PowerLeveling is ruining the game.

[mac173]

This is something of a repetition, but I would like to relate a story that is relevant to the situation.
About a week ago, Kunnar was in Shar Vahl, on the way to GF. As I pass thru Shadeweavers and SV, I do a /who to see if there are any newbies in the zone, and offer help or buffs. Now I will give a newbie buffs, i will not PL them unless it is a friend with an alt that I know already knows how to play. I have PL'ed exactly 2 people in my 3+ years of playing.
I get tell from a level 1, how do I find Registar Binderah. I reply where he is, and get a conversation started. Turns out he just bought the game and logged on for the first time, and a BL was his first choice for a char. I jump in and help him complete his Citizenship quest (not a walkthru, just help to eliminate needless wasted time). He gets ready to start out to Shadeweavers, and I give him some buffs, and follow to teach him what and how. I spent about an hour showing him around, and he got to level 3. I had to log then.
I had put him on my friends list, and last night I saw he was on and playing in FoB, up to level 10. Cool, not taking the PC express! I was happy. Sent him a tell, and find that he is being PL'ed by a 57 Pally. Asked him how he liked fighting with his warder, and he said "I don't get a warder till level 14 right? Thats what the Pally said." /boggle
It turns out he had asked several BL's for help, asked them questions,a got told to stop wasting their time, and go buy a guide or go to the web.
WTF are people thinking? This is not how to learn to play the game! If you are not willing to teach a new player to the game how to play IN GAME, don't complain about the way they play at later levels. If the only help he got offered was a Pally willing to PL him, its no wonder he will end up not knowing how to play a BL.
I got him to go buy his spells (haddent yet as the pally said he was a tank, not a caster!) and let him know how important his spells and warder were. An told him how PL'ing was not the best way to level up.
If a player askes, ANSWER. Not a smart ass remark, a real answer.
If we don't teach in game, we have no right to complain about bad, or uninformed players at higher levels.

[Kogg]

/NOD

I quit playing my mage for reasons along these lines, logged into the serverwide mage channel and asked a question and was instantly made to feel like and idiot.  The most kind reply I got from anyone in the channel was to "go mine the message board and figure it out".

When I get a random tell from a younger Beastlord asking a question I take the time to help just like I would want them to do for me if the shoe was on the other foot, I also point them to these boards as a great source for further help.  Information is the craziest thing, its free but its priceless.

Kudos to you for taking the time to mentor younger members.  Keep it up and maybe, just maybe, one newbie at a time, you can make a difference.

~K
Kogg Sloberknoker
62 Ogre Beastlord
Sol Ro

[Kashmiir Battlekat]

I get the occasional /tell from Newer BST.

I keep my answers short and to the point and offer any opinion I feel needed.

Dont lay the smack on yer fellow Beastlords no matter how new or uninformed they are.

[Pojodan]

I like nothing more than actually being approached by a geniune newbie who has the desire to actually learn how to play and now just get 'phat lewts'.  This has only happened about 2 or 3 times in my years of playing but I always made the best of it.
It really is sad how elitist people tend to be.  Starting up new servers doesn't solve anything since droves of these people go there and compete to be the first to get XXX item on the server.. if anything newbies ought to AVOID new servers due to the crowds that go there.

Maybe some day there will be an MMORPG that actually rewards kindness.

[Kashmiir Battlekat]

I dont do this as much as I use to but...

I use to save all my old crappy drops and bank them. Now mind you, these would be TOTAL crap to me like... Fine Steel Short Short, Bronze Armor... things of this nature.

Once I had a metric ton of this stuff laying around I would empty all my bags, load up the crap and head off to "The Newbie Zones" and begin handing stuff out, giving away money, running short quest (bring me 20 bat wings) and stuff like that. I really enjoyed this.

The game has matured so much though that to find a 'real' Newbie is rare. Finding Avatar of War up and Uncontested is not even remotely close to how rare a 'real' newbie is.... so I woudl go out and run these little quests and give away items and I kid you not... people would COMPLAIN about how "Crappy" the stuff is I would give away. It angered and saddened me all at the same time.

Since then I no longer play Santa Claus. Occasionally I will buy a few things in the Bazaar, invis up and head to a newbie zone and try to 'find' a 'real' newbie and hook them up. Its still a rare day I do this though. The fake-Newbies wore me out. Plain and simple.

Just a little story for you all :)

PS: To this day I still get an occasional /tell from some level 65 Uber who thanks me for helping them out when they were a young adventurer... still beings a smile to my face :)

[Lorathir]

I still like to look for newbies. However, I make sure they are a genuine 'good' newbie before I approach them. And, of course, I ask them to do something fun.

