World of Warcraft®

With the advent of Arena Season 9, we roleplayers have had an interesting and potentially
useful tool added to our "toolbox" of game mechanics that can be used to enhance and
support roleplay.

I refer, here, to /wargames.

The Wargames option seems intended for PvP players first and foremost, with little
consideration as such to roleplay, however, like many other game mechanics, it can
be a powerful utility for our story-crafting.

The /wargame command takes two groups, be they parties, raids, or one of each, and pits
them against each other in an unrated, un-ranked, no-honor-gained match set in one of the
Battleground [or arena, but more on that later] maps.

This holds many possibilities for RPPvP.

This thread will look at:

why is this thread here? - post 1
What are /wargames for in RP? - post 2
How do I start a /wargame? - post 3
What battleground map should I use? - post 4

What could I use /wargames for?

Any time when two groups of players would be in large-scale physical conflict. These
groups could be as small as 2 characters on a side, though typically will need to be 5 or higher, or as large as 40 on a side.

The groups do not need to be in opposing factions.

Two Alliance-faction groups [such as a city guard group and a criminals group] could elect to have a /wargame to represent the scene in their ongoing storyline where the guards have finally tracked the criminals down to their hideout. Two Horde-faction goblin guilds could have a "rumble" to settle which group gets to shake down the tourists in town.

The event cannot be joined by outsiders.

For more organized RPPvP events of the sort often favoured by military-themed RP guilds, outsiders stumbling upon a long-planned battle with a nemesis might not be something desired. Instead, a planned /wargame challenge, meeting their "opposing" number on the battlefield of choice, can be a highly immersive experience. No non-roleplayers involved in your battleground gives a chance to roleplay the lead-up to an engagement, the shouting of commands, the broad-scale tactics, and the time involved in such a conflict, without annoying the non-RP-server characters in your normal battleground play. It allows for rivalries to grow between familiar faces, akin to the first server-specific battlegrounds.

Outsiders and observers can be invited.

As long as you don't exceed the per-side capacity of your chosen location and you meet the minimum per-side required for your chosen location, you can invite
other characters to attend, even if they do not plan to engage directly in combat. Running and hiding can work quite well, even in such an environment. Whilst none can stay un-flagged and neutral, a small amount of player etiquette and communication can let
both sides know that some characters are non-combatants - 'though non-combatants on a
battlefield take some risks.

Sadly, level DOES matter. All participants must be within the same 5-level-battleground-bracket. Whilst this limits the use of /wargames to some degree, it has proven thus far to be less of an impediment than one might initially think.

It can represent almost [but not quite] anywhere.

There are a limited number of battleground and arena environments, true. That said, each
battleground map can potentially represent a good number of locations elsewhere in the
game world. If you choose a map which matches [to some degree] your two groups' current location, and you have an appropriate number of participants for your chosen map, the story can continue seamlessly.

You can take time to set the stage.

Sections of the maps might be what you are looking for. Tracked the cultists to their cave? There is an excellent cave in Alterac Valley. Once arriving in the instance, being "out of character" for a few minutes whilst both sides run to take their places in the cave in question will not disrupt the roleplay of other players, because you are in an instance, and not in the larger game world.

All well and good, but how do we actually get this to happen? It's a simple process.

Step one: Form up into groups. Each side of two-or-more characters needs to form either a Party or a Raid. They need not both be parties, they need not both be raids - there could be one of each. All participants on both sides need to be within one normal "battleground level" - that is, say, levels 10-14, or levels 75-79.

Step two: Choose a location. The various Battlegrounds are the simplest option. Each of the battlegrounds has a maximum number of player characters per side. you can have fewer [with a minimum set by each map], but you cannot have more. The list below [part 4] includes the minimum numbers per side for each map, and the maximum sizes of each battleground, as well as a listing of some of the places that battleground is best suited to represent. You need each side separately to have between the minimum and maximum participants of the map. Arenas allow for the smallest matches, with only two per side needed, but in turn need equal sides, where the battleground maps require only each side to be within a given range.

Arenas are a special case. You can choose an arena, BUT if you do so the sides must be of an equal number [and of course, must fit within the maximum number of characters for that map]. Arenas might be appropriate for small-group roleplay for training soldiers, gladiators, or mercenaries.

Step three: Challenge. The Party or Raid Leader of one group needs to type the following into their chat interface:

/wg groupleadername mapname

Obviously, rather than typing groupleadername, you should type the name of the character this is the Party or Raid Leader of the other group. Instead of mapname, you should type the full name [including spaces] of the battleground you have chosen. Type Arathi Basin, not ArathiBasin. As of patch 4.2 in late June or early July 2011, there is additionally a tab in the PvP panel which makes initiating a /wargame [and remembering battleground maximums and minimums] easier:

After you've formed your group (a minimum number of party members is needed depending on the Battleground or Arena chosen), open the Player vs. Player window (H), and select the War Games tab. To start a War Game you must be the party leader, select a Battleground or Arena, target an opposing party leader, and click the Start War Game button.

The other party leader will receive a pop-up notice.

