Hardcore players can join battlegrounds, but the risk is very high and the reward is pretty meh all things considered. So how about we introduce a type of battleground specific to hardcore players?
How I envision Hardcore Battlegrounds:
- The battleground itself isn't an instance, instead it's a physical location players have to travel to. The building is much like a coliseum, with a center battle arena and rows of stands surrounding it. There are vendor stalls, faction representatives, flightmasters, and maybe some references to popular media here and there. Neutral guards (similar to Booty Bay) are posted all over to prevent unsavory behavior, but are otherwise not invulnerable nor impossible to fool.
- Each major city has a booth set up with two NPCs: One that shows the current and upcoming rosters for each bout, and another for signups. Signups are done using gold, with the price of signing up increasing by level bracket. Participants can sign up early to secure a spot, before their level bracket's bout is even announced.
- The level brackets are the same as normal BGs, with the exception of a bracket for lvl 60s. Level 59 participants cannot earn XP while participating (they should be told this beforehand).
- Bouts are done in 30 minute intervals, from lowest level bracket to highest. Each bout is announced by the booth NPCs, signalling to players that a bout either started, is about to start, or has ended. Participants are prompted to teleport to their team's prep room. If a bout times out, all participants are kicked out and banned from participating again for the next 24 hours; no prize, no glory.
- A possible betting system where spectators place bets before they enter the stands, and odds are generated by determining participant strength via what level they are, what gear they're wearing, what spells they know, and if they've won previous bouts. Gambling is fun!
By implementing Hardcore Battlegrounds, hardcore players will now have a way to engage in meaningful PVP and earn rewards in a manner appropriate to the "all-or-nothing" style of play that hardcore mode provides. Non-hardcore players will also get a kick out of it too with a new place to hang out & roleplay, gamble, and entertain themselves as they watch hardcore players put their lives on the line for the ultimate PVP prize. I think it would be especially cool if Immortal players (those who've completed hardcore mode) also had the option to have special seating and the best view of the arena.
This is probably too rough or too unbalanced, but I do hope you appreciate the idea behind it all.
