The GW Community - whats wrong?

Hey Everyone,

I want to start by saying I think GW is an amazing game. I am an old AC1, AC2 type gamer, and this game is just fantastic.

I wanted to get feedback to see if anyone else was experiencing what my friends and I have been experiencing for the past few Beta Weekend Events.

Although the game itself is fantastic, I can’t help be continually be let down by the caliber of the "community" in this game. Please let me explain.

I log on, and see/hear no one talking in open chat. A few blurbs here or there, but primarily no one is talking to one another. I send out a shout to see if anyone wants to group to go quest...no one responds. I ask a question, maybe about how to craft, or what is the best armor, maybe a question about a weapon - no one responds.

I go to the Gladiator Arena - the team forms and I ask - "who is calling targets"? No one responds. I then ask again, and usually I hear, "You call targets". I say "Ok, make sure we all go the healers first or all attack the Warriors". Everyone on the team says "Ok, sounds good", or "Ill follow you". And the minute the "whistle" blows, everyone runs off in different directions, no one is talking, no one is listening to targets, no one is healing team members - but the SECOND someone dies - all I hear is "Quick, come REZ me".

When you win in the Gladiator Arena, you’re told "You’re a loser", or "FU", or "That was a cheap #$% victory"... When you tell the other team "hey everyone GG" - no one responds...

Why is that? Why is this community so cold, so harsh, and so unwilling to help or listen to those that happen to be quite good at this game? Is it because this game is FREE to play?

I average about 75 PK Battles in the Gladiator Arena each Beta Weekend - so I would say I know what I am doing and I usually win...but I have to either pull teeth to do it, or run around REZZing my Team because no one listened on how to win.

I hate to post these types of messages, but I just have to know if I am the only one that is seeing this...

Thanks,

FUBAR

I think you see that kind of behavior simply because a lot of the people playing are not that experienced, and have only played for one or maybe a few weekends. Its not a stable environment where people know each other or have even seen the other name, so its hard to get people involved or even talking. I think that after release things will settle down and a stable in-game community wil develop. The fan-sites have a great community and hopefully that will move in-game as well once we can play more than 1 weekend a month.

I don't think the game being free or not has anything to do with it. I used to subscribe to a couple of MMOs (mostly Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot) and even in games where people had to pay, the community tended to degenerate.
There is .. just this kind of mindset that this kind of behavior is expected and somehow, that makes it alright. I don't think I need to justify this statement any further than to say that if it wasn't, we wouldn't have stereotypes of this kind of gamer to begin with. Now, I don't feel that these people are the majority... just the very visible minority.
I think you'll find that there's a lot of great people out there .. it's just that they tend to stay quiet in the face of these situations, and tend to let themselves be pushed out of the way. I've had runs in Tombs where we come across some other team that'll start spewing incomprehensible vileness through the match, and will curse out after they've lost.. and it just completely kills my urge to play competitively. I'm fairly certain i'm not the only person to have had days like that.

The only thing I can really say, is that these communities, the ones belonging to the fansites, are a good place to start looking for quality people to game with. We're all here because we enjoy the game, and we want to talk about it. So right off the bat, that's one of the biggest problems solved - communication. I find that .. once you've got a good group, then these other problems tend to fade away. I don't care so much about someone elses lousy behavior if I know i'm still enjoying my time with friends. Would that I could say it didn't have to be this way - but I don't have power enough to influence the entire community, but I can influence it here .. and so long as that holds true, then there will always be a place for the antithesis of the viral gamer.

I have had the same experience as FUBAR. Most have been unwilling to listen to direction and as a result groups would get wiped out consistently...with a win scattered in here and there. With the exception of one GREAT group, the majority have been miserable.

Whether the community never PK'd before is irrelevant. I had never PK'd before but had the common sense to understand the 'logic' behind this type of fighting and caught on by the time the weekend was over. What surprised me the most is that most people don't realize that in order to win, a 'team...not individual' determines success.....I can't tell you how many times people ran off doing there own thing, ultimately died, and yelled about it after the fact.

I truly hope people catch on after release. It's an awesome game, but the lack of 'listening skills' will easily segment those with brains and those without.

I've not had much community problems in Tombs and GvG atleast.

Stop playing Arena? Arena is no indication of what GW PvP is like. It's random, and full of morons.

I went on a mission with a group and had more or less the same experience: No one talked, they just ran and killed. Now, I'm not expert in field tactics, but even I know that's not the way to win the game. It wasn't until I chided them about leaving me behind when I died that I started hearing any of them say anything.

Normally, I prefer to pal around with people before I team up. Get to know them, learn thier prefered style (tank, archer, healer), etc. I found it a difficult task to do this, though: the towns were completely given over to people trying to do trades. When people weren't trading, they tended to be very quiet. I'm a chatty guy, I like to talk. I didn't find a place to do that in.

