Guild Wars 2 Guild Server Choice (EU)

[Timofee]

So where do we want to live?

The consensus on mumble was that we like Desolation, both as a name and because its well populated and competitive in WvW. We've also become attached after the beta weekends.

However, it seems fair to put it to a vote, just in case.

In terms of the concern that people won't be able to get on (and I know when a few peeps tried it was full over the weekend). The beta weekend gave a pretty good impression of how they're going to do it. Which is basically to gradually up server caps as the launch progresses to force a distribution, this means at given points over the launch Desolation will be full, but a few hours later it will not.

Effectively its going to penalize, not those who come late (i.e. days/months later), but rather those who are a little slow and come in 2 or 3 hours after live. I'm comfortable with this (since you're all going to be clicking logon every 6 seconds before its even live right? RIGHT!?)

For reference here was the pop caps later in the weekend. We're not certain but it seemed to be sorted in descending order (even within same rating) i.e.Augury Rock was the most heavily populated.

As a further reference, Screwie kindly pointed us to http://www.gw2guilds.org/guilds/eu/desolation
(bear in mind that this is pretty biased since the guy that created the site is part of DkR - who are on Desolation)


http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv221/Timofee/pop1.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv221/Timofee/pop2.jpg

[byteCrunch]

Desolation fo' life!

[John]

Desolation was very enjoyable experience, I wouldn't like to trade that away anytime soon! : )

[Jockie]

I voted no because I hated being the rofflestomp zerg rush pvp server during every single beta event bar the last. They might have improved the match-making it's true, but I still prefer being the underdog, where you can see your own impact in far clearer terms than you do as part of the teeming masses.

The other reason is simply because it's no fun trying to deal with a full server on launch day, trying to persuade friends all to start on the same server when they can't get logged in (and there are other servers waiting, with space). It's just an unnecessary hassle, there's no advantage to being in an over-populated realm. If the choice on the 25th comes down to starting the game with friends, or waiting a couple of hours to get on desolation, it's no contest really.

[John]

I voted no because I hated being the rofflestomp zerg rush pvp server during every single beta event bar the last. They might have improved the match-making it's true, but I still prefer being the underdog, where you can see your own impact in far clearer terms than you do as part of the teeming masses.

The other reason is simply because it's no fun trying to deal with a full server on launch day, trying to persuade friends all to start on the same server when they can't get logged in (and there are other servers waiting, with space). It's just an unnecessary hassle, there's no advantage to being in an over-populated realm. If the choice on the 25th comes down to starting the game with friends, or waiting a couple of hours to get on desolation, it's no contest really.

BWE3 was a lot better, the reason why there was so much stomp was the server matchmaking not working. And on top of that, there was a lot and I mean a lot of servers. And most of those servers had very low pop, despite the game being overly popular. And if desolation is really a bigdog, there will be alot of bigdog fights at some point. Meaning, the server will be matched against as good servers as desolation is. So the fights will be hard. And not to mention, they will start out with 24-hour matches on release, if I remember correctly. And at some point go over to the 2 weeks fights.

Just a speculation, I don't think the server numbers are really set at the moment. So there might actually be more servers on launch, at least I would assume that. Since I think a lot more people will probably buy the game, once it has been properly advertised. But than again that is just my speculation.

[Timofee]

I voted no because I hated being the rofflestomp zerg rush pvp server during every single beta event bar the last. They might have improved the match-making it's true, but I still prefer being the underdog, where you can see your own impact in far clearer terms than you do as part of the teeming masses.

I think the match making proved that "rofflestomp zerg rush" will be a thing of a past. Anet fully acknowledged the matchmaking was broken. [for previous weekends]

I'm not sure how much WvW you did on Sunday but the match up with the two French servers was truly outstanding, beautifully poised and was far and away the best PvP experience I've had in an MMO bar none. The feeling of defending our keep against forces 2 to 3 times the size of our own was breathtaking, as was the hurried rushes back when out scouting and stumbling across the main force of an enemy server.

As for seeing your impact, I guess that's how you define it. If you mean you and couple of friends then yeah sure I can see that you might struggle with that but in the context of the guild we absolutely made a noticeable impact over the weekend. My story on the main thread may be a little hyperbolized but the actual events are entirely true. I'll be posting about the match up with the Frenchies later (or tomorrow) but our impact was undeniable. I think concurrently we had no more than 8 guild members in WvW but we held genuinely held and maintained a foothold in the enemy realm often against a vastly superior enemy force. We also led a number of assaults. As with anything it is what you make of it - if you choose to go with the mass zerg of 100 players, well what do you expect, but the breadth of territory and differing objectives means (I think) there are viable options for all players

Its fair to say I'm biased, but I think with good reason - I've had a history of playing MMOs on unpopular servers and honestly the experience has been depressing - trying to scrape together groups for raids (which I appreciate is not an issue for GW2) or getting trounced in PvP has made me regret not picking more popular servers. As has reading about the exploits of major servers where organized Guilds have accomplished x and beaten y in spectacular fashion. They've made me yearn to be closer to that action. Of course the flip side has left me thankful, in not having to queue to join and not having horrendous lag, but with GW2 and the introduction of overflow servers it leaves just one major hump i.e. the getting on in the first place.


The other reason is simply because it's no fun trying to deal with a full server on launch day, trying to persuade friends all to start on the same server when they can't get logged in (and there are other servers waiting, with space). It's just an unnecessary hassle, there's no advantage to being in an over-populated realm. If the choice on the 25th comes down to starting the game with friends, or waiting a couple of hours to get on desolation, it's no contest really.

