This is not about class balance, but about the PvP system structure. Feel free to critique anything you think sucks and needs changing, or anything that needs expanding upon. If you've frequented PvP threads, I'm sure some of these have been suggested many a time.
These are my thoughts about the system itself:
Abolish In-Match Grand Companies, Replace with randomly-assigned Teams
An ongoing feud between three rival excavation companies reaches a boiling point, and decide to hold a tournament for exclusive rights to operate their business in these lands. A call for sellswords from the Three Grand Companies has been sent to take up arms for coin and glory to champion one of these three factions. Will you fight on the behalf the ambitious Blue Barracudas, the fierce Red Jaguars, or the cunning Yellow... Snakes? Only one can be victorious and claim exclusive rights. To the Frontlines!
Randomly assign each player to a banner color (I.e. Blue, Red, Yellow) upon entering a PvP match. These will be your PVP teammates for the current match. Any victories would continue to count toward your current Grand Company for achievement and rank purposes. Players queuing together will be placed on the same team color (But may suffer slightly longer queues doing so).
This would not only help to eliminate switching to Grand Companies with the highest win rates (FotW/FotM), but also drastically reduce overall player queue times for PvP as players would be randomly assigned. This also comes with the added benefit of being able to play with any of your friends, no matter their currently aligned Grand Company.
Institute a Point-based Victory System for PVP Achievements
Alter the current "Winner take all" system where if you get anything less than a First Place victory, it becomes a complete waste of time. Replace "Achieve X Victories with any Grand Company" with a point-based system, such as "Accumulate a total of 500 points with any Grand Company" where a first place victory awards 2 points, second place awarding 1 point, and third rewarding no points.
This way, progress is made for teams that don't claim victory, and with a lack of a reward for third place, this avoids players simply doing nothing but soaking up losses without putting forth effort toward victory.
These are my thoughts to try to keep players coming back:
Create an Ultimate Goal
PvP is purely aesthetic, which is why after you get to max rank or get your mount with your current Grand Company, there is very little incentive to keep players coming back and playing more. Perhaps if they added in a glamour set and/or mount for any player brave/foolish enough to get all three Grand Companies to rank 50 would keep players queueing for PvP after they already reaped the rewards of one company.
Increase PvP Experience Gain for Players with Max PvP Rank in one Grand Company
Much like FFXIV's current system, when you have a class leveled, the player gains bonus experience when attempting to level subsequent classes. I feel a similar system should be adopted into PvP for players brave enough to start over with a different Grand Company and attempt to increase in rank once more.

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