The Guild Wars community

[Fril Estelin]

Originally Posted by Ctb

The LOTRO community is awesome. Smart, helpful, friendly. If they'd get their botspam problem fixed, there'd be next to no reason for an ignore list.

LOTRO: A+

Since I can't really contribute due to the lack of involvement in other MMOs, I'll only emphasize your opinion with this article:
http://gigaom.com/2007/10/25/lord-of...-meets-web-20/

People will undoubtedly laugh at the carebear attitude, or ridicule the "arty-farty" facet of the game. But I'm pretty sure it's one of these things that can make a community "nice", because it's not only about killing (check out the blog of the Pacifist WoW player).

On the other hand, many people said that EVE's community is nice but I've read so many reports of backstabbing/character killing/assassination/stealing and stuff like that it must have both extremes (in space, no one will hear you scream ...).

I hope (dream) that GW2 will also have this lyric dimension to the game (and also a nice clean Web2.0 interface for encouraging player creativity).

Originally Posted by HawkofStorms

Its not just the internet.

If you study politics enough, you learn that people are selfish and short-term oriented. They don't care about how things affect other people or think things through to thier conclusions. They want tax cuts NOW, but also want improved services, with no regard to the defiecet, etc etc

You're right, but it's also very much about culture. A bit like MMOs where each game cultivates its own culture, by the way the game is structured and how the company deals with its community. GW has the problem of being a complex game, catering for many player styles, who are bound to disagree (which can be followed by shouts, insults, etc.). Fansites definitely serve as the punching ball for many GW players (though on GWG you get a lot more trading than bickering).

Last, but not least, look here on GWG on how many nice people are doing stuff for the community, like organising Balls and special events, answering Q&A. There are tons of nice people, we can only hope to cross their path.

[Zinger314]

Yeesh, I get insulted even when I don't post. I get no luck.

As said before, lack of a monthly fee (and any apparent GM support) is what causes the bad playerbase.

[Diddy bow]

Its only bad at events and stuff but thats not so much guru rather just the fact that some people see the internet as a tool to let everyone know they failed primary school.

I guess being a free MMORPG could have somthing to do withit but i think its just an internet/RPG thing.

[MMSDome]

I encounter most verbal abuse in GW. When I played MOHAA (Medal of Honor: Allied Assault) in my prime I would get verbally abused because everyone thought I hacked cause I was really good and blah blah. GW generally does have some shitty verbal abuse however.

For example:

I was in RA yesterday and we got messed up early and other team is like "Dont try guys your monk is bad" so then the monk got all pissed off. I PM'd him and was like "Dude chill its a game" and he replies "Shut up im rank 6 champion and I wont take his shit."

^^^ The e-peen is an awful thing.

[Snow Bunny]

Originally Posted by Xx_Sorin_xX

You must be ignoring the guru community. Lately this site has gone down hill fast. Threads that accuse anet of helping rawr in the latest tournament, of anet's employees being accused of starting the duped ambraces, and of the PvE vs PvP issue. All the big threads are filled with whining, raging, insults, with common sense lacking.

There's a very large difference between players accusing a company of in-game collusion and of what I encounter in other games. While I do agree that the aforementioned dispute is a good example of the word of the law versus the spirit of the law, it is important. Anet's self-devised rules (until recently) clearly stated a prohibition of eligibility of guilds with employee members, regardless of the purpose of said membership. The bypassing of this rule by ANet is significant and should be discussed. Yes, there will be flaming and insults thrown around, but on an internet forum, it's almost to be expected.

When I log on to play CounterStrike, TF2, Starcraft, Rome, etc, I'm logging on to play.
I'm not logging on so that as soon as I begin to do well/poorly, my fellow players call me (fag, RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GOer, N*****, jew (used offensively with other slurs), etc.)

Yes, I have crap-talked other players and been crap-talked to. Yes, there's resentment among PvPers, especially the HA community and whatnot.

