The 5 new points that will be introduced on each map in an upcoming update will create an even bigger disparity between servers. It is impossible for servers to be balanced and this is something Anet understands and has come to terms with but what they fail to understand (or understand but simply disregard) is their mechanical favouring of the zerg and of the bunker.
The new buff will mean if you hold 3 points out of 5 you will gain +50 stats per borderland which can turn into +150 over all 3. This quite simply is not the way the game should be taken, this once again will favour zergs and stacked servers thus creating even more inequality between servers and increasing the frustration of many servers over and over.
With the work already having been done and the maps already having been edited I highly doubt that the idea of introducing a truer concept, that will stand up to what WvW is about, will be introduced but we can try. I am also understand that generally speaking the legalities behind a development studio using an idea from a player is quite crazy which is why I include the following: I hereby release all legal ownership and affiliation with the following idea, I expect no financial remuneration in any form nor compensation be it financial or otherwise.
So onto the idea. Rather than implementing a buff that will create more instability and zerging why not introduce a multitude of buffs that will not only serve the purpose of spreading people out but also introduce a form of strategy not seen within the game.
5 Points on the map, spread around where the lake currently is. While these points are easily accessed they should not be easily taken.
Each point should have a different buff given to it and the strength of this buff determines its capture time.
Point 1. 20s stealth to everyone from the aligned server on the current map (Active – Requires activation) – Capture time 2min – Recharge time 5min
Point 2. 1 PPT per stomp (Passive) – Capture time 2min
Point 3. 1 PPT per stomp (passive) – Capture time 2min
Point 4. 60s siege damage reduction to players (90%) (Active – Requires activation) – Capture time 5min – Recharge time 10min
Point 5. 100% damage to siege damage on structures (Passive) – Capture time 10min
As you can see some of these buffs are quite hefty in their use, they are for particular situations and will help in a variety of ways but the main point of them is that they REQUIRE defence and they require time in order to capture meaning you will need to have people in the open field consistently defending and capturing these points, you will also need people moving about defending your structures and if you wish to use one of these buffs in order to attack then if you take your entire force to capture one then you leave your structures at risk.
This would be a true zerg-splitter, this is where people need to make choices on whether they wish to defend or attack, bunker inside a keep will mean enemies may gain a 100% damage boost to their siege meaning your structures can be taken that much quicker.
The capture is initiated as soon as someone from a server stands on the point. The capture will stop if all people from said server either get off the point or get fully downed. Guilds can “own” points that require activation meaning that only that guild can activate it (which will help stop the trolls). To capture a point from another server you need to kill everyone on said point and the capture will start for your server – As soon as you start to capture a point off another server the passive buff is nullified from the previous owning server. If they wish to take the point back they only need to stand on the point for the amount of time you have attempted to capture.
Example, Server A/B/C
Server A attacks point 5 which requires 10min in order to capture. They sit on the point for 5min and are killed by server B. Server B sits on the point for 5min which means the bar shows a 50/50 split between server A and server B (Both servers only need to hold the point for another 5min before the point is captured). Server C wipes server B off the point and sits on it for 10min capturing the point. Server A attacks the point wiping server C off it and starts to capture it. They sit on the point for 3min and server C comes back and wipes server A off the point, server C sits on the point for 3min and recaptures the point.
This stops servers feeling like they have a window of opportunity (10min in this case). The point must be 100% captured in order to get the buff.
To me this feels like a far more valuable gameplay mechanic that should be added to the game as opposed to the zerg-inducing nonsense that will be added soon.
Please note that the buffs themselves and the timers are all just put there to give an overview of how it could work, not how it should.
Aneu
http://www.votf.net
(edited by Aneu.1748)
