Does anyone actually like the new arenas?

[bw13187]

I came to a realization recently. Everyone I've ever played arena with dislikes these two maps. I played a lot on the Tournament Realm when it was up, and random skirm queues always had people complaining about them.

In my opinion, they were plagued with bugs and design problems from the start. Boxes that caused LOS problems even when they clearly would not. Rando fire that would kill you without warning. Warlocks camping out in the pipe. The way people could nose their way into your starting area and fear you prior to the beginning of the match... Yet despite all this, they were kept active in rated play (for a long time).

So they fixed a lot of that, and I found that once I got past the wild and crazy bugs and randomness...I, and many others, still hate these arenas.

Ring of Valor. Starting this close to your opponent was a novel idea that I feel has largely worn on us. Sometimes it seems DKs can catapult their horses to far into your side and drop a DND so quickly and far away that there is nowhere for a rogue to hide, even if he runs straight back. (and god help you if you run forward, you're just asking to get holy novad, arcane exploded, DND'd, flared, warrior shouted, etc etc etc) Starting in close proximity is not that bad of a thing, except for stealth classes. But I'll just leave it at that.

Let's say you're trying to recover from a warlock or a mage trying to burn you down, and you seek refuge behind a pillar. Happens all the time in arena, right? Well it just makes me sad to lose a game because at that moment, the pillar decided to disappear. Or conversely, a pillar arises, blocking the LOS of a crucial heal. Yeah, these things are on timers. Doesn't mean I enjoy the gameplay of this arena. I prefer static surroundings, within which you have a dynamic competition. (same reason I turn items off when I play super smash brothers. :P )

And then there's Dalaran, same problem with the water spout. Just don't like it. Would be a pretty okay arena without it, I'd say.

As far as I can tell, someone had the ideas for the arenas and just would not let them go. It's as if they couldn't accept that arena's don't have to be flashy or unique or special. It's the players that are the stars, they will make a good, fun fight without environmental hazards. I'd much rather see a fight end when "that RMP team pulled off a great CC chain on the healer while focusing down the rogue" instead of "the pillar dropped down when the shaman was trying to pole hump, so then the warlock two-shot him."

I just wanted to take a poll and see if I'm alone in my dislike, or if it's true that most people really just don't enjoy playing here. For archive purposes, my preferred order is... Lordaeron, Nagrand, Blade's Edge, Dalaran, Org.

[Rìght]

I don't mind them at all bth. My holy pal partner always complains though =/ Running surv, feral, hpal or feral/hpal /shrug

[Aithan]

Dalaran is fine, I just wish they could remove the lame geyser in the middle that suddenly puts you out of LoS of your partner (randomness = bad for competitive play blizz, I tought you learnt that from the tornado in nagrand, why making the same mistakes?).

RoV is just the worst pile of elekk dung I've seen in pvp, and considering the state of WoW pvp atm, that's saying much. Disappearing pillars are SO MUCH FUN eh? Getting global'ed by double dps with absolutely no way to hide/LoS is SO MUCH FUN, eh? Why dont you freaking add "Tanaris desert" and make a completely flat map next time?

[DrJones]

Ok, I'm going to ignore how the new arenas have been like, when they were first implemented and I'm simply ignoring all the bugs still present there as well, so here goes.

In ring of valor, you can get realy unlucky and have a team that will realy rape you if the get you in LoS, and this arena will make sure at some point you do.
But if you don't face one of those "oh my god not on this map, oh we are so screwed" teams, it can be realy fun, if you get the timing for the pillars down.
Still not one of my favourite arenas.

Dalaran sewers is ... well... except for the waterfall nothing special or amazing there, only a few boxes on a podest, I guess I'm okay with this one as well, but it's no favourite.

But when I think about the other arenas, what I like and what I don't like, I realize ... I hate them all equally.
Every arena has something you can use to your advantage and that is nice, but all these things can be used against you as well and since I remember the bad things that happened to me, but not so much the good things (just like everyone else does :P ), when I think of a specific arena, I think of all the disadvantegous (or how it is spelled <: ) things and I just don't care anymore.

Since I don't hate the new arenas more than the old ones and still play arena (even though I only got back to it recently), I guess the new arenas are ok and I somehow like them too.


I hope, at least some of that made sense.

[kingkow]

I can deal with Dalaran, the water doesn't bother me too much but its mildly annoying. It did need to be bigger which they fixed. However, RoV is a piece of steaming elephant crap. To play it well you really have to download an addon for the pillars which is ridiculous. Starting so close screws anyone in stealth and people can randomly jump into the other place a second before it starts with flying ghouls and feral cat charge.

[xDavidTChang]

i disagree.
sewers its... hey look boomkin/pewpew lava burst lets hump the boxes, oh wait i cant get heals when he pushes me down and i have to run back up.

i lol'ed at the tanaris desert.

[Yagamoth]

Since they scaled up the dalaran sewers I think it's pretty ok. The water in the center is not exactly random, you can actually get the "feeling", when the water will spawn and use it to your advantage ^^

Same with the pillars in RoV. But this arena highly favors teams, which would have to LoS.

But something else - I simply hate RoV. I hate it, because my pet always bugs out there and I can't set my Demonic Portal within a reasonable time.

[Proletariat]

I simply hate RoV. I hate it, because my pet always bugs out there

[Ultralisk]

I like 'em both. That may just be in comparison to my burning hatred for Blades Edge though. Or maybe it's because I play melee so LoS is a good thing rather than a bad thing.

