Patch Notes 28/01/2022

[Rhinochild]

But if there wasn't a dominant side, zones wouldn't flip. The game is balanced and so if numbers are equal, zones won't filp.

So, again, I'll ask what's the problem with xrealming - even if people are swapping to the dominant side (which I don't think most are)? More zone flips? That's a problem??

So this sounds like you're viewing the RvR in a different way.

If numbers are equal, zones WILL flip because there are 3 active zones (at most points). When the numbers are equal, strategy becomes important - you pull a few WB's to another realm and split push. You change how to attack the Keep, there's so many strategic plays you can make in RvR when the zone is balanced in numbers.

When the dominant side is exactly that, dominant, then where's the fun? Where's the challenge? What is the point of having sides and PvP if the preferred way of playing is 500 V 10?

The game is build around a war between two factions. Fighting as an army VS a door isn't a war.

Hmm. My experience suggests that when a keep is under siege, and numbers are even, that keep won't fall. Region chat seems to reflect this as a given - if there's not >20% AAO, that keep will hold barring serious organization on one side and soft organization on the other. So, where's the evidence that evenly matched sides can flip zones. In order for the zone splitting to work, there needs to be enough population, and of late there hasn't been.

I'm not advocating for pvdoor - I think I'm saying the opposite.

But with xrealm lockouts, if there is a dominant side, there is no opportunity for those who want to swap to the outnumbered side to do so. If I'm on destro and I can't get an sc pop and rvr is dead b/c there is no one to fight, I can't swap sides. Lockout proponents would rather prevent people from swapping to the outnumbered side than allow people (the very few who do) the ability to swap from the outnumbered side to the dominant one.

Surveys may help everyone understand what's actually happening here, but I figure you guys must have data that can tell how many people are swapping dominant to outnumbered vs outnumbered to dominant. I feel like knowing those numbers is key to understanding what to do with xrealm lockout timers.

[Wakki]

On board with the 24 hr lockout you enter a rvr zone you can't switch factions for 24 hrs. Yeah some gonna whine and complain about it but that's probably going to be your so called x-realmers that don't seem to care about the others in their group. You notice lots starting out in lower zones going to rvr zone with no active players just running supps so they can get their rvr, xp and such. Then when the zone get active they leave because they don't want to deal with unfair numbers caused by the x-realmers. So it does cause one to get bored or discouraged because the game seems unfair to them. Those in warbands join scenarios during a battle for zone sits right up there with the x-realmers. To many ego's, it's a game that is suppose to be fun and enjoyable for everyone but, some do make that impossible at times.

[Kaelang]

But with xrealm lockouts, if there is a dominant side, there is no opportunity for those who want to swap to the outnumbered side to do so. If I'm on destro and I can't get an sc pop and rvr is dead b/c there is no one to fight, I can't swap sides. Lockout proponents would rather prevent people from swapping to the outnumbered side than allow people (the very few who do) the ability to swap from the outnumbered side to the dominant one.

Which is a point I mentioned earlier about X-Realming being a double-edged sword and it's not online people swapping to the dominant side but vice versa.

How does a side becomes dominant if not by using x-realm and make it dominant in the first place?
Is it possible that a zerg simply lands on one side by mere randomness of the day?
Honest questions, because i really want to know how this zergs happen.

I really don't understand where this line of questioning is going. But a dominant side can be a magnitude of things, better players, more organised WB leaders, x realmers switching... We're not saying X Realming is the only thing causing population imbalance - the survey is asking for information on how frequently it's used and for what purpose. So we can answer some of these questions.

[Grobi00F]

On an unrelated note, is there any way we'll eventually be able toe exchange Invader Shards for Royal Crests (10 Invader Crests for 1 Royal Crest maybe)? I'm looking at contempt every time I glance over my Royal Crests and have to see the Invader Medallions/Shards that I have absolutely no use for anymore.

[Rhinochild]

But with xrealm lockouts, if there is a dominant side, there is no opportunity for those who want to swap to the outnumbered side to do so. If I'm on destro and I can't get an sc pop and rvr is dead b/c there is no one to fight, I can't swap sides. Lockout proponents would rather prevent people from swapping to the outnumbered side than allow people (the very few who do) the ability to swap from the outnumbered side to the dominant one.

