What happened to the second half of Factions - Guild Wars Forums

thetechx · Jun 23, 2007, 04:56 AM // 04:56

i noticed that while playing Factions, during the beginning and all through keineng city, there are always hella ppl. but once you get out of the city, where did everyone go?the numbers start to dwindle after naphai quarter, and by the time you get to unwaking waters there are a maximum of 3 available ppl to form a party.there is usually a low number of ppl in viznu square foreign quater too.but in all the surrounding towns there are ppl everywhere. the market place is always full of ppl.

Edit:there is fixed the twp english words i had spelled wrong and added the 3 minor words that i didnt type. hardly something to make fun of someone about. its not like i spelled "no" instead of "Know"

Miral · Jun 23, 2007, 04:58 AM // 04:58

i think a lot of more casual gamers give up when they see the 10,000 faction quest heh

Bryant Again · Jun 23, 2007, 05:07 AM // 05:07

English isn't everyone's first language.

That being said, people may just get bored. They'll roll a character, get somewhat far with it, then give up. They may also just be switching to a different campaign.

free_fall · Jun 23, 2007, 05:37 AM // 05:37

Sadly, I've noticed this same thing (even make a thread about it). I think there could be many reasons for it, including:

> If you'e only just now getting around to playing Factions, it may be because most people have already played it and moved on to NF.

> Factions is still IMO the quickest path to get a new char up and running; a lot of (probably longer-term) players may be playing Factions up to KC, then taking their chars to NF (for the heroes).

> Many people may be starting into GW via Factions, which is relatively easy-going *until* you get to the mainland/KC (and start encountering the Jade Brotherhood); Viznu can suddenly seem like a brick wall to a lot of people, ditto Nahpui.

strcpy · Jun 23, 2007, 06:09 AM // 06:09

My general feeling is that Kaineng City sucks.

I have 10 characters (not conting PvP and pre-sear only), only two are outside of Kaineng city (I will most likely finally bother with two more before GW2). I find it a druge to get through. The landscape is horrid (at least, it is after seeing it that long, in smaller doses it was a nice change), we are *forced* to group with a PUG for Vizunah, and it is easier and more fun to get the same physical things in prophecies (profession changer and ascended - both my Ritualist and Assassin did so through the Crystal Desert). It doesn't help that the story splits in two at some point with everything available in either branch - you already have the community spread across three chapters let alone halfing them right then and there.

10,000 faction is MUCH easier to get than the 2500 SS points of Nightfall and is worth rare crafting materials (gold) and now goes towards some nice PvE skills, so I do not think that is the issue. Plus being account wide only has to be earned once unless you spend it.

The later missions, well you have another Vizunah going on. I've spent well over an hour hoping for either the hench or the other group to actually bring ranged attacks - not to mention one that doesn't aggro everything in it's path and ignore Kuunavang when she is raping us. Of the two that made it past there both got masters - one hench group and finally on other group that brought a decent lineup.

There are almost no elites that are essentials past there for more than a handful of professions so no real need. This is even further pushed by the addition of elite skills tome - I have one character that is near the skill hunter title so for the others that I have dreaded taking through there I either purchased a tome or waited until one dropped.

And, lastly, there are only a VERY small handful of skills that are not available from Kaineng City so no reason to go further. At least with both Prophecies and Nightfall one may need to get quite a ways into the game before you get them all. It is faster/easier in the Prophecies and Nightfall to play the story to get access to those skills, faster in Factions to just unlock with Balth's faction. In fact, it is quite difficult to find any skill that is only available after Unwaking - the Wiki doesn't list them and I've only ever had one pointed out.

In short, the community doesn't really like factions that much. It is simply something that has to be done to unlock some things. Some really like it (allow me to guarantee hench for Vizunah and Unwaking Waters and I'll go on through - the story is actually quite decent), other hate it. Mainly closed gates and forced PUG'ing have killed it - unless there is a reason to go further most do not. Open the gates or allow total hench/hero parties and you will most likely have more people.

Yanman.be · Jun 23, 2007, 11:07 AM // 11:07

Kurzick/luxon split?

