69 replies to this topic

[Relidar]

I see many new players asking questions on forums and in game about what exactly to do in WvW, and how they can affect the bigger picture. For this purpose i thought it would be good to make more people aware of what their options are and how what they do helps their team or hurts their enemies.

1. Communication and chat.

This is the most important part about WvW. If your server cannot communicate then your success rate will diminish. Let people know what is happening around you. On most servers /team is focused mainly on tactics and information on the borderland that you're on and /map is for general chat.

• Are you and 4 friends attacking an objective? Let everyone know about this, be specific too, where are you attacking and how many are you, do you need help, where are you going next.
  
• Is one of your objectives being attacked by an enemy? Same here, where, how many and what's the status. (Gate/wall %)
  
• Is your guild claiming a tower, keep or castle? Are you upgrading a castle? (See more about upgrades below)

2. Contribution and progress.

No matter how many you are, even if you are alone, you can always contribute and help your team.

• If you're alone, go help working on relationships with the neutral mob factions in the borderlands. Not many people are aware of these and what they can do, but they can help change the battle for your team or the enemies. All neutral mobs, when allied, will contribute in one way or another. Some will send out forces to defend your supply camps and some will even attack and take over supply camps or towers.
  
• Small man groups, 3-10, your biggest advantage is your speed and quick execution. Stay away from the big crowds and focus on supply camps. Supply camps are the most important part about taking and keeping objectives. Without supplies your, or the enemy team, will eventually run dry and not be able to defend their towers, keeps or castles.
  
• Cut off roads from and to big hubs where your enemies are headed to defend. Placing small groups of 5-10 players on vital choke points around the map will help your team or devastate your enemy.

3. Siege weapons, positioning and costs.

The most important part about siege weapons is that you are aware of how they work and how much they cost to build.

• ALWAYS make sure that you have people around you with supplies to finish the build, otherwise it's a waste of a siege weapon. (info on how much supplies a siege weapon costs is on the tooltip of the weapon that you buy, it also shows the range!)
  
• Positioning is your next priority. Don't just build trebuchets or arrow carts anywhere. Remember, arrow carts have no line of sight requirements, so if you play smart you can hide them behind objects or inside of houses/ruins on the map!
  
• If you are building a siege weapon anywhere, make sure your team knows about it. Use /say or /team to make people aware of your plan.
  
• Always carry supplies on you wherever you go! When you take a supply camp, make sure you stock up on supplies before moving on to the next objective.
  
• If you see someone else building a siege weapon, help them out!

4. What's important and how will i know where to go?

Leadership is good and will always help, but not necessary if your server can communicate.

• If you don't know where to go, always check the map FIRST! There will be swords indicating  if anyone is attacking an objective. Silver swords means a smaller attack (5 or less) and bronze/orange swords means a bigger attack (5 or more).
  
• If you are still unsure, don't be afraid to ask for direction in /map or /team.
  
• Your main priority should always be your own borderlands. Each borderlands has an Orb that gives a bonus 5% health and 50 points in all stats to your realm. Make sure that your homelands is secured and defended first and foremost.
  
• Hitting the enemy in their own borderland can distract them and help your own team in the Eternal Battlegrounds.
  
• During a siege, if everything around you is cooling down you should always run to the nearest supply camp and restock on supplies, you never know when you might need it next!

5. Tips and tricks!

• See yourself in the middle of nowhere surrounded by enemies? Remember, it's free to port back to your borderland keep and you can do it instantly out of combat!
  
• Always carry salvage kits and gathering tools, you never know when you're gonna run into that rich gold vein!
  
• Don't be afraid to team up with new players, it makes WvW even more fun and you get to know new players!
  
• Stay off the roads if you want to remain hidden. If you want to get to an objective on the map, you'll be safer following the edge of the map.
  
• Keep an eye on chat and the map. You never know when your team might need you exactly where you are at that time!
  
