How do you handle harassment?

[Jroaeyl]

I do random heroics as a 53/13/5 hunter in between dailies. I average 2200 dps -- which is decent for a BM hunter specifically. Most of my gear came from Forge of Souls and Pit of Saron (which I survive quite well, ty.).

Anyway, as soon as I entered this one dungeon, one of the people in the group began to laugh at my character and its abilities. He spewed unsolicited hunter builds -- basically telling me I suck. At first I wanted to leave but then I realized he'd win if I run away. So I stayed until the end. There were no deaths, we did not wipe, and I smiled because even though that character ranked 2nd in the total amount of damage, he ranked 3rd in average dps (I was 2nd).

So how do you handle these kinds of characters? I'm sure there's more of them out there but I'm really appalled that they exist!

[Saturo]

Just tell 'em "I play for fun, not because I have no life, like you"

[Vephriel]

Ehh....those idiots can be everywhere, but I don't think I've had an occasion where I really let them get to me. Usually I just shrug it off, or if they're being especially unbearable I just leave and forget about them, maybe have a chuckle about how immature they are.

I do enjoy staying though and just acting really sweet and friendly for the rest of the run. No matter what they spew at me I don't react, and it bothers them that they're not getting a rise out of me. Same thing works in real life with those angry customers...just keep talking regularly and smile and they get frustrated because they keep yelling at you. xD

[Dulanie]

I just ignore them myself. If they get too bad I tell them to grow up, get a job, move out of their parents basement, get an inflatable doll since they are so pathetic even a hooker wouldn't have sex with them for $500. If they really piss me off I wait til we are in a rough part of the instance then send my pet in grab 2-3 groups of mobs then teleport out of there saying "Have fun. =)"

[Saturo]

Yup, Misdirect can work wonders.

[Jroaeyl]

LOL. Great replies. I'm feeling much better.

[Vephriel]

Mm, I personally wouldn't do the whole 'Misdirect then leave the group laughing' thing....honestly it sort of brings you down to their level, and then it gives them the satisfaction of knowing they pissed you off enough for you do pull such a thing. Same thing for yelling insults back at them. Nothing you say is going to work, it will just dig yourself deeper the more you try to argue with them.

It's far better to just keep a level head (as difficult as it can be), and act mature the entire time. That way when you leave you can feel proud that they didn't get any sort of reaction or satisfaction from you, and that they'll realize they were being idiots anyways.

[Arwyn]

I just ignore them; do what I need to do to help the group out to get whatever quest needs to get done.

[Razzy]

Best thing to do? Be completely silent. Just continue through the instance, do your job of DPS, beat the bosses, then leave. It's simple. Telling them to move out and get a life etc, that doesn't really do anything. (honestly, it's kind of a weak insult.) Grabbing mobs and porting out is just.. being an arsehole. It's kind of like throwing a tantrum. "You made fun of me over the internet?! Fine! I'll wipe the instance!"

Sorry if I sound harsh, I just deal with people like this all the time with the dungeon finder. It gets really tiring.

[Khishay]

If I feel like I'm not playing up to level, I apologize and explain I'm not functioning as well as possible (mostly because I'm tanking on a Paladin more now than Hunter'ing, soooo yeah )

Otherwise I completely ignore them, not one word. Usually if no one talks in party, then no one starts. At least that's how it's been for me. Unless something funny happens like... ohhh H UP Skadi randomly resets, then we all say "Wtf" and move on.

Replying only fuels them, and they give up after a while. People of that type usually don't like talking to a blank chat. They want to see the text and CAPS LOCK ON!

Summary: I agree with above - Ignore them.

[Vephriel]

I usually make the effort of greeting everyone when I enter a group for a random dungeon. Completely silent runs creep me out a little - they're just strict, militant marches of death as we clear the mobs with no interaction. I'd prefer to at least know there are people running it with me. xD

After that, if some people turn out to be ignorant assholes then I just ignore them and do my DPS. Every response you feed them gives them fuel, and as long as the run keeps going it's all good.

[Jroaeyl]

Yeah, I always greet the group. I remember I also said "First time here." when I first began FoS and PoS. Then if something goes wrong, I always make it a point to say "My fault. Key fail." (or whatever caused the problem). Talking goes a long way. Trash talking goes a long way -- in the other direction.

Thanks. I'll not talk and ignore when this sad situation happens again.

[Saturo]

I usually shut up too, but when an SV hunter autofollows you and spams a /slap macro, and constantly misdirects me, it's hard to just ignore it. It ended with eveyone ignoring him, the tank asking the healer not to heal him, and the Rogue using his Tricks o' the trade and vanish onto him. It was systematic bullying, and it ended with him yelling ZOMG RETARDS RESS U STUPID SHAMAN. We proceeded, and every time he ressed we would continue to kill him. At long last, at the last boss, he was alive, and ready to Feign when we triedto get him killed before aggroing the boss, so he wouldn't get loot, we were FINALLY able to votekick him. Before we started bullying him, he had done 4000damage (PoS HC), at the non elite trash in the very beginning. At that point, he noticed my devilsaur and tried to get me to leave. It was childish, mean, stupid, and FUN! Besides, he deserved it.

[Skyshot]

I've only ever been truely harassed about my spec once and that was while I was fishing. Some random lvl 80 hunter ran by in Uldar gear and shortly afterward I get a tell from him laughing at my spec (a good, solid soloing BM build for solo or even heroic runs) and gear and just all around harassed me. I just told him "I pay to play what I like. STFU and go raid some more." and promptly slapped his name on ignore before he got a chance to say another word. :P Otherwise I just straight-out ignore them without giving a reply.

Although misdirecting onto a harasser in an instance does sound like a barrel full of laughs.
Sounds like just as much fun satisfaction as check marking 'at war' with the Cenarion Circle and misdirecting the CC guy by the flight tower in Org onto unknowing gold spammers. ;D

[Vephriel]

Sounds like just as much fun satisfaction as check marking 'at war' with the Cenarion Circle and misdirecting the CC guy by the flight tower in Org onto unknowing gold spammers. ;D

Heh, that would be hilarious. Too bad you can only misdirect party/raid members.

[Skyshot]

Heh, that would be hilarious. Too bad you can only misdirect party/raid members.

Used to do it all the time back when you could misdirect random people. (Org also used to get heavy gold spamming bots on my server at that time.)
Never got old and I usually got at least one /applaud xD












Edit: Removed the quoted quote. Hehe (Don't want to start a quote pyramid)

[VelkynKarma]

It's ironic; this happened to me today for the first time. I was chillin' in the Ironforge Bank on my NE Hunter and all of I sudden I get a random whisper from a level 54 gnome warlock who starts lecturing me about where to put my talents.

There were a number of things I WANTED to say, but I didn't say anything at all and just pretended I didn't see it. Honestly, any way I replied would have just fueled him on more, I'm sure. I'm not adverse to getting tips, but whispering without so much as a hello or an intro to a totally random stranger? That's just rude.

The misdirecting/teleporting stuff sounds amusing, but I don't think I'd ever do it. Or argue back, for that matter. It'd just egg'em on more and who needs that

~VelkynKarma

[rubybeam]

yeah just don't feed them they're internet trolls on WoW >.>

[Ungoro]

One of my good friends on WoW is actually one of those kind of people and he's always dissing hunters because we apparently suck at actually doing damage...so we ran Naxx10 and i came out 2nd on dps and he was 6th. I just prove 'em wrong!

[Dulanie]

One thing I also sometimes do is offer to duel them. I don't know why but for some reason they always try to kill my pet first. When I see this I usually ask how much they bought their toon for.