Life on the PVE servers?

[Aiden]

anyone able to describe life on the pve servers?

have been playing full time on pvp server,so have not gotten around to seeing the differences.

I can say there is an element of griefplay on the PVP server,especially due to the fact that the honor system isnt in place.

Realize the upcoming patch will probably change things drastically. still debating if i want to play on a full PVP server or not.

[Thwick]

I don't play too often but PVE still has it's animosity between the races, the higher ups pretty much come to towns and destroy NPC's but sometimes you can get people to rally and try to drive them off. I think PvE is where I'm gonna stay especially because the Battlegrounds are going to be on both servers, I like not having to worry about being ganked but I also like the prospect of PvP. So i feel like that's the best bet for me.

[Elaethan Dae'lasse]

I cannot wait to try PvP out. Really wish though on the PvP server they didn't have that whole honor system crap in place. Remember the days of UO when you could be taking your first steps out of town and then get ganked by some guy running by or paralyzed by his friend while he uses you for xbow practice? It sucked dying, having your stuff stolen, and having your body cut up into little pieces. But let me tell you, it definitely taught you how to move under the trees and along mountain ranges, to keep your recall stones close, and other good things to remain alive. Before too long, you were expertised enough to defend yourself, kill the newbies, or defend others and it gave you such a great feeling of accomplishment...made for good stories too. Miss that about games these days; too many people whine and cry. Exactly why we can't play dodgeball in schools any longer. ::Looks up at his post:: Damn, I sound old.

[Kebin]

PvE server is that bad..still alot of PvP going on. But you will see ganking alot since its beta and people dont really care about the honor system when or if its put in by release.

Once you get up around lvl 30, I have notice you start getting some quests killing NPCs that flag you for PvP, and usually people on the other side know this and hang around and wait for you to get into a battle.

[Ulthien]

Remember the days of UO when you could be taking your first steps out of town and then get ganked by some guy running by or paralyzed by his friend while he uses you for xbow practice? It sucked dying, having your stuff stolen, and having your body cut up into little pieces. But let me tell you, it definitely taught you how to move under the trees and along mountain ranges, to keep your recall stones close, and other good things to remain alive. Before too long, you were expertised enough to defend yourself, kill the newbies, or defend others and it gave you such a great feeling of accomplishment...made for good stories too. Miss that about games these days; too many people whine and cry

Well spoken, Elaethan!

We still have to see a game that has the thrill and sheer immersion that UO had back then due to wilderness world. The stories and adventures it offered are unsurpassed except on RP PvP servers...

Ulthien, the elder shaman of the Shanks

[Boddi The Ranger]

I cannot wait to try PvP out. Really wish though on the PvP server they didn't have that whole honor system crap in place. Remember the days of UO when you could be taking your first steps out of town and then get ganked by some guy running by or paralyzed by his friend while he uses you for xbow practice? It sucked dying, having your stuff stolen, and having your body cut up into little pieces. But let me tell you, it definitely taught you how to move under the trees and along mountain ranges, to keep your recall stones close, and other good things to remain alive. Before too long, you were expertised enough to defend yourself, kill the newbies, or defend others and it gave you such a great feeling of accomplishment...made for good stories too. Miss that about games these days; too many people whine and cry. Exactly why we can't play dodgeball in schools any longer. ::Looks up at his post:: Damn, I sound old.

Damn, that almost makes me want to play UO again. :) Very well said Elaethan.

[Elaethan Dae'lasse]

Well, it does my heart warm to know that I will be playing alongside fellow rogues who have the same values as myself.

[Tikker]

There was plenty of PvP on the PvE servers


the big difference was that if you were out questing, you wouldn't get ganked


the PvP server is where the vast majority of the gimps hung out, so if you prefer not to run with the battle.net kiddies, stick with the PvE lands~

[Aiden]

Always the same perception about PVP servers.

Of the time i spent there,got several charecters up to the 30-40 range,the majority of the grief play centered around a minority of people.

