Eric Flannum is no longer at Arenanet. Colin Johanson has filled his position.
Zerg fests are not the only problem with Living Story, just the most obvious middle finger given to the Manifesto and the original design principles.
Eric Flannum is at Arenanet and he is the Lead Game Designer and has been so for a while and you won't be able to produce any sources for him leaving since he haven't.
Non compete clauses don't prevent someone to announce he left.
Colin Johanson is the Game Director.
Any other key people that left?
How does the Living Story gives the middle finger to the Manifesto?
For months you claimed for more activities in the Open World to bring back people from the dungeons. Parts of the Living Story did exactly that.
Living Story gets so much hate just because people can't wrap their heads around the fact that the Living Story is self sustaining and it is being created by basically Anet b-team while the main Anet people that created GW1 and GW2 are working in something else.
The Living Story actually helps the cash shop generating the revenue that gives Anet the time they need to produce the content/ideas they want and release them when they are ready.
I'd like to comment on this one... a general comment about MMO management of personal....
My personal preference is as follows.... I want (as a Player and customer) all content editions and expansions to a MMO to be made BY THE ORIGINAL CREATORS of a MMO.
Not the "B-Team" or any other group of Devs brought in to replace the original Devs. Let the "B-Team" create their own MMO and then stay with it.
I'm not saying chain the Devs to their chairs and order out fast food daily... I'm saying dispense the the planned removal of whole Dev teams just because a MMO launches.
and I know it won't happen, but I would prefer it that way.... many of the MMOs I left because the MMO changed in tone and flavor because the original Devs had been removed and the new Devs just "didn't get it".
I'd like to comment on this one... a general comment about MMO management of personal....
My personal preference is as follows.... I want (as a Player and customer) all content editions and expansions to a MMO to be made BY THE ORIGINAL CREATORS of a MMO.
Not the "B-Team" or any other group of Devs brought in to replace the original Devs. Let the "B-Team" create their own MMO and then stay with it.
I'm not saying chain the Devs to their chairs and order out fast food daily... I'm saying dispense the the planned removal of whole Dev teams just because a MMO launches.
and I know it won't happen, but I would prefer it that way.... many of the MMOs I left because the MMO changed in tone and flavor because the original Devs had been removed and the new Devs just "didn't get it".
It isn't exactly the case of GW2 and Anet.
The B-team is people that worked in GW2 but Anet pretty much doubled the size from the end of GW1 to release of GW2.
It is just giving the opportunity to the "new guys" to show their stuff while giving players something new to do.
"We made some internal changes to the team that, while drastic, improved our ability to concentrate on the story and dialog. Editing, which was formerly a sub-team of the Writing Team, was spun off to become a core services group. We then assumed storytelling responsibility for the Living World initiative, whereas before we were solely responsible for event and ambient (a.k.a. non-story) content."
But the core guys are probably working in the meat and bones of GW2 going forward.
That is the reason that the Living Story started as something mostly temporary, something like a big side quest, but the players complained about that.
If you see, Anet didn't layoff any of the big names.
Currently playing: GW2 Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
AFAIK one guy left. That is Robert Hrouda, the original dungeon designer. The circumstances were weird about his absence but my point is ... he announced it, even at Twitter, also at LinkedIn.
So whatever garbage the guy above has been fed with, should be met with precaution (the NDA guy).
AFAIK one guy left. That is Robert Hrouda, the original dungeon designer. The circumstances were weird about his absence but my point is ... he announced it, even at Twitter, also at LinkedIn.
So whatever garbage the guy above has been fed with, should be met with precaution (the NDA guy).
I don't think he was the original Dungeon designer although he had a major participation in their creation.
What he was responsible for was the dungeon overhaul after release.
Currently playing: GW2 Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
Have you guys thought about maybe adding some kind of side-bonuses to dungeons before? Something similar to the extra things you could do in GW1 in Missions to get bonuses. It could be something very simple, like perform X amount of combos on bosses, or trying to survive the dungeon without dying once. This could be used to reward players for better gameplay, and you could give them things such as more tokens, or even specific rewards for that dungeon.
I would LOVE to add more content to dungeons. Random events, bonus events, awesome puzzles – you name it, I want more in it. There’s only so many hours in a day that two people can devote though, and right now we’re doing some pretty substantial work that our next content patch will have. When we get time though, you bet I want to add more.
Anet Live Dungeon Team is/was 2 people.
I also remember reading that the skill Balance Team was also liek 1 or 2 people (I think it was posted in the guildwars2 forums).
People see the Living Story and say "they should be using these resources to make an expansion".
But the resources used by the Live Team are minimal and without the Live Team and the Living Story all of those employees would have to be laid off.
Currently playing: GW2 Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
I was a huge champion of this game for a long time. I still believe the game, at release, was probably the best MMO, at release, we've seen in the history of MMOs, but certainly the best since WoW.
As a Buy to Play game, that core game is still a huge value and I can't complain about what I paid for over 1,800 hours of enjoyment.
The problem is that some key people, like Game Director Eric Flannum and others, left shortly after launch and the studio never has recovered from the brain drain. the Living Story has, with few exceptions, been a horrible waste of content development resources. The smoke and mirrors flash, combined with vapidness, exemplified by this current Destruction of Lion's Arch zerg fest and the horrible Queen's Gauntlet "zerg against pojntless mobs standing around in meaningless zoo exhibit size plots of land" content, are more than just a disappointment as content, but they actively war against many of the key design principles the game was created around.
For me, the biggest groan worthy moment since launch was reading a recent interview with current Game Director Colin Johanson where he essentially said that things would have to continue to get worse with their numbers for another year before they would have to give up on Living Story and do something different to try to turn the game around.
I mean, unreal. The sad thing is that not only are they pushing forward with a failed concept, but they seem to be deliberately waging war against the original GW2 Manifesto in an effort to ensure that building on that original foundation just will not be viable by the time they are done screwing the game with Living Story and other negative changes to game play.
I've never, ever, seen any organization so committed to turning triumph into tragedy. They launched with 80% of the Manifesto realized in a tremendous product. It was a no brainer that they would move the game closer and closer towards the ideal with each ongoing update. Instead, it seems they've abandoned the work of the first five years and are laboring at warp speed to morph the game into a cliche of everything that has been wrong with the MMO genre since the launch of WoW.
Anyway, no, I don't enjoy it, I hate it, not just because this event is horrible, but because it doubles down on what, to me, has been a disastrous year+ of game killing "content" and changes. I can't help but be livid at how they have destroyed the once vast potential of the game and the glee with which they remain committed to a failed strategy.
News Flash: Eric Flannum didn't leave Anet.
What key people did leave after GW2 release?
The only person I know of was Kekai Kotaki and he is an artist - I doubt anyone is complaining about the art style of the Living Story.
People need to stop mistaken the Live Team (which includes the Living Story) with all of the Anet man power.
