There were districts in GW1 because everyone played on the same server (technically). Once you left town, or switched maps, all those were instanced (on different servers). GW2 has to have separate servers, because this is a true MMORPG. Each map is an open world. When that maps is filled, a new one is created by means of our current Overflow system. If the map isn’t filled, you can guest to another server that has more population in your time zone. You get 2 guest passes per 24 hours. I suggest visiting Black Gate, since they have the most coverage around the clock.
Right, and that’s why they should just merge the maps cross server. Right now we, the players, are forced to manually merge ourselves via guesting. They need to look into automating the process since your “server” is only relevant to WvW and the Guild bank.
Again, you can’t just merge all servers into the same PvE map. You create a lot of issues with all players trying to congregate to the same map that holds 100 to 150 players max. If a large guild were to try and go to a map that’s already half filled, you get the same results, which is being pushed to Overflow. But there are a couple of differences here: 1) Merged PvE maps would more likely fill faster, leaving organized parties to have to be burdened with map separation more of often. 2) All that additional coding by the Devs would be a waste of time if people just kept getting kicked into Overflows once maps fill.
Let’s lay it out. Say they created Districts for Queensdale, and that there’s new content there. Guild X has 50 members trying to get into a map. As they log in, some are placed into QD1, some are in QD2, and the rest are in QD3. Because maps are merged across servers, you already have ten Queensdale Districts spawned within minutes. Members of Guild X wants to be put into the same map, so they attempt to taxi on each other, but all fail. Reason being, each map is already hard capped. Now Guild X has to leave the map to try and create an empty District. Again, since all servers are merged, people are flooding the map. There are now 25 QDs made, and Guild X members are still trying to get into the same map.
The situation above is extreme, but presents the problem at hand: Each map is filled quicker, reducing the chances of organized groups joining the same map. With the current system, the expansion of new “District” maps are slowed, since each server goes to their main first, and Overflows are generated only when the previous map is filled. Highly active servers push Overflows quicker yes, but less active servers never fill their mains.
By having merged PvE maps, you spread the problems of large, active servers to the low/medium ones. At least with the current system, organize guilds can guest to get away from their full maps, and solo players can guest to join those other server’s filled maps. It’s not the perfect solution, rather one that’s a bit inconvenient but works.
None of those problems are insurmountable. In fact most would be very, very easy to prevent with a minor amount of planning.
Let’s assume a soft cap at 100 players and a hard cap at 150 players.
Every time a map hits 100, a new map is created.
Transitioning between maps is as easy as hitting “m” to open your map, then selecting a new map from the list (just like in GW1). The map list will show the open maps and the number of players in them. You can transfer into any map that has less than 150 players (the hard cap).
Your guild group has 100 people in it? Not a problem, check the list and find any of the maps that currently have less than 50 people in them. Shouldn’t be hard since people leave maps all the time and the system is designed to fill a map before moving to the next one, rather than evenly distributing players amongst currently open maps.
They could even add a “Invite Guild to Map” button that allows you to invite your entire guild to join you in a specific map, given the space.
Massively more user friendly than the current system for assembling a big group AND ends the problem of dead maps.
. EOTM proves that you can dynamically put everyone on endless layers with no regard to home server, so its time to bring it to the rest of the game.