Hi, I’m new! March 14, 2011
Posted by Stormy in Uncategorized.trackback
Hi, I’m new. This is not a crime.
Well, I’m not entirely new. I’ve been playing since August of 2009. I’ve been around long enough that my (former) main has his violet protodrake. I’ve seen all of ICC and have a Kingslayer title on my other former main. I was there to experience the sense of community and collective foreboding and fear as we awaited the first elemental invasion late last year. I have two 85s, an 80-almost-81 and a couple alts in the 70s, and I refuse to type /played because I honestly don’t want to know.
But I’m new. I have no frame of reference for the insanity of coordinating a 40-person raid. When I zone into Blackrock Caverns and you tell me the second boss “is like that boss in Karazhan,” that means nothing to me. I missed out on the Champion of the Naaru and Hand of A’dal titles, and yes, I missed out on the infamous Amani War Bear. And you know what? That’s okay.
I’m new, but I’m tired. I’m tired of seeing everyone called a n00b. I’m tired of people being looked down on and ridiculed because they didn’t know some vital piece of information about their class. I’m tired of raiding in WoW being a gated community where they only let in people who’ve been around forever and know every possible thing there is to know. I’m tired of the sign hanging on the WoW clubhouse door that says “No New People Allowed.”
Being new is not a crime. Not knowing something is not a crime. Not responding positively to well-placed constructive criticism and helpful tips is certainly a crime, but I’m tired of people being called out, ridiculed and made to feel like shit just because they don’t have five years of experience with all ten of the available WoW classes. I’m tired of people thinking their Hand of A’dal title is superior to my Crusader title because it’s older.
Being new is not a crime.
Naturally people who have been playing longer are going to have an advantage – in a game like WoW, it’s knowledge of what has come before. But it’s the duty of the veterans to teach those who haven’t been around as long – not ridicule them. Teach, people – teach.