I think why people get “cranky” in BGs is there isn’t really time to explain, even over voice and as I mentioned on the post, there are very few people that enter an instance, let alone a raid without a vague idea of what they are doing..

So I guess that frustration just boils over.

One thing that gets me in BGs mind.. When somebody is doing something wrong, and rather than try to help them to improve, they just scream at them. What's that going to solve aside from everybody rolling their eyes and going "oh, that guy again."

I cracked it on Twitter the other night when I found myself in our keep in IoC (due to an early death).

I did my bit from the walls etc.. but at the end of the battle got something like 25% of the honor of those that had just rushed ahead… no wonder people don’t bother defending.

That said, the honor in EotS the other night was pretty good for the occasional skirmish at BeT and calling incomings I could see in the distance.

Guides are hard… I admit I haven’t reread mine, but AV has changed a lot over the years. Someone on Twitter asked yesterday when the strat had changed to just rush to the front.

In the group I run with, the strat will often change, not just mid game, but often before we begin, especially if we note that the games are getting harder, thus our last strat must be obvious.

The biggest problem of course is that 99% of BGs you will be in will be PuG, so a strategy guide per se is useless, because you aren’t all playing the same strat. Voice comms is a requirement in pre-mades, just to make sure everyone stays on the same page.. in pugs, no hope.

Often what is better is a “tips” guide, just pointing out the value of landmarks or actions in the game, whether they are game makers or breakers… which GY’s do you take in AV… Do you back cap etc.

I do think there should be a better indicator, and perhaps hk reward, for being near a resource node even without combat. Defense is not glamorous and is very underused and should be encouraged. Or at least not get reported.

But I am shocked at how little on BG strategy is easily available (WoWWiki, wow.com, Bliz ) – thanks for the links. Without being One of Those Guys, let’s just say I think some of my teammates – and I – could use some education.

The thing is that some people don’t want to experience it… yet want the achievements or “loot” from them.

The new system will encourage those that are prepared to give it a go and will help them gear up (relatively) quickly.

On your last point I totally agree.

I remember having a bot /follow me in IoC,, I laughed when I got it stuck on a tower… then I reported it.

Of course there is a problem with AFK reporting. A good team will have people sitting around doing “nothing”.

A stealthy in Van’s room to call out or disrupt attempts on Van.

People actually sitting on flags and calling out incomings. Some times you can sit there for the whole battle without seeing an incoming.

I am trying to explain the value of this to mates at the moment.. but everyone gets and itch.. it’s about discipline and hopefully your team mates realizing you are guarding, not afk’ing.

Last night I made a mate wait at BeT with me. he was heals I was.. well me. He wasn’t happy, but after the 3rd stealth attack he realized we were as much responsible for winning the game as those shedding blood at other towers.

I remember all the AV bgs @ 70 for welfare epics.

I have 3 counterexamples for you. If Blizzard were taking BGs seriously, would they:

1) send all the people who really don’t want to BG to die in a BG with their orphan for an achievement?

2) Have ore and herbs in WG during the battle? I do try, but 4 saronite let alone a frost lotus is worth more to me than my impact on the BG. If Blizzard wanted people to take the BG seriously, the farmables would not be there.

AND THE MAIN REASON IS:
3) Blizzard would do something about the AFKs and bots. I actually enjoy PvP with my rogue. But after playing at 2-4AM and seeing 2 to 5!!!! AFKs in a 15 person group, at least two of which were bots, and reporting the same couple of people every game and seeing them in the next one, it is hard for me to take BGs seriously. And when one of the bots would follow my stealthed rogue, I got upset. If BGs were important, Blizz would spend a modicum of effort on the AFK problem.