Warcraft diary
Jan. 5th, 2007 09:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexxkayTwo very extreme, very distinct experiences in the Battlegrounds last night. First, a short trip to Arathi Basin. And I do mean short -- 5 minutes, which I think is the theoretical minimum. The Horde had a well-oiled premade, and the Alliance had a worse-than-usually incoherent PUG. Not only did they 5-cap us, they spent the last minute of the fight camping out on top of our graveyard, so they could kill us after every rez within, literally, two seconds. Very humiiliating. Total estimated Honor earned: 3 points.
Later, I had a much more satisfying run in Alterac Valley. Although the Alliance started a classic Race game, we were stopped dead by an unusually large Horde defensive force at the first objective. This emphasis on defense continued for the whole, unusually long, match.
Common wisdom says that the Alliance has a significant advantage in AV, due to quirks in the asymmetry in the map layout. There seems to be some truth in this, judging by the win/loss ratios I've seen. But, as mentioned in my last post, winning, per se, is not nearly as relevant as it used to be. This is especially so in AV, which has so many sub-objectives that the losing side usually still gets a healthy amount of bonus Honor. The Horde seems to have adapted to this situation, and is now going for more of a 40/60 offense/defense ratio, as opposed to the former race numbers of 80/20. The relatively light offense can still capture a lot of sub-objectives (at least as long as the Alliance is still concentrating on offense), while their strong defense can draw out the match for a much longer time, racking up Honor Kills all the way. They still don't win, but they have a very lengthy, fun, and profitable match before they do lose.
I'm extrapolating from one sample here, but I hope that this is becoming a general strategy among the Horde. It makes the game more fun for the Alliance as well. Possibly even increases the Honor/time compared to the Race model, given that wait times to *start* an AV game are typically at least 40 minutes.
With a longer game, and a more concerted defense to break through, this match also saw a lot more value out of the optional collection quests. Several large NPC forces came into play, and may have even been what turned the tide in the final minutes.
So, instead of short, humiliating, and profit-less, I had a long, fun match, that I did quite well by. Total estimated Honor: 911 points. With that sort of disparity, I'm going to be reluctant to play much AB any more. I'll probably still do some, if only because the short lines and short match times mean that I can often get a full AB match in while still virtually "in line" for AV. And not *all* AB matches go so badly -- but almost half do, and that's not a good bet.
Not sure if I can get an Epic PvP reward *quite* by Christmas (still have about 7,500 Honor to go), but definitely by New Year's.
Cash-on-hand topped 1200 gold last night, with lots of juicy investments still churning their way through the Auction House. I've got a good rhythym going, where I do AH arbitrage while waiting in line for the BGs. After a fight I usually have a new pile of stuff to deal with that came in while I was fighting, and which will keep me busy until the next match starts. I'll probably keep this up (with some actual adventuring breaks on weekends) until the expansion comes out next month. Then, I can start earning XP again, and will hopefully have at least one, maybe two shiny new items from the BGs, and enough cash to buy a flying mount right away.
---
This year at Christmas, being higher level, I can do the higher-up Seasonal quests. I was sent to find some stolen presents, which turned out to be held by "The Abominable Greench"; he's a mean one, so they say... Then there was the case of the kidnapped reindeer. Once you find him, you sprinkle him with magic dust and he disappears. The goblins *say* he flew back home, but I'm not sure I believe them.
Last year, I theorized that the group putting on most of the Christmas festivities, Smokeywood Pastures, was secretly the same as the villainous Venture Mining Company. I'm less sure of that now, but it's still possible. SP *is* clearly part of the Steamwheedle Cartel, since the Christmas quests increase my SC reputation. But the Venture Co may also be connected to the Cartel somehow. I just don't trust those goblins...
---
It's an Alterac Valley weekend, so I'm getting lots of time in on my favorite BG. I still hope to earn my Mageblade by Christmas!
