What I think Return of Reckoning is getting wrong... (lately)

[Husti]

Scenarios: Just like we have a pug SC, add a new Premade ONLY SC with much more rewards. That way die hards will have a place to fight it out and get rewarded for it fairly. That would alleviate impact premades have on regular SCs.

No, don't split the playerbase. Tell the players more clearly what is a pug SC and what not by printing a yellow message when you queue up for each SC saying "This is a solo only queue SC". "This is a free for all queue SC". Add the weekly event SCs as pug also. If possible then make sure that at least one healer is in each group.

oRvR: Bring back keep respawn for deaths upto 300yard away from keep walls. Let defenders actually defend by fighting it out. Also make AAO give something else than RR bonus. There needs to be some incentive to fight for the losing side. Either power up from AAO, or increased shards from AAO. And consider making it based on localized AAO, rather than map wide. Noone in the keep defense benefits from that 6 man roamer hunting solo players on the other side of map. If a group of 6 killing one player, they should get close to no rewards, regardless of what is map AAO. That will bring those 6 mans back into keep fights where they face actual enemy sieging.

I like the idea with the respawn in keep 300yards away. Currently nobody is trying to fight people outside because they fear to die and get ported away where they can't get back. I also hate that not all ranged dps can attack the Oil. You can only damage the Oil with magic, not physical ranged dps. That makes no sense. Not being able to attack and kill the ram with ranged is another thing I liked more on live.

Forts: I think the population limit is good. Otherwise you wouldn't get any fight when one side is very dominant. The only thing I don't like is that you are still getting invader medallions when you only need royals and giving the losing side only 1 medal for 30 mins of fighting is just not enough.

Renown and Influence: Renown is currently too low, especially in wb keep an fort fights. You are getting like 100 renown for kills. For solo kills out there it is waay higher and fine.

City: Dont pair groups at all until timer is out; then pair highest rr WBs with each other first, then next highest RR ones and so on. Highest rr WBs often try to dodge queue to face pugs, instead of actually fighting it off with their similar power counterparts on other side.

I've said it multiple times. Only allow 6man groups for city. Make a queue up phase and make a phase where you mix up the groups and put them together into warbands for city before it starts. That's 24 premade stomping needs to stop.

Balance: Do something about the aoe mDPS stacking. That setup is by far too strong atm, especially for the destro side with pulls and aoe knock down. Either nerf them a little like you did for rDPS stacking like Rain of Fire or give rDPS teeth again to actually be a threat for them. Order has tons of SWs and Engis and they are pretty much teethless against these guarded mDPS groups. It's also the reason they are not wanted in city. You would solve that problem aswell with it.

[CyunUnderis]

Balance: Do something about the aoe mDPS stacking. That setup is by far too strong atm, especially for the destro side with pulls and aoe knock down. Either nerf them a little like you did for rDPS stacking like Rain of Fire or give rDPS teeth again to actually be a threat for them. Order has tons of SWs and Engis and they are pretty much teethless against these guarded mDPS groups. It's also the reason they are not wanted in city. You would solve that problem aswell with it.

This is not that SWs or Engis are not wanted, this is just that you need to have a precise composition to make them shine (2 SM for SW to drain morale or BW for Engi). SWs can be played mSW, and joined one of the ST party.

[Sulorie]

What has a higher impact in city siege? Warband composition (e.g. pug instance with like 4 healers for whole warband) or gear disadvantage?

[abezverkhiy]

Of my 5 toons I actively play 3 only atm - WH 77, WP 75, and IB 60. Only one of them takes part in scenarios, WP, others have absolutely no reason to. Even WP has probably only a half of a reason for that - I am more to support my guildies in scenarios than actually progress to rewards because they are nice to have but not too sexy.

And yes, I support they idea of segregating single players and premades. And idea of matching city wbs based on RR levels looks reasonable too.

I do not support the idea to increase drop rates of medallions in RvR though because once you are geared there is nothing left to fight for.

[ufthakk]

If the gear grind is the only thing that keep ppl going, have fun with 1 star cities and Pve-Door.

[Husti]

Balance: Do something about the aoe mDPS stacking. That setup is by far too strong atm, especially for the destro side with pulls and aoe knock down. Either nerf them a little like you did for rDPS stacking like Rain of Fire or give rDPS teeth again to actually be a threat for them. Order has tons of SWs and Engis and they are pretty much teethless against these guarded mDPS groups. It's also the reason they are not wanted in city. You would solve that problem aswell with it.

This is not that SWs or Engis are not wanted, this is just that you need to have a precise composition to make them shine (2 SM for SW to drain morale or BW for Engi). SWs can be played mSW, and joined one of the ST party.

You can't switch from a ranged SW to a melee SW that easy. You need different gear, you need different talis, you need different renown, build and playstyle. And even if you have that, why take a mSW for ST party then there are WHs that do a lot better as ST or WLs and Slayers. There is no reason to take a mSW with you when the other options are better. Pretty much the same for engis. Why take an engi when you can have aoe WLs and Slayers?

Basically the same for healers. Heal AM is the very last option. You usually want WPs and RPs.

So no, SWs, Engis and heal AMs are actually least wanted in a city wb.

[Husti]

What has a higher impact in city siege? Warband composition (e.g. pug instance with like 4 healers for whole warband) or gear disadvantage?

All is important. WB composition, gear and skill. That's why Id suggest to mix 6man groups to 24man wbs to even the field for skill and gear a little. Sure you could get 3 bad 6man groups but it's the same for the enemy. It's still better than matching 24man premades against 24man pugs and in reality you most likely wouldn't get 3 bad groups. And even with 4 good groups the win is also not guaranteed when the others are simply better.

It would make the game more fair and fun for new players who don't have the gear or 24man premade and those are the players we should focus more. Not the sov people that already have their stuff and just want to faceroll others.

Having a 2/2/2 group could be a requirement for queuing up as 6man for city.

[Sulorie]

What has a higher impact in city siege? Warband composition (e.g. pug instance with like 4 healers for whole warband) or gear disadvantage?

All is important. WB composition, gear and skill. That's why Id suggest to mix 6man groups to 24man wbs to even the field for skill and gear a little. Sure you could get 3 bad 6man groups but it's the same for the enemy. It's still better than matching 24man premades against 24man pugs and in reality you most likely wouldn't get 3 bad groups. And even with 4 good groups the win is also not guaranteed when the others are simply better.

It would make the game more fair and fun for new players who don't have the gear or 24man premade and those are the players we should focus more. Not the sov people that already have their stuff and just want to faceroll others.

Having a 2/2/2 group could be a requirement for queuing up as 6man for city.

The MM already tries to match 24vs24 premade warband. At some point, there will be all premade warbands on one side in queue and only smaller groups and solos remaining. What is the MM supposed to do, when you can't be matched with a full warband? Those small groups and solos will be matched with your warband.

[abezverkhiy]

Oh yeah... And one more thing. Making decisions that cut player base in half is an example of something that should not be done. Summer is over and numbers are not coming back.

[Sulorie]

Oh yeah... And one more thing. Making decisions that cut player base in half is an example of something that should not be done. Summer is over and numbers are not coming back.

You are aware, that there was a recent new mmo release? It's the same with every new mmo to come.