Guild Wars 2

The thing I’ve learned since the game launched is that WvW can be extremely fun regardless of which bracket you are in or how “successful” your server is in relation to others around the world. In fact, Im finding the lower brackets much more enjoyable and competitive. Communities seem to be tighter and more helpful and you see far fewer primadonnas and elitists trying to run over everyone in chat to force their opinion or leadership.

As background, Im on Henge of Denravi and have been since the first beta weekend back in May. Some will understand the significance of that. Ive been there when Henge was winning every week by huge margins and, after a large alliance chose to leave the server, Ive been there when Henge was losing by huge margins every week. Currently, we’ve settled into a couple of brackets where the score remains really tight (1st to 3rd is only a few 1000 points difference as I type this -and all three servers have led for about equal chunks of the week – a real back and forth dogfight).

Don’t worry so much about brackets and WvW rankings when you are trying to pick a server. Find a community that you enjoy being a part of and that supports the things you want out of the game.

And, for those looking – Henge is a great server with a great community and you should definitely check out our community’s web site – www.hengeofdenravi.com. There are fewer numbers (less zergs) in WvW, but the groups are usually organized and the battles are really fun. The same can be said of most PVE zones. Map chat in Lion’s Arch is extremely helpful and you almost never see “noob” or “look it up yourself” style comments (and when you do, others shut them down pretty fast).

It has to start with a consonant, contain no more than four unique characters and must use the same vowel consecutively exactly one time.

I’m on SBI and play the BL maps, and though we’ve managed to stay in T1 for awhile now, the WvW community is excellent. Great player skill level, attitude and leadership both in battle and in general interactions. Of course there’s occasional disagreements, but the drama is minimal and I love the vibe of the WvW community.

On average, there isn’t much different between servers when it comes to ability. Every server has bad, average and good players. Every server has bad, average and good commanders. Every server has times when they are organized and times when they are a chaotic mess. A server will beat another server because it has more players on covering multiple timezones and lose when it has less players online that are covering those timezones.

I find the biggest difference in servers to be the attitude of the server. Sure there will be trolls, jerks, nice people on each, but one generally tends to align oneself with people that they get along with.

Depends on your definition of good.

If you mean to be in the top tear then it’s all about numbers.

If you mean a server which uses tactics and tries to plan properly, try the middle tier servers.

Having just popped over to a tier 1 server to see how it was like, I found it completely boring! Everything they did was based on having more players than the other servers. And if their zerg didnt take a point the first try, then they just kept filing in until they got it. There was no sense of fun there at all for me!
You can see this from a post by a Sea of Sorrow member a couple days ago trying to recruit more for their server when they are #1. The only way these top tier server can play is not by outfighting their opponents, but outnumbering them.

I returned to my server and I can tell you I had more fun in one hour there than I did the entire weekend on the tier 1 server.

I disagree, brackets and ratings can matter a lot depending on what kind of play you want. If you think the lower rated servers are just as good and offer the same variety, then I’m guessing you haven’t played recently in T1/T2. The fact is that T1/T2 attract the best pvp guilds, and that has an impact.

On T2/T1 servers you have highly organized, competitive guilds that simply do not exist on lower brackets. Guilds like HB from Blackgate for instance. That level of play you won’t find on lower tiers.

Omaris Mortuus Est.2738:

Depends on your definition of good.

If you mean to be in the top tear then it’s all about numbers.

If you mean a server which uses tactics and tries to plan properly, try the middle tier servers.

Having just popped over to a tier 1 server to see how it was like, I found it completely boring! Everything they did was based on having more players than the other servers. And if their zerg didnt take a point the first try, then they just kept filing in until they got it. There was no sense of fun there at all for me!
You can see this from a post by a Sea of Sorrow member a couple days ago trying to recruit more for their server when they are #1. The only way these top tier server can play is not by outfighting their opponents, but outnumbering them.

Exactly. I play myself in euro tier #1. Its all about capping with zergs. The one with the more players wins. Actual player skill and tactics don’t matter much at all. You can see exactly same tactics used day after day. This is not players’ fault: Anet designed WvWvW so that it rewards numbers over tactics & skill.

Visunah Square (VS) and Seafarer’s Rest (SR) are always outnumbering Blacktide on those hours when I play. Sometimes we have just 1-2 green dots in entire map, plus one NPC commander in the base, which is under attack. Once you go outside your home base you encounter dozens of enemies.

But there are some great players in top tier as well. I don’t belong to Red Guard [RG], but I think their WvWvW play is the best I have seen.

Deniara

A good server is dependent on the amount and frequency of silly activities that happen during match ups.