The challenged party leader then has a little over a minute to accept the challenge. Once he or she accepts, each group will be placed in the queue and will receive a pop-up window prompting them to enter the skirmish once it's ready.

Step four: Accept the challenge. The leader of the receiving group will get a small window, open for about a minute, asking him to accept the challenge. Accept the challenge.

Step five: Wait just a moment. Blizzard have said queue times for /wargames should be around a minute or less, since no time will need to be spent finding team members for either side in the battleground.

Step six: When you enter the battleground, take up appropriate positions [if desired, and as appropriate], and start to roleplay your fight, your training, your encounter, your whatever.

It is that simple. Yes, you could set arbitrary rules to enhance the scene, or to limit the conflict ["level 60 PvP uniforms" or "once killed, don't leave the graveyard area"].

When the scene is finished, you should have the option on each character to leave the battleground, just as if you were in a normal battleground. You need not wait until the battleground match would end normally.

In addition to formal roleplay, these instanced servers also allow many possibilities for getting combat screenshots of your guild in action, or filming recruitment videos, or, yes, actually training or testing the PvP skills of potential recruits.

But their roleplaying potential is quite large.

So what map should I choose?

Each battelground and arena map is restricted by number of participants, so that limit is
listed immediately after the map name in the list below. If either side has more than
this number, you cannot successfully choose that map. Even if some of that number
are non-combatants or observers. Everyone going, counts. Each map also has a minimum number of participants, also listed below. Each side separately needs at least this number to successfully launch that wargame.

Each battleground and arena map can be used to represent a number of game-world
environments and locations, whether entirely or in part. I'll be including suggestions
and descriptions in this list, and ask for people to post further notes and ideas in this
regard in the thread.

List of battlegrounds:

Warsong Gulch - minimum 5 and maximum 10 per side - A mix of Ashenvale and Barrens terrain, with both night elf and orc architecture. Can represent: Warsong Gulch battleground, the Barrens, Ashenvale, Silverwing outpost.

Arathi Basin - minimum 8 and maximum 15 per side - Generic human architecture with typical deciduous forest and field. Can represent: Arathi Basin battleground, Lordaeron, Hillsbrad Foothills, Arathi Highlands, Elywnn Forest, edge of Lakeshire.

Eye of the Storm - minimum 8 and maximum 15 per side - Blood Elf and Draenei architecture amongst the shattered ruin of Netherstorm. Can represent: Netherstorm.

Alterac Valley - minimum 10 maximum 40 per side - Orc and Dwarf architecture, mountains, hills, snow, caves, sprawling battleground with many active NPCs. Huge. Can represent: Alterac valley battleground, Dun Morogh, caves, mines, parts of Borean Tundra, Alterac Mountains, Winterspring.

Strand of the Ancients - minimum 8 maximum 15 per side - Titan Architecture resembling that of Wintergrasp, goblin workshops. Can represent: Strand of the Ancients battleground, Wintergrasp, Uldum.

Island of Conquest - minimum 10 maximum 40 per side - Northrend geography and orc, human, and mostly goblin architecture. Can represent: Island of Conquest battleground, Borean Tundra, Howling Fjord, Kezan.

Battle for Gilneas - minimum 5 maximum 10 per side - Gilneas zone representation. Can represent: Gilneas, silverpine.

Twin Peaks - minimum 5 maximum 10 per side - Twilight Highlands with Wildhammer dwarf and orc architecture. Can represent: Twin Peaks battleground, Twilight Highlands, Arathi Highlands.

As mentioned, the Arenas are a special case. Not only must each side be no higher
than the maximum per side, they must also be equal sides in number - two and two, three and three.

Ring of Valor Arena - 2, 3, 5 per side - This represents the interior of the Ring fo
Valor in Orgrimmar. Gladiatorial combat, but perhaps even more military training and
duels of honour.

Ruins of Lordaeron Arena - 2, 3, 5 per side - This represents the outer courtyard of the
ruins of Lordaeron City above the Undercity, filled with the ghosts of the dead. Shady
dealings, warlock covens, strikes by and against Scarlets and the Forsaken, and
assassinations seem more appropriate here than gladiatorial fights.

Ring of Trials Arena - 2, 3, 5 per side - Located in Nagrand, this may be the least
useful of the /wargames maps, since traveling to that location in Nagrand will also flag
members for all-comers PvP, just as in the Gurubashi Arena. In a pinch, perhaps it could
also represent a goblin-run arena in Dire Maul or Tanaris.

Circle of Blood Arena - 2, 3, 5 per side - Located very visibly in Blade's Edge
Mountains, this arena cannot easily stand in for anywhere else.

Dalaran Arena - 2, 3, 5 per side - Set in the sewers of Dalaran, the environment could
also stand in for sewers in the Undercity area, and at a stretch sewers in Undermine.

Small spanner to throw in the works here:
I just tried qeueing for a Warsong Gulch wargame with two parties of two players each. The message that came up said it wouldn't let us enter because the players were not of equal level...

I look forward to the opportunities this might well provide for the RPPvP environment. The heavy phasing that is present in some regions has sort of put a dampener on world PvP.

