Could we make temporary character slots a permanent thing?

[Arnox.5128]

As in, any characters created in a temp character slot have the same limitations as a beta character slot, would have all skins, and would be auto-deleted 24 hours after creation. Also, your nameplate would have a TEMP marker on it. Any name specified by a temporary character can also be immediately taken by any new permanent character so nobody can hoard names with the temp slots either.

EDIT: I should probably clarify, I am NOT ASKING FOR BETA CHARACTERS TO BECOME PERMANENT CHARACTERS. I'm asking if we could continue to make temporary characters even after the beta is over.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Arnox.5128

[Handsel.2891]

What is the point?

[Arnox.5128]

10 minutes ago, MikeG.6389 said:

What is the point?

Previewing classes. Using a build really quickly to help out a friend in Fractals/Raids. Previewing character designs. Just for fun.

[Rogue.8235]

2 hours ago, Arnox.5128 said:

Previewing classes. Using a build really quickly to help out a friend in Fractals/Raids. Previewing character designs. Just for fun.

the emphasized part is why it won't happen.  You found the beginning of problematic design before the end of the post.   Think about how it could be exploited, such as people taking turns doing the content on their real character while everyone else plays with the temp characters decked out in the gear they couldn't afford.

 

The other things I agree would be nice.  I'd like to make a quick character just to see if a playstyle is something I'd enjoy.  However, that emphasized part.  

 

Edited December 1, 2021 by Rogue.8235

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

> any characters created in a temp character slot have the same limitations as a beta character slot,

 

does that include all loot and progression is not kept, like the beta chars? 

[Arnox.5128]

1 hour ago, Rogue.8235 said:

the emphasized part is why it won't happen.  You found the beginning of problematic design before the end of the post.   Think about how it could be exploited, such as people taking turns doing the content on their real character while everyone else plays with the temp characters decked out in the gear they couldn't afford.

 

The other things I agree would be nice.  I'd like to make a quick character just to see if a playstyle is something I'd enjoy.  However, that emphasized part.  

 

*shrugs* There could be a gear cap of Exotic as well. Anet already gives you a full Exotic set with any level 80 booster.

1 hour ago, Just a flesh wound.3589 said:

> any characters created in a temp character slot have the same limitations as a beta character slot,

 

does that include all loot and progression is not kept, like the beta chars? 

Yes.
 

[Linken.6345]

33 minutes ago, Arnox.5128 said:

*shrugs* There could be a gear cap of Exotic as well. Anet already gives you a full Exotic set with any level 80 booster.

Yes.
 

Then just do it again with the characters you already have you get to keep stuff.

[Arnox.5128]

3 hours ago, Linken.6345 said:

Then just do it again with the characters you already have you get to keep stuff.

That is the optimal choice, yes, but helping people out with PvE content is just one part of what you could use temp characters for. It's just an option if you want it for whatever reason.

Really, I mean, I don't see any reason why NOT to do it since ANet has already finished literally 95% of the work for them anyway and have already put them into the live game. The only things left they'd need to write is just a tiny script that auto-deletes temp characters every 24 hours (or however long ANet decides the characters can be used), grant access to all skins only on temp characters, and finally, character names in permanent slots overriding temp character names.

That last one may be slightly difficult to implement, but even then, absolute worse case scenario, what they could do is simply have it be where, say I chose the name Alice on a temp character. But then another person makes a new character in a permanent slot and picks the name Alice. That name would then be reserved exclusively for the permanent character, a generated name would be used in the meantime like Jenna, and the player would simply just wait for however long that temp character would be active until it was finally deleted, which then would immediately overwrite Jenna with Alice.

Now, you're probably saying, "Arnox, that's a clunky and not optimal way to do that." I agree. That's why I said that's the worst case scenario implementation. My point is that even in the worst case scenario implementation of this, the name is still getting reserved and permanent accounts are still prioritized. It just simply takes longer instead of immediately overwriting the name. And besides, there's probably many other much better more elegant ways to do this that I'm sure ANet can think of.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Arnox.5128

[Omega.6801]

I'd rather have ANet spend resources on something else.

[phokus.8934]

They're called character slots.  You're given quite a few to make different characters with different classes.  If you run out you can buy more, many more actually.

Some ideas should be kept in people's heads.

[Cyninja.2954]

2 hours ago, Arnox.5128 said:

That is the optimal choice, yes, but helping people out with PvE content is just one part of what you could use temp characters for. It's just an option if you want it for whatever reason.

