Over the weekend I touched base with some friends that are playing Warhammer Online. Two of them rolled characters on Open RVR servers and are unhappy about the selection. Unlike me, they were in the closed BETA so are a bit over starting up from scratch. I understand where they are coming from. I’ve only done the Empire zone a few times at the low levels and as much as I like it, I will wait on my alt Warrior Priest so that doing the content again doesn’t seem stale. I feel bad for them even though starting over at these low levels isn’t hard but who wants to now that things are underway for real. I don’t know what they were even thinking when they created characters on an Open RVR server.
If the PVP experience you have is World of Warcraft after the implementation of Battlegrounds and honor rewards, particularly after the changes to Alterac Valley, then you have NOT done world PVP, even if you rolled on a PVP server. If you think you enjoy PVP but all you know is WOW PVP, think carefully before choosing an Open RVR server. If you’ve done EQ2, AOC or Vanguard PVP, you have a much better idea of how conflict is likely play out on an Open Server so go for it, if you’ve got the stones, the time and the allies. I always rolled on PVP servers while playing WOW but I quickly bailed on PVP in EQ2. Somehow surviving massive conflict in WOW even when world PVP meant something and low level towns were sacked for hours at a time, didn't prepare me for the roving gank squads in EQ2. There's no way in hell, I'd try it on WAR servers.
World PVP in WOW all but died once the BGs were implemented with epic gear Rewards tied to Honor points and gaining marks from the various BGs. Many players shifted from being motivated to win for the pride of winning, to wanting to gain honor and marks as quickly and efficiently as possible – regardless of the means. If losing provided the most effective manner of gaining what they needed then losing is what players advocated be done in battles. AV in particular saw both of the factions rushing to complete the PVE content while conspicuously avoiding each other on the battlefield. For those of us who enjoyed the old world PVP this wasn’t to our liking.
Don’t go into WAR with the WOW PVP mindset. Players in WAR are actively seeking each other out for player conflict. No one is running by anyone who is available for a fight. It sounds corny and old now but conflict/war is everywhere. If you want to do PVP on your own just cross over into an RVR area and pick a fight. You can also go to contested areas and find others who are flagged for RVR. If you want to aide in the general cause head to where your faction is battling the opposition and help out. For small group RVR/PVP then join the scenarios which are like WOW BGs. In any case, if you’re a healer, please help heal. At least on Averheim, our guild is finding that Order is very short on healers compared to Destruction. Warrior Priests that means you too whenver possible. I can’t tell you how many WPs I see die without attempting to heal themselves once in a fight!! Grrr.
The point of my post being that there are many ways to engage in PVP/RVR without exposing yourself to constant encounters. I don’t know how players will get quests completed or participate in Public Quests in the all out war zones of an Open RVR server. Exploration, killing mobs in quantity, doing the unexpected, killing named mobs and completing quests are tied to unlocking entries in the Tome of Knowledge. I would think that the average person wants the opportunity to explore the Tome and what it has to offer beyond the regular quests. I don’t know how you’d do that in peace in an Open RVR setting.
Open RVR is for the hardcore set who want to engage in a constant “kill or be killed” environment. I would advise against assuming that because you were decked out in WOW PVP epics that you’re as leet as you think. I’m going to hazard a guess that most of you aren’t. *Smile* If you’re not, you will quickly get tired to being attacked, ganked and griefed at every opportunity. Hell, people are griefing in the Core servers so I can’t imagine what is taking place on Open servers. In the T2 and T3 PQ areas is not uncommon to find the opposing faction running around in and amongst the PQ mobs trying to have someone attack them by accident. Of course these players are doing it when they are at the max level for that zone to avoid being turned into a chicken, while holding a slight advantage over their would-be opponents.
Anytime I see a Destruction player near the PQs I watch them carefully. If they are flagged then I watch to see if they head toward or attack another flagged player. It’s a bit easy to flag yourself and not back out of the zone in time to avoid opening yourself up to RVR. Higher than me or not, if I see a Destruction player attack an Order player I’m all in. I’ll get flagged myself at that point and just have to watch my back for the 15-minute duration. It’s not a problem. So far factions are sticking together and helping defend each other – again, this isn’t WOW thank goodness. I don’t know how many times I died in WOW to a Horde player while a higher Alliance player just stood by and did nothing.
Re-rolling isn’t fun if you’re the doing same race and class so choose your server wisely. When in doubt take the safest route. In WAR you can always find a fight when you’re up for one. I encourage people to error on the side of caution, and roll on a Core server since you can always throw caution to the wind when it suits you, versus being unhappy on Open and facing the choice of sticking it out or starting all over like my friends are debating at this moment.
