One of the reasons I was drawn to WvW was the fact that I could become stronger by gaining ranks. Now this feature wasn’t in the game at launch, but was of one of the biggest changes made in WvW. Just like the rest of Guild Wars 2, WvW receives updates and changes to make the experience more enjoyable. The last update introduce a whole new battleground for armies to conquer. I love the changes that have been made to the play type, but there are still some things missing.
As I continue to play WvW, I find myself wondering why certain things are missing from the game, or why some things are the way the are. I'm sure there is a reason, and ArenaNet doesn't have to explain themselves. Most of the time I think I'm just wishing for a bit too much, like having an in-game voice chat for the commanders.
Now I know what some of you are thinking, and it's true! Voice chat would invite trolls, and then there's teamspeak. But many players, perhaps those not in larger guilds, don't want to have to run another program while running the game. That's why I think it should be a feature in-game. If you pin up, players can hear your commands with ease. Perhaps a limit to how many commanders that can pin up at any given time will stop a flood of trolls from invading. If a troll does come out from under its bridge, players can just use an ignore feature just like they do in normal chat. This keeps everything open for the serious commanders to lead their teams to victory. But putting this feature in is probably way easier said than done.
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Let's put an end to commander rage.
Arrow carts and catapults are kind of confusing. It's not that they're hard to use, but they have wheels. Now this may not sound weird, but they can't move. That's right, siege weapons have wheels, but can't move. It's actually gotten to a point where it drives me crazy, and I can't stand to look at them. They need to become movable, or to be remodeled so that they look like stationary weapons. I don't care, just make them make sense.
Ok, that last one is really just me being crazy, so let’s move on to something more serious. It has to deal with the Edge of the Mists map. I love this map, well for the most part anyways. First off, it's incredible looking. You actually feel like you're doing battle in a fantasy world. The SPvP maps have always had this feeling, but the WvW battlegrounds are stale, so EotM really spiced things up visually. It's also a giant land mass floating in the sky, forcing you to pay attention to your surroundings in combat. And let's not forget that it's a great way to warm up while you wait in queue.
EotM is a ton of fun, but it lacks a reason to win. Right now the winning team gets a special supply delivery to their battlegrounds. I'm trying to think of a time my server needed supplies in our own battlegrounds, and I can't think of a single time it’s ever been a problem. All the capturing, all the tactics, and intense battles won for what feels like nothing.
I have no idea how ArenaNet could change this, but surely that has to be something. A lot of players won't play the map because good effort go unrewarded. The only reason I play the map is because it's a fun and unique experience from the regular battlegrounds.
I really enjoy the idea of the mercenary forces in WvW, but I feel like they don’t help that much at all! Sure a few Ogres will go and hangout at your camp, but a zerg, or even a half way decent havoc team can take them out with ease. What if players could do more to help out the merc forces, which causes them to send out more, or even just stronger warriors to help defend, and capture camps. This could make them a bit more than just extra WXP for the enemy zerg.
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You can slay a dragon, but you can't move an arrow cart!
There are a lot of changes that could come in future WvW updates, but I'm really hoping to see some form of voice chat. It would be great for commanders to lead their armies without have to spam the same command in map chat. EotM should also see some updates in the future. And maybe, just maybe, those darn wheels on siege weapons will actually serve a purpose.
What changes would you like to see in WvW? Do wheeled, yet immovable siege weapons drive you crazy? Let us know in the comments below.
David North / David North is a freelance writer for MMORPG.com. David loves to play and makes games, but now he writes about them! If you want to creep on him and make fun of his ability to draw, follow him over on twitter @David_the_North.
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