Flying mounts and world bosses
by Elizabeth Wachowski 
Jun 4th 2007 at 2:24PM
Recently, a lot of guilds have been having some problems with Doom Lord Kazzak. Not on the actual fight, which isn't that difficult. Instead, players (of the same or opposing faction) have been flying above Kazzak, getting killed from his AOE shadowbolt and healing him, effectively griefing the raid.
A forum thread from a few months ago brings up possible solutions to this problem. Generally, if you're on a PVP server, this isn't considered griefing because you can kill the other faction before they get in range. But on flying mounts, this is a bit tougher. Someone suggested staging a raid on Honor Hold/Thrallmar to distract possible attackers before you attempt, which is a nice idea. You can also send up shadow priests or mages to POM/pyro them before the fight, or just kill them until they have ridiculously long rez timers. If you're doing this on a PVE server -- or doing it to someone of the same faction on any server -- that's considered griefing and is reportable.
Other people suggest that Blizzard solve this problem through game mechanics. For example, they could make Kazzak's AOE shadowbolt target only members of the raid who engaged him, or have only deaths in that raid heal him. But this sort of ruins the idea of world bosses, where you could theoretically get everyone on an entire server to come take down the boss (or fail to take it down, as was evidenced when Highlord Kruul visited Azeroth.)
How do you think this problem should be solved?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, PvP, Bosses
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Elra Jun 4th 2007 2:36PM
Easy. make AOE unusuable against flying targets., then make him throw shadow nova or something instead of shadow bolt salvo.
Balasan Jun 4th 2007 2:36PM
Since when do world bosses involve the server? it's always been a guild only thing, and other peeps are just asked to sit out. THe very idea of grouping up together to help downing them is idealist at best and just naive most of the time.
Kazzak shouldn't heal when someone dies; add another ability IMO.
Rylia Jun 4th 2007 2:49PM
The problem with only-heals-from-group is that it's no longer a "world" event. A first cut at an alternate mechanic would be to compute a "supergroup" as the set of people who are currently (recently?) dpsing the boss, plus the people who are healing them. Anyone in that group dying would heal K. Then, though, the griefer could just shoot one arrow at K and then fly over. So maybe there should be a threshold of dps or heal before your death "counts".
I'm overthinking this, aren't I.
Rod Oracheski Jun 4th 2007 3:13PM
"Kazzak shouldn't heal when someone dies; add another ability IMO."
Then they don't have their beloved "graveyard zerg" prevention mechanic, and would have to think of something else to prevent it.
Mr. Pink Jun 4th 2007 3:36PM
Wow, people really have to stop using music from Shaun of the Dead, it's a great movie, but when you take great stuff and put it into a video game, you might think it's cool, but it just makes me yell douchebag. Ya Oxhorn i'm looking at you...
johnnyamerika Jun 4th 2007 3:42PM
Since when is preventing a guild from taking down a world boss through PVP or any means griefing?
When the green dragons came to be my guild had the best time ever just fighting ally guilds for the dragons. We'd pop up mushrooms on Emeris and MC their main tanks during Lethon. That was WoW at it's best... we actually created a volunteer army of horde who would patrol the spawn zones and fight off any alliance raids for us, while we'd take down the other dragons. Eventually we were giving gold rewards for ganking ally raid leaders and generally screwing their raids up.
WTB more of that.
doncarlo Jun 4th 2007 3:51PM
I reackon the raids deserve to be griefed by people on flying mounts due to the amount of spam that they cause Kazzak to shout across the zone.
And I agree with #6, all the guilds are in competition with each other, and if i manage to prevent a guild from downing him and gain phat loots, then all the better for my guild to stay ahead or catch up in pregression.
Dabura Jun 5th 2007 2:18AM
I once accidentally wiped a Horde guild on my server, but its not a PvP server, or they'd have spanked my gnome ass. The raid leader then made a lvl 1 and told me to back off, and I was genuinely sorry, and I do stress it was an accident.
luckybob2005 Jun 4th 2007 6:42PM
@5 Its Queen you ass, its been in other movies than Shaun of the Dead so it isn't playing on the Shaun of the Dead fame. This coming from a guy named Mr. Pink.
AndyF Jun 4th 2007 7:26PM
Do not make any changes .. let the PVE servers register griefing complaints, but on the rock and roll PVP servers, make the world bosses as unpredictable and volatile as possible.
If someone on the other faction wants to give 10% durability to watch you fail to kill him, so be it. And if they naked swarm you, well, level 70's with no gear on are extremely easy to kill :)
Let the good times roll!
Jeffrey Jun 5th 2007 9:11AM
i know its queen, but wat is the name of the song?
unchi Jun 5th 2007 10:05AM
I loved griefing raids for Kazzak and the Green Dragons. It was necessary while you raid was getting ready to attempt the boss and the other faction got there first. Its why I had my Gnome MC Cap (still pissed they nerfed that). Nothing was more hilarious then having a bunch of stealthers MC'ing all their tanks
SeanKReynolds Jun 5th 2007 8:56PM
The Queen song is "Don't Stop Me Now."