World of Warcraft®

What's up?

I'm new to this, and I have just learned of the joys of dungeon hopping. It becomes difficult to really enjoy the game and the team dynamic, however, when your healer won't quit flaming you for doing something other than what they expect, particularly when it is not at all clear what that is.

First of all, I offer respect to the dedicated tankers out there-your job can be difficult, particularly when the awareness that your performance can be the difference between making or breaking the instace becomes apparent. And it has become clear to me that there is more to tanking than just rushing a mob.

But my favorite character is a balance druid. I like blowing things up from a distance (shiny things go BOOM!). It's easy. Trouble is 3/5 of the WoW community feels the same way... If I want to spend more time in an instance than in a queue my options are tank or healer, and the latter is a bit too much pressure for a newbie like me.

So I tank, and I'm learning to appreciate it.

Why can't that be appeciated by others? I do my best. I work to improve. I may make mistakes out of inexperience and ignorance, but I try to learn from them.

Some players take this game too seriously, and that makes it difficult for others to enjoy. The other day I got booted from an instance I was tanking. No warning. Just out. This, after I realized that just because you can need a drop, does not mean you should. I have passed on everything to not risk looking ninja ever since.

Today I was flamed.

Yeah, the instance bombed. Yeah-I made mistakes, most of which I don't even know about. But if I got the grapes to admit to that in order to improve everyone's experience, including yours, then you can calm the [expletive deleted] down, understand that it's just a game, and remember that even you were a newbie once.

It's one thing to be new. Everybody is new at some point.

Most of us are more than willing to forgive new players. I'll happily take a minute before each boss fight or tough trash pack to explain the details to you.

However, you have to meet me halfway. Tanking is more a of a responsibility than DPSing or healing. You have to be willing to research the fights beforehand so you know what's coming. I'll explain details and tricks, sure, but the dungeon journal has been there for quite a while, and there's no excuse for not giving it a quick read before queuing.

An apology doesn't magically make things better, especially if you're not sorry. As a rather amusing quote goes, "sorry doesn't cut it when you do something stupid on purpose." Charging in without any idea of what you're doing, at least in my book, qualifies as stupid. Charging in while inexperienced but with some knowledge is a perfectly acceptable part of the game.

We're not demanding you know every trick, or pull like you have the instance memorized. We are asking that you move the boss out of the fire, face it away from the raid when it breathes, and know the general mechanics of the fights. Heroics are easy now, sure, but that doesn't mean you can fall asleep while doing them.

Trying to improve is good. However, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. What matters isn't what you want, but what you do.

New players.. they make me so mad. Not all.. just most of them.

You see.. you get these new players in instances and they dont talk. They just run around following you. They make millions of mistake and then cuss you out when you try and help them. Or better yet.. they say you're an elitist and have no life.

On the other hand, when a new player apologizes or even tells me they are new... I try to help them out.

Which kind of new player are you?

PS: You should play something easy like mage and DPS your way to 90 before just diving into tanking or healing. Unless you love the spotlight.

No... No spotlight for this guy.

I don't talk much during the game-I'll work on that. And maybe it may be a good idea to instance as a damage dealer for a while. No one expects much from them-other than not getting killed...

Thanks.

It's hard to be introverted and new.

And ick, Balance Druid.

Learn the game first as a DPS class then make a tank, gotta earn that insta-Q

Turn your chat window OFF.

You'll be much happier that way. Remember you dungeon queue is instant. If things don't work out, drop group and queue again. No problem.

I only turn the chat window back on if I'm trying to be nice, like asking if anyone has quest to complete. Most of the time I leave if off and simply run it and treat the other players as bots (some actually are, on auto-follow).

02/02/2013 12:46 PMPosted by Landfill

Learn the game first as a DPS class then make a tank, gotta earn that insta-Q

Pfft. Jump in the deep end, I say.

02/01/2013 06:50 PMPosted by Efhan

If I want to spend more time in an instance than in a queue my options are tank or healer, and the latter is a bit too much pressure for a newbie like me.

In 5-mans it's actually much less pressure than tanking, IMO. There are a lot of mechanics that the tank must perform, and a few for DPS. Healers pretty much just heal whoever's hurt and stay out of fire themselves.

But anyway... if you tell us the specific fight, maybe we can help you improve your performance at it. Otherwise, just don't let the criticism get you down -- and if you forget that they need you more than you need them, trying to do some runs on your DPS spec will quickly remind you. :D

02/01/2013 06:50 PMPosted by Efhan

But if I got the grapes to admit to that

The problem is this:

For tanking, you need a pair of plums, not grapes.

(Edit: To clarify, I'm referring to an attitude towards other players, letting insults roll off your back, and not caring about getting kicked once in awhile)

Rather than attempt to read every individual healer's mind, I find it's best to ignore them, pretend they aren't there, and master the dungeons on my own terms.

I set the pace. I know my limits.
If the healers have any problems with things I've successfully done a thousand times with a thousand different healers (who may or may not have existed) then it's their own problem. Why should they have the right to complain and assume I'm the one who's supposed to be flexible?

I have a macro that says "I honestly don't care" in group chat.
I press it anytime someone complains.

"I'm oom!" Macro.
"Slow down I can't keep up." Macro.
"I'm in the wrong spec!" Macro.

I truly appreciate all of the input I recieve from you, the WoW community. I have learned:

1. if a player acts like a jerkface 10-year-old and creates drama, keep that perspective. Grow a thick skin. Or find a new instance...

2. read the "So You Want to Be A Tank" guidelines again and learn what that means.

3. learn about macros (thanks, Zionic!).

4. keep up the communication, even if it feels wierd, or seems like a time waster. It actually sounds like taking the necessary time to play an instance is what many tanks do.

5. keep tanking!