World Of Warcraft: How To Resurrect PvP.

archijinx
My thoughts on PvP and WoW -=LONG=-

Just thought I'd add my thoughts to this subject discussion since it interests me alot..

-=warning this is quite a long post so don't bother reading if you can't be bothered to endure it all, it took so long that I can't even remember what I typed:) I wanted to post it as a reply to the PvP? post but it was too long really as a reply ====---

I have been fighting and killing players in games since .. diablo 1? quake 1? .. doom..

I've been heavy into both FPS and MMO type PvP, I think it has nothing to do with lack of skill in one thing for another, I choose to PvP because it puts my mind against another thinking human, not a coded AI which can be mastered after an hour of play. I've played mmos like AC2,EQ,UO,Shadowbane and DAOC, and what im hoping from this game is for a start they will include alot of PvP, after all the warcraft universe is about conflict is it not? orcs and humans from the start, I'd like to see factional combat between good and evil axis of the game, hopefully it will not go the same direction as DaOC, this was almost pointless realm vs realm conflict, Shadowbane has taken the best route for factional type conflict by putting all the controls in the players hands, lets face it, for a game which neverends, the only way to keep things changing and conflict going is between players, monsters quests and levels always come to an end. However the mistake shadowbane did make was making the goals and the conflict on such a large scale that RvR/FvF/GvG was an expensive game, costing thousands of gold in equipment repairs and an embarrasing death shroud wait after death, also player cities cost so much and fell so quickly that factions/alliances didn't want to fight because it would cost them months and months of work on thier towns..

Ultima online had the right idea with no penalties for death, the action was quick coming, and it was just as easy to get back into a fight after death, as it was jumping into the fight in the first place.. I'm not sure which MMO started the death penalties, I personally think its singally the most stupid idea ever implemented into a game, death itself is the ultimate penalty for your failure to win, so why should you have to pay gold for your constitution <DaOC> and gold for your equipment which has a sudden breaking spasm when you die <shadowbane> .

I also hope that WoW if it does value its PvP that they will not.. [ NOT ] allow the use of stealth or hiding linked to a characters damage output, I again thought this was a mistake made, hiding and stealth are a utility, a get away, an advantage, but in some games it seems like the gods suddenly grant you 1000 extra damage just because your standing in a shadow, real assassins know how to strike/evade/out think the enemy, hiding is a way of picking your fight, and escaping one, not a damage modifier. backstabbing should be a method for attacking a player when he least expects it, while hes eating an apple, reading a paper. not because you invisible walked over to him in broad day light, stepped around him and stabbed him in the back.

Spell combat was handled best when players can cast in combat with timing between a fighter hitting them, or abilities like concentration, some games involved the " Im a lvl 100 uber powerfull wizard, I can destroy worlds in one spell but if a warrior sneezes on my I suddenly forget how to cast a spell " hopefully that will be another area blizzard will consider with great detail.

Buffbots/Item farmers/Crafters.
I think buffbots are an unfair advantage over players who just wish to have 1 account, 1 character and have fun in a game, i've managed to avoid using buffbots in my time playing pvp games, sure im at a major disadvantage because of it, which I shouldn't be, but I certainly felt a much better pvper for it. Item farming and crafting this annoyed me most in daoc, again I liked to pvp more than I did watching a green crafting bar for months, I think items and equipment should not be the be all and end all of a character, i think the characters skills should be the most dominant factor, don't get me wrong i'm not trying to devalue your Uber flaming sword of godly smiting that you waited 40,027 hours for, I just believe that if you run into combat with a player who is not using that sword, but who is skilled at killing players, knows how to cast between your hits, counter attack your moves, outthink you, then he/she should be the winner, not the one with the buffbot/uber sword.

PvP Profit
I think that players should be able to choose to fight players for thier income instead of fighting monsters, but there should be no disadvantage to the player who is killed, lets keep things so that you are always gaining, not losing out, often new players are scared away when they realise they could lose everything to a horde of trigger happy gankers, I think that players should be awarded gold for killing players by thier realm, as you did a good deed by killing that orc for the human cause, maybe even include a system that you earn more gold for killing a notorious orc pk, or visa versa.

GoodvsEvil Goals
this is the trickiest to achieve, its hard to implement a cause which could keep players entertained and not bored with the repetative pointless goals, wouldn't it be great to see a version of capture the flag implemented :) , I think players like defending and attacking keeps, but they crave more controls than just the doors, maybe give influencial player guilds the ability to control patrols of guards and equipment and tactics, upgrading keep defences, repairing, expanding the keep with new building to aid defenders, like a healer/preist building which can automatically ressurect players into it, the only penalty these players would have is having to get themselves ready again for the defence task, like a true assault game, you only win over a location when you can flood it and force the enemy back, as you kill more they for a period of time have to wait, restock regain themselves, in this time you have an advantage over them, it would be great to see building and walls be completely destroyable, and the only penalty for it would be the time it takes to rebuild them before the next wave of attackers. (wouldnt it be great seeing 100 people running backwards and forwards from the nearest forest with wood trying to rebuild the walls before the next attack) :) this area has so many ideas that everyone has im sure I can leave this upto you to think about.

I believe strongly that costly penalties should be trimmed down as far as possible, so you spend less time STRESSED!!!!!! and more time having fun, I do believe things like repairing items, buying new equipment things like this should cost money, but there should be no penalties to the actual player for any actions he fails at, be it pvp or pve, you should only have to spend gold improving your character, buying potions, buying new weapons, repairing old ones, not rebuying stats back.

I'm hoping that blizzard with thier experience of making games will hit the nail on the head, creating a game with great PvE and great PvP, both a compliment to each other.

lets remember the future of a game lies with the players, when you've finished all the quests and gained all the items, then there is nothing left

thanks for reading if you ever got to reading it :) I have millions more ideas that maybe I will write in my autobiography someday :)

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