Curse

go cubs · Feb 18, 2011, 07:41 PM // 19:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiaquin

As mentioned above, they weren't solely working on the dervish update for that long. When Halloween came around, it was stated that it got put on hold to make sure the event was properly focused upon, for example.

But in any event, I was trying to say that with an abstract idea, there really is no deadline. You can't force skills to balance themselves and may have to scrap all your hard work when an idea is unworkable. I believe John himself said there are no plans for another profession update of this size.

Yeah, I know they were not working on it for the full 8 months, but I guess like they said, they didnt realize how big it would be. I can see why they would not want to do that again lol.

Dzjudz · Feb 18, 2011, 09:10 PM // 21:10

On questions regarding the new /deaths message and why they're not outright saying what they're changing with it:

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Stumme 20:14, 18 February 2011 (UTC)

The reason for not saying things like that in advance is simply that it will stop people from playing (affected content) until it goes in, which will in turn make them bitter at us for not getting the update out faster, now that they know about it. Think of it this way: if you know everything that you're getting for Christmas (or other similar gift giving occasion) it feels like it's just taking longer to get them. If you don't know, then it's genuinely a surprise to be happy about. People's perceptions can take something that is good, and skew it to "This was owed to me/this was promised" where it then becomes a negative. It's kind of sad but true, and you can see this happening on the forums all the time. The short of it is yes, we're changing a couple of titles that are less than ideal to make them better. We're changing still more beyond that, which makes it hard to keep things from slipping to the Live server sometimes when a build is this big. But at least people don't have to wonder about it for that long.

Source (bold added)

So more titles than Survivor?

AngelWJedi · Feb 18, 2011, 09:13 PM // 21:13

Ohhh nice. hope they mean titles like lucky/unlucky and kurz/lux. xD

Clobimon · Feb 18, 2011, 09:15 PM // 21:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dzjudz

On questions regarding the new /deaths message and why they're not outright saying what they're changing with it:
Source (bold added)

So more titles than Survivor?

Survivor and Drunkard would be nice. Some people may not be happy with a Drunkard change after they've done it the current way, but honestly, that title was messed up from the start.

Dzjudz · Feb 18, 2011, 09:17 PM // 21:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clobimon

Survivor and Drunkard would be nice. Some people may not be happy with a Drunkard change after they've done it the current way, but honestly, that title was messed up from the start.

True. I personally have Drunkard on my 1st account GWAMM (old char couldn't get survivor) and my 2nd account GWAMM-to-be already has Survivor. However, I wouldn't mind seeing a change to both of these titles.

Dark Saviour · Feb 18, 2011, 09:22 PM // 21:22

Aye... A Drunkard change would be lovely... I'm over halfway through it and continuing to grind it out, but anything to make it less annoying would be welcome.

And getting Survivor on my main would DEFINITELY be nice. But it kind of leads into what Stumme posted... If I knew Survivor would be getting overhauled and I could use that to get GWAMM, I certainly WOULD stop grinding out my Kurzick title and wait for the change. However, I would be MUCH happier doing that than to have no indication that its coming and waste countless more hours on Arborstone VQs. :-\

Basically, letting us know the change is coming may make us stop certain activities, but its better than hiding it and having us force ourselves through activities that are insufferable and, ultimately, pointless.

Konig Des Todes · Feb 19, 2011, 12:29 AM // 00:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by dancing gnome

I don't believe they were actively working on the dervish for 8 months. Sure, it's a huge update, they've created (not patched or fixed) a very fun profession with this update, it's certainly significantly better than it used to be and they hit at the core of the problems but I seriously doubt it took them 8 months.

You'd be right in your doubt. The Live Team had other stuff produced in that time and they were working on that alongside the dervish update. The end to the War in Kryta, Hearts of the North, Halloween, and Wintersday were each big gaps were the TK focused on those rather than the Dervish. And what you see in the update was not the initial set up for testing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Essence Snow

Just out of curiosity...did the TK actually test the PvE only skills? I'm not trying to blast or anything...it's a serious question after testing these skills myself.

Yes, but bugs still occur after testing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngelWJedi

Ohhh nice. hope they mean titles like lucky/unlucky and kurz/lux. xD

Those titles were already made easier in Nov '08. I wouldn't expect the titles to be made easier ever again. Though I suppose it is possible.

MithranArkanere · Feb 19, 2011, 01:01 AM // 01:01

All I can say is that I can't wait for March! 8·D

dancing gnome · Feb 19, 2011, 05:35 AM // 05:35

This is going to be my first archive post. I'm going to cut and paste the old quotes and spoiler tags for content that has already been released so as not to clog up the first post too much. I'm leaving the links to external sites and podcasts intact because they are so small and don't change too often anyway.

