Curse

Regina Buenaobra · Feb 19, 2009, 06:30 PM // 18:30

"Multiple existing staff members' time" means that we get a few hours from one person to work on one thing, another few hours from another person to work on something else, and so on. They are taking those few precious hours away from working on GW2. It's not meant as an indication of how far along GW2 is. Please don't create unfounded speculation, as this can quickly get out of hand. :-(

Winterclaw · Feb 19, 2009, 06:34 PM // 18:34

If GW has had 1,000,000 new accounts opened since last year, can't they hire some more full time people to work on another expansion?

EDIT: That's something that disappoints me about GW2... there are still plenty of people buying and playing GW1 so there's still a market for more GW1 products.

Regina Buenaobra · Feb 19, 2009, 07:37 PM // 19:37

Most of our resources are committed to GW2 development and hiring for GW2. Just because we sold almost 1 million more units since last year doesn't mean that the revenue made from those sales is floating around for a rainy day. It's being put back directly into staffing costs, game development, and operating costs, among other expenses. Yes, there is still a market for GW1, and it's awesome that a mature game still has this kind of attention, but we're in active development for GW2, and we have to adjust our priorities for that, since we don't have an unlimited budget or unlimited staff.

IlikeGW · Feb 19, 2009, 07:58 PM // 19:58

Well Anet execs should check out Valve's stats at any rate. When they release a Team Fortress 2 patch with new content digital sales go up 106% and retail 28%. If you make content updates part of a continual marketing strategy, you not only please and solidify loyalty across all your current customer base, you gain new customers and increase your reputation for the future. Frankly, this has worked for lots of PC developers. I guess it's too much to finance for some companies but I find it very surprising that NCSoft's biggest English title has problems with funding for stuff like this.

Maybe they need more investors. You've got to keep watering the plant for it to grow afterall, they've got a nice sapling effort into gaming, but it feels like someone decided to stop watering it while they work on GW2, which is strange. Quality support for GW1 shouldn't stop until GW2 is out, that's going to be a fairly common consumer perception. I fear a damaged perception over Anet's policies might emerge over all this.

Gun Pierson · Feb 19, 2009, 08:35 PM // 20:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by IlikeGW

I find it very surprising that NCSoft's biggest English title has problems with funding for stuff like this.

Well they wanted to conquer the western and European market with Tabula Rasa, but that went wrong. While all the time it was right in front of them, expansions for gw1. Just like Magic The Gathering does in card land. And yeah they can work on GW2 in the meantime.

I'm starting to think NCsoft is limiting Anet's growth and that sux, especially if you know that NCsoft burned over 100 million dollar away on the TR project. While insiders long knew it was gonna flop it seems.
http://t-machine.org/index.php/2009/...t-tabula-rasa/

Blizzard works on several titles at once. Cancels starcraft ghost, works on a secret mmo. Yeah it's Blizzard I know but what the hell. Anet delivers quality products like Blizzard and few can say that. But no expansions for GW in the meantime? That's blasphemy lol. We know the answer, they have not enough resources, so I'm looking at NCsoft.

Europe won't fall for Aion, I tell you now.

Shadowmoon · Feb 19, 2009, 09:34 PM // 21:34

personally, i wouldn't mind spending money on micro- transactions like the BMP for mini expansions very few months. Like I've said before, alot of people feel a bait n switch with how with the promotion of gwen, the idea that a year latter there would be a beta for the new product. Call it what you wish, but the beta has been indefinately pushed back, and seeing how the next BIG thing that being promoted for gw1 is storage, it feel really lack luster. I understand Linsey has a way of surprizing us, but that something hardly to get exited about to be honest.
Plus sitting on 33 max titles, almost with every Honor monument on display (hopefully this weekend will get the last one) there just doesn't seem like much to do in the game. Linsey has said she has no interest in adding titles because of messing with KoaBD title and the HoM, so i guess there really not much for me left to do except for grind for the insanely price mini pets that keep getting further and further out of reach. And spending 2+ years of doing that doesn't seem like its going happen.

Red Sonya · Feb 20, 2009, 07:51 AM // 07:51

Quote:

# No Henchmen (automatically kicked) Only Heroes and other players.
# Limit of 1 (or 2?) PvE-Only skills

Well those ideas totally fail. You won't have very many players if you take out full henchie or hero henchie parties. GW changed to heroes and henchies play a long time ago and there's no turning back now. You'll just kill it faster if you implement those stupid rules.

Gigashadow · Feb 20, 2009, 08:46 AM // 08:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun Pierson

Well they wanted to conquer the western and European market with Tabula Rasa, but that went wrong. While all the time it was right in front of them, expansions for gw1. Just like Magic The Gathering does in card land. And yeah they can work on GW2 in the meantime.

