User talk:Gaile Gray/Archive Community Matters

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/March - April 2007
/May - June 2007

Design-a-weapon

Could I ask you a quick question about the contest? When I mail my entries in, can I put multiple drawings in the same envelope? Postage can be pretty expensive! - BeXoR 03:34, 26 March 2007 (EDT)

Not to take her place but Gaile has answered this question already on another fansite forum so I'll take the liberty of answering. Please forgive me Gaile but I know time is running short for entries to be mailed in.

The answer is: Yes. You can mail multiple entries in one package/envelope as Gaile is all for saving postage (she did say that actually). Just make sure they are all individually marked (your name, etc.) as specified in the rules. --File:VallenIconwhitesmall.JPG Vallen Frostweaver 07:50, 26 March 2007 (EDT)

Time's running out Bexor. Better get those in. ;) This coming from the guy who plans to 2 day or overnight his. :p — Gares 07:56, 26 March 2007 (EDT)

Thanks, Vallen, that's right. We do ask no more than one per item type, when possible. (Multiples will not be disqualified, this time, but we really prefer to have one each, at most.) Also, please note: Only one entry from any single individual will be routed into the second level of judging. So choose "quality over quantity" and focus on the best concepts, rather than feeling obliged to produce a concept for, say, each type of item. Go where your inspiration takes you, of course, but if you submit three excellent entries, for fairness and to reach the broadest number of players, only the one judged best of those three would be sent to the next round. Lastly, a bit of contest trivia: the largest number of entries feature traditional weapons -- sword, axe, bow, shield, etc. -- and the fewest feature focus items or staves. We look forward to these final days, as the contest wraps up and we get to review all the wonderful entires! --Gaile 13:33, 26 March 2007 (EDT)

Thank you very much for these answers Vallen and Gaile. I have so many ideas and I'm running out of time to finish them! I had thought myself though, that it would be best to limit my entries, and perhaps save some of the other ideas for any future contests. :) And Gares, I think we're in the same boat here. ;) - BeXoR 13:47, 26 March 2007 (EDT)

One is finished, second one is in sketch mode. BeXoR, I wish you luck and I am sure you have as much fun in these contests as me. More importantly, let's both make it on time. :D — Gares 14:08, 26 March 2007 (EDT)

I was GOING to submit one, but you have to be 13 or older...:'( BLASTEDT 15:12, 26 March 2007 (EDT)

I wanted to do that to, butI just can't draw very well *sigh* ----InfestedHydralisk 15:37, 26 March 2007 (EDT)

Well, I had one finished that I was working on for 2 weeks and had created 4-5 drafts of before hand and then played that night that I finished it being so happy only to find that my "spear" idea was already almost completely duplicated in a "staff" skin (a monk was carrying it in my group). I was so upset. Needless to say I did not turn it in. Maybe that might make some of you feel better? --File:VallenIconwhitesmall.JPG Vallen Frostweaver 08:04, 29 March 2007 (EDT)

Lol. I checked every staff, regular weapons and unique weapons to make sure my monk staff skin was nothing like another one. That was one of my main concerns when coming up with ideas. And let me say, wow, for working 2 weeks on creating your entries. You are more methodical than me. I do have to say, my freehand was rusty to say the least and I definitely can't top Daniel Dociu. Let's hope they lower the standard. :p I'd love to see a video of that man in action. — Gares 08:16, 29 March 2007 (EDT)

I did a sketch of something that ended up looking like an offhand that already existed in the game. I ended up submitting a shield and a staffhead/wandhead/offhand type item. I had to run a mile to mail it on time and then I sat and waited for the postman to collect it from the box, just to be sure. I'm paranoid like that. :P - BeXoR 10:35, 29 March 2007 (EDT)

*ahem* Deadline's tomorrow. :) --Gaile 11:50, 29 March 2007 (EDT)

Tomorrow you say? to the crayola box! --Jamie 11:55, 29 March 2007 (EDT)