• If you die in a zone with the Outmanned buff, make sure you zone out of that map and back in again to regain it.
  
• Tower, keep and castle defenses will reward more exp, karma and money as the battles tend to last longer there.
  
• All objectives can be upgraded by ANYONE. You don't need to claim it to be able to contribute.
  
• Ressing people awards exp and contribution if you are close to an objective. As does repairing doors, gates and walls!
  
• Don't take supplies from Stonemist Castle! This is important because this castle will use a lot of supplies to upgrade and repair it's walls and gates. It's also very helpful to have a stock of supplies for when there's an attack! * linkstatic
  
• Don't waste time auto-attacking doors, bring siege weapons! * Talamare

Link to part 2: Click!
Link to part 3: Click!

Link to our stream: http://www.own3d.tv/CruelGaming

Edited by Relidar, 04 October 2012 - 07:20 PM.

[Frozire]

Going to  just bump this post as it was getting lost between all the WvWvW Drama!

A good genuine post with a lot of good points that is relevant to new people.

[Ezendor]

Also, DON'T TAKE SUPPLIES FROM STONEMIST!

Edited by Ezendor, 20 September 2012 - 07:13 AM.

[Relidar]

Frozire, on 10 September 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

Going to  just bump this post as it was getting lost between all the WvWvW Drama!

A good genuine post with a lot of good points that is relevant to new people.

Thank you Frozire!

linkstatic, on 10 September 2012 - 06:43 AM, said:

Also, DON'T TAKE SUPPLIES FROM STORM MIST!

Lol, how did i miss this!! So true, I'm adding it, credit to you sir.

[Shamadamun]

linkstatic, on 10 September 2012 - 06:43 AM, said:

Also, DON'T TAKE SUPPLIES FROM STORM MIST!

SOOOOOO important! Nothing worse than watching poor ol' Stonemist fall because there's no more supply

[Kazim]

Actually don't take supplies from any castle/tower. It's used for upgrades and if you continue to take the supplies don't ask "Why this upgrade doesn't finish".

Currently if you want to change the score the best thing you can do is set your alarm clock and be with the crowd capturing/reclaiming at odd hours

[Durzo]

linkstatic, on 10 September 2012 - 06:43 AM, said:

Also, DON'T TAKE SUPPLIES FROM STORM MIST!

We lost stonemist because of people taking the supplies tonight D:
Very helpful guide for people that are new to WvW, great job!

[Talamare]

Dont waste time auto attacking doors, Bring Siege equipment


Far too often I have seen massive zergs auto attacking doors for literally zero effect

[Relidar]

Talamare, on 10 September 2012 - 08:44 AM, said:

Dont waste time auto attacking doors, Bring Siege equipment


Far too often I have seen massive zergs auto attacking doors for literally zero effect

It helps if you are more than 20-30 people on a door, but less than 20 and i agree with you, people are better off scouting roads and making sure no one gets in. Adding this!

[Vyssra]

Don't get tunnel vision on the door, pay attention to your surroundings.  Hitting that door is setting off an silent alarm to those in the zone and defenders expect retaliation and counter it ex: Nuke the walls to keep defenders off it so they won't nuke you.

[Gen1tor]

Very good job Relidar, the community really needs guides like this one!

From your experience, is there a way for one person to somehow experience more strategic gameplay or a guild is a must have for more advanced tactics? Because until now, I was stuck with the zerg running around our homeland either defending or attacking camps or towers that the enemy had captured. I suppose there is much more in WvW, skirmishes behind enemy lines and surprise attacks in their homelands and stuff like this. Still when  I roam alone, I can hardly claim a skill point, can't even explore a bit, before I get overwhelmed by enemy veterans or enemy players.

So is there a way to play alone in WvW and still be effective, both for your World and yourself.

P.S: I m only lvl 40 so I guess my experiences are about to change at 80.

