Guild Wars 2

So here is an idea: Rather than have a massive profession balance patch, why not have a certain profession balance every two weeks? That way, with each living story update, we see a massive fix of X class and not have to wait 6 months for a slight buff / nerf?

ANet seems to operate with this idea that any balance changes should be given time to settle before a new one is added, so that the impact of the changes can be made more visible.

digiowl.9620:

ANet seems to operate with this idea that any balance changes should be given time to settle before a new one is added, so that the impact of the changes can be made more visible.

Yah they said that. Its a lie ofcourse, but they did say that.

Strangely I would think it would have something to do with the developers unhealthy fascination with esport and the s/tpvp mode of play. However I kind of recall a major bug that remain for the duration of the first ToL that would provide a profession with the passive effect (180 power) without having the signet on the current skill bar, but I guess the bug needed time to settle as well.

Bran.7425:

Strangely I would think it would have something to do with the developers unhealthy fascination with esport and the s/tpvp mode of play.

Yeah, I would usually agree with this, too. Strangely enough they keep clinging on to that ideal, when a) that part wasn’t really advertised in a big way unlike WvW or PvE (so it stands to reason most players aren’t here for the PvP) and b) it’s not working, which is a good general rule for smallscape PvP in MMORPGs in the first place. :P

it’s been suggested countless times……..they aren’t going to change the once or twice a year balance patch schedule. those who do the balancing know its a terrible iteration schedule, but they don’t call the shots.

Carighan.6758:

Bran.7425:

Strangely I would think it would have something to do with the developers unhealthy fascination with esport and the s/tpvp mode of play.

Yeah, I would usually agree with this, too. Strangely enough they keep clinging on to that ideal, when a) that part wasn’t really advertised in a big way unlike WvW or PvE (so it stands to reason most players aren’t here for the PvP) and b) it’s not working, which is a good general rule for smallscape PvP in MMORPGs in the first place. :P

Could have sworn they made a very big fuzz about it back around launch, announcing an agreement with a new esports network and everything. The it got very quiet very quickly right after southsun and their retooling for episodic PVE releases.

And in all honesty it feels as if initially they tried to make a MOBA inside a MMO. Similar setting, similar skills, but a more rigid build and combat structure.

But the glacial pace of everything seemed to sour the dedicated PVPers on the game in total, and the not so dedicated preferred ganking in WVW (that also allowed them to show of their newly grinded legendary GS).

Because you have to wait and see how your change affect the game long term and change metas and builds.

In other terms – because you need feedback!

In this particular game it takes FOREVER for the meta to shift. While I like the idea of more frequent balance updates because it holds my interest, this game does an above average job at balance in pvp (pve speedruns are a different story). If they play whack-a-mole every 2 weeks it could break some things down that aren’t currently broken. Obviously if they did this very well/carefully, it could be a very positive thing. How much faith do you have?

Yes but they could achieve a lot more by not always waiting for the all-important meta to shift. Because really? SPvP? Really?

PvE and WvW are huge game modes and all we get is patches with comparatively few changes, very rarely, because apparently sPvP is so important. Well then ok, do sPvP-balance every 6 months, in the meantime do balance changes which ignore sPvP every 2 weeks or so. There’s a ton of stuff left to nerf, buff, fix, all of which can and will upset the WvW balance and PvE mechanics, but hey, I’d prefer motion and lots of pendulum swinging over the stagnancy we have now.

Especially since, if you don’t enjoy sPvP then it feels like every dev except the LS-team just doesn’t really care for you. No twitch streams, no patch comments, no design threads, no nothing. That’s all sPvP-focused, exclusively.

Okay….first accept that spvp balance is more touchy than wvw or pve. It’s not bad that they have devoted energy into that.

Now I agree with you that pve is unbalanced. I think the solution lies in increasing weapon damage for mes, necro, engie and ranger…those commonly left out….but now what happens when they become op in pvp? It’s delicate. I think the solution lies in a pvp/pve skill split or in introducing pve only skills.

WvW zerg v zerg will always be heavy dependant by definition. Imo that’s almost not worth trying to fix.

crunchyraisin.6054:

Okay….first accept that spvp balance is more touchy than wvw or pve. It’s not bad that they have devoted energy into that.

But that coupled with what a minority mode it is would be reason for me not to sink such a disproportionate amount of work into it.

If other modes are less finicky about balance and played more often, then put a team onto them for 4-5 months, 6 or so patches and then it’s more balanced. Done for a long while.

The way sPvP gets all the attention is just infuriating.
And yes, ofc, PvE is better fixed on a mob-AI level. Doesn’t mean classes don’t show imbalances in PvE.
WvW is better fixed by underlying changes to offence vs defence and material warfare. Doesn’t mean classes don’t have serious scaling imbalances between small and large scale.

And what do we get? Twitch streams about sPvP balance previews. :’(

A friend of mine state to me not too long ago that, ‘Guild Wars 2 presented a game with options to “get into her gaming pants” the once they moved in together they are totally a different game’.

Beside the podcast from GW2guru there was little discussion of the spvp and suddenly it is the total focus of balance and it seems that it take bribery to get what appears to be a much larger part of the entire community to show interest.

Also (this may just be my opinion so caution is advised) that the pvp community is intensely hostile to any mode of play getting any attention almost as if that “Art designer works on a landscape” is taking away from the mode that they prefer.