WoWGrrl's World

A lot of what I do in-game is meant for one thing:

To Entertain Myself.

Whether it's completing daily quests, or going into PUG dungeons at various levels, or PUG raids that are failure raids right from the start (follow me on Twitter to read about my #failpug #badpugs experiences as they happen), I'm in them for my own personal entertainment.

Sure, some of what I do helps other people too - raiding, running friends' lowbies through instances for gear and leveling up, Wintergrasp - but I've taken up the mindset that if I'm not going to have fun doing whatever I do, I'm not going to do it.

Raids and PUGS Need To Be Kept "Fun"

I know, I know - some people wonder how in the heck I can have "fun" while in some of the FailPUGs that we all get into.

FailPUGs with inexperienced players or socially inept individuals or DPS plate-wearers (or Shaman) who think they can tank just fine.

Or loud-mouthed individuals who talk on and on about themselves, like any of us care ;)

Or the new VoA PUGs that are forming still full of people who expect a faceroll raid and don't gear-check.

How do I have fun?

Well, first of all, I view everything as being like an interactive television program, specifically created for my personal entertainment.

This way, I get to play the awesome character that everyone loves, AND I get to laugh my ass off at the stereotyped personalities that are presented to me through the "WoW Sitcom".

Maybe I can give an example of what I mean, to make my example more clear:

A Recent FailPug Adventure Into Blood Furnace

Here I am in Thrallmar on my low-60s Resto Shaman, looking to get some quick experience and quick gear without running all over Hellfire's Acreage. I put myself in LFG for Hellfire Ramparts and Blood Furnace, and for Slave Pens too, for the heck of it.

I see an advertisement immediately on the LookingForGroup channel that a BF group is looking for a healer and is good to go. I respond, they invite, we exchange pleasantries, and the adventure begins.

Before we even got into Blood Furnace, I am reminded that Hellfire Citadel is, indeed, a Driving and Coordination Test for new players. Those pathways are thin in some spots, you have to be comfortable with the speed and turning abilities of your mount.

Needless to say, two people died "falling" deaths before we made it into the instance.

They make their way back to their bodies and get summoned back up and eventually we all make it to the instance.

We get in and get started, and it's all going great - we were rockin' through the instance, clearing trash packs at a time, and we defeat the first boss no problem.

Casualties, and Loss Of PUGmates

But then an unfortunate pull in a place with bombs silenced my healing for a while, and we wiped.

One of our DPS logs out without a word, leaving the party and the game.

We pick up someone new.

On the way to summon the new DPS, the Tank (who had had a falling death before coming in) fell to his death AGAIN. When he ran back, he repeated his performance (by dying a THIRD time to falling), and then just left the party and logged out. In frustration, I'd suppose.

I really can't help but laugh at the vision of the frustrated Tank who couldn't figure out how to drive his mount safely...

What's Our Party About, Again?

So, we summon the new DPS and pick up a new Tank. Only, the new tank is dead, and Flagged for PvP.

A DPS in the group decides it would be smart to go over and resurrect the Tank so we can get going on our dungeon quest, but then HE gets PvP'd.

The Tank's other DPS buddy tries to convince our entire party to go out there and join in the PvP.

Suddenly, I'm AFK. ;)

Continued Challenge of Re-Filling

We get back to the instance - four of us, and then the DPS who attempted to rez the Tank, leaves without a word.

And JUST WHEN YOU THINK it can't possibly get worse, we pick up a new DPS and his first words are:

"How do I get there? I'm new to the Outlands"

Guess what class he is?

Deathknight, of course. So he's new to Outlands, which means he's probably pretty new to the game.

At this point, the party fell apart because the new leader left without word as the new Tank was trying to lead the newbie DK up to where the Blood Furnace entry point was, and myself and a Mage who had been there all along during this debacle both exclaimed at the same time how crazy this attempt at Blood Furnace turned out to be.

How Can That Be Anything But Hilarious?

Okay, truthfully I know the answer to my own question, but let me say this:

That whole escapade was a royal waste of time, I didn't get any gear upgrades from it, but I still choose to see it as completely and utterly hilarious.

I love to know that there are still a lot of players who are new to the game and improving their skills from a very raw state, just like there are a lot of quality players who have honed their skills to a near art.

After all, I think it's a healthy game that attracts both the new and the elite at the same time - and every time I get into a party like I was in above, I'm able to see how far my own understanding of playing various classes on WoW has improved from my first days where I feared dungeons since I had a habit of killing people in them.

And of course, it also makes me appreciate the groups that run smoothly and don't waste my time.

I'm always up for things that bring me reasons to be appreciative, aren't you? :)

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Related posts:

1. My First Heroics Dungeon: Blood Furnace
2. When The Worst Raids Provide The Best Entertainment…
3. Practicing The Adventure of Malygos

Tagged as: bad pugs, blood furnace, outland, pick up groups, PUGs