Flame & Frost, The Gathering Storm - February patch

[Lane]

I've pm'd all big guilds on my server all of them require 100% representation so that idea sinks it...

This is why I hate guilds not being character specific. I have never at any point in my gaming lifetime put all of my alts into one guild specifically because there are times I don't want people to know I'm online. This would be another example of that. If they said I only had to rep on my "main" that would be one thing, but to be harassed every time I'm on an alt and doing my own thing that doesn't involve the guild or any of its members? No.

[Svifnymr]

This is why I hate guilds not being character specific. I have never at any point in my gaming lifetime put all of my alts into one guild specifically because there are times I don't want people to know I'm online. This would be another example of that. If they said I only had to rep on my "main" that would be one thing, but to be harassed every time I'm on an alt and doing my own thing that doesn't involve the guild or any of its members? No.

I was wondering how they would know if you're repping them all the time, do they have someone manning the lists? Do they check your weekly influence? I hadn't really thought of it until seeing a pair of guilds last night saying "anyone can join but you must rep 100%!".

[Karizee]

I was wondering how they would know if you're repping them all the time, do they have someone manning the lists? Do they check your weekly influence? I hadn't really thought of it until seeing a pair of guilds last night saying "anyone can join but you must rep 100%!".

It shows on the member roster. There's a small green square next to the player's name anytime they are online. If they are not repping, it shows a line through the square.

There's no benefit and a lot of loss to a big guild letting small guilds piggyback on them for the missions. With many guilds pushing the 500 member max, member slots are at a premium - why should they let someone take a spot that isn't earning influence for the guild when there are so many people who will? Also it just looks bad to have people in your guild not repping, gives the impression that your guild isn't active. They aren't participating in the guild events since they can't see gchat and may even pull members away to run dungeon groups thus adding to the influence loss.

Really, small guilds should coop an alliance guild if they want to do this content. They can agree to w/e rep requirements they want and schedule days for missions however they agree to.

[rhandric]

I was wondering how they would know if you're repping them all the time, do they have someone manning the lists? Do they check your weekly influence? I hadn't really thought of it until seeing a pair of guilds last night saying "anyone can join but you must rep 100%!".

You can see in the guild list (if you're watching) if someone is on but not repping...but, that's why GW2 has invisible mode!

[Cyclone Jack]

Though I think Guild Wars 2 already has the solution for small guilds wanting to do this content; multi guilds. One doesn't have to quit their small guild. Just swap.

While I agree that this option is there, it penalizes small guilds by slowing their progress even further.

Again, I'm not saying that small guilds need to have quick and easy access to this content, as it appears to be suited more towards raid-sized groups, but the implementation of this content is doing the opposite of its intention. I just think that this is yet another oversight that ANet has had where they just didn't think through how any consequences will affect their players. They seem to be really, really good at that.

[Fencers]

While I agree that this option is there, it penalizes small guilds by slowing their progress even further.

That's true of all guild progress though. Even before this guild mission stuff. Small guilds earn influence slower.

[Triggered Fridgekin]

The only real issue I've had since returning several days ago is that culling seems to be worse than it was when GW2 first launched. I used to be able to at least see other friendly characters and the mobs would be invisible after a certain point but now it's both friendly and enemy targets that become invisible.

Pretty annoying on chains that throw in destroy x waves and win when all you can do is lay down some AOE and hope it tags something for credit and loot.

[Cyclone Jack]

That's true of all guild progress though. Even before this guild mission stuff. Small guilds earn influence slower.

True, but if a small guild joins a large guild and represents them, then their small guild is no longer gaining any influence at all. Its a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario. Granted, its their choice whether they feel the need to play the new content, or just keep playing the game knowing that it is content they will not experience (which is what I do when it comes to raids, because I just don't enjoy them). However, I still think Anet could have been better at communicating this to the players...again.

[Stellan]

Very underwhelming and disappointing patch. I was at least expecting some more WvW tweaks as they "promised". Just sigh, they really are shooting themselves in the foot. They kinda already did with fractals, dailies monthlies ascended gear and complete incompetence when it comes to balancing.

The funny thing about GW 2 is its slow but relentless march toward being just another WOW clone. Dailies? Really?

[Fencers]

True, but if a small guild joins a large guild and represents them, then their small guild is no longer gaining any influence at all. Its a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario. Granted, its their choice whether they feel the need to play the new content, or just keep playing the game knowing that it is content they will not experience (which is what I do when it comes to raids, because I just don't enjoy them). However, I still think Anet could have been better at communicating this to the players...again.

I can't really argue against better / more exact communication. Still don't see any change for small guilds in having this new thing to research though.

Small guilds usually research slower than massive, active guilds. Is that even a GW2 thing? Seems logical, practical reality for most small guilds regardless of game. Even w/r/t activity; if you are a guild of 8 that probably excludes such a guild from a lot of guild orientated content in many other MMOs.

Seems a personal trade off one makes by sticking with a guild of such size.

They might reduce the influence requirements. Who knows.

