Loading Screens - Are They Bad?

[Drakhar]

^ Pretty much all of Outland is great for that. IMO it actually works fine in WoW though, it allows for a much greater diversity in zones and fits just fine with the aesthetics they were going for with the game. (AKA that "cartoony, timeless feel")

[Eorayn]

I actually like Loading Screens. I have seen some of them in the Guild Wars 2 videos, and they looks awesome. Also the fact that it prevents massive lag spikes, makes me ignore what could be annoying about them.

[Tristan Khan]

I don't mind the loading screens between zones and stuff in GW2 much, since the zones are quite big. When the game is new, and i wanna try to see every little corner of each zone, and try to be involved in as many dynamic events as possible, I can probably play for hours at the time without seeing even one loading screen.

When the world starts to feel familiar, and im not all that curious anymore, I will probably just love the waypoint travelling, even if it means a second or five with a loading screen.

[Deleted]

They weren't a problem in GW1, they wont be in GW2.

In GW1 are not a problem because the loaded content actually is extremely small, I could not say the same about GW2. Overall, I don't like them.

[Blznsmri]

In GW1 are not a problem because the loaded content actually is extremely small, I could not say the same about GW2. Overall, I don't like them.

Except that the loaded content wasn't actually extremely small. The first time you went to an area you had a pretty large download (the map, spawn points etc) and each time afterwards the download was smaller because all you were doing was updating for quests or just refreshing the download. It will likely be the same case for GW2.

[Merendel]

Loading screens are a necessary annoyance. While we would love to not have them it does make some of the technical issues far easier to deal with. I personaly dont feel its all that immersion breaking but I've seen some games that tried to cut down on that immersion break even though they had loading screens. There's an MMO from around 2000 called asherons call. While for the most part the over world was seamless there were still loading that happend when you used portals, either as a fast travle or to enter a dungeon. Instead of a generic splash screen and a loading bar you just got this swirling tunnel that looked like you were traveling down it as you passed through "Portal Space" to get to your destination. It was still a load screen but they tried to make it look like it was still in character for the world.

[Scrabblet]

As long as it doesn't take forever and they aren't used that often I don't care at all.

I'd rather have a sectioned world that flows well but has the occasional portal/loading screen than a fully open world that causes lag.

[Deleted]

As long as it doesn't take forever and they aren't used that often I don't care at all.

I'd rather have a sectioned world that flows well but has the occasional portal/loading screen than a fully open world that causes lag.

The GW1 screens took a matter of seconds, I'd expect similar from GW2.

[theredviola]

I love how ever since GW2 got its own section people just give my answers for me.

I second that. And I also agree with StationaryHawk's comment as well.

[Deleted]

Except that the loaded content wasn't actually extremely small. The first time you went to an area you had a pretty large download (the map, spawn points etc) and each time afterwards the download was smaller because all you were doing was updating for quests or just refreshing the download. It will likely be the same case for GW2.

I did not counted not downloaded data.

Assuming you have downloaded all game ("gw -image"), the loading screens takes extremely little in GW1. You switch zones almost instant.

On the other side, the GW2 content is much heavy that GW1, will not be the same even if you have all game downloaded. If they keep the GW1 filesystem concept.

[cringyteenageraccount]

I personally hate loading screens with the fiery intensity of a million foreman grills. On the other hand I hate lag. So it's kind of a "necessary evil" type situation I guess for me. It isn't like they'll make me stop playing, but it just annoys me.

[Blznsmri]

I personally hate loading screens with the fiery intensity of a million foreman grills. On the other hand I hate lag. So it's kind of a "necessary evil" type situation I guess for me. It isn't like they'll make me stop playing, but it just annoys me.

George Foreman Grills are electric though...

[cringyteenageraccount]

George Foreman Grills are electric though...

Not after I'm through with them. >_>

[Newbryn]

I never bought the break immersion excuse,I think its just a reason for people to complain about something they don't like,I personally don't care much for loading screens,but I'd much rather deal with them if my game play is smoother.

[Will]

So, rather than staring at some awesome piece of art related to the zone you're going to, you want to stare at a black screen? Just want to make sure we're on the same page here.

No, we are not on the same page because I did not at any point state that I'd rather stare at a black screen. Read my post half way down page 1 of the thread. I was merely suggesting it as the least obnoxious ALTERNATIVE to any loading screen whatsoever.

[G-rated]

I dont think that load screens are a problem, I mean if you guys want the game to take even longer to come out so that they can make a little mini game that you can play while the zone loads then go right ahead and say that. But I dont think that load screens are that big of a deal. Like everyone else has said, they weren't a problem in GW1 and they wont be one in GW2. As long as you have a good internet connection then it wont be bad. I can't say anything else.

[ShimmerSwirl]

This is the server lag that happened when Blizzard tried to make a massive event with a hundred players participating.



Blizzard's solution:
Limit the number of players that can be in the zone, or in other words prevent people from playing with others in an MMO.

Personally, I'd rather have portals between maps that I wont even see because I'll be using waypoints to get around.

...the horror

[luregas]

One of the downsides of Guild Wars 2 compared to most MMOs such as WoW is that it will require loading between every zone. WoW was set up so that it considered an entire continent loadable. However, only a certain portion was loaded, but more would be loaded if a player moved. Anyone that has played Metroid Prime has noticed this type of background loading utilized for rooms, or, more correctly, noticed when it missed at guessing which room to load (happened whenever the door wouldn't open for a while).

However, loading was inevitable for Guild Wars 2. Two words: waypoint system.

[ShimmerSwirl]

Do we know if the loading screens appear when you manually walk between zones or in and out of cities? Or is it only when teleporting or going into dungeons or things that are far away?

[Fernling306]

Manually walking between zones, major cities, porting and into dungeons is what it is right now. The between zone thing is kind of sketchy because of Anet saying something along the lines of "between regions", but the demo does have them between zones, so no real confirmation there.