Goodbye DHKs, Hello big-time World PVP
by Mike Schramm 
Dec 1st 2006 at 11:17AM
Nethaera takes a fairly close look at one of my favorite features of Tuesday's patch: No more dishonorable kills! Yes, DHKs have been hated by players for a long time, and with the upcoming patch, they'll be gone-- Horde and Alliance alike will be able to lay waste to any town, village, or city they want without any honor penalties.Now, Neth says that the reason DHKs are out is because the devs tried leaving them out, and apparently it worked on the test realms. Some NPC levels have been raised, and some have been lowered, so there may be other incentive in game to keep people from mauling, say, Crossroads on a regular basis. Also, there are some new World PVP options in the works-- don't count those out. But Neth also says that things are constantly being monitored-- if city raids become an issue, the situation will be revisited. As a few players point out, however, (and I agree), the test realm players aren't the day-to-day players. People will do almost anything in this game, so I expect raids to show up on a pretty regular basis, even on PVE servers.
Not that you need to get rid of DHKs to do a massive raid. MBAzeroth reports that the Penny Arcade Alliance (named after the comic, duh) on the Dark Iron server pulled off a big one. Alliance coordinated and invaded the capital cities while running distraction raids on Brill, Tarren Mill, and Crossroads. The casualty list is shocking: Cairne, Thrall, Vol'jin, Varimathas, and almost Sylvanas before the server got downed by the raid. Now that's some good World PVP. Are we looking at something like this every week when DHKs go bye-bye? One can only hope.
Filed under: Horde, Alliance, Patches, Blizzard, PvP, Expansions
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Asher Dec 1st 2006 3:42PM
Good times...but 'almost'?
Hand grenades and horseshoes.
And I'm still not sure why every Horde capital has a backdoor.
DÖT Dec 1st 2006 11:41AM
/em pees his pants.
bugmaster Dec 1st 2006 12:38PM
well we killed thrall, vol'jin, cairne and sylvanas a few days ago when our guild had his 1 yr aniversary(shout to ashes on dunemaul EU)did it with bout 60 plyrs, couldnt kill varimathras b4 we were flooded by hordes:P
AcceptableRisk Dec 1st 2006 12:13PM
The Alliance on Runetotem aren't even waiting for the patch. Just the notion that DHK's won't matter next week is enough to send them swarming to the Crossroads in droves most days this week.
I also saw an "invasion force" of six or seven roughly Tier 2 Alliance seemingly trying to get to Thrall. I'm fairly sure they didn't make it.
raawr Dec 1st 2006 1:05PM
Dammit Dammit...I just moved from PvP to PVE...my most favorite part of PVP pre BG was World Wars!
I hope PVE server I am on does this stuff.
Poxus Dec 1st 2006 2:37PM
I use to be part of the PAA and knowing those players, something of this magnitude doesn't surprise me. The entire PAA is full of fun loving people and the entire server hates them for it for some reason.
Congrats to the PAA for doing what most people would like to do.
Aden Nak Dec 1st 2006 12:43PM
I actually love the idea of PvP Raiding. It can be a lot of fun - I was on Dark Iron in Panda Attack when we brought the server to a screeching hault during our first big blowout in Ashenvale. I've always thought the DHK system as it exists is absurd.
However, as the prodominance of World PvP increases, so does the amount of absurd ganking going on in low and mid level areas. And yes, one could say that "You knew you rolled on a PvP server!" but that is the cop-out of the few against the pains of the many.
7Most people roll on PvP servers for things like World PvP and for the even-handed danger element. Not to get wasted seven times in a row by a "Skull" level player in blues and purples while trying to kill Stranglethorn Raptors. In time, Blizzard will have to initiate some sort of PvP flagging system to track combat initiation and such if they want World PvP to be a reality. In the mean time, let the city raids begin!
Ehrgeiz Dec 1st 2006 12:49PM
City raids are all fine and dandy when you have close to an even pop but on medivh my main server the alliance has atleast 3x more people then the horde its sad really. But I can not wait for this patch I hate the old pvp system.
Therizo Dec 1st 2006 1:47PM
I can't stand city raids, and I personally would be happy if they put Blizzard Guardians at the entrances to every city on a PVE realm. I joined this type of realm to AVOID being disrupted by other players, either directly or indirectly. Needless to say, I find this change troubling at best.
Dahlaine Dec 1st 2006 1:29PM
A collective of about 5-6 BWL/AQ/Naxx level horde guilds on Smolderthorn raided Ironforge about two weeks back. We actually made it into the throne room and had the king under control before the server went on a crashing spree.