[Relidar]

Gen1tor, on 10 September 2012 - 10:33 AM, said:

Very good job Relidar, the community really needs guides like this one!

From your experience, is there a way for one person to somehow experience more strategic gameplay or a guild is a must have for more advanced tactics? Because until now, I was stuck with the zerg running around our homeland either defending or attacking camps or towers that the enemy had captured. I suppose there is much more in WvW, skirmishes behind enemy lines and surprise attacks in their homelands and stuff like this. Still when  I roam alone, I can hardly claim a skill point, can't even explore a bit, before I get overwhelmed by enemy veterans or enemy players.

So is there a way to play alone in WvW and still be effective, both for your World and yourself.

P.S: I m only lvl 40 so I guess my experiences are about to change at 80.

Thank you for your kind words, i really appreciate it!

Firstly, i strongly recommend a guild, as you might agree with as well. But it's not hopeless. Either pick a few people up from /team or /map and go on an adventure, or go work on those neutral PvE mobs!

Things will get better though, trust me. I've told this to all my friends as well, i experienced the game in tiers, where it gradually got better and better, until eventually it just turned into pure FUN! I'll break it down a bit here.

1-30 - I call this the "tutorial" period. Learn the basic skills of your class, how to dodge, explore the world some and get familiar with the game.

30-60 - This is the next level, you start looking at specs and stats, everything around you starts to make more sense and you will get some challenges now.

60-80 - Your character starts to form and you start falling into your comfort zone, what spec and weapons you prefer for example.

Now here's the big jump, for me and many around me. When you reach 80 and go from blue/green gear to rare (yellow) and exotic, your character goes through a transformation. Everything changes. I went from not being able to do much at all on my own, to being able to duo supply camps and towers.

The game really starts at 80. Don't get me wrong, 1-80 was a BLAST! This was the perfect game for me, nothing more fun than leveling while you PvP, pure awesome. But once you reach 80 and start getting that gear, you'll know what i mean

You have a LOT to look forward to!

Edited by Relidar, 10 September 2012 - 10:45 AM.

[Gen1tor]

Relidar, on 10 September 2012 - 10:43 AM, said:

Thank you for your kind words, i really appreciate it!

Firstly, i strongly recommend a guild, as you might agree with as well. But it's not hopeless. Either pick a few people up from /team or /map and go on an adventure, or go work on those neutral PvE mobs!

Things will get better though, trust me. I've told this to all my friends as well, i experienced the game in tiers, where it gradually got better and better, until eventually it just turned into pure FUN! I'll break it down a bit here.

1-30 - I call this the "tutorial" period. Learn the basic skills of your class, how to dodge, explore the world some and get familiar with the game.

30-60 - This is the next level, you start looking at specs and stats, everything around you starts to make more sense and you will get some challenges now.

60-80 - Your character starts to form and you start falling into your comfort zone, what spec and weapons you prefer for example.

Now here's the big jump, for me and many around me. When you reach 80 and go from blue/green gear to rare (yellow) and exotic, your character goes through a transformation. Everything changes. I went from not being able to do much at all on my own, to being able to duo supply camps and towers.

The game really starts at 80. Don't get me wrong, 1-80 was a BLAST! This was the perfect game for me, nothing more fun than leveling while you PvP, pure awesome. But once you reach 80 and start getting that gear, you'll know what i mean

You have a LOT to look forward to!

Hmm thank you for the advice... As a traditional PvE player, I got my butt kicked when I tried to lvl up my mesmer in WvW

Next time I ll take your word and stick with my guildies until I get my hands on some epic gear

[Relidar]

Gen1tor, on 10 September 2012 - 10:49 AM, said:

Hmm thank you for the advice... As a traditional PvE player, I got my butt kicked when I tried to lvl up my mesmer in WvW

Next time I ll take your word and stick with my guildies until I get my hands on some epic gear

Don't back down from a fight though, there are still players at your level that'll put up a good fight! It's good practice along the way

[Kikimasu]

• If you see someone else building a siege weapon, help them out! (unless it is badly placed)

lol

[Relidar]

Kikimasu, on 10 September 2012 - 12:15 PM, said:

• If you see someone else building a siege weapon, help them out! (unless it is badly placed)

lol

True that! Don't hate when people build rams on top of towers or up in trees?

