200: A Griefer's Life for Me

[D-Ship]

A Griefer's Life for Me

It's easy to complain about griefers when they catch you in the last leg of a half-hour-long quest, but they provide a valuable service: They add some much needed spontaneity to experiences that would otherwise feel pretty routine. Brett Staebell recounts his World of Warcraft guild's maritime griefing efforts, and how their victims actually appreciated the ordeal.

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[Caimekaze]

I'm all for griefing, when it's done well. Seeing it done poorly, however, is just embarrassing.
This was a nice article to read, it kept me enthralled for its entirety, albeit a short one. It's escapades like those that would almost entice me to play World of Warcraft... almost.

 

[Slash Dementia]

Griefing is fun sometimes, but only when it's creative--like what the article had.
This was a great read. I'm surprised that it only has one comment.

 

[Lullabye]

huh, i like foiling a griefers plans. nothing better than griefing a griefer.

 

[UnSub]

Ahh, the old Honourable Griefer article. Filled with 'griefers make the game better, honest!' sentiment.

In his own words, any fun had by the opposing team was completely accidental and not the intention of the griefers at all. If the victims here had ragequit and petitioned for GM assistance - and it would be interesting to see those forums where the Alliance players all indicated their love of this event - then would this article have the same impact, or would it just be what we expected from someone writing about their griefing events?

 

[Clemenstation]

I believe the formula at work here is pirates + anything = win

...even pirates + griefers

I'm curious though: how did you convince people to walk the plank when they couldn't understand what you were saying?

 

[John Funk]

I believe the formula at work here is pirates + anything = win

...even pirates + griefers

I'm curious though: how did you convince people to walk the plank when they couldn't understand what you were saying?

Priests can Mind Control.

 

[squeakthedragon]

Ahh, the old Honourable Griefer article. Filled with 'griefers make the game better, honest!' sentiment.

In his own words, any fun had by the opposing team was completely accidental and not the intention of the griefers at all. If the victims here had ragequit and petitioned for GM assistance - and it would be interesting to see those forums where the Alliance players all indicated their love of this event - then would this article have the same impact, or would it just be what we expected from someone writing about their griefing events?

To be fair, in anything, there is a time and place for it. Ironically, I wouldn't wholly call what the article describes merely "griefing" in the derogatory sense. The author here is describing an honest to goodness high grade /prank/. There's nothing inherently wrong or objectionable about a good prank. But look at it this way.

A good prank can invite others in to laugh with the joke and join in on the fun. That's what happened in this World of Warcraft anecdote.

Most of what goes on in online games under the banner of griefing though, isn't a good prank. Most of it is just trying to break the game for other players to make them made and spoil any potential for fun they have. It doesn't allow them the opportunity to laugh along with the joke. They're just a meat target.

Typically, the old line holds true: trolls accuse everyone else of having no sense of humor, but everyone else is just trying to say "it's not that I have no sense of humor, it's just that your idea of humor stinks."

 

[DeadAccountMoveAlong]

I enjoy griefing, but not in coordinated attacks.
Call of Duty is ripe with opportunities to destroy someone on personal levels. As a sniper, most of my griefing involves friendly snipers. I don't see anybody but me using smoke and stun grenades in order to annoy others. There is a lot you can do to bother people.
Griefing just gives the game a different flavor.

 

[tk1989]

You are evil! lol. Becoming friendly with the Bloodsail Buccaneers? Bloody Hell!

I remember the good old days in WoW when you could form a group with close friends and go raid Astranaar or Crossroads or where ever you wanted to. The people there would always join in despite their levels, and believe me there is nothing more hilarious than 30 or so players attacking you at once with little or no effect. It was all just fun and games; they would then call in their level 60 friends and a proper fight would ensue etc.

This cannot be done anymore; the game has changed completely. WoW has changed completely! I remember on the first day the Honour System was released and hundreds of horde players came crashing down on the Arathi Basin; it was a sight to behold! Now most places come equipped with unknown level elites making it nearly impossible for the average player, and no one generally goes to these places anymore because everyone is in a dungeon.

The game has changed, and I dont know if it is for the better...

 

[Clemenstation]

I believe the formula at work here is pirates + anything = win

...even pirates + griefers

I'm curious though: how did you convince people to walk the plank when they couldn't understand what you were saying?

Priests can Mind Control.

Well, that must've been a tad frustrating then.

 

[Jakkar]

The whole Griefing episode seems misguided - This article doesn't describe grief behaviour at all!

This sounds like creative, somewhat malicious gameplay. It sounds like a simple but entertaining innovation.

This sounds like fun.

This sounds like what I've done for years. Not everyone wants to walk to prescribed path, do the normal thing - for those it is the task of discovering new methods, new tricks, playing games within games and giving the gameworld some colour. Lots of red, for example.

You weren't griefing, that rum-soaked day. You were making up your own game as you went along, and I salute ye.

But get your facts straight!

 

[NinjaKirby1322]

That actually sounds like a lot of fun! Usually when I think of griefers, I think of people who get in your way on purpose, or try to make it impossible to play. This endeavour actually seems like what the developers wanted, which is really where MMOs shine: the players get to decide how the game is structured.

Most multiplayer games have a very rigid rule set of "go in to the server, try to complete the objective, leave". With WoW and other MMOs, the objective becomes "go in to a server, make some friends, find what you want to do, how you want to do it." I applaud the creative use of the PvP server here. In fact, I would actually participate in it (on the Alliance side, of course) if I ever played WoW. If the subscription fee is ever low enough, maybe I will.

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

This was the most entertaining article I've read in a while.

Good show, Mr. Staebell.

 

[Swerve]

"You were playing the turtle-protecting game. They were playing the "look out, a naked assassin!" game."

If there needs be a justifaction for the existance of griefers then this is hard to beat.

 

[Majere613]

I must admit I find it hard to see this as 'griefing'. Admittedly, during my time in WoW it would have sent me incendiary pretty quickly- but that was why I had the sense to play on a PvE server. If you're on a PvP server and the enemy does something you don't like- well, to quoute Admiral Beatty "That's quite alright, they're the enemy- that's their job".

Now, had you used a trick such as the classic pvp-enabled stealther who drops stealth at the right moment to intercept an innocent click and turn it into a horribly-mismatched PvP situation- something I've been on the wrong end of more than once- and combined it with your piratical activities on a PvE server, THAT would have been griefing. Mind you, even then in my case it would have been a brief grumble in Guild chat followed by my logging one of my 13 or so alts to do something else...

Thank goodness I escaped all that insanity, tbh

 

[Flying-Emu]

I believe the formula at work here is pirates + anything = win

...even pirates + griefers

I'm curious though: how did you convince people to walk the plank when they couldn't understand what you were saying?

Priests can Mind Control.

I think the opposite faction can also understand /emotes from you.

 

[Socken]

Great read, thumbs up.
Griefing really can be fun, especially when you see the capslock-complaints in the forums afterwards.

 

[quazz4life]

Long Live Vae Victus.
Long live Thunderlord!

Sadly, I was but a starting character when you guys did this, but I was still a guildie. Still, this is still one of the best things about the game. how you can completely overrun some starting areas and take over. Yes, it won't last long with max level characters showing up, but it's still fun.
One of the other things the guild did that was fun, was the naked Stormwind runs to the Tram.