The Living Story is a freebie that is self sustained by the cash shop and has no interference whatsoever with any other content development.
The reason you stopped seeing the key people you even though they left Anet is because they are working on stuff you don't know about.
And lets reduce the Living Story to zergs and ignore Tequatl, the Marionette, the TriWurm, The Bazaar of the four winds, etc.
Eric Flannum is no longer at Arenanet. Colin Johanson has filled his position.
Zerg fests are not the only problem with Living Story, just the most obvious middle finger given to the Manifesto and the original design principles.
Can't find any info about Eric leaving Anet, sorry.
And move on from the manifesto for God's sake. It's most likely just you misinterpreting what they said.
NDA and Non-compete clauses often mean top staff at a game studio that make an exit don't resurface for a while after leaving. I just hope next we see of Eric, he'll be spearheading an MMO title that will do what GW2 was supposed to have done, or will do the game one better.
ANet have clearly abandoned the Manifesto, which explains your eagerness to do so as well, but the manifesto and other ideals the game was based on made the game, at launch, one of the best MMOs at release. Every step they've taken away from those ideals have diminished the game and it's once vast potential.
They were 80% there and the way forward was clear. Living Story has been ruinous to the accomplishment that was this game at launch, charting a course that has moved the game further and further from it's obvious potential. The genre has been replete with games that have failed during development and imploded because of a less than stellar launch product. I can't recall any other game that has ever launched such a superb product, only to systematically extend great effort to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. (It may be some what analogous to the SWG NGE fiasco, but SWG was no GW2).
The whole thing is very frustrating for genre vets like me who know how rare truly good MMOs are and how close GW2 had come to being the type of game many of us have been praying for for years, in my case for a decade and a half. The game, the Manifesto and it design ideals also pointed the way for a paradigm shift in MMO game design that would finally end the era of the WoW-based product. That "revolution" is now in question, not only because ANet have abandoned the cause and reverted back to failed design doctrine, but also because the failure of the game to fulfill it's financial potential will make others considering the risk of breaking away from the status quo even less likely to do so.
Just say you were wrong about Flannum. Those links say you're wrong and you have nothing but some made up NDA b.s. Unless you can come up with something better, stop saying he left.
There are things I like and don't like about the living story, but I don't think this means they abandoned the manifesto. I would go so far as to say the manifesto probably should be abandoned. It was a bit pompous and really they should just focus on making the best game they can. The manifesto takes itself and gaming way too seriously. And no disrespect intended but your post comes across as taking your own opinion too seriously. We have more good gaming choices now than ever before.
If people consider this game having failed its revenue potential, a game that made half again as much as EVE online did last year, then we have some problems in our revenue expectations not with game design and the ability to make money. But I suspect all that is just red herring fodder to throw on a fire of discontent.
The current event is nearly unique in what it is delivering. For one it breaks the idea that public quests are best accomplished zerg mode. That's not the obvious feature. The game has destroyed the major hub of the game and totally disrupted previous game play flow. This happens nearly never in this genre. We don't know if they'll rebuild it to its previous glory or what the future of the city entails. That alone should be commended. This is the sort of thing that mmo worlds never see. It's unfortunate that this isn't being looked at closer by the game journalists (and I use that very loosely), podcasters, and publications. Instead we see the same old pre-launch marketing spiels for the next two upcoming releases. That's truly sad.
He has left and if he can't discuss the departure and ANet is unwilling to announce it, not much I can do about it. If you had any clue about the business, you'd know this happens all the time.
If he were still with Arenanet, it should be very simple to show some "proof of life". There has not been a single word, interview, forum post, blog post, video since late 2012 containing Eric or even mention of Eric. The game director doesn't just vanish from public view like that. That Colin now has his job proves Eric is no longer Game Director for GW2.
It’s plain and simple yet another horribly designed event. I don’t know what else to say. Many of us offered detailed and polite critiques for months on end over the design of Living Story content and more than a year in we get another event like this that proves they just won’t listen and won’t learn.
At this point, critiques of individual elements of these events becomes pointless, because the issue isn’t one of fine tuning and refinement. The problems are systemic and if we try to get specific with flaws in the system while on the official forums, it can’t help to fall into the realm of the new “Arenanet Protection Protocols”.
I think we’ve all had experiences where we try to help someone with something they are having difficulty with, but they will just stubbornly ignore aid and advice and just continue to fall flat on their face. Either they will get sick and tired of falling on their faces, abandon their stubborn commitment to what just isn’t working and open up to other possibilities, or they will just dig a hole so deep they will never get out.
I think ANet needs to hit “rock bottom” before they will open up to the realization that this just is not working. Those that encourage them out of misplaced loyalty are just making things worse for everyone in the long run.
In the end, this event is just not fun. They’ve infused it with ample carrots and they have zergs of followers willing to work the content for those carrots, but this is just a sad indication of how badly the game has fallen. It was never supposed to be a game driven by carrots on the end of sticks. The rate at which they need to shovel out new carrots just to keep people playing should be an indication that something is just very, very wrong.
I played it. I care not for the carrots. It’s not fun. I could offer detailed criticism, but I know it’s pointless. When ANet doesn’t need me to tell them how horrible it is, then there might be some hope for the game, but not before then.
Accept it... Gw2 is awesome. Nothing you haters say matters. The game is the best MMO to come around. As I have said many times, if you don't like the living story, don't play it. Nobody is forcing you to. It's just a part of the game that is not even shoved down your throat. You get a mail every other week that *something* has come up. That's it. What you do with it is up to the beholder.
And some guy said that TESO is the future. I say what a load of bullcrap. Seriously, that clumsy shit called TESO can't hold a candle against Gw2. Sure if you enjoy being a delivery boy for 15$/mo. sure then it makes sense, but combat-wise TESO holds no ground. It uses the same old stupid trinity system which FORCES gameplay and I pity all of you that call it "having-a-role". It's a cheap excuse for being lazy. The photorealistic art style is so poorly implemented that I feel as if I'm playing DFUW all over again.
And to everyone complaining that Gw2 has poor performance, you guys should really consider upgrade of your 10 year old rigs. My i5-2500k clocked at 4.5Ghz (air cooled) pushes out 40 fps at minimum on high graphics. There are addons that decrease the amount of SFX if that's what bothers you. But yeah...it's always easier to just being lazy and complain on a public forum
On the CPU side, a Haswell i7 CPU manages to eat up Gw2 at stock clock. Constant 60 fps. The i5 I just listed is making its 4th year. Yes that's the initial Sandy Bridge line. In computing that's forever
Although I wouldn't mind if ANet decides to use mantle as a drop-in renderer replacement. But then you nvidia guys would cry so hard
P.S: You know at the marionette events, ANet pulled a nice statistics....that statistic they showed that many of you don't even use traits, at all, so the whole event was made to force you to improve your builds. And Gw2 really clicks to you once you start figuring out the mechanics and the various synergies on different trait lines
I typically avoid responding to the flaming fanboy type, but I just have to mention that you must not be a WvW player if you haven't noticed GW2's performance issues. WvW has major performance issues when large groups get together. This is most common in WvW, but it does happen in PVE as well. Their servers are not capable of handling it large groups of players. It has nothing to do with the end user's computer. A lot of the issue is with their servers. While not saying that TESO is overall better than GW2 in anyway, because I haven't played it enough to make that judgement, their AVA handles large groups much better.
