Guild Wars 2

Hi Guys,

last week i thought about the old times i had in GW1 two years ago.
I was very active in the PvP – HA (Hero’s Ascend) scene and enjoyed that gamemode very much.

This post is related to the thread Lady Nag Nag made about the new gamemodes here:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/pvp/pvp/Our-suggestions-concerning-PVP-by-CC-friends

For those of you, who didn’t played GW1 PvP, HA was something like a global tournament (EU, NA,..) with K.O. system. There were 9 Arenas you had to pass with a group of 8 people, until you got into the Hall of Hero’s, where you fought 1v1v1 or 1v1 in random generated gamemodes. I will not describe the look of the maps, so pls

for more information check: Guild Wars Wiki

or watch some GW1 HA matches on YouTube.

Here i will post some of my ideas, how A-net could bring this back with the awsome GW2 mechanics.

At first i want to say, that they can’t just copy the maps 1:1 in GW2, cause there are so much things you can do more in GW2. (Just think about jumping, dodging, portal, blink, downstate, heal, …)
So every map has to be overhauled. This includes things you need to have in TDM like “Sudden Death”, “Time-Out” (compare GW2 PvP 15 mins), “Maximum of Points” (compare GW2 PvP max. points 500) to balance, or otherwise: mechanics to counter totally bunkerish setups.

I would really appreciate to hear your opinions about my thoughts and maybe you have some new ideas.

Before i start, i want be sorry if my english is not that good, cause it’s not my motherlanguage. :>

1) The Start
To join a HA match in GW2 you could normaly start in the Mist’s. So maybe no option to join solo, but create a team with 5 or more players. (Maybe if the maps are large 6 players, but not like GW1 groups of 8, that would be too much i think)

2) First map: Elite Zaishen Battle (team vs NPC’s)
Maybe this map is not necessary, but here you had to fought a group of NPC’s for a maximum of 10% moral boost (depends on time) on your (Mana) and HP.
In Guild Wars 2 this map could be implemented for your team having a “warm-up”, maybe getting something like a moral boost, compared to the buffs you’re getting from Svanir and Chieftain on Forest of Nifhel. (should be not too high)

• Objective to annihilite every enemy NPC (TDM) (NPC’s with Veteran or Elite NPC rank)
• Win reward: Buff?!

3) After you fought the Zaishen NPC’s you’re moving to the first map:
The Underworld
Here i like to say, that every team had a so named “Ghostly-Hero” (<3 one of the most favorite miniatures in GW1 and loved by all HA players)
This NPC were following you through all the maps, had some nice abilitys to attack enemy players, had a large HP pool and was very tough.
When your team killed the enemy Ghostly Hero, you got all your skills recharged and earnt a moral boost of 10% (like from Zaishen).

• So in GW2-HA the Ghostly Hero should be implemented aswell and should have a Legendary or Champion NPC rank.
• It should be possible to let the Ghostly Hero follow one player on speak (compare GW1)
• Some Weapon-skills and the ability to heal, like the “Lords” on Legacy of the Foefire
• when one team managed to kill the enemy Ghostly Hero, you’re getting all skills recharged and perhaps a buff compared Svanir/Chieftain-kill

The Underworld: (TDM + no respawn) (team vs. team)

• Objective to annihilite every player of the enemy team (TDM) or win by time-out
• Downstated players, but NO RESPAWN, but maybe the ability to hard-rezz totally dead players (compare PvE/WvW)
• Win reward: Silver?! rankpoints?! (for PvP title or totally new rank, compare GW1 Gladiator – Hero)

4) Next map: Fetid River (TDM + Priest kill) (team vs. team)
Every team has a “Ghostly Priest” stuck in the enemy base, resurrecting all (totally dead) players on his spot every 1 or 2 minutes. (includes “Ghostly Hero”)

• Objective to annihilite every player of the enemy team AND the enemy “Ghostly Priest” or reach a maximum of XXX Points
• “Ghostly Priest” should have a high level of HP and a skill to heal himself (Veteran, Elite, or Champion NPC rank)
• respawn from stomped and so totally dead players every 1 or 2 minutes when priest is alive, maybe the ability to hard-rezz totally dead players (compare PvE/WvW)
• Win reward: rankpoints?! Silver?!

