Guild Wars 2

Well as title states. For balance I think a small balance patch per month over 1 large every 3 months would be a lot better for this game. I’ll list a couple reasons to back this also
1. A large balance patch every 3 months is just gonna swing something else towards being broke my OP and we will have to deal with said thing longer than with the 1 month version.
2. With the 1 month balance, yes it might be smaller and not give as much for new goodies, but the balance changes would be more significant towards achieving overall balance due to stuff not being such an overhaul. “Example- condis dealing too much damage, so this month the numbers were tweaked a little to decrease” yes this might not work the right way but at least only 1 month till it would be fixed again. Or even "mesmer alacrity ruined the class with the nerf, so anet buffs self alacrity to 50% and keeps shared to 33%
3. Even with the smaller balance patches anet could rotate a class to be at the top teir of pvp and allow anyone and everyone to feel a little Op. “This class could still be beaten by a skilled player but would only have a small edge.” Why do this? Anet still is a Business and needs to make money. How would this make money? Well noob players will still bandwagon to the flavor of the month and waste money on gems and such to deck out this said flavor or add chat slots ect ect.
4. Even with a small balance patch every month anet could still release a overhaul every 6 months-1 year that changes fundamentals of the game. This way anet only has to do a little every month to achieve a more equal level of balance.

In my opinion this would be a good thing because it would achieve the levels of balance most other games have. But these other games also do smaller balance patches monthly to help promote healthier communities.

Yes I know many will disagree with this post as well as many who approve. And my reply to that is.
Everyone’s opinion matters. No one is too little or too much of a “pleb” for their opinions not to be heard. Yea some players will troll but hey at least they are having fun.

Thank you all who read and comment on my post.

Hopefully Anet will at least tweak some things before the next league season hits.

Yea true that. I wish more players would actually post on forums than just read the posts and just move on. I know many were mad about random stuff but anet can’t change anything if they can’t see more opinions than just the few players who usually post in the forums

You are asking too much from ANet. You do know they carefully think of what they change, right? A big patch per season is where they shine. Don’t take that away from them.

This is a case where pro league is against us. The reason they don’t want balance changes more frequently is that they don’t want to change the meta without letting time to pro teams to adapt.

But I think they should have first balance properly HoT before starting pro leagues. And I perfectly agree that small regular patches is a better way to do that.

The last patch is a typical example of “overcorrecting”. For example they wanted to nerf bunker chrono so they:

• removed quickness rez
• removed defensive amulets
• reduced alacrity effectiveness
• destroyed well of precognition
• removed durability rune
• nerfed energy sigils
• nerfed chaotic dampening
• nerfed chaos armor
• nerfed resistance on F5 and glamour

This is obviously overkill. And many changes are like this. If they had more regular updates, they would have been able to do small shaves and slowly adjust the build until it is balanced and healthy for the game.

@silverkey

I completely agree with you on that. But honestly. I know it would effect the pro league stuff but certainly small little things shaved every month shouldn’t effect pro league players too much seeing as the comp itself is supposed to show skill of players who can adapt fast and win matches. Most games do monthly patches and still have high end tournaments because players can take a week and adjust to the patch and be ready for competitions halfway into the month. And if stuff changes on them then they adapt to the changes.
Surely being able to adapt to small little hot fixes should be pretty simple in comparison to adapting to large changes.
Also in my opinion adapting to change on the go is a sign of more skill than the latter. Do you not agree?

Not to mention that I’m pretty sure most pro league players would have preferred the previous meta fixed earlier, even if it meant rerolling.

Silverkey.2078:

This is a case where pro league is against us. The reason they don’t want balance changes more frequently is that they don’t want to change the meta without letting time to pro teams to adapt.

But I think they should have first balance properly HoT before starting pro leagues. And I perfectly agree that small regular patches is a better way to do that.

The last patch is a typical example of "overcorrecting". For example they wanted to nerf bunker chrono so they:
* removed quickness rez
* removed defensive amulets
* reduced alacrity effectiveness
* destroyed well of precognition
* removed durability rune
* nerfed energy sigils
* nerfed chaotic dampening
* nerfed chaos armor
* nerfed resistance on F5 and glamour

This is obviously overkill. And many changes are like this. If they had more regular updates, they would have been able to do small shaves and slowly adjust the build until it is balanced and healthy for the game.

Don’t forget to include the buffs. The buffs to necro’s boon corruption and thief’s auto attack damage was part of the plan to combat sustain builds to prevent a bunker meta. Not only did they over-nerf, they buffed a solution after the problem was no longer necessarily there to solve. This is a perfect - and perhaps easier to see - example of why balance patches need to be less game-altering each, but more frequent. They should nerf what is problematic first, then, after seeing how it impacts the game, re-evaluate the situation and determine whether they over-nerfed and need to revert some, need to compensate the nerfed classes in other areas, or if the problem still persists and further nerfs or buffs anywhere else are needed to complete the rectification.

I think a balance patch a month is very hard to work with. It takes a while to let the meta settle down and then they need time to handle it appropriatly since every decision affects a lot of builds across all game modes. On top of that it creates an instability during the pvp seasons. I would prefer a “big” patch every end of the season and a very small patch at the beginning to tone down the truly OP.

