PvP vs. PvE

Heh, the word "versus" is used three times in that title. Technically it reads: Player versus player versus Player versus Environment. Confusing!

Anyways, up until recently I've avoided any sort of PvP conflict like the plague. Perhaps I still have traumatic memories of being ganked for hours at Tarren Mill, but I hate PvP. It's too stressful for me - players don't act in any sort of predictable way like mobs do. They don't go after the tanks, they go after the healers (a very smart strategy...you'd think the mobs would figure that out too). Players fight smart, they can drink potions, they move around a lot as opposed to most mobs who are completely stationary (another good strategy...why stand there while I stab away?) And the worst part of all, mobs don't /spit and /laugh at you after killing you. Grrr.

Obviously, avoiding PvP entirely is impossible. Especially when you play on a pvp server like I do...but I've done a pretty impressive job of avoiding confrontation whenever possible. Many a time I've gotten a glimpse of an ally (even if they're a few levels below me) and ran out of there as fast as I could on my mount, and didn't even dare returen to the same zone for an hour.

Battlegrounds are a bit better than the random world pvp (ie, gankfest). At least the level brackets prevent blatantly unfair situations and there's sort of a "goal" besides just killing other players. I do admit the occasional Alterac Valley is kind of fun because there are so many people per side. I just follow the crowd and when I see an easy kill - like when I see a stunned clothie at half health or a 6-on-1 fight - I jump in, put in a few hits and move on. Shameful, yes, I know. But it's the only way I can pvp without getting an anxiety attack.

Some people say it's weird I don't pvp given that I play on a heavily populated pvp server, AND I happen to be a rogue - the king of all pvp classes. But raiding has always appealed to me much more than pvp (and probably always will). Recently, however, I've been "forced" to start pvp. My fiance (who practically does nothing but pvp) has been saying that once he hits 80, we'll start doing arenas. I've secretly dreaded the day he turned 80...which he did a few days ago. And so it begins...

We've started doing wintergrasp together, which actually I really enjoy and look forward to now. It's like Alterac Valley...on crack. There are like 100 players! I've only played offense (I heard no one ever wins defense on my server) which rocks - you've got like 100 players at the fortress waiting for the siege vehicles, right? Usually a few ally players venture out (because they're idiots I guess??) and immediately get slaughtered by the bloodthirsty people waiting for them. Then when the walls go down, it's a total fucking madhouse - everyone is off grabbing as many kills as possible. I go after any clothie I can find, mutilate, kidney shot, mutilate, and BOOM they're dead. Then a DK will death grip me and kick my ass, but I rez, run in, and repeat this whole chaotic process again.

I was planning on spending my emblems for heirloom gear to start an alt, but I spent it all on pvp gear instead. I figure if I'm going to be doing this, might as well do it right. Besides, um, I suck at pvp. Trying to do arenas in my pve gear (as awesome as it is) would be suicide.

Best case scenario: we do arenas, we end up doing pretty well, we're both happy.
Worst case scenario: we suck at arenas, I go back to raiding full-time, my fiance finds another partner. We're both happy.