Maybe anet devs read this and get some ideas on how to make their game mode more interesting.
1. Server Linking (EU)
Wasn’t well thought and not well executed. Humans are not numbers. Deciding based on numbers is wrong and has been proven wrong. Since you lowered the number of servers, some servers at the bottom got the short straw and since they got more blowout matches, people stopped playing or transfered away. Noone wants to stay last forever in a game with no way to react.
You also did not really balance the servers, since you did not only add numbers, but you added numbers of same-language servers. So, you basically helped a bit national servers (DE, FR,) and you doomed a bit low rank international ones.
I don’t think that server linking should be done on language basis, and you should not add the last with first and so on. Mixing things up most times bring more interesting results than canon ones.
2. PPT & PPK
Boring score mechanics that promote passive play and offence. Lower population server will always have the disadvantage. So, they are all good when equal numbers, but WvW 7 days mode can not maintain equal numbers.
My suggestion is a scoring system that actually is focused on active mechanisms, like points per cap and defence. A system where defence actually gets you scoring points for pulling it off right, rather than getting points for actually holding on long enough. No PPK, no PPT, just points based on successful caps and defences, and with a variation based on the difficulty. If it’s t3, you get more points for cap, less for defence and so on.
This also solves all big score differences because of night capping, without actually punishing people for playing at that time. Even if they flip an entire Bl, they won’t get more points for holding objectives and therefore their score won’t fly off.
You also change when the defence event gets triggered, so as not to trigger everytime guards hit a passerby rabbit. It triggers only when there is damage from sieges on walls or gates, and since the numbers are fixed (with or without mastery), defence triggers only when there is a siege going on. And of course, it stops when the wall / gate health is fully repaired or above x%, for example.
2a. Get rid of all stat buffs in WvW or give them to the lowest server.
Either you get rid of the stat buffs in WvW (bloodlust, Guild Buffs, world buffs), and thus make it more fair for the teams with lower population, or make a mechanism where the server with the lowest score gets more buffs based on the difference. If the server catches up, the buffs are diminished.
I know that this will alter a bit roaming, since defenders will clearly have better stats. But it’s not like it does not happen now. With all the guild auras, always there is a stat difference.
3. Maps
Your maps have a fundamental flaw. Others have pointed it out before. The arrangement of the objectives. Visually, the maps you create are good. They are also engaging in lots of things, but the arrangement of the objectives in BLs is bad. In Desert BLs was worse, cause they were enormous.
Starting points do not have to be that far away from each other. Objectives should not be so much symmetrically placed and accessible straight away. I mean, in every map, you can engage objectives right away, without being forced to cap other stuff first that give you some kind of advantage or foothold.
There are so many things that can be changed even in existing maps that can make the game mode far more engaging.
4. Build Diversity
HoT was a disaster buildwise. You have given access to skills and tactics to classes that did not need them, nor they fit their role. Basically, you try to make all classes all purpose and thus the build diversity gets dumbed down a lot. I know it’s pve related. I know you try to keep things together, so you don’t need to work extra to balance stuff in WvW, but it’s really not that good.
Unless you make it more attractive for players to actually counter play with a variety of skills rather than exploit unintentional changes to survive, game mode will become stale again.
6. Fix bugs and glitches
Some bugs are really annoying and not sure if they are meant to be there. Backwards leap with no target, flying in the sky cause you get pulled to inclined terrain, immobilized mid-air and forced to type “sit” in order to do anything, hammer stuns hitting air, getting off cannon while manning it for no reason and every bug that hinders playstyle and some builds based on such moves.
To be honest, i don’t expect anything anytime soon, nor i am really tied to playing this game. I come and go as i please based on the fun i have and the things i can achieve.
Just some thoughts.