I play on a T1 WvW server, and the problem is significant worse there. The performance gets so bad that the only skill that will work is 1. Everyone makes a guardian, equips a staff, and spams the 1111111 aoe.
He has left and if he can't discuss the departure and ANet is unwilling to announce it, not much I can do about it. If you had any clue about the business, you'd know this happens all the time.
If he were still with Arenanet, it should be very simple to show some "proof of life". There has not been a single word, interview, forum post, blog post, video since late 2012 containing Eric or even mention of Eric. The game director doesn't just vanish from public view like that. That Colin now has his job proves Eric is no longer Game Director for GW2.
It's been days since we got the official Guild Wars 2 Mesmer reveal, but the excitement is still running strong through the fan community.
Here at Massively, we're just as excited about it, so we took some time to sit down with game designer Eric Flannum and chat about some of the background and design details of the eighth and final Guild Wars 2 class. Follow along after the jump to see what he had to say!
Look, Eric Flannum is not described as the Game Director.
I typically avoid responding to the flaming fanboy type, but I just have to mention that you must not be a WvW player if you haven't noticed GW2's performance issues. WvW has major performance issues when large groups get together. This is most common in WvW, but it does happen in PVE as well. Their servers are not capable of handling it large groups of players. It has nothing to do with the end user's computer. A lot of the issue is with their servers. While not saying that TESO is overall better than GW2 in anyway, because I haven't played it enough to make that judgement, their AVA handles large groups much better.
I play on a T1 WvW server, and the problem is significant worse there. The performance gets so bad that the only skill that will work is 1. Everyone makes a guardian, equips a staff, and spams the 1111111 aoe.
"Some other assumptions I’m seeing is about our server hardware and inefficient use of communication between them and the game’s database. I’ll go ahead and put these assumptions to rest. Our server hardware was actually purchased new right around the launch of the game, rest assured its not out-dated. And you can sleep at night knowing that our combat doesn’t connect out to the database for information. All of the information it needs is already loaded into memory. The game database is simply for storing persistent character and account information, which is for the most part only accessed when loading in/out of a map or periodic saves which are handled asynchronously. I suggest checking out the links below for more information on our servers."
They also say
"Quick update:
Happy new year everyone! Now that we’re back from holiday vacations, we’ve got more improvements that’ll be rolling out soon. A handful of client improvements will also be making their way (soon hopefully), that should see a drastic memory usage drop and client frame-rate improvements, especially for lower-end hardware.
I’ll make sure to update once I have a better idea of what release you can start seeing these changes trickle in."
Currently playing: GW2 Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
I typically avoid responding to the flaming fanboy type, but I just have to mention that you must not be a WvW player if you haven't noticed GW2's performance issues. WvW has major performance issues when large groups get together. This is most common in WvW, but it does happen in PVE as well. Their servers are not capable of handling it large groups of players. It has nothing to do with the end user's computer. A lot of the issue is with their servers. While not saying that TESO is overall better than GW2 in anyway, because I haven't played it enough to make that judgement, their AVA handles large groups much better.
I play on a T1 WvW server, and the problem is significant worse there. The performance gets so bad that the only skill that will work is 1. Everyone makes a guardian, equips a staff, and spams the 1111111 aoe.
"Some other assumptions I’m seeing is about our server hardware and inefficient use of communication between them and the game’s database. I’ll go ahead and put these assumptions to rest. Our server hardware was actually purchased new right around the launch of the game, rest assured its not out-dated. And you can sleep at night knowing that our combat doesn’t connect out to the database for information. All of the information it needs is already loaded into memory. The game database is simply for storing persistent character and account information, which is for the most part only accessed when loading in/out of a map or periodic saves which are handled asynchronously. I suggest checking out the links below for more information on our servers."
They also say
"Quick update:
Happy new year everyone! Now that we’re back from holiday vacations, we’ve got more improvements that’ll be rolling out soon. A handful of client improvements will also be making their way (soon hopefully), that should see a drastic memory usage drop and client frame-rate improvements, especially for lower-end hardware.
I’ll make sure to update once I have a better idea of what release you can start seeing these changes trickle in."
The original post says "Over the past several months we’ve had a small team working on ways to relieve some of the load from the game server while there are large concentrations of players." It specifically says load from the server here. This proves that GW2 has server performance issues that the player has no control over. That was my only point, so anything else is irrelevant.
The only thing the additions you've added prove is that it isn't an issue with connecting to the database for combat information or out of date hardware. Regardless, the issue exists and has existed for more than a year after launch, and it will likely continue to exist.
I typically avoid responding to the flaming fanboy type, but I just have to mention that you must not be a WvW player if you haven't noticed GW2's performance issues. WvW has major performance issues when large groups get together. This is most common in WvW, but it does happen in PVE as well. Their servers are not capable of handling it large groups of players. It has nothing to do with the end user's computer. A lot of the issue is with their servers. While not saying that TESO is overall better than GW2 in anyway, because I haven't played it enough to make that judgement, their AVA handles large groups much better.
I play on a T1 WvW server, and the problem is significant worse there. The performance gets so bad that the only skill that will work is 1. Everyone makes a guardian, equips a staff, and spams the 1111111 aoe.
"Some other assumptions I’m seeing is about our server hardware and inefficient use of communication between them and the game’s database. I’ll go ahead and put these assumptions to rest. Our server hardware was actually purchased new right around the launch of the game, rest assured its not out-dated. And you can sleep at night knowing that our combat doesn’t connect out to the database for information. All of the information it needs is already loaded into memory. The game database is simply for storing persistent character and account information, which is for the most part only accessed when loading in/out of a map or periodic saves which are handled asynchronously. I suggest checking out the links below for more information on our servers."
They also say
"Quick update:
Happy new year everyone! Now that we’re back from holiday vacations, we’ve got more improvements that’ll be rolling out soon. A handful of client improvements will also be making their way (soon hopefully), that should see a drastic memory usage drop and client frame-rate improvements, especially for lower-end hardware.
I’ll make sure to update once I have a better idea of what release you can start seeing these changes trickle in."
The original post says "Over the past several months we’ve had a small team working on ways to relieve some of the load from the game server while there are large concentrations of players." It specifically says server stress here. This proves that GW2 has performance issues that the player has no control over. Anything else is irrelevant.
The only thing the additions you've added prove is that it isn't an issue with connecting to the database for combat information or out of date hardware. Regardless, the issue exists and has existed for more than a year after launch, and it will likely continue to exist.
