Support NeoGAF

[LiveSpartan235]

More details on Megaservers

https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/game/gw2/Feedback-Questions-MegaServer/page/8#post3848841

Hi everyone!

First of all, thank you for your overwhelming involvement in commenting this feature. It has been very exciting for me to work on, and I am glad and proud that this excitement is shared by a lot of you!

As Colin mentioned, a lot of your concerns are to be addressed in the upcoming blog posts. I also wanted to answer some of the questions that I’ve seen on this thread.

How does the system know which language I want to use?
The system uses the language spoken in your home world (or your guested world, if you’re guesting). It doesn’t use the language of your client. It is done this way so there is no conflict of priorities between the home world and the language in the algorithm (as both are always aligned), and because in my mind, when you’ve picked your home world, you’ve picked the community you want to play with. And while you may want to set your client to a different language (because you’re better at it, or because you want to learn it), you still want to play with people from that community.

Will this system breaks existing communities?
The whole goal of this new system is to enhance the in-game social environment. We completely get that the community of your home world is important to you, and this is why MegaServers takes that into account. But I also think that with this tool, we can go further. While home world communities are important, they are also very abstract. Choosing which home world to pick is a difficult task, even more difficult when you’re playing the game for the first time, because more often than not, you don’t know what the differences are between each of those worlds. Also, home worlds communities can be quite unbalanced, population wise.

With MegaServers, the idea is to start taking into account more meaningful data to create communities. People you’re playing with, people sharing your interests or your goals, … We want to try to create this “town-like” feeling, in which while there are a lot of different people, you are also encountering the same ones frequently enough to be able to establish meaningful relationships.

This is one of the long term goals for this new system. On April 15th, we’re introducing the core elements that makes it possible, and in this configuration, the home world you’ve picked is very important. And for the other informal communities, we will monitor and adapt the system accordingly.

Once again, thank you for your comments, questions and involvement in this process! I’ll keep an eye on this thread as much as my tight schedule allows me to.
— Samuel Loretan

https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/for...al-Player-density-increased/first#post3849526

Player density. Let’s say there are an average of 5 players in each world’s version of Iron Marches. In the new system, the game server will temporarily merge those players together into a few maps.

https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/for...al-Player-density-increased/first#post3849682

I’ve definitely simplified the way it actually works with the above description. A more accurate way of putting it would be to say that when you travel/log-in to a map, the game finds the best instance to put you in at that time. But the game won’t remove you from a map forcibly and put you in another.

https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/wuv/wuv/Megaserver/page/2#post3849677

To quell speculation early, that is not what we are doing. The announcement will have more info, but we are absolutely not getting rid of worlds and putting everyone into an EotM type system.

 

[Hawkian]

Fun times when you considered how the AC was before the balance, after the balance did it with a group that was 35-42 it was a complete joke..and i was the level 35 my ranger was the new class i was working on when AC got balance..

Do you mean AC Story? AC Explorable is still a bit of a challenge for low levels (as is intended)

I will say I do miss the original Lovers though. I once was in a pug group who just swore they were bugged, or impossible after the first wipe, and talked them into really coordinating to separate them and finally winning after 3 more wipes. One of them PMed me "thanks for not abandoning us." Felt awesome.

These days I can basically solo Ralena on my level 45 Guardian.

 

[Shiokazu]

is anyone thinking in running a new character during the pack release? just to test the megaserver thing?

 

[Lunar15]

is anyone thinking in running a new character during the pack release? just to test the megaserver thing?

The new pack release has a gajillion reasons to start up a new character. I'm heavily tempted to myself.

 

[Hawkian]

is anyone thinking in running a new character during the pack release? just to test the megaserver thing?

My necromancer and ranger will be played heavily, and I suppose I'll get my Guardian to 80 for the heck of it at some point in there too. Other than just getting a few things for them that I want, definitely gonna be taking a semi-break from my 80s over the next couple months.

 

[Ashodin]

Are you guys just messing with him at this point? What was wrong with Trey and Moondrop's initial responses?

