Even so, Tom is quick to point out that this relaxed environment has serious consequences for the server's endgame raiding scene. Iron Dragon recently defeated the dragon Nefarian on hard mode for a server first -- which counts as one of the most difficult encounters currently in the game -- but he notes that amassing the quality players needed to pull off such a feat is a challenge in itself. "I've been here forever, and I know that recruiting from the limited talent pool remains one of the most painful things to do," he says. "Moon Guard actually has some exceptional players on both sides, but those players all seem to hate each other for some reason, and they're spread out among many 10-man guilds." While he has no issues with role-playing and even encourages it within his guild, he acknowledges that many of Moon Guard's players are more suited to role-play than endgame raids (or even five-man dungeons).
I can relate; just last night, I was battling the Frost Lord Ahune (a seasonal boss that only appears during WoW's summer festival), and I found myself grouped with three other random Moon Guardians when I entered via the dungeon finder. Despite all the good I've said here, I admit that I cringed. The healer and I did just fine, but the tank and the hunter were shocking examples of how not to play World of Warcraft. We all ended up dying -- and quickly, too. And when the healer initiated the menu to kick the two deadbeats from the group, his listed reason in the voting prompt was "Go Back to Goldshire." On other occasions, people I've met in the random dungeon finder expressed their shock at finding a Moon Guardian who actually knows what he's doing. Indeed, when the random dungeon finder tool was first implemented in December 2009, I remember that many Moon Guardians were terrified that people would immediately kick them from the group just because of their server name.
But again, I revel in the server's constant surprises. Not long before writing this column, I made my way down to Goldshire to see if I could capture any last-minute licentiousness for some screenshots (contrary to popular belief, most high-level Moon Guardians avoid Goldshire at all costs -- even to the point of switching off general chat when they must fly over Elwynn Forest -- and I was more than a little afraid that my visit would somehow tarnish my reputation). The Lion's Pride Inn was as packed as ever that night, but I was surprised to find that the accompanying chat had little to do with forbidden sexual acts. Instead, the attention of the 50 or so players in the room was focused on a player using a trivia program based on World of Warcraft lore and game history. The questions were outdated by a year or so, but I soon found myself rattling out answers of my own and laughing when I got a right answer. Not long after that, I found myself getting into mini-debates with other players as to why a certain answer was wrong or right. And by the time 15 minutes had gone by, I realized that the near-impossible had happened: I was having fun in Goldshire.
Trivia Night in Goldshire.
This is why I remain on Moon Guard, even with its problems. This is why I'm content to spend much of my time with World of Warcraft on a server that sports mediocre raid progression, despite my former experience in one of the world's top guilds. Moon Guard's constant and wide-ranging role-playing events make it feel much more alive and dynamic than other servers, especially at a time when a large segment of the player base seems disillusioned with Cataclysm's content. My own role-playing experience is largely limited to advertising my mage's professions in trade chat, but I can't deny that I enjoy seeing what other people come up with. Perhaps Blizzard could learn a few lessons from this oft-maligned but popular server, and instead consider adapting the way non-erotic role-players use buildings or form splinter groups within their own faction. At the most basic level, I'm surprised that the server's zealous fascination with "role-playing gear" (i.e., gear worn for its looks instead of its stats) hasn't prompted Blizzard to implement a wardrobe feature that works like Rift's.
I'm well-aware that this column will likely prompt some of you to visit Goldshire and see the depravity for yourself. If you do, feel free to gawk a bit, but I suggest that you also take some time to level outside of Elwynn Forest. I'm sure you'll find that Moon Guard is so much more than a bunch of boys role-playing as naked Night Elves in the Lion's Pride Inn. It's possible you'll encounter a guild holding an in-character meeting in the shadows of Duskwood. Elsewhere, you'll find a group of friends leveling their alts in-character or a player leveling his or her archaeology profession in Indiana Jones-style gear. Wherever you go, you'll find a server that stubbornly clings to the world around it, at a time when Blizzard's use of convenient portals and random queues seems intent on turning players away from exploration. Indeed, travel far enough beyond Pornshire, and you may just discover that you've found what you were looking for all along.
But if you're really determined, just level a Horde character for the mere pleasure of being able to slaughter the PvP-flagged Alliance libertines at the Lion's Pride Inn.
I hear it's some of the best fun on the realm.
Leif Johnson is a former longtime member of the early world-class raiding guild Risen on Alleria. Today he confuses people by saying he's from Chicago while speaking with a Texas accent. Find out what he's doing over at his blog.
