Guild Wars 2

KinkyGiraffe.4123:

Having a lot of fun in Eternal tonight, holding overlook against hordes of SBI!
May i just ask what was SBIs plan when they were through the outer door? You guys just stayed there taking constant siege aoe, dying, giving us so much karma, badges and money! Im not complaining, just want to know if there was a strategy behind that or not, was a good laugh for us, thats for sure.

I wasn’t on at that time so i can’t describe why SBI was taking that approach. Sometimes when we lose our commander on a map (lagged-out or had to log-off) an attack might flounder.

I do know it’s the first time in months any one has used the adjective ‘hordes’ to describe our numbers though.

Baladir.2736:

Anybody have any ques Friday night? SBI had none on any of the maps. Just curious.

I’ve seen no queues on any SBI map since that Sat 19th Jan. Even before then late December we stopped seeing queues from most maps except for just after reset.

I agree it’d be interesting to fine out what queues on YB or CD are like; at least it’d give us a better idea of the numbers we’re still up against.

Hopefully on a positive note, it seems now that most of those remaining players who had been frustrated because they missed the end of free-transfers back to T1/T2 haven’t posted in awhile or vented in Map/Team chat. If that recrimination phase is all finally done and dusted: that should stop the morale-bleed that’s been just as damaging, if not more so, than the waves of transfers that followed it back when the troubles started last year.

While our commanders have often repeated they welcome constructive input; the blame that had been flung at the commanders during that time didn’t help anyone; it didn’t suddenly transform the handful of freshers we had to WvW into skilled soldiers. Anyone who’s tried to lead a havoc that’s suddenly sprung a following can maybe tell: leading in WvW is way more challenging than any back-seat commentator dares admit.

Our commanders just had to do more with less. Kudos to our commanders who’ve stayed and made the most of low numbers we’ve had. For every unhappy player there are at least another dozen who’ve appreciated your patience and dogged leading despite the odds.

New players need to see what it takes to be successful on a map before they can get the nack of it. At least in a target rich environment there’s plenty of opponents to train against, which should hopefully hold these new players in good stead in the next tier.

loneknight.8425:

Alfthaton.6832:

Looks like last week really did SBI in. How come we were able to field a decent amount of people during the impossible match of SoR, but now we can’t field 10 people in a borderlands? Hopefully people come to their senses and start playing with us again in WvW soon! This can be a great match!

It’s still early in the week, I’m sure they will join in later

On SBI it’s been well over a month’s worth of drubbings and exodus. Loin’s Gate doesn’t even have a queue any more at peak times. When most of our spawn exits were being camped by scores of SoR last week, even the skeleton crew in SBI BLs gave up the ghost after fighting madly for hours; and then, even the NPC ghosts of Cursed Shores last week camped most of the map when we could barely scrape-up much more than 1/2 dozen players to PvE events.

At it’s worst that kind of spawn camping of a World already on it’s knees does little but kill off the remaining resistance; eventually even dogged players will find better places to be rather than act as a badge camp for the opposition. While playing the under-dog can be fun for awhile seeing so few have your back against stupefying odds day-in-and-day-out sucks the fun out of it.

So it’s not just a question of people not turning up to WvW; but where the people on SBI have all gone to? When someone posted that the LFG for PvE was empty; I checked and then started to feel it looked pretty dire. Maybe those who didn’t transfer decided not to login to PvE either O_o

I started on SBI and had a lot of fun here. The people all seemed nice, and even the last few weeks there’s been some great leadership by the commanders who’ve chosen to remain. It’d be a real waste for SBI to give itself up to ghosts (NPC or otherwise).

Hoping a few more of the stalwarts on SBI do make an appearance for this week’s match; though one could easily excuse no-shows given the past month.

I’m on SBI and staying. There’s a variety of reasons some are staying, as probably as diverse as the people.

We’re not top, or even T2 or T3 anymore, but that doesn’t mean wub v wub won’t be good again. We are very fortunate to have a die-hard core of T1 vet commanders, who are keen to share their experience and knowledge who’ve chosen to stay and stay active.

However we don’t, and at this point, it’s unlikely we’ll ever have the numbers to go higher than T4 for the foreseeable future, depending on how the ratings shake-up goes.

Do you already have friends in-game, or friends/family from RL? Community and participation in it is what more mature MMO’ers are looking for mostly and SBI still has some quality players here.

So if you like your WvW old-school, and map chat comparatively free of band-vagoneers qq’ing about how they’re leaving cause you all lose on their time (given they’ve all left already), then SBI may be worth the stay.

NB: Not all those who left were vagoneers – but some of the elements that followed them could’ve been said to be thus…those elements we don’t miss one bit!

In the end: do what’s the most fun for you.

After reading this thread and seeing first hand what it’s like to turn-out week after week against far superior numbers I can say: it just isn’t fun.

While it will simply be another month of this if SBI is matched against Worlds with well organised zergs, it won’t help us at all even if it just drops us faster to T8. At least the slow drop allowed those who were still fighting, to fight for something: the history.

Take away the history (rating) and then it will be only the memories of players left.

For those few brave stayers from T1, we might even lose a few more because serious WvWers may simply not find it worth another month of disappointment. Even those hardened against the losses may find yet another month to reach our tier, far too long.

While paid transfers may deter the casual player, those who are serious about their WvW might not take the same view and decide to leave for Worlds with fairer odds.

