Blizzard warns: If you defend towers alone in WoW, you might get banned

Those who are concerned about the security of their account should rather swim with the crowd in PvP and engage in actual combat actions.

This is how the community reacts: Opinions on this statement are clearly divided. While many make fun of the statement, there are also numerous players who share this view. PvP battlegrounds are indeed a team endeavor, and those who want to do their “ego thing” should not sign up for a group activity. Some of the comments in the subreddit are like:

• “So should people now be clairvoyant and predict whether someone is defending the towers or not? Delaying the recapture of a tower can buy more time to defeat the boss, so it can literally be a matter of victory or defeat in such games.”
• “To be honest, I understand what they are trying to achieve. I remember the good old days when I sat AFK in the tower watching YouTube while the rest of the raid did the actual work. I guess too many people exploited that, and that’s why we can’t have nice things anymore.”
• “I find it (obviously) stupid to ban people for defending, but I can also see that it can be a problem to catch the right AFKers while not discovering those who are actually defending a tower but just not being attacked.”

What do you think of this decision? Understandable and sensible? Or absolutely incomprehensible?

In response to concerns about getting banned for not staying with the mass of players who “quickly rush through Alterac Valley,” because one is defending a base, Vrakthris explained further:

Some may report you if you do not participate in the way they think you should, but that does not necessarily trigger anything. As I said, the application of these penalties is not automated. They are based on your actions and the data that your actions provide.

However, it is important to remember that battlegrounds are a team event. You are not there solo and it is often necessary to work with your team to some extent. If you set out alone to defend a lone tower without your team’s approval and you never encounter anyone you need to defend against, well, you are not really participating in [the battleground].

What does this mean now? In short: Those who until now considered themselves the lone hero, heroically defending the tower and deterring attackers merely by their presence, should think twice about it. Because this apparently does not count as participation in the battleground.

Those who are concerned about the security of their account should rather swim with the crowd in PvP and engage in actual combat actions.

This is how the community reacts: Opinions on this statement are clearly divided. While many make fun of the statement, there are also numerous players who share this view. PvP battlegrounds are indeed a team endeavor, and those who want to do their “ego thing” should not sign up for a group activity. Some of the comments in the subreddit are like:

• “So should people now be clairvoyant and predict whether someone is defending the towers or not? Delaying the recapture of a tower can buy more time to defeat the boss, so it can literally be a matter of victory or defeat in such games.”
• “To be honest, I understand what they are trying to achieve. I remember the good old days when I sat AFK in the tower watching YouTube while the rest of the raid did the actual work. I guess too many people exploited that, and that’s why we can’t have nice things anymore.”
• “I find it (obviously) stupid to ban people for defending, but I can also see that it can be a problem to catch the right AFKers while not discovering those who are actually defending a tower but just not being attacked.”

What do you think of this decision? Understandable and sensible? Or absolutely incomprehensible?

In response to concerns about getting banned for not staying with the mass of players who “quickly rush through Alterac Valley,” because one is defending a base, Vrakthris explained further:

Some may report you if you do not participate in the way they think you should, but that does not necessarily trigger anything. As I said, the application of these penalties is not automated. They are based on your actions and the data that your actions provide.

However, it is important to remember that battlegrounds are a team event. You are not there solo and it is often necessary to work with your team to some extent. If you set out alone to defend a lone tower without your team’s approval and you never encounter anyone you need to defend against, well, you are not really participating in [the battleground].

What does this mean now? In short: Those who until now considered themselves the lone hero, heroically defending the tower and deterring attackers merely by their presence, should think twice about it. Because this apparently does not count as participation in the battleground.

Those who are concerned about the security of their account should rather swim with the crowd in PvP and engage in actual combat actions.

