As time goes by, though, a rift appears between people who have been playing a long time and people who are just getting started. Not only does the game development company have to make some hard decisions about whether it's more important to keep people playing every month or to get new people to start from the beginning, but the old players have to figure out how the new ones are going to fit into the social system they've developed.
The Burning Crusade tried to appeal to both sorts of gamers, with added content for both ends of the player community, but Wrath of the Lich King is taking another direction, with most of its content only for people who are ready to leave Outland behind. But the patch 2.3 changes reveal a different strategy for attracting new WoW players: rather than adding new content to attract new players, Blizzard can just make the old content faster, more streamlined, and get new players into the new higher-level content more reliably. Will this keep new players coming? Does Blizzard even need new players, financially speaking, or are they content to just try and keep all the existing players subscribing for as long as possible?
Either way, a more vital issue is at stake: As the WoW community has gotten older, we have noticed some old-time WoW players like to complain about "noobs" a lot, in a way that doesn't leave any room for new people to join in on the activities. For a newcomer, it feels like an exclusionist attitude. The "noobs" are running around in all the wrong gear, using all the wrong strategies, precisely because no one has interacted with them enough for them to learn how things are done here. Some aspects of WoW are not at all easy or intuitive, and it's counterproductive to blame the noobs instead of reaching out and lending a helping hand where appropriate.
But the problem for the more welcoming old-timers is that actual "new players" are so hard to come by, and those few are so disconnected from the rest of the community. I imagine new players have a hard time making friends as they level up these days because the leveling experience just isn't the same for all those old-timers coming back though with alts. New players may witness closed-off groups of alts rushing past them through the old content, and wonder why no one is talking. Many old-timers have gotten so focused on their own goals that they no longer see the value in finding and welcoming new players into their ranks. Even if they did so, the time-investment of helping them catch up and assist them in your goals in the past has been prohibitively high. The leveling speed increase with patch 2.3 should help -- but will it be enough?
There are two issues at work here -- first of all, there are some players who are too stingy to want to help anyone, calling every "bad player" they see a noob, but I suspect these are in the minority. Far more numerous are those who are just focused on their own end-game endeavors, too busy to pay newcomers much mind. Even if they were to encounter newcomers, they feel as though they don't have anything in common, or any mutually beneficial activities to pursue together. In such an environment, how can a community grow and thrive? What does Blizzard need to do to address this situation? New races and low-level zones in The Burning Crusade were very nice, but just how did they really give newcomers and old-timers a chance to mingle more?
Whether or not any of us has many chances to meet new players, all of us know someone who is new to whatever aspect of the game we are currently working through. Rather than just blowing such a person off when they make mistakes, it's crucial for old-time players to be patient and encourage them through their questions and concerns. The best of us all started out as new players, after all, and only progressed by learning together with others. Such learning is what the game is really all about. One needn't pamper a new player by doing things for them, of course, but guidance and encouragement go a very long way. Reaching out to help them learn the important things is something that can not only make them a better player -- it can make you a better person.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-19-2007 @ 4:00PM
mizatt said...
I think when people say "noobs" they aren't always referring to someone who's necessarily new to the game. I think more often it refers to someone who just hasn't gotten their head around a lot of the key concepts. More commonly that's new players, but someone who's been playing since beta and still hasn't figured out their class would fit the definition of a noob, I think
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11-19-2007 @ 4:06PM
Ghost said...
Another factor you didn't mention -- blurring of class roles and getting the older players to accept it. Paladin tanks and druid tanks can now tank almost all of the high end content -- a role normally reserved for prot warriors. Since 2.3, feral cats geared out in rogue gear can dps within a couple percent of rogues. Since 2.3, retadins can be in the top 5 dps in 25 man content. Older players have been proving to be a lot less flexible about thinking about raid roles. Its not just accepting new players, its also adapting to blizzard's apparent goal of having multiple classes/builds able to fill any given role allowing for more diverse successful raid builds.
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11-19-2007 @ 4:10PM
Imogen said...
A lot of our key members joined after TBC came out and have never done MC, Onyxia, BWL etc. So they could be considered Noobs but they really learnt their stuff with a bit of help and guidance in TBC.
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11-19-2007 @ 4:20PM
b. guppy said...
I appreciate the message this article is trying to convey. I've been playing WoW for two years and, looking back, I realize how very, very little I really knew in the beginning. There is a vast amount of information you accumulate over time while playing. I feel sorry for new players who ask questions in general chat and receive ten wrong answers and/or derogatory comments before someone is kind enough to truly help them. I've known people who leave WoW for other MMOs with kinder, more helpful communities.
It's easy to get wrapped in your own goals as most of us do not have unlimited time to play. Yet, think of all the hours you *are* playing and attempt to set aside a few moments to help someone new or to be kind enough to answer a question or, at the very least, remove "noob" from the end of your sentence.
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11-19-2007 @ 4:23PM
hk47 said...
Seems to be the best word for insulting these days. I mean... how many times you just passed a true new-comer with a light smile behind the keyboard and how many times "noob" appeared in your head when someone is really getting on your nerves.
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11-19-2007 @ 4:26PM
Ben said...
