In other news, I really like the new and improved keeps/forts. Although defending inside has become even more impossible now, most of the PvP now happens at the gates; if the gates go down it is pretty much a PvE zerg to the commander (at least I've not witnessed a succesfull defense after the gate has gone down, but then again my experience is only from T2).
Havent done fort stuff in lower tiers - all changed then?
Yeah, new layouts at the keeps, and the keeps have new (and improved) looks. There are more ramps up, proper (and more) balconies. The defenders can no longer do a thermopylai by parking three tanks at the top of the stairs and just heal them and watch the keep lord rape the attackers (who can not be healed because there is no space for the healers on the stairs).
The last stand now happens at the keep door, but as there is no keep-lord killing the attackers there and the ranged classes have a line of sight (and WH's and WE's can get in from behind), the battle is pretty much doomed for the defender. The other option would be to guard all the stairs up, but I haven't seen that many defenders available in any fight.
I saw once a handful of destro trying to defend in the old way at the keep-lord, but they were overrun fast. Once the attackers get inside the keep, the defenders are pretty much doomed.
I guess siege weapons are much more important now, but attackers are much more keen to press on to a keep defended by players. It's no longer "Oh damn, there are three players inside, lets go to some other area", but I've actually seen the following shout "Get the gate down fast so we get in at them!", and that in a raid with 11 players on the attack (and we took the keep).
