Please AB!

AB is fun because it's a throwback to a Guild Wars ideal of running all kinds of random builds and being effective. Everyone has become so good (or just derivitive, depending on how you look at it I guess) at the other gametypes that you're limited to a relatively small set of skills and tactics to compete with the other players who have figured out (either by themselves or more likely by copying from others) the most efficient ways to win. But the balance of running, NPC killing, and some player killing allows damn near anything reasonable to be effective, so you pick whatever combination is fun that day.

What kills AB for me isn't the map imbalance, or the weak rewards (not like most of the PvP arenas have good rewards), it's that the map changes too infrequently. After 2 or 3 runs on Etnaran Keys (or whatever) I'm tired of it, but it's still running. Kills any momentum for the gametype and prevents those "one more game" feelings because it's just going to be another game on the same map you played several times already.

yesterday i waited a half hour to get in a frigen alliance battle that was only 5 minutes long....WTF

Generally, there is an elite that does something better than one of your skills. By not taking an elite that does it better, you are gimping your build. In the cases where an elite doesn't do something better, swapping a few skills out for an elite and some skills that synergise with it will make your build better anyway.

AB is fun, haven't done it for along time. It was really fun when nubs wear there holiday hats and then take 200+ hits to the head. Then scream that they can't switch their headgear.

you don't have to have an elite skill to be good.

@ thread starter

Dude I've been oranged out (restarted) 50 times in a row before. I got so bored I started counting how many corners my armor had...

The wait time (by my observation) depends on your alliance and the map you're in. If you're Kurzick, for example, and you're in a map like Grenz you will have the longer wait than if you were Kurzick and at Etnaran Keys. The reason... most people only AB when the map favors them. Etnaran map? Luxons galore. Grenz? Kurzicks up the wazoo. Never fails. When it's at Saltspray (neutral map) I've never seen more than a one game wait, usually no wait.

The trick to get in quantity is to AB when the map favors the other alliance. You'll get in games as fast as they finish, almost no waiting. You may get in three games before people on the other side get into one. Maybe more.

Edit: For comic relief, I've been running a pure trapper in ABs between Hard Mode vanquishing attempts. What an absolute BLAST! Between Spike trap, Barbed trap and Tripwire I had this one warrior getting knocked down so often it looked like I was dribbling him like a basketball. I woke my wife laughing. Ah, good times, good times...

I like Alliance Battle for the fun pvp it is, no death penalty and no real need for a resurrection skill. It's a nice place to test your pvp builds and work on team coordination as well. It's particularly nice since I'm in a tiny guild with at most a handful of semi active players, no chance of gvg for me .

The worst thing about ABing is the wait time. With the same 4 people on a busy night I've had to wait up to 15 or more minutes to get in. With long waits members may leave which will add in more time for waiting and finding another member. It's a big discouragement to AB.

Maps don't mean a thing usually, unless it's the kaanai canyon or ancestral lands one I think (the one with a fort). It could easily go either way with the rest of the maps. Playing only when a map supposedly favors you isn't the way to go that way leads to less AB.

Leechers get to everybody, worst case I saw was an entire team of 4 not moving since start. It makes no sense when anyone can just go out and capture at least 1 shrine and add to the reward points. Leavers are the funniest thing too, they're giving up their wait time to get in and a chance to get any points at all. Spies or traitors are there too, worst are those that openly admit it and ruin things. Once again an option to kick someone out during these moments would be nice.

I love you build :O

It depends on the map....luxons don't like Grenz and kurzick don't like Eternal beach or whatever