Lets say you love football, and your favorite team was just scored upon by your rivals! In the heat of the moment you are fired up, livid because your beloved team has just been ousted for the time being. While they will get another try (time permitting) even the score, fate has it that because they have scored they are now ahead in the game. Now lets take how guild wars WvW and orbs are thrust into this analogy. Imagine, you defeated, albeit getting another try to score is now a man down on the field. Because under the current guild wars WvW set up the winners are BUFFED and the losing team gets nothing but an extra try to settle the score against a now STRONGER winning side. This is a critical issue hurting WvWvW around the board.
While i see a lot of threads about server alliances, i see this as normal as it is a fitting cause and is a natural progression when multiple sides are in the game. Put three sides together and the two getting smashed can gang up on the stronger force and win. The problem with this is when the two “stronger” sides team up and completely annihilate the less prominent server. This can be extremely frustrating and ultimately result if peoples loss of interest in WvW due to no chance of ever having any real chance at defeating the two sides. Time can aide them and the next server match up could end up in their advantage (said server has an alliance with new server). The problem is making it through the weeks of getting your face pounded. A-Net will have to work on this.
It will also have to work on those combat bonus’ for orbs. I do have a proposal though, one quite fitting for the situation. Why not instead of offering combat bonus’ for the orbs, offer non combat ones that benefit the server as a whole.
Example: If you control one orb, your server gets +10% guild influence gain for your server. Which if you ask me is a pretty nice bonus to have!
If you control two orbs, have a cumulative bonus. Now once you control two orbs you get +20% server wide guild influence gain and say +25% chance of a defeated foe to drop a badge.
Throw three orbs in and get 30% guild influence gain, +35% badge chance off of defeated foe and -50% repair costs for the server.
These type of bonus’ dont offer a combat advantage but more of an advantage to everyone in a more common environment. Because these rewards are useful, having the orbs can have a nice impact without putting one side in the lead for winning already.
TLDR. Make orbs offer some form of non combat related bonus for winning servers to give the underdogs an even playing field. In turn give the winning side who has the orbs non combat related bonus’ for actually having them.
Okay A-net, make it happen!