How does one START playing BGs?

[Ryft]

I treat BGs like a horror movie. Being alone is bad.

Hehe, I like that...its also very true!!

My tips are:

- Dont expect too much from your teammates
- Dont be afraid to die, just try to learn from mistakes.

There are some other good tips earlier in the thread.

[Laughriot]

Turn of BG chat and play your BG however you like it.

Unless you're a healer, since getting "Thanks for ze healbot duwd" compliments all the time is pro.

Don't do this. Please. People who do this really are the reason why the Alliance lose, and it's an entirely too-common thing. The number of times I've sat in a BG asking people to please just tell me what they were thinking when fighting in a road 100yds away from a flag that a lone Horde is taking away from us, only to receive no answer because none of the 6 road-warriors can read BG chat is... staggering.

The simple answer is to just ask questions. You'll get made fun of a few times, but you WILL eventually find someone who'll explain the place to you. I, for one, have helped numerous people who were brave enough to ask how the BG worked, and I have no problem at all with finding a nice out-of-the-way place to hide while I type you a book explaining what's up.

Just ask. Don't do what the quoted poster suggested. That just makes you a selfish douchebag who causes his team to lose and doesn't care.

[ascallion]

just Follow the crowd to begin with and stick at it, or stick by a healer keep mobs round healer busy and healer will keep you up -)

[Haavar]

stand at the gate and yell at how awful the other players are 8)

[Stixxz]

Why would you care what people say to you. They can't do anything about it or to you.

[Stoutfist]

I'm going to start by copy/pasting something which will explain one BIG problem we have in battlegrounds:

[rant]

The setting: Any BG.

Characters: An enemy prot warrior and resto druid, a bunch of people from my team, and me.

Event:

Ten people hitting the prot warrior while the resto druid is healing him with no one trying to hit the resto druid.

Me: ATTACK THE RESTO DRUID YOU IDIOTS.

Some dumbass: its just a game lol

*twitch*


Okay, I'm going to put it very bluntly to all of you droolers who are apparently missing an essential cerebral lobe out there. YES. It is just a game. THAT IS THE EXACT REASON I AM TELLING YOU TO ATTACK THE RESTO DRUID.

The point of a game is to win. Yeah, you were probably raised by those feel good teachers who tell you that winning doesn't matter, it's only participating. They reward you for your "creativity" when you start screwing around. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

Here, let's take another game as an example, basketball. Okay, it's a sport, but it's a game at its core. Now, the rules are simple, two teams, shoot the ball in the other team's hoop, team which does it the most in a set time wins.

Now, meet Johnny Retard. Johnny Retard doesn't care about puny rules because "It's just a game". Johnny Retard is a very special boy and everyone loves him no matter what he does and no matter if he wins. Oh wait, there is no such thing as winning or losing, JUST HAVING FUN LOL.

Anyway, Johnny Retard throws the basketball out of bounds, into the woods. On purpose. The first time, people laugh a bit. "Man, what a clown that Johnny Retard." They go get the ball, and Johnny Retard does it again. And again. And again. He doesn't try to shoot hoops, to dribble, to make passes, he just kicks down the guy who has the ball and pelts it into the goddam woods. Very soon, people tell Johnny Retard what's what and they tell him to get off the damn field.

"But it's just a game!" says Johnny Retard.

Exactly. What Johnny Retard doesn't understand is that games have rules in order for everyone to enjoy the game. Those rules need to be followed or else it's just a bunch of people doing unrelated things next to each other.

Next, we have Amy Dumbass. Amy Dumbass comes over and replaces Johnny Retard. Everyone loves her, she's so easygoing.

Maybe a bit too easygoing. When someone passes the ball, she doesn't try to catch it. She doesn't get it unless you throw it right at her stomach. At that point, she just looks at the ball, smiling contently until an opponent takes it from her. Soon, her team kicks her out.

"But it's just a game" says Amy Dumbass.

Exactly. What Amy Dumbass doesn't understand is that it sucks for people on your team when you don't do anything and let them carry you. Even worse when it's obvious you could do way better, you just don't want to.

