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Heroes of the Storm launches interactive battleground page
Looking forward to exploring the maps in Heroes of the Storm? The good news is that you can do so right now, even if you aren't currently in the test pool. The game's interactive battleground maps are now available, showing off the fields of battle and allowing you to zoom in or out, highlight important points, and scroll around to see all of the neat stuff that's there to be seen. Each of the maps has numerous different mechanics as well as additional routes for players to take, including aboveground and underground routes or enemies that spawn during the night. The page outlines how all five maps will work and should help players start plotting strategies even without getting your hands on the game. If you feel like a bit of surveying, go check out the maps now.
Previewing WildStar's Daggerstone Pass PvP battleground
Before I talk about the upcoming PvP map for WildStar, I feel I should really defend myself for my usual performance in PvP. Here's the simple version: I am all right at PvP. I know enough about what I'm supposed to do to avoid completely shaming myself. I am not the best. But can I turn a ragtag group of other journalists into a fighting force capable of defeating preformed groups of people wearing PvP gear? Definitely not. Along with several other journalists, I took to the field with Carbine Studios staff members yesterday, boosted my fresh Exile character up to 50, and took on all comers in the rated version of the new Daggerstone Pass. We lost several times. On the bright side, we lost in such a way that I was able to get a better sense of the map and can talk about it with some confidence, so that's good. In my weak defense, I don't think we had a chance against a fully premade team in PvP gear anyway.
Hotfix to address issues with flag carriers in rated battlegrounds
It's tough carrying the flag in Warsong Gulch or Twin Peaks, primarily due to the Focused Assault debuff which increases the damage you take when you pick up the flag -- but it's about to get a little tougher for tanks playing these rated battlegrounds. According to CM Lore, in rated battlegrounds tanks who carry the flag should be getting a bigger debuff -- 50% additional damage compared to the 20% others get. However, a bug is currently treating tanks just like everyone else, so expect a hotfix soon (no restarts required). In addition to fixing debuff damage, there are plans to add the same kind of debuff system to orb carriers in rated Temple of Kotmogu and cart carriers in rated Deepwind Gorge. These changes will take effect next maintenance cycle. All of these changes are for rated battlegrounds only, where they should make it a bit easier to take out enemy flag carriers -- and tougher to keep your own alive.
Honor hotfixes are live in a battleground near you
WoW Insider posted recently about upcoming honor hotfixes, which increase the honor gains from building up points and achieving small victories in battlegrounds. These hotfixes are now live, as Community Manager Lore tweeted today: As of today's maintenance, all of the BG honor hotfixes should be live! http://t.co/kqpgfKXr1f - Lore (@CM_Lore) March 11, 2014 Periodic honor earned in points-based BGs, namely Arathi Basin, Battle for Gilneas, and Eye of the Storm, will be doubled, so you'll get bonus honor every 130 points as opposed to 260. This is altered for Silvershard, where it's every 200, as opposed to 265. The flag capture battlegrounds, Warsong Gulch and Twin Peaks, will see the Focused Assault debuff applied faster in an effort to make them shorter, and there's a bonus for capture prevention. Strand of the Ancients will give a bonus for destroying gates, or preventing their destruction. It won't outdo the PvE methods for efficiency, but it's a step in the right direction.
MMO Mechanics: MOBAs vs. MMO battlegrounds
It may feel as if MMOs have always existed as a core part of our gaming repertoire, but the genre made its indelible mark on the industry just over a decade ago. MMO titans like World of Warcraft, EVE Online, and City of Heroes shaped the mechanics we now use as markers and basic standards for the quickly growing genre, and those mechanics have been reiterated and reforged by the countless additions to the MMO clan that we know and love today. This new MMO Mechanics column aims to navigate the mechanical minefield that is the modern MMO through in-depth opinion pieces, comparative analysis, and a little bit of Irish wit, starting with a peek at what distinguishes MMO PvP battlegrounds from Massively Online Battle Arenas. If women are from Venus and men are from Mars, MMOs and MOBAs must be from different galaxies altogether. Despite the similarities between MMO PvP arenas and MOBA matches, the two take very different approaches to progression, persistence, and matchmaking. This leads to two very separate yet equally engaging ways to test the mettle of your character against the might of a human opponent.