Fair enough, I entirely understand your concern, hell that's why I put it to a vote. The great news is the guesting feature means we can still all PvE together, so its not a major concern and likewise by representing the guild you still get all the benefits that will come with that.

[squirrelfanatic]

The server choice is fine with me. I don't mind being on a heavily populated server, at least this way you are more likely to get bonuses from WvW for the PvE, even if you don't partake in the fights against other servers. I can understand that it might feel a bit awkward for some people to choose the "winning side" from the get-go, but as I understand it, there will be some really well coordinated guilds out there (not just self-proclaimed "elite" PvPers you see on GW2guru et al.), so as Timofee said, it is much more likely that we will be part of some great action.

[JamesG]

I've not been in on the beta weekends, but am looking forward to diving in at release. Got my pre-order all ready. I'll follow the action wherever RPS end up, but can't specify much of a preference. However, I know that if it comes down to it, and I have the game installed but can't actually join the server the RPS guild is on, I'll probably hop on another, at least in my first foray.

I've not really got into an MMO before, played a bit of WoW, but never did the guild stuff. So still not sure exactly what kind of role I'll be playing, I suspect something towards the casual end of the spectrum.

[Screwie]

The potential downside of being on an underdog server is the chance that WvW gets abandoned entirely. As a big part of the enduring endgame for GW2 I really want to avoid that.

I'm more than happy with Desolation, ArenaNet expanded the populations caps quickly enough and we got everyone on there in the end. They also said on the official forums (before it was closed from viewing) that they would be expanding the server caps again for launch.

Regardless if we do change servers, I'd like to wait and see if ANet publish some server scores from WvW to help us make a more informed decision.

[Mbaya]

A vote for Desolation from myself, although I didn't join up during the Beta Weekend, I certainly plan to come release.

Had a great experience myself in all area's on this server during the weekend (community, PvE, PvP and WvW) so I'm hoping it retains that quality come release - and to mirror Screwie, although I'd like to be an underdog, I think there is greater potentual for a more appealing (and long lasting) end game with being on a more populated server.

Also, not that I mind other languages, but it seems there is less chance of Desolation becoming an unofficial non-English language server filled with people I'm unable to understand, which has hindered my enjoyment in the past.

Another also, I made a new friend who plans on joining the server too! \0/

[Edit: A third also, your WvW update posts on the other thread made me even more attatched to the server Timofee, despite not being there at the time :)]

[Salix]

If they're expanding the population caps again I can't see any reason to move from Desolation. Sure, the WvW might be a curbstomp for the first couple of weeks but after that the matchmaking should sort everything out and being on a more populated server just means more people to play with in PvE.

[apricotsoup]

I'm just worried that desolation, even with expanded caps may stop people joining the server.

I'd far rather people were able to actually play together without hiccups than go for the bestest WvW server ever (which wont make a smattering of difference once the match-making comes into play and the groups are of a more even standing).

[Screwie]

I understand the concern about Desolation being an obstacle to players in the short term and I am worried about that too. Although ANet have talked about raising server caps and free world transfers shortly after launch, for someone to join in the fun 6 months down the line and find they can't join our chosen server would be truly dreadful.

However I think the long term benefits outweigh it. This isn't really about being on the winningest WvW side, I'm worried that the lower end of the WvW standings will be not for underdogs, but for servers who grew tired or gave up on this part of the game entirely. It's more about longevity and quality of our WvW experience.

In nearly every MMO, server populations trend downward. We may not have to deal with the server cap at all six months down the line. If it turns out GW2 needs to shrink its architecture and shutter some servers, being on one of the more populous servers makes it very unlikely we'll have to deal with moving the entire guild at a later date (I had to do this three times in WAR with a guild of less than 10 members and it was still a hassle every time - and with fewer members each time).

I could be wrong, of course. Not being a subscription MMO, there is no telling right now how ArenaNet will measure or account for server populations in the long term. But regardless I think Desolation is worth the hassle.

Also, better the devil you know?

[John]

I understand the concern about Desolation being an obstacle to players in the short term and I am worried about that too. Although ANet have talked about raising server caps and free world transfers shortly after launch, for someone to join in the fun 6 months down the line and find they can't join our chosen server would be truly dreadful.


I wouldn't worry too much though, I don't think that will ever be the case. In terms of WvW, there are plenty of good servers out there that give as equal challenge as desolation. I see desolation being just one among other servers. Of course now when spent 3 BWES and 2 stresstests on desolation, I feel very attached to the server.

So far in terms of joining in on desolation, did anyone have any problems getting into desolation, this BWE? I saw quite a lot people in RPS last weekend.

On a side note.. 31 days and 7 hours left.. and BWE3 was like 3 days ago and that seems like ages. Must.. fight.. ugh!

Edit: Side note number 2: Oh yeah, sharks know how to CPR!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EUIIkwP2eU&lc=tzbpN4CPWCyxpMXbvpRd7aq4OPyv0YnKbOci3DqWfi4&feature=inbox

[Kismet]

Voted for Desolation, though I'm still a bit worried that getting into WvW may be a problem for a while.

Hopefully a less buggy queue system and the addition of measures to prevent people from going afk indefinitely in the borderlands will make things better than what have been this last week-end for me.

[apricotsoup]

There was some people in the guild who were on other servers this BWE because they couldn't get on, not that I remember names.

As for server attachment, the only server I think I played on was overflow so there's much love for that.

[sendmark]

Stay on Desolation imo, unless the likes of PCGamer shift to a new server. As I understand it it's a lot more expensive to move to a high pop server than it is to move to a low pop one, so better to start on high pop and see if its playable. As Screwie said I think there's a real danger on low pop servers of just not getting the numbers for WvW and it becoming a death spiral.

