Midsummer fire festival sparks world PvP
by Amanda Dean 
Jun 25th 2008 at 11:30AM
When I read through the forums, I see numerous threads lamenting over the lack of world PvP. The Burning Crusade added a handful of PvP objectives that often go unnoticed and the towers in the Eastern Plaguelands seem pretty lonely since everyone moved on to Outland. Since the beginning of the Midsummer Fire Festival I've seen at least a temporary resurgence in actual PvP. Of course the ganking is still going on, but I've seen many more fair fights.The way it works is you try to keep your own fires burning while putting the flames of your opponents out. I've seen numerous mini raids on major cities and massive skirmishes near the small-town fires. Like many players, I've got to give props to Blizzard for adding this mechanic to the festival. The buffs are pretty awesome too.
I've enjoyed this celebration more than any WoW holiday in the past. Have you been joining in the desecrating fun?
Remember to check out the "It Came From the Blog" event this Sunday, June 29 at 7Pm Eastern.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
robotrock Jun 25th 2008 11:36AM
I've seen at least half a dozen horde rogues in Stormwind in the short time I've played since the festival started.
When I ask in general chat if any rogues want to accompany me into some horde cities I get zero replies.
Good work Allies.
innajunglestylee Jun 25th 2008 1:47PM
PvP Rogues are generally cowards anyway. Okay that's a generalization, but the only time I died this whole event I watched a rogue blow all her cooldowns to keep my elemental shaman on lockdown, and when I rezzed to get mine back she sprinted away to the safety of her town. What a wimp. Still got her to 40% health off my lightning shield and totems...
Andrew Jun 25th 2008 11:02PM
innajunglestylee, I think cowards are those people who only attack the other faction when they have 4+ players backing them up.
Running away when facing a better opponent isn't necessarily cowardly, but it is smart. That rogue might have been able to restealth, then come back and cc you long enough for the mine to cap or for reinforcements to arrive.
Starlin Jun 25th 2008 11:42AM
I've had a great time honoring and desecrating the flames, especially when there's some resistance. Even when you get camped after dying on a capital city fire, it's still fun trying to sneak a rez and grab the fire.
Fun tip: Paladins can bubble and steal it!
beatphreek Jun 25th 2008 11:46AM
That's great news! I'll definitely be hitting up Org and TB now. I got Silvermoon (ghost town of the Ghostlands) and Undercity with no issues, but I expected the other two to be a camp-fest. Those two cities and their associated starting zones are the only Kalimdor fires I have left. You normally can't interact with quest objectives in you bubble... this will be easymode now.
DNathan Jun 25th 2008 11:46AM
I really like this event. I play alliance, and had never even been to Thunder Bluff and probably would never see it if it wasn't for this event. Thanks to the location of the bonfire, I got to see a bit of it, and meet several of the NPC guards.
In addition to meeting new people and killing them, there is a real thrill in getting to the flame in your opponent's city.
I have to admit I felt a little bad when I went to silvermoom this morning with my level 70 ne hunter before work to capture the fire there. a single level 12 be hunter started to shoot arrows at me. he followed me, firing his arrows for the entire walk down murder row. After I got to the fire, he kept shooting, keeping me from getting the flame. I one shot the guy, but I felt bad about it.
But its a good time and it'll be fun to talk about that on the guild vent this evening.
Hank Jun 25th 2008 12:25PM
Don't feel bad about killing someone lower than you if they're attacking you. Feel bad if you're fighting a mob, and he walks by and your consecration get him.
innajunglestylee Jun 25th 2008 1:47PM
Yeah, if you killed him and finished your bizness then you have nothing to regret. I had to do the same thing in Dun Morogh the other day, desecrating the fire at the lowbie town there and some level 9 hunter shot me. I did a /pat, /shoo but he wouldn't let it be. So I one-shotted him with my throwing weapon, /sigh and rode onwards to Loch Modan.
Now if you stayed in SMC and camped him, that would have just been cruel...
