Posts with tag rp-pvp

Today's Breakfast Topic comes from reader ben.seeberger after our recent interview with world PvP specialist Gug of Horde Strike Force on Maelstrom (US). Ben wants to know the best realms for finding consistent world PvP action.

Says ben.seeberger:

I want to know what the most dangerous PvP realms are. I leveled my original main (I've since switched to a RP realm) on a PvP realm, as well as dozens of alts, and didn't find a challenge there at all (Nerzhul - US). So when people talk about the danger of running a toon on a PvP realm, I have on idea what they are talking about.

First of all, we can probably come up with some general advice and observations about the advantages of RP-PvP realms. When it comes to world PvP, realms packed with roleplayers who want to stretch and fill the outlines of Azeroth's factional war probably see a little more organized action than others. If you play on an RP-PvP realm, would you agree this is true for your realm?

Let's see if we can't come up with some sort of consensus on the most active and dangerous PvP realms in WoW right now. This is an opportunity to help out fellow players with specific realms recommendations and cautions -- it's time to name names! Where's the hot world PvP action? What are the dead PvP realms to avoid?

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Playing on a PvP realm spins World of Warcraft in an entirely different direction. In this Azeroth, there's no such thing as "wait until I'm ready." Every single moment is rife with danger, even when you're merely trying to remain unnoticed long enough to race through a few dailies. Every player is ripe for the picking, whether you're fully healed and bristling with cooldowns or half-buried beneath an accidental overpull. Protest all you like -- if this isn't your cup of tea, you don't belong on a PvP realm.

Danger is palpable. At any given moment, someone's likely to be lurking in the shadows with the specific intent of blocking your progress. If you're an Alliance player on Maelstrom (US), that somebody is likely to be a member of Horde Strike Force.

"One of the first things you need to learn on a PvP realm is to expect the unexpected," explains Horde Strike Force GM Gug. "One of the second things you need to learn is to accept the fact that sometimes you're going to get attacked and killed by somebody or somebodies much more powerful or skilled than you are. The sooner you can absorb and roll with this, the faster you'll progress in level."

"PvP leveling is not for the faint of heart," he continues. "You've got to be tough and able to react positively to negative situations. 'OK, I died but I can rez and go quest somewhere else for awhile' is a good code to live by while leveling. Don't get stuck in a rut; there are a lot of quest options out there. All this being said, the game doesn't get any more fun or alive and breathing than on a PvP realm. Once you go PvP, you never truly go back."

So let's talk about ganking and getting ganked -- vile, nasty, evil rogues. How WoW players rage against rogues! You'd think an entire collective of them would be utterly reviled by the player community -- but not this group, which is such a straight-up gang that many of its sap-and-drop victims actually become cross-faction buddies. Vile Thorn of Defias Brotherhood (EU-H), an all-rogue guild that recently packed up shop and moved from another slowly stagnating roleplay, is probably the amicable gank squad you'll ever come across (or that'll come across you -- you know what we mean ...).

With an ironclad one-kill rule and a hankering for cross-faction roleplay, Vile Thorn takes no prisoners when it comes to fostering realm-wide roleplaying and world PvP. Its roster shows no sign of tanks, healers or other DPS classes; this group is utterly dedicated to its dark duties. GM Arli reports a warm welcome from players on Defias Brotherhood, both in character and out, after the guild's weekend sprint in search of a wider roleplaying community. To gank, or not to gank -- why is death at the hands of the Vile Thorns so compelling that one guild of factional enemies even realm-transferred along with its nemesis?

Submissions are starting to trickle in to our inbox, and some of them are quite surprising. Brysan wrote in about his machinima experience, outlining the journey from wee newblet to intermediate hobbyist. However, he'd like some constructive feedback on his latest piece, a PvE video of his guild's Illidan Stormrage kill.

Having graduated from Windows Movie Maker up to Sony Vegas and WoW model viewer, he wanted to make a video that was more artistic than boastful. Brysan managed to come up with an entertaining storyline with what I felt was a decent voiceover and nice visuals. Since he's looking for ways to improve, I'll note that sometimes the lipsynching is off, the aspect ratio changes randomly, and the metal soundtrack made me want to cry, but that last one is more personal than anything. Make sure to include credits for any music you're using in the future!

[Thanks, Brysan!]

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch ...

One of the most common difficulties many roleplayers face is that of finding other people to roleplay with. To help overcome this challenge, All the World's a Stage presents a guide to finding roleplayers in three parts: "finding the right realm" for roleplaying, "joining the right circle" of roleplaying friends, and "wearing the right mask" to attract other roleplayers to you.

