While I accept that no game is perfect, imbalanced battle maps shouldn't be released in a game focused around PVP/RVR. It seems like this would be obvious during design. If it wasn't, surely internal testing and BETA would reveal the problem. Barring that, the constant QQ-ing over imbalance in the World of Warcraft battle-maps, specifically Alterac Valley, should have taught the gaming world something. The QQs and boycotts over that one battle field is infamous.
I'm sorry to read over at Kill Ten Rats that one of the T3 Scenarios, Tor Anroc, appears to be imbalanced to Order's detriment. With so few players up in those levels, having game mechanics discourage participation impacts all T3 players. Scenarios will queue slower if people are refusing to play certain maps. And those that participate unwittingly may often find themselves outnumbered which will lead to frustration and a less enjoyable gaming experience.
If Tor Anroc is an unbalanced map, here's hoping that Mythic addresses it quickly. I personally enjoy the "get the relic and hold it...if you don't have it, chase down the guy with it and smash his face in to get it" competition, best of all the map objectives. It's fast chaotic madness that usually produces a few laughs along the way. AND Bright Wizards thrive in chaotic combat. Getting half-way decent heals we can bring the pain and blow shit up like nobody's business. *Evil Grin* It will be too bad if I can't do this particular scenario when I start doing T3 RVR/PVP in the next day or so.
Hey Saylah, they've posted a recent hotfix to make the bauble in Tor Anroc "harder to get from far away," which may address this issue.
Otherwise, you really don't seem like the sort to shout loudly "IMBA," I would think you'd rather wait till you have a chance to see/judge for yourself.
Posted by: KingMob | October 07, 2008 at 11:12 AM
That's good to hear. I'll try it once and see. It's just good to know that people have found an issue so I don't waste my time trying to figure out what the heck is going on. :-) There are far too many other things I could be doing in WAR, if that scenario is borked. *Still having twitches from holding off of rolling alts*
Posted by: Saylah | October 07, 2008 at 01:29 PM
That's unfortunate if the map is borked. I remember all the AV screaming. :(
*whispered voice*
Saaaaaaaylah ... SAaaaaaaylah ... there's also healing classes ... and dwarves with cannons ... roll an alt ... roll one ... you know you want to ... you can't resist the lure forever ...
:P
*snicker*
*flees*
Posted by: Khan | October 07, 2008 at 01:46 PM
LOL - Stop it. I got on my WP and RP to accept all the mailed gear I'd sent them. WOW what a pain in the neck the mail system is but I'll save that rant for another day.
Anywho... I walked around on each of them a bit - read played a couple of levels. It was nice but made me miss being all maximum uber on my BW. *laugh* I know I'll have fun on my WP but I'll wait for more time to pass from running the lower tier Empire content.
Posted by: saylah | October 07, 2008 at 05:23 PM
Imbalanced toward Order's *detriment*? That's crazy. On my server (Vortex) you cannot actually get into a scenario on Tier 3 besides Tor Anroc because that's all Order queues up for. I'm not kidding. If you queue up for everything but Tor Anroc, you'll be sitting and waiting forever...I've done it. Queue up for Tor Anroc and you'll be in in less than 20 minutes. This is weekend or weekday, morning, noon, and night.
All order does is knockback and root people in the lava. Over. And over. And over. And over. And over.
It's horribly imbalanced and not at all in favor of Destruction. It is heavily in favor of Order. And on my server, it's impossible to get into any other Scenario because Order has learned to exploit this map for all it's worth.
Posted by: Ralkin | October 07, 2008 at 08:12 PM
Interesting. Guess it's different on each server. If you follow the link to KTRs, you can see he's not experiencing what you are on your server. By the way, waiting 20 mins for a Scenario is the suxors! On Averheim it's like 5 minutes. I hope that isn't going to change much when I start doing the T3 scenarios later this week.
Posted by: Saylah | October 08, 2008 at 12:47 AM
I would agree with Ralkin.
I'm a high follower for balanced gameplay like everyone else.
As everyone states, Tor Anroc is pretty much the only scenario you will get into and for me, the wait is usually less than a min or two. It's quick and easy queue up without much wait. Which is great. On the downside is obviously the lack of participation in other maps, although I have to say there were occasion where such as Temple of Isha, Doom etc where you had a full map evenly on both sides and they were great runs.
My experience with Tor Anroc having done it countless times is the overuse of knockbacks by Order, which is singlehandely giving easy wins to Order. THey know this, so they only play this. It's fun to win, and when they win 60-90% of the time, it's the best choice for them to play this then other scenarios.
It was more evident than ever having done about 20-30 rounds last night just to see how things would go. Out of all that, Destruction won once. Quite lame + unbalanced don't you think?
Today was somewhat beter, the runs were more even, eg 500 - 480 etc, and I must say I love LOSING in this fashion. Nothing is better than a close call, and even if you lose, you really enjoy it.
Mythic needs to address this issue fast and I tend to get very frustrated on maps where it just becomes downright disgraceful. Order continously exploits the map to their advantage. Who cares if Destruction has the bauble, because they'll just rush at you suicidal fashion and blow your healers away into hell, i.e. the lava pit, and it immediately puts them in favour.
Quite lame.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 14, 2008 at 04:28 AM
R24/RR20 Chosen from Ulthuan
Of the 100 or so matches I have played of TA, Destruction gets to the bauble first maybe 5 times.
Even if this is some kind of weird freak thing, where my server is the only one where Destruction is Terribad at getting there first, Order still deploys 4-5 Iron Breakers who routinely and effortlessly fling 3 players at once into the lava. I can deal with that tactic even, by not standing close to ledges, etc.
The absolutely worst part forgetting for a moment that one of their Knock Backs is AoE, is the fact that often, no matter where you stand, you're going for a swim. I have been bounced off the platform, clear over the next bridge and into the drink. Many, many, many times.
Posted by: Than@Ulthuan | October 14, 2008 at 09:43 AM
@Than - the whole knockback thing is very annoying in that particular scenario. And it's compounded by the fact that every class seems to get one. At Rank 23, I don't have one but as a glass cannon I'm looking forward to getting mine to return the lava favor! I end up in the lava all the time from Chaos and Shamans. I guess we all get to swim in the fires of death. :-)
And uhm, yeah, your side is terrabad if they're not getting the bauble first a lot of the time. :-)
Posted by: Saylah | October 14, 2008 at 09:59 AM
The run to the bobble was shorter for Destruction. Destro got there before us 90% of the time, but we still ended up winning 75% of the time. Destro has knock backs too, (Shamans) use them!
Posted by: Fosgate - BW on Iron Rock | November 05, 2008 at 05:23 PM