How to Be Courteous in a World of Warcraft Dungeon

Not sure how you should act in a dungeon? Have questions about what gear you need? Who should you take with you? Every player struggles with these choices. Hardships can be avoided with the right knowledge and a little preparation. Follow these steps for a better game!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Before you go

1. Read up. Intricate strategies should be studied before you go in. Don't be unprepared. Avoid unnecessary problems with fellow gamers.

2. Gear up. Always bring an ample supply of arrows, shots, food, beverages, potions and any other gear you think you might need.

3. Empty the junk. Clear out your inventory before you leave for any instance! Bring only what you know you’ll need like healing and quest items. Also important are gathering items like mining picks, herb bags and skinning knives. Leave everything else at home.

4. Get the quests. Make sure you have all the quests before you head off!

5. Invest in some chat gear. In many of the higher level raids and dungeons, it's essential to be able to talk to your companions quickly and efficiently. If you can't type 90 words per minute, the keyboard will not cut it. There are lots of programs to help you. Some are free. Others may be free for your group if one of you has bought one. Ventrillo (or “Vent”) and Skype are two of the most popular. You will need a headset for them.

6. Make sure you’re ready. Nothing annoys veteran players more than a low-level player that's clearly out of their league. Make sure you have the experience for the instance you want others to run with you.

7. Read the looting rules. Nearly every guild out there has rules to govern the looting of equipment drops. If you are with a guild, read their rules. If you are in a Pick up Group (PUG) make sure you establish the rules before you head in.

On the inside

8. Obey the looting rules! Sure, we all slip up and roll "need" for gear once in a while. But try to play by the rules! Ignoring them will get you booted.

9. Help your companions! Everyone has to do their part. If you are a tank, make sure you’re at the front taking the hits. If you’re a healer, keep your tank alive and well. If you’re a caster, keep those spells flying. Playing your position makes the instance go smoother.

10. Keep a good head on your shoulders. Some instances are very long. If someone needs a break for food, the bathroom or whatever, let them have it. Don’t worry. Enemies respawn very slowly in instances. No one will suddenly drop in on your party.

11. Be kind with music. If you are using a microphone system to talk to your companions and like having a musical background, try and keep it down. Many microphones are very sensitive to background noise. Not everyone likes listening to the same music you do.

12. Stay together! Rushing off in an instance can get you and everyone else killed. Either stay with the group or use stealth before you run off. Bringing an unexpected group of enemies back to your group usually spells disaster!

13. If you wipe, don’t fret! it happens all the time. Figure out where you went wrong and learn from your mistakes.

14. Stand and fight! Be aware that enemies in instances will not stop chasing you! If you "aggro" them, they'll keep going until either they or you die! It's better to stand and fight then run all the way back to the entrance. If you die, you can always resurrect or beg a party member to bring you back.

15. Be generous. If someone came unprepared and needs some of the items you brought, give a little. Giving will bring gifts in return. If someone needs to be resurrected and you can bring them back, do so. You may need a resurrection soon; and they may be the one to give it.

16. Remember it's just a game! Some runs just go sour. Accept it and move on.

Tips & Warnings

• Get a good group. To survive many of the instances, you'll need teamwork between the right assortment of characters. A group of nothing but Mages is almost certainly doomed to failure. Mages aren't tanks or healers!