If the servers are state of the art (were in 2012) the problem isn't the servers - it either is the programming that could improve and/or simply the hardware is being asked too much.
Lets not forget GW2 is DX9 and Mantle has been generating loads of interesting by reducing CPU bottlenecks caused by the DX API (even the DX11).
I see client side improvements as well.
For some reason games try not go get many players in the same place, especially when the game uses extensive physics.
How many players do most PFS get?
64 for a handful and most of them only allow 32 or 16 players.
Currently playing: GW2 Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
I typically avoid responding to the flaming fanboy type, but I just have to mention that you must not be a WvW player if you haven't noticed GW2's performance issues. WvW has major performance issues when large groups get together. This is most common in WvW, but it does happen in PVE as well. Their servers are not capable of handling it large groups of players. It has nothing to do with the end user's computer. A lot of the issue is with their servers. While not saying that TESO is overall better than GW2 in anyway, because I haven't played it enough to make that judgement, their AVA handles large groups much better.
I play on a T1 WvW server, and the problem is significant worse there. The performance gets so bad that the only skill that will work is 1. Everyone makes a guardian, equips a staff, and spams the 1111111 aoe.
"Some other assumptions I’m seeing is about our server hardware and inefficient use of communication between them and the game’s database. I’ll go ahead and put these assumptions to rest. Our server hardware was actually purchased new right around the launch of the game, rest assured its not out-dated. And you can sleep at night knowing that our combat doesn’t connect out to the database for information. All of the information it needs is already loaded into memory. The game database is simply for storing persistent character and account information, which is for the most part only accessed when loading in/out of a map or periodic saves which are handled asynchronously. I suggest checking out the links below for more information on our servers."
They also say
"Quick update:
Happy new year everyone! Now that we’re back from holiday vacations, we’ve got more improvements that’ll be rolling out soon. A handful of client improvements will also be making their way (soon hopefully), that should see a drastic memory usage drop and client frame-rate improvements, especially for lower-end hardware.
I’ll make sure to update once I have a better idea of what release you can start seeing these changes trickle in."
The original post says "Over the past several months we’ve had a small team working on ways to relieve some of the load from the game server while there are large concentrations of players." It specifically says server stress here. This proves that GW2 has performance issues that the player has no control over. Anything else is irrelevant.
The only thing the additions you've added prove is that it isn't an issue with connecting to the database for combat information or out of date hardware. Regardless, the issue exists and has existed for more than a year after launch, and it will likely continue to exist.
If the servers are state of the art (were in 2012) the problem isn't the servers - it either is the programming that could improve and/or simply the hardware is being asked too much.
Lets not forget GW2 is DX9 and Mantle has been generating loads of interesting by reducing CPU bottlenecks caused by the DX API (even the DX11).
I see client side improvements as well.
For some reason games try not go get many players in the same place, especially when the game uses extensive physics.
How many players do most PFS get?
64 for a handful and most of them only allow 32 or 16 players.
"Over the past several months we’ve had a small team working on ways to relieve some of the load from the game server while there are large concentrations of players."
^Direct quote from Anet. It precisely specifies that there is a "load" that needs to be "relieved" in regard to "the game server" while there are "large concentrations of players."
My only question is why you are still insisting that it isn't a server issue when I've linked an article that explicitly states that it is. They honestly need to get this taken care of. It makes WvW nearly unplayable at times.
Originally posted by Elikal I find it distasteful. It reminds me of going shopping at Walmart when they have some cheap special offer and masses of people push me around. I already hate crowds in RL. I distaste large supermarkets already, and this is exactly like that. XD
You know how to avoid those crowds at Wal-Mart? Avoid Wal-Mart. The same could be said for MMOs.
"Over the past several months we’ve had a small team working on ways to relieve some of the load from the game server while there are large concentrations of players."
^Direct quote from Anet. It precisely specifies that there is a "load" that needs to be "relieved" in regard to "the game server" while there are "large concentrations of players."
My only question is why you are still insisting that it isn't a server issue when I've linked an article that explicitly states that it is. They honestly need to get this taken care of. It makes WvW nearly unplayable at times.
I'm just saying it isn't an issue that is solved by buying better servers.
That thread also has a quote from them stating that improvements to the server side were implemented in the November 2013 patch.
And of course it is also a client side problem - if you set number of models to lowest and model detail to lowest you will get better performance.
Currently playing: GW2 Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
He has left and if he can't discuss the departure and ANet is unwilling to announce it, not much I can do about it. If you had any clue about the business, you'd know this happens all the time.
If he were still with Arenanet, it should be very simple to show some "proof of life". There has not been a single word, interview, forum post, blog post, video since late 2012 containing Eric or even mention of Eric. The game director doesn't just vanish from public view like that. That Colin now has his job proves Eric is no longer Game Director for GW2.
It's been days since we got the official Guild Wars 2 Mesmer reveal, but the excitement is still running strong through the fan community.
Here at Massively, we're just as excited about it, so we took some time to sit down with game designer Eric Flannum and chat about some of the background and design details of the eighth and final Guild Wars 2 class. Follow along after the jump to see what he had to say!
Look, Eric Flannum is not described as the Game Director.
Still waiting for any "proof of life" you can provide in the form of an communications on the part of Eric RE: GW2 since late in 2012. I know that such sudden and complete disappearances of key people in this and many other creative industries is almost always due to a parting of the ways and NDA/contractual agreements that prevent disclosure and almost always contain a non-compete clause that prevents them from being publicly attached to a competing project.
Usually, when it happens with someone this senior, they end up forming their own studio. That's how Arenanet was formed, with three break-aways from Blizzard. That's how most studios are formed.
I'm not going to argue it any further. It would be wonderful if Eric and other high profile names that have vanished from view were working on a secret expansion, but we are continually told that they are not working on any such thing and they don't even know yet how they want to approach an expansion. It might even be possible that NCSoft grabbed him for another project that doesn't even officially exist yet, which would explain the way he has vanished completely from view. However, I firmly believe that Eric is not working at Arenanet and I'm also convinced that if he were still in charge, the wrong turn this game has taken with Living Story would never, ever have occurred.
"Over the past several months we’ve had a small team working on ways to relieve some of the load from the game server while there are large concentrations of players."
^Direct quote from Anet. It precisely specifies that there is a "load" that needs to be "relieved" in regard to "the game server" while there are "large concentrations of players."
My only question is why you are still insisting that it isn't a server issue when I've linked an article that explicitly states that it is. They honestly need to get this taken care of. It makes WvW nearly unplayable at times.
I'm just saying it isn't an issue that is solved by buying better servers.
That thread also has a quote from them stating that improvements to the server side were implemented in the November 2013 patch.
And of course it is also a client side problem - if you set number of models to lowest and model detail to lowest you will get better performance.