This is how the community reacts: Opinions on this statement are clearly divided. While many make fun of the statement, there are also numerous players who share this view. PvP battlegrounds are indeed a team endeavor, and those who want to do their “ego thing” should not sign up for a group activity. Some of the comments in the subreddit are like:

• “So should people now be clairvoyant and predict whether someone is defending the towers or not? Delaying the recapture of a tower can buy more time to defeat the boss, so it can literally be a matter of victory or defeat in such games.”
• “To be honest, I understand what they are trying to achieve. I remember the good old days when I sat AFK in the tower watching YouTube while the rest of the raid did the actual work. I guess too many people exploited that, and that’s why we can’t have nice things anymore.”
• “I find it (obviously) stupid to ban people for defending, but I can also see that it can be a problem to catch the right AFKers while not discovering those who are actually defending a tower but just not being attacked.”

What do you think of this decision? Understandable and sensible? Or absolutely incomprehensible?

Those who are concerned about the security of their account should rather swim with the crowd in PvP and engage in actual combat actions.

This is how the community reacts: Opinions on this statement are clearly divided. While many make fun of the statement, there are also numerous players who share this view. PvP battlegrounds are indeed a team endeavor, and those who want to do their “ego thing” should not sign up for a group activity. Some of the comments in the subreddit are like:

• “So should people now be clairvoyant and predict whether someone is defending the towers or not? Delaying the recapture of a tower can buy more time to defeat the boss, so it can literally be a matter of victory or defeat in such games.”
• “To be honest, I understand what they are trying to achieve. I remember the good old days when I sat AFK in the tower watching YouTube while the rest of the raid did the actual work. I guess too many people exploited that, and that’s why we can’t have nice things anymore.”
• “I find it (obviously) stupid to ban people for defending, but I can also see that it can be a problem to catch the right AFKers while not discovering those who are actually defending a tower but just not being attacked.”

What do you think of this decision? Understandable and sensible? Or absolutely incomprehensible?

In response to concerns about getting banned for not staying with the mass of players who “quickly rush through Alterac Valley,” because one is defending a base, Vrakthris explained further:

Some may report you if you do not participate in the way they think you should, but that does not necessarily trigger anything. As I said, the application of these penalties is not automated. They are based on your actions and the data that your actions provide.

However, it is important to remember that battlegrounds are a team event. You are not there solo and it is often necessary to work with your team to some extent. If you set out alone to defend a lone tower without your team’s approval and you never encounter anyone you need to defend against, well, you are not really participating in [the battleground].

What does this mean now? In short: Those who until now considered themselves the lone hero, heroically defending the tower and deterring attackers merely by their presence, should think twice about it. Because this apparently does not count as participation in the battleground.

Those who are concerned about the security of their account should rather swim with the crowd in PvP and engage in actual combat actions.

This is how the community reacts: Opinions on this statement are clearly divided. While many make fun of the statement, there are also numerous players who share this view. PvP battlegrounds are indeed a team endeavor, and those who want to do their “ego thing” should not sign up for a group activity. Some of the comments in the subreddit are like:

• “So should people now be clairvoyant and predict whether someone is defending the towers or not? Delaying the recapture of a tower can buy more time to defeat the boss, so it can literally be a matter of victory or defeat in such games.”
• “To be honest, I understand what they are trying to achieve. I remember the good old days when I sat AFK in the tower watching YouTube while the rest of the raid did the actual work. I guess too many people exploited that, and that’s why we can’t have nice things anymore.”
• “I find it (obviously) stupid to ban people for defending, but I can also see that it can be a problem to catch the right AFKers while not discovering those who are actually defending a tower but just not being attacked.”

What do you think of this decision? Understandable and sensible? Or absolutely incomprehensible?

Defending towers in PvP of World of Warcraft is important. Or is it? But only if you do it with the group. Lone heroes are violating the guidelines.

battlegrounds have been part of a player’s daily life in World of Warcraft for nearly 20 years. But even if you’re not a big PvP fan, you’ve probably checked out Alterac Valley or other Battlegrounds.

For many, it is completely normal to just hang back and defend a tower, even if no one attacks in the end. But this is an offense, says Blizzard. Because then you are not really participating in the battle.