:( can you bend the age limit + lemme send it to you through internets please? BLASTEDT 16:46, 29 March 2007 (EDT)

Crayola box? lol. That's too good. I spent $25.00 to overnight my entries. They'll be there at 3:00 PST today. :p — Gares 11:38, 30 March 2007 (EDT)

Deadline for postmarking is 6pm and you have to remember I'm in Australia and a day ahead of everyone. :P I had mine express mailed too, so it should be there on Monday. ;) - BeXoR 12:28, 30 March 2007 (EDT)

(Reset indent) I'm feeling pretty bad that some of you are spending exorbitant amounts to submit your entries. Please, just take it to the post office and mail it! No express mail, no overnight service -- honestly! In fact, as long as it's postmarked March (meaning you have tomorrow, too) that's more than fine. --Gaile 13:19, 30 March 2007 (EDT)

That's very kind of you to think of us Gaile but from experience (I submitted one last time there was a guild emblem contest) you always get that nagging feeling in the back of your head saying "What if that last day regular mail I sent wasn't received on time and THAT's why I didn't win?" I think what they are doing is a good alternative (IMO) to eliminate that nagging feeling and regret that I didn't express mail it last time because I'll always feel that way about that entry now (the fish that got away). --File:VallenIconwhitesmall.JPG Vallen Frostweaver 14:56, 30 March 2007 (EDT)

I wouldn't feel bad at all. To date, I have spent $430 on Guild Wars and character slots. The prizes of the contest don't really matter, nor the prestige of winning, because no one knows my real name anyways. Contests are just fun and exciting to participate in. Call it an entry fee ;) — Gares 15:27, 30 March 2007 (EDT)

I call it peace of mind. ;) --File:VallenIconwhitesmall.JPG Vallen Frostweaver 16:28, 30 March 2007 (EDT)

I agree Gares. The money doesn't really matter, or the prizes, but the honour of having something you designed put in the game! That's what it's all about. - BeXoR 00:02, 31 March 2007 (EDT)

Note: The contest deadline has passed, and I have to say we've never had so many wonderful deadlines. Thanks to all who entered. ArenaNet received two boxes full of entries, and we've not yet received all the art from our half-dozen partners offices! It's going to be tough judging, but the items are going to be great! --Gaile 12:00, 3 April 2007 (EDT)

Update on Contest (edit to archive): The winners have been announced in the Design-A-Weapon 2007 contest. The quality of the entries was so high we expanded the prize pool by about 400%. You can find the list of winners, honorable mentions, and finalists on the DAW Page. --Gaile 13:09, 12 May 2007 (EDT)

Alpha and Beta Testing Questions

I have noted an increase in forum posts and emails asking about becoming a Guild Wars alpha or beta tester. This is perfectly natural, of course, given the recent news. :) Folks are generously offering to help out with our alpha test. They're also expressing an interest in taking part in any beta testing or beta events that we may have for Guild Wars: Eye of the North.

I want to let folks know -- and hopefully you'll share the word -- that currently we do not have plans to increase our current very small alpha test group. Furthermore, we have not made a decision about testing for GW:EN. We'll have in-house testing, of course, and will likely involve our alpha testers. But beyond that, we do not have anything to announce yet about beta testing or beta events. And of course it's far too distant for us to be planning testing for Guild Wars 2. For while we've announced Guild Wars 2, the bulk of our focus right now is firmly on the expansion pack.

We'll be discussing testing internally over the next few months. We'll share information on our plans when it is finalized and ready for announcement. We are not building a list for the future, so there is no need to contact us at this time. Thank you to everyone who has expressed a willingness and interest in helping, and we'll be sure to share more information as it becomes available. --Gaile 16:13, 31 March 2007 (EDT)

And now a request for advice: Would this be better on the Gaile News page? I can certainly move it there, if that's the better spot. I'd like some opinions on placement. Thanks. --Gaile 16:16, 31 March 2007 (EDT)

Do you wish for the statement to have a bit more visibility? I think that there would be some benefit moving, or duplicating it to the Gaile News as new visitors to the site might come across it by browsing links from the main page, rather than having to know that you 'post' here and have an active talk page? --Aspectacle 18:29, 31 March 2007 (EDT)

Agreed, and yes I think it's a kindness to keep people up to date on this matter, since testing is very close to the hearts of many, and it's only fair to talk about the current status. I've posted on the Gaile News page, and thank you for your feedback, Aspectacle. --Gaile 19:48, 31 March 2007 (EDT)

Alpha and Beta Testing Questions contd.