It seems that the Horde "heavy defense" strategy is simultaneously uncommon and counterable. When the group contains experienced leaders, part of the strategy talk during the pre-game moments is "If the turtle at Galv, skip him and move on to IB." That one epic game I had was as a result of combing a defensive Horde with a leadership-lacking Alliance team, and said combination seems fairly rare.
New development in AV for Christmas! There are drifts of snow from which "Hardened Snowballs" may be extracted. These have been around for a week or so, but I only realized today that they are tactically useful, as opposed to the no-adjective Snowballs, which are fun to throw but have no effect. If you get hit by a Hardened Snowball, it does no direct damage -- but it *does* inflict significant amounts of knockback. And since AV has a fair number of cliffs, a properly timed throw can inflict thousands of point of damage, and also remove the target from the immediate area of the conflict for several often-crucial seconds.
---
Some of the collection quests in AV give you a reputation bonus with all Alliance factions. Since patch 2.0, this has included "Exodar", the new PC Draenei race that's coming in the expansion pack next month. If I keep doing heavy PvP like I have been, I will be Honored status with them before they even arrive!
---
Rumpelstilt is now the proud wielder of a Grand Marshal's Mageblade! A Merry Christmas indeed!
One of the presents under the tree was a Mechanical Greench, which lets me summon a cyber-yeti to help me out. He only last for ten minutes, the deice only has three charges, and it goes away in any event in 10 days. Still, pretty nifty. also got a Wand of Holiday Cheer, which lets me cast a large area of effect spell causing everyone in range to break out laughing :)
---
Oh dear. I'm not even finished with my Christmas games yet, and now![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
guildissimo is up and running. I may never sleep again. Implaq, the Undead Warrior is now level 10...
---
I checked in on Rupelstilt for the first time in several days. After clearing out all the Auction House mail, he was over 1600 gold. After a round of reinvestment, back down to about 1300 cash, but the investments are all quite safe. On target to make 2K by the expansion pack release.
My Mechanical Greench expires soon. Must try and get around to taking on the King Kong sized ape in Stranglethorn Vale before he's gone...
---
Did it, with less than 24 hours to go. I think the Greench helped. The Mageblade and assorted other upgrades no doubt made a big difference as well.
Work has gotten crazy, and I have homework this weekend, so who knows when I'll be on next. Might as well post now...
Later, I had a much more satisfying run in Alterac Valley. Although the Alliance started a classic Race game, we were stopped dead by an unusually large Horde defensive force at the first objective. This emphasis on defense continued for the whole, unusually long, match.
Common wisdom says that the Alliance has a significant advantage in AV, due to quirks in the asymmetry in the map layout. There seems to be some truth in this, judging by the win/loss ratios I've seen. But, as mentioned in my last post, winning, per se, is not nearly as relevant as it used to be. This is especially so in AV, which has so many sub-objectives that the losing side usually still gets a healthy amount of bonus Honor. The Horde seems to have adapted to this situation, and is now going for more of a 40/60 offense/defense ratio, as opposed to the former race numbers of 80/20. The relatively light offense can still capture a lot of sub-objectives (at least as long as the Alliance is still concentrating on offense), while their strong defense can draw out the match for a much longer time, racking up Honor Kills all the way. They still don't win, but they have a very lengthy, fun, and profitable match before they do lose.
I'm extrapolating from one sample here, but I hope that this is becoming a general strategy among the Horde. It makes the game more fun for the Alliance as well. Possibly even increases the Honor/time compared to the Race model, given that wait times to *start* an AV game are typically at least 40 minutes.
With a longer game, and a more concerted defense to break through, this match also saw a lot more value out of the optional collection quests. Several large NPC forces came into play, and may have even been what turned the tide in the final minutes.
So, instead of short, humiliating, and profit-less, I had a long, fun match, that I did quite well by. Total estimated Honor: 911 points. With that sort of disparity, I'm going to be reluctant to play much AB any more. I'll probably still do some, if only because the short lines and short match times mean that I can often get a full AB match in while still virtually "in line" for AV. And not *all* AB matches go so badly -- but almost half do, and that's not a good bet.