I'm starting to think NCsoft is limiting Anet's growth and that sux, especially if you know that NCsoft burned over 100 million dollar away on the TR project. While insiders long knew it was gonna flop it seems.
http://t-machine.org/index.php/2009/...t-tabula-rasa/

Blizzard works on several titles at once. Cancels starcraft ghost, works on a secret mmo. Yeah it's Blizzard I know but what the hell. Anet delivers quality products like Blizzard and few can say that. But no expansions for GW in the meantime? That's blasphemy lol. We know the answer, they have not enough resources, so I'm looking at NCsoft.

Europe won't fall for Aion, I tell you now.

I'm not sure what to think about Aion. I saw a recent high quality video someone made trying to show what the game is like (with explanations in English) and the graphics and animations are simply outstanding, as is the UI (and normally I hate default game UIs). It definitely has a very slick and polished feel to it. Some nice ideas, such as a transparent map, your Guild Wars-like radar only displays things in a frontal arc, etc.

However, I hated Lineage 2 and its soulless grind, and this feels a bit like Lineage 3, with some of the grind taken out, but not all. Apparently the later levels are brutal.

Aion has xp-loss death penalties, reagents required to do lots of things, crafting that can fail, and all the other inconveniences you'd think MMO companies would have learned to not put in their game by now. Maybe they are taking the extra time to Westernize it for us, because we just won't put up with that crap.

edit: This is the Aion video, very high quality video and really worth watching if you're at all curious about the game: http://files.filefront.com/Taiora+EG...einfo.html/1/1

Konig Des Todes · Feb 20, 2009, 09:58 AM // 09:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

Well those ideas totally fail. You won't have very many players if you take out full henchie or hero henchie parties. GW changed to heroes and henchies play a long time ago and there's no turning back now. You'll just kill it faster if you implement those stupid rules.

1) Was just brain-storming

2) If a new harder "Hard Mode" were to be implemented, it should be only for fun and have no purpose in grind (i.e., no titles)

3) I see many guilds still doing groups together - I'm in the SNOW alliance which has a Kurzick and a Luxon alliance that groups together for HM stuff all the time. So not everyone does H/H.

4) Those limitations are meant to make it hard, adding PvE-only skills makes HM easy in many many cases. And note, I didn't cut out consumables in my brainstormed suggestion that won't happen anyways.

In short, if an "Impossible Mode" was made - it would be simply for fun and for nothing else, meaning there is no real pain in losing aside from lack of cash that you would get from beating whatever it is you're doing. The limitations still do not prevent 2 people with 6 heroes from going in as well. There are planty of options to pug or get guild/alliance groups still, so there really is no issue if this was meant to be hard.

fireflyry · Feb 20, 2009, 12:42 PM // 12:42

Classic.

What's the deal with the GW "hardcore" fans thinking GW2 will fail because they are pissed off with little more than personal semantics while completely ignoring the fact they payed and played a non-subscription game.....for years.....and continue to play....while moaning how GW2 is fail....while 95% will buy it.

Uhhhh....

A majority of this forum really need to get over themselves.

wetwillyhip · Feb 20, 2009, 07:24 PM // 19:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by fireflyry

Classic.

What's the deal with the GW "hardcore" fans thinking GW2 will fail because they are pissed off with little more than personal semantics while completely ignoring the fact they payed and played a non-subscription game.....for years.....and continue to play....while moaning how GW2 is fail....while 95% will buy it.

Uhhhh....

A majority of this forum really need to get over themselves.

I'm there with ya brother. I concur absolutely.

and Regina, thanks for responding to my idea, I appreciate it.

Red Sonya · Feb 21, 2009, 10:29 AM // 10:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konig Des Todes

1) Was just brain-storming

2) If a new harder "Hard Mode" were to be implemented, it should be only for fun and have no purpose in grind (i.e., no titles)

3) I see many guilds still doing groups together - I'm in the SNOW alliance which has a Kurzick and a Luxon alliance that groups together for HM stuff all the time. So not everyone does H/H.

4) Those limitations are meant to make it hard, adding PvE-only skills makes HM easy in many many cases. And note, I didn't cut out consumables in my brainstormed suggestion that won't happen anyways.

In short, if an "Impossible Mode" was made - it would be simply for fun and for nothing else, meaning there is no real pain in losing aside from lack of cash that you would get from beating whatever it is you're doing. The limitations still do not prevent 2 people with 6 heroes from going in as well. There are planty of options to pug or get guild/alliance groups still, so there really is no issue if this was meant to be hard.

