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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsDefeating the anxiety of running your first instance
by Mike Schramm 
Oct 30th 2009 at 5:00PM
Cassandri's writeup is an excellent read for anyone who feels that way (and feel free to pass on this post to any friends or relatives you know who've been too leery to join an instance yet). She does do some basic knowledge stuff in there, just hints on the classes and what they can all do -- and our WoW Rookie posts will help out with that stuff too -- but more importantly, she says what lots of new players need to hear: that messing up in an instance isn't that big a deal, and that playing together with others (which is the reason why we're all playing an MMO rather than a single player game in the first place) is more than worth getting past any anxiety around joining a group. I've read a lot of comments like the one Cassandri quotes in her post, too, and I'm here to tell you: if you haven't run an instance yet, it's time to stop worrying about what it'll be like and give it a try.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Instances, Bosses
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Jack Miles Oct 30th 2009 8:39PM
I hit level 50 thinking Deadmines ended with sneed, since all (both) of my runs there ended badly. It wasn't until I was boosting a friend there that a realised there was a door behind him.
Jack Draven Oct 30th 2009 5:15PM
Write ups like this are great. I have personally known lots of people who have struggled with these issues, and, like everything else in life, it is good to know your not alone. I'm sure this could be a great help to a lot of new players.
Stuckinhouston Oct 30th 2009 5:35PM
Great posting and article. It is so true. When I first started playing and running instances they would put a raid icon on me and someone else because I got lost so bad. To this day I still run into walls in Deadmine's. I did not understand the terminology with the rules of looting and even took items by mistake, because I did not know. When I leveled my second toon, a priest, I was afraid to actually run her through instances and heals because I was worried about getting blamed for deaths. I had healers anxiety like you would not believe. Now I just sit back and relax and play. And yes, I still get lost....it has pretty much become a joke and I am thankful the guild is understanding.
Aedilhild Oct 31st 2009 10:18AM
I slowly built a holy set for my paladin before the days of Emblems of Conquest, and, having healed only twice before as a druid around Level 33, finally agreed to heal a party through Utgarde Keep.
My heart pounded the whole time, but not only was my performance adequate, it had more potential than I thought. Two pugs called "Raid time!" and ditched after Dalronn and Skarvald. My friend insisted he, I, and the remaining DPS continue: we three-manned Ingvar.
Here's to being pushed off the dock.
Verile Oct 30th 2009 5:41PM
It's a great post for new comers. I still get nervous every time I fight something for the first time, but at the same time that's what makes the game exciting.
Skonged Oct 30th 2009 5:58PM
Step 1: Pick your roll (Tank, DPS, healer)
Step 2: Research talent builds and glyphs for your roll
Step 3: Collect armor/rings/trinkets with either defense for tanking, hit for DPS, or mana regen/int for healing
Step 4: Build some macros and easy to use key bindings
Step 5: Pick up daily heroics and join LFG for that heroics.
Enjoy.
skyman4321 Oct 30th 2009 9:03PM
Why, was this down-rated? It's true, that's pretty much the way you start doing dungeons at 80.
However, no macros (as far as I'm concerned) and also, Shronged your a tad confusded I presume? This is for your first dungeon PERIOD. Now, this could be H UK or DM, depending on your levelling style.
CavalierX Oct 30th 2009 6:00PM
First instance I ever entered with my very first character, I was asked to join a group in which the members already knew each other. I had no clue what I was doing -- I even thought I was supposed to "need" items because I could sell them, and I DID need money! I didn't want to "greed" things because I didn't want to label myself as greedy. Ahh, what did I know? Instead of explaining what I'd done wrong even after I told them it was my first instance, the group tore me apart verbally until I had enough and left the party deep in the instance -- which only enraged them further, and they kept up the excoriation in whisper. That was when I learned to use the "ignore" function. I refused to run another instance for thirty levels, and even then I just passed on everything. Even two years later I prefer to solo whenever I can.
kitearcher Oct 30th 2009 6:25PM
I think I played with them! No fun for me either, and admittedly, I was that "ignorant" too.
