Guild Wars 2

I am 61 years old and averaged Bobbing bobcat, or around .22 to .28…

In my opinion, there always needs to be some classes for less-quick humans like me who are at a disadvantage right out of the gate.

So the higher ranked people on the leaderboard will be the people who gave their team a small edge. Over time, they would tend to win a little bit more.

I would expect that the win percentages of everybody on the SoloQ leaderboard would be pretty close. You won’t see any 80% win percentages.

My guess is that the top win rates will be near 62%, but the guy 100 ranks below will still be about 60%.

And even the folks in the bottom 100 will be about 40%.

This is assuming it really is only solo players without voice communications and is truly random team matchmaking with no significant cheating of any kind.

OK, I see what you are suggesting.

Another thought, you will still be able to find good players in soloQ and then group up with them after the match to do regular team tPvP matches.

In the new SoloQ everyone will be in the same boat on that leaderboard. Everyone will have about a 50% chance of winning once the ranks are established for the majority of the playerbase.

Overall, your team composition will be favorable about half the time; unfavorable the other half. It can go in streaks of course. But over 50 games it should even out.

The determining factor will be how well a person can adapt to the group they are assigned to and come up with a way to win with that team comp, that match.

…unless people find a way to game the system. And I am hoping ANet is smart enough to figure out how people will be trying to game it, and have designed it so people cannot game it.

I am thinking that even today in soloQ people some people play it like hotjoin. So just removing the ranking from tPvP won’t stop them.

The problem is people who want to zerg on overpowered DPS cannons. How do you stop them from doing that?

Anything other than all solo is unbalanced. Two people playing together talking on headsets have too much of a coordination advantage.

Two or three people just need to group and use the regular tPvP Queue.

I think killing mobs in PvE is designed to create the fantasy that you are very powerful. People forget that in balanced PvP they are playing against real humans who are often much more skilled and knowledgeable.

I have heard you talk about Spazzcromancer and his secret bunkering build. With spectating, it shouldn’t be a secret any longer.

There is a phenomenon in the GW2 sPvP experience where you subconsciously attribute your blasting through opposing team members to yourself, rather than to the strength of all the team members around you debuffing, AOEing, condition-blasting, and softening up your targets.

In a well-matched SoloQ series of games, you will struggle to do much better than 50% wins. And most battles will be longer and a challenge to win. In most matches the score will be close all through the game. You won’t be sure you are going to win until the last moments.

Consequently, you will feel less powerful. So…for those who love to hotjoin-zerg with an overpowered team, it will feel like a letdown.

But for those who understand what is really going on, you will expect 50%, unless you and your team make some better-than-average decisions, and pull off some strategies in a better-than-average manner.

Just sayin’…be ready.

Since in random soloQ you don’t know what kind of team you are going to get, you cannot ever expect to be supported. You have to be ready to be self-sufficient if you don’t get any support classes.

For this reason we can expect that people will tend to play classes that can 1v1 without assistance. I suspect that will be typical in 90% of SoloQ matches.

So the task at hand will be to forge a win with 1v1 player classes. I do think there will be an abundance of bunkers. People know that bunker/buffers will be needed in a team-based win.

But I just wonder how many “middle-of-the-road” high-versatility classes we will see, since they cannot survive without assistance, even though they excel at assisting.

fadeaeway,

Right now you can announce before the game that when you need help, you will “ping” the minimap, causing a flashing red circle. (Just shift click on the minimap. See more things you can do in the minimap above in my earlier link post.)

Speaking as a software engineer, I suspect it would be easier to hide the numbers in the scoreboard than it would be to change (and test!) all the tallying code.

It would be interesting to hide individual point score in soloQ, and only show the evolving team score toward the win.

People who are trying to play “hotjoin soloQ” would be discouraged from their selfish “farming” mode of play that is not helping the team.

SoloQ is not hotjoin, and such farming should be discouraged.

Blimm.5028:

… Don´t rely on your team. If possible make sure you can carry your team if its just kitten s all over.

