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by Dan Desmond 
Feb 7th 2012 at 8:00PM
Personally, I'm a bit torn on the issue. On the one hand, I can identify with this situation, as I have been there many times before. My own friends would always want to level alts together, but our goals for those characters never quite lined up. I'd find myself creating secret alts on another faction, sometimes on another server -- not only to experience more of the story and lore than I had before, but to just be alone. Of course, this was all before the RealID system was implemented, because after its debut, I was not able to start a new draenei paladin or blood elf rogue without being flooded with questions and, admittedly, a little guilt.
On the other hand, there is a very simple solution to all of this: Put your foot down. If someone asks why you're on Area 52 rolling a worgen warlock (or why you're even rolling a warlock in the first place, yuck), I think we all can agree that the best solution would be to honestly and delicately state that you need some time off, away from all of your in-game obligations -- including those inquiring minds. But is confronting your pursuers really that easy? For some, this type of thing comes naturally, and I for one am extremely envious of these people. For others, confrontation of this sort is not something we want to deal with, and the option to hide from RealID becomes a safe, albeit passive-aggressive, option.
What do you think? Is this a feature that Blizzard should be working on, or should these players find other means of enjoying the game in solitary peace?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
pokerbroad Feb 8th 2012 12:10AM
Absolutely! This is the reason why I won't do the real id thing..because there is no hide option. I don't want someone knowing everything I'm doing every minute of my wow time. Especially due to the fact that I am an officer in a guild...when I log onto a "secret" toon, whether on my regular server, or a different one, I am doing it for a reason, to have some chill time without being bombarded by wsps.
melindae Feb 8th 2012 12:19AM
Yes. There is a fine line between being assertive and being rude or hurtful.
I am quite capable of telling people that I'm enjoying playing solo, but it doesn't guarantee that they will respect my soloness. Some need explanations or just keep bugging, thinking they're the exception. And just as people will twitter or facebook the most inane details of their real life, there are those who will do the same in their WoW life, even though I'm , , etc and told them to please stop.
The reason realID needs to have a stealth feature isn't because of some peoples lack of assertiveness. It's because of some peoples lack of boundaries, maturity, and appropriateness.
Yes, please!
Maelmordha Feb 8th 2012 12:22AM
Play YOUR character YOUR way. Why let others dictate what you play? Even in an MMO, I just don't get that way of thinking.
thawedtheorc Feb 8th 2012 2:22AM
Yes
thawedtheorc Feb 8th 2012 2:29AM
I venture to guess that those who do not want the Hide button for any of us, are the same needy, controlling people the rest of us are hiding from.
People want to be left the hell alone and there will always be times when friends and family do not understand that.
Hell.. just about every government overthrow is about this same issue on some level.
Shelly Feb 8th 2012 3:13PM
I got this same impression about half way through the first page of comments. If these people can't respect the wishes/reasons of those wishing for the option then they are likely of the people I would like to occasionally hide from.
I love playing with my guild but there are times when I just want to do something different from them. I desperately want to add some of my wow friends to my real Id that are also into playing other blizzard games but the always on option keeps me from doing so.
Zanathos Feb 8th 2012 4:10PM
I think you're probably on to something there.
Nick Feb 8th 2012 3:04AM
Im pretty sure there is a way to do this. There was an exe that claimed tto block ports in windows firewall so that you can log and play wow but real ID is unreachable. Real ID Blocker, or disabler or something.
I'd love to try it, but dont really trust exe files for mmos.
Mycroft Feb 8th 2012 5:13AM
The 'turning your phone off' analogy isn't quite right, because phone or not you're not sitting right in front of them. Having a rID friend is like having a wall removed in your living room and replaced with a window to the other person. They can see you, and a little of what you're doing (server, character, zone). You're always pretty visible in a way you normally aren't.
Simply 'being an adult' only works if BOTH parties do it. I got convinced to do rID with a friend who moved to another server. Even though we have each other on IM outside the game, he kept whispering me in game when I was afk, and getting mad that I didn't respond (chat scrolls, especially when making 1000 fortune cards). He'd also give me a hard time when I played a race or class he didn't like and previously didn't know about. I had to un-rID friend him to get away, and he's taken that so personally.