Harmeister Jun 25th 2008 11:47AM
I find it ironic that you get double xp and gold from desecrating instead of honoring.
My priest friend I was raiding the cities with the other day said "Feels like I'm TP'ing the joint"
Khanmora Jun 25th 2008 1:43PM
I thought the same thing! lol
I told my guildies I felt like a jerk taking away the nice buff from the poor leveling characters but it was just way too much gold and blossoms to pass up.
Doggy Jun 25th 2008 11:59AM
Agrees,
Nice job Blizz. This event has restored some interaction between the factions and is nothing but win.
Hopefully it will spark more ideas to get the factions to clash in the open world.
Eternalpayn Jun 25th 2008 11:50AM
As a level 67 rogue, I've had a blast. Sneaking by 70s, traveling all across the old world, it just feels like an adventure. That, and one-shotting the occasional ally. (Never camping, though :P)
pfcdonut Jun 25th 2008 11:51AM
I am most definitely enjoying the Festival - the buffs are very helpful for leveling and keeping it as fair a fight as possible.
I do see, however, quite a few episodes of high level just dominating and ganking low levels in contested areas. These kills give no honor points and really do nothing other than prove that you can waste the time of lower level players until they just get ticked off enough to sign off or use their hearthstone to get out of the area.
My statement was : It's like a 40 year old defeating an infant at Scrabble®. Why would the 40 year old even want to initiate the game? Stick to your objectives and keep the fights fair.
Xin Jun 25th 2008 12:02PM
pvp = lame
jbodar Jun 25th 2008 2:54PM
DURHUR!
Al Jun 25th 2008 12:00PM
I love the buffs you could buy with the fire blossoms (like Elderberry Pie for my tank) but I hate that they're 14 day duration and soulbound (otherwise I'd get hundreds of them and send them to an inactive bankalt and try to keep them lasting as long as possible). I already bought the dancing fire draenei chick and still have a few hundred blossoms left.
Culhag Jun 25th 2008 12:02PM
I haven't met any resistance when stealing the capital's flames, though it helps that I'm an ally and I did it at midnight. :)
Tank gear helps in not being snared and dismounted by guards too, I think.
Culhag Jun 25th 2008 12:05PM
(need an "edit post" fonction !)
I haven't seen any pvp near the small town flames either, even on sunday afternoon...
Stoneblade Jun 25th 2008 12:05PM
Not especially, no.
Granted, I'll readily admit that I'm one of the minority that doesn't find pvp content at all enjoyable. I felt like it's just been more about being a general nuisance for no reason other than "I can." I'm not disparaging others who choose to do it, but it wasn't my cup of tea, so I haven't.
I think it's kinda sad how this revamp of the holiday event has become yet another means to an end, by Blizz, to completely bypass old content that could have otherwise been revisited and purposeful, even to higher-level folks. I think I would have much rather had a reason to go visit those old instances, like Scholo, Strat, etc., on the "Light in Dark Places" quest, as opposed to the now-standard-issue, "meh... I was bored" excuse. To me, that struck me as more enjoyable than being a globe-trotting pest for rewards...
Like I said, I just feel like discontinuing quests like "A Light in Dark Places" and what-not, in favor of this kind of activity, is just another means of hammering another nail in the proverbial coffin of those old dungeons and locales.
But, that's just me, I guess.
Blackhorn Jun 25th 2008 12:08PM
I've done the four cities and wear my crown proudly whilst desecrating and honoring the flames.
As for world PvP rekindled? Perhaps on a PvP realm. But Eldre'Thalas doesn't seem to work that way. I've been killed doing the flames (outside of cities), and that's because I went AFK while flagged next to the Tarren Mill fire.
In fact, last night before logging off, I did the fires in Dustwallow, and the closest I got to PvP was waving at a paladin next to the Theramoore fire and throwing down my dancing flames and having a gay old time. Then I rode off into the sunset. HARDCORE.
Overall though, it's great fun and it's the only event that's enticed me to participate to this degree. I've already spent nearly 600 blossoms.