Breakfast Topic: What makes a good PvP video?
by Mike Schramm 
Aug 14th 2007 at 8:00AM
handgun over on Livejournal asks "What, in your opinion, makes a good PvP video?"He suggests showing World PvP only, kills when you're outnumbered, or building in a plotline. But what do you think? It seems like whenever we mention PvP videos here, someone mentions World of Roguecraft, and they've got pretty much everything. But then again, they've also got 41 minutes, and I'd say a good PvP video has to be shorter than that. Somethingawf's video is one of my favorites, but it's really a parody of PvP vids more than it really is one. I also like the classic Big Blue Dress, which shows some cool PvP moves, but couldn't really be considered a PvP video.
So if I made the perfect PvP vid, it would have to have a story, great music, lots of humor, be pretty short, and it would have to have my favorite feature of PvP videos-- the bragging, taunting, and the flashy crit kills. It's definitely an interesting genre-- what, in your opinion, makes a good PvP video?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Analysis / Opinion, Machinima, Fan stuff, PvP, Humor
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
thomdavis Aug 14th 2007 8:36AM
Vurtne's videos
Skilled, good music, outgeared, and always outnumbered.
His editing is amazing as well. not to flashy but sharp
dotorion Aug 14th 2007 8:47AM
Let's see..
- no outgearing your opponents by miles. It's lame, it's boring, and it's the same as whacking lowbies with a fishing pole and still killing them.
- engineering items can be fun, (like those frost nova grenades) but don't make it a "this is how you play [class]" movie because you would be making a "this is how you play a [class] engineer".
- potions and other instant-heal items are usually considered pretty lame as well, because you're basicly shifting the fight in your favor if your opponent isn't using them.
- preferably add fights where people jump you and not the other way around. Suprising your opponent usually wins 15% of the battle. Gaining the upper hand on an opponent that jumped you is far more interesting (like rogues ambushing shadow priests and the latter showing how big a mistake it can be to jump a shadow priest)
- opponents outnumbering you is fun too, but not for every class to try and survive ^^
- 1 vs 1 duels can be used to explain certain tactics, but don't use them to show off your 'leet skillz' because duels usually aren't a great representation.
- show a bit of everything: BGs , world PvP (if possible), duels, arena. Switch back and forth.
- like the article poster said : don't make the movies too long or you'll lose attention.
daniel Aug 14th 2007 8:55AM
nobody remembers good old drakedog..?
BenMS Aug 14th 2007 8:57AM
Agree with #2. Especially with the bit about getting jumped, and still winning. A really squishy class getting jumped by a rogue or druid and still messing him up is pure PvP movie gold.
PS I wish the servers were up right now - it's only 11pm and I have dailies to do!
Henlan Aug 14th 2007 9:06AM
I suck at PvP Explains tactics while featuring cat videos and pictures
Ryan Aug 14th 2007 9:12AM
How about some nice classical music instead of the mindless consumer-driven tripe that passes for hip-hop these days.
Paw Aug 14th 2007 9:17AM
Show something relatively unique.
I can't remember the name of the vid or the person who created it, but one of my favorites to date is the one where a mage gets a bunch of Horde players to follow him up a cliff. He jumps off and slow falls while the bulk of the horde players jumped to their deaths. The "D'oh!" factor, on the side of the Horde players, made that one original, and humorous at the end.
st0rmy1 Aug 14th 2007 9:32AM
Music. Metal music easily ruins most PvP videos. Low quality as well.
The name escapes me at the moment but there was an undead PvP video that had a really unique intro and interludes. Almost like classic horror movies and such. It really added to the overall feel of the video.
A good break from the fast zoom in close up of a large crit number.
