Fansite Friday/Outfitter

Fansite: The Outfitter (site no longer operating)

Date: 24 June 2005

Number: 48

Q&A

Question: Are minor changes such as economy adjustment, increasing drop rates (which are extremely low at present), chatting during in game movies, and allowing screen shots to be saved in other image formats being considered?

Answer: Oh, sure, you bet! There is a long "wish list" of cool new features that we would love to place into the game. But when you call these minor changes, I take it to mean that you understand that the things that you mentioned aren't "do or die" elements of the game but are truly more of the "it will be great when it comes" sort of nature.

It's important to prioritize improvements. Sure, it would be nice to have an in-game movie chat option, or to have screenshots saved in alternative formats. But consider that when each appears to be a minor request, those request may require more programming than it would appear, and that may mean that implementing the new feature would take team members away from major updates, which would be a real shame.

Right now one of our most clear objectives is the development of Observer Mode. We feel that Observer Mode will give the game extra depth, and we know that many players are looking forward to it a great deal. Observer Mode will be coming in the future months. Another objective is to improve the game in fan-suggested and fan-supportive ways. Next week's update, with its focus on the PvP elements of Guild Wars, will provide players with yet another solid demonstration of the resolve of the team to continue to develop Guild Wars and to pursue, always, the possibilities of improvements, evolution of content, and much more.

So while I cannot say with absolute certainty that any of the features mentioned in the original question will absolutely make it into the game, the answer to a question about specific moderate changes to the game would be (1) we will always look for and read fan suggestions and (2) if they are worthy suggestions, we will act upon them within a reasonable timeline, with essential and major development as our primary focus.

Question: Is there a way to make feature requests or other general suggestions with ease like there were during the betas (Suggestion Threads on major forums)?

Answer: While we haven't been kicking off the old beta-style Official Suggestions Threads, we do continue to read the fan forums every day. That truly is the best place for us to see your suggestions, and also to read the feedback of others who come across it on the fansite forum. Sometimes an idea starts out as fair to middlin', but by the time other fans have added their thoughts, the idea has grown and it positively sparkles!

So yes, we would point fans towards fansite forums as a great conduit for suggestions, expressions of concern, and much more. On the other hand, it's important to note that fansite forums are probably not the best place to go for the reporting or resolution of in-game bugs, glitches, or exploits. For those, we ask that individuals get in touch with our team through support.guildwars.com.

Question: Regarding character balances, we've felt that the Ranger in particular is lacking as opposed to other characters. An example would be that all the other professions' weapons can use a different attribute such as a Mesmer can find weapons that require Illusion Magic or Domination Magic to get the full benefits. Rangers however are the only profession in Guild Wars that only has weapons for one attribute, Marksmanship. Is there any plans to balance this (Perhaps using Expertise) and other balances within the game?

Answer: The Ranger is one of the most versatile and effective professions in the game, and with pets and traps, this profession seems fairly well compensated for the difference in weapon attributes. Consider, too, that bows are the only weapon type that offers a wide variation of characteristics, such as longer range, armor penetration, and faster attack speeds/firing rates. So while she may have just the one attribute for weapons, the Ranger's primary weapon itself is more varied. In speaking to two members of the Design Team this evening, it doesn't appear that there will be changes made in the areas of attributes and weapons, as they are satisfied that the profession has been given a full measure of balancing attention. (As a player primarily of Rangers, I may disagree just a bit. :) )

Bonus Question: Is it true that there are more than 2,000 possible combinations for mixing dye? If this is the case, is it a simple algorithm they used or was there more of a complexity to the item? If not, how many approximate combinations would you say there were? Do you think that in the future they may introduce other colors to the game such as white or an actual gold? When you dye a Chaos Axe it tends not to be the color you dyed it originally, but an 'opposite color,' why is this and are there plans to have more items that do this as well?

Answer: There are well over 2,000 possible dye combinations; in fact, I think there may be more than twice that number. It's not a simple algorithm; there is more complexity to the formula. But don't let this sheer number of possibilities dissuade you from progressing on your excellent dye guide! The addition of new colors is something that has been requested via fan forums, and we've certainly noticed the interest in new colors. I would anticipate that we will have new hue options in the next chapter. I'm not sure that white or gold will be in the mix, but we'll see!

Thanks a lot everyone at The-Outfitter.net.