User:Auron/BtMQQ
Blame_the_Monks
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:39 pm
Squidget wrote: Game balance is fine at the moment, and though there are some outstanding issues, I've played Guild Wars in less-balanced metas
Balance v. Balance is pretty darn good, better and more diverse than it has been in a long time. Some minor taps are needed (splinter weapon, a few others), but its still very good. BvB isn't the issue, and hasn't been since iQ gale got nerfed. Likewise, top teams running balanced can crush bad teams running gimmicks. They always have and that proves nothing. Again, that's not the problem, generally speaking.
As far as I am concerned, there are two major problems, each of which hurt the game:
1) Gimmickry: Balance v balance is great, but there are still far too many gimmicks lurking out there. Paraway, hexes, meatspam, vod builds, recall, and a few others. Top teams don't run them on the ladder by choice, so the problem isn't as apparent until you watch tournament games. Then you see renoway and other gimmicks out in force. On top of all this, anet's balances for the past several months have rewarded button smashing p/r/s over skill based play. Finally, in my subjective opinion, individual skill, teamwork, and tactics are less important now than they were. Instead, teams are winning more based on bringing the right bars and/or gimmick for the map/opponent, exploiting badly balanced maps, AI, and skills, and simply showing up.
2) Game Support: In the short term, ATs require too much time and promote too much gimmickry because of map selection. The tournaments also feel like much less big of a deal as you aren't playing for anything important. Likewise, the ladder is a waste of time. No rewards, no reason to try and play your best, no quality competition, simply grinding out wins with over a 80% win rate to farm champ points against the other 2 potential champ teams in your time zone. ZzZZzzz.
In the longer run, no UAX, forced to buy all 3 chapters to play competitively, no ingame support for forming quality GvG teams, the implementation of tombs buffs, HvH, ABs, and so on have been flawed, the pvp community feels ignored, the problem of trying to mix pvp/pve, no real casual play, excessive barriers to entry on any form of quality play, minor pve/pvp imbalances (dire pet, r7, etc), excessive wait times before problems were fixed, fun seasons, etc.
So in part, I agree with you. Balance v balance is great and the very rare games where I get to play with a good team against a good team are a lot of fun. Its just they are rare because the GW system as a whole sucks.