→ (moved here from /Archive Community Matters#Alpha and Beta Testing Questions)

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post in, but what exactly do you look for when selecting Alpha Testers and Beta Testers? Age? Experience? Education? Furthuremore, I never saw a statement regarding ANET looking to gather a team of Alpha Testers for GW1 (not GW2). How are we supposed to know if you want some Alpha testers? I am full of questions but will leave it at that. --Counciler

Alpha Testers have become involved via various paths. Some of our processes in the past have been fabulously successful; others have not. We've learned a lot about testing, in general, and about how to build a good test team, too. What we look for are people who are experienced gamers, who are mature and able to grasp that the Alpha Test isn't about "playing in preview" and it isn't about promoting one's own ideas about game design, or about pushing an agenda for one gameplay form over another (PvP or PvE), and it's not about telling the designers how to do their jobs... or how you can do it all so much better. Alpha Testing is about being willing to undertake missions that aren't complete, combat that isn't balanced, and quests that may end with a major bug. It's doing something many times, to the point it's not necessarily "fun," but doing it because you can solve the riddle of a crash, or help in determining the best spawn points for monsters. It's about patience and helpfulness, curiosity and problem-solving. It's about the ability to work as part of a team, and, most of all, it's about respect. Respect for one's fellow players, even if they have entirely different in-game interests, even if they are completely different people than those with whom you'd normally interact. Respect for the people making the game, who work hard, who know much, who have the responsibility of keeping an eye on a million different aspects of the game in order to make it the wonderful thing that Guild Wars has been and will be.

All our Alpha Testers are included by invitation only. We have no application process, nor are we likely to start one. We "hand pick" each member. Some of our best testers became involved because we spotted them on fansite forums and issued them a personal invitation. Positive, intelligent, respectful, constructive, concise... those are all qualities that stand out and that persuade us that someone is a good potential tester. (People may think that pages-long posts will catch our eye. Au contraire, it's the one- or two-paragraph brilliant encapsulation of a concept that is more likely to get the nod. We don't want a dissertation, we want the nitty gritty, expressed as clearly and concisely as possible.)

At this time we have no openings in the test, and I do not feel that we will have any for GW:EN at all, although it is possible that we may expand the test in the coming months. Whether we expand the Alpha Test in the future remains to be seen. --Gaile 00:02, 12 May 2007 (EDT)

Well, even the ones who are quiet on the fansites really like to help out a lot and would consider it an honor (yes, haha) to be a part of such an Alpha test (hint hint). I would say I fit in all the points you mentioned (although my intelligence might be questionable after this post...) and I really don't like giving up until I actually finish something, like Hard Mode missions in the harder Elonian areas and let's face it, some of them can be a real pain to beat. That quality might be especially important for trying out missions and quests in, like you said, unbalanced environments. One of the things I would find both interesting and challenging would be finding the best spots to place the spawns, though that's not saying it wouldn't be incredibly fun to do.

Now don't take this as an application to join a non-existant closed Alpha test of any kind, because it's not. It's just a reminder that even the more silent people can contribute to both the game and the community. Lerre 16:22, 14 May 2007 (EDT)

While the more silent people can certainly have the potential to contribute, it's highly difficult for ArenaNet to take notice of them when they don't do anything that would make people take notice. -- ab.er.rant 21:03, 14 May 2007 (EDT)

Aberrant is right. We don't have an application process, by intention, and we will not add one. What can we learn by that--the same points of self-recommendation a thousand times over? It's just not helpful. What we can do is stay active in the community and observe others who are similarly engaged. Involvement in the Alpha Test comes with a price: One must be committed to the process, one must be a good and respectful communicator. I'm afraid that "quiet ones" on the forums just won't be seen and, because we have no way of measuring what their contribution might be, almost certainly will not be invited to participant.