 

Really, I mean, I don't see any reason why NOT to do it since ANet has already finished literally 95% of the work for them anyway and have already put them into the live game. The only things left they'd need to write is just a tiny script that auto-deletes temp characters every 24 hours (or however long ANet decides the characters can be used), grant access to all skins only on temp characters, and finally, character names in permanent slots overriding temp character names.

I can think of dozens of reasons strait off my head as to why this should not be implemented without even taking a minute to consider:

1. it would create additional work for customer support. Any such feature would by mere fact that mistakes happen, like logging in on that character by accident. Players love contacting CS in order to fix "mistakes" (like getting that precursor drop which unfortunately went to the temp character)

 

2. it removes any progression or character development. Dig deep into WHY you want this: in essence it's instant level 80 characters with immediate gear and skills/traits/elites. This is fun short term, like experimenting and messing around, but loses its appeal and usefulness very fast while undermining any reason to actually gear characters

 

3. if implemented, what is to stop others from asking for specific classes even more than now? Can't bring alacrity? Dude, just roll a temp character and do it! What you don't want to? Kick!

 

4. having players boost to 80 already creates issues with players not knowing how the class works (and many never actually become proficient at their class). Introducing a system which allows many players even faster ways to bring clueless and bad builds will not help this issue

 

5. mix of 3 and 4 but: the reason the system right now is "fun" is because no one is taking this seriously. Everyone is messing around and just getting a feel for stuff with varying degrees of effort invested. The moment this becomes a permanent thing, don't expect player reactions to be this forgiving

 

6. having temporary characters for betas is 1 thing, changing this system to be a permanent addition is a totally other one. At the very least it would involve an entire additional layer of characters to manage and bug fix for (what, you think players would not abuse unintended game breaking bugs to get loot for others?). It would require a constant database mirroring every 24 hours, something which happens 1nce per beta atm

 

[Arnox.5128]

You know, I was going to debate all this but ****... You guys just **** on everything. I swear to hell.

At this point, I'm just so tired of having to defend every single little thing I suggest because there's ALWAYS gonna be at least 3 or 4 people who apparently don't want ANYTHING added to the game at all and trot out some incredibly spurious excuses for why it will be the GW2 apocalypse if it's added in any way whatsoever.

I remember how much crying there was about mounts before they were added. And now they are live in the game, everyone thinks they're the best thing ever. So whatever. You know what? Barring official word from ANet (which probably isn't gonna happen) I'm just literally not gonna defend anything I suggest in the future. You guys win. Congratulations. If you guys wanna **** on it and suck the fun out of everything, go right ahead. I don't give a **** anymore.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Arnox.5128

[Handsel.2891]

3 hours ago, Arnox.5128 said:

Really, I mean, I don't see any reason why NOT to do it since ANet has already finished literally 95% of the work for them anyway and have already put them into the live game.

It has already been alluded to, but here it is:

The reason this won't fly is that it would provide a way to clear content for each other with gear and builds you otherwise didn't work a split second for.

Just. No.

[phokus.8934]

46 minutes ago, Arnox.5128 said:

You know, I was going to debate all this but ****... You guys just **** on everything. I swear to hell.

At this point, I'm just so tired of having to defend every single little thing I suggest because there's ALWAYS gonna be at least 3 or 4 people who apparently don't want ANYTHING added to the game at all and trot out some incredibly spurious excuses for why it will be the GW2 apocalypse if it's added in any way whatsoever.

I remember how much crying there was about mounts before they were added. And now they are live in the game, everyone thinks they're the best thing ever. So whatever. You know what? Barring official word from ANet (which probably isn't gonna happen) I'm just literally not gonna defend anything I suggest in the future. You guys win. Congratulations. If you guys wanna **** on it and suck the fun out of everything, go right ahead. I don't give a **** anymore.

You ever stop to think that some of your ideas are bad?

[Arnox.5128]

4 minutes ago, phokus.8934 said:

You ever stop to think that some of your ideas are bad?

A lot more than you'd think.

[Linken.6345]

Well I for one is shaken at the thought what you OP consider bad enough not to post on the forums then

[Sinmir.6504]

9 hours ago, Rogue.8235 said:

the emphasized part is why it won't happen.  You found the beginning of problematic design before the end of the post.   Think about how it could be exploited, such as people taking turns doing the content on their real character while everyone else plays with the temp characters decked out in the gear they couldn't afford.

