I play on normal servers.
I see no advantages whatsoever to having a bunch of 12 year olds (in years or mental age) attacking me every time I set foot outside the door.
After a long day at work I want to play without hassle, and get my quests or whatever done without some idiot ganking me just so they can spoil my day.
 

I used to play on a PvP server and I can pretty much agree with your friend's assessment. When playing in a group, killing and getting killed by other players was fun but that fun lasted only until you needed to do some quests and level up. And this was back when people were just reaching 60 for the first time. Ever.

Back then, playing PvP was a little different because everyone was starting out and the fun was in watching the Hillsbrad fights go on.

These days I play on a PvE server only because I want to have fun when I get home from work. If I wanted endless frustration, I could always just go back to the office and get paid for it.
 

Well considering leveling is a basic non-factor in WoW now, the whole 'getting ganked while leveling' is a minor point, especially 1-60 where all zones are empty.

The advantage of a PvP server usually comes out when you are questing or gathering, and someone from the opposite faction is doing something to slow you down. On a normal server, you have to race to tag a node/mob. On a PvP server you have the option to remove them (temporarily at least) before collecting your ore/herb/mob.

It can also be fun when things escalate, and both sides start bringing in more and more guildies to help with the problem. Pre-TBC I took part in many 'epic' MC and AQ40 zone-in brawls with rival guilds.
 

It's a pain in the ass. I wouldn't be on PvP except for my guild, and the fact that the people on my server are very cool (we have lots of friends there and several BT guilds on the server to make the economy run nicely).

Originally, on the way up to 70, I thought it was exciting for a while. But then you just get sick of getting ganked. The ganking is really what's keeping me from leveling an alt. I don't want to deal with it again.

The only difference between this server and a carebear server is world PvP. Very occasionally it's fun, when you have a group of players with you or get into a good fight, but the overwhelming majority of world PvP is players with superior gear ganking players with inferior gear while the lesser-geared players are trying to get something done (I'm rarely attacked these days unless I'm alone and fighting because my gear is obviously decent-- cowards). It sucks.

As a friend remarked a few months ago while leveling, "There's no such thing as world PvP in WoW. There's just one-sided ganking."
 

I play on PvP servers. I find it ridiculous to pretend to have the two factions at war and then not have them able to attack one another. In general people who gank are usually very unskilled and depending on a gear advantage. If you continue to improve your gear eventually you'll have a day where someone tries to gank you and you kick their ass. Its a very good feeling.

I did level up a new character from 1-70 a few months ago and it was a lesson in gankage but I'd never play on a non pvp server.

http://relmstein.blogspot.com/2007/09/lessons-learned-from-leveling-on-pvp.html
 

Except for a brief 3 month stint on an RP server, I've always played on PvP servers. I'm in my late 30s, always have had a steady job, and active social life.

I guess the main thing that keeps me on the PvP servers is that it doesn't feel like a world of war(craft) when I'm not able to kill, or be killed, at almost any time. The sense of danger is omnipresent on PvP servers, and it's something I acutely miss on a regular server.

Yes, rarely will you get in an even fight, but who ever said war was fair? Sometimes you crush, and other times you get stomped. The penalty you pay is negligible--a little loss in time. But the satisfaction of revenge is pretty sweet.

This is just how I feel; of course, others have a different take.
 

The Sunwell Isle on my server was a little rough in the beginning, but it has really calmed down now. For the most part everyone wants to get their dailies done and progress the world event, and starting an all encompassing island war doesn't generally help.
Most of the time, when people tried to kill me a fellow Hordie was close enough to pitch in and help me.

For me it comes down to two things:
-PVP is fun(most of the time)
-Revenge is sweet
 

I actually transferred from PVP to PVE and I have no regrets. It's not that I couldn't handle the PVP or that I'm a carebear, I had leveled a rogue and hunter to 70 on the PVP server and a warrior to 60 (pre-BC). I was ganked as I leveled up, I ganked other people as they leveled up, and I participated in lots of world PVP (that was the reason I started a rogue in the first place).

