Welcome to the Wizard101 Message Boards


Player Guide
Fansites
News
Game Updates
Help

Follow important game updates on Twitter @Wizard101 and @KI_Alerts, and Facebook!

For all account questions and concerns, contact Customer Support.

By posting on the Wizard101 Message Boards you agree to the Code of Conduct.

Fights out in the open are NOT private!

AuthorMessage
Geographer
Nov 22, 2010
836
I'm getting very tired of joining a fight only to be called rude or informed I should ask before joining.

In case everyone wasn't aware of it, the game is designed with the idea that random people will just jump into fights and participate. it isn't designed for private kills. And while it will hold someone's place if they are in your group, it won't hold it forever. But it doesn't do that to prevent people from joining into your fight, it does that to give the people in your group a chance to join too, if they want.

If you think way back to when you first started, you'll remember Dueling Diego telling you that there is strength in numbers and to jump into fights if you see them going on. While I understand people want to have team combats, and maybe they don't want company, that isn't how the game is designed.

So, the next time you call someone rude for playing the game AS IT IS DESIGNED by joining into a battle you're involved in, stop and think. You are actually the one being rude by insisting that others play the game your way, not the way that the game designers intended.


Adherent
Mar 12, 2010
2831
crystalwizard12345... wrote:
I'm getting very tired of joining a fight only to be called rude or informed I should ask before joining.

In case everyone wasn't aware of it, the game is designed with the idea that random people will just jump into fights and participate. it isn't designed for private kills. And while it will hold someone's place if they are in your group, it won't hold it forever. But it doesn't do that to prevent people from joining into your fight, it does that to give the people in your group a chance to join too, if they want.

If you think way back to when you first started, you'll remember Dueling Diego telling you that there is strength in numbers and to jump into fights if you see them going on. While I understand people want to have team combats, and maybe they don't want company, that isn't how the game is designed.

So, the next time you call someone rude for playing the game AS IT IS DESIGNED by joining into a battle you're involved in, stop and think. You are actually the one being rude by insisting that others play the game your way, not the way that the game designers intended.



Very well said...

I totally agree. Thank you very much.

Adherent
May 20, 2010
2902
Agreed, provided the player who joins actually tries to help. It doesn't matter to me if the player doesn't play very well, as long as he/she is trying to help.

Squire
Apr 30, 2010
521
Doesn't matter what part of the Sprial I am in except Wizard City but I always ask if they want help. If they say no, I just go on my merry way. Maybe it's because my life wizard is in Celestia and I think the enemies are hard to fight.

Explorer
Jul 16, 2009
86
Well sure, that's very true!
If when a wizard just jumps on in they actually try to defeat the monsters we are "supposed" to be defeating.
Instead, it seems to me, often times, what we are working on isn't defeating monsters, but, defeating each other in order to make ourselves feel good about ourselves.
Yea, I do remember being back in Wizard City and trying to defeat a common monster, or two, or four.
If you jump my battle, I'm probably not going to say anything at all, if you are actually doing your part.
x throws fire cat at giant bird x
P.S. I would never tell you to "ask" to join a battle, but, I might be a little concerned if you just jumped on in and did this;
x throws darksprite at giant spider x
P.P.S. I hope some time you do jump my battle. I'd be more than glad to share the work of defeating monsters. I think most wizards would.

Hero
Jul 27, 2009
755
i do know the game is designed as a social gathering but some times people are trying experiment with combos and spells.

the only way around the rudeness is to ask if you can join.

this i do unless i get snagged unintentionally.
and if i do i make sure i take care of the opponent who pulled me in.

this i feel is the best way to fix an unwanted situation.

i think it would be best if Diego said
"when you see some one in a battle
ask if they need help if so then join in."

this would encourage the social manners that are lacking in the game by some

Explorer
Feb 19, 2011
65
Recently I joined a fight on Colossus Boulevard to be greeted with a volley of insults most of which came out as ... and then abused as a noob.

I think the player was being deliberately offensive to put me off joining him/her again. As it happened I completed the quest I was on in that fight and went elsewhere.

Another time I might tell such a player what I think of this attitude.

Survivor
Apr 17, 2009
47
well this isn't always quite fair. for example my death wizard just started on firecat alley. a person joined my battle outta nowhere and then fled just to get me aggrivated. i then died and had to go back and do it again. also, there is in the menu chat a thing to say please do not join this duel. so yes i believe as long as you ask no one should join.