TyKell Oct 30th 2009 6:32PM
Your story is eerily close to mine CavalierX. My problem is that I'm of a nervous disposition and so grouping and messing up someone else's time is something that actually gets me genuinely anxious. I had a bad experience in one of my early grouping experiences and I just stopped grouping and started soloing everything. It changed my play experience so completely that I rerolled a Hunter just so I wouldnt have to rely on grouping!
That event happened 3 years ago give or take and I only did my first ever instance outside Deadmines this week. I by chance befriended player, got into his guild and his guildies dragged me kicking and screaming to my first instance in 3 years (Heroic HoL) and it was a complete blast. I was so happy to finally feel like I was playing the game I had always wanted to play and as a result I'm having the most fun I've ever had in this game.
Now the reason I'm going on about my story is because I felt we had a similiar experience and I had the same reaction as you more or less.
I'm urging you man, don't let a random group of nasty people dictate the game you play, if you want to start grouping go for it because it's your money and it's your time.
Happy Gaming man :)
Perc Oct 30th 2009 6:14PM
Actually I think this is just as applicable to running an instance in a new role. For example my main is a warlock and when I started tanking on my pally I was a nervous wreck. I had more responsibilities and my mistakes meant wiping my group more often then not. My anxiety came back in full force yesterday when I decided to heal for the first time. Here is some advice that helped me:
1) Read up on your spec. Before you step into your first instance know what most of your spells do and when to use them. It's going to be hard enough anyways, the last thing you need to be worried about is not knowing which spell to use.
2) TELL your group BEFORE you go in that this is your first time healing/tanking/dpsing. That way when you make your inevitable mistakes everyone will know it is not because you are stupid but because you are a newbie (NOT noob). They will be expecting a few wipes and I have found most people are very patient. This might lead to you being kicked from the group but it is their time too and I feel they have every right to do this. But to this day I have never been kicked after saying this. Most appreciate the warning and you can get a lot of help and good advice this way.
3) If you can run with guildies. This is not needed but it does help. This way your mistakes are less embarrassing and more hysterical; like healing the first few pulls in your tanking set wondering WHY you are burning through your mana so fast. You're more likely to have quite a few laughs at your expense. Fun times.
4) Remember that we have ALL been there. To be good at something you need experience and unless they are a jerk most people understand that. We make mistakes, we learn, and we hopefully laugh. Also you won't be a newbie forever so enjoy these awkward moments while they last.
JBluntz Oct 31st 2009 1:25PM
Well said, sir. This is very sound advice, ESPECIALLY #2; a little honesty regarding your experience level goes a long way. I often have a habit of underselling myself to pugs; I've found that it tends to make people more tolerant or likely to help you or gently correct your small mistakes (like the gentleman above who was rolling need on everything because he thought greed had a bad connotation).
qprmanzz Oct 30th 2009 7:40PM
i never ran a dungeon for a very long time when i started.
me and someone else started playing at the same time, levelling... not really together, but talking to each other about what we found in the game and how we were doing.
a few of the other players real life friends happened to play (the reason we started) and they were like 'come on, we can switch and we can all go deadmines, its a dungeon and you will get really good items'
but i sort of felt like enough of a div solo as it was, i didnt need to let another 4 people down at the same time.
So, what actually happened, was the first dungeon i ever did in a group was ramparts.
61 levels and i finally joined my first group, they were like 'wtf... you've NEVER done a dungeon before?' lol. i absoloutely loved it (probably why ramparts is still my favourite instance) and i progressed from there.
Now, although i've quit (at least until 3.3/cat) whenever i ran a dungeon and there was someone relatively new or inexperienced i always made the effort to make them feel comfortable and relaxed. It's a game and its such a horrible feeling to feel like you are letting others down and then they actually point it out and shout at you for it.
steven Oct 30th 2009 8:14PM
The trick is, finding a group or individual that will teach you!