It’s impossible to carry a bad team by yourself. You can only be one place at a time, and this is conquest mode. Points have to be held. You may be able to get a lot of kill pts by yourself, but you cannot assure the win with that kind of play.

Lately I just click a “ping” onto the map when I need help. A big red flashing splash appears for a few seconds, and people notice.

Would it be a complete waste of time trying out a bunker necro?

I am taking it seriously. It sounds like they thought this through and are making it fair. That means that if you don’t help your team win, then you will lose more than 50% of your games (and really what fun is that? You have hotjoin for nonsense builds and trolols). Doing it in a fair SoloQ means you will be at the bottom of the leaderboards.

Sorry pal, you have the 1-hour sPvP penalty on your account. Better stabilize that system. It’s all in the user’s agreement that you clicked on with the latest game build.

Uber,

If you want to like it, then like it until you have a reason to dislike it.

Maybe they can set an hour wait before getting back into the match if an account disconnects more than a couple of times in an hour. Yes, abusers can claim it is not their fault.

But the reply is that PvP is not allowed for people with “unstable” systems, since it is a team effort and their team needs them.

So they can go play PvE in the meantime until their hour is up.

How to set map points and draw lines and circles to show paths or target areas.

And there will be a penalty for leaving a match, so you can’t do that either if you are not with your buddies.

Tyler Chapman.1832:

The roster will be hidden in Solo Q so this doesn’t happen.

EXXcellent!

When solo tournaments started, it was so refreshing to see people who tried to win, and not zerg for points.

Then, once the balance got out of whack with premades, soloQ people gave up and seemed to treat it like hotjoin and zerged/deathmatched because they did not feel they really had a chance to win, and they just started clusterkittening in a clump.

Hopefully now, if people feel they have a reasonable chance at winning if they play well and strategically, they will play for the win, not for the “zergpoints” towards rank. They can farm points in hotjoins.

tichorum,

That’s a good point. And encouraging.

Well, let’s get the “kitten it” comments out of the way first.

I plan to remain hopeful that maybe this time it won’t be random luck, and that one person will be able to make a difference through giving good suggestions to the team, and by smart supportive play based on their class strengths.

This thread is for some serious and thoughtful advice on how to win games in the new soloQ games…

I know that I want to give a serious try for a place at the top of the new SoloQ leaderboards.

Top spots will be players who know strategies and who are all about helping their assigned team of strangers to maximize the chances for the win.

You might be teamed with some people who don’t have any experience yet doing anything other than follow a zerg and DPS from range. (Even higher PvP rank, who just farmed hotjoins).

I am sure there are some people with some perceptive thoughts on this and it would be great to hear from them (rather than angry people scoffing that “it’ll be all kittened up anyway, so kitten it”).

When there is more work than people can do, even working 12 hours a day, then you have to hire more people to do more work. And that costs money.

So ANet has to have a good business reason to spend the money.

Is there a good business reason for creating a different scoring system to reward more strategic gameplay?

Depends on how much they are making on custom arenas at the moment, I guess. And whether they expect that to fall unless they change something.

Parail,

I doubt their PvP developers have extra time and are sitting on their hands.

There are costs to undertaking efforts. Are they willing to pay those costs?

My point was only that when people ask for changes, ANet has to spend money.

I am wondering if ArenaNet is willing to spend the development money required to re-program and test a new scoring system for soloQ that punishes mindless WvWvW-style zerging and rewards capturing and holding points.

In real life I am a software development manager. Nothing is free.

garethh,

Yes, they should log deaths and kills.

Well, I tried a bit today, and a necro just burned me down 1v1, even though I had two kinds of condition removals going every 10 seconds. I guess I could not remove the most recently applied conditions, allowing the underlying, base bleed storm to take me out.

Experienced bunker people:

With soloQ coming up, I plan to play a mid-point bunker.

I’d like a build that is REALLY hard to kill, that does not require a huge amount of tricky timing and tricky sequences (since I am new to this. Maybe later I can get fancy).

I don’t care about offense at all. I just want to hold the point as long as possible, and support allies on the side as well.

Retaliation sounds fun, too, with all the DPS glass cannons out there.

