SETI and the player count problem
6 hours ago
Guys, I would have posted earlier but I've been very busy.
You see, I've discovered PvP.
I know, I know - please try to control your shock. I've always been a devout non-PvPer. Fear of the unknown had repressed me for years. (Actually, it wasn't the unknown - it was the inevitable LOLNOOB OMG U SUCK battleground chat and complete lack of any resilience)
So, here's how it all began. I was at a lowly 87 mounts after finally reaching exalted with the Netherwing Faction and acquiring my new shiny dragons. 87! That's 13 less than my goal of 100! Math is hard! Where am I supposed to get the final 13?!?!?
And then I saw that you could purchase mounts with honor.
So, with great trepidation and determination, I donned my few pieces of lolpvp gear that had been thrust upon me from VoA pugs, and nervously clicked the "Queue for Random Battleground" button. AND HOLY COW. PVP IS AWESOME.
I can't stop. I've done nothing but queue for battlegrounds since. I'm not eating, sleeping, or posting. I'm pwning hordies and jumping into Wintergrasp every chance I get.
I changed my shadow spec to a PvP friendly one suggested by shadowpriest.com. I rearranged my buttons. I have Silence! And Psychic Horror! And STONEFORM BITCHES.
So I would like to share with you some of the most important lessons I've learned in my recent Battleground Mania.
When I first decided to start jumping into PvP, I asked around: "How much resilience should I have before I start running battlegrounds?" The answer was usually a number around 1000. Since I only had about 100 resilience starting up, I felt incredibly timid joining in.
But thinking you need 1000 resilience to even start is ridiculous, as far as I'm concerned. In order to get enough PvP gear to have that kind of resilience, you're going to have to actually DO some PvP first. As long as you are prepared to die a lot, just jump in! Ignore people who are jerks in BG chat. I've found that lots of people are actually very encouraging, with compliments for successful defense tactics, gratitude for any healer around, and lots of cheers when there is a win.
And the game has come alive for me again. Though I've never really been gear or loot obsessed, there is a lot of fun involved in setting gear goals for yourself. And what's great about getting PvP gear is that you aren't directly competing with someone else for a specific item. There's no rolling against other priests, and the disappointment or arguments that come from someone losing the item. All the competition is focused on the battles themselves, really. Gearing yourself is a very independent endeavor - and I'm getting a kick out of it.
I bought two mounts in the beginning... and now I'm just buying more PvP gear with my honor. Oops.
You see, I've discovered PvP.
I know, I know - please try to control your shock. I've always been a devout non-PvPer. Fear of the unknown had repressed me for years. (Actually, it wasn't the unknown - it was the inevitable LOLNOOB OMG U SUCK battleground chat and complete lack of any resilience)
So, here's how it all began. I was at a lowly 87 mounts after finally reaching exalted with the Netherwing Faction and acquiring my new shiny dragons. 87! That's 13 less than my goal of 100! Math is hard! Where am I supposed to get the final 13?!?!?
And then I saw that you could purchase mounts with honor.
So, with great trepidation and determination, I donned my few pieces of lolpvp gear that had been thrust upon me from VoA pugs, and nervously clicked the "Queue for Random Battleground" button. AND HOLY COW. PVP IS AWESOME.
I can't stop. I've done nothing but queue for battlegrounds since. I'm not eating, sleeping, or posting. I'm pwning hordies and jumping into Wintergrasp every chance I get.
I changed my shadow spec to a PvP friendly one suggested by shadowpriest.com. I rearranged my buttons. I have Silence! And Psychic Horror! And STONEFORM BITCHES.
So I would like to share with you some of the most important lessons I've learned in my recent Battleground Mania.
- Always Always Always hit CTRL-S in the preparation area for Alterac Valley (and most battlegrounds actually). In a 40 main PvP group, there will always be rogues, and at least one of those rogues will always be an annoying flying-dagger spamming kid. Or a Path of Frost spamming DK.
- You don't need to suck for everyone to know you're a noob when you go into a battleground. As soon as you get that achievement for An Honorable Kill! everyone will know.
