Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Horde mentality

I've played on a PVP server from the start and wouldn't change that given the chance. Sure there are those times when some douchebag makes your playing time hell for a while, corpse camping and such, but it doesn't happen very often and there are some ways you can deal with it. I'm not going into my PVP avoidance strategies now, but maybe in a later post.

What I want to talk about today is this certain mentality that goes along with playing Horde. Up until now I had only played Alliance characters up to a level where I'm seeing the opposing faction regularly and having to deal with the PVP aspect of being on a PVP server. Now that I'm questing in Ashenvale and Hillsbrad on my mage, I'm seeing a lot more Alliance running around and while my initial instincts are to leave them alone and they'll leave me alone, I'm finding it very difficult to do that. It seems there is a certain mentality that goes along with playing Horde, sort of a hunger for battle, and a need to attack any and all members of the Alliance. I'm finding more and more that I understand why most Horde will just attack on sight and do everything they can to make sure they win. I always hated getting attacked from behind when I was in the middle of taking out a mob, but I also know that while it may seem dishonorable, I also know that if you are considered at war with someone you don't play fair, you play to win.

Just the other day, as I was running across Ashenvale to get to Zoram'Gar Outpost, I saw a few Alliance pass me by. As I ran by each of them I found myself overwhelmed with the urge to blast them away, but being that they were all about 5 or 6 levels above me I decided it probably wasn't going to turn out well. The other thing I noticed myself thinking was what pansies these guys were being. I mean come on, you got some little Horde mage running across Ashenvale, a territory that was obviously infringed upon by those Orcs and their lumber camps, and you let this guy, who you outclass by at least 5 levels, run right by you. If the situation were switched you would be laying face down in the nice flora that Ashenvale tends to have a lot of, and in about five levels I will be doing just that. On any of my Alliance characters I would be the pansy, running by any Horde that doesn't provoke me without a second thought. But I was Horde this time, and Horde shows no mercy, I will tear you apart without a second thought if I have even the slightest chance of winning. I'm not saying I will be one of those guys that hunts low level players to mess with and then camps their bodies for 15 minutes, but just don't turn your back on me or you might find a fireball in your back.

It's funny how this game can change your mentality just by putting you on the other side and making you feel the part you are supposed to be playing. Even the way quests are described is very different and will influence your playstyle. If you don't like the fact that you have to kill animals for quests, you better roll Alliance because they are always concerned with that, but only do it because it's necessary and make sure you know they regret that it has to be done. As far as Horde go, they will kill as many beasts as it takes if they are considered a threat, and even more to prevent the threat from resurfacing. There was even a cool quest in Ashenvale when you invade an Alliance outpost along with 4 Horde NPCs and kill everything there. I don't remember anything like that for Alliance. Sure you attack Horde bases, but it's always because they are clear cutting the forest or stealing your supplies or something, never just because they are the enemy and should be killed. I'm finding I like Horde more every time I play, too bad my friends all wanted to play Alliance when I started out. I was gonna roll Horde from the start but my friends changed my mind, and it's too bad I didn't because this new experience I'm getting is much better than I thought it would be.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I don't know what server you're on. But I play Horde on Emerald Dream, and we are severely outnumbered by Alliance. Add to that the fact that the Alliance on my server tends to play like you describe the Horde, and getting to 70 on the Horde side becomes a badge of honor.

As for questing, I think you're seeing the Alliance as the "good guys", so they're always more concerned with nature and the like. This really isn't all that true. Tauren are very concerened with the balance of nature, orcs and trolls are trying to survive as best they can. Actually if someone had to be bad it would be blood elves and forsaken because of how they act.

Though you have to admit, the alliance races are far from innocent, just look at their individual histories.

Anonymous said...

On the server I play on the Horde are constantly bombarded. While playing Alliance you might get the odd Horde attack on Westfall now and then, playing Horde the defence channel is constantly spammed with "The (insert place here) is under attack". I agree with the first comment - Alliance behaviour is what you describe the Horde to be like. Its very hard to level up a Horde character.
Also I find Horde players to be much more mature. General Chat or Trade doesn't decend into childish arguements on Horde anywhere near as much as it does on Alliance. It still happens though, just not anywhere near as much.

Anonymous said...

I do realize that this post hasn't been active in a while, I came across it and had to post.

From the Alliance perspective...

I Play alliance on 2 pvp servers (Destromath and Wildhammer) Both Servers are heavy on the Horde side and Heavy on Horde ganking! For almost 4 years now its the same thing over and over again...your solo questing, down to half health and here come a horde or 2 several leveles above you to take that cheap shot...WHY? then to be camped by that horde until you get so pissed you log..whats fun or sporting about killing a player 10-15 levels lower than you?

I don't cry, I choose to play on a PVP server, I feel it ads alot to the game play and its dynamics but c'mon Horde on these 2 servers are just out of control! Just last night my wife and I were lvling up our DK's we see 2 horde a lvl 74 and 75 (Mage and Druid)..were both 73 and yes we could down them easy especially when they are fighing mobs, did we? NO we went on doing our thing. once we started on the mobs and taking a slight beating they try and gank us....we kicked their asses, we go on they try again and ends the same way...they now call in a lvl 80...WTF???

So I do have an opinion on the matter...coming from Asherons call (DarkTide PVP Server) to wow, you were able to communicate with all races, I found that 75% of the gankers were those under 18-21, as well as those who are and were picked on, overweight and very immature. Unlike wow you could fight, kill and loot your opponent, therefor making it easy to talk smack and get into the mind of your opponent, I clearly remember getting ganked by 170's - 200's when I was lvl 126, I would always ask why they ganked me and weird but they would actually tell me that it made them feel good to finally be the aggressor and feel good about themselves.

So In my opinion maybe the Horde is just the younger crowd, maybe by playing a big mean looking character gives them the chance to serve up a little payback, also with not being able to hear what the other side says makes it even better...maybe...

I do have a few horde characters (4 under 40) and never felt the need t go cheap shot an alliance guy, especially one thats under my level, I have the same mentality, they attack me I fight back, if another horde is fighting one on one I stay back...keep it fair! So I feel its an age and maturity issue :)

Gold Guide for World of Warcraft said...

good post :)

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