Another problem of the stigma attached to being a noob is encouraging players who ARE new to pretend that they aren't. I've been playing a lot on alts lately, mostly in the 20-50 level range, and I've been seeing this a lot: a tank trys to run circles around a mob "so they can't hit me", an RFC group with 2 paladins and 2 shamans "needs to find a priest so we have a healer", a rogue Needs an int cloak "for better poisons", the inevitable melee hunter, and all for the same reason: "I'm not a noob".
Compounding this are players who HAVE been playing for a while but either don't understand the game or understand it in a very arbitrary way. This ranges from "you must be Prot to tank SFK" to the one person in your WC group who insists that every pull be CC'd down to one with full target marks (and leaves when the group does rolling pulls because they're "noobs"). These are the players who are a font of advice for the "noob" because they're the quickest to use the word. From spec advice, loot rules ("every group passes on BoP, noob") to group mechanics, they're quick to tell a new player the ONE TRUE ANSWER (tm) which is, as often as not, wrong.
The current WoW culture seems choked with unfounded confidence in ones opinions (the experienced, but inexpert, player) and a desire on the part of the new player to not be identified as new. Many MMO's have gotten around this issue by having some sort of formal flagging system where a player could identify themselves as a "Newbie Helper", someone who accepts questions from new players to help them get their feet wet. I wish WoW went the same route.
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11-19-2007 @ 4:42PM
r.a-c.r. said...
willam is a noob
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11-19-2007 @ 4:46PM
Spenda said...
I always help people who have a question about how the game works, but I rarely help new people who ask for the following:
1. A run through something (how will you ever learn to play if you don't try?)
2. Gold
I find that most "noobs" typically are looking for help in one of the above two areas. Playing the game for someone else isn't helping them.
Literally playing someone else's character is even worse. I've met some people in game who are near 70, but because of all the run-throughs and help they have received they are completely unprepared to do anything with their 70. It is just as bad as buying a character.
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11-19-2007 @ 5:12PM
Krick said...
There's no way around it, WoW is a huge game that requires you to do your homework. I've spent way more time researching talents, gear, enchants, quests, grinding spots, etc... outside the game for my pally than I've actually spent playing in-game. Unfortunately, if you're not willing to put in the homework time you're destined to always be a "noob".
...
Krick
http://www.tankadin.com
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11-19-2007 @ 5:25PM
Andy said...
I'm still a noob w/ 2 70s - always trying to learn how to improve & do better.
I enjoy occasionally helping new players - recently someone lvl 20 was asking directions that I realized would trigger a fight w/ two lvl 30 (or so) mobs in SW keep (Seal of Wrynn chain). I escorted him to the location / ran for the apples / ran back / let him trigger the fight, killed the mobs when he was at 20% health. 15 minutes - Good fun.
Sometimes the people helped just want more help (begging for runthroughs/gold/raiding guild invites/ gets you ignored) - "Help a 'lock is camping me in STV" can bring good times :)
Moral of this long story - Help a new player once a week - Its more fun than running the dailies - & who knows when they may hit 70 / gear up & remember you {well - never on that last one - lol}
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11-19-2007 @ 5:44PM
neuromancer said...
One part of the problem is play styles. I tend to be a solitary player. If I want to be in a group, I'll go to where I'll be questing/grinding, and ask a few people if they want to get together and move through things quicker. If I'm really feeling social, I'll put a shout out in general chat. Otherwise, I'll usually decline any "long term" group runs. If someone asks me for help on a quest, I might help, as long as it won't take too long and the other guy has a general idea of what they need to do. If they keep asking "what's next", I'm dropping the group and leaving the area.
Another problem is the real difference between noobs and new players.
The loudest guy who insists they're always right, no matter what level, are noobs. The guy who insists that priests can conjure food/water, the druid who insists their group needs a tank, the guy who asks where everything is in a capital city, they're the noobs. I'll correct them, or answer their first question, but I stop after that as a point of principal.
The new players, on the other hand, are smart enough to listen to what you tell them. They make mistakes, plenty of mistakes (I know I did, and still do), but when they're corrected they listen and work on improving their game. They don't ask for run throughs, they don't beg for gold, and they don't demand that you help them through an easily solo-able quest for their class/level.
The last problem, that I can think of, is the ammount of time invested. If you've got a person who's been with WoW, or any other MMO, from the beginning, they've probably been helping new players for a while, and are getting tired of it. Unless you're the kind of person who finds fulfillment in helping people day in and day out, there comes a point where you just want to be left alone.
One way to alleviate the problem is guild recruitment. Having more guilds open to new players means they'll be put into a smaller community that actively wants to help.
Another option, which was suggested before, would be the choice to flag yourself as "new player friendly".
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11-19-2007 @ 6:37PM
Scruffy said...
Get 'em while they're young. Er, so to speak. You'll have a much better chance raising some fine players than trying to inform a 68 ret pally how to AOE tank or teach a 70 warrior how to multi-mob tank....
