Spying, lying, crying and other fun things to do with the Armory
by Elizabeth Wachowski 
Mar 5th 2007 at 1:13PM
Most of the complaints about Blizzard's Armory function revolve around "I don't want my PVP opponents to know my build and my gear." But there's another group of people who really don't want anyone seeing their build -- people who lied to their guild about what their spec was to get in. Sterne, apparently a secret retribution pally, was /gkicked after his guild caught him lying about being specced holy. He blames Blizzard for this, which to me seems kind of like blaming the company that makes drug tests if you lose your job due to smoking too much crack. The solution to this problem seems easy: don't join a guild that enforces specs if you want to spec your own way, and if you do, don't lie to them.
While I have little sympathy for Sterne, I can see many high-end raiding guilds using this to periodically check up on their players and (especially) new recruits. I'm of two minds about this. On one hand, it would make gear decisions much easier -- "You're elemental, he's resto, you get the ring off this boss and he gets the cape off the next one." It would also prevent the ubiquitous "No, I'm going to go dagger/sword/fist/mace spec and I NEED that item!" strategy used by loot-hungry bad rogues everywhere. On the other hand, the idea of guilds being able to monitor nearly everything about your character -- rep, spec and all -- is a little squicky. I'm sure very few guilds will actually use this on their existing members, but there's always going to be that one freaky guild who uses it for, like, everything.
Do you think your guild is going to use the Armory to check up on applicants and new members? Do you wish you could opt out of the Armory, or is it no big deal to you?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Guilds, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Ocsrep Mar 5th 2007 1:24PM
"No, I'm going to go dagger/sword/fist/mace spec and I NEED that item!" strategy used by loot-hungry bad rogues everywhere."
I wish we could get someone else who plays a Rogue to write about them. There are good and bad people in every class.
Crooth Mar 5th 2007 1:25PM
My guild has used rpgoutfitter and while we didn't require people to use it we found it helped the guild overall and encouraged it. We don't care what spec you have or what gear you have, but we did want to make it easier to find crafters who could make the item you want, know who had what instance key, and prove what rep you had (for AQ/ZG drops.)
did Mar 5th 2007 2:01PM
uh, failing a drug test doesn't mean you smoked 'too much' crack, you could have smoked just enough
Matt Mar 5th 2007 4:57PM
@1
No other class really does this though. Is a mage going to take an AGI, Stam, and AP dagger? Is a priest going to take a feral druid staff?
Ragbar Mar 5th 2007 1:33PM
I don't know who is dumber. The guild recruiting a Pally based on his build and not his playing-skill/attitude, or the Pally complaining about getting caught lying.
As for the PvPers complaining about their opponents seeing their gear/build. So what? Look, as soon as I fight you 1 or 2 times, I'm going to know what your build is anyway. And I'd love for an example of where someone knowing your gear ahead of time would make the difference between an win and a loss. It just doesn't make sense to me, what's the big deal?
If he's using the Gladiator War Staff, my strategy to beating him will be X, but if he's using some BoP Blue Staff, I'm going to use strategy B.
How does that make sense? Not to mention you can tell what staff he's using just by looking at the character anyway.
Flit Mar 5th 2007 1:35PM
This would have been nice when a lvl 19 twink rogue in WSG was hitting me for 2500... wonder what she was using...
Greg Mar 5th 2007 1:43PM
We (a high-end US horde raiding guild) are already using it to screen applicants, along with the previous warcraftrealms search and "background check". Bringing an applicant along on a raid has always been a risky investment, and with the new small raid sizes it's even riskier.
We could always /ins an app to examine their gear, but reputations can provide a valuable clue as to their raiding experience - if they're claiming to have farmed MC for years, and aren't exalted with the hydraxians, if they're claiming to have farmed C'thun and aren't exalted with brood.
Although we do ask people to spec certain ways, I'm not sure we'll ever be using Armory to check on specs - first, because it does not update instantaneously, and we have no rule about respeccing after raiding is done for the night, as long as you're back to a raiding spec in time for the next night's activity. Second, because a players spec is almost always evident from their playing - I don't care how good at healing some retnoob is, he won't out effective-heal a holydin who isn't in a coma.
Halicante Mar 5th 2007 1:46PM
I would have been sad if my old guild had noticed that those mortal strikes on ony while I was MTing her were from me lol.
But yeah, the reason these guilds ask for these specs is for the good of the guild. A lot of us in my current guild are raid specced and while it does blow at times, it sure makes things a heck of a lot easier while raiding. Yes, grinding as a prot warr or a holy priest is torture, but our thinking is that once we get some of this raid content on farm, then people can go a little more offspec and we shouldn't have a problem. However, until then, we ask that people please spec appropriately for raiding. I don't think that is too much to ask.
