I was scanning the various threads here and found one on the notorious debate about WvW… whether someone should be forced to fight PvP in order to get Map Completion, and to complete the various non-PvP achievements that you can get there. And then the idea hit me.
What if there was a sort of “spectator/explorer” mode you could enter for WvW maps?
The lore on this would be that, in the beginning of exploration into the Mists, the new explorers in these areas used a safe, partial transmission of themselves into those areas… a sort of “Ghost” form. This form, though mostly insubstantial, had been stabilized by the Asura over time to allow exploration in those zones without exposing oneself to the dangers of other heroes from other places and times (other players).
In this mode you would be a sort of “Ghost” or "Neutral Player”. You could watch a fight unfold, but not be hit or do anything yourself; you would just be a silent watcher. You could enter any defended position (no matter which server controls it) to mark that point on the map, but you couldn’t disrupt it, nor could you avail yourself of any of it’s services (unless controlled by your server.)
Some might say, “But you could scout out an enemy location for your side!” but the “silent” aspect would prevent that; you would be unable to communicate in any way while doing this, not even in direct whispers. Of course any non-PvP interactions or combat would still be available.
The purpose of this mode would be to allow those who wish to complete the map to do so without being attacked, and also to allow those who want to see epic group combat go down to stand by and watch from a good vantage point… once again without getting attacked.
In this mode the player would:
- appear as a “ghost” (translucent, grey) or other “non-PvP” appearance. Could be based on class or race for flavor. (Charr Devourer, Asura minidrone, Sylvari Sproutling, etc.)
- be unable to be targeted or hit, and be able to be passed through by other players (including other Ghosts).
For the trolls in the game the following mechanics would be enabled:
PvPers:
Trying to hit or disrupt a Ghost for too long would result in being force Tped back to the starting point. This would happen after several times, as PvP would likely cause a few accidental collisions. This would disrupt a PvPers ability to remain in mobs and raids.
Ghosts:
Trying to get in the way of PvP would force TP a Ghost to the starting point. This would be for EACH TIME it happened, forcing the Ghost to look at a loading screen instead of actually doing anything.
Each case would require at least 5 seconds of contact, and I could imagine the load screens to be longer than the usual, in order to “punish” the people trolling this way.
Enabling this as a feature of WvW would allow BOTH aspects of those areas to be worked on without really disrupting either. People who wanted achievements only, or who were after their hard fought Map Completions (they did explore the rest of the world!) could pursue these things without getting caught up in PvP, while this mode would actually add another aspect to PvP… spectating. People could come into WvW just to watch fights and cheer (silently!) for their friends or guild (I would let gestures like /cheer work so they could do it, but they still couldn’t make sounds or harass the other side, so no taunts).
This would also allow people to invite their friends or guildmates into the WvW zones to see how things played out and teach them a bit about the maps and fights before those players decided if they wanted to give WvW a try, sort of easing people into things.
I feel this would solve the problem with WvW being intended for PvP mainly, but having so many other, non-PvP aspects tied into it, without ruining the PvP itself. Let me know what you think; comments are welcome, disagreements are expected… trolling is hoped to be avoided, but also expected.