I've never quite understood why I should be nice and understanding and helpful, when I don't get the same treatment what I give to others. As an example I give you an incident that happened today. I got asked something by someone who apparently, by their own words even, don't care at all about the matter. And yet this same person tried to make it a huge problem.
Later this person leaves the guild and I apologize to him about my overreacting. Yes I did overreact, but I know when I am in the wrong or have done something wrong and can admit this to myself and to others. This other person then apologized in turn and told me a reason why he left. Apparently this reason was myself and my moods going from a to b in moments.
This is not true. My reactions are same like everyone else, I am actually relatively patient person, however I am entitled to emotional response or a reaction as one might call it just like everyone else. When I react to something in an emotional way, people seemingly act all surprised. It's like as a guild leader and a raid leader I am not entitled to these things, or my normal calm makes the occasional annoyances or other things seem like they come out of nowhere. Or people just misunderstand me.
In a world where written word is the golden rule, things like sarcasm, hate, jokes and other things are hard to express. I came to the conclusion that people understand me wrong more often that not. I had gotten used to it that people actually would understand me as they so often say; "I understand." how much do they understand then is the key question in here.
Calm and Serene will be my trademark from now on then. Apparently that seems to be the problem with other people, if they don't understand and rarely even try and understand why should I expend energy into even trying to make them understand in the first place, when I can just go back into being calm or calmer.
We shall see how this experiment with being calm goes then. Being the new Dalai Lama, here I come.
29.6.2012
26.6.2012
Good and Bad
Looking at the recent post in WoW insider something struck me. We are always listing good and bad as if they were some concrete facts of life. Some are universal, some are simply the way people want to do things and is singular, not good or bad.
As a good example, I refuse to use macros to do anything else but do raid warnings. As a Blood DK I could make a spell chain healing macro if I so wished, however the absence of macros has never bothered me. For me they make the game far too easy in a way, and take away the aspect of talent, or at least lessen it some. Not that I think that people who use macros are untalented, that's not the case. I simply feel that I don't wish to make the game easier to me than it already is.
As a raid leader and a gamer I understand how much simpler life can be made with macros. With the load of things I already have to do, I do understand that it would make things easier to deal with, more convenient. They would have been never added if Blizzard hadn't intended them to be used. However I just don't feel the need to. Of course it goes against min/maxing in a way, however I'm already ranked high enough on my realm to feel secure in my e-peen meter that I don't need to make the time any easier. If I raise up in the charts, I want it to be because of skill and not pressing one button repeatedly.
Now someone could say that addons are the exact same. Yes indeed they can be. However as it stands, Blizzards standard UI hardly makes it easy to do anything. Take a look at Warlock rotation for me and tell me how many buttons are there to push? See the difficulty now?
When it comes to addons I use those that I need for raid leading the most, those being recount and omen. Recounts counts the data, so that I can with a glance see who's slacking off and who's doing what and what kind of results they get with their gear and if new gear is helping them or not. The numbers tell a lot. As a tank and a raid leader it's easy to view this, as far as they go above my DPS they are "safe" so to say. Of course there's more to it, but that's the basics of it anyway.
Now why Omen then? Omen can be quite important, say in Ultraxion where the tanks need to aggro dance quite a lot. Our tactics or Ultraxion are a bit different than what most do. Most groups either single tank it, or make their tanks to share Hour of Twilight's and Fading Lights. We do it differentely. I as a main tank take every Hour of Twilight and every Fading Light as well. Now someone might think, why do we have two tanks then? We two heal that encounter and our healers have said to us that they can't keep people up without someone else taking the melee strikes. We tried doing it so that everyone were on monitoring their cooldowns and trying to use them at the precise moments. That however made it far too hard to many, and so my tank partner, a nice prot warrior takes the melee hits.
I know that someone wants to point out Deadly Boss Mods. Those things are timers. They don't help you to react, they don't help you to push the right buttons, they don't tell you what to do and when. They simply tell you what is coming.
On good or bad however, how I see it, people can play which ever way they want to, I don't care for the technicalities involved the slightest bit, Arcane Mages using frostbolt as they main attack.. Seriously I couldn't give a shit... As long as they do enough DPS to be in par with the others when in terms of their own gear and int he allowance of that encounter.
As a good example, I refuse to use macros to do anything else but do raid warnings. As a Blood DK I could make a spell chain healing macro if I so wished, however the absence of macros has never bothered me. For me they make the game far too easy in a way, and take away the aspect of talent, or at least lessen it some. Not that I think that people who use macros are untalented, that's not the case. I simply feel that I don't wish to make the game easier to me than it already is.
As a raid leader and a gamer I understand how much simpler life can be made with macros. With the load of things I already have to do, I do understand that it would make things easier to deal with, more convenient. They would have been never added if Blizzard hadn't intended them to be used. However I just don't feel the need to. Of course it goes against min/maxing in a way, however I'm already ranked high enough on my realm to feel secure in my e-peen meter that I don't need to make the time any easier. If I raise up in the charts, I want it to be because of skill and not pressing one button repeatedly.
Now someone could say that addons are the exact same. Yes indeed they can be. However as it stands, Blizzards standard UI hardly makes it easy to do anything. Take a look at Warlock rotation for me and tell me how many buttons are there to push? See the difficulty now?
