I am by no means a regular follower of the curly-haired voice of the unkempt WoW masses, Lore, but his recent dialogue on what is “necessary” to a WoW player peaked my interest. By trade I am a web and application designer, so my interactions with any interface results in a compulsive analysis — World of Warcraft is no exception.

‘Space is the breath of art.’ ~Frank Lloyd Wright

“White space” is a concept that I’ve always valued when designing websites and applications, but I often ignored this principle when designing my Warcraft UI.

“Wow, there is just so much information I can see and look at. So many indicators that I will use and meters to look at so I can always know what is going on!”

As much as I thought knowing everything about everyone in my raid was necessary, rarely did I frequently utilize that information. Is knowing everyone’s insanity level on Yogg-saron really that vital? Is knowing the amount of mana my casters have truly critical? Do I need nameplates for normal, neutral mobs?

The obvious answer is “no,” but it hasn’t always been that obvious.

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Our “What it Takes to be a Nub at irnub” series highlights each member of the irnub roster and asks questions about the person behind the character. Interested in more? Check out Krg’s Interview.

Name: Ardoris
Armory: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/bleeding-hollow/ardoris/advanced
Class: Priest
Main Spec: Holy

If you would, please tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at irnub.

Hi, my name is Adam, and I play the BE Priest Ardoris. I am one of the three primary healers in irnub. I began playing WoW shortly after the introduction of the WoTLK expansion, yes, I am a Wrath Baby…I luv my GS, it makes me feel good at night.

What got you sucked into WoW initially?

My first introduction to WoW was from my college roommate, who has played the game since Warcraft 3, but I was to focused on partying and other such activities in college to join the WoW community. Years later, a co-worker gave the me the WoW Battle Chest shortly after the release of the Wrath expansion and I have never looked back.

So how did you get into progression-oriented raiding?

It seemed like a natural progression. Once passed the initial glamor of the game, exploring the environments, levling a toon, I found that I was lacking a challenge and a desire. If it were not for progression-oriented raiding I would have lost interest in the game and moved on.

What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses as a WoW player?

I rely on my ability to be decisive and react quickly. In progression-oriented raiding the opportunity to second-guess or hesitate is rarely afforded.

As a weakness, I tend to be overly critical of myself. Not to the point where it will effect my in-game performance, but indeed hours after the fact. I may continue to agonize over an error as opposed to simply acknowledging it and moving forward.

Also, female worgens…I like em a little wild.

What are you most and least favorite parts about raiding?

First kills during progression. As a group you could spend near countless attempts and hours on an encounter, and then when it finally comes together, or even if it partially comes together, allowing you to successfully defeat the encounter for the first time, that is my favorite part of raiding. More so the later of those two as well, during the manic moments where the encounter is only a % from completion, several members are dead and the remaining few are using everything available in addition to quietly promising their first-born in hopes of pulling off the kill. I’d say that is the most satisfying part of raiding.

Least favorite part of raiding?

Stagnated content loses it intrigue.

If you could give one “pro tip,” to other players, what would it be?

Ask questions, there is NO shame in asking. The question can range from class mechanics, professions, gemming, chants, to encounters, and spell usage. Each new bit of information can help you develop further as a player.