Breakfast topic: Bad at WoW
by Elizabeth Wachowski 
Mar 7th 2008 at 8:00AM
Lately, the forums have been full of people accusing other players of being bad at World of Warcraft. The denizens of the Raids and Dungeons forums have even gone so far as to call casual players "bads", and complain about "terribles" or "scrub guilds" getting into raids without attunements. This brings up an interesting point: what makes someone "bad at WoW"?
Personally, I don't think a lack of gear or raid progression indicates being bad at WoW. Some players, like myself, simply don't have the schedule to donate to the acquisition of epics. I would define "bad" as someone who cannot achieve their goals in-game due to their own stupidity, incompetence, or inability to follow the rules.
Here's some examples. If you can't kill Shade of Aran because your schedule prevents you from raiding enough, you're not bad. However, if you can't kill Shade of Aran because "don't move during Flame Wreath" has yet to sink into your skull after twenty tries, you're probably bad. Having trouble winning arenas because you're undergeared? Not necessarily bad. Having trouble winning arenas because your rogue is decked out entirely in strength gems? You might be bad. Getting suspended for being keylogged doesn't mean you're bad, but getting suspended for botting and then complaining that it takes too long to level on the forums does.
What do you think makes someone bad at WoW? Are you bad?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Pål Mar 7th 2008 8:11AM
Yes v_v
I can't win a PvP match if my life is on the line, and there are probably several key basics of instancing/raiding I have yet to grasp. I recently learned that pulling aggro and then iceblocking can make the mob go for the Healer, so I suspect there are other things I still need to figure out...
(in my defense that was the first time in several months of use the mob has actually gone for the healer)
jaxson_bateman Mar 7th 2008 8:11AM
Lack of skill. Lack of skill. Lack of skill.
Whether it be a lack of skill on picking the correct spec (not researching talents enough *is* a lack of skill), lack of picking the correct gems for your spec and playstyle, or not being able to heal as a healer because you're too busy loldpsing... it all comes down to skill.
The only way to not be a bad at this game is pretty simple. Play well in every facet of the game. It's not a hard game at all, and for the nitty gritty (for example, *why* spell hit is the premiere stat for casters til they're capped), you're in luck - plenty of people before you have already done the research, so all you have to do is look it up.
jaxson_bateman Mar 7th 2008 8:13AM
Oh, I should point out, bads won't necessarily be bads forever. Experience plays a huge factor in increasing skill. Like 'Pal' mentioned, he/she can't win a PvP game to save their life. After gaining some PvP experience, that will probably not be the case anymore.
Thrush Mar 7th 2008 11:52AM
I dont agree with the notion of a "correct" spec. There are 3 specs for a reason. Its not 3 card monte, there's no wrong choice. You play how you play and other people might think you're wrong, just dont play with those people.
jaxson_bateman Mar 7th 2008 12:39PM
I think you've misinterpreted what I meant.
I didn't mean spec as a whole... say, choosing to be a ret paladin instead of a holy paladin. I mean the individual talents that are chosen in said spec. Having a retribution spec like 5/16/40 *would* make a player bad as they have skipped perhaps their most vital ability, Crusader Strike.
Pål Mar 7th 2008 12:48PM
"Oh, I should point out, bads won't necessarily be bads forever. Experience plays a huge factor in increasing skill. Like 'Pal' mentioned, he/she can't win a PvP game to save their life. After gaining some PvP experience, that will probably not be the case anymore."
Well, I do kill people who are even worse than me occasionally (stand still and do nothing once I counterspell one of their schools of magic etc), but I don't think that counts.
Moketronics Mar 7th 2008 1:13PM
"3 specs" - clearly you don't know much about specing.
Sure I COULD go to raids Discipline speced - but that would just be stupid, I'd suck as a healer, I'd pull agro all over the place and the talents I'd get out of disc wouldnt be relevant.
If someone showed up to a raid PvP speced, they'd be out. Each person has roles to fill and certain specs (and for any class there are MANY more then simply specing up 1 tree or the other) are much better for filling these roles then others.
I don't go do arena CoH speced because thats just stupid. Just like I don't go to raid PvP Disc spec - because thats even stupider.
If you want to play a meta-game where you deliberately handy-cap yourself thats fine - but don't expect other people to put up with it in a group situation.
Moketronics Mar 7th 2008 1:13PM
errr @ thrush
SimpleSurvival Mar 7th 2008 8:13AM
Bad at Wow:
I was looking over my roommates shoulder the other day, and he was running RFK with his lowbie (cloth->dust) and the warrior tank didn't look quite right, so i asked him to inspect...
Turns out he was wearing a collection of the most interesting blues out there ranging from cloth, leather to +int hammer
The only piece of mail he was wearing was his chest and it was about 8 levels low...
I asked him if the tank had needed on the blues that dropped, and he said no, he just greeded...
