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Elitist is a rather derogatory term for a player that, though is seen as a good player and has high-end gear that has several Achievements and raid experience, believes that those below them are "noobs" that do not know how to play the game the proper way, though it's only their definition of what the "proper way" is. They are seen as people who will refuse to help other players reach the same level that they are in the game, and are seen as childish when berating others that ask for help on forums or in-game, usually accusing the other person of "trolling" with what could be seen as a legitimate question that they see as something every player should know from the creation of their first player character. They usually only make friends with those who share the same elitist viewpoints as they do.

There are several ways some players use to determine when another has an elitist attitude towards the game. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Talking down a player that asks a question that might be easily answered, and acting annoyed at the player even asking them.
  • Using Gearscore to determine if a player can complete an instance or not, ignoring any playing skill another player may have. Though there is recommended gearscores for all raids, the requirements that are posted by Elitists are seen as high and which could only be achieved by getting gear from the instance in which the Elitist is trying to form a group for. This is also a common criticism of the Gearscore mechanic as a whole, though Elitists are seen as abusing the GS system in a way that takes the challenge away from the game.
  • Also for an instance, using Achievements as a way to determine skill level of a player or if they are good enough to take with them. This is considered an especially lazy practice, and there is even an Add-on made in which fakes an Achievement as being won on a player character when it really wasn't to counter such a practice (as someone might know all the fights in an instance but had yet to complete it due to whatever reason).
  • Talking down any player who does not play a class in the same manner that they would. Though there are several recommended ways to play each class, it is considered improper etiquette to criticize another player whose play style and gear choices also benefits the spec and class that they play. Note, however, that one who only critiques another player in this manner is not seen as being an Elitist, as a player should also be willing to receive advice from other players who might know more about the game. An Elitist is seen as one who either never chooses to help a lowbie player character or seems to be annoyed about having to help another player.

Beyond these, an Elitist might also believe that since they believe they are more skilled than others who play the game, that they are the only ones entitled to complete high end game content, or to receive certain rewards from the high-end content. They will often complain about the game becoming "too easy" or "catering to casuals". This usually happens when Blizzard rolls out nerfs to certain dungeons even when the majority of players will agree to the nerfs, or if the nerfs are actually bug fixes that make the game more playable.

Elitists may also take the game too seriously and playing too religiously, making others around them feel as though the game has become more of a job than a fun experience. They might see some of the lighter hearted WoW aspects as being too goofy for them to accept.

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