BWE2 Preview blog from ArenaNet

[jvbastel]

This doesnt make any sense. Twice the amount of capacity = Twice the amount of servers. It would still be exactly the same amount of people in overlow. For beta it might be better to just add servers since almost everyone is in the same zone but for release when people are spread out across all zones. Its much better to increase capacity on each server. That's why I didnt like to see them taking that route since it is a small indication that they might take that route after release aswell.


WvW is the only place I can see the game being limited from having more people on the same server. It also works the other way around. Adding too many servers might cause some servers to have a very low population and a really low number of participants in WvW. For events it only adds to the immersion to be more people and you can always program the game around having a lot of people. The more the merrier.

I assume Anet will keep their eye on server populations since WvW is one of the important features of GW2. They have already implemented a server transfer system that seems very robust. The gem cost for home server transfers is merely there to keep people from switching to the best wvw server each week (proven by the fact that you can still play on any server you like, except for WvW) so I assume they will allow free transfers if server population issues exist.

[lanerios]

Mystic Forge? Another way to vendor? give your unneeded crap, and actually get some usefull stuff?

[grandpab]

It's pretty much gambling, but with gear isn't it?

[lanerios]

meh, it ain't gambling, you're giving away unneeded crap, for other stuff. Maybe crafting etc. Gambling you do with stuff you find useful (money etc)

[rhandric]

Except unneeded gear can become money from vendoring, posting on the trading post, salvaging...so it's an opportunity cost gamble

[lanerios]

that is very true didn't think of that part derp ><

[Merendel]

This doesnt make any sense. Twice the amount of capacity = Twice the amount of servers. It would still be exactly the same amount of people in overlow. For beta it might be better to just add servers since almost everyone is in the same zone but for release when people are spread out across all zones. Its much better to increase capacity on each server. That's why I didnt like to see them taking that route since it is a small indication that they might take that route after release aswell.


WvW is the only place I can see the game being limited from having more people on the same server. It also works the other way around. Adding too many servers might cause some servers to have a very low population and a really low number of participants in WvW. For events it only adds to the immersion to be more people and you can always program the game around having a lot of people. The more the merrier.

Slaping extra hardware into the cluster that makes up a single MMO "server" does not always result in a proportional increase in server capacity. It depends greatly on how the backend of the game is designed and even then some tasks just cant be split up easily. Last BWE they had to close down sales because the responce that the game got far exceeded their expectations, they literaly packed the servers. This BWE there are not only more people that have bought but they gave out alot of 1 weekend passes. If they are expecting twice the turnout of last time then it makes perfect sense to double the number of servers. Their overflow system is designed to aliviate the problem that causes other MMO's to open up too many servers on launch. It is there to take care of the launch day effect of overpacking a few zones. However there is still a maximum number of players they want on any one world and doubeling that for no good reason does nobody, us or them, any favors.


Even with their rather unique overflow design there are still negitive impact when you have too many people cramed into the same space. The mor the merrier does not always apply either. Yes the events scale but that does not always make it better. 40 people on a simple escort DE is just anoying. While there are more enemies they dont really last any longer as 40 people just dump AOE on their heads and vaporize them... along with the lower end computers that cant handle that much AOE animation.

[grandpab]

Was there anything about skill points and utilities being reset? I'm kinda interested in trying a support well spec on my necro, but I know I don't have enough skill points for it.

[rhandric]

Well, I just logged in and checked on my engineer from last time and all my skill points have been refunded, so yours should be refunded as well. -Ferg

source: http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comme...5d6u?context=3

Also,

Yep, you should be able to select new skills in the skill tree when you log in!

-Peter

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comme...4ymy?context=3

[grandpab]

Sweet, thanks

[Maarius]

This doesnt make any sense. Twice the amount of capacity = Twice the amount of servers.

I don't think all this new people play all at the same time, the servers on the other hand are active 24/7