Reducing squad size?

[Drinks.2361]

maybe just add a better way to count enemy players? Running 25 comped up with no greens & you'll get salt /w about running 40

[iwasoncecool.9734]

why not a 69 man squad running deep?

 

[Tiny Doom.4380]

Go read Anet's official description of WvW on the main web page. It talks about "pitched battles between hundreds of players" in a "massive war" between" three huge armies". The blob is the intended combat unit for WvW. Anything smaller than a full squad is the aberration.

 

 

[SloRules.3560]

Well, that's what happens when noone cares for actual matchup. Blobbing is by no means efficient from score perspective, but noone cares about that.

[The Path Finder.3197]

> @"SkyShroud.2865" said:

> In the past, there is no such thing as squad and did it stop blobbing? No.

 

Perhaps if there was a debuff for squads of 20, when fighting next each other - No more 20+ Squads. It would make maps more lively if multiple groups fought and defended all over. Also the 1 hit blob bombs will be gone. More tactics, longer fights, etc. - Fun

[Strider Pj.2193]

> @"The Path Finder.3197" said:

> > @"SkyShroud.2865" said:

> > In the past, there is no such thing as squad and did it stop blobbing? No.

>

> Perhaps if there was a debuff for squads of 20, when fighting next each other - No more 20+ Squads. It would make maps more lively if multiple groups fought and defended all over. Also the 1 hit blob bombs will be gone. More tactics, longer fights, etc. - Fun

 

So, more server calculations?

 

How close is too close?

 

Is an additional one or two players enough to trigger said debuff?

 

Does it take 5 or more? (Can see the potential of trolling commanders)

 

Can you imagine the commander’s rage at a semi new random that wanders too close and kicks in a debuff?

 

Likely wouldn’t be a healthy way to encourage people to want to play.

 

Cutting off a squad size would likely not change behaviors.

 

Providing an incentive (and I honestly don’t know what that would be) for people to split up is what is needed.

[The Path Finder.3197]

I think a debuff should be proportionate to to other party coming near. Also - consider that if the commander is fighting an enemy squad and their back up comes, they'll also become weaker. Debuff just needs to effect the blob's AOE spam ability. And if a "random" is not in a sqaud fighting near another squad he/she gets a bigger debuff - they either need to go roam like they do or join up with a squad or party. A a buff for smaller parties 3-5 to promote less solo* play too. Since the new patch makes 10 man squad more appealing now too.

 

Maps are so big, but too many people in one point, its silly...

 

Smaller squads = more coms = More guilds leading them, friend groups form more, than large randoms. Perhaps 20 man open squad, and 2x 20 man closed, with some roamers and 5-10mans. Would make variety in wvw much better.

 

Nothing stops them from pilling together, for one big push still... its just that defenders of smaller numbers will have a better chance kinda like "outnumbered" but it becomes more of outnumbered for a circled zone around the commander "over numbered debuff"

 

No more need for TS servers, Discord will be fine, more "guilds" can get in on the squad action instead of 1 commander hogging the map. Pro squads, newby squad w/e can form, same maps.

[Optimator.3589]

It changes nothing. Blob happens. Just like the formation of planets in a solar system, mass attracts mass. Players will tend to clump together no matter what arbitrary squad limit you set.

 

[Rampage.7145]

> @"Optimator.3589" said:

> It changes nothing. Blob happens. Just like the formation of planets in a solar system, mass attracts mass. Players will tend to clump together no matter what arbitrary squad limit you set.

>

 

This is just exactly what happens no matter how big or small squads are

[shiri.4257]

the Squad UI is just a helpful tool to organize. before we had that UI, people had to make 5 man parties. and guess what? it was still 50+ omniblobs. it was just more difficult setting up stabs and dps without the UI. if you don't believe me, look up old wvw videos around 2013.

[Baldrick.8967]

Pointless poll with inbred bias towards reduction.

[Kovu.7560]

[Next wvw event.](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Mistlock_Instability:_Social_Awkwardness "Next wvw event.")

[Threather.9354]

Reducing the squad size does nothing.

 

But funnily that ever since they started implementing these 10 man target skills, multiple 10 man squads should be the optimal way to play.

 

I think bigger problem regarding squads atm is open tags making discord-only squads to stop "randoms from playing". Like everyone has to start from somewhere. No one knows why commanders have to be delusional that everyone on international servers talk english and should love their voice.

[RedShark.9548]

> @"Ovalkvadratcylinder.9365" said:

> > @"Swagger.1459" said:

> > > @"Ovalkvadratcylinder.9365" said:

> > > I'm just curious as to what people think about reducing the maximum size of squads in WvW and how it would be affecting the crurrent state of the game mode with regards to blob vs blobs.

> > > I do everything from solo roaming to organised blobbing (guild core with many pugs) and everything inbetween and I find that often times when a server is stacked with bandwagoners they tend to easily gather most of their players on 1 tag on the map the tag is on. This affects both the roaming climate and the zerging since many of the past bandw. servers had 1 massive blob on 1 map and then the other maps were empty both on roamers and other groups.

> > >

> > > So basically I'm interested in what squad size you think would be the best to try to encourage different kinds of engagements rather than mega blobbing. Or if you got a different idea?

> > > Note: I'm not claiming this to be a universal fix for anything but maybe reducing the size could eventually have an affect (positive, i hope) on the style of which people play in WvW

> > >

> > > Edit: Im also curious what impact people on lower pop servers think this would have

> >

> > I'm going to propose a question to you.... What difference does "squad" size make when maps allow for X players, and players would just follow a main squad, and use voice comms, if squad size were reduced?

>

> It is true that there is still gonna be the fact that being more than you're opponent the better. Then the squads doesnt matter. We could remove squads altogether and have the same effect. One thing that would change for a fact is as pointed out above the boon prio.

> But I also wonder what would happen from a theoretical point of view? It could very well give coms more incentive to change their playstyle. I think it could spice things up in WvW especially for and against bandwagon servers.

 

You know, there was a time ago, when squads didnt exist, how do you think ppl managed their boons? Exactly, they made individual 4 or 5 man groups and followed a commander tag. Its that easy, changing squad size wont change kitten, even now there is often a full main blob and then there is often a secondary squad that includes caster that dont need stability. The amount of ppl that fit on a map decides how many ppl can follow a tag, not the squadsize.

 

You dont need squads to manage boons lol

 

Edit. If anything they should increase squadsize so secondary squads are not necessary. Since smaller squads wont change anything atleast give the commander a better oberview of all the ppl actually at his tag

[SweetPotato.7456]

it isn't going to make a difference.