I'm of two minds about the Zombie Infestation. On one hand, I love world events and this one seems quite ingenious or very original. The zombification is something we've never seen in it's current incarnation and I applaud Blizzard for keeping the content fresh and exciting.

However, my misgivings about this event are the same things people are taking such pleasure in doing: decimating towns, infecting others. While that's all part of the event, it's also *very* intrusive towards other players.

Let's say someone *doesn't* want to participate, as some of my guild's leveling alts did not. Unfortunately, they are FORCED to participate, even passively. They are affected by this, both in terms of being physical attacked by not only "Alliance" zombies, but also by their own faction. This contradicts the very nature of a PvE server, where you only have to fight people by your own volition.

Then there's the passive compulsion to participate by having quest, vendor and flight NPCs destroyed. People choosing to opt out of the event cannot.

While this obviously sets the correct tone for the event and goes far towards immersion ("the world is ending and you can't hide from it"), it's also very contradictory to Blizzard's establish mantra of being casual-friendly and letting everyone play the game their own way. It's a dichotomy and many people are being alienated by it.

Personally, I'd say to just relax, enjoy the event or go do something else, but then again... they are paying money to play the game in their way and having not created characters on a PvP server, they should not be forced into a very PvP-esque event...

/two cents

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Q u o t e:
I'm of two minds about the Zombie Infestation. On one hand, I love world events and this one seems quite ingenious or very original. The zombification is something we've never seen in it's current incarnation and I applaud Blizzard for keeping the content fresh and exciting.

However, my misgivings about this event are the same things people are taking such pleasure in doing: decimating towns, infecting others. While that's all part of the event, it's also *very* intrusive towards other players.

Let's say someone *doesn't* want to participate, as some of my guild's leveling alts did not. Unfortunately, they are FORCED to participate, even passively. They are affected by this, both in terms of being physical attacked by not only "Alliance" zombies, but also by their own faction. This contradicts the very nature of a PvE server, where you only have to fight people by your own volition.

Then there's the passive compulsion to participate by having quest, vendor and flight NPCs destroyed. People choosing to opt out of the event cannot.

While this obviously sets the correct tone for the event and goes far towards immersion ("the world is ending and you can't hide from it"), it's also very contradictory to Blizzard's establish mantra of being casual-friendly and letting everyone play the game their own way. It's a dichotomy and many people are being alienated by it.

Personally, I'd say to just relax, enjoy the event or go do something else, but then again... they are paying money to play the game in their way and having not created characters on a PvP server, they should not be forced into a very PvP-esque event...

/two cents

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Wow a well written, well thought out post about the zombies.
/applaud

You can't opt out of a raid wiping out a town's NPC's either.

Submit an in game ticket.

The more they get, the more likely they are to change it.

All 5 of my accounts have submitted one each. Both my brothers have as well. Wasting their time? Maybe, but Blizzard is wasting my money.

Very well writen but it belongs in suggestions or general where the people responsible will see it.

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Q u o t e:
You can't opt out of a raid wiping out a town's NPC's either.

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The difference there being he can choose whether or not he can attack the players, and in return be attacked by them. This situation is a little different than that, as same faction players are able to attack each other after the zombification.

I can see where the OP and others are coming from, its pretty easy to understand. I however have always played on pvp servers so ive come to expect the worst from some people. ...is that a bad thing? :(

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Q u o t e:
Submit an in game ticket.

The more they get, the more likely they are to change it.

All 5 of my accounts have submitted one each. Both my brothers have as well. Wasting their time? Maybe, but Blizzard is wasting my money.

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Amial, I just wanted to let you know that the GMs answering your tickets really can't do anything about it. :X Your dissatisfaction is actually better suited in the Suggestions forums so that the devs can gather the feedback on this event, and refine it for future events. It wouldn't hurt to put your ideas there as well, since you've already done the tickets anyway.

I shall also voice my concerns in the suggestions.

I don't want the zombies removed. I want it modified - someone else had a suggestion where the pvp was optional but the disease and turning into a zombie isn't.

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Q u o t e:


The difference there being he can choose whether or not he can attack the players, and in return be attacked by them. This situation is a little different than that, as same faction players are able to attack each other after the zombification.

I can see where the OP and others are coming from, its pretty easy to understand. I however have always played on pvp servers so ive come to expect the worst from some people. ...is that a bad thing? :(

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That I didn't know, but I can see why its in there since you can attack the zombies. Plus it makes sense.

One of the issues is I don't know if there are enough ways to cure yourself.

I just object to the town being wiped out stuff. Raids on town consistently, if they can, take out the flight master and any NPCs. This happened even before they removed the dishonourable kills.