I think frequent updates are most important in PvP, constant tweaking (daily) on classes.

Otherwise it will just be overhaul after overhaul, wich literally makes the games meta change every balance patch to the next overpowered build that didnt get looked at or overbuffed.

tl;dr; this 3 month overhaul, isnt balancing. Its an overhaul.

Tim.6450:

I think a balance patch a month is very hard to work with. It takes a while to let the meta settle down and then they need time to handle it appropriatly since every decision affects a lot of builds across all game modes. On top of that it creates an instability during the pvp seasons. I would prefer a “big” patch every end of the season and a very small patch at the beginning to tone down the truly OP.

This it s what we need.

Tim.6450:

I think a balance patch a month is very hard to work with. It takes a while to let the meta settle down and then they need time to handle it appropriatly since every decision affects a lot of builds across all game modes. On top of that it creates an instability during the pvp seasons. I would prefer a “big” patch every end of the season and a very small patch at the beginning to tone down the truly OP.

Settle meta? I though we suit our gamplay to changes that comes out. We suit to them immediately. We prepare changes to strategies before change is live. So letting meta to settle down is invalid at all. Its just waiting what will get more hate than anything other and raze it to the ground for happiness of audience in that Colosseum.
Rarely something good comes with that. Especialy balance case should be constantly supported, changed as much as it will need. We won’t have someting like perfect balance, but we will have compromise. More changes will make it a bit more lively too.

A major patch after the end of every season is enough to balance and change meta.

Then, in the month between the previous season and the next one, minor fixes to refine classes.

there shouln’t be any changes during the season, or your are going to let “some” players to exploit the game like the previous season.

Like Stronghold premade farmers or bunker mesmers.

Season should starts as more balanced as it can.
But with season ongoing, there should be no fixes at all.

Trying to put a patch to fix some problems during a season means to leave players who exploited till that day way far than who didn’t. Which sucks more than have a total unbalanced scenario, because it’s unfair ( and i play only thief, so im not trying to exploit ).

If ANET would like to start a season, it should do it without major issues.
Season one was a total fail, with boring gameplay, not tested classes and unpunished players.

I see a lot of your points on how the larger balance patch would be ok. But I’m not saying this from a “now” perspective. I’m saying it from a 6 months down the line kinda thing. The overhauls change the meta too much. Yes it’s good to have changes in meta. But the balance is never gonna be equal this way irreguardless of how the patches effect the game. But looking at this from a long ways down the line. The balance would still be bad 6 months from now with and overhaul while with the small monthly patches, each month the game gets closer to equality till it’s just a matter of what class is just a hair better than others and is the flavor of this said month. It’s just better on games in general to have the frequent balancing. A large overhaul can still be done like 2 times a year to give the game new mechanics, amulets, runes, ect. But at least after the overhaul it would only be like a couple months till game is balanced again instead of in like a year for some almost balance

if you want balance you should give up at customizzation.

players still complain and think they have the right of choice in terms of builds.

Also, you know, changes affect pve, spvp and wvw.
it’s stupid i know, but they are not going to make separate changes.

@shirlias

Why so much negativity. Yes anet has made mistakes but they are at least trying to put the game on the right track. These forums being filled with people doubting any idea put out is never good for a game and shows toxicity in the community.
Other than doubting and then leaving, why not put out a idea to keep threads positive and encouraging. Maybe then it would help anet just that much more.

But thanks for the input anyways

Also yes I know changes effect pve and wvw. That’s why I said small balance patches. Smaller ones won’t put the other aspects of the game so far off like larger ones do. And anet can make adjustments accordingly

eyesrutherford.1357:

@shirlias

Why so much negativity. Yes anet has made mistakes but they are at least trying to put the game on the right track. These forums being filled with people doubting any idea put out is never good for a game and shows toxicity in the community.
Other than doubting and then leaving, why not put out a idea to keep threads positive and encouraging. Maybe then it would help anet just that much more.

But thanks for the input anyways

it’s not negativity… years of mmo teach you that there’s no chance for balance if you give players customizzation.

And the worst thing, to me, is that players prefer customizzation over balance.

Also what about fixes during a Ranked season?

Who plays first can abuse of system and unbalanced classes, then season ongoing they nerf it. It’s not fair due to a ranked season. that’s it.

Yea I can see some stuff gets abused but like most abusive bugs “ex the druid leap bug” anet catches them and removes them anyways befor a big patch. Yea it went on for a while before it got around enough for a lot to know about it but was fixed during the season. So it would just be like that anyways. But yea I know other bugs go ignored for forever. But just giving an example. It’s not like exploits aren’t on a first come first serve basis as is is what I’m saying.

Also I agree that the customization over balance is a big ordeal. But that’s what comes out of free to play games. Cosmetics are a decent bit of money to anet as with all other f2p

With bugs i meant things like stronghold and mesmers. Not real bugs but classes broken at season started.

I mean

-why start a season before testing classes? AOE invul that could be refreshed? Who could only think about put a kitten like this into release.
-Also stronghold which counts as competitive play? Powercreep and invul abuse?

these are not exploits, that’s the problem.
and while season ongoing you nerf, so who played before the nerf got a boost due to incompetence, and the others not.

I don’t want to abuse of exploits or unbalanced things, but i would at least that the entire season is all the same for everybody.