WOW, Season 4. Arena or GTFO

[Makata]

Originally Posted by Gnome Eater

I don't do Arena for the gear, I don't do it to stomp newbies, I do it for the competition. If terribles stop playing, it doesn't change one thing for me.

Congrats. I'm glad the only thing that matters for game balance is what you want to do. Never mind the fact that most of us wouldn't bother with it if it weren't for the gear.

[Araxen]

Maybe they should just make a "Leet Kidz Arena" with no rewards so people can play for the "spirit of uberz competition". Enjoy the long wait times.

[Kaxmax]

Originally Posted by Makata

Congrats. I'm glad the only thing that matters for game balance is what you want to do. Never mind the fact that most of us wouldn't bother with it if it weren't for the gear.

Or you could form a decent team that's not PVE specced and actually try to compete?

I like how the only option in your mind is don't play, rather than actually trying to earn the ranking.

[Drakks]

Originally Posted by The Ancient

Of course it will, because people say it will!

Howsabout we revisit this thread in 3 months and see how it goes.

The predictions have been right up to now, honestly. No restriction put in place has done anything to successfully curb any issue legit arena teams have had with thier less-legit counterparts.

Kudos to you on your confidence, which looks to be sheer force of will ignorance at this point.

[Drakks]

Originally Posted by Araxen

Maybe they should just make a "Leet Kidz Arena" with no rewards so people can play for the "spirit of uberz competition". Enjoy the long wait times.

Best part is that all three teams taking part in it wouldn't have to worry about long queue times.

[Rezz]

Hrm, do you remember the Tarren Mill days roughly a month or so after release? Hell, during that month of release? There was 150-200 people brawling on my server at the time (medivh) nonstop there. The actual town was empty of npcs most the day, with horde fighting skirmishes inside southshore with more troops from IF being flown in nonstop. This was 5 months before there was even an honor system in the game for rewards. And it continued all the way up until BGs and honor were put in during June of that year. Hell people still skirmished in TM all the time.

This is all on a pve server as well, so you know it was hilariously awesome on pvp servers. There are definitely a huge chunk of people out there who like competing in pvp, myself included, regardless of the rewards. The problem arises when you create a source of welfare uberness such as arena that begins to cater to people exploiting the system due to fubar mechanics, then randomly increase the desire for that exploitation usage because the welfare portion is completely nixed.

Personally, if they put everyone at gear parity upon entering Arena and the stuff you earn inside translates to you being able to wear it outside of the arena, it would make me fairly happy. The competition only gets watered down when you have S3 (soon to be S4) geared people randomly running with guys in level 62 greens for points or teams of people leveling a rating starting at 1500 with full s3 gear. That's where the shit gets unbalanced and annoying.

[Makata]

Originally Posted by Kaxmax

Or you could form a decent team that's not PVE specced and actually try to compete?

I like how the only option in your mind is don't play, rather than actually trying to earn the ranking.

Maybe I'm not interested in being a part of a boring cookie cutter team where everyone specs the exact same way, has the exact same gear, with the exact same gems and enchants as the other 845 RMP teams? I quit arena on my paladin/druid horde side for a reason: they're fucking boring. Yes coordination and skill play their parts but as long as retarded ass line of sight and intra-class balance issues remain it's never going to be interesting. "Oh look, we're up against a resto druid in nagrand. I'll brb in 5 minutes while we're killed."

I do it now for the very slight amount of fun I get from playing with my 2 guildies and the prospect of getting good gear to rape newbs in AV. Honestly, throw whatever insults my way you want, I genuinely don't care. Myself, and far more who think like me than like you will be retiring from the ridiculous arena system if these changes aren't reversed (and they will be) and honestly, good luck to all you 1850 players who suddenly find yourself clawing for a 1600 with no newbs to inflate your rating.

