Alternative to AOO

[Vaëyn-outland]

The goals of AOO quest:

1. Increase outnumbered faction WPvP activity when outnumbered in EU WM.
2. Closer EU WM faction balance, resulting in less single faction overflow shards.

Anyone got alternative suggestions to AOO, that would achieve these goals… without disadvantaging the outnumberer?

[Coolgroove-defias-brotherhood (Coolgroove)]

I still think that system should be changed away from “quick reward” stimulations.

This Suggestion: Weekly Higher Quality Reward WM Activity Quest imo is the best idea for rewards based on WM activity, and it can be used instead of AOO and for both factions.

Play in War Mode / WPvP - get rewarded for that, the more you do it - the better rewards you get.

In addition - seasonal achievements

Achievement -> titles/cosmetics/mounts is a great way to involve players with War Mode too. And they don’t even have to be quick like 5-10 numbers, make it bigger and more complex conditions, or series of achievements that give smaller rewards like cosmetics from smaller achievements and titles+mounts from a final. Like conqueror one. Just more of them - 1 each season at least.

With combination of both - we could have quite an interesting system of both - incentives and rewards, that constantly gives something to work towards for those who are interested in activity.

Plus - it wouldn’t create unpleasant situations of PvE players on one side on-off-ing it for a quick gain and frustration of everybody else.

Bonus - should be removed, and brought back only in form of 5-10% with big outnumbering - but I doubt it’ll even be needed. Especially if all sharding situation was changed for something more stable like layers of connected realms.

[Vaëyn-outland]

I edited op, to clarify that outnumberer should not be disadvantaged by alterative to AOO.

If AOO was given to both factions, or removed entirely, would we immediately go back to big outnumbering in region? I suspect so, based on when AOO is down, outnumbered bonus goes back up within a week or two. Bonus will affect it somehat too, but for WPvPers the bonus is not relevant. Bonus is part of balancing the PvEers. AOO decreases outnumberer PvEers, extra bonus increases outnumbered PvEers. AOO is what matters for WPvP, or it should. If AOO didn’t trigger back on, we’d likely end up back where we were last year in faction balance.

Therefore an alternative to AOO would have to be as strong as AOO in enforcing balance. But preferably.

1. Fair to both factions.
2. Encourage permanent additional WPvP, rather than: WM on - kill 25 - WM off.

The end goal is closer numbers in region, to keep single faction shards to a minimum. This is currently achieved via AOO and bonus, outnumbered faction having motive to WM more than the outnumbering faction. But motivation is temporary. The closer balance is a pendulum, as AOO/bonus goes on/off.

Both factions having same WPvP incentive would be unlikely to increase the ratio of outnumbered. How to give outnumbered some sort of incentive, without the outnumberer feeling disadvantaged.

AOO increases WPvP on a temporary basis, we need an increase in outnumbered on a more permanent basis. The alternative solution should be based on permanently increasing number of WPvPers on outnumbered faction, without disadvantaging the outnumberers.

Possible Solution

1. Outnumbered gets an incentive to WPvP, and keep WM on, that also discourages PvEers on outnumberer faction. A version of AOO based on weekly activity.
2. Outnumberer gets compensation for the above, but compensation that would not encourage additional WPvPers too much, or PvEers at all. Something that makes sense that an outnumberer would want/need/have. For example, small honor points bonus because of their numbers strength. Or a PvP only 3% primary stat buff… something of value, but not too op, and makes sense for the stronger side.
3. Keep bonus, it’s for PvEers that took a risk on WM. A decrease in outnumberer PvEers via PvP, and an increase in outnumbered PvEers via extra bonus, probably almost balances them out. Shouldn’t matter to WPvPers if one faction gets more PvE rewards. AOO seems the fairness issue. Keep bonus as is imo.

The above could increase the outnumbered WPvPers, without increasing the outnumberer’s WPvPers too much. Any additional WM features for both factions, such as a weekly activity based quest, could increase WPvPers on both factions - a bonus.