A Personal Choice

The human above crafted this post.
 

"The term Follower is so apt a word...A follower implies the existence of a leader, and the act of following implies the absence of resistance."

It’s been roughly two years since I sort of stumbled into the Warcraft interest group (WIG) on Twitter. The WIG is my term for a loosely defined body comprised of anyone who primarily chats about World of Warcraft. Of course, the social community in WoW extends well beyond the boundaries of Twitter and that definition, but I'm speaking to my own experience in this space.

When I first created a Warcraft-related account for Twitter, I was at the cusp of an unsuccessful attempt (the second) to earn a spot on the WoW Insider team. In the process of getting myself ready, I bumped into a large section of people who loved talking about Warcraft outside of the game just as much as I did: fans, developers, and content creators. A lot of times those labels overlapped. It was the coolest thing ever. Players from around the world, from both factions, from different backgrounds with different preferences, all engaging with one another over a shared passion.

Well, that’s the rose-colored-glasses-wearing-bird’s-eye view.

The WIG on Twitter can at times appear as splintered as the average high school sophomore class. Which isn’t surprising: cliques are everywhere you look. They’re in your town, in your family, in your workplace. They’re probably in your guild. And they’re a pretty normal occurrence. As human beings we tend to have a natural desire to surround ourselves with people who reflect and reinforce our own ideals, who are more like us. Hell, it’s a survival mechanism. But it can be dangerous, as it is easy to forget there are others unlike you, with their own collection of experiences that shape their worldview.

When I found the WIG here, it filled a social void I wasn’t getting in-game. Sure, I played amongst friends, but their passion never seemed to match mine. The guild I was in was slowly falling apart, the list of in-game friends dwindling due to life responsibilities, boredom or a combination of the two. But I wasn’t done with Warcraft. I was still in love, still making the time, still wanting to be involved. The people in the WIG further inspired me to try different things, to entertain alternative viewpoints as they related to the game we love to play, to create content and share my own voice.

Of course, when you have so many voices in one place, there’s inevitably going to be differing viewpoints---which is good. True debate is healthy. The problem, though, as I’ve seen too often since becoming more entrenched here, is that there’s little true debate when two opposing viewpoints collide. In fact, the debates often resemble what you’d see from high school sophomores...who aren’t at all interested in joining the school’s debate team. Who've failed to understand that the main element of a debate isn’t about being right.

Just because a viewpoint differs from your own doesn’t inherently make it wrong. Just because someone holds an opposing viewpoint doesn’t make them uneducated, or any other lazy, ad hominem you can throw at them. These notions are antithesis of debate.

What does it mean when two people look at the same pieces of evidence, yet arrive at two wildly different, valid conclusions? In the real world it happens all the time and the earth doesn't come to a stand still. But within the WIG, too often it signifies one or all parties will cut the other from their lives (insert “that escalated quickly” meme). The term Follower is so apt a word based on what I witness here on a weekly basis. A follower implies the existence of a leader, and the act of following implies the absence of resistance.

Can we not have a mature conversation anymore? Can people not separate their own self-worth from the widespread acceptance or rejection of an opinion they hold? Must these arguments (and calling them arguments grants more validity than they have) consistently devolve into name-calling and blocking of one another? I’m not talking about cases where blocking is appropriate (harassment, willful douchebaggery); rather the instances where it appears respectful discussion is being solicited, yet it abruptly ends with the playground equivalent of “we can’t be friends.”

I feel sorry for people whose default response is to silence the voices that respectfully disagree with them. The voices that force them to more deeply examine their own opinions and biases. Not only is there the missed potential for personal growth---after all debates are supposed to be educational at their core---but you’ve just excised someone from your life for...what? Because their collective experience has led them to believe something that clashes with your own, and they’ve the audacity to express it?

I used to frequent a web forum devoted to conspiracies and the paranormal. But I stopped going there regularly a couple of years ago because of what became all too familiar: I’d fail to find even a single discussion that didn’t involve attacks targeting people's opinions and perceptions about a story or event. For whatever reason, people failed to address the actual subject of the discussion and would instead focus on the credibility or education of the person who brought the subject to the table.

Person A: Ooh that’s a nasty, deep shade of blue.
Person B: Idiot! Get glasses. It’s clearly black.
Person A: Well when I compared it to color swatches, it looked black at first but…
Person B: Gosh you’re clueless. I can’t hold a debate with you.

This. Gets. Nothing. Done. In fact, it's harmful.

