I still believe in Alterac Valley
by Matthew Rossi 
Sep 20th 2007 at 5:30PM
I don't know why, but Alterac Valley is still my favorite battleground. I primarily play Horde in there, although I'll take my Allies in if I'm bored enough with them. I've bought the items I wanted and now, honestly, I don't even care about the honor, I just enjoy AV. I have never understood the lure of AFK honor farming. You're going to be in there as long whether or not you get out of the cave and play, so why not go smash some faces while you're there? I mean, if you want to read a book, turn off the game, man.
There are of course problems with Alterac. Some folks think the map is imbalanced or that the NPC's don't work out the way they should. There's the AFK issue which can really make the game less fun. But for me, whether I win or I lose (I'd say Horde loses about 60% of the time when I do AV, maybe more) is less important than the simple fact that in AV, I'm free to do whatever I want. If I feel like tanking some of the NPC's I can, or I can just go in with a fury or arms spec and DPS. I often take my resto shaman in just to throw chain heal around, I don't even care who I'm healing. That dude over there is taking damage? Chain Heal to the rescue. But if I don't feel like healing I won't, I'll slap an Earth Shield on myself and just flail around ineffectually with my Crow Wing Reaper like a total dumbass and have fun doing it.
Most people will tell you that they're excellent in all aspects of the game. I'm going to admit now that I am awful at PvP. I have reflexes perfectly tuned to PvE content and reaction time that means I'm rarely surprised by what any group of mobs will do, but I cannot wrap my head around PvP. Arenas? I am the first to die. Warsong Gulch? Well, I can slap on full tank gear and run with the flag, but wouldn't you rather have a druid do it? Eye of the Storm and AB are just variations on these themes. But Alterac Valley can contain mobs of Horde and Alliance trying to slaughter each other, it can have races to the end, it can even allow you the magnificent joy of being a spoiler. I've wiped Alliance groups on Drek who were at 1% by killing their last remaining healer and then using Intimidating Shout and War Stomp to break up their rhythm, and even as I died I laughed. Some of my best times in game are in taking petty revenge on Ally turtles by making them have to take even longer to kill Drek.
I admit it, I'm not a very forgiving person.
I look forward to the changes in AV, because I hope to see it restored to a battleground everyone enjoys instead of one everyone but me endures.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, PvP
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Goldwolf Sep 20th 2007 5:45PM
I also really like the vast, "living battleground" feeling that AV has. There's certainly a lot more things "to do" than in any other.
I also liked how it helped me quickly grind Org rep to get my riding wolf. :D
Theadrick Sep 24th 2007 9:16AM
It's my favorite as well, though I enjoyed it more in its original form. Despite its flaws, AV is the most dynamic battleground imho.
Oblivion Sep 20th 2007 5:50PM
"I don't know why, but Alterac Valley is still my favorite battleground."
I think I might know why...
"I'm going to admit now that I am awful at PvP."
AV let's underskilled people hide in the ranks just like old 40 man raids did. Furthermore, there is a lot of PvE available in Alteric Valley. If you desire, you can hop on offense and your lack of PvP skills won't hardly matter.
Just a thought. O.o
Laukidh Sep 20th 2007 5:51PM
AV is by far my favorite BG. Its the only one I'm past honored with... Ground exalted just in time for the riding skill change, and missed my cheap epic mount.
Eye is boring. Warsong and AB can be fun, if you aren't facing a premade... But AV always has something to offer...
Edmundo Silveira Sep 20th 2007 5:54PM
exactly dude, sorry, but u probly like AV cos u can do pvE there and feel like u did sucessful PvP
Sam C Sep 20th 2007 6:01PM
Yeah I love AV too, but the cave defenders have really killed a lot of the fun in it :(
I'd love to have the option to join an AV instance that didn't reward rep or honor, just so I knew that I'd be put into a team who are there because they want to have fun, not farm honor on someone else's back.
Daghol Sep 20th 2007 6:03PM
I adore AV as well and I agree part of it is b/c it is forgiving if you aren't the best PvP player.
