I really like them but there kinda pointless. Most of the time waypointing is faster to go anywhere. Can we have a jump pad that goes to/from the keep? (that is disabled when keep gets contested) That way when I waypoint, I can jump to a shrine. Or when repairing jump to a nearby shrine, pick up supplies then jump back.
The shrine jump pads are an attempt to fix the poor design of the DBL map. The more shrine jump pads, vertical portals, jump pads, windfall, lava pools and hay bales get added, the more the map starts to resemble Tangled Depths. Natural movement seems to be impossible to instill on the map retroactively.
Apparently the jump pads can be used for scouting. It’s probably an unintentional side effect the testers missed.
-I got to use the new launchpads in DBL last night with my guild during a raid, and we enjoyed the mechanic. But I would suggest that some of them be repositioned. I dont think they should land you right next to any objective or shrine, and the one that takes you over Earth Keep should definately be moved. Even though you cannot get off while traveling you can still see whats inside the keep and that seems a little unfair.
Sulkshine – Mesmer
This won’t hurt [Much]
Ring of Fire
I think they’re indeed a good addition, but maybe too limited. The most meaningful thing, to me, is the ability to do north/south travels at west or east keep. Central keep feel less useful.
Yet, as you said, when the keep is T3 and you have the WP, it loses a bit of interest. Even when the WP is contested, it lacks utility, because the point is to get in the keep as fast as possible, and not run outside of it.
A better solution that had been put forward lately is to connect towers with such devices (tornadoes, skritt tunnels or such things). Each tower would only have 2 links so that the 4 ones would make a rectangular pathway.
It’d provide more incentive for taking and upgrading towers, as well as more tactical value because of the longer travel range it’d provide.
Jump pads make it a lot easier for the defending side (whoever holds the keep) to get around – you can go across the entire side of the map in seconds, but they don’t make DBL any more fun to play from the attacking side.
IMO being able to jump across the entire side of the map in ~ 10 seconds is a pretty big advantage. Portals between structures would just be too OP for the defending side when compared to Alpine BL. It’ll allow ridiculous speed of movement throughout the map – you could get to the southern towers in the same time it takes to run to the northern towers from spawn. From there you could just tele to all the other towers very quickly!
My suggestion would be for shrines to provide some benefit for the attacking side when held – e.g. if you hold 3 shrines, you can use the jump pads, regardless of whether you have the keep or not, same with windfall and shifting sands. This would make shrines slightly more important and make DBL a little bit friendlier for offensive roamers.
it is a welcomed addition to address many issues with the desert map in my opinion. Not to mention its fun to use them lol.
And no I don’t see it as an advantage. Everyone knows the desert map is a bear to defend and still is with the jumps. In fact I’d say it gave the right amount of boost without being too much. This one the Dev team got it right!
it is a welcomed addition to address many issues with the desert map in my opinion.
In my opinion its like trying to address a .50 cal gunshot wound with a Donald Duck bandaid.
Said it before, saying it again: DBL cant be fixed. It breaks the fundamentals of WvW.
People still hate it. When ABL is home border I see like 5 people waiting to cap a camp on cooldown, just random people running about, fighting, capping. And thats just one camp, theres more on the border even in quiet periods. When DBL is home border, its miracle to find one other guy outside the few AFK in spawn waiting for EB pop.
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