Guild Wars 2

Yes, next question

Luvok.5697:

How do things stand in WvW for most professions? Tried to hop in last night and I was mostly getting blown up by revs…

GWERN

Jayne.9251:

And they have, by having rotating pairings to counter the grande bandwagon effect.

Stack up again? Anet changes the pairings.

I think, given all the other options, it’s quite brilliant.

Now if they could allow people their server tags, I think it would be a coup.

It still allows exploitation by making it easy and cheap for guilds to transfer to the bottom server in the linked server they want to go to. There’s already an example of a well known guild on an NA server moving to the bottom guild in the alliance they wanted to join and because its still cheap they can do it for 3 months and move again if the linkage changes.

Dawdler.8521:

That said, I still find the scrapper to be a capable roamer and frontliner post-patch. I use the exact same specs as I did pre-patch.

I ran frontline engi last night using the scrapper/inventions/alchemy build with medic gyro, blast gyro, elixir b, e-gun and switching between sneak gyro and mortar and thought it was fine. We lose some cc without slick shoes but we maintain our sustain with the blast gyro toolbelt skill.

FogLeg.9354:

DeWolfe.2174:

There is no cause and effect that forcing players to spread out will equal more fun matches. Balanced Tiers is far more important than trying to equalize world populations.

Where have you been for last 3 years? the players who stormed into tier 1 servers, abandoning every server in last tiers are the cause WvW got into boring endless downward spiral of losing players who did not find anyone to fight.

Uh no, the primary cause is the mode becoming stagnant and anet rather than make changes that improved the mode actually made changes that worked against the mode. Prior to this patch people were making timelines of the evolution of the mode and its in those.

Jayne.9251:

DeWolfe.2174:

Darwin Iznang.1342:

Stop blaming Anet for coverage issues, that’s what I say.

Oh whoa whoa whoa… right there! If Anet is going to lock the Worlds and be the sole creator of these pairings, then it falls upon Anet to balance coverage and create fair matches. This is an “either or” proposition. If you do not empower the players, then the responsibility and effort falls upon the devs. That’s why I gave them a low rating at this time.

Why?

When Players were “empowered”, they did nothing but kitten it up in the first place.

If we had managed to spread ourselves out and not create the stagnant matches that everyone complained about, then they wouldn’t have had to step in and play parent.

This is on us.

Its just human behaviour, its up to anet to create a game design that mitigates selfish behaviour.

Fivedawgs.4267:

So how is that any different from what I have said? How were those folks able to get to legendary? I.e. X vs X?? The same algorithm Helseth supported… And why didn’t he quit after S1? This was an unintended consequence of the the S2 algorithm.

Just to note Helseth isn’t quitting playing the game, he will still play competitively he just won’t stream it.

More feedback: it is claimed that population time slices were taken into account in pairing worlds. Its pretty clear that minimal consideration was given to this when it should have had an importance close to equal with glicko and overall population. I urge you weight this more heavily.

Also the whole thing about the queue was that the long downtime in legendary queues leads to people leaving his stream.

Also the numbers watching GW2 are decreasing anyway, last weeks pro league matches didn’t get far above 1500 viewers.

FogLeg.9354:

Maybe you are rushing in conclusions that “The partial reset does nothing for preventing stagnation of matches.” It has been only 1 reset and just few days so far. You can not deny that ideas to improve WvW have been in right direction, we may need to wait some time to see full effect.

Nevertheless Chaba is right about how glicko works and I highly doubt anet devs are aware of the drawbacks or even care about them given the lack of understanding and care demonstrated by the pvp devs with the matchmaking in that mode.

Evan Lesh.3295:

What about Ranked do you enjoy more than Unranked during off-season?

Is it that you prefer climbing a ladder all the time? Or are there other particular reasons.

Would have thought it was obvious, better quality of matches. And wasn’t ranked live all the time prior to the move to seasons?

Kanebrake.6192:

Grim West.3194:

Some servers (TC, BG, YB, etc) have looong queues because of the short sighted stacking that many guilds have done. Now the merger / reset has started and they are reaping their rewards… multi-hour queues.

It’s your own fault for not seeing the consequences of your actions. And on top of that, you helped ruin the experience for people who didn’t ask for you to transfer.

Have fun in your pvqueue.