Graphics lag is a client side problem. Skill lag is not a client side problem at all. If you are having skill lag, everyone else around you is also having it. If we assume that the November 2013 patch completely fixed the issue, which it did not, that is a year after launch. My only goal is to demonstrate that GW2 has a significant amount of lag that is 100% out of the players control in response to the idea that everyone that is lagging is using a 10 year old computer.
You don't have to keep defending it and insisting that it is a client side problem when I am linking you an article that explicitly states that the servers have an issue. This doesn't mean GW2 is a bad game. It just means that GW2 absolutely does have significant. performance issues that are unrelated to the end-user.
I personally built my own computer. In T1 WvW, I get skill lag during any large scale keep battle involving large zergs. When there is skill lag, it effects everyone in an area not just one person with a bad computer. Put your graphics on low and go to T1 on reset night and then go sit in a keep. Eventually you will experience skill lag when the zergs show up.
GW2 is not fun to me, that's all that matters. I don't like my character, and don't have the patience to level another one to max. Even then I doubt I would like it, cool-down rotations are not fun. I like combat better when I can build a character the way I like and it's viable compared to other specs. I don't like that many of the games "living story" events boil down to "Kill 1000 Rats" "Get X Far into this allegedly challenging piece of content" "Pick up 75 Doodads" "Talk to 125 Pumpkins".
They've shown a large degree of skill at making events such as Mad Kings Clocktower and Liadri. They just abandoned that in favor of "Save 1500 people" "Zerg this boss until it dies"
No thanks, 100 World Completion and all jumping puzzles were cool - then there was nothing left for me.
People think it's fun to pretend your a monster. Me I spend my life pretending I'm not. - Dexter Morgan
He has left and if he can't discuss the departure and ANet is unwilling to announce it, not much I can do about it. If you had any clue about the business, you'd know this happens all the time.
If he were still with Arenanet, it should be very simple to show some "proof of life". There has not been a single word, interview, forum post, blog post, video since late 2012 containing Eric or even mention of Eric. The game director doesn't just vanish from public view like that. That Colin now has his job proves Eric is no longer Game Director for GW2.
It's been days since we got the official Guild Wars 2 Mesmer reveal, but the excitement is still running strong through the fan community.
Here at Massively, we're just as excited about it, so we took some time to sit down with game designer Eric Flannum and chat about some of the background and design details of the eighth and final Guild Wars 2 class. Follow along after the jump to see what he had to say!
Look, Eric Flannum is not described as the Game Director.
Still waiting for any "proof of life" you can provide in the form of an communications on the part of Eric RE: GW2 since late in 2012. I know that such sudden and complete disappearances of key people in this and many other creative industries is almost always due to a parting of the ways and NDA/contractual agreements that prevent disclosure and almost always contain a non-compete clause that prevents them from being publicly attached to a competing project.
Usually, when it happens with someone this senior, they end up forming their own studio. That's how Arenanet was formed, with three break-aways from Blizzard. That's how most studios are formed.
I'm not going to argue it any further. It would be wonderful if Eric and other high profile names that have vanished from view were working on a secret expansion, but we are continually told that they are not working on any such thing and they don't even know yet how they want to approach an expansion. It might even be possible that NCSoft grabbed him for another project that doesn't even officially exist yet, which would explain the way he has vanished completely from view. However, I firmly believe that Eric is not working at Arenanet and I'm also convinced that if he were still in charge, the wrong turn this game has taken with Living Story would never, ever have occurred.
So your proof that he was ever the game director are 3 sites that state that he is still working at Anet.
A game director doesn't disappear without it being know.
Name an example in the industry of such.
Also show examples of a non compete clause in the gaming industry.
Yeah, look at the non compete clause all those ex Blizzard dudes had - making Guild Wars, others making torchlight, Jeff Stein leaving NCSoft and joining En Masse and then leaving En Masse and joining Undead Labs.
What kind of non compete clause do you think one can make in the gaming industry "you are forbidden to make games" lol.
You are just on a path of confirmation bias.
You also must think that the game director position has more power than it really has - the game director is mostly just a public face, and Colin Johanson, believe it or not is the most recognizable Anet dude to the average GW player.
We are continually told that they aren't working on an expansion except when we are told that they are working on an expansion and have a couple of projects related to GW2 on the background.
"Concern: 350 people! And all they've come up with are story updates people outside the game can't connect with? Where are the big new features? Is there really no expansion planned?
Actually, it sounds like there is an expansion planned. "We have a couple of really big Guild Wars projects cooking in the background," Johanson told me.
Later, he added: "Some of our players believe that because we are doing this Living World seasons, and these features or these big feature-builds, that it means that the features you would traditionally get in an expansion, or the content you would traditionally get in an expansion, is not something that will get added to Guild Wars 2. And that is not true at all.
"Not only are we doing those things, new features and content you would traditionally get from a boxed expansion are also things that will be added to Guild Wars 2.
"The thing that we haven't decided yet," he went on, "is what form that type of content will take. Is it right for Guild Wars 2 for that kind of boxed expansion? Is it right for that to be something we add, live, through storylines in the game? Is that something we want to sell through our in-game store? There are a lot of different options available to us.
"... but we absolutely are going to do sweeping new features that you would traditionally only get in expansions - large regions, content and progression additions to your characters in the form of growth and professions and races. Those are all things that you will see in the lifespan of Guild Wars 2."
Mike Zadorojny, clarifying his comments from last year - which suggested there wouldn't be an expansion any time soon - said: "The answer I gave you [in 2013] was that nothing was off the table."
Just because Colin Johanson didn't want or couldn't talk about any expansion after the release and wanted instead talk about the Living Story, people took that as gospel, even though just couple of weeks before they were talking on how they would support the game with expansions and NCSoft itself in their conference calls talked about it.
People really need to learn how to interpret PR.
Currently playing: GW2 Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
Keep in mind that, regardless of what you think, Gw2 has the most dynamic combat as of now. Not even TERA with its "True Action Combat" is not as dynamic as Gw2. TESO is not even close. TESO's combat is dumbed down version of WoW's combat, with some target assistance. If you daresay something else then you're clueless and you haven't really played Gw2. Being that means Gw2 generates a lot of traffic that other games simply don't, especially in massive fights. And obviously they're working on it.
Also, you know, you can always transfer to a lower tiered server. Some servers really need some power boost and IF WvW population spreads properly, I think it will run just fine. That is why I love Edge of the Mists. My server's performance doesn't matter 1 bit. Besides it will be new experience for ppl like you. But I know you won't dare to transfer from your safe zone, so I'm ending this post right here.