The discussions end up far off from where they started, the thread author wonders why they bother any more, and the people who’ve deemed themselves an authority are fueled by their righteous indignation towards all those uneducated sops who are too dumb to see things as they do.

The negativity I see on Twitter week to week is emotionally draining. Perhaps, though, that’s partly because my in-game situation has changed. Trade chat is permanently turned off because I’ve manage to find and help grow a guild filled with excellent, mature and respectful players who have all pledged to be part of something bigger than the individual. In practice, this means they’re going to do everything they can to make sure their fellow players’ experiences are positive ones---even when things don’t go their way.

There have been countless issues worth discussing in the past year regarding the video game industry, and I’ve seen plenty of perfect examples of reasoned debate that ended with involved parties in disagreement, but avoided the now-we’re-sworn-enemies conclusion.

One of the truly sad parts in all of this is that some people have a message that needs to be heard, but that message gets lost in the tone of delivery. Anyone can yell on the internet, but that’s not the best way to gain an audience. What’s more, sometimes the delivery of the message is so disrespectful and aggressive that the message itself is damaged. What response can be expected if you grab someone by the throat, screaming about what they should/shouldn’t do to help your cause? Shitting on your fellow person in the process of getting a point across is immature, it’s insulting to everyone who’s unlucky enough to witness it, it’s often detrimental to the subject at hand.

This behavior has no place among adults.

Then again, maybe I’m simply standing in the wrong (or right) place. Maybe a number of people who see this post will wonder what the hell I’m even talking about. I envy you if you haven’t seen your online friends turn on each other like wild dogs over a difference in interpretation involving a friggin’ video game.

The nastiness is what tends to stick in my mind in place of the overwhelmingly good amount of interactions I witness here on a daily basis; mostly because the nastiness doesn’t have to happen. Each of us can choose a position while being respectful of the feelings of the people standing in opposite corners. But that starts with a personal choice to be better, to treat everyone with respect.

I offer our guild motto in closing: be excellent to each other. Remember that being excellent to someone and disagreeing with them are not mutually exclusive notions. And if you surround yourself with only like-minded thinkers---with followers---while silencing opposing voices, it doesn’t mean you’ve won the debate; rather, you’ve effectively killed it before it had a chance to become anything.

In a space that is social by design, the casualties of that action are likely much farther-reaching than you may realize.

You want evidence? Scroll to top.

Things to do Before Warlords of Draenor

With a couple of months left before the Warlords of Draenor release, many people might be running out of things to do in game. This post was inspired by Mr. and Mrs. WoW's blog post asking for players' three favorite things about WoW, or things you like to do in-game, especially as it relates to the down time we have before Warlords of Draenor releases. Here are some activities to consider if you're still enjoying the game full force, but would like something different to do.

Warbringer Farming

There are five Zandalari Warbringer spawn points located throughout Pandaria, and the mobs themselves tend to respawn anywhere between 30 and 50 minutes after they've been killed. Many classes can handle the warbringers with relative ease, and nearly any damage-dealing class in Normal+ SoO gear should be able to solo them. They drop rep tokens (which can be useful for alts), two kinds of bags with supplies to use or sell, and in rare instances, one of three mounts: Jade, Amber, and Slate Primordial Direhorns.

If I'm in a group I'll generally head to the spawn point in Kun Lai while my partner heads to Jade Forest, with them looping back if the mob is up in Kun Lai. Then, hearth to the Shrine and strike out again, one to Townlong and one to Dread Wastes. Finish up in Krasarang and repeat the loop, if you are so inclined. If you pay attention to spawn times and there's not much competition out there, it's possible to travel from kill to kill to kill with little time spent waiting for respawns.

Riches of Pandaria & Glorious!

Both of these achievements have you seeking out things. Tucked-away artifacts to find for the former, NPCs to kill for the latter. If you're max level you shouldn't encounter too many issues with the mobs for Glorious. Riches simply takes a bit of time; the nice thing is you'll get a hefty chunk of gold throughout the course of completing these, plus the chance at rare and vanity items from some of the mobs.

Given that we're at the tail end of this expansion, competition for mobs and treasures should be at an all-time low. Some addons you might want to check out to make this even easier: NPCScan, Finders & Riches, TomTom.

Isle of Giants

This can be rough as a solo player unless you're decently geared. Best bet is to find a friend or two who's also interested in farming 9,999 dinosaur bones and make the rounds til you get bored. I've been working on this slowly since the Isle went live, oftentimes chunking my gathering sessions into 500-bone blocks. Generally in the course of each farming session I'll loot a few battle pets and a Primal Egg, which will hatch into one of  three mounts (Black, Red, or Green Primal Raptor) three days later.

