Tackling MMO issues: is “ninjaing” loot a “griefing” compensation?

Now this is definitely a topic that’s not only prevalent in World of Warcraft, but in many other party-oriented MMORPGs as well. But as soon as we picked up a thread at the U.S. World of Warcraft Forums that debated this issue, we just had to cover it. World of Warcraft raids, like many other MMO party quests, offer rewards that the entire party can share.

But what happens when a single party member takes too much damage or – goodness forbid – die repeatedly in the process of attaining those rewards due to a fault on behalf of a party? Presuming that most games offer item durability counts or even EXP and gold loss (gasp!), it would only be generally fair for the party to offer the best of rewards to the member who they have irresponsibly neglected.

But if no one offered the unfortunate player with a single piece of the reward after dying (six times repeatedly) due to irresponsible actions (or inactions) of the entire party, does the poor player have the right to “ninja” the loot and “hightail it” out of the party?

You tell us. Eyonix, a community manager in the World of Warcraft Forums, said, “I demand all dungeon loot, the moment I get struck once.” We’re not as unforgiving as he is, however. As far as we’re concerned, “when player is not pleased, loot ninja strikes from above!”

Via WoW Forums

Now this is definitely a topic that’s not only prevalent in World of Warcraft, but in many other party-oriented MMORPGs as well. But as soon as we picked up a thread at the U.S. World of Warcraft Forums that debated this issue, we just had to cover it. World of Warcraft raids, like many other MMO party quests, offer rewards that the entire party can share.

But what happens when a single party member takes too much damage or – goodness forbid – die repeatedly in the process of attaining those rewards due to a fault on behalf of a party? Presuming that most games offer item durability counts or even EXP and gold loss (gasp!), it would only be generally fair for the party to offer the best of rewards to the member who they have irresponsibly neglected.

But if no one offered the unfortunate player with a single piece of the reward after dying (six times repeatedly) due to irresponsible actions (or inactions) of the entire party, does the poor player have the right to “ninja” the loot and “hightail it” out of the party?

You tell us. Eyonix, a community manager in the World of Warcraft Forums, said, “I demand all dungeon loot, the moment I get struck once.” We’re not as unforgiving as he is, however. As far as we’re concerned, “when player is not pleased, loot ninja strikes from above!”

Via WoW Forums