Nope I typed up this huge thing on my phone and right before I finished I went into the doctor's office. So I wanted to post it anyway.

 

[Retro]

Are you guys just messing with him at this point? What was wrong with Trey and Moondrop's initial responses?

Megapost! I just + quote everything I want to respond to and then hit new Reply. If people post in the interim, I don't see it.

More details on Megaservers

To quell speculation early, that is not what we are doing. The announcement will have more info, but we are absolutely not getting rid of worlds and putting everyone into an EotM type system.

https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/wuv/wuv/Megaserver/page/2#post3849677

Guess that answers that. I would still argue that there are ways to incorporate color vs. color and still maintain server pride (you'd just rank servers based on contribution) and the intelligence-gathering aspect (you'd still know what servers you have to fight each week and could find out how they play). Hell, you could spend a week when you're paired up with a server learning their tactics and strategy and then use it against them the next time you face off.

As I said, I don't WvW much and I have a completely different attitude towards it, so I won't proclaim my view is correct. I also can see how having server rivalries, etc. adds to the thrill each week, even if it's not something I embrace. Just the same, I think it's possible to go "team vs. team"; the problems are technical and behavioral.

is anyone thinking in running a new character during the pack release? just to test the megaserver thing?

I have a Necromancer sitting in the 20s and a Warrior alt (holding a name in reserve, but I've leveled him when my younger brother plays). I don't think you really need to start a new character though, just visit a low level zone.

 

[EatinOlives]

You can join it, you'd just have to "guest" over to our server. It's a feature on the world selection menu on the character select screen. It allows you to play with GAF guild, but still remain on your own server if you choose to. Alternatively, you just started; you could delete your character and re roll on Stormbluff Isle, our server.

Welcome! (I realize the about-face from my comment above to being cheerful and welcoming is ironic, shush!)

Guild are game-wide, and you can belong to up to five at once (but only have one active at a time). So if you have some friends you're in a guild with, you don't have to choose between them and GAF (though if you had to, you'd want to pick GAF). You can join by posting your username (name.####) in the thread and one of the officers will scoop you up immediately and place you in the loving embrace and warm bosom of the GAFGuild.

Your characters are more or less game-wide as well (you cannot play with members from Europe, nor can they play with those in NA); simply click "World Selection" at the login screen, pick a server (Hint: GAF plays on Stormbluff Isle), and then click "Guest". You'll then be temporarily playing on that server until you switch characters or log off, so think of it as free server transfers.

There are two stipulations on that, however; World vs. World, the big server-vs.-server mode, can only be played on your 'home team' since it would be a bit unfair if they did't restrict it. You also can only guest to two servers within a 24 hour period, but that's usually a non-issue unless you have friends everywhere.

Finally, your Heroic Edition items should be in your in-game mail, I believe.

You can still join the guild. You just won't have access to the guild bank or any of that stuff as of right now for all we know. Also, someone will probably suggest rerolling on Stormbluff Isle (by means of banking everything that can be banked and deleting and remaking your character(s) since names are bound to account for 24 hours after deletion) if you're playing solo and don't have too much binding you to Crystal Desert since you're still at a low level.

Need a character name or accountname.#### to proceed for the guild invite though

Guilds are not server bound. Just post your account name (xxxxx.####) and an officer will invite you.

As for the bonus stuff, I don't have that pack, but with my free item I get it in the mail when I create a character. Check for a mail icon at the top of the screen.

You can not only join it, but guest on to our home server Stormbluff Isle any time you want free of charge. This lets you do all PvE content with the guild. The only restriction is WvW - you can only queue and fight for Crystal Desert. If you want to fight in World versus World for Stormbluff Isle, you can delete your level 12 guy and reroll on SBI to make it your home server.

Thanks for all the great responses! My account name is Two Yutes.2497, with the space in between (I think? That's how it shows up in the official profile info).

How much WvW does the GAF Guild do? I'd like to not delete my character if I can but I would if WvW is a big aspect of the Guild. Is there anything else of importance I'd miss out on? Are the "Guild improvements" more for the guild itself than for the individual characters?