When it comes to addons I use those that I need for raid leading the most, those being recount and omen. Recounts counts the data, so that I can with a glance see who's slacking off and who's doing what and what kind of results they get with their gear and if new gear is helping them or not. The numbers tell a lot. As a tank and a raid leader it's easy to view this, as far as they go above my DPS they are "safe" so to say. Of course there's more to it, but that's the basics of it anyway.
Now why Omen then? Omen can be quite important, say in Ultraxion where the tanks need to aggro dance quite a lot. Our tactics or Ultraxion are a bit different than what most do. Most groups either single tank it, or make their tanks to share Hour of Twilight's and Fading Lights. We do it differentely. I as a main tank take every Hour of Twilight and every Fading Light as well. Now someone might think, why do we have two tanks then? We two heal that encounter and our healers have said to us that they can't keep people up without someone else taking the melee strikes. We tried doing it so that everyone were on monitoring their cooldowns and trying to use them at the precise moments. That however made it far too hard to many, and so my tank partner, a nice prot warrior takes the melee hits.
I know that someone wants to point out Deadly Boss Mods. Those things are timers. They don't help you to react, they don't help you to push the right buttons, they don't tell you what to do and when. They simply tell you what is coming.
On good or bad however, how I see it, people can play which ever way they want to, I don't care for the technicalities involved the slightest bit, Arcane Mages using frostbolt as they main attack.. Seriously I couldn't give a shit... As long as they do enough DPS to be in par with the others when in terms of their own gear and int he allowance of that encounter.
The majority is always right... Not.
If we look at MMO's in general, or anything really the majority makes the choices and acts based on those choices. It's trough the majority that we get what is called average, and it is trough them that we know usually what is the norm. Now many say that the majority is right, what I think, is that that right there is bullshit. Excuse my crude language in here.
Now why would I think so? The majority doesn't actually express the most common opinion or what people really want, they represent compromise that might work for the majority and usually does work for the majority, however it is rarely the ideal situation. I base this onto the fact that the average = majority = average. And in this I mean in everything. How would the average know about the needs of the less than average or the needs of the excellent and above?
When it comes to WoW it is the most vocal that usually decide, the majority very rarely share an opinion about anything and so it becomes to the minority to decide. In this minority there are three kinds of people; the few average that actually want something better or fix things or develop themselves as a gamer; the forum activists that are always scrolling trough which in turn splits into two groups -> The scrubs/hater/noobs/griefers and the the pro anything.
Now how does this process then go on?
Blizzard makes a decision, for example to give every class a legendary. Now the response in this case will be;
1) The few Average:
- Give a few good points against and for, but can't really decide if it's a good thing or not, or think of it as an excellent idea, since the average gamer doesn't play as much as the pro and it gives them a chance to get a legendary too.
2) The griefers and other pests;
- Think it's either brilliant idea and want it implemented now and when it gets implemented they will whine that it's not unique enough and since everyone has it it's therefore this or that.
3) The Pros:
- Will think of the pro's and con's of the situation, most likely will come to the conclusion that it's a bad idea as those that don't do the work shouldn't be rewarded and that it would make legendaries meaningless if every average Joe is allowed them.
Now what MMO's and Blizzard and WoW especially needs to do, is to follow their own line and if someone makes and actually intelligent suggestion, they should consider that, but not necessarily implement it.
I actually despise it how Blizzard is not taking into account that it's Their Game and Their Product and they can do whatever the fuck they want with it, whiners be damned. Those who really enjoy the game and really wish to play it, will play it regardless of what Blizzard does to the game. That is not to say that the public is not entitled to opinion and opposing certain decisions that Blizzard makes into the game, however, they need to think about lot more than just what the the pro's or the noobs want. They need to think about the Average Joe that represents the majority.
And in here it is when it goes wrong. If they take people's opinions into account they should ask from the majority as that is who the game apparently is designed to now-a-days. The Raiders and other pro's will be happy as long as there's progression to be achieved and new raids to raid and new loot and achievements to be get. The PvP's will be happy as long as there are battlegrounds and class balance. The achievement hunters and altoholics will be happy as long as there's something new to do.
The average Joe however.. Well we don't even know, now do we?
Now why would I think so? The majority doesn't actually express the most common opinion or what people really want, they represent compromise that might work for the majority and usually does work for the majority, however it is rarely the ideal situation. I base this onto the fact that the average = majority = average. And in this I mean in everything. How would the average know about the needs of the less than average or the needs of the excellent and above?
When it comes to WoW it is the most vocal that usually decide, the majority very rarely share an opinion about anything and so it becomes to the minority to decide. In this minority there are three kinds of people; the few average that actually want something better or fix things or develop themselves as a gamer; the forum activists that are always scrolling trough which in turn splits into two groups -> The scrubs/hater/noobs/griefers and the the pro anything.
Now how does this process then go on?
Blizzard makes a decision, for example to give every class a legendary. Now the response in this case will be;
1) The few Average:
- Give a few good points against and for, but can't really decide if it's a good thing or not, or think of it as an excellent idea, since the average gamer doesn't play as much as the pro and it gives them a chance to get a legendary too.
2) The griefers and other pests;
- Think it's either brilliant idea and want it implemented now and when it gets implemented they will whine that it's not unique enough and since everyone has it it's therefore this or that.
