04-23-2008, 05:24 AM
I used to think I didn't really like PvP. And still, I'm not the biggest fan of Battlegrounds, where it always feels to me like victory and defeat lie almost completely on the random-ish whim of the queue. I mean, I know I'm not very good, so I don't help much on that front, but even if I was, what can you do when people are just using dumb strategies? If there's one thing I have learned about battlegrounds, it's that you can't go off alone, so singlehandedly carrying a team is infeasible.
When I thought about it though, World PvP, or at least, the sort-of-fair kind, has always been a love of mine. I don't think I have any fonder memory of this game than a skirmish I had years ago on my lowbie druid in the Charred Vale. A few Tauren popped up when I was fighting a mob a couple levels higher than I was, and while running I managed to find a couple of Alliance players who were also questing nearby. For about fifteen minutes we battled through the woods, and I healed and clawed my way through a few quests and these enemy players. At the conclusion was an immensely satisfying feeling. Although I didn't miss getting shanked and ganked by 60's (now 70's, of course) while leveling my characters on Stormrage, the lack of interaction with the opposing faction has always disappointed me (though it'd help if there were any horde, har har).
Arena is something I've just picked up in the past few weeks, since most random people aren't really looking to get destroyed alongside a Resto Shaman in PvP Blues. In the end though, holding out for a team of people I "know," whether intentionally or not, has really given me a positive experience overall. Arena matches are a chance to sit down for an hour and do something different. I don't have to look at all the stuff I have on-screen for raids, I get to watch the action and try to figure out how I can do the most good. And unlike other stuff, I don't have anything to be frustrated about when I die; there's no consumables wasted, the repair costs are tiny, and another round is just a brief queue away. The best part for me is just the experience of interacting with people I've spent time with in raids in a different way, and I don't see myself ever getting uptight about the gear...I just always think of this and laugh. I really hope to do more Arena matches because even if I never get very good it's something I can enjoy any time, briefly, without worrying about anything.
But really, this is close to where I'd like to see myself. I really enjoy raiding right now, but not so much the preparation, which basically equates to farming up at least 100g for each session to cover food, flasks, and repairs. 2.4 actually eased this for me a lot, since I can stack up LPS's with Void Shatter and then auction them when they're most overpriced, sparing myself several of the dailies that I enjoy the least because of my slow killing speed. I really only make myself enough gold to cover expenses and I'm okay with the fact that I won't be flying around really fast before WotLK (if then!). I just hope I'll be satisfied with what I have, soon, and getting the most enjoyment out of my playing time while letting the mouse rest a little more.
When I thought about it though, World PvP, or at least, the sort-of-fair kind, has always been a love of mine. I don't think I have any fonder memory of this game than a skirmish I had years ago on my lowbie druid in the Charred Vale. A few Tauren popped up when I was fighting a mob a couple levels higher than I was, and while running I managed to find a couple of Alliance players who were also questing nearby. For about fifteen minutes we battled through the woods, and I healed and clawed my way through a few quests and these enemy players. At the conclusion was an immensely satisfying feeling. Although I didn't miss getting shanked and ganked by 60's (now 70's, of course) while leveling my characters on Stormrage, the lack of interaction with the opposing faction has always disappointed me (though it'd help if there were any horde, har har).
Arena is something I've just picked up in the past few weeks, since most random people aren't really looking to get destroyed alongside a Resto Shaman in PvP Blues. In the end though, holding out for a team of people I "know," whether intentionally or not, has really given me a positive experience overall. Arena matches are a chance to sit down for an hour and do something different. I don't have to look at all the stuff I have on-screen for raids, I get to watch the action and try to figure out how I can do the most good. And unlike other stuff, I don't have anything to be frustrated about when I die; there's no consumables wasted, the repair costs are tiny, and another round is just a brief queue away. The best part for me is just the experience of interacting with people I've spent time with in raids in a different way, and I don't see myself ever getting uptight about the gear...I just always think of this and laugh. I really hope to do more Arena matches because even if I never get very good it's something I can enjoy any time, briefly, without worrying about anything.
Quote:It's a game. The aspects that feel remotely like work I avoid regardless of how much nicer the gaming experience may be after they are done. I rarely PvP just to get honor or marks. I PvP when I feel like that type of entertainment. I don't do daily quests every day. I them when I feel like doing them. I rarely play the auction house to make money even though when I do I'm quite good at it and can make gold quickly. I don't even raid as much as I can because sometimes I don't want to. Though lately I raid less because I don't want to do the prep work that being the best in a raid requires.This really spoke to me. Right now, I play too much; I really wanted to get caught up with people I play with, to at least some degree, and then when my Shaman hit 70 and stopped getting gear upgrades practically every day, I started to work on my Paladin again. Now she's 70, and starting to close in on the level I'm trying to get to for her (ready for Kara and Heroics, and ultimately ZA...I'd be happy just to get there and surprised to go further).
But really, this is close to where I'd like to see myself. I really enjoy raiding right now, but not so much the preparation, which basically equates to farming up at least 100g for each session to cover food, flasks, and repairs. 2.4 actually eased this for me a lot, since I can stack up LPS's with Void Shatter and then auction them when they're most overpriced, sparing myself several of the dailies that I enjoy the least because of my slow killing speed. I really only make myself enough gold to cover expenses and I'm okay with the fact that I won't be flying around really fast before WotLK (if then!). I just hope I'll be satisfied with what I have, soon, and getting the most enjoyment out of my playing time while letting the mouse rest a little more.