Guild Wars 2

Okay, so I’m currently downloading and will be finally ingame later today. I’m just debating which server to plum for.

I’m a bit of a closet RPer and heard that the WvW action on TC is quite good. However, not sure of the queue time for WvW on a Gold Leagure Server.

I’ve also been watching of late the vids put up by CharrCat and Drak regarding the Ehmry Bay Resets and Zerg of Zergs. Man, I like the way those guys WvW. Very good.

Anyway, anyone here able to give me any pointers on which server to choose for an Oceanic Newbie who plans on spending 80% of his levelling time and 95% of his Max-Level time in WvW?

Thanks

shocking.3269:

Okay, so I’m currently downloading and will be finally ingame later today. I’m just debating which server to plum for.

I’m a bit of a closet RPer and heard that the WvW action on TC is quite good. However, not sure of the queue time for WvW on a Gold Leagure Server.

I’ve also been watching of late the vids put up by CharrCat and Drak regarding the Ehmry Bay Resets and Zerg of Zergs. Man, I like the way those guys WvW. Very good.

Anyway, anyone here able to give me any pointers on which server to choose for an Oceanic Newbie who plans on spending 80% of his levelling time and 95% of his Max-Level time in WvW?

Thanks

If you enjoy running around with the blob, then TC is likely best. If you enjoy smaller sized battles with some occasional blobbing mixed in, Ebay is likely best.

Just a note: you can guest to other servers in the same region. So you can still guest to TC for roleplay. ^^

(I’d totally RP with you too. Totally.)

I’m not on TC, so I’m happy to be corrected, but I doubt they have particularly long queues in Oceanic time. Certainly not for normal WvW (once League is over).

TC doesn’t really have oceanic queues to speak of, maybe save for EB. As for blobbing there are TC groups that exclusively raid, others only militia command, some only raid so whatever you feel like doing in WvW you should be able to find it here. Not al of our WvW is blobbing- not even most of it comes close, most of us prefer to play in group sizes that don’t cause our computers to smoke like a chimney.

In Oceanic, queues aren’t really a big deal. That said, since this is your first character, I’d select based on the PvE presence. Once you level up, you can always switch at that point.

Why compare TC (T1.5 server) to EBay (T4 ish server)?
If you are interested in WvW actions, goto http://mos.millenium.org/na and do some research before you decide..

TC’s queues aren’t that bad. I have never been on another server, but TC seems like a good bunch of people. You don’t see a lot of hostility in Map Chat or anything like that. There are some big, active guilds. Commanders in WvW and PvE are usually helpful and respectful.

Ask yourself. You want a long queue or no queue? Waiting time is wasted time.

Sure, but the queues on TC are not usually that bad, and the players can be fairly good. Skill of the players and commanders matters. We also get to play tougher opponents, which is more interesting than playing weak ones.

Zero queue on EB right now with TC playing Blackgate and Sanctum of Rall, achievment hunters and PvE garbage and all.

better yet, we are massively outnumbered, so we don’t have to pay repairs when they kill us. Such a deal.

go to Ebay.

If you RP you are probably best for TC.

EB is in a “transition” moment so it might not be the best time to put down roots there. You can always transfer off (costs a lot of gold, but not too hard to get) if it turns bad for you.

Here’s my experience from playing against the two servers for many months while on Maguuma.

EBay is allergic to open-field fights and builds more open-field superior siege than any other server I have ever faced in my year or so of WvW. Including T1 where siege wars is the name of the game. They also tend to beeline into structures at the first sign of conflict until their blob reaches critical mass and then they push out. Generally, they’re beyond boring to fight against and wholly unimpressive. Case-in-point: the vast majority of nights we would have to go to EBay BL, cata down and flip NWT, and then start trebbing Garrison to get any kind of response from EBay. If you didn’t do that, you’d spend all NA primetime PvDing down structures and hating your life. In their defense, they had a fairly large number of roamers during the day, which is virtually non-existent on any of the top 4-5 servers.