TERA's new battleground promotes a siege mentality
The newest TERA battleground is meant to be big. It's not about two sides plinking away at one another across a field; it's about tearing down the walls of a castle and razing the structure. Corsairs' Stronghold is your chance to take part in both sides of a castle assault, and the development team has put together a little video preview to show off just what your role will be in this two-stage assault. Players will alternate between being attackers and defenders, with attackers trying to tear down the Anchorstone as the defenders beat them back. The map includes elements like ladders to scale, siege weapons to hit the walls, and plenty of spots for characters to engage in pitched fighting for the sake of this castle. The battleground also sees the inclusion of several pieces of pirate-themed cosmetic gear, which are also previewed in another video past the cut. There's plenty to see, in other words.
Breakfast Topic: What makes you love your favorite battleground?
Alterac Valley sets my towers aflame. I fell in love with AV during classic WoW, in those sprawling, drawn-out matches that spun out over a day or longer. With a big map and plenty of time, you can savor the micro-encounters that make up a true battle -- that exquisitely frozen moment when you come face to face with an opponent behind a bunker, the off-objective chase that neither of you will give up, the "happy" grudges that leave you seeking out the same opponent the moment you respawn. I gulp down that stuff like water. Objective-driven play has its appeal, but it's the serendipitous moment of connection with the enemy that really turns my flag. I have a friend who adores siege weaponry. For him, PvP queuing means a beeline for Wintergrasp, Strand of the Ancients, or Isle of Conquest. That's fine. While he's staying busy with catapults and cannon, I'll be slowly throttling some newly met nemesis in the somber shadows behind the keep. What do you enjoy most about your favorite battleground? Is it something that's there by design, or is it some player dynamic or bit of byplay that fires you up?
Finally, a title for someone Gorgeous like me
It's hard being pretty in Azeroth. Everyone's always like "quick, we need you in Arathi Basin right now, I don't care if you're wearing your expensive tunic" or "what do you mean you didn't come fight Nalak because you were busy washing your hair?" There's no thought to how being beautiful might consume our time -- nay, our very being. Some things cannot be rushed, and beauty is one of those things. Do people not appreciate beauty, or do they simply not realize it when they see it? Well, no more. Blizzard has provided every fortunate son and daughter of Azeroth a way to broadcast just how lovely they are: the Gorgeous title, available in patch 5.3 as the reward for the meta achievement for Deepwind Gorge, the brand-new battleground. Sure, it'll take some legwork. Sure, you might break a nail or end up with split ends or, worse, have to interact with trolls in any way whatsoever. But think of how much easier your life will be when you can say "Please excuse me from tonight's challenge dungeon; I'm overdue for an eyebrow waxing," and people will open their mouths, look at your title, and say "Ah, yes. Of course. That seems reasonable."
World of Warcraft patch 5.3 rushes into a new battleground
With the World of Warcraft community adjusting to life after patch 5.2, Blizzard is revving up the engine to patch 5.3. The public test realm patch notes have become available, although the patch itself is not yet on the PTR. Patch 5.3 looks to be a boon to PvP players, as it'll kick off a brand-new battleground: Gold Rush. Gold Rush takes place in Pandaria's Valley of the Four Winds and has both factions fighting for control over mines. Other content coming in 5.3 is a new arena called Shado-Pan, four scenarios, heroic difficulty levels for scenarios, and adjustments to loot rolls. Our sister site WoW Insider has the full patch notes, so go check 'em out!
Battleground queue changes save us from ourselves
OK, own up. How many times have you done it? You know what I'm on about. You get your friends together into a group, you're planning to do a few battlegrounds, you check everyone's ready, hit the queue button and wait. The queue pops, you take it, and there you are in a battleground all by yourself. You've accidentally queued for a solo battleground, not queued as a group with your friends. Reddit user Daithe obviously had the same problem, as they posted about this change on Reddit last night. And WoW Insider is so excited about the prospect of no longer abandoning our friends in the relevant Shrine, that we thought we'd share it with you all. You can see that the PvP interface has had a considerable facelift with the patch, and yes, the screenshot uses ElvUI, but the Join Battle button is still front and center, while the Join as Group button slopes off to the side. But, if you accidentally hit the Join as Party button when in a group, you now get this error screen, asking if you're sure you want to queue as solo. WoW Insider thinks the warning could be a bit stronger, calling the PvP columnist a muppet for yet again clicking the wrong button, or something. We love it when these little quality of life changes sneak into the game, so own up, are you as grateful as we are for what might be the mysterious, revolutionary, world-shaping, game-changing feature Ghostcrawler was talking about?
