Originally Posted by
Talen
To an extent...it doesn't really matter how easy it is to get. The fact is a barrier to entry into PvP is still a barrier to entry and the fact it exists in the first place is going to deter many players from taking part in PvP at all. They won't try PvP, they'll be put ioff it by ganking, they won't have the time to farm the honor you think they will ahve at 90 tio get a set.
In PvE, there is a clear line of progression. You quest, you do dungeons, you do raids. That doesn't exist in PvP. If you want to be serious about it, you have to go out of your way to take part and get a specialised suit of armor. There aren't enough low level BGs or arenas. What you end up with is a lot of players at end game who don't have a lot of experience in PvP, a lot of players who have been put off PvP by gankers, and a lot of players who get put off PvP because they are a drag on the teams they join in BGs.
Sure - it might not take them that long to get a suit. The problem is that they need to do so.
It's all of that.
But while gear has an impact on PvP play, it will continue to be a big problem for PvP in this game.
PvP needs to be fair to allow for greater integration into the gameworld, to allow for a broader base of support, to provide the numbers who take part to ensure Blizzard continues to develop for it, to allow for greater PvP balance elsewhere and in other aspects, to address the anti-social issues such as ganking which drive palyers away from PvP and the game.
You are right PvP also has other concerns. PvP healing, PvP burst, the impact of CC - all issues. You are wrong in stating that the current state of gear is not one of these. It isn't later on in the Arena or RBG cycle when peopel are geared up for those events. In many other aspect of PvP gear, it is.
But the issue is complex. For example - healing is too powerful. Because burst is too powerful. Can you tone down burst in pvP where it is bad, but keep it in PvE where it is good? Yes - but it's made more difficult due to various factors. Assuming it is, how much would you tone healing down by? 10%? 50%?80%? The issue here is that if you toned down healing to the degree truly necessary for PvP, then healers would have no PvP role.
Either way, the more imbalances you can remove from the equation, the fairer and better balanced PvP will be. And gear is a big imbalance in many cases.
Which is the wrong approach in many ways. You want more players to enter PvP, and have fun and like that aspect. Not less.
EJL