Let me start out by saying that I love LFR. I think it is a great way for more casual players to see content that they might otherwise have missed out on. Being easier than normal raids, a group of thrown together players cane easily complete it within a reasonable amount of time. I like LFR so much that I take part of it on a weekly basis myself.

With all that being said, I feel that there are some glaring problems going on inside LFR. While LFR is pretty easy and made for a casual crowd, many players go into it with a ne'er-do-well attitude. The words “it is just LFR” get thrown around and many players commit various offenses that make the raid generally unpleasant for everyone.

These offenses tend to be pretty universal and one or more of them seem to take place in almost every single LFR. Here are the top 5 offenses players

BRB...AFK

Real life happens. There is no doubt about that. Guests show up unexpectedly, kids need you, you need a drink, nature calls. Whatever the reason, in a casual place like LFR, going AFK is probably not that big of a deal. In fact, even with one or two AFK players, the raid can probably continue chugging along. With that being said, it is downright rude to go AFK for long period of time, especially unannounced and allow the raid to carry you like dead weight.

However, each raid, at least one person does this. You will notice players at the beginning of the instance or worse, a tank who stops tanking half way through a boss because “he had to get a pizza”. Emergencies happen, but unless it is a true emergency, do the polite thing; announce your AFK to the rest of the group. If you plan on being away for an extended period of time, leave the raid group so that a new player who can actually participate can join the group.

No Teamwork

When it comes to LFR teamwork goes right out the window. There is this pervading idea that LFR is a joke and thus, everyone can do exactly what they want. DPS pulling mobs? Tanks pulling bosses without checking mana? Who cares! Everything goes and anyone who protests be damned. While teamwork is clearly not essential for LFR it could make it a much more pleasurable and smoothly running experience.

Perhaps we should all start acting like parts to a whole instead of parts separate from each other. After all, we are all there to kill bosses, get loot, and see the story line. Imagine what LFR could be if just a tiny bit of teamwork were put into play.

Who's on Heals?

When you queue up for LFR you are asked to pick your role. Then you wait around for other players to fill the other roles and you expect them to fulfill those roles while you wipe out the entire instance. However, that is sometimes just not the case. Often times, despite signing up for a specific role, players decide that they would rather not perform in. So DPS heal, healers DPS, and you are left with too little or too much of something. The worst part? They typically do this without being specced appropriately. Thankfully, in LFR you can push through these discrepancies.

However, the raid is a little bit harder for everyone so one or more people can do whatever they feel like doing. While I encourage players to play the role they want, they could just sign up for that role in the first place and save everyone the trouble. Going “it is so easy” is no excuse to hinder the raid, even if it is just a tiny bit. Perform the role you agreed to while playing with others, you can do whatever you like on your own time.

Stand in the Bad

LFR is pretty simplistic when compared to any other raid experience. It has to be. This means that bad stuff usually does less damage to players. In fact, you can probably stand in the bad stuff and live. Probably. That doesn't mean you should do it. Standing in bad stuff means you are making some other player's job more difficult. Not to mention you are going against one of the basic fundamentals of the game; don't stand in the bad. This basic rule should be learned and followed no matter what part of the game you are participating in or how “easy” it is.

Harassment

There is always at least one player in the raid who can't seem to keep their nasty comments in check. Vitriol spews forth from them on an almost constant basis. They insult everyone and everything. Everyone sucks, no one can heal, DPS is awful, and that tauren looks like your Mom. No matter how smoothly the raid is running, these players continue to bring everyone down.

If the raid happens to be going south, then things get worse. These players call out people and run them down, call them nasty names, and otherwise rip them apart. In fact, they are more than willing to point out every mistake...except their own. While LFR can be frustrating and so is wiping, this doesn't help things at all. Name calling, racial slurs, berating, brow beating, and other nastiness won't get you anywhere. Helpful advice, humor, and encouragement are the way to go. Remember, you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

While I am not saying LFR should go super serious, I do think that players should at least attempt to make run go as smoothly as possible. Not only for their benefit, but for the benefit of the other 24 players in the raid. We should stop using “it is just LFR” as our excuse and instead play to our best ability and under the understanding that 24 other people are also trying to enjoy the game. Getting rid of many of these offenses would help to rid LFR of it's bad reputation and make it a more enjoyable experience for all.

What are some annoying/rude/terrible offenses you have encountered while taking part in a LFR group? Share your experiences with us in the comments section below!


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Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

About The Author

Amunet, also fondly known as Memtron, is an organic life form best known for its ongoing obsession with Blizzard Entertainment's numerous properties. To that end, Amu has authored hundreds (thousands?) of the most popular World of Warcraft guides, editorials, and Top 10 lists on the planet. When not gaming and writing, Amu is busy chasing after her three children in a perpetual loop of ongoing disaster.

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