More Bars Than You

I’d like to take a moment to pull back the pink curtain and have a brief ramble about the day job. I apologize to those I typically play and converse with, as I’ve been buried beneath a fairly large stack of IRL project work and haven’t made it in game where I’d like. This is mostly my own fault, as I took a bit more of the plate than was my due.

I find it amazing that in WoW, or any MMO really, there’s this fairly quick understanding of roles and a fairly potent level of communication about them, much of it implied. Someone makes a healer, specs healer, and then offers themselves up to a group as a healer, knowing their job will be to heal things. They find a task that needs doing, they pick it and fill it. Now, I’m talking purely abstract here, as I know there are many who outright fail at filling their role or picking up on even the most basic aspects of it, but they at least have it in raw concept. Despite the asocial tendencies of many MMO players, they understand and willfully take part in group dynamics and communication.

So there I was, clustered with several technically savvy individuals. The task is to propose, develop and implement a simple system. All are knowledgeable in their field and have done such things before. The “uhs, ers and ums” begin.

I’m not a take charge, energetic leader individual. Every group needs a take charge, energyetic leader individual. This is a fact that nags at me as I level my thick-furred bear towards tankhood. Coordination and group communication aren’t my primary traits, which really benefit a tank. I won’t go absolute on you and say it’s required, but the tank is in the best position to coordinate and lead, so it certainly helps.

So there we are without a tank. I can be playful and comforting when provoked, and so I at least try to coax the collective out of their shells. I guess I’m the healer now. Raw support. I joke around a bit. However, the woman directly across from me is pregnant to the point of potentially spawning adds at any moment. Suddenly, the repertoire stocking my head consists of nothing but dead baby jokes. I, in the morbid moment that could only be funny to me, laugh to myself, but here I am without anything to loosen up the group shy of acting generally goofy. Crap, I forgot to spec Tree. Now I’m healing the group with nothing but my DPS gear and Nurturing Instinct.

No one had any idea where to start or take the project, let alone how to divide it. I was not going to let this group wipe. Out of desperation to see the thing moving, I volunteered myself for about 75% of the work. That’s right, I heal-tanked it. Dropped an untalented Tranquility and let the mobs come as they may. I’m looking pretty good on the Recount too. A few days later and I’ve made it through, but you wouldn’t believe the repair bill.

I sit here now, exhausted, and wondering what it would be like if real life had such distinct roles people were quick to adopt and act upon. Of course, it isn’t like that, and so I think in the future I’ll have to treat myself a little nicer when taking the initiative in role divisions. I think I’m intimate enough with the project now that I shouldn’t have trouble drawing lines. Hey, look at me. I’m leading! Put that crown on my portrait, baby!