Changes to AV

[Lnakka]

AV is changing... As i say this is gonna be interesting:

[blizzard author=Nethaera link=http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=2215842565&postId=22153035129&sid=1#0] As a continuing part of our improvements, we will be implementing the following changes in the next patch.

Strategy can be an important element of any battleground. We want to emphasize this in Alterac Valley more and give players additional meaning to both defending and attacking. To push the strategic element of the battleground to the next level we have changed how players maintain their reinforcements or deprive the other team of theirs.

Each team will have a starting reinforcement count. Reinforcements can be lost in significant amounts if a tower is destroyed or if Captain Galvangar or Belinda Stonehearth is killed. For each team member death, an additional reinforcement will be lost. On the death of General Drek’Thar or Vanndar Stormpike, all reinforcements are lost and the team is defeated. At any point in time, if a team is reduced to zero reinforcements, the opposing team will win the battle. Defending your own teammates, towers, and key NPCs will be an important aspect of maintaining team resources and achieving victory in Alterac Valley.

Warmasters can be the boon or the bane of any team. They are an important element for the defense of your general or the defeat of the opposing general. Warlords and their general will be more closely linked in the next patch. Pulling one is a guarantee the other will come as well. Each team begins with four Warmasters. Destroying a tower will eliminate the associated Warmaster. Unlike the current game play, however, destroying the enemy tower will not add a Warmaster to your own side.

We will be changing the pace of the battle slightly with a reduction in the time needed to control a tower or graveyard. Where it currently takes five minutes to gain control, the time will be reduced to four minutes. The honor for capturing a tower will also be increased.

Graveyards can be an important resource for getting your teammates back into the battle more quickly. Currently, players can sometimes be sent to their starting tunnels far from the battlefront. This can often be an inconvenient location to respawn and more out of the way from the action than we would like, to correct this, players will instead respawn at a team-controlled graveyard. Should the team not have a graveyard under their control, they will respawn in the starting tunnel.

Players will only be awarded bonus honor during the battle for destroying enemy towers and slaying the enemy Captain. Once the battle is concluded, bonus honor will be awarded for intact towers, a surviving Captain, and for victory in battle. The bonus honor awarded should be similar to previous totals, but will reward players for taking more active roles in Alterac Valley toward defending or attacking key locations and NPCs.

Lastly, we are changing NPC interactions within Alterac Valley. We have reduced the number of elite NPCs in Stormpike and Frostwolf holds as well as sent all Commanders and Lieutenants out of Alterac Valley. They are currently in search of other battle opportunities. This should reduce the amount of NPCs that players will have to fight and place more focus on PvP combat over key locations on the map.

Strategy is the name of the game in Alterac Valley, and these changes will bring out the need for more teamwork and coordination from both the Horde and the Alliance as they vie for domination of this battleground. [/blizzard]

[Nolan78]

Well, considering the fact thet I really loved the OLD Alterac Valley, those changes can't be worst of the actual situation, right? 
Now it's very hard to lose an AV game during work days, it's hard to win an AV game during weekends....and it's nearly impossible to win an AV game in it's "bonus weekend" (due to the premade Alliance groups).

Spirit of Alterac was to fight a long battle, and stick together to claim significant strategic points. Now it's only an Olympic run, and I hope that with this changes the situation will be alot better. First I'll hope that both faction will pe purged from leechers, because the new system + next patch contents = NO HONOR for AFKers 

[csilla]

Premade in AV ?

[Lnakka]

Premade in AV ?

Was reading somewhere that group joining was going to be allowed

[Phaer]

Atm there are addons that try to put party members in the same AV instance. This is not a proper premade, but when few bg are active you should be able to have your group in one AV.

[Archia]

Now it's very hard to lose an AV game during work days, it's hard to win an AV game during weekends....and it's nearly impossible to win an AV game in it's "bonus weekend" (due to the premade Alliance groups).

We are losing in AV? 
Was in AV a whole day previous weekend and we only lost 4-5 times, really.

