08-11-2006, 12:05 AM
We are getting pretty far off the reservation here, but since it was a highly speculative topic to begin with, I'll keep on going.
It doesn't have to. Right now everything is warped by a few design flaws, notably the lack of matchmaking. First off, on most PvP relms, it takes more then an enourmous quantity of time, it takes a ton of time and a team that is capable winning 95% of the time by demolishing Pugs, scaring off lesser teams, and recognaising the teams that need to be /afked to.
Once matchmaking goes in, the good teams will no longer match up with pugs. Since /afk will not result in an easier match, there will be no reason to do that either. And since winning competitive games will now be exceptionally important, your middling player will be jettisioned by the pros he is trying to piggyback on. Or so I hope.
Two things. I think you have to look at the effects on what little world PvP remains, especially for the lower number faction. Somebody who went from 55-60 only in a group of 5-10 from cities to the end game dungeons would be substantially higher in rankings then somebody who soloed all of the EPL/winterspring quests. Is that a fair reflection of skill? What about somebody who kicks tail in BG's for two hours a day, then goes to try and farm rep for a while in EPL or silithus. Does he deserve a middle of the ground ranking of skill?
Second, you would have to look at how it would affect battlegrounds. It would definatly discourage trying. The losing side would have a strong incentive to turtle up far away from the objectives, to stop from losing any more honor. It would also defeat 40v40 BG's. For this system to have any effect at all, you have to charge the people who leave BG's early for a defeat. But if a BG is supposed to go for 2hours, it can easily streach to four. Are you gonna penalize people for leaving early from that? And ofcourse, who will be willing to fling themselves into fearbombing a tower if they will be dinged honor for doing it?
Quote:Positive-sum CP means rank rises mostly by time spent (grinding). Every encounter for anyone produces on the average some CP, so you can just spend enormous quantities of time to get to the top, as long as you are at least of middling skill.
It doesn't have to. Right now everything is warped by a few design flaws, notably the lack of matchmaking. First off, on most PvP relms, it takes more then an enourmous quantity of time, it takes a ton of time and a team that is capable winning 95% of the time by demolishing Pugs, scaring off lesser teams, and recognaising the teams that need to be /afked to.
Once matchmaking goes in, the good teams will no longer match up with pugs. Since /afk will not result in an easier match, there will be no reason to do that either. And since winning competitive games will now be exceptionally important, your middling player will be jettisioned by the pros he is trying to piggyback on. Or so I hope.
Quote:Zero-sum CP means rank rises mostly by skill developed (or it should if your ladder system is reasonable.)
I don't see why storming the battlements shouldn't be done in zero-sum CP (or other skill-ranking system.)
If storming is harder than defending, the encounter will reward a successful offense more than a successful defense.
Two things. I think you have to look at the effects on what little world PvP remains, especially for the lower number faction. Somebody who went from 55-60 only in a group of 5-10 from cities to the end game dungeons would be substantially higher in rankings then somebody who soloed all of the EPL/winterspring quests. Is that a fair reflection of skill? What about somebody who kicks tail in BG's for two hours a day, then goes to try and farm rep for a while in EPL or silithus. Does he deserve a middle of the ground ranking of skill?
Second, you would have to look at how it would affect battlegrounds. It would definatly discourage trying. The losing side would have a strong incentive to turtle up far away from the objectives, to stop from losing any more honor. It would also defeat 40v40 BG's. For this system to have any effect at all, you have to charge the people who leave BG's early for a defeat. But if a BG is supposed to go for 2hours, it can easily streach to four. Are you gonna penalize people for leaving early from that? And ofcourse, who will be willing to fling themselves into fearbombing a tower if they will be dinged honor for doing it?