Welcome to "noob season"
by Mike Schramm 
Dec 31st 2007 at 5:01PM
I don't know if I quite buy this one, but it's an interesting idea: Jias says that this week begins a period of time in the World of Warcraft known as "noob season": all of the folks who found WoW under their tree, or decided to use their gift cards to try out "the Shatner game" are going to be rolling their first character over the next couple of weeks, and will probably have lots of questions and very little learned etiquette.Jias sees it as a bad thing (we have to deal with noobs), but I tend to go a little more toward Neth's side of the argument: it's a chance to be veterans of the game, and to help players who haven't seen all this stuff before figure it out. Just last night, I was leveling my Hunter and decided to join a PUG in Blackrock Depths out of the blue-- for some reason, only one of them had ever been in the instance before. But being an old hand, I led them through all the twists and turns down there, and we finished all the quests through the Attunement rock (The Lyceum gave us a little trouble, but it was late, so we called it).
Will there be a few more players asking for gold or not quite clear that all tanks should be carrying a shield? Probably. But we should probably be as welcoming and patient with these folks as possible-- they'll be the same people listening on the LFG channel when you ask "LFM for Utgarde Keep."
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Instances
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
HowToDealWithNoobs Dec 31st 2007 5:15PM
The answer to every question is "Alt-F4. If it closes your game, it means you have old video drivers, please go search for newer ones and re-install. Also, when you need money, please target the person and type /d."
wolf Jan 1st 2008 2:21AM
I had someone ask my Tailor for a Linen Bag the other night. They were just starting out and had one Silver. I mailed the bag to them for free.
Kyralahn Dec 31st 2007 5:39PM
Funny enough, yesterday was my one year anniversary in game. I should spend some time in Northshire to help out the new class of noobies coming in.
daniel.roy Dec 31st 2007 6:56PM
Ditto! I started exactly one year ago, and although I was versed in online etiquette, WoW was new and fresh to me then. I asked my fair share of stupid questions, no doubt.
Funny, I never thought I'd play WoW for an entire year... But here I am. I started a Human Pally, and have since then moved on to a BE Warlock. I'm now 70, I'm a GM of a guild running Kara, and I'm all epicced out both for PvE and PvP.
Looking at my /played, I think my advice to any newbies out there would probably be... "RUN!! IT'LL EAT YOUR SOUL!!!" :)
WeirdoKitty Dec 31st 2007 6:14PM
You won't find people who don't know how to 'tank' an instance, there are no instances level 1 to 5. You'll find people who haven't read the fine manual, and don't know how to click on quest givers, or that they should be clicking on quest givers. Or click on monsters to make them stop killing you. You'll find people who stand on a fire and die, then ask 'why did I die.' And then insist they aren't a n00b.
They'll want to group with you, and you'll experience the joys of being a volunteer baby-sitter in the flat-monthly-fee-of-$15-networked-baby-sitting service that's even better than TV. In other words, just another day in Elwynn-Silvermoon. Except more so.
Oh, and thanks for the warning. I'll make a note not to start an alt for about 2 months.
Super Guest Man 9000 Dec 31st 2007 6:15PM
Jeeze I feel old, been playing since December of 04, week after the game came out.
Rashi Dec 31st 2007 6:18PM
Which explains why I took 9 games to get 15 Marks for my 19 hunter going for the Outrider's bow.
Eternalpayn Dec 31st 2007 7:57PM
Or it could be cause of dailies... Although I'll admit I'm kind of one of them at 43, the WSG I was in today had one-third of the Horde from my realm, with the daily, non-premades and level 40-44, one-third twinks, and one third of level 40-44's farming marks for their epic bracers (me...)
Hoggersbud Dec 31st 2007 6:40PM
Just yesterday, there was an annoying warlock in /2 begging for bags. I gave the person real advice on how to easily earn some money to buy some bags.
They kept spamming. Eventually people yelled at them to stop begging.
Get what they deserve? I hope so.
And y'know, I've actually gotten free bags for re-rolling on a server to join a guild, so I appreciate the gift, but people who just fill the chat window begging? They're crap.
jaxson_bateman Dec 31st 2007 11:07PM
Yeah, just yesterday there was someone begging in Org general for some gold. I like to help them out if it's possible (with advice, not with gold!). Our conversation went something like this:
Me: if you don't already have a profession, you should pick up mining and go out to Durotar and collect some copper.
Beggar: I don't need copper, I need gold.
Me: what I mean is, you mine copper veins around Durotar for 'Copper Ore', and then sell it.
Beggar: how does that make me money?
Me: you take the Copper Ore and put it on the AH.
Beggar: AH?
Me: the Auction House.
Beggar: what's the Auction House?