DreamRunner · Jun 23, 2007, 11:46 AM // 11:46

Yeah its the luxon and the kurzick split. I personally, like factions the most. Its the most unique and the best looking. Its just more fun to play rather than running through plains of sewage. NF had this and prophecies was more of a exploring type thing. Exploring the southern shiver peaks is very fun imo.

Kakumei · Jun 24, 2007, 03:12 AM // 03:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by strcpy

forced PUG'ing

Wait, what? Are we playing the same game?

jrk247 · Jun 24, 2007, 03:26 AM // 03:26

F.Y.I. it's not just Faction's. A lot of the final missions aren't as populated, and most of the time when people need missions done they go with guildies or aliiance buddies or just use heroes/hench. A lot of the times a hero/hench team can be way better than a PuG.

strcpy · Jun 24, 2007, 03:45 AM // 03:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kakumei

Wait, what? Are we playing the same game?

Vizunah and Unwaking Waters. It is quite possible I missed something there and you can select to play with all hench no matter what (while I have played for a long time there are large sections of the community I have no involvement in and sometimes miss things everyone else seems to know). As far as I know you have no control over the other team - fun wasn't trying for a few hours for the other group in Unwaking Waters to have at least a *few* ranged attackers, not full of people who rush ahead and aggro everything, or until I finally get a full hench party. If you know of a way to guarantee an all hench party you just knocked Factions up a few notches for me.

I hate trying to get through either of those missions enough that I just skip it - at the least I'm not alone on that one. There is currently a thread about Vizunah along those lines and they pop-up fairly regularly (especially when Factions was newer).

I only PUG after I've beaten a mission and want something else to do - this was Anet's way of "promoting grouping with other people" but all it seems to do with those of us who play like I do is reinforce why we hate depending on random human groups to progress through the story. There are many many people to whom those are the two most hated missions in the game and will only progress a character or two past there. Aside from them - I like the Factions quite a bit, both Echovald Forrest and the Jade Sea are some nice landscapes.

Twinsoul · Jun 24, 2007, 03:59 AM // 03:59

Meh, every time I've done those missions the last few times, I haven't seen anyone at all on the other side. Luck, I guess.

Drakzel · Jun 24, 2007, 05:50 AM // 05:50

Basically, its Nightfall... people are always starved for new content. When Factions came out, all the places deeper in the Prophecies campaign that are usually littered with people are abandoned, simply because Factions presented new content for them to spend time on. The same way that Factions killed off the Prophecy districts, Nightfall killed off the Factions districts with even more new content.

That and the population is split in half when it comes to the decision of allegiance, luxons are too proud of their side to discover and hang out in kurzick outposts, and the same goes for kurzicks.

Since its not required for luxons to go to the kurzick unwaking waters, and kurzicks dont have to go to the luxon's side of it, you see less people because not everyone is luxon and not everyone is kurzick.

Terra Xin · Jun 24, 2007, 06:07 AM // 06:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrk247

F.Y.I. it's not just Faction's. A lot of the final missions aren't as populated, and most of the time when people need missions done they go with guildies or aliiance buddies or just use heroes/hench. A lot of the times a hero/hench team can be way better than a PuG.

Oh I don't agree, I see more people in the final missions than I would with mid-story missions. Quite a few farmers/runners in the final missions/explorables.

thetechx · Jun 24, 2007, 02:05 PM // 14:05

but the "forced PUGging" is the game. what i mean is that GW is a MMO. the whole point of the game is to play with other ppl. and actually if someone does not like playing with other ppl why buy the game. thats why factions, and proph are my two favorites and i hate NF. well not hate but dislike cause there is really no need to group with anybody until the last 3 missions cause all the rest are stupidly easy. and heck, in NF there is actually a mish that you must play by yourself. kinda defeated the purpose of the game a little.

Bowstring Badass · Jun 24, 2007, 02:13 PM // 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrk247

F.Y.I. it's not just Faction's. A lot of the final missions aren't as populated, and most of the time when people need missions done they go with guildies or aliiance buddies or just use heroes/hench. A lot of the times a hero/hench team can be way better than a PuG.

