Why should I not ping my bar?

[Zalis]

Yesterday a wammo joined my team, and he called himself a "monk-warrior". He had about 3 healing spells, with WoH as elite.. I asked him how he was going to handle that with 20 energy and 2 energy degeneration, and he replied that he had 36 energy, and 2 energy degeneration, so I shouldn't worry about that. I kicked him immediately.

I've got to say that I'd boot that too.

[chirthain]

I've got to say that I'd boot that too.

That's what I meant to say, yeah. xD ^^

[Wuzzman]

I gotta say. I can tell how smart a player is by looking at their bars. Experience and knowing what the **** I'm doing generally tells me when I'm looking at trash.

[ibudgie]

I never ping my bar in AB unless I am in a guild group where we are discussing build ideas on vent, if the PUG insists I just leave the group. It's not that I run any special secret bar, it's just that I think it's rude to ask in AB and you should just trust the player to bring an appropriate bar, especially if they are displaying a reasonable AB title. Likewise I never ask others to ping their bar. It's not like AB requires a balanced team like TA/HA/GvG, heck you could run a team of 4 Monks with no damage in AB and still cap shrines if you choose the ones with only NPC on them! AB is about battlefield awareness/position/capping not builds.

[David Holtzman]

I have a hard time seeing why it's rude that I want to know if you're a third nipple.

[Akirai Annuvil]

a reasonable AB title

There's an AB title track?

It's not like AB requires a balanced team like TA/HA/GvG, heck you could run a team of 4 Monks with no damage in AB and still cap shrines if you choose the ones with only NPC on them! AB is about battlefield awareness/position/capping not builds.

Alternatively, you can both practice your battlefield awareness and run good builds.

I don't get the third nipple comparison, but I don't see how it can be construed as an impolite question especially with so many terribad builds being run.

[Rhadix]

I ping my bar whenever I enter a group and I prefer to see everyone else's bar simply so I know how we are going to be playing.

The only time i ever really nag someone for a ping is when there's another ranger in the team so that I can run a complementary build. No point in 2 cripshots :)

[Vela]

AB is all about understanding when to cap and when to kill. I don't think pinging bar in AB makes a lot of difference as I never expect the person joining the group is looking for some hardcore pvp action, skill synergies and what not. 8/10 AB matches can be won by running in circles w/ a group while having some basic knowledge of the maps. And 2/10 will need some understanding of the maps, pressure tactics, usage of skills efficiently etc etc.

As I don't mind pinging builds and, in some cases, I can ask one to ping build; but, whenever I ask someone to ping build, I ping my build first and then ask. Seldom I had difficulties with that approach. While doing AB with PuGs, it's better to be happy with those 8/10 wins. If you are "critical" about the build your pug buddy is running, don't do ABs. You are a misfit there.

[chirthain]

Alternatively, you can both practice your battlefield awareness and run good builds.

Is it really possible to practice your battlefield awarenss AND run good builds?!
Oh, my. xD

[Amadei]

I think it's rude to ask in AB and you should just trust the player to bring an appropriate bar, especially if they are displaying a reasonable AB title.

Uh, have you seen some of the utter crap people bring to ABs? No self-heals, no elites, offensive professions with five heals and three crappy attack skills, rangers with four stances, Troll Unguent, Healing Breeze...? I should trust players with their bars? I can provide ample screenies of really, really bad stuff people will bring. I'll trust them about as far as I can throw 'em. When I play, the only people whose bar I trust are my guildies. I'm always pleasantly surprised when PUG members don't run terrible builds; shame it doesn't happen often.

And a high Kurz/Luxon rank does not, in fact, imply you're good at ABs. You can get a high rank by faction farming or just by hitting "Enter Battle" over and over again with your crap bar and hope the other eleven players can make up for you (general you) being bad.