How to Survive Being Nerfed: A Guide
I was at my desk working pretty early this morning, and I started the day the way that I start most work days: by checking out all of the WoW news. So it was not long after my day started that I get the news that Pallies had been nerfed. This time around it was an unannounced change to Exorcism, so that it can no longer be used on other players.
Some part of me saw this (or a similar change) coming. Blizz has been saying for a while now that Pallies have too much burst in PvP, but not enough sustained damage in PvE, so giving us a new instant cast nuke was clearly not going to help the PvP situation even though it might help in PvE. So here we have Blizzard’s none-too-delicate solution to the problem (which they agree is not too good, and is hopefully temporary).
So how did I take the news this morning? Umm… not well. I felt threatened and bummed, and for a second, I gave into the Blizz-is-gonna-nerf-us-to-the-ground-the-sky-is-falling-OH-NOES!! mindset. And the funny thing is that the nerf doesn’t really even affect me that much. I don’t do much PvP at all, and the original change to Exorcism (allowing us to use it on the non-undead) had only been live for two days.
Isn’t it funny how we can react so irrationally to news like that? Fortunately, there’s help. There is a psychological concept called the Grief Cycle, which explains the mind’s reaction to hearing bad news. The bad news being heard can be pretty much anything - it’s commonly used in the discussion of death, terminal illness, and things of that sort, but I think it applies equally well to to having your class nerfed in WoW. Allow me to walk you through it as I explain what I was thinking this morning.
Shock - Anger - Denial - Mourning - Acceptance
The first emotion experienced after hearing bad news is that of Shock. What?? We got nerfed again?? Two days after the patch?!?! Really??
Anger comes next. May be heavily laced with sarcasm. Well, that’s just so typical. Blizzard hates Pallies. I don’t know why I even play one anymore. All Blizzard does to them is nerf, nerf, nerf. Sometimes they’ll buff us just to raise our hopes so they can crush them again. I hate Blizzard, I hate this stupid game! Why do I even play it?? Gah!
Followed by Denial. No, this can’t be true. So soon after the patch? With no warning? Surely there’s been a mistake. Maybe I can find the original notice from Blizzard. Surely it was taken out of context. Maybe the whole thing is a big misunderstanding.
Mourning. I found the notice. No misunderstanding. The change is real. Pallies are dead.
Last comes Acceptance. Maybe it’s not so bad. I mean, I don’t really even PvP that much so I probably won’t even notice it. Maybe I don’t hate Blizzard. Maybe I should take down that paper-mache red crab I made this morning with plans to burn it later. Maybe the sky isn’t falling. Hmm, I should probably log in and do some dailies. OK, Blizzard, I love you again.
So there you have it. A normal, healthy Grief Cycle. These are the steps the mind has to take in order to deal with bad news. The problem that a lot of WoW players have with this is that they allow (or make, depending on your point of view) themselves to wallow in the Anger stage. This is when 85% of all WoW forum posts are written.
So what can you do when your class is nerfed? First off, remove yourself from the QQers. By this I mean don’t read, listen, or talk to someone who is determined to wallow in Shock or Anger. It will only cause you to stay in this stage and increase the trauma. If you want to read about WoW stuff, read some of the good bloggers who handle this sort of stuff in a mature fashion (like Rohan did this morning). Otherwise, steer clear of WoW stuff altogether until you’ve moved on from the issue.
Secondly, know the stages that your mind is going to go through, and don’t do anything you’ll regret in the early stages. This includes making one of those 85% of WoW forums posts. Just stay away until you can discuss the issue rationally.
That said, Blizzard sucks and if they nerf me again I swear I’ll quit.
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But where does the stop the QQ end and low self-esteem begin? How long do you stay in an abusive relationship “because it used to be good” or “maybe (s)he will change” or “it will get better”? Soldiering through life’s adversities - recession, disease, aging, death, jobs, schools, relationships - is very good advice. But this is a game, and you have to buy the service. What if you told your friends that you spent $15 at a restaurant again this month but they keep changing the menu and the food is never as good but you intend to spend the same next month. Your California friends would want to discuss your self-esteem. Your southern friends would tell you to grow a pair.
You provide very good advice; except there will come a time for each of us, when that is no longer the best advice.
In the context of WoW, if things have come to the point where you are comparing your relationship with Blizz to that of an abusive relationship, then it’s time to quit the game. This is a game, nothing more, and it should be fun. If it’s bringing you down like that, then it’s time to try some new hobbies. My relationship with Blizz is nothing like that. Sure, they do things to the game that I don’t agree with, but they also do a lot of things that I like. Learning to adapt to changes is part of playing an MMO.