Allods Online upgrades gear with glyphs
Allods Online's Lords of Destiny expansion is already shaping up to be one of the bigger additions to the game. Now the team has announced a major new system called glyphs that will be included as well. Glyphs are a new type of loot that can upgrade gear to add more stats and special properties. The gear in question has to be level 51 or higher and match the type of stats that the glyph is offering. Each piece of gear can be expanded to include three types of glyph: offensive, defensive, and special. Glyphs themselves can be improved with a component that drops only in the new Dominion battleground. There looks to be several different ways to get your grubby mitts on glyphs. They can drop, you can do a quest to buy a glyph box, you can buy them from an NPC if your reputation is high enough, and some crafters are able to make them.
Shifting Perspectives: Resto's dismal PvP performance, and why it might get better
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Shifting Perspectives for cat, bear, restoration and balance druids. This Tuesday, death is common to all trees. I'm not much of a PvP player. I enjoy random battlegrounds, particularly when I'm healbotting someone who cares whether I live or die, but I lack a certain something when it comes to better performance. I think that something is called talent, or perhaps just luck. We might even call it gear. Regardless, I'm not a great PvPer, so I usually sit on the sidelines and observe while the people who are great PvPers argue about arena team composition and rated battleground strategy. These people have not been enthusiastic about restoration druids in Cataclysm. That's not normal. Resto has been a strong PvP spec since season two of The Burning Crusade (although we need to make an exception for the dismal season five at the beginning of Wrath of the Lich King), so it was a surprise to see such widespread ambivalence among the PvP population. However, there does seem to be a broad consensus about why resto has so many problems in PvP, and people are cautiously optimistic that Mists of Pandaria will be better.
Battleground Call to Arms not just for weekends anymore
Patch 5.0.4 introduced a new battleground schedule in which there is always a Call to Arms battleground instead of weekends only. The Call to Arms changes every Tuesday and Friday, so that players can earn bonus honor every day of the week. You may ask, "But, Robin, why aren't all the dates covered in that calendar over there? [points to the right sidebar]" Well, I'll tell you. The new Mists of Pandaria battlegrounds have already been scheduled on the in-game calendar, even though they won't be introduced until September 25. We are currently showing only the BGs that can be played right now, but we are also showing when the Temple of Kotmogu and the Silvershard Mines will be the Call to Arms BGs after launch. You can always verify the current schedule by viewing the in-game calendar. Just make sure the Battleground Call to Arms filter is selected from the filters dropdown menu at the top right of the calendar. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Mists of Pandaria bestiary and Temple of Kotmogu previews now available
The official World of Warcraft community site was updated with more Mists of Pandaria previews today. The latest previews are for the next expansion's two new battlegrounds, the Temple of Kotmogu and Silvershard Mines. Both previews showcase the battlegrounds' basic objectives, unique features, and some shiny new screenshots that highlight the aesthetic beauty of the battlegrounds before we litter them with (Alliance) corpses. For those of you who are interested, WoW Insider's Olivia Grace covered the Temple of Kotmogu and Silvershard Mines earlier this month. Her previews don't have as many pretty pictures, but they're more in-depth on gameplay and tactical information. In addition to the battleground previews, the official site was updated with a Mists of Pandaria Bestiary. The bestiary will give you a first look into all the new, non-playable races you'll find on the Wandering Isle. You should totally check out the Grummles -- they're my favorite new race.
Forsaken World releases Frostgale Fjord battlefield
Forsaken World is taking its players to the frozen north today, as Perfect World's fantasy title released its second Nightfall update. This update centers around a brand-new 12v12 battleground in the colder climes of Eyrda. Perfect World said that the Frostgale Fjord battleground is quite flexible, boasting level-based matchmaking. It also is tempting; in it, skilled and lucky players can attain tough gear and rare mounts. PvPers get expanded soul power trees and the option of better weapons for their fights as well. The update also gives a boost to the game's guilds with a treasure system. Guild members can complete special quests to unlock a treasure chest and gain access to the wealth inside. The more quests completed, the better the treasure becomes.
Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite Battleground?
I heard on Twitter a little while ago that someone was saying (rather boldly, I thought) that most people liked Warsong Gulch over other Battlegrounds. Now, this to me seemed a bit odd, and I wasn't the only one. To assert that one Battleground is preferred to any other by most people seems to ignore the immense subjectivity inherent in WoW. Matthew Rossi and I recently wrote two pieces on what we like in raiding; if you don't believe me about the subjectivity, check them out! Some people definitely like the very simple premise of Warsong Gulch, but others may prefer the more complex Battlegrounds like Isle of Conquest or Alterac Valley, where at least some strategy is required. And others simply prefer the ones they think they win the most. I'm probably one of those. Although I play mostly Alliance characters, we win Isle of Conquest a lot (see header image for the tactic), but it's kind of boring. You barely encounter any Horde for making with the stabby. No, my favourite is the other one the Alliance seems to win a lot (for me, anyway), which is Eye of the Storm. I love that Battleground, I really do! It's so simple, yet something about its layout just works. So how about you? Which Battlegrounds do you love, and which make you groan inwardly when you see the loading screen? I warn you now, I will glare sternly at anyone who says they hate all Battlegrounds because they hate PvP, OK?
