Diversify the endgame

[eigner93]

This suggestion has been raised couple times before. They could introduce different kind of daily objectives and quests or progression system for different playstyles like solo, 6 man, scenarios encouraging these aspects of the game as well instead of BLOBBLOB and enjoy your crests.

Daily quest attached to Scenarios is a worthy idea, but such would not address the core issue underlying all of RvR in the game.

Nothing is unique. Nothing. No matter where you fight the rewards are the same. As a result, Cities are completely irrelevant, Forts are completely irrelevant (although people do them because they suffer the benefit of being fun), pushing zones is pointless except for the acquisition of crest and the idea of locking pairings falls into the category of 'whatever man.'

And over all of this beauty the Blob Rules.

I would definitely lock/create armor sets behind specific content if it was up to me. I mean right now some BiS weapons are locked behind pve anyway, which not many people want to do. I really hope they buff LOTD back and jewelry and add a socket to the back because people like LOTD and those items are kind of unique. Maybe make them harder to get, more token.

Even if they would just introduce unique weapon/armor skins only achievable through specific type of content would encourage lot of players to do other stuff because people like shiny armor. The rr 85 cosmetics are great but for many player it takes a while to get them. More of these would be amazing.

[krumhur]

Well, we all know that the blob is the least effective way to level up and get war crests; and I don't think anyone doubts that.

But it's the easiest way to do it, even if it takes more time. And considering that this is a game where most of us are over 40 years old on average, and we get home tired, what we want when we play is simplicity and ease, not efficiency that will tire us out even more mentally.

If you go alone, a party of 6 will catch you and kill you, so the easiest thing to do is go with a group of 6; then your group of 6 will get wiped out by a warband of 24, so the next step is to join a warband of 24. Then a blob will overwhelm you, so you'll join the blob on your side, just to easily get some War Crests and Renown.

I agree with you on the analysis of the matter (once again? )
The question is as always: how do you stop that, without forcing people to play content they don't want to?

I love PvE, I really like tanking LV on my chosen, yet I'd be happy if people could buy LV stuff, even from secret bosses, with crests, and you know why? Because it would be better for everyone: those who like PvE will be spared endless runs with players who don't care about learning bosses mechanics, or join because they need it while hiding their equipment and trying to get carried (surprise surprise, your equipment and RR can be seen online anyway...), those who hate PvE will have access to the "BIS dungeon items" they want.

And you know why, in that case, there will still be people running dungeons? Because there are people who enjoy the challenge, or maybe are accustomed to the mechanics to find them totally manageable, and also find that way of gearing up much better (more convenient) than spending additional hours in warbands. Also, dungeons are easily accessible. You need only 6 people and you are ready.

This is missing from RvR now, and there is no need to lock rewards behind content to make such content relevant.
What it's needed is to make such content accessible.
Blobbing in the lakes is simply much easier because: 1) for most warbands you don't need specific gear (ilvl) or spec; 2) for most warbands you can play almost mindlessly if you want; 3) you can find a warband 24/7 with the basic game UI.
None of that applies to scenarios, or city sieges or small men roaming: 1) you need good/bis gear to be competitive, especially if you run with lower numbers; 2) you need to put effort into refining your gameplay; 3) you need to put effort into finding people to play with you for that specific format, with little to no help from the UI (and LFG takes time!).

Let's be honest here: the problem won't be solved by gating rewards behind harder content.
That's so last century way of thinking it makes me wonder if most people here have really noticed how game design has evolved in the last 20 years.

The solution is about making other PvP formats more accessible, easier to get into, a bit less punishing maybe.

Gate items behind city sieges, scenarios or whatever and you'll get a lot of players who will do it just for their bis equipment, without enjoying the content, while trying to get carried and ultimately dragging down people who actually love the format. This happens already in PvE, it's not theory.

[kpihuss]

Well, we all know that the blob is the least effective way to level up and get war crests; and I don't think anyone doubts that.

But it's the easiest way to do it, even if it takes more time. And considering that this is a game where most of us are over 40 years old on average, and we get home tired, what we want when we play is simplicity and ease, not efficiency that will tire us out even more mentally.

If you go alone, a party of 6 will catch you and kill you, so the easiest thing to do is go with a group of 6; then your group of 6 will get wiped out by a warband of 24, so the next step is to join a warband of 24. Then a blob will overwhelm you, so you'll join the blob on your side, just to easily get some War Crests and Renown.

I agree with you on the analysis of the matter (once again? )
The question is as always: how do you stop that, without forcing people to play content they don't want to?

I love PvE, I really like tanking LV on my chosen, yet I'd be happy if people could buy LV stuff, even from secret bosses, with crests, and you know why? Because it would be better for everyone: those who like PvE will be spared endless runs with players who don't care about learning bosses mechanics, or join because they need it while hiding their equipment and trying to get carried (surprise surprise, your equipment and RR can be seen online anyway...), those who hate PvE will have access to the "BIS dungeon items" they want.

And you know why, in that case, there will still be people running dungeons? Because there are people who enjoy the challenge, or maybe are accustomed to the mechanics to find them totally manageable, and also find that way of gearing up much better (more convenient) than spending additional hours in warbands. Also, dungeons are easily accessible. You need only 6 people and you are ready.

This is missing from RvR now, and there is no need to lock rewards behind content to make such content relevant.
What it's needed is to make such content accessible.
Blobbing in the lakes is simply much easier because: 1) for most warbands you don't need specific gear (ilvl) or spec; 2) for most warbands you can play almost mindlessly if you want; 3) you can find a warband 24/7 with the basic game UI.
None of that applies to scenarios, or city sieges or small men roaming: 1) you need good/bis gear to be competitive, especially if you run with lower numbers; 2) you need to put effort into refining your gameplay; 3) you need to put effort into finding people to play with you for that specific format, with little to no help from the UI (and LFG takes time!).

Let's be honest here: the problem won't be solved by gating rewards behind harder content.
That's so last century way of thinking it makes me wonder if most people here have really noticed how game design has evolved in the last 20 years.

The solution is about making other PvP formats more accessible, easier to get into, a bit less punishing maybe.

Gate items behind city sieges, scenarios or whatever and you'll get a lot of players who will do it just for their bis equipment, without enjoying the content, while trying to get carried and ultimately dragging down people who actually love the format. This happens already in PvE, it's not theory.

What you're saying makes a lot of sense, but you also have to think about it the other way around.

How many people want to enjoy certain game content but can't because of a lack of players? They don't even have the option to play it.

People who want to play scenarios, city sieges, ranked matches, or PvE groups that never form, or because the time it takes to form groups for this type of content is excessively long during off-peak server times.

Motivating people by offering exclusive rewards for each type of content will help prevent the game from being as monotonous as it is now.

[Nikt]

As a new RoR player but an AoR veteran, I'm strucck (painfully) by the poor relationship between the size of the community and the size of the basic "unit" that RoR wants to rely on – the Warband.
With a low population, 48 people fighting in a single place in zone practically determines the course of the game form many hours. Furthermore, the crown icon on the map currently facilitates mass groupings. Although 99% of players find it unthinkable to reduce warband size to 12 and provide such a warband with effective siege capabilities – this is the simplest anti-bloobing tactic. Imagine, for example, 8 crowns on the map instead of the current 4 What a beautifull choas it will bring to fight!