When is a premade not a premade? When it's a PuG.
by Jennie Lees 
Jul 29th 2006 at 6:00AM
One word, when uttered in the context of battlegrounds, has the ability to send shivers down a team's collective spine -- "premade". Of course, whether they're shivers of fear or joy depends on whether you're part of a premade team or not, and it seems to me that the differences between premade teams and pick-up groups in battlegrounds won't change much come 1.12.But how does one define a premade? In the seemingly interminable wait between battlegrounds, I've discussed this topic and it seems that everyone's got a different idea of quite when to apply the word. Premades are hardcore", "premades play 24/7", "premades have vent", "premades are a group queueing together". Some consider it a dirty word, others revel in the fact that they have a core team together before entering a battleground and have to rely less on random people filling up the side. What do you take the term "premade" to mean?
Filed under: PvP
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris Hammond Jul 29th 2006 7:52AM
>>What do you take the term "premade" to mean?
Advantage. Coherence.
Like most things in WoW, a social game, PVP is just so much more fun when you can talk to people while doing it. I'd give a all-blues WSG group more than even odds against a mixed-epics pug anyday. Come to think of it, it might me nice to be able to queue your premade exclusively against other similar teams, playing against PUGs on a high turnover server can be irritating.
Michael Jul 29th 2006 11:42AM
"premade" = Intellegence!
I would love to see Blizzard run a TEAM BG event. Advertise for team registration 15 - 30 days out. put a 10 lvl spead cap on characters of the same team and then match them up with another team that has the same numbers of players and the same average level (give or take a couple of levels so matches can be made). Heck even level the playing field by making a Vent or Teamspeak server available for the combatants durring (and 10 minutes before and after) the BG.
Admittantly I am a bit of a lower lvl character player than many (highest char is lvl 25), but I am a veteran of many multiplayer games.
In WSG, (the only BG I have done so far) being on an actual team is exactly what is needed to be extreemely successful.
I use both Teamspeak and Ventrillo for communications (depending on who I am traveling with) and it improves not only cohesive play and tactics but adds to the comeraderie that builds among distant friends.
P.S. If Blizzard does set up a TEAM BG event I have a lvl 25 Tauren Hunter on Skywall that would love to give a little payback to the Alliance... send a tell to Cowsaytoung
Bill Jul 29th 2006 12:43PM
On Stormscale, the Alliance typically run several "premade" groups in AB and WSG. These groups consist of the most epic'd out powerful BG players on the server...but more importantly, they know how to play as a team. It is not uncommon for AB to be over 2000/0 in about 4 minutes. It is not uncomon for a 3/0 alliance win in WSG in about 5 minutes.
The biggest problem is that there is simply no way for the horde to compete. As far as I can tell, most of the horde who actually choose to play battlegrounds (with several small exceptions) have blues and a few epics...but the alliance in these groups have largely either tier 2 or warlord level gear.
Why? 1. The Alliance groups play together all day long. The same group. Alternating from AB to WSG (with preference on WSG). The then trade off the high warlord spot...each getting a turn to get the best gear in the game.
2. As noted in previous Wowinsider articles, alliance DOES have an advantage to endgame raiding. Easier endgame raiding spills over to BG because of the much better gear. How can a warrior in Blues stand up to a rogue in Tier 2? or a warrior in conqueror's armor? With hand of sulfuras? No way they can.
The result: Games are over quickly, horde gets frustrated and don't que up. Alliance get it easy (so long as they are in one of those "warlord" groups).
Interestingly enough though, when the horde DOES get a group together on vent, we can hold our own...and for most of these warlord groups, if you drag out a WSG game more than 20 minutes or so, and have the score tied even 1/1 they just afk out. They don't want to bother with a tight contested battle...the fun battles. They are there for one thing only, FAST HONOR. So they would rather take the afk deserter buff for 15 minutes than actually have to play a competitive game.
stapleboy Jul 31st 2006 10:17AM
/agree with Bill. BGs are way too much about gear right now. To a degree teamwork matters, and being in a premade helps with teamwork. What can you do against 3 warriors always charging the same target, with a priest and resto druid healing? Nothing, unless you've got players geared well enough to kill a priest before a trio of Rag's hammers smash their heads.
Epics > Rares. 5 hours a day > 3 hours a day... we get the idea. But until the expansion makes the gear gap less ridiculous, 1.12 is our last chance for enjoyable PvP.
Wasyl Jul 31st 2006 11:41AM
I play Horde on Scarlet Crusade, and our situation sounds similar to Bill's, but not quite as drastic. In the past few months, the Horde has finally started to get some more geared players, and form teams of people who know how to play, and we are definitely starting to be able to hold our own against the epic'd-out Alliance. Usually our group can at least give the best teams a run for their money, and we can usually defeat the lesser teams and PUGs. It's a fun experience to be part of the Horde PVP renaissance.
Wasyl Jul 31st 2006 11:45AM
Your comments: I doubt very many people will be participating in this a month after it launches. The rewards just aren't there, and the objectives don't sound very fun. Collecting dust? That's what these lame ideas will be doing pretty soon.
Derelict Jul 31st 2006 1:12PM
We don't use the word "premade" (and this is the first time I've heard it used in this context). We call them "organized" BGs.
That seems to be the difference between those and pick up groups.
You probably wouldn't walk up to a dungeon and group with the first 4 folks you met outside, regardless of their class. That's what you're forced into in BGs, though, if you don't have a group formed and ready.
And yes, the BGs are about gear. So are the instances. I don't see them changing this any time soon :)
D
swiftlydead Jul 31st 2006 1:20PM
never heard the word "premade" before, but I play in premade v premade PvP all the time and it's a BLAST!