A Thought Regarding WvW Population Imbalances

[Ronin.4501]

Given that population imbalances in WvW have been an issue practically since the game began, what if Anet took server caps one step further and actually broke down populations not only based on server, but what timezone the bulk of the players make up?  For example, rather than having server A listed as full, the populations were further disseminated into 4 groups: players who log on from 0-0559, 0600-1159, 1200-1759, and 1800-2359.  Surely Anet has access to the metrics to determine 1) which servers are full during which times and 2) when individual players are most active, thus allowing servers that are "FULL" during 1800-2359 but "LOW" during 0600-1159.  Furthermore, Anet could determine which of these time zones have the majority of the activity across all servers, thus reducing the overall population across all servers during the lower activity times and forcing a reshuffle of those pops to spread them out across all 24 (or 28) servers rather than having those populations stacking on just 2-3 servers.  This would create competition across all servers at any given time, rather than the current state where 2-3 servers have maxed SEA populations who, in turn, have no one to fight aside from walls and npcs when they are matched up against servers that are almost exclusively NA primetime servers (as is usually the issue here on the NA servers; I've never played on the EU servers so I don't know where the greatest disparity lies there).  Thoughts?

[joneirikb.7506]

Wall of text. Not meaning to sound negative, just giving some counter arguments as food for thought:

> For example, rather than having server A listed as full, the populations were further disseminated into 4 groups: players who log on from 0-0559, 0600-1159, 1200-1759, and 1800-2359.  Surely Anet has access to the metrics to determine 1) which servers are full during which times and 2) when individual players are most active, thus allowing servers that are "FULL" during 1800-2359 but "LOW" during 0600-1159.

Player translation: Blackgate is open at night, stay awake to stack.

 

> Furthermore, Anet could determine which of these time zones have the majority of the activity across all servers, thus reducing the overall population across all servers during the lower activity times

 

Which would translate to for example SOS having 90% of it's server in queue all night, or alternatively if they open up based on SOS, then not change at all from current.

 

> and forcing a reshuffle of those pops to spread them out across all 24 (or 28) servers rather than having those populations stacking on just 2-3 servers.

 

At which point the torches and pitchforks comes out "How dare ANet ruin our server community! I stayed on Server C since launch!". (Also, 27, has to be dividable by 3)

 

> This would create competition across all servers at any given time, rather than the current state where 2-3 servers have maxed SEA populations who, in turn, have no one to fight aside from walls and npcs when they are matched up against servers that are almost exclusively NA primetime servers (as is usually the issue here on the NA servers; I've never played on the EU servers so I don't know where the greatest disparity lies there).  Thoughts?

 

And yes, it would. At least for the few that hadn't rage-quit by that point.

 

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Most of these ideas would be solved to roughly similar level by alliances. 

 

* By reshuffling every 2 months, people will be much less inclined to transfer (hopefully, at least some)
* The might not try to change queue's or move players around because of coverage, but most of the pugs that doesn't stack with large gilds, will be randomly distributed, and will likely even out the coverage more than we currently have.
* Includes reshuffling, but while also giving player agency to stay with friends/guild. (At the cost of stacking, but to a lesser extent).

 

Alliances will also retains some of the same weaknesses though.

 

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ANet suggested in the past, to the community/forum, that one option was to split each server into many small servers. Basically creating a LOT of more servers, and delete the old ones, to force players to divide out between the new smaller servers. And then use the linking system to combined several small servers. This would also have allowed them to affect this, but it was VERY UNPOPULAR (to say the least).

 

But basically, ANet is generally too afraid of upsetting players, and the wvw player-base is so on edge and resisting any change that isn't exactly what they ask for (and none agree on how to change anything). So it's a quagmire.

(No clue how to format on these new boards)

Edited May 20, 2021 by joneirikb.7506