PSA Haste does not waste a valuable spell slot

[varusso]

I disagree.

If there are players who cannot or will not judge other players based on their overall play, but solely on whether they carry a specific buff and/or cast that buff early/often enough, they are being elitist.

Elitism = The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources.

i.e. - If a person plays an arcane character and either doesn't carry Haste/Rage/whatever or doesn't cast it early enough or often enough, they are obviously not part of the elite "uber" class of "superior" players (apparently defined as 'those who confom to the accepted builds because that's what everyone expects them to do and to do otherwise is to simply show their selfishness and lack of intelligence to everyone else') and they will not be permitted to participate in groups with other "superior" players.

If you were basing your judgment on something substantial, rather than your perception of what spells/skills/gear/feats/whatever a "good" player should have, I don't think it would be elitism. If you "shunned" players who have demonstrated, via their play style in an actual quest or raid, that they are lousy players, that would be reasonable. Booting/squelching/banning for life players who don't conform to specific "cookie cutter" builds, without bothering to first see if they are good players or not, is elitism.

Everyone is, of course, free to be as elitist as they wish to be. I don't think it advances the game or makes it any more fun for anyone if we try to force the game down a road where everyone either conforms to specific builds with specific weapons/buffs/spells/skills/whatever or faces being blacklisted as stupid or selfish players.

You have a severe misconception of what elitist is. Its not elitist to expect someone to carry the BASICS. Its elitist to expect someone to carry TOP TIER gear and have the perfect build and know all there is to know about a quest/class/whatever. And anyone who CANT live up to those expectations is a loser that should quit DDO. THATS elitist. More specifically, the "elitist jerk".

No matter how you try and wiggle out of it, whatever other stellar thing you are doing with your arcane, you can do all that and STILL provide the BASIC spells, rage and haste.

Fortunately, the game allows for differences in playstyles -- you can choose not to group with the folks that dont jibe with you. That goes both ways, and is JUST as fair each way.