An individual can write up a good resume with all sorts of positive comments about him- or herself. The self-appraisal may even be 100% accurate. However, it's what others observe, what others note, that is more telling. In fact, I admit I'm puzzled by what silent people contribute to both the game and the community. They certainly do not detract -- not at all. But what is the contribution? I guess my assessment of giving to the community is giving in a visible manner, such as activity in the forums, dedicated fansite work, moderator service, GWW contributions, etc. Those form the "references" section and the job history of that fictional "resume," and they are the most factual means to judge a potential tester. By what else could we judge someone and hope to assess their potential as a tester?

I hope that makes sense and seems a reasonable policy. --Gaile 02:07, 16 May 2007 (EDT)

I think it may be useful to note that I am not wanting to join your Alpha Testing team, I simply want to learn as much about how it works as I can. Eventually, when I am old and grey-haired and have finished college, I will attempt to join the ArenaNet team. In the meantime, I like to learn as much as I can about the mechanics of Guild Wars and its Development. Now to continue on, are the Alpha Testers technically part of the ArenaNet team or are they more of a third party who is not affiliated with ArenaNet? Also, are the Closed Beta Test team and Alpha Test team one and the same? Or do you use different teams for more of a 'second set of eyes' concept? --Counciler

The Alpha Testers are volunteers. They are not part of our team, that is, they have no "official status" but contribute greatly to the game's playability and polish. This group of testers is bound by an NDA, as would be any number of others, from press people to contractors. We have not have closed beta tests in the past. We have internal testing, involving team members from various international teams. We also have the alpha test which runs a bit after internal testing but sometimes concurrent with it. The Alpha involves those volunteer players, mostly from North America and Europe, that I mentioned. In the past, rather than closed betas we have offered public beta events, where all are welcome to try out the game. Note: We have not announced any information about pre-release testing--such as beta events, etc.--for Guild Wars: Eye of the North or for Guild Wars 2. --Gaile 17:26, 21 May 2007 (EDT)

For the record, I know at least one Guild Wars Wiki administrator who'd enjoy being involved in the alpha process for Guild Wars 2. ;) —Tanaric 01:48, 20 May 2007 (EDT)

Sex Change?

So will you be on tonight sporting your new male look? My character seems to have had some miracle grow applied to his chest overnight... o.0 --Lemming64 08:52, 1 April 2007 (EDT)

My poor Rufus in his ascended Kurzick armor! I had to put my cape back on! - BeXoR 10:11, 1 April 2007 (EDT)

Brilliant April Fool's Day joke and gave me a chance to see the what if my characters' sex were changed question. /thumbs up and hope to see how your characters changed for just this day.--Bane of Worlds (talk • contribs) 14:28, 1 April 2007 (EDT)

Oh, you think this is temporary? ;) --Gaile 15:50, 1 April 2007 (EDT)

I don't! :D BLASTEDT 17:50, 1 April 2007 (EDT)

Temporary or not, it is cruel! I already knew I shoulda made my warrior female in the first place. You didn't have to rub it in my face like this! The girls are just soo much prettier! What Anet does here is twisting the dagger in the wound. So mean... :( --84-175 (talk) 18:05, 1 April 2007 (EDT)

So when is the clinic for permanent change coming? :) --Lemming64 18:21, 1 April 2007 (EDT)

This means he will probably get a hair dresser NPC. :P --Chiaro 18:56, 1 April 2007 (EDT)

My friend decided after seeing his male mesmer in black Ancient armor that he should have made it a female. :P - BeXoR 00:12, 2 April 2007 (EDT)

A lot of players told me that the event really opened their eyes to new options for choosing characters. More than a few asked if they could keep their re-gendered char. :) --Gaile 18:52, 10 April 2007 (EDT)

ATS testing!

