I have enjoyed the player-versus-player combat since the game was released. The integration of the PVE and PVP elements of Cyrodiil give it a realistic vibe, and the unpredictability of the immense battleground grants opportunities for ferocious clashes and epic sieges. While the battlefield can be hectic and haphazard, I've tried to enjoy it to the fullest extent, only to be forced out of my home campaign due to unprecedented issues that I became aware of over time.
To put things simply, the campaigns are unbalanced in terms of population. PVP Guilds aside, the majority of players tend to migrate to the campaign that hosts the largest population for their faction - this is to be expected. As a result, the score difference between participating factions either changes little or changes drastically (as a result of population surges caused by cooperating guilds or really pissed off Aldmeri Dominion soldiers). For example, the Aldmeri Dominion have held first place in the campaign "Auriel's Bow" since the week the game was released, and neither of the other factions have made significant progress against them. This inevitable defeat has become a disconcerting theme among Auriel's Bow's frequent players. As a result, the population of the campaign has dwindled (Last I checked, the Aldmeri held every fort in Cyrodiil.).
On the other hand, the majority of campaigns are used for little player-versus-player combat, and remain in the hands of PVE players. While I have nothing against this, it's disappointing to see the low population all the time. This may be the result of a lack of players to populate the campaign. However, the whole population of each faction shifts towards that which is most heavily-populated. This "bandwagon" effect seriously detracted from my experience, and forced me out of my home campaign.
As a frequent player of The Elder Scrolls Online, I'm very impressed in the work put into the game - especially the combat. I'll have to take a break from Cyrodiil for a while to recuperate. Hopefully, I've raised some awareness for these issues.
Edited by Burby500 on 20 May 2014 21:03