Now, learn a lesson from these two young people. Don't be a Johnny Retard or an Amy Dumbass.

[/rant]

So, what was the meaning of all this? Basically, people don't care. And people don't care because "lol its just a game", not realizing that the point of a game is to win.

It's understandable when people do things that aren't optimal. It's understandable that people may be undergeared. It's understandable that people don't always know how to fight.

However, there are unacceptable things. At level 80, you should understand that attacking a plate wearer while he is receiving heals from someone else is about as effective as trying to kill an elephant with a fly swatter. At level 80, you should understand that the EotS flag cannot grant you points when you don't have a single tower. At level 80, you should know that the WSG flag will not capture itself.

The rated BG system will help quite a bit by keeping the idiots and the skilled people separate. Until then, you just have to be patient.

[grifty]

Me: ATTACK THE RESTO DRUID YOU IDIOTS.

Excellent post, Stoutfist, it made me laugh, but I think part of the problem is calling people idoits. (Even when they are). When you insult people, they respond defensively and probably meant "Stop getting mad, it's only a game".

Everyone hates the person who is yelling at the whole raid. Not that you care. However, you might get an "OK" instead of a "it's just a game" if you said "ATTACK THE RESTO DRUID".

[Azutael]

Do like the majority, join the midfield zergfest.


On a serious note, just follow the objectives. Kill healers, or very weak players asap. And dont get involved in the BG chat bitch fight that is likely to happen quite alot.

[Stoutfist]

Excellent post, Stoutfist, it made me laugh, but I think part of the problem is calling people idoits. (Even when they are). When you insult people, they respond defensively and probably meant "Stop getting mad, it's only a game".

Everyone hates the person who is yelling at the whole raid. Not that you care. However, you might get an "OK" instead of a "it's just a game" if you said "ATTACK THE RESTO DRUID".

Don't call them idiots, and they ignore you. Call them idiots and they say you don't need to call them idiots for them to listen to you.

[Upsimus]

This topic has an awesome title, I love the "How does one..." part can't get it out of my head. I keep hearing 3PO saying it.

[skyesfury]

Likely already been said, but here it is anyway:

If you've never done a particular battleground before, follow the herd. That may sound like a failing strategy, but if you don't know what to do (objectives, where they are, etc), this will likely help you learn about that particular BG. After being in a specific BG five times, you should have a reasonable grasp on what the objectives are, where to go to find them, how to accomplish them and where some of the more common "fail zones*" are.


*Fail Zones are areas that mass amounts of fail congregate despite being obvious. Choke points being held with an iron fist and yet people still slamming into the wall of stupid even though it hasn't worked the previous 18 attempts, a bunch of people gathering near the flag in EotS even though they see a boomchikken running at them with a look of maniacal glee on its beak, and other ignorance inspiring locales.

[Stoutfist]

*Fail Zones are areas that mass amounts of fail congregate despite being obvious. Choke points being held with an iron fist and yet people still slamming into the wall of stupid even though it hasn't worked the previous 18 attempts, a bunch of people gathering near the flag in EotS even though they see a boomchikken running at them with a look of maniacal glee on its beak, and other ignorance inspiring locales.

Decided to have some fun and list some other fail zones in battlegrounds:

1. Anywhere in Warsong Gulch that is not near your flag, the enemy flag, your flag carrier or the enemy flag carrier.

2. Away from flags in Arathi Basin.

3. Away from towers in Eye of the Storm.

4. On the cannons in the back at the beginning of the battle in Strand of the Ancients.

5. In your own boss' room at the beginning of the fight in Alterac Valley.

[Spurmwhale]

I'm going to start by copy/pasting something which will explain one BIG problem we have in battlegrounds:

[rant]

The setting: Any BG.

Characters: An enemy prot warrior and resto druid, a bunch of people from my team, and me.

Event:

Ten people hitting the prot warrior while the resto druid is healing him with no one trying to hit the resto druid.

Me: ATTACK THE RESTO DRUID YOU IDIOTS.

