Thursday, September 25, 2008

The trinket I think should be banned from the game

I’m a huge fan of trinkets. Especially the ones which offer a bit unusual abilities, not just pure spelldamage. Like the three little gnomes, which I’ve written about before, or the lovely nifty stop watch, my lifesaver when I levelled my mage.

But there is one unusual trinket which I don’t like at all. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I hate it. As a matter of fact I’d rather see it banned from the game.
By using this trinket you can harass other players of your own fraction. It’s the perfect tool in the hands of a bully minded player.

Yes, I’m thinking about the Piccolo of Flaming Fire, which dropps from Hearthsinger Forresten in Stratholme. The trinket by which you can force players in your neighborhood to dance, either they like it or not.

I got it recently at my little rogue. A nice pala tank I now has taken upon him to boost her, aoe-levelling in a couple of instances. (It’s amazing to see how quick it goes). I was looting my way through the heaps of dead mobs, when he suddenly said: “OK. Here’s a trinket. You may have it, but only if you promise to never ever use it on me”. I gave him my promise and picked it up. And I can assure you I intend to hold to my vow. I know playing the flute would be then end of our friendship and I wouldn’t risk that for anything.

But thinking about it a bit further, I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t use it on any other person either. How could I? The thing with this flute, which annoyed my friend so much, is that it makes the victim of it loose control over his toon to someone else.

You could argue that it’s just the same with sheeping or rooting or trapping other players and that after all it’s a part of the game, to take control of your surroundings, may it be bosses or other players. But there is a significant difference. You can’t sheep another player unless he or she has agreed to play that kind of game, either by picking a PvP server, or by flagging PvP on a PvE server. It’s tough luck, but it’s voluntary to take part in that kind of game. The flute on the other hand can attack anyone. Some people may appreciate it and even think it’s a bit fun. But others won’t. They are ridiculed and there’s nothing they can do about it.

I’ve seen the flute in action only once, ages ago. I was at AH, when I and several other who were in there suddenly burst out in dance. I didn’t mind it a lot – it looked fun, and at that time it was just another of those surprises which the games holds for you.

Nevertheless, the more I think about the principals – that you should have the right to keep control over your character – the more I feel like my friend: this trinket is evil, or rather: it’s made for evil people.

Players who pick it up should use it only with great carefulness, on people they know, who agree to such things. But the best thing would be if it was eliminated from the game altogether.

When it comes to me I’ll probably disenchant it. The fewer of these things there are around, the better.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Come on, ussssse it.

Just one time. Then if you don't like it, you don't have to use it.

It's not like you are killing them. Who knows, they might even enjoy it?

And if they don't, then it's their fault for being so unappreciative. You are actually doing them a favour using it on them, you are teaching them humility. You are showing them joy and they should thank you for it.

Yessss... Use it, show them the Glory that is Larìsa, and let them awe on your powers, as you take hold of their strings and make them dance as the pretty puppets they are.

Anonymous said...

hey, been reading your blog for quite a while now, always thoroughly enjoy your posts. I must say though, I truly hope you're joking about the trinket. I mean sheesh! the thing has like a 5-yard radius, and it's not like you lose complete control - move 6 yards from the 'culprit' and bingo! It may well be irritating on occasion, but it's not really that big a deal. Your character is dancing, so what? On a lighter note, keep up the good work, I've nothing but admiration for someone that blogs so well in a language not their own. You do a masterful job. I'm posting from a phone, so apologies for any mistakes! Cobs.

Anonymous said...

I HATE that thing.

We have someone in our raid who will use it ever 30 seconds or so to get people to dance. I always make sure to stand well away from him.

I mean, seriously, human females do the MACARENA. Don't make me dance, plx :(

Anonymous said...

Hey that's the trinket I always end up moving outa range off too!

Guess I don't like dancing if I'm not in the mood.

Be alright if it made pets dance instead :)

Anonymous said...

Couldn't agree more. It use to drive me nuts in the AH when it was being used.

Mind you have you seen the D.I.S.C.O - a large glittering ball that you can click on and then dance.

Now that seems a bit more fun and you can be John Travolta when you want
Draiggoch

Anonymous said...

I love it. It allows a new level of interaction in a so frigid, clean and overprotected virtual world. Something like a car stepping in a rain pool and spraying water on the bus queue. It can help people realize they are in a world no only with her closest friends...and even make friends with the boy next to him while both are dancing annoyed :-)

And it doesn´t hurt anybody. You can allways stop dancing by touching a single key and walk and step.

