Play styles and the opinions of others

I'm avoiding posting something else because I'm a big chicken, but I wanted something of substance to put up at some point today.

Fortunately, I went to catch up on some blog-reading and spotted this awesome post by n.e. miller of the elementalist.

I've talked to people in game who are shocked or disbelieving that I don't want to raid. The last instance I did (and might ever do) on Ideale was Blood Furnace; I tried to run Wailing Caverns on Ahami this morning and we got as far as Lady Anacondra before we lost our tank (yay PuGs). I was bored already, so I wasn't exactly crushed when the group broke up. Is there any instance more boring than Wailing Caverns? Probably Zul'Farrak, but since I've never finished either in a group and most instances are boring alone, I can't really say.

Would I like to see raid content? Sure, someday, but I personally don't see the point of running the same instance or raid over and over and over to get the gear needed to move on to the next raid, and then run that one over and over and over. I realize that this changes in end game raids, but scripted encounters are not my thing. I don't mind doing them once or twice, but I much prefer PVP because it is different every time. You're with a different group, against a different group, and even when the groups and strategies are essentially the same, the outcome can be totally different. Bored with defense? Play offense. Bored with Arathi Basin? Go attack Astranaar. And instead of badges, I'm collecting honor and bg marks for gear. (So if my helm is a welfare epic, so's your badge bow, in my opinion).

Not to mention that my work schedule is not conducive to raiding; I get off work when most of the folks in my time zone are going to bed (or have been asleep for hours), and I'm on the U.S. West Coast.

But you know what? If other people like instances and raiding, then that's awesome. I'm genuinely happy to hear about my friends' successes or read about bloggers finally nailing that boss they've been working on. I'm glad they're enjoying the game and I'm glad for the chance to see the content secondhand. I wouldn't dream of telling anyone they were playing WoW wrong or were carebears because they chose to progress through PVE content rather than PVP.

(I should take a moment here to mention that, while I like to tease Alliance players on my blog, I know and have played with some absolutely fantastic Alliance folks, I've gone up against some of the best the realm has to offer in Orgrimmar and Southshore and gotten my ass handed to me, my two real life best buds who got me into the game in the first place are Alliance players and so are most of the bloggers I read religiously. But for all of my joking, I would never think someone is somehow lesser for choosing to play mainly or exclusively Alliance characters. Even though the Horde is quite obviously cooler. :-P)

This morning, when in the Barrens on Ahami, someone mentioned leveling as a Demonology-specced warlock and another player chewed him up for it and for rolling a 'lock in general. Right then, two other players (and I must admit, myself as well) jumped on him with the whole "If that's what he likes playing, let him play it! Some people play to have fun. Don't be a WoW bully. If you're having fun, 'lock, keep playing what you're playing. Just be good at your class and spec and ignore jerks like [healtard]" and so on. It was a beautiful thing to see, and I hope that warlock hadn't left the zone by then. It was even more beautiful when this guy claimed that, as a level 24 holy priest, he could out-DPS a shadow priest (as in any shadow priest, not a specific, horrible one). And he's criticizing other players?

It's time for "WoW bullies" to take a step back and remember that this is a GAME, first off, and that the characters they are mocking are played by REAL PEOPLE, secondly. If you want to be treated with respect, you have to be respectful of others. But if you're an asshole in game — and Internet anonymity can turn some people into real assholes — and spend your time mocking other people for their gear, class, or spec, then don't expect to have many friends. And bookmark the paid character transfer info on the World of Warcraft website, because you're going to need it (at least, if you roll on Venture Co., since bounties on jackasses are common here).

That said, if you are enjoying your spec, class, and current goals and are playing them at least reasonably well, don't let anyone make you feel bad for it. Because you're probably having more fun than they are, if they can only get their kicks by being "leeter than thou."