Cataclysm Guide: PvP Changes
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Cataclysm Guide
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Contents |
New Point System
- Honor Points - Entry level PvP points gained from most PvP activities. Players will be capped at 4000 Honor Points. Additional points above 4000 will be converted to money at the exchange rate of 35
per point.
- Conquest points - High level PvP points awarded from rated battlegrounds and arenas. Players will be capped at a maximum amount of total Conquest Points as well as be limited to how many of these points can be earned in a week. (Unknown what the weekly and overall limit is at this time.)
Most items requiring Conquest Points will have their rating requirements removed making it possible to obtain Arena level gear without ever doing Arena's. In addition, players will be able to convert Honor Points into Conquest Points and vice-versa. (The conversion exchange rate is unknown at this time.)
It will also be possible to convert Honor Points into Hero Points for PvE purposes and vice-versa. (The conversion exchange rate is unknown at this time.)
It will not be possible to convert Conquest Points into Valor Points.
When a new tier of raiding gear is released or a new PvP season begins, your higher tier of points will be converted into the lower tier. For instance, if a new tier of raid gear is released, your Valor points will be converted to Hero points, and similarly if a new PvP season begins your Conquest points will be converted to Honor points. Of course that means with these new releases you'll always begin without any of the higher tier of points, and thus be unable to stockpile them.
As noted for Conquest points, the Rated Battlegrounds and Arenas will be sharing this same point type. Because of that, it will in fact be possible to get the best PvP items without setting foot in Arena; however, more powerful armor and weapons will of course require more Conquest points, so players who win their matches more often will still gear up faster. We're removing personal rating requirements on almost all items; they're definitely removed for weapons. We might offer a few items to the absolute best players based on personal rating, largely as cosmetic or 'bragging rights' type items. And you'll have the option of purchasing the previous season’s gear with the more readily available Honor points.
We do plan to have a way to convert Honor points (PvP) into Hero points (PvE), and vice versa, at a loss. The conversions will be possible, but it won't be a 1:1 rate, and you'll have fewer points after the conversion process. We won't allow the higher tiers to be exchanged for each other, however.
To explain the reasoning for the weekly cap on points for the higher tiers, this is to provide flexibility in how players choose to earn the points without feeling like they have to do all of the content as often as it is available. If your Valor income from raiding is sufficient, you may not feel the need to run Dungeon Finder every night, or perhaps even at all. Likewise, a PvP player could choose to participate in a lot of Rated Battlegrounds but no Arenas, or focus on both, and still be able to earn the points they want.
We realize that with any changes to progression pathways there are going to be questions. We're eagerly awaiting any that we may have left unanswered. To the comments!
Battlegrounds
Rated Battlegrounds
Rated Battlegrounds will be an alternate way of earning Conquest Points, Arena Ratings, and other rewards previously limited only to Arena players. There will be a limit on how many points you can earn each week through this method, and the amount of points able to be earned will be based on your rating. The higher the rating the more points you can earn. Points will be awarded after each win and you will not suffer any rating loss. There will be 2 types of ratings: personal and match-making.
- Each week, one of the battlegrounds will be the Rated Battleground of the week similar to the old method of "Bonus Honor Weekends" for specific battlegrounds. It will rotate between 10, 15 and 25-player battlegrounds.
- Winning battleground matches will improve your rating and give you Conquest Points. Losing will not lower your rating however you will receive no points.
- PvP titles from original WoW BG's will be re-added, as your rating increases you will also achieve higher titles. Once you've earned a PvP title you will keep it.
- When a Battleground is rated for the week, its normal non-rated version will still be available.
- You will earn guild level by playing these rated battlegrounds with your guildmates.
Current Battleground Changes
Alterac Valley will be converted to a 25-player battleground (down from 40).
PvP Rank Titles
It will once again be possible to earn old-style PvP Rank Titles in Cataclysm. Titles will be earned based on your Rated Battleground performance at the end of each battleground season. Titles will be awarded to the entire team and once earned, you will keep the title indefinitely.
The “Gladiator” equivalent teams will also receive epic ground mounts. The reason the reward is a ground mount is so that they can be used inside the battlegrounds they were rewarded from.
New Battlegrounds
Battle for Gilneas
The Battle for Gilneas is a new 10 v 10 Battleground for level 81-85 players.