It’s not the players job to regulate and control the populations. That’s Anet’s job. Population has been an issue for a long, long time. It was Anet’s job to fix it. To stop transfers, to force transfers, to shutdown servers, to merge servers. Whatever. But instead they sat back and collected the money while everything went downhill. They had all the metrics and could have easily seen the numbers of people moving to and from each server and stepped in when it became clear that things were out of hand. But they elected to take the transfer fees and act like nothing was wrong.

I think its both, anet and players. However I would say that the people like the kittenters alliance make big statements about improving the experience of the mode when their actions actually have the opposite effect long term, therefore blame can be put at their feet.

It seems pretty clear that server identity needs to be better retained and possibly that different game styles be more respected ie players on lower level servers have to a certain extent stayed there because they like the more casual small scale combat.

This comes back to the fact that this server linking is a dynamic server merge that does nothing to fix the inflexibility of the server model and arguably introduces more problems in terms of mashing together players with incompatible motivations and the lack of respect being shown to the identity of the smaller servers.

style.6173:

It’s good that ANET is willing to try something new. That said, they really need to use their brains a bit more before implementing a server pair option. Let’s look at an example:

T1 or T2 server has a queue of 120+ on EB the week before the server matchmaking.

ANET logic: Let’s add more people to wait in the queue! That will be fun for everyone
Better logic: People actually want to play the game. Combine a bunch of smaller servers together to get better population balance.

I still can’t believe someone at ANET really thought that longer queues would be fun.

JQ didn’t have 120 queued for EB, and EB isn’t the only map anyway. JQ hasn’t queued all 4 maps for months. They are all queued for reset now although the queue on BG and YB BLS are only 25-30

Hahahaha TC really jumped the gun with DR

Mokk.2397:

archmagus.7249:

I’m guessing that you were a minion mancer? TC won’t go up against any group unless they outnumber them at least 2:1.

HA!!! I just about fall out of my chair laughing each time some one post a comment like this.Dragon Brand and Fort Aspen wood are the biggest offenders of blobbing.and double teaming.And have been even before the newest transfers to Tarnished Coast .

Er what do your attachments prove when they are from after the transfers to TC.

You guys do realise that there is a WvW specific reward track in there.

lorddarkflare.9186:

I am also returning, but from what I am seeing, the class has been pretty ridiculously powerful since HoT and is only now being brought back in line.

It wasn’t ridiculously powerful. Not even all pro league teams ran scrapper.

Gaile Gray.6029:

1. How do you feel overall about reward tracks?
2. What are your thoughts on the rate at which you gain participation?
3. How do you feel about the rate you earn reward track points?
4. Overall, what are your impressions about the types of reward tracks we have?
5. Are there any other reward tracks you would really like to see?

Feel free to post anything reward-track related in this thread!

1. They are long overdue.
2. It seems OK although if its interrelated with the next question its too slow.
3. The rate is too slow in comparison to spvp.
4. They are fine although I wish you’d get rid of the story mode dungeon requirement to have access to all dungeon reward tracks. I did all the story modes back at the beginning of the game but because it was before reward tracks were in existence I don’t have credit.
5. A wvw legendary backpack

Most of the annoying aspects of the desert BL are gone now. Its still strategically poor but there is really no excuse for not playing on them.

So how does the engi feel in PvP now? Too easily killed?

Johje Holan.4607:

I’m glad they took time slice activity into account.

Well potentially yes but I want them, to be transparent about this and provide explanations for exactly how they arrived at the pairings.

ACs are too powerful anyway even without this bug. Get a grip.

Dawdler.8521:

Anyhow, the note about worlds maybe being relinked every 3 months is incredibly alarming… that tell me this is not a true gameplay mechanic change (ie dynamically matching servers at reset to get a smaller number of matchups at roughly the same size) but rather a completely static re-routing of WvW eqvivalent of a server merger.

Plus, it would wreck havoc on the communities if they part ways after a long 3 months.

This suddenly feel… not so good.

Thank you, you’ve articulated my misgivings well. You’re last point is a good one as well. IMO this isn’t a solution.

Clarification is needed for how the linking works. Are the linked worlds playing together or are they still in their own tiers with the ability to move to the linked server on the other tier if there are say queues.

And nothing on the matchmaking changes for S3.

From the AMA today:

“Will not release world pairings in advance to reduce gaming the system.

Language/National worlds will only be paired with other worlds of the same language.

World Linking is not a complete fix for population imbalances but we felt it was a necessary step.

We can link many worlds together, though in this Beta worlds will only have a single partner (if they are linked at all). Many high ranking worlds in EU will not be linked with another world.

Worlds that are paired will have lower population caps.

At most we’d re-link worlds every 3 months.