[Egwyne]

Don't waste your Karma on items whilst leveling (there are plenty of drops that you can use whilst leveling)- when you hit 80 get a decent set of gear with your Karma. If your toughness is to low your going to drop like a brick and have no fun -

[Merix]

Egwyne, on 10 September 2012 - 02:39 PM, said:

Don't waste your Karma on items whilst leveling (there are plenty of drops that you can use whilst leveling)- when you hit 80 get a decent set of gear with your Karma. If your toughness is to low your going to drop like a brick and have no fun -

Pfft who needs toughness? Real men go around with 900 toughness, 900 vitality, and 10000 hp.



On a serious note though.

Never claim a keep if you don't have the WvWvW keep upgrades ready to go for your guild. Nothing is worse than someone else claiming a keep, and never using the guild influence buffs when your guild has them all ready to go.

[dirkaderpa]

Step 1, don't pick melee weapons or melee oriented classes so you can get a feel of WvW, otherwise you will just die a lot. Melee weapons are super inviable in this game mode unless you are really skilled, but if you ever see a guy with a melee weapon who is equally as skilled as you, you can kill him and kite him easily.

The theif and guardian for instance, are bad classes to start out with.

[_Belisarius_]

dirkaderpa, on 10 September 2012 - 04:37 PM, said:

Step 1, don't pick melee weapons or melee oriented classes so you can get a feel of WvW, otherwise you will just die a lot. Melee weapons are super inviable in this game mode unless you are really skilled, but if you ever see a guy with a melee weapon who is equally as skilled as you, you can kill him and kite him easily.

The theif and guardian for instance, are bad classes to start out with.

In a pug, this is 100% true.  If you're running with a coordinated team on voice chat though, I'm beginning to find that melee is superior.  It all depends on whether or not your group is able to make an organized push.

[chuckles79]

Durzo, on 10 September 2012 - 07:05 AM, said:

We lost stonemist because of people taking the supplies tonight D:
Very helpful guide for people that are new to WvW, great job!

I know, which is why I shout it in all caps every time I'm on (not just Stonemist).  Our server has real issues with this, and we've lost matches we should not have because of it.

I can only think of a handful of CD players who have common sense, and you are one of them.

[chuckles79]

1 player: scouting, speed-buffing caravans, mercenary friendship
2 player: Sentries
3-4: positional combat with anti-personnel siegeworks (ballista and arrowcart)
3-5: Undefended Supply camps, tower and keep defense w/ engines
6-10: Defended Supply camps, undefended towers
11-15: Defended towers, undefended keeps (not likely)
20: Defended keeps
20-30: Garrisons
30+: Stonemist lightly defended

[Corvindi]

Great suggestions.

And I hope I don't get flamed for whining about whiners, but my contribution to this thread is, please don't cry and moan in team chat when we're not doing well.  It doesn't help at all.

[RabidusIncendia]

Hey I have a few suggestions as well:

A) Planting fields at a tower.  While at first it seems like you cannot plants stuff like meteor swarm from the top of a tower, this is because the lip of the tower is actually blocking your view.  In order to meteor swarm the gate and rams from a tower top, you need to jump on top of these edge of the tower to get the field of view.  Should be corrected probably, but this is just the way it is.

  Generally speaking, go where the zerg is not, preferably with a small party.  This is because large zergs are extremely inefficient.  A party of 5 can and will stop 20 at a tower.  Even a single person can take an undefended supply camp with a squad of veteran hyleks.