I did get annoyed a few times,due to griefing. but i would say overall that the pvp server added alot to the gameplay,from the standpoint if having to know what you were doing in some of the more contested areas, like stranglethorn vale.

The ammount of griefing was actualy alot less then i expected. If the honor system works,which i doubt it will for that same % of players who like to grief anyway, then the grief play should fall off somewhat.

I find the pve gameplay tends to lack the strategy to be challanging,without the added element of danger that exists on the pvp servers,i cant see playing this game for very long.

Playing on a server where you can flag yourself as non pvp or pvp,is basically saying your going to dual. without any zones where your automatically flagged, it seems rather boring to me at times. i suppose i would feel differently if at least an alliance entered a horde controled zone and was automatically flagged as an enemy or something.

battlegrounds and PvP instances,might change things,but those have not been added yet,so its tough to say what is going to occur.

[Falesh]

I've been playing on the EU Beta server which is still pretty young, even so I have been in quite a bit of PvP. For me I enjoy PvP but I don't always want it, the Beta server offers this as I can chose to do it or not. This will be even more true when they implement Battlegrounds.

[grendl nighthunter]

So good to see your name Fal!!! To bad we cant play on the same servers :/

Just a question about PvP.... IT *WILL* be implemented on the bluebie servers, correct??? In BG format ala DAoC????

[JookaWoo]

So good to see your name Fal!!! To bad we cant play on the same servers :/

Just a question about PvP.... IT *WILL* be implemented on the bluebie servers, correct??? In BG format ala DAoC????


definitely going to have battlegrounds on normal servers.

[Kebin]

There is TONS of PvP on the bluebie servers...you sound like there isnt at all.

You just have a choice to participate in it and not get ganked by someone that jumps you while half dead while fighting an NPC.

If you want to PvP, you can easily find it.

[Falesh]

Hey Boss! Good to see you!

Yeah even without battlegrounds there is plenty of PvP, even with so few people on the EU server. There are raids, solo PvP, duels, etc.

[Xanather]

From what I've heard about the PvE Severs, it will be the SWG GTEF problem times 100. Nothing stops the other side from walking right up to you before typing /pvp and then landing that backstab on you before you can react.

On a seperate note, i hope they decide to make some DAoC style BGs and reward system for PvP.

[Thwick]

On the PVE servers you are safe unless you flag yourself for PVP through typing /pvp, attacking an enemy NPC or player, walking into an enemy city or aiding someone already in PVP. So if you see some enemy faction man running around, you are safe unless you attack him first.

Edit: and Xanth, have you read up on Worldofwarcraft.com? They will be creating battlegrounds and have PVP rewards. Check this link (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/pvp/pvp-article.html)

[Takaros]

I played on PvE for stress test and PvP for open beta.. and while the PvP in this game has really been fun, I don't think that I want to leave myself open to the whims of a rather large group of individuals who want to kill me, let alone over time making enemies of some of them who want to kill me even more.

Even for just the last 3-4 days when I was playing in the safer contested zones and doing raids and defending against the counter-raids, there were some people who I saw over and over again who were more than happy to cut me up and spit on my corpse.

That said, I did like the experience of danger and staying alert for potential attacks. The feeling of getting ambushed and then coming out victorious is really incredible (unless they're much lower level, anyway). In the end I'll probably make characters on both PvE and PvP servers in time.. ahh release is so close, and then, so much time to play.. Blizz can never take away my WoW again! [/addict]

[Jhani Vandolay]

From what I've heard about the PvE Severs, it will be the SWG GTEF problem times 100. Nothing stops the other side from walking right up to you before typing /pvp and then landing that backstab on you before you can react.

Nothing, other than not typing "/pvp" yourself. If you haven't flagged yourself for pvp, it doesn't matter what anyone else does. You can run right down the middle of a pvp raid and not be affected one bit. Tell whoever told you about pve life they told you wrong. :pulid

[Tabbran]

Walking into an opposing main city will auto-flag you as pvp for about 20 minutes. Attacking an enemy factioned guard/npc will also auto flag you pvp on a PvE server.