[Kaxmax]

Originally Posted by Makata

Maybe I'm not interested in being a part of a boring cookie cutter team where everyone specs the exact same way, has the exact same gear, with the exact same gems and enchants as the other 845 RMP teams? I quit arena on my paladin/druid horde side for a reason: they're fucking boring. Yes coordination and skill play their parts but as long as retarded ass line of sight and intra-class balance issues remain it's never going to be interesting. "Oh look, we're up against a resto druid in nagrand. I'll brb in 5 minutes while we're killed."

You don't need a cookie cutter team to get to 1700, which will get you all of S4 except shoulders and weapons. You may have to spec into a more PVP oriented spec, that's about it.

[Mist]

Originally Posted by Kaxmax

You don't need a cookie cutter team to get to 1700, which will get you all of S4 except shoulders and weapons. You may have to
spec into a more PVP oriented spec, that's about it.

You don't need a cookie cutter team to get to 1700 now, late in S3. In S4 when half or more of the players quit queueing up, you just might.

[Kaxmax]

Originally Posted by Mist

In S4 when half or more of the players quit queueing up, you just might.

That's the rub, I'm not convinced that's going to happen. People will still arena to get the s3 gear. 3 S3 pieces along with S4 gloves & off hand is still a pretty decent reward for losing 10 games a week.

[Arbitrary]

At what, 5-6 weeks per item? Bleh.

[Makata]

Originally Posted by Kaxmax

That's the rub, I'm not convinced that's going to happen. People will still arena to get the s3 gear. 3 S3 pieces along with S4 gloves & off hand is still a pretty decent reward for losing 10 games a week.

You're missing the point me thinks. It wouldn't matter if S4 is just S3 + 1 sta per item. It's being told you're not allowed the majority of the NEW gear. Old gear is not exciting. They can get S3 now.

[Kaxmax]

Originally Posted by Makata

You're missing the point me thinks. It wouldn't matter if S4 is just S3 + 1 sta per item. It's being told you're not allowed the majority of the NEW gear. Old gear is not exciting. They can get S3 now.

And yet you still see a ton of arena teams with people in S1 gear and blues, along with a huge influx of new 70s, rerolls, and alts.

I'm sorry, I'm just not convinced that you're going to see this huge migration of people out of the sub 1600 range. I'm sure there will be some moral outrage initially, but people will continue to queue up and get their 200 points a week.

[TheCutlery]

Originally Posted by Kaxmax

And yet you still see a ton of arena teams with people in S1 gear and blues, along with a huge influx of new 70s, rerolls, and alts.

I'm sorry, I'm just not convinced that you're going to see this huge migration of people out of the sub 1600 range. I'm sure there will be some moral outrage initially, but people will continue to queue up and get their 200 points a week.

To spend it on what?

What does Johnny 1300 get out of the arena after he buys his gloves and his offhand? Nothing. He can't get to 1550 for legs, he can't get any of the honor shit that's not free. He can't get anything. What does he need points for? He can't even buy a cool mount or something with them. He buys his gloves, maybe his offhand and he's fucking done. He's not going to keep playing just to bank 5000 points for next season when he gets to spend 2000 of them on his gloves and offhand again.

Originally Posted by Kaxmax

That's the rub, I'm not convinced that's going to happen. People will still arena to get the s3 gear. 3 S3 pieces along with S4 gloves & off hand is still a pretty decent reward for losing 10 games a week.

If you're in the arena system right now, you have the S3 gear. Anyone who's anyone can get Helm, BP, Legs and Gloves in a season. Literally, anyone. Come S4, those people have 2 pieces they can buy. Yes, you'll always have newcomers, but people who have been playing, and thus far have been the "Below average" people allowing you guys to be fucking leet are going to STOP QUEUEING BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING FOR THEM TO BUY.


If you really think people are going to keep queueing for arena points when there's NOTHING TO BUY, you're insane. Everyone who can't break 1500 is going to stop. What's that going to do to everyone above 1500 who's trying to get everything but weapons and shoulders? That's right, now they can't get them either, and the problem snowballs.

[Arbitrary]

Originally Posted by Kaxmax

And yet you still see a ton of arena teams with people in S1 gear and blues

Where do you people play? I don't see those teams until I hit mid 1300s and at that point who gives a fuck.