Problem is, you eventually realize that WoW is a PVE game and the PVP is just a distraction or waste of time. I want to progress my characters at end game and that means doing quests and running instances. I don't need to add battles with other humans to the mix to get those things done.

One more thing, it may just be the specific servers I was on, but the people on the PVE server seem to have a much higher maturity level than I was used to on the PVP server.
 

I play on both types. Really I probably prefer PvE. I'm fairly goal oriented, and if I can't tackle the task I set for myself at any given moment I get disgruntled. To play on a PvP server you have to be willing to drop your current plans in favor of something else if other players are making things hard. It is annoying when you have limited time and want to get something done, but someone else has free time and wants to spend it camping your corpse. So anyone who denigrates someone as a "carebear" because they don't have the desire to deal with that earns my instant contempt.

On the other hand, I don't think playing on a PvP server is a waste of time. Your situational awareness goes way up from learning to always watch your back, and there's always a palpable sense that you're existing in a dangerous world. You get a huge rush, much bigger than from just killing an NPC, when you fend off an attack from another player (even if all you manage to do is successfully run away). And the times when you do have peaceful encounters with the other faction feel more meaningful too. I think I feel more antipathy for the Horde on my PvE realm than the PvP one, just because the relationship is so impersonal and it's easier to demonize them.
 

I've been on a PvP server since release. Remember that back then there were no BG or Arenas. So if you wanted PvP it was open world PvP. So I went where I had that choice.

As for getting dailies done...

On my server, you don't PvP on the Ogri'la Plateau. You don't PvP on the Netherwing Island. Skettis seems to be an open zone, though. Don't dare try and do the escort solo if there are oppostion faction players nearby.

Everyonce in awhile 1 person will break these unwritten rules. There's a 'lock on my server (named Spore of all things) who goes to these zones specifically because he knows players there are not expecting PvP.

For the most part I've seen very little PvP in the new zone. Oh, there are still some cases of it. And with this many people in a small area, it tends to escellate pretty quickly.
 

This message is by ReveBM.

I usually play on either PVP or normal servers based on where my friends are, however:

I wish Warcraft would have a handful of "hard" PVP servers that players could choose to play on, which would have strict rules like:

1. One char at a time only (no alts)
2. You can loot people you kill with exceptions (players could "bless" a certain number of items on their person as unlootable); you can also take the money on their person (create distinction between money in the bank and money on your body)
3. Mounts/pets/imps can be "disabled" (looks like a kill but it's actually a disable for a certain period of time).

Just let me throw in another pet peeve before I go, for what it's worth, I wish the crafting tables were expanded so people could make all of the key inputs, for example, smiths should be able to make a "skinning knife"; there should be a profession (maybe a secondary profession) like "tinkering" which can make fishing poles and other misc equipment (jewelcrafting kits?) at least someone walking in the woods with a hatchet should be able to gather "simple wood"!!!
 

playing up the aspect of there being an ever-present conflict between two major factions, there is nothing more immersive in the game mechanics than the ability to kill someone of the opposing faction.

in the beginning of the game, everytime i killed a horde, i honestly felt as if i was helping my faction, by slowing down one more enemy attempting to level.

more simply put, pvp servers are the ultimate RP opportunity.

duskwood belongs to alliance, and no horde are welcome there. unlike normal zones, there is true sense of danger when exploring the opposing faction's areas.
 

I'm PvE only, conscious choice.

My initial impression of WoW is that it was a PvE game, and I still feel that way. Everything about the questing & leveling game 'feels' PvE to me. There are PvE instances, and PvP instanced battlegrounds and arenas. There is PvE gear, and PvP gear -- with PvE stats, or PvP stats.
There is not much in the way of factional war storyline.
What army fails to train and equip their soldiers? Well, Alliance and Horde for two. Players are more like mercenaries who have to equip themselves, but can't change sides.
What army allows its soldiers to run around all the time, disorganized, doing whatever they want, when they want? Again, Alliance and Horde for two.
What army sends its soldiers out on a wide variety of seemingly disconnected 'quests' alone into unsecured territory? You guessed it!

