WoW Rookie: Oops GTG TTYL bye
by Lisa Poisso 
Apr 8th 2009 at 7:30PM
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic."Oops GTG TTYL bye" – heard that one before, in the middle of an instance? You don't want to be that guy.
Today's World of Warcraft is a far cry from Tomb Raider or Lego Indiana Jones, which can leave you writhing in your chair for what seems like an eternity before your next save point. For an MMO, WoW's gameplay has become reasonably bite-sized – so don't get caught virtually chewing with your mouth open by dropping out of groups early.
True, many instances can be completed so quickly and many players are so experienced that dashing through a quick instance can seem almost trivial. But a group is a social creature, and accepting a group invitation means accepting a reasonable responsibility to treat the other players' time with respect.
Don't accept a group if you know you can't stay. If it's getting close to dinnertime or class or work or anything else that'll bring your game time to a screeching halt, don't foist that problem off onto your groupmates. At the very least, speak up before the group begins. Tell them long you expect to be able to stay, and let them make the call on whether to move forward with you in the group or look for someone else who can go the distance.
If something unexpected comes up, offer to look for a replacement. Check with guildmates and friends to see if anyone you know would be willing to plug the hole you're leaving.
And if you've run into a group you can't abide playing with one second longer (whether because of a personality clash or because the group simply isn't up to the task at hand), take time to make a polite excuse before bowing out. Yeah, we've been there, too -- just grit your teeth and do it. Don't leave your group hanging in the lurch, wondering what happened and whether or not you're coming back. Be clear, be polite and don't burn bridges that could lead to future groups, guilds and friendships.
WoW Rookie feeds you the basics to get you off to a good start in the World of Warcraft. Find more tools you can use in the WoW Insider Directory and WoW Insider Leveling Guides.Filed under: WoW Social Conventions, WoW Rookie
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
kozom Apr 8th 2009 7:38PM
Sadly, I have done this my fair share of times. I try to avoid leaving them high and dry by finding a replacement before I quit though.
Brouck Apr 8th 2009 7:43PM
As a parent to an infant I can unfortunately say that I have done this a number of times. I try my best to avoid it, but sometimes my son wakes up in a grumpy mood, in the middle of my WoW time and there is nothing I can do against it. It's why I joined a guild that understands and is accomodating! Though my worst experience came just last week in a Naxx10 PuG that was going superbly. My town had a power outtage while 4 Horsemen Loot was being divied up. That is the worst way to leave people in a lurch, I felt terrible for days afterwards.
jbodar Apr 8th 2009 10:11PM
Man, babies... you tell them to "QQ moar" and they take it so literally. :D
Ariandis Apr 8th 2009 7:42PM
And then there are the times you really do have to dump everything and run!
My best/worst example was the night my raid group had just zoned into Naxx and fire engines came screaming up the street and stopped right next door. I think i took a second to type Fire! before I dumped WoW and went to offer shelter to my neighbour and her baby while the fire crew got her house under control.
renork Apr 8th 2009 7:56PM
My personal favorite was a guildmate saying; "Po Po's at the door got to go..."
josh Apr 8th 2009 7:56PM
Wow keeps mentioning new ways to look at potential members of your pug (besides gear) in advance. A "NINJA-LOG" counter would be useful. I don't care if you leave my pug, but don't log and make us wait 10 mins wondering if you are coming back.
snowleopard233 Apr 8th 2009 8:03PM
"You heard the man! Let's fire those rifles and pull in the mobs!"
"...where are the heals?"
snowleopard233 Apr 8th 2009 7:58PM
Also, never do gnomregan. It is a never-ending pit of boredom and annoying music which will quickly eat into your party's patience. Just when you think you're at the final boss, boom! There's a whole other tunnel!
Arivia Apr 9th 2009 5:56AM
I literally spent an hour on one corpse run in Gnomer a week ago.
Surrah Apr 8th 2009 8:52PM
I am definitely a noob and have only been playing since December-ish. Ok noob question-do you tell a group/raid/instance people that you are new to the game?
Someone in my guild asked them to help me with a quest and I said sure next thing I know i'm being yelled at "WTF YOU STUPID NOOB" when I had no clue that I was doing anything wrong. Be nice the the newbies! :)
snowleopard233 Apr 8th 2009 9:13PM
Better to be honest than have people just think you're incompetent. I had some hesitancy in telling people this as well. What I discovered was most people were either understanding veterans who were happy to help new players or they were new players themselves.
