Eden for the most parts has gotten a lot right, it is by far a better version of DaoC than DAoC.. the population and longevity of this season is a prime example. However, recent patches and tweaks to the dynamic of RvR, as well as Koth have severely impacted on the balance and playability of the game.
To caveat this, though I'm know for PvE, I partake in all forms of PvP. I solo on my warrior (true soloing, I small man, I enjoy Koth and I love a good keep scrap and zerging it up. So, the following remarks and analysis don't come from just one perspective of the game but from a balanced style of gameplay and are intended to improve all aspects of Eden's PvP culture.
Firstly, lets begin with RvR, it is as the title suggests Realm vs Realm, and part of what makes DAoC one of the best and most enduring mmorpgs is the tri realm warfare. So let's break it down.
Currently here on Eden, RvR is stagnating for a variety of reasons. Be that disillusionment with RvR leaders, toxic cultures and/or the imbalance in the class dynamics imposed by various patches. We don't truly have a balanced RvR culture anymore. Though most servers down the years have had one realm that has tended to be the smaller realm, the dynamics of game play made it possible for the smaller realm to have fun. Currently, the under population realm on Eden suffers significantly. To the point you see a distinct migration from the besieged realm to greener pastures.
The current Campaign system is definitely fit for purpose, it encourages activities in a defined area to increase the likelihood of action. The rewards are reasonable. Though personally I'd like to see it limited to 5 levels to allow the casual players to not lose pace with the hardcore player so easily. But as a mechanic it does its job well. As does ToB. However, the current dynamic of only one frontier, or if your realm has all 6 relics that becomes the frontier by default. Doesn't quite work. It puts pressure and tactical decisions as RP gain from camp credit and camp rewards is a big draw.
As such I suggest the following change to the dynamics of the Front Line and Campaign credit:
a) If a realm poses 4 or more relics, regardless of the outcome of ToB that realm will also become a Front Line. For example if Hib has 4 relics and wins ToB and goes to Alb to get a some more, Hibernia and Albion will become Frontlines and camp rewards and credits etc are available in both frontiers. This will encourage one realm to pose tactical conundrums by allowing them to attack the dominant realm and gain benefits whilst it is full engaged trying to capture relics in another realm.
b) Make it harder to take relics from relic temples. Currently taking a relic from a relic temple when no one is around is to easy. Eden is superbly placed to implement AI Relic Gate guards that spawn in defence of a Relic Gate and/or Temple. For example:
if NF pop > 50 then spawn Relic Guard Group A, B, C, D at loc W,X,Y,Z ( crappy psuedo code I know)
The premise being if a realm NF population is below a certain figure, then tough AI mobs spawn just inside the relic gate and are programmed to defend the gate. The same can b applied at the temples. This is to bolster and encourage the under populated realms player to get out there and try and lend a hand. 40 odd defenders with a bunch of AI guards can make a fight of it. As with the KoTH chest you can assign rp rewards to the AI guards.
Currently, defending a relic temple as an under pop realm is futile. This mechanic can be scaled down and applied to keeps containing relics.
To balance this out, you can add despawn mechanic that checks the temple zone for active realm players ever few minutes. If the number of active defenders exceeds a certain threshold the AI guards despawn and leave the player to it.
Simply put taking a relic should be hard, it should involve a serious fight, currently it doesn't.
c) Lock Campaign credit on a weekly basis. To encourage people to pick a realm and stay on it, rather than constantly hopping from one realm to another. Lock Campaign rewards for the entire campaign cycle. You gain Camp credit on Albion and though you can gain rp for kills on hib/mid, you cannot gain camp credit rp on another realm for the entire week.
These change should change the dynamic of comabt in the frontiers by opening up the frontline giving under populated realm the option of forcing the over populated realm into make tough decision, increase the functionality of NF as a zone, and make it harder to take relics. In doing so making relic battles worth fights.
Next we come to KoTH, the current koth system sadly is having a major negative impact on the PvP dynamic of the game for a number of reason:
Firstly, it's to frequest and when compared with large scale RvR the rp gained in KoTH is significantly better, especially with 100% rp bonuses. This has lead to many people who once zerged it up, abandoning that aspect of the game. Koth taking place ever 30 odd minutes is way to often imo. Limit it to every 3-4 hours, and extend the duration to 1 hour, and you free up all the players just standing around in relic towns waiting on Koth or running back and forth between shadey figures to go out there and roam. With potentially 2 front lines, lots of behemoths etc. There will be plenty of roaming action for the set 8mans to pick people off as they scamper about.
Get rid of the shadey quest, and chest quest for that matter. 8mans and smallmans should be roaming and engaging in fights not pveing or running quests.
Place Koth on EV whenever it happens and set the boundaries as the mile gates or ridgelines. Currently Koth is just to condensed groups need a bit more space to move about. If ToB triggers Koth can't spawn. Groups have to go out and roam again..
Finally, fix the Koth group finder. If you're in combat you shouldn't get pulled into Koth.
This leaves the third unused frontier for a potential smallman Koth running on a cycle between 8man koth, again 3-4 hour spawn time, solo quests, explorer quests etc.. for those not looking to zerg it up or 8man koth.
Eden has all the mechanics to fix the current issues with RvR but the current system isn't working. We can see that in the way RvR has devolved over the past 4-6 months.
My 2 coppers worth..
Gil.
The RvR Conundrum..
Re: The RvR Conundrum..
First post but i can only +1 all of the above.
This is the exact same way i (and a bunch of friends) are feeling overall.
I think this situation has to be addressed somehow, as it is not about realm population entirely but the mechanics, timers and their rewards in the current situation.
This is the exact same way i (and a bunch of friends) are feeling overall.
I think this situation has to be addressed somehow, as it is not about realm population entirely but the mechanics, timers and their rewards in the current situation.
