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The latest patch 5.4 newsBreakfast Topic: It's lonely at the top
by Jared Kuester 
Jul 6th 2010 at 8:00AM
Maybe some of you will understand where I'm coming from. I play a fury warrior, my favorite class that fits my playstyle in every way. I like to think of myself as a raging berserker painted in woad and the blood of my enemies. I'm a whirlwind of doom that will fight 'til his last dying breath against insurmountable odds.
But here is the problem that I'm facing: I'm number one in damage done and damage per second on nearly every fight. Now you may be thinking to yourself, "What's your problem? Doesn't that just mean you're doing your job?" Yes, it does -- but it also means that my raiding team isn't doing its job as well as myself. Now don't get me wrong, I've been with this team since I knew what end of the axe to even hold, and I consider all of them to be my friends. But I put in my time, got my gear, did my research and started topping the charts by an alarming amount. I thought that once I would get to this level of the game, I would have to struggle to keep my place among the elite, but that just isn't so. I don't see any of my fellow damage-dealers putting in the same effort that I'm putting in.
Now I'm faced with a decision. Do I stick with my friends and keep trying to motivate them to do better, or do I leave them behind and find myself a new guild with more competitive players? I've thought about this for quite some time and have discussed my feelings with our raid and guild leader, letting them know that I expect more out of my teammates and don't want to settle for "good enough." I think it's too late in the game to be switching guilds now, but if the trend continues come Cataclysm, I may need to find a new place to call home.
What do you think you would do if you were in the same position? Am I justified in expecting more out of my team? Would you ever leave your guild because you didn't feel like your raiding team wasn't meeting its true potential?
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Reader Comments (Page 5 of 8)
Ronin Jul 6th 2010 9:54AM
"I'm number one in damage done and damage per second on nearly every fight. Now you may be thinking to yourself, "What's your problem? Doesn't that just mean you're doing your job?" Yes, it does -- but it also means that my raiding team isn't doing its job as well as myself."
Sorry, but as stated this is highly illogical. Someone has to be number one in damage-- the fact that it's you does not, in fact, mean that the rest of the team aren't doing their job. (If you're not only topping the charts, but the other DPS are so low that they're not even trying, then that's a different story-- but you didn't say that was the case.)
It almost sounds like this is a dig at Warriors-- that you don't think they should be able to top the charts-- when in reality, Warriors are famous for scaling HUGELY with their gear. They start out sub-optimal, but as they gear up they end up almost over-powered.
Aikou Jul 6th 2010 5:00PM
I'd say its a social game. im amware that you wanna try more content (if you have not beat the lich king yet) but, ask yourself this. what about your friends. your gonna miss the amazing conversations you had or would have with them. in my opionion i would stay because not playing wow with my friends is pointless. im sure you enjoy the wonderful memories you had raiding with them, why throw it away?
Alden Jul 6th 2010 10:17AM
Personally, I'd leave the guild, but it really depends why you play.
If wow is a social outlet, and you play to be a helpful person, by all means stay.
I however, like the challenge of a video game, and like setting "high scores". This sort of thing happens for me, doing heroic ICC stuff. Its enough of a challenge that most of it keeps me on my toes. With the exception of one or two fights in ICC, the reg stuff, especially as a DPS, is boring as all get out.
So, I would switch guilds personally. I did the boosting "friendly people" thing in BC, and it got boring for me really fast. There was a day I decided that I was going to push the raiding limits a little more. I started finding more committed guilds since then, and haven't looked back.
11/12 10 ICC heroic, and 7/12 25 heroic, and I only log onto wow 3 nights a week. Its how I like to play.
eyeball2452 Jul 6th 2010 10:28AM
I would agree with the people that say stick with friends. That's how I play. I've found that grinding for raiding gear causes me to burn out after about 3-4 weeks. I enjoy the leveling and 5-man dungeon content. I read a lot of articels, but I'm not necessarily a spreadsheet/theory crafting person. I don't enjoy farming 3 days a week, crafting or playing the auction house. However, one of my old roommates was a die hard raider. That's why he played and he wouldn't except anything less from anyone else he played with. We would talk about WoW, but I certainly couldn't play with him. He just took it too seriously, but he played in a way that was fun for him.
It's really like any activity, whether it's school, poker, athletics, etc. Some people get more serious about the activity as time goes by, some don't. I certainly wouldn't stop talking to RL friends whom I share many different interests with. However, if your relationship with the WoW friends is only built around the game itself, it might be time for a change as your in-game needs change and theirs don't. Remember, WoW is a game and supposed to be fun. If you're not having fun, then you need to make a change.
FlipWilson Jul 6th 2010 10:32AM
If you're accomplishing the content you want to be accomplishing then why is there a problem?!
Altaholic Jul 6th 2010 10:36AM
In my opinion, it is about your enjoyment. some people are saying, "Your topping the meters, and bosses are dieing just enjoy." but not only can it be lonely at the top it can be boring. When you show your the best and no one even tries to challange you it is easy to become bored and wonder what you can do to bring more excitement from the bame for yourself. Maybe you should let someone who is capable but not as geared and "uber" as you take your spot for a couple of weeks and level and alt.