Due to reasons we have discussed earlier, RP servers can vary widely from a very few who maintain their immersive roleplaying atmosphere, to the majority which often seem little different from a normal PvE or PvP server. Although Blizzard takes their RP server guidelines "seriously," they cannot enforce these rules wholesale, and rely on the players themselves to do much of their own policing and reporting where necessary. RP servers thus vary a great deal in terms of how many people there actually make roleplaying a priority, how many will report someone breaking the RP rules, and how many will strive to maintain that precious gem of mass cooperation: the roleplaying atmosphere.

It may not be obvious to a new player, but there are tools roleplayers can use to find the realm that suits them best. There may be no standardized way to group up for RP, but the fact holds true: "seek, and ye shall find."

I play on RP servers only, but when they first came out, I tried an RP-PvP server for a while. I kept plugging away at it till I got to my mid thirties and finally gave up. Ever since then it's seemed to me that players on PvP servers are people who like their game to be extra difficult, and they don't mind if that means they have to suffer through the kind of situations that would submerge a "normal" gamer in intolerable frustration. They just accept that leveling up means doing lots and lots and lots of ghost runs, because other high-level characters will gank you and they will camp your corpse, and there's not much you can do about it. That's just the cost of being elite, to them -- having gone through it, it's as though they feel baptized by fire.

That's why I'm always surprised when a player from a PvP server asks for some sort of help from Blizzard with such frustrating situations. A blood elf hunter named Arkdemon is asking for neutral guards at all summoning stones -- apparently he's had trouble getting to his instance when there's a bunch of PvP going on there. But isn't that the whole point? Isn't PvP on a PvP server supposed to get in the way of PvE stuff, just like all the other struggles these players go through leveling up? The fact that you can effectively conquer a summoning stone, raid entrance or otherwise important spot on a PvP server is the whole reason people play there. If you take away this sort of challenge, or nerf it until it's not so serious a problem for people who just wanna PvE that night, then what's the point of even having a PvP server to begin with? (Zul'Aman is a possible exception to this rule, since it's so much more accessible to the Horde than the Alliance, but even in that case, a number of hardcore PvPers cried out how much they hate the addition of guards there.)

Bornakk seems to agree with me for the most part, but he mentions that Blizzard will indeed add guards (or indeed do whatever they want) if they feel it is necessary. What's your opinion?

On first entering the World of Warcraft, we're given a choice of four distinct realm types (PvE, PvP, RP, and RP-PvP), and this morning I'm asking which one you chose for yourself and why. Are you a carebear at heart or can you not miss the excitement of leveling on a PvP realm? Or perhaps a roleplaying variety is more your style... We want to hear about it! Tell us how you roll, and why in our comments!

I have always found RP-ing to be something of an alien concept to me. I do have a low-level rogue on an RP-PVP server that I occasionally attempt to play, but I'm never quite sure how to respond to other players who attempt to RP with me. I suppose I just don't approach the task with the right mind-set. However, these hilarious RP posts by Gnomish mage Whiffle amuse me to no end -- and strongly encourage me to give RP another try. While every entry on the site amuses, I have to say my favorite is about Fizzlelicious, Whiffle's Nightsaber-to-be....

"Be gone, little Gnome, you know you have yet to gain the full favor of the Night Elves before I can give you the training you need."

"Jartsem, ol' buddy, ol' pal, ol' long ears. Come on. I know a few Night Elf Maidens looking for a good time. Know what I mean? How about I arrange things for you."

He smiled at me and for a second there I thought I had it.

"Whiffle, you have come here every week. Since you were in your 10th season. I know of your passion for Moonring."

"Fizzlelicious"

"Until she is yours, she is Moonring. I will keep her for you, but you must earn the right."
"Alright, I understand. You sure you don't want the Night Elf Maidens? One of them can turn into a bear, you know ... if you're into that type of thing."

"Whiffle!"

[Via Gitr's WoW Blog]

Before we even go into this... yes -- I am a carebear. I play almost exclusively on PvE servers. I just, personally, have never been that excited by the full-out PvP experience, and the amount of PvP I can find on a PvE server has always suited me perfectly well. However, when first logging on, there are several options of realm type -- so today's question is what's your favorite? PvE, PvP, RP, or RP-PvP?

Two new RP realms opened up this afternoon - The Venture Co (RP-PvP) and Sentinels (RP). And, before you ask, both realms are in the PST time zone. So, for the countless players who have been eagerly awaiting new RP-PvP realms, here's your chance! However, opening new RP servers without opening any other servers does run the risk of attracting many non-RPers who are just looking for a fresh realm. Let's hope Blizzard knows what they're doing with this schedule..!