ThomasC.1056

> @Spurnshadow.3678 said:

> There should be no participation for building siege either. These are just no brainers. There's plenty of things to do that increase and maintain participation without these sabotaging practices.

That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it. Nevertheless, sieges are a part of the game WvW, and even if you consider them "no brainers", they are part of the game, and they're useful. I'm still wondering how you actually open an objective... Do you just smash the door ? (Tell about no brainer) Or are you just looking for fights in the open space ? This is not what WvW is designed for.

I understand there can be trolls who build siege to waste supply. I also understand there can be unexperienced players that don't know where to put siege, or when it's roughly a waste to repair walls. Yet none of these is a sufficient reason to remove that game mechanic from WvW. **Don't throw the baby with the bathwater.**

> @Spurnshadow.3678 said:

> We all know the afkers who just want to game the system by repairing walls and doing nothing or little else. Is this an action we really want to incentivize? No. One gets plenty of participation from capturing stuff, killing npcs, and lots from, gasp, killing players. Incentivising repairing walls encourages unnecessarily draining supply that may be dowerly needed later. It's like incentivising building siege and just doesn't belong, not needed, and needs to go asap. Seems like this would be an easy fix. I know PoF is on the horizion, but this should be a simple priority.

>

> Thanks

Repairing walls and building siege are two really different things for a simple reason : **a wall needs to be damaged before you can repair it.** It's thus not necessarily a waste of supply, and it's usually quite useful. Whatever, it implies an attack, so it's not as easily exploitable than building siege. That's why I'm strongly against punishing wall repairs.

About siege, it's easier to exploit, I can agree with that, but as long as building siege is part of "normal" WvW activity, it shouldn't be punished for the sole reason that some people exploit it.

> @Farout.8207 said:

>

> > @"McKenna Berdrow.2759" said:

> > > @Swamurabi.7890 said:

> > > How about automatically cashing out your participation when you exit?

> >

> > Cashing out has a lot of issues. For example, we would somehow need to make cashing out be exactly as good as the rewards you would get if you were still playing. If it does not give as good of rewards no one would do it and still afk, and if we make it too good then everyone would just constantly cash out. It is impossible to predict all the rewards someone would be expected to earn because we cannot predict if a map will become outnumbered or if your world moves placements. We also wouldn’t want people to constantly cash out, so then we would need to accurately lock them out of WvW for a set period of time. The period of time would probably need to be longer than just the amount of time it would take to decay because otherwise it could still be more ideal to play a little, cash out go back, repeat. We have considered it, we just don’t believe it is a viable option.

>

> I don't think it would be that big of an issue. My time is pretty valuable to me so I never sit around idly waiting for participation to dwindle down. As a result I lose rewards every single time I play WvW. Cashing out would be fantastic in my opinion. Even reduced rewards would be great, allowing people that have better things to do besides sit in spawn to collect some bonus loot before they log. I think most people would take whatever rewards they were offered and move on instead of sitting in spawn doing nothing.

That's very noble of you, but I'm afraid lots of people don't work that way. There're many players throughout game modes that want to max the rewards. The issue with a "minimal cashout" option is those players will calculate how much they can anticipate through staying (because of intermittent outnumbered bonus, or server ticking silver), and if the cashout option is less rewarding, they'll just AFK at spawn because it rewards more. So the issue wouldn't be solved. And it's not really a good thing to enforce a "cash out or just leave" option...

> @NyhilistTheBoring.2674 said:

> Can we tag on the questions of

> * Can Heroic Notaries be used to buy PoF Hero Point Challenges?

As Ulion.5476 said, probably yes. It'll require a specific currency earned in skirmish rewards chests though.

> @NyhilistTheBoring.2674 said:

> * Will the "Heroic Notary Vendor" gain a PoF Tab next to the HoT Tab?

No official answer on that, but that'd be the easiest way, so I suppose so.

> @NyhilistTheBoring.2674 said:

> * Will Provisions Master get another ability for PoF after HoT? _Or_ Will the Mastery cover both if Xpack is present?

There'll probably be an additional pip to unlock PoF in the notary vendor (or whatever it'll become).

> @Arimas.3492 said:

> So will the reward track triumphant armor/hero weapon and vendor armor stat selection be updated with all PoF stats on day 1? Also will existing chests be able to select the stats, or only chests procured after PoF has released be available to get the new stats?

>

> Not sure if this has been asked/answered but I haven't seen it yet. Thanks.

No answer on that topic unfortunately. On one hand, I think that'd be just fair to add the new stats in the selection at day 1. On another hand, I'm guessing ANet is against any possibility to use PoF content that early after release. So my two hypothesis are : either there won't be new stats in ascended selection, and you'll have to MF switch stats, using the new currency to buy insignas/inscriptions. Or you'll have to use the new currency to unlock the possibility to select new stats....

In any case, I suggest not to buy ascended gear before release.