Amazing collection of unwanted blues adorning a tank that doesn't even charge or shout
verdict: bad player
Mehrunes Mar 7th 2008 8:25AM
I'm terrible at grouping on my rogue. I solo'd all the way from 1-60 without running any dungeons in a level appropriate group. Always had a level 70 running me through. I'm getting better, but i'm still not very good. I need to get a rotation going as far as which skills to use.
Although, I do consider myself above average on my pally.
Hellskreamer Mar 7th 2008 10:08AM
Before being run through a dungeon, you should try it at least once in a normal group, that way you learn to play your class much better.
Razielwings Mar 7th 2008 8:22AM
There's a guy in our guild who's a master stratergist. He's a genius and I don't know how he does it. His solutions to some encounters are bizarre but they work.
And yet he can't play in any PvP scenario to save his life. His knowledge of the game is fantastic and his creativity is awe-inspiring, but he has the reaction speeds of a dead cat. His brilliance lies in his thorough planning and indirect approach to problems, but he can't cope with the dynamic style of PvP.
In PvE and raids he's essential to our success, but in PvP? He's baaaad.
Adam W Mar 7th 2008 10:05AM
Sounds like me. I'm usually head of strategy in any instances I run, either as PuG or with my guild. However, I have NEVER won a battleground. Ever. I try various strategies: stay with a group, work on defense, work on offense, pick off the weaklings, pick off the healer, etc. All for naught. I always end up in some situation where I end up all alone with either a group of players ganking me or stun locked by a rogue. It really sucks, and frankly makes me want to throw something through my screen. I'm a very cerebral person, so coming to grips with there being no "answer" really frustrates me.
Dotixi Mar 7th 2008 8:22AM
@jaxson_bateman
You are one of those denizens of the Raids and Dungeons forums that Elizabeth mention aren't you?
Lack of skill. Lack of skill. Lack of skill. (Not Thottbotting every quest *is* lack of skill)
Faldrath Mar 7th 2008 8:32AM
Being bad=being unwilling to improve, and/or to admit that there are improvements to be made. No one is perfect and everyone can always learn something - but some people believe that they know all there is to know... and those people usually wipe raids/lose pvp matches.
Of course, this doesn't apply only to WoW.
Arabelli Mar 7th 2008 8:59AM
Yeah, I think that's it for me too. To tell the truth, I'd only have said I've gotten 'good' in the past couple months when I started seriously putting effort into raiding. I was an average pvp-er, terrible in arenas, but focusing on knowing my role in a raid and learning to adapt to the needs of the group probably put me in a 'good' catagory.
We've probably all seen or (God help us) been in a group with someone who firmly believes that breaking CC < his personal dps, or the warlock with melee crit gems in his pants. No matter how many times you tell them it simply isn't right, they'll do it anyway. The unwillingness to play the game the way the numbers and dice roll is probably the only really 'bad' thing someone can do, not time put in.
That and freakin' moving on flame wreaths. GOD it's just not that hard to stand still for 15 or so seconds.
BitterCupOJoe Mar 7th 2008 10:07AM
I would go with this definition. Being unskilled is one thing; being unwilling to learn or, worse yet, unwilling to admit one is unskilled are worse still. But one can be a good player that simply doesn't know everything they need to know yet, especially if they go out of the way to work with people that shore up their weaknesses.
An example: my wife is a really good holy priest. However, she doesn't know much about certain mechanics of the game, things like spell hit and spell crit, etc. However, I love the number crunching aspect of the game, so that's fine. And she's willing to learn, sot hat's even better. I, on the other hand, am terrible at the social aspect of the game; I simply can't stand dealing with pickup groups and putting them together and trying to herd them. So she can shore up that weakness for me.
twelve Mar 7th 2008 8:33AM
Pimped Paladin with 2k HP, 255 +heal and 5k HK at level 29 Arathi Basin PvP standing right next to the flag healing himself to counter my pets' damage while i turn the flag in front of his nose ..
Hybrids that avoid to put a single healing spell in their action bars (quite common about 2 years ago) ..
Players breaking every CC on sight ..
Players with pets who forget to dismiss their pet before jumping down the balcony at UBRS the third time in a row (years ago) ..
Mages (and other mana-classes) dumping out every bit of mana they have at every trash-pull at MC (or similar), dying every third pull ..
.. is / are bad players.
Feel free to complete the list - it's gonna take years.
Havitech Mar 7th 2008 8:34AM
I was running Bot a couple of weeks ago, and the warlock we pugged was wearing green rings and a necklace with +agi on them. He also had a +healing main hand. I have no idea how that guy got to 70.
Gareth Mar 10th 2008 1:23PM
Hey, my shadow priest still has a +healing trinket too, its sad, but I've just not found anything yet to beat it plus when I raid it gets swapped out for a scryers bloodgem.
On a positive note when I drop out to heal .... :)