Anzor Jul 6th 2010 10:40AM
There will always be better/worse people. All that matters is you are achieving your raid goals. Someone earlier said if stuff is going down then it doesn't matter. I agree. But what if it isn't?
Have definite raid goals. Social? Content? Gear? Find a team and do it.
A person can have two raid teams. Maybe roll an alt to raid with friends and send the main elsewhere. Start doing dungeon races, Vanilla content, etc. There are plenty of things to do with friends.
Real friends will still be friends regardless of raid teams.
rkaliski Jul 6th 2010 10:41AM
My first reaction to this article was...show me a screenshot of the dps meter. Cold hard facts not words would make me less skeptical
It would also be very interesting to see what guild and toon this guy plays. What would also be enlightening is for his guild mates to respond to the article. I am not saying it's so but some of them might be
From the MT. " Yeah ole blood and guts tops the dps chart but you have no idea how many times I have to taunt off of him because he nukes the mobs before I even get one shot in.
From a priest. " If he whirlwinds and hits one more set of mobs we CCed in order to pump up the ?DPS I swear we will never heal him again...OH and why is he also second behind the tank for damage taken."
The Raid Lead " Yeah he is tops of the chart, but we have to constantly yell at him to run out, not pull agro and remember that just because he is plate he won't be able to live very long if the tanks and healers take a dislike to him.
Mr Warrior if he has played for any length of time will know though may admit that until he got his top tier gear was probably carried by the raid. Those pesky DKs in quest blues probably blew you off the DPS chart when raiding Nax, and you died a lot in Uldar.
My next question is, "Do you have a decent tanking set also?" Suppose a tank has to leave the guild are you ready to step in his place if your GM asks? Will YOU be a team player.
I've played all three trees in this expansion and BC. I also have tanked and been the spanker in Vanilla WoW as well. In Wraith, fury does insane damage with very little effort. On the rare fights and doing daily heroics I pop over into my dps set I can do crazy damage without really trying so don't brag so much.
Lets see how well you are doing midway through the first raid in the expansion. Mr. Editor, can we have a follow up at that time?
Incubusx Jul 6th 2010 11:22AM
This, this, this, and this x1000!
I don't know how many LOLFURY warriors i've had to deal with that had insanely high damage output but had no idea how to be team players. I'd give 10 to 1 odds this guy constantly pulls agro, dies on trash, and has no idea how to stay out of fire.
But LOL biggest number = win!
The one common factor among these players is they rarely ever tank. The reason is simple, they are bad players playing an easy class, just because you play the OP of the Month class doesn't mean you're "putting in 110%" it just means you got lucky and know how to faceroll. Simply put, you're nothing special and anyone with your gear and spec can probably do much more dps than you ever could.
Why don't you be a real team player and learn to tank or better yet, roll a healer then maybe you'll think twice about your smug little attitude.
Extrox Jul 6th 2010 10:46AM
I've been in a similar boat. The raid team I was on was pretty much whoever was left after the guild officers had chosen stacked their teams.
I was constantly on the top of the meters but I didn't ever consider leaving my crew. We went from being the team that wasn't expected to get very far to becoming the team that everyone was envious of. We were a legitimate team, not just a bunch of selfish players thrown together. We farmed mats for each other, we downed Freya for Flasks, and kept our frustrations in check with each other. Shoot, just yesterday our team was mentioned as being a prime example of how a guild should run.
tl;dr: It doesn't sound like you're committed to being part of a team. It sounds like you're out for yourself. So you may as well leave and look out for yourself. As for me, I'll stick to being in a team.
Angry Cooper Jul 6th 2010 10:52AM
with all due respect Warriors typically do alot more damage towards the end of an expansion due to current rage mechanics.
It's great that you're doing so much damage, but understand this does not mean that your friends are not putting forth the same effort as yourself. Perhaps they could be doing more to improve in some cases, but hey.
If you're having fun , and enjoy their company, then WHO CARES.
Personally speaking I can't stand the ego's and nerds with shitty attitudes that are prevalent in the so-called hardcore guilds. Just keep that in mind.
JohnMaly Jul 6th 2010 11:04AM
This is a question that could ultimately ruin the game for you if it’s tearing at you now. I run a main toon with a group of friends, ICC25 some hard modes. There are always people, who are in my raid, who will not have the time or skill to build a character as well as you can.
My current main toon is at over 6k in gear, and has been this way for over two months. My solution comes in running my alts, seven 80s and I currently raid six in ICC. Over time I have met some good players and we all seem to find one another in pugs on the realm.
I enjoy playing wow and understand that I can’t have my cake and Edith too, all of the time. If you are starving for end game content/hard modes, best you find a new strict raiding guild. Or if you enjoy the camaraderie within you current guild, than help them progress to a higher level. Be warned, some will take offence to this and could cause resentment.
