T4 improvements to encourage more strategy and less stalemate

[awmc82]

I have been reading a lot about the struggle for cities for different time zones (I am NA and 11pm-1am is not a desirable time for me either). I have been seeing ideas floated around about scheduled cities which I fundamentally disagree with. This is an organic game driven by player choices and should stay that way. Plus, scheduling cities at prime time could deprive others of cities due to them not playing at these times. I think a better solution is to create ideas which allow for player choices to drive the campaign to more cities. Two ideas I have are as followed with rationale.

1. Give 10% (number can be adjusted) more renown OR renown from keep takes while in another zone for any player pushing a zone by capping BOs, running supplies, or holding back other side in a zone which is not currently under siege.

• Purpose:

I think this would encourage players who don’t need bags and just renown to push the other zones while a keep is being taken. I think this would progress the campaign more quickly as it should encourage more people to push multiple zones instead of getting a stalemate in one because of a possible keep take (example: Empire 3 order vs. 4 Destro; Dwarf 10 order vs. 5 Destro; Elf 350 order vs 500 Destro). This zerged stalemate has been an issue I have seen in tons of different discussions about the progress of T4. I believe spreading out the population instead of condensing into one zone would be a positive.

• Issue:

I think the renown needs to be as good as taking a keep/flipping zone otherwise it will cause people to leave zones where keeps are being taken and zones won't flip.

2. Give 6man groups some type of incentive (extra renown, different/more currency, or some type of reward) to be in a zone where a keep is not being taken and set it up to be taken.

• Purpose:

Again, I think this will encourage players who just want renown (or small fights) to help progress the campaign by setting up zones to be taken by the groups who enjoy WB or zerging. This would also, I think, create a strong 6v6 in Orvr. I’m glad they put in ranked but just not fun gameplay when people have to wait so long for a pop.

• Issue:

I think the same as the other option. People might just go to zones where keep is not being taken if more reward if the incentive is not equal (#invadergate)

In the current system there is no real reward for being in a zone (other than gaining contribution) where a keep is not being taken. I think we saw with the invader issue from a few patches ago where people FLOCKED to zones with the most reward potential. Hence, why we get zones with 400 vs. 200 even with other zones open and empty due to the massive reward. If players want cities they have to go to zones to either flip AND/OR prepare the next one. I think in both cases players will be encouraged to not just be in the zone that is about to flip.

Also, I think this changes would go very well with an idea I read by Haasid (a change I would make over mine):

One of the fundamental designs of RoR is the three-zone-split of t4 into forts. The three-zone-split is basically good game design. By splitting the war into three zones the side with the smaller population can push several zones to get a population advantage in at least one zone. That system works really well as long as the three zones stay open. Even with one zone locked it works to split the war. But if both sides get a fort lock there is only one zone left and the winner will most likely be the faction who have the most people stay online when the majority of the server population logs off. The war is won by attrition (player fatigue) rather than strategy. Even organized warbands can make little difference in this war.

The reason I think Haasid’s idea would go together with mine is because if down to just one zone the two ideas I had would not be possible. Again, we would be at a 300 vs 300 stalemate and, as Haasid says, “(player fatigue) rather than strategy” would set in. No one wants player fatigue to be the reason for a zone flipping or people to quit.

As with all ideas there are sure to be issues or things I don’t see. I would love to hear tweaks or adjustments you have for what is mentioned and I will update accordingly. But something needs to be done to prevent what the EU is going through and to stop the one zone stalemate.