I finally made it to Cyrodil. I don't get the PvP element at all. It just seems that there is this marauding group who over run everyone, then everyone respawns and does the same back.

Tell me there's more to it. Are you meant to join a group/guild and then just over-run everyone? It doesn't feel very tactical.

Do levels have an impact in PvP? For example, some level 30 guy killed me with a single hit. Presumably if everyone levels up to 50, then the gear you have is the most important thing?

Happy to be told why I'm wrong.

HOPEFULLY, when the game is launched, there is an even distribution of players on all the realms that opens up a three way war. If this happens, while a giant zerg is still a powerful weapon, multiple decent sized armies at different locations will undo anything they gain. Which should hopefully lead to eventually the giant zerg becoming somewhat smaller. Not saying it will happen, some people don't really care one way or another, or simply only do a zerg.

If you are worried about pvp at launch, I would recommend letting the dust settle a bit before committing.

PvP is a Beta zerg-fest at the moment, which is really to be expected. Everyone just wants to get their gun off and have fun. Strategy will come later on, after launch.

Well, it's siege warfare so yes....its a zerg fest, and as it stands the only real strategy for it is calling the target and following to said target. I don't complain....they let me have a Ballista, and pouring boiling pitch on 30 people inside a stairwell is a highlight I have a hard time finding elsewhere I do expect they will diversify it more in the months to come. You can already see it within the basic quests, with the stealth and recon missions. I have no doubt we will see small scale (5-10) man missions begin to sprout up in the PVP area.

The zerg mechanics is typical to the beta. You have to consider there is no organised groups, no guilds, no proper strategy. Imagine after launch when guilds will be responsible for each keep - there will be a pride element to it. I envision zerging will not work anymore as an organised faction will have several flanking strike forces, will send marauding groups into enemy territory to cut off reinforcements and commando teams to hit special targets.

Give it a month and I'm sure some very interesting dynamics will develop

Cheers guys, I hope so.

What about the difference between levels of characters, is the main difference the gear which is obtained by high level characters in the PvE environment?

Well, a higher level character would have access to more skills/passives/morphs, so that definately helps them.

There is this strange market segment in MMORPGs that thinks these games have to have some call of duty play style featured for some reason. It never makes sense, nor is it ever fun. PVP in RPGs is supposed to represent risk and danger but to many RPG players are babies and dying to a ganker causes then to have an aneurysm.

So the solution for some reason has become to put structured pvp contests into these games even though they make 0 sense. This inevitably leads to endless balance complaints that forces the devs to homogenize the entire game into an uninspired platformed game with no character identity or fantasy elements remaining.

Good PVP = Ultima Online, Rallos Zek on EQ, and to a lesser degree, Vanilla WoW open world pvp (pre-ranking system), and to an even lesser extent, DAOC.

Bad PVP = all modern MMORPGS.

So, in the end, worry not about bounties and keeps. within 6 months either the entire pvp crowd will abandon the game because the devs dont listen to them, OR the devs do listen to them and the entire game is homogenized into a boring cross between counter strike and double dragon.

I can say there is more than just zerging. I just finished a session where I had a raid group that was behind enemy lines taking resources from the keeps. This prevents them from being able to teleport to a keep down the line and limiting their reinforcements so another group was able to take down a keep with little struggle.

There is plenty of things a group of people can do for strategy, but as previously stated this is just a beta and most people really don't care that much so it is mostly zerging.

I hope not, it felt like Battlefield without having to aim. It would need to change for me to consider playing it long term, or rather the effectiveness of tactics would need to change.

So this is where the guild communication will be important. And guilds are virtually mandatory in PvP.

I do love the massive battles, even without a proper leader. But I prefer the small combats and the hunting feelings that the small towns give to you.

CHEYDINHAL is my hunting ground, if you are feeling luck, come to meet me. I do need more preys. Don't worry, I'll make it quick and painless.

Pretty much, I can say I've also been unfortunate enough to stumble upon small groups hanging out between objectives and getting slaughtered trying to rush to a place as they camped out waiting for anyone who happened to go through solo... just another way to help stop reinforcements.

You are already playing AD... I wouldn't be talking too much crap. It's easier to gank when you have all the map control.

Despite what people say there will always be that zerg element- even after launch. But the game does offer more strategic gameplay than GW2 WvW (which is a horrible boring zergfest). If you want to get the most out of it you'll have to join a guild with teamspeak/vent and people who are really into the pvp. Then you'll be able to get behind enemy lines and cut off supply/reinforcements, steal elder scrolls, flank enemy positions effectively etc.

In terms of strategy its one of the best mmos I have played, you just have to get a group/guild together and you'll be sweet.

Pvp seems pretty meaningless in this game really. I bought 5 imperial editions for my family to play so we are definitely giving it a try.

But the pvp is just one big Zerg attacking some other large meaningless Zerg for no reason other than they are a different color.
Very impersonal.

I played the original darkfall(not this goofy new version) so I guess I had my hopes a little too high. At least in darkfall a holding actually means something. It is a place to live and craft and duel in. A place that means something to the people that live there.

And there is no risk involved in dying on here. This in itself is a broken mechanic because crafters have no repeat business(except for food and potions). Full loot would run off all of the carebears but at least it would make dying mean something.

Which campaign are you? Because in Auriel Bow we are losing really hard.

Arenas plz ?!?!

As I said, zerg x zerg army it just one option of the pvp. But with a big family like yours I'd easily go on huting mission behind enemy lies picking random small groups and players.

I just leaded an raid group for like 4-5 hours and i can say there were alot of strategy and fun.

There are alot of people that are zerging around mindlessly, following where people go. I had problem with them and i had to act a little bit evil althou i didnt want to.

Its hard to form a group of people that actually understand what they are supposed to do. But when you form alot of strategy and planning gets involved.

Here is what we did in group;

[spoiler] At first i saw group of daggerfall moving into Alessia when spying their fort, I formed a group to defend alessia and thats how it began; We deflected their strike then we moved into bridge, I told them to push and so we did but when we saw they are bigger in number and they had some capacults, We retreated back into bridge and i told them to hold position on bridge, alot of fighting was done at that bridge but we managed to deflect them ; Then i ordered them to push Roeback, We tried but we failed.

They started attacking Alessia which caused our group to split until Alessia was succesfully defended. Afterwards some people formed a group to attack elder scroll of Aldmeri , In order to prevent daggerfall from interrupting, I told my group to stay at bridge. But unfortunantly elder scroll attack failed and Aldmeri dominion attacked back. Because of this we retreated to Alessia, We had advantage of suprise and they eventually got defeated.

So much more happened after this point, We striked Roeback 2 times more but all of it failed. But yeah, Game is unbeliviably fun if you find proper people to group with. Which you wont have problems when you are in good guild.

Hahah, We stroke roebart keep 3 times yet you guys managed to defend it, GJ!