Which is a point I mentioned earlier about X-Realming being a double-edged sword and it's not online people swapping to the dominant side but vice versa.

[/quote]

If you're saying you/the devs know that most xrealming is people swapping to the outnumbered side, then why even have lockouts?

[Xirucio]

How does a side becomes dominant if not by using x-realm and make it dominant in the first place?
Is it possible that a zerg simply lands on one side by mere randomness of the day?
Honest questions, because i really want to know how this zergs happen.

I really don't understand where this line of questioning is going. But a dominant side can be a magnitude of things, better players, more organised WB leaders, x realmers switching... We're not saying X Realming is the only thing causing population imbalance - the survey is asking for information on how frequently it's used and for what purpose. So we can answer some of these questions.

Thanks a lot for the clarifications!
Well, let's say that the Zerg is the main problem and switching sides via x-realming in order to balance things out is a temporary solution.
But what if the zerg is generated in the first place by the option to x-realm, would it actually still need players switching sides to balance it?
If one is interested in fixing the problem, they don't address only them symptoms, so...by removing x-realming you will probably won't have Zergs and implicitly a problem, nor a need for a fix in the form of realm switching to supposedly the underdog realm all the time.
The feedback loop looks like this:
X-realming --->generates Zergs--->generates response for balance.
Remove X-realming, will result in no zergs and implicitly no problem.

[Kaelang]

But with xrealm lockouts, if there is a dominant side, there is no opportunity for those who want to swap to the outnumbered side to do so. If I'm on destro and I can't get an sc pop and rvr is dead b/c there is no one to fight, I can't swap sides. Lockout proponents would rather prevent people from swapping to the outnumbered side than allow people (the very few who do) the ability to swap from the outnumbered side to the dominant one.

Which is a point I mentioned earlier about X-Realming being a double-edged sword and it's not online people swapping to the dominant side but vice versa.

If you're saying you/the devs know that most xrealming is people swapping to the outnumbered side, then why even have lockouts?
[/quote]

"Based on the gathered data, we will be able to take one of the several paths that we've prepared and are willing to test it with you, in order to push for more accurate feedback at a later stage."

[Nekkma]

On live you could not even make characters of both realms on the same server for the longest time. Only a small fraction of players crossrealmed then because you had to pay for an additional sub. Where these servers a wonderland of population balance? Did population never swing after a failed keep or fort? Did pvdoor never happen? The answer is of course that pop balance was not that good, population swung alot with failed keeps and based on king lockout and pvdoor happened all the time. We even had scheduled pvdoor on sunday mornings to ensure city win and sov loot from king instance. Those sundays basically many hundreds of destro capped completely empty zones, sitting for hours and doing nothing while waiting for domination timer. We already know that a crossrealm ban do not solve any of the issues whined about because they where all present on live with a ban on crossrealm for the regular player.

[Sulorie]

When the dominant side is exactly that, dominant, then where's the fun? Where's the challenge? What is the point of having sides and PvP if the preferred way of playing is 500 V 10?

How does a side becomes dominant if not by using x-realm and make it dominant in the first place?
Is it possible that a zerg simply lands on one side by mere randomness of the day?
Honest questions, because i really want to know how this zergs happen.
[/quote]
A side becomes underdog, when ppl lose too often and log off.

Btw, you should come back to more realistic numbers, not such fantasy stuff.

[Kaelang]

When the dominant side is exactly that, dominant, then where's the fun? Where's the challenge? What is the point of having sides and PvP if the preferred way of playing is 500 V 10?

How does a side becomes dominant if not by using x-realm and make it dominant in the first place?
Is it possible that a zerg simply lands on one side by mere randomness of the day?
Honest questions, because i really want to know how this zergs happen.

A side becomes underdog, when ppl lose too often and log off.

Btw, you should come back to more realistic numbers, not such fantasy stuff.
[/quote]

That was a misquote - and was initially my comment (re: 500v10) and it was used as hyperbole to indicate the effects of PvDoor.