What do you do with bad Players?

If you run pick up groups then it's inevitable that, in the course of playing World of Warcraft, you'll eventually run into a player who is less skilled or knowledgeable than yourself. Obviously, there are a lot of ways to deal with that situation, ranging from the cruel to the kind.

My personal approach runs toward the kind end of the spectrum, because I think that my World of Warcraft experience is improved when everyone I'm in a group with is having fun. I also believe that by volunteering information, I improve my potential future pick up groups too. It's sort of a pay-it-forward, be-the-change-you-want-to-see kind of thing... There's an added benefit in that my vote kick also gets saved for players who truly deserve it, such as those who are genuinely rude, or who are simply griefing.

The vast majority of the dungeons I've been in have run smoothly. In those situations where I can see that a player is struggling though, I take the initiative and explain the fight, including their specific role. I whisper them and let them know they can ask me questions, and I won't blow up on them. If they aren't performing to a level where beating a fight is possible, I've even let players know that we need to replace them, as well as why. I've actually had players bow out in those situations where they weren't able to perform. Most of the time, the player who was struggling was just a little confused, and steps up and makes it work. Personally, I find those runs much more fun and gratifying than a simple speed run full of over-geared players. There could be something wrong with me.

Anyway, I digress. My bottom line is that it's amazing what you can accomplish just by treating others with a little dignity.

05/02/2011 03:50 PMPosted by Sumati

In PUGs at least, if someone asks for help I'm more than willing to explain things. If they don't say anything and suck, I'm the first person to hit the votekick button.

Have you considered that they haven't said anything or asked for help because they're intimidated by the reaction they might get?

Again, you say this as though the bad players in question aren't jerks either and don't freak out when you offer help, as I detailed above.

Isn't that virtually always a risk when you communicate with another human being about anything? Please don't misunderstand me: We're not guaranteed a positive response from our peers, and sometimes it's better to just cut your losses. I wouldn't, and certainly don't expect anyone else to, climb uphill against a hailstorm of vile epithets and attitude. In those situations I report or kick (or both) as appropriate, and move on.

On those occasions where I offer guidance, I try to keep in mind that most people don't like feeling as though they're not a skilled player or that they're hurting the group, so I avoid pushing that button by not shouting "FAIL" and barking orders. If you are generally met with hostility, then perhaps it's also possible that your criticism hasn't been as constructive as you intended it to be?

Experience continues to teach me that a little diplomacy goes a long way.

Here's a question for you Daxx, Do you tell people who you really are when you are explaining things?

Absolutely not. We don't reveal our identities in-game, for a lot of different reasons.

Honestly a big problem is 1-85 (Although better than back in the day) Teaches players how to level, it doesn't teach them anything about how to actually play.

That's a challenge we've recognized, and we're looking at ways to address it in the future. It's a tall mountain to climb though.