PyroAmos Aug 14th 2007 9:38AM
I wish I had a vid capture... I rerolled a few weeks ago, and hit outland last weekend with a warrior who made 58 15 mintues before me. I think we jumped someone once, other than that, we have been jumped by everything from pally/warrior, both same lvl as us, warlock/rouge both 2 lvls above us, single rouge 5 lvls above us, even a 70 warlock.... and won every one of those jumping us encounters. in fact, while lvling together with him, we have only died once to pvp, 3 same lvl as us and a 70... ouch. nothing beats the 65 mage who tried to jump my 63 priest tho, pyroblasted himself off my reflective shield, feared him, dotted, wand, at 1200 hp mind blast/sw death, dead. He tried to jump me 2 more times, with the same result... last few days have been epic world pvp, turning the tides on ppl jumping us. very fun hehe.
btw, not bragging about owning ppl... i don't consider us good, i just consider alliance bad... they only fight if they have the advantage, and they still die. sad.
Absurd Aug 14th 2007 9:59AM
Beckon's PvPriest videos were always worth the wait of the download. They inspired, amazed, educated and set the standard. Great taste in music just makes a good video that much better.
dotorion Aug 14th 2007 10:02AM
@4 Yay , first time someone refers to my post here =P
@7 that one was hilarious ! Those Hordies were real dumb to jump after him though =P
futura Aug 14th 2007 11:05AM
99% of the videos out there show that WoW players have the worst taste in music, when it comes to putting a video together.
That's what really seperates the gratuitous banal youtube pvp video from something like World Of Roguecraft.
I mean every other one is either some terrible terrible nu-metal, or some swedish iron maiden rip off singing about dragons (cliche), or some really annoying techno. Granted most are probably around the age of 15 with the unfortunate timing of not learning what is good and bad... If you're gonna pick a metal song.. be picky so it fits. Don't just slap something on there cause the guitar riff is brutal or cause it sings about dragons.. Think about it a little more. Give it some context or meaning. And stop using bands like disturbed, pod. Bleh.
Out!
chip.aucoin Aug 14th 2007 11:06AM
Hosted somewhere that has good video quality. Most of the videos out there that I see are unintelligible to me.
Digimath Aug 14th 2007 11:10AM
A good pvp video always goes slow-motion, then zooms in on the crits while having Disturb's "Sickness" synced up so as soon as the crit numbers come up it goes "burahahahah" :p But yes, every pvp video has to go slowmo and zoom in on crits, I think it was mandated by God during the crusades or something.
Freehugz Aug 14th 2007 11:28AM
STOP WITH THE TERRIBLE PVP MUSIC ALREADY!
Bzik Aug 14th 2007 11:52AM
I think one of the first pvp videos I've seen was Matrid the teh ninja or something.
it was an awsome pvp video. No back story but great music selection ("ring ring ring banana phone" and some other pieces which are still stuck in my head even after over a year).
The little gnome mage was using all of engineering and lots of skill to overcome fights against multiple opponents. Very cheerful and funny watch.
it was great.
Incendo Aug 14th 2007 12:18PM
Maybe it's just the fact that when I'm not on my warlock or feeling particularly vindictive I just don't care much for PVP but I could care less to watch others PVP. Really if I wanted to see PVP I can always take any character of any level to STV and get ganked all day and night.
Derelict Aug 14th 2007 12:53PM
Easy question for me :)
The perfect PvP video contains:
1) Explicit instructions for a particular focus (using skill XXXXX to it's best or funniest application).
2) Outlining the talents or equipment used.
3) Background information on why certain choices were made.
4) Humor.
The perfect PvP video does not contain:
1) Egregious epeen wagging over equipment.
2) Completely unrelated thrash metal background music.
3) Matrix-style zooms / slow motion to show crits / etc.
4) Very few or not grammatical errors or leetspeak.
So, yes, I've seen 2-3 good PvP videos so far. The rest are (for me) a waste of bandwidth :)
D
Derelict Aug 14th 2007 12:54PM
And then I made a grammatical error. Nice :)
D
Juan Shue Aug 14th 2007 1:12PM
an epic battle, at a place like lakeshire where there's a bridge to hold...
/yell "HOLD THIS BRIDGE!!"