2.2 in review
by John Himes 
Nov 12th 2007 at 11:59PM
As we're looking forward to a new patch tomorrow, it's appropriate to look back at the last patch and what it added to the game. While there were also several tweaks to class mechanics and items, the main thing it added was Blizzard-supported voice chat. Earlier today, Mike admitted that he hasn't ever used the voice chat, and aside from experimenting with it a bit on the day it was released, I haven't either. I don't do pickup groups much these days, but the few I've been in haven't bothered with the chat at all. This may be due to the fact that its sound quality isn't all that great and there may be other issues as well. People being embarrassed to talk out loud to total strangers or simply being habituated to typing in pickup groups are both possible reasons why the chat may be neglected. What's your experience with it? Have you used it much?One of the other major changes in patch 2.2 was reporting AFKers in Alterac Valley. While I personally like this change, (if nothing else, it gives me something to do while protecting a flag,) for whatever reason, it seems to have skewed the battleground in the Horde's favor (my main PvPer at the moment is Alliance). Honestly, I haven't read a lot about the reasoning behind this phenomenon, and for all I know, it's different on other battlegroups. What's it like on your server? Do you like this change?
Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, PvP
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jamesisgreat Nov 13th 2007 12:15AM
I only started PvPing a month ago but Alliance seem to have won 90% of the AVs that I've played on my battlegroup. Saying that, the afk debuff seems to be too weak by far in my opinion - we still get the same afk'ers night after night and by the time they're reported they've already got a ton of honour. I even went as far to report one consistent offender to a GM, who suggested that I 'report them as afk and give them the debuff'. Well, thanks, i hadn't thought of that....
There really should be some sort of system whereby if your continually reported afk your suspended or something. But if not then screw it - maybe we should stop QQing and all go get comfy in the peace caves :)
Zumacrume Nov 13th 2007 12:23AM
Horde AFK'd more. Now that most people get out of the spawn cave, we really see how FOR TEH HORDE! Bg's really are. So suck it up alliance.
billgates Nov 13th 2007 12:32AM
2.3 also added movie capture for Macs, I have used this feature quite a bit and it is very nice. It is very nice to be able to import movie files into iMovie (software all Macs have) and I've noticed BRK is using it for his movies, you would be amazed at how fast you can put together a good looking clip with iMovie.
Alch Nov 13th 2007 12:33AM
Last weekend the Ally started to win again. Seemed like the Horde had a bunch of AFKs and the Ally were zerging like crazy.
Ryan Nov 13th 2007 12:37AM
I don't think anyone uses voice chat, I've never even tried it.
billgates Nov 13th 2007 12:39AM
*oops i meant patch 2.2
Noodlemancer Nov 13th 2007 12:39AM
In my battle group, prior to the AFK change, on AV weekends there would be 20-25 AFK people in the cave for Horde. Immediately after the change that went to nearly zero. I'm sure as time goes by, people will be able to get around it and then the AFKers will return but for now FOR THE HORDE!!
Peachie Nov 13th 2007 12:56AM
The AFK reporting system should go a step further and remove any player from the battleground who has the inactive debuff and continues to be AFK. A set amount of time could be given to the player before he is completely removed from the battleground.
As it currently stands there isn't enough of a repercussion to inactive players as they continue to be AFK and take away a spot for players who actually wish to participate. These AFK players often receive a good portion of the honor because it either takes time for people to realize they are AFK and report them or people are just not reporting them at all.
jaxson_bateman Nov 13th 2007 1:22AM
Firstly, the reason that in some battlegroups the Horde is now dominating is that, as some people said, prior to the change 50%+ of the hordies were AFK. It was as bad as it is now, but a reflection, in that the Alliance were the ones dominating and getting free, easy honour. When the debuff was introduced, and it initially was fairly even (prob a 1:1 horde:alliance afk ratio when it first came out) the Horde won a large majority of those games. As time went by and Alliance continued to lose, more and more of their players started AFKing. And now we've got a situation where commonly I'll take a look through the results table and see that when the afkers were taken out of it, it was 35:20 Horde:Alliance.
Secondly, as #8 mentioned, the system needs to be taken a step further. The idea that I've had, and a few people seem to like, is that if a person is flagged as being repeatedly AFK (ie. 3 times in one gaming daily) they get a BG-tempban for, say, 72 hours. That way it removes someone who is AFKing from the BG. Making it have to occur a few times before the ban is enforced removes most of the possibility that there were fair reasons for it (having to run off 2 times for emergencies is fair enough, but by the 3rd, you should have known better than to continue PvPing).
