5. Changing access to maps
Reasons for change
Lets face it, many times maps in wvw have none or very few players. You spend so much time running from one objective to other that everyone needs to add speed boost to their build. Yep, instead of boost to fighting, a boost to cover long distances between fights, is required. Big map with large empty areas between enemy forces makes possible for opposing forces move around long periods of times without ever actually engaging in the real thing – the fights.
As there is always some other undefended objective to be captured in other corner of other map, players start to avoid battles unless they hugely outnumber opposing force. Oh, no, this tower has arrow cart and it is being used by enemy! Lets run for our lives! Into next map where are no more horrible arrow carts, and none of those terrifying monsters called enemy players! All 50 in our zerg, to the waypoint!
When players have choice of either spending lots of time and skill to fight their way through equal enemy force into final lord, perhaps even ending up dead and losing the fight, or simply running away into other structure with no enemy and take it within few minutes, very few actually bother with the fight. I know some who actually enjoy fighting and would skip the undefended structure if they can find one with enemies. Those players are minority and they tend to do badly pointwise, since points tick based on number of structures you hold, not based on how much effort it took to capture and hold those structures.
Proposed change
Only 1 map, Eternal Battlegrounds, is available at the start with 1 single waypoint which is only entry point for all players from your server. If you die anywhere on wvw, this is the only spot you can re-enter from.
Now other maps are still available and 3 gates exist around Stonemist Castle but they are all closed by default. To gain access to them, you need to hold 2 keeps same time for certain amount of time, for example 10 minutes. Once one server has been holding 2 keeps for that time, Asura gate is opened to 1 borderland map. Gate remains open for 30 minutes or until the server holds same 2 keeps in Eternal Battlegrounds. You can now enter the gate and go do things in available borderland map. But so can enemies, gate is open for everyone.
If another server captures 2 keeps in Eternal Battlegrounds, gate to another borderland map becomes available. In case keeps are being recaptured quickly, it is even possible for 2 gates to be active same time. If one side holds all 3 keeps in the Eternal Battlegrounds, all 3 gates are open and all 4 maps are accessible.
Once gate closes, 10 minutes shutdown timer starts in that borderland map, while no more players may enter the map, players already there have 10 minutes to finish up. Once timer runs out, capture situation in that borderland is frozen, you can no longer capture or lose structures and enemy guards become invulnerable. Players remaining on the map may stay there and may do other stuff, like gather resources or look for vistas or hunt wild animals.
Warscore points are only calculated from the Eternal Battlegrounds map and Borderland maps with active gates. If gate to specific borderland map is closed, nobody gains any points from there.