Guild Wars 2

We’ve seen a lot of newcomers to WvW during this weekend, and I wanted to share a few videos our guild made that show how to fight in WvW:

The playlist is on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZEY9_9csrc&list=PLjwow6z_cLGa2bZjcs0ZmFLMmdhbUWTtL

Each lesson is just a few minutes, but we hope we covered most of what’s going on during the fights.

More videos are planned, with Lesson 4 being about Boons and Boon stripping and Lesson 5 about how to damage your enemies greatly, even if you’re not playing in an organized group!

All feedback will be greatly appreciated

See you on the battlefield!

Short and simple GET IN TS OF YOUR SERVER AND FOLLOW YOUR COMANDER AND LISTEN.
Doing what the voice of reason tell you is up to you.

Well done. Good foundation to help people get started. You should do ones on following the commander, using voice comms, gear/trait selection, etc.

Also I think you’d have a better impact actually speaking about things instead of just putting notes up on the screen.

I liked those videos. Only the texts should be a longer time there. It is sometimes impossible to read them in real time (at least for me^^).

Kanebrake.6192:

Well done. Good foundation to help people get started. You should do ones on following the commander, using voice comms, gear/trait selection, etc.

Also I think you’d have a better impact actually speaking about things instead of just putting notes up on the screen.

Thank you for your feedback!

What do you mean with “following the commander, using voice comms”? What would you like to see in that video?

Gear and traits, I can put some links to the builds we’re using. I think it’s totally unnecessary to make a video about each build, it would be super boring and less effective than checking out the build on a build editor.

About the voiceover, we tought about that, but: I’m not a native speaker, so my english and accent aren’t the best. Many other players like me are not native speakers and reading is a lot easier than listening, I think the notes are the best way to communicate with the biggest audience possible!

TyPin.9860:

I liked those videos. Only the texts should be a longer time there. It is sometimes impossible to read them in real time (at least for me^^).

Yep I’ve been told it’s too fast. I made the videos with the idea that anyone wanting to study them would just pause to read whatever they wanted, but due to feedback from the viewers I made the text panels last longer from the third lesson (and that’s why that video is a lot longer than the other ones)

Thank You! Menaka. for the lesson video.

The Number one thing a newcomer to wvw needs to know is to GET ON TEAMSPEAK and to REFRESH siege( click on the siege you do not have to fire it and it refreshes the timer so it does not disappear)oh yea do not repair walls that are being trebbed until the treb is down( because it just wastes all your supply and you cannot defend the keep), and GET ON TEAMSPEAK. You are not even playing the game unless you are on Teamspeak. TS is the difference between winning and losing, because with one call, you can bring people from PVE, EOTM, PVP, and other WVW maps to save a keep that you cannot by using map chat. You miss 99% of the commands and calls if you are not on TS with the other people in your server. There is no time in battle to type," might, empower, 3,2,1 go right, go left, dodge, dodge, drop portals here, veil, portal bomb and show up behind them, get the lights, light water, heavy water, condi clears" in enough time to have it actually work. Teamspeak is vital to being able to compete. If the commander isn’t making calls like that, they don’t know how to command. XD

Making proper wvw calls = How many enemies, what team they are on , what guild if a guild group, and what they are attacking and how urgent the situation is. For example:

" 25 BG NET JQBL gate 50% DO guild" means “25 Black Gate from the DO guild are attacking Jade Quarry Borderlands North East Tower, and the gate is at 50% health.”
It also helps to use the intel maps that use voice, if you google “gw2 wvw maps”, click the intel link, and put in your server and it will tell you all the proper names to call each tower/ camp ect when they are taken. This is a good map to keep up all the time because it tells you what is being taken and by what guild.

On all the Home BL maps, they are called by NC= North camp, NWT= North west Tower, NWC= North west camp, then ther eis Gari, Bay and Hills. On EBG ( eternal battlegrounds) they call them by name, our keep = whatever keep you are in that week, SMC is stonemist castle, the camps and towers are called by name, or a shortened name such as Aldons, Mendons, Speldans, some are shortened such as QL= Quentin Lake, Jerris = Jerrifers Tower, Anz= Anzalias Tower, Camps can be shortened such as Dane and pango, and they frequently call Orange swords as “OJ’s”.

Hope that helps!

getting kind of sick of the “GET ON TEAMSPEAK” screams in WvW all the time. There are plenty of people who will never be in community voice chat for whatever reason (that they are not required to justify to anyone either) and the game is still perfectly playable and enjoyable for them so don’t treat them like lepers . Discounting those members of your community gets you nothing and completely alienating them might lose you some talented resources. Can’t we just say instead “for another layer of WvW gameplay consider joining your community voice chat”.

