Guild Wars 2

Lets start with a picture, because its worth a thousand words.

http://i.imgur.com/6oCyT.jpg

So first off I would l like to state that the Orbs of Power in WvW need some serious recalibration or removal.

I understand not all match-ups are fair yet due to population/time-zone but what I do not understand is why the dominating server gets a huge buff to help them continue to dominate.

Before I logged off for the night all 3 servers where matched evenly, holding roughly 33% of the map with all the points within 2000 of each other. Fast forward to this morning it is clear Crystal Desert has a huge night-time population. Fair enough but due to the orbs even though most of them are now logging off we still cannot recap anything because of the orb of power buffs they have. 10 players with 3 orbs are equal to 20-30 players, they just don’t die…

My suggestions to fix the problem:
1) Place orbs on a timer, say like 1hr after capture until it reset back to its default server. That would mean the server that wants the buffs has to actively keep stealing it, as well as the home server actually has a chance to reclaim their orb.
2) Remove the orb. I do not totally like this idea because they are an interesting concept, but in the current state they effect WvW to much.
3) Attrition, Every 1-2 hours a keep holds a stolen orb make the keep suffer penalties like wall/gate HP reduction and maybe a stat debuff for players. Make it stack over and over until the orb is removed. To fit it lore wise say the orb is unstable when removed from its home cradle and its magic energies are damaging the structure.

We finally get a game that starts to approach the amazing RvR of DAoC and people want to kill it off. Ive seen post complaining about Orbs, “nightcapping”, and server alliances. Seriously, stop. If you want forced ballance, or fairness, play sPvP or go to any one of the numerous MMOs that use canned fight mechanics (battlegrounds and such) as the primary/only PvP.

Orbs are fine. In fact, they need to take a page from DAoC and make the orb bonus server wide (meaning even people PvEing get the bonus). Make getting, and holding, them the focus of PvP. Make them something worth getting, and defending.

Night capping in DAoC was so fine one of the French servers top guilds in all three factions made a pact not to take the orbs outside of some predetermined prime time slots

One doesn’t have to wonder much that people would complain about such mechanics if somehow, most of the players in a MMO server decided by themselves to self regulate it’s usage for what they believed was the greater good.

Im not trying to kill it off, I would like to see orbs fixed so they do not kill WvW for some servers. I even have suggestions there, which you probably didn’t even bother to read.

Like right now I am still right there in the fight even tho Crystal Desert owns 100% of the map.

http://i.imgur.com/RdCby.jpg

People are quitting front left right and centre. Sure its not a big deal in a few hours the match will reset. Imagen this happens on my first 2 week match. Should I have a horrible WvW experience for 2 weeks because something needs rethinking? I paid the same money as you.

Edit: Also please don’t just suggest, well go cap something. Without supply you are not taking anything especially from someone with 3 orbs. Trust me once you been in this situation, on either side its really not that fun. We have been winning with 3 orbs and 70% of the map, and it quite takes away from the epicness when you just destroy everything without a fight.

Edit 2: Also I am pretty sure Arenanet has said balance in every aspect of the game is important.

Jnight.7395:

Edit 2: Also I am pretty sure Arenanet has said balance in every aspect of the game is important.

Which is why they are matching servers based on performance. FORCED balancing will kill the game. It’s a three way fight, overall balance will occur naturally. Does this mean that at any given time one server or another will be at a disadvantage? Of course, that is normal and expected. However, over time it will balance out. Removing the Orbs, or making holding them detrimental (rather than a primary goal), or simply resetting them after some arbitrary period of time (making the entire exercise of gaining them pointless) are not viable options long term. As it is, the value of participating in WvWvW is negligible (which is why there is now, due to player request, and option to leave the queue when you are in overflow).

Orbs need to be boosted so that the bonus is server wide. They need to be the focus of WvWvW. They need to be the reason people undertake large pushes to acquire them and why people will drop everything to go defend them. This is what made DAoC RvR the best PvP to date. Realm pride, and teamwork. When a Relic was threatened, people would literally drop everything to help defend them. Some of the most amazing strategies were developed to get them. Massive organization from the entire population of a Realm.

But no, you just aren’t having fun so we should just water the whole thing down and make it yet another generic PvP experience, right?

Each orb gives maybe 1k-1.5k health? It doesn’t make 10 players = 20-30 players if they have all 3 orbs. Defending a keep with orbs take a lot of coordination too, since pugs like to use supply and not escort doliaks anymore. It has to remain the same since it requires time investment from members to coordinate defense after a orb is taken.