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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: What does your class choice say about you?
by Antoinette Smith 
Oct 10th 2010 at 8:00AM
One night after an Ulduar achievements run, some guildies started chatting about their out-of-game hobbies. The discussion changed when one of our best DPSers, a hunter, confessed to being a "theater geek."
"See, I never would have pegged you for a theater guy," one guildie said.
"Why not?" the hunter asked.
"Because you play a hunter!"
"Yeah," my husband chimed in, "you can usually tell what group a person hung out with in high school based on their class. Warlocks are goth. Warriors are jocks. Druids are hippies ..."
I laughed at the list of stereotypes, but it got me to thinking: What does my class choice say about me? My main is a retribution paladin. Outside of the game, I am a deeply religious person, and I love the idea of a holy warrior who uses divine power to smash the faces of world-threatening evils and protect those who can't protect themselves. If Earth were suddenly thrown into Azerothian-style conflict, I would readily enlist as a paladin. My main is a good reflection of who I really am.
I could say the same thing for my husband. His characters (a holy paladin main and an arcane mage raiding alt) are both ranged roles. Outside of the game, he is a very behind-the-scenes kind of guy. He hates being in the spotlight. While he loves to help people and participates in a lot of group activities, it's never in a center-stage role. He is more than content to stay in a group support position both in and out of game.
What about you, fellow WoW Insider readers? What does your class and/or spec say about you? Is it a manifestation of who you are out of game or completely opposite?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 18)
bondoboblives Oct 10th 2010 3:53PM
@Mrs. Dawkins
"Atheists are probably the most discriminated minority in this country... . "
Seriously? You are really going to say that? Get over yourself. I didn't realize that atheists CAN'T legally be married in many states in the US. I also didn't realize how atheists weren't allowed to adopt children in some states as well. I'm sorry i must have missed all the derogatory terms used to describe atheists as well. As i'm sure you have guessed i'm talking about another truly discriminated against minority in this country. Thinking you are being discriminated against and ACTUALLY being discriminated against are two very different things. Not to say that atheists do not get discriminated against, would be silly, but to say you are the most discriminated minority is pretty far fetched.
Felix_NZ Oct 10th 2010 4:08PM
Lol @ Mrs Dawkin's proving everyone's point on the ignorant athiests.
Odin Oct 10th 2010 5:21PM
I think the problem is that not many Atheists have known real good down to earth Christians, and then make out every Christian to be a raging fire-and-brimstone zealot. Admittedly, I usually stereotype Atheists as people who are very apathetic about everything, and tend to hate everything as well, but I realize that is a ridiculous picture. I've met a few atheists, most of them a re good people. I sometimes debate with them and each time I have, it has actually strengthened my beliefs in God and Christianity.
As for myself, I play a shaman because I love the idea of working with the elements to ensure peace(come on, flinging lightning bolts into undead faces is pretty dang cool!) and feel there quite a few connections between my religion and WoW shamanism (as odd as that may sound).
roseclown Oct 10th 2010 6:49PM
@Mrs. Dawkens
When I first went to college, I didn't want to offend anyone so I was really quiet about my faith. Once, after having some lunch with some friends, I had to leave early to get to bible study. When they asked me where I was going, I told them (not wanting to lie, and thinking that just saying 'I am going to x' wouldn't offend anyone). The response was as follows:
"You actually BELIEVE that STUPID thing?"
Admittedly, when I didn't react with fire and brimstone and actually responded kindly, we had a good discussion. But that is what a lot of christians feel like. As if we are seen as stupid or less due to what we believe. Doesn't help that the news focuses on the minority of crazy christians, leaving the rest of us unnoticed while serving the poor and hungry. (not that we need credit, just pointing out the discrepency).
Everyone, at one point in their lives, has probably been discriminated against due to race/creed/country. This leaves an impression, and makes some people fearful of even saying 'blah' in fear of being called stupid, ignorant, evil, etc.
Just something to think on.
