#39 Uberleet

Yes, you are that amazing player with legacy gear, stop trashing the new players and help them out!

Alludra the mannerly mage helping you do that thing in the game for the...whatchacallit? Oh right fun!

Lately in my MMO's I have been leveling up new characters. It's a fun way to check out all the new content made for the lower level players.

And I have to say, my favorite part isn't the amazing dungeon runs, the zones, or even the sense of adventure leveling a new character, no. My most favorite part would have to be the guy in every dungeon decked out in legacy gear or subscriber perks, or amazing potions that boost XP screaming about how he's the best while the rest of us in at level gear suck and should bow down to him.

Said no player ever.

Please random guy, make the entire run more difficult on everyone by not letting us catch up before you pull mobs, making sure the healer's ready and oh yeah, wearing cloth while you do all this. What's that? Everyone should have all your leet gearz? Well some of us are new to the game and don't quite have the money to buy things in real money stores.

Here's an idea, why not help new players out and explain things instead of typing obscenities.

Or maybe you just like being reported. That's fine too!

#38 Comfort Levels

No one can dictate your comfort level with them, remember that!

Alludra the Mannerly Mage here, helping you become the player all the gamers want to group with!

It seems I gave out some controversial advice! Yes I knew not everyone would be thrilled with me for suggesting that players go ahead and block people to their hearts content, but I'm okay with that.

How okay? Well okay enough to keep blocking! Without explanations!

You see, no one has the power to dictate other people's comfort levels with them, not only in game but out of game and in the real world, so if someone says they wish to have zero contact with you in the future, you don't get to find out why, you don't get to find out what went wrong. You get to take their word for it, or their silence as an answer.

Because honestly? People don't like to be tracked down and 'convinced' that they are wrong, kinda reinforces that whole creepy OMG get me out of here feeling that made the block happen in the first place.

So, unfortunately, you may never get to make those amends but that's okay. Just move on and make a new friend. I mean, why bother with someone who doesn't want you around in the first place? 

#37 Ignore

Don't feel harassed, use any and all ignore features to make your playtime the best it can be!

Alludra the Mannerly Mage here doing her best to help you be the best player you can be!

And sometimes, even though we are totally awesome, we meet and run into those players who just plain...aren't.

Now we all try to be the bigger person, we all try to compromise, avoid or ignore these people politely. Maybe they are in our guild, an old friend who doesn't listen to the show, or maybe they are just some annoying guy who, for whatever reason, decided that you are going to be his best friend, punching bag, life coach or victim. Doesn't matter, we have ignore.

Now, everyone, I am going to make this clear: DON'T FEEL BAD FOR USING THE IGNORE FEATURE!

Seriously! Sometimes you just gotta block people! Your reasons, whatever they are, are your own, and never feel like you have to justify yourself. Not to your friends, guild mates, raid team or even the person you blocked! A block means I don't wanna talk to you!

And if they go around it, well report them to the mods, now we are in the harassment territory.

Seriously, don't be afraid of using the tools at your disposal, and don't let anyone try and make you feel bad if you want to get out of an uncomfortable situation. 

#36 Leveling

New expansions abound so how to head off the drama that can be caused by mismatching gameplay priorities.

Alludra the mannerly mage here helping you have fun!

One thing that can cause friction for a raiding team with a new expansion is leveling and gearing up speed. Some of your raiders may want to take their time and see the content at their own pace, other raiders want to burn through everything and gear as fast as possible to get back to end game progression. This can lead to conflicts and surprisingly, can be more trouble than the pre expansion doldrums!

So what to do?

To head off any in fighting make sure your raid team has discussed 'the gaming plan' before it actually becomes a problem. If it's already started and your team is at odds it's still not too late. Try and set a compromising time frame to level and gear up inside.

Remember, the key to compromise isn't making everyone happy, it's making neither person happy!

Even after the talk, unless your team is 100% on board, expect to lose some raiders,  but during an expansion's beginning is a great time to scout for new potential guildies and teammates. (Remember guys, when I said not to be rude? Yeah, it's for reasons like this!)

