Beacon's Flame event –the absurdity of Guild Wars 2's event system

[Maria Murtor.7253]

The Beacon's Flame event is another good example how the event system of this game is flawed and unfair. This event requires players to carry a flame (buff) from the very south of Inner Nayos to the very top. The flame effect has a time limit and can be refreshed during the journey. It's not a hard event. Nevertheless, it still requires a bit of time to do so. It's already one of the events many, many people do not care about, because it's simply an exhausting experience. To make matters worse, if you take too long for your trip, you will classified as inactive for this event. This can easily happen if your buff runs out and you have to start over. Or while waiting the 90 seconds after the gauge is filled. 

I understand, that there has to be a way to "punish" event leechers. But this is not the way. 

 

[DanAlcedo.3281]

The fact that I can get 3+ flames to the beacon and the wait time for the event to finish after 100% is so long that you lose participation, is absurd. 

100% agree with you here. 

[Randulf.7614]

Agreed. It’s an odd chain of events, but the start of here is particularly off putting.

Frankly, if Gondor wants my aid, they will have to send a carrier pigeon instead

[Manasa Devi.7958]

My first 2 attempts also went like that. The third time, I cheesed it. I put my jade bot WP at the northern beacon before the meta started. Jumped there instantly when beacon run started and was the first participant, obviously. Then stayed at the beacon and just killed the mobs that kept spawning there until the end. Apparently that kept my participation active. 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Manasa Devi.7958

[Futa.4375]

100% agreed, there has been a huge lack of testing in what has been added lately.

[azorean.1850]

you doing it wrong.

[DanAlcedo.3281]

24 minutes ago, azorean.1850 said:

you doing it wrong.

Enlighten us please.

[Cuks.8241]

Never had a problem, did the event like 3 times. And I just waited it out once the bar was almost full and I felt another run wont matter.

Maybe I killed some mobs meanwhile and that count for participation.

[Sweetbread.3678]

People really need to learn how to use the gryphon and the leyline riding mastery. I ran 8 flames in one event earlier tonight while literally lapping the people who never get off their skyscale.

[Maria Murtor.7253]

You're describing a way to ease the pain, not how to cure the illness. The problem remains, also from a game-wide perspective. 

[Farohna.6247]

I did this meta four times yesterday (before and after reset for daily chest, and other time for an achievement and once just to help out because I was there).  Two of those had no tag, just random people on a map who showed up.   No issue with completing them.   No issue with being inactive or getting credit.  

It's a new metaI...I do see people unfamiliar and confused with how it works.  Some people don't catch on quickly.  They just need a brief explanation of how to light the beacons and follow them up to the north (we'll skip the griffon method, they can figure that out later).  

So while some do not care...or are engaged in other events or achievements, etc....and there are always leechers at every meta, the majority seem to be helping out.  As for an inactive issue, I do hope that isn't a problem for most and if so it needs to be addressed.  

[Manpag.6421]

I think this event does exemplify how broken the participation system is, however well-intentioned it was. The issue isn’t just that you can lose participation after putting in a substantial amount of work, while someone who participates the bare minimum right before the event concludes gets rewards — it’s that participation tracking is wildly inconsistent. I haven’t done the new meta as often as some, but I’ve also encountered this issue with losing participation during the “wrap up” phase of the event where you’re not really intended to be participating.

To use another meta as an example, on a handful of occasions I have lost participation in the Gyala Delve part 2 event where you’re just gathering energy on your turtle and depositing it, having deposited energy and while actively collecting more. But only sometimes. Or a more consistent example, you can lose participation in the escort quest parts of that meta if it takes too long to break down the wall, despite breaking the wall being part of that event (so should count as active participation).

And am I the only one who constantly gets chat notifications that I’m no longer participating in events that have already finished and given me rewards?!

The whole system really needs fixing, because right now the actions that actually count for participation are unclear, don’t always align with the actual requirements to progress the event, and the timer is either too short or too variable. And while the intention is to prevent leeching, in practice it often penalises more active players who might be able to contribute to more than one event at the same time, but can’t without losing credit for one or more.