 

[Ashodin]

What's that? Two Whaa?

 

[Nemesis121]

The new pack release has a gajillion reasons to start up a new character. I'm heavily tempted to myself.

This is little to late for me i have level 80 for every class, would have loved this when i was leveling in some dead ass zones two months ago..

 

[SirKhalid]

Thanks for all the great responses! My account name is Two Yutes.2497, with the space in between (I think? That's how it shows up in the official profile info).

How much WvW does the GAF Guild do? I'd like to not delete my character if I can but I would if WvW is a big aspect of the Guild. Is there anything else of importance I'd miss out on? Are the "Guild improvements" more for the guild itself than for the individual characters?

Not many are doing WvW during the off season. I see a few guys a few times. About 5-15 each night during WvW season.

 

[Retro]

Thanks for all the great responses! My account name is Two Yutes.2497, with the space in between (I think? That's how it shows up in the official profile info).

Invite sent, it'll be under the Guild panel. Click "represent" at the bottom of that menu, /g to use guild chat.

How much WvW does the GAF Guild do? I'd like to not delete my character if I can but I would if WvW is a big aspect of the Guild. Is there anything else of importance I'd miss out on? Are the "Guild improvements" more for the guild itself than for the individual characters?

It comes and goes. There's a lot of people doing it now because of the Tournament, but overall the guild doesn't really have a focus. We do a little of everything as often as we can. In the interest of full disclosure, there are essentially 7 'stacked' servers that are serious about WVW; SBI often comes in 8th, which I'd say makes us the "Best of the Normal servers", but I'm sure others would disagree.

One thing you'll miss out on, at least for now (it was strongly hinted that it will be changing in the future) is that while guilds are cross server, guild buffs / banks / etc. are not; each guild sort of has a 'chapter' of the guild in that regard. So you'd be missing out on the buffs we run regularly like Bonus Karma, Magic Find, Gold. There's not much to the guild bank at the moment, this isn't the kind of game where that sort of thing is useful with all of the alternative storage options.

Being level 12, I'd say it's definitely early enough to reroll; 20 might be the threshold, though I may be a little skewed since I was okay blowing up a level 65 character because I didn't like the race/gender I had picked. /shrug

 

[Moondrop]

As I said, I don't WvW much and I have a completely different attitude towards it, so I won't proclaim my view is correct. I also can see how having server rivalries, etc. adds to the thrill each week, even if it's not something I embrace. Just the same, I think it's possible to go "team vs. team"; the problems are technical and behavioral.

Sure it's feasible. I think the part you're underestimating is just how well the servers (particularly T1) grow to know each other, and how much this factors into strategy.

"Server X always puts ACs there."
"It's just that same thief tapping garrison. Nobody panic."
"Server X tends to drop off in about an hour. Everyone just hold on."

These are examples of statements you'll hear on T1 Teamspeak that rely on knowledge of your opponent gained over time. If WvW were to move to a "color" system, much of that would be lost and, arguably, the mode could devolve into even more zerging and less strategy.

 

[Retro]

Sure it's feasible. I think the part you're underestimating is just how well the servers (particularly T1) grow to know each other, and how much this factors into strategy.

Absolutely true. You guys can poke holes in it all day long, I won't disagree with any of it. It's the ol' "Just because they could doesn't mean they should," and I know well enough to leave well enough alone. It's a non-issue at this point anyway since they've made it absolutely clear they aren't changing WvW, I'm just sort of talking about it in a theoretical sense.

 

[-tetsuo-]

Hmmm you think a laptop that can run neverwinter and dota2 is ok for this game?

 

[Hawkian]

Hmmm you think a laptop that can run neverwinter and dota2 is ok for this game?

At minimum settings, it'll run. It performs pretty admirably under those circumstances IMO. just don't try and WvW

 

[Retro]

At minimum settings, it'll run. It performs pretty admirably under those circumstances IMO. just don't try and WvW

This. Anything involving a lot of people is going to slow down *any* system.

