PUG: Patience, Understanding, Graciousness

More like Pure, Unadulterated Grief amirite? (Long post warning!)

"OMG STAY OUT OF THE FIRE SCRUBZOR!!!"

I'm slowly working on the heroic modes for the Cataclysm dungeon guide; I'm not comfortable writing up any strategies until I've experienced them for myself. 

The LFD system has been taunting me over the last few weeks. It could get me the information to finish the guide in record time, yet sadly the quality of most (not all) players I tend to meet whilst pugging contribute to an experience that I would imagine is not unlike defecating into one's own hand: simply unpleasant, with much cleaning up to do before one can return to one's regularly scheduled program, but I digress.

What I have found so far in my few successful expeditions is that there's always a trick to the situation. Cata heroics aren't about spamming like Wrath's were. Bears can't spam swipe, healers can't spam heals, dps can't lick the Recount portion of their UI during an encounter whilst spamming the keyboard with their face. This change in pace leads many players to believe that heroics are much more difficult than they should be and, in a sense, they're correct.

I could rant on for weeks about exactly how players attitudes impact the perceived difficulty and blah-blah-blah. Instead, I'm going to boil it down into a cheesy fondue that will boost your success rate immensely:

• Patience:
  You simply can't zoom through heroics like you could in Wrath. Anyone who tries (and they often do) inevitably gets the group killed very quickly. Take some time to examine your surrounds and analyse the situation. The sooner you grasp the key aspects of the instance you're in the smoother your future runs will go.
  
  I ran into an example of this earlier today in a heroic Deadmines run: Our party leader told us to crowd-control numerous non-elite mobs due to a single elite (Defias Envoker) who seemingly couldn't be controlled. After the first pull (and the two minute recovery session that followed the beating) we noticed the Envoker had a magic effect that stopped us from using crowd-control on it. A spellsteal/polymorph combo later and we were tearing through the packs like we were back in Utgarde Keep.
  
  
• Understanding:
  This is the big one. A lack of understanding is what infuriates me the most is any pug. It's dead simple too:
  
  There is no "I" in "TEAM".
  
  I know it's a somewhat overused euphemism, but it's exactly this that people fail to understand and ends up causing so much grief. To succeed in any heroic, your group must work together. They have been intentionally designed this way.
  
  This could mean that you'll have to use spells or abilities that you never even heard of back in Wrath (like Pummel or Mind Soothe) or it could mean that you have to sacrifice yourself on occasion or even, God forbid, that if you make a mistake and things go wrong that you don't blame anyone else and admit your fault and learn from it.
  
  With any luck, your group will understand that these new encounters are tough on everyone and won't start throwing insults (like you were probably about to).
  
  
• Graciousness:
  This comes right back to understanding, only it works in the other direction. If something bad or even if something good happens, don't start singling people out.
  
  If someone causes a wipe, simply have the grace to stay positive and encouraging.
  When you beat a difficult encounter, know that it was a team effort and not just the tank/healer/guy at the top of the dps meters carrying everyone.
  
  Most players already understand the base concept. When one person fails, the team fails. The problem is when they try to save face by blaming others, which only serves to bring the team down more.
  
  

If, for some strange reason, you're still reading through this lecture then hopefully you understand what the above three points have in common: Morale.

Once people stop having fun, their morale runs out. When they've lost their morale they won't just ragequit the instance you're in, they might never come back for another shot.

You might be thinking "Hey, that's great! One less scrub for me to deal with!", but have you ever wondered why you have to wait forty minutes for a tank when you come across so many dps warriors, paladins, etc.?

-Ahzae, Lord of the Trifling Gnome

MTC Monday: Temujai

Been spending too much time with all the new dailies, heroics and binge-digging? Me too... Time for another Meet The Tauren... er, Crew!

Temujai the Patient

Tauren Warrior

(Fury/Protection)

Location

Secluded Basement, Brisbane, Australia

Age:

“I’m twelve and what is this?”

Likes:

Ganking the gankers, Alf Stewart puns.

Dislikes:

Worgen, Puddi Puddi.

Most epic moment:

“Going on an Aliiance-slaying rampage just south of the Gates of Ironforge.”

As soon as he came of age, Temujai set off to wander the Eastern Kingdoms of Azeroth as a nomad.  As he travelled through Elwynn Forest, he was set upon by an Alliance patrol who had mistaken him for a bandit. After he fought them off, insisting all the while that he meant them no harm, the patrol realised that they had encountered a potential ally in Temujai.

The humans of Stormwind hired Temujai to “diplomatically” deal with the Defias brotherhood. Shortly after the brotherhood’s suppression and the tensions between the Alliance and the Horde began to build, Temujai began receiving less and less offers of work from the humans. So, he continued he journey north.

As Temujai drew near to Silverpine Forest, he was ambushed and viciously assaulted by a pack of worgen. Left for dead and watching the worgen flee, Temujai spent his last breaths cursing the beasts so cowardly as to attack from behind.

