Is it possible to know how popular battlegrounds are amongst the playerbase, perhaps compared to M+, raids etc?
I’ve always been convinced that a large proportion of the playerbase plays and enjoys the low stakes, casual nature of random BGs.
If they truly are popular, why aren’t they even able to give us a new battleground every now and then? Or at least put any effort into improving the BGs that so many dislike?
On the otherhand, they’ll put massive effort into making new dungeons and a several massive raids each expansion.
PVE is basically playing against the computer. They need to create new dungeons and raids constantly, because they are exactly the same each time you enter them. PVE is generally low risk, low reward. You can’t get an adrenaline rush for beating the same dungeon boss for the 50th time It’s a safe space as you’re expected to win.
PVP on the other hand is not scripted and the same battleground is always different and cannot be predicted. I’ve played WoW for 15 years on and off, and I still get excited when winning a close WSG match, despite the fact that it’s the first BG map I ever played.
So creating new BG maps would be great, but it’s not so important as the map isn’t what makes PVP exciting, unlike PVE. The human factor and the idea that entering PVP does not guarantee a win, is what keeps people hooked.
As long they dont fix then algoritm for LFG epic bg’s i honestly just hope wow bg’s will die out silently. Way too many “miracles” - where you over 12+ games by miracle always end i loosing group. no matter time, no matter class and no matter faction.
The Developers have hinted that finally, new battleground maps will come up in the next season. I am not sure why it takes so long a time to design new maps, but hopefully, the long wait will end soon, with a couple of new battlegrounds coming our way.
Why can’t we just have, I dunno, a 20 v 20 free for all on the existing Stormwind or Org maps?
Throw in capture points and/or orbs around that let you see the opposing team on the map for as long as you hold them, maybe some Ashran style buffs and a few PVE mobs.
Seal off buildings, maybe the docks too, no flying obvs. Enough restrictions so there’s hunting without it turning into an endless game of hide and seek (although a bit of that would be fun).
Win conditions are victory points earned by PVP kills, objective holding and key PVE kills. Not all that different from AV except with no end boss to rush.
I like the idea of just using existing terrain to create some quick maps. Hide & seek aspect is fun - hunters tracking will come in really useful. Maybe do an Arathi Blizzard over Stormwind, so you can only see people who are nearby.
They could adapt bits of map from Stranglethorn Vale, Stromgarde Keep (Arathi Highlands), Gilneas city etc.
The skill range in battlegrounds is definitely much wider, but of course also the gear range. You see players with anywhere from 200k health to full gladiator gear.
I can usually predict which side is going to win by looking at the roster at the start and sorting it by PvP level. I still do my best even if the odds seem against the side I’m playing and it is usually fun.
Most of the people I know in WoW don’t play PvP at all. I think there are a lot of players who just don’t like losing. Challenge is fine, but they like to come out winning every time.
I think the weekly rotating brawls have been entertaining and some of them have been very good. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those were turned into permanent battlegrounds.
Considering how much every new BG’s has been crapped on by the pvp folk i am not surprised at all that they have zero to no interest at all to create anything new for pvp side of the game.
Maybe because they ARE crap? If I never had to set foot in Seething Shore or Temple of Kotmogu again it would be too soon. Deepwind Gorge was changed for the better at least.
Shocked Pikachu face - “The playerbase does not enjoy 5v10 games, with invisible boat men shooting them from 500 yards above - a bugged battleground that we have not bothered to fix for 5 years?”
Imagine if M+ dungeon mobs were sometimes invisible but could still deal damage. That would be hotfixed within hours of release.
Well to be fair Blizzard can’t win in this part of the game. If they do reskinned WSG that is exactly the same people will yell at them for being lazy and if they go out of the box and try something new people will yell at them that they want new WSG or AB.
I know the newer BG’s have been kind of awful but personally i would always like something new rather than just reskin of some old BG. I would rather let them try to create something different than same o same o.
Hell i can’t even remember when i last time played WSG or AB it must have been in legion or bfa because i just find both boring as hell.
I think some people will yell no matter what. You can please some of the people, some of the time.
Also those who dislike it are going to tend towards being vocal about it, whereas those who enjoy a new map probably won’t say anything.
I think they could at least put some effort into finding out what battlegrounds people do enjoy. Have they ever asked us which ones we enjoy? I can’t recall if so.
It’s a safe space as you’re expected to win.