 

[ACE 1991]

Rolled a new toon on stormbluff isle, would love an invite to GAF guild. The name is Thun.

 

[Hawkian]

Rolled a new toon on stormbluff isle, would love an invite to GAF guild. The name is Thun.

Based on our games of Titanfall you are welcome with open arms

 

[Retro]

Rolled a new toon on stormbluff isle, would love an invite to GAF guild. The name is Thun.

Invite sent.

 

[Jira]

Leave it to ANet to create an even better server infrastructure when their current one already shits on the rest of the genre. I'm betting tomorrow's blog will be about how it affects guilds and guild missions while Friday's will be about WvW.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Hmm all right then, I'll wait off for the dye.

 

[hockeypuck]

Hmmm you think a laptop that can run neverwinter and dota2 is ok for this game?

I was able to run this game on a 2012 MacBook Air on minimum settings, fps in the 20s. I survived pre-nerf LA with it, but I didn't test wvw zergs.

 

[LiveSpartan235]

More info the MegaServer

https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/game/gw2/Feedback-Questions-MegaServer/page/12#post3850555

A few more important points to be made here:

• If your world usually has a comfortable population on a given map, you’re unlikely to see much of a difference here until the map actually starts getting full. We’re not going to toss a bunch of people from another world into a comfortably occupied server and make it uncomfortable.
• But some worlds do fill up all on their own pretty regularly. The improvement from this perspective is that if you try to join a very full map, the system will find another instance which also contains people from your world rather than the old overflows which were much more of a mixed bag.
• If your world has a very low concurrency on a given map, we can put you and everyone else from your server into a map with a more comfortable number of players. The key term here is “comfortable.” There’s breathing room. Megaserver is not overflow in reverse.
• It’s very difficult to understand this situation if you’re not willing to look at the big picture. Similarly, you can’t really explain urban traffic by using a metaphor about seats at a dinner table. Server populations are big and they are not concrete. Players flow in and out all of the time, even when it seems like a map is completely full. The major change in the way the game is handling population is that it’s making better-informed decisions about where to direct you. If only my GPS did that.
• As the blog post mentions, we’ll be monitoring this very closely to make sure that the end result is positive.

Thanks for all your feedback. I look forward to tomorrow’s blog post and answering more of your questions.

 

[ACE 1991]

Based on our games of Titanfall you are welcome with open arms

Invite sent.

Great, thanks for the invite! And Hawkian we will have to play some more TF soon!

 

[Katoki]

SBI doing work. Look at all those little green specks go.

Edit: It'll be all gone in 3 hours.

 

[SargerusBR]

Dyes will no longer be unlocked per character but per account instead.

By far the best change. As an altoholic who just got in (again) recently, this greatly pleases me.

 

[Nemesis121]

SBI doing work. Look at all those little green specks go.

Edit: It'll be all gone in 3 hours.

Nice my T1 server is no fucking different from Yaks Bend, i wasted my money transferring to Tarnish Coast, at 2am outnumber pops up and BG and JQ knows this, so they busy taking as much as they can, this is the same shit that happen in Yaks Bend, what a fucking waste of transfer and now it's more expensive to transfer sheeeeesh...

 

[Katoki]

Nice my T1 server is no fucking different from Yaks Bend, i wasted my money transferring to Tarnish Coast, at 2am outnumber pops up and BG and JQ knows this, so they busy taking as much as they can, this is the same shit that happen in Yaks Bend, what a fucking waste of transfer and now it's more expensive to transfer sheeeeesh...

I thought about going up to TC as well but I stalled too long and it got full. I ended up committing with the EBG crew we have and don't regret anything. I still wake up to a ~50 PPT score but that's just how our match up's coverage goes.

 

[Nemesis121]

I thought about going up to TC as well but I stalled too long and it got full. I ended up committing with the EBG crew we have and don't regret anything. I still wake up to a ~50 PPT score but that's just how our match up's coverage goes.

