Anet employees are definitely among us. Like those gorillas in the mist. Midst? Yes. I remember on TC a few years ago (closer to 3 I imagine) it was much more common to see Anet tags out running around. I still find that happens during bigger events.
In reality though a lot of Anet folks (not necessarily devs) play the game. You just don’t know. 
As someone who has two alt accounts and tends to move those around, I will echo what the other folks said on here: depends on the type of gameplay you want. I happen to be quite fond of the people on Kaineng for example, yet if you like bigger zerg play, that would not be the best. Actually choose that server if you like to have a good time while being outnumbered.
I’m currently playing on EU. I enjoy being a part of the night crew, I find more fights and roaming this way. Doesn’t always work out of course, there are weeks we get blobs at night too.
If you want some different NA recommendations, FA and SBI would be my picks.
What if players could place bounties on other players and guilds that killed them? I know it gets a bit messy in the implementation given the complexity of combat in the game but I do think this would create an entirely new reason to fight either for notoriety or the cold hard cash of collecting bounties.
Not sure it is feasible but an interesting idea I believe.
Seriously was just talking about this in another thread. I agree. I’d love to hunt specific famous players down. Plus if I ever got a bounty on my own head, that would definitely give even more incentive to flying across battlegrounds and not getting caught.
I gave you a +1 for this. Rather than react to your list I’m going to make my own. With the understanding that other people (probably many that I am friends with actually) aren’t going to see it the same way.
1) Open World PVP setting: We have soooo many discussions around the score, about PPT, about tryhards. I just want the ability to log in and have the content be player driven. With open world settings the players can set up scrims, have more control over roaming, etc. Plus some of our PVE maps would be an absolute joy to have PVP battles on in some form. But that changes the entire game. I didn’t say it was realistic, this is a wish list.
2) Larger team PVP maps: I’m thinking 20v20 or 40v40 here.
3) Yes to environmental combat scenarios. Underwater combat, gliding and being able to use abilities in the air. I want to see squadrons of Asura MM necros coming towards me blotting out the sun.
4) Population balancing: This is tough because players disrupt this every time. Having played on some very low ranking servers who then get linked with T1 servers, its not entertaining to be forced into playing against blobs. (I personally do big group play and roaming so I don’t mind.) The absolute basic metric used in a PVP type of setting is developing a scenario where the teams at least have equal players.
5) Rewards tracks specific to WvW: While I’m not certain what this would look like, I want rewards that are available just to this game mode.
6) Updated WvW Achievements: This is a way to engage more people to try out the game mode. There are definitely achievement hunters who would go out of their way to knock these out. Try some crazy versions. Put some in only for a limited time each season, like killing a certain number of opponents with specific finishers. Give someone both positive and negative versions. Much like having a title for the person who has died the most times on a server.
And honestly, put some of the suggestions from the community in the game. I’ve read so many ideas on here over the years that would be fantastic.
TC is the premiere 2v1 server. We are hated, and often 2 teamed, because thats just how it is. Despite this adversity, TC is always in the top 2 tiers, usually bumping up to T1 every so often.
If you like solo roaming, join a very low tier. If you like organized groups, utilizing voice chat, and structure, then ask in WvW general chat if any WvW guilds are recruiting. They’ll point you to the community site, where most anyone will help you find a guild.
Word of note though, stay ignorant, and just have fun. Realizing the bigger picture will only widen your eyes to the orwellian nature of the community at large.
If you think your server is hated, you should come to Mag for a while
Fair point. I’ve always assumed Mag fed off of souls. :p
1. There are a number of assumptions here about how a scoring system will change matchups. Perhaps we should see what actually occurs.
2. The community stacks certain servers, often out of a sense of who they want to fight. I don’t see that changing considering the people who do this continue to move around.
3. It is almost impossible to coordinate a 2v1 across all time zones for an entire week.
4. Its lunch time and I have thai leftovers.This said by a man who only wears no pants in wvw.
This just means I am wise.
Gonna go with sorry for being dedicated to wvw for 4 years now. I think I’m more sorry to myself if anything lol
Lol. Well stated. I think for me its just that a little communication would go a long way. People obviously still care considering the activity level on this forum on in other locations.
There are many interesting theories of how to re-structure WvW in this thread. But I’m not convinced that the game client can support the type of numbers we would see based on limiting our options of play. Total theory here, if the Battlegroup type of concept goes into effect, more players will be on the maps. Right? I mean that certainly would be part of the goal. Right now when we have a “full map blob” three way fight, the game client lags so badly people can’t play. Games are always limited by the mechanics. Its incredibly difficult for a company to predict what their community and playerbase needs will be four years in. So they do attempt to fix what exists now or spend more resources incorporating our suggestions into a new expansion?
Even if there is a system designed to balance out the groups fighting, there is zero guarantee that players will show up each day, everyday, week in and week out. For many people the incentive is good competitive fights. Though I imagine the opinion on what that really means changes. Finding a system where one group can roam, one can blob, one can karma train, another has coverage, supporting big guilds and small guilds? It just sounds like we would be better served by having open world pvp where the players can create the content they want to see. Without being tethered to a matchup. I like WvW in this game for what it is but it certainly leads to burnout. And I still think that despite all of the creative solutions we are going to run into a huge barrier with the coding itself. We already complain daily about the lag as it is.
