It's an interesting moment, the one that mikkeneko talks about over on WoW LJ. It's the one where you first enter a battleground, or an Arena, or just head out into the world, attack someone of the opposite faction and win, and first realize that yes, you can PvP.I come, like many more experienced gamers, from a Counterstrike background (and a Doom and Quake background before that), so I've almost always known the thrill of taking on other humans at their own computers. But this moment happened for me before I ever played WoW -- back in the days of Dark Age of Camelot, I entered a battleground, saw nameless player opponents in front of me flagged red, actually killed one, and realized that yes, I could actually do this. Our own Dan O'Halloran just recently had this experience in WoW, I believe -- he told us on the podcast a little while back that he'd never played PvP, and a week or so later, he told me he'd tried out a battleground and learned it was actually a lot of fun.
PvP isn't hard -- you mostly play the character as you play it in PvE, and as fast as high-end Arena matches can get, battlegrounds especially are simple enough for even casual players to enter and at least partly influence the battle. I don't remember what's so scary about PvP but I do remember it being scary way back when. If you haven't played PvP yet, though, you're missing out -- jump into a battleground, throw some spells or swords around, and you'll find that you too can PvP.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-10-2008 @ 5:41PM
ab cde said...
hi
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3-10-2008 @ 5:41PM
Sean Riley said...
The sad thing is that it stops being scary. I have fond memories of how shaky and nervous I'd get when I used to go into Battlegrounds -- I'd come out of them filled with endorphins. That doesn't happen now, sadly.
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3-10-2008 @ 9:15PM
jurandr said...
I totally agree with #2.
I remember my first duel. ever. I was level 13 on a mage messing around in Crossroads, along with some members of the first leveling guild I've ever been in. We did all sorts of duels there, and the first time I did that, I came away shaking IRL. PvP has always been a lot of fun for me after I got over the initial shock of it all =)
3-10-2008 @ 5:51PM
izzie said...
The thing is, you say "PvP isn't hard -- you mostly play the character as you play it in PvE,"
That couldn't be more wrong for priests. I can't count how many times i've used mana burn killing Illidan or LoS stuff on council. For holy/disc priests, it couldn't be more wrong.
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3-10-2008 @ 5:51PM
Tracey said...
PvP is still somewhat intimidating for me. My main is a lvl 70 fire mage, and while she can kick PvE butt like nobody's business, PvP is a whole 'nother ball of wax. With PvE, the mobs are fairly predictable and easy to counter. But with PvP, you're up against other real people, and you can't always know what they're going to do, and how to counteract quickly. I'm slowly trying to get over my PvPhobia by hanging out in highly raided areas, such as Xroads, to at least get a feel for it and work on my reflexes, which aren't exactly lightening fast atm. Once I get fairly comfortable with that (and learn how not to die so fast), then I do want to hit the arenas and start working toward getting some nice epics.
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3-10-2008 @ 8:46PM
Frank said...
thank you for this post. i'm currently a 49 hybrid mage, and i HATE PvP. i've only done it about 5 times, and each time makes me hate it a bit more because i feel like such an idiot. your post makes me realize that it's just a skill i need to learn, it's not necessarily because i am a terrible player (which i don't think i am). so, i'll give it a try again, but i think i'll take a cue from you and hang out in highly raided areas to get a better feel for it, first.
3-10-2008 @ 5:52PM
Muragg said...
The thrill of PVP is what does it for me. For example, I can run 4 or 5 instances in a row and have fun but then enter a BG and after my first confrontation the andreline starts to take over. That's something stale PvE just doesn't offer very often.
You mentioned being a old CS player. I bet you remember how intense it was to be the last one left on your team vs 3 and come out with a win. Now that is PvP !!!
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3-10-2008 @ 6:10PM
Staggerlee said...
I have never been one to PVP after my very first experience of it in my first online game Ultima Online. PK's were rampant and I was such a poor sheep. I was killed over and over until I couldnt even log in anymore because of the fear and loathing.
That might be the very same thing that turned others onto PVP but it never set well with me and seemed so awful to have these roaming packs of people come slaughter me repeatedly when all I wanted to do was mine some ore.
I found DAOC later after a stint in EQ and I absolutely loved it. The system that game had of seperating the factions and allowing people to still do battle was just amazing and gave me time to overcome my scars. I eventually popped into the battleground and fell in love with all of the teamwork and even raw battles.
WoW is similar enough to where I also like it a lot but refuse to play on a PVP server after rolling on one initially. Some people love the excitement of being ganked and ganking others but I do not It is too random and meaningless for me. I prefer large scale war over random PK.
WOW's BG's are great fun and I spend hours and hours playing them. It is just nice to be able to turn it off and leave the battle if I choose.
3-10-2008 @ 6:02PM
Jinintaanik said...
This article brought to you by the same guy that wrote...
http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/06/fighting-in-battlegrounds-at-a-level-that-ends-in-1/
From elitist to ambassador in one month?
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3-10-2008 @ 7:24PM
jbodar said...
There's a difference from being new to PvP and being 7-9 levels lower than the other team. A new PvPer, decently leveled and geared, can affect the outcome of a battle, but at the lower end of the level bracket, he is a liability more often than not (unless twinked, but new people aren't likely to be twinks).
