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[Interview] Guild Wars 2: What March’s WvW Patch Will Bring

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129

March will be a huge month for fans of World vs World PvP mayhem in Guild Wars 2. The ArenaNet team is hot off their February update which included all new daily achievements, guild missions, a new sPVP map, and upgrades to the trading post... but they're not slowing down. We caught up with Habib Loew (WvW Coordinator and Principle Programmer) to talk about the forthcoming changes to the WvW system. See what's in store for WvW in our exclusive interview. Let us know what you think in the comments.

MMORPG: It seems like the WvW fans in Tyria have been waiting a long time for this patch.  What are the team's priorities for March's WvW update? What are the big ticket items?

Habib Loew: Let’s start with how excited we are to get this patch out. We are really psyched to deliver this content to player and especially the WvW community. So there are two main priorities with this patch: the first is to eliminate Culling, the second is to add in WvW progression for players. The progression allows us to let players feel a sense of advancement past level 80. Also we want to give players some achievements beyond just regular character advancement.

Read more of Garrett Fuller's Guild Wars 2: What March’s WvW Patch Will Bring.

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Comments

  • AlomarAlomar Member RarePosts: 1,299
    Oh nice, one of the reasons I left GW2 after only 2 months was due to no progression in WvW for hardcore pvpers. Looks like I might stop by to see how these changes play out.
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  • JakdstripperJakdstripper Member RarePosts: 2,410
    man i hated Culling, i really don't understand why it's taken so long to get rid of it. is WvW still the same 1 map only?
  • LIOKILIOKI Member UncommonPosts: 421
    When they turn off culling hopefully it won't lag the game to death. I might come back and check it out if they are able to fix that, and add some meaning to wvw other than chasing yourself around in a circle.
  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    i know there are higher pvp priorities

    but id like to see Observer mode :)

  • Butch808Butch808 Member UncommonPosts: 369
    About time that WvW got some love.
  • dynamicipftwdynamicipftw Member UncommonPosts: 206
    Progression means getting stronger. More damage against NPCs and siege weapons are NOT progression. 
  • fivorothfivoroth Member UncommonPosts: 3,916
    Originally posted by dynamicipftw
    Progression means getting stronger. More damage against NPCs and siege weapons are NOT progression. 

    How come? If you do more damage/take less against NPCs/Siege weapons, you are in fact stronger against NPCs/Siege Weapons.

    Changes sound interesting. Being able to see everyone on your screen is a must have. Also I like the sound of WvW progression. Although now we will have to grind for ranks in WvW and grind ranks in SPVP and grind levels in PVE :D Although I guess any sort of progression is good. The more progression TYPES they add the better.

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  • orbitxoorbitxo Member RarePosts: 1,956
    sounds legit- like the upcoming changes.
  • BillMurphyBillMurphy Former Managing EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 4,565
    Originally posted by dynamicipftw
    Progression means getting stronger. More damage against NPCs and siege weapons are NOT progression. 

    This is lateral progression.  It may not mean stronger, but it certainly means performing the basic duties of WvW better, which is kind of the point.

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  • AerowynAerowyn Member Posts: 7,928
    Originally posted by BillMurphy

    Originally posted by dynamicipftw
    Progression means getting stronger. More damage against NPCs and siege weapons are NOT progression. 

    This is lateral progression.  It may not mean stronger, but it certainly means performing the basic duties of WvW better, which is kind of the point.

     

    think this concept is lost to many..especially in a themepark game as so many are solely based on vertical progression... Any way can't wait for changes my mesmer should be 80 by then and I'll be looking to get back into the wvw scene

    I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg

  • dynamicipftwdynamicipftw Member UncommonPosts: 206
    Originally posted by BillMurphy
    Originally posted by dynamicipftw
    Progression means getting stronger. More damage against NPCs and siege weapons are NOT progression. 

    This is lateral progression.  It may not mean stronger, but it certainly means performing the basic duties of WvW better, which is kind of the point.

    I was expecting interesting PvP-specific skills that force you to make difficult decisions, instead we get some boring minor passives that are irrelevant in PvP.

     

    I don't understand why people are happy with this.

  • meddyckmeddyck Member UncommonPosts: 1,282
    These WvW abilities are garbage. Carry more supply or take less siege damage? Yawn. That's not going to make me start playing WvW again.

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  • RemyVorenderRemyVorender Member RarePosts: 3,991
    Lateral progression doesnt even make sense as a term. One csn not got forward while going sideways.

    Joined - July 2004

  • BillMurphyBillMurphy Former Managing EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 4,565
    Originally posted by dynamicipftw
    I was expecting interesting PvP-specific skills that force you to make difficult decisions, instead we get some boring minor passives that are irrelevant in PvP.

     

    I don't understand why people are happy with this.