Some dumbass: its just a game lol

*twitch*


Okay, I'm going to put it very bluntly to all of you droolers who are apparently missing an essential cerebral lobe out there. YES. It is just a game. THAT IS THE EXACT REASON I AM TELLING YOU TO ATTACK THE RESTO DRUID.

The point of a game is to win. Yeah, you were probably raised by those feel good teachers who tell you that winning doesn't matter, it's only participating. They reward you for your "creativity" when you start screwing around. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

Here, let's take another game as an example, basketball. Okay, it's a sport, but it's a game at its core. Now, the rules are simple, two teams, shoot the ball in the other team's hoop, team which does it the most in a set time wins.

Now, meet Johnny Retard. Johnny Retard doesn't care about puny rules because "It's just a game". Johnny Retard is a very special boy and everyone loves him no matter what he does and no matter if he wins. Oh wait, there is no such thing as winning or losing, JUST HAVING FUN LOL.

Anyway, Johnny Retard throws the basketball out of bounds, into the woods. On purpose. The first time, people laugh a bit. "Man, what a clown that Johnny Retard." They go get the ball, and Johnny Retard does it again. And again. And again. He doesn't try to shoot hoops, to dribble, to make passes, he just kicks down the guy who has the ball and pelts it into the goddam woods. Very soon, people tell Johnny Retard what's what and they tell him to get off the damn field.

"But it's just a game!" says Johnny Retard.

Exactly. What Johnny Retard doesn't understand is that games have rules in order for everyone to enjoy the game. Those rules need to be followed or else it's just a bunch of people doing unrelated things next to each other.

Next, we have Amy Dumbass. Amy Dumbass comes over and replaces Johnny Retard. Everyone loves her, she's so easygoing.

Maybe a bit too easygoing. When someone passes the ball, she doesn't try to catch it. She doesn't get it unless you throw it right at her stomach. At that point, she just looks at the ball, smiling contently until an opponent takes it from her. Soon, her team kicks her out.

"But it's just a game" says Amy Dumbass.

Exactly. What Amy Dumbass doesn't understand is that it sucks for people on your team when you don't do anything and let them carry you. Even worse when it's obvious you could do way better, you just don't want to.

Now, learn a lesson from these two young people. Don't be a Johnny Retard or an Amy Dumbass.

[/rant]

So, what was the meaning of all this? Basically, people don't care. And people don't care because "lol its just a game", not realizing that the point of a game is to win.

It's understandable when people do things that aren't optimal. It's understandable that people may be undergeared. It's understandable that people don't always know how to fight.

However, there are unacceptable things. At level 80, you should understand that attacking a plate wearer while he is receiving heals from someone else is about as effective as trying to kill an elephant with a fly swatter. At level 80, you should understand that the EotS flag cannot grant you points when you don't have a single tower. At level 80, you should know that the WSG flag will not capture itself.

The rated BG system will help quite a bit by keeping the idiots and the skilled people separate. Until then, you just have to be patient.

were you iin my bg last night? i went after the druid but the protWar pressured the hell out of me where i couldn't do crap to the druid. i was just trying to live, and after i sheeped him, he trinketed, then 2nd sheep went to DR, and then i was f'd.

and honestly that protWar was f'in retarded. he was wrecking people :P

if you were in my bg that is...(if there was a mage there getting heals too on the protWar side). think it was just the 3 of them, and a smaller zerg of theirs further back, while 3/4's of our zerg got wrecked by the protwar. if you weren't i guess its just coincidence.

[Epokkz]

The one thing that I beg people to do regardless of BG is to either defend the flags that they cap, (In Alterac Valley, AB or IOC) or to focus on a single gate in IOC.

You gotta love the person that grabs the seige engine and drives it to the front gate, or the glaives that suicide into gates.

Arathi Basin
Fight on Flags.

Warsong Gulch
Help FC / Kill the Enemy FC. (FC = Flag Carrier)

Strand of the Ancients
Grab bombs, and dont cap South Graveyard.

AV
Dont turtle.

Isle of Conquest
Pick up bombs and focus on the Western Gate of the enemies fortress.


Good Luck.

[Stoutfist]

Strand of the Ancients
Grab bombs, and dont cap South Graveyard.