C) Run before you're killed.  If you see a zerg of 30 people, and you have 5, run to your nearest holding well before they actually get there.  You might be able to stall them with fields or mines or whatever your long range snares are, but keep in mind "one pull  = you dead", no matter how good you think you are.

D)  If you're in a zerg, never spam a gate even if you have lots of siege.  If you're worried that you need people there at the siege to prepare for a zerg attack, instead scout out the area.  Otherwise kill upgrades like cannons.  If none of those are true, you're in the wrong place.  Leave the zerg.

E) Hit Burning oil above gates before planting a ram.  In fact, hit these first period.

F) Reinforced gates are worth their weight in gold.  And that's a lot of weight.

G) Never "sit" at a defense unless you know for a fact it will be zerged momentarily.  Instead, either attack a nearby camp, or scout out the area.  As above, if you see a zerg, though, run before you're hit.

H) Always, always ask for help if you're at a tower that is falling.

I)  Other towers and keeps can sometimes be hit with trebuchets from other towers and keeps.  This is very key if you're fighting extremely fortified holdings.

J)  Communication is great, but be very specific.  If you are alone and you spot a zerg attacking a camp or something, make sure tell people exactly what's going on, or they might get the wrong idea that the camp might actually survive.

Edited by RabidusIncendia, 10 September 2012 - 10:34 PM.

[Twisted Sister77]

Hi all,

Questions from a newb

1)  can i drop off supplies in tower/castle keeps.  Often im searching around for something to repair because i don't know how to add to the supply depot.

2) how do you aim seige when you dont have los?

3)  Arrow carts have a target indicator(ie, an AOE circle), but other siege does not.  Also, i know there is a battle going on but my range to see actual players is limited, is there a way /settings to see further distances?  I have a low end card- is that the reason?

4) is there really a huge difference being lvl 80 vs level 30?  I thought upscaling occurred?  

More questions to come.

[RabidusIncendia]

1) nope!  The supply gets refilled by supply dolyaks that go from camps to towers.  If you want it supplied and you keep getting nothing, take a nearby camp and keep a guy guarding the yaks.

2)  Guess and ask other playes if your shots are hitting.  I'm serious, this works.

3) dunno

4)It's moderate.  People want to make a bigger deal out of it than it is.  But yeah, 30 is pretty much the bare minimun to really WvWvW well.

Edited by RabidusIncendia, 10 September 2012 - 10:40 PM.

[Kleenex]

Talamare, on 10 September 2012 - 08:44 AM, said:

Dont waste time auto attacking doors, Bring Siege equipment


Far too often I have seen massive zergs auto attacking doors for literally zero effect

I agree. Then you throw down a RAM and /team chat Build RAM!!! no one does and you watch the RAM get destroyed.

[Twisted Sister77]

Thanks

Q- sometimes when i enter a tower/castle there is an objective/quest to wait for upgrades to the structure (with a bar).  Is this npcs? Do npcs automatically use resources?

Similar type of quest to protect the champion, even when no one seems to be attacking.  They seem like bugged quests.

[Durzo]

chuckles79, on 10 September 2012 - 04:51 PM, said:

I know, which is why I shout it in all caps every time I'm on (not just Stonemist).  Our server has real issues with this, and we've lost matches we should not have because of it.

I can only think of a handful of CD players who have common sense, and you are one of them.

I try to lead the chaos as much as possible, unfortunately we seem to have an influx of Trolls and people who just dont care at the moment. Hopefully they leave when Kung Fu Panda 2 comes out.

[Laylyn]

Let me answer this metaphorically with two trailers.   We all went through this at some point as new pvpers in whatever game we started to pvp in.

Give yourself the time to evolve from this:



Into this:



Becoming a pvper takes time, it is going to take a while and many mistakes to get there.  However, as long as you are willing to learn you will.   Once you do, you'd be wise to never stop learning.  =)


/salute

Laylyn of HAUNT http://ghost-pa.com/