How to Combat a Griefer
“Dear BRK … the last few days I’ve been farming up Marks of Sargeras and Fel Armaments in Shadowmoon for rep. Every time I go to my farming spot there has been this hunter there farming, as well as a few others. [But this hunter] flies up to a spot where he can’t be attacked and proceeds to run his pet through every mob he can find before training those mobs onto one of the unwitting people waiting below and dismissing his pet. He is indiscriminate with this – doing it to horde and alliance alike.
“Now, I’m on a PvE server, so its not like the horde can even try to take revenge, and those of us on alliance can do nothing. Blizzard’s Physical Harassment policy specifically does NOT include training mobs onto others as harassment. [This] is starting to get expensive for me. I need the rep badly, I can’t really afford to buy the armaments and marks, and this is the best place I know to farm them. I’m paying large repair bills because of all the deaths this guy is causing me.
“How can I combat this? I can’t report him, can’t kill him, can’t ask a hordie friend to take care of him for me. I know for a fact he’s frustrated a lot of people into leaving the area (besides myself). Does anybody have any suggestions for what I can do? If my hunter was 70 (SOON!) I’d try to do it back to him until maybe he gave up, but as it is, I am only really able to do the grinding on my druid. I’m nearing my wits end. Help me BRK! Brissinger”
Step 1. Treat others as you’d want to be treated. Try to talk to the guy, tell him how his actions are hurting you, give him the opportunity to set things right. Sometimes a reasonable conversation actually accomplishes something.
Assuming he is less than receptive, we move on to…
Step 2. Determine the amount of power you want to give him over you. There are other places to farm these items, like Netherstorm. Is it more important that he learn a lesson and be punished than you getting your marks? If its the later, find a new place to farm and get your marks, forget the guy. Reclaim your self-determination.
But if punishment and retribution are your goals, we move on to…
Step 3. You have to find his weaknesses. Since its PvE, you can’t attack him directly; you have to use an alternative strategy. Attack his relationship with his guild by letting his GM know what he’s doing. Very few GMs like their guild’s reputation to be tarnished by one a-hole. Our guild will put up with a lot of schenanigans, but despoiling our hard-earned reputation on Drenden is not something our GM countenances. Vengeance is Mine, sayeth the GMs.
Do not, under any circumstances, retaliate in such a way as to hurt your own position.
Step 4. Do NOT hire a hordie to use the Snake Trap Bug. That’s bannable, foshizzle. Do not get a hordie hunter to flag PvP and drop a Snake Trap on his perch while he Dismisses his pet. If he reports it, the hordie hunter will get the Ban Hammer, and that’s horrible karma for you.
Now once his guild is aware of his actions, the next step is to spread the news to the rest of your server.
Step 5. Advertise your situation, but the proper way. Make a movie of him doing his shtick and put it on YouTube, then put a link to that movie on your server’s Forums. If you just make a post about his misdeeds on your server’s Forums, 90% of the responses will be attacks against YOU. “Oh Boo Hoo, the poor little druid can’t handle the pressure of PvE!” But a movie will change that to at least 50% agreeing with you. Be sure to make it clear that you’re not looking for sympathy, you just want to let people know with whom they’re dealing when then run into him.
Remember that there is a difference between what is Legal and what is Moral. He may have the law on his side, but he doesn’t not have the Universe.
And she can be a beyotch.
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32 Responses to “How to Combat a Griefer”
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Personally you should report him anyway. While thats not technical harrassment according to the legalise. GMs in game tend to be a little more interpretive.
They play WoW just like we do and while they might not be able to ban an account, getting a tell from a GM so cease and desist may just do the trick.
That being said, I like BRK’s style. The Youtube thing, brilliant!
I’d definitely report that asshole. And I agree with Zag that while it may not be technically against the rules, the GMs are players and often are receptive to things where they do have the power to assist. Asking nicely for the GM to send a tell to the other player requesting that they stop would be well worth the effort. And I also agree the movie option would be brilliant!
@BRK this is just competly random kinda maybe but watever happened to that begger who u told to get u 99 light featheres
I second sending a PM to that dude’s guild leader; we had folks tell us about one of our members (not one of the raiders, but still) afking in battlegrounds and generally screwing people over when they were trying to win, and he got one warning before he was eventually booted. This, of course, necessitates that he’s in a guild that gives a shit, but I think that’s worth a shot.