And I've always wondered why toons arbitrarily cannot attack their own faction's NPCs or players (well, except in arenas). Thus WoW is, IMO, either 'full carebear' or 'half carebear'.

The bottom line for me is that WoW is a fun way to spend some time.
For me, getting ganked is not fun, and cost time.
And IMO, time is the 'currency' of WoW, so I don't want to risk losing time because of ganking and corpse-camping.
 

In general people who gank are usually very unskilled and depending on a gear advantage. If you continue to improve your gear eventually you'll have a day where someone tries to gank you and you kick their ass. Its a very good feeling.

I disagree with you a bit here, Relmstein. I would argue that skill has little to do with it on both sides. It’s all about gear advantage and as you put it, once you reach a point where your gear advantage is greater than your, then you are far less likely to be the one making the graveyard run.

~~

I’ve played both types to 70 and found that I far prefer playing on a PvP server. I started on a PvP, switched to PvE with friends, then went back to PvP. That little extra need to look over your shoulder while grinding out your hundredth kill adds something special to the game that I missed on a PvE server. However – I will say that finding groups for PvE content is significantly easier on the PvE server. This is particularly true of Group quests, but is also the case with instances.
 

Defias Brotherhood is one of the few PvP servers with a good faction balance, so World PvP is neither boring or tedious. Yes, the PvP ruleset increases the immersion. But as cliche it may sound, PvP ruleset indeed does give you tools to resolve conflicts between players. Therefore the PvP ruleset also keeps people polite. You really don't want to ninja a mob or a vein from someone who can make you regret it.
 

There sure are some strong feelings on this one, both with you guys and my family members. After having done both for a long time I would have to say I prefer pvp most of the time but it depends on my mood. If I really need to relax I want pve but otherwise its really boring to not have to watch your back (or front) all the time. I don't like stealth attacks and then stun locks while I'm doing something out in nowheresville cuz theres nothing you can do but die and I don't like dishonorable kills cuz they ruin world pvp. I think thats one thing that makes people excited for WAR is the world pvp will not be broken (according to the marketing ninjas anyways)
 

I've only played Horde on a PvP server, but I enjoy the fact that I am always watching my back. The Blackrock Mountain PvP pre-TBC was some of the best fun I've had in game, and that was just waiting around for the last 2-3 of our 40man raid to show up.

Before summoning stones that were worth anything, it was a cardinal rule that we rode out to all raids as a group to the entrance, then hung around a few minutes at the door to destroy raids that trickled in a few at a time. Late in vanilla WoW it was common for us to have full 40v40 fights at the door to AQ40 because by then everyone knew to arrive with your full raid.

Last night, the Alliance on my server organized a massive "Camp the stone" campaign at Magister's Terrace. In fact, I think it was organized by a guild that was formed specifically for World PvP, they announce weekly events and bring a strong raid force each week.

At any rate, I only had to corpse hop into the instance once to get back in, but they made their presence felt. I've leveled another character since the XP change and wasn't killed by a 70 until I hit outlands. Ganking isn't nearly as bad in Azeroth as it use to be on PvP servers. I had pretty much all equal level fights the whole way. You win some and you lose some, but I've always found it to be quite a rush.
 

I totally agree with the immersion comments for PvP servers. I have never felt more excitment than in DAoC and WoW when I first entered a PvP-enabled zone and knew I could be killed at any time. My heart was racing!

Besides that, you do get the occasional (though rare) awesome session of PvP in contested zones. Those still stand out as some of my favorite experiences in WoW - a 2 hour one-on-one with someone where we killed each other a dozen times, or the time an equal-strength group we were ignoring tried to gank us and we killed them so many times they had to see the spirit healer.

The ganking sucks, but I think my favorite thing on a PvP server is camping low level areas and helping out people being picked on by some ass. On PvP, I support anyone ganking anyone else - once. But when a high lev player repeatedly kills someone trying to do a quest over and over, it pisses me off. Nothing gives me more pleasure than being around to kill that person over and over until they give up and go away.

