How do you get 100 random people, of different skill levels and play styles, to cooperate in order for the greater whole to succeed? That is the question World vs. World combat asks in Guild Wars 2.
This unique player vs. player (PVP) environment pits three severs against one another in a week long territory war. Key locations on each of the four maps generate points, depending on their value, and those points slowly accumulate to grant bonuses (better health, healing, etc) to every player within the world.
Unlike most traditional pvp modes, the fact that three different servers battle for supremacy is unique. What this allows to have happen is a more balanced prolonged experience. If one particular server rises up as a dominate force, the other two band together to push it back down.
This creates a fluid tide of battle where everything can change in just a matter of hours.
So how does this system work? How do so many people cooperate?
Spontaneous Leaders rise up and utilizing a server wide chat they attempt to direct the horde of players. Everyone else can simply ignore them, go along their merry way, but the way the game type is setup that can be extraordinarily difficult because very few things can be accomplished alone. To be a positive contributing force, players need to band together.
And as a result everyone has a bit of ownership towards the current situation, and as such they become responsible for relaying any important information they gather.
The incredible thing is, is that for the most part it actually works. Siege happen on an epic scale with trebuchets knocking holes into walls, arrows raining down, supply lines getting ambushed and secured, and as whole it is one of the most memorable experiences you can have in online gaming.
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