Just cause faction change and AK lowered numbers wasn't dont at the same time doesnt mean it is a good or bad solution. Plus it is an opinion, plus to do faction changes is not exactly an easy procedure, nor is constantly updating the numbers there would have to be significant tracking done. This is just more overhead on the game staff specially Vivi and Bash. See we keep looking at using bandages to fix things rather than a cure. The cure is more people and loyal ones that feel like a family feel they belong. We can all day add numbers or subtract them or faction change til the hard drives crash. It isnt a solution that is long term and in fact in many games that suffered the same issues that we face server merges server splits faction changes this has always shown to be a system that just doesnt do all that much good if any at all. I can see how you would think that it would work, but sadly the moment someone that is needed in the AK DC or crash then that faction will suffer and I feel that it will hurt FK more so.. If your already hurting when you lose a key member or two and that spot is filled with someone else, it all goes down hill. I am not thinking from an RG perspective here I am putting myself more in the shoes of the FK if anything but I am trying to stay in the middle and neutral. I just see serious failure from this as it happened before here and other games I have played. I know I am beating a dead horse here but the solution lies in what I have said before get the players that have left or taking long hiatus back, or train and recruit new people. New friends or those newbies that are out there I see them.. Yes they exist, I have seen shouts from both FK and RG newbies asking questions and needing help. I help as many as I can, but I am just one person.

Still this is the same issue just explained out differently it doesnt solve the issue. Why would people switch sides back and forth and get frustrated not getting in or DC and cant get back in. Then they FC to help balance this has time and again shown to not work. So why would they FC just to get the AL number raised to then end up in the same boat again. This still is trying to work around the problem and not work the problem. The problem is numbers at that time of day or night for that faction. It is all about those time zones I can guarantee if you had a game that was only 1 country ever playing you would not end up with these type issues, unfortunately this is a international game. So we are stuck with the time zone issue that puts one faction at a disadvantage at certain times. People tend to flock together they do not wanna play alone. So then what is the solution? Well it is simple but also hard. You have to recruit players for that time zone to play on that faction. I know easier said than done, but this is the end all solution. You just need to help the people that are struggling to help you. I often see new players just not get the help they might need. I have personally spent hours upon hours helping newbies and spent more gold than I can or want to admit helping them. If more of this was to take place and those lower geared or lower levels felt needed and appreciate rather than ran over or over looked this would help. There is an army, their just not geared, leveled or trained. If they feel part of a faction part of a family they will end up loyal. So it comes back full circle to the only true solution, the players must bond together as a faction and make it grow. I have played SB from the earliest of days and have seen the times when FK was dominate and when RG was dominate. I have also seen that the time zones also dictated this highly. It is still true today too, just a slight lesser degree due to player base. This is what needs to be the main focus, the player base and helping them grow with you. Not trying to band-aid fix things that will only fester the wound more.

But some do not know all the alts or they hide so as a FK can you see every spot in RG base? Sadly no nor can RG. So seeing that Sand is in both sides you have to rival them and also know both of your main names... Some ppl have access to other players accts too. So then it comes down to IP address checking. It is a much more complicated issue than it seems. Yes and dual logging can get you banned specially if you abuse this over n over again. The problem is they still dont learn from it, I will not name any names here but there is many ppl that have gotten a temp ban and went right back to their offensive habits. Also not everyone records, so now your asking the community to be recording every AK cause who is gonna be there 24/7 like you said. Also lets say you was the one that recorded and only you would this prove that someone had a RG n FK one hiding some place? Probably not, also you would not see the entire map at all times to know what is going on. This is even hard for us GS even when there would be 2 FK n 2 RG on in a single AK. Great idea that people can report and video, just who is capable? Some peoples machines lag just playing SB let alone running a recording software or their harddrive speed and space. I like that idea make players responsible which they should be. We are adults we should know right from wrong, but sadly adults are just like kids we push the limits to see how far we can go too lol. As adults we also can take matters into our own hands which is why I suggest a longer term plan, get the faction to love each other and want to better their faction. Get them to want to grow as a faction and as a team.

That would be nice unfortunately most of that is out of scope of what can and cant be controlled. I do rather like that idea that it could scale.

That is what we are proposing here 20-25 is as low as it was before... Lower it to 40 sure that isnt as low but cutting in half is just the same issue on a different date and time. Problem is they can still switch in the middle regardless, just might risk no spot. Or wait for a DC and take a spot then what? Same issue... The problem with reporting to a GS is that it is one after the fact... So just banning means less players. As much as it might be a shock to players, GS dont like to Ban people. It is an option we take very seriously, we dont just go clicking that button all the time nilly willy. Plus we need the proper proof in order to really act upon that, and doing it afterwards just lowers the player base for even that week or two, it also doesnt solve the fact that, the BG in question had an issue. Yes I know we can not be there 24/7 and yes that indeed is an issue. Just taking a players word for who AFK'd or who dual logged is not an option, there has to be enough proof and that isnt a bannable offense in the beginning there needs to be a history of repeated abuse of this. This is why we have the ability to kick first to get rid of those afk and allow others to enter or to in a sense warn players. Sadly many players that have been kicked just come back and repeat this again. Same with people that have been banned they come back and back to their old habits. So a ban or a kick is not a full on solution either, there is some that just do not learn from this. Players can solve the balance problem, just that most are too unwilling to put in the time or effort. Make an alt on that side that needs help, switch faction and do not switch back, help people with gear, with levels, with advice. Keep those new players in game give them reason to feel useful and wanted. Get friends that have left the game to return, get new friends to start playing. These are much better long term options.... All comes back to Band Together as a faction.