3) The Pros:
- Will think of the pro's and con's of the situation, most likely will come to the conclusion that it's a bad idea as those that don't do the work shouldn't be rewarded and that it would make legendaries meaningless if every average Joe is allowed them.
Now what MMO's and Blizzard and WoW especially needs to do, is to follow their own line and if someone makes and actually intelligent suggestion, they should consider that, but not necessarily implement it.
I actually despise it how Blizzard is not taking into account that it's Their Game and Their Product and they can do whatever the fuck they want with it, whiners be damned. Those who really enjoy the game and really wish to play it, will play it regardless of what Blizzard does to the game. That is not to say that the public is not entitled to opinion and opposing certain decisions that Blizzard makes into the game, however, they need to think about lot more than just what the the pro's or the noobs want. They need to think about the Average Joe that represents the majority.
And in here it is when it goes wrong. If they take people's opinions into account they should ask from the majority as that is who the game apparently is designed to now-a-days. The Raiders and other pro's will be happy as long as there's progression to be achieved and new raids to raid and new loot and achievements to be get. The PvP's will be happy as long as there are battlegrounds and class balance. The achievement hunters and altoholics will be happy as long as there's something new to do.
The average Joe however.. Well we don't even know, now do we?
20.6.2012
Community, Concerns and Paladins.
Community is getting more and more horrible as time goes by it would seem. Want evidence? Look to your realm forum, LFD and LFR. Players truly get free hands when it comes to some things that should make the community more friendlier, instead getting worse. Why is this? Blizzard is letting the players to manage the game and are not paying attention to something like community, which should be important if they actually wish to keep their players.
I don't know how the situation is on other realms, but as far as mine goes, it's looking not good. For a game that's mostly based on community, loosing community is bad, it's not just bad, it's horrible. for example, /2 or trade is now almost reserved for trolls. Unless there's some kind soul out there, a new player will receive only sarcastic answers or joking or trolling or hateful comments if they ask something about the game.
Many guilds have changed as well. They no longer offer the protection and informative approach that they should. Officers and guild masters should be there to help their members and be informative about anything. I've made it a personal crusade of mine that for example if I see a person asking in trade or in guild something, information, opinion or anything else, I give to them, in whisper and actually base my point on something, while at the same time mentioning that I might not be right, but at least the advice should work as intended.
How many players take time helping their fellow players? Haven't we all been new at some point? But how many actually remember that? How many can relate or have the things we've learned been ingrained so deeply that we take them for granted?
If Blizzard isn't going to help the fellow player, isn't it for the officers, guild masters and established people of the community of a realm to do so? It should be. If we're allowed to write the script and act the show, then we should also take some responsibility. I've seen so many people leaving and whining how the community is going down and how people and players are this or that, and this is almost always negative. Now people leave, it's understandable, but instead of leaving and whining, why not try and actually make a difference?
I've gotten few people say to me after I've actually answered to their questions or helped them: "I'd hope that every player was like you ^^" Which is indeed what we should want. Being helpful, taking some time to actually help the fellow player when they ask, surely shouldn't be too hard? In this process we ensure more than few things:
1) We make better players:
- When you know how the things actually is, you're effectively making the other person better player by telling when asked. But this is when you actually know what you are talking about. For example, using Death & Decay when pulling gives you better aggro than Blood Boil. Simple thing no? And it'll have an instant effect if they go trough with it, becoming better at playing their class.
2) We make better people:
- By being nice and helpful you make people better as well usually. Treat others as you have been treated works in this regard. If everyone were helpful (one can dream right?) or at least the majority were, this would get established and the community in general would become more friendlier.
3) We make better community:
- If people actually knew, and had the actual effects imposed (meaning bans/cookies) for good and bad behavior, which we can surely do with enough people with the new system, then at that point the community would be better as well. Sure we already have the reputation of being whiny kids, but the matter is simple to answer to. It's called evidence. Screenshots, reporting and so forth. Usually reporting it to the fellow player's guild master if they go out of line is enough. They should take action, I surely do when it comes to my own guild. Same goes for outside though, my actions are usually rather swift if someone "attacks" one of mine without a reason, or even if there is a reason I ask and resolve the matter if on of mine comes to me.
Now this is why we should take time to be nice to each other.
For today's slight funny story regarding this; I went to a dungeon with my 396 PvE geared DK tank, fully enchanted and gemmed. So I queue for Cataclysm heroic, meaning anything can pop up. Of course it's Zul'Aman, the dungeon that I hate more than any other, not because of the design, merely because of the bad groups I seem to have the luck of getting.
So two rogues, a paladin healer (My dislike for them is justified) and a hunter. All clad on green gear and doing less DPS together than I do alone half focussing, not counting the healer. Still thinking that it's an easy thing. I pop into the dungeon and see that they are on the second boss. Birds, here I come!
Alright, immediately when I get there, Rogue #1 goes afk for sometime so I had the time to see their gear, the paladin amusingly was LFR geared for healing. Not much luck there, we wipe thanks to paladin, and I think that the healer is a bit shifty. I have no idea how he could heal so badly.
Eventually we defeat the boss after a few wipes and me using every CD on my arsenal but the army of the dead.
So we go to the other side, to start the mobs there, I go and pull a group of three bears, going straight with the road, thinking that the group cannot be too bad, that we can still do this, as if, rogue pulls a group that I avoided by going along with the road, from somewhere in the bushes. I quickly go in and grab them with Death and Decay. Looking at my health I see that nothing can save me unless the Holydin do something quick. I pop every cooldown I can, taking massive amount of damage from the 8 mobs that the DPS are apparently not able to target nor kill.
