User:GW-Ninjatek

Greetings. I assume you have come to my page because you are interested in me, the Wiki user - not me, the Guild Wars player. Therefore, I will not clutter my user page with silly icons, and screenshots, and statistics, and lists of in-game accomplishments and titles. Instead, I will provide a limited amount of information about myself pertaining to my thoughts on the game.

I am somewhat of a veteran Guild Wars player. I've played nearly since the release date (40 months as of September 2008) and own all four installments. I run a Guild that consists of myself, my girlfriend, and the occasional friend of ours who wants to try out the game. Because I don't own a stack of Ectos or Shards, and I don't regularly engage in GVG, I seem to be stuck in that dismal, unrecognized middle ground between "noob" and "pro." I am an older game player, I am educated, and I dislike paying taxes. I am not an elitist, nor am I an idiot.

If you wish to speak with me or to debate/challenge something I have written, please do visit my talk page. When I share my thoughts, I do so in such a manner that you can easily understand what I'm saying. In other words, I am concise; I make an effort to use proper spelling and grammar; I believe that "u" is not an abbreviation for "you." I communicate like an adult because I wish to be treated like one. If you wish the same, then I suggest you do the same, and extend the same courtesies to me. If not, then I will treat "u" like a child.

If you see a typo or coding error on my page, do feel free to correct it - but please leave a note on my talk page indicating said change. Otherwise, I won't know about the mistakes I've made.

Thoughts on Guild Wars Wiki Sites
I contribute to PvX Wiki and the official Guild Wars Wiki under the same username. I perfer the official Wiki community because it's trolled by far fewer elitists. It's amusing to note that the people who engage in varying degrees of assholery and elitism here end up grabbing their ankles or kissing the employees' asses on the official wiki. Even internet video game fanboys have their limits apparently. PvX Wiki is even worse; don't ask questions there. In fact, if you can't post a perfect build, and if you can't vote in a manner consistent with what the admins agree with, then don't bother posting anything at all.

Despite these things, I visit all the sites regularly. This Wikia wiki does tend to have more information, details, and walkthroughs - which is exactly what long-time middle-grounders like myself and my girlfriend need.

Arbitrary and Perceived Value of Items
Two questions: They're identical in function and outward appearance. This begs the question - if two items are identical, but perceived to be worth different amounts, then why have two item colors? Why not have just one? There is no defined, structured, or express mechanism within the game that makes one item worth more than the other. Instead, it's up to the players to decide what is worth more. Unfortunately though, when a player thinks an item is worth more, then also sometimes infer (or imply, depending on the circumstances) that the item is better. For example, I try to sell my requirement 9, inscribed, max damage purple Fellblade for X amount of gold to another player. That player looks at my sword and says, "Nah. I'm not interested.  Mine is better." At which point, he shows off his requirement 9, inscribed, max damage yellow Fellblade.
 * 1) What's worth more? A requirement 9, inscribed, max damage purple Fellblade - or a requirement 9, inscribed, max damage yellow Fellblade?
 * 2)Why?
 * Proposed solution: Make yellow items better and drastically decrease the drop rate. For example, change the game so that max inscriptions and weapon modifiers can only be placed on yellow items.  Something like this would create a defined and valid increase in the value for yellows, and would likely help in putting rare-skin purple items in the hands of players that couldn't afford those same skins if they were yellow.

Simplified Player Selection in Outposts
Identifying and selecting other players in outposts is an important part of party formation and trading. When someone says "WTS/B ____" or "Need 1 more Monk for ____," it is beneficial to be able to quickly identify and select that player. The current system for selecting another player in outposts is so complicated, it's nearly unacceptable. One of the following methods must be implemented to select a character:
 * Hold CTRL and search for the player's name.
 * Click their name in the chat menu, copy it, and then paste it into the party invite area. Then, move to that player (but only if the party size isn't too large already).
 * Manually type in the player's name.

All of these options take several steps and are overly complicated. I propose the following: Clicking a player's name in chat will automatically select that player.

Chant/Shout Indicator
Just as we are able to see which teammates are under the effect of an enchantment, hex and/or weapon spell, we also need to see which characters are under the effects of a shout or chant. This function would allow for better maintenance of echos.

Underground Mapping
Areas such as the Catacombs and Depths of Madness need to remain uncovered on the mini-map after they have been revealed. There is no reason for these maps to be reset upon returning to the areas. I feel like there is no downside to making this change, and that it would be greatly appreciated among players.

/Favor Command
Users shouldn't have to go to areas like the Temple of the Ages to find out who has favor. Users also shouldn't have to wait for a green status message to find out who has favor. I propose a "/favor" command which would return "[Territory] currently has Favor of the Gods."
 * This change was addressed in a recent update. Excellent.