Wrong. South graveyard allows to rez closer and gives access to more bombs, which are far more effective than tanks at that point.

[mayzy]

The way to start BGS is by enjoying the game. Sometimes playing with 9/14/39 retards makes it hard but when you have expectations its not that bad.

Step 1: Switch to windowed mode for quick alt tabbing during BGS

Step 2: Download a movie you want to watch while waiting for qs/ when you doing some thumb twidling in a BG

Step 3: Have 0 expectations at the start. Especially as a fresh 80 caster. Most people will see a 13K HP mage and your life will suck as you get 1-2 shot a lot.

Step 4epends on if you want to play casually or you want to do well. Playing a class relatively well requires a retarded amount of hours invested to make sure you know the in outs and learn the bajillion hotkeys you need (especially as a mage.(especially as frost which has arguably the highest skillcap)). If you want to be a hero then i would also suggest playing skirmishes

Step 5: Remember that in the end is it just a game and the point is to have fun. Remember also there are always asshole abound in BGS. If you ask what you need to do chances are you will be flamed. As for the best way to win x BG. Well itll always vary based upon what your teammates/opponents do. You are going to have to play tons though to learn most of the intricacies of most of the BGS. Which will lead back to step 1

[RodneyStanger]

Anyone spelling Hangar "Hanger" just makes me sad

[Illunis]

talk to friends/guildies. if you dont have either, i suggest you learn to use a forum

my buddies helped me out tremendously when i first started pvping, now i can whip them easily. and i know BG objectives too >_>

[Alienganja]

Go in.
Listen to most likely scrub battleground leader.
If you're in AB, Zerg Stabs.
If you're in WSG, stand at middle and farm honour.
If you're in SOTA, go afk.
If you're in IoC, go afk.
If you're in AV, go afk.
????
Profit.

Edit: Just in case you didn't notice, never do EoTS.

[Mackeyser]

The way to start BGS is by enjoying the game. Sometimes playing with 9/14/39 retards makes it hard but when you have expectations its not that bad.

Step 1: Switch to windowed mode for quick alt tabbing during BGS

Step 2: Download a movie you want to watch while waiting for qs/ when you doing some thumb twidling in a BG

Step 3: Have 0 expectations at the start. Especially as a fresh 80 caster. Most people will see a 13K HP mage and your life will suck as you get 1-2 shot a lot.

Step 4epends on if you want to play casually or you want to do well. Playing a class relatively well requires a retarded amount of hours invested to make sure you know the in outs and learn the bajillion hotkeys you need (especially as a mage.(especially as frost which has arguably the highest skillcap)). If you want to be a hero then i would also suggest playing skirmishes

Step 5: Remember that in the end is it just a game and the point is to have fun. Remember also there are always asshole abound in BGS. If you ask what you need to do chances are you will be flamed. As for the best way to win x BG. Well itll always vary based upon what your teammates/opponents do. You are going to have to play tons though to learn most of the intricacies of most of the BGS. Which will lead back to step 1

Saw step 3 a lot. As a new mage, I am freaking CATNIP to rogues. They come out of stealth practically orgasming when they find me. I think one had me as his focus macro... I probably made 8 youtube rogue videos that week...

Can't hotkey due to hand tremors, which is why I don't generally pvp seriously (I learned to type on an old Royal manual typewriter in Jr. High typing class... yeah, I'm that old... I wear out my backspace key now...), but I have fun at it and enjoy the challenge of pvp in that if nothing else it demands learning certain aspects of the class intimately and those still crossover to PvE.

I also notice now that even in farming AV that lots of folks are rocking PvP gear now, which didn't used to be the case. Arenas, I understand, but it was always sorta rare to come across folks really rocking big time PvP gear in AV. Farming my SP cloak, I saw a LOT of folks geared to the teeth in AV in good or better PvP gear.

As I really do enjoy playing the game, I don't watch movies or afk or any of that during BGs.

One thing I found... It's a lot easier to snipe as a skinny human female arcane mage hiding behind a tree than it is as a big male draenei shaman with glowy totems. But yeah... I still died.. a LOT. I had to learn to get over that. Hehehe.