Ahoy! It's 19:13 GMT and the tests haven't started? If they have, they negligently forgot to activate my testing account. :P :) BLASTEDT 14:14, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

Uhoh, it 19:30. Either 2:00 EST isn't 19:00 gmt, or something is terribly wrong on ANet end :P BLASTEDT 14:29, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

So, I'm not the only one waiting to have the account given to me to be authorized to play. Odd. I figured this all would've been dealt with directly. - 204.112.202.63 14:34, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

:( I wanna help my anet plz. No, no playdoh plz, ante plz! :P BLASTEDT 14:35, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

They have several hundred accounts to activate. Give it time. - Drago 14:36, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

I can log in, but it says I don't have access to gw. BLASTEDT 14:38, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

Offtopic: Will I get UAX or UAS? BLASTEDT 14:39, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

I have no idea what that means. o.o!? - DяấĢő 14:42, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

UAX=Unlock All (X), or unlock everything. UAS=Unlock all Skills. BLASTEDT 14:50, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

I'm getting worried. BLASTEDT 14:51, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

It's okay. -hands Blast a teddy bear- -- DяấĢő 14:54, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

It turned on now :) BLASTEDT 15:05, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

Yay at UAX, or at least I've seen UAS so far.BLASTEDT 15:25, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

FYI: We seem to have a debate at Talk:Guild_Wars_Eye_of_the_North#EotN_skills_preview on if the ATS skills are under an NDA. As I'm not in the beta, I have no idea, so I wanted to let you know so that you can comment. --- Barek (talk • contribs) - 15:26, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

I have no clue myself, but I like secrets, so I support keepign everyone else in the dark. BLASTEDT 15:27, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

haveto hurry bye. 5 min left for me to register my account. Dumb loading times. BLASTEDT 15:28, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

Ending

That was rather anticlimactic. Sorry for dancing as a warrior on you, xD, couldn't resist Gaile. :) [Image:User Blastedt sig.jpg]]BLASTEDT 19:06, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

Me and Blast will continue to be your personal Wiki-gnomes. - DяấĢő 20:02, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

:D BLASTEDT 20:17, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

But guys... Wiki gnomes do their job quietly... lol and you certainly are anything but... hahaha --Jamie 20:52, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

meanie :( BLASTEDT 21:17, 7 April 2007 (EDT)

Here someone claims that there were miniature keys for live handed out at end of the test. Could someone confirm? I made it to all the test days except the first ones, but left early yesterday because I missed entry into the first round. (I was playing rated when Izzy dropped the timer from 20 -> 3 and wasn't back in time (round one pairings had begun)). (Qanar | talk) 12:20, 14 April 2007 (EDT)

In truth, no keys or items of any kind were given to ATS Testers. The only reward was the experience, and our undying gratitude. :) --Gaile 19:42, 17 April 2007 (EDT)

Update on ATS Testing

We will be holding test sessions this week, Wednesday - Friday, April 18 - 20. The start time will remain 12:00 Noon (19:00 GMT). Please arrive in the first 1/2 hour to register. We would greatly appreciate your helping us out as we put the final touches on the ATS, and as always, thank you for your help in the past. (Due to the short time period, we won't be bringing in additional testers for this sessions. If we have other opportunities in the future, we will post them here on the GWW.) --Gaile 19:44, 17 April 2007 (EDT)

Updated Update to the ATS Testing Update

(Or somethin' like that)

If you were on the test server today, you may have met my associate, Andrew, who gave you the straight scoop on this week's testing. Two challenges: A bit more tweaking is required before we can test, so we want to invite you to test on Thursday and Friday of this week. (The second challenge I might not mention, but in fact the programmers didn't do a good job of converting the time to GMT, and that's why some of you had difficulty getting into the test server right at Noon Pacific. Which everyone who is anyone knows is 19:00 (7:00 PM) GMT. Sheesh! ;) )

