Guild Wars 2

I’ve seen a large amount of threads being made regarding such things as:

Server Populations
Server Xfers
3 Teams
Server Rankings
Zerging

Although these are separate factors, they all come together to affect our overall gameplay within WvW. I just wanted to break down a few of these issues, explain why they are issues and explore possible solutions.

Open world PVP or WvW is a really great and interesting concept, but it requires certain considerations.

Server populations do vary from server to server and these populations have a direct and substantial effect on that servers overall outcome in WvW. Numbers play a large factor in WvW and rightly so, it will always be easier to take a keep with 20+ players, than it would be with 10. With free server transfers, players have the freedom to jump to a winning server without much hassle. This could cause even more unbalance in numbers because of constantly shifting populations.

Although it seems that numbers and server population have a serious effect on game-play, they are not the root of the issue.

Zerging (the massing of large groups/raids of either organized or unorganized players)…
is a CORE element of any Open World WvW/RvR mmo. Even if unpopular, this is simply unavoidable, with so many people interested in open world rvr, large groups are bound to get together to take common objectives.

The real problem(and solution) that is a common factor in all of the above..

WvW map design and size.. Let me explain.

A zerg is supposed to be a very powerful force, such a large massing of players forming in one place to take a common objective. Regardless of individual skill/organization, a much larger number of players is a deadly threat to ANY group.

The downside to a zerg is that they are typically less mobile than multiple smaller groups. A zerg moves in a large group, focusing on 1 keep at a time, moving from objective to objective. In Guild Wars 2 WvW, that downside does NOT currently exist due to map size and map design.

With the maps being so small, a large zerg can move across an entire zone with relative ease. With the exception of supply camps, smaller groups can very rarely capture a keep before the incoming zerg reaches them. A roaming zerg can cover the entirety of the map in minutes, making it almost impossible to flank/counter capture.

Typically on more populated servers, 2 or 3 zergs will roam around the map clashing at very specific points over the same objectives, while smaller groups roam taking supply camps and killing stragglers while trying to avoid the enemy zerg.

In terms of map design, Eternal Battlegrounds is much more suited for 3 faction/3 server war than the ‘borderlands’. The borderlands, although correctly placing the home servers ‘garrison’ at the top center.. failed to create a 3 server/triple faction open world zone. The reason for this is the large unnecessary body of water within the center of the map. This body of water creates two LANES that run south down the map. This would not be a problem, if those lanes were 2/3x wider, but with the map being so small, it really narrows the action literally almost forcing the players to zerg together.

I understand that the water was intended as a tool for players to develop strategy and travel, but mildly deep rivers running through a much larger landscape will do the trick.

With larger less ‘narrowed’ maps and more objectives, the ZERGs will lose their ability to cover and dominate the map as quickly, thus in itself allowing for more strategy between servers of different populations.

Instead of creating ‘lanes’ to guide the flow of players in WvW.. you should create truly open, much larger maps, that allow zergs and even smaller groups much more choice in what objectives they take.

Of course server populations and zergs are playing such a big role in the current outcome of WvW.. if you cram that many players into a small place, the group with more numbers more often will win. But with larger maps, big clusters of players lose their roaming ability and thus allow smaller guilds and servers to deploy some real strategy.

Btw, I play on ET.. so I know what it is like to be dominating other servers in Tier 2… and dealing with much bigger numbers in Tier 1.

(Another possible solution)

Increase the time if takes to break down walls/gates… it will force larger groups to either commit to taking something or to roam around, not both.

Good post,

I always felt that the size of the maps was too small overall, even if players like to complain about having to run back after respawning.

I also agree that the Eternal Battlegrounds is significantly better suited for WvW than the Borderlands are.

WvW would be so much better if they somehow combined the 4 different maps into one big zone, largely absent of large bodies of water.

I feel like it is pretty important and should certainly be discussed. It really is the source of more problems than people realize.