> @"Strider Pj.2193" said:

> You can currently AFK in obsidian Sanctum. It only counts towards THAT maps population AND as participation bleeds out, you gain the rewards on each tick. PLUS you get to chat to others in WvW team chat.

>

> Your LOBBY exists. People need to use it.

I know that too well. Unfortunately, either players don't know, or they're reluctant to go there. It must be said that participation bars aren't display in OS, eventhough they're still there, you only have /t chat and nothing to do. Adding more functionnality with some NPC's to OS would probably be the easiest and most clever solution.

> @Cerby.1069 said:

> also you can use badges to buy stuff from the guild hall, ur missing that one

I'm not, I'm specifically focusing on the lobby and all the things that overlap and make knowing "who sells what and for what currency ?" a hassle. In the same fashion, I didn't mention the legendary vendor, because his stuff is specific enough not to be confusing.

> @Cerby.1069 said:

> Equally true the game relies on tons of micro management to prevent you from getting bored. It wants you to farm nodes and manage inventory and all that constantly. Equally true it wants you to have to go to as many places as possible to get something generic done. There isn't a black lion trading post person anywhere other than spawn for a reason. Same with many other things, being gated behind walls and what not.

I have to disagree on that one. It's not a matter of having to run to many places to get something done, like legendary journeys. It's not a matter of putting every NPC everywhere for "convenience", or removing grinding or whatever time-gating. Heck, I'm even asking for _more_ grinding since I'm suggesting a way to put _more currencies_.

I'm here all for lisibility, quality of life and user experience. Whatever stuff is involved in what I'm saying isn't time gated or need to see 5 different vendors, and it's not really grind gated because grind comes with currencies. I'm only asking, for, say, armors, to put everything that involves armors (and you buy a piece at once) in a single vendor display.

> @Cerby.1069 said:

> no you can't just change what the currency is for something from one thing to another. YOu can't because they decided not to do stuff like that. So your posting is asking the impossible.

I agree that one will be really hard. I'm not expecting anything to change, to be honest. I'm only underlining that things are getting messy at WvW spawn, and some care will have to be taken in the future. Hopefully.

> @Zassz.9283 said:

> > @szshou.2193 said:

> > or just cash out your pips immediately (minus situational modifiers like commander and outnumbered).

>

> This is probably the best idea for it that I have heard yet. This would stop people filling up the actual WvW maps till they get kicked for AFK. It would allow them to go off when they want and not just leave the game running until the participation bar decays enough.

>

> If it was implemented like this it would probably have to award you only 1 pip for the server rank per "tick" as obviously this can change during the time that you would have naturally acquired them.

>

That would indeed be the best choice. Unfortunately, a dev stated in the previous forum that eventhough it had been seriously considered and a bit worked upon, it raised too many difficulties to make it farther in the developement process.

Trait skill rework is long overdue. Not just once, but in a regular basis. Not just tweaks but also some deeper changes and reworks from scratch.

It's indeed an issue.

There're too many fails from up to down because of stupid LoS management, whilst it's possible to turn a wall into a hell march from down to up.

I don't know how it's possible to fix that though.

> @Chickenooble.5014 said:

> We need build templates in the game. Now that we have two extra elite specializations coming to the game they're needed even more. Add build templates.

>

> I even figured out the pricing strategy:

> Each character gets 1 template if they have either HoT or PoF. Additional templates act like the character bag slot expansion -- you can add up to 4 extra per character. 400 gems each.

>

> Make it happen.

>

> Edit: Don't have your forum re-development team make the build template UI. Thanks.

I agree on the build template need, and the edited part.

On the "limited templates" topic, my "user experience" part strongly disagree with any saving limitation. Unfortunately, my "ANet's customer" part knows that build template slots is the kind of things they can sell for gems, so if that can be of any incentive, I think I'll be able to cope with it.

Hello,

As AFKers still are a thing, and a cashout option seems to be too hard to put in, here's a suggestion for the specific case of people AFK-ing, waiting for participation to decay (and that don't know one can go to OS).

Talking to an NPC or in the WvW UI would allow a player to put himself under an **on the go** status. That status would have the following properties :

* You can't get out of spawn nor switch map. *If you try to, a message will say to go back, or be tossed to the character selection screen*

* You can still chat

* You're kicked off your squad (but can stay in a party)

* You still can interact with NPC's

* You don't have to move or do anything, no automatic DC

* **You stop counting in the map population**

* Once your participation reaches 0, you're automatically sent to character selection screen.

The core idea is you can't do anything WvW-wise, so you stop counting in the map population, but you still can stay at spawn, do whatever stuff with bank or NPC's and get your rewards. A possibility would be to turn characters "on the go" into Mist Walkers (like in Southsun survival).

Any opinions ?

I'd say : if you go power, hammer may be a good choice. Then, staff for support or sword for a more offensive option.

Now, if you run condi, you have no choice but go mace/axe (+ shortbow if you go Renegade ?) !