Eventually we wipe to that group, the paladin self healing more than healing the tank, that being me. What I here from the pally before I release is: "Aggro you idiot!"
I was dismayed. Should I have laughed or cried, being that I targeted the group that was pulled very fast, and DPS'd them the best I could, ensuring that I had all the aggro I needed?
The conversation as follows was hilarious in my mind:
Tank: I did..
Healer: Then why did I get damage?!
Tank: Have you ever heard of AoE? Surely you have?
Healer: Stfu!
Tank: Seriously? There's such a thing.. Also I'm not able to dispell as it stands..
Healer: *Deep silence*
Rogue #1: lol, well it's what it is :P
Tank: I'm sorry that I cannot heal myself enough to keep all of us up and running or dispell for that matter.. Maybe you'll get a dudu or a paladin next time who can do both? ^^
Rogue #1: lol, but the healer needs to heal themselves and the 3 DPS as well, so it's 5.
Tank: Wasn't what I meant, if I'd received some healing it would have been nice, hope for a paladin or a druid next time, they can do all that and more. ^^
/Tank has let the group.
Seriously though, looking back at the log of the boss fight earlier and then the log for the healing for the group of mobs we wiped to, I wondered how this paladin had even gotten that far. Using only single target heals for one and even those were low, I didn't see even one Holy Radiance from that paladin.
Paladins are pretty easy mode, as a friend of mine described holydins: They are like disc priests on steroids.
If the above is true then why in the name of all that's unholy most of the paladins don't even manage to use their basic skills? What makes it so that it's always paladins that attract the sort that can't be bothered? Is it simply the point of a holy warrior, the Hero, that attracts the immature or ego boosting sort of people? I've met 4 good paladins in all my time playing WoW.. 4. And there are many paladins out there. now I wonder why?
I don't know how the situation is on other realms, but as far as mine goes, it's looking not good. For a game that's mostly based on community, loosing community is bad, it's not just bad, it's horrible. for example, /2 or trade is now almost reserved for trolls. Unless there's some kind soul out there, a new player will receive only sarcastic answers or joking or trolling or hateful comments if they ask something about the game.
Many guilds have changed as well. They no longer offer the protection and informative approach that they should. Officers and guild masters should be there to help their members and be informative about anything. I've made it a personal crusade of mine that for example if I see a person asking in trade or in guild something, information, opinion or anything else, I give to them, in whisper and actually base my point on something, while at the same time mentioning that I might not be right, but at least the advice should work as intended.
How many players take time helping their fellow players? Haven't we all been new at some point? But how many actually remember that? How many can relate or have the things we've learned been ingrained so deeply that we take them for granted?
If Blizzard isn't going to help the fellow player, isn't it for the officers, guild masters and established people of the community of a realm to do so? It should be. If we're allowed to write the script and act the show, then we should also take some responsibility. I've seen so many people leaving and whining how the community is going down and how people and players are this or that, and this is almost always negative. Now people leave, it's understandable, but instead of leaving and whining, why not try and actually make a difference?
I've gotten few people say to me after I've actually answered to their questions or helped them: "I'd hope that every player was like you ^^" Which is indeed what we should want. Being helpful, taking some time to actually help the fellow player when they ask, surely shouldn't be too hard? In this process we ensure more than few things:
1) We make better players:
- When you know how the things actually is, you're effectively making the other person better player by telling when asked. But this is when you actually know what you are talking about. For example, using Death & Decay when pulling gives you better aggro than Blood Boil. Simple thing no? And it'll have an instant effect if they go trough with it, becoming better at playing their class.
2) We make better people:
- By being nice and helpful you make people better as well usually. Treat others as you have been treated works in this regard. If everyone were helpful (one can dream right?) or at least the majority were, this would get established and the community in general would become more friendlier.
3) We make better community:
- If people actually knew, and had the actual effects imposed (meaning bans/cookies) for good and bad behavior, which we can surely do with enough people with the new system, then at that point the community would be better as well. Sure we already have the reputation of being whiny kids, but the matter is simple to answer to. It's called evidence. Screenshots, reporting and so forth. Usually reporting it to the fellow player's guild master if they go out of line is enough. They should take action, I surely do when it comes to my own guild. Same goes for outside though, my actions are usually rather swift if someone "attacks" one of mine without a reason, or even if there is a reason I ask and resolve the matter if on of mine comes to me.
Now this is why we should take time to be nice to each other.
For today's slight funny story regarding this; I went to a dungeon with my 396 PvE geared DK tank, fully enchanted and gemmed. So I queue for Cataclysm heroic, meaning anything can pop up. Of course it's Zul'Aman, the dungeon that I hate more than any other, not because of the design, merely because of the bad groups I seem to have the luck of getting.
So two rogues, a paladin healer (My dislike for them is justified) and a hunter. All clad on green gear and doing less DPS together than I do alone half focussing, not counting the healer. Still thinking that it's an easy thing. I pop into the dungeon and see that they are on the second boss. Birds, here I come!
Alright, immediately when I get there, Rogue #1 goes afk for sometime so I had the time to see their gear, the paladin amusingly was LFR geared for healing. Not much luck there, we wipe thanks to paladin, and I think that the healer is a bit shifty. I have no idea how he could heal so badly.