-edit-
That's not to say I didn't find people to chat with. On the contrary, I found several. But nowhere to do so away from the hustleing mob, as it were.

Dave III

I've come across good people and bad people, FUBAR. I think there are more of the former than the latter, but that they don't feel the need (vis., they have the maturity not to worry about it) to duel verbally with random goobers who cuss at them.

I must have had some good opponents on average, because I never got cursed at. Except when they'd stack about 9 curses, hexes, etc., on my poor Monk, but that's beside the point. The only time that even vaguely resembled anything worrisome was when I and one other, in a last-ditch desperation maneuver, broke through the fight around our Ressurectin Shrine (Our Priest had just died) and launched an attack on Yellow Team's Priest and Hero. Someone on the Yellow team told me that "you don't need to be a p---k about it." I told him that yes, I just had to be, and that it was in my nature, and they laughed.

So I think that if you look past the vocal boors and morons that unfortunately are a part of the game, then youwill find some very good players and people. And don't do the Arena- it's worthless, except as a time-waster.

My experience with pvp is that it's sometimes best (with the exeption of a healer, who needs to be group aware) that it's a good idea just to let everyone do their own thing, and not going out of their way to back up the others...most of the time anyway. With regards to the non-pvp coopertive missions, i've usually been fortunate enough to have teamed up with other experianced players.

You have to take into consideration there are a lot of beta only weekend players and have no idea what they're doing. I had a lot of fun playing it and eventually met players who knew and/or tried to play cooperatively. It's just a matter of time to find them. Saw a lot of idiots too but that's to be expected.

Had a lot of fun in PvP even when my team was slaughtered in 20 seconds but it was a learning experience for me and I'm sure for a lot of the other players. You can't expect everyone to know how to play in PvP from the jump especially when some players don't even expect the auto teaming to come. I found eventually the players figure out what to do and started to use tactics.

As for talking in in the cities that can vary with your mileage. I tried to help out but sometimes just didn't feel like responding, was busy doing something, or just didn't know the answer.

The game is great and eventually the community will get better I think. Well at least I can hope.

I guess the best way to help is to answer questions for players when asked. I'll try more the next since I've played two beta weekend.

i think this will sort it self out after retail

right now you have people who have bought the preorder for a few dollars and wont be back

those people can and will say any garbage they want knowing they wont be around to live with it

also the jerks who will be changing their names at retail and then be model citizens under permanent scruteny of the community

when you have to create a new character to leave behind a bad reputation it will slow down

people will start to recognize the troublemakers and sort themselves out from them

as more people play and lose in pvp they will be more willing to take advice toavoid being at the bottom forever

right now nobody has anything to lose by being an ass

simply put the social stakes of being a jerk will be higher after retail is out

RP charicters and PvP charicters are the biggest differences in this game then i have ever seen in any other game thus far. I have had the time of my life playing missions (PvE) with the random pick up groups I have found. This past weekend I was in some awsome groups, we talked, laughed, and just a had blast working our way through the storyline. It was great. I can't wait for this game to go live. As long as the dev team stays up with progress and keeps the content fresh and fun this game will go looooong ways. I was able to get a few pointers on how to make things and that the more you go through the story the more people you meet that will unlock more skills for you. I think FUBAR that if you really want PvP you will find a different "type" of player then if you look to have fun in the PvE side of things.


Tredo Underhill
Monk / Necro

that is the absolute truth opposite sides of the coin entirely from my limited contact with any pvp people

though the best pvp people seem to be quite willing to talk with someone instead of talking down to them

it is as though some have to prove by atatude and beligerance that they are the best even if they lose

while the better ones will say nice victory after a good match even if they lost

Just find yourself a good guild. I got in to a good one around the 2nd night of beta we always talked and even did PvEs and PvPs it was really fun. And about teh target calling i know what you mean i usealy say the same thign and get teh same replys bu t it never happens

I played arena quite a bit on the first day.. and I actually didn't see that many openly rude people.. People did say gg after most games. Only in one game did someone sprout inane comments.. but since it was arena, I just left after the game was over.

But I do agree.. pick up groups are..

The only solution I found was playing with my guildmates, or drilling the random Tombs group I joined with questions of "what's the plan? who's targeting? etc.." Of course, since I was a monk, if those pick up groups even -touched- the 8/8 group limit with only one healer (me), I flung myself out of the group as fast as I can frantically click the "leave" button. If they don't give me a good reason for letting me fry without another healer to back me up (and in most cases, the groups are utterly silent), then chances are, it's a waste of my time as 2 min later, we'll all be face down, and.. well.. finding our tombs in.. tombs.