Not sure if I can get an Epic PvP reward *quite* by Christmas (still have about 7,500 Honor to go), but definitely by New Year's.
Cash-on-hand topped 1200 gold last night, with lots of juicy investments still churning their way through the Auction House. I've got a good rhythym going, where I do AH arbitrage while waiting in line for the BGs. After a fight I usually have a new pile of stuff to deal with that came in while I was fighting, and which will keep me busy until the next match starts. I'll probably keep this up (with some actual adventuring breaks on weekends) until the expansion comes out next month. Then, I can start earning XP again, and will hopefully have at least one, maybe two shiny new items from the BGs, and enough cash to buy a flying mount right away.
---
This year at Christmas, being higher level, I can do the higher-up Seasonal quests. I was sent to find some stolen presents, which turned out to be held by "The Abominable Greench"; he's a mean one, so they say... Then there was the case of the kidnapped reindeer. Once you find him, you sprinkle him with magic dust and he disappears. The goblins *say* he flew back home, but I'm not sure I believe them.
Last year, I theorized that the group putting on most of the Christmas festivities, Smokeywood Pastures, was secretly the same as the villainous Venture Mining Company. I'm less sure of that now, but it's still possible. SP *is* clearly part of the Steamwheedle Cartel, since the Christmas quests increase my SC reputation. But the Venture Co may also be connected to the Cartel somehow. I just don't trust those goblins...
---
It's an Alterac Valley weekend, so I'm getting lots of time in on my favorite BG. I still hope to earn my Mageblade by Christmas!
It seems that the Horde "heavy defense" strategy is simultaneously uncommon and counterable. When the group contains experienced leaders, part of the strategy talk during the pre-game moments is "If the turtle at Galv, skip him and move on to IB." That one epic game I had was as a result of combing a defensive Horde with a leadership-lacking Alliance team, and said combination seems fairly rare.
New development in AV for Christmas! There are drifts of snow from which "Hardened Snowballs" may be extracted. These have been around for a week or so, but I only realized today that they are tactically useful, as opposed to the no-adjective Snowballs, which are fun to throw but have no effect. If you get hit by a Hardened Snowball, it does no direct damage -- but it *does* inflict significant amounts of knockback. And since AV has a fair number of cliffs, a properly timed throw can inflict thousands of point of damage, and also remove the target from the immediate area of the conflict for several often-crucial seconds.
---
Some of the collection quests in AV give you a reputation bonus with all Alliance factions. Since patch 2.0, this has included "Exodar", the new PC Draenei race that's coming in the expansion pack next month. If I keep doing heavy PvP like I have been, I will be Honored status with them before they even arrive!
---
Rumpelstilt is now the proud wielder of a Grand Marshal's Mageblade! A Merry Christmas indeed!
One of the presents under the tree was a Mechanical Greench, which lets me summon a cyber-yeti to help me out. He only last for ten minutes, the deice only has three charges, and it goes away in any event in 10 days. Still, pretty nifty. also got a Wand of Holiday Cheer, which lets me cast a large area of effect spell causing everyone in range to break out laughing :)
---
Oh dear. I'm not even finished with my Christmas games yet, and now
guildissimo is up and running. I may never sleep again. Implaq, the Undead Warrior is now level 10...---
I checked in on Rupelstilt for the first time in several days. After clearing out all the Auction House mail, he was over 1600 gold. After a round of reinvestment, back down to about 1300 cash, but the investments are all quite safe. On target to make 2K by the expansion pack release.
My Mechanical Greench expires soon. Must try and get around to taking on the King Kong sized ape in Stranglethorn Vale before he's gone...
---
Did it, with less than 24 hours to go. I think the Greench helped. The Mageblade and assorted other upgrades no doubt made a big difference as well.
Work has gotten crazy, and I have homework this weekend, so who knows when I'll be on next. Might as well post now...