TC is in a weird place coverage-wise, as it has coverage beyond that of a T2 server, and yet not enough to compete in T1. It means that, half of the time, you’re in a match where the fairweather PvE players come out of the woodwork to omniblob and throw their bodies against doors. The other half of the time you fight T1 servers and the fairweathers disappear because they get tired of wiping. So, you’re left with a good core of WvW players who can get stuff done, but are destined to lose the matches. I’ve heard that TC has a solid community, although I’ve never personally experienced it.

From my personal experience, you want to pick a server whose community and playstyle you enjoy. WvW has zero reward for winning a weekly matchup, and the victor is often determined by coverage. No amount of individual skill can completely compensate for being massively outnumbered during your server’s off-hours. Even the rewards for the current leagues are destined to be hugely disappointing and generally unimportant.

If I were you, I would choose TC.

I would probably not join EB if I was Oceanic.

If playing in NA Prime (7pm-11pm EST), my suggestion is to avoid top tier servers on your first experience. A lot of hard core guys get irritated by newbies particularly ones clogging up the queues on reset night. I would recommend a nice T5 server for NA prime. They will have a nice mix of zerg, skirmish and roaming without being too overwhelming. They also are generally a lot more appreciative and patient with new players.

If playing primarily outside of NA Prime, a T1 is not a bad place to start. TC and EBay are both weak during those hours so you might find yourself thrown in against superior numbers.

IMO, make sure your server has a global TeamSpeak and it is actively used. Check and see what guilds are friendly to new players before transferring.

Straegen.2938:

If playing in NA Prime (7pm-11pm EST), my suggestion is to avoid top tier servers on your first experience. A lot of hard core guys get irritated by newbies particularly ones clogging up the queues on reset night. I would recommend a nice T5 server for NA prime. They will have a nice mix of zerg, skirmish and roaming without being too overwhelming. They also are generally a lot more appreciative and patient with new players.

If playing primarily outside of NA Prime, a T1 is not a bad place to start. TC and EBay are both weak during those hours so you might find yourself thrown in against superior numbers.

IMO, make sure your server has a global TeamSpeak and it is actively used. Check and see what guilds are friendly to new players before transferring.

What top tier server are you from??? I know at least on TC we try to help new players in WvW.

TC is in a transition right now, too. The most dominant guild split about a week ago with more than half of them moving to Sea of Sorrows. We still have a couple of very strong guilds and good commanders, but are seeing plenty of unknowns tag up as well. We are still seeing how things will shake out.

Asudementio.8526:

What top tier server are you from??? I know at least on TC we try to help new players in WvW.

I have moved around (including fighting in everything from T2 to T7). So the question is have you experienced a variety of tiers?

In my experience many hard core players do not like to educate new players whenever the queues grow long. Some become openly hostile towards rookies when they are trying to form their skill group on a map that is queued.

Maybe TC is different now but a few months ago reset night had hour plus long queues on all maps prompting us to abandon that server as a candidate of transfer. They also have relatively poor coverage which can make it difficult for non-NA Prime rookies to enjoy WvW. T5/T6 is pretty gentle by comparison which is why I recommend players start there to get their footing since a variety of play can be experienced in a very low pressure environment.

Course that is just my opinion.

Nanyetah Elohi.4852:

TC is in a transition right now, too. The most dominant guild split about a week ago with more than half of them moving to Sea of Sorrows. We still have a couple of very strong guilds and good commanders, but are seeing plenty of unknowns tag up as well. We are still seeing how things will shake out.

TC is transitioning from a T1.5 to a true T2 server. Despite their recent transfers, they still offer a good community and decent competition. The last few matches with them have been more competitive than previous weeks and I hope that SoS, Mag, and FA continue to increase their numbers so that we can have fairly even fights for the forseeable future.