Thanks!

Alkaholickittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittkittennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn3875:

Engie Bunker I run – http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=VVRw;0B-cPku0c-sTFx0;9;49-TT-2;303A58B;1771;071-pJICpcW53NL

That’s my condi fighter, for melee I swap AR for Acidic Coating.

So THAT’s why my condition’s weren’t killing you as you bunkered in hotjoin a few days ago.

I haven’t bunkered much.

What class/build is the best bunker build that can handle both condition spam and DPS attacks the longest?

If winning the game is key to the leaderboard, I think there will be bunkers.

Perhaps the #1 skill will be the ability to look at the two teams’ profession mix and instantly know how to use their own profession to best effect in the upcoming match.

And then the ability to suggest a strategy that has the best chance of working with the mix of professions on the teams.

If a person is in the top 10 on the solo-Q leaderboard, what will that mean?

What are they the best at?

I think it will be the ability to help a random group of strangers work as a successful team in as short a time as possible.

They won’t be able to carry four other people if the other four don’t have a clue. Please don’t even try to argue that.

The simple fact is they only had the resources to build a tournament scoring system. And it rewards zerging in hotjoins.

If they had the resources, they could have a “hotjoin scoring” alternative for hotjoin arenas, where you would get many more points for taking or holding objectives against overwhelming odds than you would from plinking as many enemies as possible from afar while following a zerg. And less points for piling on in a 5 v 2 situation.

uberkingkong,

Good tips. I knew some of them. But I learned some others.

Atlantis,

I understand. I used to think that. In the beginning I focused on winning the game. It turned out to be frustrating because in hotjoin , (regardless of what some people fervently want to believe) the outcome in 8×8 hotjoin is much more how well your team does, not primarily what you do.

That meant that I could do really well, and still lose, and have very few achievement points on top of it. It was totally disappointing.

Solo queue is worse because as a PuG player, you are more often than not on a handicapped team with no communication or real strategy, against a premade.

So really, I have come down to focusing on points, since that is the hotjoin “metagame” that is enforced by the situation ANet has created… for the next few months anyway. Or longer.

It’s my current “mini game”.

I’ll look into 5×5 as well. Those matches take a while to get in. But it likely is worth it.

Being the analytical person that I am, I have been studying hotjoin and who gets the most points.

I stay in a series of games and notice that the person who is top with 280 points on match, can be at the bottom the next match.

The only time the same people lead the points is when at least two or three really good players manage to stick together for lots of matches. They bring whoever is with them up by 150 pts or more.

So I try to spot them and then spectate at the beginning of the next match so I can join them.

But this effect is also what really can mess up the mind of a new player thinking that they were great one match, and that they screwed up the next match.

90% of hotjoin success is being on the right team. And when you are on a strong team, it feels like you are super powerful.

And when you are on a weak team you suddenly feel like you are terrible.

Will condition damage get you the same pts on the kill that burst DPS will?

Just thinking about the type of build to make.

Hotjoin…

Seems like running with the zerg and tagging in big fights gives you the most pts.

Taking and defending nodes alone seems to give the least.

So, would the highest scoring class tend to be a tanky class that can tag enough enemies to get in on the skirmish pts?

What would that class be at the moment?

Tobby,

I don’t know. Looks OK to me. As I said, I am new at this and looking at the spirit ranger issue.

Tobbygnome.6793:

Laserbolt.6731:

Tobbygnome.6793:

I see the problem, 30-20-0-10 = 60, you have 10 traits left.

Just a typo. I have 70.

Then please tell me what your build is, i’d like to know

4-10-11
2-9-(25)
—-
1 (15)
—-

5 Krait, 1 Lyssa, Rabid amulet. Scepter/dagger – Staff

Zelulose,

Your signature is very true. If you can pick up a build recipe and start owning everyone by mindlessly mashing buttons, it is a bit like winning a game because you used a cheat code.

Arc,

I suspected something like that was what was happening. I just knew I didn’t understand what was happening, nor what my best move was to counter it.

I hate standing there feeling like a slowly moving punching bag and easy kill.