Guild Wars 2

In this “new era” of Randomized WvW Matches something needs to be done to encourage players to have something to fight for throughout the week, especially in highly-imbalanced matches.

Suggestion: Handicap
If, at the time a match is generated, the “expected performance” of each Server is calculated and the weaker Servers are given a “handicap” in the form of a “Starting Point Total” so that if all the Servers perform to expectations the Final Score would be tied.

So (for example with partially made-up numbers) in last week’s “T2 Match” between TC, SoS, and CD we would’ve seen the following Starting Scores at the beginning of the Match:
CD: 261,437
TC: 0
SoS: 218,410

Had these “Handicapping Scores” been used the Final Score would’ve been a 3-way Tie.

I think this would do several important things to improve the “meta” and competitiveness of matches:
1. It removes the psychological barrier of people on Lower-Ranked Servers of having nothing to fight for.
2. It changes the meta because now both taking and holding objectives is of premium importance to all Servers
3. The more accurate that Ratings/Handicaps are the more tension and drama as to the outcome will be carried late into the week.

I really do think this would go a long way towards making Matches more fun and interesting all week long.

I actually really like the idea, although I would modify it to be a +X per tick. That way nobody feels like they have to dig out of a hole so much and the matchup can remain competitive until the end.

I like the idea of handicapping as well…

It would also allow complete random matchups to happen…

Either the weaker servers starting with a points lead or the +x with a tick would be far fairer than what we have now and every server no matter what there wvw population or night capping would have a equal chance at winning at the start of every week.

Just holding a tower for a few hours could sway it so the weaker server just won the matchup…

Under the current system the best servers are underperforming when faced with weaker opposition because its no challenge, its like having some sneaky time off cause you have easy opposition. Well the weaker servers are just giving up at the start of the week when they know they have no chance.

This is actually one of the better ideas I’ve heard. That is if Anet could come out with an accurate way to predict a server’s weekly score.

Disagree

They need to scrap score from being the in game method of determining a winner and just use server rating. Rating is already automatically handicapped.

Draygo.9473:

Disagree

They need to scrap score from being the in game method of determining a winner and just use server rating. Rating is already automatically handicapped.

Almost nobody wants to “Play for Rating” – read any of the many Threads and accept facts already.

To a very great extent Rating = Coverage no more and no less. Outside of some mythical “perfectly balanced match” Rating has nothing to do with the skill of the Servers involved.

Gamers are often by nature competitive and will play hard for a chance to win. There is no incentive to play for Rating in WvW because all an increase in Rating means for an outmatched Server (coverage-wise) is more imbalanced matches.

Shouldn’t the system encourage players and Servers to play their best and participate as much as they can rather than the opposite?

instead of handicapping the scores…why not just automagically turn everyone on the top performing server into rangers…

ok seriously i like the idea, thats the one thing i hate about wvw is the ridiculous land slide matches we’ve had recently. Makes me not even want to play honestly.