[Rayearth]

I wonder what happens if the same person dies over and over again? We keep loosing reinforcements if that happens?

I can see a huge graveyard camping...

[Annwyn]

omg, I'm gonna be the single cause horde looses AV

[Kivarlyn]

I don't like av at all.
and those changing is an advantage for ally imo. horde has not organization at all, and that's the best of it.
for the horde!

[Archia]

horde has not organization at all, and that's the best of it.
for the horde!

-.-"

We are not blind animals charging on things yellin: "Me saw! Me smash!" !!!
Horde players are so mature, clever and smart that they dont even need to talk about organisation tactics in there, they all know what to do in any situation without having to say it or ask for help, cause help is always there 
When I watch my brother playing in BGs (he's an allie) there is a constant spam in bg chat of ppl yelling orders and tactics and noone does anything at all ^^
On the other side we just look one player in the "eyes" and we know what to do

[Lnakka]

I don't like av at all.
and those changing is an advantage for ally imo. horde has not organization at all, and that's the best of it.
for the horde!

90% of the time this is so untrue.

Whilst theres not alot of talk of tactics, alot of us know what to do and when.
There are times when people are idiots and do things stupid, especially on the marshal's.

all know what to do in any situation without having to say it or ask for help, cause help is always there

This is quite true, I nearly always go for the commander in Icewing bunker first, after getting him I kite him to belindas and again 98% of the timea large group will always help. I actually do get surpised when i die doing this move, but with 3-5 allies and a elite on you, there isnt too much you can do.

Currently Alliance DO have an advantage, I was reading forums last night and some stated thats some blue/someone form blizzard in interview admitted that alliance currently have an advantage.

[Annwyn]

I heard our general has like 30% less hp than vandar, dunno if that's true, but if it is that's a huge advantage for the alliance.

[Nolan78]

I heard our general has like 30% less hp than vandar, dunno if that's true, but if it is that's a huge advantage for the alliance.

Hope it's a fake news 

I thought both bosses had same amount of HP...

[Kivarlyn]

most of the times, i went in av withh ppl that would only to farm honor for themselves... plus they don't have the minimum idea on what to do. I saw loads of times lot of tanks keep on die on vandar cause healers were not healing but smiting/judging. if you are a holy priest, give a heal to the tank, damn you!
I saw warrior pretending me to tank mobs cause " i'm arms spec, your a frostie so you tank". and most of all, ppl seem not interested in winning but in defending or fight in the middle... those are things i cannot really stand.
that's why I love arathi and eos.. they last few mins and if you loose, you can try another time soon. I hate spending 2 hours of my life playing a single av and then loose cause ppl is noobing around
ally are too noob to be true, but horde... in av they don't understand anything, they seem animals >_>
so I prefer to do bgs not in the holyday weekends, they full of noobs.

[Lnakka]

most of the times, i went in av withh ppl that would only to farm honor for themselves... plus they don't have the minimum idea on what to do. I saw loads of times lot of tanks keep on die on vandar cause healers were not healing but smiting/judging. if you are a holy priest, give a heal to the tank, damn you!
I saw warrior pretending me to tank mobs cause " i'm arms spec, your a frostie so you tank". and most of all, ppl seem not interested in winning but in defending or fight in the middle... those are things i cannot really stand.
that's why I love arathi and eos.. they last few mins and if you loose, you can try another time soon. I hate spending 2 hours of my life playing a single av and then loose cause ppl is noobing around
ally are too noob to be true, but horde... in av they don't understand anything, they seem animals >_>
so I prefer to do bgs not in the holyday weekends, they full of noobs.

Sounds like AV isnt for you full stop.

True AV battles last ages, one  hour or more used to be the norm. Honor farming is diffcult to say is going on in AV as you are meant to stop the other faction from getting to your base and winning. I've seen the ice lord three times and it is a sight to see, if you have never seen him, then you havent played AV. ALso orders used to be given, such as X player go farm hides, X player capture wolfs, etc.

I personally like the longer battles, battles which are just races bore the hell outta me.