WvW Thoughts

[Rendakor]

Is it just me or are rewards for WvW pretty weak? I mean, it's a lot of fun (and maybe I'm doing it wrong) but it seems like you get almost no XP for doing it, and while the repair bills add up quick there's very little in the way of loot (you've gotta get in on the "Finish Him" to have a chance at loot from a player).

[nurtsi]

Is it just me or are rewards for WvW pretty weak? I mean, it's a lot of fun (and maybe I'm doing it wrong) but it seems like you get almost no XP for doing it, and while the repair bills add up quick there's very little in the way of loot (you've gotta get in on the "Finish Him" to have a chance at loot from a player).

It seems like a very slow way to level compared to PVE. It is more fun though. So far I haven't seen any indication that having more levels would give you an edge in PVP once you have a few utility skills locked. I know you get more traits with levels, but not sure how much effect they actually have.

It almost seems like there are no levels, which I really like. I can reroll a toon, get to level 7 or so to get weapon swapping and start blowing people up in WvWvW. I hope it won't change when everyone is lvl 80.

[Dark_MadMax]

Is it just me or are rewards for WvW pretty weak? I mean, it's a lot of fun (and maybe I'm doing it wrong) but it seems like you get almost no XP for doing it, and while the repair bills add up quick there's very little in the way of loot (you've gotta get in on the "Finish Him" to have a chance at loot from a player).

XP and rewards are actually quite good -provided  there is actually stuff going on (chain capping/defending).  -its on par with other dynamic events . But when there is nothing going on - then yeah, its quite slow in this department

[Malakili]

My main problem with WvW is that I often have no interest in waiting in the queue for massive PvP when I can load up Planetside 2 beta and start right away.  Its been fun enough when I've gotten in during times when there are a lot of other people playing, but generally speaking I just don't want to sit there waiting for the queue to pop.

[Kageru]

Isn't it sort of inevitable in an open world PvP game? PS2 included. Otherwise you get Eve where people bulk their numbers until the server is failing or the enemy can't threaten them.

[Zetor]

For what it's worth, the matchups aren't as painful now that they're actually switching every day. OK, maybe they are, but at least it's over quicker.

From the POV of Tarnished Coast (lolrp server) it's like this:
- Northern Shiverpeaks / Sea of Sorrows (launch until aug 31): oh god. NS is hyper-organized and pretty much obliterated the entire map. Zero chance.. and this went on for like 5 days. I haven't actually played during this, but I assume everyone was basically camped at spawn.
- Maguuma / Ferguson's Crossing (aug 31-sep 1): same above to a lesser extent (see also: goons). Thankfully this one only lasted a day.
- Borlis Pass / Emhry Bay (sep 1-2): this time we felt like the bullies, TC ended up outzerging the other two servers on pretty much all of the maps and won by a huge margin.
- Fort Aspenwood / ? (sep 2-now): a bit more balanced - FA is dominating, but there's actually a fight to be won here and there.

Wonder when we'll be matched up against JQ... based on TC's performance so far, it will have comedic value for sure. 

[Nebu]

Jade Quarry is the best server we've fought so far... it's not even close.  Individually they weren't the best opponents, but their tactics were the best by far as a zerg.

[Dark_MadMax]

Isn't it sort of inevitable in an open world PvP game? PS2 included. Otherwise you get Eve where people bulk their numbers until the server is failing or the enemy can't threaten them.

Planetside2 has 6 hours queues? If they dont fix this I dont see many people sticking with www. Everyone complains and are pulling trough only because frankly there is a lot  of content in GW2 besides www. But if the situation one month in is still the same people will be leaving www in droves (that ironically might solve the queue issues lol)

[Kageru]

Planetside2 has 6 hours queues?

Well, no, but then GW2 didn't have queues while it was in beta either. Queues are pretty much an inherent property of set sides and population.

[Trippy]

Planetside2 has 6 hours queues?

Well, no, but then GW2 didn't have queues while it was in beta either.

Yes it did, at least during the BWEs.

[Falconeer]

They have to AT LEAST implement something that lets you know where you stand in the queue. Or which one of the Borderlands has less queue. The way it is now it will suck the will to play out of many players. Knowing how many players are in front of you, and eventually seeing that number decrease with time makes everythig more bearable.

