During the World of Warcraft PvP panel at BlizzCon, a discussion of the team's philosophy behind PvP took place, followed by new details on the upcoming arenas, the new battleground, and Lake Wintergrasp. The new arenas were first unveiled at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Paris earlier this year, but we were able to see them at BlizzCon in the form of short videos that followed Lead Level Designer Cory Stockton's introductions.
The first of the new arenas is The Ring of Valor, a site consecrated especially for mortal combat between the bravest warriors in Orgrimmar. The combatants in the Ring of Valor arena rise up from their underground preparation chamber via moving platforms, until they are taken to the ring, where the enemy, along with some dangerous surprises, await.
The two defining features behind the Ring of Valor are the fire hazards and the moving pillars. Splitting the arena into three sections are a pair of arena-length ground strips that periodically erupt into flames. There are visual cues as to when these fire hazards will go off, including opening doors and moving gears in the background. On either end of the arena you can also find a single pillar that rises and falls in sync with the fire hazards. When up, the pillars provides a line-of-sight obstruction, useful for keeping ranged enemies from firing on you, or frustrating if you're the one trying to chase after a scampering Druid.
Coordinated team play is a factor that the design team takes seriously, and they've made artistic choices specially catered towards promoting communication between teammates. The two pillars bear a unique texture on top, so if you're told that an enemy rogue is spotted near the Horn Pillar, or that a healer is needed at the Axe pillar, you can bypass the confusion of using the cardinal directions.
The second arena looked like a set piece that would have been at home in the Serpentshrine Caverns raid instance, though it actually takes place in the watery underbelly of the Magical Kingdom of Dalaran. Placing it in the sewers of the new city hub in Wrath of the Lich King makes sense, and you'll even be able to see NPCs going at it from above.
The Dalaran Sewers is one of the smallest arenas yet, but it still manages to introduce some unique mechanics. First off, players start off the match in elevated pipes that lead to the combat zone. If you stay in the pipes too long after the preparation period ends, a flood of water will spit you out and into the arena, making it so that you can't just sit back and watch the battles unfold from relative safety.
No mounts are allowed in this arena either, eliminating the possibility of facing a well-coordinated mounted assault, but possibly giving an edge to Druids and Shamans with their travel forms.
The central area features a single line-of-sight obstruction that only comes into play periodically. The circular grate in the center of the Dalaran Sewers arena will likely be where much of the action takes place, as teams try to capitalize on the effect that the pillar of streaming water will have on each battle. The water will block line of sight, but it also serves as a form of area denial, pushing back any player who gets too close. A set of opposing stacks of crates nearby will also provide cover, buy cheap wow gold,but not very much of it. The central staging area of the arena is a raised platform, with staircases leading up on either side. The two new arenas share a few core philosophies. They both have relatively simple layouts and they both introduce dynamic line-of-sight mechanics that are a big change from the fixed pillars and other line-of-sight obstructions from the existing arena set. The forthcoming fifth Arena season should be made more interesting by the change in scenery.[wow gold]
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