[Loremaster]

How does the PvP (player vs. player) work in the game? Specifically, if I don't want to go fight the other players, or more, if I don't want to get ambushed and thumped by some high level OMGPWNBBQ dumbass, what controls are there? I know there are some, but I'm not aware of them.

Also, does the game seem geared more toward the high-level character, meaning there's too much grinding early before you can do the fun stuff, or is geared too much for low-level, so that when you're high-level, there's nothing to do except find other high-level players and pound them? The guide seems to tell me there's plenty to do at all levels, but this guide was out when the game first came out. Has the game changed in that respect in the past years since it was released?

[peteramthor]

Originally Posted by Loremaster

How does the PvP (player vs. player) work in the game? Specifically, if I don't want to go fight the other players, or more, if I don't want to get ambushed and thumped by some high level OMGPWNBBQ dumbass, what controls are there? I know there are some, but I'm not aware of them.

The servers are set up to handle this. You have RP, Normal and PVP servers. Plus your character has to be 'flagged' in order to be attacked by another player. On the RP servers you don't flag unless you want to, do something that flags you (certain NPCs are marked PVP and you get flagged for attacking them) or enter one of the other factions big cities. PVP servers you get flagged automatically in any map considered contested. Which is usually around the 20th level or so.

Also there are Battlegrounds that you can opt to fight in also. These are contained areas of battle with specific requirements to win. The battleground ends when those requirements are met. Battlegrounds are required and you knowingly enter them, so you can't just accidently stumble into them.

Also, does the game seem geared more toward the high-level character, meaning there's too much grinding early before you can do the fun stuff, or is geared too much for low-level, so that when you're high-level, there's nothing to do except find other high-level players and pound them? The guide seems to tell me there's plenty to do at all levels, but this guide was out when the game first came out. Has the game changed in that respect in the past years since it was released?

Actually there are a bunch of quests to keep you busy. Plus you can constantly work on your profession skills. I never found a moment where I didn't have anything else to do but grind. Heck there are plenty of dungeons and such that I never even stepped foot in but passed right up.

Most of the expansion material is geared for the high end characters. Main reasons are because the low level stuff is already there and you can level through it pretty fast. At the high end they add to keep the players who have already beat everything, it gives them something new.
Plus each expansion has ten new levels of play to fill in for.

Hope this helps answer your questions.

[Loremaster]

I've also been told that most (maybe 75%) play for the Horde, so that players-wise, there's many more Orcs and Trolls running around than anything else. Any truth to that?

One point I'd like to make: the WoW community has went a long way in actually making a dialogue, or discourse community, in terms of coming up with terminology that applies to the game, and especially tactical-gaming tactics. Going through the old BradyGames WoW guide, which has a glossary and plenty of advice, there is a great deal of attention paid to how a character handles "aggro" or aggressive attention of computer-run monsters/NPCs. Building a tactical response to a computer's AI (or players' actions) is nothing new, but what is new is how salient (uh, aware) everyone is of it: you don't cast massive healing spells at the beginning of battle for instance, or you'll draw all of the monsters' attenion on you.

Reading up on tactical gameplay issues like managing aggro ended up helping me out while I was playing Final Fantasy 12, which runs a lot like a MMORPG (and Final Fantasy 11 is a MMO). Nothing draws enemy fire on you like a caster, especially a healer.

[peteramthor]

Actually the amount of horde vs alliance depends on the server. Of the two I play the most on, Argent Dawn is Alliance heavy while Altar of Storms is Horde heavy. I've heard of servers that are way lopsided in one direction or the other but never actually played on one.