Kind of sad to say this but that is true. Did Gate of Madness died to the torment claws with a PuG and with heros got to Shiro and the Lich (couldn't kill Shiro but because of party set up [4 monks not enough damage] but I did manage to kill the Lich)

Dawgboy · Jun 24, 2007, 06:20 PM // 18:20

Basically the only reason I ever play Factions is to level up new characters/heroes with the fedex quests.

I REALLY WANTED to like Factions, but maze-running through a ghetto isn't my idea of a good time.
I finished Prophs with 3 chars and have 2 nearly through NF, but I can't stand the "middle child". I'm nowhere close to finishing it and I probably never will(faction farm?!? screw that-I don't pvp!). And I'm okay with that.

strcpy · Jun 25, 2007, 02:49 AM // 02:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by thetechx

but the "forced PUGging" is the game. what i mean is that GW is a MMO. the whole point of the game is to play with other ppl. and actually if someone does not like playing with other ppl why buy the game. thats why factions, and proph are my two favorites and i hate NF. well not hate but dislike cause there is really no need to group with anybody until the last 3 missions cause all the rest are stupidly easy. and heck, in NF there is actually a mish that you must play by yourself. kinda defeated the purpose of the game a little.

However, the box also points out that one can play in either a human group *or* an AI group - so it is *not* the whole point of the game, were it the whole point I would not play. That it is the whole point to you, I can very much concede - the whole point to me is that I can choose what level of interaction I have with others. In fact Anet has been quick to point out that it is *not* an MMO. You can't just choose the half of the games description you like and declare it "the whole point", AI play is billed as much as human play. In fact, from their own statements, we know they balance many missions with hench groups in mind also (though they tend to assume that hench players have some level of competency).

And, until you ascend to the God of Gaming you can not really inform me that I am not having fun and wasted my money on a game because you do not like or understand the way I play (any more than I can tell you you should go play another game because I do not approve of the way you play). There are lots of reasons I hate PUGS and play this game. First, the game is fun even were it single player, in that sense the multiplayer is irrelevant (and is supported by the box description). Next I *can* play with others when I choose - and sometimes it is entertaining (no matter how much I want I can't do that with Oblivion). There is also the PvP aspect, I prefer to use my PvE characters when I dabble in it. Lastly I do not mind playing with people I know, most of my dislike is geared towards PUG's (you know, if one were to try and say what the whole point of the game is is the Multi-player aspect then it would make more sense to say "guild" than "PUG" anyway - so still no forced PUG's). There are many guild players that hate those missions as much as AI players because of the "PUG" part of it.

Personally I find being forced to take the AI nearly as irritating as being forced to PUG. I see no reason to force anyone to do either and there should be solutions to both issues (let me flag hench only in Vizuanh/Unwaking, and if you have all humans then the "required" hero is simply an NPC that follows you but doesn't participate in the fight - at least the one solo mission makes sense story wise). Nor do I like taking some of the required Hero's on their missions as they do not fit well in the way I want to play - which is is a thing I call "PUG-lite".

Prophecies tends to be my favorite - not only is the scenery better but hey - I can play any mission in any manner I want instead of Anet telling me how. It's their game and they can do that and it still ranks up there as one of my all time favorites (and my favorite online game), so do not take that as *too* much whining.

Dark Angle · Jun 25, 2007, 11:09 AM // 11:09

factions was always empty at the end since the begging and i have no clue why!!
~DA

Lonesamurai · Jun 25, 2007, 11:24 AM // 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by thetechx

but the "forced PUGging" is the game. what i mean is that GW is a MMO. the whole point of the game is to play with other ppl. and actually if someone does not like playing with other ppl why buy the game. thats why factions, and proph are my two favorites and i hate NF. well not hate but dislike cause there is really no need to group with anybody until the last 3 missions cause all the rest are stupidly easy. and heck, in NF there is actually a mish that you must play by yourself. kinda defeated the purpose of the game a little.