5) Next map: Burial Mounds (TDM with flag run + Priest kill) (team vs. team)
Every team has a “Ghostly Priest” stuck in the enemy base, resurrecting all (totally dead) players on his spot every 1 or 2 minutes. (includes “Ghostly-Hero”)
One “Flag Spot” in the middle of the map. One Flag in every Homebase. The team who brings the flag to the flag stand will get an advantage
(maybe a random, area-effected lightning strike, compare: Obelisk Flag Stand )

• Objective to annihilite every player of the enemy team AND the enemy “Ghostly Priest” or reach a maximum of XXX Points
• It should to be worth, to run/bring the flag to the flag-spot
• Win reward: rankpoints?! Silver?!

6) Next map: Unholy Temples (Relic run) (team vs. team)
On this map each team had a relic, spawned near their bases, only can raised by members the enemy team. The “Ghostly Hero” was sticked in the base.

• Objective to grab the enemy relic and bring it into your base to your “Ghostly Hero” (maximum of 3 relics = win) (compare Snowball Mayhem from wintersday)
• while carrying the relic you:
  - move 33% (up to 66%) slower
  - getting a relic runner debuff, so you cant use ANY of your skills (so you aren’t able to blink, rtl,…)
  - can’t get stealthed
  - can’t use a portal (otherwise you drop the relic) (Btw.: All this could be changed on Spirit Watch aswell)
  - can’t get invulnerable or mist-formed effected by runes/sigils
  - can get speed buffed by allies, buffed with boons from allies, run faster with rune of speed
• dropping the relic, so that the enemy team can grab it, will let the relic respawn
• respawn from stomped and totally dead players every 1 or 2 minutes in base, maybe the ability to hard-rezz totally dead players
• Win reward: rankpoints?! Silver?!

7) Next map: Forgotten Shrines (Capture Points) (team vs. team)
Here i have to say, that this map has to be overhauled a lot if implemented, otherwise it will be more like Skyhammer Knock-down party :>

• Objective to capture and hold 3 (up to 5) notes and getting points for kill/capture/hold (compare GW2 PvP)
• respawn from stomped and so totally dead players every 15 seconds in base, no ability to hard-rezz totally dead players
• Win reward: rankpoints?! Silver?!

8) Next map: Golden Gates (TDM + Priest kill) (team vs. team)

• Objective to annihilite every player of the enemy team AND the enemy “Ghostly Priest” or reach a maximum of XXX Points
• respawn from stomped and so totally dead players every 1 or 2 minutes when priest is alive, maybe the ability to hard-rezz totally dead players (compare PvE/WvW)
• Win reward: rankpoints?! Silver?!

9) Next map: The Courtyard (King of the Hill) (team vs. team vs. team)
Here i would like to say, that the KotH mode in my opinion is very difficult to implement. The mainproblem with this is, that there are actually no real healers in GW2, so you can’t heal up effective the damage applied to your “Ghostly Hero” or allies.
In GW1 this map was about every of the 3 teams, to bring their Ghostly Hero on one note in the middle of the map and letting him capture the note.
The note could only be captured back, if the enemy Ghostly Hero died, so there were protection Monks and Infuses, causes so much dmg went to 0.
In GW2 the Ghostly Hero would just die in seconds, because of the insane damage coming up from the 2 other teams.

So here is my opinion how to implement the Courtyard koth in GW2.