As much as I love the game, I'm sure active player numbers will decline after the initial zerg. It's not a sub mmo so players won't feel obligated to keep logging in to make use of every second.

[duff]

I'm really concerned about joining a very large population server. I spent some time in WoW on a very busy server and it could cause a lot of problems. From lots of lag (especially in cities) to inflated auction house prices and lengthy battleground queues. Likewise I spent some time on really low populated servers and they were even worse! So I really have no idea.

[Salix]

At the very least the auction house prices shouldn't be a problem since, if I'm remembering it right, the auction house is across all servers not just one.

[Kismet]

Yep, the auction house is global, like sPvP servers.

[Milos]

I was one of the people who got locked out of Desolation on Friday, largely because I joined the beta 5 hours late. However I managed to painlessly jump back in when I checked the servers on Saturday. Population caps were raised and the transfer cost 0 gems so if they keep the same policy for launch everybody who checks the server list every so often will be able to squeeze in to Desolation I'm sure.

I'm not allowed to vote in the poll, but I'm all for sticking with Desolation.

[John]

I'm not allowed to vote in the poll, but I'm all for sticking with Desolation.
You need 10 posts to be able to vote. : )

[Elro]

I'd say stick with Desolation, if it comes to it it'll be much cheaper swap to a less populated server than to a more populated one and also i'd rather have to queue for WvW than to be the only ones in it.

[Timofee]

Interestingly DkR (the super large PvP guild) have moved from Desolation to undecided

http://www.gw2guilds.org/guilds/eu

I should add for those that are concerned, all we're doing here is getting an initial commitment for where we want to go. That doesn't mean that if a week before release 4chan, something awful etc all decide to go to Desolation we won't just move.

[Bankrotas]

Creates more chances, to join that server. Though it would really be funny, if Arenanet would rename all servers just before launch.

[Screwie]

Interesting development. They are/were the biggest and only one of two 200+ guilds on Desolation.

Why isn't RPS listed on that site yet, Timofee? :)

[manveruppd]

Not allowed to vote in the poll for some reason, but I'd like to move to a less populated server, Desolation was overpopulated and it would be hard for us to get all our members in. I think most of us in this thread pre-purchased so we'll be alright cause we get early access, but we have to consider that there'll be other RPS readers who might want to join us on release day or even further into the future. Desolation was full when I tried to get in and I logged in only 3 hours into the beta. I was able to transfer on Saturday but I had huge problems trying to get into WvW, the queues were huge!
The good thing about having a guild is you'll always have people to play with, so it's not as necessary to be in a populated server for PvE. You'll be able to get guildies together for most things rather than having to rely on pugs. So since it's an active detriment for wvw, I think that consideration should get priority. Desolation acquired critical mass cause a number of large guilds made it their home (including us) and a lot of guildless folks picked it hoping to join one of the larger guilds. But if we decide to move to a lower pop world, some of those guildless folks will flock there to join us.

[Elro]

The good thing about having a guild is you'll always have people to play with, so it's not as necessary to be in a populated server for PvE.

I disagree, given how the events scale depending on how many people are around I think having a sizable PvE community will be very important especially down the line when it comes to leveling alts.

[Timofee]

Interesting development. They are/were the biggest and only one of two 200+ guilds on Desolation.

Why isn't RPS listed on that site yet, Timofee? :)

Because the poll isn't over yet! I'd be a bit presumptuous declaring it now ;P

Also, for ref we had a fairly creditable 50 peeps in the guild over the most recent weekend and I expect a further boost to that number once the game is live for realzies (yes, you heard. I totally just said realizies - am I awesome? Yes. Yes I am)


Not allowed to vote in the poll for some reason, but I'd like to move to a less populated server, Desolation was overpopulated and it would be hard for us to get all our members in. I think most of us in this thread pre-purchased so we'll be alright cause we get early access, but we have to consider that there'll be other RPS readers who might want to join us on release day or even further into the future. Desolation was full when I tried to get in and I logged in only 3 hours into the beta. I was able to transfer on Saturday but I had huge problems trying to get into WvW, the queues were huge!
The good thing about having a guild is you'll always have people to play with, so it's not as necessary to be in a populated server for PvE. You'll be able to get guildies together for most things rather than having to rely on pugs. So since it's an active detriment for wvw, I think that consideration should get priority. Desolation acquired critical mass cause a number of large guilds made it their home (including us) and a lot of guildless folks picked it hoping to join one of the larger guilds. But if we decide to move to a lower pop world, some of those guildless folks will flock there to join us.

To vote you need to have made 10 posts

I think we've covered a lot of this ground already but to recap: while the last thing I want is people to struggle to get on, the dynamic and swift way they raised the caps over the beta weekend gives me confidence that it won't be too big of an issue come release.

I take your point about PvE, although since the principal activity requiring more players is dungeons - and they only need 5 - I don't think that is precisely the issue. Its more about having a living, breathing world to participate in, and on an underpopulated server you run the risk of it being pretty lonely.

With the event scaling it very much is a case of the more the merrier (up to a certain point) so the more people that will be regularly playing long term, the better.



A few people have made valid points about choosing a middle of the road server, my main concerns around this are the fact we identified way back that we wanted a principally english speaking server. Now assuming something awful's list is relatively accurate (and it is fairly well backed up by http://www.gw2guilds.org/ ) it means the prime candidates are Desolation and Gandara

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u3QpOmEhLOzjhyxrI5Ulf8rDz_INGgvyqHECiA2yXks/edit?pli=1

Without wishing to disrespect the fine fellows of Gandara, we gave them a good seeing to over BWE3 and my final population screenshot reckons they were only medium.