Sammy
 

I play on a pvp server. For the most part people were civil for the sunwell. It turned into a zoned area, where people who wanted to kill each other stayed closer to town, and those that wanted to do the quests strayed farther away. Were done with phase 1 ( happened in the wee hours this morning), so I dont think we were too hindered by pvp.

There is no need to summon most of the time. Travel is fast to sunwell isle from almost anywhere. I suppose someone in Tanaris with hearthstone on cooldown could use a summon.

By the end of the first day doing 4 dailies and a few other quests, plus trying to get in the terrace, I racked up over 1000 honor points. Thats just 50 kills solo. There is a rediculous amount of easy honor available from hurt players drinking. I was easy honor for a few myself. It balances out, and if you are 70 on a pvp server, a few deaths and a few kills dont really bother you.

2.4 has really opened up world pvp a bit more with the world pvp dailies. Im even enjoying the chaos at sunwell isle. Some enemy faction player thinks he can take one of those mobs you are trying to kill for the daily, yet there dont seem to be enough to go around? You can fix that. If only I could kill friendlies too :(
 

World PvP is the only PvP for me. I usually find it oustide a raid that we are about to do. So, before many raids, there is a little contest to see who can get more people assembled first and gain "control" of the stone. But, world PvP is all about "controlling" the area. If there are more Alliance in the area than Horde, then Horde have to wait or assemble a "take over". This kind of PvP (although spontaneous, and can be a little frustrating, hence the reward aspect of succeeding) is much more exciting than a BG. The reward is bigger than BGs. I may not get an epic from world PvP, but I get the ability to do my dailies. World PvP also has no "familiar" strategy, it is more chaotic and realistic.

Don't get me wrong, I am a prot warrior (or a rogue) that can't PvP alone to save my own ass one on one. But, world group PvP is a blast.
 

After BC was announced, my husband and I transferred off a PvP server so we could level to 70 in peace.
 

I play on a PvP server, and most of the time, I prefer it. My first level 60 character was on a PvE server. Now, if my PvP server is down, I'll jump on my old server for a while. The difference is huge. I get really bored.

On a PvP server, if you're questing solo or with a friend, you're aware of your environment, more so than you are on a PvE server. Why? You want to be prepared in case someone tries to take advantage of the fact that you're fighting a mob and at low health. To me, this constant risk makes the game more enjoyable. I make sure that I don't leave myself vulnerable to attack, and that I have cooldowns at the ready to surprise a would-be ganker.

Also, I have to disagree with those that say World PvP is limited only to one-sided ganking. I have had plenty of fights that I didn't start turn out poorly for the other guy.

PvP servers also foster a hatred of the opposite faction, and a "if it's red, it's dead" mentality. That passionate conflict makes the game more exciting, even if you're just grinding on elementals. I love to help guildies that are getting camped by gankers who are ganking lowbies, usually because they can't cut it in organized PvP (bg, arena).

Also, to echo previous comments, we are at war with this faction. We should be able to attack them at will, and they us.

Something interesting I've noticed on my server -- there's little to no world PvP when new content releases. Everyone wants to complete quests on the new island, so they leave each other alone, at least for the most part. The same was true in Hellfire Peninsula when BC first released.
 

I was on a PvP-Server for two years, then I switched to RP for the exact reason you mentioned, Tobold.
I never accepted the idea of "gank or get ganked", this is a philosphy for animals, and even most of those are more honest.
I don't know why anyone on a PvP-Server plays a Healer. I did and I must say: You are a prey. Everyone knows that you can't properly defend yourself and even the most undergeared DD who sees you from far away will go for your blood because he likes being superior and knows you will give honor and pose no threat. No gear will help you, it will simply delay your sure death a bit more. And even if you manage to survive against that rogue long enough that your little SW:P does some damage, if he notices he will lose he can simply run away and will be gone.
Also, most people prefer to attack when they have the upperhand, usually if its 3vs1 or when their gear is 2 tiers above yours.

