SyndicationMay102008
Well written PvP post from the Oboards
"Today, while battlegrounds and world PvP do exist, PvP is now encompassed by
the Arena. Introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion, it consists of rated
duels within small, instanced maps. After the expansion, it became clear that
certain class combinations were superior to others, and that many classes had
significant strengths in some formats. Over the course of three seasons of
Arena, the scale of PvP has been reduced to cookie-cutter class compositions
running around a pillar, the only differences between teams being the names over
their heads. The funneling of MMORPG classes of different races and specs into
small instances for the purposes of eSport has caused a large amount of
controversy when it comes to balance, particularly for classes that have
struggled to achieve the success of other classes based on representation
statistics available online. There is also a contingent of people who prefer
large-scale warfare on an MMO-scale, since this is, after all, an MMO based on a
well-known franchise of real-time strategy games. The problems that arise from
running MMO classes through staged duels can be summed up as follows: • Because
classes are based on different roles due to their PvE roots, some classes don’t
survive when matched up against classes whose role is stronger in a small-scale
PvP setting. Certain classes don’t hold up well in the Arena environment itself,
such as hunters and mages. Large numbers of players are enduring an uphill
battle that other players don’t have to face. • Race choice, originally an
aesthetic decision with special abilities to add flavor to your character,
suddenly become major decisions that can determine how far you can push through
the upper echelons of Arena battle. • Classes are able to choose different specs
of talents that alter the way they are played, but in the Arena, only certain
specs have viability in a small-scale PvP setting (regardless of how fun that
spec is for the player).
• Balance changes for the Arena affect other areas of the game. For instance, Blizzard tested a change to the Life Tap mechanic of warlocks that would have significantly altered their itemization requirements and playstyle in a PvE setting. Only when warlock Arena representation began to recede during testing did Blizzard abandon the change. guild wars gold Shamanistic Rage was changed into a physical effect so that it could not be dispelled by enemy players, but the duration was halved, affecting enhancement shamans in PvE. Neither are (or would have been) game-breaking changes, but they are noticed and resented by players not participating in the Arena. • Establishing instanced duels as the top form of PvP in the game ignores three continents of open land already populated by both factions. wow powerleveling World PvP is significantly diminished. The scale of PvP is reduced to five people waiting around a goblin in a tuxedo. • Certain professions are locked out of the Arena because they are considered overpowered in a rated, small-scale setting (many engineering items, for example). billig wow gold However, other professions like enchanting or blacksmithing--which can produce a stun-proccing mace--are allowed. • Arenas ignore all established lore. There is no regard for faction or setting. wow Members of the Alliance fight other members of the Alliance undisturbed in the ruins of Lordaeron, for example--an impossible situation. • Cheating to ensure a high rating, and selling ratings to undermine the ratings system. • Community elitism based around Arena ratings. lotro gold This year, two competing MMOs are set to be released that have a lot to offer large-scale PvPers. Because of its recent PvP stress test, Age of Conan is currently the most talked-about, and later this year, we will see the release of Warhammer Online, perhaps WoW’s biggest challenger given the history of Warcraft itself (the first game was originally supposed to be a Warhammer game).
• Balance changes for the Arena affect other areas of the game. For instance, Blizzard tested a change to the Life Tap mechanic of warlocks that would have significantly altered their itemization requirements and playstyle in a PvE setting. Only when warlock Arena representation began to recede during testing did Blizzard abandon the change. guild wars gold Shamanistic Rage was changed into a physical effect so that it could not be dispelled by enemy players, but the duration was halved, affecting enhancement shamans in PvE. Neither are (or would have been) game-breaking changes, but they are noticed and resented by players not participating in the Arena. • Establishing instanced duels as the top form of PvP in the game ignores three continents of open land already populated by both factions. wow powerleveling World PvP is significantly diminished. The scale of PvP is reduced to five people waiting around a goblin in a tuxedo. • Certain professions are locked out of the Arena because they are considered overpowered in a rated, small-scale setting (many engineering items, for example). billig wow gold However, other professions like enchanting or blacksmithing--which can produce a stun-proccing mace--are allowed. • Arenas ignore all established lore. There is no regard for faction or setting. wow Members of the Alliance fight other members of the Alliance undisturbed in the ruins of Lordaeron, for example--an impossible situation. • Cheating to ensure a high rating, and selling ratings to undermine the ratings system. • Community elitism based around Arena ratings. lotro gold This year, two competing MMOs are set to be released that have a lot to offer large-scale PvPers. Because of its recent PvP stress test, Age of Conan is currently the most talked-about, and later this year, we will see the release of Warhammer Online, perhaps WoW’s biggest challenger given the history of Warcraft itself (the first game was originally supposed to be a Warhammer game).
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