Leveling is just a new type of progression, be prepared, set a time frame and your guild, group, or team can make it through unscathed. 

#35 Achievements

Achievements don't vanish once you change characters, but why spend all your time arguing about it?

Alludra the mannerly mage here helping you be the best player you can be!

Something I love about world of warcraft's new expansion is the changes they have made to the achievement system! I am a huge fan of the fact that all my toons seem to have my achievements linked on them and I can work on progress on whichever character I am currently on. After all, I am the one that earned them, I should get to see how I am progressing!

SO I love hearing how I didn't actually earn them when I am playing on an alt.

Thanks random player for telling me that the weeks of wiping on various bosses working on progression don't matter because I have switched characters. What's that? The horseman's mount I spent four years earning and got on a lucky drop on the wrong toon shouldn't apply to the character I truly wanted it on? We shouldn't question the all knowing RNG's wisdom is that it?

Look guys, like it or not, I worked hard for all my achievements, no matter what character I earned them on. Yes, a level 4 isn't likely to be a loremaster, but for some of us, these are awesome perks we got for working so hard on our characters in the first place.

So what do you say we all live and let live and keep the pvp in the battlegrounds?

#34 Draaaamaaa

Playtime should be fun, not a constant nag fest by a friend who doesn't understand boundaries.

Alludra the mannerly mage here, helping you avoid those social pitfalls in mmo gaming.

One thing I enjoy about MMO gaming is hanging out with my friends over long distances, taking a break from life and in general hanging out and goofing around. SO don't you just love it when your guldmates decide to try and drag you into their drama?

Personally I love hearing how player x can't do the dishes, and won't help out around the house more. Please oh please fill my downtime explaining about everything thatn's wrong in your real life, ignoring the fact that I play to unwind.

What's that? You don't know why everyone's blocking you? Well maybe it's because people play games and don't want to be dragged into a never ending drama fest!

Look, as friends we all care when you are having a hard time, but hearing about real life aggro buttons can be draining on a friendship. And if you are dumping on your whole guild? Friends and strangers alike? Well maybe you should rethink what exactly vent means.

Because before too long, that greenwall might just be gone. 

#33 Burning bridges

How common courtesy can go a long way to helping you find friends in MMO's. The other players aren't your enemies guys. 

Alludra the mannerly mage here helping you avoid...awkward....ness

Tons of games are out right now, getting expansions, new content, or are just whole new experiences as a whole. This is a chance to make new friends and start new MMO adventures

I KNOW! LET'S BE RUDE!!

Seriously, you have no idea how many times I run an instance or pug with strangers and find that everyone is exceptionally rude, the guilded players, the unguilded players, the cross realm guys! Wow guys, way to win friends and influence people.

Whether you like it or not, you are together to meet a common goal, whether it is a dungeon, raid, World boss, or pvp event. I'm not saying you have to be best friends, but a bit of common courtesy would go a long way to making sure you don't accidentally burn some bridges.

Or you could sit there and insult everyone and wonder why you aren't getting any heals. I am sure that just means the healer, who is keeping everyone else topped of, just doesn't see you, standing in the fire and insulting everyone.

#32 Advice gone wrong

Alludra discusses what happens when advice is taken all wrong.

Alludra the mannerly mage here, helping you avoid those social missteps that can lead to no group invites.

Last week we spoke about conspiracies, and how you aren't the center of them. (sorry!) Now let's talk about the other side of that! no not being the center of a conspiracy, but taking my advice wrong.

Grouping up for the quests is fast, easy, and will get you out of those choke points in a zone, but grouping for a quest and then going afk, letting your team mates do all the work while you just soak up the xp is not only wrong, but it's a great way to get yourself black listed.

Don't be so lazy! Find a mob, kill a mob! Do your share of the work! That's the point of the game and teaches you how to play. Or you can be that guy who doesn't know how to play. I'm sure everyone would love that.  

#31 Expansions

We are back and talking expansions and typical conspiracy theories! (As in, no, you aren't the center of one!)

