Curse

Lady Maestro · Aug 28, 2006, 03:59 AM // 03:59

Something needs to be done about the set up for alliance battles. It takes at least 15-20 minutes of watching the timer drop before you enter on Kurz, and god forbid if someone in your group leaves and you need to restart the timer.

If it's a server issue, it should be fixed. If it's a problem with many more Kurz than Lux (although that seems unlikely), then something needs to be done about balancing numbers.

Either way it's a mess right now, and Anet needs to address it.

Moldy · Aug 28, 2006, 04:08 AM // 04:08

It takes 5 mins on Luxon. I guess its cuz nobody like Kurzick anymore.

Zinger314 · Aug 28, 2006, 04:11 AM // 04:11

Rumor is that there can only be a certain number of ABs going on at the same time.

Obviously, it is a lower partion than say, HA.

dgb · Aug 28, 2006, 07:39 AM // 07:39

3 Full Kurzick International Districts

About 10 people idling in the Luxon Internatioanl District.

You work out why it takes the Kurzicks ages. Want easy Alliance Battles? Move to Luxon.

lofblad · Aug 28, 2006, 08:37 AM // 08:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zinger314

Rumor is that there can only be a certain number of ABs going on at the same time.

Obviously, it is a lower partion than say, HA.

And that is exactly that, just a rumour. There is no official information that has ever even suggested anything like a limited number of servers for ab, or a limited number of simultaneous players. The reason is a lack of players on either side, nothing more, nothing less. Please stop spreading this rumour, either on forums or in game.

bungusmaximus · Aug 28, 2006, 08:53 AM // 08:53

I have a theory myself, when the border shifts to either Kurzick or Luxon side new maps unlock. Either Kurzick and Luxon sides have this annoying fort maps which are woefully unbalanced. When I am playing 'Ancestral Grounds' on Kurzick side I am waiting for an eternity before the game starts because Luxon players don't want to get waxed too easily since the Kurzick side has a major advantage on that map. If i play Etnaran keys I am in the game in a breeze because the odds are better for both sides.

Yanman.be · Aug 28, 2006, 09:19 AM // 09:19

More luxons.

Gigashadow · Aug 28, 2006, 04:55 PM // 16:55

It is simply that there are more luxons. When you have a 2 sided battleground, one side will always outnumber the other, and the outnumbering side will have increased waiting times.

Ozric · Aug 28, 2006, 06:46 PM // 18:46

The rumor of a max allowable number of AB's going on at one time seem extremely doubtful. I mean why would a game that strongly promotes pvp play put this kind of limitation on when there could be what seems like scores of instances of FoW or UW runs going on (ever see a timer there?).

As I'm on the Kurzick side of things, I can only see that there's usually 3 districts of Kurzicks waiting to battle (American), and the wait, for me, is usually around 5-12 minutes.

How many districts are there on the Luxon side of the tracks usually?

Riotgear · Aug 29, 2006, 03:15 AM // 03:15

The "limit" rumor doesn't even make any sense, from a design perspective. There's no real reason to put a limit on one type of instance and not others, and given that no confirmation or evidence beyond "why else would it be taking so long?" has ever been given, there's no real reason to believe it either.

More likely, it's an actual shortage of opposing groups, and a group selection system that appears to be random (as in, I believe it's possible for a group to be "selected" for battle even when another has waited longer). Also remember that just because you see a group of 4 doesn't mean that group is queued up.

Another reason is because the Aspenwood/Quarry NPCs are still available to PVP characters. Considering the wait times for Aspenwood at least are a lot SHORTER than before those were added, I don't think it's a coincidence, and it's simply that fewer people are playing ABs.

Dark Luke · Aug 29, 2006, 05:08 AM // 05:08

Maybe the developers should readjust faction gains depending on what map you are. For example, for a Kurzick, greatly tune down the faction gain on Ancestral lands, and gradually ramp up when they are on a less advantaeous battlefield and getting the highest faction gain on Kaanai Canyon. (The reverse is applied for Luxons)

And I just went ahead and take a look at how long would the wait be for a Luxon at Kanaai Canyon. The results:
Game 1: 0 timer resets
Game 2: 2 timer resets

And there are just around 3 people in Kaanai Canyon (Luxon) International District, and there are 2 districts in American districts...

sir lockt · Aug 29, 2006, 06:33 AM // 06:33

Previously I was in a Luxon alliance and in it was much easier to find a game On the Kurzick side I often see overcrowded disses (often 2 of the main languages in Europe so 6). So besides all conspricy theories I would simply put my money on the lack of Luxons

dgb · Aug 29, 2006, 09:38 AM // 09:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozric

How many districts are there on the Luxon side of the tracks usually?