[Dove]

If you are planning on playing a rogue and are at all interested in doing PvP, I would suggest a pvp server. The kind of pvp you will get into on blue servers sounds like it will be mostly duel type encounters where it is at least somewhat consentual, and both parties know something is about to happen. Considering most of a rogues skills involve coming out from the shadows and supprising people, I dont see how they will be any good at pvp when the opponent knows its coming.

[Cabrasis]

Dove i think the only time where the surprise (i.e. ambush) comes into play is when they're running out of a town, or in the process of killing one of the town NPC's and you drop your ambush/backstab. I know cause it happened with me :D

[Xanather]

On the PVE servers you are safe unless you flag yourself for PVP through typing /pvp, attacking an enemy NPC or player, walking into an enemy city or aiding someone already in PVP. So if you see some enemy faction man running around, you are safe unless you attack him first.

Edit: and Xanth, have you read up on Worldofwarcraft.com? They will be creating battlegrounds and have PVP rewards. Check this link (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/pvp/pvp-article.html)

I had read the article, i just hope that they actually do it :)

What i mean is the people who have flagged themselves are at a disatvatage. People can use their pvp immunity to move in and activate their flag when they are about to strike, thus being able to also pick only the fights they know they can win. Therefore it makes little sense for even raids into enemy lands to have more than one person flagged for PvP when they first make their advance into enemy lands. (Why chance the posibility that you get jumped and the enemy targets your healers 1st when you don't have to?)

To those who were fortunate never to play SWG, it was the people not flagged for pvp taking advatage of those who were by use of a game mechanic. The game let the people not flagged for pvp get first strike if they chose to fight, but also the option of avoiding any fights in which they were outnumbered. My fears are based on the total garbage that was PvP in that game. :D

[Aiden]

I played on a pve server for the last 2 weeks of open beta,have to say i really find the flagging process to be silly. it really removed a nice element of the game for me personally.

I can understand why people want to play pve,but its just not for me long term. especially with the lack of battlegrounds,and the fact that you cant protect horde/alliance oriented zones.

[Cevil]

I thought the pvp on pve servers was lots of fun, and I'm sure it will be even more so when they implement the battlegrounds. I enjoyed the fact that when I felt like doing quests solo, I didn't have to worry about a pack of hordies coming through with a blindside ambush. And then when I felt like going pvp I was able to, whether it was 1vs.1, group vs. group or an all-out slaughter, the tactical possibilities used for pvp in comparison to that of pve make for a great change every now and then. :applaud


No doubt, if your playstyle is directed towards pvp, I would recommend a pvp server, obviously. But having played on a "blue" server in EQ for 5 years, I can say that the pve servers in WoW definitely left me always feeling like the option to go pvp was on the table. If you plan to play on a pve server and want to get a little pvp in every now and then, just find someone of the opposite faction, throw a few /chicken emotes in their direction and you should get the reaction you're going for. :)

[AzmirFV]

To be brutally honest, there is absolutely no difference whatsoever on the PVP and PVE as far as concent. Minus the fact that there are choice zones. If your in your faction's territory and an enemy comes along, he cannot hit you until you /pvp, buff etc etc. BUT as long as that enemy is not in his factioned territory, his flag is always up. ((That's how I think it should be)) The defense should always get a perk from attackers.

Now, while in Contested zones, yes, you are auto flagged for PVP, BUT you are surrounded by tons of your peers, not to mention, since the quests in the contested zones at your specific outpost is relatively high level, you have some very challenging guards protecting you. There is no ganking unless your obnoxiously slow or can't think on the fly. You can see all of the enemies near your corpse, you have the option for calling in reinforcements ((They can't avoid not being attacked)) or you can grab corpse and hightail it to safety for some recoup.

If your in an enemy zone ((see first paragraph)) you are flagged for PVP, you cannot trolley through an enemy area and expect not to be attacked. You cannot drop your flag, and you cannot attack everyone, but your open game. I personally think it's kinda stupid for an enemy to come in my face, run circles around me, taunting, calling me a chicken with a blue name (non pvp flagged) and I can't smack him around like I want to.

