Ganking Revisited

My friend, Tomas, recently posted on his blog a query about our best or worst times involved with Ganking. [HERE(as Tomas would say it)]. I'd also like to pose a question, and hopefully open some discussion, about the moral, ethical, political, social, environmental, and any other -al concerns about Ganking.

For instance, one of the responses I've given in the past when confronted about ganking is: "We're at war, right? When you see an armed enemy combatant in the middle of a war, do you wave at him, smile, and go your merry way? I don't think so."

Or, for short: "If it's red, it's dead."

There is an expansive story line leading up to the time period in which we inhabit Azeroth, and a deep political climate that, I believe, transcends most of our day-to-day understanding of this so-called war.

From what I can tell, these two great factions, the Alliance and the Horde, are in a situation akin to a modified cold war. There are disputed territories that each is trying to obtain either covertly or more forcefully. There are "terrorists" that are loosely connected to the factions, that stage assaults against key targets of the opponent's innermost territory. Of course the leaders of the factions disavow any "orders from above" related to these fanatics.

So, all this is going on with or without you. But, what I want to know is, from a role playing perspective -- your character's perspective, perhaps -- how do you address the opposing faction? In other words, do you see them as people just like you, trying to make a living and survive in a harsh world, who have been thrown into a conflict not of their making? Or do you see them as inherently evil and hostile, and must be stopped at all costs? Or perhaps a combination. When it comes down to it, these deep thinking decisions ultimately affect how you deal with a "ganking" situation. Are you one of those who kills everything on sight? Do you practice some discretion? Do you kill only if attacked or threatened, or by necessity? I assure you that over a certain amount of gameplay time, you have developed your own ideals, whether or not you acknowledge them or even realize they exist. These fundamental ideals (perhaps based on real life experience and ideals) guide your hand at nearly every turn in the game.

So, the underlying questions:

1) What have you observed about your own in-game "ganking/fighting" characteristics, and can you relate them to something more fundamental in your own ideals, or the role-playing ideals of the game?

2) Do you think Blizzard is akin to a passive creator deity that designs a world, and sits back to let us, the players, decide the course of things (as in how violent or peaceful a particular server is based on the resident players), or do you think Blizzard is more manipulative, and seeks to force us to be more violent, finding new and improved ways to encourage ganking, raiding, etc.? Take into consideration the Battlegrounds and Honor patches, and whether the intent was to lessen wanton violence (and concentrate it more on "proving grounds" or keep it more even (less higher vs. lower character ganking)), and whether the results coincide with that intent, or whether the intent was to increase overall the violence in the game?

3) Do you think players should have more influence in the political climate of the game? In other words, do you think Blizzard would be willing to have players take on more political/social roles, and actually affect the conflict (e.g., striking peace accords, trade agreements, etc., perhaps in quests), or is that just too complicated? I allude to Star Wars Galaxies as an example of how players can create and live in their own political communities. It's a bit "too" much in SWG for a game like WoW, but could it / should it be done in WoW to a lesser extent?

Let's leave it at that. I am hoping my loyal readers will address at least question #1, and perhaps ponder the others for the time being. I know it's a lot. I'll be thinking up my own response, as well.

Valete, amici et amicae!

[an extra point if you can guess what battle, time period, opponents, or anything else is depicted in the picture above]