Most groups, raids or 5-man hero runs, want geared players for a couple reasons. 1) They want to be pulled, 2) They don't know the fight(s) and "a geared player will?", 3) Are in a rush. I would hope that #3 is the most common but I guess that varies realm to realm... I know I just want to slam as many 5-man emblem runs into a night as I can stopping only for healer mana...
When I first hit lvl80 earlier this year. I avoided instances like the plague. I worked on other things (Art flying, Exalted Reps, Non-combat Pets, Mounts, Alts, anything!) first. I got lucky though, a few people that I meet while lvl'ing asked me to come do this or that... We had so much fun I got invited back not because of my DPS, but because they were LFM and we had fun the previous time and ***I*** did not make the same mistake twice.
Jay Oct 30th 2009 9:18PM
/sigh
I think the L2PLY NOOB and HUNTARD comments that seem to be so happily trotted out have turned me off grouping forever in this game.
I will stick to Duoing. What we can't take down together we will try in a few levels. When we run out stuff we can duo, then, off to a new game.
WoW definitely has one of the least forgiving game communities out there of all the games I have played.
PLOJR19 Oct 30th 2009 11:16PM
Excellent post and article!
Ever since Classic WoW and a ZG raid gone bad, I haven't had the courage to join a 5 man run, 10 man run, or even 25 man run...it sounds silly, but really, as the article says, "you're 1/5th of the group's success." It should be all about having fun and enjoying the game, and while we're all in a dungeon with a job to do, it's intimidating to get back into the swing of things.
My bad ZG run back in classic WoW was caused when we repeatedly wiped on the panther boss, and I didn't understand the directions given to me, and I died pretty quickly. I got screamed at over vent, demoted to the lowest guild rank, and humiliated on our website and server forums and whatnot...I'm in college, am the manager of my town's beaches, and put up with people far scarier and with more balls than this old guild of mine, so it's funny why I am so afraid to disappoint 4 virtual strangers, but not angry beach go'ers trying to sneak into my beach!
All in all, great read, and thanks for the 'pat on the back'...maybe I'll get back into grouping/raiding soon!
Psiwave Oct 31st 2009 5:30AM
What? You stop people going to the beach! What kind of evil-land are you from? /cower
Helen Oct 30th 2009 11:38PM
I had a wonderful time in my first instance. I was questing on my paladin in Hillsbrad when I received a whisper asking if I wanted to come to SFK. I said yes, as it sounded exciting, and because I was a paladin I was asked to tank as no one else could. I didn't know what tanking was, so they explained it to me and told me which abilities to use, and we rocked the dungeon. It was a lovely, smooth run (I was new to MMOs but not to games in general, so I got the hang of it very quickly), and to this day SFK is still my favourite instance. I didn't realise at the time how rare my experience might have been, and I try my best now to give advice to newbies when they need it. :)
Not Enough Mana Oct 31st 2009 12:00AM
Sometimes the newbie anxiety can be a bit healthy though. In my case for example, the fear of being called an undergeared 'bad' drove me to research thoroughly about my class and gear up to the best of what the dungeons within my gear level could offer before taking the next step.
Dysmorphia Oct 31st 2009 12:04AM
This is a great article and I'll definitely be sharing it with some of my friends who are afraid of grouping. As I read some of you guys' horror stories of grouping, I realize I got really lucky.
I leveled on a low population server, which I chose specifically because WoWiki said it was very newbie friendly (Darrowmere) and by level 12 I found a casual guild. We all decided to go to Deadmines one Friday. We planned the group carefully, figuring out who could do what roles. When the others figured out that I was interested in healing they decided I would be the healer for the group. Somehow it didn't scare me, since I was healing in battlegrounds and it seemed like the easiest part of the game. I wouldn't have to keep track of which monsters to attack or lead the way in the dungeon. All I had to do was look at the health bars of my party members and cast heals.
Since we were all learning what to do we spent about 4 hours in there, but we did eventually beat the dungeon. No one was mean or called anyone a noob. We were all learning together. After that I healed almost every dungeon as I leveled up.