Questions for the Community

Hearts of the North/War in Kryta:

Yes Keiran will be put into the HoM:

Quote:

He'll go in there at some point. Technically, the Thackenator already has alternate armor sets ready to go (Groom, Battle Damaged) but the limitation is that we don't have art for him to appear as a statue, and the HoM calculator/site would need to be updated to account for him being there. [[John_Stumme|'''John Stumme''']] 04:59, 23 December 2010 (UTC)

http://wiki.guildwars.com/index.php?...&oldid=2206257

Quote:

As for the questions that some people disputed, let's see: Keiran became a Paragon because they are the profession iconic with leadership in Guild Wars, and it was a very tangible way to show his growth. Text itself can only go so far - actually, I'm kind of surprised that some people still had as much vitriol toward Gwen that they did, in my head, the voice that I heard for her while writing was someone that was starting to let her guard down, but was not immediately going to be a different person. The lack of actual voice, or a better means to convey inflection can really hurt in that regard - but showing a character actually changing is a very visceral way to back up the story. His different character models were also a part of that. It was an interesting experiment, and I think by and large it was a success. Within our room, we were kind of marveling at the sudden influx of "Keiran is pro!" and similar comments, especially considering his previous (general) standing with the community.

Why a norn wedding: I didn't want to do an Ascalonian wedding, just because I feel like we've already covered the "Gwen goes back to Ascalon" angle. There's nothing left for her there now, and the north has become her home. The norn connection was an important aspect of Keiran's story that didn't really come across before, and this was a good way to tie it in as well. Besides, it's a new bit of lore to work into the world - what are weddings like for other cultures? And the answer that we came up with for the norn was to have it be a ceremony where people share stories about the greatness of the betrothed, to prove that they are truly worthy of each other. I hope that part came across well, I actually haven't seen much commentary on the wedding itself (aside from Rubi really liking it) I tried not to overdo it. As much as a certain amount of writing is needed to get stories across, sitting through long scenes is also not the most engaging thing to do.

Keiran's skills: were designed from a story aspect first. Like Keiran's Paragon change, I was looking for game mechanics to compliment the story I wanted to tell - in this case, that Keiran and Miku work very well together. So I approached it from the angle that the two were highly symbiotic, which manifested best in the Mark / Sniper Shot combo. That was also to get a feeling out of Guild Wars that you don't normally get - it's a frustration of mine at times that the game is always 8 vs X, and at times, that makes it hard to feel heroic. So within Keiran's missions, it became a pacing mechanic and a high point to have this instant kill that you could pull off. It just feels really satisfying. Granted, there are always people that will never like the BMP mechanic because it's not their character, but done well, I like having them in the game for the sake of offering experiences that we otherwise couldn't. I think more people than not enjoyed it, and apparently some of the mentality that I took away from my years on GW2 is making it back to the live game. That being said, people aren't even going to know what hit them when they hear about some of the other things we're doing next year.

Part of me is mulling over the idea of doing a blog post about Winds of Change, and why some things about it are the way that they are. [[John_Stumme|'''John Stumme''']] 05:29, 23 December 2010 (UTC)

http://wiki.guildwars.com/index.php?...&oldid=2206287

Why was everyone where they were at the beginning of HotN:

Quote:

Getting around to things late, here. But yeah, Konig's basically got it correct. Keiran had been gradually forced to where he had been as a result of skirmishes / avoiding the larger White Mantle forces on the move (hence why he looks so beat up during the missions.) Keiran and Miku meeting was entirely by chance - she was out there on her own agenda. The events that led her to be there, as well as what they mean moving forward, are one of the important story points of Winds of Change. [[John_Stumme|'''John Stumme''']] 00:27, 17 December 2010 (UTC)

When asked about similarities between the Keiran and Miku relationship and other stories.

Quote:

The story isn't based on any existing works (I actually don't read comics much unless they're self contained works that have an ending, like Scott Pilgrim or The Sandman). It came about from me looking at the situation that Keiran and Gwen's relationship was in, and what I felt was needed to make it work again. In the case of Keiran, his affection for Gwen seemed to border on puppy love, a sort of first crush lacking the real... need that serious adult relationships have. So I put him in a situation with someone that he gets along and works well with easily and naturally. The idea was to present him with a good opportunity, where it would be very easy for him ... to make him realize that the thing that he loved about Gwen all along was that she was a challenge. This is just a case of there only being so many ways to tell a story, and in the end, everything will be similar to something else. [[John_Stumme|'''John Stumme''']] 20:04, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

http://wiki.guildwars.com/index.php?...&oldid=2181998

Gwen vs. Miku:

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Stumme

It's entertaining seeing the debates that have sprung up about Miku vs. Gwen. Personally, I would go with Miku - she's not psychotic. The key point to her character that differentiates her from Gwen - when Gwen is faced with hardships, she retreats in on herself and tries to avoid getting hurt again, whereas Miku uses them as learning experiences and tries to keep a positive outlook on life. She is too good for Keiran, though. Sorry guy. XD

http://wiki.guildwars.com/index.php?...ldid=2 189320
Hah!

