Comments on: Instance protocol in SWTOR, and my switch from dps to healing and back

By: Siha

Siha — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 01:46:47 +0000

I used to use the jump-up-and-down thing in my guild’s raids, but I found asking everyone to sit down when ready actually worked better — much easier to pick out the people who *aren’t* ready.

By: Stabs

Stabs — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 14:17:41 +0000

I’ve seen the jumping thing used in several games. It seems much more effective in getting acknowledgement than asking people to type. I’ve encountered people who utterly refuse to type an acknowledgement but are quite happy to jump.

Back when group leaders could kick group members I even used to say if you don’t type ready I’ll replace you and people still wouldn’t type it. (But then suddenly found their keyboards worked after the message about them getting ported out of the instance popped up). It’s irrational but there are people, and not just a tiny minority, who will not type an acknowledgement under any circumstances.

By: spinks

spinks — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 13:35:45 +0000

I’d use AWOL the same way that you would. I guess I could have said AFK.

By: RimeCat

RimeCat — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 13:34:14 +0000

Out of curiosity is AWOL a UK version of FUBAR? The use I have for the first is ‘absent without leave’ and the later is, well guess the first letter ‘-up beyond all recognition’.

By: melponeme_k

melponeme_k — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 12:53:53 +0000

In WoW, I was always relieved when players said hello to me when beginning an instance and there was discussion about buffs, gear and bosses. It meant that there was a good chance the group didn’t comprise of prima donnas. Plus it also meant that players who weren’t geared too well didn’t have to fear about being kicked. I remember during my LK days, I ran through a few instances where a player was a new healer or tank and this was not held against them. I don’t know if that is the case in WoW now. Considering the stories, probably not.

I was a Sith healer in SWTOR and the instances were fun. Plus no one took their frustrations out on me or the tank. That was one area that made me happy. What didn’t make me happy was the ability delay that made my supposedly instantaneous bubble not so instantaneous.

By: Shintar

Shintar — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:23:00 +0000

You can also recognise PvP tanks because they sometimes won’t stop moving. I had a rather amusing run with a tank who kept dragging the boss in circles non-stop (on a fight that needed almost no movement), so the melee dps struggled to stay in range and we kept hitting the enrage timer. No matter how many times I asked him to please hold still he never stopped! We did get the boss in the end though, even if it was close. I just thought it was funny.

And here I thought that the “jump ready check” was only something we did in guild! I agree that it’s pretty amusing.

By: spinks

spinks — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:02:15 +0000

You would be exactly right. It describes an ability that drops your threat.

I suppose it’s quite an ‘old fashioned’ term — I think I picked it up in DaoC. But it makes sense to talk about ‘taunts’ and ‘detaunts’ since they both work on similar mechanics.

By: rowan

rowan — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 10:53:20 +0000

Lol. I’ve never heard rhe term “detaunt.” Made me think of the WoW pet “cower.”