One occasion in particular was organising a 'Newbie Duel' in GFay where the winners chose from a selection of bronze, fs, plat, stat food and drink etc. Of course, that was years ago. You couldn't do that now with the amount of twinks about. I drive by buff a lot in newbie zones and it constantly amazes me the amount of low level charecters with Temp. You can tell when you heal them.

[Lorathir]

Dang lack of edit button!

By 'good' newbie I mean 'true'. No, I dunno why I typed 'good' either.

[mac173]

Once I had a metric ton of this stuff laying around I would empty all my bags, load up the crap and head off to "The Newbie Zones" and begin handing stuff out, giving away money, running short quest (bring me 20 bat wings) and stuff like that. I really enjoyed this.

That is a great idea, but I understand why you don't do it anymore. I am always suprised when I cast a "drive by" buff on a newbie under Level 10, and the buff won't take hold. I know Level 39 BL buffs arn't great, but what Buffs did they get that superceded mine?
It seems the only time I really got any appreciation was when I got a group of 3 Level 1 newbies and cast Spiritual Light. They all asked "Whats that?" and I knew I had cast on the right newbies.

[skell]

It seems the only time I really got any appreciation was when I got a group of 3 Level 1 newbies and cast Spiritual Light. They all asked "Whats that?" and I knew I had cast on the right newbies.

The other day I was hunting near a group of four all in their low 50's.  After a bit a conversation I asked if they would like Spiritual Light.  They all asked "Whats that?"

And Kracke, go check out the LoS message board if you haven't already.

[Elrathin]

Powerlevling isn't ruining the game.  Attitude is ruining the game.  I was powerleveling my Ranger the other day with my BL.  When some 65 cleric came up and buffed my ranger with every buff that would hold.  I kindly said thank you for all the buffs.  Then the cleric went on his way.  

It's when some jackass says "pffft I got a better buffs then what your offering" that gives powerleveling a bad name.

[Merescata]

I too, on occasion, have hit Shadeweaver's to help to locals get started.  Most seem nice and I still get a few tells of thanks after the buffs and the weapons have past their prime.

 For me, and this is how *I* feel, I enjoy helping folks.  I don't get mad if they don't like it.  I help anyway.  I ignore the morons that 'whine or complain'.  I do this stuff for me, and if they get a small bit of enjoyment then great!  I do it on my terms and on my time.  I try to visit Shadeweaver's once a week, just to remember the old days, when I went off running back to town since I aggro'd the 'blood-drenched'.

[Caspi]

I spent 3 and a half years fielding wizard questions when I was playing that toon. Seemed from the time I hit 50 people had questions (back when it was tough to hit 50). It never bothered me and I welcomed it really, was fun helping people that needed it. On my first Bst I answered every newbie tell I could and now with my second Bst I find I am starting to get the tells again at 56.

It just takes a minute to change someones game day and it should make you proud that someone looks up to you. There are sooooo many bad players on servers now due to the fact the game is just too easy to level up on. People aren't learning their characters because of zones like PC. Don't believe me...I have a 1.5 hour old Druid that is almost level 22. Though I will only use him for DS, DoT, Ports and Heals that is horrible that you can level that fast. I am thankful for this fast leveling as I am achieving 65 again on my main. I am 5 days played at 56 and I feel I have messed around a bunch.


Help the newbies learn so they don't suck. :)

[mac173]

I am 5 days played at 56 and I feel I have messed around a bunch.

The other day, I happened to get into a conversation with a fellow passenger on the train on the way home from work. It turned out he was a fellow EQ'er. Playes on Rallos Zek. Has a 52 Bard. Started playing in October. Sheesh.

[Somsoc]

I would consider myself a true newbie.  I played EQ for a month a couple of years ago with a couple of friends, but I never went past level 11 or 12.  I've only just restarted playing again the past two weeks, and I chose a Beastlord.  I am having a blast and enjoy it.  The zones seem more empty now, and a lot of the simple kindness of passing strangers seems gone.  I admit I am shy, but I have not received any little "hello", buff, item, etc. even when standing around resting with others around.  I'm not complaining about the buffs and such, because I like doing things on my own.  But the world of Norrath just does not seem as friendly as it once was.  I guess my only point in this post is to say, please don't get discouraged by the twinks and ungrateful people, there are those who appreciate it - even if it is just to say, "Hi - do you need any help?"

BTW - someone mentioned getting to lvl 22 in 1.5 hours?!?  I know I am slow and not a good player, but I've put in at least 8 hours (I would estimate in the past two weeks), and I am only just now about to hit lvl 9 with my BL.  Am I really that bad of a player?  (Just curiosity - as I do not care, I am having fun either way.)

[Sutan]

My first toon was a wizard.  It took me 4 months just to reach level 26.
Two of my friends took 3 days to make level 2!

5 years later, my Beastlord only took me several hours to reach level 30.