Its been about a year since I switched now and I never regretted it. The only thing where I found PvP-Servers have an advantage:
It trains DDs to play better. If a DD on a PvP-Server can't dish out massive amounts of damage, he will get ganked and laughed at. On a PvM-Server that only means that tank and healer have to last longer, so most DDs don't even notice that they suck.
 

@ Kid C

Spoken like a true Lock or rogue. lol.

As proc spec tank I can say I love being gank'd while doing the simon says quest in BEM, or being sapped repeatedly in area 52.

As for the one sided ganks, I tend to agree. Sure, you may have beaten off an attack, but I find most opposite factions only attack the opposite faction from a position of strength. Okay, all's fair in love and war, but explain to me how you get "honour" for killing any opponent when he's involve with a mob an at 20% health? Or when you're in a raid group and you jump a single player 8 levels lower with your entire raid backing you up? oooh so brave. I don't have problem with pvp, it's just the pvp gankers flexing their members when they finish off weaker opponent or an outnumbered opponent. Grats, you got the killing blow instead of the mob.

And the more I think about it, if you get enjoyment out of ruining someone else's game by ganking and camping lower level/weaker players, - ala 70's at Southshore/TM - preventing them from finishing their quest, then i think there's some wrong with you. I mean really dude, run out of ants to burn with your magnified glass?

This also ties in the other post about the lack of tanks and healers. On a pvp sever why would you venture outside of an instance/raid or city if you're a support class? Your solo pvp survival ability is laughable as a tank (unless your a druid) or healer.

You're right about always being on your toes, but in the end. I wonder if it's worth it.
 

@doeg
Ditto!

I'm on a PVE server and really don't enjoy PVP that much at all. I had a year long stint in non-stop CounterStrike back in the day but now prefer to stick to the quests, the lore, and the fun of grouping with friends to tackle an instance, etc. WoW is really a PVE game and I prefer it that way but I also give kudos to those of you that enjoy the PVP...I'm just glad we can be on different servers 0.o
 

@Kiseran: "I don't know why anyone on a PvP-Server plays a Healer. ... No gear will help you, it will simply delay your sure death a bit more."

While this may be true for priests (it may not be, Disc priests can survive a heck of a beating), my Paladin can survive gank attempts. So long as the gankee is a melee class. Just this morning I killed a rogue + warrior while on my holy paladin.
 

the attraction of playing on a pvp server is the unexpected fights that occur out in the wild. running into a hostile enemy player while questing really makes for an interesting experience and stands out against the grind. some of my most memorable moments are these random fights.

there is also the tension - at any moment a rogue or druid could be standing behind you. there are even standoffs, when neither player wants to fight but you are both warily passing one another. these are the good times.

HOWEVER! more often than not, the hostile enemy player is a level 70 paladin rolling through menethil harbor smashing the level 30-40 players there. that is hilarious for the paladin i'm sure. for everyone else it's a huge inconvenience and poor sportsmanship. for this reason i've transfered to PvE (for the second time) because i'm tired of lopsided fights.

tobold, you've got it right. the world pvp objectives are still there, arenas, BGs are still there. you can even flag yourself for PVP if you like and roll around with a red tag. the upside is that it's an option and not the rule. it's about choice and flexibility.
 

I play on the Everquest, Zek PvP server. I still find the game fun and challenging to play. I think without the tension of PvP, these types of games would not be nearly as interesting.

I will also say that this server was not my original choice, as I had created my character on the Sullon Zek Team PvP server. The team aspect was such an intense challenge, that it provided an awesome environment in which you made friends and depended on them to progress.

I have not been able to duplicate this close bonding in any game since.
 

I stick to RP and normal servers. I get to excited when dueling, let alone actual PvP to handle that for more than a few minutes.

The primary reason I don't play on PvP realm is that my computer has a hard enough time handling the game in optimal settings. Hell, I ended up having to stop Kara runs due to the lag, and don't even mention Shat. The few times I end up in PvP, or even duels, the other player runs circles around me while I have get to wonder how much health I'll have left when the screen refreshes.