But they need to fix it. 10 min AVs are useless. Rarely do I ever see a group get raise the giants. Then there are other elements which are barely used including the mines, the wolves, the pilots. I unfortunately came a little late to the game to ever witness the 14 hour AV battles. While they were long, I bet they were a lot more fun.
RETUNE AV!!!
john Sep 20th 2007 6:15PM
well as a newer player. i have gotten 80 tokens.
i have never won an av.
sorry but no i am not going to try harder for a win when all it does is take longer.
i redefined winning to getting a token and getting a chance to chat with my guildies, normally i am to busy doing my dailies or grinding out mats for pots or primals for cash to by my mats.
sorry but for those that think they are good at pvp sorry you have no skill, it is a grind game for gear. i got my s2 in 1 season and am now at 4/5 s2 with 380 resilience on my priest. i still have under 2k honor kills and will wipe the floor with anyone but an sl/sl warlock, last one i lost to i did close to 45k damage before i died. and i thought warlocks didn't have any heal spells.
dear blizzard please change my mindflay to regenerate 100% health instead of the 15% from ve
Angelus Sep 20th 2007 6:38PM
AV has been and is still my favorite BG. I play Alliance primarly. I like roaming around the map picking off straglers. I like playing offence or defence. If the game turns into a turtle I like sneaking far south and tapping targets and GYs.(Rogue)
I'm there only for fun. I couldn't agree with you more. There is nothing material in it for me either anymore, I just keep racking up honor and losing marks in the mail box (or using them on BG health pots, but even then I end up deleting some).
Occasionally I'll get into some fantastic fights and my oppenent will sometimes log into my server as alliance and give me hell. Or I'll do the same. Hehe. The devil you know...
Fletch Sep 20th 2007 6:19PM
You really have to make your own fun sometimes. For instance on my favorite things to do is go into the 10-19 Warsong Gulch bracket and just chain CC twinks. Yeah eventually they go immune, so then you go find another twink to CC. It really pisses them off.
Tempestion Sep 20th 2007 6:29PM
Wait a minute... how are you swinging a Crow Wing Reaper as a resto shaman?
.....
If you seriously specced that far into enhancement to get 2H axes/maces, then I feel sorry for you.
Otherwise, you're lying.
Arnold Sep 20th 2007 6:30PM
Personally I think that this is a great post and I full-heartedly agree. AV is also my favorite BG. I echo the statements you made about being able to chose what to do. I play a feral druid, so if I want to tank, I tank; but on the other hand, if I want to heal, I heal and top the charts (usually in first or second place)for healing. I really enjoy the combination of players and NPCs.
In my experience (and I'll say up front that I haven't ever done a BG premade), most of the BGs people spend more time typing insults at each other than actually playing the game. But in AV there are (usually) still enough people playing the game to carry it through even if there are a few vocal morons spamming the general channel.(though I admit that I feel sorry for the horde who in my battlegroup tend to have more AFKers than us alliancers do).
I personally think that the other BGs are boring because it is always the same map. If they could keep the same game types but give us varied maps it would be a lot more fun. I mean, seriously, in every other game that I know which has an online multiplayer component they rotate maps for each game type. Blizz's concern might be that it doesn't "fit with the lore" to have capture the flag games going on anywhere besides WSG, or epic battles (races) going on anywhere besides AV, but why couldn't the sentinels/league of arathor/etc (sorry, don't remmber the horde names) be in charge of a different capture the flag location/a different valley/etc? Not that capturing the flag for a lumber mill makes much sense in any case, but by allocating each of the battleground factions not to a specific location, but to a specific type of game, then they could make it a bit more interesting than currently. They could even keep the rewards and everything the same, but it would put some more life into the whole PvP aspect of WoW.
