I’m a pve’er, always have been in every game. Playing against other players just isn’t my thing. However, I’m recently became a co-leader of a PvX guild with 495 active members. And yet again I see storm clouds gathering over the guild because of the differences between PvE and WvW. We are a guild focused around our common language. So we have hardcore and casual members in PvE, PvP and WvW. Shortly after the Holloween update, 200 members left the guild to form their own on a better WvW server. Things don’t look so grim yet, but it might be happening again. So I’m trying to understand and hold it all together. The WvW core is happy with our number of people in WvW, but not on what they achieve. The WvW core expects more from the other members in WvW. Here are four area’s where I notice friction.
Playstyle
In PvE players can do all they want, when they want and how they want and for as long as they want. That’s how this game is designed, and it works. Sure there are parties that only accept full berserker warriors , but that’s a minority. And there are people who leave in dungeons, but that again is a minority. If you have a strong guild you can even avoid those issues. Do what you want, and it almost always will work out. WvW is a whole other matter. Because in order for the server to be successful, the players have to think about the server first. One of the examples I think about is when PvE’ers went in to WvW, only to complete their kill variety daily. Or players in a zerg who stop to kill the Veteran Ice Wurm for their daily. But it goes deeper, like the zerg orders. At the gate you have to build up the rams first and only attack the gate with the rams until the battle markers appear. Only after that, can you attack the gate directly. The server also needs defenders, scouts, supply runners, trebbers, … Al tasks which gain the player almost nothing.
Builds
As I understand WvW is about survival, because all the enemies that tagged a player revive as soon as that player dies. Our WvW core insist people need Power Vitality and Toughness. To that there are only a few exceptions, like the necro who has enough with just high Toughness. The problem is that for PvE, PVT gear is almost useless. The NPC’s just have to get killed, avoided or damage mitigated. You don’t need to be able to take a lot of damage, but you are urged to kill fast. So players need to get a second equipment set for WvW. In WvW usually there’s also the expectation of a different set of skills traits then in PvE.
Communication
In PvE communication between the players is hardly ever needed. Even the dungeons can be completed on auto-pilot in a pug party of experienced players. In Orr there are some fights where people try to tell people what to do but hardly anybody takes that seriously. No matter how many times it’s said that the dead have to waypoint, they just lie there. Usually the event still succeeds (yes I know about Grenth). In WvW you can’t function if you don’t communicate with other players. But it goes deeper, like the zerg orders. At the gate you have to build up the rams first and only attack the gate with the rams until the battle markers appear. Only after that, can you attack the gate directly.
Influence
How on earth do you satisfy the needs of a PvX guild with only two build slots? Giving hero banners every day, doing all the guild missions and keeping up all the WvW buffs permanently, is it even mathematically possible? Actually, thank you Areananet, for not providing the option of a useful PvP buffs. Otherwise we had to upspeed that as well.
Conclusion
Could it all come down to the following? In PvE you are a hero that wears what he wants and does what he wants. In WvW you are a soldier that wears soldiers gear and follows orders. And if your PvX you have to be able to switch between the two mindset?