Re: The RvR Conundrum..
I've had a good think about how to handle KoTH and evolve it into a system that doesn't over balance the game and offers an even playing field for all involved.
Firstly, place KoTH in an EV Arena similar to the Arena LFF system, spawns all participants are transported to the KM waiting room instance for their group. Once the event begins all groups are transported into the arena Instances at random locations around EV. Using an arena instance like this will also enable KoTH players to pick up the occasional ToB credit in the same way you do in an Arena if ToB happens to be taking place.
Secondly,, change the dynamic of KoTH as follows:
Set KotH to take place every 2 hours, schedule on server time 00:00, 02:00, 04:00 etc etc. Sign up and entry for the event begins 5-10 minutes before the scheduled KotH, and you can extend the duration to say 30 minutes. This gives 12 KotH's every 24 hours and players will know based upon UTC when KotH will take place. Leaving ample time between KotH events for players to dive into a pve raid, go roam, do a few frontier quests, camp credit etc. Thus diversifying gameplay and engagement.
With this structured schedule in place it enables the devs to introduce different types of KotH events, that can either run concurrently in an instance or scheduled throughout the day. Suggestions on different KotH modes and schedule is as follows:
Random KoTH: I like the randomness and opportunity to play with players and classes on other realms, the group finder mechnic works well. so one such KotH mode would be pure randomly generated groups, and only way to enter this version of KotH is to be flagged LFF and solo. So, all groups built during the sign up phase are truly random.
Small-Man KotH: This variant of KotH was highly popular and a lot of fun. Sign up for KotH requires players to be in a group of no more than 4 and flagged LFF.
8-man Koth: This is the full 8-man, set group battle royale style KotH Arena fight night. Entry requires a full 8-man flagged LFF.
As previously mentioned these KotH modes can either be run concurrently or staggered throughout the day for example: )):)) - Random KotH, 02:00 - Smallman KotK, 04:00 - 8man Koth and so forth and so on.
Now, to the balancing factor to encourage returning players, new players to dabble and try out KotH, as mentioend in the OP I partake in all forms of PvP, and one regular criticism I hear of why new people don't try KotH is the RR gap and imbalance, as such I recommend capping KotH at rr5 and placing a set of trainers in the waiting room prior to the start of the event to allow people to RA spec before the event begins, and capping points expenditure to 40 realm pts that you get at rr5. This still allows for the use of class rr5 abilities but would make KotH a more balance skill based experience, and encourage new players to partake and see if that style of game play is for them without being run over by rr12+ groups constantly. Once Koth is over players return to NF and normal RvR activities and ranks.
These changes would still offer ample KotH style activites throughout the day, allow players to expand their game play, and stop people just standing around in relic towns waiting for KotH to spawn in 30 minutes. I'm not sure about alb and hib as I don't go there
But Godr is full of people just standing around just waiting on KotH. The proposed changes above would entice them to go do something constructive between KotH's.
My 4 silvers worth,
Gil.
Firstly, place KoTH in an EV Arena similar to the Arena LFF system, spawns all participants are transported to the KM waiting room instance for their group. Once the event begins all groups are transported into the arena Instances at random locations around EV. Using an arena instance like this will also enable KoTH players to pick up the occasional ToB credit in the same way you do in an Arena if ToB happens to be taking place.
Secondly,, change the dynamic of KoTH as follows:
Set KotH to take place every 2 hours, schedule on server time 00:00, 02:00, 04:00 etc etc. Sign up and entry for the event begins 5-10 minutes before the scheduled KotH, and you can extend the duration to say 30 minutes. This gives 12 KotH's every 24 hours and players will know based upon UTC when KotH will take place. Leaving ample time between KotH events for players to dive into a pve raid, go roam, do a few frontier quests, camp credit etc. Thus diversifying gameplay and engagement.
With this structured schedule in place it enables the devs to introduce different types of KotH events, that can either run concurrently in an instance or scheduled throughout the day. Suggestions on different KotH modes and schedule is as follows:
Random KoTH: I like the randomness and opportunity to play with players and classes on other realms, the group finder mechnic works well. so one such KotH mode would be pure randomly generated groups, and only way to enter this version of KotH is to be flagged LFF and solo. So, all groups built during the sign up phase are truly random.
Small-Man KotH: This variant of KotH was highly popular and a lot of fun. Sign up for KotH requires players to be in a group of no more than 4 and flagged LFF.
8-man Koth: This is the full 8-man, set group battle royale style KotH Arena fight night. Entry requires a full 8-man flagged LFF.
As previously mentioned these KotH modes can either be run concurrently or staggered throughout the day for example: )):)) - Random KotH, 02:00 - Smallman KotK, 04:00 - 8man Koth and so forth and so on.
Now, to the balancing factor to encourage returning players, new players to dabble and try out KotH, as mentioend in the OP I partake in all forms of PvP, and one regular criticism I hear of why new people don't try KotH is the RR gap and imbalance, as such I recommend capping KotH at rr5 and placing a set of trainers in the waiting room prior to the start of the event to allow people to RA spec before the event begins, and capping points expenditure to 40 realm pts that you get at rr5. This still allows for the use of class rr5 abilities but would make KotH a more balance skill based experience, and encourage new players to partake and see if that style of game play is for them without being run over by rr12+ groups constantly. Once Koth is over players return to NF and normal RvR activities and ranks.
These changes would still offer ample KotH style activites throughout the day, allow players to expand their game play, and stop people just standing around in relic towns waiting for KotH to spawn in 30 minutes. I'm not sure about alb and hib as I don't go there
But Godr is full of people just standing around just waiting on KotH. The proposed changes above would entice them to go do something constructive between KotH's.My 4 silvers worth,
Gil.