Why do you come to the forums?

[Kelly.7019]

I'm curious as to why people use these forums. I remember not even knowing they existed until years after i started playing the game. (Seeking information outside the game wasn't part of my game.) So what are your reasons coming here rather then going somewhere else?

Edited July 20, 2022 by Kelly.7019

[Danikat.8537]

I've been on various video game forums for just over 20 years, and the GW2 forum since the betas started, and yet this is not an easy question to answer. 😄

I just like talking about games I'm playing, and don't tend to know many people in real life who play the same games, so I come to forums to have those conversations. I don't come looking for specific topics, or types of topics or with some goal I want to achieve, I just want to see what people are talking about and then join in when I can.

I will also use the forum to report bugs, post feedback and sometimes make suggestions but that feels like a secondary function to me. If I didn't come to the forum often I probably wouldn't think of using it for that.

[Randulf.7614]

I like the serious, mature, cut and thrust of healthy debate in a pleasant environment that takes place

[Cronospere.8143]

Mostly to know whats going on in the community's mind. 

I myself am quickly satisfied with a lot of content. Its good to see others people view on things. Things like rumours, builds and the Lore section, geez some people know a lot of things about gw. 

[Trejgon.9367]

at this point, general boredom, with a mix of procrastination.....

[Voyant.1327]

Attempt to highlight issues

Have civil discourse & learn random quirks

Find likeminded players

Mostly just come here during PvE though as map/area chats are usually really quiet in game. 

[wondermuffin.9680]

I feel that while I have my own opinions, it's always good to listen to other people's too. I learn more here than I do in the game.

I also pose genuine questions I have so that I will get answers.

Often I will run into a bug, so I'll come to the forums to see if other players have also encountered it.

I've overall had a positive experience using the forum (mostly as a listener) for the past 3 years or so. Since I am a solo player in every mode, it's nice coming here to get a sense of community.

Edited July 21, 2022 by wondermuffin.9680

[Gibson.4036]

I checked most of the above, but my “other” is that it’s a way of connecting to the game when I can’t actually play.

(This would be why I’m always incredulous when people try to say time on the forums is time not in the game in order to back up some argument)

[Antycypator.9874]

Because you can safely ask and create posts about the game while not being downvoted like on Reddit, because Reddit accepts only memes and drawings of your character.

[Moradorin.6217]

I come to the forums to see if anything I care about is being changed or addressed. I also visit some times when Im bored and look for topics that relate to issues I have had or people asking things I can answer or help with.

 

So here: To find out information on a topic, For discussions on various topics, in a way To push the game in a direction you want, but more to try and keep it from devolving in ways I dont want or to suggest ways to fix things I think are broken or problematic for players and play-ability.

[Hashberry.4510]

I come to watch the train wreck.

[Infinity.2876]

All of the above

[notebene.3190]

For my 'other', the title of this thread made me immediately think of this, because my brain might be broken:

Quote

 

Mitch: Did you know there's a guy living in our closet?

Chris Knight: You've seen him too?

Mitch: Who is he?

Chris Knight: Hollyfeld.

Mitch: Why does he keep going into our closet?

Chris Knight: Why do you keep going into our closet?

Mitch: To get my clothes - but that's not why he goes in there.

Chris Knight: Of course not, he's twice your size - your clothes would never fit him.

Mitch: Yeah...

Chris Knight: Think before you ask these questions, Mitch. Twenty points higher than me? Thinks a big guy like that can wear his clothes?

 

 

[Krzysztof.5973]

To read strong opinions from players that have no idea what they're talking about.
To laugh at something while waiting for stuff in other games. 
To see how fragile and easily offended some people are in this community. 😘

[Gibson.4036]

6 minutes ago, Krzysztof.5973 said:

To see how fragile and easily offended some people are in this community. 😘

How dare you call me out publicly like this. You should get banned. Your mother should get banned. Your dentist’s wife’s hairdresser should get banned. 
 

Reported. Forums used to be so safe but now they’re so toxic because people like you!