For a conclusion or TL;DR, its as much server issue as it is player issue. Nothing stops you from transferring to a better environment
P.S: Let's not forget that TESO will be using the infamous Hero Engine. Regardless of what you say is going to change my opinion on it. It has ruined one too many MMOs that I loved. In that regard I wouldn't count much on "The Repopulation"
I fint it funny how people complain about free updates. Arenanet could have done what they did with GW1 and charged per expantion but they dont. Yet i see hundreds of these posts where the person is unhappy with the living story ect ect. its free ffs >>
free 7 day sub and unlocks for swtor new accounts and 90+ day inactive subs click here to get it!
Originally posted by jircris I fint it funny how people complain about free updates. Arenanet could have done what they did with GW1 and charged per expantion but they dont. Yet i see hundreds of these posts where the person is unhappy with the living story ect ect. its free ffs >>
There is this trend going in this website (MMORPG), that unless something is purchased, it must be garbage. Judging by the amount of P2P whiteknights in here, compared to overall statistics in the MMO industry
They keep bringing the same argument that they must buy out the whole cash shop (all the convenience stuff) to enjoy a game properly, and how much they want to farm that in a P2P game, yet a game like Gw2 lets them farm it but they're still not happy. Go figure...
I patched the client up for this to have a look what has changed. Went in, saw a beatifully done destroyed city and learned quickly that it is just another mindleas grind.
It is very sad. They have great artists and developers that manage to creat great content in short amounts of time but they screw it up anyways because they make such stupid grinds.
I patched the client up for this to have a look what has changed. Went in, saw a beatifully done destroyed city and learned quickly that it is just another mindleas grind.
It is very sad. They have great artists and developers that manage to creat great content in short amounts of time but they screw it up anyways because they make such stupid grinds.
Alright, name one MMO that is not grindy mate. There is grind in ANY mmo. The grind is made to force people to stay, otherwise MMOs would become your typical 60$ console game that you finish in tops 1 week and move on. At least Gw2 doesn't force you to grind to be competitive. That's why I love this game. I still run in exotics gear if you are wondering and I'm playing since headstart. And I made the new backpiece going only twice inside the city
I agree the event is misleading at first. Idk how your server does it but you are not supposed to zerg in there. Also you are supposed to rescue at least 1200 citizens to get the top reward. Many of my guildies got precursors out of that zone. I'm still the same unlucky dude I've always been in RNG MMOs but oh well. Who needs legendary anyways
Keep in mind that, regardless of what you think, Gw2 has the most dynamic combat as of now. Not even TERA with its "True Action Combat" is not as dynamic as Gw2. TESO is not even close. TESO's combat is dumbed down version of WoW's combat, with some target assistance. If you daresay something else then you're clueless and you haven't really played Gw2. Being that means Gw2 generates a lot of traffic that other games simply don't, especially in massive fights. And obviously they're working on it.
Also, you know, you can always transfer to a lower tiered server. Some servers really need some power boost and IF WvW population spreads properly, I think it will run just fine. That is why I love Edge of the Mists. My server's performance doesn't matter 1 bit. Besides it will be new experience for ppl like you. But I know you won't dare to transfer from your safe zone, so I'm ending this post right here.
For a conclusion or TL;DR, its as much server issue as it is player issue. Nothing stops you from transferring to a better environment
P.S: Let's not forget that TESO will be using the infamous Hero Engine. Regardless of what you say is going to change my opinion on it. It has ruined one too many MMOs that I loved. In that regard I wouldn't count much on "The Repopulation"
From what I've read Cyrodill is huge compared to the WvW maps and quite empty which will do much to improve performance.
Also it seems there is no collision detection and projectiles seem to be homing?
Currently playing: GW2 Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
Comments
I'd like to comment on this one... a general comment about MMO management of personal....
My personal preference is as follows.... I want (as a Player and customer) all content editions and expansions to a MMO to be made BY THE ORIGINAL CREATORS of a MMO.
Not the "B-Team" or any other group of Devs brought in to replace the original Devs. Let the "B-Team" create their own MMO and then stay with it.
I'm not saying chain the Devs to their chairs and order out fast food daily... I'm saying dispense the the planned removal of whole Dev teams just because a MMO launches.
and I know it won't happen, but I would prefer it that way.... many of the MMOs I left because the MMO changed in tone and flavor because the original Devs had been removed and the new Devs just "didn't get it".
It isn't exactly the case of GW2 and Anet.
The B-team is people that worked in GW2 but Anet pretty much doubled the size from the end of GW1 to release of GW2.
It is just giving the opportunity to the "new guys" to show their stuff while giving players something new to do.
For example, http://www.guildwars2hub.com/features/interviews/exclusive-interview-arenanets-bobby-stein
"We made some internal changes to the team that, while drastic, improved our ability to concentrate on the story and dialog. Editing, which was formerly a sub-team of the Writing Team, was spun off to become a core services group. We then assumed storytelling responsibility for the Living World initiative, whereas before we were solely responsible for event and ambient (a.k.a. non-story) content."
But the core guys are probably working in the meat and bones of GW2 going forward.
That is the reason that the Living Story started as something mostly temporary, something like a big side quest, but the players complained about that.
If you see, Anet didn't layoff any of the big names.
Currently playing: GW2
Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
AFAIK one guy left. That is Robert Hrouda, the original dungeon designer. The circumstances were weird about his absence but my point is ... he announced it, even at Twitter, also at LinkedIn.
So whatever garbage the guy above has been fed with, should be met with precaution (the NDA guy).
I don't think he was the original Dungeon designer although he had a major participation in their creation.
What he was responsible for was the dungeon overhaul after release.
Currently playing: GW2
Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
Talking about Robert Hrouda here is an interview with him from March 2013 a few months before he was laid off.
http://www.guildwarsinsider.com/guild-wars-insider-interviews-dungeon-designer-robert-hrouda/
Have you guys thought about maybe adding some kind of side-bonuses to dungeons before? Something similar to the extra things you could do in GW1 in Missions to get bonuses. It could be something very simple, like perform X amount of combos on bosses, or trying to survive the dungeon without dying once. This could be used to reward players for better gameplay, and you could give them things such as more tokens, or even specific rewards for that dungeon.
Anet Live Dungeon Team is/was 2 people.
I also remember reading that the skill Balance Team was also liek 1 or 2 people (I think it was posted in the guildwars2 forums).
People see the Living Story and say "they should be using these resources to make an expansion".
But the resources used by the Live Team are minimal and without the Live Team and the Living Story all of those employees would have to be laid off.
Currently playing: GW2
Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
He has left and if he can't discuss the departure and ANet is unwilling to announce it, not much I can do about it. If you had any clue about the business, you'd know this happens all the time.
If he were still with Arenanet, it should be very simple to show some "proof of life". There has not been a single word, interview, forum post, blog post, video since late 2012 containing Eric or even mention of Eric. The game director doesn't just vanish from public view like that. That Colin now has his job proves Eric is no longer Game Director for GW2.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
It’s plain and simple yet another horribly designed event. I don’t know what else to say. Many of us offered detailed and polite critiques for months on end over the design of Living Story content and more than a year in we get another event like this that proves they just won’t listen and won’t learn.
