In our second chance to test Guild Wars 2 we got a good look at World vs. World PVP yet again. The gameplay in this area is fantastic for PvP lovers and when the game is launched the Eternal Battlegrounds will by far be the most populated zone in the game, at least that’s my guess. Here are several reasons why this system will be successful as both an endgame and progression system for Guild Wars 2.
The Positives
4.) You Can Enter WvW at Level 1.
That is really all I have to say. Some folks may not quite get it at first, but like in GW1, ArenaNet will boost you to the max level, boost your stats, and give you some placeholder gear to start competing right from the start. Sure, real level 80s will know their professions better, and they’ll have real gear to fight with, but there’s nothing stopping you from partaking. You may only have one skill on your weapon bar, but darn it you can fight. The quick entry into this zone will make it very popular.
3.) The Three Faction System.
Many MMOs who followed in the wake of World of Warcraft forgot this gem of a design. Not ArenaNet, where many Dark Age of Camelot fans reside. Their system pits three full servers against each other. Having rewards for controlling the most objectives which gives your entire server a boost is pretty major to fight for. Also, the zones are divided pretty fairly in terms of locations, with a ton of different locations and objectives to fight over. The key to this system though is three sides, instead of two. Even if one side rises above the other two, you now can have the two underdog factions working together to take down the strongest power. This will play out in much more interesting scenarios than just two sides in a fight, especially because it’s never going to be a simple matter of one side overpowering the other.
2.) Quick Access via User Interface
Say you are running around the zones doing your personal story, and you get bored. Within two clicks of the mouse you can be in the Mists gearing up for PvP. Open your Character menu, click on the crossed swords for PvP and bam you are in. The simplicity of this is very critical. With World vs. World you don’t have to queue for a battleground, you just go right in. If no players are out and about and you have a decent group, it is pure win. You can start attacking objectives to get those rewards for your realm, with a mix of PVE and PVP in the Eternal Battlegrounds.
1.) The Thrill of the Hunt
Even if there are not a lot of players to fight, you are always looking over your shoulder or over the hill top to see what is coming. This aspect of the game is something that is lost in many systems we have seen. In Battlegrounds and instanced PVP you always know what you are getting. Here, you could run into anything at any moment. There is no telling whether your group will hit 3 opponents or 30.
Now with all of these great things to think about there are some downsides to the system thatw e should look at. Sure it has been all roses on the site lately for Guild Wars 2 and rightfully so, but until the game is launched and running, you never know how theories will work out.
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Potential Downsides
Now with all of these great things to think about there are some downsides to the system that we should look at. Sure it has been all roses on the site lately for Guild Wars 2 and rightfully so because there is just a lot to look forward to, but until the game is launched and running, you never know how the designers’ theories will work out.
3.) Over-population
Depending on how many players the WvW environment can hold, you may very well be waiting in a queue. All of this depends on how balanced the servers are and how many players they allow into the zones to fight one the thing is live.
2.) Under-population
The flip side of over population is under-population. There could be huge gaps in the action when not enough people are out there and players find it tough to get into a fight with anything more than NPCs.
1.) Community Woes
Last of all is how the population interacts, and this is nothing that ArenaNet can control. When you open up a battle zone like this there is no telling what the players will do and how they will treat each other. Hopefully the game will support great communities who are all about improving the game and the zones as it grows.
The time I had playing in the last test was great. Just watch the video embedded here and listen to me as I get more and more excited. I couldn’t control it. The ease of the system and getting involved is great. In theory Guild War 2 has nailed it with PvP. There is so much to this game, but this aspect really will give the players hours of time to battle, form strategies, and take over the lands. When launch finally comes, this will be one of the first areas people explore in the live setting. I can’t wait to see the siege of each server’s keep and be a part of it all.
