WoW Wednesday- In-Game Etiquette for Newbies (and maybe some not so noobs)

Since my husband and I are taking advantage of the revamped Recruit- A-Friend perks and goodies, I have been spending a lot of my recent WoW time in dungeons. And with that, I have been seeing a lot of behaviors that you didn't used to see too much in the game. Some of it might be because there are a lot of new players, and the game is set up to be so face roll easy  now, that most of them aren't taking the time to learn about their class. Also, guilds don't seem to be as helpful as they once were. They're basically just cranking out crap players now that the realization has set in that  most people only want a guild for their perks, so new players don't have the  people resources that a Vanilla or BC guild could offer (although, a level 25 guild can give you all the perks you need for leveling without using RAF, so there's that...) Keeping all that in mind, I thought I would take this opportunity to write a little etiquette post for all you new WoW players that just might not know that you're pissing people off in groups (and for those of you veteran players that just need to stop being so  rude).

Back in the old days, you had to spam trade chat to find members for a group you wanted to run. It could take hours before you finally had every class you needed. So when Blizzard added the LFG (looking for group) function to the game, I think a lot of people breathed a little sigh of relief. Finally, no more hour long searches! Except, with the LFG came all the ninjas and baddies. Who cares if you ninja loot in a LFG dungeon? The likelihood of you playing with those people again is slim. And sucking? Same thing. LFG has now been edited to allow a party to kick someone for whatever reason they may have, but all it does it give that person a timer, and then they're free to get back in the queue and do it again and again to some other groups. Its frustrating having to deal with these types of people. So first things first- don't be a ninja! What's a ninja you ask? A ninja is a person who needs on gear that they don't really need. For example, a mage needing on a pair of plate gloves. Mages can't wear plate! So what's the point of rolling on it? Vendoring it for gold or to disenchant it for mats. Blizzard has tried to prevent this in higher levels, once you hit Outlands' dungeons, you can no longer need on things you can't use. But until then (like from level 15 when you can start using LFG until about level 57), you can enter an instance and need on whatever drops, regardless of its use to you. Also, if you need on things in a group, it now becomes soulbound to you, which didn't happen before. Back in the day, people would need on things that were bind on equip (BOE), and then sell them for crazy amounts on the Auction House. Now they just need on them and vendor them. And while we're on the subject of rolls, you should only need on items that pertain to the spec you're in unless you ask. Like if a Pally is in a group as a tank, but something that a healer or other caster can use drops and the tank needs it for his heal spec. If he rolls against the healer or DPS and wins, but its a real upgrade to the other person, is that fair? I say no. Because as a caster, I can't roll on your tank stuff, so why can you roll on my caster gear? If it looks like nobody in your group needs the item though, its best to put a line out in group like "mind if I need for OS?" and usually everyone will say sure. You look like a considerate player, and you get your gear. Win-win. I would also say that, as a caster (Mage/Warlock), if something drops that has Spirit on it, but it would be huge upgrade for you, inspect your healer before you role. Intellect and Stamina are shared stats between all casters, but Spirit is mainly for healers (helps with their mana regeneration, which if you want to get technical, can help you too). If you roll on it without asking, and win, prepare for others in your group to yell "But that's a heal (insert item here)! It has Spirit!". Alternately, nobody will yell at a healer when they roll on something that has Critical Strike (which they don't need) and no Spirit , so get ready for that too.

Also, its a good idea to know what your class needs as far as gear and stats. Because if you're rolling for things with stats and armor qualities you can't use you're going to look like a ninja, and you're also going to look like an idiot. For example, I have run into a quite a few players wearing a mishmash of gear lately. The other day, there was a hunter in one of my groups who was wearing mostly cloth (hunters should be wearing leather or mail) with Intellect and Spirit. Okay. Like I stated above, those are caster stats, and mostly for healers. Hunters need Agility. Needless to say, his DPS (damage per second) was low, and was the laughing stock of the group. People will inspect you. It pays to know the class you're playing. Read the information tab when you're creating your toons, or even look in your specialization book once you've started. In the general tab (where you're guild perks and things are), it will show you what type of armor and what type of weapons you can use.

When you're in a group, each person has a designated role. There is a tank, healer and three DPS. Tanks can get really angry if you're a DPS trying to pull things. Let the tank pull. It will make your life so much easier. And also, accept the fact that tanks tend to come with inflated egos. You will also need to stay close to the healer. Make sure you are in their line of sight and in their heal range, otherwise you will die. Any time a group fails, the healer gets blamed for it, accept that too. Mages are considered a face roll class, as in, you just roll your face over the keyboard to play one. Hunters, or huntards, are considered the dumb ones. Rogues and Paladins are always considered the OP (overpowered) classes. Every class has some stereotype, and sometimes, someone might say something to you. I say, as long it doesn't get too rude or disrespectful, just let it go. It is just a game after all. But if they keep hounding you, or it just gets out of control, that's what the report function is for (and then kick, because who wants to finish a group with a douchebag?). But that is for extreme cases only.  I always feel a little sorry for people that have to hide behind a computer screen to bully. It makes you wonder whats going on in their life that's making them that way.

So to review:
1. Don't be a ninja.
2. If needing for your off-spec, ask before you roll.
3. Know your class.
4. Be nice.