The Southern Graveyard is a trap
by Zach Yonzon 
Mar 28th 2009 at 9:00AM
"Capturing the Southern Graveyard will now automatically capture both the East and West Graveyards."
Great. Give all those scrubs an excuse to capture it while on offense. Thanks, Blizzard.
Let me explain why capturing Southern Graveyard is one of the worst things you can do for your team while on offense. You see, when you capture Southern Graveyard and your team is progressing Southwards through the Gate of the Yellow Moon and the Keep, members of your team who die during the effort will rezz near the yellow gate. Where are the tanks and charges that you need? That's right. They're downhill to the Northeast and Northwest. This means that your team will need to run down just to get a tank. In a timed Battleground, time spent running down just to get a tank is time wasted.
It's important to capture the Eastern and Western Graveyards because doing so unlocks the Sparklight and Rigspark Workshops respectively. This means you will spawn right where you pick up Demolishers. But if you capture Southern Graveyard, you will spawn farther away from tanks and the nearest bombs are behind the yellow gate. The latest Battleground change is completely baffling and I'm not certain why Blizzard is implementing it. At best, it will encourage defenders to protect Southern Graveyard -- another scrub thing to do.
The one and only time when capturing Southern Graveyard is a strategically sound move is when the keep has been breached or needs only one blast from a Massive Seaforium Charge. At that point, Eastern and Western Graveyards should already have been captured and are largely irrelevant to the final rush. Blizzard should at least place seaforium charges at the Southern Graveyard rezz point to raise its strategic value. Otherwise, it is a trap for the offense and capturing it is guaranteed to slow down your team. That is the flaw of the Strand of the Ancients map, and the Patch 3.1 change is only going to aggravate it.
Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, PvP, Battlegrounds
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Moppentoff Mar 28th 2009 9:10AM
I stopped reading at the word "Scrub"
Palm Mar 28th 2009 9:17AM
read it again then, because its true. :
Scilk Mar 28th 2009 10:36AM
Okay seriously people, a "scrub" is a trainee, someone who knows some of the ropes, but has yet to mature to full understanding of the more subtle rules/methods used.
Yes, "newb"/"newbie" could've been used to mean much the same thing, however a newbie tends to be used to reefer to someone who is completely new to something and therefore has no understanding of many of the simple rules.
Therefore, "scrub" is more befitting than "newbie" and less demeaning than "noob" "nub" or an actual real world insult like "idiot". It outlines the player base that often fall foul to the misconception of the graveyard being beneficial. And yes, the article should be professional considering its popularity now-a-days, however its still on the internet and therefore internet slang can and will be used.
If you find the word offensive, please overlook it and pay attention to the actual point of the article, which is not one of insulting "lesser PvPers". The point of the article is that a poor design mechanic has been emphasised instead of fixed, and become an even worse honey-pot for those who don't realise its counter-intuitive purpose.
kabshiel Mar 28th 2009 12:18PM
I don't think scrub's an offensive word, but it does make you look dumb. People who say "scrub" are the same people who say "bro".
That being said, the article is correct.
Stiverton Mar 28th 2009 12:26PM
Scrub is a word used by "elite" PvPers to insult players who are seen as not as good as them. Noob is for people new to the game, scrub is for people who just suck ass at it. It is definitely used largely in the WoW PvP community as an insult.
lollerskates Mar 28th 2009 12:25PM
I love seeing all the casual scrubs get butt hurt over the word and the article. Whats the matter babies? the word hit a little too close to home?....broski?
Seriously though, lighten up. It's a pvp article, of course demeaning words must be used otherwise Zach wouldn't be a "real" PvP'er....duhh.
epsilon343 Mar 28th 2009 12:58PM
I've never...ever seen "Scrub" used in a non-insult form. I suppose that PVP attitude couldn't be contained for long during this gnerd rage and so the author just had to resort to making sure we all know how awesome he is.
Seeing as this site regularly points out how Blizzard does "progressive testing" or whatever they call it where changes are rolled out slowly, I don't see why the author felt the need to flip out when Blizz might just be seeing how things work. But to my point above, this seems like a case of a "pro" PvPer having to change tactics and get outside their comfort zone. God forbid you need to do something DIFFERENT every once in a while.
But I suppose I'm one of those scrubs...
Heilig Mar 28th 2009 1:16PM
Scrub is supposed to be an insult. It's a sports term. It refers to people who are eligible to play but were scrubbed from the starting lineup before the game and get to ride the bench because they're not good enough to start.
Scrubbed from the roster = scrub = bad player
This term is definitely an insult. It is also generally true. The average SotA will have maybe 1 or 2 people per side who actually understand the place and know what to do to win.