(cutaia) Jul 6th 2010 11:20AM
"cake and Edith too"
O.o
Is this a reference to something in particular, or just a case of "Excuse me, while I kiss this guy"?
Darkseid Jul 6th 2010 11:06AM
Is this a serious article...really? Really?
This is the type of crap I would expect to read on a wow message board somewhere, not on wow.com. This isn't even a serious question that he's asking. This is just some guy bragging about how great he is.
But lets pretend that this is a question worth answering...
The answer is "YES, you should leave to find another guild". Its obviously what u want to do, so do it. Leave your friends and guild behind that helped u become so elite. Go to a guild that has a shot at a wolrd first. Where you will not only NOT top the dps charts, but will have to beg your way into the 25-man rotation. Go to a guild where they will tell u not only what spec to run, but how to distribute your talents, what weapons to use, what professions to take, what time to be there for a raid, what time you can leave, tell u who u can and can't group with when not on a guild run, etc....etc...etc...
Sounds absoulute great!
And don't worry, when u realize that the more (what was the word you used)...oh yeah...the more "motivated" guilds aren't all they're cracked up to be..your friends will take you back...
BECAUSE THEY'RE FRIENDS!!! And all they want to do is have some fun playing this 'game' with you. Not prove to the world how elite they are, or write articles bragging about it.
Turbo_ski Jul 6th 2010 11:07AM
I had this issue a few patches ago, I resolved it by lvling and gearing a 2nd lvl 80 and then a 3rd 80...now I'm getting straight back to the problem I had before, but at least I have more options if I want to run with more than one dedicated guild.
Autumn Jul 6th 2010 11:09AM
It's in human nature to be competitive, but a lot of people that play wow are casual. They have lives outside of the game. Families, work, school, friends.
It also depends on a person's playstyle. I have a lvl 80, 4.8k gs arms warrior as my main. I've read up in a few places on what to gem for, what enchants I should have, rotation, blah blah blah, and I barely do 3k dps. I don't just sit back and watch other people hit things, I just don't seem to have gotten the knack of it.
But I'm not going to obsess about "OMG my DPS sucks!" It's just not worth it. I play the game to have fun, not to compete with others. I may never end up running ICC on any of my 80's, but at least I have fun playing. And that's the most important thing. If fun for you is being competitive, then go that route and find a new guild.
Mordok Jul 6th 2010 11:10AM
This post says a lot about one of the biggest problems in the game, I am better than you and therefore I don't need to help you become better than you are. THIS IS A GAME! Players pay their money to have fun, not to have some snob tell them they are no good.
You payed your money to have fun and have had that fun. You worked your way up the ranks at the pace that made you happy. Now that you are there quit grousing and telling everyone how important you are, help them. If you can't be helpful maybe it is time to move on.
Desmentia Jul 6th 2010 11:10AM
I've had this problem in the past. What did I do? I burned out on WoW, went inactive, and now I'm not as good anymore. Problem solved? Not really. I recommend seriously seeking a better guild if you're really so far ahead of the curve in your current guild.
That, or make a serious arena team, (as opposed to a 'lol, 10 games for the points' team,) as it's much easier to find 1-4 other people willing to play on the same level as you than it is to find 9-24, and it can provide as much challenge as high-end raiding.
netty Jul 6th 2010 11:11AM
If you were any other spec, I'd say go look for a better guild if high-end raiding is the reason you play WoW.
But like a lot of folks have pointed out, you're currently benefiting from some massive gear inflation. As a bit of a joke example, but it kind of proves the point, the top dps on Rotface25HM is currently Fury, doing 25,121dps while the top Destro 'lock on the same fight is doing 13,683dps (not quite 54% of the warrior's damage - guess that's the hybrid tax... uh). That destrolock isn't a slacker. There's every chance that come Cataclysm that player will be beating the Warrior on most fights.
If you're convinced that you're being held back in terms of progress by sticking with a guild of poor players, and progress is what you're after, then change guild now.
If you think there's a chance that you're rocketing ahead because that's what all fury warriors are doing right now, then maybe wait until Cata comes out and see where you're placing then. You may find that after a reset you're not a better player than your friends after all.
Gothia Jul 6th 2010 11:12AM
Bad players make excuses for bad play - Oh, it's my gear! Oh, I have a life!, Oh, I'm unlucky! Oh, "Insert Class" are OP!
If you have goals then it is time for an upgrade to a real guild and stop confusing online acquaintances with friends like 99% of these emo wankers.
Here are top dps logs for 10 man normal on ICC's Patchwork - Festergut. (Feral, Fury, Blood, Feral, Feral, Marksman)
1 Koalabear A Steamy Romance... US-Detheroc 18932
2 Fenrisulvur cobanes magic ho... US-Kil'jaeden 17531
3 Frosthope Vanquish US-Staghelm 17319
4 Ithilion onely US-Thaurissan 17050
5 Ithilion Quantum Leap EU-Crushridge 17045
6 Generic Strictly Busines... US-Blackwater Ra... 16660