I did give a PvP server an honest shot once, though I didn't get above 25 before getting annoyed with the whole server. It was the other members of my faction that drove me off, surprisingly. The maturity lvl was at least 5 years lowers, or about one MegaSpaz (1 Spaz = typing 'lol'; MegaSpaz = typing 'lol' a millions times) higher than a normal server. Seriously, when you are looking to get into an instance, have 4 members, looking for a DPS, and the tank leaves after waiting 3 minutes (only to beg to be let back in 5 minutes later)... Yeah, I'd rather deal with the RP-griefing. And this was before I could be ganked to death.

So, yes, the three reasons I don't play on a PvP server: Total wuss, crappy comp, less mature players.

And let it be known, I do not judge all PvP'ers as immature freaks. I've met a few that were all right and have read a number of stories that almost makes me wanna join you. But come on, to enjoy having to keep one eye open at all time so you can have a night of questing interrupted by a back and forth battle of whole can piss the other off until they log or call for help? I'm not nearly into masochism to gain enjoyment out of that. You can have it, I don't want it.
 

I play on PvE servers for several reasons:
-my available playing time being limited by real life issues, I want to have a good time while playing. Being ganked several times while killing easy mobs for a quest is not my definition of fun.
-not being able to hand in quests or get new ones because the Npc's have again been slaughtered isn't that much fun either. It also happens on PvE servers, but to a much lesser extent.
-not being the competitive type, I prefer to help others players as well to make them have a good time. Only a few days ago, I helped a Horde player kill the big bird in Nagrand after he finally managed to get into the bird's nest all alone to steal some of it's eggs. He was waiting for some horde player to come along and help him defeat the bird, while I completed the quest with an alliance friend. After some sign lamguage, we persuaded him to jump down, attack the bird first, and then we helped him out by dps-ing the bird. On several occasions did I have good contacts and even succesful 'missions' with Horde players, even though we couldn't group or talk to one another.
For me, WoW is a social game, and not a competitive one, and I guess that made up my mind to play on a PvE server...
 

"there is also the tension - at any moment a rogue or druid could be standing behind you."

People keep telling about that feeling, but I don't think I have ever felt it after the first two month. There is no point in expecting a rogue when you can be absolutely sure that he will be 20 levels above you and you can neither run, nor hide and will be dead in an instant.

@Dorgol: My priest is currently Disc-specced and has a bit more than 300 Resilience. I can take one hell of a beating. But thats senseless, because I can't prevent anyone from running away and it takes several minutes to do some damage. A player who can't see that he will lose and don't tries to run away before that happens really deserves death.
 

I'm pretty new to MMORPGs in general, but I ended up on a PvP server because a) that's where my friends/neighbors are, and b) philosophically, (and this perception was completely uninformed at the time), PvP just made more sense.

That said, it was extremely frustrating (albeit exhilarating), when my character first ventured into contested territory (at lvl ~20). The fights in Hillsbrad those first few levels were almost always terribly imbalanced. But as I leveled up, I noticed that I started to stand a chance in my encounters. My main is lvl 33, so I still get ganked now and then, but it seems to happen less and less.

Not only do you learn to look out for yourself, you lookout for members of your faction as well.

Although I've never played PvE, it seems that encounters with enemy players on a PvP server can be much more nuanced than normal servers. Just the other day, I was minding my own business, and I got attacked and killed by two Alliance. Spontaneously, 10 minutes later, I found myself in a group of 4 fighting the same 2 Alliance, and we overpowered them. Then, not 15 minutes later, another Horde and I were dancing with the very same Alliance players.

Of course, later that night about 8 lvl 70s massacred everyone at Tarren Mill...

So I prefer PvP servers, but that's just my experience.
 

I play on a pvp server and this is my take on it. PvP servers give off an "x" factor while playing on it. Knowing you can be attacked anytime when you're out in the world gives the extra fun factor a game froma lore stand point is about, well, war! Also, having to be alert to your surroundings, health, manapool, what you're fight, ect hieghtens your senses when playing. This factor in the end, breeds faster reaction times and skill paths than if you're lazily grinding away mobs n a pve server. This translates right into pve raiding in my personal opinion. Having a faster reaction time can be the difference in not getting a raid saving heal off, taunt, or vanish.
 

