Breakfast Topic: u want 2 b our healr?
by Jennie Lees 
Jun 1st 2006 at 8:59AM
Sometimes, the inevitable happens. You're down a man (or woman), halfway through an instance, and one of you has to pick up a replacement. Or perhaps you're on the other side -- you really want to get into a particular instance to do all those quests cluttering up your log.Some players in the latter category may hang around capital cities occasionally asking in LFG and waiting for appropriate LFM broadcasts. However, it's safe to say that not every player in Orgrimmar wants to do RFC, and not every player in Stormwind wants to do the Stockades. Unfortunately, I've seen a huge rise in the number of unsolicited whispers recently from players asking for help in these instances -- and more.
I wouldn't mind so much if they were phrased nicely, or gave me some motivation to join. "u want 2 come to dm with us? u heal?" isn't sufficient justification for a high-level character to leave the comfort of a city and run through a low-level instance with strangers. Of course, some players take this opportunity to play tricks on unsuspecting lowbies -- what's your reaction to random instance invitations? Have you ever found one compelling enough to take up? Or did you manage to phrase your LFG nicely enough that you were deluged with help?
Filed under: WoW Social Conventions, Instances
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Varlynstroud Jun 1st 2006 9:13AM
I've noticed the same thing on garona too. IF is full of 20's lookin for low level help.
Mike Jun 1st 2006 9:22AM
I actually use the unsolicited whisper myself for grouping. I love it. You never get any response from
"LFG" and "LFM" in General chat channels. The best way to recruit a group is to try to get as many guildmates as you can to join up. Then, when you can't get enough for a full group (which you never can), you run level-appropriate /who queries in the areas surrounding the instance and send tells to people who could fill the roles you still need to fill. So far in my career, this has been the most effective way to get a pick-up group that's worth anything. And I have responded to a few unsolicited whispers myself. It can get so frustrating spamming "LFG" and "LFM" in chat channels that it's actually a relief when I get a whisper like "you want to run RFD?"
Tad Jun 1st 2006 9:35AM
While I don't like the idea of unsolicited whispers, they're usually decently effective. Just yesterday I flew into Crossroads, hoping to find a WC group. Literally 5 seconds after I landed someone whispered me if I wanted to join a group. Very quick, very effective.
Zigbee Jun 1st 2006 10:20AM
I do three things, join the meeting stone (hey, sometimes it works!), send LFG/LFM messages to LookingForGroup and General (short and simple, and only every once in a while)...and whispers. The first two usually get me 3-4 people...once we get to a point where we're picky about class (like we need a tank or a healer), I'll do a level-appropriate /who for the local region (the region the instance is in) and look for members of the correct class, at a level that will balance well with the group, and whisper. I always use short "Want to run deadmines with us?", and I always get back pleasant responses of "not today", "not interested", or "sure, invite me". I've added quite a few friends to my list via these methods, and I've never had anyone affronted that I whispered them with a request.
Reheban Jun 1st 2006 11:29AM
I agree with Mike. I do a /who on surrounding zones, or if I am in that zone I check the cities for characters who can actually gain something from going. I think its a very effective way to get a group together if its not abused. I've never whispered a 60 to run Cath because they have nothing to gain from running it. Learn to do things in the game yourself. Its the same with low level chars begging for gold in cities. The "give me give me" attitude and lack of maturity of a lot of players in the game gets annoying. Its not different from RL though. Oh well, enough ranting! Shut up and play Reheban. :P
rev dave Jun 1st 2006 12:07PM
I try and use complete sentences and be genuine when looking for a group, seems to work. Novel idea, I know.
Dyyne Jun 1st 2006 12:29PM
My ultimate pleasure when people PST me with "Hey, plz run me thru deadmines plz" i occasionally do it. But, my ultimate pleasure is when these people turn out to be jerks and boss me around. In that scenario the fun happens =) I usually run them to the boss that drops the quest/item they want; aggro everyone in the room, then fiegn death. Laugh, then add them to my ignore list. Of course, its only happened 3 times, once in the stockades, once in DM, and once in ZF(my favorite to do this)
Ceej Jun 1st 2006 12:36PM
Funny this is brought up, because it's been bugging me for a while now.
Yes they're definitely on the rise. I get a couple of these a night now, and not from people "looking for a group". This is the part that gets me. If they sent me a whisper asking if I wanted to group for a level appropriate instance - no problem. But, well, here is a transcript of one that I got just last night when I was on as my 45 rogue:
whisperer: "SFK"
me: "Beg your pardon?"
whisperer: "SFK"
me: "Are you asking me to do SFK?"
whisperer: "y"
me: "Why would I do an SFK, I'm about 20 levels higher than the final boss?"
no response.
me: "Hello?"
no response.
me: "Would you mind at least responding?"
no response for a minute or so.
me: "Hello????"
whisperer: "wat"
me: "You tell me, you're the one that sent me a tell"
whisperer: "nvm"
Then I told him he was being an idiot and to be more respectful. Then he sends back "Reported".
So let's recap: Someone intrudes on me, doesn't speak in coherent sentences, essentially asking me for a free hour or so of my time, ignores my responses, then gets all upset when I tag him as the idiot he is. Suddenly he is all concerned about how he is being treated. Reported. That's hysterical.
Unfortunately this has not been the exception. Out of the many dozens of these I have received, perhaps three were for level appropriate content. And of those, only one was polite to any degree. But even after all this - I am okay with the "whisper invites", as long as you're polite about it, and polite when it is declined.
A little Advice though, to those who do this:
Try not to ask higher levels to walk you through an instance - really try to put together a level appropriate group. If you have to ask someone for a walkthrough, then offer some compensation. Offer a gold or two, offer to let them loot all the cloth, anything. It's a gesture, and it is appreciated.
