Patch Notes 22/9/2017

[Foomy44]

SH changes IMO where not needed. The classes now has self punt,snare,heal,KD,run away tactic, pets that cant be LOS which is more obsurd given its a rdps,range healdebuff and the tool kit gets ever more expanded. already the the best solo in game. best 2,3,4vX in game yet more changes are being made.

This has effectively become the range dps marauder equivalent for destro.

#FIXtheTREESLeavetheABILITIESalone

They also lost their burst M2 just like SW and Engi who also got buffs this patch. The reason they lost the M2 was so they could implement other buffs without breaking classes, like these. So what, nerf all 3 classes to buff em differently but then only buff the order ones back up? They already had a pet with a knockdown btw, so I don't see how their toolkit has expanded, from what I can tell all that happened here is a little more damage to make up for M2 disappearing and losing the option of having a pet that can knockback (which IMO was needed if you have looked at stabbity rework or ever been punted off a keep wall out of LoS of everything by it)

[Hargrim]

So what is the current playerbase opinion on zerging / number of pairings open connected to the actual pop on the server? Did this change affect gameplay in any way?

[Aurandilaz]

I've noticed myself just more cat&mouse gameplay, where if one side gets proper force together somewhere, the other side just avoids conflict as well as they can, occasionally just capping empty zones than even bothering to do actual fighting.

You give players the option to either capture empty zones and win no bags, or fight against enemies in a zone where they have bigger numbers... and surprisingly quite many prefer to just capture empty keeps compared to actually facing organized enemy resistance.

Since multiple zone openings, our warband has spent far more time trying to FIND people to fight, whereas previously you had all of them in same zone with good ideas where the enemies most likely are.

It's just getting tiresome, chasing through multiple zones, hoping to find people who don't flee at first opportunity to somewhere else, and when they cannot flee, they just bunker down in a rank 5 keep and spam artillery barrages with 10 cannons on anything that moves within 200 feet of the keep walls, and then you end up spending several hours trying to derank a rank 5 keep, only to realize that by that time the enemies have again gone elsewhere.

[Hargrim]

...

Lets see what others have to say. Any suggestions from you for now?

[ragafury]

Multiple pairings are not working the majority of the time for "zerg" or "pop" splitting.

I saw it once working, that was fresh after release.
Order tried to dodge destro and went for pvdoor. (left T3 averlorn / saphery and went Praag)

2 example videos of same date, can also check the date. It was working once the patch was kinda new.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kJkUkgfZnig
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DjiNgrXkvRI

Last three weeks I saw only an action zone (usually the highest tier) with a pop in prime of 1xx v 1xx as an example and an off zone with something like 1x v x.

Most recent example was Praag (140v95 on average) yesterday while DW (15v5) was the off zone.

I embrace the idea, but the reality looks like this in EU prime.

Thanks for the work so far.

[daniilpb]

I've noticed myself just more cat&mouse gameplay, where if one side gets proper force together somewhere, the other side just avoids conflict as well as they can, occasionally just capping empty zones than even bothering to do actual fighting.

You give players the option to either capture empty zones and win no bags, or fight against enemies in a zone where they have bigger numbers... and surprisingly quite many prefer to just capture empty keeps compared to actually facing organized enemy resistance.

Since multiple zone openings, our warband has spent far more time trying to FIND people to fight, whereas previously you had all of them in same zone with good ideas where the enemies most likely are.

It's just getting tiresome, chasing through multiple zones, hoping to find people who don't flee at first opportunity to somewhere else, and when they cannot flee, they just bunker down in a rank 5 keep and spam artillery barrages with 10 cannons on anything that moves within 200 feet of the keep walls, and then you end up spending several hours trying to derank a rank 5 keep, only to realize that by that time the enemies have again gone elsewhere.

This is a playerbase issue. Pugs just can't fight your organizated warband, previously they were just feeding you. Now they have a chance to get at least some renown without bags in empty zones. It was very frustrating for them.
People who want to fight you and are able to do it, will fight you no matter how many zones are open.
Only one zone opened doesn't force them to make an organizated wb and face some challenge. They want freenown and chill. Either they just leave the game and play something else.

[Haojin]

So what is the current playerbase opinion on zerging / number of pairings open connected to the actual pop on the server? Did this change affect gameplay in any way?

zerging isn't about opening 1 or 3 zone at the same time, it's a lifestyle. forcing one zone just makes zerging easier.

more zones gives people to look/search fights aka freedom. if you prefer zerg go a zerg zone, if you look for small skirmishers use SoR and ZP addons and go hunt.

@ragah @aund
if you so desperate to have some challanging/good fights like me, you have to be ready for swapping sides as a guild. playing with the side with %100+ aao is just a snorefest.

[Acidic]

So what is the current playerbase opinion on zerging / number of pairings open connected to the actual pop on the server? Did this change affect gameplay in any way?

Seems to me that for the most things work reasonably well, but the BO ticks are causing WB to camp (full picnic baskets and fire going).

Destro camping AFK in Praag MS and order actively camping and being feed in tavern.

But the major blobbing is a bit reduced but still order and Destro go in multiple WB zergs , so bit same same different.

[altharion1]

The issue is:

If there is an organised WB without an opposition organised WB in the zone then its RIP orvr. The only way pugs can counter it is by forming a zerg (not always possible or effective)

Orvr is now basically like doing SCs when a real premade is queuing, if there is no opposition premade queuing its RIP Sc's for the pugs. To counter this they added the pug SC.

Pugs moving to an empty zone to avoid the organised WB is like pugs only queuing the pug SC to avoid the premades.

It all seems to be working as intended.

[Hargrim]

To counter this they added the pug SC.

Maybe we should open one zone as 'pug only' with warbands and parties above 2 people disabled .