Mists of Pandaria Beta: Certain PvP maps may be blacklistable
In the latest Mists of Pandaria beta patch, Wowhead has uncovered some quite interesting new client strings that might herald a change in the way you choose which Arena or Battleground to fight in. ERR_PVP_BLACKLIST_CAP = "You have already blacklisted the maximum number of maps." ERR_PVP_MAP_NOT_FOUND = "Blacklisted map not set." To me, this seems like an excellent idea for Arena players. There's always lots of controversy about the random damage and LoS components found on some maps (hello, Ring of Valor); this would let you avoid that entirely. Of course, that means you can no longer use it as an excuse, either -- so you may not want to reach for the blacklist too quickly. While I don't do much in Arenas, I certainly wouldn't mind a way to ensure not getting WSG three times in a row. One concern, though, is if Blizzard allows too much blacklisting, that could make matchmaking much more difficult. A smooth matchmaking process has been one of the highlights of WoW compared to other online games, so any algorithm tweaks have to be made carefully. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
TERA's senior producer looks at the game's past, present, and future
Saying that it "feels as though a giant weight has been lifted off [his team's] shoulders" now that TERA has launched, En Masse Senior Producer Brian Knox has turned his attention to the immediate and far future of the game. He says that the team is hard at work ironing out "pain points" for players, but his big passion is working to make the PvP experience even better and to roll out the battlegrounds this summer. "I want to continue to slowly iterate our PvP-server rules," Knox said in an interview published yesterday. "I think TERA's skill-based system is a natural fit for PvP players, and I want to develop a system that encourages and rewards PvP participants." Knox addressed the pace of the leveling experience (he says it should be a "smooth and even ride" if players follow the story and do all the quests), the price of teleportation scrolls (expensive for lowbies, affordable for veterans), and what to do at the endgame (answer: a lot). As more players reach the high levels, En Masse is preparing to juice up its nexuses and political system, both of which require a decent amount of participants to work.
5 ways to fail at Battlegrounds
WoW Insider covers the world of player vs. player action in Blood Sport for fans of Battleground, world PvP and Arena play. Steering you to victory is Olivia Grace, who spends most of her time in Azeroth as a restoration shaman turning people into frogs. Battlegrounds are usually the new PvPer's first foray into PvP, unless of course you're on a PvP server, in which case you're thrown unwittingly into the world of the ongoing Horde vs. Alliance conflight almost from day one. A Battleground is very likely to be your first go at cooperative PvP and certainly your first go at cooperative PvP with strangers. There are 10 Battlegrounds available to you -- fewer when you start out, then gradually added as you increase in level. All these Battlegrounds have objectives, the majority of which are assessed by points on a counter at the top of your screen. Once one side either gains the required total points or completely runs out of points, the Battleground is won. There are, of course, strategies associated with each map. As the maps and objectives grow more complicated, so do the tactics. But a Risk-style grand stratagem is not what we're looking for here and certainly wouldn't comply with our word limit! What we're interested in is how not to play in Battlegrounds. Your team may not lose the Battleground because you made these simple mistakes, but it will certainly make it harder for them to win. So don't be the guy who's failing at Battlegrounds! How? Well, read on! (There are of course times and situations when these rules don't apply, particularly on those rare occasions when your team actually has a strategy that it's following.)
3 things Battlegrounds should borrow from SW:TOR's Warzones
We talked the other day about three things I learned to love about Battlegrounds by playing Star Wars: The Old Republic's Warzones. Honestly, I stopped at three on purpose. There's so much to complain about in Warzones that it could keep a retribution paladin (which I am) busy for weeks. But I didn't want to give the wrong impression; I really do enjoy SW:TOR Warzones. Warzones offer a different game, different playstyle, and significant change of pace for a grizzled PvP veteran. While I could just go all mushy about my assault cannon, I'm more interested in the design aspects that really work well in Warzones. With that in mind, here are three things I think WoW should borrow from Warzones. (And no, I'm not talking about Huttball here. Huttball is fun and all, but it's just a specific game. That'd be like saying "SW:TOR isn't good because of Alterac Valley." That's not particularly helpful, even if I do love scoring a goal through a sweet ball-passing chain. I'm talking about overall game dynamics.)
