Curse

Hell Marauder · Nov 23, 2006, 11:57 AM // 11:57

GW has lots of potentials, but has one serious flaw in its pvp design: it caters to elite players and imho is the cause of playerbase erosion over time. Bear in mind bad players ALWAYS make up majority of GW's playerbase. In GW's PVP best players tend to beat good players, and good players tend to beat bad players. When bad players keep losing, they quit, and now good players are themselves the bad players. So gradually lower echelon playerbase of GW erodes away. Bear in mind bad players are paying customers of GW too, and if any of them leaves, so does part of Anet's future.

So, this is why casual and massive pvp modes like AB/Aspenwood/Jade Quarry so important: they mix good and bad players, and give less skilled players a chance to win and have some fun. It also gives individual player less pressure because it's 12 vs 12. But unfortunately NF doesn't have an AB like pvp mode. For Anet's sake, it's crucial to incorporate such features in future release.

Here is MY PROPOSAL: a mercenary-style casual pvp (or pve) map. Imagine a land invaded by armies of 3 factions: Tyria, Canthan and Elona, plus a fourth native faction.
(1) You arrive at a port and immediately have to sign up as a mercenary for one of the 4 camps, so anyone who owns any GW chapter can participate.

(2) Mercenary allegiance is character and NOT account based. If battle is won, you get paid more by a respective npc at LA/KC/Kamadan. If battle is lost, you get paid much less and the global map shifts against your side. Allegiance can be changed any time by paying a hefty sum

(3) Each battle region offers several variants to its participants: a pvp mode (12 vs 12) or a pve mode (12 vs mobs), and offense or defense depends on who currently owns that region.

(4) The amount you get paid depends on the faction's current status: if the faction is losing and occupies less of the land, you get paid much more for your effort. After all, you're a mercenary.

(5) If you're traveling in enemy-occupied land, you start with a 15% DP which can be removed by getting an item (like candycane) from merchant.

(6) The battles will be randomly grouped 12 vs 12, with heroes involved can potentially swell into 48 vs 48. GM can use npc/henchmen to fill either side so ppl don't have to wait for a full roster to start.

This mode of play accomplishes several things:
1) A sense of community: now you belong to a global faction fighting for a common cause, and win/lose actually affects you in the form of DP.
2) Massive in scope, so to reduce individual's responsibility/pressure, more friendly for casual players.
3) Random grouping, so it takes less time to group and removes elitism in team selection.
4) Win/lose not based on skill alone, so players of any skill level can have fun.
5) Reduces the need to farm: now you get paid for fighting, no need to fight boring mobs to earn gold.
6) Potentials for more varied gameplay: imagine catapult/ballista/sentry traps used in gameplay offense/defense.
7) Some gold sinks like candy canes, but if you get paid a lot for your effort, you shouldn't need to worry about money.

So what do you guys think? Let's bring a sense of war back to Guild "Wars". But no flame in the thread plz.

Cass · Nov 23, 2006, 12:04 PM // 12:04

I'd be ok with a unified PvE-style arena IF it means deleting the existing ones.

Less pvp modes = less scattering of players and less arenas that are completely abandoned, such as Jade Quarry and Ft Aspenwood. Less need for bots playing against bots.

Nana · Nov 23, 2006, 12:34 PM // 12:34

.@_@ wow. Massive play sounds fun.
But i'm worry about the lagg. Sounds a bit Aion game.