That's about all I could get out of the bastard. He actually had more to say than I expected. Hellacow could have been like, "you SuxXoR!" and put me on his ignore list, much to my chagrin. I should be thankful that he even remembered me and could form basic sentences. He actually touched on quite a few points that I want to look at more closely. I also spent some time getting other players thoughts on this just to make sure my own feelings on the subject weren't totally skewed by my recent encounter in the Barrens. For the record, I'm defining griefing as killing any character so far below the offender's level as to reap no benefits and/or repeatedly killing the same character as they resurrect (camping).
HIM- Dood it's part of the game
As with any MMOG, the basis of the World of Warcraft is your interactions with other players. These can be great experiences, like "5-manning" Gnomeregan with a pick up group that doesn't actually suck. Or they can make you want to rip your hair out, like running that same instance with a tool for a priest who fears every mob and doesn't heal (happened to me last week). It's the same as dealing with people in real life. I don't like the people who beg for money from me on the street, but I can't change their behavior. There is nothing in the game's mechanics to prevent Hellacow from repeatedly killing me, so I can't really fault him for playing the same game that I am. He just plays it in a different way than I do, albeit an incredibly frustrating and annoying way, but since when has the internet brought out the best in people?
The Daedalus Project, a comprehensive compilation of MMOG research, actually has data which refutes the misconception that people are more vicious online than off. "The internet does indeed allow people to feel less inhibited, but as [this data] suggests, the internet doesn't turn people into pathological liars and thieves, but rather, courageous knights and brave warriors whose motives are benevolent." I'm glad to see that such research exists but I wish I had something to back up how many asshats I seem to encounter online on a daily basis.[/a]
HIM- You were in the barrens
HIM- Alliance shouldn't be there
This is a little easier to understand. The PvP dynamic of WoW is that there are two opposing factions which are always at war. A Horde character should kill an Alliance character whenever they see each other and vice versa. "One kill is a 'friendly' bashing. I hate Alliance, so I kill them. 'Hate' is part of the game... I don't actually hate the person behind the character. They are just my in-game enemies," said Jord (Illidan) but I think Turonyen from the Graffe Forums said it best, "They are horde [sic] and they must be eradicated. They shouldn't be allowed to stroll around in contested areas like they own the place."
I chose to play on a PvP server and I don't regret that choice. It is always exciting to venture into contested zones, looking over your back for any Horde that may be swooping down on you. It's not a namby-pamby normal server which would protect me from being ganked, but neither is it a roleplaying server where people's Troll priests are acted out in game.
But as Hellacow and the others point out, there exists a form of roleplaying even on the PvP servers. I, a Night Elf from the Alliance, was in Horde territory and should be punished for being there. It is a kind of artistic justice meted out by a 13-year-old in Tauren's clothing.
