I used to be a pretty hardcore, uber priest if I may say so myself. Being a priest in WoW has a couple advantages, and a couple disadvantages. One of the big advantages is that you are a required element for almost any group. Sure, a druid could fill in (and do a fine job I might add), but when most groups are looking for a healer, they are looking for a priest. With that kind of popularity, you get a lot of tells asking you to join various instance parties. Now let me ask you which tell is more likely to garner you the healer your group needs...

[Leetganker] whispers: plz, plz plz join our gruop. need healz for wc. plzzzzzzzzzz

OR

[Sindy] whispers: Heya! I was wondering if you felt like hitting WC tonight. We have a group all set, we just need a healer. We could even summon!

If I had a dollar for every time I got a tell very similar to the one Leetganker sent, I would have, um... let's just say I'd have a lot of dollars. How many times did I take Leetganker up on his offer? Never. I would never join a party with someone who talks like that. It gives the impression of being an immature moron, and whether Leetganker is an immature moron or not, I'll never know, as I am not grouping with the guy.

Sindy is much more friendly. She starts with a nice greeting...imagine that! Then she asks politely if I would like to go to Wailing Caverns tonight, lets me know the status of her group and even offers a summons. No typos, decent grammar and she comes off like someone who won't be an idiot once we get into the instance.

Now you don't have to be a spelling bee whiz or a National Grammar Rodeo Champion (held in Canada, no doubt), but you should remember that you aren't texting your best buddy. When talking in the general channels it is even more important not to make a spectacle of yourself. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you when socializing in WoW:

• If you don't have anything interesting to add to the conversation in general chat, don't say anything at all. Chuck Norris jokes, any references to religion or politics and flaming a guy who stole your chest in a level 10 zone do not count as something interesting.

• Be friendly when you are asking someone a question. A simple "hello" is usually appreciated.

• Do not spam the Looking For Group channel. As we all know, the LFG channel has become a haven for idiots. Don't be one of the idiots. If you are looking for a group, speak up. If you want to mention something your cat is doing, keep it to yourself.

• Familiarize yourself with the acronyms that are used in the various channels. You need to know what DM LF2M means. If you see an acronym or word that confuses you, go punch it into WoWWiki. Some of the most common acronyms can be found here.

• It is never a good idea to /yell. It is annoying, and unless you just recorded a server first C'Thun kill, or your girlfriend just agreed to marry you, don't do it.
  

• Never, ever, never, ever use leet speak. While some people don't care,others hate it with a passion.
  

• If you want some help with commands in the WoW chat client, as always, WoWWiki has a nice summary for you.

Obviously these rules are not mandatory, and you can choose any path you wish, as this is a MMORPG. However, if you want to cultivate a good reputation on your server, and make life easier for yourself as you level, just remember that a little civility goes a long way in Azeroth. As always, just be a good WoW citizen and you will have a friends list a mile long and plenty of people to group with.

Any other helpful chat advice from our WoW vets?

Filed under: Priest, WoW Social Conventions, WoW Rookie