[Insert creative complaints Wednesday introduction sentence here!]
If we you humans can never get enough of something, then it’s time. Even in our hobbies, it is becoming increasingly rare for us to fully commit to something: While we run through an instance, we listen to a Twitch stream in the background, during the loading screen of SMITE we squeeze in a short YouTube video, and while I am creating the thumbnail for this post, I am listening to Stephen King’s “Revival” as an audiobook.
Just afk
My personal favorite among the time wasters has been increasingly encountered in World of Warcraft in recent days. Since I primarily play healers and occasionally damage dealers, my wait times for random dungeons are usually relatively long; 20-40 minutes are not uncommon. When, after the second invitation (in the first one, a DPS always sleeps in), the round finally starts, we greet each other with a brief “Hi” or “Have fun” and then the damage numbers just roll over the screen.
However, a very special group of tanks seems to have conspired against me and my low wait tolerance and begins an instance visit with the cheerful statement: “Short afk,” followed by “WC,” “Smoking,” “getting something to drink,” or “washing the car.”
I know, I know. I must be terribly conservative and really old-fashioned again. But Papa Demon and Mama Demon taught me back then that it’s incredibly rude for other people to have to wait longer for me. So, I kindly and gently ask here to the open community:
Why the Nether can’t you do these things before the instance?!
I’m not talking about unexpected emergencies. The phone can always ring or someone could be at the door; I fully understand that. But what really upsets me are these predictable interruptions that anyone who can count to 3 knows: “If I do this now, then I won’t hold up the whole group.”
So, I can only ascribe 2 things to these people: Either these people simply lack the empathy to imagine the annoying waiting, or they are doing it out of malice.
Maybe I’m just seeing the whole thing far too seriously and should practice a little more patience?
You know, that’s why I love role-playing so much. It is one of the few remaining activities for me where time doesn’t matter (Ha, pun! You didn’t see that coming!) and I can just stare at the screen expectantly for three minutes without having to do anything. Unless the shoe man needs attention again.
But enough complaining, after all, we can’t do without our tanks.
What do you think? Does such an “afk” group member annoy you too? Or can you stay calm, shrug your shoulders, or go afk yourself to annoy the remaining group even more?
