[Weezer]

I was wondering if some of the more experienced WoW players could give their input on the strengths/weaknesses of the different styles. I played the stress test and got up to a level 11 dwarf hunter and had a good time, but am not sure what kind of server to commit my real character to. Why would someone pick one over the other? thanks!

[Arkham_c]

Originally posted by Weezer:
I was wondering if some of the more experienced WoW players could give their input on the strengths/weaknesses of the different styles. I played the stress test and got up to a level 11 dwarf hunter and had a good time, but am not sure what kind of server to commit my real character to. Why would someone pick one over the other? thanks!

The big advantage of PvE is safety. You don't see the difference between the two servers until about level 30, when your quests take you out of the safety of your native zones into contested or hostile territory. With PvE, you can quest up to level 60 in relative safety. With PvP, when you go into hostile territory, there's always a chance that you'll die at the hands of a hostile player.

The big advantage, as I see it, of PvP, is in the end-game, when you go on raids of hostile cities. In PvP, you can kill everyone, but in PvE, level 60s can sit around, untouchable, until a sufficient number arrive, then then can attack en-masse. It's just not as realistic.

If I had my way, I'd play PvP Alliance, but the Dogcows decided on PvE Alliance, so that's where I'll be playing. The guild is main reason I'm playing in retail -- it makes the game so much more fun.

[The Placid Casual]

Yep, PvE is much safer, and I personally feel, much more viable for the 'casual' player.

There is nothing worse than logging on for a quick half hour, heading to finish a quest in a contested zone and being corpse camped! (only happened to me a few times, but it is annoying)...

If you want to log on, quest and then PvP after you reach Lev 55+, PvE is for you.

However, if you want to be constantly on edge, and in a much more realistic situation, PvP is the way to go... For example... you meet some one in a contested zone, you want to complete your quest. Do they? Cue a stand off, with both you uncertain as to how the other will react. Run, Fight, sheath your weapons? There is a real uncertainty, and a lot of fun to be had!

However, you run the chance of doing the quest and being mauled by a group of lev 60 griefers, hell bent on killing anyone they meet... That is the risk of PvP.

I like to play Alliance, and as the dogcows are going PvE Alliance, that is where I will be, and in all honesty, I am still a bit of a carebear and like my PvP to be consensual and planned...

I think you have to play both to lev 20+ to see which one suits you...

[Horsepoo!!!]

I think PvP is the most exciting experience (even if a little boring). Makes World of Warcraft more realistic. I mean, is a Horde character really just gonna stand around if he sees an Alliance character? PvE makes WoW a bit unrealistic.

Corpse camping isn't fun but if things get out of hand just ressurect at the spirit healer...the penalty is a 25% durability hit...whoopteedoo. If you're a rogue, find a spot that is out of enemy view to ressurect and go into Stealth mode.

Really...PvP in WoW is nothing compared to other MMORPG or MUDs. When I get attacked by other players, it rarely gets my blood pumping because if I die, I know I won't be losing any experience or equipment.

Still glad Blizzard offers both normal and PvP though. But I'll always recommend PvP to players who actually want exciting play. It doesn't matter if you die unfairly...life isn't ever fair...why should the game? If someone wants to finish you off after you've painstakingly killed a tough creature and you're low on health, why the hell not? You'll lose a max of about 5 minutes getting back to your corpse or get a 25% durability hit on equipment...it's nothing, really.

[Arkham_c]

Originally an honor system was going to be in place to prevent "gankers" (people who kill others who are a lot lower than themselves, often over and over until the person gives up and logs off), but they scrapped it at the last minute. Now there are no dishonorable kills, only honorable ones or "nothing" ones.

It's a shame too, because I suspect that the "ganking" in retail is going to be really bad with no disincentive on it.

[SLam]

PvE would probably be a much better experience.

Toward the end of the beta, a few high-levers (lev 30-40), in the PvP server I was in, had fun attacking the newbie towns like K-something (that dwarf town before Iron Forge). It got really annoying since they killed the NPCs (Class Trainers, Vendors, etc). They hid in the inn and started ganking us low-levs. We couldn't do any quests or anything.

[Arkham_c]

Originally posted by SLam:
Toward the end of the beta, a few high-levers (lev 30-40), in the PvP server I was in, had fun attacking the newbie towns like K-something (that dwarf town before Iron Forge). It got really annoying since they killed the NPCs (Class Trainers, Vendors, etc). They hid in the inn and started ganking us low-levs. We couldn't do any quests or anything.

Kharanos. Anyway, that could still happen on PvE. You can kill all the NPCs you like on PvE, you just can't kill the actual players unless they attack you. If all the NPCs are dead though, you can't use the griffins or turn in quests. Rest assured though, in a few months after release, if someone attacks Kharanos, 100+ level 60s will come riding out of Ironforge and lay waste to the Horde. The real interesting attacks are those on Stormwind, since it's (a) more easily accessible to the horde, and (b) has a tram into Ironforge that dumps out right in front of the gnome king.

[coconut]

Originally posted by Arkham_c:
Originally an honor system was going to be in place to prevent "gankers" (people who kill others who are a lot lower than themselves, often over and over until the person gives up and logs off), but they scrapped it at the last minute. Now there are no dishonorable kills, only honorable ones or "nothing" ones.

It's a shame too, because I suspect that the "ganking" in retail is going to be really bad with no disincentive on it.

I don't think they scraped it, they just didn't fine tune it enough... it's probably going to be included in a later patch IMO...