Guild Wars 2

That idea was propably already mentioned earlier, but for the chance it wasn’t, I’ll do it here^^

It started in this thread and I’ll just quote the respecting posts:

Menzies The Heretic.3415:

Zerging is considered the most effective way to play WvW.
Probably because of stacking, and the damage cap on number of players.

I have kind of a cool idea to improve battlefield tactics and reduce normal stacking.
Players have to actually communicate and as its quite visual, its quite straight forward and everyone should know what to do.

Here we go:

• The commander gets new command lines called “formations”
• The damage cap is removed
• All formations have an individual cooldown of 1 minute.

• If the commander types /fb or /fallback, the commander tag is replaced by a horn. You will hear a horn sound (#3).
• If the commander types /charge, the commander tag is replaced by a sword hold high. You will hear the charge horn sound (#3).
• If the commander types “/hold” for example, a large line combo field is placed at his feet. The commander tag is replaced by a “shield icon”. Players have to somewhat spread along the line (we will get to that later #1). You gain certain boons but this is to be discussed aswell (#2). You will hear a line sound of swords bashing shields for example (#3).
• More examples could be made and suggestions are welcome.

• The commanders icon is replaced by Blue icons that still embrace the commanders tag.
• #1 The line could consist out of three individual lines which turn into your world color when players enter the field. If each of the tree lines contain at least 3 players the buff is given to players within x range of the commander.
• If the commander gets out of x range from the line, “/hold” will start its cooldown and is cancelled.
• #2 These fields could either grant the damage cap now present in this game, or grant boons.
• #3 These sounds should be iconic. And after a few hours of playing WvW with a commander, a new player should be able to tell when to fall back or charge by just listening to the sound.

~This is just an idea on top of my head. I think if balanced right, and with some more idea’s it should give real tactical play instead of mindless zerging.

TyPin.9860:

I like those ideas. But I would modify it a bit.

You have 3 abilities here. Those could be 3 utilities for a commander. Yes, he has to give up his profession utilities, but combined with certain boons of the commander utilities, it would be a quite interesting mechanich. A commander could then also spend WXP into special commander trait lines, unlocking this abilities, improving them or reducing cooldown. The possibilities are endless.

Twinny.9304:

Love the idea of commander utilities, it would be awesome but the only thing u would need to be wary of is, I would see more commanders tagging up just to be able to chain these utilities. If the buffs from commander utilities would be only available to squad members this could probably work really well, and encourage people to use squads more often, which could then slightly lower the amount s in zergs since squads have limits and if there are 2 commanders on map i’d make sure i atleast follow 1 in his squad for the buffs

So what do you guys think about that?

Remove the damage cap point from the first point because its never ever going to happen and commander abilities is actually something that Anet might implement. Some day. In 5 years.

I don’t understand the “The damage cap is removed” point… What damage cap?

For the rest, I’d rather have some options to which I can assign shortkeys, than try to type “/things” command in combat or give up utility skills (need them to survive).

Many also objected to having experience be used for commander’s advantage…
1- if the experience was only gained as commander,
a) some people would only tag up to get commander experience;
b) it would be a barrier to new commanders (already “old and known” commander are more followed that new and unknown)
2- If it was WvW experience, it would mainly encourage “Wxp farming”. We all know ranks mean nothing. People who frequently scout, most of the time have a broader understanding of all aspects of WvW than people who follow the zerg karma-training…

Though I would have nothing against being able to get a (different shaped) tag bought with WxP, as long as it does not make a commander who have it be at an advantage to commanders who don’t. (eg: could be added to Guard killer or defense against guards – means players need lots of points to unlock it, but does not make the commander who has it the commander to follow, whereas a new branch where "squad member get [exp, defense, attack bonus, or any other bonus], with the last one being the unlock would be a barrier for new commanders)

Boons are already too strong in WvW and you want to add more . . . The damage cap is there for a reason, and everything else is already being accomplished with voice coms.

Additionally the idea strips commanders of vital utilities they need to survive fights, for some useless role playing nonsense.

While there are some valid points, this thing is more than simply role playing nonsense.

However, that idea was naturally only a first draft. Things have to be adjusted. I admit that it would be harder for newer commanders, if they 1st had to level those skills. So connecting them with any kind of ingame currency progress (yes, also [W]XP can be seen as a curency) would be step in the wrong direction.

But granted those abilities would give substantial boosts, to either dmg, or survivel, depending on the ability, I can imagein those commander utilities to be a serious alternative to their own profession utilities. Creating a mix of survivability and ability to boost and command the squad. It would maybe also allow those professions that are not that often used as commander to be a viable commander profession.

TyPin.9860:

. It would maybe also allow those professions that are not that often used as commander to be a viable commander profession.

All professions can be viable commanders, it’s just that people are so used to follow melee commanders that they have to idea how to follow the others…

Followed some great thiefs, mesmers, elem and ranger commander, not all of them being melee build, and they were wonderful fights going on… unfortunately, we see less and less of those, which makes for very plain // all the same // all stack on me // boring fights…

Ever followed a mesmer commander that uses portals to surprise its foes by getting it’s bus right in the middle of their distant without having to first cross the foe’s melee, thus having all its forces still alive? Or a thief that forces the ennemy to use their AOE, or get part of a zerg to fall on it’s bus? The ele’s speed of reaction, as a commandedr, to put down fire field, water fields and so on, instead of loosing precious seconds asking for them while the player has is on CD?

Simple answer: yesy I have followed each of those commander types.

However, there is a reason, why the melee train commander types dominate. But all I wanted to say was, that maybe other professions might become more intersting, depending on the design of the commander utilites an therefor hopefully mixing it up again a bit.

• Damage cap
• Boons
• /type
• Boring stack fights

First of all, I’m happy to see my post recreated in another thread, but some players immediately start to balance out the details (like listed above).

My post was all about the general thought of having formations around.
How Anet is going to implement them, if they ever will are just details.
(Example: boons applied on either /thing or utility commander skill)

The damage cap in WvW is basically a cap on how many targets are under effect of aoe. So if you stack 100 players and an enemy would aoe the zerg, only 3 players would get hit. So thats a great benefit to zergs.

Boons are important in zergs yes, but the way they are applied balances out the strength of most boons. You can stack and apply might to push out enemies out of your tower.
Or apply retaliation for a few seconds. But having boons like regeneration will motivate players to move into the commanders formation more than anything. Its mostly psychological, as regeneration is easily recreated by a ranger with a healing field.

/type is prefferred over utility skills. Just because more visual skills and things to distract your normal gamplay are usually bad. (Aka heroes in gw1, huge skill bars in wow and some other new interfaces/skills to get used to. Even when replacing your utilities)
Also, some weaker armored and lower health profession commanders rely on utilities for survival. In that case it will bring them out of balance.

Boring stack fights will be over. As stacking doesn’t benefit any player except for /supplycount. And some situational awareness. Which you will get from these formations in a greater deal.

Hope this explains my way of thinking

No I don’t want to have to type more then I have to while commanding. I would much rather see a macro system so I can make my own keybindings for phrases like Push, Stack, Might, Guard Marks, etc. This is way too overly complicated.

If some system could be inplemented so you don’t have to type /push that would be better. But the idea of replacing your utility skills is not that great imo. Because some classes really rely on them.

A lot of the stuff you posted was mentioned in the collaborative commander thread, and good points.

We just have no idea if they will use the suggestions or when they will make changes, or IF they will make changes. The frustration grows….