I feel like I need to explain what the problem is with the current state of PvP since pretty much everyone on both sides of the argument are missing the point.
The root of the problem is not server imbalance. This is an aggravating factor, obviously, but the crux of the issue is that the developers released an honour system without providing any constructive outlet for people to use that system. The only option available to anyone who wants to gain honour is to form gank squads and camp instance entrances, flight points, and transit systems. This forces anyone who isn’t already 60 and wanting to PvP exclusively into a position where they can’t level their character. If Warsong Gulch and Arathi Basin had been released at the same time as the honour system, we simply would not have this problem.
Let me enumerate the counter arguments and explain why they are nonsensical:
- Git Gud.
- Roll PvE.
This is the extent of the arguments presented by people who don’t think the game is in a ridiculous state. Why don’t they make sense? They assume that the current state of PvP is the version of PvP that people signed up for.
What most people think when they think “PvP” is leveling in areas where other players of similar strengths might want to fight them over access to some quest item or reagent. They might run into people much stronger than them and need to evade them to survive. This adds an element of excitement to the game.
What most people don’t think is fun or exciting is when groups of a dozen players outranking them by 10+ levels one-shot them and camp their corpses for hours on end. It isn’t actually even physically possible for them to fight back, they simply have to leave the area or endure being endlessly killed. Questing is impossible in most high-level zones for these players, and the only option available to them is to endlessly run dungeons to level, dungeons which take them an hour to travel to because of the fact that they need to die 15 times on the way to the entrance.
Do you guys honestly not understand the difference between these two situations? One is a challenge, the other is a frustrating waste of time, and an experience that no one wants to pay to endure. The people making these comments are, invariably, already level 60 and simply don’t need to deal with the impossibility of leveling their character.
It was a mind-numbingly stupid decision to release an honour system and gear rewards without a constructive avenue to farm that honour. Everyone with half a brain knew this months ahead of time. Everyone I know power-leveled leading up to the honour system release because we knew that the game would be rendered unplayable for anyone from around levels 30-58 while they would be forced to endure being farmed for honour like an NPC.
All they need to do is release a BG. Will it stop ganking? No. Nor does anyone want to wipe PvP out. Will it make it possible to quest in the open world again? Almost certainly. They’re happy to roll out dungeons off-schedule, but when their player-base is telling them the game is garbage, they can’t be bothered to make a change.
I would absolutely love to see their subscription numbers. That graph must be hilarious.