.

.

.

.

🤣

Edited July 20, 2022 by Gibson.4036

[Tiamat.8254]

I come for comedy content. 

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

o To find information on a topic
The wiki has its flaws. Players often offer alternative solutions to problems or give a hint on solving them while just talking about them. We have a lot of smart-pants on the forums, me included, who love to explain stuff unasked. So there is a very high chance to learn something new, even in a boring thread. 

I do avoid the class-boards though. They can be helpful with stuff. But since the board is just 'meta forever', I cannot get any useful information anymore. But when new players ask about funny things (e. g. non-meta-runes/sigils), there is a chance to collect some valuable data. 

o To suggest new ideas
I like using the QOL topic, but I get the best inspiration in active discussions. Experience has proven, if the idea is good, they might consider implementing it. I know various examples where this happened, which motivates me to continue. I also try to motivate others to post their ideas here.

o To thank ANet
Not at the moment. I'm waiting for a couple of key-events to take place. We are in the middle of a massive design change.

o To report Bugs
Nope. I use the ingame report feature for that. I'm a bit sorry for the poor soul who has to read them all. xD

o To push the game into the direction you want
Absolutely.

o To promote yourself
Guilty. But I have an excuse. I own two guilds with experimental/questionable purpose. They are in my signature. As long as I participate on the forums, my signature gets noticed = free advertisement. Does it work? Yes! Not as successful as real advertisements. Having positive reactions helps, but if I collect enough confused emojis people are also curious and more likely to investigate my profile.

o To whine about things
Sure. Most of the content on this board and most of the player-driven changes exist because people were not happy. Complaints lead to progress.

o Wait the forums exist?
I wish we had higher priority for ANet. When we talk about communication channels ingame, the official forums are at the lowest rank. Reddit & Twitter are kings. I do not mind, I like this place. We may not be as popular as the other media, but we have a really nice community (mostly) that is very helpful.

o other:
Training my English. It is not my native-language. But I enjoy using it and I like to test and improve it as often as possible.

And the conflicts of course. While I do not really enjoy most of them, the experience I gather in them is also quite helpful. I just try to not make things personal.

And most importantly: ENTERTAINMENT. Not as great as playing the game, but the board definitely provides the better laughs. 

Edited July 20, 2022 by HnRkLnXqZ.1870
typos/grammar

[daninumbers.4036]

I come when I hear about the new controversial thing that Anet has done to have a good laugh. Flaming in those threads is good too \o/ Or when I notice some weird change or bug and I wanna check out if it's just me or Anet at it again.

[Labjax.2465]

I mainly show up on the forums if there's an issue I really want to say something about in the game and then it's mostly for venting because I know there's a snowballs chance in hades it'll actually get read, much less listened to. Then I get caught up in the flow of conversing or (annoyingly) arguing and then do that for a while until I get tired of dealing with the arguing part and leave for a while until an issue in the game compels me to come back to say something.

[Omega.6801]

I come here to share my opinions and to tell people how bad/boring/deadhorse/unnecessary their suggestions are.

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

I come here for about half the reasons listed in the polls.  But, if I were to pick one big one, it would be that ultimately, I do not have a voice.  My opinions, my beliefs, my experiences, all of them do not get representation in entertainment media and social media.  Many of them are well beyond the Overton Window at this point.  Because of this, I have found that unless I am the one to say something, that "something" never gets said.  

[Asum.4960]

Every Confused Reaction adds 1 minute to my life.

[Farohna.6247]

Came for the information and ideas, stayed for the entertainment

[Batel.9206]

To be informed, to ask questions, to answer questions and be helpful, to eat popcorn, and of course to whine about bugs and things I don't like. 😄 Wouldn't be a proper forum without that! (Case in point: I once whined for about two years straight on SWTOR's forums for a visual bug they eventually "fixed"...by purposefully making it even more broken. ArenaNet, fortunately, is not that dense. Or spiteful.)

[Endaris.1452]

It's high level procrastination content level really.