The idea here is to create a system that awards war score based on both objectives and PPT. PPT functions the same way it does now except it doesn’t tick every 15 min, it ticks every hour instead effectively reducing it’s effectiveness by 75%. The new (primary) way to get war score now is based on objectives.
The reasoning behind this is that PvE is solely based on objectives; everything from heart quests, random world spawns, and meta events. It all comes down to completing the objective for the reward. WvW is just a mix of PvP and PvE, so it seems logical to have objectives given in WvW. I don’t think many people would have a problem with completing objectives as it gives some sense of accomplishment.
The proposal is having a database of objectives (maybe 50-100) that are randomly drawn every hour for each server and for each map. Every map will have a different set of objectives for each server. 5 objectives are given every hour (200 war score each) for a total of 1000 war score per map if all objectives are completed on every map. At the end of the hour, the objectives reset and new ones are given.
Some possible objectives could be:
- Capture “X” color’s camps/towers/keeps/Garrison
- Capture SM
- Keep SM/Garrison/Keep/Tower for the tick
- Capture “X” amount of towers
- Kill “X” amount of players (50-200)
- Kill “X” amount of yaks (5-10)
- Defend towers/keeps camps “X” amount of times
- Own all mercenary camps
An example, the Red server could see this in Eternal Battle Grounds:
- Capture 1 blue tower
- Defend towers 3 times
- Capture 5 camps (Obviously better done with a couple smaller groups)
- Kill 200 players
- Down 100 players
As you can see from above, if Red is being 2vs1 in this case, it actually could drastically work out to their advantage. Depending on the objectives; it could hurt servers with supreme off hours coverage. You can’t capture/defend/kill players if you own everything and the map is void of enemies. Some objectives would require some good ole fashion blobbing, while others would be better served broken up into smaller groups. It gives small groups a fair chance, especially if they are coordinated and map hop.
It basically comes down to evening out the score while not punishing players too much on both sides of the fence (stacked servers vs small numbers). I think it’s also important to point out that completing an objective on a map gives a map-wide reward (champ chest + silver + karma). Completing all the objectives on the map allows you to see your enemies objectives and what they’ve completed (more incentive to complete yours).
The advantages:
- Stacked servers still keep their guaranteed PPT in the off hours (just not as much)
- Encourages both small and large group play
- Could force zergs to bust up and spread across all maps
- Gives birth to a whole line of new strategy and tactics
- Gives servers with small numbers and dismal coverage a fighting chance
- Gives reason to defend if the objectives call for it
- Receiving end of a 2vs1 could be a massive advantage
- It might not be advantageous to have superior coverage during off hours
- More chances at rewards
- Servers may de-stack as it no longer makes sense to have superior coverage
- More PvE’ers may join WvW as they are familiar with objective based missions
Feel free to poke holes in this, but I feel this would be a much better system than we have now. The TL;DR version of this is, things basically stay the same, PPT’s effectiveness is reduced and war score is now added in through objectives.