Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Need some answers and advice
Quarian
Member Posts: 16
Hey everyone. I've preordered WoW for the Euro release, and for the last two days have been doing nothing but researching it on the internet and drooling over screenshot after screenshot. However there are a few questions i havent yet found answers to. These are:
On the PvP server, can PvP only be done in contested zones?
On normal servers, where and how can you do PvP, if at all?
Thanks in advance. Can't wait to get going with my NE hunter, i so need this game. Counting down the seconds.... 
Do not follow the path. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.
Comments
Oh yeah and what are the highs and lows of each?
Thx
Do not follow the path. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.
Currently playing the Final beta, with a preorder in.
PvP can be done everywhere, the difference (and only difference that I know of between PvP and PvE servers) Is that in Contested areas you are always flagged for pvp. In Non contested zones, or areas rather as zones are pretty much non exitant in its common meaning, you are able to pick your fights if its a friendly area. But if you enter a Alliance Non contested area as a horde you are open to be attacked by alliance players, IF they so choose, as they are until they take action on pvp flagged players, not flagged for pvp. the Horde player can't attack any players, only NPCs, or any player that choose to become pvp flagged.
To put down an example I saw just the other day.
A Horde Shaman makes his way into Elwynn Forest, the Humans starting area. The Only thing he can attack, is the various NPC's. Then some equal level alliance players comes along and starts attacking him. They could hang around him and wait for more reinforcements until they chose to start attacking. as they were not pvp flagged.
To become PvP flagged in friendly areas, you have to either: Attack a player from teh opposite faction, or Heal/buff a friendly player already flaged for pvp.
So pretty much all areas where the various races plays up to L20 or thereabouts are safe from being attacked by the other side while their peacefully questing. But they can engage in pvp is some of the other side should come along. And they should choose wisely. not like the L13's I saw in the Barrens (Horde 10-20 area) which repeatedly threw themself one at a time against groups of L25ish alliance players.. Many players think that they are open to attack in such areas and start attacking. instead of waiting for backup, while running next to an enemy group and reporting where they are ata given time. I've done this and a player wich kept getting killed, cause he attacked them, thought I was helping them, as I did't attack them. Right.. 2 L15's vs 5 L20-25's....
On PvP servers you are not subject to non-consensual attack in a zone your faction controls. You can attack in any zone, but cannot be attacked non-consensually in a zone your faction controls. As a practical matter, the zones of control are the starting zones and some of the 10-20 zones .. for Alliance they are Elwynn Forest, Westfall, Dun Morogh, Loch Modan, Teldrassil and Darkshore, for the Horde it's Mulgore, The Barrens, Durotar, Tirisfall Glades and Silverpine Forest. When you get into a contested zone or a zone that is controlled by the other faction you are automatically flagged for PvP and can be attacked at any time.
You can flag yourself for PvP on a Normal server by (a) manually turning it on, (b) attacking another faction's NPC, (c) attacking another faction PC who is flagged for PvP, (d) assisting another player who is flagged for PvP (including healing them or buffing them) and (e) entering another faction's capital cities. There are currently a few area-of-effect spell exploits that can result in flagging you for PvP on a Normal server, but these are not widely known or used. PvP status stays "on" for 5 minutes following the last PvP action you have taken (whether an attack or an assist) and then shuts off automatically.
At this point it is going to be hard to advance on one the existing PvP servers without a good guild or a group of friends to protect you, because the contested zones (which you will be forced into in order to advance) are very gank intensive. The name of the game on the PvP servers was to roll a character early and powerlevel it as quickly as possible in order to be able to PvP effectively ... and so you have a fair number of high-ish level PvP characters there who don't have that much to do currently in WoW's endgame, and so their game is ganking you. Just a point for awareness -- if there are new European PvP servers, roll on one of those so you aren't instantly outlevelled. However, if you like PvP in a no-holds barred sense, you have to opt for the PvP servers ... there is plenty of PvP on the Normal servers, but most of it is larger raid parties on outposts and towns, rather than the random warfare on the PvP servers.
The game is very different on each of them ... it's almost like a different game, in fact. I've played on both servers.
On the Normal servers, most of your game is PvE questing either solo or with friends. You can do this unmolested by enemies, and so your focus is on advancing your character, and on the content rather than on security. Also you can spec your character more for PvE (either group or solo depending no how you play altho levels 1-45 or so most people solo a lot). You can engage in PvP by participating in raids and thath typee of thing if your guild is a part of that or if you have friends from other guilds who are doing it, but most of your game is PvE against the content.
On the PvP servers, once you get out of the newbie zones (really around level 15 or so) security is a constant concern. There are many players who like to gank lower levels and don't really care if it's a fair fight or not, they simply enjoy it. They know where your quests are, and so they know where you will be going and they will wait there for you and kill you while you are doing it. The best solution to this is to get a group of higher level friends (guild or otherwise) to come and get rid of the gankers, but the end effect is that your progress is slowed, and you spend a lot of time on PvP and security issues -- I found ab out as much time as on content. Some people love that, some people are okay with it initially and then get irritated by it over time, and some people don't care for it at all. It really just depends on what you want as your game experience, because the experience of the game is very, very different on one of the PvP servers as compared to the Normal servers.
One other note ... some classes are more "uber" for PvP than others are. It's hard to make a game where the classes are balanced for solo/group PvE and for PvP, and Blizzard has certainly had some challenges here. At the moment, rogues are an outstanding PvP class, and a great threat if you do not play one. If you play a Horde character, Paladins are a problem in PvP because they are so hard to kill. Also, you should be aware that on most servers the Alliance outnumbers the Horde substantially, and this also has an impact on PvP.
Ok so on PvP server, everyone is flagged for pvp in contested zones, but not if they are in one of their own zones (noob zones) unless they choose to be. In addition, if you enter an enemy controlled zone you are automatically flagged for PvP, but cannot attack an enemy unless they are flagged.
On Normal, you are not auto flagged for PvP in contested areas.
This correct? If not please correct me.
Thanks for the help.
Do not follow the path. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.
yup, pretty much.
Yes. Keep in mind that most zones are contested once you get to level 20.
Battlegrounds....
Ah yes. I remember, are they included at retail release, i thought they were going to be in a patch or something?
And are they gonna be like zones?
Thanks a bundle for your continued help guys
Do not follow the path. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.
They're not in yet.
According to the previews they will be instanced zones designed for very high level (around lvl 60) characters where you can fight enemy PCs and NPCs and take control of structures and towns for a time, get certain rewards and benefits and the like. The WoW website has a pretty good preview of Battlegrounds.
GO PVP!