PvP servers are more exciting for me. Ganking sometimes sucks, but ganking is also sometimes fun. I've probably went out ganking maybe 2-3 times in 3 years and been ganked way more than that, but the appeal is there and its open war so I'm for it. It in some small way encourages teaming and also allows for some "heros" "villains" to save you or help you quest. Or you can save and help others as well if you get higher.

I've tried both and PvE servers to me are a limited ruleset, like only getting half the game, I originally rolled on a PvE server when the game first came out and i never felt like I was in any sort of war or enemy situation, in fact more than half the opposite team /wave which is just silly.

Lastly they could do things better though. I recently started playing eq2 as well and one nice thing I noticed was the zones have a level Range. Sure you can still get ganked by "twinks" BUT even twinks won't have a massive advantage over you, not like 70's or people 10 levels higher than you do. I think that was a good solution to making the zones fights a little more fair.
 

I've played on a PvP server since day one. I'm still trying to find fair PvP on the server. The one rare, balanced fight every other month does not make up for the five hundred beatings you will take in outlands on the way to 70.

The worst part... fucking epic flying mounts. Talk about giving the gankers the pen-ultimate weapon to execute their craft.

I am seriously considering a "blue" server when WAR launches, so when I flip on a PvP flag or enter a PvP area, I know I am fighting like minded, ready and able foes.
 

I started out on a PvE Server. When changing servers with friends we moved to a PvP server. Their decision not mine. Originally I thought PvP servers would be "too hardcore".

Now that I have played 2.5 years on a PvP server I have changed my opinion. I went back to playing on a PvE server after a while. It was plain boring.

I am a bad PvPer. I rarely attack. I am mostly encountering open pvp when being attacked and most often killed, sometimes even camped.

On a PvE server I missed the feeling of tension between the two factions. On my server when I see Horde, I always have to wonder whether they will play nice or if there's going to be fighting. I can actively choose to be nice and most often I do. Often Horde is nice, too. It is just so much more exciting to encounter Horde on our server.

I get mad when people gank me. Sure I relog to my main to get some revenge when my alt is having trouble.

Getting killed is just part of being on a PvP server. I don't like it. But I miss it when it is not there. It's all about choosing to play nice and fair.

The new zones are so much fun. On the island it is a big gankfest. I've been killed a lot. But still I can do my dailies in very little time if I leave the main battles for a while. Oh yes it is a bit difficult to enter the instance. Happens to both sides though. We were wiping so much inside anyway we didn't quite notice being killed by Horde outside ;)

Even more fun it is too see how little ganking there is for the two dailies on Hellfire. It is much more profitable there to work together and so people do. I have so far not been killed or killed there once.

People on our server have many fond memories of all the open pvp/gank spots that we have had over the years by now. Sure we weren't happy about it when we were there. But PvE servers are just plain boring in that respect and I think there is an aspect of the game missing there I don't want to go without. There is also some out of game contact between the two factions, maybe that helps, remembering it is only players like yourself on the other side.

Just my 2c.
 

I just discovered you blog, and looking through the old posts i must say it brings a bit of nostalgia. But i thought id comment on this one, if youre notified of new comments or something

Anyways, i've always been playing a PVP server, practically since release. And when thinking back at what i would have missed by being on a PVE server, i do not regret a single second of it.

