Parents just don't understand WoW
by Michael Gray 
Jun 6th 2008 at 5:00PM
Rufus Honker IV over at the World of Warcraft LJ has joined a very small, elite community. Like Amanda Dean and Blizzard staffer J. Allen Brack, Rufus plays WoW with his parents. Of course, the elder Honkers make some "newb" mistakes along the way. Mom's got an ammo pouch on her Warrior, and Dad's bags are packed with obsolete crafting materials, outdated quest items, and even gray vendor trash.
Rufus's post isn't a complaint. It's more an endearing sigh that "Parents just don't understand WoW." He ends the post saying that they may be noobs, but they're his noobs. His parents look like they've embraced the game, and seem pretty cool to go on about their merry way in Azeroth. (I can't help but wonder if they have feelings on "welfare epix.")
I think my own father would be even more helplessly lost in Azeroth, and would cause me no end of frustration. But, I'd gladly handle that to hang out with him that readily. Maybe it's my advanced age, but if you get to do something like this together, you should probably treasure it while you can. Rufus seems to be doing a good job of that.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Odds and ends
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bloodtrip Jun 6th 2008 5:18PM
Totally!
People you love that play along side with you that suck royally just makes you a better player in a way that "Teaching sometimes teaches you more about the topic/character/problem at hand than actually doing." all you need is nerves of steel... i play with my wife... dont get me started on that one, if you could only see my 2v2 rating, its all out of love... for her that is
Nick S Jun 6th 2008 5:23PM
we have a few parents (and grandparents!) in the guild.
yes, they make nub mistakes and have trouble with things that the fps generation takes for granted. unlike some, however, they're willing to listen to reasoned advice and make changes. they're also exceptionally reliable, unfailingly loyal, and generally nice people.
i'll take em over a younger player bragging about how ubber-l33txauce his pvp gear is any day. and trust me... we've had our share of those too.
Hurode Jun 6th 2008 10:52PM
I agree there, but dont discount all us young'uns just because most of us give the rest of us a bad name :)
Nick S Jun 7th 2008 1:14AM
i hate to say it, because usually i try to defend the right of younger people to be treated without prejudice, but i'm disappointed every day by the behavior of younger players.
consider an example. we had a player (since gkicked) who is of high school age, has no job, and plays several hours a day. he regularly missed raids without excuse or explanation. by comparison, another of our players is in his 30s, works 50+ hours per week, and often has to log off right after a raid so he can get just 6 hours of sleep before work starts in the morning. yet the second doesn't miss raids without warning us.
perhaps it's unfair to even expect people from different age brackets to conform to the rules and responsibilities that those of working age are used to. after all, when have they been expected to show up to anything without immediate and dire consequences? it's not that they're irresponsible, perhaps, but rather that the kind of responsibility that i and other raid leaders ask for is not yet in their lexicon.
be one of the good ones. encourage your friends to be the good ones. surprise people when you tell them you're young. make them say "wow, i would have guessed you were much older."
it's not just in WoW that teenagers need to prove to the world that young people can be smart and responsible, it's in every area of life... but WoW is a good start.
sthig Jun 6th 2008 5:46PM
I'm *parent* age (however I don't have any kids) and would fancy myself a pretty decent wow player. My n00b mistakes are like "well why didn't I put that Quartz addon months ago??"
Gessilea Jun 6th 2008 5:51PM
My mom got hooked on WoW maybe six months after I started playing, when I was home for Christmas. I'm not sure she makes any more nub mistakes than any other new player - ie. just because her hunter can wear mail at 40 doesn't mean she should equip a bunch of strength/stam gear. Last week I spent a good hour and a half trying to explain why she needs to convince her new-to-Kara guild that hit rating is important. I'd say the only difference with her is that she's not really solid on using the internet to look stuff up - she prefers to use print guides than web databases and wikis.
zawadi Jun 6th 2008 6:14PM
My son couldn't understand why I liked this
game so much lol.
May go back into it full force, depending on how the expansion sounds. I loved my shammy.
F0REM4N Jun 6th 2008 6:21PM
As 29 year old parent of two (I know I am not alone) I appreciate the perspective of some of our younger players. To generalize parents as sort of lost noobs, when it is our generation that created RPG's, can be a bit insulting though. Glad that the article was written with heart though.
kunukia Jun 6th 2008 6:23PM
Played since right after release with my 20something daughter and 30something son. I was pretty noobish at first, as it was my first MMO, but I think I have come along pretty well. My main is wearing T4.
Matt Graham Jun 6th 2008 6:35PM
My dad just "mastered" e-mailing. :P
His next endeavor? Microsoft Excel. Oh, dear God... >.>
Michael Jun 6th 2008 7:56PM
Interesting; my son is 7 and the situation is the exact opposite. His bags are full of crap, he vendors rare item drops from the dungeons I run him through, and he thinks finally being able to craft bronze axes was his greatest achievement yet in the game. He's in BG now (WSG mostly). I feel very sorry for his allies, as he regularly solos 5 twinks at a time, and will often run aimlessly around the field, vocalizing in a rather incredulous manner (ie. "That Tauren has a green hat?! What a weirdee!"). Of course, in 3 years he'll probably be running his own guild, downing firsts in endgame, and laughing at my welfare epics.
Hurode Jun 6th 2008 10:50PM
I can't even get my mom to grasp the concept that it's an online multiplayer game.
"You mean that guy right there is someone else in Ohio or something?"
While pointing to the Auctioneer in Stormwind. *sigh*
Roughbeard Jun 7th 2008 5:25AM
We have a mother and daughter in our Guild: the daughter is in her late-30's, her mother is 70 this year and is an extremely competant pally healer. Yes, she has her moments (but don't we all?) but she's a valued and entertaining member of our Guild.
Nice to know that not all older parents dismiss the gaming world...
Inscrutibob Jun 7th 2008 6:51AM
I got my son into WoW. Now he won't play with me, because I don't RP right...
Zerubabble Jun 7th 2008 10:40AM
Well there's your problem. You shouldn't be RPing at all : )
Baila Jun 7th 2008 1:23PM
As an older MaMa who plays a level 70 druid in a raiding guild, it kind of pisses me off to be labeled this way. Hopefully your readers will be 'mature' enough to realize that talking about any group of people in such a general way is...oh, how can I say it...bogus ;p
Kayla Jun 7th 2008 2:20PM
I'm 18 and both my parents play. My mom is a computer programmer so she easily picked the game up while my dad didn't even know how to type when he started. They are both now raiding Hyjal and BT nearly every night of the week while my guild just started Kara.
So, yeah, don't dismiss the older generation even if when they start they can barely turn the computer on (like my dad who is one of the best rogues I have ever seen).
vanye111 Jun 9th 2008 4:26PM
I'm 35. My GF is 37. We're grandparents. We table top and play WoW.
Her 13 year old son plays with us (most of his toons are in one of the guilds we're in), though he plays a lot more PVP than we do.
Her father (who is 63) plays as well. He introduced my GF to table top rpging.
3 generations. all good. :)