Hello fellow player and (hopefully) ArenaNet developer.
I’ve been playing WvW for a long time, and i have noticed that there are some things wrong with it that can be easily fixed (i’m talking < 5 minutes programming work) that would have a MASSIVE impact on WvW in terms of (i) Fun and (ii) balance (server-wise). Some of these ideas are probably already mentioned somewhere in a post. But i would like to list some ideas. You can see it as a player-made patch list for WvW!
- Doors can ONLY take damage from siege weapons
Making doors immune to player damage fixes a lot of stuff: It gives smaller-populated server a chance to defend against MASSIVE blobs. I have personally been in situations where the siege placement limit prevented us from building enough AC’s to take the blob down. Defensive trebuchets shot down their rams, but the Player vs Door is just stupid. 60 players take down a door in a matter of seconds. Additionally, it gives supply (traps) a bigger role in WvW. No supply? No siege possible. Go resupply and rethink your strategy!
- All siege is immune to AC fire
Arrow carts are an ANTI-PERSONNEL weapon. nerving their damage vs siege is not enough, just remove it completely. They will still be able to shoot the players manning the siege, though. AC’s have a HUGE radius, making them still the primary close-range anti-siege weapon. (for reasons, see next bullet)
- Ballista’s need an ARC BASED AoE attack
Ballista’s are pretty much a useless at the moment. The only use for them is the spreadshot in choke-point defenses. However, i’m convinced ballistas are intended to be anti-siege weapons, yet they are (almost) never used for it. Here is why: Their straight shot and LoS requirement forces you to build the ballistas on the edge of the walls if you want to shoot siege (e.g. catapults shooting you wall) down . However, attackers can easily shoot down these ballistas, making them ineffective vs countering siege. They also need an AoE attack, since targetting a siege weapon with a blob stood in front of it is basically impossible.
- All siege placed on tower/keep/castle walls is IMMUNE to player damage
This is probably one of the idea’s that makes you go ‘hang on’, but i have spent some serious thought into this. Currently WvW is like this: Attackers go “Cast more meteor showers!! Shoot all AC’s down” , while defenders go “Find more glitches/fancy spots to place siege out of range of AoE!!”. As a defender, you are generally incapable of actually standing on your own walls when a blob is attacking you. All you can do is built AC’s behind the gate and wait from the blob to PvDoor nevertheless. Ideally, walls should somehow be implemented that the AoE cast onto them aren’t casted on the walk-able bits as well (i.e. if you cast it on the side of the wall, all damage lands on the side of the wall, not on top of it). However, once a tower is captured it should be easy to clear the siege placed before by the defenders, so they should be damageable by players from within melee range.
By implementing the above tweaks, WvW becomes more how i believe Anet themselves intended it to be! An epic battle with proper siege battles, where the most clever siege placer wins! IMO, 10 persons should be able to withstand ANY direct assualt given a properly sieged tower (enough AC’s to prevent ramming, few ballista’s vs cata’s and 1 trebuchet to counter trebuchet assualt) Attackers would thus be forced to (i) find a high ground so they can out-range the defensive trebuchet or (ii) coordinate the building of multiple trebs, placed in opposite directions, so the counter trebuchet can only shoot 1 down and the attackers would win. This would really get rid of the mindless ‘who has the biggest blob’ mentality.
Comment or like this post if you agree, so that Anet can see it!
Treb Master of the Shiverpeaks
(edited by Memphisjz.1405)