Friends are friends, but there's no reason every friend should be involved in every aspect of my life. I don't need my bowling buddies hanging around my workplace, and I don't need my D&D buddies watching me eat dinner. I don't like trends in social networking that seem to be getting to that.
I want the BattleTag system to be enabled or disabled on a character basis. Not an 'invisible' mode where I can't be seen but I can see others, because I get enough of that in IM. Just disabled.
Drakkenfyre Feb 8th 2012 6:10AM
As I said in an earlier comment, the Battletag system isn't even private. It's a replacement for RealID straight-up, using a choosen name. As it currently works in Diablo 3, you see everyone's Battletag. You don't even see their character name unless you hover over them or their icon.
When you log into the game, you see your character displayed like this on the character select screen, "(Battletag) (Character name) (Real name)"
Unless they change something, it's unlikely they will allow people to set themselves as private, as they will probably use the excuse that they have before with it being a multiplayer game.
I also mentioned in the earlier comment STO. I hope it doesn't end up like that in other games. Like instead of having your character name in chat, say your character name is Lightningshaman, and your Battletag is Bob, your name in chat would be "Lightningshaman@Bob". That's fine for STO, but I don't see that looking great for WoW.
Lipstick Feb 8th 2012 5:21AM
I have been asking for this pretty much since it came out. I've had to remove more people from my Real ID list than I would prefer but I am finally at a place where people leave me be if I request it. That being said, I think it would go a long way towards customer satisfaction to have this feature.
Dude Feb 8th 2012 6:05AM
Meh just switch RID off if you don't want it.
WanderingNomad Feb 8th 2012 6:41AM
Absofinglutely...without a doubt....YES!
eresin Feb 8th 2012 8:02AM
I've never really felt the need to "hide" but I think it would be nice to have the feature and I would welcome it happily.
Generally speaking if someone whispers me who I don't want to talk to I just dont reply.
Some people come to Azeroth to get away from the real world and I can see why sometimes you just want to be alone but still play the game you love.
Orestes Feb 8th 2012 8:45AM
Lack of an invisible option is a dealbreaker for me on what would otherwise be a potentially useful feature. The fact people are even arguing against the idea speak volumes about the boundary issues in today's society.
I shouldn't be forced to choose between indiscriminately making myself available on every character ever will create in games that may not even exist yet to anyone I happen to friend and being cut off from the ability to easily manage cross game connections. It's piss poor design and there's no reasonable justification for it.
Valis Feb 8th 2012 9:55AM
"The fact people are even arguing against the idea speak volumes about the boundary issues in today's society."
Spot on! I remember back in the early days when you handle, was your identity, and it was only when you really got to know someone, and to trust them, that you chose to reveal your real name to them, and any other information that you both agreed to share.
However, we now live int he Facebook era of 'share everything all the time', and it's just downright scary. I prefer to keep my information private, and only for people I know and trust, and for companies if I'm subscribing to their services.
I don't have a FB account, and I refuse to get one, you'd not believe how much this can socially ostracize you at work....it makes me uncomfortable to think that just because my life isn't on full display, that I'm somehow not worth knowing.
joelafrite84+wowinsider Feb 8th 2012 8:59AM
Wanting to be alone for a while is passive-agressive now?
BugVoodoo Feb 8th 2012 9:57AM
I wish I could upvote this further. I was a little surprised when I read that sentence in the article. It seemed like very loaded wording for a decision that is acceptable in almost every other form of socializing. (Not answering the phone for a bit, going invisible on nearly every other IM program, including the one incorporated in Steam, etc.)
For those saying "just don't use RealID": one, it helps you keep in touch with friends on other servers, which is very difficult to do otherwise. Two, I did hurt a couple feelings when it first came out simply because I explained to a few guildies that I was just using it for people I knew outside of the game while I felt out the system and how much I liked or disliked it. Did they get over it? Yes. Do I now use RealID to speak to people I've never met face-to-face? Yes, although I remain selective about it.
But I don't Twitter about every latte I buy, I don't accept friend requests on Facebook just because I took a class with someone once, and I don't need to be asked about every alt I roll and then delete because I'm looking for the next race/class combo I like.
Valis Feb 8th 2012 9:56AM
Brave New World
Silmarieni Feb 8th 2012 9:19AM
Yes there should.
This option exists on all instant messaging apps for a reason.