"But wait!" I hear you cry, matchmaking should sort that out, and you may well be right, but my concern is you end up 'neither here nor there'. Allow me to explain Tim's Unified Theory of WvW Dynamics:

The low pop sever
As already outlined earlier in the thread, the worry here is that WvW become a ghost town, enemy sightings are minimal and any entrants to WvW spend the majority of their time attacking doors (which is not fun, and why we set out to defend somewhere over BWE3)

The medium pop server
My concern here is depending on how many servers end up being medium pop, you may find yourself in a scenario where they flip flop from playing the worst of the worst (and destroying them - no fun) to playing the high pop servers (who destroy you - not much fun). Or at best it might be that every other WvW rotation sees them matched up for a competitive few weeks before they get rebalanced to play easy/hard opposition as outlined. Either way, I'd rather know WvW was going to be consistently entertaining.

The high pop, but not that good at WvW, server
These guys lack the top WvW focused guilds, but sheer volumes keep them consistently competitive - this is a relatively fun place to be. However looking at the options at the moment I don't see an English speaking friendly server that fits this

The high pop, hardcore WvW server
Unquestionably this is where Desolation sits (and indeed right at the top of the pile as by my count we went 9 in 9 across the BWEs). Obviously you don't want to be on a server that just face rolls every match-up but if BWE3 is any indication: this is the place to be. We had a truly excellent match up with Fort Ranik and Augury Rock and it came right down to the wire. ( http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/showthread.php?3854-RPS-Guild-for-Guild-Wars-2&p=167019&viewfull=1#post167019 )

At this point I think the safest thing will be to desingnate a 'sure thing' backup server so at worst the guild is fragmented in half and people can still group for WvW (and obviously guesting fixes PvE)

My suggestions would be either:

Gunnar's Hold or Boreal Station

[Screwie]

I just want to add a little about WvW as it stood in the last beta weekend, that has come to light since:

1. There was a bug which overtaxed their server CPUs, so as a quick fix the devs halved the WvW zone caps from late Fri/early Sat until the end of the weekend.

2. When they became aware of the drastically lowered cap, many players elected to go AFK within WvW instead of logging off, to preserve their spot.

3. The queue system was exploitable and people found they could queue jump by quitting and joining the queue repeatedly.

All this added up to a less than (heck, less than half) satisfactory performance by WvW over the weekend and operating well below their planned capacity.

---

As for backup server, Gunnar's Hold - because it's norn :)

[Timofee]

Interesting developments afoot re server choice.

I've been asked not to say too much, but think we should have a solution that resolves all issues highlighted in this thread.

[manveruppd]

Hey guys bear in mind that the servers will get shuffled around regularly based on wvw results, so just cause we beat Gandara last weekend doesn't mean we'll ALWAYS be matched against inferior servers! :)

Also you have to remember that any medium-pop server WE announce we're joining will probably become high pop fairly soon-ish as lots of guildless folks who read RPS casually but haven't pre-purchased the game like we did... :p That's why I think the safest thing if we want these people to be able to join is to pick a server that not too many other biggish guilds (like the SomethingAwful guys, or, indeed PC Gamer) have announced they're joining. Just saying! I'm not speaking out of self-interest as I have early access :)

[BobbyFizz]

Interesting developments afoot re server choice.

I've been asked not to say too much, but think we should have a solution that resolves all issues highlighted in this thread.

A ballpark hint within the next three weeks would be helpful if that's possible, i.e. if servers are being renamed or similar. I did notice queuing was an issue in the last BWE so I expect something similar will happen at lauch, and will have to be accounted for.

[Screwie]

I'm sure Tim will tell us something as soon as he is able.

[Timofee]

I'm sure Tim will tell us something as soon as he is able.

I'm wouldn't be so sure. I don't have my reputation as the prince of lies and deceit for nothing you know.

[Lightbulb]

Its a tough one. I was one of the people who couldn't get in - but evidently if i had tried I could have transferred.

I'd say that we should stick with Desolation and if it needs moving move then.

We are looking for potential problems but it seems like Desolation is a top WvW server and if that's what you want - and I'd probably say it is - why go else where?

[AsimBa]

I have a question for the americans playing gw2, how bad is the lag on desolation? I only tried playing the first weekend, which was unstable because i never got past level 7. I would prefer to play there, given that the rest of you guys will!

[Alini]

But Desolation is such a depressing name...

[ConcreteOtter]

I live on the west coast and I've had no problem with lag on desolation. I don't really play the team PvP but for PvE and WvWvW I did not notice any game breaking lag. I will say the only problem was the server would be closer to low pop during prime time hours for PDT, but there were enough European night owls up from the RPS clan to meet up with.

[AsimBa]

Great, just what I needed to hear! Now i just need to figure out what profession my manly viking man should have.

[Screwie]

Yay for norn! :D

[squirrelfanatic]

Great, just what I needed to hear! Now i just need to figure out what profession my manly viking man should have.Clearly Mesmer.

[AsimBa]

Clearly Mesmer.
Well, mesmer/necromancer was my all time favorite in guild wars one!

[zanchito]

I'll be doing a charr thief,seeing we don't have too many thieves, and some sort of mesmer (human, probably), because mesmers were THE BEST in GW1. Also, they wear pimp purple.

[AsimBa]

Right now for me, its between a norn mesmer, necromancer, theif or engineer and unfortunately i want them all! For once in a mmo I will try to avoid the "ooh, shiny" effect of elementalists blasting everything or guardians hitting people like a baseball. Would not mind going for something that the guild lacks, at least to have more variability in sPvP

[Aedrill]

My main character will be Asura Mesmer and you can't do anything to stop me. But if we need some specific class for sPvP or WvW then I'm happy to create some alt to help the team. Of course it will take some time to get used to but it's better than nothing, right?