(Oh, and not saying that what I have experienced is anywhere near what others have. Plenty of minorities have it worse, and have more vitriol pumped towards them. Just pointing out why some people feel afraid to speak out about things.)
tharveyyorkshire Oct 10th 2010 8:08AM
please dont stereotype paladins as the class for those who are "deeply religeous"
Ad134 Oct 10th 2010 8:10AM
Stereotype them as bubblehearthing cowards instead.
*Has a level 80 prot paladin*
tharveyyorkshire Oct 10th 2010 8:15AM
to be honest, that would be better
i think that allying something like a class with something like "being deeply religeous" is not a good idea, people are going to get uppity about it
MusedMoose Oct 10th 2010 8:57AM
You know, just because someone says "I play this class, and I am this way," that doesn't *at all* mean they're saying "everyone who plays this class is this way." You're putting words in their mouth and that's not very nice.
Ricohardt Oct 10th 2010 9:14AM
I met a gay DK the other day. Oh my god, I play a DK too!
Quit being an idiot. Try to feel superior to religious folks somewhere else.
Dindae Oct 10th 2010 9:38AM
I think you guys are taking this the wrong way. She just pointed out how one thing from paladin lore and her are alike, doesn't me she was saying everyone that plays this class is like that. She even mentions her husband as being a ranged person and a healer, nothing about religion! So there are many other things about paladins that are not about religion. You guys are just bunch of people you who like to fight over really nothing, and you missed the point of the in blog and take no thought into what is really going on.
By the way you guys are stereo typing. So basically according to you guys if I were to say I play a rogue and i like sneaking around and stealing, that means everyone that plays this class likes to do this stuff too.
Alexran Oct 10th 2010 8:07AM
It takes moxy to admit that you're religious on the internet. A lot of people really hate religious people.
I'm religious too! Represent!
HarleyQuinn Oct 10th 2010 8:09AM
It's funny you say that because my main is a warlock and most people would consider me a goth....
Deathknighty Oct 10th 2010 8:08AM
The fact that my main is a dk demonstrates that you can make me do the most laborious things if you have a carrot on a stick of some kind.
Raven Oct 10th 2010 8:15AM
Me too! :D And yeah :O An undead army at 80?! Grind, Grind, Grind lol
Talbot Oct 10th 2010 8:10AM
Haha. There's a one size fits all definition for the player of each class, and it is- nerd
Hikko Oct 10th 2010 9:15AM
I play a shaman and am actually a relatively anti-social person who specializes in manipulation of various forms (advertising, PR, etc) and spend a lot of my time at black suit events. In my free time it's all tripp jeans and button-up T-shirts. I am an anti-theist (I don't simply not believe in a god, but I believe that religion on a massive scale, especially in politics and media is actually damaging), but I play a shaman. I don't know how that fits.....but I am definitely more of a supportive person in my day to day life, tending to be the pocket therapist for a lot of people :P Maybe that's it.
Ricohardt Oct 10th 2010 9:16AM
I much prefer geek.
Natsumi Oct 10th 2010 11:32AM
@Hikko
Shamanism encompasses the belief that shamans are intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds. Shamans are said to treat ailments/illness by mending the soul. Alleviating traumas affecting the soul/spirit restores the physical body of the individual to balance and wholeness. The shaman also enters supernatural realms or dimensions to obtain solutions to problems afflicting the community. Shamans may visit other worlds/dimensions to bring guidance to misguided souls and to ameliorate illnesses of the human soul caused by foreign elements. The shaman operates primarily within the spiritual world, which in turn affects the human world. The restoration of balance results in the elimination of the ailment.
I would hardly label that as a religion like Christianity as it doesn't have that hierarchy that most religious infrastructures have. I think this may be why you like the class so much, it's more doing than saying and I've never heard of a Shaman preaching then passing around a basket for money.
Note: I edited this 6 times before I posted, too much truth would be down voted due to being against the majority. Hopefully it's acceptable now.
Machariel Oct 10th 2010 8:11AM
My main is a resto/balance druid, with a disc priest alt. I am live food vegan, and study psychology. :D
Ez Oct 10th 2010 11:08AM
My main is an unholy DK, i am vegetarian, Christian, non drug user. My other fave is my Holy Priestess but i am leveling my prot warrior. i think it just means i really like to play WoW!