Patch notes confusion re: Arena

Skirmishes are the only type of arena combat available for players until you are level 70 and create a team to take part in the ranked arenas. You will not gain points for winning matches like you would in the ranked matches at level 70. Skirmishes are set up to be a way for players to have fun as well as practice for when they are ready to do ranked matches.

For more information about the Arena System, you can read our new page here- http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/pvp/arena/index.xml

Q u o t e:
So..... Are people able to be in a guild and an Arena team at te ame time?

You don't need to leave your guild in order to be on an Arena team.

I believe that you will not get honor kill points for participating in the skirmishes (like Gurubashi). It would be much too easy to farm honor if you could just keep queuing up for the Arena over and over.

The skirmishes are meant to be fun and practice both but not a means of participating in the honor system itself for the sake of accumulating points. It's like taking the pre-SAT. You don't really get credit for it, it just allows you to prepare for the real deal.

Q u o t e:


Fair enough. Doesn't change the fact that the arena system is broken due to a lack of rewards. Why not just enter a BG and have fun and be rewarded? Unless all BGs prevent teams now. Which may be the case.

Something that is intended to work a certain way is not broken. This is about choosing what you wish to do. For those that are more competitive, they might choose to participate in skirmishes to prepare for the actual ranked arena. They might take the time to learn the arena maps well, time how to get any additional benefits from them and how to get around any line of sight issues that might be integrated in the maps. Don't forget that though skirmishes don't give rewards, the matches do and being prepared for those could mean getting to those rewards faster than if you didn't.

For those that don't want to participate in the arenas at all, there is outdoor PvP and Battlegrounds (including one brand new shiny one that comes with the expansion.)

This is about giving choices to players that like one type of PvP over another or that want to shake up their routine to include a nice variety.

Q u o t e:


I'm not complaining, just pointing out that Blizzard is releasing unfinished content something they swore they would never do. /shrug

This is not unfinished content. Skirmishes are created this way on purpose. The ladder system is the height of PvP skill (for those that like small team combat) and is not a system that is created to give players easy rewards. You need to earn your way up the ladder to become king or queen of the hill. Allowing for rewards pre-ladder would be counter to the intent of such a system.

Pre-season is a good way of looking at skirmishes. I like that.

(Btw, saying that it's not intended to give easy rewards does NOT mean that players won't accumulate points for participating. It just means those that win the matches consistently will accumulate arena points faster than those that don't.)

Q u o t e:
Will our teams be able to be bigger then just say 5 for like 5v5. Where we can swap in others if someone isnt on a particular day?

A team of 5 can have a max of 10 players on the team. 5 are the 'regulars' 5 would be the subs. In order to receive points you need to participate in at least 30% of the matches.

Q u o t e:


Hi neth, Long time reader of your posts, first time replying! =)

You and others have talked about benchwarming alot. But you can only be on one team at a time. If you bench for a 5v5 team, this counts as your 5v5 team yes? Is the idea that you will choose a size as your main team and then sub for the two other sizes? (or some variation)

It seems odd to call it benchwarming if its using your only slot. My initial reaction would be to allow us to have one benchwarming choice on top of the 1 per bracket rule. So we could sign up for one of each and also be a benchwarmer for a 4th team of any size. What do you think? <3

As far as I know, benchwarming counts as being on a team since the intent should be that you will be participating enough to earn points.

Q u o t e:

And, as a very small side-note: "Pre-season?" Who in the heck "practices" to be better at a video game? If it ain't fun, I ain't playing... 0.o

Lots of professional gamers do, RTS players, FPS players and many more. :) Even during the days of arcade only games did people practice so they could trounce the next guy/gal that walked in the door. Some people find practice to be fun.