Being Self-Sufficient in the World of Warcraft
One of the best ways to earn the respect of your guildmates is to be self-sufficient. World of Warcraft is a dynamic game that allows you to participate in all kinds of activities: questing, dungeons, raids, professions, and PVP to name a few. Your goals might include leveling to 80, improving your gear, and maxing out a profession. If you’re in a guild, you’re part of a group of people who also have their own goals. We all have only a limited amount of time to work with, and while it’s nice to help others out when able, it simply isn’t feasible to do every single time.
If you are in a leveling guild, or any guild with alts, you know what I’m talking about. Yes, it’s hard to get a group together for Gnomeregan or Sunken Temple, but that does not give you an excuse to beg in guild chat asking for run-throughs. Is there only one tank online in your guild? That does not automatically mean they want to tank the daily heroic for you, or any other instance.
Mount training is expensive, but asking for a handout is not the way to get there. Need 1,000 gold for your flying training? Go out and earn it. It’s a lot more rewarding that way! Grab a mining pick, skinning knife, or whatever implement you need and get to work. They aren’t called professions for nothing!
Being self-sufficient means meeting your goals while helping other people meet their goals. It’s not hard to get to level 80 without taking your guildies away from what they want to be doing. Instead of asking for someone to run you through the Deadmines, it’s a better idea to use the Looking For Group system, or ask if anyone in your guild has an alt that would like to run with you. If you are lucky, someone might offer to run you through anyway. When I see someone constantly asking to be run through dungeons, I am very unlikely to help them.
Another benefit of being self-sufficient is learning how to play your class. When you ask someone run you through a dungeon, not only are you asking them to take time away from what they were doing, but you’re looking to get XP and loot without any effort. This does not give you a chance to improve your gameplay. Yes, it will take longer to complete a dungeon with people your own level, but the experience you will gain playing your class will pay off later on. It’s not hard to tell who has never done a dungeon the “regular way” when you are in a raid like Naxxramas. It’s the DPS who is constantly pulling aggro, the healer who doesn’t dispel, or the tank who can’t find the taunt button. Take the time to learn how to play your class without begging for help, and you will become an experienced player who has earned the respect of your guildies.