Curse

Clusmas · Aug 16, 2006, 01:22 AM // 01:22

As you should already know, a major goal Anet have with GW is to give us, the players, a lot of choices with relation to how we play the game. They make this intention very clear to the community, in particular through Gaile Grey's in-game discussions.

I think it's obvious the intention here is to keep the game diverse and fresh by offering a variety of 'choices' through skills, professions, armour sets weapons, game modes, maps and so on.

Let's take a look at the state of competitive play in GW, and your choices as a team regarding what you take into a match.

1. You run the FOTM 'gimmick' build.
2. You run a 'balanced' build.
3. You run a spike build.

...

Well that's about all I can think of. Wow 3! That's THREE (3) choices.

It's a great philosophy. We certainly _should_ be able to make alot of different choices. But in competitive pvp there are simply no choices to make. There's skills for example that no one would EVER use, and there are also skills that people ALWAYS use. Same goes for professions and their roles. Outside of spike the warrior profession will always be used because nothing can compare to its damage output. Elementalist will always be restricted to a utility role because they can't do anything else. Those sort of restrictions make alot of skills redundant and alot of team builds hopeless.

I could go on and on and on.. but I think you get the idea.

I'd like to see Anet turn this ship around and start working towards that goal. Because as anyone who plays competitively will tell you, the game can get very tedious and very dull at times. Probably as much to say the game is tedious and dull. Watch that bearing, there's ice bergs ahead!

~Clus

PS. Fix bugs please.

Thom · Aug 16, 2006, 01:39 AM // 01:39

If you make the catagories broad enough you can hide the diversity of most anything. The three catagories you choose really aren't that great. "Balanced" isn't a build or a strategy. "Gimmick" isn't a build or a strategy. "Spike" is a strategy which can be performed with a wide variety of builds.

Here are three simple choices employed by top teams which will get you at least 8 builds:
1.Designated flag runner or team flag running.
2.Third defensive player (ritualist) or two primary defensive players.
3.Mesmer based shutdown or ranger based shutdown. Of course various mixes are common, but you can go primarily one way or the other.

Combine those choices and you get at least 8 different "balanced builds" which will play noticably differently.

Morganas · Aug 16, 2006, 02:26 AM // 02:26

Out of curiosity, what do you mean by team flag running vs designated? Would team be an e/mo who requires some backup while approaching the stand vs one of those wonky assassin runners who can do it alone? I've never seen a build that didn't have a designated runner in mind from the start.

Elrodien · Aug 16, 2006, 10:02 AM // 10:02

Some guilds will split the flag running between 2 (or more) characters, depending on who is needed where, as opposed to a dedicated flag runner who, obviously, does the flag running alone.

Thom · Aug 16, 2006, 09:13 PM // 21:13

My guild never runs a designed flag runner, but we frequent the top 100. Basically you designate flag responsiblities as the match unfolds, often changing things up to give the opponent multiple looks. We normally had a gank squad pressuring the flag runner, so we'd manufacture morale boosts through split tactics instead of flag racing. I am fairly certain that WM and EviL have played without designated runners at different points.

Playing without a designed flag runner requires a bit more communication, but it gives you a bit more flexiblity. Normally split designed characters can double nicely as durable flag runners, but lack some of the team support skills that you normally drop on a designated runner.

Schorny · Aug 18, 2006, 05:08 AM // 05:08

actually you don't have any choices...

you need to take 8 players, some for defense, some for offense, some for both. and that's it.

it's really boring... in every match i play, i play against the same line up: 8 chars which spilt defense and offense capability between them... pretty boring...

Morganas · Aug 18, 2006, 05:31 AM // 05:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schorny

actually you don't have any choices...

you need to take 8 players, some for defense, some for offense, some for both. and that's it.

it's really boring... in every match i play, i play against the same line up: 8 chars which spilt defense and offense capability between them... pretty boring...

Thom rightfully accuses to OP of using far too broad categorization to backup an incorrect point, and you do the same thing. Within the categories of "offense and defense" are numerous builds, and numerous sub-roles.

Also, I fail to see how a competitive game that simulates combat of any sort won't have both offense and defense.

Paperfly · Aug 18, 2006, 08:41 AM // 08:41

Morganas, I think you'll find on reread that Schorny's post is helpful, accurate, and contributory in every way...

...He just forgot the sarcasm smiley. Seriously, man, he's pulling your leg.

Thomas.knbk · Aug 18, 2006, 09:02 AM // 09:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schorny

actually you don't have any choices...

you need to take 8 players, some for defense, some for offense, some for both. and that's it.

it's really boring... in every match i play, i play against the same line up: 8 chars which spilt defense and offense capability between them... pretty boring...

LOL this reminds me of the guy who said PvP actually came down to little more than rock paper scissors: trappers beat iway, iway beats smite, smite beat trappers, something like that.
Biggest difference was that he was serious lol

JR · Aug 18, 2006, 09:27 AM // 09:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schorny

actually you don't have any choices...

you need to take 8 players, some for defense, some for offense, some for both. and that's it.

it's really boring... in every match i play, i play against the same line up: 8 chars which spilt defense and offense capability between them... pretty boring...

Indeed... With only 64 possible class combinations and hundreds of skills how on earth are you supposed to be original?...

...Well having taken a -16 hit from Necro Raiders and their Dismember using N/W yesterday, I'm beggining to appreciate just how painfull originality can be.

Schorny · Aug 18, 2006, 10:40 PM // 22:40

sorry, I just couldn't take that thread serious...

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR-

...Well having taken a -16 hit from Necro Raiders and their Dismember using N/W yesterday, I'm beggining to appreciate just how painfull originality can be.

NR is a really strange guild. I never won against them :/
Though if you look at their build one would definately say "what a crap, you can't play that in the top50". But everytime I met them, they proved me wrong...

That's why I love guild wars.

Clusmas · Aug 19, 2006, 05:08 AM // 05:08

What is the OP on?!

Whatever it is I want some.

Well, I have/had a point, went about expressing it the wrong way. I don't know. I'll just stop trying to be smart and go back to pre-searing I think.

Forgive my unjust criticism and scrub mistake.

I was probably just tired after 6 VoD defensive attrition battles in a row.