Guild Wars 2

(Snip: Allow players to see wvw populations for all servers to decide where to go dynamically. Allow cheap guesting for wvw to allow guilds to ally together for a set period and then go back to home servers. Benefit: Will allow playerbase to self regulate the population indifference)

So I have been about to write 5 topics on WvW and the issues with it but I stop posting because without the data, what’s the point?

In sPVP, we know the numbers on the servers to join and the system will try (sometimes fail) at matching up groups. However the key here is that we know the numbers and can join the full maps or the 1v1 server maps. The builders have given the players the upfront knowledge.

The problem with WvW is that you don’t know how “Full” a server is because they don’t tell us the numbers. Also, while map caps have been teased out Outnumbered doesn’t tell us how outnumbered we are. Just because a server is full does not mean we know how many players actually play WvW. In order to solve the WvW balance issues we need to lift this “fog of war.” Yes, numbers can be demoralizing but no more than what we currently see on low population servers.

Case in point:
If you allowed players to view the numbers for EVERY server in WvW and then allowed players to choose which server to join (like sPVP)then guilds could say to each other, “Hey, I will help you with this fight if you help me with my fight.” You don’t lose server morale because people can choose to stay but this will give people the freedom to change the population stagnation of WvW. We all know that server stacking happens, it just means that this will now be more open. People can then leave and migrate to battles they like and you basically allow the playerbase to voluntarily change the flow dynamically on a daily basis. If you want to include transfer fees fine but lower them to allow more frequent and perhaps cap them to 50 silver for 1 day transfer)

I just think that we as the playerbase can help you make a better game if you give us the numbers. I mean, we use them for everything else. It may even mean that when we see the numbers that show that the WvW population is decreasing, we can help you with possible server merges but it can’t happen without the data.

The point system will need to change but that’s a different topic (base points on difficulty of capture, add points for successful defense, add points for taking combinations of objectives in x amount of time)

So yeah that’s it. Flame away.

ANet keeps the numbers confidential to prevent abuse. It’s not hard to have a bunch of spare accounts standing by to flood your enemy’s borderlands as you’re pushing their side of the map if you see it’s outnumbered, as a rather extreme example.

Reverence.6915:

ANet keeps the numbers confidential to prevent abuse. It’s not hard to have a bunch of spare accounts standing by to flood your enemy’s borderlands as you’re pushing their side of the map if you see it’s outnumbered, as a rather extreme example.

I do this with my 72 accounts all the time…..

Reverence.6915:

ANet keeps the numbers confidential to prevent abuse. It’s not hard to have a bunch of spare accounts standing by to flood your enemy’s borderlands as you’re pushing their side of the map if you see it’s outnumbered, as a rather extreme example.

Making the data available with a delay (i.e. not in real time) would get around most of that, no? It should at the very least be possible to publish the total amount of hours people from each server spent in WvW after each weekly match. A.net could just add that to their usual infographics.

Personally I think a.net keeps the numbers under wraps for entirely different (though not necessarily bad) reasons.

That’s a pretty weak excuse though. They can do that now the only difference is how many they need to use. It may make it more efficient but it’s still there.

Guesting in WvW?
Really?
How do you prevent spying and griefing?
Right now, it does costs something to grief or spie, taking the price off is going to hurt WvW…

And we already have some ideas of numbers in WvW.
I know My server is outnumbered 22hrs a day and we have a very small window to make points. I know approximately how much they are at what time in the servers we face.
Do we really need more numbers?
We already have an idea, with ratings, of which servers need the more people.
It’s easy to look at available graphics to have an idea of the times at which a server needs coverage….

(also, in PvP, players keep choosing the winning team… so not sure how it would help)

You do not need to know the numbers. Just get out there and fight.

How would you even define WvW population?