How NOT to Gank...

...and still kill me.

Last night, I was running my first toon, my gnome warrior, and I was turning in a quest when a horde rode up and patiently waited for me to do my quest turn in.  Then when I was done, he /waved and I /waved back.  Then he /bowed and I realized he was asking me to fight.  He had 6 levels on me, but I decided it was cool and /bowed back.

Needless to say he annihilated me, but it was cool.  And in fact what annoys me is that about 90% of the way through killing me, a couple of alliance showed up and I had no way to tell them that I was cool with it before they jumped him.  Heck, I figured I would rez and we would go again.  I didn't yell at them after he fact, heck they were trying to help me, but I wish they hadn't run the horde guy off.  I was having fun despite dying.

Which is why I'm hesitant to transfer any of my toons to a PVE server, cause I'm sure I could have flagged, but it was even cooler because Mr. Horde last night didn't have to be cool about it, he just was.  While PVP servers allow people to be asshats and gank, they also allow for people to be very honorable, something I think is actually good about PVP servers.

KoS, PvP, and Me

I'm not using @#$% to protect anyone's sensibilities, I'm using @#$% because it stands in for my favorite derogative (and it's not 4 characters long, but 4 characters are plenty for a stand-in), I'm using it because I want you to insert YOUR favorite derogative.

I just deleted a huge post about my Kill on Sight list and what it takes to get on it, but you know, in the end, if you are an @#$%, you get put on my KoS list, if you are not an @#$% you don't.

Unless I'm near a World PvP objective, ganking me means being an @#$%, as it's always rude (since I'm pretty much helpless) and I don't care if it's on a PvP server. I like the fact that we can fight each other mostly anywhere, that's cool, but you can do that without being an @#$%.

If you use /spit or /rude or /teabag after killing me, guess what, you are an @#$%.

If you attack me, and I have virtually no chance, guess what, you are an @#$%.

If your raid is waiting to get into SSC and I'm on my way to one of the 5 mans and you, with a group of friends, jump me, guess what, you are an @#$%.

Don't want to be an @#$%? Don't do things to others you wouldn't like. And if you say you are a masochist and like all that, well that pretty much makes you an @#$%.

I never gank, but I do retaliate for gankings done to me or to someone I know or see ganked in game. So if I'm ganking you, it's because you obviously asked for it by ganking someone else.

And the first person to say: "Well you rolled on a PvP server," can have my boot for breakfast, cause guess what, you are an @#$%. A PvP server doesn't excuse poor behavior, it just allows for it, just as it allows you to behave well.

Yes it's a game, but it's multiplayer, which means you are in a social environment with real other people, don't be an @#$%.

The Gank

Ok, just in case everyone isn't clear, here's how you gank:

1. Wait on a boat in Ratchet for an opposing faction player at least 10 levels lower.
2. Go stealthy.
3. Move towards the player, who has probably put their back to the water, but may have now initiated a /bored, /tap, or even /sleep.
4. Get stun-locked by the stealthed 70 Rogue who is of the same faction as the lowbie you were going to eat alive.
5. Die and get laughed at by both.
6. Lowbie falls off boat after the loading screen appears and has to swim to Booty Bay cause they backed up too far to the edge of the boat.

Needless to say, I was the lowbie, and I won't reveal names, but it was great.

At the moment I only really have two anti-ganking strategies:

1. I always put my back to the water and stand right on the edge of the boat. At least half the time the ganker seems to think they can fit between my back and the water. Yes, they then fall off the boat and into the water...
2. I have two accounts and two computers. It's very fun the have my high level druid follow my lowbies, while stealthed.

FYI, I never gank, but I will camp in retaliation.

Yeehaw, isn't world PvP fun...