World of Warcraft Etiquette

First and foremost World of Warcraft is a game, it should at all times be taken light-heartedly and nothing in the game should ever be taken “personally”, of course this is not always the case. There are times when people will go out of their way to be a pain, and sometimes people will inadvertently do things that annoy other players.

It is for the reasons above that I introduce to you, the “Guide D’Azeroth”, a guide that in itself explains many of the in-game intricacies of World of Warcraft Etiquette. What are the proper ways to use chat channels? How do I interact with others in PvP and in PvE? What color shirt should my character wear…well, ok this guide doesn’t go THAT far.

The premise of this Guide is to give players a general idea of what they should be doing with the tools presented to them in game, as well as good standards for interacting with other players. This is by no means an “official” game play standard, just standards that for the most part are acceptable amongst all players. For a more official guide check out the one on the Blizzard Site by Clicking Here. Make sure to also check out our new Burning Crusade etiquette guide for additional tips!

Using the General Chat Channel:

Remember that it is called General for a reason

Always remember that there are other players in the same zone as you are, and remember that these players have the same access to the general channel as you do. Whilst posting in the general channel feel free to get involved in discussions that are ongoing, however if these discussions are going to be prolonged it is usually best to make your own chat channel and discuss the subject there. Doing this is common courtesy to those who have other needs for the general channel, such as those who are looking for groups or need in game assistance. 

Think before you ask a question

The general channel is a bastion of information; filled with experienced and inexperienced players each with their own experience and knowledge. Definitely feel free to use the general chat as somewhere to ask questions, however try to avoid the obvious. Asking where Sven Yorgen’s Farm is, when there is a place on your map called Yorgen’s Farm will begin to annoy other players who have seen this question asked for the third time in the past hour.

There are many other places that questions like the above can be answered. For example; strategy guides, online databases, forums (such as the ones here at wow.tentonhammer.com), and even sometimes in the game manual.

Everyone can hear you, everyone can laugh at you

PLEASE, use the general chat as a chat that engages with everyone, do not use it as a back and forth chat between yourself and another person. Remember that Blizzard has made it extremely easy (just by double clicking on the player’s name) to engage in private tells with other players. Discussions over the general channel can be great, just make sure it’s not you and one other person!

It doesn’t matter whose is bigger

My favorite command when it comes to WoW chatting is the “/ignore” command. It makes it easy to stamp out any unwanted comments or chats that appear on my general channel. If someone is being “annoying” in the general channel then, as a courtesy to others, do not reply back in back and forth flames. The best thing to do when someone is annoying you is to ignore the comments or add them to your ignore list.

Use CAPS (capital letters) sparingly

This is the text equivalent of yelling, and should be reserved for situations where politeness must yield to immediate action. And while there might be instances while grouping and raiding that this occurs, there's really no place for it solo.

Using the Trade Channel

This channel is for trading

The most obvious comment here is to remember that this channel is for trading goods. If someone has a good offer and you accept or vice versa then it should be completed or go to private discussion. Do not continue conversations over the Trade Channel. Sell or buy your goods and be done with it, this is being polite to others who use the channel.

Don’t send an offer every second

This is a hotly contested issue when it comes to the trade channel. In World of Warcraft cities fluctuate with people entering and leaving, and of course if your selling an item you defiantly want to reach all the newcomers. Just make sure that you don’t keep posting every 5 seconds about some offer you have, give it some time in-between posting ads.

It may be ridiculous, but bite your tongue

5 pieces of linen for the low low offer of 10g! Ok, that’s taking it a bit far but please try not to spam people for offering what you consider to be “unfair” prices. Most players will learn the “acceptable” amount of coin to offer for items as they progress and use the auction house to learn the “standardized” in-game pricing.

Auction House

To Buyout or not to Buyout

When making an auction please consider the use of the Buyout option as it can defiantly facilitate a much quicker transaction. In some cases (such as rare items) it may be better to go with a standard auction as you will likely make more profit. Whilst this is not an auction guide I mention this to avoid the following…

Don’t be a pest

If someone choses not to make his/her auction with the option to buyout, please respect that. Don’t be a jerk by constantly telling the player that you would like to buy the item in question. The person who has made the auction has set the rules, be nice and abide by them.

Remember that there is no turning back

Bidding on an auction is like entering into a contract with the player offering the item. Do not spam any channel stating that you did not want to buy the item in the auction house, and do not tell the player repeatedly that you did not want to purchase the item in question. All sales are final!

Groups, Instances, & Raids

Be patient grasshopper

Do not continually post in the chat channels about looking for groups. Just like the Trade channel moderate the number of times you post, most of the time if you wait, someone will post before you looking for the same group you were just looking for. Everyone needs to do quests and most of them will need help for the harder ones, just be patient about when they can assist you. And don't forget that the Looking for Group tool is there for a reason. The more it is used, the easier it will be to find a group by using it.