World Linking decisions were primarily based on a combination of both Glicko rating and time-sliced activity levels."

This is hopeful although I’d say relinking only at most every 3 months is possibly too long. I’d also like more details on how “time sliced activity levels” factored into linking decisions. If the leaked notes are accurate as to who is getting linked it basically appears to be just glicko levels, although I’d, laugh if TC didn’t get linked to DR given how TC have jumped the gun.

dominik.9721:

You don’t balance classes. You either make them op or unviable.

Scrapper and Reaper were too strong and instead of adjusting those classes you make them pretty much unviable.
Druid and Eles sustain seems entirely overpowered now after Reapers are gone, Mesmer didn’t even got touched while Revenant nearly remains the same as before.
Next patch you probably will kill two other classes while making others overpowered.

You are just unable to find a healthy midway.

Not surprising given who’s in charge of balance now.

I do not want to have to re-allocate my points again. With the removal of guard stacks no WvW abilities are essential and I would think the large majority of players playing have excess points.

Not gonna cheer because the changes were long overdue and the fixes in relation to population are essentially a bandaid.

Reward tracks should have been in years ago, the auto loot should have been in with HOT and the stab change should have been made a long time ago.

This world linking seems to be just a dynamic server merge whilst retaining the appearance of servers keeping their own identity. Its not a true alliance system and will not fix the issue of population disparities. A proper alliance system would have servers allied together based on their respective strengths and weaknesses eg. a EU heavy server allied with a non EU heavy server. Its a bandaid not the fundamental change that is needed.

The other QOL changes are welcome but they will only keep players interested for a short time apart maybe from the stability change which may improve fights.

Israel.7056:

MaLeVoLenT.8129:

We didn’t hijack Tarnished Coast. We tried to contact as many of the leaders as possible before we moved. TC even had 2 meetings on it. Both of which favored The alliance. We were accepted with open arms and no hostilities.

I thought some people left TC were they at these meetings?

From the salt forum the vote as to whether to accept the alliance or not was 10-9 in favour, so it was hardly open arms. I would guess that the guilds that left were in the 9 votes that voted against. Plus the votes in favour included guilds like kazo who had just moved and are seemingly part of the kittenters alliance.

Cephas.4293:

Why did we move?

To create some chaos, create change, enjoy different fights, .

And kitten up the mode as a whole.

The idea behind the HOT conclusion is really good, I agree, but the execution is poor, a buggy mess that still has not been fixed. The story progression overall in HOT was rushed and the story is too short. LS2 was better IMO. Lastly the death of a major character is horribly handled.

style.6173:

Who cares the reason? All that matters is that people on all 3 servers are playing again, and that makes it fun.

And when it wears off WvW as a whole is left worse off just as happened with the stacking of YB.

My feeling is I quit halfway through and if fundamental changes aren’t made to the matchmaking I won’t be back.

Israel.7056:

So I was around when Onslaught and TW decided to take YB to t1. I kinda got the motive then. Seemed like a combination of spite and curiosity.

Right now I’m just confused. What is the reason for taking TC back to t1 after working so hard to kick them out in the first place?

Cause Malevolent’s ego needed stroking again, he needed to feel relevant again.

DeWolfe.2174:

Chaba.5410:

None of you make any sense. All he’s said is “population beta”. There’s nothing to beta test when you talk about a server merge because it is just a one-and-done moving of accounts around in a database, a technology they already have. Please think more clearly next time.

Because as I see it, it’s a Server Pairing. As in, it’s the Alliance of two Worlds in a WvW match. Basically, instead of WvWvW it’ll be W²vW²vW² or W²x3 There wouldn’t be any transferring of actual accounts taking place. This way it preserves each Worlds community. Also, it allows for match variety each week as the pairing will change based on performance and population.

At least that’s my hope for a more intelligent system. If it were a one and done merging, that would be…. well… an uninspired outcome.

To me even that sort of alliance system isn’t enough because the bottom worlds have very few players and its still not flexible in terms of population disparities. I doubt anything would change for the top 2 tiers.

inubasiri.8745:

morrolan.9608:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

I’m on TC, and have been away from the game mode for a long long time. With the new action picking up in the BLs, I decided to log in and start playing again. But something really got to me. TC is being double teamed constantly to the point where it’s not fair. Enemy blobs ignore each other, and hyper focus us. When we go for Towers, one side of the opposition actually helps to defend the other team’s stuff.

