Balance & Organization

Over the last few nights I have been in Tier 3 with my Choppa. The action has seemed to have lessened since earlier levels, maybe people are busy getting alts to level 25 ready for Land of the Dead. 

Anyway we got our behinds handed to us on two separate occasions. The first by what seemed to be 2 order war bands against our one. To which you hear calls of “the order zerg” banded about. Then a little later after a few defeats the war band dwindled to a size of 2 groups. The remaining members took a few objectives back (the larger order force may have moved on to another zone) and we where beaten again by what seemed a similar sized group.

On both of the above occasions I think of defeats were down to the same reasons. Organization and general war band skill.

In the first instance of the 2 war bands against our single war band, order seemed to move with focus and precision. Even though they had more numbers they engaged us while we were busy attacking objective NPC’s, or defended in range of friendly NPC’s. They used choke points and bright wizard AoE tactics. They killed stragglers leaving the war camp as destruction left to rejoin the fight after each wipe. They used these tactics even though they had greater numbers.

While our forces which where smaller and in turn easier to manage (you would think) rarely did we do any of the above. We managed to do the opposite by moving as individuals rather than as a group.

In the second instance when the forces at the final engagement where equal, the order war band scouted our destruction war band while we took two of the objectives back. Then they hid in a building behind our third objective attempt and waited till we had all engaged the hero then sprung their trap and wiped our 2 parties.

You may think this post going to be bitter, but I like to play against organized enemies who show me how I should be playing so I can learn. It is the same when I play in scenarios. I try and measure my effectiveness against other players so next time if they are in the same scenario, I stick with them and try and learn what they are doing.

I think on the whole War does a good job on realm balance. In the few months I have been in tier 4 the flow of domination has switched hands a number of times. From being totally order dominated to destruction alliance saying enough is enough and starting to organize them selves and finding they now have the ability to push the opposing city.