i posted this on wvw section, but now i try repost here for 2 reasons:
1 is more a suggestion than a comment
2 i had no reply
so i would like to know if everybody is happy with the mechanics of wvw as they are atm
The big point of wvw is that you can get many things when u play it (gold, drops, exp, karma, fun etc) except one very thing: pvp!!!
This is due to three main factors:
- positive feedback mechanics
when a server is winning it gets stronger, when a server is loosing it gets weaker: like all positive feedback system, it become unstable very quickly and u get stucked to the point where 1 takes all.
- zerg mechanics
evrybody know this: a big group can stomp on any target, goal and minor group of adversary palyers with
almost no effort, so it always ends with 1 faction zerg running and farming, or even 2 faction zergs doing the same without never meeting, because this gives lot of rewards.
- MOST IMPORTANT
absolute lack of a frontline, a real battleground, a trench war or whatever u call it!!!! this is what is really needed for wvw to have a boost.
I think what majority of players want is a wide open battle between large armies, but at the momement what u get in wvw will most probably be (with rare exceptions):
1) attacking siege where all u can do is range aoe empty walls until ram finish the job
2) defending siege where all u can do is trying to range aoe attackers without falling from walls
3) cross-country race with zerg stomping everything and with 2 seconds long battles
4) dying in a 2 seconds battle even before the opponent zerg becomes visible
i have some fun with all these (except 4 maybe), but i want more.
HOW?
here are my ideas:
- INTRODUCE FRONTLINE MECHANICS
this maybe done by the use of buffs and rally points. each control point (camp, tower, keep etc) should emit a powerful buff within a given radius. all players in that area are so much buffed that a zerg attacking a camp with 5 ppl defending could seriously fail (somthing like that annoying guild npc thing you find in camps atm).
A faction can extend the area of the buff by building rally points of some sort, that works like beacons. Beacons can only be built within a certain distance from a buffed area, and CANNOT be build too near to an opposite faction buffed area. This will produce an extension of one faction protected (buffed) territory, until it comes to clash with the territory of anoter faction: what u have now is a frontline. This place will be where most battle will take place, simply because when u move forward u loose your buff, and you enter a land where your opponent is buffed.
- KEEP THE FIGHT BALANCED
buff must be diluted between players: many players in an area (zerg) get small buff, few players ina an area (heroes) get big buff (same total amount divided by few).
this work well for defenders, because both few defenders or zerg defending (less probable) will pose more or less same challenge for attackers.
At this point our big zerg will have 2 choices when it wants to extend our territory: to attack unguarded positions where it has to kill only a few (but still heavily buffed) npc guards, or attack directly in the face of enemy army (zerg of the few heroes). what we want is epic battle so:
- KILL REWARDS
atm most of the rewards come from conquering targets (control points), and this is why none seem to be
interested in a fight, also when it maybe balanced. All we have to do is transfer that reward directly on killing enemy players, and the choice of our zerg will be easy shifted toward the real fight.
But since most reward is now in killing players in the frontline zone, what is the reason to extend our territory and conquest control points?
- TOTAL MAP CONQUEST AND RESET
my idea is that completing the map closes the match. When a faction conquest all the control points they (all the players partecipating) must gain a big reward, like it was a big map event, like opening a huge chest in your base with rare items and loot (+ ofc a big amount of wvw points). At this point the map should reset to neutral and everything starts back. this will also solve the issue of getting stuck in the situation of 1 faction being dominating.