Project Lore

Today I PvP just about as much as I did several years ago, which is to say not very much at all. But I did partake in the occasional Battleground and earned myself the meager rank of Sergeant before the ability to do so was taken away in Burning Crusade. Sure, the Arena system has its own set, but I know I can't be the only one out there who misses the chance to win titles for good old "regular" PvP. Plus, you could get access to some pretty cool loot in the process! [caption id="attachment_8767" align="alignright" width="300" caption="You should be able to earn all sorts of things through rated Battlegrounds, but this badge for peace is certainly not one of them!"][/caption] Blizzard has apparently been listening, and stated today on the official forums that they might just be bringing them back with the rated Battleground system being introduced in the expansion. According to Zarhym in a series of posts:

In Cataclysm, we plan to make the old PvP titles available based on your performance in our upcoming rated Battleground system, similar to the current Arena titles which are based on your performance in the Arenas. Keep in mind, however, that Cataclysm is still relatively early in the development stages and this information is subject to change. We'll have more on the rated Battleground system and associated rewards in the months ahead... I'm going to clarify my original post, as I don't believe it's been decided yet whether they'll be purchased with Arena points or Honor points, or if a specific Battleground rating is the only requirement to unlock them. There are no plans to make these titles available for real-world money...

Of course, some of the quote-unquote "old" PvP community was up in arms over this revelation. And for what reason? We've been hearing this excuse a lot lately: because Blizzard is dumbing down the game. But Zarhym insists that the only reason titles were taken away initially was because the system used for earning them was archaic and largely championed time spent over skill. He assures us that this will not be the case with rated Battlegrounds:

We feel they're going to fit well with the new rated Battleground system. The titles were previously earned through a very cumbersome experience that didn't necessarily measure a player's PvP skill. With a new system for measuring performance in the Battlegrounds, we feel it's a good fit to award the honor titles to those who excel. We do not intend for the top titles to be earned in a trivial manner. It's going to be quite hard to get High Warlord or Grand Marshal; and not because it's going to require that someone plays in the Battlegrounds more than everyone else on their realm each week, but because it's going to require a very impressive win/loss ratio.

To me, it sounds like a bunch of whining from people who think their prestige will be hurt when their "unobtainable" titles suddenly become attainable again and, shock and awe, by people who may have only started playing in the last couple of years. I'm not a fan of making things easier on players either (more fun or more convenient, sure), but I also know how to appreciate skill and if what Zarhym says is true, then it will be hard, if not more difficult to earn titles than it used to be. I think those that are complaining are just afraid they won't be able to turn it into a pure timesink again. Regardless of my perspective, I think this would be a wonderful thing to add back into the game. Maybe it's just because I've been playing an awful lot of Modern Warfare 2 lately, but I wouldn't mind sporting a nice, shiny rank next to my name to show off how awesome I am! What about you readers? How do you feel about the prospect of PvP titles coming back? Did you participate in the system originally?