Potshot began wanting into honor gear… the welfare epics of ye olde Traditional WoW... with a watch in direction of how we would obtain some upgrades to set us up greatest each for the remaining regular mode dungeons in addition to our potential run at a number of the heroic dungeons that Cataclysm has to supply, just like the heroic Deadmines.
Keep in mind once I was excited in regards to the thought of that? I did an entire quickie submit simply primarily based on the concept again in 2009… again within the days when my common submit measurement was underneath 500 phrases quite than effectively over 1,000. [I also fixed the links in that post so they go to the Internet Archive, WoW.com having long since ceased to be a thing. That was also before my blog had been plagued by link rot.] How silly I used to be to imagine in Blizz, how hopeful I used to be that it will be one thing good. Right here’s the spoiler… Cookie is the ultimate boss. A mockery of my vanilla reminiscences.
Unhealthy meals in every single place… it is sort of a metaphor
I received’t go as far as to say it ruined my expertise, however the remedy of probably the most iconic dungeons within the sport was one thing of a minor disappointment.
Anyway, gearing up remains to be on our thoughts and honor was a route that served us effectively in Wrath Traditional, so off we went to see how it will serve in Cata Traditional.
The largest shock? Wintergrasp remains to be the runaway winner for accruing honor factors.
This appears odd on condition that Cata confirmed up with a brand new “on a particular schedule” battleground known as Tol Barad. On our server… and doubtless all of the traditional servers I suppose… Wintergrasp exhibits up on the hour, then an hour later Tol Barad lands, after which there’s an hour off till it’s again to Wintergrasp.
I confirmed up one night simply in time for Wintergrasp, so I did that simply to see what the state of affairs was and… it was nonetheless fairly lit. A full battleground, huge battles, individuals in all places, all of the loopy of Wrath… however on steroids… additionally, filled with dishonest.
It’s a type of issues the place it felt like Wintergrasp was a solved drawback when Wrath Traditional hit, that for those who had a core of people that knew what they have been doing (the “sure, chef” crew have been all the time a successful group) that issues would roll your means.
However the hole between now and l the peak of Wrath Traditional feels just like the hole between reside Wrath and the beginning of Wrath Traditional. The attacking facet is aware of precisely what they’re doing, is aware of precisely how one can escape of the beginning space early. A number of individuals on choppers line them up on the sting of the beginning field with the sidecar going through out.
Hey, this chopper is parked proper right here on the road
You simply leap within the facet automotive and you find yourself on the opposite facet of the road, then the sidecar ejects you and off you go, 30, 60, 90 seconds early within the battle.
Hey, I’m within the battleground now!
Then you’ll be able to run round taking down defender cannons, killing horde NPCs, and customarily establishing the win.
I’m a lieutenant earlier than the battle has began!
However the true level is that Wintergrasp appears to be alive and lively. It helps that it isn’t carried out per server… the server numbers have been taking place and down with Cata Traditional… however in ever consolidated server teams. Even so, my reminiscences of the launch of Cata was of WG being a dozen individuals, 8 on one facet, 4 on the opposite, attempting to make a match occur. So the truth that it appears to be booming was a little bit of a shock.
Then once more, I had not tried Tol Barad but.
In actual fact, I had by no means carried out Tol Barad to my recollection till final week.
And Tol Barad… was not fairly. Isn’t fairly.
I’ve solely performed 5 matches up to now, and each one was… unusual… although unusual in precisely the identical means each time.
Three of them the Alliance was on protection. We held the sector and Horde was attacking.
When the match began nearly everyone ran over to the bridge the place the attackers entered and slaughtered as many Horde as they might. A number of small teams went to the contested factors to observe for anyone leaking by means of (or as a result of they wanted the achievement for 10 kills at these places) and zapped them as they confirmed up.
After which a lot of the Alliance sat on the respawn level and camped the Horde in. Critically, we arrange a bit of picnic and sat and watched the Horde. We’d run up and attempt to hit them, and they might peek out from the purpose the place they have been protected and attempt to yoink certainly one of us up onto their ledge, however largely it was only a stalemate.
Tenting the Horde… they appear as settled in as we’re
Tol Barad lasts for quarter-hour and on protection we usually spent 8 to 12 of these minutes doing this. Positive, someone would slip out every so often, however then the teams elsewhere on the map would catch them and that will be that.
Alliance deployment on protection
Potshot and I did Tol Barad collectively and noticed this and have been “WTF was that?”
Then I used to be on protection with the Alliance once more and… identical factor. How does this occur?
Mages placing up portals for amusement
So I noticed that twice earlier than I bought in on one the place the Alliance was on offense and I although, “Nicely, it’s our flip within the barrel I suppose.” I figured we’d be caught up there on the respawn ledge.
However no. The Alliance ran in and received on the assault in 5 minutes. Tremendous simple, barely an inconvenience. Twice I’ve seen that now, and thrice I’ve seen the protection factor the place we now have camped Horde in a means that feels extra like an EVE On-line operation than a WoW battleground.
From these 5 experiences, a couple of ideas clearly sprang to thoughts, on this order:
- Are the Horde in our server group simply unhealthy at this? (Or low inhabitants?)
- Did one thing in Cata Traditional break Tol Barad?
- Has Tol Barad all the time been this unhealthy, even again in retail?
Sadly, I can’t actually reply any of these as I can’t recall ever having carried out Tol Barad again within the day… again in any day… earlier than WoW Traditional.
I may even grant that 5 matches is a small pattern measurement. I might have simply gotten very fortunate, although the entire thing ran to such a predictable sample every time that it felt scripted. However the truth that we aren’t all the time on protection no less than implies that the Horde wins every so often. However with the server teams stuff you by no means can inform. Alliance all the time appears to be on the assault for WG and but we all the time win… although I believe the attackers simply all the time win on that now.
I even requested within the battleground chat if this was how Tol Barad went and folks have been “Yeah, just about.”
Lastly, I in all probability received’t spend way more time investigating it. I imply, I would do it once more if I occur to be on and able to go. However the closing blow to Tol Barad is that the consideration payout isn’t all that nice. In comparison with the optimized Wintergrasp “kill all of the towers then break down the doorways” assault sample, I have to run Tol Barad no less than thrice to get as a lot honor as I get from a single Wintergrasp.
So how about it? What’s up with Tol Barad?