So.. I know this isn't a very satisfying reply.. but I would just say to PvP primarily with guildmates/friends. If you don't have a guild, find a nice guild -- there are plenty out there, and I personally adore my guild.

Arena is good if you don't want to wait.. but like others said, it honestly doesn't take much skills.. so whoever yells "U SUK!" well.. pretty much needs to blame laughing luck over there.

Oh.. and as for questions in cities/missions.. I don't usually look at the textbox, I'm sorry. >.< Especially in cities, the spam flows over you in floods, and unless I'm looking to buy something, I block all of it out. Of course, the communities I find on the forums are for the most part wonderful groups of people. You can always ask here if you have additional questions after reading the numerous guides on the main page.

Usually when you PvP its with your guild already. The way I've seen things with my own guild is fantastic! I haven't been able to do the Gladiator Arena (probably haven't taken the time) but what I do see in the PvE areas is all the same.

As Spooky said... its the vast minority. There are some people that aren't familiar with how everything works yet (me being one of them) and just trying to figure things out. On the other hand, in towns and cities sometimes, so many people are saying so many things that you can't catch one thing before its gone because so much has been added since then. You just gotta be patient... those that are willing to talk and want to help will get a hold of you. Its just a matter of time though while sorting through the fabricated nonsense of everyones' garbled blurbs!

This BWE I spent a lot of time with my guild (Legions of the Asharak) because I knew what kind of characters they are. Sure, I played with others and had a good time with them but also knew it wasn't quite the same. Its fun when you know someone has got your back... makes things easier, per se, that way.

Overall, the one thing we all need (some have it and some don't) is patience and to find the right people that will work perfectly with us.

Super long thoughts for just adding my two cents...

Yes, I had similar problems.
From Friday to late Saturday I simply could not finish Gates of Kryta no matter what.

Me: "Stop. STOP! STOP!!! DON'T MOVE! DON'T GO FURTHER!"
*The elementalist rushes towards the enemy group, gets killed and a horde of monsters come towards us*
Him: "Rez meeeeeee"
OR
Me: "Okay, warrior, please run forward, healers in the back."
Them: "k"
*The healer runs forwards, gets poisoned and killed*
OR
Me: "Okay, let's rush them!"
Him: "No, let the White Mantles fight them."
*White mantles get killed*
Me: "Lets rush them fast!"
Him: "No, let the Zombie Warlock raise dead"
Me: "And then what?"
Him: "We'll wait untill the bone minions die."
OR
Me: "Let's go through Drakes!"
They: "no i want to get to lions arch fast"
*We get to the bridge and there's a bunch of undeads*
They: "lets wait"
*The undead pass*
They: "let the white mantles fight them"
*The undead kill the crucial NPC and we all fail the quest.

In a nutshell, the beta weekend left me pondering whether I really want a game like Guild Wars. I did eventually find a good party and finished the quest but I had no wish to play GW after. Guild Wars is a great game with one con. Sadly, this disadvantage cannot be fixed by a patch.

possibly total noobs?

after they get swatted a bit possibly many of them will be more willing to actually work together

QUESTION
any other online games have the same types of problem or is it only GW?

... the best was this guy that begged and begged to get in the PvE group I was in. We finally took him in because he said he was a good healer and headed through the mission with those centaur guys and all the moss scarab spider things. This guy was preatty awesome ........ at dying all the time. He played a monk/something and tried to tank every mob group and then ended up begging for a res every 5 secs. Eventually we tried to let him know what monsters were comming up and stuff and he just headed right for them totally ignorant of our comments. Needless to say after the 6th time dying he left the group amongst a slew of rude comments on our healing abilities so we proceeded on our own to the end of the mission, some 2 hours later.

Sometimes less is more.

- Iczer

The beta in February was a good one for me. Met a group that we randomly put together. We were all answering each others questions. We ended up up running from pre-searing ascalon to nolani academy. It was all done in one sitting and we even took a break and no one left. When we were thrust into the pvp battles we were awesome. Now....

This weekend the chat was minimal. Questions I had, never were answered exxcept for smart a$$ remarks. I was asked to party several times but never in chat or reply o tell me what they needed to do. No one seemed very engaging. So I had one other friend playing. We just grabbed the mercs and played the new areas all weekend. Very beautiful btw!!!

I sent this earlier. But im in a gaming clan and we rent a server for games such as bf1942, desert combat, CSS. We also have a voice ops prog running. It is ventrilo. It is free and will cost you nothing. If you want to join up for the next beta feel free to stop by. The ip address for our ventrilo is 67.18.149.98. Password is vod.

Get ventrilo by clicking here!!

Then when you get to that page d/l the client file. Run the program and enter in the server nfo and your name. Then hit connect. If you are having problems with your mic. There is a chat feature there that we can help you out with. L8S