The alienation of solo/pug/casual players and it's unintended side-effects

[punk7712]

You can get through the tier one scenarios in a day. You could have like 5 hours under your belt when you hit tier 2 scenarios and run into something like this. No one needs to be doing this **** in toddler scenarios for weeks on end (he has). Exp scrolls need to go.

I am not looking to get into an in depth discussion on Magus mechanics. I know they do a lot of splash damage. I also have nothing against Erebor. He was just using the most efficient route available to him for RR gain. This was just an easy example.

[Rapzel]

One of the biggest barriers for me is the gear, which for me felt very convoluted, and still does.

Misconception, you may think you lose because of gear, bit it's the smallest factor in general, RR and skill outperform any gear in this game (from a group setting perspective, not the people that believe that there's any skill in going full regen and afk people to death), that's why the game has managed to be fun for such a long for many even though it's been pretty much the same maps that have been played for the last 12 years.

If you don't play at prime times either, grouping up isn't always an option, and people seem hostile to grouping up, which I understand is because of scenario queuing. Can that be fixed somehow?

Whenever the "sweaty tryhards who plays for 14 hrs a day" propose that there should be incentives to actually do things as a group the solo players see red, because they believe they are entitled to stuff, even though they sit AFK 90% of the time and are so incompetent they can't even be used as cannon fodder.
6 man groups got weekend event and ranked, so I am not complaining, but when I look at the rewards people for actually setting up proper WBs for ORvR and that they get the same terrible rewards as the plebs who run around without any spatial awareness or understanding of what is going on, except for whining and proposing bad sieges in RegionRvR chat, it really makes me wonder why these people continue playing the game, I guess it's the social aspect.

If your organized WBs are getting “the same terrible rewards as the plebs”, then you need to find some better organized WBs. There’s a significant difference in medals gained in a zone, zone contribution, fort bags, city wins/bags, etc. in an organized WB when comparing it to a PUG WB. But you already know that…

Is there though?

The renown nerf hit premade WBs hard in ORvR.
We went from 30k locks to 10k locks, when a pleb can get 5k for a lock Idk if it's worth try harding for that extra 5k.
And wow the extra 6 vanquisher medallions you get for the lock, amazing.

Best bag is still quite rare and for the majority of players it's just 3 Royal Crests, which means you can spend 4-5 hrs getting the same amount of royal crests as one stage in a city which if you're unlucky takes about 40 mins.

Another issue is that when you queue as a 24 man for city and you get another good 24 man all of the sudden you might spend 2+ hrs in a city alone while solo queue stomps are just over in ~25 mins.

Solo queue city players get the same amount of renown/medals for winning and losing, only difference may be amount of bag rolls, haven't solo queued a city in a long time so idk about that.

Ranked at least yields triumphant and whatever the other currency is called and weekend event gives you some crafting mats and an event item, where do you get them in the "main focus" of the game?

Sure you're not wrong in that the progression is slower for a solo player, but the rewards are equal in open RvR.

[Rapzel]

You can get through the tier one scenarios in a day. You could have like 5 hours under your belt when you hit tier 2 scenarios and run into something like this. No one needs to be doing this **** in toddler scenarios for weeks on end (he has). Exp scrolls need to go.

I am not looking to get into an in depth discussion on Magus mechanics. I know they do a lot of splash damage. I also have nothing against Erebor. He was just using the most efficient route available to him for RR gain. This was just an easy example.

Okay?
And what about the 28 AM that's outhealing everyone? Or the performance of orders +35 careers?
I can post several similar screenshots on all kinds of careers with similar stats and lower ranks, it doesn't mean anything.

Solo queue has always been a luck of the draw, sometimes you get terrible players other times you get decent ones, sometimes you get a terrible enemies sometimes you get stomped.
It doesn't have anything to do with the xp reduction scroll.

[punk7712]

Removing exp scrolls would mean higher RR players would level out of mid tier scenario at a normal pace, and there would a lot less of what you see in my screenshot. I know you can't perfectly balance the game, but you can maybe use a little bit of lube before railing us casuals.

Right now you have dudes at like rr50 plus farming scenarios for weeks upon weeks because its the safest, most efficient way for them to do so. If you think thats cool and good there is no point arguing. I wouldnt worry, it seems like the devs agree with you.

[Sulorie]

Removing exp scrolls would mean higher RR players would level out of mid tier scenario at a normal pace, and there would a lot less of what you see in my screenshot. I know you can't perfectly balance the game, but you can maybe use a little bit of lube before railing us casuals.

Right now you have dudes at like rr50 plus farming scenarios for weeks upon weeks because its the safest, most efficient way for them to do so. If you think thats cool and good there is no point arguing. I wouldnt worry, it seems like the devs agree with you.

You can see similar results, like you have in that screenshot l, from sub 20s. Setting up AOE dots, order lacking heals and you get such results. That Magus died horribly in multiple SC today with hardly any kills.
Too many Order heal classes preferred to dps in that sc, which is their freedom of choice. By queuing solo you can get such a setup, which then loses for good reasons.
Order got what they deserved, only one team can win and destro did better here.