At this point, critiques of individual elements of these events becomes pointless, because the issue isn’t one of fine tuning and refinement. The problems are systemic and if we try to get specific with flaws in the system while on the official forums, it can’t help to fall into the realm of the new “Arenanet Protection Protocols”.
I think we’ve all had experiences where we try to help someone with something they are having difficulty with, but they will just stubbornly ignore aid and advice and just continue to fall flat on their face. Either they will get sick and tired of falling on their faces, abandon their stubborn commitment to what just isn’t working and open up to other possibilities, or they will just dig a hole so deep they will never get out.
I think ANet needs to hit “rock bottom” before they will open up to the realization that this just is not working. Those that encourage them out of misplaced loyalty are just making things worse for everyone in the long run.
In the end, this event is just not fun. They’ve infused it with ample carrots and they have zergs of followers willing to work the content for those carrots, but this is just a sad indication of how badly the game has fallen. It was never supposed to be a game driven by carrots on the end of sticks. The rate at which they need to shovel out new carrots just to keep people playing should be an indication that something is just very, very wrong.
I played it. I care not for the carrots. It’s not fun. I could offer detailed criticism, but I know it’s pointless. When ANet doesn’t need me to tell them how horrible it is, then there might be some hope for the game, but not before then.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
I typically avoid responding to the flaming fanboy type, but I just have to mention that you must not be a WvW player if you haven't noticed GW2's performance issues. WvW has major performance issues when large groups get together. This is most common in WvW, but it does happen in PVE as well. Their servers are not capable of handling it large groups of players. It has nothing to do with the end user's computer. A lot of the issue is with their servers. While not saying that TESO is overall better than GW2 in anyway, because I haven't played it enough to make that judgement, their AVA handles large groups much better.
I play on a T1 WvW server, and the problem is significant worse there. The performance gets so bad that the only skill that will work is 1. Everyone makes a guardian, equips a staff, and spams the 1111111 aoe.
Given that you will probably respond by calling me a liar or hater and bashing my PC, I'll go ahead and post the forum article where they admit that the issue exists and that they are working on it: https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/game/gw2/Official-state-of-skill-lag-and-server-optimizations
When was Eric Flannum the GW2 game director?
An interview from December 2011.
http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/19/massively-talks-mesmer-our-exclusive-interview-with-guild-wars/
It's been days since we got the official Guild Wars 2 Mesmer reveal, but the excitement is still running strong through the fan community.
Here at Massively, we're just as excited about it, so we took some time to sit down with game designer Eric Flannum and chat about some of the background and design details of the eighth and final Guild Wars 2 class. Follow along after the jump to see what he had to say!
Look, Eric Flannum is not described as the Game Director.
GDC 2010
http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1013691/Designing-Guild-Wars-2-Dynamic
"My name is Eric Flannum and I'm the lead game designer.
My name is Colin Johanson and I'm the lead content designer".
The only Game Director GW2 had was and is Colin Johanson.
Currently playing: GW2
Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
Of course in the same thread they say.
https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/game/gw2/Official-state-of-skill-lag-and-server-optimizations/page/2#post3141560
"Some other assumptions I’m seeing is about our server hardware and inefficient use of communication between them and the game’s database. I’ll go ahead and put these assumptions to rest. Our server hardware was actually purchased new right around the launch of the game, rest assured its not out-dated. And you can sleep at night knowing that our combat doesn’t connect out to the database for information. All of the information it needs is already loaded into memory. The game database is simply for storing persistent character and account information, which is for the most part only accessed when loading in/out of a map or periodic saves which are handled asynchronously. I suggest checking out the links below for more information on our servers."
They also say
"Quick update:
Happy new year everyone! Now that we’re back from holiday vacations, we’ve got more improvements that’ll be rolling out soon. A handful of client improvements will also be making their way (soon hopefully), that should see a drastic memory usage drop and client frame-rate improvements, especially for lower-end hardware.
I’ll make sure to update once I have a better idea of what release you can start seeing these changes trickle in."
Currently playing: GW2
Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
The original post says "Over the past several months we’ve had a small team working on ways to relieve some of the load from the game server while there are large concentrations of players." It specifically says load from the server here. This proves that GW2 has server performance issues that the player has no control over. That was my only point, so anything else is irrelevant.
The only thing the additions you've added prove is that it isn't an issue with connecting to the database for combat information or out of date hardware. Regardless, the issue exists and has existed for more than a year after launch, and it will likely continue to exist.
If the servers are state of the art (were in 2012) the problem isn't the servers - it either is the programming that could improve and/or simply the hardware is being asked too much.
Lets not forget GW2 is DX9 and Mantle has been generating loads of interesting by reducing CPU bottlenecks caused by the DX API (even the DX11).
I see client side improvements as well.
For some reason games try not go get many players in the same place, especially when the game uses extensive physics.
How many players do most PFS get?
64 for a handful and most of them only allow 32 or 16 players.
Currently playing: GW2
Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
"Over the past several months we’ve had a small team working on ways to relieve some of the load from the game server while there are large concentrations of players."
^Direct quote from Anet. It precisely specifies that there is a "load" that needs to be "relieved" in regard to "the game server" while there are "large concentrations of players."
My only question is why you are still insisting that it isn't a server issue when I've linked an article that explicitly states that it is. They honestly need to get this taken care of. It makes WvW nearly unplayable at times.
You know how to avoid those crowds at Wal-Mart? Avoid Wal-Mart. The same could be said for MMOs.
I'm just saying it isn't an issue that is solved by buying better servers.
That thread also has a quote from them stating that improvements to the server side were implemented in the November 2013 patch.
And of course it is also a client side problem - if you set number of models to lowest and model detail to lowest you will get better performance.
Currently playing: GW2
Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Eric-Flannum/28745076
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/eric-flannum/12/194/663
http://radaris.com/p/Eric/Flannum/
Still waiting for any "proof of life" you can provide in the form of an communications on the part of Eric RE: GW2 since late in 2012. I know that such sudden and complete disappearances of key people in this and many other creative industries is almost always due to a parting of the ways and NDA/contractual agreements that prevent disclosure and almost always contain a non-compete clause that prevents them from being publicly attached to a competing project.
Usually, when it happens with someone this senior, they end up forming their own studio. That's how Arenanet was formed, with three break-aways from Blizzard. That's how most studios are formed.
I'm not going to argue it any further. It would be wonderful if Eric and other high profile names that have vanished from view were working on a secret expansion, but we are continually told that they are not working on any such thing and they don't even know yet how they want to approach an expansion. It might even be possible that NCSoft grabbed him for another project that doesn't even officially exist yet, which would explain the way he has vanished completely from view. However, I firmly believe that Eric is not working at Arenanet and I'm also convinced that if he were still in charge, the wrong turn this game has taken with Living Story would never, ever have occurred.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
Graphics lag is a client side problem. Skill lag is not a client side problem at all. If you are having skill lag, everyone else around you is also having it. If we assume that the November 2013 patch completely fixed the issue, which it did not, that is a year after launch. My only goal is to demonstrate that GW2 has a significant amount of lag that is 100% out of the players control in response to the idea that everyone that is lagging is using a 10 year old computer.
