One of the most widely discussed issues with WAR is it's end game. The basic premise is one side defeats the other and captures their city. The actual city siege mechanics is another story, but so far this concept has not worked well. One side has to lose, constantly, for the other side to win.
This direct conflict is the core of the problem. A PvP MMO must strive for a balanced population. Without one the game just isn't fun for either side. If both sides are equal, then it is unlikely that one side can dominate the other. WAR's problem is that the end game needs to have that disparity.
The more balanced the game becomes, the less likely it is for the end game to occur. This seems like a fundamental design flaw that WAR has been built around. When the game becomes a stalemate, a large segment of players get bored and leave. If it is dominated by one side, players will get bored (of winning and losing) and leave.
In the case of a stalemate, the only time we will see the city siege is during off hours. This just frustrates players because they end up feeling helpless and not a part of the game. Why fight all day long when they will just take the city while you sleep?
Fixing the city siege mechanics and the fortress sieges will not help with this most basic problem. The whole idea of the campaign needs to be readdressed. Here is my half-baked idea.
Use the LotD resource concept. Instead of a direct conflict have it be more of a competition. Zone captures, kills, scenarios and prior tiers all contribute to the victory meter. Once filled the opposing city is opened. Get rid of the fortress sieges, no one likes them in their current form.
Just like the LotD, have a lockout timer that allows the losing realm to gain points while the winners can not. Also have a handicap system that will eventually get the losing realm into the opposing city.
This competitive system should prevent stalemates from occurring as all PvP contributes to the victory meter. By allowing the losing side access to the opposing city it may keep them interested as well. To keep all T4 zones relevant, one could be picked at random to provide a % bonus to the victory meter.
Gaming into the summer
1 day ago