What is it actually about? The battleground “Alterac Valley” is one of the oldest PvP battlegrounds in World of Warcraft. The objectives are relatively simple: You have to capture the enemy towers and graveyards in order to defeat a PvE boss in the enemy base. The first to accomplish this wins the battle.

You need to protect allied towers and destroy enemy towers. Because every tower still standing strengthens the boss in the end, so it is worthwhile to take out the towers beforehand – or at least that’s what you would think.

But Blizzard has now clarified in the official forum: If you defend a tower and no one attacks it, then you are basically not participating in the battle.

PvP battlegrounds like Alterac Valley are also popular in WoW Classic, as WotLK Classic starts now:

What exactly was said? A few days ago, there was a major ban wave in which many accounts were wrongfully punished. According to Blizzard, this was due to an error in the analysis data and the unjust bans were lifted.

However, many players are still banned and will likely remain so, as Blizzard considers the penalties justified in numerous cases. In response to the question of whether the ban system in WoW is automated, Vrakthis from customer service explained in the official WoW forum:

Players can report you for non-participation if they believe you are AFK or not contributing. If enough of these reports come in, you will usually receive a temporary debuff that is meant to encourage you to participate in the fight. If you do not, you will be removed from the battleground.

These reports can also trigger an investigation, but none of this happens automatically. A member or members of specific teams that handle these matters review the reports and your in-game behavior to determine if there is evidence that you contributed to the battleground or not.

Those who are concerned about the security of their account should rather swim with the crowd in PvP and engage in actual combat actions.

This is how the community reacts: Opinions on this statement are clearly divided. While many make fun of the statement, there are also numerous players who share this view. PvP battlegrounds are indeed a team endeavor, and those who want to do their “ego thing” should not sign up for a group activity. Some of the comments in the subreddit are like:

• “So should people now be clairvoyant and predict whether someone is defending the towers or not? Delaying the recapture of a tower can buy more time to defeat the boss, so it can literally be a matter of victory or defeat in such games.”
• “To be honest, I understand what they are trying to achieve. I remember the good old days when I sat AFK in the tower watching YouTube while the rest of the raid did the actual work. I guess too many people exploited that, and that’s why we can’t have nice things anymore.”
• “I find it (obviously) stupid to ban people for defending, but I can also see that it can be a problem to catch the right AFKers while not discovering those who are actually defending a tower but just not being attacked.”

What do you think of this decision? Understandable and sensible? Or absolutely incomprehensible?

Those who are concerned about the security of their account should rather swim with the crowd in PvP and engage in actual combat actions.

This is how the community reacts: Opinions on this statement are clearly divided. While many make fun of the statement, there are also numerous players who share this view. PvP battlegrounds are indeed a team endeavor, and those who want to do their “ego thing” should not sign up for a group activity. Some of the comments in the subreddit are like:

• “So should people now be clairvoyant and predict whether someone is defending the towers or not? Delaying the recapture of a tower can buy more time to defeat the boss, so it can literally be a matter of victory or defeat in such games.”
• “To be honest, I understand what they are trying to achieve. I remember the good old days when I sat AFK in the tower watching YouTube while the rest of the raid did the actual work. I guess too many people exploited that, and that’s why we can’t have nice things anymore.”
• “I find it (obviously) stupid to ban people for defending, but I can also see that it can be a problem to catch the right AFKers while not discovering those who are actually defending a tower but just not being attacked.”

What do you think of this decision? Understandable and sensible? Or absolutely incomprehensible?

In response to concerns about getting banned for not staying with the mass of players who “quickly rush through Alterac Valley,” because one is defending a base, Vrakthris explained further:

Some may report you if you do not participate in the way they think you should, but that does not necessarily trigger anything. As I said, the application of these penalties is not automated. They are based on your actions and the data that your actions provide.

However, it is important to remember that battlegrounds are a team event. You are not there solo and it is often necessary to work with your team to some extent. If you set out alone to defend a lone tower without your team’s approval and you never encounter anyone you need to defend against, well, you are not really participating in [the battleground].