Bravo, Ravth. I agree with all of your statements entirely.

I'd like to add, however, for those who say that this is no different than a raid wiping out a city:

1.) it's generally one location. Very few (if any) servers have a high enough population to effectively shut down quest play for the entire population of the server, regardless of faction.

2.) The players who do the raid have to be high enough level to *kill* the NPCs; the players who are playing with the zombies only have to *infect* NPCs, the infection and subsequent zombification of NPCs is much easier.

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Q u o t e:
Bravo, Ravth. I agree with all of your statements entirely.

I'd like to add, however, for those who say that this is no different than a raid wiping out a city:

1.) it's generally one location. Very few (if any) servers have a high enough population to effectively shut down quest play for the entire population of the server, regardless of faction.

2.) The players who do the raid have to be high enough level to *kill* the NPCs; the players who are playing with the zombies only have to *infect* NPCs, the infection and subsequent zombification of NPCs is much easier.

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Its a plague. Its suppose to spread. Yes its slightly different in how its done, but that's about it.

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Q u o t e:


Its a plague. Its suppose to spread. Yes its slightly different in how its done, but that's about it.

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You would also think that the heroes of the world would be trying to *stop* it, not spread it; but that's not happening because of the novelty of being turned into a zombie.

I understand the lore, I understand the novelty aspect. I am annoyed by the inability to opt out. Heck, the people I know who are being most affected by this right now are not far enough along to be able to join in on the Wrath content when it arrives, yet they are forced to deal with players making it even harder for them to prepare for that content.

I find it rather off-putting that Blizzard, when faced with lag and server outages, decides to enable an event that furthers lag and server problems. Gratz, Blizzard, for foisting zombies onto the disgruntled masses instead of addressing the real problems with your game.

Zombies = Bread and/or Circuses. By giving us this "new content", they can continue to ignore the buggy, laggy, unplayable game they're supposed to be fixing.

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Q u o t e:


You would also think that the heroes of the world would be trying to *stop* it, not spread it; but that's not happening because of the novelty of being turned into a zombie.

I understand the lore, I understand the novelty aspect. I am annoyed by the inability to opt out. Heck, the people I know who are being most affected by this right now are not far enough along to be able to join in on the Wrath content when it arrives, yet they are forced to deal with players making it even harder for them to prepare for that content.

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It basically made it so that players can't ignore the event. I really don't see a problem with that. This is just part of a larger event that's going on. The zombies will probably stop at some point.

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Q u o t e:
You can't opt out of a raid wiping out a town's NPC's either.

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Wrong idea. Raids on enemy faction towns have always been possible. But every player there has the choice to be flagged or not.

On a PvE server, the concept is for everyone to have the choice of being attackable by other players or not.
You should be fully immune to attacks from other players if you do not actively do something to turn on your PvP flag.

This zombie event takes that choice away.

if you have two minds about this, how about you keep one and i eat the other.

everyone's happy now.

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Q u o t e:


Its a plague. Its suppose to spread. Yes its slightly different in how its done, but that's about it.

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Well, we already know it can go airborne (see: those crates of infection). Very likely some clever goblin can build a delivery vehicle for it...or maybe the Scourge has something completely different up its sleeve.

But the spread is not limited to zombie bites alone, and all by itself that suggests a dozen or so easy plot lines.

The defenders may have some nasty surprises in store.

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Q u o t e:


Wrong idea. Raids on enemy faction towns have always been possible. But every player there has the choice to be flagged or not.

On a PvE server, the concept is for everyone to have the choice of being attackable by other players or not.
You should be fully immune to attacks from other players if you do not actively do something to turn on your PvP flag.

This zombie event takes that choice away.

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Which, IMO, is fine. The Scourge it attacking. You can't really ignore that just because. And I am be no means an avid PvPer.

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Q u o t e:


It basically made it so that players can't ignore the event. I really don't see a problem with that. This is just part of a larger event that's going on. The zombies will probably stop at some point.

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Exactly. As a world event, the powerful 70's that are fighting off the evils of the world (or the good of the world) are just as affected as that person just leaving northshire abbey. That new guy would be just as aware of the events and should expect to see effects of it around them, directly or indirectly. Yes, people abuse the novelty, but how else does a plague spread, than people opting-in to what the scourge is giving them to do. Not everyone is going to be "omg, it's the scourge, kill them" as some people want to bring chaos to the world by choice. :) Why else does the real world have criminals if they were forced to be one. Most choose to by the ability. Just that the zombies is the ability for people in azeroth to be a "criminal" by choice.