Zen Art of Party Maitenance

I've tried to work my way through xping this past week... without much success. Weekends seem to be made up of nothing.. and weekdays were interrupted by one thing or another. But I spent time soloing and leveling my NPC... which has netted me a gold beastcoin and gold ore..and level 57 for my NPC, Raka. Although..she seems intent on catching goblin bombs with her teeth. My godshell suprised me to no end by volenteering to give me pop items to get a Bomb Ring. Right afterward, Lucylittle (love that name.. I was old for the show, but I always watched it) helped get me Sewer Syrup for my Jelly Ring. And last night.. I managed to solo my way to 66, and I can now use my Hercules Ring. Things are going great for my Paladin.

The big question in my mind is what people have been telling me... I put up with too much stuff. And whats worse.. is I put up with a lot in one party that by the time I get to yet another bad party, I end up loosing my temper on little things. I had a good run of amazing parties, and even one or two really fun ones (i.e. laughed at my jokes). But when things keep going wrong.. people make questionable decision after questionable decision.. what do you do..? And some point.. I did last night. I left what I considered a very bad party, and upset more than a few people. And questioned if I did the right thing over and over and over... I try to live without regrets.. cause otherwise.. you live in the past. But I suppose the signs were there, and I just choose to ignore them. It all goes into the memory banks. Some people will: not know how to deal with certain situations, and therefore cause the party to wipe; Some people are prone to go afk or just bail without warning or provocation; it goes on. I just, as always, don't want to become what I hate.

I've asked the question again and again.. what is the "party contract" when you agree to join a pickup party. There's a lot of general ideas, but ultimatly, my career as a paladin has made some new ones. I tend to expect certain things from healers (whm or whatever) because, I did them when I was playing whm. Paralyna the tank... cause without it, the tank will loose hate. Silena the tank because the without it, the tank will loose hate. And then, the Paladin needs MP, because without it, the tank will loose hate. Very common theme here, but people just don't seem to get it.

I know, like in one party I was in, I can just let people live it. I wasn't ever getting refresh, and the mobs were comming so fast that the first one wasn't half dead before the next one was there (which does not make sense to me...why risk a party wipe if were barly getting Chain #5 as it was.. why pull intentional links on mobs that don't even link?) and this warrior kept getting hate. And in the end.. he got one shotted. His own dang fault.

But... this is what I expect and require from a party: The Party Will Not Make Me Hate The Game. I really don't believe that is such a hard deal... If the party is making me feel unconfortable, agitated, or whatever... I do not want to stay. One party made me that mad... they kept doing things that made me mad, and subsequently got mad at me for getting mad. After the party, one of the children in the group sent me a tell informing how bad my attitude was. Break my heart.

I know.. I need to be consistent. I resolve to be better about that...I just hope it doesn't make people mad at me. >_<;; but then again.. sometimes that inevidible...and necessary.