Right, having had a pretty brief chat with the Red-Mask herself, I’ve started to draft a plot for this potential event. I’ve made a couple of estimations of what we could do with to run the event (bear in mind we have the best part of a year to prep this):
Defias (well duh) – I reckon that if we can magic up about 20-30 Defias players, low level alts that have gone through the Deadmines a couple of times to get some roleplay clothes and the obligatory red masks. Running through the DM would be easy with a lvl 80 chaperone, and all the alts could be done in a few hours one night potentially. The number of alts is the only issue, and Quint made a couple of neat suggestions; for starters there are the Red Spades, then any criminal gangs willing to dress up as Defias to bolster numbers, plus there are Horde rp guilds that might be willing to make an alt for a day’s fun in Stormwind. Rogues would be the most logical class to use for the stealth ability – with it the groups of Defias can slip around town largely unseen. The little buggers can recycle when they’re killed to represent numbers, but we do need a couple that won’t; namely personalities and leadership. I’d guess the minimum would be best – one commander, a couple of officers acting as seconds, etc.
Props – we’d need a couple of engineers to make a mass of useful props, such as low level guns, explosives, smoke bombs, firewood (for marking buildings as on fire / damaged). Daggers, axes, swords can be looted from DM.
Battleplan – this is the toughie… how would you attempt to take over Stormwind during a crisis? Froma strategic standpoint, the first thing that occurs to me planning-wise is this; the Defias are already inside, having secreted themselves into the fabric of Stormwind in sleeper-cells. Getting in is not the issue, gaining control is, and the only way I can imagine this working is through dividing the city one borough at a time (taking my lead from the one and only Cyrus here – can you dig it?
). Now, opposition is going to come from two sources: the City Guard and any deputised militia (as in Alliance military units that have been recalled due to the inevitable outbreak of martial law). The Guard are bound to play along, the glory-boys might not since they all consider themselves invulnerable demigods (though I have a plan for that, Operation L4D). The way I’d do it (if I was in charge) would be thus –
1) The Guard are likely to be busy with all manner of problems. What we need is to divide and control their movements. Groups can perform various actions; take civilian hostages, loot businesses, torch buildings, etc. which will draw small numbers of civil defenders into traps where they can be ‘removed’ from play. Once a significant number of Guard are distracted, a strong force can sweep into Old Town and secure it. The Command Centre will become a redoubt, and if need be will be held against attempts to retake.
2) Stormwind cannot be allowed to reinforce itself, so the Deeprun Tram must be cut off. The Dwarven Quarter needs to be secured as swiftly as possible; the swiftest way would be to effect an evacuation – use explosives and a few carelessly thrown torches to set the majority of businesses alight. The dwarven civilian population can then be ‘encouraged’ by disguised agents to evacuate via the Deeprun. Once the majority are evacuated, the stragglers are killed and barricades erected to seal the quarter. The Deeprun entrance is demolished, then boobytrapped and guarded. The harbour should be also removed from play; sabotage to ammo magazines, ships set aflame or scuttled, tanks sabotaged, etc. The Mage Tower / College of Magic is another point of entry. It will require either demolition charges to significantly damage or an infiltrator squad to decapitate the tower and collapse the portal.
3) The streets will need our own brand of policing. For this I recommend a sweeping ‘death squad’ – heavily armed and in large enough numbers to pose a threat to small groups of opponents or civilian mobs. This can move about as needed to support other areas, or just rove the city. Activities that will ‘encourage’ civilians to leave the city are to be a roving brief for this unit; random executions, arson, robbery, anything goes – this squad should be made up of the most vile, dangerous scum in our number, and led by an absolute maniac to inspire fear in all (as in one of our Officer characters).
4) The King. Wrynn is a weighty problem; he can potentially rally the people or cause damage himself. One thing he can’t do is survive catastrophe. So, instead of detaining him or attacking him directly, we turn his keep against him. A demolitions expert (another character) will install a bomb in the keep – one large enough to bring the roof in and flatten the structure. He will operate solo, and as soon as Wrynn makes a move to leave or support the troops, the keep is demolished. Bye bye king, another problem solved.
5) Finally, once enough of the city is evacuated to ensure any civilian attempts at fighting back are easily quashed, the Valley of Heroes bridge is demolished. Stormwind will belong to the Defias.
6) Operation L4D. This is a jackass-contingency plan for dealing with indestructible morons. Basically, when one is encountered, they’re told to behave in the Raid channel more in the spirit of the event. Then they’re mobbed – the nearest areas with Defias in them will empty, and the jackass will end up facing a wave of Defias. They kill the, ok, they respawn. And this goes on, and on, and on. The whole event goes on hold to deal with anyone that can’t follow the game’s rules due to their own over-inflated ego, which will soon enough turn the entire Raid channel on them (hopefully at least). And if they’re still, indestructible, they get binned from the Raid channel and told to come back when they’re old enough to understand how an event like this works. Death Knights are not invulnerable – they’ll be attacked with oil and flame, as will mages. Soldiers will face a Rouke’s Drift style battery of fire – they can’t dodge every bullet or cut down every man, if they don’t get it, they don’t get to be part of the fun; it’s our ball, we can take it away. Zero jackass tolerance. The idea is not to make the attack one that cannot be defended or turned, but one that can get established at least before it gets put down. It’s called drama, tension, making it so the participants don’t know how it’ll all turn out in the end… as in, more fun for more people as opposed to a showcase for metagaming jerkoffs in Full Epic Jackets.
Now… this is just an outline plan. I’d like any feedback, ideas, etc. The ball is in the court of others now – time to adapt the plot (I’m working on a strategy map that can be distributed before the event to ensure units are mobilised correctly).