Another option would be to give people an incentive to stay vs. changing servers frequently. Server loyalty is still imposed by the community of a particular location. Anet definitely hasn’t helped in that area and if anything the changes have only hurt what many players had put effort into.
I would like to think that Anet’s business model isn’t inherently focused on server transfers. They make plenty from the Gem Store and people converting gems to gold alone (totally my opinion, not based on fact.)
There are a number of ways to approach this. Primarily balancing out the populations and rankings would solve a lot of issues. The suggestions in this thread are awesome and I really hope they get reviewed. Though it would be better to start a Reddit thread if you want a more immediate response. I really don’t know what it will take. I know it sucks to see the game mode slowly dropping off of a cliff with no one at the bottom to give it some love.
Anet had to know that server links would have the consequence of people moving to the open server attached to the “winning” matchup. So about my only thought there is the hope becomes that the community will solve this issue over time. That doesn’t seem like the right response either.
A lot of that depends on time zone. I’ve found a ton of great fights and enjoyment in T1 this week when I’ve been on. I play right in the heart of NA Primetime usually and that massively skews my perspective.
Regardless of the “why” it is still nice that the scores are closer in T1 this week and not a 100K blowout.
15 vs 40 was possible once because it was 15 people with secret raid builds and a hardcore commander vs 40 people on random PvE builds following a commander that had no idea what he was doing. The game has matured beyond that now. Today you might have the same 15 man setup, but those 40 people will probably consist of veteran GWEN raiders on a very experienced commander. 15 vs 40 all things equal should not be possible.
Funny thing though, it still sort of is. Just not open field with a wipe.
But you can never have the first thing back.
I DO think 15 vs 40 should definitely be possible with all things equal if the game put more emphasis on player skill than on luck. That is part of the problem. I know .. people complain about " twitch based" but it isn’t just that. It should be based more on class/ build/ party knowledge and ability to play those classes well, where you have numerous options, not just one or two OP builds. To be able to read the battlefield , what your squad and the enemy squad is doing and make the appropriate adjustments and perfect your timing to be able to break them. Where you have numerous methods , build options, and party comps to counter and be effective. We aren’t given that at all currently, and you do not even have to use strategy or control the battlefield really to win. It has been dumbed down to the point that if you put a 4 year old on the right class, build, and party they could fight without worrying about dying. They are trying to remove all the skill and thinking from the game mode and as long as you hit the magic numbers you win. That is just lame.
I’ve watched that happen more than once in a game when it has been out for awhile. Companies use that as a method to get more players involved once the hardcore folks start to trickle away.
Instead of actually making the game mode better and more competitive. Yes, I too have seen this and been left wondering why they choose to break their games like this. Does it actually " attract" more players to dumb it down and run off all the dedicated players?
If what they are looking for is a high turnover rate, they might as well get out of MMORPGS and makes some phone aps.I would think this would even make even the casual players bored as hell and leave. That can only be entertaining for so long after you close the bars down until you get too drunk to see the screen anymore and pass out. The more dumbed down it is, the faster players get bored with it and leave. Of course there is no need to over complicate things, just give players multiple options that are balanced, players need to have the tools in their toy box to be able to use them.
I sat through this with WoW (more than once actually), Rift, probably some others I’m forgetting. It seems to be right around that three year slump. Obviously WoW lasted a bit longer before than happened. Your point is spot on. That is exactly what happens. Everyone winds up being bored and the only hope of the game mode continuing is through a continuous stream of new players. The thing is this game does pretty darn well in spite of itself.
I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: If a game company satisfies the competitive hardcore player base, you have people hooked for years. Give them the ability to have player created content, adapt over time to give incentives and you’ll have a die hard community that really perpetuates itself. Take an idea like Minecraft, make it simple, easy to use and let people go wild. We need that type of innovation.
Over the years I have read some awesome, amazing ideas on this forum and the reddit. There needs to be a way in which to use some of those concepts in the game. Otherwise what will happen is another company will pick those up and use them.
So similar to what we used to have in WvW yet this would actually make the stats of the boosted character on par with the people they are fighting? I’m on board. Really though a little love goes a long way. We are starting to see some serious changes in the WvW game mode and it is going to take awhile to sort through all of what Anet has already proposed.
Having community fight nights, character themes, contests, those are all ways to generate interest too. I like your idea, I just want to take it a step further. What you are proposing gets people into the borderlands at least. Really though considering how easy it is to level and how many tomes we get now, I don’t think it would take long to hit 80. But I could be wrong. Its been awhile since I had a brand new account.
Hello,
I’m looking for an active NA Tarnished Coast WvW guild. I used to WvW frequently and want to get back into it! Looking forward to hearing from you!
Thank you!
There are a ton of NA active guilds for you to choose from. I’d pick you up myself but we are so small at this point I wouldn’t call my own guild active just yet. If you make a post here: http://tarnished-coast.com/forum/index.php?/ I can guarantee someone will sort you out.