And for the love of Cenarius, speak. Someone who takes 10 seconds to devise an actual sentence leaves a much better impression than someone who says "wat" instead of "what" and "y" instead of "yes". The message that you send to people is that you're stupid and/or lazy, and that it's not worth your time to communicate properly.
And of course since I wrote this, others have already mentioned it. /bonk self
David Jun 1st 2006 1:10PM
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing
http://www.mavisbeacon.com/
James Jun 1st 2006 2:44PM
This happened to one of my guildmates earlier this week. He messed with him for about 6 hours. At level 8 he experienced all of duskwood, STV, the barrens, and partial swamp of sorrows. Level 8 is a little low for asking for help from any level 60s.
This is why guild's are useful. :) There's always tons of newbie guilds looking for members, just join one.
I have 2 friends that are just scared to death to LFG or join a LFM people. At level 38, and he's only LFG once for the redridge elite quests, and are always asking for my level 60 to help them. However, they've been learning more to be solo and to LEARN their class, or LFG when doing an elite :) Not saying I don't ever help them. Took them through DM, stockades, etc. Being escorted through places hinders your usefulness at level 60. There's no point in grinding if you don't know what your class is good for.
Alex Ravenel Jun 1st 2006 2:47PM
This doesn't bother me--like others said, I do it myself, as it's really the only way to get a good PUG together. What bothers me more is the random people always whispering to me "i need some money" or "can you give me some gold" or otherwise begging. I'm not a charity.
Lori Jun 1st 2006 2:49PM
I don't have a problem so much with abreviated typing as I do with cryptic queries:
them: Can you help me, plz.
me: With what?
them: a quest
me: which quest?
etc.
And this from guildies:
them: Can anyone spare a bit wool cloth?
me: How much wool cloth?
them: How much do you have?
me: How much do you need?
them: How ever much you can spare.
me: Well, how much do you NEED?
them: A 100 would be good.
me: No, sry (GRRRR)
So far I like the personal group invitations. They have been polite and used complete sentences. Mostly, I ignore the LFG/LFM chat because of lousy luck with PUGs.
Juan Ramirez Jun 1st 2006 2:59PM
If I am down a player, I do /who like a few others had already said. What I do is I phrase it very very politely. Such as,"Forgive the intrusion, but might you be interested in joining us to run ZF?" Nine times out of Ten i will get some sort of response. I make sure to say thank you when they graciously decline or some other comment. I find it very easy to find pugs now because people know me by reputation.
Smithra Jun 1st 2006 3:06PM
Ceej, I've been playing for less than a month and I'm already fed up with the inability of the average player to use complete words. My first thought when reading this post was "'Our?' Shouldn't that be 'R'? Are you playing the same game I am?"
I've considered checking out an RPG server, not because I want to use words like "hail", "yonder" and "zug zug," but because I'm hoping that people who are devoting hundreds of hours playing a videogame might also devote dozens of seconds to typing entire words.
Mr. Tibbs Jun 1st 2006 3:15PM
When my group is usually down a member or two, I'll first use 'LF[#]M [instance name] [classes] - pst if interested' in a major city. About half the time, I can find at least one interested person. Then I resort to manual searches, which I actually prefer because it lets *me* do the selecting. I type in '/who [class] [lower]-[upper]' where lower is the lowest acceptable level for your group, and upper is the highest acceptable level for your group. So if you're looking for, say, a Druid for your SM group, you might use '/who druid 36-42' and it returns all of druids between level 36 and 42. Then I start whispering those that are *not* in major cities - I do this because they are the most likely not to have seen my LFM calls and might indeed be interested in going. So in the politest way possible, I just whisper to them 'hey, would you be interested in a(n) [instance name] run?'. The key is to (1) use proper grammar and spelling and (2) make sure that it's not hostile in any way, shape or form. About 3/4 of the time, the person is busy doing their thing, in which case I reply 'cool, happy huntin' to ya' and leave them be.
Just being polite, patient and non-forceful will usually result in you filling those empty slots so that you can get your game on!
the Brightside Jun 1st 2006 4:28PM
I hate unsolicited whispers. Put it in LFG or don't say it to me. If I don't respond to LFG, maybe it's because, I don't know, I'm not actually looking for a group?
But I can deal with random whispers for right now, if only because the bigger irritation to me is the duel-spammers. I really, really hate those guys. So the unsolicited whispers get a bye because they're the lesser of two evils.
Mat Jun 1st 2006 6:20PM
Those of you that can't stand the idiot speak REALLY need to check out an RP server. I just started on one two weeks ago after a friend kept goading me to do so.
Wow, it really is night and day. The level of maturity, the lack of chuck norris in crossroads chat, the reliability of PUGs. It makes me want to weep with joy whilst saying "this is how it's meant to be".
LIz B. Jun 1st 2006 6:30PM
The closer my main got to 60, the more I got random whispers asking me to run people through instances. They usually get shot down.
My GM and I have been known to run people through Stockades. We send out a LFG indicating that we have x number of spaces in a group with two 60s and the first to respond politely using complete sentences will be allowed to join. You'd be amazed at some of the whispers we get.
By the way, this also turns out to be quite an effective guild recruitment tool.
Ceej Jun 1st 2006 6:34PM
Duel Spammers - now there's a topic.
I figured out how to deal with duel spammers. When they /duel you the first time - ignore it, but don't cancel it. Just go about your business as if it didn't happen. For some reason the one thing that duel spammers HATE, is to have to wait. Make 'em wait. After once, occasionally twice - they leave you alone.
Seriously, try it. You'll be amazed at how often it works.
Ceej Jun 1st 2006 6:38PM
Sorry to drift off topic there.
RP server eh? I may just have to look into it. Thanks for the suggestion!