Anyway, hope to see testers Thursday, April 19, and Friday, April 20, at Noon Pacific, for what we think will be the final test sessions! --Gaile 01:07, 19 April 2007 (EDT)

Mursaat Rally

Just thought I'd quickly say thanks for attending the Mursaat Rally yesterday, was good fun to see you there, along with everyone's favorite floating golden people. If you need an infusion run sometime just let me know :). --Indecision 04:01, 15 April 2007 (EDT)

I was in International District 3, the district who had a pet Mursaat ^^, can you let the scribe know about that? ^^ Tomoko 07:36, 16 April 2007 (EDT)

No Day of the Tengu?

I was surprised to hear you state that there were no plans for a "Day of the Tengu" this year. I've been saving a stack of naga fangs from last year's festival in anticipation for the event this year. Still, I think I'll continue to pack them away.--Xis10al 16:45, 24 April 2007 (EDT)

I completely agree with you -- tuck those fangs away because, well, you never know when they'll be useful. As I understand it, the regional observation of the Day of the Tengu will not come to be, but instead there will be a very modest but more global celebration of... well, you will learn the details from The Scribe and from another source on Wednesday of this week. Why, that's just a little over 12 hours from now! ;) --Gaile 00:08, 25 April 2007 (EDT)

Guild Wars second Birthday

First of all, I wish to say a weekend event for Guild Wars second birthday is a wonderful idea. It's hard to believe that it's really been 2 and a half years or so since I participated in the October World Preview Event. Guild Wars has really given me some fun times, I and don't intend to stop playing it (or it's sequals!) until the bitter end. Hopefully, you'll be there too, Gaile.

Anyways, not sure where to ask this, but here seems appropriate. On the site, it says that starting 12:01AM on April 28th, people will start to recieve their 2nd Birthday presents. However, my elementalist, Myrai Tamara, was made at roughly 6:00AM on April 27th, 2005, due to the early access for people who pre-ordered. Will I be recieving my present on the 27th, or the 28th?

(Also, completely off topic, but I apologize for missing the last few ATS sessions. Had a cable blackout, no TV or internet for a week and a half. That was horrible.) Marin Alacet 19:23, 25 April 2007 (EDT)

Pronunciation

I've been wondering for while since I read your name, how exactly do you pronounce it? It's the "e" at the end that puts me off... Hime-chan 16:14, 25 April 2007 (EDT)

The final "e" is silent - it rhymes with mail, sail, tail, fail, snail, bail, rail, wail, and jail. ^_^ --Snograt 16:38, 25 April 2007 (EDT)

In other words, it's pronounced exactly like Gale. :) -Spot 17:18, 25 April 2007 (EDT)

Maria Moon

first off sorry in advance i dont know how to start my open topic so i added a bit on the last one, ok now my question, on one of your ofther accounts do you have a charachter called maria moon, the reason we think this is because she bares very similar charachteristics to you please leave any comments you have on this (please dont take it seriously as trying to impersonate an anet staff member) ^_^ --The preceding unsigned comment was added by User:Words can heal .

No I have no such character, nor have I ever had a character with that name. --Gaile 23:44, 11 May 2007 (EDT)

People

Izzy hasn't made any changes on this site in over a month, (which includes replies) I hope he's at least looking at the suggestions he is getting, if not, could you direct him towards his talkpage sometime soon? :) ‽-(eronth) I give up 23:49, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

I spoke with James Phinney, who is the Lead Designer for Guild Wars, and he said that we're likely to provide some notes about upcoming skill changes for players next week. Now, I want to emphasize this is not a promise, it's just a plan that we hope to fulfill, if work schedules and update timelines allow. In the meantime, please know that Izzy took a well-deserved week off this wek, but I know that he is very receptive to player input and that he will keep up on suggestions, for sure! --Gaile 04:39, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

kk, cool. Thanks for letting me know. ‽-(eronth) I give up 04:53, 26 May 2007 (UTC)