Guild Wars IS NOT an MMO... it has never been marketted as one, nor is it massive in anyway...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Angle

factions was always empty at the end since the begging and i have no clue why!!
~DA

That would be because it has a couple of missions, that, like thunder head keep of old, stopped the idiots from getting further by making them think

Just Z · Jun 25, 2007, 07:50 PM // 19:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by strcpy

My general feeling is that Kaineng City sucks.

AMEN! UGLIEST part of the game. It is pure torture to get a character through that nasty, narrow, windy mess of a landscape!

Jun 23, 2007, 04:56 AM // 04:56	#1
thetechx Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Jul 2006 Guild: the mooninites Profession: E/Mo	What happened to the second half of Factions i noticed that while playing Factions, during the beginning and all through keineng city, there are always hella ppl. but once you get out of the city, where did everyone go?the numbers start to dwindle after naphai quarter, and by the time you get to unwaking waters there are a maximum of 3 available ppl to form a party.there is usually a low number of ppl in viznu square foreign quater too.but in all the surrounding towns there are ppl everywhere. the market place is always full of ppl. Edit:there is fixed the twp english words i had spelled wrong and added the 3 minor words that i didnt type. hardly something to make fun of someone about. its not like i spelled "no" instead of "Know" Last edited by thetechx; Jun 23, 2007 at 05:48 AM // 05:48..

Jun 23, 2007, 04:58 AM // 04:58	#2
Miral Jungle Guide Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Hell. AKA Phoenix, AZ Guild: The Gear Trick [GEAR] Profession: W/A	i think a lot of more casual gamers give up when they see the 10,000 faction quest heh

Jun 23, 2007, 05:07 AM // 05:07	#3
Bryant Again Hall Hero Join Date: Feb 2006	English isn't everyone's first language. That being said, people may just get bored. They'll roll a character, get somewhat far with it, then give up. They may also just be switching to a different campaign.

Jun 23, 2007, 05:37 AM // 05:37	#4
free_fall Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: Oct 2005	Sadly, I've noticed this same thing (even make a thread about it). I think there could be many reasons for it, including: > If you'e only just now getting around to playing Factions, it may be because most people have already played it and moved on to NF. > Factions is still IMO the quickest path to get a new char up and running; a lot of (probably longer-term) players may be playing Factions up to KC, then taking their chars to NF (for the heroes). > Many people may be starting into GW via Factions, which is relatively easy-going until you get to the mainland/KC (and start encountering the Jade Brotherhood); Viznu can suddenly seem like a brick wall to a lot of people, ditto Nahpui.

Jun 23, 2007, 06:09 AM // 06:09	#5
strcpy Desert Nomad Join Date: Jul 2005 Guild: One of Many [ONE]	My general feeling is that Kaineng City sucks. I have 10 characters (not conting PvP and pre-sear only), only two are outside of Kaineng city (I will most likely finally bother with two more before GW2). I find it a druge to get through. The landscape is horrid (at least, it is after seeing it that long, in smaller doses it was a nice change), we are forced to group with a PUG for Vizunah, and it is easier and more fun to get the same physical things in prophecies (profession changer and ascended - both my Ritualist and Assassin did so through the Crystal Desert). It doesn't help that the story splits in two at some point with everything available in either branch - you already have the community spread across three chapters let alone halfing them right then and there. 10,000 faction is MUCH easier to get than the 2500 SS points of Nightfall and is worth rare crafting materials (gold) and now goes towards some nice PvE skills, so I do not think that is the issue. Plus being account wide only has to be earned once unless you spend it. The later missions, well you have another Vizunah going on. I've spent well over an hour hoping for either the hench or the other group to actually bring ranged attacks - not to mention one that doesn't aggro everything in it's path and ignore Kuunavang when she is raping us. Of the two that made it past there both got masters - one hench group and finally on other group that brought a decent lineup. There are almost no elites that are essentials past there for more than a handful of professions so no real need. This is even further pushed by the addition of elite skills tome - I have one character that is near the skill hunter title so for the others that I have dreaded taking through there I either purchased a tome or waited until one dropped. And, lastly, there are only a VERY small handful of skills that are not available from Kaineng City so no reason to go further. At least with both Prophecies and Nightfall one may need to get quite a ways into the game before you get them all. It is faster/easier in the Prophecies and Nightfall to play the story to get access to those skills, faster in Factions to just unlock with Balth's faction. In fact, it is quite difficult to find any skill that is only available after Unwaking - the Wiki doesn't list them and I've only ever had one pointed out. In short, the community doesn't really like factions that much. It is simply something that has to be done to unlock some things. Some really like it (allow me to guarantee hench for Vizunah and Unwaking Waters and I'll go on through - the story is actually quite decent), other hate it. Mainly closed gates and forced PUG'ing have killed it - unless there is a reason to go further most do not. Open the gates or allow total hench/hero parties and you will most likely have more people.

