4 for several reasons, however it may be possible in Tombs. If it were done during one of the intermissions (ie before or after a battle has started/completed, or in the Vault) while only allowing the same person to connect with the exact same skills, weapons, attribute point distribution, and inventory that they had before dropping, I don't see how it'd be unfair.

Granted this would likely be hard to integrate and will probably never happen, but I still think it'd be neat.

Alright... Team Arenas, HoH, GvG, I understand.

But lets take a look into the "Random" arenas.

What do you expect when you go into a random arena? Do you expect a well balanced team? No. You expect unpredictability. And the chance of someone bailing is random. :/

righto.

If you're really so concerned about the ascalon and northern shiverpeak arenas, make a pvp character, or level up. At the competition arena, which is lvl 20 random, there's so many people playing that it would be insane to hope to land on the same team as a friend. In southern shiverpeaks, you can make your own team. HoH, obviously you make a team, and same with GvG. I really doubt they're going to put safety measures on a level 10 arena.

Well, if you think people are going to leave just as much, then you're damned if do and you're damned if don't. So why complain about it then? Keep dreaming about automatically reconnecting, if they can ever add that in it'll be a very long time....

I wasn't really aware of the arenas, or more specifically, of my interest in them, until after I ascended 4 characters. I bought another account to make more, and get some experience in arenas at all levels, with all profession types.

It's almost like you are saying the lower level arenas don't really count for anything, they don't matter, screw 'em. (Maybe that is how Anet feels also.)

Whatever. My point is, there are people who DO care about the lower level arenas, and they are concerned about those who constantly leave teams (or use max armor/elite skills, but that is another thread), making the game pretty well unplayable.

The level of the arena is a moot point, imho.

What you're really saying is, become a "Drok-Rusher", blitz through the lower levels and limit yourself to one arena when you reach the magical '20'!

Meaning no offense here, but the relevance of the lower arenas lie in the 'idea' (not shared by most, if you've ever been there) that you can pit your lower level skills, weapons and armor against other toons in the same boat. That = fun (for me and many others).
Yes, I also enjoy the hell outta the team arenas and the higher level random arenas too, but the lower level arenas give me a chance to test things out at a lower level and work within the confines of what has been given to me thus far.

And then.. <enter> the quitters...
As if it isn't enough that they've already gotten poison arrow and droks armor, they now whine and whimper bacause they can't seem to get on the same team. The point has been made: there are team arena's out there ~ don't spoil someone elses fun because 'random' doesn't allow you to be on the same team as your buddy.

*wonders if, and when, they finally did make it to the same team.. how long was their streak? *Hopes they got blow out right away, got yelling-mad at each other and added one another to the ol ignore list** hehe.. but that's just me

It is very easy for ArenaNet to implement an ingame message, warning people who leave in arena on a regular basis.
If they do indeed have a problem with connection, they should get it sorted and not cry over being thrown in the same basket as griefers.
To me, griefers and people who spoil things with their own bad connection are the same breed.

I had bad connection troubles in the pvpx event, i stopped playing as soon as i realised it was more than just a bad spike or two. Why should i struggle to hopefully get a good game in, when every game i play would hindr the enjoyment of others?
Sorry, but i have respect.

[Mumbles to himself something about the decline of the human race and our impending doom. Presses the little X in the top right and reaches for his empty coffee cup......]