- I officially feel very bad for the Hordies on Lothar. They haven't had Wintergrasp since Wednesday. It's all because of me, I'm certain.
- Arcane Torrent SUCKS. Jerks. As far as I'm concerned, the only Blood Elf I will ever like is Tamarind, and the rest of you emokids can keep your damn torrents to yourself!
- Stoneform is a racial ability I alway found completely useless until battlegrounds. Now I use it just about every cooldown. Between that and Psychic Horror, I fear no rogues or warriors. LOLSTONED
- Find something you're good at (or at least not terrified of), and just stick to it. If you're new to battlegrounds, just go stand at a tower and pretend you're defending it, when in reality you're looking at the map trying to figure out where the hell you are.
- I still have not mastered the ability of picking up bombs.
- I hate Warsong Gulch.
- Even if you're a shadow priest... don't be afraid to heal. That's part of what I think makes shadow priests great in PvP. If I know I'm going to die, I just throw a Prayer of Mending on myself... at least it will still bounce after I'm dead.
- When in doubt, just jump. A lot. It makes you look like you're actually good at this.
When I first decided to start jumping into PvP, I asked around: "How much resilience should I have before I start running battlegrounds?" The answer was usually a number around 1000. Since I only had about 100 resilience starting up, I felt incredibly timid joining in.
But thinking you need 1000 resilience to even start is ridiculous, as far as I'm concerned. In order to get enough PvP gear to have that kind of resilience, you're going to have to actually DO some PvP first. As long as you are prepared to die a lot, just jump in! Ignore people who are jerks in BG chat. I've found that lots of people are actually very encouraging, with compliments for successful defense tactics, gratitude for any healer around, and lots of cheers when there is a win.
And the game has come alive for me again. Though I've never really been gear or loot obsessed, there is a lot of fun involved in setting gear goals for yourself. And what's great about getting PvP gear is that you aren't directly competing with someone else for a specific item. There's no rolling against other priests, and the disappointment or arguments that come from someone losing the item. All the competition is focused on the battles themselves, really. Gearing yourself is a very independent endeavor - and I'm getting a kick out of it.
I bought two mounts in the beginning... and now I'm just buying more PvP gear with my honor. Oops.
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I get the feeling I'd like PvP a lot more if my computer could handle it at all. I did Alterac on my hunter, once, to get a nice polearm that would do me well for a good while that was a quest reward. At first I just sort of piddled around, trying to stay hidden, but then... I saw someone with low health, and shot at them. Down they went. So I started shooting more. And then I actually went to where some action was, helped successfully hold off an Alliance zerging, and then rode with the attack force as we powered into the Alliance base and WON THAT SUCKER.
Of course, once there were more than about eight people around, my framerate dropped to, like, ONE FPS, and that's the problem. It's fun when you're in the middle of the battle, for me. But when that's happening, my computer just can't handle it. So... I don't PvP.
Rhii's secret to not hating Warsong Gulch: go to the top of your enemy's base... on their roof. Stand at the edge of the platform. Heal your teammates below as they steal the flag. Rejoice at the total bafflement of the enemy who can't figure out where the heals are coming from.
Prosper. :)
Heehee, I love reading posts like this, full of OMG WOW IS SO MUCH FUN :D
I had planned to make my 59 rogue PvP-spec'd after not playing him for about 3 months then finding I was having trouble killing hellboars when I did try again. But then something odd happened: I got back into the rogue PvE groove and found myself doing quests and... levelling! oops
I also used to have the same problem as Apple with my computer: slideshow-o-vision in BGs whenever there was more than about 8 people on the screen, even with all the settings on minimum. Finally got a new computer (not even an expensive one, just one from this century) and now it's all peachy :D
That's such a good point about PvP gear - you're not rolling against anyone for it. AND you don't have to wait (and wait, and wait) for it to drop.
My favorite thing to do as a priest in BG's is run into a group of the other side and Psychic Scream at them.