• Objective to bring your Ghostly Hero to the shrine in the middle and letting him capture the note through a spell (capture the shrine should be have a cast of 5 up to 10 seconds)
• meanwhile the Ghostly Hero is casting the spell:
  - he can get rupted by every skill that applies daze, stun, knock-down
  - he can get buffed with boons by his team through protection, stability, retaliation,…
  - he can get boonriped by any of skill or trait (Mesmer, Thiefs,…)
• to prevent the Ghostly Hero NPC of instantly dying:
  - he should be applied with an unique buff on this map, that causes him to reduce dmg, compared to how many people attacking him (for example, if one thief is spamming pistolwhip on the Ghostly hero,
  he will deal more damage than 3 eles casting meteorstorm on him)
  - should be immune to conditions while captured the note ?!
• respawn from stomped and totally dead players every 15 seconds in base, no ability to hard-rezz totally dead players
• Win reward: rankpoints?! Silver?!

10) Next map: The Antechamber (Capture Points) (team vs. team)

• Objective to capture and hold 3 (up to 4) notes and getting points for kill/capture/hold (compare GW2 PvP)
• respawn from stomped and so totally dead players every 15 seconds in base, no ability to hard-rezz totally dead players
• Win reward: rankpoints?! Silver?!

11) Next map: The Vault (waiting room)
In GW1 this was the waiting room for the teams, that were currently waiting to join the HoH, the last map of this K.O. Tournament.
No enemys and no objectives.

12) Last Map HoH: The Hall of the Heroes (Koth, Relic run, Capture Points) (team vs. team vs. team)
The great thing of this map was, you never knew what gamemode you’ll get. There were 3 bases like on Courtyard and so 3 teams fighting for the win.

Koth:

• 1) capped point from Ghostly Hero (same like 9: The Courtyard)
• 2) capped point from allies standing on it

Relic Run:

• same mechanics like 6: Unholy Temples
• bring relic from your homebase into the mid point

Capture Points:

• Objective to capture and hold 4 notes and getting points for (kill)/capture/hold (compare GW2 PvP)
• 3 of 4 notes near enemy bases, 1 note in mid
• Win reward: rankpoints?! Silver?! Unique chest with very small chance of rare drops at the end (Ascendet armor skins for PvP, Black Lion Tickets, rare skins, only craftable in pve, Mjölnir, Volcanus, Legendary?!)

Greetings Kayun :-)

Really nice thread. I hope anet will take some ideas from old gw1 ha and bring them to GW2!

GJ, hope something like that finds ist way into GW2!

God, bring back HALF of this stuff, the next day mist serwers will be swarmed like never before. Like, my whole gw1 guild is waiting for something like that.

I hope relic runs never has any iteration into gw2.

My reason for this:
It was a 15 min match, so what ended up happening is all 3 teams free running orbs for 12mins straight while the rest of the team usually did nothing
(18 ppl just standing around for fear of getting 1 team kittened to screw you over) so the match essentially boiled down to the last 1-2mins where all the teams had an even score and hope each team would go after the adjacent team so it came down to the last relic for the most part.
edit: There were many problems with HA to begin with, but if it was a 1v1 in HA you can easily cheese your way through every format in gw1; relic runs (body block), koth(you have a cap at the start of the match, just wipe their hero), capture points (mostly did come down to tactics funnily enough)

Queue time for this game mode in GW2 would be immense (at least 2-3 hours) I don’t know how it was in GW1 but that’s pretty much twice my daily playtime and that’s only the queues. Matches altogether would last another hour or 2.
Not enough players in this game to make something out of PvP anymore.

DanyK.3842:

Queue time for this game mode in GW2 would be immense (at least 2-3 hours) I don’t know how it was in GW1 but that’s pretty much twice my daily playtime and that’s only the queues. Matches altogether would last another hour or 2.
Not enough players in this game to make something out of PvP anymore.

If Anet manages to balance the different classes and implement some K.O. tournaments into the game like the old “payed tournaments with gem rewards”, more players would be motivated playing this style of gamemode. I definitly think, that more builds and classes will be viable, when implementing new gamemodes aswell.

HoH was one of the most astonishing things GW1 accomplished, and a player could accomplish in GW1.

This would certainly fix many problems Anet currently faces with GW2.

One of the best competitive (not e-sport) infrastructures in a MMO.