3-10-2008 @ 6:28PM
WOW Leveling Guides said...
It is pretty exciting. I remember my first journey into the PvP world while playing Runescape. I died... but it was fun!
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3-10-2008 @ 6:38PM
Abraxxis said...
Just before Christmas, I decided I needed to get the Alliance anti-fear trinket (for Archimonde). I spent a morning in an AV weekend. I found I got into a rhythm pretty quickly, following players headed to the south end of the zone, and killing the bosses. I died a bunch of times, but basically I treated it as a PuG-from-hell and gritted my teeth.
Now, the raid leader says we need the Medallion instead of the Insignia, so it looks like the guild is headed in for some more PvP "goodness."
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3-10-2008 @ 6:45PM
Stoneblade said...
I hate to naysay, but I have to admit that I've given it a shot, on several occasions, and it still has yet to do anything for me. I'm not intimidated by it, so much as I don't pvp because I simply don't like it. I don't enjoy it, and even though I've tried to give BGs and world defense the benefit of the doubt, I'd rather run instances or farm than pvp.
/shrugs
My two cents.
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3-10-2008 @ 6:57PM
Phairoh said...
*sigh* DAoC... if only WoW's PvP could hold a candle to the RvR in DAoC...
I will forever miss that game with nothing but fond memories.
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3-10-2008 @ 6:57PM
Tara said...
I have to agree with the commenters who say PvP is different. Depending on your class, some specs aren't viable at all. Tracey, I have a 70 fire mage as well and she doesn't PvP at all. For that I'd have to respec her frost. But I PvP all the time with my enhancement shammy and while I still use the same few abilities, target selection, movement and totem droppage are totally different in PvP.
And for a priest in an instance, psychic scream is a total no-no. In PvP it's fantastic. It's a hugely different game. Come on, that's why they're making an entire new arena-only realm.
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3-10-2008 @ 7:03PM
Darkharmony said...
So, I have been playing wow for roughly 3 years. I didn't even know what the BGs looked like until 2 months ago when my newly lvl 55 hunter entered ab for the first time. I talked to the battle master and was like.... alright lets just do this and queued up. About 30 seconds later it comes up and I can feel my heart pounding. I join the battle and it's still pounding. Was I scared? Not really. Excited? Not that much. I don't know what it was but something got me going. All I know is until I actually got in to a fight for a flag I was a little worried some rogue was gonna come up and one shot me. Especially when the others in the group said their was a really good twink rogue on the other side.
I haven't been back in a BG since I hit 60. But now that I turned 70 I have every intention to get back in to it again. And I have a feeling that those same feelings are going to be there when I do.
So for those that haven't tried it, jump in to a game. You may like it or you may not. I know I'm not great but I do know now that I have enjoyed my limited experience. Also it has given me something new to do after 3 years playing.
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3-10-2008 @ 7:10PM
Nate Voorheis said...
A few months back I was almost ready to hang up the WowCrack because I felt like there's nothing much left I could do. I didn't have the time available to become a hardcore raider, and on my home server of Drak'Thul there are hardly any raiding guilds period. What kept me in there was the PvP. I starting running AB/WSG/EotS over and over with two or three friends of mine. We'd spend hours in our elite PvP squad kicking the butts of the alliance who didn't know any better.
Now I have found my way with WoW. It's not about the content, it's about the experience and having fun with friends.
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3-10-2008 @ 7:13PM
mdisloki said...
@ Mike... Well said.
I feel like this post is talking right to me. I just started playing the game at christmas, but the kid that encouraged me to try it, quit 2 weeks later. So, I've been playing a couple hours a night with only the occasional assist from other players. I just hit 40 last week, and I have yet to enter a PvP Arena or BG. I've had a bunch of fatal encounters with Alli's and a few ugly duels.
Anything anyone can offer in terms of advice would be great.
I've actually been told by a few people to just wait until atleast 60 to start worrying about it. Should I?
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3-10-2008 @ 8:30PM
Arnold said...
I would recommend not doing PvP in the Battlegrounds until you hit level 47. The BGs are "grouped" in increments of 10 levels, so the people who are at the "top" of the increment would, in your case, be lvl 49.
The reason I recommend waiting until at least lvl 47 is because otherwise you might as well be running around with a big "target" painted on your head.
However, my advice is not to wait till 60. I love the lvl 49 BGs, and also the lvl 50-59 bracket. There are less twinks there, making the average player more or less geared as you will most likely be. Further, the end game PvP (lvl 70 bracket atm) is so incredible gear dependant that it frequently isn't fun anymore unless you have at least season 2 arena gear.
So wait a few levels till you're 47 or so, then have a go at it. Not much to lose, but a lot of fun to be (potentially) had!
Good luck!
3-11-2008 @ 12:34AM
Toecaro said...
@ arnold
I don't know that bg's are all that gear dependant. I'm @ about half entry kara pve gear, half s1 pvp gear on my hunter, and I take down whoever i want to.
occasionally i'll have problems with warriors, but only if they're skilled. skill > gear any day. a player with a *little* less skill and *much* greater gear will probably win. but a skilled player can pvp well.