Curse

Lady Raenef · Dec 30, 2007, 07:49 AM // 07:49

I'm not asking that certain things or specifics be done to Alliance Battles, this is rather more of a group discussion. If this fits under the category of Sardelac, may it be moved, but I was looking more for discussion on what to improve. I'm just throwing out some ideas. Since, I don't have a specific idea, I'm just throwing out some for others to review.

I remember when Factions came out. Alliances were new. Towns were open, the battle of the Guilds, as most of us ran through that tight door and got stuck called: Alliance Battles.

We created our PvP characters. Decked out our PvE characters in Elite Canthan after we squished Shiro and battled those big-headed Luxons, or those pesky Kurzicks for the purpose of one thing: owning a town. My guild has owned Zos Shivros Channel. We saw very little benefit. So we stopped. This was in the summer of '06. I took a break about two months before Nightfall came out from Guild Wars and started playing again in late February. I noticed one thing right away, Faction Farming had steadily declined. A huge priority among players was to be in a guild that owned a town (not all, of course).

Those days were fun, when I think back to them. However, there's no beneficial satisfaction (in my opinion) to owning a town. The items are discounted, sure, but it still lacks. I don't see very many guilds going out looking for FFF'ers as they're called hardly anymore. I enjoy Alliance Battles, but only purely for the disorganized fighting style. It's like working with a wild pack of headless chickens, except the headless chickens are players and they're all over the place.

What this post's point is, what do you think should happen to improve the rate of players that go to Factions? Fort Aspenwood is dying and is nothing like the old fun days where getting a group was easy. Now, you may have to sit for up to five minutes or possibly longer to get a single game in. Jade Quarry might as well be renamed to Ghost Town.

I'd like to see more purpose to owning towns. When they made the benefit of Cavalon and House Zu Heltzer (the elite missions), they basically lost everything it had. Now everyone had access, only it costs them 1,000 Luxon/Kurzick faction. That's easy to get.

If I could alter the game to make more players flood the Alliance Battles, FA, and JQ I would...

These are my suggestions, you may post suggestions yourself. You simply decide w

Special Town Henchman: All towns that can be owned have a special level 22 NPC (professions vary among the outposts) that can simply help out with quests. This to some may sound unbalancing, but it's not too empowering. It'd have the typical five skill and a Resurrection Signet. This may be unnecessary, but the NPC could only be added by players who are part of the guild who owns the town.

Craftables? Some more beneficial items. Armor is out of the question and in a way, so are weapons. But, if every single one had a unique item, consumable, etc maker, which could only make customized items. I see a problem with guilds marketing away player invites to go make these things as a profit, but if Trimmed Guilds sell their invites, well, I guess this could be allowed as well.

Improve the Elite Missions: Remove the buyable scrolls and add new greens to the elite missions. Make these with new unique skins from previous contests that weren't used.

CAV & HZH Cape Trims: Cavalon and Houze Zu Heltzer, if you're in a guild that owns these towns, your capes will have red (Luxon) and blue (Kurzick) trims on the capes. Obviously, these WON'T be as fancy as the ones given out for the tournaments. But, this may encourage players to try and get into these guilds. Yes, we do know that there's guilds currently out there with tons of faction, but if guilds get in the mood to take over those towns, you never know the outcome.

New Map alterations and environment effects: Possibly, new map alterations, as we all get bored of fighting at the same place. Make a second map for Saltspray, Etnaran, and Grentz. This will encourage players to try out these maps. Put more map bonuses on these maps, such as the water giving +1 health regeneration, or luxon spikes.

Balance out the playing field: Turtles and Nauts! I hate it that you go up against teams you're know you're going to lose against. You know, those teams who have around 450 points, and you're still under 100. I think, a new thing should happen. If you're opponent is 150+ points ahead of your team, new permanent allies join your team. If you're Luxon, Siege turtles. You may talk to these to help. These will bomb the heck out of enemies. On Kurzick maps, two will be provided, on Luxon, only one. For Kurzicks, Juggernauts will appear. One on Kurzick maps, two on Luxon. These will instantly knock over players they hit. They move generally slow, but can shadowstep once every 60 seconds, also has buffering shouts. This has to be buffed up enough to do the same equivalent damage as a Turtle would with it's once every 15-30 seconds siege attack. These will try to level out the playing field. Whether they are player controlled, I'm not sure. I'd love to be able to be a Juggernaut, just for fun. Once you get within under 50 points of the other team however, these things will dissapear.

Fix FA and JQ: For Fort Aspenwood: more NPC's, allow up to 12 players to join. Kurzick needs more defense, and Luxons need more than a bunch of hammer warriors. Besides, maybe less hammer warriors. When eight of them are hitting you at once, that's a pain to get rid of. As for Jade Quarry: you simply screwed up that one, you're on your own.

What are some things you'd add? I just think that Factions has died when it's my favorite campaign. Nightfall's Hero Battles was a rotting fish in a bucket to begin with, but that's Nightfall.

Review mine, but don't just review mine, post some ideas! Make Anet realize we need some alteration, in the least bit. In a bit, we may see no one playing this game unless they continue to make a few fun changes.

Zeek Aran · Dec 30, 2007, 08:16 AM // 08:16

I like it, but I doubt it would happen. Factions is old news.

None of the fighting matters anyway, Kisu pwns them all.

Scarlett Romanov · Dec 30, 2007, 08:37 AM // 08:37

I doubt they'll do anything to change or encourage folks to want to control towns in Factions. All of the suggestions you've listed for being in an alliance that owns a town, are generally things that would give some users unfair advantages over other players in the game. I don't think the GW staff wants that to happen. Afterall they implemented passage scrolls to the elite missions. It seems they want everyone to have access to all content.

Additionally, asking them to spend time revising an old game while they're working on GW 2 just seems like a waste of time and resources. I'd rather see the team focused on GW2 instead of Factions.

-Loki- · Dec 30, 2007, 08:39 AM // 08:39

The whole owning towns, alliance battles and competitive missions was to bring PvErs to PvP, not to give them even greater rewards in PvE.

cebalrai · Dec 30, 2007, 01:36 PM // 13:36

Really, I'd just like to see a new map or two.

legion_rat · Dec 30, 2007, 03:13 PM // 15:13

I like the ideas, but i dont think anet is going to change anything. They seem to hate factions. "woot we get one whole holiday!"

/signed if it would happen

~the rat~

Shayne Hawke · Dec 30, 2007, 03:49 PM // 15:49

I never understood why Jade Quarry never got the population that Fort Aspenwood gets. Probably because it's closer to the capitol?

Increasing the rewards for Jade Quarry might encourage a few people to go there, but before you really get players to switch, you'll need something turning them away from FA.

Owning towns has always been, to me, not a big deal. Of the campaigns, Factions probably always has the lowest population, besides when there's a festival going on in Shing Jea. Maybe this is only because everyone in Factions seems to end up in PvP, but I still don't get the feeling that many people are sticking around in Factions. It just doesn't have what Prophecies and Nightfall has.

JASON626 · Dec 30, 2007, 07:26 PM // 19:26

Jade Quarry which I have never done no one is there. Fort aspenwood, they really need an update its really sad.

AB monthly map rotations or something like that would be cool. 5 maps this month and a diffrent 5 maps next month.

warcrap · Dec 31, 2007, 12:58 AM // 00:58

its physically pointless to control a town its extremely demanding to maintain control of it and all you get to do is save a few coins.
i started doing this it was a little fun but now i see alliance battles are just a waste of bandwidth and programming to anet.

/signed
but it would never happen they dont even look at factions anymore they only look at eotn and gw2.