Guild Wars 2

Well Played, thank you!

Two thumbs way up!

I didn’t mind the Orb mechanic, but the hacking definitely is an issue. +1 for a fix to that, even if it is removing the Orbs.

I dont like it. While I understand and agree with the reasons why you did it, it was always a thrilling and exciting moment to secure the orb for your server. I will miss them. You should have changed the orb bonus to something like the outmanned buff (more magic find, exp, more loot, more silver and so on) So even hacking them wouldnt have a big effect on the current matchup.

I do like the idea of the orbs and hope they come back later, but this does seem to be the best current solution.

Very interested in seeing how it affects the gameplay.

Sad to here that, Orbs were nice spice in WvW. Once keep is holding a Orb it often gets focused from both sides, making it quite challenging and fun to defend.

Horrible decision. if you are a hacker. lol

Well played Anet. If you don’t mind when will this upcoming build take place because I keep hearing about upcoming builds but I never seem them manifest themselves.

Habibloew,

Have you guys considered changing the “outmanned” buff to mirror the orb bonus instead of the currently useless buff that unpopulated servers get? (If you are outmanned and are outgunned, it isn’t that useful to get more xp/karma when you win…since you know…you are outmanned and winning is not happening very often)

Heck if you left orbs in but made the buff from orbs more like the out-manned buff then the hacking wouldn’t be as important…it would provide a statistical advantage to a team, just a rewards advantage. Yes hacking would still go on, but it would have a smaller effect on the outcome of a match.

No complaints here. Keep it rolling.

good temporary solution

Thanks, finally -.- (yes, i always loose :P) And just took 6 weeks to realize that issue -.-

ORBs should stay but they should just give the stats of the outmanned buff.

Denim Samurai.2379:

good temporary solution

I agree with this.

But please let this be temporary. I enjoy the idea of the orbs, and the way they affect overall server strategy.

ErlendR.6107:

Thanks, finally -.- (yes, i always loose :P) And just took 6 weeks to realize that issue -.-

it took 6 weeks to realize the was no real way to fix it. As in there is no real way to fix cheaters.

Well. Wow. That really changes some fundamentals of WvW! I bet this was a decision not discussed lightly at ANet.

Strangely a system that worked fine in DAOC for 10+ years is unbalanced in this game

hmmmm

Best thing I’ve read around here in a while. Thank you.

so this is why our orb dissappeared already now

What other encouragement is there going to be to encourage our servers to attack the enemy?

Without an Orb in play, most servers sit in their little corner (1/3rd of the map) fighting exclusively at the towers and supply camps. There’s no reason to attack a heavily fortified location so far away from your server’s spawn point (other than point ticks).

HabibLoew.2590:

After a careful reevaluation of orbs of power we have decided to remove them from WvW in an upcoming build. As implemented, orbs tend to strengthen teams who are already winning and make it even more difficult for underdog teams to fight back. In addition, the current implementation seems to be irresistible to hackers/cheaters and will require significant modification to prevent cheaters from having an unfortunately large impact on the state of any given WvW game. Under the circumstances we believe that removing orbs completely is a better choice than attempting an in-place redesign/re-implementation as it will immediately put a stop to all orb hacking. It is likely that orbs, or some orb-like mechanic, will return at some point in the future, but only after we are confident that they will not exhibit the sorts of issues that we see with orbs today.

Cant be asked to fix them now, so were removing them….

Hmmm well by that logic shouldn’t you remove the whole of the Necromancer class as you cant be asked to fix them right now?

People have given you clear good ideas on how to fix the orbs overpowering issue for months now and you’ve chosen to just remove them. nice work!

May I suggest to, rather than completely removing them, you change the buff to 10/20/30% Exp, 10/20/30% karma, 10/20/30% gold reward increase, 10/20/30% gathering node yield, 10/20/30% higher badge drop rate? This will make them powerful, for non-combat reasons.

Orbs are powerful indeed, and a problem for unbalanced matchups, and certainly an issue for hackers. But hackers always find their ways into keeps, orb or no orb. They might be less interested in targetting orb keeps without the orbs in the game, but it won’t solve that problem.

On the other hand, in balanced matches, the orbs are an interesting mechanic. I’d like to see the feature stay but with the change to the buff I mentioned.

Why remove features when a very simple change can provide the same result? Please reconsider!

As mentioned, we asked for a fix, not a removal, don’t take the easiest way out… Orbs add to the game, they add a sence of accomplishment when you manage to take one or defend one for a long time. Just change the buff to one that doesn’t affect stats.

Besides, how will you fix future orb related bugs when bugs will no longer have the possibility to show up ingame? Unless you actually are not planning on re-adding them.

If you still HAVE to remove them, atleast add a new feature to WvW to compensate. Orb control is a critical aspect of WvW… You didn’t remove dungeons from PvE when they were broken, did you?

A+. It was a great idea but ruined by cheaters. I would also like them to come back in the form of a “We got the orb, we run this zone” type of mechanic. make it purely cosmetic with NON pvp buffs.

Welp, no reason to W3 at all now. There is no point except the score board which is boring. Why take/defend a garrison? While I agree that orb hacking was out of hand, removing the ONLY reason to W3 from the game is going to make it more of a ghost town then it already is. Unless something in the upcoming patch is added to W3 for personal gains, W3 is dead.