Chris, the population and style of play is changing but I am not sure TC will level down in the long run. There were some self-defeating egos in the group that left. There is some skill and commitment in the people who stayed and in newcomers. We have all learned from being paired against tier 1 servers. We will see how it goes.

Nanyetah Elohi.4852:

TC is in a transition right now, too. The most dominant guild split about a week ago with more than half of them moving to Sea of Sorrows. We still have a couple of very strong guilds and good commanders, but are seeing plenty of unknowns tag up as well. We are still seeing how things will shake out.

I wouldn’t say they are the most dominant. They were a really skilled tagless roaming guild. Their leader is a fantastic commander, but I think he got tired of the large zerg and wanted smaller, well coordinated fights. They weren’t big enough to change the position of TC as #4.

I wondered when I said that if they actually were dominant, but they had a big presence. We are doing ok since they split.

The deal with tagless was insulting and discouraging to people outside their guild. They knew it and some didn’t just not care, enjoyed the damage it caused the server. TC is better off without that.

We can go with tagless, but when trouble happens, someone with the capability should step up, not get into a spiteful ego trip at the server’s expense.

I think we are going to do pretty well. The best of TC is still working.

btw, there is some good sense of humor in TC. It is a quality bunch. Not saying Ehmery Bay isn’t, but TC are good people.

Lol you’re seriously considering Ehmry Bay? That’s hilarious. The only transfers that Ehmry got in the past 5 months are people transferring OFF their server to some other one.

Go to TC.

if you delete all your characters, you can transfer servers for free.

So you can create new character on whatever server, try out the WvW for a bit, then delete the character. Repeat on whatever server you’re interested in.

This is a bit of a pain, but it’s the only way to see for yourself and may be worth it if you’re really interested in WvW.

It would feel very weird to leave the server I joined when I created my first GW2 character. Like dumping your birth family because you don’t like their hair color or something.

shocking.3269:

I’ve also been watching of late the vids put up by CharrCat and Drak regarding the Ehmry Bay Resets and Zerg of Zergs. Man, I like the way those guys WvW. Very good.

This one never gets old… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce1sCUVFv9I

Nanyetah Elohi.4852:

Chris, the population and style of play is changing but I am not sure TC will level down in the long run. There were some self-defeating egos in the group that left. There is some skill and commitment in the people who stayed and in newcomers. We have all learned from being paired against tier 1 servers. We will see how it goes.

Don’t get me wrong, you are still the largest and most active server in T2, but that “baby T1” level of coverage is gone and there is a greater sense of mortality when facing you. I think it’s to the point where some added numbers to SoS and FA could see TC having to fight hard against equals for the first time since early spring. That’s what I’m hoping for and I just hope your fair weather population sucks it up like the classic zombie coast always did.

I think WvW is still fresh and exciting for TC. There is a sense of challenge and adventure. You can hear it in the way people joke. Players with more experience are offering advice and training. There is a feeling of plenty of room to grow.

Imagine EBay were a chili. If I could deliver unto you a spoonful of our chili, you wouldn’t eat it, initially. You would be taken back by the mere sight of it. “Oh my,” you would gasp, “This chili has everything I’ve ever wanted. It’s got bacon. It’s got beans. Is that my life’s ambitions, all nestled between the power to motivate myself?” Yes. Yes, it is. On top of it all, it’s a mild mix, meaning that each bite isn’t an assault on your face; it’s a fantastical journey to a land of savory goodness.

Now imagine with me, if you will, three dudes playing totally rad 80’s speed metal solos while riding on the back of a robot shark into the sun in order to save the spirit of Christmas. How would that feel? It would be awesome; superbly, incredibly good.

So the real question you’re asking is “the awesome server or that other server?” I think we both know the right answer here.

Chris.3290:

If you RP you are probably best for TC.

EB is in a “transition” moment so it might not be the best time to put down roots there. You can always transfer off (costs a lot of gold, but not too hard to get) if it turns bad for you.

Transition is over. Those who were leaving are gone. We’re already starting to get back players who regretted leaving (some of whom are on TC, I’ll add) because they miss our amazing chili.