This brings me to the obvious question, is it against the ToS to coordinate attacks on a single server? We have former TC guilds keeping players on TC so they can follow our Commanders. I’ve even heard of complaints that former TC guilds are going around and wasting supply.

You really need to read up on the politics behind this its been all over the forum for the last few days. TC deserves everything they are getting and more.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

No I read Panda’s post. That’s what made me want to play again. But dang, them fights are rough. TC zergs are holding our own in the 2 v 1, but it’s impossible to sustain. We’re in EBG, then hear the Desert BL Keep is being ganked, then once we leave to defend, we lose both Towers around EBG Keep. We return to see enemy players /laughing at us. It’s disheartening.

Good, suck it up.

Your responses make me lose any sympathy I have had for DB or FA.

Thats funny considering I’m not on either.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

I’m on TC, and have been away from the game mode for a long long time. With the new action picking up in the BLs, I decided to log in and start playing again. But something really got to me. TC is being double teamed constantly to the point where it’s not fair. Enemy blobs ignore each other, and hyper focus us. When we go for Towers, one side of the opposition actually helps to defend the other team’s stuff.

This brings me to the obvious question, is it against the ToS to coordinate attacks on a single server? We have former TC guilds keeping players on TC so they can follow our Commanders. I’ve even heard of complaints that former TC guilds are going around and wasting supply.

You really need to read up on the politics behind this its been all over the forum for the last few days. TC deserves everything they are getting and more.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

No I read Panda’s post. That’s what made me want to play again. But dang, them fights are rough. TC zergs are holding our own in the 2 v 1, but it’s impossible to sustain. We’re in EBG, then hear the Desert BL Keep is being ganked, then once we leave to defend, we lose both Towers around EBG Keep. We return to see enemy players /laughing at us. It’s disheartening.

Good, suck it up.

Darknicrofia.2604:

why do you think everyone deserves to have the wings?
.

Cause anet actually said so.

Naithe.4271:

I did say that if there were no fights for our SEA or OCX they would stop playing. Guess what, that’s exactly what has happened.

SoX is still playing in ocx time on JQ mainly on the desert BLs with usually around 15 players. Yes we try and prop up JQs PPT but we’re always up for fights unless we’re significantly outnumbered.

Paulytnz.7619:

It might be wrong to say this but all this no hype is getting me hyped up lol….

Anyone else?

No its making me angry cause it implies that they are afraid of the player reaction.

FogLeg.9354:

It’s not much more players in tiers 8 and 9 of EU while I have been in those. And even then, while 40 players may sound like a lot, most of them only join WvW for 1 hour or so in prime time, so it is really-really empty for 23 hours.

T1 servers don’t have many queues any more.

kins.3294:

Oh TC you sneaky little buggers, stop offering us mass amounts of gold. We want fights.

What, they’ve offered you gold not to fight?

Reaper Alim.4176:

Mokk.2397:

morrolan.9608:

Mokk.2397:

I don’t feel badly that we (in TC) lost so much to-nite.,since it took both FA and DB to double team us to do it . T.C. ROCKS

LOL chest thumping already after receiving a large transfer in of guilds.

TC rocked before the transfers and now TC rocks more.

And I’m the Grand Master of Space and Time.

I’m spartacus.

Mokk.2397:

I don’t feel badly that we (in TC) lost so much to-nite.,since it took both FA and DB to double team us to do it . T.C. ROCKS

LOL chest thumping already after receiving a large transfer in of guilds.

I suggest you read the forum its been all over the last day

Yeah I would say go to FA, they’re the server needing help.

Zietlogik.6208:

Pretty Pixie.8603:

Tyler Bearce.3427:

It would be easy enough to move all the camp guards closer to the center, so you’d always have to fight all of them to flip a camp. But to be clear, you guys are arguing that you want to do ‘more PvE’, which seems to go against the forum’s current agenda of ‘less PvE.’

I’m sorry, are we violating your gamemode?

I don’t recall people ever complaining about too much PvE before the introduction of DBL. It obviously refers to the high density of unnecessary mobs and obstacles in DBL.

That makes you suggestion disingenuous at best.

Never heard of people complaining about too much PvE before DBL? Where have you been? It’s been a complaint since a week after launch. When peopole started random creatures to rally/use movement skills/stealth/etc. when in fights. And who didn’t love being randomly put into combat speed in open field when hitting one by accident.

Complaints about pve are rarely about NPC guards, especially since the desert BL launch. NPCs are clearly necessary, all players would agree with that. I just hope Tyler realises that.