Very few servers this time around, and better WvW algorithms!

Might want to give this one a while for Youtube to finish processing (taking their sweet time as usual) higher video resolutions. Either way, this is how I spent my Saturday night, running around in WvW kicking dolyaks and taking camps. If you’ve read my WvW Strategy article from a while back, this is basically exactly what I talk about doing with a small group of friends in video form!

This should have come out two days ago, but I’ve been dealing with a lot of software and Youtube issues. This is my video of 80% of the WvW Eternal Battlegrounds jump puzzle dungeon. I’ve never played through any part of a videogame so ridiculously frustrating and addicting. When I  agve up on my ele the first time, I announced giving up about half-an-hour before I actually gave up simply because I couldn’t stop no matter how angry I was getting at it.

Thank you to everyone who reads what I write here. Seriously, many thanks! Anyways, I write a lot of stuff and create a lot of video, but I can only come up with things that I think are interesting. If you have any questions, feedback, things you want to read about, etc., please tell me! Use my email (“Contact Me” section) or the questions and requests button on the right, or sign up on the GW2 WvW forums (which you should anyway) and reply to the thread there!

This is not my video, but it’s absolutely hilarious. Team Legacy and the Crystal Desert server made 120 siege golems and WRECKED WvW. This was the only server to beat us all weekend, and when I say “beat us”, I mean “they owned everything all the time and we had no hope”. Why? Because they could do this.

Notice the using mesmer portals to suddenly appear golems at the door like I mentioned in my WvW strategy post many months back! Proof that I’m smart.

I’m tired as hell, but here’s what I think about this weekend’s beta and the changes that have been made.

Here’s a bit of info on some updates we’ll see in WvW in addition to all of the new features. Nice to know that they’ve promised an improved chat system and fixed some bugs. I’m sure Gamebreaker TV will have a stream up at some point, so watch us kick some ass over the weekend.

Hello everyone, and welcome to the special Beta Weekend Event 2 edition of The Structure! While TS is a column dedicated to SPvP, this week we’re talking about both SPvP and WvW. I’ve got some helpful tips for everyone regarding both, but first we’ve got big news on both fronts. Earlier this week, ArenaNet posted on the official blog what we would be seeing added to the game for this weekend, and everyone’s excited about it. What do us PvP nerds get to geek out over this weekend?

For everyone that’s into SPvP, we get to finally see automated tournaments! We don’t yet have player-defined matches or tournaments yet (something we have been promised at launch), but this is a big step up from having just a “Join a Match” button. They’re also drastically expanding the WvW experience. Things to be excited about include skill challenges to help WvW as a viable leveling method, dynamic events to provide more PvE components, and a PvP mini-dungeon that includes a chest and loot!


Now, on to business as usual. I know a lot of people in the last beta that did virtually (or literally) nothing except play WvW. I know a lot of people that did only SPvP and no WvW. Some of you reading this are probably in one of those two groups. Sure, there are going to be new things on both sides to go back and check out, but this weekend I hope that you’ll give the other a chance as well. That’s why for this pre-beta edition of TS, I’m coming up with a list of tips to take with you as you go from one into the other.

For Going From WvW Into SPvP

If you’ve played WvW and are going to try SPvP for the first time, follow these few tips to make yourself more successful in your new endeavor:

• Big fights over an objective are actually not helpful. If three of the enemy team are at one objective, that’s the last place you want to be. That means there are two other objectives with one player each (where you can simply fight them off) or no players at all simply waiting to be captured.

• The objectives in SPvP are small. While you can stand anywhere and nuke things in WvW to help break into a keep in WvW, nothing you’re doing actually helps win in SPvP if you’re not in the circles.

• SPvP matches are short. It takes very little time to go from winning to losing in SPvP. Even if you have every objective in SPvP, it takes less than 30 seconds for the enemy team to run in and take over two objectives very quickly and suddenly be gaining the lead on you.

For Going From SPvP Into WvW

If you’ve played SPvP and are going into WvW for the first time, follow these tips to make yourself more successful in your new endeavor:

• Killing off the defense actually helps take the objective. Kill enemy siege weapons quickly, and stop new ones from being built. Since it takes very few players to erect a siege weapon and wreak havoc on your team, all enemy players are a significant threat.

• There are four maps to choose from. It sounds like it should be obvious, but a lot of people don’t understand that there are other maps aside from the Eternal Battlegrounds. If your side is getting completely demolished in EB, grab a bunch of guildies/friends, pick a Borderlands map you don’t have much of, and you can often ROFLstomp your way through most of the map before other players figure out what’s how to stop you.

• Figure out who you’re running with. While you’re not going to want to get everyone on your team into Skype like you will for SPvP tournaments, it’s very important to know who the people on your side are. If there’s one large guild running together, talk to them. Chances are someone in that guild may be running a stream to help coordinate people. If no one’s running a stream and you can, offer to do so. It may seem insignificant, but that tiny amount of coordination is all it takes to decimate the unorganized masses.

Extra Tips

Lastly, everyone have a ton of fun this weekend! As usual, I will be with the Gamebreaker TV folks on Darkhaven (unless they announce a server transfer, in which case I will follow them), and you can add me as Yoshi Gwtwo. For more beginner’s tips for WvW and SPvP, read my guide for each (link: WvW, SPvP). Happy pwning!

“One of the coolest things that we’ve added to WvW recently is a persistent mini-dungeon that can be accessed through the three keeps in the center map. This area is designed with multiplayer PvP in mind and players can do things like activate the traps in the mini-dungeon to defeat enemy players. Of course, at the end of the area there’s a chest full of rewards.”

That’s the most important thing to read in this, but the rest is still worth reading. Think about it: a PvP dungeon.

Everyone please do me this favor: reblog this link. If you like GW2 in the slightest, or if anyone you know likes GW2 in the slightest, reblog this link. If you only ever listen to one thing I say, reblog this link. Don’t like this, just reblog it.

“But, Yoshi, why should we reblog it?” you ask. I’ll tell you why:

• GW2 WvW is a great GW2 community site for PvP — both WvW and SPvP.
• There’s even some non-PvP content.
• It’s run by some really great people.
• Content is provided by the community, and there are a lot of good ideas there.
• They’ve just started, and they’ve already got a #1 thread on the Reddit page.
• They’re small and need more exposure.
• If three of my followers reblog this, and three of theirs do, and… you know.
• I’ve started writing for them as well as my own blog.
• I’m asking you all really nicely, and I’ll even put sugar on top.