Get a paladin or a mage and aoe all the mobs he trains onto you, then /point /spit /laugh .
I feel silly saying so, but I didn’t realize this was even possible.
Wouldn’t the mobs just track back to their positions once the object of their ire (the pet) was dismissed?
I’m confused.
we frequently report griefers to their GMs. it works.
though you may hear back from the griefer after they get gkicked…
Definitely report him. Ignore the legalese of reportable offences and plead your case to a GM on practical grounds. What this huntard is doing is causing a nuisance and for no reason other than because he can. Chances are the GM’s will respond in your favour, provided you can deliver concrete proof of ongoing problematic behaviour.
So, document the guy’s actions (a movie would be great), get others to support your position, and report him. Get others to report him as well, the more alike complaints a player gets the more seriously, I’d think, the GMs would take the case.
Thanks for the input guys. I’d have reprted to his GM right away but he was guildless the last few days. Armory is reporting him in a guild now, so if I see him again and he’s guilded I’ll defineatly report. Next time I go farming FRAPS will be on standby, and a GM ticket ready to be sent.
Want to really get him? Report him to a GM for exploiting the inability to be attacked – he’s using a known bug to exploit game mechanics, which is clearly against the rules. He can be banned for it, for sure. Just be sure to tell a GM and to have them put him on a watch list to be watched when he’s in the area, secretly. Once they witness him exploiting the pathing, he’s gone.
Manito’s got it. Training mobs to another is not bannable. Using the terrain exploit is.
Evade anyone?
FD.
Yes yes I want to know about the guy you sent to get 99 feathers as well. Did you hear back from him?
One, just get to 70 so you can farm somewhere else but I like all the ideas mentioned above. Once you hit 70 there is a plateau in nagrande above the forge camps where you can farm cobra scales. If you go through the cave there there is a fort/camp of level 70 demons for farming. I rarely see it busy in the demon area.
I thought the player griefing policy for WoW stated that repeatedly doing this was an offense?
If so many other bad behaviors mentioned by BRK are bad, then this has got to be at least suss. Report him to his Guild M, and also to a DM.
@mandm413
I am 70 on my druid, just not my hunter (65). My druid is the one I’m doing the farming on. The real issue isn’t that I can’t farm for cash – there are plenty of other places I go for that. Its that I can get 5+ fel armaments an hour at this spot, even when there are several other people around. I don’t really want to give up my spot just because one person decides to be a jerk about sharing the spot. I’ll be reporting it the next time it happens.
Its not even really about getting even with the guy. Its just the fact that there isn’t anything anybody seems to be able to do about it. If it were a PvP server and he were horde doing it to me I’d take it as part of the game and kill him. But he’s alliance, doing it to alliance (and horde too), and nobody can stop him from doing it.
I have actually tried talking to him in every channel available (say, whisper, general chat) and he doesn’t reply at all, just jumps around a bit then sends his pet to round up more guys. Its funny, several other alliance that show up there fairly regularly all know to watch out for him, and even try to pick off the guys hes trailing before he can get them to attack the horde that are around, but if its just him and 1 or 2 others we don’t stand a chance.
Oh my, does this guy sound like a juvenile. Maybe 13-14 years old with nothing better to do than annoy people. And what do 13-14 year old kids hate more than anything. Being humiliated, that’s what. Try telling him he’s acting like a 10-year-old. It would work with my kids and with my nephews. Good luck.
As someone said, standing in an “unattackable” spot is definitely against the TOS and reportable, so be sure to mention that. You might need to have screenshots and at least record the times it’s happening so they can look it up in their logs.
Sounds like he already got booted from his old guild. You could warn the GM of the new guild about the coming drama from having him.
1st of all …..
suks to be PvE ….
at least on a PvP sever, you can hire a assassin from the other faction to take care of him.
war is hell ….. lol
2nd
you make that video of him and that will be a How-To video for all the other 12 year olds out there. Not a good idea.
what 2ndworst said.
on my server, that guy would have about 5 70s eating his lunch and camping his corpse in no time. being a jerk is a sure way to get a nice ring of 70s anxious to get you back in touch with the spirit guide. PvE… not so much.
my understanding is that any form of griefing that does not have a “PvP resolution” is considered an offense, but that’s on PvP servers. i’m not sure how it works for the carebears.
make the video, but DON’T post it where others can see and duplicate. just quietly give it to a GM.
