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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: What are your rules of engagement for world PVP?
by Mike W. McVey 
Sep 11th 2011 at 8:00AM
I have found that everyone likes to PVP in different ways. Some like to play in the Arena, some in Rated Battlegrounds, some in regular PVP, and some like to do my favorite -- world PVP! I personally have rules for world PVP:
- I only attack when I am within one level of my prey.
- If they are fighting a mob, I wait until they kill the mob.
- I will not attack if they are less than 90% health/mana.
- I refuse to camp someone.
I realize I am not a typical world PVPer. I know I am not unique in the hundreds of thousands of times that I have been ganked. But even in a game, I have a problem taking out my anger on another human being, even if it just their avatar. Do not get me wrong -- I still get angry. But I take it out in dungeons or battlegrounds.
Do you have any rules of engagement when you PVP?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 7)
Amaxe Sep 11th 2011 9:00AM
I don't world pvp any more. I've been on both ends of it and generally dislike ganking others because I dislike being ganked myself. I've done two stints on pvp servers (Burning Legion and Stonemaul) but discovered pve is a better experience for what I like.
I do wish more pvpers were like the author though. It would make a pvp server a better experience.
Skyburnone Sep 11th 2011 9:02AM
Well... if:
A) They aren't capping a world objective
B) Are not fighting someone else
C) Are not fighting me either
D) Are of my level or greater
E) Are fully healed
I kill them once (if midfight mob aggroing happens, I CC them, kill the mob so they won't lose their durability, and then return to them). After the fight I wait patiently for them to ress. When they do, I go over them on my mount and look at them. If they do not attack back, I'll nod (before I replaced my mind control hat I'd mind control them and heal them full) finally letting they continue with their lives.
However, if they either do any of these below:
A) Gather MY resources
B) Capture MY world PvP objectives
C) Attack ANYONE from my current faction and I see it
D) Taunt me
E) (or worse of all) Disohonorably attack me while I'm under 50% HP
I attack them with the awe-inspiring fury that only an enhancement shaman can provide, with the lightning bolts, spiritual wolves, fast running and impossibly fast healing and attacking. I go all out, and God better watch for them should they attack me when they respawn - things will get even more ugly.
Pyromelter Sep 11th 2011 9:24AM
Enhancement shaman, with all your cooldowns up, make for a very effective world pvp class.
Sintraedrien Sep 11th 2011 11:28AM
But . . . how do I know which nodes are yours?
I don't want to take your nodes, but I need herbs/ore myself . . . .
And I'm a carebear who doesn't fight back anyways.
Sintra E'Drien of the Ebon Blade, né Sindorei
Calaana Sep 11th 2011 9:05AM
I go for pve servers, so World pvp only happens when...
-you're being a tard and destroying lowbies.
-there's a battle going on. not 1 or 2 or 3, like 20 a side, in the middle of no where. That's some good hours spent right there, even if you suck at pvp.
-you're griefing.
-I'm in Outland.
Most world pvp is ambush tactics, which is fine, but wow doesn't do it in a way I find fun. I would love to see more world pvp, so long as it was objective based. Halaar is still the best pvp I've ever done. World pvp has interesting environments, and it's okay for the objectives to be simple as a result - the complexity, and excitement will come from how they're achieved, which is really open ended. Balance is a lot simpler when it's allowed to be biased for both sides, with multiple weak spots to counter it with, I think.
pinteresque Sep 11th 2011 9:05AM
I play on a PvE server. You have no reason, at all, to be flagged and out in the world if you're not looking for a fight, or at least expecting one. If I come across you and you're flagged, I don't care what level you are, what you're doing, or what you're fighting - if I think I can take you down, I will.
However. If you /wave to me, or emote in a friendly way, if I see you as another player instead of as a character, I'll probably let you live.
Amanda A. Sep 11th 2011 10:07AM
Battlegrounds leave you flagged. So there's one reason.
