In yesterdays post I showed a video and wrote about some of the positive aspects of WAR's new scenario, The Ironclad. While I am looking forward to playing it once it hits live, there are some aspects that I'm not so sure about.
6 vs 6. The Ironclad is meant for single group versus group combat. The problem is that solo players will queue for the scenario too. The age old premade against pug problem will be very pronounced in The Ironclad. Since WAR lacks any matchmaking options to put premades against other premades, there really is no way to avoid this. Personally, I don't mind and plan on running this scenario in a group most of the time.
Maybe there should be a warning label in the scenario description? In the lower tiers, I don't expect this to be a problem. Tier 4 is a different story of course.
Spawns. As I mentioned yesterday, player spawn points are not mirrored. Order starts inside the ship while Destruction starts on their own platform. As much as I like the potential that non-mirrored spawn gives, this is just asking for trouble. I expect there to be numerous complaints about how Mythic favors one side due to the non-mirrored spawn points.
One popular suggestion to this is to alternate spawn points. I think that will just lead to players quitting if they don't have the better perceived spawn location. If it were me, I would add an Order platform to the other side of the ship. Although, I fear this may lead to players ignoring the other objectives and just camping.
Group Healing. In WAR, group healing spells do not need line of sight. This makes them especially effective in the Ironclad. A player can heal his buddies on other decks or in adjacent corridors without much risk.
Line of Sight. The indoor objectives will make life tough for several classes. Single target healing, which needs line of sight, will be much more difficult when compared to group healing. Ranged classes, without a pbaoe, will have a tough time since they have to get close.
Three Objectives. Having three objectives may lead to more running around than fighting. The Ironclad is similar to Gates of Ekrund, but the objectives are not as close together due to the indoor nature of the scenario. We'll have to see how this plays out on the live servers.
It is too early to pass judgment on the Ironclad. Even though I have a few concerns about the scenario, I am looking forward to playing it. Mythic has said they are 'testing the waters' with this 6 vs 6 scenario. If you enjoy it, you really should let them know. The people who don't like it will be doing just that.
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