Many World of Warcraft quests—especially those in dungeon instances—require teamwork. Working with a good World of Warcraft group can be great fun and an excellent way to meet online friends for future quests.
On the other hand, a bad group quickly devolves into in-fighting, insults and ninja looting. A basic understanding of group structure and looting etiquette can make the difference between an enjoyable dungeon run and complete disaster.
Supporting the Group Tank
Everyone has a role to play in a World of Warcraft group, whether your character specialized in damage per second (dps), area of effect spells or healing. Each group has a slightly different dynamic, but almost all groups have group “tank.”
The group tank is usually a warrior, paladin or other character class capable of taking and dealing large amounts of damage. The tank has the responsibility of pulling mobs (monsters and NPCs) away from areas with multiple monsters so the group can kill them. A tank also takes the bulk of the damage during a fight, with the rest of the group providing back-up.
Group members can help the group tank by focusing fire on the mob the tank is fighting. Large area of effect spells should be used carefully to avoid pulling additional mobs into the battle. Damage per second spells and abilities are excellent back up for the tank, as are damage over time spells.
If additional mobs are drawn into the battle, players with crowd control abilities (such as the Polymorph spell) can keep those mobs busy until the tank is ready for them.
Hunter Pets and Tanking
Hunter Pets sometimes function as tanks, or as support for the group tank. Before entering a group instance, hunters should make sure their pets are set to Passive or Defensive. A hunter pet set to Aggressive will attack whatever it sees in a dungeon. This can lead to inadvertently pulling extra mobs into combat, which can result in group wipes (where the whole group gets killed).
A hunter who keeps his or her pet set to Aggressive in a group instance is going to receive some rather curt comments from teammates, or possibly even get booted from the group. So keep hunter pets under control!
Healers and World of Warcraft Groups
Healers are another constant in World of Warcraft group dynamics. A group may be able to get by without crowd control or damage per second abilities, but every group needs a tank and a healer.
The group healer’s first responsibility is to keep the tank alive. Other group members need to realize this and not rag on the healer if they get killed. A healer will heal other members if possible, but his or her attention should be focused on the tank. If it comes down to healing the tank or the rouge that just pulled additional mobs into the fight, the healer should pick the tank.
Don’t be a Ninja Looter
A dungeon instance can yield some high level loot, and players may dispute who gets what. The worst group members are the ninja looters, who trick other players out of as much loot as possible.
When dividing loot, use some sense. A mage can’t use a bind-on equip shield, nor can he auction it, so if the tank wants it, let him have it. Passing on loot so other characters can use it is a quick way to win respect form other players, who will often return the favor. And if you really want something, ask the other players before laying claim to it.
Avoiding In-Fighting
Eventually, every group gets wiped out, or a group member loses out on a really nice piece of World of Warcraft loot. At such times it helps to remember that WoW is just a game. A dungeon instance can always be run again to get more loot, or when players are a little higher level.
Taking out mistakes on other group members or accusing players of ninjaing loot doesn’t make the game any more fun—and may lose players friends. Playing it laid-back and cool is usually the best option—even if that aggressive hunter pet just got you all wiped!
 |