I got one. And I love using it in the BG queue :-)

Gevlon said...

That thing is not evil, simply annoying. It does not take control of the character, it can still walk away, or talk with NPC or whatever.

It's just some annoying noise and irritating movement around the screen.

It's a mosquito item for mosquito players.

SolidState said...

It's a mosquito item for mosquito players.

Well put and /signed

Not evil, just sometimes annoying.

Anybody who takes this so seriously he would break up your friendship over this, has got a serious chip on his/her shoulder (or stick up his #@^ ;p)

Anonymous said...

Bah! Where's your sense of random amusement. It's not like anyone has ever been hurt by dancing. I know someone who has it and it's a fun diversion and not evil.

Anonymous said...

@everyone:

I obviously succeeded to stir up some emotions with this rant. That's great! The more comments, the merrier. Seriously I'm not all that serious that I may sound. It isn't such a big deal. But things get's more fun when you pull them to an edge, don't they?

I think Gevlon is spot on in his comment: "It's a mosquito item for mosquito players". Wonderful picture. I've never thought of other players as mosquitos, but now as I think of it I think it describes it perfectly.

@Eishen, Desdarii and other dance fans: I like to dance to! But I prefer if its volontary. I got myself that dancing bracer at the summer event and carry it all the time. It's fun to use when you're bored waiting for a raid to start for instance. But no one is forcing you. That's the difference.

Darraxus said...

Seems like a bit of an over reaction to call it evil. I know very few people who own, and even fewer who use it. I do think it is funny on occasion when i does get used. It isnt like the spell makes you dance no stop like when mages could sheep you continously in PvP.

To me its one of those special little items that adds a little more flavor to the game. Like the items that transform you to the opposite faction or into and ogre. I think I may go ahead and get one.

krizzlybear said...

PFFT. When the dance studio comes, EVERYONE is going to want to use this thing just to see what the new dances look like =)

Anonymous said...

Back in the day, we'd kick people from the raid if they used this. We had a more practical reason for this, however; many of the long-time raiders were on either poor connections or possessed antediluvian computers that could barely handle the zone in which we were much less watching forty people suddenly dance. It was a matter of raid survival.

One of the things that annoys me about it is that I am a roleplayer and I prefer to think that the vast majority of my actions are performed while in-character. For example, I'm almost ridiculously proud of the fact that my kal'dorei huntress has voluntarily danced once in her over three years of existence -- and then only with a number of troll women with whom she bonded for a period of time. Watching her dance, especially so mindless a dance that just doesn't portray her at all as I would like to, drives me bonkers.

The piccolo had use. It allowed you to prevent the ghostly citizens in Stratholm from attacking you without having to target each of them individually and hitting a /dance macro. Personally, I feel that it should remain there unless a situation definitely warrants it. And, most of the time, it won't.

I almost have to wonder if time spent within the game would help us determine why such a divide exists regarding the Piccolo of Flaming Fire. Most of the long-time players that I know dislike it. Players who joined either just before or after the release of The Burning Crusade seem to find it novel and new.

Anonymous said...

I do the shuffle forward step to stop it when its done to me waiting for a raid or in the AH - It is a little annoying

As If I would be seen dancing in public with humans.. ( :P)

At least with the dancing disco ball you need to click on it for it to make you do stuff!

Anonymous said...

@Cynra: I think you're on to something there. That your views have to do with time spent in game. It's an indicator.
Had I knew this topic would evoke so strong feelings I'd put up a poll about it. Judging from the comments I think the community is pretty evenly split when it comes to loving or hating this object.

Unknown said...

When I saw the post I could only think this was the trinket in question. I completely agree that it is evil. I chose my race for reasons other than the dance. I hate the dances for most of my characters. At least with the disco ball a male human or male night elf looks reasonable. I never /dance with them and I don't care to have it used on me without having the opportunity to exact revenge by having the player arena flagged for using it. I suspect players with it would use it far less often if their characters were murdered each time they did.

Anonymous said...

You brought up an interesting perspective with this post. While I agree that this trinket is annoying too - because it makes me dance and I don't want to - but I never thought of it as such a violation and involuntary action.

But honestly, the reason it annoys me most is that it's called the Piccolo of Flaming Fire, but the noise it makes is from a harp. Drives me nuts.