Eventually we defeat the boss after a few wipes and me using every CD on my arsenal but the army of the dead.
So we go to the other side, to start the mobs there, I go and pull a group of three bears, going straight with the road, thinking that the group cannot be too bad, that we can still do this, as if, rogue pulls a group that I avoided by going along with the road, from somewhere in the bushes. I quickly go in and grab them with Death and Decay. Looking at my health I see that nothing can save me unless the Holydin do something quick. I pop every cooldown I can, taking massive amount of damage from the 8 mobs that the DPS are apparently not able to target nor kill.
Eventually we wipe to that group, the paladin self healing more than healing the tank, that being me. What I here from the pally before I release is: "Aggro you idiot!"
I was dismayed. Should I have laughed or cried, being that I targeted the group that was pulled very fast, and DPS'd them the best I could, ensuring that I had all the aggro I needed?
The conversation as follows was hilarious in my mind:
Tank: I did..
Healer: Then why did I get damage?!
Tank: Have you ever heard of AoE? Surely you have?
Healer: Stfu!
Tank: Seriously? There's such a thing.. Also I'm not able to dispell as it stands..
Healer: *Deep silence*
Rogue #1: lol, well it's what it is :P
Tank: I'm sorry that I cannot heal myself enough to keep all of us up and running or dispell for that matter.. Maybe you'll get a dudu or a paladin next time who can do both? ^^
Rogue #1: lol, but the healer needs to heal themselves and the 3 DPS as well, so it's 5.
Tank: Wasn't what I meant, if I'd received some healing it would have been nice, hope for a paladin or a druid next time, they can do all that and more. ^^
/Tank has let the group.
Seriously though, looking back at the log of the boss fight earlier and then the log for the healing for the group of mobs we wiped to, I wondered how this paladin had even gotten that far. Using only single target heals for one and even those were low, I didn't see even one Holy Radiance from that paladin.
Paladins are pretty easy mode, as a friend of mine described holydins: They are like disc priests on steroids.
If the above is true then why in the name of all that's unholy most of the paladins don't even manage to use their basic skills? What makes it so that it's always paladins that attract the sort that can't be bothered? Is it simply the point of a holy warrior, the Hero, that attracts the immature or ego boosting sort of people? I've met 4 good paladins in all my time playing WoW.. 4. And there are many paladins out there. now I wonder why?
14.6.2012
Time Management in MMO's
As anyone who is an officer, Raid Leader, Class Leader, Guild Master etc should understand and surely be able to relate, time management in MMO's can be hard. As a GM your time will be very limited, and no I don't mean general time, you'll be online more than you aren't, but your Own time in game. Maybe you have time to do dailies (even those helping with rep or guild xp or gold or materials for said guild) while reviewing an applicant or answering a question or a complaint. You'll find out when the size of the guild blooms that you have very little time to yourself.
My situation is quite strange, being in two completely different guilds. I'll use myself as an example so that you know what I mean.
Managing 4 calendars can be quite harsh;
1) As a GM to my own guild I of course have to manage the guild calendar to some extent, now being Raid Leader as well, this gets a bit harder.
2) As an Officer to a PvP guild, I have to manage my own calendar in there and some slight things occasionally for our members.
3) In-Game personal calendar is something that I happen to have which isn't related to guild business at all at times. It's mostly just something for friends or some big community thing, but as it stands we have those too, and so this calendar is useful to have.
4) I am a living breathing person as well, therefore RL calendar with all RL related meetings, job shifts and so on.
Now time management on those grounds is can be ultimately hard. We raid approximately three times a week, on tuesdays, thursdays and sundays, depending on our progress and how far are people available and have the attitude and resilience to go.
On the PvP guild, there's approximately 4-6 events per week, with random meetings and of course arena times, RBG's and so forth. It's rather set. Now on top of that there's just the things that you do for your guild. Guild Runs, Achievements, Fishing those fishes and gathering herbs and making glyphs and managing the bank and solving problems between members and outsiders alike.
This leaves very very little time to your own gaming. What I mean with this is something in-game that you want to do, be it Loremaster or fishing coins from Dalaran. Not that you can't of course, but at the same time you're usually taking care of something else as well. Maybe solving some dispute or perhaps just chatting with someone about something and not focussing on to the thing that you actually wish to do.
Now Real Life is rather important. Most have either school or job and there's friends and hobbies and meetings and family dinners along with dogs, cats, horses, hamsters and unicorns. This will limit your time as well. I'm probably the first one to admit that I play around 6 hours a day.. And it still feels that I don't have enough time to do everything. Even though I have competent officers on my own guild and my class leaders and tank partner know exactly what to do.
How to solve this issue, is the problem of the day? Keeping a fifth calendar of course, where you put in everything, from real life luncheons to your raid time, or another option is to get a white/blackboard where you put in everything. Also taking time to do something else, just making an alt and escaping, maybe even doing a new account where no one knows you, if you trust your underlings enough that is. Still neither of those are a definite solution. They are a quick fix, but not the final life saving surgery that Officers and GM's and raid leaders really need.
°°°°
Now that summer has fallen on top of us, officers and gm's need to do even more to keep up the roster and trying to motivate their underlings in raiding, pvp, rp, questing, guild progress and so fort, each to their own. However the amount of work is doubled. Need to recruit more, gear more, progress more, do more in general as you receive less as the summer works its magic to people all around.
