One thing this one notices is a particular flavour of malicious incompetence.

Many assets added to the game are developed with little thought for how they will impact PvP.
If the expectation is that the devs have no grasp of how PvP actually works, it becomes something of an ablative excuse.
The adage to not ascribe to malicious what is just as easily explained with incompetence.
However, after how long does maintaining ignorance and lack of capability, in a professional capacity, become malice?

There was a devstream some years ago where there was the notation, when asked how sorcery would impact PvP, that they would see. That same sort of chuckle and shrug one might notice whenever they are adding something to the game no one asked for that they know will be unpopular.

That is when this one realized that the devs for this game don’t actually give a fig about the PvP player base. Nor do they care how their decisions will impact that game mode. It’s not ignorance, not exactly. It’s apathy. It is the decision to not care.
In the Age of War, especially with the inventory UI enshittification, the rest of the player base got to taste what PvP has felt for some time.

But this wasn’t a bonding moment.
No, misery makes everyone grumpy and we get into this sorta pathetic who has it worst competition.
It’s like oppression Olympics, but for who is the most shat upon of players.

There is a truth, quite unfortunate in this one’s opinion, but it is what it is… PvP in this game is about finding the whatever meta has negligently been coded into existence and take every possible advantage of it until the next patch blunders it’s way into a different meta.
It’s true in duels
It’s true in raids

What is Pay 2 Win?
How far into Pay for Advantage does it need to go?
This one has a fairly high tolerance for many things (blood Crystal “Chakrams” and relic hunter torches… Those aren’t going to decide anything of merit) but others (specific shapes and styles of roofs specifically coupled with a bomber only meta) this one notes can definitely have bite and be very well utilized.

All other things equal, a longer lasting torch is irrelevant.
All other things equal, ablative structures that resist explosive placement can decide a raid and based on material cost can decide a long term conflict.

Mind you, all of that pales compared to undermesh bases and flying bases, to name a couple other issues that have been allowed to linger for so long they are features, not bugs.

And that’s the state of PvP
Which is a shame, because it could have been quite engaging.
As of Chapter 4 Age of War, even without the advantageous options mentioned before, it’s sad and stale. You will raid with bombs. That is all. Nothing else is relevant (ability to levitate castles aside).
You will duel with the mad lumberjack style. Because poke and roll got turned off.

But that’s the game, expecting otherwise by this interval is in the fool this one twice shame on this one zone.

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