Flying the not-so-friendly skies
by Mike Schramm 
Apr 20th 2007 at 12:02PM
Gustav of Nazjatar started a long thread the other day about air kills (and many times, the lack thereof) in World PvP. These concerns got raised before the expansion, but I haven't heard too much about them since until now (maybe that's what I get for playing on a PvE server). Basically players are saying that when you get a flying mount at 70, you suddenly become immune to PvP-- because there's no way to pull people out of the air, a flying target is no target at all. And that, says Gustav, is yet another example of the "carebearization" (nice) of world PvP by Blizzard.The other issue Gustav has is an upcoming change that will make dead players' bodies fall to the ground after death, instead of remaining suspended there in the air like, as Drysc says, "a magic trick gone wrong." Blue's word on this one is that it's just not "natural" to leave players in the air-- Gustav thinks it's because Blizzard wanted to give people a break on repairs (because now, players left in the air have to rez at the spirit healer), but Drysc says it's just artistic-- let the bodies hit the floor, man.
But Gustav's more interesting idea is that every class should have an anti-air ability-- a way to bring your PvP opponent out of the air. To my mind, that kind of thing just opens the door to griefing-- actual air-to-air combat seems like a better idea to me. Drysc's response to the news that PvPers are avoiding a fight by flying sounds about right: staying on a mount when someone below is taunting you just makes you chicken. If you're really interested in world PvP, then get off the mount-- it's time to drop down and throw down.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, PvP, Mounts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pritchard Apr 20th 2007 12:09PM
Very satisfying to be battling it out in Halaa. Hordie mounts and flies. Mage below pyroblasts him, but doesn't quite kill him. I'm on my bird watching the DoT tick him down to almost dead. Then it's:
Dismount
Fireblast
Dead Horde
Slow Fall to safety.
Enjoy the repair bill.
Sylythn Apr 20th 2007 12:14PM
There's ways to knock someone off their mount - any ranged attack. The beef that people have is that the same range that worked in the X and Y directions on the ground, now applies to the Z direction, and people can fly higher than 30-40 yards.
That said, I think an Engineering item like a surface-to-air missle with a range of say 80 yards would be loads of fun.
The issue I have with air-to-air fights is how do you determine what knocks you off your mount? Right now, any damage taken knocks you off and you usually fall to your death. This would make air-to-air combat nothing more than who got hit first (admittedly realistic in this day and age, but not much fun).
Gman Apr 20th 2007 12:44PM
The engineering item Discombobulator Ray used to let you dismount flying players. I've dropped many alliance into the abyss below the Tempest Keep instances. But that's griefing, so I understand why they took it out.
Pritchard Apr 20th 2007 12:34PM
Any damage taken knocks you off your mount?
Uhhhhh...you don't have a flying mount yet, do you?
I get hit all the time and have yet to be knocked off my mount.
See post #1. The horde got hit with a Pyroblast that took him to about 10% health and he was still flying away.
thedog Apr 20th 2007 12:49PM
I use flight form all the time to get out of fighting. If I get ganked I run away until the 'leaving combat' comes up then I hope to flight form and im out of there. Its not hard in pvp to get out of battle.
But air battles would be really cool, I hope something gets implemented.
Orin Apr 20th 2007 1:30PM
I think having your body stuck in the air really sucks, and for many classes an un-necessary repair bill. Blizzard really should resolve that issue.
As for people who don't want to fight and instead fly away. good for them. I know I often have better things to do than amuse some rogue who wants to gank my defenseless resto druid self...
Jchc Apr 20th 2007 1:48PM
Tell him to come to Haomarush (Low Pop btw) and hang around Auchindoun or Area 52, I will be pleased to introduce this nub to air ganking. Spirit Rez FTW! Best Combo for air ganking is a POM/Pyro Mage x 2 or POM/Mage and a Shadow Priest. I love it because the allies tend to start flying up when they get hit, lol, and end up dying so far up that the have no choice but to spirit rez. I've only been really mean a couple times and camped the GY waiting for them to rez just to gank them again with rez sickness, ya im an a-hole...i've gotta lot of bad karma built up :p
dontfront Apr 20th 2007 1:52PM
Just queue for a BG. Free res and free trip to shat.
Braz Apr 20th 2007 2:15PM
Perhaps Blizzard could make a new type of server for those who aren't happy with the "carebearization" of world PvP. The could call them DPvP (Douche Player versus Player) servers, in which your body would get stuck in the air if you die while flying, and where any damage causes a dismount. While they're at it, make the same principles apply to flight paths, to add even more annoyance. As the finishing touch, add in an exp loss on death. (/end sarcasm)
Seriously, why complain about these changes unless your main reason for playing WoW is griefing other players? The world (of Warcraft) would do well to lose a few griefers.
Jacob Marley Apr 20th 2007 2:44PM
Here! Here! #9. Go to the BGs if you want PvP.
Rich Apr 20th 2007 2:48PM
They really need to make a hardcore server for a-holes like this.
You die, reroll a new toon...
Superbeef Apr 20th 2007 3:24PM
@11
And when they die, make a resident evil
YOU ARE DEAD screen pop up.
And if you try to click Resurrect a message should pop up saying "OMG I SIAD JOO ARE DEAD! LRN 2 PVP!!"
Freehugz Apr 20th 2007 4:09PM
ummm... i really have no idea what #9-12 are talking about. Usually the people that take advante of the PvP immunity ARE the griefers. They gank you, then float around till they can do it again. I mean, how bad do you have to be at pvp to be in the air and getting griefed.
Venom Apr 20th 2007 8:44PM
As a goblin engineer by far my most prized possesion is my Goblin Rocket Launcher. It's big, red, has a smiley face on the front and it's makes things go "bang". It's also one of the best tanking trinkets, +45 stam FTW. The only down side to this goblin marvel is that people on flying mounts are IMMUNE. To me that's just wrong, by it's very definition a rocket launcher should be disabling or destroying moving objects.