Guild Wars 2

I’m not saying we should take away the commander icon for those who paid lots of money(although I’m all for it, assuming they get refunded). I just really think we should have commanders we can elect. Once a week, on reset, XX amount of commanders are elected. If a commander is inactive for over 36 hours, a new one is elected. This will ensure there will always be elected commanders on the field. Elected commanders should have a different map icon as well. Reason for all of this is because I don’t think a bad commander with deep pockets should ruin it for the entire server. Good commanders will stick out and eventually be always nominated, which is a good thing.

Plain and simple presentation. Didn’t really go into detail yet, I just want to see what you guys think.

but then it just becomes a glorified popularity contest. I know plenty of lousy commanders in big guilds that would still probably get a commander title due to the size of the guild they are in.

I’d be much happier if the Commander rank was based on achievements rather than wealth or popularity. Make it something that is awarded to players who have X number of kills plus have captured X locations/used X siege…etc. True you’d still get a few dodgy badges, but at least if it was based on achievements people could be sure that the commander they’re following has at least got a serious amount of WvW experience. In the past week i’ve come across two seperate commanders that needed directions around the map or didn’t know what the orange swords on the map indicated.

Personally, I make a point to know my realms commanders and to know which one’s are good and which one’s are going to waste our time/resources. The real problem isn’t that we have some lousy commanders, it’s that we have players that blindly follow that blue dot around and don’t use a modicum of common sense.

Seresh.8045:

but then it just becomes a glorified popularity contest. I know plenty of lousy commanders in big guilds that would still probably get a commander title due to the size of the guild they are in.

I’d be much happier if the Commander rank was based on achievements rather than wealth or popularity. Make it something that is awarded to players who have X number of kills plus have captured X locations/used X siege…etc. True you’d still get a few dodgy badges, but at least if it was based on achievements people could be sure that the commander they’re following has at least got a serious amount of WvW experience. In the past week i’ve come across two seperate commanders that needed directions around the map or didn’t know what the orange swords on the map indicated.

Personally, I make a point to know my realms commanders and to know which one’s are good and which one’s are going to waste our time/resources. The real problem isn’t that we have some lousy commanders, it’s that we have players that blindly follow that blue dot around and don’t use a modicum of common sense.

Very good point. I didn’t think about how guilds would affect this. Having the point and achievement system like you put out is a pretty good idea, but it should also be voluntary. I know a lot of great guys in WvW who are high up there, but most just stick to the shadows.

Doomdesire.9365:

Seresh.8045:

but then it just becomes a glorified popularity contest. I know plenty of lousy commanders in big guilds that would still probably get a commander title due to the size of the guild they are in.

I’d be much happier if the Commander rank was based on achievements rather than wealth or popularity. Make it something that is awarded to players who have X number of kills plus have captured X locations/used X siege…etc. True you’d still get a few dodgy badges, but at least if it was based on achievements people could be sure that the commander they’re following has at least got a serious amount of WvW experience. In the past week i’ve come across two seperate commanders that needed directions around the map or didn’t know what the orange swords on the map indicated.

Personally, I make a point to know my realms commanders and to know which one’s are good and which one’s are going to waste our time/resources. The real problem isn’t that we have some lousy commanders, it’s that we have players that blindly follow that blue dot around and don’t use a modicum of common sense.

Very good point. I didn’t think about how guilds would affect this. Having the point and achievement system like you put out is a pretty good idea, but it should also be voluntary. I know a lot of great guys in WvW who are high up there, but most just stick to the shadows.

The only drawback is that after a while even the casual WvW player will achieve the rank and then it becomes meaningless. So perhaps some combination of the two. Nominations based on those who have the experience, rather than just being able to nominate anybody for Commander you’d have to have the achievement first? Could all get a bit complicated tbh.

Either way, it would have to be voluntary. I would never want to have one of those blue dots, regardless of whether or not I met the criteria! I’m much happier complaining about how much certain ones suck than actually trying to do better myself.

You can already elect commanders!

Give someone 1g for the icon, or if there’s 100 of you, give 1 silver. There you go, he’s elected.

Change commander icon colors.
Blue for those new to it.
Color changes in the warmer scale for more Offensive and cooler colors for more defensive. If the Offense=Defense then make the top part of the icon 1 warm color, and bottom cooler color.

Allow the commanders a way to switch as well if they have that option from warm to cool. (Meaning achieved xx amount of defensive/offensive objectives.)

The commander is a stupid idea. On my way to a fourth WvW 80 and I have yet to see a commander that I’d follow. It gets worse every day as more fools spend gold for a larger kitten.

You already have elected commanders.

There can only be so many visible on that map at any one time. From what I understand it, the ones that are visible are the ones with the most members in their squad. Joining a commander’s squad = voting for them.

Don’t like one guy, leave his squad and join someone else’s.

Whomever has the most, are the ones that are visibile.

Wildman.9641:

The commander is a stupid idea. On my way to a fourth WvW 80 and I have yet to see a commander that I’d follow. It gets worse every day as more fools spend gold for a larger kitten.

