Joining Battles Without Asking: Opinions and Responses

It's been a long-existing debate in Wizard101, and a brand-new issue in Pirate101 - is it okay to jump into people's battles, and why or why not? Furthermore, if someone is not adhering to the way you think things should be, what is an appropriate reaction? Most people have a preconceived idea about this topic, but lets keep an open mind and consider both sides.

Introduction // In Wizard101, it isn't tough to ask to join a battle. There's even a menu chat option for it. However, just because the option exists does not mean that that's the way KingsIsle intended it to be. In fact, I believe the contrary to be true.

In one of his tutorials, Dueling Diego actually teaches wizards to jump into battles and assist others. Furthermore, KingsIsle has given use the option to jump into battles as we please, with no restrictions other than the possibility of a group. On the other hand, they've allowed us to restrict teleports and various requests - so isn't this intended?

Pirate101 isn't a lot different, but there are some things to consider. First, chat in the skyways from ships can be difficult to comprehend. Multiple conversations may be happening, and since ships don't have chat bubbles, you can't be sure whether someone was asking to join your battle, or someone else's. In some cases, joining hand-to-hand battles can render you less capable to help than in Wizard101, as only your pirate may join. Healing in Pirate101 is also limited, so your ability to keep the person who started the battle alive may be questionable.

Beyond what KingsIsle intended, can you consider it okay to join a battle without asking? Before I present my opinion, let me be fair and give you both sides, as well as the in-between. I'll be using a discussion thread from Wizard101 Central for insight.

"It's Okay to Join!" // People who believe joining battles without asking is okay argue that Wizard101 and Pirate101 are engineered so that your ratio of wizards to enemies is better with more friends. They say that you certainly don't own a battle circle or area, so people have a right to join in and assist.

They say that many wizards of the Spiral are not at all familiar with this concept at all, and they can't be blamed for joining without asking. They continue to argue that Wizard101 and Pirate101 are social games, and players are meant to interact with one another in these ways.

One of their strongest points is that you simply can't expect everyone to be aware of and adhere to the way you think the game should be played. There are also a variety of younger players who do not, and will not, understand the concept or importance of asking to join a battle. Furthermore, it will be difficult to place into their minds that they should ask before joining every battle, particularly considering the fact that Azteca is brand-new in Wizard101, and Pirate101 is loaded with new players experiencing all parts of the game for the first time.

Wizard101 players can further argue that they can come fully equipped to heal and deal with the situation, while Pirate101 players can argue that their presence introduces a number of new abilities, with a possible cost of only one more "monster," and can also say that asking to join ship battles is made difficult by the way in which chat is handled in the skyways.

"That's Extremely Rude!" // People who do not believe it is okay to join a battle without asking argue that this has been considered one of the rudest in-game acts for some time, and that shouldn't change. They say that they created the battle on their terms, and they set up the deck on their terms. Asking to join on someone's else's terms is fine, but you could potentially wreck the entire battle if you join at a bad time. They say that in Pirate101, you may only be able to contribute one Pirate, and they may be forced to do the bulk of the work with their companions. They also note that healing is particularly limited in Pirate101, making it harder for people joining to keep the original pirate in good shape.

These people say that the person already in the battle may be making a kill, and don't want to waste the addition ten minutes it could take the new wizard to kill that additional creature (or those additional creatures) - after all, some of these guys have some massive health!

One of their strongest points is that joining battles without asking has, is, and will lead to the death of wizards and pirates who were, are, and will be unprepared for the additional work.

Responding to "Random Joiners" // You'd be surprised about some of the ideas some people have about this topic. Many believe it to be okay to call out the "random joiner" for adding difficulty to their battle. After all, how else will they learn? And many people do.

It is my opinion that it is okay to say something simple such as "Would you mind asking to join next time?" That's how I handle random teleporting - "Ask to teleport, please." I certainly don't blow a fuse and remove anybody from my friends list. I think that calling people out with negative comments and in an irritated way is absolutely unacceptable, especially in a children's game.

My Choice of Actions // I recognize and respect the wishes of many - and that is that people ask to join their battles. I quest with two wizards and one pirate, and I make sure to make that known when asking to join battles - and I do ask. "May we/I join your battle?" Despite the fact that the end of the battle may be close at hand, I'm always careful to wait for a response.

I would hope that you would do the same - because it is common courtesy, and you can't argue that it isn't required, because manners, kindness, and self-control aren't required either, but you certainly shouldn't be skipping out on those.

Regardless of what's recommended, and what probably should be done, the question still remains - is it okay to jump into battles without asking?

My Opinion // It is my opinion that it is absolutely okay to jump into battles without asking - and most of my readers' jaws just dropped, because they know I'm one to be courteous. But here's why.

One user made a good argument on that Central thread - the person who believes in asking to join has that set way of thinking, and they think anyone who thinks differently is wrong and should be called out on the matter. Wizards and pirates of the opposite side say that it's okay, and many of them aren't even aware of the argument. They join a battle, get a lashing, and still have no clue what the issue is.

Here's my thought - You're seemingly encouraged by KingsIsle to join battles, and you should do just that. Suppose a wizard or pirate dies due to your joining. While that is unpleasant, and shouldn't happen, it isn't the end of the world. When I join a battle in Wizard101 (though I do ask), I am fully prepared to heal and shield the original wizard or wizards and to do the killing in its entirely on my own. In Pirate101, I have the ability to heal with my eyepatch, and can generally contribute to a battle to make the killing quicker than if I were not a part of the battle. I recognize that not all people have these abilities.

I think that it is polite to ask to join battles, and it certainly doesn't hurt to try it, but to expect wizards and pirates of the Spiral to all know this is absolutely absurd - and that's what surprised me about the fact that even some well-known members of the community have these expectations.

People certainly are not perfect - and if you think they are, I'd love a comment telling me where in the Spiral you're from - and they can't be expected to be. To think that everyone in the Spiral is or should be aware of your personal in-game standards is not only rather selfish, but it's unrealistic. Consider the fact that you're playing a children's game - do you expect an eight-year-old child to grasp and understand the concept and importance of asking to join a battle, and furthermore remember to do so before entering every non-boss battle?

Katherine Light says that her four-year-old daughter plays Wizard101, and she supervises, explaining where the "Please may I join?" option is in menu chat. While my hat is off to her, that is a rather uncommon practice. Too many parents have absolutely no idea about their children's lives online, despite their exhaustive efforts.

You (as a player) also, as mentioned above, don't own a battle circle or area. It isn't yours to control. Despite what kind of terms you may have started the battle on, and what terms you may have prepared for, you should expect and plan for change - that's really not a new concept.

A Final Word // I am quick to recognize that not everyone agrees, and I'm certainly not set in stone on my ideas - you never, maybe you can convince? Agree or disagree, I'd like to know - what's your opinion? Feel free to share, just be ready for a response!

Thanks for reading, and see you in the Spiral!