No matter what never attempt to play in T1 even if SBI population died off, the rampant hacking/exploiting is unbelievable, and it seems like JQ and BG have an agreement to 2 v 1 us late nights, during the peak hours it's all war between JQ/BG but at late nights they are friends, it's a cluster fuck up here people so desperate to win they will do anything..

 

[Proven]

It's war. With a point total.

 

[Retro]

So the Feature Update page changed, looks like the last two posts are both happening today.

 

[Zeroth]

So the Feature Update page changed, looks like the last two posts are both happening today.

I guess yesterday's post raised more questions than they expected. So, now we have nothing for tomorrow?

 

[Atrophis]

Best Official Forum Post of the Day - Episode 2

Aside from the living story it really does feel like the games been put into maintenance mode since fractals release almost 2 years ago.

Stated two weeks before some of the biggest changes to the game get implemented.

*Applause*

So the Feature Update page changed, looks like the last two posts are both happening today.

I guess yesterday's post raised more questions than they expected. So, now we have nothing for tomorrow?

It's a good call to be honest. Releasing incomplete information about such a large change was only ever going to lead to drama.

 

[Proven]

Unfortunately that means the posts will come out later in the day (probably around noon EDT) as they do some last minute edits.

As for Friday, we still have Ready Up to look forward to.

 

[Moondrop]

No matter what never attempt to play in T1 even if SBI population died off, the rampant hacking/exploiting is unbelievable, and it seems like JQ and BG have an agreement to 2 v 1 us late nights, during the peak hours it's all war between JQ/BG but at late nights they are friends, it's a cluster fuck up here people so desperate to win they will do anything..

I really try not to get into server vs. server arguments, but you need to take a step back. This week JQ has faced probably the most aggressive double team (from BG/TC) during NA prime I've ever witnessed. Just look at the overall score.

 

[Kos Luftar]

I know I got angry and vile when YB and EBay were clearly double teaming SBI last season but I think double teaming is suppose to happen, that is why there are 3 servers there. It sucks when it happens against you or you think it's happening against you but it's just how it's suppose to be played.

As long as double teaming is happenig naturally and it isn't some kind of truce then it's all good.

 

[Moondrop]

Exactly. It's a natural strategy development of a 3-way fight. BG has the numbers; JQ has the talent. From TC's perspective, the best strategy is to align with BG and secure second place over JQ.

And on JQ we recognize that the only response is to strap on your big boy britches and queue up. We've still had some great fights even as we're getting kicked in the teeth via PPT. I've had a fun week.

 

[Hawkian]

ARAH 1 tonight!

Offseason Event #3.1 - Masters of ARAH - Thurs. 4/3 at 7:00PM EDT

Let's tackle the game's toughest explorable mode dungeon, the Ruined City of Arah. First timers and veterans are equally welcome. We won't be racing this time, but all hanging out in mumble together and helping out- we'll get everybody through no matter what it takes!

We're gonna go for 3 seperate event nights on this one, to clear the full dungeon. That means Thursday will be Path 1, which is one of the longest and toughest. Here are some general tips.

• Range and AOE damage are very valuable throughout the whole dungeon.
• The ability to stealth, grant swiftness to, or otherwise protect the party while moving are is great, because there's a lot of opportunity (and near-necessity) for running past danger.
• Potent or Powerful Potions of Undead Slaying are the drink of choice here.
• A sub-boss that appear in every path, Giganticus Lupicus, is a true skill check. He has three phases, and I consider phase 2 of this fight to be one of the toughest, most demanding encounters in the game. It's not required at all, but if you're wary of your abilities, you may want to read up on his phases a little bit and how to prepare your build for the fight.
• The storylines in play in the explorable paths here are a cut above those found in other dungeons. If at all interested in the lore of GW2 and especially various threads that connect back to GW1, it's worth paying attention to or at least reading the dialog from the cutscenes.

