Guild Wars 2

I’ll be honest and say that I like linking, but I just don’t think it will have a long term positive effect on wvw and it’s kind of messy. Even in tier one with linking there were not many queues. Most of the time you could jump in whenever and there were not many lock out periods.

These are huge emptier maps a lot of the time and it’s just frustrating, so at this point maybe it’s time to do a 3 faction style? Perhaps go with 3 EB and 3 alpine and 3 dbl running at the same time? Y’all can build some new maps and switch them around later, but maybe now is the time to get all the players into one space and work out balancing for 3 sides instead all these various match ups?

The problem is that you still end up in the situation where this will be nowhere near enough space at primetime while it will be a barren wasteland in offtimes. If you want a sustainable solution, you need dynamic maps. IE EoTM.

In WvW format, I still imagine that as one fixed 24/7 point with a lower amount of maps, let’s say 6 EBs (1 per current number of tiers) but borders being completely dynamic “skirmishes” that open based on the activity on the EBs. Winning one would be like “winning” EoTM – the instance (border) close and that side gain a boost to the EB that “opened” the border. The border maps can be alpine, desert or EoTM (as it is now).

This would effectivly merge WvW and EoTM, no more division. Just one WvW with our current servers organized into 3 factions. Each server would be visually present in this WvW too – other servers are “allies”. It would not be like this diffuse link kitten.

The only way to deal with the huge populations of 3 factions and have enough maps is to have 3 abl, 3 dbl, 3 ebg, (one hell of a nightmare of a world map) and let those be the base maps. Then you spawn extra maps as needed, which anet will have to decide if they are worth no points ticks from structures (maybe just capture points) and kills so ppk, or less points from structures which wouldn’t be quite balanced.

I don’t think anyone wants to see the eotm formula of every instant is their own scoring. But the above model will keep the structure points in check to just the base maps as a real matchup, and any extra scoring is done through ppk, as it is right now. I’m not sure about points per capture as that may just lead to k-trains.

I’m sure some type of limitation will be needed for the ppk maps, so one side doesn’t run away with the scores again because they have more people, like only have it kick in for a map that is 75% full by all 3 sides.

In the end though I think having access to too many maps may just start to turn people off from wanting to defend or upgrade, the world would just be too big to give a care.

I don’t know folks, and I don’t have all the answers, but I’m just not seeing these types of linking match ups as healthy for the long run.

Maps seem sparce of players most times of day and night, and that’s not good. Linking is ok for now, but I don’t think it will hold up player interest as is.