Breakfast Topic: The feral bond
by PJ Smart 
Jul 21st 2010 at 8:00AM
There's obviously a certain understanding based on shared experience among the various WoW races, classes and specs, no matter what your faction. When you meet, even if you can't understand each other in chat, you might tip your hat, wave or do some other emote that signifies your recognition of a fellow traveler who is just like you were, are or will be. True, sometimes it's more of a rivalry, with the occasional threat, challenge or insult. But just as often (if not more so), there is flirting, cheers and exchanging of baby spice and hugs.
I think this is even more true for druids and particularly feral druids. My main is an Alliance bear/cat, and often when I bump into another druid while going about my business, we start dancing or roaring at each other, or some other emote/interaction occurs that doesn't normally happen with every passing stranger (if it did, we'd never get anything done, I guess). The resulting hijinks are often quite comical, but even more so if we are both in an animal form.
This seems to happen just as much when I meet Hordies as anyone else. Maybe not in a battleground (probably a good thing), but when I see another feral in passing, it seems like we become alert to each other's presence and make a quick little event out of it, then go on our way. The other races and classes are there, sure, and they certainly command my awareness and interaction as the case may be. But first and foremost, I'm checking out the other ferals. It seems there's something about ferals that makes us want to interact, be it a playful romp, chase or even the occasional threatening/rude gesture to show who's boss or who doesn't want to be messed with. It makes me wonder if this is how a dog feels in the park.
Not that we're so special, and all kinds of players having random interactions is what helps make this game so much fun. Of course there are the usual "what's their gear like?" and other typical WoW player snoops going on. It could be that I just have a typical player's respect and curiosity for anyone I see who's in the same boat -- er, fur. But I think there's more to it than that ... and it makes my bear/kitty/(dog?) sense tingle. I suspect that playing as a furry animal has awakened our ancestral feral instinct from its evolutionary slumber, and it's feeling kind of frisky.
What perks up your whiskers? Do you share any special bonds of brother/sister/otherhood with your fellow players?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Trilynne Jul 21st 2010 8:11AM
In BC, it was always a treat to see a fellow pally tank, check out how they were gearing, their spec, etc, cheer at each other or whathaveyou... Now we're pretty common, so that special feeling of seeing a rare type of pally is lost. Now, I'll be happy to meet a tank on my server that doesn't have some sort of ridiculous name. >.>
Duulket Jul 21st 2010 8:14AM
If I see someone out in the world trying to make a living whether they are my level or lower, Horde or Alliance I usually will wave, salute, bow or help them kill the mob they are fighting and then go on my merry way.
Ilimra Jul 21st 2010 8:19AM
There's definitely something about druids. I see random spontanius awesome druid dance parties quite often in dalaran. Get a dancing druid (any form) and more are sure to join in before long.
Ozzard Jul 21st 2010 8:45AM
Druids are the only characters with more than one dance - cow/nelf, bear, cat/travel, moonkin, tree. They also get two of the "comedy" dances - moonkin and bear (and arguably tree). Hey, why not have a dance party? :-)
(Yes, I have three druids. No, don't ask.)
Chetti Jul 21st 2010 9:05AM
Ozzard, I get it. lol I've got 2 - one of each race. And will roll a worgen druid and a troll druid come cataclysm- just cause. Druids are fun. :)
jordie Jul 21st 2010 12:13PM
Actually, shamans have ghost wolf form dance =D
ambermist Jul 21st 2010 12:39PM
It's true, I am a huge fan of druid dance parties. If I see a moonkin standing anywhere, horde or alliance, I will walk up to them and /dance, and probably drop trees, too!
Alternatively, if I see a tree standing in Dalaran dancing, I will switch specs just to join their festivities.
And I take screenshots:
Here we formed a moonkin dance line in front of the Eventide: http://picasaweb.google.com/druidambermist/TastesLikeScreenshots#5471173729789504290
In this case, I found two trees gossiping and decided to join in: http://picasaweb.google.com/druidambermist/TastesLikeScreenshots#5471173734317997186
Kanubis Jul 21st 2010 8:20AM
Are you sure it's just ferals? I leveled as balance and back then (when the game first came out) the bond seemed very much alive, probably because resto aside we were so generally gimped. I think ferals might experience that little bit more due to being in form more often, but I've certainly found the druid bond is there, more so than any class I've leveled.
Back then it was also strengthened by being the own class with its own zone (sure, other people could go there, but before the lunar festival nobody really did!)
