Cataclysm: Guards in starting zones buffed to level 90
by Fox Van Allen 
Nov 5th 2010 at 9:00AM
The change, which guarantees you'll be at least five levels lower than the guards, takes advantage of existing game mechanics to protect lower-level players from mischief. NPCs that are five levels higher than you are exceedingly difficult to hit (spell casters will suffer a 39 percent chance to miss) and frequently wallop you for higher-damage-causing crushing blows far more often. The guards will also have higher health pools as well. This contrasts vividly with guards on the live server, who are prone to dying if a level 80 character accidentally sneezes on them.
Level 90 guards are better suited to protecting newbie players from max-level griefers. Note that only starting areas will see these high-level guards. The guards in major cities are now level 85 -- dangerous, but soloable.
Players who are upset by this change are encouraged to stop being jerks who grief newbies.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion (available Dec. 7, 2010), from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.Filed under: News items, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 9)
Aedilhild Nov 5th 2010 10:09AM
Oh, there's plenty in Goldshire to keep the place "interesting."
Mike Nov 5th 2010 10:34AM
Goldshire has a patrol that runs through it, consisting of 6 or so 85 Elite's. Goldshire will be fine for those who want to continue their ERP.
Bynde Nov 5th 2010 10:54AM
*Bynde Googles "ERP" .
Bynde now understands why everyone laughed when he asked Goldshire residents where he can get his 'epic mount'.
Eyhk Nov 5th 2010 11:33AM
@carebear Major city guards should not be buffed since there should be similar high level people there to guard the city. And how on earth am I going to get my black warbears on my alts if they do? But FP npcs should definitely get the buff as well.
carebear Nov 5th 2010 2:20PM
@Eyhk
by your reasoning every town (with a flight path) should have lvl 90 guards because there wont typically be lvl 85 players there to guard it
Kylenne Nov 5th 2010 2:20PM
Goldshire doesn't need guards, Goldshire needs the health department to shut it down.
Finnegan Nov 5th 2010 9:15AM
"Players who are upset by this change are encouraged to stop being jerks who grief newbies."
Awesome. :D
Sqtsquish Nov 5th 2010 10:22AM
I'm just worried about whether or not they do this in neutral cities like gadgetzan or ratchet, or the like- I do quite like being able to handle pvp with the other faction just outside the walls of a city- but with them being level 90 then their aggro radius on me would be much higher. Oh and imo if ur on a pvp server and as long as your target is around your level by a close margin there should be no significant penalty for engaging in pvp.
Sicadastra Nov 5th 2010 10:24AM
Love it, great closing line!
Boobah Nov 5th 2010 11:33AM
"I'm just worried about whether or not they do this in neutral cities"
Dude, starting areas. That's Northshire Abbey, the surface of Gnomeregan, Coldridge Valley, Shadowglen, Ammen Vale, the Valley of Trials, the Echo Isles, Red Cloud Mesa, Deathknell, and Sunstrider Isle. The others are phased and have no need of puny physical manifestations to protect their inhabitants.
neogramps Nov 5th 2010 12:01PM
"Oh and imo if ur on a pvp server and as long as your target is around your level by a close margin there should be no significant penalty for engaging in pvp."
Well duh! We are talking about max level players and starting zones - obviously PVP between players of a similar level is not the issue here.
Nagheen Nov 5th 2010 9:16AM
About time, but I'm still curious about how those ground guards are gonna defend our cities now we can fly everywhere.
Also, a spriest that get hit for 87117 and doesn't die, I knew Cata healthpools would be bigger, but damn....
Kyle Nov 5th 2010 9:34AM
Each city (outside of the Exodar/Silvermoon, since you can't fly there) has patrolling squadrons of guards on flying mounts. I believe they can knock you off your mount, too.
Sure, you can probably duck around them if you're fast enough, but they're there.
Bapo Nov 5th 2010 12:19PM
@Kyle, it'd be nice if they could dismount people, but Idk if that'll happen. I mean, when they changed the thing with Blast Wave, Typhoon, thunderstorm, etc. It also nerfed the racing quests in Shadowmoon Valley, so you no longer get dismounted if you get hit by a meteor or w/e.
Though I guess it wouldn't be too wonky to fix.
Nathanyel Nov 5th 2010 9:18AM
They should just make lowlevel quest NPCs non-attackable, not that I don't welcome stronger guards which can actually guard anything. Also, the game slash the starter zones need more air protection.
poggg Nov 5th 2010 9:24AM
The low level NPCs in the very beginning areas - Northshire, Deatholme, etc - ARE unattackable. It's just been assumed that once you finish that area, you've gotten your bearings to some degree, and you're being introduced to the world at large. The end of your grace period, so to speak.
Timbo Nov 5th 2010 9:21AM
"Players who are upset by this change are encouraged to stop being jerks who grief newbies."
LOL - thank you for giving me a big huge laugh this morning!
Grandmaster of Fishing Nov 5th 2010 9:19AM
It'll certainly make getting Explorer a little more interesting.
Njall Nov 5th 2010 9:32AM
Two Words: Flying Mount
Chetti Nov 5th 2010 11:09AM
I got the explorer title a few months ago with absolutely no issues.. places were deserted mostly. Even the horde zones where I had to just about go inside the town (Orgrimmar and Silvermoon) gates, I was able to stealth kitty in and dash out without so much as aggroing a guard. So, yeah, exploring the new areas come cataclysm (or the older ones for new players going around) will be more interesting with higher level guards.. as the poster above said, flying mount. Of course, it seems that won't help in exodar or silvermoon.. but, from what I've seen of silvermoon (from both sides..) its pretty deserted. :)