Backstory
When King Greymane severed ties with the Alliance after the Second War, the kingdom of Gilneas became independent from all other nations and opposing forces. Although the massive Greymane Wall protected Gilneas from outside threats, a virulent worgen curse and civil war crippled the kingdom from within. As the Cataclysm strikes and the Greymane Wall's gates are destroyed, the people of Gilneas must come to terms with their dark curse and learn to persevere through catastrophic earthquakes and an unrelenting Forsaken invasion. The Horde recognizes this land as a strategic location with key resources to fuel the faction's war effort against the Alliance, and Horde forces will not stop their siege until the city and its surrounding territories are under their control. To protect its lands from the Horde, the once-isolated nation of Gilneas must now work with the Alliance.
Objective
Similar to Arathi Basin, teams must control strategic capture points on the map to accumulate resources. The first team to gather 2000 resources wins.
There are three distinct resource points are available for the taking by either the Horde or the Alliance: the Mines, the Lighthouse, and the Waterworks. Once any of these points is held by a team, access to nearby graveyards will be granted. In addition, workers from the controlling faction will show up to collect the resources necessary to win the battle.
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is a new 10 vs. 10, capture-the-flag-style battleground.
Backstory
Located within the Twilight Highlands, the Twin Peaks remains a crucial point of high ground for staging effective and debilitating attacks against the black dragonflight and the Twilight's Hammer, who dominate this foreboding environment. And now, two previous occupants of the nearby city of Grim Batol vie once again for control of the peaks' defenses. The Wildhammer clan, architects and original owners of the once-great fortress city, maintains some operations in forested outposts of the highlands. The Wildhammers now call upon heroes of the Alliance to help claim the peaks and fend off the Dragonmaw orcs. The Dragonmaw clan, having spent years working to enslave red dragons, once again provides strategic importance to the Horde. As the Dragonmaw and Wildhammers fight for territory they once called home, the Alliance and Horde carry out the struggle to control the Twin Peaks.
Objective
Similar to Warsong Gulch, players must work to dominate variable terrain, infiltrate the enemy base, and steal the enemy flag, returning it to their fortress while remaining in control of their own flag. The first faction to capture three enemy flags before time expires will win the battle.
Arena Interface
The Arena UI interface has received some minor updates, mainly to how you queue, create and manage your arena teams. You no longer need to visit an Arena Master to create a new team, simply clicking on an empty team slot will give you the option to create your team and edit the team logo.
World PvP
Tol Barad
Tol Barad is a PvP island located south of Hillsbrad Foothills and west of the Wetlands, in the middle of Baradin Bay for lvl 84-85 players.
The zone is divided into 2 areas:
- Tol Barad -- PvP area
- Tol Barad Peninsula -- daily quest hub for level 85 players
Backstory
During the Second War, it was an island citadel of Stromgarde. The island was also the site of a fierce battle between the Horde and Alliance. The Horde, having already conquered most of the dwarven lands, were preparing to strike out into the northern kingdom of Lordaeron. At the time, the island was being used as a staging point to strike back at orc raiders. In response, Orgrim Doomhammer launched an invasion of the island. Overwhelmed early in the war by the orcs, no life more complex than a few hardy weeds and insects survived the Horde's bloody victory. An aura of death seemed to radiate from the island, and the original fortress was razed to the ground. Tol Barad became a frightening symbol of the Horde's merciless tenacity and barbarity.
Years later, after the Second War, the island nation of Kul Tiras claimed the former stronghold and established a prison over the ruins of the old fortress. The site of many historic battles in the Second War, Tol Barad is now home to a magic prison. Wizards from both Dalaran and Stormwind oversee the complex, and prisoners include enemy mages, lesser and greater demons, warlocks, and undead war criminals. The wizards do not allow anyone near the island and keep the prison’s existence secret.
Objective
The setup of the zone is similar to Wintergrasp. Control of the zone will give either Horde or Alliance access to a the Baradin Hold raid instance.
The zone will also function as a daily quest hub, similar to the Isle of Quel'Danas from Burning Crusade. Quests will be available to both factions between battles.
Each battle lasts 30 minutes with a 1 hour cooldown after each battle is over.
Victory is achieved by capturing all 3 buildings at the same time (Ironclad Garrison, Warden's Vigil, and Slagworks). There are also 3 towers that can be destroyed which will extend the battle timer by 3 minutes for each tower destroyed.
The zone will also award Tol Barad Marks of Honor which can be used to purchase items and gear unique to the zone.
There are also 2 factions which reside on the island that players will be able to gain reputation with, Baradin's Wardens and Hellscream's Reach. Each faction will yield purchasable rewards based on reputation level for players.