However, some people think that since WoW is an online game about killing dragons and evil lich kings that everybody is a type A personality, with a push ahead attitude. And while I think a lot of players have this mentality, there are some who don't. Everybody plays this game for a different reason. I wanted to take this post to kind of describe the different mentalities I have run across in WoW and how to deal with them when conflicts arise. I'm gonna start with the most Type A personality and move down to the most Type B.
For definition purposes, Type A personalities are more of the aggressive while Type B tend to be more of a passive, subdued personality.
1) Narcissistic Asshole
This is a player who knows he is incredible at this game and he makes sure you know how awesome he is and if you question it, he will be offended and tell you how much better he is than you. I'm sure you have seen this in PUGs. This is the guy who post damage meters after every single fight when he knows he is on top and he wants to drive home how great he is. Making progress and killing bosses is secondary. He could do it if he wasn't with all of these losers. The best way to handle this type is to try to redirect his focus from himself to the task at hand. He may not do it. If he becomes disruptive, you can choose not to take him in your raids or never PUG with him again.
2) Focused Leader - This personality type is a person who plays the game well and has a focus on getting the job to be done. He may appear to come across as an asshole at times, but he sees everything as an end to a goal. He may put the goal above his own or your personal feelings. These players are the players who make great raid leaders. If you mess up, they will tell you that you messed up. Sometimes, this can be very vocal. This is not a terrible thing but some of the more type B personalities may see it as such. If you are in conflict with this personality, the best thing to do is to try to take it at face value. It is not that he really doesn't care about you, he is focused on the completion of a goal.
3) Caring Leader - This personality is still driven to a goal. They play the game incredibly well and remains focused. However, they are also the ones who can also understand the type B personalities more. Whereas the focused leader puts the goal above people, the caring leader puts the people equals with the goal. This is the personality where you see most good GMs come in at. They are the ones who you can always talk to about issues that you have. To be honest, you will very rarely find yourself in conflict with this personality mainly because they realize that good people are needed to reach the goal and they want to try to build it as much as possible.
4) Consistent Player - This is where I think most WoW gamers fall. They play the game well. They know their class inside and out. They are focused on a specific goal. They work well with both the focused and caring leader. They are not easily offended, they can take criticism, and they can give helpful criticism when necessary. However, they also realize that at times, things are more important than the goal. They understand the more type B personality and can even defend them when it seems the goal is being put ahead of the people. This is also what makes them shy away from more leadership roles due the possibility of offending people. They are happy showing up for raids and getting the job done. The people who conflict most with this personality type is the very top and bottom. The narcissistic asshole grind on them because of their annoyance. The passive player annoys them because they make no attempt to become better. They want the happy medium.
5) Sensitive Player - This is the player who can play their class well and understands the basics of the game. However, when the focused leader puts the goal first over them, they tend to become offended. These players are needed in every group. You can't just have a group of focused leaders because the ones who aren't the actual leaders become the narcissistic assholes over time trying to prove themselves. On the other hand, you can't have just sensitive players or you will get people who are not as motivated to reach a goal. If you are in conflict with a sensitive player, you have to just be open to their point of view. Don't belittle or mock their point of view. Just accept it. Tell them you understand where they are coming from but we need to head towards this goal.
6) Passive Player - This player plays with no intention of getting better. They believe that they do what they do and you have to accept them for who they are or you are out of luck. If you try to help them, they call you an elitist jerk. They just want to play. These can be almost as annoying as the narcissistic asshole, however, they come from two very different areas. They say that if you don't take them for what they are, then you are cliquish, etc. If you are in conflict with a passive player, you have to be corrective but be positive. Don't tell them they suck and they will never get better. It won't help them out at all. Help them out by actually being positive. With this type of player, tell them they are doing good, but we want to make you better. If they won't accept the instruction, then be honest and tell them that they may not raid with you.
Most of the time, most people will fall into one of these molds. Yes, you may have moments of being in one of the other areas. I can't tell you how many AN I have been booted from after I warned people not to bug the second boss, they do it anyway, and we all die and then I start on a narcissistic assholian rant. (I don't know if assholian is a word, but I'm creating it now.) I would love to hear your thoughts on this as well as some of the other personalities you run across in WoW.
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