Therefore it's even more important to take some time off at times, that's the true solution. Have a week or two or three away from the whole MMO. Just leave it be, the people if you have good underlings will manage without you for that long and if they can't they are clearly morons who cannot use basic tools in their disposal to actually solve problems (such as google).
Now my own holiday is coming at some point, people want it or not. I'm certain that my officers will deal fine without me for that short while. And the PvP guild can survive without their warlock for a while as well.
My situation is quite strange, being in two completely different guilds. I'll use myself as an example so that you know what I mean.
Managing 4 calendars can be quite harsh;
1) As a GM to my own guild I of course have to manage the guild calendar to some extent, now being Raid Leader as well, this gets a bit harder.
2) As an Officer to a PvP guild, I have to manage my own calendar in there and some slight things occasionally for our members.
3) In-Game personal calendar is something that I happen to have which isn't related to guild business at all at times. It's mostly just something for friends or some big community thing, but as it stands we have those too, and so this calendar is useful to have.
4) I am a living breathing person as well, therefore RL calendar with all RL related meetings, job shifts and so on.
Now time management on those grounds is can be ultimately hard. We raid approximately three times a week, on tuesdays, thursdays and sundays, depending on our progress and how far are people available and have the attitude and resilience to go.
On the PvP guild, there's approximately 4-6 events per week, with random meetings and of course arena times, RBG's and so forth. It's rather set. Now on top of that there's just the things that you do for your guild. Guild Runs, Achievements, Fishing those fishes and gathering herbs and making glyphs and managing the bank and solving problems between members and outsiders alike.
This leaves very very little time to your own gaming. What I mean with this is something in-game that you want to do, be it Loremaster or fishing coins from Dalaran. Not that you can't of course, but at the same time you're usually taking care of something else as well. Maybe solving some dispute or perhaps just chatting with someone about something and not focussing on to the thing that you actually wish to do.
Now Real Life is rather important. Most have either school or job and there's friends and hobbies and meetings and family dinners along with dogs, cats, horses, hamsters and unicorns. This will limit your time as well. I'm probably the first one to admit that I play around 6 hours a day.. And it still feels that I don't have enough time to do everything. Even though I have competent officers on my own guild and my class leaders and tank partner know exactly what to do.
How to solve this issue, is the problem of the day? Keeping a fifth calendar of course, where you put in everything, from real life luncheons to your raid time, or another option is to get a white/blackboard where you put in everything. Also taking time to do something else, just making an alt and escaping, maybe even doing a new account where no one knows you, if you trust your underlings enough that is. Still neither of those are a definite solution. They are a quick fix, but not the final life saving surgery that Officers and GM's and raid leaders really need.
°°°°
Now that summer has fallen on top of us, officers and gm's need to do even more to keep up the roster and trying to motivate their underlings in raiding, pvp, rp, questing, guild progress and so fort, each to their own. However the amount of work is doubled. Need to recruit more, gear more, progress more, do more in general as you receive less as the summer works its magic to people all around.
Therefore it's even more important to take some time off at times, that's the true solution. Have a week or two or three away from the whole MMO. Just leave it be, the people if you have good underlings will manage without you for that long and if they can't they are clearly morons who cannot use basic tools in their disposal to actually solve problems (such as google).
Now my own holiday is coming at some point, people want it or not. I'm certain that my officers will deal fine without me for that short while. And the PvP guild can survive without their warlock for a while as well.
13.6.2012
Best and Worst leveling Dungeons.
As per Breakfast topic of the WoW Insider suggests, I decided to write about this topic as well. It's interesting enough and such people should have plenty of opinions.
Best:
1) Deadmines:
- Not just because you can do it after level 80 as well, but simply because of it's style and design and story, which now in Cata was pretty much completed. It's not too long, it's not too short, there's some boss mechanics and the Mario before getting out from the tunnels is entertaining. All in all it's a good dungeon.
2) Gnomeregan
- Is long, but at the same time if you wish you can skip 50% of it by simply doing a leap of faith. Occasionally thanks to all of the packs it's quite challenging and quite easy to get lost into, but at the same time it has this something, to make it one of my favorite leveling dungeons.
3) The Stockade:
- It's quick, it's easy with good rewards and easy navigation. Plus the few rares that go in the auction house for hundreds are a definite bonus for running this.
Worst:
1) Uldaman:
- I personally can't stand this dungeon. It's simply too long and hard to navigate in. Also thanks to the crisscrossing tunnels make healing hard if the group splits even a bit and doesn't go in a pack.
2) Razorfen Downs
- Can't stand this one. Simple and easy I just can't stand this.
3) Scarlet Monastery:
- As it stands, some parts of these are fine.. Some are not. However usually one always gets a rush tank and so healing once again is rather hard. Easy and simple as that.
Best:
1) Deadmines:
- Not just because you can do it after level 80 as well, but simply because of it's style and design and story, which now in Cata was pretty much completed. It's not too long, it's not too short, there's some boss mechanics and the Mario before getting out from the tunnels is entertaining. All in all it's a good dungeon.
2) Gnomeregan
- Is long, but at the same time if you wish you can skip 50% of it by simply doing a leap of faith. Occasionally thanks to all of the packs it's quite challenging and quite easy to get lost into, but at the same time it has this something, to make it one of my favorite leveling dungeons.