This really does sound very interesting. Thanks a lot for the informative post, I plan to do some testing of my own on this!

A bit of a shame that places like AV need the maximum amount of characters to participate in, but other than that, it seems like an interesting, little feature they've added. Thanks for the informative post!

Thanks for the testing, Kozgugore and Restan.

As neither of those restrictions are supposed to be true, according to Blizzard's posting on the matter [player characters must all be of equal level for Battleground wargame; must have exactly the correct maximum numbers for each side to use map], I'll assume for now that those are bugs.

Will look further into it, and make changes as necessary. Hopefully they get ironed out.

If it works as described, this is quite phenomenal. Are arenas and battlegrounds the only places where a wargame can be held?

Yes. Blizzard have given no indication that /wargames can be held in other instances such as dungeons. Just battlegrounds and arenas. And that is a lot of environments available, really.

I've not had much chance to test this myself, as my game time has been between 03h00 and 06h00 lately, so forming parties to test /wargames with me is no one's priority, but shall get more testing in soon.

In the mean-time, a thought: was the "too low a level" trouble involving a character below the normal minimum level requirements for that battleground? Those minimum levels may still apply. Will test it.

This sounds something I am getting excited about. - Not only because it could start showing many people that most of the PvP and PvE tools can be turned to a RP too too with a bit of effort - but also because it's so bloody awesome idea!

Honestly. This is something I thought back few months ago, and back then I sadly knew it wouldn't really be possible with the normal battlegrounds. - I am happy if this really has been made to the game.

Now, even these wouldn't be open RP battles, they still could make good usage of it. People tend to go with the flow, and if some battle that really wasn't battled in the ground of WoW - was to be accepted by most of the community, no problem for the rest.

Thanks to you, Tsathoggua. This one made my day a lot happier. - I just hope this will not be removed for some reason.

Sigh. One alteration made above - it looks to be so: at present, 'though not seemingly intended, all participants in a /wargame must be able to enter the same level category battleground. That is to say, for example, be levels 10-14, or 75-79. Hopefully this is a bug in the coding, and hopefully it will be fixed.

Dude, you are awesome.

Just giving this a small bump as a reminder to myself to add info to the new battlegrounds as well a few of the older ones. Also updated with the recognition that Blizzard has not changed the needing all participants to be in the same battleground bracket [10-14, 15-19, 20-24, etc]. Need also to test whether same-faction opponents can understand each other in a /wargames setting.

Orc only vs Dwarf only AV has been on my list of events to organize since War Games were announced.

Nice piece of info here.

Awsome!

YES! I got an idea from this thread! A frontline on alterac but at the same time, azmoth is hunting someone, perfect!

An update! As of patch 4.2 in late June or early July 2011, there will additionally be a tab in the PvP panel which will make initiating a /wargame [and remembering battleground maximums and minimums] easier:

After you've formed your group (a minimum number of party members is needed depending on the Battleground or Arena chosen), open the Player vs. Player window (H), and select the War Games tab. To start a War Game you must be the party leader, select a Battleground or Arena, target an opposing party leader, and click the Start War Game button.

The other party leader will receive a pop-up notice.

The challenged party leader then has a little over a minute to accept the challenge. Once he or she accepts, each group will be placed in the queue and will receive a pop-up window prompting them to enter the skirmish once it's ready.

Some notable elements of various battlegrounds, reliant upon player character activities, and potentially useful for RPPvP.

*Island of Conquest includes not only siege vehicles [including catapults wherein characters can catapult themselves onto or over battlements and other scenery], but airships as well, accessed by player characters for gunnery or parachute assault. The path of the Horde airship takes it in view of the docks, for example, 'though not close, and also near the quarry, 'though not directly above. All people on the airship are granted the parachute ability. The parachute deploys once you leap off the airship, and lasts until you land ... on something. With only modest amounts of practice, one can parachute into the opposing keep's courtyard without waiting for the gates to fall. You are also able to cast and attack players as you are falling down. The Isle of Conquest Siege Engine has the most active positions of any current World of Warcraft siege vehicle: Driver, Main turret gunner,and Two side turret gunners.

*Alterac Valley has a number of player-character driven events, including the rescue of the Air Wing Commander non-player-characters. After you have brought the requisite number of the particular items needed, players of Revered or higher faction reputation can launch the Wing Commander by air to assault the enemy's base. Each Wing Commander will leave to patrol a specific area of the enemy base. Also, Arch Druid Renferal and Primalist Thurloga, located inside the faction fortresses, will accept Storm Crystals or Stormpike Soldier's Blood, which are dropped by fallen characters of the opposite team. When enough of these items are turned in, the Druid or Primalist will move through the valley, accompanied by a group of elite guards, until they reach the Field of Strife. Primalist will go to the area south of Snowfall Graveyard and north of Iceblood Garrison, and Archdruid Renferal will go to the area west of Stonehearth Bunker and east of Stonehearth Outpost. They will then start a summoning ritual, which requires ten players to click on their summoning circle. When this summoning is complete, Ivus the Forest Lord or Lokholar the Ice Lord will be summoned.