WoW Insider Did You Miss

I missed two of the three objectives listed by WoW Insider so far in their...writeups...series...thing... Whatever it is. This week I'll bust out the crate of rodents for the raid team so they can grab the Sumprush Rodent, as it's a pet many people haven't acquired because of the logistics involved in earning it. I also nabbed the Lobstmourne fist weapon. Because transmog. That one was a lot of fun and made me wish I'd discovered it organically while questing in Pandaria like I had with Old Man Thistle's Lost Treasure.

Farm a Legendary

There may still be enough time to earn a legendary from one of the previous expansions if RNG works in your favor. Here's a list of all the pre-Pandaria legendaries in the game. Please excuse the presence of the Tempest Keep legendary weapons---I couldn't figure out how to filter them out. The easier items don't involve longer quest chains: Thunderfury is relatively simple once you're lucky enough to have both bindings drop, and both Thori'dal and the Warglaives are rare drops from Burning Crusade raid bosses, and can be farmed weekly.

Try Something New

Maybe there's an aspect of the game you haven't delved into. Perhaps that's a conscious decision! For me, it's PvP. I just don't get into it very often. Personal preference, that's all. What about pet battles? Easy to get into, but difficult to become an expert. Maybe you've never filled out a character history sheet for your main. If you're looking for something to do before Warlords, there's really no better time to try something new.

#10Years10Questions: Part 3

#10Years10Questions is brought to you buy @AlternativeChat. Answer these questions yourself at her blog. Oh, and if interested, here's Parts 1 & 2. 

7. How long have you /played and has that been continuous?
I've logged about two year's played time across all of my characters, and yes, that has been continuous. The amount of time I play each week tends to ebb and flow with life, but I've had a consistent, recurring subscription since 2006, and I can't remember going a full week without logging on. 

I know, that might seem excessive, but it's been a source of enjoyment since I first picked up the game and I don't regret the time I've spent. Not at all. Even when I add up all of the money I've spent on the franchise (subscriptions, server transfers, faction changes, expansions, shop items, and Blizzcon trips), it's an amount I can justify, especially when considering what I feel I've gotten out of the whole experience. 

8. Admit it: do you read quest text or not?
I do, though this wasn't always the case. In Vanilla and the Burning Crusade, I didn't have a good sense of the overarching story, partially because I wasn't paying close attention, and partially because I was oblivious to the deep history of the franchise and how it related to the events of WoW and its first expansion. 

Wrath of the Lich King finally pulled me into the story and I began to read all of the text quest, and have made that my habit the first time I level through new content. I have not yet gone back to finish the Cataclysm quests they added to Vanilla content, though I intend to someday. 

I'm absolutely stoked for Warlords, and as wacky as the time-travel stuff can get, I think it has the potential to be one of the best stories players have seen.  

9. Are there any regrets from your time in game?
Part of me wishes I would've gotten into the social aspect of the game a little earlier than I had, especially when it comes to Vanilla and BC, but overall no regrets that nag at me. WoW in its infancy was a one-time thing, now long gone. Though I was an active subscriber at the time, I didn't have a grasp on everything that was going on. I wasn't aware of how special it could be, and how special it would eventually become.

I've made some bad decisions with unforeseen consequences that may have affected some of the people I played with, but I'd like to think I've learned from those and apply that knowledge moving forward, in game and in life. It's amazing how guild management can parallel management in the real world.

Oh! Also, I abandoned a quest in the Hand of A'dal line during the Wrath of the Lich King expansion to make room for other quests before I knew what I was doing. Then they removed the ability to earn that title from the game. I totally regret that. 

10. What effect has Warcraft had on your life outside gaming?
It's definitely broadened my perspective on life, believe it or not, mainly through the people I've met in-game and throughout the community. Truly, they are more diverse than my own close circle of friends. So there's that.

In college, it helped me prioritize and learn to manage my time.

Then there's the challenges in managing and communicating effectively with a group who have allied together, while the motivations and desires of those within may vary wildly. There's always so much to learn and apply elsewhere.

I've learned a lot about group dynamics; about how five seemingly innocuous words can be interpreted on a spectrum; how something not important to me can be the most important to thing to someone else and how no one has to be wrong in the matter. It's helped me hone my communication and critical thinking skills. 

Leading raids taught me to first know my stuff before getting into the thick of things, to be alert and aware in a rapidly-changing environment. To make snap-judgement decisions in a stressful situation based on all the information you're able to glean over the course of a second or two.