3) The Stockade:
- It's quick, it's easy with good rewards and easy navigation. Plus the few rares that go in the auction house for hundreds are a definite bonus for running this.
Worst:
1) Uldaman:
- I personally can't stand this dungeon. It's simply too long and hard to navigate in. Also thanks to the crisscrossing tunnels make healing hard if the group splits even a bit and doesn't go in a pack.
2) Razorfen Downs
- Can't stand this one. Simple and easy I just can't stand this.
3) Scarlet Monastery:
- As it stands, some parts of these are fine.. Some are not. However usually one always gets a rush tank and so healing once again is rather hard. Easy and simple as that.
7.6.2012
Teaching, Groups and Learning in WoW
I recently recruited a friend using RaF and thought him the basics. He is a fast learner but while teaching him I noticed several things that aren't mentioned anywhere. He doesn't know how to use macros or what a rotation is, Auction house is completely something else, what points with what spec and so on. They aren't even given the basic names of things so that they could search for these things. For a total new player without a friend or being over resourceful it will be hard to start WoW.
Now my friend here, chose a priest. Wanting to be a caster more than anything and so it happened that our raid team needed a healer. He's a Very fast learner, studying his spellbook and asking when ever he doesn't know. Using dungeons and RaF's xp bonus it has taken us around 6 to 7 hours of in-game time for him and my mage be lvl 70.
While doing dungeons we quickly realized something. The groups are something that define how well you learn things. I remember someone arguing that the game doesn't teach much anymore. They are right, leveling doesn't teach you anything these days, thank to the quests being too easy, mobs dying from one hit and leveling being far too fast.
What has replaced this learning that was earlier taught by the game, is now the people playing the game. Groups in dungeons and battlegrounds, LFR and many other group activities, even the trade channel have something to teach. Most often it's "not to" rather than "do", but even learning this is good.
As a DPS Arcane Mage, never having played the class before, the basics were easy to grab thanks to all the hours of watching trade on my main and hearing how Arcane Blast is the thing for Arcane Mages. Later on I of course used the awesome power of google to see what really is the rotation only to notice that arcane mage isn't as easy as it's portrayed to be. However the initial thing thought by trade and LFD was enough to get one started.
Now what have groups in dungeons taught us?
1) That every class in lower levels if the healer is resourceful enough is able to tank if the know how. This was proven by Arcane Mage tanking several dungeons thanks to the tank leaving.
2) Teaches what classes use what abilities and skills.
- When you hear your groupies whining that "Why did you need that agility gear as a mage?" This should tell you several things; Agility isn't a stat that mages need, you cannot use leather when the rant continues on that direction, and possibly the person whining will even tell you that, INTELLECT is the stat you need.
- It's almost impossible to get straight helpful answers from anyone now-a-days in WoW, therefore when doing something wrong and accidentally triggering a whine/rage, it's useful to ask, why? Eventually you WILL get some helpful information out from the whiner as they have to base their opinion on to something.
3) Teaches patience
- How many annoying groups have you had? Thought so.
4) Teaches your role
- Tanks tank, DPS'rs DPS and Healers heal, when in a dungeon group even when knowing nothing, you'll quickly get the information you need, by simply doing all the wrong things. Of course that's not recommended, but accidental wrongness is not bad and others will most likely give you the information you need to understand something. Tank whining that the warrior is prot as well and so in a tanking spec, gives this other warrior information that he is in a wrong spec for his role as a DPS. Same with healing. You quickly learn to understand what role does what when you've healed the wrong target 7 times and the group is annoyed that you can't target the tank.
5) Teaches you new words
- While looking at Trade, this friend of mine asked several things, what they meant. What is spec? What is ilvl? What LFM/LF means? What is BWL? What about DS10?
- Now most often you can figure out the answers to these simply by looking on, however some things that come up in a dungeon aren't so easy. BL? Kite? MM? And so on. While sometimes you will be left in the shadow of doubt, most of the time the group has enough sense to explain what these things are, and when you know then you know. As an example to kiting. The tank dies, Hunter takes the aggro and kites them around finally with group effort we kill the mobs, and the hunter goes; "There you saw some awesome kiting." It doesn't need any more explaining than that.
6) Teaches you professions
- There are bushes and nodes around in dungeons and archeology ones in the higher level ones. Most creatures are skinnable and almost everything drops cloth, some drop gems and not to forget patterns and such. These things will teach you eventually what a profession is, even simply by association and you become curious or by someone asking, if it's okay if I need that for my tailoring? Eventually your interest is piqued and you will find out somehow what it is.
7) Teaches you teamwork
- Teamwork at the moment in WoW is quite important, especially at high levels, with raiding, more difficult dungeons and different group quests. Now of course you can quest alone but eventually there will be time that you need to group with someone and the dungeons provide experience how to act. A simple "hello" and "goodbye" are only polite and you'll quickly get these things understood while in a dungeons.
8) Teaches that leveling is irrelevant and only there for you to learn to use your basic skills and to get you familiar with the skills you have and the UI and your basic role and that the real game starts when you are max level and when you really understand the basics.
