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Last Stress Showing WarhammerOnline-Like Problem?
Lostar
Member UncommonPosts: 891
I couldn't help but feel concerned about all of the Group Events happening in the newbie zones that were not being paid any attention to by the players. This was my experience. Experiences vary. I was not in an overflow.
So there I was, playing my little Asuran Thief (since my high level Engineer was locked in an unavailable zone since the last several Stress Tests) and going about it solo since it seemed many had moved on to higher zones. I would run accross [Group Events] happening. Despite the big gold letters stating that this event was for [Groups] I figured I would make an attempt on them anyways and on my own since no one else was nearby.
They did not go so well for me...
Pretty much all group events, with very rare exceptions, were void of any other players. I watched for an hour as an Inquest Golem smashed through a survivor's camp. I did my best to rez the dead NPCs but they were simply killed before I got a second or third rez in. I found I could endlessly solo the boss but its regen was so much that once I bit a little into his health he simply got it back to full.
I (again) struggled with the fire elemental GEB. Every so often it was me and one or two others. I was steadfast...others came and go. After 2 hours and its health down to 75% I gave up. That fight is difficult enough to do with a raid force and requires the most organization I have ever seen in an MMORPG so early in a game.
There were several other GEBs with very similiar experiences. I ended up just having to dodge the events as they trailed close to me. I watched them not really progress. A few of them I was able to duo with a good player that happened along the way...it was very difficult but not impossible.
I know the stress tests are likely not a representation of how well populated zones may be. I am aware that high levels can go back to early zones and still be faced with some challenge. But I also know the generalized player behaviors of not going back to earlier content because they can do the higher content. Of course, some will go back who otherwise would not just to support a lowbie friend or because they made a new character. Thank goodness the replayability of this game is pretty high to those interested in seeing every angle to the many personal stories. This might deter the old zone rot syndrome more than anything.
Anyways, I thought all events scaled down to solo-ability, even the GEBs. But they do not...at least for a p/p d/d s/d rogue. I tried every trick I had to take down a GEB. It just didn't happen.
So come months, or be it years, from now will we see a zone, in all its beauty and vastness, inhabited mostly by Group Event Bosses roaming untethered and unchallenged and wrecking havok on contested portals?
Is this something we, as a community, should be concerned about? Should we prepare for this? Perhaps, plan community events to take down such bosses together despite knowing in a short while they will be up again back to their evil ways and blocking our lowbie friends from exploring every inch of their zones?
Comments
Population will always be an issue in open world content after release - no matter what you do.
How you can help?
Things like down-scaling and making alts fun and have different content to experience - like new personal story and low-level zones unique to each race.
Also content scaling helps a lot but yeah for group DE's you will either have to be social and find friends/guildies/or other players in the zone to help or skip them until you do have others around/available.
Launch is always the most fun time in a MMORPG because of stuff like this, which is why people always get so amp'd up for new releases. (partially)
For me, dynamic events are just pve zerg.
People dont need to group, socialise, play skillfully etc when you are just spamming spells. It is all a piece of piece for casters and a tougher job for melee.
Thinks will change when people have to change because the mobs get harder, there are fewer players around or completion of events is more important for progression etc.
This, but OP's point is still valid say a few months after live.BadSpock was right on the money by talking about the downscaling helping keep players around but I guess we will have to wait and see.
Later levels with less players are a lot more fun cause the mobs/bosses are a lot harder and people have to coordinate more (less Zerg).
But yeah after 3-4 months when people's mains are 80 and alts are higher level and their alt alt is higher level etc. the starter zones will be a lot less populated - unless of course GW2 has amazing growth at a sustained pace over months and months (holiday boost, word of mouth/review boosts, etc.)
But that hasn't really happened since WoW back in 2004.
Hard to say. Certainly is possible. You would think because of scaling it wouldn't be as prevalent. I didn't have that problem although it did appear to me some DEs were rather jacked.
I did one that had an insane amount of people yet the event only spawned one regular mob at a time. Two other DEs I did seemed to "overscale". Myself and two others were trying to complete it and we got annihilated when the game decided to spawn every ghost in Tyria upon us. I actually thought it was funny. One of the other guys got pissed and started going bonkers about it but really...it was so over the top you had to just laugh. Another one I was doing by myself seemed to go goofy too. I attacked one mob needed for the DE and next thing I knew the entire area of mobs was upon me as if they were all chained together. I think with the latter two the game was trying to scale them properly due to the amount of players in the area. Problem was since they weren't actually participating in the DE it made it essentially an insta death romp for me and others.
1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
I tested Elementalist / Ranger in Dynamic Event - had no issues except a few bug with skills.
Then Anet announced if we would like to participate in Spvp, and altough i dint change trais weapons i just jumped in and got kicked in the face versus 80% of my oponents.
But i think that was normal as i dint even made a build.
I played Spvp for 2 hours before calling it a night.
But i agree with more bugs this beta and all other beta's combined ^^
But maybe thats exactly what they wanted.
