SAB: Back to School Edition - can it return?

[Thundabolt.8541]

Ever since SAB started in 2013, it hasn't had two openings in one year since. I understand the reason was because back then, World 2 hadn't been fully finished until August.

 

This year, I've noticed SAB being attended by more players than any other event, some even saying it's the only reason they logged in. No matter how hard the salty minority complain, the praise for this event is deafeningly positive, which is frustrating considering W3 and W4 still aren't available. (Does NCsoft even know about SAB? Because if they did, they'd have surely realised the release of W3 and W4 would have done wonders for the GW2 community even temporarily)

 

This event has so much potential no matter how you look at it; I let my 10 year old cousin play tribulation mode, and he ended up wanting a PC for his birthday just so he could play it himself. To only have it available for 3 weeks every year is madness.

 

I feel that a Back to School Edition reopening could have a positive impact, even if it isn't for 3 weeks and instead just 2, or even 1. That said, I don't think it would work if nothing would have changed since April. Maybe Purple weapon skins for completing the races? An actual Kaiser Snake boss battle, if the thing was ever supposed to exist?

 

It would be considered a miracle if even the preview for W3 was put back in. But if the extra worlds really aren't going to happen, then at the very least, a skip straight to the final boss would be an appreciated gesture, so the princess can finally be saved. Throwing out a random idea, it could even be presented as a silly secret level skip cheat like in the first Mario game.

 

I guess it'd give an extra opportunity to get one more Crimson Assassin weapon skin too :p food for thought.

[hugo.4705]

I gave hints about finishing sab by adjusting the releasing cadence. Anyone at Anet forgot about it I bet, strange considering how popular that festival was back at the beginning :D , the two worlds were released in less than one year. Yeah I would like to see kaiser snake and crimson assassin, no!! will not forget about that project abandoned to rot. the coins races, the upgrades, the new vendor are here to fill the hole created by w3-4. (they are great, thanks for adding them but this isn't the point), they should have re-add moto's lab and world 3-1 preview, but why torturing players if it not going to happens?

At least, remove w3-4 houses from hub instead of showing it just in front of us if it's not going to happens. I still enjoy the festival.

Achievs stats doesn't mean anything, you can be very bad at tribulation, or repelled after doing too much infantile.

An interesting stat would be the time played by players in SAB during the whole festival.

 

Now, it's sure, after 6 years, it is not as much appealing than day 1, that's why w3-4 should have been made in the row of 1-2, a bad decision condemned it.

Just forget about it ;) Enjoy the same worlds. I can understand the decision of putting new maps first it's logical.

 

 

[Ayrilana.1396]

SAB occurred in 2013 which was during LS1. The status of LS2 had no impact on it. It was Anet’s choice to not bring it back until a few years ago.

[Gop.8713]

I love me some SAB but I think you're overstating its mass appeal. Fewer than 10k gw2efficiency accounts have finished the mindbendingly easy 50ap nostalgia cheeve that requires only a single trip through w1&2 infantile and normal. Also, the festival calendar is becoming a little bloated, I'd like to see more 'down time' to explore permanent content. And please everyone give up on w3&4. It's not happening and it's like poking an open wound every time y'all bring it up . . .

 

EDIT: 'trip' not 'trib'. Like I said, I love me some SAB :p

[ExodusAU.9204]

I love SAB and tbh was the only reason i returned from a few months break... I am sad to see it go in the coming week and wish it would be extended another month to keep me playing

[Thundabolt.8541]

> @"Gop.8713" said:

> I love me some SAB but I think you're overstating its mass appeal. Fewer than 10k gw2efficiency accounts have finished the mindbendingly easy 50ap nostalgia cheeve that requires only a single trip through w1&2 infantile and normal. Also, the festival calendar is becoming a little bloated, I'd like to see more 'down time' to explore permanent content. And please everyone give up on w3&4. It's not happening and it's like poking an open wound every time y'all bring it up . . .

>

> EDIT: 'trip' not 'trib'. Like I said, I love me some SAB :p

 

You'd probably say "give up on the mega bomb and boomerang" if it weren't included in this year's SAB

[Ayrilana.1396]

I’m still waiting for my flame sword upgrade.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

> This year, I've noticed SAB being attended by more players than any other event,

I haven't.

 

I see fewer people in SAB after the first day then people in the Labyrinth in the last week of Halloween.

 

SAB is beloved by those who like that sort of thing. It's of absolutely no interest to people who don't like JPs, platform games, RPGs in which your choices make no difference, and so on.

 

> No matter how hard the salty minority complain, the praise for this event is deafeningly positive

Again, the evidence doesn't support that claim. A minority participate in the event and are deafening in their praise. A majority have nothing to do with it, and of those, a minority complain about it ("why is this a festival when my favorite thing is not?").

 

> Does NCsoft even know about SAB? Because if they did, they'd have surely realised the release of W3 and W4 would have done wonders for the GW2 community even temporarily

The evidence suggests otherwise. The main driving force behind SAB, Josh Foreman, took huge amounts of flak after W2 was released. Too long, too hard, too unforgiving, too many buggy|clippy|unpredictable elements, etc. And that was from some of his biggest fans! In part, there's been no W3 or W4 because of the negative feedback W2 got: it was hard to meet expectations of the strongest fans without alienating the next tier

 

> I feel that a Back to School Edition reopening could have a positive impact, even if it isn't for 3 weeks and instead just 2, or even 1. That said, I don't think it would work if nothing would have changed since April.

What's the difference between the current festival and "Back to School Edition?"

 

> It would be considered a miracle if even the preview for W3 was put back in.

Why would they do that, if they don't have plans to bring back W3. It would just give fans unreasonable expectations, that could not be met, creating more disappointment from the strongest fans of the festival than are present today.

[Gop.8713]

> @"Thundabolt.8541" said:

> > @"Gop.8713" said:

> > I love me some SAB but I think you're overstating its mass appeal. Fewer than 10k gw2efficiency accounts have finished the mindbendingly easy 50ap nostalgia cheeve that requires only a single trip through w1&2 infantile and normal. Also, the festival calendar is becoming a little bloated, I'd like to see more 'down time' to explore permanent content. And please everyone give up on w3&4. It's not happening and it's like poking an open wound every time y'all bring it up . . .

> >

> > EDIT: 'trip' not 'trib'. Like I said, I love me some SAB :p

>

> You'd probably say "give up on the mega bomb and boomerang" if it weren't included in this year's SAB

 

Yes. Those things are very similar to w2&3. I see your point . . .