But, unlike the Diplomacy (SC scenario) match I played earlier this afternoon, I have never (in guild wars) encountered a player immediately calling me all manner of exceedingly offensive slurs for simply playing the same game.

[Age]

I am not sure but I would have to say that my Star Trek Gaming community can are little better and the boards I am on.They are better behaved as well especially the one I am an Admin. on.

[Alex the Great]

WoW palyers made me angry when i did the free trial.
i log on to my friends WoW when he is grounded, and thier community is just as bad as ours, maybe worse.

[bart]

Here are my ratings of the community in the online games that I've played.

In chronological order
Ragnarok Online (B-) Played for a week or 2. General chat was lacking. Only trades mostly.

Knight Online (C-) Played for 6 months. No idea why but a lot of Turkish players play Knight Online. Don't understand a word they say and they always kill steal.

Guild wars (B-) Played for a year. These days log on for 5 mins every once in a while. Community is ok. I don't PvP so I don't mix with the "leet" crowd. People I PvE with when i was playing were usually friendly sometimes will come across a bad player (remembers a time when the surviving monk refused to rez somebody who had a green drop in SF) every now and then. Hate that ppl con other ppl a lot (the reason it became B- instead of B). Had it tried on me a couple of times.

Guild Wars Guru (B) Been on GWG since i started playing GW (look at the date i joined). The community has been good especially the first year of GWG. Ppl were helpful and you could kinda trust ppl who use the trade forums. These days even though I don't frequent the trade forums much i do see ppl saying "Buyer was a fake", "Bid is false" or "I retract my bid (without giving a reason)".

WoW (B+) Still playing (2 years). the ppl in the server that I am on are very close to each other. The guilds know of each other and there is a sense of pride and respect for one another. If you're a baddie the whole server will know about it because word gets around fast (through forums and through word of mouth). Of course there are always the rotten apples (abuse of trade channel sometimes, loot ninjas and BG trash talk) but rarely you hear ppl conning other ppl when trading. In my 2 years I've never had somebody try to con me.

[Savio]

I'm not sure why any of you care what others say.

[Yuhe Ji]

I do think that there is much more unwarranted comments in games that are not RPGs. I only play a few, but in Counter-Strike a few weeks ago, a guy was calling people noobs and telling them to stop using that "noob gun", etc. I always felt slightly offended, because I want to know what can make a human use such lowlevel behavior. If they really want people to listen to them, they shouldn't be using words like that. I just don't know what is going on in their minds when people do things like that. I don't hear it in GW as much, at least not directed at me, since people will recognize skill, and opposing teams typically aren't shouting insults at each other the way they do in FPS and RTS games.

[Avarre]

Personally I think people claiming GW has one of the worst communities haven't played many games online. Overall, it's not that bad - could be better, but far from the worst.

[Fear Me!]

I can't really help you here Snow Bunny, GuildWars is my first, and only mmorpg to date. Although I understand your perspective, and agree with a prior poster that any community will have its fair share of people suffering from e-peen, and have extended the approval of their self worth to an online medium such as this game.

[manitoba1073]

Originally Posted by Ctb

Oh god...

I'll just keep it simple: my opinion of the forum community is terrible. Has been for two years now. It almost seems like you only get the real, real hardcore players on the GW fansites and they seem to REALLY resent any opinion that doesn't revolve around the way they play.

I agree fully and must add that the other thing that really pisses me off here is the hypocritical BS most of the time. As you noticed from quite a few posters here for awhile now.

Originally Posted by Age

I am not sure but I would have to say that my Star Trek Gaming community can are little better and the boards I am on.They are better behaved as well especially the one I am an Admin. on.

Thats cause they know Id have to come down like an Akira drop a full spread of quantums on them if they werent. That and I only have enough patiance to save 1 community.

[Phineas]

Originally Posted by Savio

I'm not sure why any of you care what others say.