First i would like to say, that world PVP creates A LOT of server culture. Not only between Alliance, but between alliance and horde and vice versa. You seem to concentrate only on the impractical aspect of it, and sure, sometimes being ganked can be extremely frustrating (however, as a rogue, i don't have that problem as much as you would :) ), but in the end, i have a lot more positive memories then bad ones.
Let me give you an example.
I just began playing wow again, after having quit WoW for about a year. To my surprise my account had been hacked, sold, geared up to sunwell epix and transferred to a PVE server. I made amends with the guy that had bought my account, and i am still in the process of trying to transfer it back to my old PVP server... However, the other day, i was visiting UBRS to do the "Leeeeroy" achievement. I was standing stealthed outside the portal, when suddenly 3 hordes in moderately good gear suddenly came and waited near the portal. Immediately, a switch in my brain flipped, and immediately thought, "KILL", in despite of 3 hordes, and probably more on the way, being a serious challenge. But that's what i love about world pvp, it not only puts you in unfair positions were you are bound to loose, but also presents the most exciting PVP situations that you'l ever experience. Battlegrounds become routine after a while, but before arenas were introduced, exciting world pvp always got my heart throbbing and made my adrenal glands go crazy, without the "loose = /wrists" aspect that arenas bring.
Now back to my blackrock predicament.
After franticly pressing the sap button standing behind the priets in the 3 horde group, it dawned on me. I was on a PVE server. I could not attack other players like that. In blackrock mountain... As a PVE server player, you may perhaps have no idea just how much PVP culture is imbedded in that place. Blackrock was always a PVP hub, and it was where the "world PVPers met". Server legends, some of which i can remember ganking me back at lvl 40, all resided there, and fought all the time. Blackrock always were a place with a special ambience to me, all the way back to the time where i first noticed the big gates in searing gorge, and finding beyond them the two top guilds of the server fighting relentlessly, the floor covered with skeletons. Sure i got killed half a second after i placed my foot in there, but i watched the battle as long as my release timer allowed me, with my n00b eyes wide open in amazement. That still stands as the moment where i have been most impressed with anything in WoW. None of the PVE encounters i've ever been to (and i raided a lot), have ever been able to match that feeling i got that moment, seeing the "big boys" at war. I sort of felt like a small boy, watching in awe as i witnessed the war i was getting myself into.
Do you want to know what many old school world pvpers complain about? They complain about flying mounts, they complain about easier summoning, and even about battlegrounds. Yes, getting ganked might be a pain, but as you said in your first WSG review, you found it fun because it had a goal. We had a goal, to destroy our enemies, and our enemies was the horde.

Now, as i could not attack the group in blackrock, I did the only thing i could do, i got out of stealth, in their faces, and toggled PVP on. And guess what, they didn't attack me. 3 hordes vs 1 rogue, in the legendary arena of Blackrock mountains, and they didn't go for it... Fair enough, i outgeared them, and i was pretty confident in my abilities and in my strategy to beat them all, but they didn't go for it...


I guess what i feel i would really miss in a PVE server, is the war. Battlegrounds and arenas are more like a mutual agreement for farming epix, especially as battlegrounds became cross-server. The most exciting part about a battleground used to be when i met my nemesis (an insane frost mage that i for some reason had always met in world pvp 1vs1 ones regularly since lvl 40), and spent the entire AV stalking one person, while he was stalking me, and then going on the server forums posting humorous threads about how much i was going to pwn him next time, and getting an equally humorous reply from him.
PVP isn't always fair, and i will always remember when i spent half an hour being chased by legendary ganker and hunter field marshal for half an hour, when i was lvl 20 and running around in duskwood (I've had plenty of occasions to gank him after that though :P). But that is what hordes were to me, they were supposed to be big and scary. There was a war going on, and the big scary hunter in chasing me around on an epic mount, was the result of it.

This is a veeeery long comment, but i'm just trying to outline how i feel about PVP as a resident of a PVP server. Seeing how much you see world PVP just as a "nuisance", i can't help the feeling that you have missed an essential part of what this game is all about. On a PVP server in some sense you take the lore much more seriously, because you really are at war with each other. Being killed is frustrating, but that frustration adds another layer to the game, building up your hate for the other faction. Life isn't fair, and neither is PVP on PVP servers, and that is entirely the point. It's not a duel, it's a cold blooded and brutal war, and in some sense, that makes the game a lot more enjoyable for me....

As for my blackrock adventure, standing there trying to make the hordes attack me, i eventually entered the instance as my group was waiting for me to start. However, i ultimately felt cheated. The horde i knew, would team up on me and gank the shit out of me, after i had humped their corpses with my furblog form, which i frankly would have found a lot more fun.