Who is playing retail?

[Maglor]

As the retail version of WoW will be released next Tuesday, and as I have accepted the duty of making the WoW Branch Site, I would like to know who in Valar is planning on playing WoW right from the start.

I have already bought and paid for it so I will be playing on Tuesday, Grimbold has also expressed an interest in starting from, or very near, release date.

Anyone else who is planning on playing from the start (not necessarily the first day, but perhaps by the end of November) please sign this thread .

Thanks,
Maglor

[Elatan]

It depends if I am able to get my hands on a US Cd. Not sure I actually need a US to play on US-server though.

[Gwaihir]

At about midnight on Tuesday I will be playing(I work in the morning and have dnd in the evening...) so if anyone would like to wait until 11-midnight Central time... I'll gladly start with them.

[Eonwë]

I will have it by Tuesday, but can't guarantee any playing time, as my top priority is to get my final programs done for school.

Thanks for the work you've done so far on the WoW site Maglor. Keep up the good work :}

[Gwaihir]

nevermind that, I may not be able to play Tuesday... my comp has JUST decided to cut out on me, leaving me high and dry... *sighs* stupid computers and their bad timing(this comp isn't nearly good enough to run WoW...

[Gwaihir]

by the way... in retail, will the main thing be on pvp or pve servers(seeing as pvp in this game is still within our guild's lines... as it's actually faction vs faction, not just random player vs player)

I was on a pvp server for the OB(I don't know if any of the rest of you were) and it really did add a nice element to it... while you were questing you had to watch out for random Horde people out there... but you still couldn't fight the people on your own faction(except in duels but you don't actually die in those, so they don't count) which is good. I like the team vs team aspect... so I would cast my personal vote for the pvp servers(I think it makes more sense within the game to have the pvp aspect than to not have it)

[Maglor]

I am pretty sure we will be on a normal server (non-RP non-PvP) but that is not a problem, because even in the normal servers there are "disputed" zones in which Horde and Alliance can fight. There are also periodic raids into enemy territory. Here is a quote from the WoW Site:

"Actions that will enable PvP on the standard player vs. environment server are:
Attacking an NPC of the opposing faction.
Attacking a player who attacked an NPC.
Aiding a player engaged in PvP.
Entering enemy cities.

Players will also have the ability to enable PvP on their own by using the /pvp command. Once PvP has been enabled by a player, no matter what the method, it will remain in effect for five minutes.

In time, all standard servers will include a consensual Player vs. Player system called Battlegrounds. Once Battlegrounds has been implemented, players will have the ability to attack other players to defend their cities and towns from invasion."

So there isn't a whole lot of difference except that in a normal server it's up to you whether you have any PvP, not up to the person attacking you.

Maglor

[Gwaihir]

and that if you WANT to have the choice of pvp, you have to type /pvp every 5 minutes... lol

[Eonwë]

Maglor is correct. We wil be on a normal (non-PVP, non-RP) server.

Guild characters involved in PVP should only be so if it's required by the game, i.e. only in contested/enemy areas, which quests will no doubt drag us into. Given the nature of the game, I wouldn't ask anyone to simply run away,.. although, if that works better than fighting a guy 30 levels above you, you might consider it :} There's also the chance of attack by a Horde army marching into Alliance territory I suppose, so that would probably be ok as well.

Killing an enemy NPC (except as required by a quest if there is such) would not be very honorable. Since PvP is for the most part consensual, we would also have no reason to help another person involved in PvP. Remember that we are founded on a basis of non-PK, non-PKK, and non-dueling as well. That pretty well scratches out most of the PvP options, except what I named above.

Hope that clears everything up, and if it only muddies the waters, ask more questions :}

[Elatan]

I am pretty much with Eonwe. PvP should at all times be concensus of both sides or because it is in line of the game. It does not rule out playing on a PvP server if any like to have a char there but the guild will according to what we are be on a PvE. No one should be forced to keep staying alert due to PvP.
As I understand WoW on PvE-server there will be battlegrounds you can choose to enter and leave again for good little fight against other players / other side in groups or teaming groups of the alliance. That reminds very much of DaoC were the frontiers are huge areas where you will meet (and know you will) the other side and fight over keeps and areas.
That is a side of the game I find attractive and very fun at times but not all the time and I look forward to it in WoW. But it should at all times be something I agree too, not forced into which I will on a PvP. It is not fun being repeadly killed by a 10 level higher char "just because he can" while your only option to avoid it is to log out.

[Gwaihir]

Elatan, people pking lower levels isn't very common... I only got camped once, and it wasn't long before others of my faction came to help once I'd alerted them that it was happening... also, it's very easy to escape a 'camping' situation because you have a quite large radius around your corpse in which you can respawn...

Eonwe.. .there are several quests where killing NPCs of other factions is required(I've helped repel one of the Orc quests of that sort before)

And as for the 'contested/enemy territories' thing... if you look at the game... Starting as a NE, the THIRD area you venture into will be contested. That happens around level 20... but contested/enemy territory means nothing on a pve server, because enemies can't attack you...

I'm not big on pvp, generally, however... there are times when removing it will get in the way of the game's design... this is one of those times I think... the pvp servers allow for the story to progress as it was designed... this is a war... as, for example, a Human Paladin... if you were to stumble upon an undead character, on pve server you can't do anything to them... that doesn't make sense... any paladin, by the story(especially after Arthas), would lose his vestments if he did NOTHING against undead encroaching on his peoples' lands... yet on a pve server, that's exactly what you have to do unless they have /pvp active or they hit an npc...

[Eonwë]

The Paladin/Undead thing is an RP concern.

I agree that a Paladin would never let an Undead just walk around freely, but neither would a Paladin let a Necromancer do so, and yet we did it all the time in D2, simply because Blizzard decided for some strange reason a Necromancer could be called a good-guy.

If you really want to get me started on accuracy, how about the Demon Hunter. Calling upon Demonic Powers to defeat demons? That's saying "Hey, help me kill you." :} And we all saw how well that strategy worked out for Illidan :} Proving once again it is dangerous to delve too deeply into the arts of the Enemy.

The Valar Guild has never been a PvP oriented group, and while PvP may be allowed in certain circumstances, it will not be a major part of the Guild. If we Paladins can resist the urge to mete out holy justice in D2, we can hold it in for WoW as well, at least until we actually have to mete it out :}

As I understand it, Blizzard will be implementing a PvP setup called Battlegrounds, allowing consensual PvP vs the enemy faction to protect/take over towns etc. This I don't really see any problem with.

If killing an NPC is required as part of a quest, there's no problem. Griefing is what that comment is meant to address, which is something we should never have to concern ourselves with as a Guild.