@ WarcraftMom
Ooh yeah, this is a surprisingly effective weapon against young players. Not seen a case yet that could stand being accused of being younger than they actually are. Poor little mites are about ready to start crying.
@ Brissinger
Not sure where “this spot” is, but I did my Aldor grinding at Death’s Door in Blade’s Edge. Tried quite a few other places before it but found the best drop rates there.
@ The ‘report terrain exploit’ people
I’m not sure if this works. In Quel’Danas, a couple of Horde were standing on the ropes of theboat in the dock and AoE’ing anyone that came close. The Peacekeeprs were unable to get them, and any fighting back would set the peacekeepers on you, the whole area around the flightmaster and bombing run quest was out of bounds, basically.
I reported this to a GM, got a sympathetic whisper but later a letter saying “Well, PvP is PvP, these things happen” and I was all like “No, I can cope with losing at PvP when I have a chance to fight back (heck, I’m even used to it) but clearly this wasn’t even an option!”. Not that I had the option to reply to the letter with this thought, ironically enough.
Report him as a suspected bot: He’s doing the same thing over and over, in the exact same location. I got a very, VERY broad hint from a GM once that reporting a suspected bot gets a lot of attention in a very big hurry.
They’ll evaluate, and if they determine he’s exploiting…
I don’t know who told you this was not against the rules but it most certainly is. The act of training mobs onto another player isn’t against the rules but any action designed to harass, intimidate or cause grief to another player IS against the rules. Just like the lamers who try and skin the treents in Skettis before you. Its all griefing and its all against the anti griefing rules.
WTB FRAPS FAQ PST
Anj: wow you must have got a crappy GM. I always report people who do that even on my pvp server, and always the GM says “we’ll take care of it that’s not allowed”
About the “what are you 10?” comments, I’ve tried this the only problem is if they are not 12-13 but instead 18+ in my experience they act like it’s a badge of honor to be accused of acting childish. So.. who knows
Once on the Kirin Tor forum I remember people blasting this guy who was 18 for griefing low level players, and he wrote something like “lol ur so stupid I’m not 10 I’m 18 Y duz everyone say I’m 10 it just prooves how dumb u all are” and then his father who plays also chimed in about how great his son was .. good grief!
While I’m not a 70, I’m a big fan of engineering and engineering related items. Have you tried using this http://thottbot.com/i30847 on him? If you’re worried about fall damage, use Noggenfogger elixir or a Parachute cloak before hitting the ground.
How about just whispering all the OTHER players in the area and letting him do his thing? The second the pet disappears, EVERYONE gang up on the mobs, kill them dead, and share the lootz? All he’s done then is help you farm more efficiently.
In the case of the local Horde, the /work emote does translate across boundaries. If they see what it is you’re trying to do and you /work at them (allowing them to tag a few mobs, too, of course), they’ll jump in!
The second he sees you turning his ‘bad act’ into your profit, he’ll quit. Even if you have to share the mobs, or import buddies to help, do that once or twice and he won’t be a problem anymore.
Yeah, I agree with Auntie Fi, his head would explode when his precious attention grabbing plan backfired.
@WarcraftMom and Anj,
What is it with the hate all players who can’t drive yet get? Just because some of us act like all the griefers in the world do, you people pin it on all of us.
Durathor and Rouge (not Rogue)
I’m pretty sure you can report him for that. And I do like Auntie Fi’s suggestion.
Sadly, the snake trap stuff was fixed about 2 patches ago. I accidentally discovered it, and admittedly used it to be an ass from time to time, mostly to people I didn’t want farming what I was farming.
But Aunt Fi is right. I’ve been trained on the Isle while doing quests, and wound up just silently thanking the trainer.
Talking can sometimes do the trick.
Having been ganked by a Pally 30 lvls higher than us outside SFK recently, I made an Alliance toon and talked to him. He didn’t see anything wrong with what he was doing but he did stop. We’re a PvE server.
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