Wow you sound like a team player. lol

Arsilon.5467:

You already have elected commanders.

There can only be so many visible on that map at any one time. From what I understand it, the ones that are visible are the ones with the most members in their squad. Joining a commander’s squad = voting for them.

Don’t like one guy, leave his squad and join someone else’s.

Whomever has the most, are the ones that are visibile.

Not true. However people can join a squad and then they will ONLY see that commanders icon and nobody elses.

Give people the option to click on a commander icon and ignore it. that way only the ones you like will ever show up.

To OP: So, you prefer other people to tell you who is a good commander, don’t you? I prefer to test it by myself and follow them using my own experiences.

I don’t think commander should be bought, voted on, or achieved to be honest. Not sure HOW it should be chosen, but I see problems with all three of those. The bought/voted on have already been discussed, but many people seem to favor the achievement based ones. I will be the first to tell you that as a commander I don’t fight NEARLY as much as the normal population does. I’m normally sitting in the back looking at the best possible tactic to use at the time. That’s not to say when it gets down to it and I’m needed I refuse to fight, I just feel like most of my time is spent watching the map/getting info from team chat and PMs.

Like I said though, I offer no better solutions, just criticism on the most often proposed ones.

So, Blind Man, you are the kind of commander I would probably work with. I would see how you give orders, if those are logical, and if those drive us to success. If so, I would remember your name. And you don’t have to kill a single enemy, nor receive credit for attacking the enemy (because your artillery position is so far away from the capture point).

xtorma.1283:

Give people the option to click on a commander icon and ignore it. that way only the ones you like will ever show up.

BEST option yet. Doesn’t keep Anet from using their current system; but allows the players the choice of whom to follow. Let’s us decide who’s worthy or not.

You CAN have elected commanders by deciding for yourself who’s worth fighting with and who’s not. Most of these suggestions still have flaws and it doesn’t take long to know which commanders are good and which had extra gold to spend.

small guilds have no interest in following a zerg.

They simply need to add the ability to form warbands that have multiple groups in them.

They need to make a Captain or something that is in charge of all the Commanders. So darned many now it is ridiculous. Make it cost 2000 gold and require achievements. Have to capture and DEFEND x amount of keeps/towers/castle.

Doesn’t mean they will good at it. But 100g certainly does not ensure someone is competent at leading.

xtorma.1283:

Give people the option to click on a commander icon and ignore it. that way only the ones you like will ever show up.

The problem still persists however, Most smart WvWer’s know who to follow and who not too. That isn’t the problem. The problem is the rest of the zerg still follows the bad commanders. I had a commander banging on SM for three hours the other night and not getting anywhere. The only thing he achieved was sucking away the zerg from more important stuff (people love to try to go for SM), and taking all the supplies. ANother commander was in the freaking JUMPING PUZZLE, and telling people to come join him AND building seige!!!!!!

There should only be a couple of commanders on the field at any given time, and bad ones need to be weeded out…..somehow.

I don’t see many ideas that seem to fit better then whats in place. But I could be the only one here that thinks this system already works. Most of the good commanders in my server are in the commander ‘Circle’ if you will. They have really taken me under their wing as a new commander. We also have marked commanders that arnt in the ‘Club’ :P and that is the way of the system for my server. Sure do I make mistakes? Yeaa! Would I be the number one of even top 10 choices for commander on my server if it were voted on? Probably not honestly.

I like the system.

This all being said. the commander icon at this point in time for those who dont know is just that. A icon. Thats it. The squad system is broken as it gets and completely worthless for many commanders point of view. This needs to be fixed.

Uber,

RicardoAR.9628:

To OP: So, you prefer other people to tell you who is a good commander, don’t you? I prefer to test it by myself and follow them using my own experiences.

I either choose a good commander or I don’t follow one at all. Most of the time it’s the later. Let’s face it, commanders are only people with deep pockets, nothing else 99% of the time. There are more experienced players in WvW. I spend 99% of my time in WvW, I’m very disappointed when a commander who spent a month farming 100G in PvE comes in and ruins everything. We need a new way to find a commander(s), one that ensures these guys know what they are doing. This should be based on a various amount of features, especially achievements in WvW, kills, badges of honor, time played, ect.

And your post kind of misses the point. No offense, but this is not about me. This is about the 80% of the WvW population(PUGS) who follow the closest commander icon, even if they are bringing them into a garuanteed slaughter.

Its really not a problem. Join a squad. Then there is only one commander on the map.

I’ve been watching this two commanders attack SM for the past 2 hours and failing each time. IF this is not a problem in WvW, what is? All the manpower could be used elsewhere. Bump. Would like to see more opinions.

A commander tag is an icon on the map, nothing more. They are expensive, but they are perfectly balanced. Why? Because they are used by guilds to provide our members with a point of reference. They attract zergs, but that’s not the primary function. The primary function is to serve as an organizational tool for guilds.

Caedas has many commander’s compendiums, and we use them. Their primary purpose is to inform our guild members where we are located, and to inform other guilds where we are located. If you plan on using one with the mindset of “If I buy this, people will follow me” then you’re going to be very disappointed.