Hello,

In the previous forum, our beloved McKenna said a new currency would be introduced, as a trade for PoF's recipes, sigils, runes and hero challenges. The addition of a 4th currency to WvW brings the need to tidy things up amongst all the vendors in the WvW spawn, all the currencies serving various purposes, so that it'd bring a better lisibility in the _"who sells what ?"_ and _"what currency for what stuff ?"_ departements.

Currently, the following vendors asking for **badges of honor** are available :

* **Armor master** : sells exotic armor (various stats), exotic trinkets (various stats) and karma skins (exotics excluded)

* **Weapon master** : exotic weapons (various stats), cultural weapon skins (excl. T3)

* **Traps and tricks** : WvW traps

* **Siege master** : basic siege blueprints

* **Skritt trader** : cultural armor skins

* **Laurel merchant** : ascended trinkets and infusions

For *Proof of heroics*, the heroics notary sells HP Completion (core+HoT), superior siege blueprints, HoT recipes, runes, and sigils.

For *Skirmish claim tickets*, the skirmish supervisor sells : exotics armors (selectable stats, 2 skins), ascended armor (selectable stats, 2 skins), exotics and ascended weapons, specific crafting recipes, blueprints and traps, infusions, misc.

Now for the reminder, BoH are earned when just doing WvW stuff. PoH are earned when leveling and as a possible choice in skirmish chests, and SCT are earned with skirmish chests.

___

As it is, I think it's a huge mess. If you only consider siege blueprints, you can buy them from 3 vendors (siege master for basic, notary for superior, supervisor for random) in 3 different currencies. Likewise, there's also a karma merchant that sells blue/green/yellow stuff, which is mostly useless, there're 2 armor sellers etc.

On the currency side, SCT and PoH are overlapping a lot in the way they're acquired, and it's obvious the latter has been created in order to forbid players with lots of PoH to get access to new stuff.

*My first suggestion is a redifinition of the purpose of each currency.* Namely :

* *Badges of Honor* should be the all-purpose WvW specific currency. Used to buy WvW stuff like siege blueprints, traps, or damper the gold value of equivalent PvE basic stuff (like bags). BoH would be earned through "just doing stuff".

* *Proof of Heroics* should be the currency that allows WvW only player to get stuff that's normally found in PvE (like gear). PoH would belong to a currency selection in skirmish chests.

* *Skirmish claim tickets* should just vanish, and more or less get turned into a crafting material that'd be required for grandmaster marks (so that ascended gear remains gated).

It leaves room for adding a new currency for "XPac's recipes, runes, HP completion, and sigils".

*My second suggestion is a merge of each vendor's display for more consistency.* Namely :

* *Armor master* should sell each and every exotic (for PoH) and ascended armors (PoH+marks+memory of battle), alongside cultural and karma skins, including the exotic one (PoH), and the marks recipes.

* *Weapon master* should sell ech and every exotic (for PoH) and ascended weapons (PoH+marks+memory of battle), alongside cultural skins up to T3 (PoH), and the marks recipes.

* *Siege master* should sell both standard and superior siege blueprints (for BoH)

* *Traps and tricks* : doesn't change. Maybe merge it with siege master ?

* *Skritt trader* : no longer needed

* *Skirmish supervisor* : no longer needed

The heroics notary would become a tab vendor :

* *Core tyria* : HP completion, LWS1 runes and sigils (malice, perplexity...), maybe some recipes ? Uses PoH

* *HoT* : HP completion, runes, sigils, recipes, with its own currency.

* *PoF* : HP completion, runes, sigils, recipes, with its own currency.

To conclude on that topic, skirmish chests shouldn't have BoH in them, but PoH and HoT or PoF currencies.

____

I know that may be a big change, and I really want to thinnk that adding new vendors for new things wasn't a lazy move of ANet's, rather a "old NPC's are too hard to change" one. Yet, there're these old things that are making clutter, and really impairing the lisibility of what you can get (materialism) from WvW. It'd be a really nice QoL improvement to clean and tidy all that.

Thanks for attention, feel free to comment.

Eventhough I can foresee that some people will complain it'd kill the _"purity"_ of the game mode, I'm fondly for that kind of thing. It'd also help a lot of new players to figure out what to do.

The territory system would be an interesting way to reduce the visual clutter of all these events : the call would only be sent to players in an adjacent territory.

It'll probably depend on what scale you play : zergs don't have the same needs as solo roamers, or organized parties.

There'll probably more condis, and the new stats that've been unveiled show maybe more mixed damage too. We still don't know whether there'll be more supportive tanky stats, but I'm a bit pessimistic because that's usually not wha ANet favors.

About the boon hate, I feel like it will be only for a time. There're lot of current builds that heavily rely on boon spamming, sustaining and sharing, and spellbreaker alongside scourges will probably hit those *very* hard. Now, I also hope/anticipate that players will adapt their builds and gamestyle, to rely less on boons. It'll make boon hating builds situational at best, which will melt their effectiveness. Time will tell !