PariahX.6970:

getting kind of sick of the “GET ON TEAMSPEAK” screams in WvW all the time. There are plenty of people who will never be in community voice chat for whatever reason (that they are not required to justify to anyone either) and the game is still perfectly playable and enjoyable for them so don’t treat them like lepers . Discounting those members of your community gets you nothing and completely alienating them might lose you some talented resources. Can’t we just say instead “for another layer of WvW gameplay consider joining your community voice chat”.

Not really, considering 99% of the calls are made in Teamspeak, so you cannot play well with the server to win without voice chat for competitive pvp. When you cost your server the match because you refuse to work with them, that doesn’t make for being a good teammate.

It is not possible to type everything in Map chat that needs to be said, not to mention commanders refusing to do so because of spies from other servers. They really do not want everything typed in map chat because the spies see it too.

Playing without voice chat is like being the kid who scores for the opposing team.
People do not have to talk to listen to command, however, not talking also means you cannot scream " 50 BG INC @ 6 oclock!!" and save everyone’s hide either.

DarkSyze.8627:

Thank You! Menaka. for the lesson video.

You’re welcome

lil devils x.6071:

The Number one thing a newcomer to wvw needs to know…

You bring up some valid points, but this video series is not about WvW in general, it’s intended as a quick introduction to fighting in WvW for newcomers that may be disoriented about what’s going on.

As you point out, voice comms are fundamental for organized groups, but we made these videos thinking about new players that may have never joined the community TS (if the server they are playing on has one). The objective is to make these players a little more self-sustaining, so even if they don’t join TS they can carry their own weight during the fights

We think it’s a more inclusive approach and in the end it’ll prove more effective than scaring away people, shouting at them because they are not on TS

lil devils x.6071:

It is not possible to type everything in Map chat that needs to be said, not to mention commanders refusing to do so because of spies from other servers. They really do not want everything typed in map chat because the spies see it too.

What prevents “spies” from joining TS as well?

I realize it’s impossible to command by typing during a fight, but this sounds like a silly excuse and borderline paranoia

Menaka.5092:

lil devils x.6071:

The Number one thing a newcomer to wvw needs to know…

You bring up some valid points, but this video series is not about WvW in general, it’s intended as a quick introduction to fighting in WvW for newcomers that may be disoriented about what’s going on.

As you point out, voice comms are fundamental for organized groups, but we made these videos thinking about new players that may have never joined the community TS (if the server they are playing on has one). The objective is to make these players a little more self-sustaining, so even if they don’t join TS they can carry their own weight during the fights

We think it’s a more inclusive approach and in the end it’ll prove more effective than scaring away people, shouting at them because they are not on TS

Of course “I” don’t shout at them to get on Teamspeak.. I say " please join us on _ Ts channel to hear what is needed, when and where…" so they understand why we are asking them to get on TS. However, Trying to command or play without portal bombs, water, veils… isn’t really even playing the same game as everyone else, it is just going through the motions and missing most of what is happening.

PariahX.6970:

Can’t we just say instead “for another layer of WvW gameplay consider joining your community voice chat”.

This sounds like a way more sensible approach to get people on the community

Menaka.5092:

lil devils x.6071:

It is not possible to type everything in Map chat that needs to be said, not to mention commanders refusing to do so because of spies from other servers. They really do not want everything typed in map chat because the spies see it too.

What prevents “spies” from joining TS as well?

I realize it’s impossible to command by typing during a fight, but this sounds like a silly excuse and borderline paranoia

Having admins on the server that keep up with the info and block people accordingly, and having a list of spies kept on forums so they can be aware. In T1 it isn’t " paranoia" it is just how the game is played.

Menaka.5092:

PariahX.6970:

Can’t we just say instead “for another layer of WvW gameplay consider joining your community voice chat”.

This sounds like a way more sensible approach to get people on the community

How is that sensible when it costs you keeps/ matches? Scoring for the other team is in no way sensible..
One 2 second call on commander chat in Teamspeak, can bring MANY people from PVP, PVE and other maps to save the keep that would not otherwise be there.

Lesson 1 – Buy PVT
Lesson 2 – Make a Warr
Lesson 3 – Join Teamspeak
Lesson 4 – Follow the Commander/Pin
Lesson 5 – When commander says push, push.
Lesson 6 – During pushing and pulling, make sure you are with the commander
Lesson 7 – Practise some roaming to polish your skills
Lesson 8 – Go to EOTM when you want target practice but BLs when serious
Lesson 9 – Always be kind to your enemies as someday they may be your friends

lil devils x.6071:

Menaka.5092:

PariahX.6970:

Can’t we just say instead “for another layer of WvW gameplay consider joining your community voice chat”.