You don't have to keep defending it and insisting that it is a client side problem when I am linking you an article that explicitly states that the servers have an issue. This doesn't mean GW2 is a bad game. It just means that GW2 absolutely does have significant. performance issues that are unrelated to the end-user.
I personally built my own computer. In T1 WvW, I get skill lag during any large scale keep battle involving large zergs. When there is skill lag, it effects everyone in an area not just one person with a bad computer. Put your graphics on low and go to T1 on reset night and then go sit in a keep. Eventually you will experience skill lag when the zergs show up.
GW2 is not fun to me, that's all that matters. I don't like my character, and don't have the patience to level another one to max. Even then I doubt I would like it, cool-down rotations are not fun. I like combat better when I can build a character the way I like and it's viable compared to other specs. I don't like that many of the games "living story" events boil down to "Kill 1000 Rats" "Get X Far into this allegedly challenging piece of content" "Pick up 75 Doodads" "Talk to 125 Pumpkins".
They've shown a large degree of skill at making events such as Mad Kings Clocktower and Liadri. They just abandoned that in favor of "Save 1500 people" "Zerg this boss until it dies"
No thanks, 100 World Completion and all jumping puzzles were cool - then there was nothing left for me.
People think it's fun to pretend your a monster. Me I spend my life pretending I'm not. - Dexter Morgan
So your proof that he was ever the game director are 3 sites that state that he is still working at Anet.
A game director doesn't disappear without it being know.
Name an example in the industry of such.
Also show examples of a non compete clause in the gaming industry.
Yeah, look at the non compete clause all those ex Blizzard dudes had - making Guild Wars, others making torchlight, Jeff Stein leaving NCSoft and joining En Masse and then leaving En Masse and joining Undead Labs.
What kind of non compete clause do you think one can make in the gaming industry "you are forbidden to make games" lol.
You are just on a path of confirmation bias.
You also must think that the game director position has more power than it really has - the game director is mostly just a public face, and Colin Johanson, believe it or not is the most recognizable Anet dude to the average GW player.
We are continually told that they aren't working on an expansion except when we are told that they are working on an expansion and have a couple of projects related to GW2 on the background.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-14-you-thought-that-was-it-for-guild-wars-2
"Concern: 350 people! And all they've come up with are story updates people outside the game can't connect with? Where are the big new features? Is there really no expansion planned?
Actually, it sounds like there is an expansion planned. "We have a couple of really big Guild Wars projects cooking in the background," Johanson told me.
Later, he added: "Some of our players believe that because we are doing this Living World seasons, and these features or these big feature-builds, that it means that the features you would traditionally get in an expansion, or the content you would traditionally get in an expansion, is not something that will get added to Guild Wars 2. And that is not true at all.
"Not only are we doing those things, new features and content you would traditionally get from a boxed expansion are also things that will be added to Guild Wars 2.
"The thing that we haven't decided yet," he went on, "is what form that type of content will take. Is it right for Guild Wars 2 for that kind of boxed expansion? Is it right for that to be something we add, live, through storylines in the game? Is that something we want to sell through our in-game store? There are a lot of different options available to us.
"... but we absolutely are going to do sweeping new features that you would traditionally only get in expansions - large regions, content and progression additions to your characters in the form of growth and professions and races. Those are all things that you will see in the lifespan of Guild Wars 2."
Mike Zadorojny, clarifying his comments from last year - which suggested there wouldn't be an expansion any time soon - said: "The answer I gave you [in 2013] was that nothing was off the table."
If you prefer an interview in video format.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy7CcwnfUdU&t=5m0s
Just because Colin Johanson didn't want or couldn't talk about any expansion after the release and wanted instead talk about the Living Story, people took that as gospel, even though just couple of weeks before they were talking on how they would support the game with expansions and NCSoft itself in their conference calls talked about it.
People really need to learn how to interpret PR.
Currently playing: GW2
Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders
Keep in mind that, regardless of what you think, Gw2 has the most dynamic combat as of now. Not even TERA with its "True Action Combat" is not as dynamic as Gw2. TESO is not even close. TESO's combat is dumbed down version of WoW's combat, with some target assistance. If you daresay something else then you're clueless and you haven't really played Gw2. Being that means Gw2 generates a lot of traffic that other games simply don't, especially in massive fights. And obviously they're working on it.
Also, you know, you can always transfer to a lower tiered server. Some servers really need some power boost and IF WvW population spreads properly, I think it will run just fine. That is why I love Edge of the Mists. My server's performance doesn't matter 1 bit. Besides it will be new experience for ppl like you. But I know you won't dare to transfer from your safe zone, so I'm ending this post right here.
For a conclusion or TL;DR, its as much server issue as it is player issue. Nothing stops you from transferring to a better environment
P.S: Let's not forget that TESO will be using the infamous Hero Engine. Regardless of what you say is going to change my opinion on it. It has ruined one too many MMOs that I loved. In that regard I wouldn't count much on "The Repopulation"
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There is this trend going in this website (MMORPG), that unless something is purchased, it must be garbage. Judging by the amount of P2P whiteknights in here, compared to overall statistics in the MMO industry
They keep bringing the same argument that they must buy out the whole cash shop (all the convenience stuff) to enjoy a game properly, and how much they want to farm that in a P2P game, yet a game like Gw2 lets them farm it but they're still not happy. Go figure...
I patched the client up for this to have a look what has changed. Went in, saw a beatifully done destroyed city and learned quickly that it is just another mindleas grind.
It is very sad. They have great artists and developers that manage to creat great content in short amounts of time but they screw it up anyways because they make such stupid grinds.
Alright, name one MMO that is not grindy mate. There is grind in ANY mmo. The grind is made to force people to stay, otherwise MMOs would become your typical 60$ console game that you finish in tops 1 week and move on. At least Gw2 doesn't force you to grind to be competitive. That's why I love this game. I still run in exotics gear if you are wondering and I'm playing since headstart. And I made the new backpiece going only twice inside the city
I agree the event is misleading at first. Idk how your server does it but you are not supposed to zerg in there. Also you are supposed to rescue at least 1200 citizens to get the top reward. Many of my guildies got precursors out of that zone. I'm still the same unlucky dude I've always been in RNG MMOs but oh well. Who needs legendary anyways
From what I've read Cyrodill is huge compared to the WvW maps and quite empty which will do much to improve performance.
Also it seems there is no collision detection and projectiles seem to be homing?
Currently playing: GW2
Going cardboard starter kit: Ticket to ride, Pandemic, Carcassonne, Dominion, 7 Wonders