[Timofee]

Just wanted to say I should have some details to share around server choice in the next week or 2.

[Screwie]

My main character will be Asura Mesmer and you can't do anything to stop me. But if we need some specific class for sPvP or WvW then I'm happy to create some alt to help the team. Of course it will take some time to get used to but it's better than nothing, right?

You're in luck, because Mesmers are fantastic for WvW! They're the only profession that can create portals, a few Mesmers will potentially help with manpower/supply logistics quite a lot. :)


Just wanted to say I should have some details to share around server choice in the next week or 2.

Mysterious! Looking forward to finding out what's afoot.

[moth bones]

Just to clarify - if I join the server with the RPS guild, I will still be able to play with friends on other servers? That's the impression I have at the moment.

[Screwie]

Just to clarify - if I join the server with the RPS guild, I will still be able to play with friends on other servers? That's the impression I have at the moment.

Yeah, the guesting system means you will be able to play on other servers in almost all areas of the game. You can even join guilds that belong to other servers. The only exception to this is WvW, for which you can only ever play for your home server.

[Aedrill]

You're in luck, because Mesmers are fantastic for WvW! They're the only profession that can create portals, a few Mesmers will potentially help with manpower/supply logistics quite a lot. :)

I know that but it looks like we'll be having a lot of mesmers in our guild so it's quite possible that we might find ourselves lacking some different classes, like guardian or engineer, or whatever. That's why I'm open to suggestions.

[moth bones]

Cheers Screwie.

I never played GW1, so I only have a vague idea about the classes right now, but Engineer and Necromancer look the most appealing for me (or Thief). Still don't know whether I'll be able to afford the game before launch, but I'll try; I really like the look of it and I'm sure RPSers will make fine guildmates.

[Timofee]

Right, update time:
I'm pleased to report that like any good dictator I have ignored you lot and opted to go elsewhere: to Timofee Land! *ahem*

As eagle-eyed persons may have noticed - Desolation is popular (http://www.gw2guilds.org/servers/eu)

Factoring in this and peoples' valid concerns about being able to get on to the server, a group of like-minded guilds have been discussing forming a new community on a different server and I'm hopeful you'll all be happy with the outcome.

In doing this it should address the all the issues raised here along with a few other nice to haves. This includes:



Ability for everyone to get on
Healthy, competitive WvW community
Pleasant, active PvE community
Principally english speaking (at least in terms of World chat)
Few(er) 'winning team joiners' (after the success of Desolation)
A core of mature, similarly minded guilds with whom we can foster a great community


As a result I'm very pleased to say that we have tentatively declared Boreal Station (http://www.gw2guilds.org/guilds/eu/boreal-station) as our preferred destination.

This is subject to major movements in the community and (of course) Arenanet actually confirming the server lineup.

In the meantime I invite people to comment on whether they're happy with these developments, although like I say, I'm pretty sure you will be!

Praise be to Horace.

[meloncrab]

Since the alliance seem to be rather large it's probably not a bad idea.

[Kismet]

Seems to be a fairly solid alliance and the Boreal Station choice will hopefully avoid both server full and long queues to get in WvW issues.

Kismet is happy with these developments, especially should we get underground facilities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiative_%28Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer%29).

Praise be to Horace.

[noaru]

Praise be to Horace.

Well, Boreal Station has a nice ring to it. Ironically enough Desolation will end up being the most populated server EU side.

You've probably debated this enough, but how populated was BS (hah) during the last BWE? I can understand running away from an overpopulated world, but hopefully we won't end up on an empty one, even though the alliance looks like it has good numbers.

[Jockie]

I'm delighted by the idea of a mature English speaking community for our destination, looks like we'd have the numbers for some organised WvW too

[squirrelfanatic]

We've already talked about this on mumble and as I said then, this seems to be a really good move (see what I did there?). Hopefully this announcement won't cause too many people to join BS instead of Desolation now.

[Screwie]

Yeah, sounds good.

Seems like we have a lot of other guilds interested in this move, so it looks like we should have a strong enough base for our own server.

Also loving that almost the whole server is in a single alliance haha. Hopefully this level of communication will lead to some excellent larger scale WvW tactics too :)

[Timofee]

You've probably debated this enough, but how populated was BS (hah) during the last BWE? I can understand running away from an overpopulated world, but hopefully we won't end up on an empty one, even though the alliance looks like it has good numbers.

Here's hoping "That's BS!" becomes the cry for when opposition servers are crushed underfoot!

In terms of population, I have screenshots of BS at both Low and Medium although on all occasions it was one of the least populated servers. The aim of the community we're building is to ensure a healthy population in all aspects and I don't anticipate any issues even with the numbers we've got at the moment, plus we're still looking to add a select few more.


Kismet is happy with these developments, especially should we get underground facilities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiative_%28Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer%29).

Talking about oneself in the third person is a sure fire sign of madness. You'll never catch Timofee doing that...


Also loving that almost the whole server is in a single alliance haha. Hopefully this level of communication will lead to some excellent larger scale WvW tactics too :)

Indeed. While some of our more PvP leaning guilds may go on to create more formal alliances, one of the key parts of the community is to form a cohesive whole and keep lines of communication open post release so we can expect plenty of co-op in both PvP and PvE.

My first order of business? Inter-guild Keg Brawl - assuming Anet sort out team joining. Before you came on during the Stress Test we managed to get 6 of us in the same game (3 on either side). Needless to say the brilliance of Myself, John and MOKKA won the day

Edit: got my screenshots in wrong order...