Lissanna Jul 21st 2010 10:17AM
It's not just feral druids. Tree & moonkin druids will do it, too. It started out in Vanilla WoW when there weren't very many of us. When we saw eachother in moonglade, we were so happy to see another one of our "kind" that we would generally try to be nice and greet them. When we got our new dances for the first time, you'd end up with big dance parties in moonglade near the trainer, because you'd end up with lots of us there to hit up the trainer after a major patch. If you see another druid dancing, it's hard to fight the urge to dance with them. We had moonkin dance parties when we first got moonkin, and tree parties when we first got tree forms, and bear/cat parties when we first got bear & cat. I think dance parties were much less common before all our forms could dance, though it was always part of druid culture to be nice to other druids. At this point, we can't help it - it's the dance.
RavenJet Jul 21st 2010 8:21AM
Let me get this straight... feral druids are basically WoW's furries ? I think I just finished levelling my bear alt...
Okay on a serious note - there is definitely a level of class solidarity in WoW - and I think it applies to all classes, at least on our main's because that's the one we most identify with, particularly those of us who roleplay and make our progress through the game part of a narrative. And it does seem to link into spec, the moreso when those specs are rarer choices.
On my afflock I feel a bit joy everytime I see another lock with a fellpuppy out. Of course locks don't engage in ... frolicking but flirtation to opposite sex characters is common and with same sex, an indication of mutual respect is likewise par for the course. /bow and /salute usually.
Of course, if you happen to be pug'ed together ... then it becomes an instant challenge to see who will get the highest DPS.
ladydeth Jul 21st 2010 8:38AM
I cop a feel on every aff lock I find (aka inspect) and /hug them. We seem to be a rarity these days, especially as PVE.
Of course, they get more respect if they are gnomes.....and most likely, a /dance.
RavenJet Jul 21st 2010 8:51AM
...marry me ?! :P
Imnick Jul 21st 2010 8:53AM
I see affliction locks everywhere, certainly not a dying breed
RavenJet Jul 21st 2010 9:11AM
Not long ago they barely existed at post-level 80. Heck when I hit 80 I had frequent complaints in my guild that "affliction can't be competitive" and "I've never seen a level 80 lock who wasn't destro before". That has changed, affliction can now once more top the DPS scores regularly (in my regular 10-man group the only one who usually beats me is the hunter) - but it is definitely the hardest of the three specs to play, it's a spec that requires continuous concentration and massive situational awareness to do well.
Needless to say - doing well has ended the complaints :P
Even now though, afflocks are still very rare, at least on my server. If I see ONE other fellpuppy in a week it's remarkably high. There's plenty out in the world because it's still one of the best levelling specs, but at level 80 or above nearly every lock is destro, most of the rest are demo. Afflocks are the rare elite.
ladydeth Jul 21st 2010 9:58AM
Gnome love to Raven!
AFF was the worst lock spec with WotLK, but some of us stuck with it. I think it was 3.3 that fixed us with the Felhunter love.
My gnome has been AFF her entire life (created around BC release).
Leveling as AFF on a PVP server is a necessity, and some of us never get over it :D
Demo is like playing a gimpy hunter, and Destro is simply a fire mage with a pet. I mean no disrespect to players that like these specs, but I want something a bit more fun and thought provoking. Both those specs make me feel like Im /facerolling my keyboard.
My apologies for taking away from the druid post....my bear enjoys tanking heroics for new 80s and getting busy in weekly Dalaran DruidLoveFests.
xoxo,
Styxi, Gnomish Warlock of Stormrage.
vocenoctum Jul 21st 2010 4:18PM
I always enjoyed Affliction more, but when they killed siphon life/ immolate, I dual spec'd into destro for my damage taste. I like both actually, now, though I'll always be affliction at heart.
I don't really wave or whatnot, but I just LOVE the sound of the dreadsteed. :)
Nawaf Jul 21st 2010 8:31AM
I've always felt a bond with fellow death knights. We've all went through the same experience (DK quests) and we're all around the same levels. I remember when I used a low level paly, I didn't feel much connection to high level pallies because they were different and had different spells and tactics. Every time I see a DK whether he/she was an alliance or a horde I would feel a connection to him.
jealouspirate Jul 21st 2010 8:29AM
Shamans are awesome and special.
Though if I see a Horde one I usually try to kill it, simply because I like to see how good at PvP the other Shamans are and I can often improve my own performance by watching how other Shamans fight.
BigBadGooz Jul 21st 2010 11:51AM
Yea shaman greeting of opposite faction is usualy a flame shock followed by a lava burst. Or a throwing of ghost wolves.
kazeko.fuuga Jul 21st 2010 2:28PM
I thought shamans shouldn't fight each other. Then I soon realised that most shamans don't feel the same. Even when I play on the alliance side, my fellow shamans want to attack horde ones.
Personally, I don't support it. Maybe cause I'm semi into rp, and shamans deal with things beyond factions. I still don't attack a shaman on the spot, but if I'm not in the mood I'll gank one that tries to kill me. Since most I meet are ele, it's not really a prob as enh. The few enh I meet don't normally attack actually. I guess that's positive.