One district, nowhere near full.

Shrouded Waffle · Aug 29, 2006, 10:58 AM // 10:58

^ Usually two districts in Lux. (American)

Effendi Westland · Aug 30, 2006, 08:38 AM // 08:38

Game design flaw:

1 faction vs 1 faction = faction with more people will have to wait for people from the other side to free up.

1 faction vs 1 faction vs 1 faction = unless 1 faction has more players then the other 2 factions combined battles start swiftly.

Silver_Fang · Aug 30, 2006, 01:18 PM // 13:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riotgear

The "limit" rumor doesn't even make any sense, from a design perspective. There's no real reason to put a limit on one type of instance and not others, and given that no confirmation or evidence beyond "why else would it be taking so long?" has ever been given, there's no real reason to believe it either.

More likely, it's an actual shortage of opposing groups, and a group selection system that appears to be random (as in, I believe it's possible for a group to be "selected" for battle even when another has waited longer). Also remember that just because you see a group of 4 doesn't mean that group is queued up.

Another reason is because the Aspenwood/Quarry NPCs are still available to PVP characters. Considering the wait times for Aspenwood at least are a lot SHORTER than before those were added, I don't think it's a coincidence, and it's simply that fewer people are playing ABs.

What doesn't make sense?

What make more sense other than the limit rumor when both side have enough groups to start a new game but the timer still reseting? Please enlighten me about that.

The reason about why waiting is so long is because ANCESTRAL LAND is easy faction and i have seen a influx of newbie playing in the Ancestral Land for easy faction only. Thats why it takes so long. If there isnt a limit on simultanous game, the district will never be more than 1 on BOTH side ALL THE TIME EVEN WITH COMPLETELY RANDOM TEAM SELECTION.

Riotgear · Aug 30, 2006, 05:48 PM // 17:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver_Fang

What doesn't make sense?

What doesn't make sense is why such a feature would be implemented. It doesn't seem to make much sense that the server can support a virtually unlimited number of random arenas, underworlds, or wherever else, and can't manage to pull up enough resources to start an alliance battle. There is NO other type of instance which runs into this problem, so it's unlikely such a thing actually exists. From a design perspective, it makes most sense for the server to fire up whatever instances are in demand at the moment, not allocate fixed instances and piss people off when they run out. It makes even less sense that they wouldn't just raise that limit on ABs if it was constantly being hit like people are claiming.

More likely, it's a lack of players, groups that haven't started yet, or random selection out of the pool instead of order-based.

Aspenwood USED to have this problem, but then they opened it up to PVP characters, both sides got more populated, but the population evened out a good deal in the process. If the "overloaded servers" theory held true, the problem would have gotten worse. It didn't. Luxon wait times dropped.

Quote:

What make more sense other than the limit rumor when both side have enough groups to start a new game but the timer still reseting? Please enlighten me about that.

Every time I've heard this rumor pop up, I've taken a quick trip to the other side, and lo and behold, it's much emptier.

Silver_Fang · Aug 31, 2006, 12:21 AM // 00:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riotgear

What doesn't make sense is why such a feature would be
Every time I've heard this rumor pop up, I've taken a quick trip to the other side, and lo and behold, it's much emptier.

Everytime i waited to long, i went to the Luxon side and there are more than 1 district sometime and it is not as empty as you said.

The waiting in RA is not long, but there are waiting at RA sometime.

Demesis · Sep 03, 2006, 03:30 PM // 15:30

Anet could add a title for "Longest time wasted in front of the AB timer"

Patient (lvl1)

Meditating guru (lvl2)

Ungodly fool (lvl3)

Now that's a title worth me waiting in AB.

StonePony · Sep 09, 2006, 11:28 AM // 11:28

What I don't understand is after waiting several minutes of getting the "No opposing team joined" message I went to the Kurzick side and got the same message.

wtf?