    I guess if I was expecting that, I'd be a little miffed too.  But if you're into WvW, these abilities are going to be saviors of your side's fights in a heated rush or defense.  They're good

    But yeah, I can agree that I hope the future holds more abilities either for professions, or new elites that are game-wide.  I just didn't expect them to be part of the WvW patch.

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  • BattlerockBattlerock Member CommonPosts: 1,393
    I really hope one of these patches just grabs ahold of me and keeps me. I want to like this game more. Some of the fixes mentioned i am thankful and excited to see come to life as well as the additional material
  • ZzadZzad Member UncommonPosts: 1,401
    Originally posted by dynamicipftw
    Progression means getting stronger. More damage against NPCs and siege weapons are NOT progression. 

    There are A LOT different ways to progress than just getting stronger... Guild Wars 2 is not about vertical progression...

    You should know that by now...or even before....they released all info long ago before they launched.

    Once again...if you are expecting a game like WoW where you can instant kill someone just because you are wearing a super dupper armor...GW2 won´t give you that.

    Just move on... or change the chip ;)

     

     

  • QSatuQSatu Member UncommonPosts: 1,795

    "Habib Loew: Hah, yeah we have seen a lot of the skepticism on the Internet. The change we made in January was really just a tweak to the system. It changed the priorities of Culling but did not eliminate it. The change in March will turn off Culling completely. You will now see every character within range of you. There will be several different options for how other players are presented to you, on the client side that you can choose from so you can control how it works for you."

    They could release only this and it would be best patch since release.

  • kramsterkramster Member UncommonPosts: 93
    Seems a bit light for the time it's taken, does little to make WvW any more worthwhile than it currently is. I have stopped playing GW2 after 6 months because I just don't see a point to what I am doing and this doesn't change anything, for me at least.
  • IPolygonIPolygon Member UncommonPosts: 707
    That's how they want to add progression to WvW? By adding more skills/passives? Oo.
    Removing culling would fix a lot of issues found in WvW (and PvE), so that would be huge, but imo they need to add more maps and other things to battle progression to keep players invested in WvW after TESO arrives.
  • DamarusofktDamarusofkt Member UncommonPosts: 74
    Good riddance, culling

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  • QSatuQSatu Member UncommonPosts: 1,795
    Originally posted by IPolygon
    That's how they want to add progression to WvW? By adding more skills/passives? Oo. Removing culling would fix a lot of issues found in WvW (and PvE), so that would be huge, but imo they need to add more maps and other things to battle progression to keep players invested in WvW after TESO arrives.

    Are you expecting to see Cyrodil region remake every few months to satisfy this "we need new maps to keep us interested"?

  • GrunimGrunim Member UncommonPosts: 172

    I'm curious to know if with enough WvW XP someone could potentially purchase multiple or all WvW abilities.   I hope that this means they are adding a WvW ability slot not too dissimilar to your ability to swap between utility skills as needed.

    If each character can only specialize in one area of WvW, I do hope that your other characters can specialize in WvW in different ways from each other.   However, ideally I hope it's possible that a single character can swap out among different WvW specializations.

  • wischneiwischnei Member Posts: 2
    Here's my two cents:

    These are good changes. However, culling should have been a bigger priority for anet much earlier. I understand that they are trying to release new content and that, given their payment option, probably lack the resources other power house studios have, but it seemed kind of...game break-y to a lot of people. Secondly, passive buffs and titles are great, unless only those on other servers can see your new ego-boosting nomenclature. If my move up from invader can't be seen by my server and/or guild it feels like a hollow victory. WvW is about the only thing I do anymore and that's only because I enjoy the guild and server I'm with. It, like many areas, does seem
    To have reached a bit of a plateau. Very excited to see anet addressing the issues, but I just hope they continue it at a more rapid pace to get the game up to what it could be, and what I think many thought I should have been closer to, if not at, release. And before I get called on being a hater, I want GW2 to succeed. GW1 was my first PC gaming love and I feel like I've been duped into dating its much hotter, though far less interesting, sister.


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  • mklinicmklinic Member RarePosts: 1,976
    Originally posted by remyburke
    Lateral progression doesnt even make sense as a term. One csn not got forward while going sideways.

    Just searching on the defnition: "A movement or development toward a destination or a more advanced state, esp. gradually or in stages."

    Looking at it that way, "lateral progression" makes sense as an expansion of the game without just increasing the ceiling. Alternately, increasing a level cap would be a typical vertical progression. I've more often considered EvE to be a good example of lateral progression as the content added is not generally gated by level (though sometimes there are skill requirements).

    Though (back to GW2), if you are working to unlock bonuses in a defined series, that sounds sort of like vertical progression without calling them levels. That said, I haven't hit WvW much thus far so others may be more informed and able to expand or argue that point a bit better.

    Really, we all may ave different ways to say Potato, but in the end, it's cool to see a B2P game continue development at (what I consider) a reasonable pace and seems like many are excited about this patch. :)

    -mklinic

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