Every server is going to have good and bad players of various skill levels. What I find separates good from bad are the more vocal / visible players, and the strategies they use, most notably the more active commanders, but any active / vocal player can make a difference on a server. The more “good” players you have, and the impact those players have on what your server does over the course of the week, the better your server will be in the long run. Not only in putting points on the scoreboard, but in making WvW a fun place to be.

When I say “Good” I don’t really mean skilled in PvP as much as I mean good for your server’s overall productivity.

I really only expect 2 things from a good WvW server.

#1. Good Communication. The more players calling out targets and being constructive, the better. On the other side of the coin, the less trash talking, arguing and generally bad mouthing your own teammates the better a server is in general.

#2. Willingness to try. If you’re outnumbered, or losing on the scoreboard and your server basically gives up, logs off, goes back to PvE, etc. your not on a very good server. Overall strategies that mean playing for 2nd place is a failure for a server as well in my opinion.

snacktime.1082:

I disagree, brackets and ratings can matter a lot depending on what kind of play you want. If you think the lower rated servers are just as good and offer the same variety, then I’m guessing you haven’t played recently in T1/T2. The fact is that T1/T2 attract the best pvp guilds, and that has an impact.

On T2/T1 servers you have highly organized, competitive guilds that simply do not exist on lower brackets. Guilds like HB from Blackgate for instance. That level of play you won’t find on lower tiers.

My server was Tier 1 for a long time and I have to say that this most definitely isnt the case. The people/guilds we have now are just as good as those we had when we were tier one.

You could just as easily (in fact it is more compelling) make the argument that the top tier servers attract the bandwagoners and people who want the easy wins as much as they attract more competitive individuals/guilds. In fact, those guilds looking for more competitive play are more likely to look for servers where their efforts are more likely to make a difference. I know we have several like that still on HoD (and to Raincrow’s point – they NEVER give up -even in the weeks we were way behind).

I dont mean that as disparaging toward top tier servers. Im sure they deserve the spots they are in. The point is, you will find many of those same kinds of competitive guilds and people in the lower tiers as well – they just have to work alot harder to be noticed.

The tiers are based entirely on the level of coverage your server possess. Thinking otherwise is just foolhardy. I don’t care how good and hardcore you think you are. You can’t compete with a full coverage 24/7 server if there are 8 hours of the day that your own server can’t field more than 30 players across all four borderlands.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say his question was rhetorical and that he was really just recruiting for HoD. Not judging though, we recruit too, just laughing a bit to myself that people are really trying to answer the question.

Good people willing to follow direction, lend a hand, and have fun while doing it.?

Sunspots.9861:

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say his question was rhetorical and that he was really just recruiting for HoD. Not judging though, we recruit too, just laughing a bit to myself that people are really trying to answer the question.

This is a fair synopsis, but I will add to it.

It was originally rhetorical (even though it is interesting to see the responses) and I would love to see more people play on HoD, but it was really as much about any lower ranked server. In the past few weeks, we’ve been matched against servers such as Eredon Terrace, Sorrow’s Furnace and a few others that have the same level of participation, population and ranking. Based on the sportsmanship and way those servers played during those matches, I have as much respect for them as I do for my own server (even though mine’s better- ).

It goes back to the original premise – dont judge the potential fun of WvW solely on the ranking of the server. There are great players across all servers and the system in place makes it easy to enjoy the WvW aspect of the game on any of them.

I honestly think leadership is key to making a good WvW server. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, if you go onto a map and there’s constant yelling and screaming, you’ll likely leave. Particularly if you have no prior attachment to WvW or the server.

If you have leaders who are patient and willing to teach new folks coming in, that’s key to building not only a solid community, but a loyal force that will get back up after being knocked down again and again.

snacktime.1082:

I disagree, brackets and ratings can matter a lot depending on what kind of play you want. If you think the lower rated servers are just as good and offer the same variety, then I’m guessing you haven’t played recently in T1/T2. The fact is that T1/T2 attract the best pvp guilds, and that has an impact.

On T2/T1 servers you have highly organized, competitive guilds that simply do not exist on lower brackets. Guilds like HB from Blackgate for instance. That level of play you won’t find on lower

Totaly disagree you do not need to be in t1 t2 to have organised guild. Allied or enemies i fighted with/against good team in lower bracket, the only thing you have fort1t2 is the 24h/7 battlefield coverage plus enormouse queu i guess. Love t3 t4. Don’t have any media recorded shame on me…

Exactly. I play myself in euro tier #1. Its all about capping with zergs. The one with the more players wins. Actual player skill and tactics don’t matter much at all. You can see exactly same tactics used day after day. This is not players’ fault: Anet designed WvWvW so that it rewards numbers over tactics & skill.
Visunah Square (VS) and Seafarer’s Rest (SR) are always outnumbering Blacktide on those hours when I play. Sometimes we have just 1-2 green dots in entire map, plus one NPC commander in the base, which is under attack. Once you go outside your home base you encounter dozens of enemies.
But there are some great players in top tier as well. I don’t belong to Red Guard [RG], but I think their WvWvW play is the best I have seen.
Deniara

Stop saying you need number to win lol(shame on the 5 limit for aoe) but still you only need coverage to win. Night time, day time/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFJ_EFFjRMo
And red guard, are you talking about them (is war, not gw2 lol)
The bus with sacrx leading ?
http://no-manner.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=66

Soon as i find video of t3 t4 i come to share people who plays the prime time just for the fun of hitting red.

