I have such mixed emotions about people offering to help me.
Obviously, part of me loves it. But I have very real concerns that some people get involved in this thinking that it will be funny and giggles and hee-hee, lookit Pessum run! And then after about my fifth time of getting them wiped out, the laughter has suddenly died out and they remember an important appointment they had and have to leave, never to talk to me again.
It’s not that I’m stupid. Foolish, unlearned, a bit gullible – certainly. But I’m not completely stupid, despite what Death tells you.
Death says, “Oooooh, yer SUCH a liar!”
You say, “Quiet, slut!”
Honestly, though – I try very hard when I’m with a group. The biggest problem is that a lot of times people offer to take me hunting someplace I have no right to be. And then while we’re there, they assume that I know everything of that area that they know, since they’ve been hunting there for months and know every little nook, cranny and particular quirk of the critters there.
For example: some folks offered to take me into Avalon City. I’ve hunted there before, I feel somewhat confident I can stay out of trouble. I know that when Dragorians are walking by, you don’t hit them. Also, when they’re standing in an area, you don’t go near it unless you want them to come over and say hi. So I figure I’m in good shape, right?
Of course wrong.
What I had no idea of is that there are parts of AC that just by backing up against a wall, you trigger swarms and swarms of monsters to come running and begin poking you with pointy sticks. Which they did, killing everyone that was there to help. The same people that couldn’t figure out what they had done to bring that huge mob down on them. And neither could I – I’d never been there before, I had no idea of that ‘hotspot.’ But after about our fourth time of getting wiped out, someone noticed where I was standing, and suddenly I was the idiot. I guess I can understand their anger – but really, don’t send me frolicking out amongst the tulips and after the explosion remember to tell me that I’m standing in a minefield.
Helping someone out is such a kind act. Really. But it’s also a bit of craziness. You’re agreeing to forego your own fun in order to babysit someone – someone that might very well get you killed – for no other reward than a “Thank You.” It’s one heck of a nice thing to do, don’t get me wrong – I’ve sat at several n00b areas with Pessum and dished out lots of buffs in a mad effort to work of some bad karma myself. Yet that doesn’t come close to the amount of craziness it takes for a person to say, “Yes, I realize that this person is famous for getting everyone in their party killed. But you know what? I bet I can keep us alive!”
This sounds like I’m complaining about people helping me, and I certainly don’t mean for it to sound that way. I want everyone to know that if you offer to take me hunting, I’m very, very grateful. But I’m also hesitant for a lot of reasons. Do I know how to behave/hunt/survive wherever you want to take me? No, do I really know how to survive, and not just think I know how to survive? Do you know everything that you’re going to have to warn me about? I suppose this doesn’t just go for me – anyone wanting to help someone level should be aware of these questions, so consider it a public service announcement. I love it when people invite me along. I just don’t want to end up making everyone in the game hate me.
People that don’t know about hunting areas aren’t necessarily stupid – we just don’t know about that area because we’ve never gotten to hunt there. As another example: a very, very kind group of Mids on another server once asked me along with them on a dragon raid. They said they’d have an empty slot, and I could roll up a newb and come along. I wasn’t going to get anything out of it – I just wanted to see the dragon first-hand and maybe get some cool screenshots. So I tagged along with their very large hunting party, and they managed to keep me alive all the way out there. And once we got out there, I was so impressed, I decided I had to get some cool pictures of that big dragon to show everyone.
Only nobody bothered to tell me that a dragon’s aggro range is roughly five hundred zones wide. I briefly had time to think, “Oh, look, it’s turning towards me! This is going to be a GREAT picture!” before Puff came over and ate my face. And the rest of my party. And then some of the other groups tried to help, and…well, take a wild guess at what happened.
Needless to say, I haven’t been back to see the dragon since.
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