Most importantly I have met life-long friends through this game, friends who won't disappear like their characters will the day servers go dark.

#10Years10Questions: Part 2

#10Years10Questions is brought to you by the wonderful @AlternativeChat. Head on over to her blog and answer the questions yourself! If you missed it and are interested, check out Part One.

What has been your most memorable moment in Warcraft and why?
Without a doubt, it was killing Arthas with a guild group while the fight was still current. 

See, I was mostly a solo player throughout Vanilla and the Burning Crusade, absolutely clueless and completely satisfied. I did think dungeons were the coolest thing, and I had no issues spending hours in General or Trade assembling a group. Raiding, though, didn't really exist in my universe.

My raid history prior to Wrath of the Lich King:

• Two or three invites to Molten Core during Vanilla. I don't think I ever participated in a boss kill, but my warlock did get a tier BoE.
• One invite to Magtheridon's layer during the Burning Crusade. I was targeting one of the summoners around the ring as the raid leader explained the strategy and mistakenly hit my interrupt key. This started the encounter and I was removed from the group amid a couple of choice words before I could see if the raid wiped or recovered (they probably wiped). 
• A few invites to Karazhan runs; that's the experience that really whet my appetite for raiding.

I never had the luxury of being in a group that cleared Karazhan, but I joined several pugs and even ran with the guild group on a few occasions. My raiding memories from Vanilla are mostly gah what the hell is going on! but with Kara, I thought the place was absolutely bizarre...and I at least understood more about boss mechanics, thanks to BC Heroic dungeons. I wanted to survive long enough to see the rest of it, and surmised that there were probably other mystifying places like this in-game that I've never seen. 

That guild fell apart near the end of the Burning Crusade, but I knew what I wanted to do: raid. By that time, I'd finished college and was working days. I had other responsibilities that I wouldn't abandon in order to free up evenings for raiding. That left a rather unpopular time slot: weekend mornings. Searching that keyword in the forums often yielded months-old posts, but not many hits overall---mostly people looking for that experience.

But perseverance paid off; if it hadn't, I'm not sure I'd be playing the game today. I found a good fit on a different server roughly halfway through the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. In short order, we were in Ice Crown Citadel slowly chipping our way towards Arthas. 

The Lich King fell on a Saturday morning a week or two before the Cataclysm pre-patch. We'd been working on him for several weeks; we had the strategy down, it was just a matter of all ten of us executing perfectly. And on that attempt, puddles didn't enlarge, no one died to Enraged Spirits or Val'kyr. The Lich King "wiped" the raid at 10% health, and of course we knew what that meant. The raid was resurrected and we finished him. Arthas' dying moments began to play across the screen in the closing cinematic.

Thankfully my vent was push-to-talk, because that's when I started bawling. Absolute, unrestrained weeping.

I suppose there were a lot of things going on in my mind right then. To do something fun, something challenging, something that took work and a significant level of concentration alongside a group of others all aligned to the same goal was exhilarating---and still relatively new to me when it came to gaming. I've "beat" games before, but it meant so much more to me to do it as part of a team. I discovered the invaluable nature of the second "M" in MMO.

That's me. Off the right shoulder of the blood elf, circa 2009. And the hovering tree still heals in the raid today.

What is your favourite aspect of the game and has this always been the case? More broadly, I focus almost exclusively on PvE content. I enjoy questing and lore (at least the first time through), achievements, collectible items, pet battles---from what I can tell, I'm going to totally get into garrisons in Warlords of Draenor. I'll dabble in PvP from time to time, but I've consistently come across the worst of player attitudes there and as a result stay away most of the time. Warlords should be interesting given that I'll be leveling on one of the most populated RP-PVP servers out there. 

Out of PvE activities, raiding is my favorite as you probably guessed from my response to the first question. 

Weeeeeee!

6. Do you have an area in game that you always return to?
Yeah, Molten Friggin' Core in search of the other half of those damned bindings! Dalaran would probably be a candidate; if my characters' hearthstones are set to somewhere other than the Shrine or their farm, it's Dalaran. I've always liked the compact layout of the city and the fact that you're literally floating up among the clouds. It gives a totally different feel to the atmosphere. 

Another area I return to on occasion is "inside" the rock pillar in Orgimmar that can only be accessed by "wall jumping" or whatever the term is where you cause your character to break through a wall barrier and run under/behind the world. You can get inside this pillar and fly up it; your character can't be seen from the outside, and near the top there's little hovel carved out with a little memorial placed by Blizzard. Kind of a neat reminder about all of the things that go into this game that players never see or think about.