Sunspots.9861:

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say his question was rhetorical and that he was really just recruiting for HoD. Not judging though, we recruit too, just laughing a bit to myself that people are really trying to answer the question.

It’s hard to blame him. We at HoD are a proud bunch, which I think is understandable after our little tumble down the ladder. We may not field as many each night as every other server, but by and large, those that do come out are a dedicated, motivated bunch. In my honest (and self-promoting) opinion, that’s what makes a good server. Anyone who wasn’t interested in the community has long since left, and those of us who are there are in it to work together and put forward our best every day.

1. numbers, 24hrs 7days a week.
2. money for golems.

#1. Coverage

#2. Population

The most important thing is to have a presence at all times of the day. The second is numbers.

Provac.3598:

1. numbers, 24hrs 7days a week.
2. money for golems.

this

The last three servers of the lowest tiers are usually the best.

In terms of winning? Coverage. The ability to maintain a consistent zerg in WvW at any given time.

In terms of fun? Find a guild you like and WvW with them. It’s that simple.

Not being like SoR… :P

Ok, i’m kidding… We can’t really measure a good and a bad WvWvW realms. Realms are made of guilds/player, and those can come and go to other servers, turning they again unto good/bad servers acording to what that player represented there…

hobbes.6178:

In terms of fun? Find a guild you like and WvW with them. It’s that simple.

where are these mythical guilds that are on gunnar’s hold, i think after what happen to me tonight i never want to be in a guild ever again. It was not fun for a noobie like my self.

simple if the guild is really friendly helpful, not so if it is all a front and they’re elitist.

I didn’t use TS because last time i was on one of their officers was horrified that he heard my toddler briefly cry, he is 2 and had just woken from a nap so grumpy, i do have push to speak, but don’t want to be lectured on the reason why they never want children, as a woman i found it insulting and strangely funny at the same time. oh and i use cans so in other words swear away.

So no i’m not the best player….. yet…. but i have the tools, gaming rigs i build myself, 2 isp’s, over 100 Mb connection and most important free time, i just needed to tag along learn the ropes but was totally left on my own.

So i wont be going back in wvw again, best to keep myself to myself as it took all meaning of what is friendly from me.

So not that simple for me.

You don’t need a guild to enjoy WvW.

deffy.1320:

where are these mythical guilds that are on gunnar’s hold, i think after what happen to me tonight i never want to be in a guild ever again. It was not fun for a noobie like my self.

simple if the guild is really friendly helpful, not so if it is all a front and they’re elitist.

I didn’t use TS because last time i was on one of their officers was horrified that he heard my toddler briefly cry, he is 2 and had just woken from a nap so grumpy, i do have push to speak, but don’t want to be lectured on the reason why they never want children, as a woman i found it insulting and strangely funny at the same time. oh and i use cans so in other words swear away.

So no i’m not the best player….. yet…. but i have the tools, gaming rigs i build myself, 2 isp’s, over 100 Mb connection and most important free time, i just needed to tag along learn the ropes but was totally left on my own.

So i wont be going back in wvw again, best to keep myself to myself as it took all meaning of what is friendly from me.

So not that simple for me.

Hi Deffy,

sounds like you have had a bad experience, and I really hope you mean teamspeak and not mumble?

At www.gunnars-hold.eu we have a guild-independant community site for people to get to know each other, hang out, discuss tactics or anytheing else at all. We run a server-wide mumble server for those who want to listen in for better coordination, and it is definitely friendly and naturally if you don’t wish to talk that’s up to you. It’s also ahem somewhat mature with many users well over the age of ‘40’ (I’m being nice here;)).

We also are more than happy to help with any questions people have, and some of us have run specific training sessions for people new to WvW covering many aspects such as good attack spots, other points of interest, supplies and supply runs, setting up and using siege weapons, anf trying at the same time to gain a bit of ground on the enemy as we do!

Please drop by and introduce yourself – for full mumble access you need to be verified as a genuine GH player (ie have a chat in game with one of the regulars) but if you simply log on and get into the lobby there are a number of players listed who can ‘move’ you into whichever channel you want to be.

Hopefully we can find some WvW fun for you to change your mind!

Raincrow.1840:

You don’t need a guild to enjoy WvW.

Very true!