The back story begins with an incident between two widely known members of the guild:
A few nights ago I was playing late in WoW. As is my habit, I gave a shout out to the guildies when I logged on, and continued to monitor the chatter among guildies on the guild channel. It was pretty darned late at night, and the regulars were the main folks online. A group was forming up to do the SM instance (Scarlet Monastery...no one refers to an instance by name, just initials.). I was asked, and declined the offer as I was midway through a really long and frustrating quest specfically for warlocks. I noticed that one of the core guildies online seemed to decline too as he said, I'm busy in a quest right now. I remember this because I noticed he was in Desolace and since I had quests there and since this quest I was on was dogging me, I considered asking him to partner with me to knock off some quests there.
As it turned out, a party for the SM instance was formed without our questing friend, who apparently finished up his quest and headed back to the SM area. It was a long trip, as can sometimes be the case in WoW if you are not in handy gryphon route reach. Apparently when he got there, or as he got there, or as he announced he was about there, he learned that he wasn't needed, a group of five (that's the max allowed in a party) had been assembled, mostly of the other regulars.
This person felt wronged and insisted he had laid claim to being interested but had to wrap up his quest first. The party leader disagreed with the interpretation. Unfortunately the disagreement took place on the guild chat channel, for all logged in guildies to see, and unfortunately it got heated. Before the night was over, one person had quit the guild and others followed the next day. The guild began to split aruond two key players: one, the GM of the guild who had happened to be in the party, and two, the allegedly wronged individual who was, until he quit, a guild officer. Both people are very much liked among most of the guild. By the very next day, the member who quit in anger was solicted others to quit and was starting up another guild.
In the days that followed, everyone in this group (GamerX: Holly, Eric, James, Vicki, and myself) as well as other friends we have in the guild, Sarianna, Bany, Dimentia, and others, were faced with the need to take sides. To stay in Night Shift was to deny one person's experience, and to leave Night Shift was to ascribe blame to another. Some folks jumped right away. I waited a couple of days. Sure enough, a second guild emerged and folks began to join that one. I was not happy with things and resented having to choose. I ended up making an alt, another toon, that could play in one guild whilst Hallgrima played in another. What a drag. Others did the same though.
Of course I kept all my old guildies on my friends list and continued to interact with them no matter which guild they were in. I discovered the pleasure of creating a second character that was different from my first. I tried my hand at being a mage with the complementary professions of herbalism and alchemy.
But wait, this ain't over...
Yesterday, while running some quests with the GM of the old guild, I learned that the two people in question had made up (his words). In fact, I found out that one had lent the other 80 Gold to buy his mount now that he was a level 40 and eligible for a mount. At first I was incredulous, then amused, but finally pissed...pissed at all the needless energy wasted trying to accommodate friends who seemed to be going separate ways. Yes, pissed that I had to make choices and waste time creating and grinding levels on a new character. Pissed at the whole dramatic pile of b.s.
I guess if you acknowledge that social life thrives in virtual environments, you have to also acknowledge that it is susceptible to the same whims and madness of real world social life. Arg.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Affordances and Constraints
I don't want to get in to Gibson's definition or Norman's extension of the yin/yang concepts of affordances and constraints and how they mediate our experience. At least, not here, not now. I want to tell an illustrative story.
Last night, late, I was in WoW with Felison. We were whacking moles up in Arathi Highlands. We got the quest done easily; and it was one I'd had for a while and been unable to do alone. Then we decided we wanted to do more, and we opted for a shot at Stromgarde Keep. PIck up badges as drops from bad guys there.
Pretty quickly we realized we couldn't do that alone and we called for another guildie in the area. His name slips my mind at present, which is kinda sad actually. I remember everyone else in the eventual party. We headed into Stromgarde and did fairly well in the courtyard, but we were having enough trouble that everyone agreed when I suggested we summon Brudie. Brudie popped in, full of energy and pep, and we proceeded to do a nice clean up in the courtyard. Then we charged the steps of the castle. And died. Complete party wipe, twice. So I suggested we get a fifth, but no more guldies were on that were above lvl 27. The guy who's name I forget suggested a friend, Addida (yeah, no S), and we summoned him. To my surprise he was a 6" gnome warrior. Very cool guy.
We really wiped up the courtyard and headed inside. We were making great progress and found the final room. It was a blind turn, and even with Brudie/Datta sneaking ahead, we got blind sided by three elites. We tried three times; wiped all three, and Brudie suddenly said, "So uh does anyone actually have the quest for these guys' heads?"
To our amusement we all answered, no, we needed the badges. "So why are we here instead of successfully killing in the courtyard?" We offered sarcastic replies, and then headed to the courtyard.
My point is that we went into the castle and fought our way all the way up without thinking because the game culture and the presence of a castle, guarded by bad guys, and with interior stairs leading up, shaped our behavior. Like trained seals we did as we assumed, without even conscious acknowledgement, we were meant to do. Now it was fun, but it was a waste of time. But it WAS fun, but it was not useful. We made a mental note to come back with a posse and clear the place cause we don't like losing.
and oh yeah...DING! level 36!
Last night, late, I was in WoW with Felison. We were whacking moles up in Arathi Highlands. We got the quest done easily; and it was one I'd had for a while and been unable to do alone. Then we decided we wanted to do more, and we opted for a shot at Stromgarde Keep. PIck up badges as drops from bad guys there.