On this similar vein, why not introduce a continuous BG loop? I.e. When you queue for a Battleground, once you are in one, then you can keep on PvPing one match after the next, instead of having to play one match, return to Shatt, wait for 20 minutes for the queue, get into a new game, see that it is a 5 cap for the other side, and you loose, then you wait 20 more minutes for the next game. It should instead be that once you are in a BG queue you would be in the same group with the same people and you could do game after game. People could leave as they wanted, and as they leave, new people who just queued would be put in. The end effect would be the same as it is now, but you wouldn't have the downside of having rediculously long queue times where you sit around Shatt and dance on the mailbox or whatever while you wait for your BG to pop.
just my two dollars or so worth.
P.S. My wall of text crits you for 1789.
CrpyTech Sep 20th 2007 6:33PM
AV was my introduction to pvp and it has become my favorite part of the game. I gave up my pve tank dwarf and am on my second pvp server horde. I still love AV winning is nice but nothing is better than a long drawn out battle. My favorite recently was over two hours could have made lots more honor else where, but as the allie was about to when the BG leader called for everyone to trinket back and fight in drek's room. The Horde, being that night at their best complied and we proceeded to fight toe to toe till we had reclaimed the map and pushed on to win. Haven't found that kind of feeling in any other part of the game.
Even as Horde I don't feel that the imbalances in the map have broken AV. It's the AFK's that can ruin it. I'm afraid Blizz's upcoming answer is not going to be enough. Hope it is, we'll see.
oshin Sep 20th 2007 6:34PM
You mean the whole 11 points ? 5 of which most resto shamans take anyway for 5% extra mana.
vern Sep 20th 2007 6:35PM
I love AV too as it allows me to set up some new mods (PITBULL for healers among others).
It's like a raid on demand (maybe this will be a reality? Finding a raid on demand just via a cross servers instance ?).
AV also stands somewhere between PVE and PVP. You can test the threat of your style and new gear.
Are you pulling aggro on the marshals or generals ?
And my opinion of AFKers is slowly changing. I am starting to agree with some of them (At least horde side). Seeing more horde AFK then alliance gives a clear messages to Blizzard:
“Screw AV if you don't want to make it a balanced map, we'll just exploit it and force your hand to make it more fun”.
Thanos Sep 20th 2007 6:47PM
Say what you want, but I miss the old AV where capping a tower or a graveyard was actually a significant accomplishment and people actually did the quests for cavalry charges and wing commanders, because they made a real difference.
honkhonk Sep 20th 2007 6:52PM
I rather play Arathi. Mostly because actual PvP happens there beyond the more accidental pvp you can see in AV.
Hell, you can play AV without ever having to fight a player of the other team quite often.
It makes me sad that AV is at the same time the BG offering the most and easiest honor points.
Bbcversus Sep 20th 2007 7:59PM
Totally agree with everything you wrote. Love AV the most in pvp, and as Im not to good at pvp stuffies, I enjoy AV everytime I go there, lose or win. :) Cheers for this great post.
Belthasar Sep 20th 2007 8:48PM
The people that like AV and the people (like you) who admit they are terrible at PvP, are one and the same.
For exactly the reasons you stated. You can do (or not do) whatever you want. And you do. And you get the same rewards either way. It isn't a competitive environment, it isn't even PvP. It's do whatever you want for 15mins, and we give you currency to buy epic Veteran gear.
Until they change that, no one good at PvP will enjoy it. And until they change that, there will be plenty of afkers. And when they do, people like you won't like it anymore because you'll die without being any use, just like the arena and WSG examples you gave.
Wulfhere Sep 20th 2007 8:58PM
The funny thing is, everyone's terrible at PvP.
The people who play on Arenas and who diss everyone who doesn't pretend to be awesome? They usually suck hard too. I rarely see good PvP'ers, and those are usually trash talking twitch gamers who can't do anything else - they wipe raids, screw up instances, and are generally awful at all else anyway.
So if AV is a haven for bad PvPers, good. At least they're having fun and not being dicks. Once the AFK situation is fixed and people have to play for their honor, we'll get to have bad PvPers go up against other bad PvPers again. Fine by me.
I remember watching the WSoVG and wishing it was an AV. At least then it wouldn't be so freaking boring.