PvP Consecutive Loss Bonus. Turn it into a Consecutive Match Bonus.

[Februs]

I've done 30 matches today, and of it, I've gotten around 9k exp in total (Roulette's 400 exp included in that). Not once could I actually make use of the loss bonus without it resetting before I could even cap it out. Just a way to keep the losers from getting completely shafted that doesn't actually work.

I agree. PvP exp is difficult to come by in the first place, and you need a ridiculous amount to cap. Imagine if they took the same approach to PvE. No one would play. That's probably one of the reasons why PvP lobbies die a couple of months after new content releases. People just get fed up that they're not getting anywhere. It's like running into a brick wall.
It would be a different story if there were ways to gain exp bonuses in battle, the same way we gain bonuses in dungeons, but, as it is right now, lvl'ing in PvP is more frustrating than anything.

[Februs]

A 'loser's bonus' turned into a 'playing bonus' that multiplies first place winnings would be incredibly broken.

I understand your concerns. Obviously this would be a nightmare for matchmaking, but I'm not sure it would make much difference. Because the Alliances are made up of players from different worlds, there's no real way to tell which GC is consistently winning or losing. People who switch are usually just making snap judgments, and that kind of thing is gonna happen regardless.
That being said, If SE took this approach they'd have to nerf the winner's bonus to keep things fair. Personally, I still think a sliding scale would work best, adding + / - values to how many matches you win or lose that scale for the day up to a maximum of 3 and reset overnight.

[Risvertasashi]

there's no real way to tell which GC is consistently winning or losing.

On this particularly point I have to disagree. In PvP circles, people know where their GCs stand. And many that care about PvP will stack in the winning GC because, despite the horrid queue times they get, it's still the best way to advance and get the achievements.

[Februs]

In PvP circles, people know where their GCs stand

When someone tells me that they "know where their GC stands," the first questions that run through my mind is: "How and on which world?"
I'm sure there's a GC standing list (which is inaccurate unless they have tallied every match, which is impossible unless you work for SE), or you might look at the top ranked players and see which GC they are, but that doesn't guarantee wins.
Static pre-made groups are the ones who do the most leg work, but the average joe bases their decision on their personal win/loss record. Last night, I had 4 wins 1 loss. The night before was 5 losses 3 wins. Hardly consistent.
I'm not saying it can't happen. It did on my server. Flames/Mael were fairly even, but a ton of Flames swapped. I know this because it was a hot topic. People everywhere were talking about how they swapped, but, again, this was done on snap judgments rather than a public record of wins/losses.

[Ditto]

When someone tells me that they "know where their GC stands," the first questions that run through my mind is: "How and on which world?"
I'm sure there's a GC standing list (which is inaccurate unless they have tallied every match, which is impossible unless you work for SE), or you might look at the top ranked players and see which GC they are, but that doesn't guarantee wins.
Static pre-made groups are the ones who do the most leg work, but the average joe bases their decision on their personal win/loss record. Last night, I had 4 wins 1 loss. The night before was 5 losses 3 wins. Hardly consistent.
I'm not saying it can't happen. It did on my server. Flames/Mael were fairly even, but a ton of Flames swapped. I know this because it was a hot topic. People everywhere were talking about how they swapped, but, again, this was done on snap judgments rather than a public record of wins/losses.

People over exaggerate things a lot when their own GC starts to lose, but it isn't hard to notice who the losing GC is more often if you PvP around the clock and not just some static time every day. On Primal for example, Flames are the worst GC, and are looked at as the worst GC by anyone with knowledge on PvP. Part of this reason though is due to their instant queues, which is perfect for those just looking for a way to cap their weekly tomes and not take the match very seriously.



This is my performance for 2 weeks of PvP (I just started after Seal Rock came out). We had a good winning streak on the night after the reset, being why I have 12 wins for the weekly performance right now. 1 of those is also from an early morning 8v8v8 Secure match I was in, which we also won.

Those win streaks don't come often at all though. And part of the reason is because people who think they're good enough to lead the alliance and call out nodes and such, think that defense is the absolute only way you can do anything. People wind up playing so passively that they have no idea what to do once they actually get into a fight. And then when we start losing while another GC is close to winning, they continue to try to play defensive in 3rd, when they SHOULD be going on the complete offense and camping points from whoever is second, to at least take 2nd from them and minimize losses.

They don't seem to understand that though and act as if we have everything to lose while already in 3rd. If it weren't for me being rank 37, going on 38 with them right now, I'd switch to a different GC in a heart beat.

[Risvertasashi]

When someone tells me that they "know where their GC stands," the first questions that run through my mind is: "How and on which world?"

Oh, it's definitely not universally the same. Varies with datacenter and yes, probably over time. But, for example... for my DC... I have a friend that switched out of my GC for the one that wins most often. He said his first day was 6/1/1, and it basically continued like that. They lose occasionally, but he's still making far faster progress than I am (and still trying to talk me into switching).

...pretty much the only thing that stops me from switching is that I wouldn't keep my progress if I eventually turned back to my preferred-for-story GC.

[Februs]

Snip.

I get what you mean, and I generally agree.
My only point was that it's difficult to nail down an exact win/loss rate due to the nature of how teams are made up. On your server, Flames seem fairly consistent. On mine they're all over the place. Using personal stats to judge is common, but in PvP the alliance might be made up of players from multiple different worlds, so results are skewed. I can't say with certainty that Flames on my world are terrible, because, for all I know, it could be that all the bad players are coming from another world.
You can actually see this in action if you play at different times of the day. I sometimes only get time to play very early in the morning (like 2am). I find that the night owl group seems to dominate PvP, whereas groups I've played in during the day are utter crap. This is likely because I'm playing with players who are in a different timezone than me, but that would be hard to know for sure.

[Februs]

snip.

I know what you mean. I considered switching back during the "great betrayal" (about a month after Frontlines first came out) on my world, when everyone flocked to Mael, mostly because, suddenly, my ENTIRE FC was in Mael and I couldn't que with any of them. Problem is, que times would suck unless pre-made, and I don't want to reset my pvp level. The gear is pretty slick for glamours, so I'm interested in capping now.
The main problem that I have, and I outlined in a reply to Ditto, is that You never really know where the bad players are coming from. Are they on my world or someone elses? It's hard to tell. Even the end game leader boards don't really give the input you'd need to make a decision. Personally, I find that my win/loss rate with the Flames changes dramatically depending on the time of day; so, I'm forced to wonder if there are certain worlds that just have better players or know how to play the game mode better.

[Februs]

Snip.

I know EXACTLY what you mean with the passive gameplay. There is a time/place for playing defensively. If you have two or three points, sure, buckle down and fend off attackers, but if you only have one or you're trailing in points, it's time to man up and sound the charge.
The problem is that in my GC they just don't seem to get how to do it. A lot of the time I see the team split up between two different nodes. You can win it, certainly, but it is so much more efficient to throw the bulk of the force into a single charge, completely swarm a point, leave a skeleton crew to stand watch, and then send the army onto the next point. It's also prudent to be picky on which points you charge. Those blue circles can intimidate enemies to avoid the nodes behind them, and don't go for S's if there's 48 people there, go for the three other points on the map that are undefended. Some teams get it, but most don't and they spread out all over the place.

[Risvertasashi]

It could be a bunch of different variables, really. I'd bank on US evenings being the best time to PvP if I were in a GC where serious PvPers concentrate. But yeah, never guarantees a win... but it does increase your odds.

And even then, well... On my DC adders is considered the worst, but even they have a brutal premade that rolls from time to time. (Wish I could find a premade to run with...)