 

The other things I agree would be nice.  I'd like to make a quick character just to see if a playstyle is something I'd enjoy.  However, that emphasized part.  

 

I can't really see that happening too much. You would need to be better with a test character than one of your mains. Also what it gives you is Exotic, wouldn't you need Ascended to do higher level fractals? I'd say a full set of exotic gear for a permanent character is probably in most players' price range anyway.  Some of which come with a full set of runes. Temple for example.

I could see it more as help a player while testing the temporary build for yourself.

Or could be that temporary characters don't go to the same world as permanent. So they'll never meet, a permanent character will never loot anything a temporary helped to kill.

[Omega.6801]

1 hour ago, Arnox.5128 said:

I remember how much crying there was about mounts before they were added. And now they are live in the game, everyone thinks they're the best thing ever.

B..but muh mounts...

This is a forum, not an echo chamber. You suggest something and people react to it. Some will support your ideas, some won't. It's a discusion, nothing personal, nothing to get upset about and definitely nothing to call people names over. People who are generally more sceptical of sugestions definitely don't want, that nothing new is added to the game. It's just that what is suggested doesn't appeal to them or seams like a bad idea or seems not well thought out, or seems uneconomic, or seems unfeasable...

[Sinmir.6504]

1 hour ago, Cyninja.2954 said:

I can think of dozens of reasons strait off my head as to why this should not be implemented without even taking a minute to consider:

1. it would create additional work for customer support. Any such feature would by mere fact that mistakes happen, like logging in on that character by accident. Players love contacting CS in order to fix "mistakes" (like getting that precursor drop which unfortunately went to the temp character)

 

2. it removes any progression or character development. Dig deep into WHY you want this: in essence it's instant level 80 characters with immediate gear and skills/traits/elites. This is fun short term, like experimenting and messing around, but loses its appeal and usefulness very fast while undermining any reason to actually gear characters

 

3. if implemented, what is to stop others from asking for specific classes even more than now? Can't bring alacrity? Dude, just roll a temp character and do it! What you don't want to? Kick!

 

4. having players boost to 80 already creates issues with players not knowing how the class works (and many never actually become proficient at their class). Introducing a system which allows many players even faster ways to bring clueless and bad builds will not help this issue

 

5. mix of 3 and 4 but: the reason the system right now is "fun" is because no one is taking this seriously. Everyone is messing around and just getting a feel for stuff with varying degrees of effort invested. The moment this becomes a permanent thing, don't expect player reactions to be this forgiving

 

6. having temporary characters for betas is 1 thing, changing this system to be a permanent addition is a totally other one. At the very least it would involve an entire additional layer of characters to manage and bug fix for (what, you think players would not abuse unintended game breaking bugs to get loot for others?). It would require a constant database mirroring every 24 hours, something which happens 1nce per beta atm

 

I can think of answers to these.

1: It says for your beta characters that progression will not be saved. Isn't getting something good with a Beta that you would want on your main the risk you take? It doesn't really work that way anyway. I mean, say I fight Tequatl with a temp and get Hoard of the Sunless. That doesn't mean I would have definitely got it if I was using a main.

2: Well if you only use temps.

3: I don't think that would change too much. Remembering they are temps, you don't get to keep it. If the commander told you to run a temp so that they could complete it faster, their squad would get rewards to keep but yours disappear with your character after 24 hours, would you do it? I wouldn't.

4: The character disappears after 24h. For it to be a problem they'd need to keep creating temps and never use a main slot.

5: I think what he was requesting was just to let a player get a feel for a class they don't usually play, then decide if they want to use it.

6: I don't quite understand. A permanent character can be used to fight enemies, get loot for others and themself. Goes back to 3, where you are helping others get loot but getting nothing that you will be able to keep.

[The Greyhawk.9107]

2 hours ago, Arnox.5128 said:

You know, I was going to debate all this but ****... You guys just **** on everything. I swear to hell.

At this point, I'm just so tired of having to defend every single little thing I suggest because there's ALWAYS gonna be at least 3 or 4 people who apparently don't want ANYTHING added to the game at all and trot out some incredibly spurious excuses for why it will be the GW2 apocalypse if it's added in any way whatsoever.

I remember how much crying there was about mounts before they were added. And now they are live in the game, everyone thinks they're the best thing ever. So whatever. You know what? Barring official word from ANet (which probably isn't gonna happen) I'm just literally not gonna defend anything I suggest in the future. You guys win. Congratulations. If you guys wanna **** on it and suck the fun out of everything, go right ahead. I don't give a **** anymore.