Me: ... it's a place in the capital cities where you can put items up for auction so that other players can buy them. They generally sell for more than a vendor would buy them for, and Ore sells pretty well.
Beggar: ah, that's pretty cool. Where do I find the AH?
Me: ask a guard.
Beggar: where can I find a guard?
I stopped at this point. Sure enough, 5 minutes later...
Beggar: can I please have 2g for a new weapon?
Some people are beyond help. =)
Acceptable Risk Dec 31st 2007 7:31PM
As a bear, I take exception to the notion that every tank needs to carry a shield. Furry arms spec all the way.
Mirina Dec 31st 2007 7:47PM
Wow...I just hit my one year mark a little while ago...I still have the screenshots of my NE rogue drunk dancing in Stormwind on New Years Eve...also just recently found the pics of the bottle of champagne beside the computer screen (with WoW on it) from last year. I'm in agreement with the person who said they never thought they would be still playing--honestly, I'm amazed at where I've ended up, the friends I've made, and the fun I've had. The rogue got retired (still can't believe I played Alliance!), and I dabbled until the expansion came out before settling on my main. I never thought I'd be in a guild of more than 10 people--heck, I never thought I would be the GM of a quickly progressing raiding guild (aiming for 3/6 SSC in less than 3 months in this guild--total of 4 new bosses down in this guild, since Gruul was already on farm in our last guild).
I'm glad I stuck around--and I'm glad I will once again be spending New Years on vent with my guild family--because I wouldn't trade the friends I've made for anything in the world (guess I'll have to get off vent for a few to join my hubby with some champagne--since he'll be on vent 3 floors down, lol)!
Zakk Dec 31st 2007 10:14PM
Ohhhhh, so that explains all the level 10s standing around the bank asking for gold. One of the rare times I get to use my ignore list...
Eternalpayn Dec 31st 2007 11:16PM
My ignore list is full... :(
Sylythn Dec 31st 2007 11:17PM
Well they weren't quite "noobs", but I tanked a mostly-pug mechanar the other day and when we got done with a very chaotic boss kill on the fire elemental lady, a couple of them said "oh - so that's how that fight works". Guess I should have checked if everyone had been there before I started. :)
Rainnajax Jan 1st 2008 3:04AM
Maybe because I am an educator in real life, I am often drawn to helping out the newbies. More often than not, with new members of my guild. Usually I let them hit about lvl 15 and then offer to take them through WC. I lead them around to get all the quests and then I try to find one or two more who want to go as support (I am healer but as level 60's, can tank WC with no buffs easily) as I can't heal a newbie and tank at the same time. I usually try to use this time to explain the way the etiquette goes because that is a good instance where you get a little bit of everything. I think that a little patience can go a long way. If I see someone spamming for gold, I will usually offer to help them get started with a profession, but if they persist, I will just say "go earn it". We all need to remember that we were level 1 a while back and we all made stupid mistakes and learned a lot as we went along. I still feel like I am learning and always am learning something new from WoW every day. The one skill I would offer to anyone starting for the first time is refresh your map skills because most everything is related to the map and directions. If you don't know N,S,E, and W, then learn it.
:-)
Rainnajax
Tridus Jan 1st 2008 7:02AM
I agree with you. I love this time of year. The new players running around so excited because you helped them kill Hogger remind me of what actually matters.
Its not noob season, its "people who will be applying to join your raid guild next expansion" season. Why not help set them on the right track?
lordfrikk Jan 1st 2008 9:11AM
Very well said, Rainnajax. I remember when I started playing 8 months ago, some lvl 70 dude were announcing in Tirisfal Glades chat that his guild is recruting new members without any level restriction. He showed me around Undercity, explained meaning of people in there and also showed me some things that made a bit jealous, like Frostwolf Howler :)
Another thing I wanted to say it that not every new player is noob and/or you won't be able to tell right away without asking him some more complicated questions. I was using WoWWiki, WoWhead etc. to get quickly started on some basics and even advanced gameplay and etiquette.
Rainnajax Jan 1st 2008 11:22AM
Thank you, I appreciate your kind words. I just think that for any player who enjoys the game and wants to promote that we use good etiquette and some basic guidelines for walking in the Azeroth world, that some of us need to be examples of how to promote positive gameplay and good form overall. I see too often the lack of respect. My guild took me under their wing and taught me the ropes and are still teaching me, so it makes sense to pay it forward and help out someone the way they helped me.
:-)
Rainnajax
tkc Jan 1st 2008 9:53AM
I helped out a lost little gnome in Dun Morough. He couldn't find Ironforge. I asked him how long he had been playing and he said he just got it for Christmas. So I showed him around for about 15 minutes. Hey, we were all noobs once.
btw... my feral druid tanks without a shield. :p