Fluff (n) – Something inconsequential.
Let’s start with a clearer definition. Fluff in WvW is something that does not create a substantial change in how the game is played or why it is played. The Pips update does not count as fluff as it created a reasonable incentive for people to play WvW—even though not everyone was interested in what it offered. Some QoL updates such as floating score numbers should not count since they give information that was previously nigh inaccessible.
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The newest updates (gliding and armor upgrades) are mixed. Gliding is being sold as something that will not impact the game. Much work (map adjustments, territory, etc.) is being done to ensure that gliding will not change the game. Meanwhile, the armor upgrades may count as another incentive in the Pip/Ticket system, but they are a fairly minor change and are unlikely to cause many waves.
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Let me be clear in saying that these are not, on their face, bad updates. Gliding is something many people find cool. It has often been requested as a thing in WvW and Anet has delivered. They found a creative way for it to fit in without completely breaking the game. Cool. Meanwhile, introducing the stat-changing portion of legendary armor should satisfy those that want to change stats on the fly without grinding the more asinine parts of PvE. These are both good things.
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The problem is that they are not essential things. Fluff, like gliding and legendary backpacks, does a good job of getting people into WvW. It cannot keep them there. Players need to feel that the game is reasonably fair and they need avenues to do effective things no matter the circumstances. If that fails, the fluff loses its lustre. On the other hand, essential updates will not grab the attention of people that don’t already WvW. If Reaper’s Chill interactions matched PvP rather than PvE, no one who doesn’t already play WvW would really care.
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Thus, it is important to release a healthy balance of fluff and essential updates. Neither can create long-term revitalization alone. Fluff is good for population spikes, but population retention depends on essential updates.
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There is no need to rehash the essential updates here. Opinions on these are varied and heated. We would do well to note that some things, such as lag, are likely out of the hands of the WvW team. What we can all agree on is that some things need to be addressed or, at least, acknowledged. There is a disturbing trend where Anet seems not to notice indirect effects of their changes. A small, unordered, incomplete list follows.
1.) BL Imbalances: Currently, structures on ABL have more wall health than structures on DBL and EBG. Anet has not commented on this issue.
2.) Wall Hitbox Bug: Shortly after HoT, Anet mentioned that there is a bug that causes walls placed on a diagonal to have a larger-than-intended hitbox. This is very noticeable at NE inner Rampart, N inner Airkeep, S outer Hills and Jerrifer’s among others. Anet has not since commented so we don’t know if a fix is being worked on.
3.) Siege: This is a broad category with varying opinions. We could talk about decay timers, damage versus players, the accidental damage versus siege nerf (which Anet has not commented on), area covered, optimal siege placement, unreachable siege, etc. Anet has not made a comment on what they want siege to be in several years. There’s no discernible direction based on what we have now and it’s tough to tell the intended from the unexpected. The whole system could use a repass or at least a comment on whether this is something they’re going to do.
4.) SMC: With the advent of the new upgrade system, SMC reaches tier 3 in a fraction of the time it took before. It also tends to have plenty of supply on hand instead of being constantly vulnerable during the upgrade. This has had a significant impact on how EBG plays.
5.) Class Balance: This may not be the purview of the WvW team entirely, but there’s plenty of room for improvement that shouldn’t be a huge deal. It is small comfort that they are rumored to test changes in sPvP first given the stark failure of that game mode to produce an enjoyable experience. If nothing else, a clear announcement on how they plan to manage this would go a long way.