Its simple. You want Unrestricted PvP, Go for it. Just don’t pretend it is RP or matters anything in RP, It Ain’t. You want Restricted PvP, Go for it. Just don’t pretend it is PvP or matters anything in PvP, It Ain’t.
The two are sadly exclusive. Assuming my potato of a PC actually allowed me to properly get into PvP, I’m not going to spend seconds typing out what my character is saying whilst someone bursts me, at which point what is the point of pretending it is an RPPvP campaign? Its a PvP one… Also how do those Cavalry Charges work in PvP? Or Steamtanks?
WoW’s PvP is -very- limited in what it can handle. We’re all playing on an RP Realm, the Story is more important than the PvP, So…just run with it that way. Its a collaborative story, We got our backside kicked last night, and had to flee. You don’t -win-every scrap, nor should you, and accepting that makes for better story.
Unrestricted means Clownshoes, Lightning, whirling bunnies, and a battle over in seconds. Zero roleplay. Restricted means a slog, takes longer, less snacky stuff, pushing and shoving by lines, more ‘realistic’ than Unrestricted, but harder to adjudicate who won.
I think more coordination between the opposing generals in advance would be helpful “You know what, you’re going to win this one, but tomorrow, we kick your behind” Sure, that sounds overly scripted, but only between a handful of people who are essentially storytelling the event anyway! Like I say, last night the Sun Hawks went into the air -knowing- that we (as in the Horde) were going to lose, it gave some beautiful moments as we fought over the mountain pass, to cover the last Horde troops as they evacuated, then found ourselves isolated, and had to flee. We’ve never done that before. We’ve never had to run…But the rest of the Horde were so far away, and we still have no idea what the Alliance would do to us if captured, so we had no choice, but to run and fight another day…
What can be done about RP-PvP? Ramp up the RP element. This isn’t about getting honour points, or looking like an Internet badman, this is about -your character, who you are hopefully invested in, going to war and suffering the spray of blood on their face, the clang of steel on shield, the hiss as a magical spell lashes past your ear, the blessed feeling of ease as a Healer mends a cut you had taken to the leg, the Horror at facing a vast green juggernaut of an enemy as they roar, spittle spraying from their lips, axe proceeding them, leaping up to give their axe all the more impetus as it comes down, and all you have is this shield! Or the cruel hedonistic eyes of a slim, agile creature, more beautiful than you will ever be, faster, cleverer, it even laughs as you trade blows, and the laughter is like falling water, You feel crude, and lumpen, then you remember the Orc, snarl and raise your sword on high, double handed and bring it crashing down on the Blood Elf.
You have to make a balance between the PvP, and the RP, too far either way, and you’re going to lose half your market.