More bugs - more fixes
Can they pull if off in less then 2 days and 15 hours ? :P !
if any1 can do it its Arenanet.
BUT, many players are having issues with adapting to the playstyle that GW2 offers. Dynamic Events are a major contributing factor to leveling a character and it seems players are confused because these events are not explicitly shown to you unless it is currently happening near the player. Due to this, many may not be searching the zone around them to find events to participate in.
MMOs Played: I can no longer list them all in the 500 character limit.
Yeah..I was using /map to try and gather people up to do things...sometimes a person showed up but usually not. Some might call me an overly-social butterfly. ;D I don't think it's a terrible idea for Arenanet to consider scaling down GEBs to soloable events come the time they are more often skipped instead of challenged.
Yeah...I went to WvWvW the last hour and found a lot of people in it. But could that represent all of the people who are no longer in lowbie zones over time?
Yeah, saw a few complaining in chat that it was bs because they weren't told where to go or nothing was really showing on their map. Gonna be an adjustment for some.1. For god's sake mmo gamers, enough with the analogies. They're unnecessary and your comparisons are terrible, dissimilar, and illogical.
2. To posters feeling the need to state how f2p really isn't f2p: Players understand the concept. You aren't privy to some secret the rest are missing. You're embarrassing yourself.
3. Yes, Cpt. Obvious, we're not industry experts. Now run along and let the big people use the forums for their purpose.
On the other hand, I have played through events alone, and they do seem to scale ok (in fact they are pretty easy.)
Yeah..I was using /map to try and gather people up to do things...sometimes a person showed up but usually not. Some might call me an overly-social butterfly. ;D I don't think it's a terrible idea for Arenanet to consider scaling down GEBs to soloable events come the time they are more often skipped instead of challenged.
Yeah...I went to WvWvW the last hour and found a lot of people in it. But could that represent all of the people who are no longer in lowbie zones over time?
I just saw a tip video on how you can link the waypoints in chat. So if you say you are needing help in a group DE, then ask in chat and link the closest waypoint.There is definitely a sweet spot for number of people to tackle content. There are also some encounters that I think may well be a little too difficult still.
I think that was mentioned and covered by the OP and some replies.
On a side note: Anyone else having problems with the Enhanced Editor not working? I have to use html no matter how many times I switch between the two modes.
I think that was mentioned and covered by the OP and some replies.
On a side note: Anyone else having problems with the Enhanced Editor not working? I have to use html no matter how many times I switch between the two modes.
For the side note are you talking about this forum's editor? Because yes it's behaving very strangely today.I think this points out another of GW2 weaknesses - it is not solo friendly. Yes you can solo but it gets harder with fewer adjacent players and the higher levels. I know that this is just fine with many players as they want a challenge but for the solo masses it bodes ill for retention.
This is one of the reasons why I see GW2 following the path of all of the other AAA titles recently released - high release population followed by a mass drop off. I am glad that GW2 is just a one time purchase so that I can come back to it from time to time. The game is worth it.
(can't get paragrafing to work now -will try later)
there is basicly alot less to worry about than in most other games. GW2 is designed around dealing with the problem of a dwindling playerbase making PvE harder to do.
The tools are as mentioned already downscaling and questing.
Beside that i would exspect that some kind of social practise of LFG will develop on every server some times after launch, as well as guilds will begin to announce where they have PvE activities, and then players can join, and the guild can then try to get new members buy show its social side. Also remember that such activities keeps players active on the server and fuels the WvWvW ambitions in the long run. I would expect that any ambitious guild with a PvE side would advertise activities that new players could join, sooner or later. "hang out with Guild X in Zony Y at time Z."
the big differense to WAR is those DEs can still be fun after being outlevelled , that was not the case of PQ at all. Questing simply makes it possible to have 1 server that every one know has the PvE activity, even when the active player base is down to 1/20 of the launch. That is a very nice way to avoid the empty server problem that will happend eventually.
And a big thing , the big Zerg is not the best way to experience the PvE content, it is actual a mostly bad and borring way, as the game mechanics just don't shine that well when players groups get to big against DE's. When that game experience settles more players will scatter out .
Not a bad idea.I would add something to it though to reward those who discover it on their own.
Scenario:
GEB starts
-It is discovered by a group, Group takes it down and gets bonus reward for the discovery.
-It is discovered by a single player. Single player broadcasts the event. People attend and take it down. Bonus reward for participation and taking it down in a timely manner.
-It is discovered by a single player. Player does or does not broadcast the event. After a set period of time where no progression takes place, the game broadcasts to the zone with a link to the closest waypoint. The event stays broadcasted via world map within the period of time until it is defeated. No bonus, typical reward for participants.
I like it.
Side note: Since Enhanced Editor is not functioning use < p > (no spaces) for paragraphing.
They will be monitoring Success/Failure of all DEs as well as how often they occur and making adjustments accordingly.
I've already seen this even over the course of the BWEs so I'm not too worried.
No kidding. XD