Awesome McAwesome Sep 11th 2011 9:06AM
If they're flagged, they're dead, unless I happen to be in a hurry.
barrynis711 Sep 11th 2011 9:13AM
If I see a Hordie Flagged out in the world I will crush them with the HOLY LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vaynne Sep 11th 2011 9:49AM
I play on a PvE server. I do a lot of bg's and stuff so that's about the only time I pvp. The only time I world PvP is when say someone is out harressing a horde settlement. If there red, there dead. Green or grey I let them walk. Only time I attack someone who's name is grey or green is when there killing my guildies. I'll protect my guild and won't let anyone harm my them. The other day a guild said something about how he was being camped out in hellfire so me and the guild master who also played q hunter decided to go check it out. Turns out it was 2 alli 85 pallys just out giving lower lvl horde players a hard time. And to make a long story short we took them out and camped them a but until one flew away and one wasn't flagged anymore and hearthed. I ended up seeing one of those pallys a few days later in Dal. He still seemed a little bitter about it since he /spit on me when I /waved at him.
seamus Sep 11th 2011 9:26AM
Butch Cassidy: No, no, not yet. Not until me and Harvey get the rules straightened out.
Harvey Logan: Rules? In a knife fight? No rules!
[Butch immediately kicks Harvey in the groin]
Butch Cassidy: Well, if there aint' going to be any rules, let's get the fight started. Someone count. 1,2,3 go.
Sundance Kid: [quickly] 1,2,3, go!
[Butch knocks Harvey out]
Shadowwind Sep 11th 2011 9:49AM
I made the decision to perma-flag my most recent alt, despite being on a pve server. Part of it was closet-RP, and part of it was simple curiosity. And yes, I had rules for myself.
-I will never strike first, even if there is another flagged player nearby. (If you are attempting to corpse-camp me, however, you are considered to have already struck first.)
-If attacked, Lok'tar Ogar! I will fight with everything I have until one of us is dead.
-No taunting, either before or after a fight.
-(A fourth rule was added when I hit 85: I will unflag in areas such as Sethria's Roost. World pvp is one thing, accidentally ganking someone because they hit me while trying to do their dailies and my helper NPCs attacked them, is another.)
Guy Sep 11th 2011 9:52AM
I only attack if the target if they are not grey. If I am questing or doing something I usually won't bother as long as they don't bother. The only exceptions are lower levels who are attacking guildies or a higher level killing lowbies, and in lower levels in our starter zones, like Elwynn Forest or whatever.
Being a Prot Pally for PvP I can sometimes take on multiple 85s with lower non-pvp gear. Nothing better than getting ganked by 2 ilvl 330s taking them out.
AudreyR Sep 11th 2011 9:56AM
I usually only engage in world PVP outside world PVP areas if they're doing something like killing vendors and quest givers in a town.
Otherwise, I live and let live. There's a reason I prefer normal servers to PVP servers.
Amanda A. Sep 11th 2011 10:07AM
I'll usually live and let live, unless the person is killing questgivers or pvp trolling by flagging and standing standing where they'll be hit by mistake. Like a week or so ago, this hunter was standing on top of the enemy you fight for the lieutenants of flame quest and killing people who targeted him by mistake. So I brought back my pvp geared main and killed him, then finished the quest on my alt.
MurderDeathKill Sep 11th 2011 10:03AM
I kill anyone I see and love to camp low level areas.
yujie.max Sep 11th 2011 10:19AM
I normally don't do world PVP. But if I'm really pissed off, I'll gank a lowbie that I come across, but I usually don't grief a lowbie, unless I'm griefed on an alt first.
I'll also grief if somebody ganks me.
Just a few weeks ago, I was leveling my frost Mage in Deepholm. I was halfway through a fight, when a Death Knight decided to gank me. I promptly killed him swiftly with deep freeze and ice lance, and killed him another time when he rezzed.
Oh, the sweet irony.
Molly Sep 11th 2011 10:22AM
I play on a PVE server, so I avoid world PVP as much as possible. But, like many others have said, if you're ganking lowbies or killing NPCs in lowbie towns (hello pre-Cata Auberdine) I will destroy you and corpse camp you until you give up and leave. I do not get bored when it comes to defending lowbies ;)
wow Sep 12th 2011 12:07PM
On my server that would be Pre-CATA Westfall.
Shinanji
vertigobliss86 Sep 11th 2011 10:42AM
- I do not attack unless I have nothing left to do in the area (ex. finished my firelands dailies)
- I do not attack cute or attractive alliance characters
- I make myself known to AFK characters. If they do not respond, I kill them =P (which resulted in one guy giving me crap for killing him. I showed him how I felt by camping him afterwards).
- If it is a class I am weak to, and they are low on health or fighting a mob, I always kill them in vengeance ^_^
- If it is a lowbie, I attack if they run from me