Wrong again as you fail as I said to see the overall picture. Resources cost money to implement new things into a game. Implementing things the majority of people wouldn't play or care about is a waste of resources. HM is bad enough and there is already a mass exodus and complaining about how HM has ruined the game for casual players who are forced to play HM if they want any decent loot in a relatively short amount of time. Now YOU want to implement an even HARDER mode? hahahah get real...total fail and waste of resources. Resources should be put into more casual friendly implementations so that a 1 or 2 hour play time will yield great profits and items. That's what is needed, not some silly harder mode of play. Only a handful would ever play such.

Konig Des Todes · Feb 21, 2009, 11:36 AM // 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

Wrong again as you fail as I said to see the overall picture. Resources cost money to implement new things into a game.

No duh, why don't you look at my first post here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

Implementing things the majority of people wouldn't play or care about is a waste of resources. HM is bad enough and there is already a mass exodus and complaining about how HM has ruined the game for casual players who are forced to play HM if they want any decent loot in a relatively short amount of time.

Firstly, I have not seen people leaving because "hard mode is too hard" - and if people do, they are idiots. First, to think that they need to get things fast, and second to think that HM is necessary. Secondly, HM was done poorly, that I agree, as I even stated in my second post:

Quote:

Originally Posted by myself

However, I disagree with the whole new mode thing in general, but instead turn all HM builds into balanced builds (again, by group settings).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

Now YOU want to implement an even HARDER mode? hahahah get real...total fail and waste of resources. Resources should be put into more casual friendly implementations so that a 1 or 2 hour play time will yield great profits and items. That's what is needed, not some silly harder mode of play. Only a handful would ever play such.

You should read more fully, as the quote of myself can also goes to this. I disagree with a new mode, and instead make the existing Hard Mode more balanced. I was simply reorganizing the idea of a new harder mode - so that, were it ever implemented, it would not be as bad as Hard Mode is - that is, too easy thanks to PvE-only skills and consumables.

Read a post fully before flaming.

But besides that, your opinion of Hard Mode is one sided, and one that I actually agree with. However, unlike you, I looked at the side and opinions of those wanting a harder mode - in which I made a way to make that said harder mode without making it easy like Hard Mode has become thanks to things like PvE-only skills and Consumables - as I said before.

If I were to control what the Live Team does - once they have done things like the storage, I would set them to balancing out the Hard Mode monsters - instead of simply raising numbers, to make it harder via balance like EN monsters are. Then, after that, I would have the rewards increased to help balance the rewards for effort issue. Sorrow's Furnace, the Titan Quests, and Tombs of the Primeval Kings are three areas which need a reward do-over, and in fact, an overall do-over, (my suggestions for them can be found here.)

Red Sonya · Feb 22, 2009, 09:16 AM // 09:16

What they need to do is add more areas where ectoes and gems drop thereby opening up more of the game to be played with decent loot. As it stands now there's only 1% of the entire game worth playing in after you've played out the story missions in each chapter an expansion. Thus why there's nobody in other areas except the elite areas. Too many of these MMO's, actually ALL of them put people in shoe boxes and everyone ends up on one side of it instead of all inside it playing after the story is finished. Star Wars Galaxies is the only one that came close having quality loot drops off of newbie area mobs as well as elite areas, too bad the rest of the game got screwed over with the NGE.

Konig Des Todes · Feb 22, 2009, 01:16 PM // 13:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

Thus why there's nobody in other areas except the elite areas.

The only people I see there are those wanting to get FoW armor or cash. And again, that is because they want to.

Obsidian armor - and therefore the ectos and shards needed to craft the armor - were meant to be hard to get. If they dropped from newbie areas, even if it was HM only, not only would it not make sense from a logical or lore perspective *unless you have ecto ONLY dropping from ghosts outside UW, and Obsidian Shards only dropping in volcanic areas (i.e., Ring of Fire and FoW)*, but it would be too easy to get for the "most elite" armor. Grantid - due to UWSC and all the farms - Obsidian armor is less of "elite" anymore, that doesn't mean that what was meant to be the most rare of rare materials should drop everywhere.

Gems (rubies and sapphires) have a chance to drop anywhere - just like dyes *except, I think, pre-searing*. I agree that they should add Onyx and Diamonds to that list of able to drop anywhere, but if Obsidian and Ectos were to be added, they must not be a "drop anywhere" like you want. But, if they were to go by the limitations that would make the drops logical, it would benefit mostly Prophecies - and harm Factions especially *as NF and EN have ghosts - but Prophecies is the only place with a volcanic location*.

Also, I do see people throughout the areas - not just at the elite areas.

How I see it, you just want an eassy button for getting Obsidian armor - that is, having expensive drops in newbie areas aside from Black and White dye.

