Saturday, March 11, 2006

WoW Revisited: RP-PVP

Wanting to investigate a different aspect of World of Warcraft, I persuaded Dave to try out Scarshield Legion, one of the new RP-PVP realms that was opened recently. It is proving to be a very interesting experience.

I tried out a RP server before - Moonglade, just as it opened. It was a satisfactory experience, but the over-riding atmosphere was one of RP veterans from Argent Dawn and Earthen Ring seeking to police a new, unsullied virgin realm in their own manner. In my first few days playing there, I saw people being reported for virtually anything - including the hilarity of not having a name that conformed to WoW Racial patterns! All a bit too full-on for my liking.

My hatred for PvP is well known. I have never really seen the point and most of the time my mind is in a PvE mindset and unable (or indeed, most of the time, unwilling) to adjust into a PvP mode. One of my Dungeoneer guildmates said of me once that I didn't just not do PvP, I had no clue whatsoever what to do if I did want to fight someone! Well, thats pretty much the case, but the Dungeoneer Birthday Duelling fest did whet my appetite a little so I thought - hey, whats the worst that can happen? I can get ganked to within an inch of my life - but at least I'll learn.

Considering my mediocre experience of RP and my aversion to PVP, why choose Scarshield Legion? Well, in my opinion, RP-PVP should be the nearest you can get to 'proper' World of WARcraft as you can get. Not only are you roleplaying within the setting, creating some sort of internal logic around the quests etc. but you also the ability to execute the war between the Horde and the Alliance as it was meant to be. PVE realms are awesome for the questing and exploration part of the game, but when you have members of warring races stood side by side with each other it seems a little strange.

So into this strange world were born Branan the Warrior and Equity the Paladin. Branan is the older, but less brilliant brother, questing for The One True Axe. He likes beer, battles and 'no-beards'... and he feels the need to call all gnomes 'wee man'. Equity is the cleverer of the two and has (in Branan's eyes) and unhealthy obsession with His Holy Lady of Light. He shouts about it enough. They are both miners and both blacksmiths - the family professions.

Technically, the way we have changed our gameplay is simple. Virtually everything we do is done in /say rather than /p which allows other people to hear what we do. Equity has some of his spells macro'd so he shouts a call to His Holy Lady of Light when he casts. I'm going to be doing the same with my battle shouts etc.

Once we had that sorted, the rest came easy. The shock and horror at one of our companions dying to a troll - and my subsequent beserk attack on said troll! The mystery of the strange green gnomes around the base of Gnomeregan being unfurled as blighted Leper Gnomes. Sheer awe and wonder at the grandeur of Ironforge. Bricking ourselves when we saw our first Epic Frostsaber and /kneeling at the massive dwarf statue as we enter the city. Oh, and mistaking the golden explosion for a level as a fart....Branan did one in front of the Dwarven King!!

It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning and something that I look forward to doing again soon.

Oh, and one more thing - the pain doesn't come in the character or the RP - it comes from not having 4x14 slot bags and 5g in the bank from your main. Having to grind to get my training was a dubious pleasure I had long since forgotten!

Neil

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