Reflections on “Echoes of Doom” and PvP

Player versus Player

• Every human paladin had suddenly adopted the Goku/Vegeta hairstyles favored by the sin’dorei males.  What this says about human paladins, I don’t know.
• Unfortunately, this has resulted in a few occasions where enemy has been confused with ally and vice versa — sometimes with hilarious results.
• Warriors seem to be overwhelmingly attached to their Whirlwind buttons.  Can they use any other abilities or did the patch somehow remove them?
• While every Alliance hunter seems to possess one of the new corehound pets, very few of the Horde do.  I don’t know whether I should be pleased or disappointed.
• Speaking of hunters, please make sure to bring your pets onto the battlefield with you.  I saw hunters exclaim that they’d forgotten their animal companions no less than five times this afternoon.

• I can break 300,000 in healing easily in any and every Battleground, but 500,000 seems to escape me.  I don’t think there’s an achievement for it and I really don’t care if there is, but it’s driving me crazy to hit 490,000 over and over yet never break 500,000.
• 100,000 Honorable Kills for 100000 Honorable Kills¹ seems crazy, but I’ve already run into four people who have this, including one on the Feathermoon US roleplaying server.
• I’ve yet to hit 25000 Honorable Kills, but I’m 1,000 Honorable Kills closer after this morning.
• Other than priests, just who didn’t get a knockback this last patch?  Not only do I need to contend with spell interruptions, but now there are knockbacks?  Bah!
• Every Man for Himself has negated the need to carry my Insignia of the Alliance.  This is a welcome change because not only do I have a free trinket slot now, but I also find myself using it more.
• I do, however, miss the previous incarnation of Perception and find my finger spasmodically twitching to use this ability when I hear a stealthed opponent.
• Being unable to join a Battleground because I get the “Transfer Aborted: instance not found” error is irksome, especially when the people in my group manage to get into the same Battleground that suddenly doesn’t exist.

• I still hate the current incarnation of Alterac Valley and wistfully reflect back on the days of yore when it was entirely different — but nowhere else do I get to heal so many people against so many enemies!
• I would be unstoppable in the Batlegrounds if I could somehow get my hands on a Glyph of Spirit of Redemption.  I want that damned glyph!
• Listening to the unwashed masses in Trade, I’ve learned that this patch has singularly destroyed PvP as we know it, revitalized PvP, resulted in creating far too many overpowered classes², and has ruined the game.  As always, I’m tempted to leave the Trade channel, but then I wouldn’t get to enjoy seeing people recommend to jump off of the Aldor Terrace for the Going Down? achievement.³
• As a hint, jumping from the Scyers’ Terrace to the ground below appears to be exactly 65 yards.  You need to fall to the ground and not the ramp or overpass.
• Regardless of the changes made, Alliance still can’t agree on a single battle plan in any Battleground.  The world as we know it is not over.

Related Posts

1. No Time to Say Hello, Goodbye!
2. Single-Target Priestly Healing in “Echoes of Doom”
3. Pimpin’ the UI: “Echoes of Doom” Edition