I've been away from WoW for about a year. I played on Frostmourne for a while, and my characters transferred over to Icecrown. I played a lot the last 2 days, mostly running heroics in the RDF. In the past these were my favorite things to do, and it is still an amazing experience, and for a while I was having loads of fun. But I started noticing a few nasty trends and I think despite how amazing this game remains, the community is absolutely turned toxic and mean spirited.
In my couple dozen runs I encountered the same trends:
1. Tanks running blindly forward, then blaming the healer for wipes. Not a single moment to spare to get ready and buff up. This turns to name calling, and inevitably a player quitting and leaving you out of luck. The absolute hatred people spew at each other is just insane to me.
2. Players needing on every item they can. Even if they have much better gear, simply needing on every green and blue. I had asked one player multiple times to please stop needing on everything, and was just sent :) as a response. I ended up reported that player for it, but it happened so frequently I'm starting to wonder if this is just the normal. When I asked a third or fourth person who was doing the same thing if this was allowed, I literally got harassed by all the other players in the group, and it turned into a racist rant from multiple players, complete with teabagging. Am I the jerk for bringing up the guy needing on everything when he has much better gear?
The straw that broke me today, was a HC PoS run I spent 20 minutes to queue for as a dps. I had already done FoS, I wanted to do the quest for PoC, which unfortunately, requires the help from your group, to rescue 15 slaves. At the beginning of the run, I asked nicely, no response from any group member. I asked 3 more times, and tried to get them while we ran through, but I could only get about half. We had cleared the second boss, when I asked for a 5th time (still with no response from anyone), and marked one of the enemies I would need downed to rescue more. Without a word, they kicked me from the group, locking me to the instance. The group was doing fine. No wipes. No deaths. I just wanted 2 minutes of their time to clear a couple extra mobs. This was apparently too much to ask for. I was slowing them down trying to do the mandatory quest in the instance to get to HoR.
Man, I love this game, and the people that support and run this server I cannot thank enough. But the community has just absolutely destroyed me over the last 2 days. What happened to players wanting to help players? It seems like getting any kind of help, for anything in the game is pulling teeth at this point. Newer players are an inconvenience, instead of a new friend. I don't even know what the point of this post is really, I'm just going to call it a rant. But if you're one of those hateful players without a moment to spare, I suggest you reevaluate your disposition. You're going to end up winding up playing with players just like you, with no one that wants to help you, in a dead game that you killed.
1. This is just people being ****s. it doesn't necessarily have to be a tank, it can be any group member. I've had so many dungeons where some random paladin is yelling "gO fAsT pLiZ", yet he doesn't do the one thing that makes him useful with his <4k gs gear - BUFF GBOK. One of many examples.
2. That's ninjalooting. No, you're not the jerk for asking them not to break server rules. I report such players every chance I get. Last time I ran Oculus hc as 6.4k fury warrior I noticed the 4.5k unholy dk Needing on every weapon/plate item/ring/neck. At last boss I congratulated him on his 5-day vacation, he said "i need for sell, wtf do you need these items for!?!?!". Yeah...
3. This is people being ****s again. Everyone expects you to be massively overgeared for dungeons(like 6k+, 200+ LoD kills, 300+ Halion hc kills, medal from WW2, etc.). As soon as you ask for the smallest favor, you automatically turn into the scum of the earth. How dare you be 4k gs in a dungeon, doing the quest chain so you can... get this... BE ABLE TO GO INTO THE NEXT DUNGEON?!?!!?
It's nothing unusual on Icecrown realm. Frostmourne S1 I watched my housemate prot warr tank heroic dungeons at like 3.5k gs with 4 other similarly geared players - it takes them some time but they get it done. No wipes, no pointless aggression, just consistent performance and people actually playing their class, while on Icecrown you can't get mage/shaman to spellsteal/purge the massive heal on argent confessor in ToC 5hc, then those same people say "low dps"...
About your PoS run, read the room. If you ask twice, and get no responses, don't bother asking it further. Free the slaves you can on your way, free rest after RDF is done, or when you go there again. Unlocking HoR is more nuisance than a blessing. If it ever pops on RDF, people will leave, time wasted. Least you could join a premade, but there aren't many.
RDF HC's for most are "quick daily EoF" runs. Not many is going to be bothered to buff people, unless they ask so. Do it quick and be happy it's over.
Why people don't help new people? Nobody knows each other, nobody has time to help a random (probably 10th alt anyway) they just met, what would they gain from it anyway? Some thanks, if even that. Join a guild if you want to make friends, don't do it in RDF where people are fed up with waiting times and dealing with all the ninjas, ****ters, random AFK's, "kick me pls" people..
Yes, Icecrown players overcompensates their lack of knowledge with GS/DPS. Why read when you can just do bigger numbers..
Thanks very much for the reply. I clearly needed to vent. I think I'm less bothered by the experience, and just concerned that this type of behavior has become the norm. I don't understand why you'd want to play an MMO if you're not interested in the people part. Or worse, you're not interested in helping people, you're only interested in your own gains and putting other players down.
The ninja looting thing, I got a lot of the same responses, including "Sell". I did end up reporting one person after I warned him a bunch, but this happened so consistently in the last 2 days I couldn't keep up if I wanted. I think I'd end up feeling like I'm policing the game and not playing.
Thanks again for the response. I just felt like a crazy person after yesterday.