Guild Wars 2

I think this is the fundamental problem with the Bloodlust buff.

Not the stats, or the sPvP format, but the fact that someone can go from +150 stats to a -150 stat disadvantage in the middle of the a fight and back again. With the speed with which the cap points change hands, this can happen quite frequently.

The original orbs, protected in keeps, were not designed to change hands as much. Taking them was a long protracted affair.

Also, the degree of randomness frequent Bloodlust flipping adds is far too much for a PvP game. Some randomness is okay, but a possible swing of 300 stats in either direction during a fight is too much.

Other solutions offered: making Bloodlust buff only NPC’s, or supplies or keep walls, would also introduce far too much randomness to fights involving them.

In my opinion, the only acceptable application of Bloodlust would be directly to PPT. Controlling 3/5 cap points could put a set number of points on the board, or per turn. Alternately, controlling the cap points could act as a PPT multiplier. Control 3/5 you get +10% PPT, 4/5 +15% PPT, 5/5 +20% PPT.

Connecting Bloodlust to PPT would make the PPT game healthier, and further strengthen the importance of small groups and roamers to the overall server performance.

Contiguous.1345:

Adapt or die. Anything that favours thinking over running around in a rabble gets my vote.

And if “thinking” leads many to conclude that the game is no longer worth playing?

“Adapt or Die” is something I think ANet should be thinking about more than players.

Contiguous.1345:

There’s a huge amount of negativity towards Bloodlust but really, as a game mechanic, it could be a change for the better.

Servers that realise it’s importance and have enough organisation to actually capitalise on it can take and hold the buff for extended periods. Servers that are chaotic zerg-runners will not and you’ll see the effect the OP describes.

Adapt or die. Anything that favours thinking over running around in a rabble gets my vote.

But if two or three servers are organized, and go after the buff, we’d get exactly the situation I described: the orbs changing hands quickly, frequently in the middle of the fight.

That just produces too much randomness — a 300 stat swing — for a PvP game.

Thrumdi.9216:

That just produces too much randomness — a 300 stat swing — for a PvP game.

This isn’t randomness. You’re not using the word correctly. Randomness would imply that, at arbitrary times, the server just gives the buff to someone.

This is called: being outplayed and/or outmaneuvered.

Change the buff to a reward in wxp or better siege damage or something that doesn’t have such a huge impact on the hand to hand battles.

And to respond to the thread more constructively/seriously…

Power-ups can be fine in a PvP game, but a Buff that can rapidly cycle based on actions not even taking place on the Map you are on (let alone the fight you are in) is just bizarre. Wanting to encourage “4 Map Play” is a great idea… if most of the Servers were actually capable of fielding forces on 4 Maps.

And Thrumdi it is up to an 1,800 Stat swing per player… it is +50 to ALL Stats per Stack. When looked at that way it makes the numbers even more insane and the fact ANet implemented it even more horrid.

Contiguous most people I know and posts I’ve seen like the map changes to some extent and the +Points per Stomp a good thing. It is the Stats Buff that is highly problematic.

Vena.8436:

Thrumdi.9216:

That just produces too much randomness — a 300 stat swing — for a PvP game.

This isn’t randomness. You’re not using the word correctly. Randomness would imply that, at arbitrary times, the server just gives the buff to someone.

This is called: being outplayed and/or outmaneuvered.

From the point of view of the individual player, the small group, or even the zerg, it is random. You have no control over when it is going to be applied to you or your opponents, or when it will be removed.

The only level at which Bloodlust could be called non-random is that of the overall server population. And only then if everyone, on all 3 BL maps, was in communication and coordinating their control of the 15 cap points.

Even in a Tier 1 server, that is basically impossible. So the behaviour you get is the same as with any very large group of people acting individually (like a city or country), the overall results are essentially going to be random.

Thrumdi.9216:

From the point of view of the individual player, the small group, or even the zerg, it is random. You have no control over when it is going to be applied to you or your opponents, or when it will be removed.

Two minutes is usually not enough time to respond in force, but the whole point is that you do not have the time to respond in force. You have to dedicate time and people across all three maps to ensure holding it concurrently. This was one of the biggest problems with orbs; you could lock them down inside a T3 keep and take your sweet, sweet time to get there to defend. Biggest server got the orbs? Biggest server kept them pretty much indefinitely. Now, biggest server really does have a two vs. one on their hands if they want to hold all three because they are out on the open on two opposing home fields.

Thrumdi.9216:

The only level at which Bloodlust could be called non-random is that of the overall server population. And only then if everyone, on all 3 BL maps, was in communication and coordinating their control of the 15 cap points.

Even in a Tier 1 server, that is basically impossible. So the behaviour you get is the same as with any very large group of people acting individually (like a city or country), the overall results are essentially going to be random.

This isn’t a multi-layered chaotic system, this is fifteen nodes across three maps that all behave in the exact same way every time. You can have an overlay on your screen that shows you the status of said nodes in ~real time~. The game itself tells you with its spastic blinking when a buff is in danger.

and yet at the same time, Bloodlust has the potential to not change hands often enough which creates the opposite problem during outmanned timezones. I was going to go with the “wait-and-see” attitude on Bloodlust before I made a fuss but it doesn’t seem like we need to wait much longer to agree something just don’t add up right with it. The maps are awesome tho and I have some of the most fun fights this week.

Well the changes don’t bother me at all and I have had fun in the new area since it when live, I see peoples points (sorta a lot is just whining) maybe the buff should be changed to the map it is on only, so max +50 stats, no buff in EB. Still worth fighting for but with out huge changes or perceived “huge” advantage.