This is mainly for underpopulated servers (or times) vs highly populated servers. In previous matchups this included 7 out of 8, now it is still a majority. Even if you were to get the matchups perfect, there will still be high population vs lower population matches.
The goals here are simple:
1. Get people to transfer to lower population servers
2. Get them to fight and enjoy it
As it is now, there is a major snowball effect. The way the maps are designed, once everything is capped it is actually harder for anyone to take anything… if you grab a keep and set up siege it is already in range of 3 mortars and 2 trebs, and the high population side has plenty of people to man it. Forget the population odds against you, you might just be able to handle that (2 to one odds are definitely doable in this game)… as it stands now EVERYTHING else is. This is just the way it is designed. The first time you saw siege set up at a spawn should have been an eye opener.
This snowball effect is the reason that many do not go out from the “losing by score” side. Forget the population odds, everything else is stacked against them.
Let’s make it not stacked against them. Let’s make it closer to even. The “Outmanned Buff”, which is given to these servers every day in prime time, usually on all 4 maps, is one thing, but all it does is create PVE supply cap groups that try to avoid all fighting, until there are enough of them to make the buff go away. (I think it is greater than 3 to 1)
Here are some suggestions on how to fix it. (yes, you must tackle the server transfer issue in a way I have already outlined)
1. Allow supply camps to keep the buff longer for the underpopulated side, and shorter for the populated side.
2. Same with keep lords
3. Allow MUCH cheaper siege, how about 1/3 the cost? How about 1/6? (as it is with so few people we have only been using superior siege)
4. Allow underpopulated sides to carry more supply on default (this is the main limitation, how about 5 more? we already have 15 and it’s not enough)
5. Allow a higher badge drop % (to get people to transfer over, honestly in a target rich environment, badges aren’t a problem)
6. Allow faster guard respawn
7. Allow guard patrols from spawn point (that can be killed)
8. Make keep lords tougher for these sides
9. Allow for more guards
10. Allow for cheaper upgrades… take less supply and $, and happen faster
That would be a start.
The reason I say to do this soon is that you are actually losing people from these under populated servers… some groups / guilds transferred to these places for no queues and to make a difference, recruited a whole bunch of people (zerg guild), and then they have actually left due to the snowball effect! (You can confirm this by looking at the numbers) Taking more people than they brought!