Sadly 90-95% of this is also invalid though, not all GS have alts on the other side to join NB or AK. Nor do many of us care about loot. I personally can take or leave the loot. Yeah I like to get something useful or needed, but I have more stuff now that I even remember I have. It is still an issue of a GS being DCed and unable to get back in. It has happened before for several of the GS in the past. Lowering the AK numbers just will not solve this issue. It was done before and it caused more problems than it attempted to solve. Again it comes down to two factors and only two. The time zone issue and the fact people are not willing to stand behind their faction. They desert and go to their alts for loot or they just simply leave or do not show at all. I think people just fail to remember the issues this brought in when the numbers were lowered last time. So again it comes to my advice get people to stick together, get them to help one another. Help the lowbies level up, help them with gear or advice anything you can in order to get your faction numbers up. I dont want this next comment to sound like there is no help coming from one side or the other, but I have noticed that one side specially certain people are more than willing to help the lowbies out in advice or leveling something than the other. @Sand I know you have personally helped a lot of people on both RG and FK side it is very commendable. Helping with gear, advice leveling... This is precisely what is needed, if more people helped like this then there would be less new players that quit so quickly and there would no shortage of players, more so an influx and we would have people waiting to get into these BG's due to having too many. See again it comes down to the grind for players or the trying to catch up to the end gamers. If we all pitched in and did some work to help them, I know it is not fun sitting there all the time helping and you feel your the only one. Well speak up to your fellow faction if you feel your the only one doing most of this type of work.

Problem is people still can multi-log with multiple PC or same PC. There is ways around it always. The fact is people get their spirits down or crushed and then they feel there is no use trying. So then they often times switch for loot. This is the real issue, people dont like to lose and I understand that. But you can not win all the time and switching sides doesnt solve the issue either, in fact exacerbates it more. The two biggest issues is time zones and players not wanting to band together. If players truly want more pvp or better/even pvp they have to be the solution not the problem. Something like you did move to the other side to even things out is a step in the correct direction. The next thing people need to do is not desert your faction if your not winning motivate others to help. Do whatever it takes to garner interest in your cause, help them level, perhaps help the under geared as much as you can. Give them reason to want to join the fight... I know is isnt just one persons responsibility, but it has to start somewhere. If more people banded together rather than bicker or fight, then nothing is impossible. It is only impossible when nothing is done or you give up. So my advice to any faction suffering during any time zone... Stick to each other like glue. Band together after all your a faction, you should stand behind each other.

Who would be responsible like this though? Who would voluntarily leave with perhaps very little hope to get back in? As for changing the dynamics some of that is locked to the map. Stats of mobs can be changed for sure. Just the mechanics is more locked in that map.

@Sand this is all true but if there is not someone there to witness it and see it first hand your just taking the word of the player to do a kick. We cant do this, we have to verify the offense. Also it is hard to decide which acct do you ban? Honestly speaking these players know it is against the rules and wrong to dual log, yet they do it anyhow. So a ban on just the alt account would not serve much purpose. It is just a complicated issue that is for sure. Just honestly need a way to monitor this abuse if the system is altered in numbers that is for sure.

We do show interest in changing or trying to. The problem is multifaceted though, so there is no one simple solution. Players need to just stop switching sides and going for the loot purposes alone. We can not force anyone to play on one side, nor can we control who signs up for a BG or goes into an AK or NB. The players need to band together and go fight.

This is all well if the numbers allow it. However say you lower it to 20 and lets assume the average FK that join each week is 18. That leaves a possible and only a possible 2 slots for a FK GS. Lets look at RG if say 35 is the average for RG to show, then leaves a -15 slots as a possible for GS if the others get the click first or RG GS gets DCed. Sometimes there is only a FK GS or only a RG GS. It is hard for us to monitor 1 side let alone two. Plus then your almost fully cutting out one side for a possible GS if these *estimated* numbers are used. Granted like Nova said maybe there is a way we can force our way in, but I dont see that as possible to be honest. However who knows. And 1 extra person a GS wont throw balance off all that much. So lets say some magic happens and we get a 20 vrs 20 thing if 1 GS forced in and it was 21:20 or 20:21 I dont think this would be something game breaking. Just dont think is it possible is all.

Hmm not sure since that map is locked the way it is, but if there was a way we could force enter past the numbers and port in. This is doubtful though.

Problem with this is it was done before and many people also sat at portal trying to get in like Sand said all fine til you DC. So the biggest problem I see is what happened before in 59 cap is that players were constantly DCed or crashed and then not able to get back in. This applies to the GS that might be there to monitor it too. In theory this is a good concept, in practice though it doesnt work so well. I remember being a GS and being kicked out in 59 cap and not able to get in to see those AFKers or dual loggers. My biggest issue is the people that will dual log a same faction or opposing faction and blocking real active players. This isnt speaking from just an RG perspective, but from a GS perspective as well as a FK one. If the best geared FK get DCed and some lower level or lower geared get in it could also mess with either faction. Sadly this is a hard issue to deal with, a lot of it depends on time zones as well which is just so uncontrollable. As for a suggestion for a fix to this I am at a loss, cause nothing has seemed to work. Peoples spirits get broken and decide it isnt worth their time to show up so they just dont.

Not a guide persay but information on it is here in patch notes and as well a guide of sorts which NPC to see for the Quest Line.

Leaks I smell a leak.