[Asderas27]

Removing exp scrolls would mean higher RR players would level out of mid tier scenario at a normal pace, and there would a lot less of what you see in my screenshot. I know you can't perfectly balance the game, but you can maybe use a little bit of lube before railing us casuals.

Right now you have dudes at like rr50 plus farming scenarios for weeks upon weeks because its the safest, most efficient way for them to do so. If you think thats cool and good there is no point arguing. I wouldnt worry, it seems like the devs agree with you.

Umm do you know that being rr50+ doesnt actually matter in t2-t3 scs anymore since the devs changed it so you cant spend more rr points that your current career level ?

[DaWolf]

Whenever the "sweaty tryhards who plays for 14 hrs a day" propose that there should be incentives to actually do things as a group the solo players see red, because they believe they are entitled to stuff, even though they sit AFK 90% of the time and are so incompetent they can't even be used as cannon fodder.
6 man groups got weekend event and ranked, so I am not complaining, but when I look at the rewards people for actually setting up proper WBs for ORvR and that they get the same terrible rewards as the plebs who run around without any spatial awareness or understanding of what is going on, except for whining and proposing bad sieges in RegionRvR chat, it really makes me wonder why these people continue playing the game, I guess it's the social aspect.

So much condescension is to vomit

[Amdus]

One of the biggest barriers for me is the gear, which for me felt very convoluted, and still does.

Misconception, you may think you lose because of gear, bit it's the smallest factor in general, RR and skill outperform any gear in this game (from a group setting perspective, not the people that believe that there's any skill in going full regen and afk people to death), that's why the game has managed to be fun for such a long for many even though it's been pretty much the same maps that have been played for the last 12 years.

If you don't play at prime times either, grouping up isn't always an option, and people seem hostile to grouping up, which I understand is because of scenario queuing. Can that be fixed somehow?

Whenever the "sweaty tryhards who plays for 14 hrs a day" propose that there should be incentives to actually do things as a group the solo players see red, because they believe they are entitled to stuff, even though they sit AFK 90% of the time and are so incompetent they can't even be used as cannon fodder.
6 man groups got weekend event and ranked, so I am not complaining, but when I look at the rewards people for actually setting up proper WBs for ORvR and that they get the same terrible rewards as the plebs who run around without any spatial awareness or understanding of what is going on, except for whining and proposing bad sieges in RegionRvR chat, it really makes me wonder why these people continue playing the game, I guess it's the social aspect.

With only 2 posts you managed to prove the OP point and my previous statement, anyways:
What does your superior spatial awareness tell you about the alienation of casuals and pugs? Is it fun the game in its current state? Can you play all the aspects of the game, PvE, RvR, Sc's, Ranked outside of the prime EU hours? Has your extrasensory superior spatial awareness hinted what could happen if the situation in the EU hours worsens?
I mean we truly can afford sparing players at this point, you obviously don't need nor want them unless they fit your perception of "hardcore" gaming (In a game that rewards you with BiS gear for simply participating).

[Rapzel]

One of the biggest barriers for me is the gear, which for me felt very convoluted, and still does.

Misconception, you may think you lose because of gear, bit it's the smallest factor in general, RR and skill outperform any gear in this game (from a group setting perspective, not the people that believe that there's any skill in going full regen and afk people to death), that's why the game has managed to be fun for such a long for many even though it's been pretty much the same maps that have been played for the last 12 years.

If you don't play at prime times either, grouping up isn't always an option, and people seem hostile to grouping up, which I understand is because of scenario queuing. Can that be fixed somehow?

Whenever the "sweaty tryhards who plays for 14 hrs a day" propose that there should be incentives to actually do things as a group the solo players see red, because they believe they are entitled to stuff, even though they sit AFK 90% of the time and are so incompetent they can't even be used as cannon fodder.
6 man groups got weekend event and ranked, so I am not complaining, but when I look at the rewards people for actually setting up proper WBs for ORvR and that they get the same terrible rewards as the plebs who run around without any spatial awareness or understanding of what is going on, except for whining and proposing bad sieges in RegionRvR chat, it really makes me wonder why these people continue playing the game, I guess it's the social aspect.

With only 2 posts you managed to prove the OP point and my previous statement, anyways:
What does your superior spatial awareness tell you about the alienation of casuals and pugs? Is it fun the game in its current state? Can you play all the aspects of the game, PvE, RvR, Sc's, Ranked outside of the prime EU hours? Has your extrasensory superior spatial awareness hinted what could happen if the situation in the EU hours worsens?
I mean we truly can afford sparing players at this point, you obviously don't need nor want them unless they fit your perception of "hardcore" gaming (In a game that rewards you with BiS gear for simply participating).

I haven't addressed your or OPs delusional posts, nor do I intend to.
So please leave me out of your industrial straw man manufacturing.

[BeautfulToad]

Is there though?

The renown nerf hit premade WBs hard in ORvR.

A premade warband will nearly always get more renown, more contrib, more bag rolls and more xp than a pug. The only way a premade doesn't get more rewards is if it performs as poorly (or as well) as a pug. They wipe less, they wipe the other side more, and they can win more sieges and cities.

Saying the rewards difference should be more unequal is wrong in my view. We should be rewarding the grind, and people getting involved in large-scale pvp.