Mekias Mar 5th 2007 1:47PM
I really don't see what the big deal is with the Armory. I guess people don't want to get caught lying about stuff. I personally love the Armory and think it's a great way to share information about gear and specs.
Zotiko Mar 5th 2007 1:59PM
Here's an idea. Make speccing free. Guild Wars did it that way, and it was a great idea. Imagine leveling as a shadow priest, then switching to holy for any raids/instancing.
Good idea, no?
Joe Eversole Mar 5th 2007 2:07PM
Two simple words to fix the problem: Opt. Out.
Strongmark on Arthas Mar 5th 2007 2:08PM
I am with you Mekias, I love it as well, and would like to see it built up even more, with more details and stats.
People can QQ all they want about PVP and their own guild checking up on them, but I agree that in PVP you will know right away and most likely won't even have enough time to goto the Armory to check on your enemy (specially with how slow it runs as it is, you'll be dead before you know who even hit you) and also, if you're guild requires certain builds, then don't lie. Or don't be in a guild that requires certain specs.
Stuff like the armory has been around in other MMOs for a while, it wasnt a problem in those, and shouldnt be in WoW either.
Mainman Mar 5th 2007 2:08PM
I see the Armoury as nothing but a pox on the WoW community. If every person who finds fault with the system leaves the game, then there'll be less stupid people to laugh at.
Screw the fact that raid parties will be more reliable; we all know that we wake up each day hoping to witness the next legendary idiot in the making.
Toolio Mar 5th 2007 3:42PM
People complaining about having this information made public take this GAME too seriously. The irony is that you're probably the kind of person that would study the build/arms of your "opponent".
No one has time to look up your profile during PVP anyway, and even if they did, there's no guarantee the information is current. Most hybrid classes have more than one set of gear.
I L2P my class and the rest is icing.
And personally, I've been using the Armory as a benchmark to find the disparity between my gear and my peers'. Evidently I'm a bit behind the curve, but IDC. If you're horde on the Jaedenar server and you want to check my build so you can own me in-game, be my guest. And make sure to /em spit afterward so I know you read this.
Addie Mar 5th 2007 2:10PM
I'm GM of a very casual guild. I used Armory last night to check on a young shammie's gear then plundered the guild bank and ran off to the auction house to buy her a couple of badly needed upgrades. It's a tool that can be used for good too! *grins*
Chadwick Mar 5th 2007 2:15PM
@8 Then everyone would just be a druid and call it a day. Rogues, mages, and even warlocks would be useless. Might as well let everyone be multiclassed as well, because that is essentially what would happen.
I like the armory, and as many other posters have said, all I have to do is play against/with a couple of times then I would get a good idea of what spec, etc, you are.
Now knowing your skills and rep aren't that relevant unless your a guild crafter or something.
Just my 2c
Toolio Mar 5th 2007 2:24PM
Toolio - Jaedenar (US)
Look me up. Feel free to study my (shitty) gear. Feel free to track me down and duel/gank me. IDC. Make sure to corpse /spit so I know it's you.
Oh, BTW... I have 2 sets of gear. And I respec once a week.
FireStar Mar 5th 2007 2:30PM
buncha cryin babies if ya ask me. it's a freaking video game. if you have an issue with people seeing your stuff stop playin a video game and go get a life.
Bunkai Mar 5th 2007 3:13PM
My Guild has been using CharacterProfiler and GuildProfiler in combination with WoWRoster on our own website.
We can view all talents, spells, recipes, keys, quests, honor, reputation, gear, item bonuses, resistances, etc.
With available add-ons, we can even sort a view the data in various different ways and even side-by-side compare two players on the screen at once.
We do not require it's use, but strongly urge it, as it is a GREAT benefit to the guild/raid leaders to have a good knowledge of all aspects of the guild members when organizing raid and PvP groups.
The Armory adds nothing that we don't already have, and actually we have more capability with what we use, and it's all still a free download. The ONLY benefit to even considering the Armory is that we won't rely on members manually updating their characters periodically. Even then, with the help of the UniUploader, that process can be automated.
While I don't think there's anything wrong with the Armory, I do think that it's arriving far too late in the game. This should have been around from the beginning. Hopefully it is the stepping stone to some more enhanced guild features to come.
www.ugotgankd.com
Melf Mar 5th 2007 3:31PM
My guild will most definitely use Armory to check on applicants, the same way we used to use CTProfile and RPGO to check on them before. Not so much because we want to see if they lied about their spec, but rather to see their gear (CTProfile is totally editable and RPGO is difficult to navigate) and spec (what talents they value) and see where they are with regard to progression. It would be great if Armory showed attunement/keys as well, for this reason.
I realize the above comments on spec might be conflicting... we don't discriminate based on spec, but we are interested in seeing where an applicant put their talent points just for curiosity's sake :)