Curse

Bristlebane · Aug 10, 2011, 07:43 AM // 07:43

Background
Most of us knows GMs rarely makes an appearance ingame, at least not visible to our mortal eyes. When they do show up, it's virtually impossible to get into the district they're visiting.

NPC Medium
Make regular appearance ingame as an NPC, maybe showing up simultaneously in all districts of a certain city at a given time. This NPC acts as a medium so when GM/Staff talks, their voice is echoed to all the channels. This obviously works best when they're mostly just letting on some information or just saying hello as they can't possibly hear what people are saying in dozens of channels.

Nick-style appearance
Make a "Staff Representative" NPC appear somewhere in the world on regular intervals. Sort of like Nick, but all the NPC does is maybe reveal a little clue of what's to come, something fun we never knew about the staff, something GW2 related etc. As an example:
* Say first Thursday of every month, somewhere in the world an out-of-character NPC shows up (It could be Kuuna in Ascalon Settlement, an Oni in Divine Path, a heket in Glint's cave etc). Players must first find out it's location, and when they do they get maybe a few lines dialogue of something staffs wanted to say. A few days later the NPC is gone. This is not a staff-appearance like suggestion #1, just leaving a little message to us fans

Lawliet Kira · Aug 10, 2011, 08:31 AM // 08:31

They're too lazy ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

wilebill · Aug 10, 2011, 10:36 AM // 10:36

Nah, I mean really not necessary. John appeared to gather info that he needed. As a means of communicating with players it will not work that well.

RedDog91 · Aug 10, 2011, 06:08 PM // 18:08

They can't do this for the reason that if someone is behind the NPC, it is no longer an NPC, but instead a PC. PC's are limited to 1 district at a time.

And if they appeared in 30+ districts at once, that the amount of data they would have to load (every NPC x30, every player, every bit of text that gets said) would freeze the game on even the best computer in the world.

Bristlebane · Aug 10, 2011, 06:35 PM // 18:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDog91

They can't do this for the reason that if someone is behind the NPC, it is no longer an NPC, but instead a PC. PC's are limited to 1 district at a time.

And if they appeared in 30+ districts at once, that the amount of data they would have to load (every NPC x30, every player, every bit of text that gets said) would freeze the game on even the best computer in the world.

It's so annoying when people talk nonsense. Are you a programmer? system analyzer? Nevermind, don't wanna know

RedDog91 · Aug 10, 2011, 07:02 PM // 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bristlebane

It's so annoying when people talk nonsense. Are you a programmer? system analyzer? Nevermind, don't wanna know

No need to be rude. I didn't say it would be impossible, just that its highly inconvenient and more trouble than its worth.
GMs are not bound to the same programmed rules as normal players, but they are still bound by non-by passable laws of the game. A PC cannot be in more than one place at the same time.

If an NPC were to be loaded into the town and the GM were able to interact with players through this NPC, the second scenario I described would likely happen. (and again, technically, it would not be an NPC wince there is a person behind it)

The only way it could work would be something like the Nick-style appearance you described, though this route would be slightly pointless as the whole point of the appearances that GMs make is not just to appear, but to gather data from the community. Perhaps if the NPC offered a questionnaire, but otherwise pointless.

**cosyfiep** · Aug 10, 2011, 07:45 PM // 19:45

would be nice--but ever since Gaile left (and took the frog with her), ingame communication has been--non existent. (I was amazed that john actually showed up--that he HAS a character---)
A few time since Gaile has shown up, (holidays etc), but otherwise---you can watch the tumbleweeds roll .......

Swingline · Aug 10, 2011, 09:29 PM // 21:29

yea when gaile left thats when it became clear this game had one foot in the grave.

Shayne Hawke · Aug 11, 2011, 10:49 AM // 10:49

The devs don't show up enough at all for any kind of in-game event that this would be worth anything. The only times when they really do show up is when some big community event is going on in one organized town or district, and they might pop in for an hour or something. This only happens every few months though at best, I'd think.

Sambo007 · Aug 11, 2011, 04:33 PM // 16:33

The idea of the "npc" giving out little bits of info is pretty dumb becuase some1's gona post it on guru anyway so why would players bother to go and find somthing ingame that they can find in 1second on guru?

MithranArkanere · Aug 12, 2011, 12:29 AM // 00:29

I'd rather have them working than wasting time responding the same questions that have been made countless times already, and avoiding the same ones they can't answer as always.

It's isn't much else to know right now. Them appearing in-game won't change much. And that's probably why they don't appear so much anymore.