Hope to see you there!

doing anything was only ever going to lead to drama.

fixed that one for ya

 

[sackboy2197]

We're gonna go for 3 seperate event nights on this one, to clear the full dungeon. That means Thursday will be Path 1, which is one of the longest and toughest. Here are some general tips.

How long is it? It's a bit late for me, but I'd like to partecipate.

Edit: Oh wait, 7PM EDT is actually 1AM for me, so I guess I'll have to pass D:

 

[Hawkian]

How long is it? It's a bit late for me, but I'd like to partecipate.

Edit: Oh wait, 7PM EDT is actually 1AM for me, so I guess I'll have to pass D:

Pretty long It's one of the toughest paths. I'm sorry, it's usually tough for me personally to run events that would be friendly to your time zone. 7PM is more or less an early one for me, it means I'm getting right home from work at going for the event.

Just FYI to all, I should be able to run the show on Sat. night, but on Sunday morning I'm headed to Vegas for that same conference as last year and will be gone 10 days and probably won't be on much. Actually I'll still be away and very likely unable to play the first two days the feature pack hits

 

[sackboy2197]

Don't worry Hawkian; if I didn't have school tomorrow I would have probably played anyway
Good luck with your conference, we'll tell you how the patch is

 

[Kos Luftar]

"Conference" in Vegas. Yeah like I'm going to believe that. Enjoy Bunny Ranch you dog.

 

[Lunar15]

Arah's a great dungeon to run during March (April) Madness because it has basketball.

 

[Atrophis]

WHERE'S THE BLOG POSTS? OMG GUYS THIS IS THE LAST STRAW IM QUITING THIS DEAD GAME AND ITS EMPTY SERVERS. ENJOY YOUR PAY 2 WIN. TIME TO TRIPLE BOX WILDSTAR. PEACE.

 

[Hawkian]

WHERE'S THE BLOG POSTS? OMG GUYS THIS IS THE LAST STRAW IM QUITING THIS DEAD GAME AND ITS EMPTY SERVERS. ENJOY YOUR PAY 2 WIN. TIME TO TRIPLE BOX WILDSTAR. PEACE.

Dude nice work, they just went up

How can the Karka Queen possibly be on a timer?

Guild World Events could be pretty sweet. Look forward to trying it out.

 

[Trey]

Dude nice work, they just went up

How can the Karka Queen possibly be on a timer?

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/the-megaserver-system-world-bosses-and-events/

 

[shysaursoft]

And today's collection of 'ArenaNet has ruined the game forever' posts:

Megaservers will cause Teq and Wurm to be dumbed down" to accommodate MegaServer. Ruined Forever.

I fully understand what Anet has said so far, and this change will drastically change the way I play this game to the extent I will leave the game. - Link

I don't even know what this person is doing - the road out of Black Citadel to the Breached Wall vista is practically clear, unless the mine event is up, but even then you can avoid most things there easily. Still, only level 21 and *already* wanting to quit because they can't reach the single goal? Not much hope for this person.

I’m losing interest in this game fast, but I don’t want to. I’m level 21 and am a Charr. Currently in Diessa Plateau trying to get to the Breached Wall Vista. There are too many mobs and they respawn too fast to do it solo – well, I want to play a game not do it as a job and I’m getting tired of trying to do this.

I need a reason to stick at it as I’m ready to leave and go and find a game that is a lot less frustrating and a lot more active on a ‘very high population’ server. - Link

EDIT: Synchronizing World Events - called it.

I look forward to collecting a new set of 'game ruined quitting' posts today.

 

[Zeroth]

Dude nice work, they just went up

How can the Karka Queen possibly be on a timer?

They said they are reworking how some quest chains/events that lead to bosses work, so Karka must be one of the bosses to get these changes.

 

[Hawkian]

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/the-megaserver-system-world-bosses-and-events/

I read it and it comes nowhere close to answering my question...

They said they are reworking how some quest chains/events that lead to bosses work, so Karka must be one of the bosses to get these changes.

Seems like the case of the karka queen this just means going from "Having a pre-event trigger" to "Not having a pre-event trigger" which would suck.