9) Teaches you to appreciate those with experience and skill
- Horrible groups can be handled but horrible individuals are just horrible. Dungeons will help you appreciate helpful and skillful people and be more like them in return if they served you well, making a slight idolization to go to their direction. Some players even say that it's okay to contact them and ask help and such, which is fabulous from the point of view of a new player. Take those chances, as it's very profitable in the short and long run in terms of experience and information.
10) As the game itself teaches you very little..
- You will learn to use google eventually even if it's only to find basic things. We have been thought that google can solve all of our problems and this is true when it comes to WoW. By learning more and more, you'll develop more and more and learn to be self sufficient.
And there you have it. My honest thoughts about the whole "learn your class" manner and what he game teaches us.
Now my friend here, chose a priest. Wanting to be a caster more than anything and so it happened that our raid team needed a healer. He's a Very fast learner, studying his spellbook and asking when ever he doesn't know. Using dungeons and RaF's xp bonus it has taken us around 6 to 7 hours of in-game time for him and my mage be lvl 70.
While doing dungeons we quickly realized something. The groups are something that define how well you learn things. I remember someone arguing that the game doesn't teach much anymore. They are right, leveling doesn't teach you anything these days, thank to the quests being too easy, mobs dying from one hit and leveling being far too fast.
What has replaced this learning that was earlier taught by the game, is now the people playing the game. Groups in dungeons and battlegrounds, LFR and many other group activities, even the trade channel have something to teach. Most often it's "not to" rather than "do", but even learning this is good.
As a DPS Arcane Mage, never having played the class before, the basics were easy to grab thanks to all the hours of watching trade on my main and hearing how Arcane Blast is the thing for Arcane Mages. Later on I of course used the awesome power of google to see what really is the rotation only to notice that arcane mage isn't as easy as it's portrayed to be. However the initial thing thought by trade and LFD was enough to get one started.
Now what have groups in dungeons taught us?
1) That every class in lower levels if the healer is resourceful enough is able to tank if the know how. This was proven by Arcane Mage tanking several dungeons thanks to the tank leaving.
2) Teaches what classes use what abilities and skills.
- When you hear your groupies whining that "Why did you need that agility gear as a mage?" This should tell you several things; Agility isn't a stat that mages need, you cannot use leather when the rant continues on that direction, and possibly the person whining will even tell you that, INTELLECT is the stat you need.
- It's almost impossible to get straight helpful answers from anyone now-a-days in WoW, therefore when doing something wrong and accidentally triggering a whine/rage, it's useful to ask, why? Eventually you WILL get some helpful information out from the whiner as they have to base their opinion on to something.
3) Teaches patience
- How many annoying groups have you had? Thought so.
4) Teaches your role
- Tanks tank, DPS'rs DPS and Healers heal, when in a dungeon group even when knowing nothing, you'll quickly get the information you need, by simply doing all the wrong things. Of course that's not recommended, but accidental wrongness is not bad and others will most likely give you the information you need to understand something. Tank whining that the warrior is prot as well and so in a tanking spec, gives this other warrior information that he is in a wrong spec for his role as a DPS. Same with healing. You quickly learn to understand what role does what when you've healed the wrong target 7 times and the group is annoyed that you can't target the tank.
5) Teaches you new words
- While looking at Trade, this friend of mine asked several things, what they meant. What is spec? What is ilvl? What LFM/LF means? What is BWL? What about DS10?
- Now most often you can figure out the answers to these simply by looking on, however some things that come up in a dungeon aren't so easy. BL? Kite? MM? And so on. While sometimes you will be left in the shadow of doubt, most of the time the group has enough sense to explain what these things are, and when you know then you know. As an example to kiting. The tank dies, Hunter takes the aggro and kites them around finally with group effort we kill the mobs, and the hunter goes; "There you saw some awesome kiting." It doesn't need any more explaining than that.
6) Teaches you professions
- There are bushes and nodes around in dungeons and archeology ones in the higher level ones. Most creatures are skinnable and almost everything drops cloth, some drop gems and not to forget patterns and such. These things will teach you eventually what a profession is, even simply by association and you become curious or by someone asking, if it's okay if I need that for my tailoring? Eventually your interest is piqued and you will find out somehow what it is.
7) Teaches you teamwork
- Teamwork at the moment in WoW is quite important, especially at high levels, with raiding, more difficult dungeons and different group quests. Now of course you can quest alone but eventually there will be time that you need to group with someone and the dungeons provide experience how to act. A simple "hello" and "goodbye" are only polite and you'll quickly get these things understood while in a dungeons.
8) Teaches that leveling is irrelevant and only there for you to learn to use your basic skills and to get you familiar with the skills you have and the UI and your basic role and that the real game starts when you are max level and when you really understand the basics.
9) Teaches you to appreciate those with experience and skill
- Horrible groups can be handled but horrible individuals are just horrible. Dungeons will help you appreciate helpful and skillful people and be more like them in return if they served you well, making a slight idolization to go to their direction. Some players even say that it's okay to contact them and ask help and such, which is fabulous from the point of view of a new player. Take those chances, as it's very profitable in the short and long run in terms of experience and information.
10) As the game itself teaches you very little..
- You will learn to use google eventually even if it's only to find basic things. We have been thought that google can solve all of our problems and this is true when it comes to WoW. By learning more and more, you'll develop more and more and learn to be self sufficient.
And there you have it. My honest thoughts about the whole "learn your class" manner and what he game teaches us.
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