Game #1
1697

Game #2
1698


Game #3
It went a bit wonky and kicked everyone out except Karl and MOKKA. I did however manage to rejoin to revel in victory.
1699

[Aedrill]

I so want to play this game! I open my Steam library, look at it for some time and close it without playing anything. Nothing gets my attention now, even Crusader Kings 2. So obviously I'm looking forward to playing with our new alliance.

[MOKKA]

My first order of business? Inter-guild Keg Brawl - assuming Anet sort out team joining. Before you came on during the Stress Test we managed to get 6 of us in the same game (3 on either side). Needless to say the brilliance of Myself, John and MOKKA won the day


Ah this game where I repeatedly pressed the wrong buttons and where it took me two matches to completely read all the skill descripitions (you can see this paying of in the third match).

[Salix]

The move looks like it could be a wonderful thing if everthing works out right, so all that's left is to wait and salivate it seems.

[AsimBa]

Boreal Station sounds more like home, Praise be to the Endless.
This viking man approves, Praise be to Horace

[Timofee]

Ah this game where I repeatedly pressed the wrong buttons and where it took me two matches to completely read all the skill descripitions (you can see this paying of in the third match).

See, even while learning you're still a pro!

[Bankrotas]

Well this is kind of interesting move to make.

[Elro]

I suppose this move makes sense, I just hope that the PvE side isn't going to suffer too much by being on a less populated server.

[sendmark]

Boreal Station sounds a good plan.

[Sceptrum]

Heh, seems like my GW2 guild is actually part of this alliance thinking about Boreal Station.

[Bankrotas]

Checked the alliance, it sounds interesting one.

[Screwie]

Some dodgy napkin maths shows our new server looks to be punching above its weight...

Boreal Station's 14 guilds list just over 1500 members combined (plus 2 more guilds of unknown size) compared with Desolation, which boasts 3000 members across 48 guilds (plus 20 more unknowns). We may only have one third of the guilds, but we have half the population! We also have a single, server-wide alliance, versus a sea of chaos.

I think we'll be fine, although after all the fuss I do hope the server options remain the same for release :P

[Timofee]

Some dodgy napkin maths shows our new server looks to be punching above its weight...

Boreal Station's 14 guilds list just over 1500 members combined (plus 2 more guilds of unknown size) compared with Desolation, which boasts 3000 members across 48 guilds (plus 20 more unknowns). We may only have one third of the guilds, but we have half the population! We also have a single, server-wide alliance, versus a sea of chaos.

I think we'll be fine, although after all the fuss I do hope the server options remain the same for release :P

The ones without numbers are around 30 and 7.

Secret sources....mmm secret source...indicate that the server list is unlikely to change (*awaits to be proven catastrophically wrong*).

I guess in enumerating things you were trying to answer Elro's concerns about numbers in PvE. Yeah, I shouldn't worry on that count *nods, knowingly*

[Bankrotas]

I do believe, even with alliance, we'd still need drive in pug players.

[Malawi Frontier Guard]

Boreal Station more like Boring Station.



(I don't care about server selection. Go on.)



(Boring Station better not catch on)

[noaru]

Desolation numbers keep increasing, I think it's going to be absolute hell on that realm, at least at release.



(Boring Station better not catch on)

That's BS!


LE Better than being on Fissure of Woe I'd say.

[Rokahef]

Here's hoping "That's BS!" becomes the cry for when opposition servers are crushed underfoot!


I have to say, Boreal Station is not the most appealing server name (esp. compared to Desolation, which felt suitably epic!), but this battlecry is definitely growing on me. =)

[squirrelfanatic]

I do believe, even with alliance, we'd still need drive in pug players.For WvWvW? I assume that less organized guilds won't do too much WvWvW (at least not in a coordinated fashion) and therefore wouldn't worry about that. Apart from that, with PvE you don't really need PUGing I guess.

[Rokahef]

How well did we do in BWE3 WvW? Did anyone have a chance to play? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on how well we stack up against other servers. Would you put us in the bottom quartile? middle of the pack? Top 10?

I really enjoyed WvW during BWE2 (despite those flippin' armor repair costs bankrupting me), and i really hope our server can field enough active players that we can match up well.

Plus, I really want those munchkin bonuses as well... =D

[Bankrotas]

For WvWvW? I assume that less organized guilds won't do too much WvWvW (at least not in a coordinated fashion) and therefore wouldn't worry about that. Apart from that, with PvE you don't really need PUGing I guess.
Yes, for WvWvW. Zerging would be an issue, also, meatshields and good lone players, that just are lost. You herd them correctly would increase power of server alot.

[noaru]

I checked http://www.gw2guilds.org/guilds/eu/boreal-station today and it looks like a lot of guilds have moved house on Boreal Station and they're not in our alliance. So much for worrying about it being a low-pop realm.

[Timofee]

I checked http://www.gw2guilds.org/guilds/eu/boreal-station today and it looks like a lot of guilds have moved house on Boreal Station and they're not in our alliance. So much for worrying about it being a low-pop realm.

Yeah, its going to be interesting to see how it develops over the next few days as the obvious concern is we end up with the exact same issues as Desolation

Its rather annoying that they've yet to announce the server list and as a result our plans could still change completely. Regardless of how much it changes, once the server list is out we will revisit whether Boreal Station will meet all our goals. As such I just want to remind people to check Page 1 (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/showthread.php?3854-RPS-Guild-for-Guild-Wars-2&p=109309&viewfull=1#post109309) of the main thread on release day if you want to ensure you're on the same server.