Simplified Travel Between Continents
I find the current system of travel between continents to be overly complicated. Under the current system, if I want to travel to a particular location on another continent, I am forced to travel through that continent's port city. This unnecessary step forces users to load that city, the players in it, the designs on their capes, their mini pets, and all of the text in the talk channels. This is particularly troublesome to users owning computers with sub-par specifications, making load time excruciatingly long.

I propose some sort of revamp in the travel system. A "Favorites" menu, in which users can specify a list of favorite outposts, is a possible option.

There exists an argument that forced travel through port cities encourages trade by forcing the player into a central trade outpost. Nevertheless, players should have the option to bypass this forced system of travel.

Online Status and Ignore List Changes
I have yet to find a suitable argument in favor of the current limited size of the ignore list. This system needs to change. As a paying customer, I should have the ability to ignore more than 10 or 15 users. Additionally, users with a modified online status (Away, Do Not Disturb, etc.) should not be able to communicate with other users until their status has been returned to "Online."

Completed Quest Log
This is largely self-explanatory. A log of completed quests would allow players to see what quests they have completed. This would be useful for simple reference purposes, especially with the often interdependent nature of quests.

Post Mortem Curses
Though one could argue for this in PVP, my particular grievance is in regard to curses remaining after the caster has been killed in PVE. I believe the usefulness of this function is far outweighed by how annoying it is. This may be practical for PVP, but in PVE, it only drags the gameplay.

"Obstructed" on Stairways and Dirt Mounds
Players may find themselves obstructed when attack from or toward a staircase or very small terrain changes. Clearly, there is no obstruction - and this annoyance needs to be addressed once and for all.

Critical Hits on Moving Targets
This function makes little sense in the game, especially for character classes (and players) whose play style depends largely on movement such as warriors and assassins. The result of this is "Stand still and take damage, or try to run and take more." I find neither to be acceptable.

Accessibility to Mappable Areas
Players attempting to achieve 100.0% map exploration need to be allowed to enter mappable areas. For example, the Island of Shehkah, the starting point for Elonian characters, needs to be accessible. Otherwise, the only time it can be mapped is when a new character is created. Likewise, areas like Sunspear Arena (which was not part of the originally released map and was later added to the game) should either not count toward map completion or otherwise be accessible.

Enable Player Navigation on Compass
Currently, click-based travel in explorable areas is limited to Line of sight. However, heroes and henchmen can be directed to anywhere on the compass using the compass controls. (Whether or not they are able to circumvent obstructions and arrive at that location is another matter.) This same function should be enabled for players, as it doesn't seem to have any drawbacks. Enabling players to navigate and move in "chunks" on the compass could eliminate some of the drudgery of constantly clicking ahead and/or using WASD for movement.

Inherent Vagueness of Range
The current range system is vague, largely unidentifiable, and troublesome. More accurate measurements for "In the Area," "Nearby" and other measurements need to be implemented. In Guild Wars, timing and execution are extremely important. Likewise, whether or not a party member is included in a shout, or whether or not an enemy is included in an attack - are crucial components that are dependent on the nature of range in the game.
 * Possible Solutions:
 * Implement a numeric range system that permeates language and cultural restrictions.
 * Example: "All allies within 10 paces" "All enemies within 5 units"
 * Color-code (or otherwise indicate on) both the compass and skills such that a particular color skill is effective within a particular color range on the compass.
 * Example:

Improved Hero AI and Controls Needed
Since day one of Nightfall, Hero AI has been an issue. Though there have been several improvements, very basic functions and annoyances have been overlooked:
 * Prioritization of Skills. There still exists no way to instruct Heroes to use skills in a specific order, recast an enchantment if it wears off, or maintain an enchantment.  In a skill-based game in which the nuances of skill usage often determine the outcome of combat, the lack of consideration for the absence of this function is entirely unacceptable.  Despite intense user experiments and trial-and-error sessions, there is still no certain consensus on what skills heroes know how to use and in which order skills should be placed to maximize their usage and effectiveness.  In fact, what works for one user sometimes does not work for another.  There is little consistency in Hero AI, except for the fact that the Heroes are incredibly stupid and player dependent.
 * Possible Solutions:
 * Modify Hero AI such that skill priority either increases or decreases when moving left or right on the skill bar. (By no means does this address all issues though.)
 * Allow users to assign values to skills, which would then allow them to be used in a particular manner or order.
 * Example: Cast Searing Flames, then Glowing Gaze.
 * Implement a "Keep Active" value that users can assign to skills. This would tell the hero to either maintain an enchantment or recast a skill as soon as it becomes available.
 * Though not completely resolved, this issue has received some attention in a number of updates.
 * Example: Maintain Healer's Covenant. Recast if stripped.

Hero and Henchman Babble
In explorable areas, heroes and henchmen will frequently speak on their own. This speech is manifested in the form of speech bubbles over the characters' heads. I found this to be somewhat comical at first, but it quickly became annoying. I frequently find myself distracted by them. The user should be able to toggle Henchman speech on and off.