Curse

Divineshadows · May 17, 2012, 09:29 PM // 21:29

After dipping back into the game after several years out of it, the most surprising thing to me has to be the removal of Team Arenas.

I do not understand why they couldn't have just added the Codex Arena and left support for Team Arenas in the game.

Without any active guild, GvG is not an option. I never cared too much for HA. This leaves only RA and Codex...

Just curious how other players feel about the decision? Are you happy with the Codex Arena?

FYI: The second most surprising thing has to be some of the extreme buffs given to Elementalist skills.

Olle · May 17, 2012, 10:34 PM // 22:34

Search function still exists, this is probably the OVER NINE THOUSAND time someone creates a thread about the TA removal and Codex adding.

we wount get TA back.
we wount get HB back.
No need to continue to try, we're smarter than flies that hits a window.

Loki Seiguro · May 17, 2012, 10:59 PM // 22:59

A few things here...I'm pretty sure what Olle is saying is true. So I wouldn;t get my hopes up with getting TA and HB back.

I think codex was an amazing idea. it put people out of their comfort zone. I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it again. People don't like to make their own builds. Codex forces you to become a build maker and use some thought process into what skills you are taking. If you wonder why guild teams roll you its b/c they spent anywhere from 20min to an hour making builds for the codex that day.

Also a downfall to codex is that the skills given on days seems to be completely random. Sometimes there are mass conditions but no real condition removal skill so you are screwed. Things like this caused ppl to not want to play anymore.

not to mention there are bots/syncers there so if you form a group youll probably get a match

Coast · May 17, 2012, 11:15 PM // 23:15

codex arena is a nice concept, but they never should have removed ta

superraptors · May 18, 2012, 01:07 AM // 01:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loki Seiguro

A few things here...I'm pretty sure what Olle is saying is true. So I wouldn;t get my hopes up with getting TA and HB back.

I think codex was an amazing idea. it put people out of their comfort zone. I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it again. People don't like to make their own builds. Codex forces you to become a build maker and use some thought process into what skills you are taking. If you wonder why guild teams roll you its b/c they spent anywhere from 20min to an hour making builds for the codex that day.

Also a downfall to codex is that the skills given on days seems to be completely random. Sometimes there are mass conditions but no real condition removal skill so you are screwed. Things like this caused ppl to not want to play anymore.

not to mention there are bots/syncers there so if you form a group youll probably get a match

you are clueless, you pretty much contradicted yourself.

codex is crap, everyone is on a level playing field with the same skills available, it doesn't change anything what so ever, all it does prove is who has the better execution.

ta = olympics
codex = paralympics

that is all.

ultimak719 · May 18, 2012, 01:46 AM // 01:46

Erm...no. Codex rewards the people who look at the skills for every profession, spots synergies between skills cross professions, and then uses coordination to make sure everything goes smoothly. Codex arena is the definition of build wars and pugs cant be bothered with it, so they are wiped by guild teams.

The difference between codex and team arenas is that codex gets rid of gimmicky set ups so that only the people who know what they are doing will win.

Loki Seiguro · May 18, 2012, 02:04 AM // 02:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by superraptors

you are clueless, you pretty much contradicted yourself.

codex is crap, everyone is on a level playing field with the same skills available, it doesn't change anything what so ever, all it does prove is who has the better execution.

ta = olympics
codex = paralympics

that is all.

I'm sorry what are you saying?

1) "codex is crap" - your personal opinion.
2) "everyone is on a level playing field with the same skills available" - Yes everyone has the same selection of skills but its not just 8 skills available which means there are multiple builds that can be ran and the smarter/better players will create better builds with the skills available. There was no where in my response that I said each player gets different skills
3) " it doesn't change anything what so ever" - Skills available change daily? Or something like that which means it removes this gimmick/meta build that ppl run everyday in RA and HA
4) "all it does prove is who has the better execution." - yes

superraptors · May 18, 2012, 03:09 AM // 03:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loki Seiguro

I'm sorry what are you saying?

1) "codex is crap" - your personal opinion.
2) "everyone is on a level playing field with the same skills available" - Yes everyone has the same selection of skills but its not just 8 skills available which means there are multiple builds that can be ran and the smarter/better players will create better builds with the skills available. There was no where in my response that I said each player gets different skills
3) " it doesn't change anything what so ever" - Skills available change daily? Or something like that which means it removes this gimmick/meta build that ppl run everyday in RA and HA
4) "all it does prove is who has the better execution." - yes

1. codex is crap is 90% of the peoples opinion, good concept but practically its crap and always will be.

2. there is a thing called a meta, everyone will end up running maybe 2 or maybe 3 different team set ups at most. hence the same builds.

3. as stated above

and finally what are you trying to prove? its a fail arena that is all.

did you just start playing after codex was implemented?

ruk1a · May 18, 2012, 05:01 AM // 05:01

TA was my favorite arena outside of GvG, Codex is complete crap. If I have one gripe with ANet, it's the removal of TA being a huge mistake.

Missing HB · May 18, 2012, 11:55 AM // 11:55

Well, the problem in PvP today isn't anymore about having fun or having competitive formats, but about being able to play..
TA and Codex both require 4 man to enter a battle, and both are a classic 4v4 match, so they're quite similar...