Historian
Jan 05, 2011
658
colagada wrote:
Agreed, provided the player who joins actually tries to help. It doesn't matter to me if the player doesn't play very well, as long as he/she is trying to help.
i like people helping out as long as they are a high enough level, or close to it, for the area. it's a good way to meet people. what i don't tolerate is when people port to me without asking and causes the fight to be ruined. that calls for immediate friend deletion in my book. even if you didn't ruin a fight and someone ports to me without asking, i will delete them. -elijah darkthorn grandmaster conjurer

Astrologist
Aug 13, 2009
1087
crystalwizard12345... wrote:
I'm getting very tired of joining a fight only to be called rude or informed I should ask before joining.

In case everyone wasn't aware of it, the game is designed with the idea that random people will just jump into fights and participate. it isn't designed for private kills. And while it will hold someone's place if they are in your group, it won't hold it forever. But it doesn't do that to prevent people from joining into your fight, it does that to give the people in your group a chance to join too, if they want.

If you think way back to when you first started, you'll remember Dueling Diego telling you that there is strength in numbers and to jump into fights if you see them going on. While I understand people want to have team combats, and maybe they don't want company, that isn't how the game is designed.

So, the next time you call someone rude for playing the game AS IT IS DESIGNED by joining into a battle you're involved in, stop and think. You are actually the one being rude by insisting that others play the game your way, not the way that the game designers intended.


YES! This is a great idea, and it needs to be done KI. Sometimes I'm kind of tired of a long day and I want to fight enemies without someone jumping in, breaking my traps, and getting defeated so I, as a Theurgist, am obligated to heal them. I really want this to happen definitely.

Geographer
Nov 22, 2010
836
hobi wrote:
i do know the game is designed as a social gathering but some times people are trying experiment with combos and spells.


To solution for that is to go to a boss and turn off ports. Then you have a private battle situation that no one can join without your permission.

Survivor
Sep 27, 2008
23
I have been playing the game since the beginning and I have to say early on, that I learned to ask first, before I joined a battle. Reason being, even though I might need the same thing that they are defeating it is possible that they have been working on it for awhile, and then I randomly jump in without asking first and steal the very thing they had been working on all day . True I need it too but they were there before I was. So yes, I ask before I join.

Kaitlyn Jadestrider
Legendary Life

Explorer
Feb 19, 2011
65
Kaitlyn

How can you 'steal' anything from somebody by jumping into their fight?

Everyone gets all the loot from a fight. Adding extra people doesn't cost those who were there to start with anything.

Defender
Aug 06, 2010
173
True - the fights are not private. Asking to join is neither a requirement nor should be expected. It is however, a courtesy, that is nice and appreciated when extended.

For me, sometimes I ask and sometimes I don't before jumping in a fight. But I am careful to look at the scenario before I do.

How much health does the monster(s) have and the fellow wizard(s) as well... the wizard could be on his last shot for the kill but close to dying himself. I don't want to bring another enemy that could wipe him out on the next round. That's when I would ask first or just go to the next fighting area.

Otherwise, if they are in full health, it's a fresh fight and I will more likely just join. I will also respect the fact that they were there first... so if they are working setting traps on a specific enemy, I will ask before I use a multi hit or just focus on the enemy I brought in.

And if I got pulled in, first thing I say is "Sorry, didn't mean to get pulled in. I was..." I've never been called rude for joining.

Survivor
Feb 17, 2011
30
I never mind as long as the player pulls his or her weight. One of my first experiences in Celestia was when me and my friend were killing some crabs for some quest and this guy comes into our fight. He of course draws in another enemy but the whole time he didn't do anything. He didn't even pass so we had to wait for the timer to run out every turn. I am a storm wizard so I almost died and the battle took so much longer than it needed to. After the battle the guy had the nerve to say "Thanks for helping with my quest." and then ported off. That made me pretty angry.

However there was another time, again in Celestia me and my friend were killing those freaky tree things and somebody joined our battle. This time though, she talked with us and was actually very cheerful and nice AND she helped. So of course I didn't mind having the extra enemy there! Why would I? I think this example is a picture perfect example of how the game developers intended players to interact with each other.