The only time it's good to be afraid of the PVP servers is if your scared to lose 5 minutes out of your quest time because you have agoraphobia (sp?)

Then again, that's just my opinion :)

[Matheren]

the one thing I do not like, that they may be changing, is the total lack of punishment/incentive for pvp.

playing on the west coast pvp 14 server, I saw how utterly pointless and zerg-oriented it is.

enemies come to thelsamar - contested territory near ironforge. enemies start killing alliance players in their teens, while the enemies consist of two mid-40s people (rogue and wizard) and a bunch of mid 20s guys.

eventually through sheer numbers and a couple players in their 20s, we kill them. we /v cheer. 20 seconds later they respawn and kill all of us. rinse, repeat. this process went on for about an hour until people got bored of dying, overwhelming, beating, then dying again.

with no durability loss in pvp, and the fact that you can spawn in a graveyard 10 FEET AWAY, that's right outside a town which has guards aggressive to you, pvp is fairly dull zerging. at least in the contested zones nearer to the respective "homefronts".

yeah, there's the whole "honor system" that will come in at some point I guess. but if they said anything about disallowing you to respawn in a graveyard of a town that you're *aggro* to, I missed it. if you actually lost durability in it, there'd be a bit more strategy involved, and not just pointless forays into enemy newbie grounds to overpower them until you get overpowered yourself, and then come back and pick them off until you're low on health/mana and get overpowered again.

the honor system might add some sense of risk and accomplishment to pvp, I dunno, but I still kind of wish they'd add either a durability loss in pvp, or at least make it so you can't respawn at the same graveyard that your enemies are.

a human raiding crossroads shouldn't be respawning in there or ratchet, just like an undead raiding thelsamar or westfall shouldn't be respawning outside thelsamar or at the westbrook garrison graveyard. imho, anyways.

[Takaros]

Well if the higher levels are kicking you around so much you should retreat to the guards for backup, call in reinforcements, and get everyone together for a push outward to drive them back. Even if they can respawn close they'll start unbuffed with half HP, plus if you are pushing the ones who haven't died yet back, when they DO respawn they'll be all alone.

I spent the last 2 days of open beta doing raids of ashenvale/darkshore and defending against raids in Crossroads, and I was really impressed with how large-group warfare worked.

In general when the attackers first arrived somewhere, the first defenders to arrive would try to attack, either alone or in small groups, and generally get slaughtered. But while thats going on, they use chat to rally other defenders, who would generally gather together until they had a big enough group to fight back, and push out to meet the enemy group.

Whichever side won, those remaining on the other side would be forced to retreat to safety, which is where the big advantage for the defenders comes in, because the attackers don't HAVE any safe place to run to. The only option is to either retreat from the zone entirely or find a place to hide while you regroup.

I suppose it would work differently if the attackers were organized and all died relatively close together so they could respawn at once, but it would still be an advantage to the defenders who would surround them, unless some of the attackers distracted them to run elsewhere.

Anyway thats just what my experience, the raids I was in generally had attackers level'd 15-25 against a superior amount of defenders level'd 10-20 with a few higher levels who happened to be around. In retail it'll probably be different over time as there are more high level people on servers, I doubt there will be a whole lot of such low level raids going on, whne a single level 60 defender would probably wipe them out.

[VexingVelocity]

I played a rogue from 1-28 during the Open Beta on a PVP server and had a great time in general with very little griefing at all. I remember getting ganked a couple times in my own territory, but that was only because I was running down the marked paths and right into charging enemy forces. Once I wised up and started taking more remote, hidden routes on my travels, I actually started getting the jump on some of the less cautious would-be raiders. It was very exciting to find a priest and a warrior in my area, sneaking up on them, sapping the warrior, giving the priest a couple of new air holes, and vanishing for my escape.

I also never really felt like I was being forced into engaging in PVP when it happened around me. Especially when you're a rogue, you're usually the one deciding whether you want to fight or just run elsewhere because of sprint or vanish. In any case, I'd recommend PVP servers. They add a very nice spice to the usual levelling/questing gameplay.