Blizzard: "If the need button is enabled you can press it".
GMs and CMs have on numerous occasions posted that being able to do something and choosing to doing it are two separate things.
And while some players loot behavior can be unsavory, inconsiderate, annoying and eventually unproductive for the community and the player themselves in the long run,
they are not actionable offenses.
The first category of players doesn't go any further than that to get justification.
"If it's not actionable and not against the game rules I do what I want and you can shove it".
Their "motive" might be:
- I'm an enchanter I shouldn't /roll for mats, hence I need everything I can and d/e.
- I want the gear for my off-spec or my re-spec.
- I'm poor and need items I won't use for vendor (mainly lower levels).
-
Motive doesn't matter really, the bottom-line is "I can; so fu".
Everything that doesn't fall directly under this category is "rules"
the community makes for itself.
This is in part a social game and players form behaviors based on ethics ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"), peer pressure, intelligence in regards to long term benefits.
Me:
1. I need on gear that's
an upgrade for the role I'm currently playing.
2. I
ask if I can need on off-spec gear and/or wait to see other rolls.
3. I'm happy to provide my dis-enchanting services to other players in the group and press d/e along-side them when neither #1 or #2 apply.
(not all groups have an enchanter, but mine always have one; me.
In the long run I have much more shards than any non-enchanter.
I don't need to be a dick to ensure that: I provide an extra button in the loot frame they provide the dps-ing/healing/tanking that got that loot frame to pop up)
It hasn't stopped me gearing up my main spec OR my off spec or having more enchanting mats than I can use,
and feel good about myself on top.
There is another group of players that hovers somewhere in between:
Kinda like bargaining where is the line between self-entitled ego-trip and good Samaritan.
"I signed up both as tank and dps so I can roll on both roles, no matter what I'm playing"
(paladins then can need on heal/melee/tank and druids can need on heal/melee/ranged/tank)
Everyone else in the party knows what you signed up as...
it's right there next to your name - oh wait .. it's not.
"It's 5man, who cares, you'll get it next time / replace it with better gear"
Well obviously you care enough to press that need button.
Some players are not raiders for whatever reason, their end-game stops at that heroic lockout.
These and similar are lame excuses it's better to just be sincere and line up under category #1 ("I can so fu")
This is my general take on the situation, not a reply to the OP specifically.
If a player announced they will roll need on their off-spec throughout the dungeon at the start of the run I would:
- either tell them it's not ok and wait for their response before dropping group or initiating a vote-kick.
- tell them it's "ok for me, don't need anything here" (which is the case for all heroic 5mans atm) but still click the "yes" button if another player in the group objects and initiates a kick.
I obviously wouldn't insult them in either case.