Defender
May 11, 2009
126
I honestly can't stand when people jump in, oh and Deigo said, if you think they might need help, not to just jump in if you see a battle going on. And i hate when people jumping last second to get items or xp, without doing practically anything. Going back to the needing help to jump in, if you see a high ranked wizard in a low level area, and they are alone, chances are they want to be alone, and if they want help they will probably ask for it. You should respect other people, and just jumping in to battles just gets people, mostly angry, so knowing that, if you do, don't get in a fuss if people get mad at you if you join a battle they are in, you other people don't like it a lot, so why do it. that is what I, and probably a lot of other people think.

Delver
Jul 04, 2010
294
Well, if you are the type that prefers to fight alone, at least try to be polite and then when the fight is over, go some where else to fight if possible. If they follow you or that isn't an option, change realms to a less populated realm.

It's what I do at least.

Adherent
Mar 18, 2009
2737
MadLogician wrote:
Kaitlyn

How can you 'steal' anything from somebody by jumping into their fight?

Everyone gets all the loot from a fight. Adding extra people doesn't cost those who were there to start with anything.


Actually, you can steal their time. While this doesn't personally bother me, I've seen first hand people jump in on a fight that was nearly over, only to delay the fight longer, because another enemy joined the fight. Sometimes, the original player is so low on life that the new enemy targets them and subsequent kills them. The original player receives nothing at that point. Those instances are rare, but do happen. Even when it has happened to me, I usually don't care, because I shouldn't have played better to begin with. However, I see the frustration that other players get when it happens.

Another situation is the quests that require you to defeat x amount of enemies. Sometimes you only need one more left, but when three more wizards join in a five min. fight becomes a 15 min. fight. Again, I don't complain, because sometimes I'm on the flip side needing to defeat 8 or 10 enemies and can use help to include more enemies. However, others don't want the time wasted.

Survivor
May 29, 2009
15
Sure, fights out in the open are public fights., but is it really that difficult to take 5 seconds to type in "Need help?" or "May I join?.

Simply put, it is seen as a common courtesy. Other players will appreciate the gesture, and usually say "Sure!". It gives people the impression you are not one of the trolling and inconsiderate players that are in this game.

They are even ADDING "May I join" to the menu chat for just this reason.

There are people who join the fight then go afk, (I remove friends that do this) or simply just sit there and pass. There are others that will join a fight to add a mob, wand hit the mob you have trapped, then flee. They think it is funny to leave you with 3 mobs to fight, and all your traps are gone. If you play for an hour or so you will run into them, and start to expect it from every player that joins your fight. Rarely will a player ask to join, then do the stuff mentioned above. If you don't ask, they (and I) expect you to be one of the above mentioned players.

Explorer
Mar 24, 2009
58
The main reason I ask is because several times in my adventures, I've been near death when fighting an opponent, only to have someone join as I'm delivering my death blow. Next thing you know, another one gets sucked in, I get hit and die, and the person who's joined has no heals. Now I have to flee and start all over because someone didn't ask me if they could join. Normally, I have no problem with someone else joining my battles (as long as they're level appropriate), but if I'm near death and getting ready to kill, I don't want someone else joining.

Hero
Jan 24, 2010
705
I think the important point here is that this game is heavily populated by children. Children, mine at least, don't tend to heed adult niceties, and aren't known for impulse control. They also have a much more egalitarian view of play than adults, and don't see it as an infringement when they join a street battle. They just see it as "Woot, time to cast some cool spells". Of course, I'm speaking to my own kids' playing style, other children might be different. Anyway, the problem is one of adult boundaries in conflict with the social environment of the game. I don't think KI will ever change such a basic component of game-play.

IMHO, I only had problems with unwanted assistance in the early areas of Celstia. I can't remember it ever being a problem until I was being routinely stomped by sharks and ugly fish :-)

Lots of adults play on Pixie realm. Maybe going there and playing in the early morning or late evening will ameliorate the inconvenience.

Good Questing,

Scarlet Ravensong, Legendary Pyromancer

Mastermind
Jun 23, 2010
345
KI has made these changes found under Misc. Updates in the Update notes:
*The phrase "Please may I join" has been added to Menu Chat
*Diego will no longer prompt players to freely join a duel in progress.

I think that shows they recognize this is a problem for many.

I generally don't mind if someone joins me. I do wish people would take a moment to look at the NPC's health and mine before jumping in. I have died many times because just as I am ready to strike the death blow somebody jumps in the battle. My health at the time is such that it is him or me.

Megan