Intelligent people need more than a shiny blue speck on the map to earn their respect.

Also, successful generals are never elected. An election process would cause nothing but drama and failure.

I’d much rather follow someone who is consistently popular with the WvW crowd than someone who can farm PvE for achievements/100g.

The problem with the current system is the casual player dipping into WvW doesn’t know who earned their Icon with good leadership and who farmed their Icon. So these lousy commanders end up sucking a large amount of manpower simply for having the icon turned on.

I’d really really like the commander icon to have an option to make it only veiwable by guild/friendlist members. That way it doesn’t draw the keyboard licking zerg and allows visability to the players you want.

Juxtapositronic.1405:

A commander tag is an icon on the map, nothing more. They are expensive, but they are perfectly balanced. Why? Because they are used by guilds to provide our members with a point of reference. They attract zergs, but that’s not the primary function. The primary function is to serve as an organizational tool for guilds.

Caedas has many commander’s compendiums, and we use them. Their primary purpose is to inform our guild members where we are located, and to inform other guilds where we are located. If you plan on using one with the mindset of “If I buy this, people will follow me” then you’re going to be very disappointed.

Intelligent people need more than a shiny blue speck on the map to earn their respect.

Also, successful generals are never elected. An election process would cause nothing but drama and failure.

Then perhaps Anet should change it so that certain guild members can have the icon and have it not visible to anyone else. Have commander be a separate thing. It doesn’t have to be an election process, but the system right now is broken. As long as there is a way to pick commanders based on actual WvW experience and not money.

The new event today could also really irritate the problem imo. Many many people looted precursors. Some, even on trial accounts. I don’t think it’s right that someone(who may not even be 80) finds a precursor in a chest, gets lot of money, becomes a commander and ruins it for the server. That however, is just a scenario, but a likely one. I myself expect some sort of influx of commanders who got the tag from pure luck with today’s one time event.

That’s not to mention, eventually many people are going to get a commander tag. At what point does it become totally broken so that we have an entirely new commander entering the server every hour or so? When does it come to the point where 1/10 players are commanders?

What I really wish for is a voting system where if enough people vote for a good commander it prevents them from logging out ;-)

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating. Most players quickly figure out which Commanders are worth following and which ones are not.

If your server has random pugs following around random commanders then you have far more problems than you realize. Fix your server first, please.

Juxtapositronic.1405:

If your server has random pugs following around random commanders then you have far more problems than you realize. Fix your server first, please.

Well hello there, fellow Sanctum of Rallian. Don’t mind me now….

Does anyone have their own way of addressing this issue? Do you agree that this is an issue? Disagree?

I would love to see more ideas on how to change this up a bit.

I follow commanders that make sense.
On top of that I check if commanders work together or are ego-tripping.

If a few commanders work well together than I simply go where I’m needed the most, according to their orders and my proximity to any called targets.

There are commanders who aren’t worth following, I can see that as well, but luckily less on my server it seems.
If I would encounter one I would mostly ignore but still see if any called objectives are in need of help or not.

Electing commanders would have to happen on the spot, and I think that would create more issues than it would solve.
So I’m not in favor of that opion. Even if it is again the only ‘fair’ one…

What I don’t like is how a commander is simply something you buy.
In a good WvW guild that will sort itself, but in other cases it could go to some ignorant egotripper with a lot of gold…
So that system of becoming a commander needs work, but having votes every time something goes wrong is not the way to go.

Commanders should be elected per map by all the players currently playing. Anyone interested in leading would join a board where people vote every 2 or 24 hours or so and the winner gets the commander badge for the next 2/24 hours. achievments and money both have nothing to do with leading skills and should be dismissed as factors. if we have guilds voting their boss in thats perfectly fine, thats democracy.

Steelo.4597:

Commanders should be elected per map by all the players currently playing. Anyone interested in leading would join a board where people vote every 2 or 24 hours or so and the winner gets the commander badge for the next 2/24 hours. achievments and money both have nothing to do with leading skills and should be dismissed as factors. if we have guilds voting their boss in thats perfectly fine, thats democracy.

Issue with voting is commanders which are in large guilds could instantly top the vote then those who may be better commanders yet in smaller guilds.(Or no guild at all.)

Thus leading to a popularity contest.

Not all commanders on the field have a blue icon. I have earned the respect of many on NSP and have not, nor have intrest in an icon. I do have iconed commanders that i work with closely and even ask me for advice. On several occassions I even direct the icons to objectives.

My point is; When you see the icon, “YOU” make the choice to follow them, or not. This is what “you” need to teach the newer folks on your server. Anet don’t need to fix what you can choose to ignor. I have more faith then what is being expressed here in my newbies. They learn quick enough who to listen to and who not to.

It should only be attainable by a limited number based on their achievements in WvW the week prior. The top players getting the most done should be the only ones getting the title which they rightly earned. Have 2 lists of top players with one 1 list coming from AM hours achievements and the other from PM hours achievements.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Commander-Compendium-Suggestion/first#post799431