[Meledelion]

Influence simply wasn't important up to now. Even small guilds get enough influence for the basic things in relative short times but now you all of a sudden need hundreds of thousands of influence instead of 100k.

[Gray_Matter]

The funny thing about GW 2 is its slow but relentless march toward being just another WOW clone. Dailies? Really?

My thought when I first head about the GW2 dailies was the same thing but they are very different. Most of them encourage gameplay. They don't force you to do a specific set of things. You can complete most of them anywhere in the world at any level. They are generic and that's the big difference. The other big one is that they are not required (Ascended hard core players aside). Most times, I log on, run around, explore a bit, kill a couple of dragons and Maw and then look what still needs to be done to finish my daily. Sometimes, like last night, I had already completed 7 of the tasks by the time I finished my normal play. Other times, I just need to portal up to Frostsound Gorge and kill a few different kinds of enemies or the odd veteran.

My memories of dailies from WOW keep giving me flashbacks to firelands and doing the same things every day for almost 2 months just to get a few recipes.

---------- Post added 2013-03-01 at 10:13 AM ----------

They might reduce the influence requirements. Who knows.

I don't see a reason why they can't tie the influence requirements to the number of guild members.

It might also be a nice idea to allow small guilds to join up for an event. Party and then kick it off together and both get the rewards.

[draykorinee]

Dailies are horrible in both games, hunting down events and saw creatures is just as mundane. I force my self to do them because of the laureates but I think why am I really bothering, dailies in both games are not mandatory but both offer sizeable rewards to give you that carrot chasing sensation that makes you want to do it but neither offer any meaningful gameplay, dailies should be made extinct

[Drakhar]

Couldn't agree more dray.

The funny thing about GW 2 is its slow but relentless march toward being just another WOW clone. Dailies? Really?

Yep, they even took it a step further by having it integrated into the UI!

Wasn't the original purpose of their "daily" system to level the playing field between casuals and hardcores? I'm almost positive that's what their intent was. It was just supposed to be another - slightly more complex - implementation of "rested xp."

Like many things in this game, way to stick to your original intent/concept, ANet!

Then again, they added something new, interesting, unique, and fun (Guild Missions)... so I maintain my love-hate relationship with them. I'm turning as schizophrenic as their game design.

[Gray_Matter]

dailies should be made extinct

I understand the sentiment and agree to a certain extent. The problem is this. How can you give people something to do without actually creating content. People burn through content like there is no tomorrow. They have this insatiable appetite. When fractals was first released, I thought cool, like the idea of the increased difficulty but also thought to myself, "how many times will people actually do this?" Now there are people on level 70/80 of fractals. That's doing each event 30 odd times.

Dailies are a way of artificially increasing the things that people can do. Some of the new GW2 dailies are designed to get people to go to certain areas and do things there. You don't have to do those ones but they are there.

In a way, I feel for A/Net. Trying to keep everyone happy can't be an easy task. Casuals, more serious people, PVP'ers and those that lived in the game for 2 months. Creating content takes people, lots of it.

What may be a better idea is to outsource some of that content to the general public. Give them tools to design encounters and zones. Reward the best designs and A/Net can decide on the rewards for completing the content (loot, etc). Some of the gamers out there will probably create some pretty awesome content.

[Meledelion]

The issue with FotM is that they don't really get harder after FotM 15. Sure there are more mobs who do more dmg and take less dmg but that doesn't make it more challenging.
Trash hardly ever will be a reason for hardcore players to "stop playing", if they arrive at every boss with broken armour they don't really care since bosses are the only relevant part content wise.

[nevermore]

The whole point of dailies in GW2 is that it asks you to do things that you already do simply by playing (most of the time).
Kill 100 enemies, do 5 events... it's not like you have to go out of your way to complete these.

It's fundamentally different from actual daily quests. WoW dailies ask you to go and do specific things purely for the sake of completing them (=rewards), while in GW2 you complete at least 2-3 out of your daily 5 without even paying attention...

Dunno, it feels like people just like to complain for the sake of it. God forbid the game offered you an option to log on daily for a couple of tasks that earn you rewards.
While we're at it, let's just remove all hearts and events, how dare the game tell you what to do.

[Karizee]

The issue with FotM is that they don't really get harder after FotM 15. Sure there are more mobs who do more dmg and take less dmg but that doesn't make it more challenging.
Trash hardly ever will be a reason for hardcore players to "stop playing", if they arrive at every boss with broken armour they don't really care since bosses are the only relevant part content wise.

You are in for a very rude awakening if you haven't seen level 40+ fractals yet.

[Lane]

I wish I'd saved the post, but someone had made the comment of how daily achievements are a throwback to old MMO questing in terms of "kill 10 rats", etc. I hadn't thought about it, but it's true. Likewise, someone had also commented that GW2 needs to quit adding new currencies to the game that force certain playstyles. They already have a fantastic currency in place (karma) that allows you to play as you like and buy things, which they've chosen not to build upon in lieu of adding new types of currencies. It was something else I hadn't thought about, but he's right.

[Meledelion]

You are in for a very rude awakening if you haven't seen level 40+ fractals yet.

I'm on fotm 50 mate...