Hi everyone, just to avoid “polluting” other topics with my humble opinion, I’m creating my own feedback topic, feel free to discuss my decisions![](/include/images/smilies/wink.png)
General
Overall, the map is gorgeous, this verticality is sure a plus. I liked the idea of guild claim (yet I was unable to claim anything, nor use the tactics because they weren’t public). There are a few bugs to fix and twists to make before having it better, but in the end I enjoyed the design of the map… And a bit less its mechanics.
Pros
- Verticality. At last the end of major blobs! They will mazybe finally learn how to play in smaller groups
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- Non-rally on non-vet NPCs. Again, it’s a plus, especially in the oasis.
- Destructible walls on map. Just to be a bit quicker, and to prevent some people from attacking structures from the wrong angle!
- Keeps structure. This allow many ways to defend a door/wall, without having your siege weapons destroyed by blobs…
- Shrines. These advantages are really interesting gameplay-wise, I liked them (well not that much when I was used to the Air keep bonuses and tried to jump from too high in Fire keep T_T)
- Sentries. At last they are useful
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- Superior siege skins. They all look good (except the ram, which seems cheaper).
- Auto-upgrade. This is really a good idea, people don’t have to think “which one is more important right now?” However…
Cons
- Similar structures. I really despise the fact towers and keep don’t visually upgrade, that’s really a shame, looks way too much like EotM.
- Waypoints. Oh god those useless waypoints on spawn towers. It’s really sad (and a bit stupid) not to be able to have waypoints in the keeps you own (not talking about Emergency WP, which would “waste” a slot just to be able to port). low-population servers can’t take the liberty of leaving people in structures, and running from spawn to a keep will take to long. It’ll become EotM “Oh they wanna take that tower? Too far, we’ll take it back in 5 minutes”…
- Attacking more a trend. I’m afraid borderlands will turn into EotM, where flipping structures is more important than defending one. However, I can’t be sure about this one…
- Disorganized test. Not really a con because it was a stress test, everyone was FFA, so we couldn’t really test strategies etc.
- Unusable siege weapons. Couldn’t use the new siege weapon, what a pity.
- “Closed” borderlands. I could only try one BL out of the three, so since very few people where on it, I couldn’t visit everything.
- “Marked” for too long. The debuff seemed to last a bit too long IMHO, especially when the enemy/I was far enough from the structure.
Conclusion
My opinion sure isn’t objective because I was with people who were playing the way they liked (which isn’t a criticism), so I’m not sure how the whole thing will go during a “real” game with my servers/guildmates. What I am sure, however, is that, even if the map is well designed, the lack of visible upgrades is really a killer, and the really “stupid” use of waypoints will for sure turn this map in the new EotM. At first I was excited, now I’m worried it will kill the fun of WvW as we know it. Please ANet, just don’t make it a karma-train railroad.
Guild leader of The Nephilim of Elysium.
Son of Elonia.