In Guild Wars 2, the major September patch is supposed to solve some of the difficulties that Europeans in particular have been struggling with since April. With global guilds, better algorithms, and new features, they aim to eliminate the stomach aches caused by the mega-servers.
When the last major feature patch for Guild Wars 2 was released in April, there were complaints in the weeks and months that followed. While the new features were nice, the patch also brought mega-servers to Tyria – and they were not well received. What caused little trouble in China or the USA created issues in Europe with the various national languages. Additionally, players complained about overcrowded maps, a loss of identification with “their” server, and difficulties arranging activities with guild mates. We have extensively reported on the chaos and frustration caused by the mega-servers.
Global Guilds as a Solution: Influence, Vault, Unlocks
In the weeks and months that followed, ArenaNet stated that they continued to work on the algorithms that determined which player was placed in which instance of a zone and with whom they were sent there. In the September patch, ArenaNet addresses this area again.
With “global guilds” that are already running in China, it will be ensured that regardless of which server one is on, they can still contribute to their home guild.
The patch also introduces a solution for the guild vault: Here, the one with the most tabs will count going forward. The items in smaller vaults on other servers are said not to be lost, as they will remain in extra slots.
For guild missions, a temporary solution for small and medium-sized guilds seems to have been found, where reservations and preferences of guild mates for the specific instance of a map where the guild mission starts will be worked on. For larger guilds, a solution is still being worked on.
Compensation for Map Switchers
If too many copies of a map are created, and too many instances of an area are open, a map closes in Guild Wars 2. More and more players disappear from it and move to other instances. This mechanism is now intended to be changed by warning players that they are about to switch instances. Those who immediately shout, “Here, take me! I’m switching right away!” will receive a small EXP and Karma bonus, as well as a speed boost for 10 minutes.
Furthermore, they want to continue to refine the algorithms, especially those that ensure that players are sent to maps where they feel comfortable and can communicate. They do not want to completely separate the different language groups in Europe, but they would like to take more consideration of them.
The major feature patch is set to be released on September 9.
