It's true. I'm becoming needy. I didn't use to be needy at all. Back in the golden years of Wrath Heroics, I'd almost never NEED anything. Even if it was an upgrade to what I already had, I was the proverbial good-guy:
"No, you take it. Really. I WANT you to have it. It would look better on you anyway. Really, go ahead. I'll get one next time. I picked up a gray rusted dagger worth 75 silver off of some trash, and it's all I really wanted in here - so enjoy!"
I would only NEED on an item when it was a seriously noticeable upgrade to a current item. And I'd only GREED in a group where everyone else was GREEDY. If someone wanted to Disenchant, I'd pass on everything.
Well, SCREW THAT. We're in Cataclysm now, baby!
The Dungeon Finder Tool is having a much larger impact on the game than most people realize. Let me run on this tangent for a minute, then I'll get back to being needy.
The Dungeon Finder Tool is changing the social dynamic radically. There is no longer a need to cultivate relationships, because grouping is no longer based on how well-connected you are. I used to be able to group instantly, because I had pugged so much that I had a long Friend list of potential Puggers, and I was on their list. I'd usually be in a group within SECONDS. These days, I log in, join a random heroic queue, and in about 20 minutes I'm thrown face first into a dungeon with complete strangers. (Last night's Halls of Origination was a FIASCO. The Huntard died on virtually EVERY major encounter. Don't get me started.)
It's also a major impact on guilds, as it becomes increasingly difficult to transition puggers into guildmates. I joined many of my previous guilds simply because I'd been getting picked up for Heroics and Raids so much that joining them permanently was a natural transition. These days, the people I pug with are not only outside of my guild, they're outside of my SERVER, so playing with them often enough to consider joining their guild is completely out.
And because of grouping with strangers who will never interact again, there is almost no chitty-chitty-chat-chat during the dungeon. Dead silence rules. Last night, my death-emotes about the frequently-dead Huntard were the only words in the chat window:
Mortigan says, 'Dibs on Huntard's Cloak! We'll roll for the rest of the gear!'
Mortigan starts to dig a grave for Huntard.
Mortigan says, 'Let's all bow our heads in a moment of silence for Huntard.'
Mortigan starts to rummage through Huntard's pockets. 'There's got to SOMETHING here worth selling!'
Lastly, it's even easier now to pug than put together a Guild group. I'd LOVE to group with the guild, but my online time is generally later than them, and everyone is generally busy doing different things. It's honestly easier to work on professions and gold-farming while in queue, than trying to manually get 4 other people to show up someplace. I think the ease of the Dungeon Finder is hurting guild grouping.
Now back to being needy. I'm pugging with people on other servers. People I will likely NEVER see again. So if people get pissy about me being needy, it really doesn't matter. Especially on the last boss. So these days, if something is even a little bit better than what I had, I'm going to NEED it. No, I don't NEED crap that I don't really need. But I'll have no more of that "Oh, you need it? Oh, OK, you can have it. I'm a nice guy." or "You plan to disenchant it? Sure, I needed the 20 gold I'd get for selling it, but hey, you plan to DISENCHANT it. Go for it!" Hell no. I need it, so I'm pressing NEED. Don't like it? Well, you can press NEED too, buddy. Best of luck to you.
One last thing. I don't disenchant, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't get an equal shot at items. You disenchant? That's great. But I shouldn't go home empty-handed so that you can scurry back to your server with piles of gear to disenchant. So if you're getting everything with your Disenchant option, I'm going to get EXTRA needy the further in we go. I know, I'm being crotchety. But these days, I really NEED stuff.
Mortigan of the Shiny New Gear
Err... ya know a disenchant roll has the same weight as a greed roll, right?
ReplyDeleteSure... but there's been a long-standing "I disenchant so I should get everything" mentality... and if I see them walking away with everything, I'm going to be sure I leave with something, too.
ReplyDeleteAlso to clarify -- the Disenchant option is only available if someone of appropriate skill level is in the group, but anyone who selects that option will automatically receive the enchant mats in their bag. No trading from enchanter, no need for the enchanter to do anything...the game automatically uses their skill to create the mats, and then distributes those mats to the roll winner. So the only reason to roll Disenchant over Greed is if you prefer to have mats than the item -- it's strictly a personal monetary call as to which you prefer, and the enchanter doesn't have a higher chance of walking away with anything.
ReplyDeleteMorty, the way Blizz has changed the need/greed button functionality, they've removed the annoyance factor in pugs. No longer can the Huntard roll on strict lock gear. No longer can the lock, roll on leather items. Sure, that weapon with strength or agility might be an upgrade (if only iLevel), you'll still only be able to roll Greed (or DE) on it. So, IMHO, take it where you can. If you're in a pug, be the dog, er, Worgen you are, and roll greed on everything (unless it's an upgrade of course). At least it's gold in the pocket later on.
ReplyDeleteThere's no gold for being nice and simply passing. Heck with 4.1, we now can simply re-run the dungeon another 6 times, until we get that absolutely fabulous upgrade.
If there's an enchanter in the group of high enough skill that the Disenchant option is available, everyone can select Disenchant...including you. So there's no more, "need for disenchant." Everyone can choose to Disenchant and the highest roll gets the enchanting mats (for your auctioning pleasure if you can't use them).
ReplyDelete