Red Sonya · Feb 22, 2009, 01:52 PM // 13:52

nope you fail once again. What I want is for the casual player to have some of the advantages of those the farm 24/7. A casual drop of an ecto in any of the other undead areas is not going to harm the game. On the contrary, since this game is based and built around the casual player there should be MORE opportunities for the casual player to gain ectos and other gems not restrict them to 1% of the game area. As I said SWG does this well and had they not ruined the actual gameplay of the game with that NGE it would be right up there with WOW's and the rest. You should also know by now GW isn't built around Obsidian Armors or any other elite armors. It's built around skill and casual gamers have great skills just like the 24/7 players they just don't have the TIME to farm and to always get in an elite area group for hours upon hours. Thus, opening up many more areas for ectos and gems to drop would be beneficial for the longevity of the game. As it is it's dying because of grind and lack of loot content in the NORMAL game as it used to be.

Siadena · Feb 22, 2009, 05:04 PM // 17:04

Yup, read more before you comment to much Sonya - the idea of the "impossible mode" or whatever wasn't initiated by Konig in this forum - it was recommended by me. Be sure you know who you're blowing flames towards at least before you do it....

I play only casually anymore, but it's just common sense that a player who plays 5 times the amount of time I do gets better loot. As a casual player, why should I get any more reward that what I already am? Besides, anything you would add as far as more rare drops in lower lvl areas wouldn't decrease the amount of loot turbo-farmers get.

Just seems like there's so much more to complain about and/or recommend that makes more sense then this dead end street.

Konig Des Todes · Feb 22, 2009, 10:14 PM // 22:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

nope you fail once again.

Instead of flaming, why don't you stop beating around the bush at first just to try to make me look like an idiot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

What I want is for the casual player to have some of the advantages of those the farm 24/7.

And why is this? It is common for those who put in more work to be rewarded more than those who put in less work. The world is not socialist, don't expect Anet to be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

A casual drop of an ecto in any of the other undead areas is not going to harm the game.

Never said it would. I, in fact, said that it should not occur due to it being unfair to Factions only users - the one campaign without any undead. Although, ectos should not drop from Undead in general, but just ghosts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

On the contrary, since this game is based and built around the casual player there should be MORE opportunities for the casual player to gain ectos and other gems not restrict them to 1% of the game area.

The game was based around the casual player to have just as many benefits as those who are more than casual. And they do. For the most part. Any casual player can get elite armor if they wanted. Any casual player can fill their HoM before GW2 comes out. The only benefits grinders get are maxed out titles and greater ease of filling the HoM *valor and resistence* and greater ease doing what they are doing, farming - which is a miniscule benefit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

You should also know by now GW isn't built around Obsidian Armors or any other elite armors.

Never said it was. That was merely an example of one of the benefits a grinder has over a casual player - an easier chance at the most expensive armor in the game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

It's built around skill and casual gamers have great skills just like the 24/7 players they just don't have the TIME to farm and to always get in an elite area group for hours upon hours.

I have one thing to say. Speed Clear. You can clear UW in 30 minutes with a good group. Nets at least 2 ecto per run. In order to do anything in the game, you need at least 30 minutes of playtime *missions take roughly 30 minutes on average if you know what you are doing* so the casual player, with minimal time to play, would play 30 minutes a day. If a casual player wants the most expensive thing in the game aside from player-priced items *such as the MPB*, a casual player can, but it would take longer.

Same benefits still.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

Thus, opening up many more areas for ectos and gems to drop would be beneficial for the longevity of the game.

Correction, this is what you believe would be beneficial to the game, i.e., this is what you want.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Sonya

As it is it's dying because of grind and lack of loot content in the NORMAL game as it used to be.

The grind, unfortunately, have kept people playing. People aim for GWAMM, which requires grind. As for lack of loot in the "normal" game - I fail to see it. As while people farm in HM *only required to farm in HM for 600/smite*, the same amount of loot is in NM.

There is just *supposedly at least* a greater chance of rare drops in HM.

I find no way, with the gimmicks, that prevent a casual player to do elite areas. If they cannot stand farming *which for a long while I couldn't either* they can do quests and use that as a means of cash gaining - which I once did.

Again, assuming the average casual player has only 30 minutes a day to play GW, they can speed clear UW and FoW in one day *each*, do DoA quests, one at a time, same with slavers' and sorrow's furnace. Urgoz and the Deep are the only elite areas which would take over roughly 30 minutes.

The only issue is the drops only occuring in one place, which, if everyone is there as you claim, I fail to see a problem. A problem would occur when the population is too spread out and people end up feeling the same as playing a solo game.