I found it very interesting as I was mind-drafting this post to find that Jeromai had already covered just about everything I had to say about Dragon Ball. It’s a good read, and I want to reiterate some of the points to both players and ArenaNet.
Hints to ArenaNet
Rewards Commensurate with Skill – good PvP is hard on the player. Make it justly rewarding. Right now the rewards for mindlessly chasing down holograms are a magnitude greater than a Dragon Ball match. Giving rewards to top players on both sides will keep the losing side playing.
Random Arenas Need Randomness – I don’t understand why there is a switch team function to being with. The only reason to switch to a team is if that team is winning, and those people are not the ones that are going to leave the match. There should also be a wider pool of players to shake up matches a bit more too, but that might be a server limitation.
Hints to Players
Your First Team Will Suck – Jeromai goes in to considerable detail on why, but consider it a warmup and also a reason not to quit matches to find a different pool of players. Your first team will suck there too.
Jump Pads Don’t Dodge – as awesome a mobility feature as the jump pads are, they will not stop a dragonball from hitting you. I love chasing players down the chutes and kill them as they jump upwards.
Corners and Pillars Do – taking tight turns down the chutes and using the pillars on the top level are some of the best ways to make sure that an opponent’s dragonball is obstructed.
Know Your Health Escapes – in a firefight knowing when to dodge, fall, jump in to a health pickup will make you win.
Don’t Be Chased – my favorite kills are when players try and run away from me down the chutes. I am just getting free shots at your backside. If you have to run away, at least use your other skills. You can throw #2 behind you, for example.
Duos Are Best, Threes a Crowd – I find that sticking with one other player is best. You can take down solo opponents with ease, and not hangup on one another.
Personal Achievements Triumphant – 20 wins is edging on too many for an achievement, and it is weighed down by the reliance on a decent team. Having that replaced with personal kills, for example, would have decreased the reliance on an oft-horrible team and given more reasons to stick around.