[Chia]

Nagrand arena ftw !, Sewers, Blade edge and ruins are ok but, god Ring of Valor is just the worst shit ever.

[lizard]

in spite of playing melee cleave and mostly facerolling down clothies in it, i strongly despise RoV. it's buggy, it encourages train rapes and it discourages long games with positioning and mana management. sewers also suck, if not quite as hard as RoV.

[Unionoob]

meh.. last point Nagrand.. dunno I more like Bade's Edge

I would love if Blizz would make an arena Blade's edge type ramps with RoV pick up pillars.

[DocQuantum]

I love Nagrand arena. Nice, simple arena; four pillars for humping if needed... open space if not. Very good "feel" to it.

I absolutely HATE Ring of Valor... and not just because my minion bugs out on the elevator EVERY f'ing match. IMO, it's a horrible design for an arena in the first place.

Dalaran Sewers is an interesting arena... I like it, but it's not my favorite.

I used to hate Blade's Edge arena... but now I love it ('lock teleporter ftw).

The UC arena is sort of like Dalaran: interseting, but not my favorite.

[Nythiz]

I think you need to look at it from different perspectives.

You can look at the arena's subjectively and tell which one you prefer. Most really like nagrand. And i know a lot of people hate lordaeron and RoV.

However, i think all arena's are decent when you look at it from a competetive perspective.

Most arena's are pretty well balanced, and most require different strategies. Pillar humping doesn't work as good in arena X as it works in arena Y.
RoV puts you in the face of the enemy, which is a disadvantage for control teams like RPM, and an advantage of (melee) cleave teams.

I think each arena is pretty well placed.

My personal taste (as melee):
- Nagrand: Like (who doesn't ? :P), although pilar humping gets on my nerves sometimes.
- BEM: Don't hate it, but not a huge fan, too much LoS'ing
- Lordaron: Hate it, as melee casters can abuse the tomb in the middle so much that it just gets on my nerves.
- Sewers: I personally like it, even though it has a lot of LoS for casters the big water pillar can often be abused in my favor (bad teams i guess though :P).
- Ring of Valor: As melee I don't hate it. It's a bit of an anti-caster map, like some others are anti-melee. With the removal of the fire walls it's now a much better arena, and doesn't allow for pillar humping as much. I guess it's nagrand without pillars.

Again, i think all arena's are in their place, because they are all unique and promote different comps and/or playstyles and tactics.

Just to quote:

in spite of playing melee cleave and mostly facerolling down clothies in it, i strongly despise RoV. it's buggy, it encourages train rapes and it discourages long games with positioning and mana management.

That's why i personally think it is good. Most of the other arena's are focused on extending games and managing mana. What's so bad about 1 arena not being about that.
Train rape isn't always fun, but its a tactic of a lot of comps (like melee cleave).

I think removing RoV would be a bad move as it brings some diversity in the arsenal of arena's.
Not every arena map should promote the same playstyle and prefer the same setups.

[Jeffx]

I like the Dalaran Sewers arena, altho I have to admit it would've been much better if they would remove the timer-set waterpilar. There's already enough RNG in the classes themselves, why add more difficulties we players have to keep an eye on .

RoV would be much more enjoyable aswell if they would let the pilars be there all game .

[bw13187]

RoV puts you in the face of the enemy, which is a disadvantage for control teams like RPM, and an advantage of (melee) cleave teams.

I think each arena is pretty well placed.

- Ring of Valor: As melee I don't hate it. It's a bit of an anti-caster map, like some others are anti-melee. With the removal of the fire walls it's now a much better arena, and doesn't allow for pillar humping as much. I guess it's nagrand without pillars.

One could just as easily argue that RoV favors casters, as eventually that pillar which is the only thing protecting your healer from warlock/mage domination, will subside. And when this happens, it is a long, long way to run for a new pillar. Same thing as a rogue, sometimes you desperately need cover, you sprint over to a pillar only to see it disappear. This map has been quite frustrating to me as a melee in the past.

[Fenthis]

RoV is fun you can stand on top of those pillars and melee can't touch you. unless you get deathgripped down not to mention one cannot hide like a wuss the entire arena cause it alternates between fat pillars and skinny ones. the new arena's add a new spice a new flare to the existing dull ones. the arena's change and develop making position a crucial thing at a specific time this may indeed save you.

im accually hoping that more like this are made

[miniseto]

The poll concluded Nagrand Arena is the best one. I propose we all email Blizzard and link this poll that without a doubt proves Nagrand is the only arena we should be playing in.

[Fenthis]

The poll concluded Nagrand Arena is the best one. I propose we all email Blizzard and link this poll that without a doubt proves Nagrand is the only arena we should be playing in.

Nagrand is dull and boring and multiple arena's keep the game interesting while you might dominate in 1 arena someone might have that edge over you in another. this is very apparent in the first 2 arena's we saw Nagrand and BEM arena. one was very flat land with a couple of pillars seemed very primative and BEM had a bridge going from the top to bottem giving players the opportunity to jump off to secure a LOS or even some distance against melee down below there are lots of poles and the occasional bad jumping will just fuck you over

Whilst other arena's provide different things the ruins are mainly focus'd in the center because this is the main LOS object in the arena i don't know if the tombstones work do they?

And well the 2 new arena's are ever changing and if your in the right spot at the right time then you got that edge over them

[Vongimi]

I like dal sewers, its kinda nice and some cool tricks you can pull on it. But RoV is a stupid zerg fest map and really screws you over vs. certain teams.