I understand that not everyone seeks out the wisdom of the more experienced. Some will remember what you tell them and others won't. People spamming raid warnings in my PUG get booted. First BOP item to get greeded, that's a warning (mostly because I'd rather not sit on my thumb looking for a replacement after that far in). Hunter tags the moon right after it's sheeped? Guess who's tanking it for a couple seconds?
Explaining desirable stats for certain classes and specs, theorycrafting talent builds, class/profession synergy, etc., etc.... I've only got one 70 but that hasn't stopped me from learning all I can on other classes, playing with talent builds and looking comments of abilities (talented and trainable). I've explained to warlocks in my guild what they should be looking for, that thunderclap can be used in defensive stance, how to line of sight pull casters.... As I said before, some will catch on. Others? Not always.... There's only so much you can teach in PUGs before you have an untimely D/C or need a "quick brb" that turns into an afk. Guildies seem to either learn or leave. Taught a warlock that he needed some god damn stam (level 70, barely breaking 5k HP) and spell hit. Last I saw, he was pushing affliction spec and enough spell hit to tag level 76s.
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11-19-2007 @ 7:51PM
Rob said...
I was in a leveling guild until shortly before I hit 70. It was alot of fun, but in the end the guild fractured because, well, alot of reasons, but for me there were certain people who wanted 5 run throughs the same place, and meanwhile complained how useless he was as a fury warrior. And i couldn't say no. So i left eventually, moved to a guild where I'm not an officer, not in charge of newbs (heck there are only a handful of newbs), etc. I like it much better, the enjoyment of the game is vastly increased when I dont have to drop what i'm doing, and run help some idiot.
Also recently the newbs cry to the guild (besides the usual 'i want this, i need that'), 'I'm stuck'. Seriously, what can we do to help? You got yourself into the situation. Kill yourself or something, stop bothering us!
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11-19-2007 @ 8:12PM
Narissa of Eldre Thalas said...
My guild on Eldre'Thalas we tend to pick up new people. Instead of going noob this and that, we teach. I've found that with enough patience you can seriously bring about some fantastic players. Not only are they thankful for the time you've spent but in the end you have a guild member you know. Granted we're a small guild and it's been trial and error, but I've even taught a couple of my own officers. Of which I am very very proud of you guys at "Sisters of Diana".
Let's face it, after two years of teh game, they keep me going and on my toes all the time.
CHEERS!
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11-20-2007 @ 5:22AM
Luke said...
When i first joined on Nagrand, I made a lot of friends and found a good guild by lvl 15. Now im on Quel'Thalas and Im 19 with no-one on the friend list or in a guild simply because no-one likes to talk anymore because they are too busy building their alts. It's actually detrimental to the playing experience because I enjoy the social aspect of talking to people, even if we're not grouping, so it's a bit pants.
Good article btw. I think what they should do in the next patch is create a new mid-level area, say 30-40, because at the moment to only real place to do that sort of leveling is Stranglethorn Vale, which gets dead boring after a couple of levels.
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11-20-2007 @ 7:33AM
Extremitus said...
As a self confessed WoW-Pimp I am constantly on the lookout for new potential players. If they sign up I make sure they've got all the advice, support and bags they need to make their experience as enjoyable as possible. It's a good thing.
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11-20-2007 @ 7:37AM
Extremitus said...
Oh sorry for the double post but I also wanted to add that I will only help unknown folk if I can answer a question for them, and they then understand that question. The other day a guy asked where to go for the drops on the Fire Totem shammy quest. I told him explicity, with coords then with precise directions, and all I got was "run me" or "i dont understand" or even worse "you didnt tell me"!!!! That said if someone asks something in general and I can help them, I will. Unless they're a paladin.
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11-20-2007 @ 10:56AM
Brian Karasek said...
It's sad to see people badmouthing new players for being new. Not everyone was born with innate genetic knowledge of how to play the game. Lots of people, sure, but not everyone.
I always tell people that if you never talk to strangers, you never make friends. If you refuse to offer advice, you're worse than the people who need it.
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11-20-2007 @ 1:01PM
MechChef said...
I was stopped in the Barrens, and a lowbie rogue was begging me to open the chest for Poison's Quest. I refused because he was begging to "run him" through it, because the chest doesn't work like standard chests (open, loot, and as soon you stop using it, it dissapears as it's empty to me), and because he was neglecting his lockpicking skill.
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11-20-2007 @ 1:42PM
hisame said...
Luke wrote: "Good article btw. I think what they should do in the next patch is create a new mid-level area, say 30-40, because at the moment to only real place to do that sort of leveling is Stranglethorn Vale, which gets dead boring after a couple of levels."
With Patch 2.3 Dustwallow is a very viable place to level at that range (though it starts around 33, unlike STV which starts at 30). It was so liberating dropping every STV quest.
After going through STV at least 6 times, I am never going back there other than to fill out my map.
In addition because of the reduced exp requirements, there's a lot less running around between zones trying to find quests your level (this is a problem I found much worst with my Horde characters than my Alliance ones).
Everyone was a 'noob' at one point, but those who chose to learn eventually out grow the name.
I remember teaching a level 70 pally that he had Blessing of Protection (a level 10 trainable spell). There are also those who will always be 'noobs'.
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