I am sure it's not a priority to them, but all the people I know bought the game for the amazing WvW, and at the moment all I hear every night in voice chat is their (and mine) whines about not being able to play it. Seriously, 3 hours queue and your night is gone before you could even enter. That said, Arenanet is not gonna lose "subscriptions" over this, so: meh...

[Evildrider]

So Northern Shiverpeaks had been dominating in WvW since launch.  They fight us on Henge of Denravi yesterday and get their ass handed to them.  Next day 3-4 major guilds leave the Ascension Alliance and change to different servers.   

[Zetor]

I told you the Titan-Ascension drama thing had promise!

Does GW2 have its own vnboards-style forums for srs bsns wvw drama yet? 

[Kageru]

Server politics is going to be hugely entertaining. On the positive side it will hopefully help unify each given server because there are reasons to encourage newbies and bads to participate once the crush dies down.

[tazelbain]

Given the current WvW meta: a person is most valuable when they play during off hours. I have moved to IoJ were the NA primetime is their off hours. Great to have no queue, not so great to be constantly undermanned.  We shall see how this works out.

[Raknor]

My guild is getting pretty fed up with not being able to get into WvW. Most of us can't sit in queue for 4 hours. Several have been logging in at 5:30pm when they get home and hoping to get a queue pop around 8:30 after their kids go to bed. 

Seems like we need an overflow pvp battle ground.  Tosses you onto a team (red/blue/green) and you can get your world pvp fix w/o it affecting your servers WvW.  Then if your server queue pops you get notified and can port or or choose to stay with your friends.

No one in my guild is overly interested in the benefits of WvW. They just want to pvp in the single most important reason they started playing GW2.  Massive battles.

Is there a lock out on world pvp if you switch servers?  Thought I read that somewhere but can't find it.

[Kageru]

I believe so, something like a month from memory.

[tazelbain]

Right now there is nothing.  I was in WvW right after I switched. The plan is that you won't get any bonuses for winning WvW when you switch servers.  Since these bonus don't exist yet, it's not an issue.

[Zetor]

If you really want to reduce your queue times, move to a server that isn't doing so hot... like Tarnished Coast, home of the lolrp!

Of course there is an obvious side effect. 

[KallDrexx]

You know, it's very frustrating.

Roaming wvw is extremely fun, but it's terrible to try and get a group together to do it because of the queues.

[Nebu]

You know, it's very frustrating.

Roaming wvw is extremely fun, but it's terrible to try and get a group together to do it because of the queues.

Between this and my slow processor causing large battles to be a slide show, I'm all but done with WvW. 

[Brogarn]

Queue up for a ridiculous amount of time, get out there, have your server be a bunch of scatter brained lemmings, lose your cash, your time, your keeps, your pants... Log off wondering wtf just happened and why isn't this as awesome as it should be.

In all honesty, though, I think it's just new. I think it'll level off over time especially once transferring costs money. I'm keeping my hopes up that it will get better and that one of the 2 servers I switch back and forth on gets some good leaders and strats.

In the meantime, maybe I'll try some sPvP along with leveling my engineer.

[sachiel]

Queue up for a ridiculous amount of time, get out there, have your server be a bunch of scatter brained lemmings, lose your cash, your time, your keeps, your pants... Log off wondering wtf just happened and why isn't this as awesome as it should be.

In all honesty, though, I think it's just new. I think it'll level off over time especially once transferring costs money. I'm keeping my hopes up that it will get better and that one of the 2 servers I switch back and forth on gets some good leaders and strats.

In the meantime, maybe I'll try some sPvP along with leveling my engineer.

Agreed.  I think once the server levels off it will be a bit better as everyone is still getting a feel for how everything works and what's important.  Additionally, running with a small, coordinated, communicating group can make a huge difference in "fun."  I've been thinking more about the benefits of sPvP to bone up on scrimmage skills.

[Lantyssa]

Queue for a Borderlands, and once in queue for the Eternal Battleground.  Shorter queue for the former that lets you get into the action, while waiting on the main event.