Todd Mar 28th 2009 1:49PM
I DON'T WANT NO SCRUB
A SCRUB IS A GUY THAT CAN'T GET NO LOVE FROM ME
HANGIN' ON THE PASSANGERS SIDE
OF HIS BEST FRIENDS RIDE
TRYIN' TO HOLLA AT ME
Nicelanguage Mar 28th 2009 9:11AM
The use of the word scrubs here just gives me this image of you being a real Hardcore no life who sits on his ass all day shouting "dont cap the south gy nubz"!!!!!
If your unhappy of a change, fine. There is other ways of putting this point of view across however.
Catiya of Feathermoon Mar 28th 2009 9:22AM
I've got to agree here, it's realy unprofessional and reads more like a disgruntaled forum post than anything because of that, really turned me off to it. You made very good points but man, if you want people to listen you should at least be comfortable with stating your opinions with some class.
Kakistocracy Mar 28th 2009 10:34AM
Yeah, after running AV which seemed to have a new strategy ever week, I'm a bit tired of people ranting about how everyone else does it wrong. You may have a point about positioning, but it seems to me that if progressing towards a goal becomes a set back, that's more of a design flaw (for example, imagine if Ulduar dropped some gear that had really nice stats, but actually made you worse, it would be designed to appear like it is worth taking, but hurts you in the long run), and assuming everyone is aware and able to adapt assumes that everyone spends as much time in the battlegrounds as you do.
I bet if the author has tried to explain his view on the south grave yard in a battle ground, he has inspired people to take it who would not have otherwise.
Karilyn Mar 28th 2009 11:12AM
@Kakistocracy
Oh, it's a major design flaw. It looks like it's progression towards a goal, but in reality, it's a HUGE setback.
It might be roughly comparable to something like going through Naxx. And then in front of Sapphron, there was a pedestal that people could channel. And if five people channel it, everyone get's teleported out of the room, and the last 4 bosses of each of the 4 wings respawn, but drop no loot.
It in every single way "looks" like it should be progression... "Hey, there's a pedestal we can channel! It must start a boss fight, or open a door or something!" But in reality, it sends you backwards, with zero gain, and making you farther away from the goal.
Regardless of if it's a design flaw though, that doesn't justify people still doing it. Especially when Strand of the Ancients has been out for ages now.
If there was such a pedestal in Naxx, wouldn't you expect people to know better than to click on it by now?
Kakistocracy Mar 28th 2009 11:58AM
Karilyn, sure, if I raided with the same group of people every week, I would be annoyed if people did that.
So, if I ran this BG with the same group of people over and over, I would be annoyed if they did this, but that (mostly) isn't the case.
What many people don't bother to consider is, who is the target audience. Is he trying to explain to people who almost never go what is good to do, and why the alternatives are bad? If so, great, but then what is the point of doing so rudely? Is he venting at the people that know better, but do it anyways? Ok, but there probably aren't many people in the category (not enough to justify an article) and clearly explaining would change their minds. Is his goal to try to do both and subsequently fail at each? If so, bravo.
Angry Joe Mar 28th 2009 1:10PM
No need to use your imagination, Nicelanguage, just listen to a few minutes of the wow insider podcast.
Now go listen to a real wow podcast like The Instance and you will see what I mean.
AyaJulia Mar 28th 2009 3:04PM
"it's realy unprofessional and reads more like a disgruntaled forum post than anything"
This, exactly.
vazhkatsi Mar 28th 2009 6:17PM
I'm sorry, but i only pvp semi casually, i don't do arenas, but it is infuriating to see people who have no idea what they are doing cap the southern graveyard, thereby wasting the time of everyone that is playing. its like in av capping FWgy before the first aid hut. you wind up letting the enemy turtle in a place that in advantageous to them.
pvpers are elitists? do you like it when a DK taunts off the tank and wipes a raid? oh but then you're raiding elitist, just because someone wants to play differently does that make them a scrub?
maybe you don't raid. do you like it when you group with someone who knows nothing about any fight in the dungeon/raid and demands loot thats not for his spec?
going into a BG with no clue how to win is about the same as going into a raid with no knowledge of the fights. some people are fine with boosting noobs through content, but not all of us like trying to teach people who don't listen. thank god i've started doing premades
Andy Mar 28th 2009 9:18AM
Alright, everyone commenting about the excessive use of the word "scrub", get over yourselves. He's right and you're just arguing semantics to try and invalidate his point.
Moppentoff Mar 28th 2009 9:23AM
Well i've never been in SotA and don't really intend to. He may be right, but there's better ways of putting it without sounding like a uber l33t pvpr who could "own" me.
JDM Mar 28th 2009 9:25AM
It's okay, they're just upset because they fall into the 'scrub' category.
But honestly, I see the problem this will bring about - though I'm not personally worried about it, as I don't PvP out of principle.