The glyph of dispell goes a long way in upping survivability. Good friend of mine is shadow for arena, easily the most defensive Spriest I've ever seen. If you can stomach his UI, he has some videos. Double dwarf Spriest/rogue :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q5JzABVnbI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oldfV8nDY4
And welcome to the PvP flock :D
Arcane Torrent rocks, thankyouverymuch. (It has it's advantages in instances too, you know, not to mention getting that Less-Rabi achievement.) When I play another toon, like a Draenei or Tauren, boy do I miss that ability.
@Rhii
I've been PvPing on my rogue a lot lately and just saw a druid doing this last night. Strangely he stopped trying it after being repeatedly stun-locked. :P
@MM
But I'm a belf. *puppy dog eyes*
I am a PVP Healer, there is so much more gratitude when PVP healing than PVE. It is nice to be thanked every once in a while.
I always hit honor cap and I never thought of buying more mounts!
And...psh the Alliance never have WG on Shadow Council cause we pwn!
PS. I'm a blood elf :( :( :(
PPS. Apparently blogger is having OpenID problems or something so this is Tarinae :)
Hi, my name is Hine and I used to pvp....
I played too much wow back in the day, so that included arena and bgs... when I cut bacy my time to the bare minimum, I raided and raided only.
So, the day I got my Shadowmourne, three guildies said, let's go jump some Hordies, I was too excited to sleep, so I agreed. I objected, 'but I have no pvp gear!' They said no matter, and off I went with 3 guildies, two in high resil, one in full pve like me.
Hey! You don't need resil to BG! :) Bring a healer and full T10! With my Shadowmourned, hordies went down like grass before a scythe. ;)
I still don't have time to pvp, but hey, if you go with a group, feel free to pvp in pve gear! :)
Triumph badges will buy you RElentless and/or Furious gear from a vendor in Dal, so You can get a fair amount of resiliance there.
Also/or, take you old, moldering T-9 gear and gem/enchant it for resilience, and blammo, you're set. (or "OK")
I used Cynwise's list to gear myself up:
http://cynwise.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/battleground-gear-in-3-3-3/
I see the hate in you young one, and it has made you powerful.
Muhahahaa
Excuse me, ahh I like PvP too. Bye.
OMG #10. Jump...I almost fell over when I read that...that is exactly what I do when I don't have a clue. (which I'm getting more and more)
re: complainers. I think there's a Rule somewhere that the person complaining the most in /bg about how much you all suck, is the one contributing the least to you winning. It was phrased better than that, obviously.
I think your 1000 resil number is high. I like 1000 resil in my arena partners but that's a good deal more serious than battlegrounds -- when I'm making a premade what I usually ask for is 500+; you can get something like 350 just from buying your crafted gear set, and the other 150 just from buying an off-piece or two.
Coordination with your team >>> gear. And if you're a healer you can get away with less than usual resilience b/c you have a bigger positive footprint in the BG that kind of makes up for that ;-).
Yay!!! :D I -love- PvPing on the priest, although I do so as Disc. It's amazing the sort of improvements you can see in your PvE game when you're doing some serious PvP. :) It makes me really, really happy to hear that you're enjoying yourself. BGs are ever so much more fun (and less srz bznz) than arenas, so I'm always a fan of it. My suggestion would be to get the off-set Wrathful pieces with honor first, since you can get main set stuff from VoA/badges. :D
Don't forget to pick up the Stormpike Charger with your honor points. He's not sold on the regular PVP Mount vendor, he's sold in Alterac, just north of Southshore - where you can also pick up a tabard for honor points. :) Happy pvping!
I know when I started pvping on my priest, I started up as disc because I wanted to be able to get instaqueues in randoms everyday to get my 4pc shadow set from t10. After completing that this weekend, I respec'd pve and pvp shadow... and loved it as well. =D
Though a dirty emokid belf, I have so much fun trying to murder me some alliance in the bloodlust battlegroup. The only major break points I've found with pvp, would be that you want at some of the badge furious gear from triumph and a trinket. If you can piece those together, its a solid starting point if you take the survivability talents. Have fun getting LOLSTONED!
Discipline actually works fairly well for PvP.
You get credit for hits on shields ... and nothing demoralizes a person more than having an opponent suddenly bubbled while you are trying to kill him.
Just wander around bubbling everything that moves ( including pets and NPCs under attack ), and rake in the free honor.