I believe the phrase the zoomers are using for this sort of situation would be: Go touch grass.  This absolutely is NOT the appropriate response to constructive criticism.  No one here attacked you or mocked you or anything of the sort, they only gave reasons why they thought your suggestion was a bad idea or why they didn't personally like it.

[Cyninja.2954]

17 minutes ago, Sinmir.6504 said:

I can think of answers to these.

1: It says for your beta characters that progression will not be saved. Isn't getting something good with a Beta that you would want on your main the risk you take? It doesn't really work that way anyway. I mean, say I fight Tequatl with a temp and get Hoard of the Sunless. That doesn't mean I would have definitely got it if I was using a main.

See, it does that for a lot of things, yet still players will both write and create threads on the forums as well as contact customer support.

Here is 1 thing you need to know about customers: most of them are idiots and the only way to not have to deal with something is literally to not offer it, and even that will not prevent some useless busywork to crop up.

Quote

2: Well if you only use temps.

You misunderstand. It removes incentive from the game and destabilizes the actual progression of the game. This is not a subjective 1 person issue.

Quote

3: I don't think that would change too much. Remembering they are temps, you don't get to keep it. If the commander told you to run a temp so that they could complete it faster, their squad would get rewards to keep but yours disappear with your character after 24 hours, would you do it? I wouldn't.

 

Right, because this game has a very positive history of players bringing classes and skills to group play which are desired...

Quote

4: The character disappears after 24h. For it to be a problem they'd need to keep creating temps and never use a main slot.

You again misunderstand. A majority of players already are incompetent. Giving more access to instant level 80 builds does not improve on this.

Quote

5: I think what he was requesting was just to let a player get a feel for a class they don't usually play, then decide if they want to use it.

Go to Spvp.

Quote

6: I don't quite understand. A permanent character can be used to fight enemies, get loot for others and themself. Goes back to 3, where you are helping others get loot but getting nothing that you will be able to keep.

Those permanent characters are created via a 1 time copy of certain elements of the live game. This is done at the beginning of each beta currently.

In order for temporary characters to be available, there would have to be a copy made constantly of the players account on a regular basis. At least if the current beta character template is used.

Or in case of not offering this service, aka the characters do NOT retain any gear from the main account (which by the way is the only way to currently get proper stats currently on these beta characters to begin with), you'd either have to offer characters with ALL stat combinations available (which requires monitoring and adapting to future content) again even more invalidating gearing and progression (why take Bob who has almost the correct gear on his regular character when Jim can just make a perfectly geared temp character?) or given them crap gear as is right now essentially making them useless in actual gameplay.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Cyninja.2954

[Sobx.1758]

I don't see why this is needed, get character slots and play the game.

[kharmin.7683]

11 minutes ago, Cyninja.2954 said:

Go to Spvp.

/endthread

Why should Anet re-create something that is already available?

[Arnox.5128]

12 hours ago, Sinmir.6504 said:

I can think of answers to these.

1: It says for your beta characters that progression will not be saved. Isn't getting something good with a Beta that you would want on your main the risk you take? It doesn't really work that way anyway. I mean, say I fight Tequatl with a temp and get Hoard of the Sunless. That doesn't mean I would have definitely got it if I was using a main.

2: Well if you only use temps.

3: I don't think that would change too much. Remembering they are temps, you don't get to keep it. If the commander told you to run a temp so that they could complete it faster, their squad would get rewards to keep but yours disappear with your character after 24 hours, would you do it? I wouldn't.

4: The character disappears after 24h. For it to be a problem they'd need to keep creating temps and never use a main slot.

5: I think what he was requesting was just to let a player get a feel for a class they don't usually play, then decide if they want to use it.

6: I don't quite understand. A permanent character can be used to fight enemies, get loot for others and themself. Goes back to 3, where you are helping others get loot but getting nothing that you will be able to keep.

Don't even bother, man. I've tried discussing and debating with them about numerous things for years. All they want to do is think of problems, no matter how spurious they might be, instead of solutions. According to them, everything is bad and unsalvageable and nothing should be added.

[Ultramex.1506]

I believe let stop discussing consider what OP post above  and their reaction to responses, should tell us that there won't be any meaningful discussion with "the world is agaisnt me" mindset

Edited December 2, 2021 by Ultramex.1506