I've never played an MMO but have been insanely excited about GW2... until watching this dungeon walkthrough http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG3tEl9FF9s

With all the spells and effects going on I couldnt make heads nor tails of what was going on, it seemed that there was just too much going on in a small space.  Is this SNAFU for MMOs?

Also, the constant information overload of tags etc seem over the top to me.  Why not just have them pop up then you are looking at a friendly?  In WvW / PvP how are you supposed to ambush people if you are lit up like a christmas tree?

Appreciate any insights!

Pretty sure it was over at gamebreaker's site in an interview with a few of the devs they acknowledged that they needed to adjust this.

theyre toning down the effects. but in my opinion, only fire needs serious toning down. the rest are great. also, it's different when you're actually in the fray, compared to watching.

I guess I'm the only one who actually likes the chaos the crazy spell effects add to combat.

I was concerned about this until I read GW 2 reddit question's on regard to WvWvW how ever the particle effects is universal so toning them down will help...so with that being said no need to worry, or atleast expect the latest particle effects in footage to be so crazy.

Also your second question is resolved as well. Now ladies and gents, read below...

Question #42: 
Will particles animations be reduced as mass skill usage in massive fights would be a maelstrom of confusion!
Answer: 
Our graphics programmers and tech art team are working on that issue right now! We're well aware of the effect soup that can happen in large fights and it's something we're going to do our best to address.

Question #4: 
We all saw that enemy players are currently listed as generic invaders, and some are turned off by that. Will there be a toggle option for showing our name if we want to?
Answer: 
There's been a lot of discussion about seeing enemy names in WvW. While I certainly understand the reasoning behind the request to see enemy names, we are fairly firm about not showing names of the opposing teams. I think of it this way, in a war people dont introduce themselves before trying to kill each other. When you are fighting in the mists for your world, you are in the middle of a giant war against two opposing forces who want nothing more than to take everything you own and kill you as many times as they possibly can. That guy who just shot you is not Bob the Engineer, he's the enemy.

Not showing enemy names in WvW also helps players that are less pvp-oriented feel less threatened about venturing into the battle because seeing enemies as anonymous 'invaders' creates a sense that opponents won't be able to recognize them and pick on them because of their lack of skill in a fight, so they in turn feel more embolded to go out and fight in the first place. Not showing names also makes it so people can feel as if they can 'hide' in a fight if need be, but still be around to help out. That's a pretty critical part of making WvW feel more inviting for people that would normally never think about playing PvP in any other game.

We've heard "I usually dont PvP, but I love WvW" again and again from people in our beta, so even though showing names might make for a more competitive pvp environment, we'd much rather create a game that is more welcoming for people that don't normally play the more hardcore PvP games. If you want to see enemy names and get to know the community of people you are fighting against, competitive PvP is the place to get that sort of thing in Guild Wars 2. WvW is the place where you fight with your friends and show your might against a faceless never-ending horde of enemies. It's not about taking names, it's about taking back that tower and claiming it for your guild so it can wave your flag right in the enemies face!

Will there be a way to turn the particle effects down or off without turning down the rest of the graphics?

I actually miss the days when a spell could be so epic due to its particle effects that it literally scared people away from it.

I just think it needs to be done in a way that tones itself down when other affects are trying to exist in the same general area. In other words, there can't be 6 columns of Epic-Pillar-OfDeathFlame in the same space visually.

I dont think my second question is answered by that :)
That essentially says the xmas tree on an enemy player will be generic and wont display their character's name.

---

Originally posted by RizelStar Also your second question is resolved as well. Now ladies and gents, read below...

---

Originally posted by sonoggi

theyre toning down the effects. but in my opinion, only fire needs serious toning down. the rest are great. also, it's different when you're actually in the fray, compared to watching.

I agree. Fire is OTT, the rest are fine. I hope there will be an option to tone it down for those who want to, but I do not want them to remove the option to have the level of effects we currently see for those of us who like it.

I think most people, after they Learn to Play, will appreciate the level of feedback the game gives them in a very visual fasion. I'd rather play a game that allows me to see most of what I need to know while watching the action, rather than having to stare at the UI while I play.

Originally posted by troopadoopa

I dont think my second question is answered by that :)
That essentially says the xmas tree on an enemy player will be generic and wont display their character's name.

---

Originally posted by RizelStar Also your second question is resolved as well. Now ladies and gents, read below...

---

 

I'm a bit lost when nothing is done when clicking on them then what. Like say I tab target someone in cover, you won't see them behind cover or anything.

I don't know like when I did PVP last year it was due to highlights, the new target has it where it just a circle under them.

It shows in WvWvW the most if you seen when they fought players in the cave.

What I'm talking about is shown reasonably well here from 1:10 onwards.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YzT84JBHwJQ

When looking down at the opposing team, each player has the red tags hovering above their heads.  My concern is twofold:

1.  This can create informaion overload / clutter for dubious value

2.  It can help you spot enemies at a distance where you otherwise may not have.

I havent seen this cave video you mention, got a link?

Cheers

Originally posted by troopadoopa

What I'm talking about is shown reasonably well here from 1:10 onwards.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YzT84JBHwJQ

 

When looking down at the opposing team, each player has the red tags hovering above their heads.  My concern is twofold:

1.  This can create informaion overload / clutter for dubious value

2.  It can help you spot enemies at a distance where you otherwise may not have.

 

I havent seen this cave video you mention, got a link?

Cheers

Oh that lol, I thought you meant if they were hiding behind cover or something or identified. Guess that can be problem for people(can't say many or some).

Oh yea and cheers bro.

Originally posted by Naral

Will there be a way to turn the particle effects down or off without turning down the rest of the graphics?

pretty much every game generally has this option so don't see why this one wouldn't

Originally posted by Aerowyn

Originally posted by Naral

Will there be a way to turn the particle effects down or off without turning down the rest of the graphics?

pretty much every game generally has this option so don't see why this one wouldn't

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KocXN1xDA8A

so yes, and Anet has already said they`ll tone down the effects for large battles.

Originally posted by Kyuz0o

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KocXN1xDA8A

so yes, and Anet has already said they`ll tone down the effects for large battles.

nice find so yea figured it would be in there can't think of any big game like this without some sort of option to reduce amount of spell effects:)

Originally posted by fiontar

. I hope there will be an option to tone it down for those who want to, but I do not want them to remove the option to have the level of effects we currently see for those of us who like it.

This is what I'm hoping for as well. More than likely I will probably use the feature but it would be nice if it was optional to the player to decide whether they want to tone down the effects or not.

Originally posted by Wickedjelly

Originally posted by fiontar

. I hope there will be an option to tone it down for those who want to, but I do not want them to remove the option to have the level of effects we currently see for those of us who like it.

This is what I'm hoping for as well. More than likely I will probably use the feature but it would be nice if it was optional to the player to decide whether they want to tone down the effects or not.

its already there watch video above about halfway through they hit on exactly that option

Don't know why but I actually love the spell effects and how it's glowy and stuff, but also I think arena net will do it's best to make the most out of it and polish it the best they can before it's out so we should wait for the last beta and then maybe discuss what should be improved. :)

You have to play the game to fully comprehend what's going on. Try understanding Starcraft just by watching it and never playing it. Yea, you might get the basics but you won't understand it in depth. The only reason you made this thread is because you don't understand what the spells are in the first place. For that, you have to play the game.