Guild Wars Mini-Interview #59

ArenaNet has answered another set of questions about Guild Wars, this time addressing some post-update questions in a two-part Q&A. The first installment discusses PvP penalties, resetting the Guild Wars ladder, and more. A snippet, as usual:

Q: A “runner” is someone who helps lower-level players skip through major parts of the game. Guild Wars doesn’t prohibit players from taking short-cuts, but the concept of an even playing field for PvP flies out the window when low-level players acquire and use high-end armor or gear in PvP matches. Naturally it gives them a significant advantage. What is ArenaNet’s position on “running” and on the perception that the lower-level tournaments are being adversely affected by it?

A: There are a few ways to handle this problem. The most obvious is to set level restrictions on items. This would immediately block the use of items not intended for low-level players, so that even if players had done a “run” to acquire the higher-level items or armor, they would not be allowed to equip them. But there are negative factors in doing that, principal amongst them the facts that setting level restrictions and closing off “running” options would make it difficult for players to level up their 2nd and 3rd characters in cases where they wish to do so without playing through the game. And of course it would mean that players could not get cool stuff they want in their own timeframe or might need to tote it for a while before using it.

An additional way to solve this problem is to make running more challenging. This has already been accomplished to a very limited degree with a few modest map modifications. We do not intend to make short cuts impossible they are a legitimate part of Guild Wars. But we have made it a bit more challenging to accomplish, which will potentially reduce the number of those who do it over and over again for reasons of a less-than-positive nature.

You’ve seen a corrective measure taken with the restoration of XP in the arena. When players acquire XP, they level. When they level, they soon “outgrow” the low-level arena. This means that players who are intent on abuse would have to spend a lot of time and a lot of effort to create a new character exclusively for that purpose.

And finally, we are considering adjustments to the design of future installments of the game that will also reduce or eliminate the perceived need for running.