Also, the actual system of flagging and unflagging itself needs to be looked at. I know personally that I've thought of two or three ways that I could "AFK" if I wanted to (by AFK, I mean tabbing out, doing other stuff, and coming back in to remove the impending debuff if it was being applied). I don't know how this might be done, but I'm not the one being paid to come up with the ideas. =)
Charlie Nov 13th 2007 1:29AM
Voice Chat is GREAT for arena, especially if you find a random member in your team, and don't want to give you your guild's vent info. I've used it extensively, and it works fine. Only problem that i have with it is that its linked to the overall sound level of the game, which i normally keep at a minimum, i now have to turn it up allt he way to hear anyone.
evestraw Nov 13th 2007 3:01AM
voicechat broke on ruin and reckoning battlegroup wow europe!
Bolus Nov 13th 2007 3:16AM
I've had to play with sound off since the last patch since I finally narrowed it down to my game crashing if I try to play with sound, so I haven't tried voice chat. Sound worked great until 2.2. I'm hoping the next patch brings it back again, it's been so quiet.
But I don't think I'd have used voice chat otherwise, nobody every asks about it in pugs. Interesting idea on paper but players wanted so much more before this one.
jay Nov 13th 2007 4:57AM
Anyone found that crafty afk'ers are now using follow, I had it happen to me just yesterday..... twice lol.
I suggest that the ability for someone to follow in a BG is switched off before this catches on much more.
Manasseh Nov 13th 2007 6:27AM
Horde began dominating AV in Stormstrike Battlegroup just after patch 2.2. That domination has waned as more of the former-AFKers have returned to their old ways. Some are creative enough to play up through Balinda, get some damage on the charts, then AFK in a burning bunker where they won't be killed by passing Alliance. Many are too lazy to do even that and continue to cave camp. This is worse at the off-peak hours, where the concentration of honor-farmers is higher. One game I played yesterday morning had 27 (debuffed!) AFKers. Somehow, we still won.
I agree that more severe measures should be taken against AFKing. I like the BG-ban debuff idea. Another approach would be a more positive one -- reward those who actually play. Blizzard is revamping AV somewhat, but I can't imagine the changes will eliminate AFKing. My concern is that most people have little real motivation to try very hard in Battlegrounds. I'm constantly playing beside people in full Merciless Gladiator gear who do 1/10th of the damage I do in an average battleground using the same spells and abilities given to our class. It's pitiful and it's certainly not because I'm a better player or better geared (my gear is terrible) -- it's because I actually care and they don't. A better reward system for those who care and put forth effort would hurt AFKers, underachievers and serve to make battlegrounds far more competitive.
Keith Hoffmaster Nov 13th 2007 6:27AM
I find it humorous how when the horde were mass afk-ing it seemed to be looked at as funny and not completely newsworthy. But now, when the horde are forced to fully participate, alliance are finding that they may not have been so hot after all, and it seems to be suddenly looked at as some horrible horrible event that just has to be fixed now!
heh.....go QQ some more.....
I agree that the mechanics need to be tweaked, but nothing is perfect from the start.
Michael Nov 13th 2007 7:01AM
Wow Voice Chat rarely works properly. End of story.
mogorada Nov 13th 2007 7:08AM
^^^
exactly. AV was pretty much "working as intended" until the horde started dominating. i've been BGing alot after the AFK fix and in anticipation of S1 gear. the horde wins 80% of the time (Ruin).
Chrissie Nov 13th 2007 7:02AM
not used voice chat once, nobody wants to bother with it in a PuG, and if it's a half-PuG, a guild will provide their vent if necessary. Not sure if this was a particularly urgent change, but ehhh.
Alliance majorly blows in my battlegroup (Shadowburn) and AV was the only BG we consistently won. After the patch, this changed- for reasons explained by other commenters. If the Horde is forced to actually play, they will win, and as a result the Alliance AFK even more in frustration. But yeah, it's begun to even out a little again.
Looking forward to 2.3 where we essentially get whacked over the head with the BG's objectives. That, and resource count putting an end to the infernal turtles.
Lev Nov 13th 2007 7:48AM
I have used voice chat frequently with friends and it is great. After some adjustment of sound levels it gives a perfectly acceptable quality and volume and has made things much much easier.
Tridus Nov 13th 2007 7:52AM
2.2 will go down in the history of WoW as quite possibly the worst patch ever.
What did it do?
1. It broke sound for a good number of people.
2. It slowed down the entire game (by breaking hardware sound) for a number of others.
3. It introduced voice chat with circa 1996 dial up sound quality that I've never seen anybody use. (Seriously, does anybody actually use the in game voice chat?)
4. It delayed 2.3 (the patch people actually wanted) for weeks, if not months.
Its kind of sad that Blizzard spent months on this thing, considering that Turbine was able to patch in player housing (something far more people are asking for then built in voice chat) in less time.