Thursday, January 28, 2010

Lost, or "No, Not the TV Show"

There is no non-player-induced situation in the world (of Warcraft) as likely to make me cry as being lost in ghost form. Particularly during a pug.

I once ran back to a death knight and led him all the way through Utgarde Keep to the last boss just because I know how awful it is to be lost and not have anyone care or help.

One drawback I've found to the LFG system is that people who haven't done the instances before don't know where the entrance is when you have to run back after a wipe. On my mage, I always wait at the spirit healer until everyone seems to know where they're going, and once I know I don't have to lead anyone back I'll go in myself.

Yesterday eve, I dropped group on Birdfall so that I wouldn't make the morons talking about T10 gear wait an hour for my floundering before they kicked me, and then I sat there without any clue how to get back up to the spirit healer, much less the instance. The only help they'd offered (before I dropped) was to tell me to follow the compass, which led me to the Icecrown Citadel raid portal rather than the Pit of Saron portal.

I logged off in frustration and hopped on Dustfire to beg a friend to tell me the way. My warlock friend actually came out to the area (without my asking) and let me show him where Birdy was, and he led me all the way up to the portal.

He did this with a hearthstone on cooldown.

When he started all the way across the world. (Not just Northrend. Azeroth.)

But a random guy in T10 can't give me verbal directions?

*shakes head* It certainly didn't help that I didn't realize I could fly. Not entirely my fault -- wisp form doesn't allow mounts to show, and my group took off on theirs before I released.

"Can my ghost fly" just isn't one of those things you think of to ask. Because if you knew to ask, you'd know to try it, and if you tried it you wouldn't have to ask.

So, if you ever need to find your way into the Icecrown Citadel 5-mans, you go straight up (flying), head toward the Citadel, and land on the upper right-hand platform with all the Argent Crusade flags. There's an arch door on your left. You want to go in, and you'll hit the three gated instance portals. There you go.

And if you're someone who knows all the ways in, please be polite and ask if anyone needs a guide when your pug wipes. No matter how much awesome stuff someone might own, even experienced players can act (and feel) like noobs.

2 comments:

  1. That is the worst. I floundered around as well the first time I died there. And you're right, these anonymous pug groups are often no help. I have also made it a point in my pugs to assist the lost or confused in any way possible as I've been there myself....alot. Wonder what a goblin would think about helping people, just because it's the right thing to do?

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  2. I so feel for you. My first time to the instances there I was summoned, and when we wiped, I had no idea where the door was, and quickly lost the guildie I was following.

    And even though I've been to the instances and the raid several times now, I still find the terrain there, even the building, is so one-tone that when I'm in dead mode, I can't figure out where the heck I am. Our last Ice Crown raid, we had a first-timer there, and I stayed outside just in case he got turned around too - and he did.

    So it's not just you, I think it really is a design flaw of the endless grayness.

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