- Having TA or Codex wouldn't change anything for them . If they added back TA, people ( me especially) would complain about HB delete, so it won't happen
- Having both would be worse : syncers would go in the least active format among the 2, while real players wouldn't ever get a match

urania · May 18, 2012, 06:36 PM // 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by ultimak719

Erm...no. Codex rewards the people who look at the skills for every profession, spots synergies between skills cross professions, and then uses coordination to make sure everything goes smoothly. Codex arena is the definition of build wars and pugs cant be bothered with it, so they are wiped by guild teams.

The difference between codex and team arenas is that codex gets rid of gimmicky set ups so that only the people who know what they are doing will win.

Clearly you haven't played either then.

Codex is great (when deck is worth it), but so was TA (though the 'balance' was horrid a few months before its removal).

Moreover, codex 'metas' depend on the deck - sometimes, you have one build that can dominate everything else, so it comes down to execution/coordination.
Another time, there will be a couple of builds that can fare well vs some builds, and get rolled by other, so it comes down to a mix of rps and execution+coordination. I am still of the opinion the best decks are those where monk heals/prots are too shitty to be worth taking.

That aside, I consider making Costume brawl a permanent and organised arena with some bragging rights (tournies/ladder/special items for tourny winners) a better call. You can easily call it a GW2 'preparation', if nothing else.

DreamRunner · May 21, 2012, 01:23 PM // 13:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by urania

... so was TA (though the 'balance' was horrid a few months before its removal)...

That is an understatement. TA's balance was extremely bad, and with current pvp activity, why would you want to? The monks smiting line absolutely destoyed TA.

Lynie · Jun 13, 2012, 11:59 AM // 11:59

May 17, 2012, 11:29 PM // 23:29
It's to late there's no one playing the game anymore, you would probably find just as many players as in codex.

HigherMinion · Jul 14, 2012, 07:46 AM // 07:46

I completely missed the chance for serious TA play, which is a shame. The balance is no different to RA but requires more skill, i.e. team synergy, coordination, etc. it seems like, as superraptors says, the Olympian of RA's arena.

Does anyone know why it was removed or if they can link to a source with Anet's reasoning/apology?

DontAsk · Jul 14, 2012, 12:28 PM // 12:28

Quote:

Team Arena was once very popular, but a competitive atmosphere and a degenerate metagame have caused the player base to dwindle a great deal. We'd like to give the format more support, but we don't have the bandwidth to take on more balance maintenance.

This is what was posted in Linsey Murdock's journal.

Winner · Jul 17, 2012, 08:27 AM // 08:27

Codex is just fine the way it is now, still fun to play on quest days. (game population is quite low so you can consider any format "dead"). HB was good simply because there were tournaments, it was still cheated a lot (red resign, people manipulating matches, agreeing on draws so they can get better score on tourney). TA was just lame, couple organized teams would farm all the newbies, it's good that they removed it.

urania · Jul 18, 2012, 03:02 PM // 15:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winner

TA was just lame, couple organized teams would farm all the newbies, it's good that they removed it.

How was that different in ANY pvp format?

Divineshadows · Jul 18, 2012, 04:26 PM // 16:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coast

codex arena is a nice concept, but they never should have removed ta

Agree. I really enjoyed TA for the first couple years after the release.

Now that I've had the chance to experience Codex, it can be quite a bit of fun. I just wish there was more activity there. I'm always looking for good guild teams to play with in Codex, but don't find this often.

Winner · Jul 19, 2012, 07:44 AM // 07:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by urania

How was that different in ANY pvp format?

GvG = Rating system, people of similar skill level will face each other most of the time (same for tourneys, when they lose first match or two, they'll face other teams that also lost). Matches are balanced.

HA = There are so many factors deciding the victory, builds, 3way maps, different objectives, even the best teams can lose to complete newbies due to build wars or 3way maps where newbie teams would be ignored and they would win quite often.

HB = pretty much same as GvG

Codex = Makes it easier for the newbies because there are less options for builds, so they wont have to keep losing to same op cookie cutter button smash build, because there are no op builds there (ok dual heal lamers can be challenging to beat sometimes). But again, everyone has a chance, everyone has pretty much similar builds. Even if they lose, they can counter you. It was impossible for them to counter op TA builds.

TA = One team with op build farming everyone else (I guess this PvP format is what you prefered the most, probably codex now. You use the fact that your builds are op and your enemies are newbies to make up for your obvious lack of experience and skill due to not playing any serious PvP format).

KotCR · Jul 19, 2012, 09:14 AM // 09:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loki Seiguro

I think codex was an amazing idea. it put people out of their comfort zone. I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it again. People don't like to make their own builds. Codex forces you to become a build maker and use some thought process into what skills you are taking. If you wonder why guild teams roll you its b/c they spent anywhere from 20min to an hour making builds for the codex that day.

THIS.
The majority of the playerbase lack creativity and originality these days and as a result are incapable of designing their own effective builds. They can't PvX their way to victory in Codex Arena and as a result they don't like it.

I've actually spoken in-game to random players about the reasons they don't like Codex Arena and they'll always admit this in some way or another. This is why they stick to Random Arena.

A shame because if people were more open-minded Codex Arena would have had real potential to be a fun and engaging format.