Guild Wars 2

With a new ‘league system’ inbound there is a lot of discussion about the issue of server transfers and their impact on the game. We all know how participation (and organisation) play a huge role in the difference between a ‘good’ and a ‘bad’ wvw server. These discussions have highlighted to me the issue of server loyalty, something which i think should be the core foundation of wvw if it is to successfully remain a server vs server format. However the idea of server loyalty and its implementation in game seems to have been lost somewhere along the way. There is no benefit to sticking with a certain server, no recognition or reward for hard work and dedication over the short or long term.

So i want to suggest that some focus in wvw be put on server benefits – and benefits to those who support their server in wvw. I have some thoughts, but i am really interested to hear what others think and look for ways this can be addressed.

Reward players and guilds for server loyalty
Provide incentives to guilds and individual players such as special server based ranks (Knight of [server name]) capes with trim, different coloured guild names or badges, different commanders tags, emblems and other cosmetics that show dedication. Rewards that are linked to different kinds of participation and which all disappear if you leave your server. Also when a low rank sever is rolling a bigger better competitor why can’t they receive more reward for their effort for ‘most improved server’ ?

Improve world benefits and rewards to winning servers
Honestly i think wvw should have more impact on the pve side of the game, how this is best done i am not sure but it could involve providing some additional content to the winning server, conveniences like the Royal Terrace or maybe even just seeing the NPC’s in Lions arch celebrating your victory. Even some impact on wvw would not go astray, enhanced aesthetics to buildings, siege and NPC’s would add a nice touch if you are the winning server. Obviously the new ‘league system’ will add new rewards but i have not heard anything to suggest server wide benefits.

Free Transfers happened.

There is no point in being loyal to a losing team, and considering that they only recently noted “most improved” as a good suggestion, it seems like it might not arrive at the same time as leagues.

No server loyalty? Well i’m still playing on vabbi knowing we have no chance to cover anything. Some things are greater than mere loot. If you find those people losing doesn’t seem that bad anymore …

I like this suggestion. Players should get rewaded for staying in a server and for participation

I am not loyal to the server i play on. I dont know 99.999% of the players, most of them are idiots especially when it comes to WvW and are mere fair weather players. Fight a strong opponent and outmanned on 3 maps. Fight servers worst and queue’s everywhere as we’re winning.

The server doesnt care about WvW. I play with my friends and guildmates and ill support them.

I don’t see any reason to be loyal to my server. I wish there were a reason, but nobody cares and they have no reason to care. If we’re winning and earn the wold-wide bonuses it really only benefits the stupid oblivious PvE players that never enter WvW except when they need to go get their badges of jumping. If we’re losing, people just lose morale and stop playing WvW and others jump-ship.

It doesn’t matter if we win or lose so nobody cares. Server loyalty in other games was based on real impact to the community. If you let the opposite faction run amok, everyone got ganked in the open world. People naturally band together in such situations. There’s a reason to succeed.

I like the general gist of the OP’s suggestions.

This happened to DAoC (google the game).

At first transfers were locked. So server pride was huge. Then they made it locked to 24hrs, then less, and less and less. Server pride when out the window and so did the game.

Free transfers happened. One of the biggest mistakes anet made was not implementing the game with guesting already in and paid transfers.

Free transfers would have been fine for a few weeks as people got settled in but Anet allowed it to happen for way too long. Believe it was close to 2 months or more…

there is not guild loyalty and you expect server loyalty lol

Fissure of Woe till the bitter end!!!!
Yeah, server loyalty still exists

Look at my signature.. it’s not as important to some people as it is to others. Just like PPT and GvG and roaming and everything else in this game.

qué??????

Our guild moves depending on several things, most of them to do with queue times, server population and the amount of WvW guilds in the match ups, Originally we were on SFR but thanks to the free transfers, queue times shot up to 4 hours at times and it wasn’t a pleasant experience having to wait for all our guild members to get into WvW.

IMHO as nice as your ideas are, I dont think your solutions would keep us to stay on one server. From the guilds Flare [FIRE] has interacted with they are more interested with the fights rather then actual WvW content, gaining points is more of a background interest, fighting a good guild in WvW is what we look for.

I think what anet need to do is even out the players with interest in WvW, get some incentives to get WvW guilds in to the lower tier servers so the WvW population on each server is about even. Hard to do I know, since everyone wants to be on the top server.

Once the WvW is more evenly populated then server loyalty could be taken into consideration.

What? Some people don’t buy into the meta of hating someone else because an arbitrary division has been created between them that in reality comes down to a few bits different in a server somewhere?

FOR SHAME!!!!

It’s a game. Please keep that in mind when being all fanatical.

They are loyally farming the living story champs.

it would be nice with something to show off for server loyalty.

Kincaidia.3192:

What? Some people don’t buy into the meta of hating someone else because an arbitrary division has been created between them that in reality comes down to a few bits different in a server somewhere?

FOR SHAME!!!!

It’s a game. Please keep that in mind when being all fanatical.

I wasn’t aware people “hated” other people for being on different servers. I think some forum trolls rub others the wrong way but that’s something different. I don’t know if you’re joking or just overreacting.