Given that this is also aimed at the forum community I think you've just handed in your notice to quit this place.

In general...

I agree with several others here that GW started out good. A lot of people had not developed a "I've been there and done that" attitude and with waves of new players coming in it was kept fresh in that sense. Now we've all been there and all done that so the shine has gone from the game and the few new players are only finding jaded people who don't so much want to play as just waste time in GW. That's my experience as a Non-GW:EN owner who does not see so many people in game (in Europe) as I used to.

[Bront]

Guild Wars has been probably the worst one i've been in besides Diablo 2 too, but my MMO experience is mostly text based other than Diablo 2 online and Earth and Beyond. Earth and Beyond was pretty clean, but didn't have a large player base. Diablo 2... well, it was a free for all, so it took all kinds.

That said, it hasn't been too bad. Only one time where I ran into a real asshat griefer. Most of the problems I've run into with PUGs has been with player ability and builds, and that could be lack of experience.

[Magikarp]

Originally Posted by Savio

I'm not sure why any of you care what others say.

thank you. finally someone helps me feel like im not taking crazy pills.

of course there are stupid people, there are stupid people in every game.

instead of getting upset and saying GWs has a crap community, be sickeningly sweet, and take all the little insults with a glance, and dont look back... at least thats what i do, and i always have fun (or at least fun making fun of the losers who try to insult me with my friends on vent lol).


everyone has a different experience with each and every game. some of you say WoW gave you a great experience, while i've had 3 WoW accounts, two getting hacked, and one having some jerk constantly mess with me. its all going to be different from each of your points of view, but overall, if you're that upset about blah blah blah, then maybe this isn't the game for you guys..

[Snow Bunny]

Originally Posted by Zinger314

Yeesh, I get insulted even when I don't post. I get no luck.

Wasn't trying to flame you, just stating my everlasting disagreement on that particular topic.

You cannot deny, however, that you are a human advertisement for WoW

[Vengeful Spirit]

I have found the majority of GW's community to be quite helpful more than most online games i play and alot better than xbox live of course thats not saying much

[Lady Lozza]

Maybe it's just been my experience, but I've found the NA server (now district) to have always been full of the most arrogant players in GW. Loud and nasty and willing to mouth off at anyone, espcially those who manage to string a sentence together correctly.

The EU servers (now district) were really nice up till about a year after release when it seemed there was an influx of kiddies whose parents refused to keep paying for WoW access. EU was (and is) flooded with kiddies who think crude sexual references are the funniest thing in the world, who beg for money and runs at every opportunity. Though to be honest if forced to choose between the two the immature kiddies are better than the immature, discriminory adults I've experience of in the NA districts.

Having said that there are still plenty of nice players, experienced that during the Canthan New Year event running ingredients for the alliance in our sponsored districts.

Compared to other games. WoW was worse when I played (from release for a couple of months) according to friends that still play some servers have cleaned up quite a bit.

TF2, my understanding is that it's best to steer clear of US servers, but I've no reason to venture so far afield as servers run in Oz for us and to be honest the servers here ar great.

CS... well it would be fair to say that (even compared to Ultima Online) CS was the worse of online communities I've ever been a part of, but I've not played CS for a while - I understand that Steam servers are quite clean.

I've played a lot of online games, rps, fps, rts, GW is better than average, but certainly not the best. The best go to the niche games that had a small but dedicated audience who were there to indulge in a love they shared for the game rather than "amuse" themselves by seeing how much they can viably swear in the one sentence.

[Edge Martinez]

The GW community isn't bad, but the thing I notice is that people tend to throw blame around for the slightest of things. The only other online games I play are twitch FPS's, and generally things are more mature on those games. Sure, you have the guys who run their mouths, but you also have the option to shut them up with a few well placed shots. In GW it's typically your own team who are giving you grief. Nothing you can really do except leave the team, screwing everyone because one moron gave you grief.

The exception to this is Halo3 on 360. What a bunch of douchebags!