~ProductionsStash

In WoW, there's a loot option called 'Group Loot,' which makes looting nice and fair. Or, if you're like me, you set it to Loot Master and hand out spoils after battles based on who contributed more (the warrior who tanks well, the priest who kept everyone healthy, and the mage who kept trash mobs bunkered down with CC would get more than, say, the rogue who kept stealthed the entire battle and uses 'I was waiting for an advantage' as an excuse). The problem is with the Need roll. Otherwise, this is a great way to do runs with lots of blue gear.

I have a general rule: If you need to upgrade your gear NOW, just ask before you roll if it's okay to roll need. If your class-appropriate (I don't give a damn what you say, a hunter will NEVER need plate, a priest/mage/warlock will NEVER need anything more than cloth, and a rogue will NEVER need mail) and you're polite, most groups won't have an issue, after all, it's no trouble to go back to town, repair, and go back to the instance for Greed rollers. If you just want to sell it, roll Greed. And if you plan on disenchanting it... for Chrissakes, ASK US. I can't tell you the number of times we've had to boot a vital role in our party because he or she was a vital jackass, rolled Need on a set of mail that I wanted to sell for gold towards my mount training... then the little bastard disenchanted it. Right in front of us.

Most guilds Alliance-side on my server tend to have a 'greed over need' rule, which means that you always roll greed unless you plan to use it right then and there. Problem with this is in Pick-up Groups, where you group up with people you don't know in the interest of at least doing the instance. There's always the one huntard who rolls Need on plate, or the loladin who rolls Need for a staff that you KNOW she isn't going to use--she's admitted she can't use staves... and this staff happens to auction for upwards of 700 gold on the Auction House. Hm... gee, wonder why the little cyberbunny rolled Need when we all rolled Greed, and a mage who wanted that staff for her soon-to-come levelup had the high roll.

My point, kids, is if you don't want to piss off everybody you group with, roll Need ONLY when you genuinely -need- something. It's kind of why it's there, for the mage who needs Staff of Jordan, for the 1h-and-shield warrior who needs the Aegis of the Scarlet Commander, for the... you get the idea.

And when you hear everyone badmouth hunters, keep in mind that it seems to be huntards who always do the ninja need rolls when in reality they're just greedy little kids.

Ah well, what'll ya do? Blizzard hasn't gotten their asses in gear and set up rules against ninja-ing, despite it being a noted form of griefing--something they've set up rules against most of its methods (including allowing you the option of disabling your PvP flag to avoid some level 70 jackass killing you while you're still single-digits.