Sporran and Kerreck, travelling south fresh from a battle at the Undercity, saw the worgen attacking a fellow tauren and quickly chased them away. Kerreck ran after them, cackling madly, while Sporran stayed to heal Temujai’s wounds.

After Temujai had recovered, Sporran offered him a position within Harms Way. Temujai was hesitant as he enjoyed his mercurial lifestyle, and ultimately declined the offer. This way he could stay neutral amid the conflict and make the most out of being a soldier of fortune.

During the Northrend campaign Harms Way utilised Temujai’s invaluable services repeatedly, though he was still reluctant to fully commit. It wasn’t until the Shattering of Azeroth that Temujai’s resolve was swayed.

The news that the worgen, presumably the same that had attacked him in SIlverpine, had joined the Alliance was enough to convince Temujai to join the Horde proper, and so Harms Way. Now, despite his tendency to fly into a murderous, uncontrollable rage when worgen are about, Temujai is one of Harms Way’s most skilled and dedicated fighters. 


That's your lot for this week. More MTC next week!

Zub-zub-zub, Zub-zub-zub, Zub-zub All The Way...

Did I say "expect daily posts"? Humbug, I say! If there's anyone out there who still trusts anything I say then I pity them immensely.

Christmas/Winter Veil is upon us true and proper by now and Harms Way is getting in the spirit!
Guild members have until midnight tonight (server time) to send your letters to Santa (or your fictitious personage or deity of your choice) through to Ahzae. Everyone who gets their letter through on time scores free gifts! So get writing!


Also, this is the perfect time to point out exactly why (in my own personal opinion) goblins are so much better than worgen:


Look at the picture above, now back to me; Now back to the picture, now back to me.

Sadly, you're not a goblin fan like me, but if you look at that picture long enough you could smell like be a goblin fan like me.

Look down, back up. Where are you? You're on the character select screen creating the goblin you just realised you always wanted.

What's in your hand? Back to me. I have it; It's a rocket belt with two licences to blow up every-f***ing-thing in sight.

Look again; The licences are now a pile of cash.

Anything is possible when you're a fan of goblins and not a lady worgen.

I'm on a trike.


Merry Something!


-Ahzae, Lord of the Trifling Winter Helper

MTC Monday: Selangor

We're back! The new expansion grace period is officially over and it's time for me to get off my butt and start posting here again. You can expect new daily posts from me (time permitting) once again, but right now we have the triumphant return of Meet The Crew!

Selangor
Blood Elf Death Knight
(Unholy)

Location:
Canberra, ACT, Australia

Age:
21

Likes:
Drinking, games, drinking games, epic Harms Way raids and wondering where the day went after a full day of WoW.

Dislikes:
Elitists, noisy and immature people, assignments and tests (why can’t we be graded on how awesome we are?).



In life, Selangor was a scholar studying the arcane energy provided by the Sunwell. He fought valiantly against the Scourge during Arthas’ march on Silvermoon and, although he survived the Scourge assault, was caught in the fires meant to deter them from Sunstrider Isle.

Following his death and subsequent resurrection as a Death Knight, Selangor became intrigued by the unholy power the Scourge possessed. For years he studied and practiced, honing his abilities and trying to find the limit of his power. He had not found it even by the time he was freed from the Lich King’s grasp.

Now with a will of his own, Selangor joined Harms Way as they marched on Icecrown Citadel in the hopes of facing the Lich King himself. Selangor aimed to gain even more power over the unholy forces he commanded. Unfortunately, other heroes slew the Lich King before Selangor could reach him.

The strength that Selangor possessed was unlike anything the members of Harms Way had ever seen – frightening and heroic at the same time. He was clearly one of the most powerful beings they had ever come across.

Despite the Northrend campaign coming to an end, Selangor has chosen to stay amongst Harms Way, becoming ever stronger, and always waiting for the next opportunity to sharpen his skills.




That's all we have time for this week; I have to go hide from Sel, just in case he doesn't like his profile and decides to put an end to my long-winded ways. He really does scare me... unless he's reading this right now, in which case we're bestest buds, right?

Right?

More MTC next Monday!

Cataclysm Dungeon Guide!

I know I haven't posted anything (interesting) recently, but this time I have good excuse. Honest!

I've been spending the last few weeks developing a cataclysm dungeon guide for everyone to use, so we don't all feel so noobish going into the expansion.

Click here for the guide!

So far it contains details on normal-mode dungeon mechanics for:

• Blackrock Caverns
• Throne of Tides
• The Stonecore
• Vortex Pinnacle
• Grim Batol
• Lost City of the Tol'vir
• Halls of Origination

I'm planning on also adding heroic mode and achievement guides (including Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep) to it, as well as doing up some Cataclysm raid guides in a similar format, once I've had some firsthand experience with them.

Anyone is free to use the guide, so feel free to link it to your friends or pug groups if you think it will help :D

If you spot any errors or have any suggestions then please let me know - I'll be keeping it up-to-date as often as I can.

For now though, I need some sleep...

-Ahzae, Lord of the Trifling Gnome