Story achievements and party participation

[courin.2314]

Given that GW2 is a MMORPG (where one of those "M" stands for "multiplayer"), it frustrates me no end how often achievements aren't possible when playing in a party, without having to do multiple run throughs.

 

For example, if you are playing in a party, only the instance owner can 'earn' the achievements "Crystal Circuit Racer", "Stubborn" (and I have heard "Electrophobia" but I've not personally confirmed that one) in "The Crystal Dragon". So, if you like playing as part of a group (in my case, a group of 3 as it's me, hubby and kiddo most often), we have to do the same story 3 times for everyone to get the achievement. It's very immersion breaking, and it seems needlessly gated.

 

I'd love to know for sure if it's intended this way, and if so, why? From my perspective, it's punishing to those who play the game with friends, and I just don't see the logic in it. However, if there's a good reason for it, I'd be happy to hear the arguments 'for' this design decision. Though it would be really nice to have it noted in the achievement itself (i.e. something that says "If playing in a group, only the instance owner can earn this achievement") so that it's KNOWN that this is the way it's intended and people don't get frustrated by a false expectation.

 

On the other hand.. if this is a bug.. plox fix?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sillypants.5021]

Confirmed, I saw this tonight. I was the instance owner. The other party members had the Electrophobia Eligibility icon on their buff bar all the way to the end of the cut scene. Neither of them got it. I'm going to assume this is not a design error, but a bug. Also, we did it three times in total so that each of us could get the Circuit Racer Achievement.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

There are a couple of different teams working on LS. One of them seems fond of checking to make sure that anyone can get all the chieves first time through. Another group seems inclined to have mutually exclusive goals, so that we have to repeat the instance at least twice or three times. And still others working at ANet seem to forget to check that everyone in the party is eligible for all the chieves.

 

I suspect that it's not entirely intended on their part. I think, for example, in this case, no one thought to ask, "can everyone get this? or just the instance owner?" Maybe they would have changed it before launch had they realized. (Or maybe not.)

[Mythykle Mythryndyr.4573]

I think they actually do it on purpose, to stop you draging others thru while they sit afk at start just to get them the chieve.

But yeah, that makes it unfair to real teams

Should be a way to make it like events. No action or idleness makes you ineligable/non participation marked.

[Cameron Rich.3905]

This was unintended and we have a fix coming soon™. Individual players should be able to earn achievements even when partied together, as long as it makes sense in the context of the achievement.

For example, Electrophobia is a personal responsibility achievement, and should be awarded to individual players based on whether or not they completed their individual responsibilities (in this case, not getting hit by lightning). Stubborn, on the other hand, asks that you complete the instance without using any of the helpful buffs, so either the whole group participates and earns the achievement, or no one does (we made this a choice of the instance owner in the conversationdef, but you get the idea.)

[courin.2314]

> @"Cameron Rich.3905" said:

> This was unintended and we have a fix coming soon™. Individual players should be able to earn achievements even when partied together, as long as it makes sense in the context of the achievement.

> For example, Electrophobia is a personal responsibility achievement, and should be awarded to individual players based on whether or not they completed their individual responsibilities (in this case, not getting hit by lightning). Stubborn, on the other hand, asks that you complete the instance without using any of the helpful buffs, so either the whole group participates and earns the achievement, or no one does (we made this a choice of the instance owner in the conversationdef, but you get the idea.)

 

Cameron, thanks very much for replying and clarifying this.

 

I do of course understand that the 'individual' types achievements (i.e. avoid getting hit by xyz) should be solely dependent upon the performance of the player, and should be eligible regardless of playing solo or in a party. The reason I raised Electrophobia was because in our run through, at least one person in my group who wasn't the instance owner and felt they had met the criteria didn't get it.

 

 

Any idea if, when 'soon' comes and this is fixed, players who already 'earned' the achievement in groups will automatically get it, or will we have to do it again?

 

 

 

 

[Ashamir.9574]

> @"Cameron Rich.3905" said:

> Stubborn, on the other hand, asks that you complete the instance without using any of the helpful buffs, so either the whole group participates and earns the achievement, or no one does (we made this a choice of the instance owner in the conversationdef, but you get the idea.)

 

I played "The Crystal Dragon" with a friend. She hosted the instance and declined the buffs. We were both eligible for the achievement, but when we were done with the story only she got it. Is this a bug as well then?