for the newbs.

[Cryohazard]

Another archetype I encounter far too frequently:

The lawyer: Your role in the party is absolutely dictated by the class symbol next to your name. Must have a fighter/barb (maybe pally) as a tank, FVS and clerics should stay back and heal, need a full rogue to trapmonkey, etc. Nothing can convince him that a properly built and played toon can excel in more than one area of expertise. Is willing to wait for hours for a particular class to fill a perceived role before starting the quest.

+1 for an excellent observation! Lawyers think its "my way, or the highway". Theres many ways to build effective toons in the game, and I wish some of these lawyers would realize that just because you're a strange multiclass or have a slightly different play style, doesn't always mean you're completely useless.

Take my Wiz12/Mnk6/Ftr2 PM Monk for example. Just because my PM DPS Monk has the Wiz logo next to the name, doesn't mean its a casting build. I've had to go to great lengths to explain what the quell I was thinking when I made that build. I've been kicked from some raids too, all because the lawyer doesn't think I can do what he expects out of my class. Its sad how some good toons get flakked because they aren't the standard cookie-cutter builds.

Funniest comment to date was a one-hit-wonder berating me for not raising him. I try to explain that I only have 8 lvls of cleric, to which he responds "so why are you in a lvl 11 quest?". I resisted the urge to point out I had 10x as many kills as him, proceeded to solo the end boss then take stones to the shrine.

lol, I would have replied: "Because you accepted my application."

My most memorable clash with a lawyer and my 12/6/2 death monk was when I tried to join an Epic chrono pug. The leader immediately rejects the app and proceeds to send me a tell.

Him: "Epics are for level 20 toons, noob!".
Me: "I know, 12 + 6 + 2= 20. Have a nice day."

...these lawyers never had a head for numbers...

[Elaril]

so... what is this IP ive seen mentioned in a few posts?

cant say ive ever noticed it in a LFM.

[RTN]

*cough* I tried to identify with gimp but it's not working...guess I'll be the Tool

I looked over the list and I'm pretty sure I identify you with all the various subgroups of The Noob (and a few others).

You do realize all my deaths the other day in ToD and Abbot were about seeing if your skills had improved, right? It wasn't about me forgetting to jump off the ice island before it disappeared....not at all!

[Roaringdragon]

I still pug virtually every step of my TR-ing grind. I find myself much, much more patient during the first few levels, where I meet the newest players. I have stereotyped the types of players I come across in my TR travels:

The Noob. This guy is inexperienced with the game, doesn't know better. he tends to have an extremely poor amount of hitpoints and no fort. This poor guy has to rely on what he sees in the few low lvl pugs he has joined, quickly learning that "share" is a good way to find his way to the quest. I suppose the ddo wiki, ddo forums or google never crossed his mind. Most of the time, they willingly and eagerly accept advice from DDO veterans on how to better equip there toons and play better.

The Pileon. This guy has been playing the game anywhere for a few weeks to a few years. Naturally a know-it-all, they share similar traits as the Noob, only they are incapable of taking advice or criticism - after all, they understand the game well enough to be carried through everything, right? They are literally incapable of contributing to the group in any way, shape or form. They just pray there are enough veterans to finish the quest for them so they can get there 'phat lewts'.

The Gimp. Similar to the pileon, He has chosen a play style unaccepted as the norm, fully realizing it. He has probably never tried to build his characters or gear them from other players' advice, because he is afraid to be 'the same' as everyone else. They can typically be found dual wielding bastard swords with a rogue icon next to there name, with a high dexterity score and the finesse feat. He doesn't take the toughness feat or enhancements, because he 'doesnt have room' for them in his build - and doesn't realize that his ingenious plan of never having aggro just doesn't work. On the rare occasion, this player is an intellectual who purposefully goes against the norm, claiming to be an 'anti-conformist'. because going against the game mechanics makes them that much cooler.

The Veteran. a solid player, follows instructions well and works with the team. He prefers not to lead groups, and will wait for a guildy to put together a group or hit a pug LFM. They tend to be a bit more quiet when it comes to pointing out mistakes or delegating within the group. They just want to get things done.

The Elitist. This guy has been around for years, has taught his fair share of noobs how to play the game, and is tired of it. He has gone through the motion of leveling an army of toons, understands the game mechanics extremely well to know the ins and outs of all classes. He tends to not mind putting a group together to get things done for himself. He is short-tempered and has little patience for petty errors or mis-communication; after all, raids get old after you have completed them several hundred times. Newer players tend to find this guy very snobby and will squelch or avoid them at all cost, thinking they are grouchy, condescending players. And they are probably right.

The Solo-artist. Best players in the game, they understand the game mechanics to such a minute level that they are able to conquer virtually all content on there own. They tend to have several accounts and multi-box, they typically are introverted and prefer to play alone. They don't mind joining a raid group for an easy completion when given the opportunity, after all who doesn't like raid loot? When they are in groups they are extremely quiet. They tend to have toons built to be extremely effective in a group and solo.

..and a few of my favorite types, can be a sub-type of 'noobs'.

The lollygagger. He is almost completely oblivious to the fact he is grouped with other players. He enters a quest just as the group finishes, and while everyone is waiting at the door to go back in, wonders around the instance trying to find that end chest only to get killed by a stray mob or trap that wasn't disarmed. He tends to be short-tempered and obnoxiously loud over the mic about why nobody won't go back in to get his stone.

The Tool. They think they are god's gift to DDO. this person is constantly chattering, because he loves the sound of his own voice. He is constantly linking gear in chat, and is quick to mumble excuses when he dies - which is usually pretty often. Maybe he should have drank a few cure serious pots instead of linking his crappy metalline weapons in party chat.

The Drama Queen. This person is friendly and polite when they first join the group. they tend to die on the single mob you left at the beginning, and then violently accuse you of 'griefing' them, throwing a hissy fit and making a scene to try and throw off the fact that they made such an embarrassing mistake. They tend to get annoyed and voice there opinion about that cleric who is not following there heels, or why the caster isn't constantly hasting them.

there are a few more types, but that's most of what I have seen in my travels .

You also forgot the PIKER
The person who stands around there trying to look useful and occasionally going into the battle acting like he's dpsing something. While in meantime he is drinking a glass of water and eating something watching everybody else do the work for him. Often he has 0-5 kills on the list, unless its a cleric, you can tell the person is a piker

[pokeoutyoureardrums]

I ran over a puppy today

I know I'm late but that made me burst into laughter

[Rasczak]

I looked over the list and I'm pretty sure I identify you with all the various subgroups of The Noob (and a few others).

You do realize all my deaths the other day in ToD and Abbot were about seeing if your skills had improved, right? It wasn't about me forgetting to jump off the ice island before it disappeared....not at all!

See I knew this would happen. My skill is contagious....

[barakhiel]

All very interesting titles and descriptions of the various player types. I would suggest that guilds happen to have a symbiotic relationship with a player's behaviour and understanding of the game, something many of us can see easily and something that I know many players can't quite piece together. I truly pity Arkonath's stereotypical Noob who will be sucked into a guild that provides an environment that does not nurture experience, teamwork, or character development. And it is out of guilds like these that we will see most of our noob TR's and endgame gimps that frequent our server more regularly as of late; you will occasionally find a player that has been caught up in one of these guilds yet still has the desire to learn and the ability to accept both positive advice and negative criticism, but these are far and wide...