#30 Swearing

Swearing in your guild! What's too much? What's too little? Suprisingly that's up to you!

#28 Live and Let play

Getting along in MMO's is difficult, and sometimes you just gotta be the bigger player

Alludra the mannerly mage here to help you have fun in your gaming hobby.

Expansion release dates are getting set, people are coming back to their games and excitement is in the air! You know what that means! It means that there are more poeple in the games we love.

This...is a mixed blessing.

On the one hand it means shorter quies, more adventuring and fuller guilds and raids! On the other it means more impatient people being...well let's just say being unplesant! yay! We get to hear about how the game we are all playing sucks and how it was so much better duirng another era! Oh! And don't forget how no one knows how to play! Oooh! Tell me again how you know everything about what I am doing wrong!!

If that doesn't sound familiar that's because these are things no one says!

So what do you say we all just agree to pretend to get along! You know, for fun's sake?

#27 Zone Sharing

Sharing is caring...kinda. Zones shouldn't be battlegrounds between those leveling and those going for achievements, so why not just share?

Alludra the mannerly mage here to help you have fun in your games!

Crazy right?

The summer lull is a great time to roll a new alt, or to go after some of the missed achvements in our favorite games, so isn't it great when the two intersect? Doesn't everyoen just love it when their low level toons can't complete quests or finish objectives because there's a level capped toon wondering around AOE' ing everything in sight? No dude, we arne't mobs, but please kill all the mobs in the zone, we can wait!

A great way to try and aoid this type of frustration is to try and quest in another hub, but some games don't allow non- linear questing anymore. making this more difficult for everyone involved. My suggestion is before you report someone for greifing, wisper them and ask them to chill out or even invite you. If they are rude que for a dungeon, the level capped player might be two zones away by then.

#26 How to be a good party guest

Alludra explains the ins and outs of the social type party, much different from the loot type ones!




Alludra the mannerly mage here with some party etiquitte!

No not THAT kind of party, but the purely social kind!

Okay so say someone is celebrating a big event and you are invited to the virtual party! Remember, the rules of being a good guest apply in game just as much as they do out of game!
Check the party location against your rep standings when you RSVP! It would suck to arrive and bring the guards down on the party suddenly! Homicides tend to interrupt small talk and party chit chat!

Once committed, don't back out! Like any raid leader will attest, it's dissapointing when your guests call out of a party! Even if there's epic lootz on the line

Bring something! A pony keg, keg pony, or refreshment service of your choice can go a long way to help out the host! Catering mage looking a bit tired? Warlock cookies running short? be the party hero!

Enjoy yourself! ...but not too much! Relax and mingle with other classes off the charts. Let go of your nerf/buff rage for a night and complement people on that nice mogged outfit or rare pet, but keep it within limits, being too inebriated to see that that blood elf was actually a guy can lead to awkwardness down the road.

Finally lend a hand with the cleanup, if asked. This goes double for all those undead out there who can *ahem* help with the corpses!

(Party rules real rules from How to be a Good Party Guest )

#24 Knock Knock

Not all multiplayer games are created equillly! Remember to be polite before joining in on other people's games!

#23 Compare and Contrast

We all like new games, we all hate those guys who go on and on about other games in G chat! Don't be that guy!

#22 Macro Madness

Introductory macros! I love them! Why can't the authors follow their own rules?

#21 Crickets

And now the opposite problem from last week, no leadership to be found!

#20 Too many raid leaders

The voices telling you what to do in vent aren't imaginary! What to do if there are too many leader types in vent.

#19 Tabbed

Alludra vents her frustration about players who que and tab out or go AFK immediately.

#18 LFG Mats

Crafting mats in dungeons are not free for all's guys!

#17 Class Changes

Ah the inevitable Class changes that plague us all...personally...

#16 Why low DPS needs gear

Solving another LFR mystery, why 'bad' players roll on gear!

#15 Trolling IRL

Trolls will be trolls, but some are like that in person!

#14 Not that into you

Sometimes Raiders and Teams just don't fit.

#13 The Golden Rule

Why are we all forgetting about the golden rule?