Jun 23, 2007, 11:07 AM // 11:07	#6
Yanman.be Banned Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Belgium Guild: [ROSE] Profession: A/	Kurzick/luxon split?

Jun 23, 2007, 11:46 AM // 11:46	#7
DreamRunner Krytan Explorer Join Date: Nov 2006 Profession: W/	Yeah its the luxon and the kurzick split. I personally, like factions the most. Its the most unique and the best looking. Its just more fun to play rather than running through plains of sewage. NF had this and prophecies was more of a exploring type thing. Exploring the southern shiver peaks is very fun imo.

Jun 24, 2007, 03:26 AM // 03:26	#9
jrk247 Desert Nomad Join Date: Mar 2006 Guild: Twenty Gold For Mountain Troll [Tusk]	F.Y.I. it's not just Faction's. A lot of the final missions aren't as populated, and most of the time when people need missions done they go with guildies or aliiance buddies or just use heroes/hench. A lot of the times a hero/hench team can be way better than a PuG.

Jun 24, 2007, 03:59 AM // 03:59	#11
Twinsoul Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha Guild: Rogue Clan [Rg] Profession: Mo/N	Meh, every time I've done those missions the last few times, I haven't seen anyone at all on the other side. Luck, I guess.

Jun 24, 2007, 05:50 AM // 05:50	#12
Drakzel Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ring of Fire Guild: The Drunkards Of Vabbi [TDOV] Profession: R/Mo	Basically, its Nightfall... people are always starved for new content. When Factions came out, all the places deeper in the Prophecies campaign that are usually littered with people are abandoned, simply because Factions presented new content for them to spend time on. The same way that Factions killed off the Prophecy districts, Nightfall killed off the Factions districts with even more new content. That and the population is split in half when it comes to the decision of allegiance, luxons are too proud of their side to discover and hang out in kurzick outposts, and the same goes for kurzicks. Since its not required for luxons to go to the kurzick unwaking waters, and kurzicks dont have to go to the luxon's side of it, you see less people because not everyone is luxon and not everyone is kurzick.

Jun 24, 2007, 02:05 PM // 14:05	#14
thetechx Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Jul 2006 Guild: the mooninites Profession: E/Mo	but the "forced PUGging" is the game. what i mean is that GW is a MMO. the whole point of the game is to play with other ppl. and actually if someone does not like playing with other ppl why buy the game. thats why factions, and proph are my two favorites and i hate NF. well not hate but dislike cause there is really no need to group with anybody until the last 3 missions cause all the rest are stupidly easy. and heck, in NF there is actually a mish that you must play by yourself. kinda defeated the purpose of the game a little.

Jun 24, 2007, 06:20 PM // 18:20	#16
Dawgboy Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ohio Guild: Antisocial Misfit	Basically the only reason I ever play Factions is to level up new characters/heroes with the fedex quests. I REALLY WANTED to like Factions, but maze-running through a ghetto isn't my idea of a good time. I finished Prophs with 3 chars and have 2 nearly through NF, but I can't stand the "middle child". I'm nowhere close to finishing it and I probably never will(faction farm?!? screw that-I don't pvp!). And I'm okay with that.

Jun 25, 2007, 11:09 AM // 11:09	#18
Dark Angle Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Nov 2005	factions was always empty at the end since the begging and i have no clue why!! ~DA