Ashran doesn't just bring out the worst in people, it rewards them for it!

[Deleted]

From the very beginning Ashran is now all about joining an Instance where your team is already winning, in fact it's the only viable way to play it unless you desire to be utterly slaughtered. Basically they created a setting where only the clueless end up constantly getting slaughtered and curbstomped while everyone else will join a group that is already dominating. (In other games these people are refered to as winnig team joiners and many games try to either punish or solve this behavior by swapping around teams). In WoW this is encouraged and seen as success because only "participation numbers matter".

Secondly, if you actually engage in PvP in Ashran or actively try to win objectives/participate in general, you're doing it wrong. Just standing around idle for hours isn't just a viable option that overall nets you the very same rewards gear wise and in progress towards things such as the Nemesis quests it's actually the better way to go about it and often times the quicker way.
Why? Because Ashran severely punishes dying, something that is integral part of PvP and sometimes outright helps your group win. Blizzard meanwhile punishes you for it. At the very beginning you even got armor damage if you were in combat with any NPC at that time, now you merely lose fragments and quite likely lose out on progress for quests during your way back and rezz time but if you're after conquest you get denied that also. While people who avoid PvP, afk in the back or hold back in purpose get get to enjoy the full rewards, basically doing the very same thing Blizzard sought to prevent by denying people not being in the zone any kind of rewards and progress they ended up helping those the most.

Even then a lot of people who attend Ashran are not even part of the PvP crowd, there's a lot of PvE players who're simply after cheap, fast and easy gear who quite often revile PvP. This ends up to get so bad at times that people join groups that state that they don't do events just to demand said groups do events anyway.


So basically Blizzard build a battle ground where you get punished for actually engaging in PvP, where acting in a selfish, egoistic and vile manner ends up benefiting you hugely and that attracts a group of people not normaly seen participating in PvP because they don't have to as PvP can almost entirely being avoided on the back of those dumb enough to actually try and PvP inside there.

[PrairieChicken]

The entire zone is just horribly designed that I don't know where to start with.

[Deleted]

Newbie question, but can we "like" a thread? Deleth you make some great points. I think the worst bit about ashran is how punishing it is for new players who dont come to forums and simply dont understand the "meta" of joining a faction dominating raid group. Not everyone comes looking for info, they just kick back and enjoy playing the game. The ashran game for these people is to be camped in their base by a full raid that periodacally disappears everytime an event crops up then comes back to kill them again. Lord help them if they are silly enough to actually try to do an event. So after lots of death and NO rewards they conclude its a waste of time and more importantly:

THAT PVP ISN'T FUN.

So we lose a potential pvper as they go back to pet battles and siting in their garrison complaining in /4 that theres nothing to do in game.

[Deleted]

Ashran is a farm. Who who the hell goes to have fun on a farm?! Holinka is happy because Ashran finally found some kind of purpose for its existence.

[Mormolyce]

Basically they created a setting where only the clueless end up constantly getting slaughtered and curbstomped while everyone else will join a group that is already dominating.

So like, every BG in the game?

[Deleted]

So like, every BG in the game?

Nope, plenty for small scale and even 1v1 action in a bg. No such thing in ashran. It's deathball vs. scrubs.

[DarthMonk79]

So its another version of LFR? I mean how many people go AFK or do plain stupid stuff in LFR. They get rewarded for it though, so welcome to the joy that PVErs experience every LFR.

[Deleted]

So its another version of LFR? I mean how many people go AFK or do plain stupid stuff in LFR. They get rewarded for it though, so welcome to the joy that PVErs experience every LFR.

Yep, LFR for pvp.