The last 2 days, I did 2 high level PVE content in a mass multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG). This was in a form of a dungeon with four players; each with roles assigned, a tank, a healer and two damage dealers. One was a success and the other was not. This is the story (it is written in this style for mass appeal and not to get anyone offended)
For the first high level content, a fellow guild mate required assistance on a final boss at the end. This boss will reward the player with good loot. I joined in as a healer using my main character which has the most time invested.
For the first run, I would like to see the performance of the players in the team. The dungeon was familiar to me but soon many issues came to picture. I knew I was able to hold my own ground and play my role. However, there are certain external factors and content from the game that would influence the outcome of each round of the battle. This was obvious after wiping several times and through my observations realize the pattern of our mistakes:
- Overall damage was not enough as the damage dealers were at a low level. One damage dealer (Damage Dealer A) had a defensive style, heals when immediately damage instead of focusing on damage and letting me heal. The other damage dealer (Damage Dealer B) focused too much on one mechanic of the battle and barely assisted with the other members.
- Tank was tanking too much. Tank did his job but the boss’s assistants (adds) which kept stacking on him. It got to the point he could not take any more adds and the damage from these adds eventually cause the tank to fall.
- As the healer, I was running around the area of the battle trying to heal everyone as much as possible, but they were focusing on different areas with the main boss moving around the area every time.
So, I took point and lead the way. After getting the rotations down and pointing out what should be done, the battle got better. This is noted with the boss health going down more and more with each fight. Damage dealer B was vocal and asked many questions every single round of the fight. I tried my best to my knowledge of the battle to answer the questions. It got to the point, I did not have all the answers and I had to use the Internet to verify my own answers and knowledge. Yes, I got the mechanics correct but there is such a thing in life called human error and randomness of life.
After applying different playmaking strategies, it still did not work out. Damage dealer A and Tank was silent throughout the entire fight each just fulfilling their roles. In the end, I decided to switch my character’s build from a dedicated healer to a hybrid damage and healer build that I created some time back to clear low level content fast. This build was made for all intents and purposes for all types of content; a general build that can perform on most; if not all content. I tested it out, with the exception for the highest level of PVE content that the build does work.
After 3 rounds using that build, with the 2nd round narrowing down the boss health to 1%, we manage to clear the content. Damage Dealer B became a friend, and we exchange build ideas. It was a good game.
The 2nd high level content which is also a dungeon with the same content requirements, only this time I was the damage dealer on my second character. For the first half, as a team we were doing well. The second damage dealer (Damage dealer C) was vocal about mechanics and team communications. Prior to this dungeon, I had some experience with it, noting that I have only completed it once and was on my main character as a healer. The healer this time was seen to be the weaker link; as Damage dealer C was vocal in noting the fault. I was just fulfilling my role and acknowledging any mechanics said by Damage dealer C with an “OK”
And at this halfway point, after several tries, and damage dealer C being vocal about the healer’s fault, the healer then admitted to the fault and left. The tank soon followed, and it was left with me and Damage dealer C. Damage dealer C asked why the fault was not remedied and the healer did not improve. My answer was this: In my experience, this content is hard. Players usually leave at this point.
Damage dealer C soon got replacement for another tank and healer. Cleared it after the 2nd try and proceed onward to the next phase. I kept quiet most of the time until this point as it is the most challenging yet. This point was just before the final boss. The amount of mechanics, multi-tasking, and awareness to other players in play was the pinnacle of difficulty. Tank took lead on this one. Replacement healer soon left after a few rounds quietly but did point out the weaknesses and gaps in between. I just did what I could, but I am just one character. We soon got a 2nd replacement healer. After easing through the rotation and the tank politely explaining the mechanics, taking the lead, we were improving. We have motivated our cause to a common enemy, at this point the boss battle. The team synergy was good, but I knew what the faults were, but did not want to ruin anyone’s time. And pretty much we were trying to fix the situation, all of us from the builds, mechanics, and politely changing strategies.
However, I knew that the tank was not resilient enough (healer did point out the fact I was usually the last to go down and I hinted a build that reflects this, which the tank asked for confirmation) but polite and the healer was inexperience but was a quick learner. Damage dealer C’s damage was just slightly below alright in my opinion but makes up for it with teamwork. How about my criticism? I get a little too focused at one thing and at times when I wanted to assist other members, it might have been a little late. Hey but at least when they pointed out my mistakes, I do listen in my defense and try not to do it again. But again, human error and randomness of life come into play. The limit was in play and we all share that limit as play had to end and we go back to our lives. (I did find out where they all reside in our casual talk thus rectifying their friendly nature).
In conclusion? I had a great time with these folks on both occasions. I play to meet people of all kinds of background in my own terms of anonymity. Why? I like to be an observer of sorts and minding my own business. Though at times, I do wish I were part of a community. I prefer to be in a PVP (player versus player) community as we battle foreign enemies in a common soil as a one group. Midyear 2020 was at its pinnacle; we were on the battlefield everyday with guild mates with an intuitive & creative leader who knows when to act and strategize during the chaos of the battlefield. You might say our strategies were that of a “black ops” team going behind enemy lines, attacking weak points, and taking it to our advantage. I noticed that after some time, it got a little too predictable as we were attacked by other black ops team from opposing factions. Oh well, those were the good times even through Covid-19 we find joyful relationships in virtual worlds.
Sometimes good company and the fulfilling the right role can have longevity in your career. Sometimes you cannot make it on your own. And you got to find it and not wait for it to happen. So, go out there and make it! There are leaders and indicators everywhere that can guide you to the goal you want to achieve!