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BG Deathmatch is for bad players

Bjond
Bjond
✭✭✭
I already don't do much in ESO BGs, but if it goes deathmatch-only, I'd just punt it. Been there, done that (10k times over back in Aion). It's not fun. Zone in on main, others check gear (or know your name), they sit down & wait for you to kill them. Zone in on alt, check gear or know other is a "top", sit down, wait to die. Gah.

The non-deathmatch BG in Aion is alot like capture-the-flag. You can win by pointing on "flags", by slaughter, or maximize by doing both. My static had mains that were boring because they were unbeatable by any but the top few teams on the other faction and alts that were so much more fun because we had to be clever and fast to win, especially against a top team, but also because the foe didn't sit down and give up. It's MUCH more fun when they struggle.

One of my favorite memories from that time was taking our alts against one of the top on the other faction and soundly beating them. And, not just once, but 4 or 5 times over the course of about a month. We knew they'd come to slaughter us and that we stood no chance in a head-to-head. So, we made sure we cost them points and earned more ourselves if they decided to pvp us at all. It was both sad and smugly satisfying when on the 5th or 6th match we zoned in and saw it was our kill-happy buddies, but ... oh ... they finally learned. They're not coming to pvp us today. Guess they wanted to win. :grin:

And this is why I consider death-match to be for bad players. It ONLY supports pure tactical play and gives an overwhelming advantage to the geared veterans. Alts and newbies haven't a prayer and they know it. The best PvP is CHESS at 90 miles an hour, not "my proc is better than your proc". The fun of doing a real BG as a newbie or alt is checking that score at the end and seeing your name with more points than others despite not being ready (yet) for the tactical side of it.

If you want to make BGs more popular, give bonuses for being a good teammate rather than only 2 of 3 teams. Encouraging folks not to "afk for bonus" is very desirable, but any form of winner-takes-all is read by most as "get lost newbies, this isn't for you". The one thing PvP needs most is good fun opponents. That means it needs newbies badly -- far more than PvE needs newbies. A constant unending stream of newbies that find it encouraging enough to continue on and learn to be better and better opponents.
  • ZOS_Icy
    ZOS_Icy
    mod
    Greetings!

    With there already being a thread opened on this subject, we're going to go ahead and close this one down. To consolidate all feedback, we ask that you continue the discussion here.

    Thank you for your understanding.
    Edited by ZOS_Icy on September 17, 2021 1:33PM
    Staff Post
This discussion has been closed.