[Kageru]

Does each WvW map have their own queue? because it seems like they run more or less independently and having a "queue for whichever" option might help. Though that would mean you might get a queue when zoning within WvW.

I'd assume they are also working to raise zone capacity, but even then there's only so far they can go before the zerg gets silly. All persistent WvW models look like they are going to need some sort of population control, and that means queues.

[Ingmar]

When that queue is longer than an average play session there's a very serious issue. It is probably to soon to make a kmee-jek reaction to try to fix it, though. We have no idea if demand for wvw will crater after a month or two.

[Zetor]

Not to mention there ARE servers that simply don't have a big enough wvw population to get queues in the first place. If you just increased the cap, you'd be pounding them into the ground even more than they already are. I assume most of you guys having super-long queues are on the 'big 4' (Jade Quarry, Henge of Denravi, Eredon Terrace, SI)?

(and if there is a clear underdog server and two 'leet' servers, they both WILL pick on the smaller one to get easy points)

Sort of related: right now the dominant servers are not just those the largest ones / the ones with the most organization, but the ones that have the best coverage of all timezones. Oceanic presence is HUGE (and I suppose my presence as a Euro as well :p)


e: I guess the matchmaking system would help with the "small server vs big server" thing... however, increasing the limit significantly enough to address queues would just further tilt balance towards servers with a larger pop instead of the most organized ones. I'm also not completely convinced there are enough servers for the matchmaker to work as expected...

[Zetor]

Now that the official forums are fully open, there's been some information forthcoming.

here is the current ranking of all servers (the results are not very surprising, though I didn't expect Tarnished Coast to do so well)
here is definite info about when wvw matchups will shift into 1-week mode (the last 24-hour match will end on Friday the 14th, ie. tomorrow) for "a couple of weeks" before switching finally into 2-week mode.
here is a thread about WVW queues. MikeFerguson mostly asks people to move from the uber-servers to the smaller ones that can't field a whole wvw team to spread out the population (heh, like people will do THAT) and queue for borderlands first. There is also apparently a bug that may cause people to get in before the people who queued before them?

[Falconeer]

His wording seems to indicate that you can queue for more than one WvW map at the same time. Like, queue for Server X Borderland, and for Eternal Battleground at the same time. I was under the impression that the last thing I queue for overwrites all previous enqueueing. Anyone else?

[MediumHigh]

One very simple solution for pubs is to have a random button that lets the individual players join any map on any server to relieve the stress on the server they are on. Second is to tie rewards gained from WvWvW to guilds, not servers. But yeah I don't see players guilds switching servers because a good guild will attract fanboys everywhere they go and will start the problem all over again.

[Nebu]

There is also apparently a bug that may cause people to get in before the people who queued before them?

See this all the time when my guild group queues.  A few will get in quickly (minutes) and the rest can take MUCH longer even though we all queue up at the same time.

[tazelbain]

People would rather piss and moan than switch servers. Human nature.

[MediumHigh]

Well for a guild there is no point because.

A. the reason why your server is hot is because of YOU. You do well so people flood to your server to leach off your awesome.
B. the stuff you earn is persistent to the server, transferring means starting over and playing against people who didn't bother to leave their home server, meaning working back up from a disadvantage and even if you do do well you have A to deal with.

[tazelbain]

Well for a guild there is no point because.

A. the reason why your server is hot is because of YOU. You do well so people flood to your server to leach off your awesome.
B. the stuff you earn is persistent to the server, transferring means starting over and playing against people who didn't bother to leave their home server, meaning working back up from a disadvantage and even if you do do well you have A to deal with.

A. That only applies people on a dozen or so guilds.
B. Guild reward are lackluster at best.

If you prefer a football analogy: If you don't like playing for the Patriots, you can always go play in Miami!

No they don't play for patriots.  They are gibbering morons who crowd the field delaying Tom Brady from getting on the field but then take credit for what he does when he finally does.

[MediumHigh]

If you prefer a football analogy: If you don't like playing for the Patriots, you can always go play in Miami!

No they don't play for patriots.  They are gibbering morons who crowd the field delaying Tom Brady from getting on the field but then take credit for what he does when he finally does.

Pretty much this.