What were some of your most challenging experiences as a newbie and what kept you coming back into the virtual worlds? When I first started playing WoW, my daughter gave me the basic pointers about how to accept quests, move around, and use the action bar. I was impressed at how the game taught me in gradual increments how to do different types of activities and use additional skills. It made the newbie experience pretty smooth, as far as individual questing goes. Once I joined the guild and started doing more group activities like dungeons and raids, the guild members provided a lot of teaching and support in a friendly atmosphere. I have also run into a few strangers who were friendly and helpful, although there have been others who were rude and offensive. Fan sites provide a lot of helpful information, too. I have learned a lot from the comments on WowHead, especially when I get stuck on a quest. Icy-‐Veins has great information for how to make the most of a given class. I watch a lot of YouTube videos to learn how to play certain dungeons or raids. What have you taught your Avatar? What has your Avatar taught you? I have taught Kamoreo how to be a sharp dresser and how to make the most of her abilities. Working/playing with her has taught me that it is okay for people to have different roles as they work together to reach a goal. And that I need to pay attention to what is around me. She has reinforced my sense of myself as a person who appreciates clear, quantified feedback. I wish that my local colleagues also played WoW, so we could use its language and lessons to talk about how to work together.
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