Why am I unable to initiate Pvp on a Pvp server?

This is pure speculation.

1. Implementing some sort of dismounting-parachute system along the lines of what I’ve previously proposed in this blog and elsewhere (MMOC etc.) would be a very time-consuming and unstable, i.e. bug-prone thing to do, and only benefit ~50% of the playerbase. Less than that, even, as many people on Pvp servers simply don’t want to be bothered, esp. when they’re on the under-populated side of the server.
2. Sanctuary Auras – I’d like to punch …never mind. The Horde and Alliance should come together as one and work for a common benefit, as part of the lore and all that. No fighting, please, we’re at war.
3. It was too damn much to work with in TBC so they stuck to the “Flying Mounts give Pvp immunity or damn near” paradigm and it’s worked fairly well since then, pushing those pesky Pvpers into instances and arenas and BGs with objectives and all that where they can’t hurt the raiders trying to get into their raid instances or the alts or the newbies leveling up.
4. Rp servers and Pvp servers cause the most number of GM tickets in the game [blue post source]. People don’t like to be bothered when they’re just hanging out, or just farming or questing or traveling. You sit down in front of the computer, you figure out what it is that you want to do, you get going on doing it and WHAM someone inconveniently stops you from doing it. Imagine you’re on your bank alt and someone kills the bankers or auctioneers. HOW DARE THEY? The easier and more prevalent such things become, the more trouble for the GMs and Blizzard and the less smooth the progression for the vast majority of the players. More trouble – less revenue and more expenses. That leads to less money left over to hire more artists and developers and dungeon designers. That means less content.
5. People don’t want empty sandboxes. They want risk-less gameplay, certain rewards and a theme-park experience where everything is safe and secure and fun and you’re assured that whether you win or lose the BG or dungeon or raid – you’re still assured of some points or badges or tokens or whatever. In a raid, even if you don’t get the drop you want, at least you get some badges. Or points. If something gets in between you and that goal, you’re gonna be pissed.
6. People roll on servers due to the friends/guild that’s on that server. The players have been progressively more conditioned to disregard the difference between Pve and Pvp servers. To change that dynamic now would be a drastic, painful and unpopular thing to do.
7. Instances and BGs and arenas are simple, modular content that can be churned out reliably and on-time and won’t cause a bunch of lag or more GM tickets compared to outdoor open world content. It simply doesn’t make sense to make content that focuses people out in the world with tangible rewards, esp. on the lop-sided servers that are almost the rule these days. Or rather – they FEEL like the rule. You’re more likely to remember that one time you got roflstomped by 5 opposing-faction players than you’re likely to remember the five times you and your friends steamrolled that one enemy player.
8. WG and Tenacity failed. Blizz realized that it has to be 1:1 Pvp ratios or the whole thing craps the potato-field. Hence Tol Barad on a separate server, no flying mounts there, a timer and all that. This is enjoyable and no-downside-content for Pvpers and Pve’ers alike, no matter what server you’re on. You click the queue, you accept the summon and you know what’s going on and there’s obvious informed consent right before you enter into combat. Unlike the not so obvious consent when you pick a Pvp server. It’s there and most people know about it, but they also know about flying mounts and the fact that it’s pretty hard to camp a thinking player these days.
9. The LFD system and the queue-for-BGs system was a resounding success. The Xbox and Playstation crowd finally got their near-instant queues with no social interaction or organization required. Push a button and BAM – you’re fighting bosses and collecting loot. With the effect that the world of warcraft outside, the open part, is mostly just for farming and leveling and archaeology botting. Err, I mean archaeology GRINDING.
10. Making people able to initiate Pvp at will again on Pvp servers would not make for a shiny, eye-catching bullet point in an expansion or patch announcement – and less than half of the playerbase would like it. The majority would be annoyed that Blizzard caters to “griefers” (i.e., Pvpers) instead of focusing on churning out more “content” (i.e., another raid), a few would be outright pissed off – those who rolled on Pvp servers to raid or play with friends – and a minority would squeal in joy at the chance to make use of their arena/RBG-sourced gear against others of such ilk. Or failing that, against others lacking such gear, like alts and newbies and freshly dinged levelcap people.

So, there you have it, fellas and chicas – it’s simply not in Blizzard’s (or yours, probably) best interest to have people be able to initiate Pvp on Pvp servers left and right and up and down and whenever. It’s simply better for the overall success of the game that we be able to go Pvp Immune-damn-near just by mounting up and flying straight up for a few seconds.

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