Dervish Update

Essence Snow · Feb 19, 2011, 05:52 AM // 05:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konig Des Todes

And what you see in the update was not the initial set up for testing.

Yes, but bugs still occur after testing.

It's kind of hard to believe that part of the current "meta" (spirit spammers, yes there is just about one in every group) would be an oversight/bug in testing. One would think that a test of a skill would be relavent to something almost every team has part of it. At least that would be one of the things I would test, you know the things ppl use.

As for intensity.....seriously had to be a joke.....no bugs...just 100% joke...there was simply no reason for the change...It got me all excited than shat all over my excitment by it's laughable nature. Idk maybe if I were testing a skill that ppl had been complaing about for a long time, I might make it semi-relavent. Some are trying very hard to justify it, but the numbers don't quantify it. IT MAKES NO SENSE! Please by all means prove me wrong.

SongOf · Feb 20, 2011, 05:44 PM // 17:44

On the bright side, it won't be that long before you can bring 7 of them, so you won't have to pick and choose so much. It'll be easier to dedicate support for dealing with situations like these. [[John_Stumme|'''John Stumme''']] 23:53, 17 February 2011 (UTC)

So did he just confirm that 7 hero parties will be happening?

BenjZee · Feb 20, 2011, 06:03 PM // 18:03

^they've been confirmed for a VERY LONG TIME

Owik Gall · Feb 20, 2011, 06:15 PM // 18:15

Sounds like Survivor and other titles are getting the fix.

go cubs · Feb 20, 2011, 07:18 PM // 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by SongOf

So did he just confirm that 7 hero parties will be happening?

Lol

yeah they have been confirmed for a while, coming with the embark build..

Also, I am very interested to see what other titles are going to be changed along with survivor, I may just halt my title progress until then haha.

BenjZee · Feb 20, 2011, 07:27 PM // 19:27

Thats the exact reacon they dont mention these updates ^ people stop playing or progressing in areas of the game because they think they are wasting their time.

dancing gnome · Feb 21, 2011, 02:48 AM // 02:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenjZee

Thats the exact reacon they dont mention these updates ^ people stop playing or progressing in areas of the game because they think they are wasting their time.

John said he likes to give people a preview of what's to come so players know ArenaNet are working on something instead of just empty space (from the player point of view) where nothing happens.

At the same time, when he says they will remove the hero cap it stopped many people (including myself) from doing content with Hero/Hench (I was previously vanquishing all of Tyria, I had finished Elona and was on the second half of Prophecies but I stopped when I read about the hero cap thing in the survey feedback. I'm going to enjoy it a lot more with 7 heroes compared to having to bring Alesia, so is it a bad thing I know and am willing to wait now?

It's not the same as when the Diablo 2 Legacy Team announced they were going to patch the old game (and at the same time reset the ladder which would force all character's and items they obtained to start from scratch). They said it would come out in May and thus the entire economy crashed (everything would become worth significantly less in a couple weeks time so no-one bothered to farm or build up new stuff any more) but the update was delayed and it didn't come out for months. Had the players known that the economy would have been stable a lot longer.

Personally I like to know what's coming up as long as it's not like the dervish update (8 months knowing that it's frequently being put on the back burner for what I personally believe to be significantly lower priorities - festival quests). Having said that, I would have told people about the hero cap update 1 or 2 months prior to it coming out, not 4-6 months.

go cubs · Feb 21, 2011, 03:03 AM // 03:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenjZee

Thats the exact reacon they dont mention these updates ^ people stop playing or progressing in areas of the game because they think they are wasting their time.

Yeah I know lol, it is definitely true but, I just do a few things here and there and I was thinking about finishing up my kurz title soon. But if they do happen to change the kurz title (which I doubt) or any of the titles I have left for Gwamm, I might as well wait because its not like I need to play and I can wait.

Of course its exactly what they dont want but eh, they can live without me for a while

Lordkrall · Feb 21, 2011, 07:06 PM // 19:06

"It's 7. The Elite areas for Factions were very particular in their design, that different party members would need to do/bring certain things. Having people trying to solo them is just going to highlight that, and make for a limiting/frustrating experience. I think it's ok to say that there are some places that you still need to bring a friend along, especially considering the number of places people can get to that they couldn't before they had 7 heroes. John Stumme 17:45, 21 February 2011 (UTC)"
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Feedb...ns_Elite_Areas

Karate Jesus · Feb 21, 2011, 11:43 PM // 23:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konig Des Todes

Yes, but bugs still occur after testing.

Like resurrecting every single thing on the map?

I have a hard time understanding how that slipped through.

own age myname · Feb 22, 2011, 02:06 PM // 14:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karate Jesus

Like resurrecting every single thing on the map?

I have a hard time understanding how that slipped through.

We are all humans you know