It’s true SBI probably can’t suffer much more than it has: there seems so few left of us to care, I’m not sure it’s going to benefit other struggling Worlds in WvW. Those that haven’t transferred already have likely chosen to remain on T5 or lower servers.

Even on Worlds who are rising; they might be in no hurry to be matched higher sooner, given it can take time to pull together enough players who know and follow the tactics required to make playing in higher tiers fun.

So having experienced first-hand, over a month of play against the odds, and seeing the damage it can do to a small or struggling player-base I don’t see how this will help struggling Worlds at all. If anything this will only hurt those lower tier Worlds who’ve finally gotten together enough players to organise a fair match against similarly tiered Worlds. For those Worlds who stars are rising, but not yet ready for higher tiers, they may find themselves in matches before they’re ready and that likely won’t help them enjoy the game more either.

Yerffejy.6538:

Melpomene.2367:

This matchup is so boring. SBI pretty much has given up. It’s a shame what so many transfers to one server can do to other servers.

Given up? Given up?? Seriously? We held our 25+ PPT for 5 hours+ today in SBIBL. I consider that a huge accomplishment. We fought tooth and nail for every inch we took, and we held it long after the zergs changed and they tried the same old tactics with the new people.

So spare me. The SBI who are still fighting are fighting twice as hard as the other servers, and it shows. The fact that SBI held for so long against superior numbers, and multiple attempts from many large guilds from both servers is what keeps me fighting.

Don’t confuse giving up with lack of numbers. What we hold is what we CAN hold.

Sunspots.9861:

No offense, but having your server out of t2 will help us as much as getting rid of SoR. Don’t expect too much mercy till this boring matchup is done.

Why would we take offense? We are ready for a lower tier. We are waiting for one. According to mos.millenium, we may even drop to tier 4 next week. Super lucky for us. And trust me, we don’t expect mercy. We sent your zergs packing just as easily as the SoR zergs. So forgive me if I think it is laughable that you think we need your “mercy.” :P

Ditto. Those who didn’t transfer haven’t given up. If anything those who’ve played through December and January have ceased to feel the pain of loss.

Kudos goes to our commanders and leaders of havoc groups; learning to do more with much less is not giving up; our T1 vets who chose to stay know we’re up against it.

I read a post last week where an SoR player was recalling their darkest hour. Right now is that time for us. We are few…but we are still fighting. It’s fighting on despite the odds; and winning the fights that we can win; that makes it fun for us.

There have been a few trolls in chat…but they’re just trolling while they wait for a transfer mostly; as those names disappear a few days later.

Those who will remain will be the kind of players we prefer to have.

SBI has some great people who’ve stuck through the toughest fights. It’s been amazing to take part-in and learn as they ply all the tricks of the WvW trade. Last night was a case in point as we flipped back our BL then our keeps in EB with nigh on a dozen fighters.

Thanks to TCers for the props. As well good-luck to SoR if they can make it in T1. It’s been fun fighting you all.

TheDevilWithinU.7092:

covenn.7165:

Anyways, word of warning to any NA guilds that are considering transferring to SoR… queue times were running well over an hour this evening. We also have had queues nearly every night of the last match up at those hours as well.

It’s reset night. You should expect queues.

Queues. What queues? Not if you’re on SBI :-/

Not upset…it’s just depressing that so many have left or are leaving in the coming week :-(

Proumbro.1376:

Maladon.5760:

Rising Dusk.2408:

Man, we’re losing people left and right. I live in the EST timezone and during my 6PM-10PM period SBI is outmanned in every single map…

Nah, we’re fine…

Picture of the week goes to Maladon for his photo titled “I’ve got this guys, don’t worry”

This image has inspired me to work on my Asura thief. If we all bring the shortest stature’d Asuras we can to a fight maybe culling might make us look like grass with blades. Or else we’ll at least look cute (and pitied) in front of dat zerg.

CHIPS.6018:

Kerithlan.1659:

SBI, did you guys lose some people, or is it just inactivity this week?

I’m asking seriously, as you were neck and neck with us just yesterday and poised to overtake TC.

Let me just say that the server transfer announcement couldn’t come at a worst time for us.

CHIPS is right. Off-peak SBI (outside NA time) is pretty much skeleton staffing and staving off as much as possible the losses till NA time comes back.

Last two nights Oceanic time have begun to feel like the last few weeks of T1; with tooth-n-nail fights in our BL to hold Garrison and what ever else our hard-bitten commanders can scare-up pug-wise. Kudos goes to them and the remnants of intact guilds who are still fighting.

Being under-the-pump constantly can grind the less hardy gamer down rapidly; when it stops being fun a server’s numbers understandably begin to hemorrhage. All that arguably happened over a month ago so any losses now are simply exacerbating that trend.

Being SBI in WvW feels a little bit like a nation displaced. Lots of diaspora out there! Even those remaining die-hards aren’t yet sure when or if we’ll find our home-tier again. We’ll do our best to hold T2 but TC are strong; SoR is annihilating us off-peak.

So we can’t blame anyone for leaving now, given fighting against the odds is fun for a time; but it’s not everyone’s cup-o-tea. Especially when time and time again the score-line (and lack of rewarding hours being beaten back to spawn) just aren’t able to compete with what’s on offer on other servers or outside the game altogether.

That said, SBI isn’t gone, just really bruised-up. Hopefully the battle-hardened few will rally and we’ll prove naysayers in T1 that we’re far from dead.