Alternatively you can drop me your email via PM and I'll make sure and send you the final choice ready for launch

[Screwie]

Still, given that Desolation's now sitting at over 80 guilds, I think it'll be some time before we catch up with them.

Also check out Gunnar's Hold (http://www.gw2guilds.org/guilds/eu/gunnars-hold), on the surface a very quiet server with only 10 guilds, but wait a minute.... how many??

[Timofee]

Still, given that Desolation's now sitting at over 80 guilds, I think it'll be some time before we catch up with them.

Very true, certainly in terms of Guilds, but when looking at player numbers its much closer. The big factor of course is always the 80 maybe 90% who either wont be in a guild or will but aren't 'declared'. Where they're going to go is anyone's guess

Ring of Fire and Blacktide for example were both high pop / full across the various weekends but not that many have registered an interest as yet.


Also check out Gunnar's Hold (http://www.gw2guilds.org/guilds/eu/gunnars-hold), on the surface a very quiet server with only 10 guilds, but wait a minute.... how many??

Yeah the KISS number seems to be a best estimate when you read the spiel. It sounds more like 2 - 3k is a little more realistic which is still not small by any stretch, but considerably less than a quick glance would indicate.

[sendmark]

Well a bit of a googling and in terms of activity they seem to be a fraction of even the 2k number. I also do not recall hearing about them in GW1 either. There are quite a few guilds on there which seem to have dramatically overestimated their numbers, whether it's to discourage others from joining their server, or to look more important than they are.

[Beard Of Bees]

There's a server list up at: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/introducing-the-worlds-of-guild-wars-2/.

Doesn't look like Boreal Station is on there...?

[sendmark]

It isn't, typical :D At least they've given a good week and a half to settle on an alternative though.

[Screwie]

Well that's annoying :P

[Kismet]

Narf! :mad:

[Screwie]

It's a bugger... but at least they let us know in plenty of time. I'm sure Timofee is hashing out the new plan with the other alliance leaders already.

[noaru]

So much for BS. And they kept Fissure of Woe... really?

This is the second time we have to change a name we were warming up to.

[squirrelfanatic]

Well a bit of a googling and in terms of activity they seem to be a fraction of even the 2k number. I also do not recall hearing about them in GW1 either. There are quite a few guilds on there which seem to have dramatically overestimated their numbers, whether it's to discourage others from joining their server, or to look more important than they are.I do remember [KISS] from my more active GW1 days, there were indeed quite a few of them around (I think it was an alliance).

Looking at the server list, what do people think of Aurora Glade ("EU" guilds mostly, no alliances, no huge guilds) or Whiteside Ridge (some Italian, Hungarian, and English guilds, one big guild (500 members), no alliances)?

[Timofee]

Hah, I woke up and could only laugh about the change.

Discussions are underway, with the same objectives as always. At this rate it may well be a case of check back to Page 1 (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/showthread.php?3854-RPS-Guild-for-Guild-Wars-2&p=109309&viewfull=1#post109309) or pester me on mumble (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/showthread.php?3854-RPS-Guild-for-Guild-Wars-2&p=109309&viewfull=1#post109309) or Steam (http://steamcommunity.com/id/timofee) or refer to the steam group (http://steamcommunity.com/groups/rockpapersignet) on the day of release to find out

And yes I will be awake and on mumble at 4.55 pressing login every 30seconds. DAMN YOU ARENANET!!!

[Screwie]

I do remember [KISS] from my more active GW1 days, there were indeed quite a few of them around (I think it was an alliance).

Looking at the server list, what do people think of Aurora Glade ("EU" guilds mostly, no alliances, no huge guilds) or Whiteside Ridge (some Italian, Hungarian, and English guilds, one big guild (500 members), no alliances)?

Well of those two I prefer Whiteside Ridge, if only that the name means it's unlikely to be the first server on the list on the login screen (because way too many people choose their server that way). :)

It is the EU Reddit guild server, which might put off the Reddit-averse (although the more talkative part of their GW2 community seems decent).

EDIT:


Discussions are underway, with the same objectives as always. At this rate it may well be a case of check back to Page 1 (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/showthread.php?3854-RPS-Guild-for-Guild-Wars-2&p=109309&viewfull=1#post109309) or pester me on mumble (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/showthread.php?3854-RPS-Guild-for-Guild-Wars-2&p=109309&viewfull=1#post109309) or Steam (http://steamcommunity.com/id/timofee) or refer to the steam group (http://steamcommunity.com/groups/rockpapersignet) on the day of release to find out

I think if ANet say this is the final list, we should assume it's the final list. If the alliance puts as much thought into the choice as they did last time, the next move should be our last one.

*crosses fingers* :)

[Rokahef]

Boreal Station is gone? ... That's BS!

Despite my earlier comment, it would appear I've gotten quite attached to the idea of BorStat as a permanent home. And i'd already begun unpacking all my things, too! Curse you, fickle ANet server gods!

...Fine, I'll start packing again.

Do we qualify for refugee status yet?

[Screwie]

Pssst... looks like we're on Gunnar's Hold (http://www.gw2guilds.org/guilds/eu/gunnars-hold) now? :)

[apricotsoup]

Would be nice to confirm this, I have a load of peeps from my old wow guild waiting to hear on the matter as well :D

[squirrelfanatic]

You could say we are gun(g) ho for a new server.

Yeahhhhhh!!

[RebelMaren]

Gunnar's Hold was the Outpost I did all my shopping and inventory sorting in GW1, I'm so up for it being our home server.

[Timofee]

We're still monitoring and I hope to have a final decision for you early next week.

