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 5 of 9)
poggg Nov 5th 2010 7:05PM
Oh, I do those things too if I head over on a same-faction character. But I can't exactly do any of that if I'm trying to play cross-faction ambassador.
Eric Nov 5th 2010 9:26AM
So how are we now supposed to instigate world PvP battles? Send the opposing faction strongly-worded wowmail?
Cyrus Nov 5th 2010 9:53AM
Take on the guards with two or three friends - that shouldn't be a problem if you're genuinely trying to "instigate world PvP" rather than just grief - rather than just one. Or maybe instigate it anywhere but in starting zones. Doesn't sound too hard, does it?
V Magius Nov 5th 2010 9:56AM
Attack someplace else? A city maybe?
The change only affects the start zones where there are no options. You can't really leave your starter zone and go to another, especially if you are a brand new player. Also, we have to assume no guild, no 80+ and possibly no friends online.
Drakkenfyre Nov 5th 2010 9:29AM
Reminds me when 3.0.2 came out, "Hey. let's go kill Thrall! (or insert other faction leader here.)"
"Good luck with that. The guards are level 75."
Rai Nov 5th 2010 9:28AM
Any chance the Moonglade guards could recieve the same treatment? Lunar festivities tend to go awry and well, you know what happens when the Alliance and the Horde sneak alcohol into these events...
radda Nov 5th 2010 12:59PM
This is an important question.
Especially since filthy, disgusting trolls will be running around my beautiful Moonglade in the near future. You never know what those deviants will get up to.
Negatron Nov 5th 2010 9:30AM
Booty Bay Bruisers wave hello!
New players or playing an alt and actually have to quest, rest or shop there? Lo and behold a single Player farming the WHOLE area for Bloodsail Bucc rep... Even Baron Revilgaz and Tauren Cpt. get pwned!
At least make these Players stay on their toes, not just waltz in and pull every "guard" in the area without even breaking a sweat.
Arjunas Nov 5th 2010 1:57PM
Believe me, we are punished for what we did in Booty Bay... believe me.
I was once an aspiring pirate, I murdered and maimed my way through Booty Bay, killing every Alliance and Goblin I could find. And those mobs are a pain - not due to their damage but due to their obnoxious as f%*$ knockback rifles and immobilizing nets. Either way, I murdered my way to a pirate's outfit and a Bloodsail Admiral title and thought I was the sexiest, most awesomest pirate in WoW... biggest mistake ever.
Now, every time I happen to show my face in Gadgetzhan, Everlook, Booty Bay, or Ratchet I get netted by 5 guards and have the painstakingly slow fight of getting out of the town. The guards don't hurt much but their damn nets are evil. They only let you take 1 to 2 steps every 6 seconds, the entire time you are being wailed on by 5 to 10 guards. They can't kill you but they can waste a lot of your time and complete ravage your armor to the point of 50-100g repairs. Either way I am now on the long hard road of Goblin redemption. I'm trying desperately to regain Steamwheedle Rep so I can finish Loremaster before Cataclysm (Can't do their quests if they hate you). But the trek from 0/36000 Hated is so very time consuming.
So yes, we are punished. And no, it's not fun at all...
Aruhgulah Nov 5th 2010 7:51PM
@Arjunas: ^^ this, oh this. This fellow Bloodsail admiral hates every single time I've had to go anywhere near Kalimdor for the World Event Achieves. Ratchet, Booty Bay, Un'Goro Crater, Gadget, Winterspring...those pesky goblins want me dead in a baaaaad way.
Njall Nov 5th 2010 9:32AM
"Players who are upset by this change are encouraged to stop being jerks who grief newbies."
Flawless victory. I guess they were serious about Cataclysm being a rework of the starting experience - where we lose most of our player base - into something actually fun.
Bynde Nov 5th 2010 9:35AM
Please tell me this is being bitched about on the forums.
Whenever a griefer bitches you know an angel just got their wings.
Thyen Nov 5th 2010 10:16AM
I think I love you.
Birdfall Nov 5th 2010 9:40AM
XD
Certifiable The Insane Nov 5th 2010 9:44AM
If the guards are all level 90, why can't they go and defeat Deathwing for us so we can put our feet up and relax?
Aruhgulah Nov 5th 2010 8:01PM
The guards are actually magically- and genetically- altered brainless zombies, given lobotomies and massive injections of steroids (created by farming Hogger's DNA), then magically imprinted with just one goal & mission -- kill opposing faction players.
Deathwing will likely need brains and brawn to kill, sadly.
Zhiva Nov 5th 2010 9:47AM
Blizzard, please buff flightmasters to level 90 too! And give them HP of raid bosses.
Rai Nov 5th 2010 10:19AM
While you're at it, how about giving the auctioneers a little workout?
Kylenne Nov 5th 2010 2:23PM
Put them all on the Brann Bronzebeard fitness plan!
Skrotus Nov 5th 2010 6:38PM
Agreed.
Back in Vanilla, even with a massive raid on Tarren Mill we all tried our best not to agro the flight masters because they were way too hard to kill. Now they're regularly targeted just to annoy lowbies.
And on the topic of auctioneers, I don't want them to be unkillable but they could atleast take more than 2 hits before going down so all the people in the AH actually have a chance to respond to the rogue who just popped out to kill them all.