#10Years10Questions: Part 1

#10Years10Questions is an effort started by the lovely @AlternativeChat. She's asking you to talk about your Warcraft history, whether currently subscribed or a one-time player. Head over to her blog and share your history!

Why did you start playing Warcraft?
It was sort of an odd series of events that lead me into Azeroth. It was May or June of 2005, and I was about to start my final year of college. A then-bandmate of mine picked up World of Warcraft and suggested I try it out. I'd seen and heard enough about the game to accept his offer to test-drive it. I do remember bits and pieces from that 45-minute-long play session, including the character that I chose, but I'll get into that in the next question.

Shortly after trying out the game, I found myself in a local game shop with my step-brother. He was looking for something new to play, and a couple of recently released MMOs were garnering positive reviews. He turned to me with a game box in each hand and asked, "Guild Wars, or World of Warcraft?"

"Definitely Warcraft," I said. There was some back and forth about having to pay a subscription, since Guild Wars didn't require one of its players. "It'll be better," I said, "because you're paying extra for it every month."  I think there was a "just trust me" in there, too (I had no idea what I was doing). In the end, he trusted me. 

One of the first characters I played for any length of time, circa November 2005. I lost access to the shared account this rogue was on shortly after this was snapped. As you can also see, this is before I discovered addons. Look at those bags!

By the end of that summer, the long-term relationship I was in had dissolved. And no, I know what you're thinking: the breakup had nothing to do with World of Warcraft. In fact, I hadn't played since the first time I'd tried it at my friend's house earlier that summer. I ended up moving to a nearby city to share a flat with my step-brother and two others. To my surprise, they were all playing Warcraft. 

By fall, I was sharing an account with the two other roommates, a couple who had an account together. It was my senior year of college, meaning I had quite a bit of free time while the owners of the account both worked day jobs. Thus, the game was mine during the daytime hours. However, they were planning to move into a place of their own by the end of the year, meaning my days of account-sharing were numbered.

It was time to take things into my own hands. In January of 2006, I went back to that local game shop and purchased my own copy of World of Warcraft. I've had an active subscription ever since.

What was the first ever character you rolled?
The first character I rolled would technically be the one that I used to check out the game for the first time at my friend's house in 2005. In retrospect, I cannot fathom what pushed me to make the choice that I did. Probably naivety, for the most part: simply not knowing about what the choices meant. It was clear that there were two sides in this game, but other than one faction looking distinctly uglier and meaner than the other, I had no clue what all when into the history of their interactions. 

For whatever reason, I settled on a dwarf. For class, I went with hunter; again, I cannot remember why I went this route. If I had to guess, I chose hunter because of the promise of getting a pet. 

I remember being enamored with just how large the world seemed when I finally got inside and started the opening quests. Keep in mind this large world was confined to the dwarven starting area---I had absolutely no idea how large the world really was. I also had absolutely no idea how large the world would become. 

Strangely, to this day the hunter class is the only class I cannot get into no matter how I try. My most-famous hunter was level 76. Whether he's famous for being my highest-level hunter or because he's the highest-level character I've ever deleted...you decide.

Meet Carlyja circa February 2006. This is the first character I rolled on my own account, started in January of 2006. I've learned how to hide the user interface by this time. I still play this character today.

Which factors determined your faction choice in game?
As a rule I tend to shy away from characters that seem too human when I play fantasy-adventure games. After all, I get to be a human every day! I also have a tendency to side with the underdogs, especially if there's a good vs. bad dichotomy taking place. It has nothing to do with being a bad person (I hope) or thinking myself a badass; rather, it's refreshing to not have to follow the "good guys" around everywhere. 

When it came to Warcraft, I went into it with no lore background. From the character creation screen it was clear to me there were two factions, but beyond that the factions had no meaning behind them. As I mentioned above, I rolled a dwarf that first time, and once I was sharing accounts, I spent my time between a human warlock and an orc rogue (the latter pictured above). 

Then, once I had my own account, I chose to make my human warlock undead by re-rolling a Forsaken warlock. The choice to create a Horde character stuck with me, and I soon learned there could be benefits to having multiple characters of the same faction on the same realm. While I absolutely loved everything about Stormwind City during Vanilla, it wasn't enough to hold my allegiance. Horde it was, and would be, forever. 