Be Prepared

Be prepared before going into an instance. Make sure you are stocked up on any bandages, potions, food/drink, reagents or ammunition that will be needed. It can be extremely annoying if your hunter runs out of arrows/bullets in the middle of the instance. Make sure you are prepared with anything that you might need before you begin.

Decide on loot right off the bat

Once grouped it is best to decide on a method for looting that all players can agree to. If “need before greed” suits all the players involved then get that out of the way right away. If someone in the group says they deserves to roll on every magic item because they’re an enchanter, make sure everyone else in the group is ok with this. Do not automatically assume that other players are content to roll sporadically on their loot.

Play Fair

If you come across a treasure chest while in a group, make everyone /roll for it. This will give everyone a fair chance at getting the items within. The /roll will automatically roll a random number between 1 and 100. The person with the highest roll will have first shot at what is in the chest.

Furthermore, do not loot items during battle. Wait until everyone is out of combat. The reason for this is so that if a item drops that needs to be rolled on, everyone will have a fair chance to roll on it. During combat, people may not be concentrating and hit greed on an item they actually needed.

There is no I in Team, and the Me will get you killed

One of the largest problems with most groups is the “scout syndrome”; otherwise known as the player who runs straight forward looking for shineys, only to come back to the party with some recently met “friends”. Remember to stay close to the party and keep in mind that there are others in the group who may not be ready (like me, the mage who never has enough mana!). If you do run off, it’s likely your group mates might not be impressed with you…

Planning is half the battle

Being in a group, be it Instance or Raid, will have its success based off the planning done within it. For the most part, running blindly in shooting off spells and engaging in combat will end badly. Remember to use the strengths of your party members and coordinate their abilities, be it the polymorph of the mage, or the directive that if everything goes sour that the priest jumps off the side of the boat into safety. Ignoring the plan will annoy your group mates and very likely get you killed, so be nice and stick with the plan.

Make Sure Everyone Finishes

Don't leave a group immediately when you finish the quest requirements that you need. Make sure that everyone in the group has finished as well. They helped you get yours, the least you can do is help them to finish up as well. If you absolutely have to leave then, make sure they know you're leaving and why before you go. Saying nothing can cause them to think that you only used them to get what you needed.

Share

If you have extra of something that someone might need, share it with your group members. Bandages are one example of a useful item that everyone can benefit from.

If you are able to buff someone, share the wealth. Buffs are useful and can help people in combat even after they have left your group. Also, if you have more than one buff, you may want to ask your group members which buff they would prefer you to use.

Don't Steal

Treasure chests and Gathering Nodes

Treasure chests and gathering nodes (plants, ore) are scattered throughout Azeroth and many are guarded by mobs. If you see someone fighting a mob near a chest or a mining or herb node, be kind. Most likely they are fighting their way through in order to get the node. Don't steal it while they are busy fighting. If you are unsure, wait until after they have finished killing the mob, then see if they go after the node. If not, then by all means, take it.

Likewise, if you are in an area where you need to kill certain mobs for a quest, and there are other people around doing the same quest, then be careful not to kill steal. Kill stealing is where a character will tag a mob (do the initial damage to a monster) so that when the mob is killed, they will get the credit for the kill. If you see someone else going for a mob, let them have it. The spawn rate in most areas is high enough that there should be enough mobs for everyone. And if all else fails, invite the other person into your group so that you both can share the kills.

Ninjas

If you are in a group and an item drops that requires a roll, do not roll need unless you actually need and can use the item. If you are just going to take it to sell, hit the greed button.

Social Interaction

Don't Beg.

Money is something that everyone needs and everyone is capable of earning. One of the most annoying things in game is to be hit up by someone begging for the money you have poured sweat and blood (well, your character's blood anyway) into getting. People don't like to be begged for money.

Do not beg a higher level to help you on something that you can do yourself. The Outland is not a place for a low level and you will most likely not find a high level who will kill things for you there so that you can reap the experience. Learn to do things yourself and get a group of people around your own level to help you complete quests that require more than one person.

Communication is a big part of the game. Challenging someone to a duel or petitioning someone for a signature for a guild charter is annoying if you did not talk to the person you are challenging or petitioning first. Often times, players can have many windows up on their screen and will accidentally check yes to an action they did not want to act on. The most polite thing to do, would be to ask the person's permission before you put the action into motion.

Remember, No means No. Do not pester someone once they have told you no on something. If someone does not want to duel the first time, it is likely they will not want to duel the sixth time you have asked them as well.

These are just a few suggestions on how to ensure a more pleasant experience in Azeroth.

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