What does this mean now? In short: Those who until now considered themselves the lone hero, heroically defending the tower and deterring attackers merely by their presence, should think twice about it. Because this apparently does not count as participation in the battleground.

Those who are concerned about the security of their account should rather swim with the crowd in PvP and engage in actual combat actions.

This is how the community reacts: Opinions on this statement are clearly divided. While many make fun of the statement, there are also numerous players who share this view. PvP battlegrounds are indeed a team endeavor, and those who want to do their “ego thing” should not sign up for a group activity. Some of the comments in the subreddit are like:

• “So should people now be clairvoyant and predict whether someone is defending the towers or not? Delaying the recapture of a tower can buy more time to defeat the boss, so it can literally be a matter of victory or defeat in such games.”
• “To be honest, I understand what they are trying to achieve. I remember the good old days when I sat AFK in the tower watching YouTube while the rest of the raid did the actual work. I guess too many people exploited that, and that’s why we can’t have nice things anymore.”
• “I find it (obviously) stupid to ban people for defending, but I can also see that it can be a problem to catch the right AFKers while not discovering those who are actually defending a tower but just not being attacked.”

What do you think of this decision? Understandable and sensible? Or absolutely incomprehensible?

Those who are concerned about the security of their account should rather swim with the crowd in PvP and engage in actual combat actions.

This is how the community reacts: Opinions on this statement are clearly divided. While many make fun of the statement, there are also numerous players who share this view. PvP battlegrounds are indeed a team endeavor, and those who want to do their “ego thing” should not sign up for a group activity. Some of the comments in the subreddit are like:

• “So should people now be clairvoyant and predict whether someone is defending the towers or not? Delaying the recapture of a tower can buy more time to defeat the boss, so it can literally be a matter of victory or defeat in such games.”
• “To be honest, I understand what they are trying to achieve. I remember the good old days when I sat AFK in the tower watching YouTube while the rest of the raid did the actual work. I guess too many people exploited that, and that’s why we can’t have nice things anymore.”
• “I find it (obviously) stupid to ban people for defending, but I can also see that it can be a problem to catch the right AFKers while not discovering those who are actually defending a tower but just not being attacked.”

What do you think of this decision? Understandable and sensible? Or absolutely incomprehensible?

In response to concerns about getting banned for not staying with the mass of players who “quickly rush through Alterac Valley,” because one is defending a base, Vrakthris explained further:

Some may report you if you do not participate in the way they think you should, but that does not necessarily trigger anything. As I said, the application of these penalties is not automated. They are based on your actions and the data that your actions provide.

However, it is important to remember that battlegrounds are a team event. You are not there solo and it is often necessary to work with your team to some extent. If you set out alone to defend a lone tower without your team’s approval and you never encounter anyone you need to defend against, well, you are not really participating in [the battleground].

What does this mean now? In short: Those who until now considered themselves the lone hero, heroically defending the tower and deterring attackers merely by their presence, should think twice about it. Because this apparently does not count as participation in the battleground.

Those who are concerned about the security of their account should rather swim with the crowd in PvP and engage in actual combat actions.

This is how the community reacts: Opinions on this statement are clearly divided. While many make fun of the statement, there are also numerous players who share this view. PvP battlegrounds are indeed a team endeavor, and those who want to do their “ego thing” should not sign up for a group activity. Some of the comments in the subreddit are like:

• “So should people now be clairvoyant and predict whether someone is defending the towers or not? Delaying the recapture of a tower can buy more time to defeat the boss, so it can literally be a matter of victory or defeat in such games.”
• “To be honest, I understand what they are trying to achieve. I remember the good old days when I sat AFK in the tower watching YouTube while the rest of the raid did the actual work. I guess too many people exploited that, and that’s why we can’t have nice things anymore.”
• “I find it (obviously) stupid to ban people for defending, but I can also see that it can be a problem to catch the right AFKers while not discovering those who are actually defending a tower but just not being attacked.”

What do you think of this decision? Understandable and sensible? Or absolutely incomprehensible?