Pretty quickly we realized we couldn't do that alone and we called for another guildie in the area. His name slips my mind at present, which is kinda sad actually. I remember everyone else in the eventual party. We headed into Stromgarde and did fairly well in the courtyard, but we were having enough trouble that everyone agreed when I suggested we summon Brudie. Brudie popped in, full of energy and pep, and we proceeded to do a nice clean up in the courtyard. Then we charged the steps of the castle. And died. Complete party wipe, twice. So I suggested we get a fifth, but no more guldies were on that were above lvl 27. The guy who's name I forget suggested a friend, Addida (yeah, no S), and we summoned him. To my surprise he was a 6" gnome warrior. Very cool guy.
We really wiped up the courtyard and headed inside. We were making great progress and found the final room. It was a blind turn, and even with Brudie/Datta sneaking ahead, we got blind sided by three elites. We tried three times; wiped all three, and Brudie suddenly said, "So uh does anyone actually have the quest for these guys' heads?"
To our amusement we all answered, no, we needed the badges. "So why are we here instead of successfully killing in the courtyard?" We offered sarcastic replies, and then headed to the courtyard.
My point is that we went into the castle and fought our way all the way up without thinking because the game culture and the presence of a castle, guarded by bad guys, and with interior stairs leading up, shaped our behavior. Like trained seals we did as we assumed, without even conscious acknowledgement, we were meant to do. Now it was fun, but it was a waste of time. But it WAS fun, but it was not useful. We made a mental note to come back with a posse and clear the place cause we don't like losing.
and oh yeah...DING! level 36!
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Pro-social aspects of WoW
I've been thinking a lot lately about the pro-social aspects of Wow; being someone who actually likes solo play (I like to do a lot of wandering around and exploring on my own as an herbalist) I am learning how well the game has been designed to depend on cooperation and collaboration. I wonder if this environment is what leads to such helpful behavior?
In the last couple of days, I was helped in a class quest (Druid getting bear shape-shifting abilities) by another Druid just slightly above me in level (who had already done so). The player walked me through the whole process. In response to my thanks the player said - "That's what its all about, isn't it?" In return, he asked that I help someone in the same way.
I also just got invited to a joined a guild that very deliberately fosters an environment of respect, sharing, and collaboration. I watched one person get booted from the guild for too much cursing (so there are strong group norms), and I was helped by another through the process of using an auction house for the first time to buy better armor. (I am still somewhat mystified by weaponry tho - perhaps it is my 60's pacifist nature that is raising my unconscious resistance to learning).
I was then inspired to go on a quest with someone else who was about half my level. The quest (relics of awakening) is a somewhat difficult one, with high experience points (over 800), but the monsters are only 8-10 which isn't a problem for me at 12 but would have been for my partner at 6. I led the first half of the trip, serving mostly as healer so Ii could practice healing and he could practice fighting (although I would pitch in if it looked like my partner needed help, or if he was getting ganged up on.) I'm proud to say he only died once (and I died once when I got ganged up on by the 10 and several 9's). We found the first two quest items. Then he led the second half of the trip, and we found the last two quest items (meanwhile, he leveled up and got half-way through the next level). The whole experience was very satisfying.
Less satisfying was my first guild run, but only because I spent most of my time in a daze trying to keep up. The lead player was very helpful, but also pretty busy, and my role was just to watch. As the very lowest level player in the game by a longshot (the leader said, Perrenelle is just too little, she'll get eaten up), I had to watch from under a protection spell, but I wasn't ever sure I understood what I was watching, and I am sure that I wouldn't know how to do it myself after the lesson. I did get to watch how a close-up fighter teams with a more ranged fighter with a pet, and that was helpful.
In the last couple of days, I was helped in a class quest (Druid getting bear shape-shifting abilities) by another Druid just slightly above me in level (who had already done so). The player walked me through the whole process. In response to my thanks the player said - "That's what its all about, isn't it?" In return, he asked that I help someone in the same way.
I also just got invited to a joined a guild that very deliberately fosters an environment of respect, sharing, and collaboration. I watched one person get booted from the guild for too much cursing (so there are strong group norms), and I was helped by another through the process of using an auction house for the first time to buy better armor. (I am still somewhat mystified by weaponry tho - perhaps it is my 60's pacifist nature that is raising my unconscious resistance to learning).
I was then inspired to go on a quest with someone else who was about half my level. The quest (relics of awakening) is a somewhat difficult one, with high experience points (over 800), but the monsters are only 8-10 which isn't a problem for me at 12 but would have been for my partner at 6. I led the first half of the trip, serving mostly as healer so Ii could practice healing and he could practice fighting (although I would pitch in if it looked like my partner needed help, or if he was getting ganged up on.) I'm proud to say he only died once (and I died once when I got ganged up on by the 10 and several 9's). We found the first two quest items. Then he led the second half of the trip, and we found the last two quest items (meanwhile, he leveled up and got half-way through the next level). The whole experience was very satisfying.
Less satisfying was my first guild run, but only because I spent most of my time in a daze trying to keep up. The lead player was very helpful, but also pretty busy, and my role was just to watch. As the very lowest level player in the game by a longshot (the leader said, Perrenelle is just too little, she'll get eaten up), I had to watch from under a protection spell, but I wasn't ever sure I understood what I was watching, and I am sure that I wouldn't know how to do it myself after the lesson. I did get to watch how a close-up fighter teams with a more ranged fighter with a pet, and that was helpful.
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