If people call you a newb, they're probably assholes, and will most likely do stuff like blame people for wipes, make assanine comments about your gear, and generally be counterproductive to working as a team. You can always teach a new player how to play but you can't teach a jerk how to be nice. If you find your in a group with these kind of people, just leave and let them figure out why.
Sharlyntria Apr 8th 2009 9:37PM
Surrah:
Peronsally I wouldn't use the phrase "I am new to the game". Saying this almost says to people that you don't know your class or you don't what threat means or how to manage agro or even how to 'get out of the fire'. Most players - even new ones, understand these concepts. So if your doing a quest or an instance with a group, I would state when you join them something like:
"Ahh, I have never done this isntance(or quest) before, so don't be afraid to yell out anything I might need to know"
Most people respond to this by typing in a sentence or two before a boss or a gauntlet area or a nasty pull just outlining anything important. This is helpful for you and at the same time, you have prepared them for the chance you might make a mistake.
Peronsally - I am always happy to give new players tips, or spend 30 seconds outlining a boss or even showing them where a quest mob is; as long as they ask and are polite. What I really really hate is people who put themselves in ques for an instance or raid and don't have the knowledge and often the gear to do that instance/raid. Most of these people know they don't but do it expecting to be carried. Its these type of people that turn older players away from helping the geniune new players.
S.
Athzar Apr 8th 2009 10:11PM
IMO, tell the group you're fairly new. If you wish, feel free to tell them that you're not a total nincompoop as well. Don't just say "I've never done this instance/quest" if you're new, because that implies that you're experienced overall. I've had lots of people claim to be experts but "new to this dungeon" then they'd wet themselves if they get hit by Divine Intervention and immediately cancel it.
If jackass members are gonna be "LOL NOOB GTFO MAH GROOP" about it, then you're better off anyways. I never mind giving tips to players who mention that they're new, explaining boss strats or things that people have to avoid.
AyaJulia Apr 9th 2009 1:42AM
Don't lie or try to fake it silently. With the new achievement system, we can tell if we care to look. Chances are, if I'm running a 10-man raid pug or something, I've checked everyone's achievements on the armory. The statistics section even goes so far as to say how MANY times you've killed a particular boss.
It doesn't take much. When I was gunning for my Champion of the Frozen Wastes title, I was confident in my abilities but humble enough to say something like "I haven't done this instance before, but I pick up fast. Just tell me if there's a quirk I need to know about." Anyone who doesn't understand at that point is just being an asshat.
Mure Apr 9th 2009 11:18AM
I would say yes. Even at level 80 I will still tell a group when it is my first time in an instance, usually one of the other players will give you a little plug abut the fight before you start. Which can make the difference between dieing 30 sec into the fight and living to the end.
Evi Apr 9th 2009 3:31PM
What the others said: just come out and say it. "I'm fairly new to the game. Is there anything I need to know before we start this?" or "I've never been here/done this before. Is there anything I need to know?" If they treat you poorly and call you demeaning names, those aren't people you should be hanging around anyway!
Nadril Apr 8th 2009 9:09PM
If a group is bad I will make sure to let them know that. Why would I possibly want to group with bad players in the future?
And obviously if someone in the group is good I'll tell them that. If the healer is great but the tank sucks, I'll say it. I'm really not afraid about a bad player disliking me.
Dightkuz Apr 8th 2009 9:22PM
I just say "G2g, my house is on fire and I am the only one who knows how to use the fire extinguisher."
That way they will hopefully not ignore me for leaving and instead focus on my house being on fire.
Hal Apr 8th 2009 9:28PM
This, this, a thousand times THIS.
I realize it happens to the best of us. Something pulls you away from the game that you couldn't anticipate.
But for the love of The Light (TM), if you know that you have some place to be or that your guild might call you away unexpectedly, do not join a group for an instance!
I was in a PUG for Heroic Violet Hold, and after the second boss one of our DPS declared that his guild needed him for Eye of Eternity and he just left. Violet Hold is not a dungeon you can put on hold until you find a replacement!
So please . . . . PLEASE . . . don't do this to people!
kabshiel Apr 8th 2009 11:34PM
That's the most obnoxious thing. I can understand if real life calls and you have to log, but dropping a group in the middle of an instance because of your guild is lame. I know you want to raid, but you've made a commitment to the people in your group and you should see it through.