But yes, as you can see, at the moment all our fine brothers and sisters within the INT community are currently showing on Gunnar's. I would have posted about it but didn't want to confuse matters by mentioning this only for it to change 20 minutes later ;)

[duff]

I'm gunnar try and get on that server if there's another stress test.

[Rokahef]

I'm gunnar hold you to that, duff!

...on topic, Gunnar's Hold looks pretty good. 70% of the server is basically the alliance, which should make things like server-wide events and WvW very easy to plan.

The one possible concern is the number of people on the server. There's over 3000 people on there, and that's without factoring in the KISS guys, whom I assume are vastly overestimating their membership numbers (6000+?! seriously?!).

Do we have any educated guesses as to what the total capacity of a server is, and/or reliable information as to how many people are in KISS?

[Timofee]

I'm gunnar hold you to that, duff!

...on topic, Gunnar's Hold looks pretty good. 70% of the server is basically the alliance, which should make things like server-wide events and WvW very easy to plan.

The one possible concern is the number of people on the server. There's over 3000 people on there, and that's without factoring in the KISS guys, whom I assume are vastly overestimating their membership numbers (6000+?! seriously?!).

Do we have any educated guesses as to what the total capacity of a server is, and/or reliable information as to how many people are in KISS?

Some investigation and educated guesses indicate that KISS is more likely in the 500 - 1000 region

As to servers, using this as a reference point: http://www.guildwarsinsider.com/pre-order-figures-slip/ we can infer that spread across 45 servers there needs to be room for a minimum of 22000 players per server and that's just to cope with pre-purchasers

[Bankrotas]

1 million prepurchases. Nice. Really nice.

[manveruppd]

Some investigation and educated guesses indicate that KISS is more likely in the 500 - 1000 region

As to servers, using this as a reference point: http://www.guildwarsinsider.com/pre-order-figures-slip/ we can infer that spread across 45 servers there needs to be room for a minimum of 22000 players per server and that's just to cope with pre-purchasers
Wow, 22000 per server is amazing tbh! I remember when WAR was released 3 years ago they said they'd only have 5,000 per server! Of course they didn't have overflow instances in that, but still. ANet are technical wizards! When their network coders die they should encase their skulls in gold leaf and worship them as holy relics at NCSoft hq! :p

On another note, yeah let's stick with the alliance, if they're going GH then let's follow them and hope it doesn't become too rammed.

[AsimBa]

I hope we gunnar play there, so I can make Lord Gunnar of Moss.

Oh man, I really can't wait for release now! Too bad school starts the following Monday.

[Rokahef]

Some investigation and educated guesses indicate that KISS is more likely in the 500 - 1000 region

As to servers, using this as a reference point: http://www.guildwarsinsider.com/pre-order-figures-slip/ we can infer that spread across 45 servers there needs to be room for a minimum of 22000 players per server and that's just to cope with pre-purchasers


Nice detective work!

[Screwie]

We're still monitoring and I hope to have a final decision for you early next week.

But yes, as you can see, at the moment all our fine brothers and sisters within the INT community are currently showing on Gunnar's. I would have posted about it but didn't want to confuse matters by mentioning this only for it to change 20 minutes later ;)

Any news on this front, Timofee? :)

[Burn]

Just a mild concern here:

http://www.gw2guilds.org/view-guild/1045 this seems to be a WvW ONLY guild of Russians in the number of 300 people. It's nothing compared to the whole alliance put together, but have you guys considered what this means? We'll have a large number of people that (considering my previous experience with Russians in mmos) will likely operate by themselves and will be hard to coordinate with.

Just sayin'... I'll join whatever server we ultimately decide to pick.

P.S. Isn't also WvW limited to 300 players per side during the battles? Don't remember where or when I read that.. Russians can be pretty hard-core and dedicated to this sort of stuff, if all I find is people I cannot communicate with when joining WvW it's going to affect the experience for me at least.

[Malawi Frontier Guard]

I don't think that guild is actually Russian.

[Screwie]

Also... they are part of our alliance >.>

[Timofee]

Any news on this front, Timofee? :)

Soon.


Just a mild concern here:

http://www.gw2guilds.org/view-guild/1045 this seems to be a WvW ONLY guild of Russians in the number of 300 people. It's nothing compared to the whole alliance put together, but have you guys considered what this means? We'll have a large number of people that (considering my previous experience with Russians in mmos) will likely operate by themselves and will be hard to coordinate with.

Just sayin'... I'll join whatever server we ultimately decide to pick.

P.S. Isn't also WvW limited to 300 players per side during the battles? Don't remember where or when I read that.. Russians can be pretty hard-core and dedicated to this sort of stuff, if all I find is people I cannot communicate with when joining WvW it's going to affect the experience for me at least.

They're very nice fellows who are part of INT, and will be co-ordinated along with the other predominantly WvW focussed guilds. They will also be abiding by the general principals of sticking to English on map chat

WvW caps were 500 per map giving a total of 2000 across the 4 maps or 666 per team. Although during the BWE3 this was halved while they sorted some problems. It may also be the case that the recent round of stress testing has helped them increase that further from the original 2000.

[Elro]

Soon.

I hope we don't change just managed to talk my guild into going on to Gunnar's Hold and i'm not sure i'd be able to convince them to change again.

[apricotsoup]

I hope we don't change just managed to talk my guild into going on to Gunnar's Hold and i'm not sure i'd be able to convince them to change again.

Me too, not enough transparency here :P

[Timofee]

Pft!

I am pleased to confirm Gunnar's Hold as our final choice.

[Burn]

They will also be abiding by the general principals of sticking to English on map chat

That makes all my worries dissipate. Thanks :)

[zanchito]

Off to Gunnar's Hold it is then. I'll try to teach you barbarians some real languages.