Wartoad Dec 1st 2006 1:15PM
World PvP >>>>> BGs. I am sooooo ready.
Elliott Dec 1st 2006 2:29PM
The penny arcade alliance is made up of quite a few guilds. The general estimate is that there was about 500 of us, and we brought the server to its knees.
Aaron Nowack Dec 1st 2006 3:06PM
Agreed. Great news for PvP servers, but there're going to be a lot of upset people if we start seeing constant "world PvP" that interferes with ordinary questing and grinding on PvE servers. (Which we almost certainly will, at least until the expansion hits.)
There's a reason DKs were implemented in the first place, after all. My prediction is that by the second or third post-BC patch there'll be some form of DKs back in.
Mat Dec 1st 2006 1:34PM
I'm on an RP-PVE server and I for one cannot wait to be a part of the battle to alliance towns as far as the eye can see.
FOR THE HORDE!
(ok, I think I'm maybe a little too excited about this :) )
Thepitt Dec 1st 2006 6:15PM
I am organizing a multi-guild raid for an all attack on all three capitals tonight at 11 pm server time on Gilneas server (PvE server). I just hope the server don't crash...
We should have in excess of 200 players, hopefully twice that once the raids start forming up.
Come on and watch if you want! Just don't tell the horde we are coming for them! lol
Simonmaz Dec 2nd 2006 2:50PM
Interesting Idea for a world pvp target a castle somewhere which either faction can capture. Depending on who controls it a buff is given for the amount of points you recieve from killing a target. In this zone each side should have their Battleground NCPs so they can join their battle grounds etc. It would mean that all the pvpers would converge on one area and you would have mass brawls, this zone could be instance but it would have not cap on the amount of people within. I think this would add a intresting dimention as you would have all the pvpers in one area increasing world pvp as all the people who actually enjoy pvp would be in one place.
wtf Dec 1st 2006 2:03PM
9. I can't stand city raids, and I personally would be happy if they put Blizzard Guardians at the entrances to every city on a PVE realm. I joined this type of realm to AVOID being disrupted by other players, either directly or indirectly. Needless to say, I find this change troubling at best.********************
Think much before you type? You are in a Massive Online rpg...full of people. PVE...PVP only two differences....1. Flaging isnt an option in pvp....and 2. You can only roll one faction in pvp.
You say you want to avoid being disrupted....why the hell are you in an MMO then? There is single player games for you to play then.
Your logic is flawed in your reasons for not liking city raids. And your PVE excuse is stupid.
To avoid being disrupted...that's a laugh.. Yah a city raid really impacts your entire night ingame...Not.
On pvp its a fun thing to participate in defense or offense.. and being a territory owned faction the PvP flag is optional for both PVP or PVE players.
There is no difference from a PVE OGrim raid to a PVP...either way it is optional to participate on Defense.....Offense though are flaged is the only difference..
Really I hate players like you. You want to be a Hermit be one... but suggesting to ruin the freedom of play in a mmo cause you are a pansy is stupid.
qq more noob
Geo Dec 1st 2006 2:22PM
I'm on a PVE server, last night about 8pm server time there was a horde raid on Darnassus. The trade channel and the LFG channel was going BEZERK with folks asking for help. Anyway, turns out the raid managed to kill the Arch druid and by the time my mage got there, the ground was littered with skeletons. Stuff like this is exciting for me ONCE and a while.
I'm with Therizo, I rolled PVE because I don't want to deal with stuff like: waiting around to fly somewhere because someone ganked the flight path dude *again*.
twh Dec 1st 2006 3:42PM
I'm also on a PvE Server and though I enjoy the thought of more PvP between the factions, what I also find troubling is the griefing that will be expected when the DKs are gone.
A few days ago on the PTR, Whordies were killing quest giving NPCs in Chillwind as soon as they would respawn and this is what worries me.
Because we have jerks that purposefully kill these NPCs, it impedes the player from going further because some wanker wants to get his jollies by giving another player grief. With any hope, maybe Blizzard will unflag them for PvP and just let them keep killing other players instead of NPCs.
Therizo Dec 1st 2006 3:42PM
@ 13:
So my suggestion to ruin your fun is somehow inferior, less fair, or less valid than your suggestion to ruin my fun? I play an MMORPG for the cooperative element of the gameplay. I have no desire to attack, be attacked, disrupt, or be disrupted by other players. This playstyle is just as valid as yours, whether you choose to acknowledge this or not. In my perfect game, I'd be on a completely PVP disabled server, where BGs were the only way to flag up at all. I understand that this doesn't match up with everyone else, and I never claimed that my playstyle was in any way superior. That was you.