The Responsibility of the Community: Why WildStar needs more WildBillSrs!

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about why I loved the WildStar community. It is here, that I have had the opportunity to meet some phenomenal people and seen some of the most impressive public relations. Tonight only further proved that. In a live stream from Roland of WildStar Nexus, the community gathered together to hang out, laugh and discuss the recently released patch notes together. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. There were warm greetings for familiar faces and when questions were asked, no one rudely told off anyone for not knowing recent updates or what some might consider common knowledge. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Then to make matters even more exciting, Carbine swung by briefly for a hello and sent out a tweet to bring more! 

Carbine, never lose your sense of humor please...

These are the things that build good community together.

This is what we should seek to preserve. Right now we have a very solid, tight-knit community while WildStar is still in development. But as the game comes closer to completion, our numbers swell and upon launch they will explode with people all flocking to enjoy WildStar. Unfortunately this means we will begin to see the inevitable less savory aspects of the community. However, if we can remain strong, we can help curb this damage with intolerance of poor behavior and the encouragement of kindness and generosity.

Today I want to talk about the man who taught me what it truly meant to be a part of the community. I met him in my early days of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade and have used his fervor as examples to lead my own actions.

Today I want to tell you about WildBillSr.

The one and only WildBillSr!

I found him quite by accident. I was playing with my usual team, a group of my real life friends all in college, talking about where we were going to quest next after lunch. Accidentally landing in Darkshore, I was about to take the correct flight path when I noticed an interesting person chatting in the general channel. We spoke for a little while and suddenly we found ourselves walking from Darkshore to Auberdine. Half-roleplaying, half-chattering we started a great friendship that day.

One thing that really struck me about WildBillSr, was that he was so friendly. Sure I had met plenty of decent people in WoW, but very few who really made me enjoy chatting with them that much. So I brought him to meet my other friends when they brought lunch back downstairs. He was an instant hit with our guild, the Shapers of Destiny. We all hung out for quite some time before heading our separate ways. We all added WildBillSr to our friends list but, like many WoW friends, we did not expect to hear from him much again.

We had no idea how wrong we were.

The very next day our mailboxes all had gifts from our newest friend. There was food with buffs and small crafting treasures for each of us. We all grouped together over breakfast, talking excitedly about the gifts our kind friend had sent us. They were all things that would have taken a bit of time to farm up and could have made a decent bit on the auction house. But instead he sent them to us, each with an amusing and personalized note. This generosity really blew us away and we decided we needed to give him something back.

As we logged back in, I remember one of my friends suddenly bursting into laughter. “Umm...Bill is in Karazhan?” We were all really confused as he was very much under leveled for that endgame raid. So, burning with curiosity, we sent him a tell. It turned out that he was at the waters just outside the raid, specifically to fish a particular eel that could be turned into a food item known as Stormchops. When consumed, stormchops gave a buff that would occasionally zap nearby enemies with lightning damage for a small bit of damage. At the time this was particularly nice for tanks, especially paladin tanks, which I was at the time.

And then I found out, WildBillSr was there fishing for these because he was making some more for me. He snuck into a zone that he was under leveled for, to sit down and spend all this time fishing just to help out a new friend. Because that is what Bill did. He helped people.

Every time we logged in, we always looked to see where WildBillSr was next. He was always exploring some fun place, farming materials or randomly wandering and questing or some other random adventure. We would find him in general chat, disarming trolls and joking with others of the community. Sometimes he would come and roleplay with us, telling stories as we gathered random passerbys in the cities to spend time in fellowship. He constantly surprised us and other friends with gifts and uplifting notes, brightening our times online with all these tiny little things.

WildBillSr, played WoW to his own tune. He didn't race to level, he didn't force himself to grind dungeons for gear or try to raid. Bill played the game for a sense of adventure and for a selfless contribution to the community. He was always encouraging and helpful and he always tried to make things just a little bit better all around him.

He taught myself and my guild about what it meant to truly be a part of the community. You don't need to spend your every moment doing everything for others, but there are all these little things you can do here and there that make a difference. They can really brighten someone's day. And these smiles and goodwill are contagious. They spread from person to person, infecting the community with positivity and kindness. These are the types of people we need to bring into WildStar. These are the people we should strive to be. So many people will play this game from all walks of life. Doctors, bus drivers, school teachers, musicians, first responders, artists, daycare owners, mothers, fathers, kids, I have seen so many wonderful people. No matter how they are different, they all share their love of the game, a single binding interest that unites them under a banner of fun and relaxation. By doing our part, we can continue to make WildStar a positive and enjoyable experience for all!

So many people, united by their love of WildStar. All of them having fun together! (photo found here)

When I went to make this blog, I reached out to my friend WildBillSr and asked him if he could share with us, in his own words, why he does what he does for the community. I leave you with his reply today:

  “ In my humble opinion, Trade Trolls are mostly unhappy folks who are insecure about their ability to make and keep friends.  Without a social anchor, so to speak, they bang about and, eventually, fall into the conceptual trap that "misery loves company".  It's hard for them to motivate, in any case, so it's difficult to get them off their arses and out into the world . . . . where they might actually enjoy themselves (and others) for a change.   What I tried to do in WoW was simple: to keep trade chat funny, kind, and helpful; sort of a protective spell against trade trollism, so to speak.  I kept above anger, above hate, because even Trade Trolls need a little love (though they throw it back in your face if they think you've noticed).  Pretty soon, as I discovered in WoW, the intelligent Trade Trolls start to play our game willingly.  The others get quickly shouted down by a community of Heroes Helping Heroes.  That's how we took out Sauron, and Lord Foul, you know-working together, or "Gung Ho!" as the Chinese used to say.

  In addition, a fantasy world needs story tellers, philosophers, and artists; more of them per capita, in fact, than our poor "real world".  Since I am all 3 (and remarkably humble, too!) I took the reins of Role Playing and ran that horse as hard and far as it would go.  I had a lot of fun that way, and I think I am remembered for it.

  Running into you lot made that mission feel like a complete success and I thank you for your contributions.  Your replies to my gambits left those hostile to me (and my Smurf backers) ill at ease, for they then suspected that I (not they) commanded public opinion.  SInce I teach by example (you would not want to be in a band with me . . . heheh . .  I don't smoke, drink, or carouse in public . . . more's the pity.  I'd be so good at it!), this was all that was required for my efforts to bear good, healthy, fruit.

  Thanks for understanding . . . I don't think many do, but isn't that the hero's lot?  We try and make the world a better place for everyone, not just a few.  If our harmonies are lost within the roar of humanity, well, does it matter, ultimately?  We still melted some of the ice that separates us as people.

  Also, remember that some of the worst of the Trade Trolls are folks with serious mental and physical problems.  Trying to re-integrate these wandered souls into our loving community is kind of our responsibility . . . ain't it not?

With simpatico, I remain your steadfast friend,

Wild Bill senior

Appendices:

Everyone I've discussed it with is psyched about WildStar house building and (some of us, anyway, are also excited about) living in the sky!

I will so play an Exile Explorer/Scout!

If PvP is a major angle then I suggest that you consider allowing Trade Trolls to hurl their ill-aimed weapons of vituperation and venom in the place where such stuff belongs . . . on the battlefield. “