Still, I'm not a die-hard "For the" faction type of guy anymore. I used to be, but after really delving into Warcraft lore over the years, I see the situation in Azeroth as being very nuanced. I respect both factions and know there's good story no matter which side you're on. But with so many years and characters invested in the Horde, seeing me on an Alliance toon will continue to be a rare sight. 

Part Two later this week! In the mean time, head over to Alternative Chat's blog and answer these questions for yourself if you haven't already.

Don't Be That Player: The Beggar Police

Shoeless Bob is in need.

Many of us have been That Player at one time or another. From toxic players, oblivious raiders, elitist jerks and beyond, Don't Be That Player is a series that looks at different scenarios we've all encountered, and how they might be approached differently. 

You're at the mailbox in front of your faction capital's auction house, cleaning out expired items and sales from the day before. Trade chat is buzzing, your mailbox empties, so you head into the auction house. You notice a level 9 character trailing you, and he stops just behind you as you interact with the auctioneer.

"Can u spare some gold," reads the white text above the player's head. Before you have a chance to respond, several nearby players do it for you with the likes of  "lazy noob is lazy" and "go quest and get it yourself getting gold is easy." Ah yes. That age-old MMO sin called laziness.

Don't be any of those players. Well, if you've gotta be one of them, be the beggar. But don't throw in with the Beggar Police.

Before I get into it, please know I'm not oblivious to the fact that the act of begging is perceived negatively. I recall one instance where I'd simply logged on to post auctions only to be hounded by a low-level player who wanted me to run them through Molten Core. That was mildly annoying.

On the flip side, I've given away tens of thousands of gold to so-called beggars, sometimes thousands of gold at once, mainly because I can remember what it was like to be in their shoes: facing either a return to town or the destruction of items mid-quest because of inadequate bag space; being unable to train a certain riding/flying skill because gold reserves wouldn't allow it; seeing the chasm between point A and point B and having no idea how to reach the destination.

So what is the difference between the beggar and the person in genuine need? There usually isn't one...

Could they reach their goal on their own without a handout? Unequivocally, yes. Could you assist them in reaching that goal much faster than they would've alone? For most of us, yes. Sure, the begging player could really be a sleaze who preys on the kindness of others with the intent of saving up enough money for a Grand Expedition Yak. But how likely is that? If that's what keeping you from helping another player out, that's some Alex-Jones-level paranoia*. If you're worried about it, fine, but by god don't try to prevent someone else from helping because you see things a certain way.

In fact, I dare you to help out next time you encounter a beggar, but don't just give your money away. Ask them what it's for. Gear? Maybe they aren't aware that they're better off questing and running dungeons since any purchased gear would be quickly replaced. Gold? Turns out they want to buy bags, and you've got a tailor sitting on a ton of extra cloth. Either way, nobody gets hurt, a random player gets a little help, and you get to go to bed knowing you've made Azeroth better place for at least one person.

Occasionally, I'll hear back from a player I helped. One returned two and a half years later to repay a substantial sum I'd given him to train flying (back when it was expensive). The other told me how my generosity inspired him to do the same when he encountered other players in need.

The intended takeaway, and this can apply to many other scenarios: if you're actively going to try to prevent a player from doing something you don't like, but causes no harm to another player...just don't. Especially if all they really want is help.

On the Flip: Becoming a Better Beggar

Begging for stuff will be inherently seen as a bad thing in a game where nearly anything you'd possibly want to acquire can be earned through a bit of work. Being an MMO though, there's still a lot of room for players to rely on others, and asking for some assistance via way of a few gold coins or satchels doesn't seem outrageous to me.

So beggars, next time, don't beg---which in Warcraft we've loosely defined as the act of asking a stranger for something that you could easily acquire or achieve by yourself. Instead, ask for help. Going from player to player with a direct question tends not to yield positive results. Unless you're lucky enough to find me. Instead, make your appeal a general one. What you'd really like: four 16-slot bags and maybe 10g. How you ask for it:

"Just re-rolled on this server, curious if anyone would be able to help me with a couple of things. PST!"

Though you didn't ask for bags and coinage directly in the question above, you've positioned yourself as a player in need instead of as a beggar. This is an extremely important distinction. By controlling this small-but-significant perception, I find you're much more likely to get help. And if you are a player in need, remember the kindness done to you when you have the opportunity to help someone else out later on down the road.

Is there a subject you'd like to see me tackle in Don't Be That Player? Email me.

*no true offense meant by the Alex Jones dig. Occasionally the man produces a content gem, he's just a bit too antagonistic for my tastes.