/stand

/applaud

I’ve been playing MMOs for 15 years now.

ANET has the best and most responsive dev team of any MMO that I’ve ever played.

I can’t tell you how much this move is appreciated, not just because of the improvement to gameplay, but because you have ONCE AGAIN demonstrated that you listen to your player base and make the necessary adjustments as required.

While I understand the reasoning.
I will miss the dynamic they brought to the game.

Orbs make WvW quite a bit more interesting.

HabibLoew.2590:

After a careful reevaluation of orbs of power we have decided to remove them from WvW in an upcoming build. As implemented, orbs tend to strengthen teams who are already winning and make it even more difficult for underdog teams to fight back. In addition, the current implementation seems to be irresistible to hackers/cheaters and will require significant modification to prevent cheaters from having an unfortunately large impact on the state of any given WvW game. Under the circumstances we believe that removing orbs completely is a better choice than attempting an in-place redesign/re-implementation as it will immediately put a stop to all orb hacking. It is likely that orbs, or some orb-like mechanic, will return at some point in the future, but only after we are confident that they will not exhibit the sorts of issues that we see with orbs today.

Excuse me Habib but if you are removing them due to cheaters/exploiters does that mean there is nothing you can do about those cheaters? What about the remaining exploits like mesmers teleporting through walls then portaling in their whole zerg and other 3rd party software that allow people to teleport from a tower to a supply camp and back in less than 10 seconds allowing them to build anything in a matter of seconds?

If you are unable to do something about orb exploiters does that mean you aren’t able to do anything about the exploits I listed either?

tarnin.1690:

Welp, no reason to W3 at all now. There is no point except the score board which is boring. Why take/defend a garrison? While I agree that orb hacking was out of hand, removing the ONLY reason to W3 from the game is going to make it more of a ghost town then it already is. Unless something in the upcoming patch is added to W3 for personal gains, W3 is dead.

You know, for a few days this past matchup, there was no orb on JQ BL. It was bugged out. Shockingly, everyone still played and captured keeps/towers/camps. Amazing!

Gratz on stepping up Anet and doing something about this!

I think that all three server should have same amount players in every map. So if we have 10 players in eternal enemies should have 10 too.

Oh no they di-unt.
Wow, this means people can’t complain about the orbs beating them – touche.
I might like this that they have to be more accountable for being downright sucky that day. Frankly tired of hearing, but they have orbs! Yeah and I fight naked sometimes, pony up.

What else is in the upcoming build?

by the spirits THANK YOU

Please stop flaming this fix. This is not a poor development decision. Orbs were at best giving a big advantage to servers that had already accumulated a big advantage, and at worst subject to hacking/exploiting.

If you need a reason to go cap a keep then what about the scoreboard? If that’s not reason enough then you’re doing it wrong.

how about just making the Orbs not be able to be taken unless the Keep is under your control.

Remove the whole backing the altar crap.

Why score would be good reason cap?

/Applauding this fix. …This is a GOOD example of when something clearly needs to be “Smiter’sBooned” for the interum

Anyone who disagrees…. go look at the situation Blackgate is in right now. Outmanned and outgunned but the biggest thing keeping the match close was Orb parity.

I like the extra range of tactical considerations that Orbs bring to the game but if its not something that can be fixed quickly then I agree removing them is a good idea. Thanks to ArenaNet for responding to the community on dealing with the hacker issue.

Hopefully as per original post they will make a return in some form as a WvW goal – having something that benefits your entire team is a good carrot that motivates people to work together.

Xsorus.2507:

Strangely a system that worked fine in DAOC for 10+ years is unbalanced in this game

hmmmm

Giving a team that already has the numbers to take all three orbs more health and other stat bonuses is, by definition, unbalanced.

Great decision

The orbs were just bad game design in general (force multiplier for winning team = massive imbalance, every time). Looks like every person parroting the “orbs are fine” nonsense were wrong.

Well might be a good thing.But now we need a new goal to have in WvW.Working on keeps that have orbs was the main goal.Attacking and defencing wise.

Now we are goalless….Gief us a new one

Bravo! This is definitely the right thing to do. No side should be receiving any external buff.

Junkpile.7439:

Why score would be good reason cap?

Because the score provides global bonuses for your entire server even in PvE. Do you want everyone on your server to get 10% more health when they heal or get more materials from nodes? Play WvW.

It simplifies the whole WvW game, I don’t like simplification. But I have to deal with it, hopefully you will sort out something to it’s place.

I’m so glad that Guild Wars 2 is my game of choice. There’s no embarrassment the way WoW or CoD fans feel when they talk about their hobbies.

Actually, thinking on this a few minutes more…

Orbs could be used to give access to a Darkness Falls type area a la DAoC.

No buffs for the winning side, just somewhere cool to go.

And when the orbs are retaken and ownership changes… let the smooshing begin!

Clap Clap. TY Anet. another push in the right direction to get this game rolling nice and smooth. Thanks as well for the info good to see some feedback from your side starting to roll in.

They were kind of cool, but they really did add more imbalance than anything else.

While I don’t think they were as gameplay breaking as some make them out to be (plenty of vids with people dominating more numbers despite them having three orb buff and full 80), even the placebo effect of them giving the dominating advantage is enough to snowball morale.

I think this was a smart decision until they can get a more permanent fix to the orb hacking dilemma.