This sounds like a way more sensible approach to get people on the community

How is that sensible when it costs you keeps/ matches? Scoring for the other team is in no way sensible..
One 2 second call on commander chat in Teamspeak, can bring MANY people from PVP, PVE and other maps to save the keep that would not otherwise be there.

Some do relay information without TS very effectively. However normally those are scouts or roamers which you will find are not in the “blob” fights, and you will notice someone in TS then relaying the map/team chat via voice comms.

However if you want to go into TS vs non TS.
TS does little for server coordination, with many on it in multiple channels running over multiple maps unless those on TS in each channel which has a group in WvW are also on CComs with 1 person, to coordinate via all TS channels.

You also wont see all TS members in 1 channel due to being on different maps at the same time, and it’d be a cluster kitten of people trying to command their group over one another.

In reality, TS does offer a great advantage to knowing what is going on, and what a commander is thinking in “real time” without the commander having to type everything or have someone type for them. However it is not a requirement for WvW.
It is just very highly suggested for coordination. ^.~

As a new player that was very helpful, thank you. I might have to watch it a few times, but it at least has helped me to understand as a newb necro where to stand and what my focus should be. I’m not 80 yet and it will be some time before I get ready for World vs World, but I’m excited to try it. It looks like a lot of fun.

Here are some ideas on what to include in videos:

Repair your armor.

Take supplies – use camps – ask if you can take from keep. Most often commander will do the supply round – wait until then.

If dead, when to use wp? In massive fights, at the time when nobody has time to revive or should not have time to revive, going to wp saves allies time for fighting. Sometimes it is good if dead stay, e.g., if wp is a far away. I revive if I know the player is good and valuable in the fight. I also revive warrior and guardian because I play with mesmer, light.

Don’t always follow your commander. Many times only heavies go with the commander.

Dodge dodge. When?

Don’t stay in red circles.

Build rams/catas first. Then clear cannons. Then oil.

Don’t make swords. Don’t slap. Or do slap.

Clear walls with the commander. Don’t go to the lord room.

Someone has written commander’s compedium – a pdf document. See this forum. Could be better source for ideas than random thoughts of this and that.

How about getting opposing teams to make the videos together. Acted fight scenarios could be clearer.

Bumping this post because we finally managed to publish the fourth lesson:
Hit ’em when and where it hurts

Could be useful for all the newcomers after the nice discount ANet offered during the weekend

Menaka.5092:

Kanebrake.6192:

Well done. Good foundation to help people get started. You should do ones on following the commander, using voice comms, gear/trait selection, etc.

Also I think you’d have a better impact actually speaking about things instead of just putting notes up on the screen.

Thank you for your feedback!

What do you mean with “following the commander, using voice comms”? What would you like to see in that video?

Gear and traits, I can put some links to the builds we’re using. I think it’s totally unnecessary to make a video about each build, it would be super boring and less effective than checking out the build on a build editor.

About the voiceover, we tought about that, but: I’m not a native speaker, so my english and accent aren’t the best. Many other players like me are not native speakers and reading is a lot easier than listening, I think the notes are the best way to communicate with the biggest audience possible!

Sorry I missed this reply way back when…

Following the commander – Tips for helping new players stay on the proper commander (things like getting a target on them in their party, joining squad, whatever). Why sometimes it’s important to stay on/near the tag and not run off to do other things.

Voice comms – Where to get the software, how to download/install it. Even just links to tutorials, etc. Then common calls and commands heard in the game. Why being in voice comms is 1000% better for wvw efforts than typing things out.

Gear/traits – Not so much specifics but more general to help people get started. Maybe links and references to cookie cutter builds on metabattle or wherever.

PariahX.6970:

getting kind of sick of the “GET ON TEAMSPEAK” screams in WvW all the time. There are plenty of people who will never be in community voice chat for whatever reason (that they are not required to justify to anyone either) and the game is still perfectly playable and enjoyable for them so don’t treat them like lepers . Discounting those members of your community gets you nothing and completely alienating them might lose you some talented resources. Can’t we just say instead “for another layer of WvW gameplay consider joining your community voice chat”.

The problem is that those who refuse to be in voice comms and at least listening to what is happening are likely making things less enjoyable for everyone else. Because they aren’t as aware of what is happening around them because we don’t always have time to type out what we see and what is happening in chat. If you want a prime example of this go look at edge of the mists where 85% of the commands are missed. Especially when it comes to engagments with the enemy.

Sure there are those who can’t be in voice comms for whatever reason but that’s different than refusing for no reason.