Luckily TCers are not so shallow as to bribed by chili. Cookies on the other hand…..

Sounds like they are both good servers. : )

I submit http://www.ehmry.com for consideration.

14+ months into the game we have the largest and most active GW2 server forum.

Both servers seem to have very fun WvW communities (and game communities in general) based on what I’ve seen.

As for RP, with the ability to guest, it shouldn’t be a problem whichever you choose. I suppose it would boil down to whether you want to be in Gold or Silver league in WvW.

Though, I obviously support Ehmry Bay because I am from there. As stated earlier, we have one of the most, if not the most, active server forums (at least among the NA server).

So will it be Ego Bay or Trashed Coast Ehmry Bay or Tarnished Coast?

As long as you don’t go to BP. They hold grudges and I’ve heard their server is falling apart.

For your consideration

Melanion.4892:

As long as you don’t go to BP. They hold grudges and I’ve heard their server is falling apart.

I am not a server loyalist and really don’t have a dog in the which specific server to go to conversation but BP is doing fine. We certainly haven’t seen a mass exodus off and have actually attracted a decent amount of solid guilds most of which came from servers we played against.

BP has an active forum, a nice TeamSpeak setup, several large guilds, some good skill groups, handful of good commanders, lots of dedicated WvW players and plenty of roamers. The only thing annoying these days is the massive flood of PvE players queueing all the maps on reset night.

I know this if we were “falling apart” we wouldn’t be beating DB. As for grudges, those that may exist never seem to leak into TS or map chat. If I did have a BP critique it is often the chat tends to be a bit too much bravado for my liking and open global channels can sometime get annoying listening to endless random banter.

Ehmry Bay can hold its own in WvW against servers that are much larger than ours, but that very good presence in WvW only really happens on weekends. Our presence in WvW is much lower during the week. That said, there are some very skilled guilds that are in WvW every night, and there are definitely die-hard WvW players who are in there constantly.

EBay’s population responds very positively to even match-ups, but loses interest very quickly when the match is imbalanced (either us getting steamrolled or doing the steamrolling). Unfortunately, totally imbalanced matches have been more and more common with the randomized match-ups.

The PvE community is strong, with both new and established guilds to choose from, and I regularly see people out and about, even when I’m exploring random zones.

Listening to BP’s advice about whether or not to come to ehmry bay is like listening to russia’s idea of america in the 60’s.

Take in all the things you read that aren’t so bitter and hate filled by .. i don’t even know what? .. and decide for yourself. Both have great things about them, and not so great things about them.

Whats so great about eb? Sure they are strong weekends, but when weekday hits, wvw is empty for them. Plus they only fight if they know they can win as stated before. Eb only wins a match when the server is really low in ranks with low population, against servers near them in ranking, and they always lose unless its ioj vs eb vs (insert server here)

TC is trending toward being more serious about WvW. Our experience with tier 1 and bringing new commanders to the front has made us more hard core. That may be something to keep in mind about the difference between these two servers. TC is probably going to be playing a harder,more demanding game.

Some of these responses about Ebay contained alcoholic content. We fight whether we win or lose, we are not in transition, we are active and holistic and we would love to have you.

TC for sure. Oceanic hours don’t usually have queues, and my impression of their server (admittedly the last time I played against them was January) is they’d be a fun place to be.

TC has a couple of very good commanders who are on SEA time too. 4am my time is actually one of my favorite times to play because I like the commanders.

Chris.3290:

I think it’s to the point where some added numbers to SoS and FA could see TC having to fight hard against equals for the first time since early spring. That’s what I’m hoping for and I just hope your fair weather population sucks it up like the classic zombie coast always did.

I’m back. This is no coincidence. I am looking forward to some more equal fights.

TC is a fantastic RP server that happens to WvW. I hope to see shocking.3269 out in TC BL in the near future.

(Seriously, TC is still super cool.)