Ailis in Hunterland

The whole “cataclysmic this” and “cataclysmic that” won’t get old for at least another week so I’m using it until then.

I wanted to take a moment and talk about guilds.  Guilds are getting a tremendous facelift in the upcoming expansion, something that is, in my opinion, long overdue.

Scott Andrews at Wow.com put it best when he said:

I’ve said before, guilds are the backbone of any MMO. They facilitate all the group content that developers spend millions to produce — the content that keeps people interested in the game and separates an MMO from your average single-player experience…Without officers who sacrifice time and energy to organize and lead their guilds, no MMO can succeed.

He is, in a lot of ways, right.  WoW is a highly social game – friendships are formed, enemies are made, bonds are created and oftentimes unraveled with as much frequency as any family unit or social structure.  Guilds contribute to and facilitate those bonds and, on the flip side, can aid in breaking them as well.  Whether you’re a raider, a PvPer or a causal solo player, we all have experiences with guilds both good and bad.  Without guilds, the world we know now would be vastly different.

Which is why I’m somewhat amused that it’s taken this long for Blizzard to revamp them or reward them in any way.  Up until the expansion, all rewards and achievements are for the individual player and they can take those rewards, tabards, and pets to as many different guilds as they want to with no penalty.  The only advantage, at the moment, to being in a guild is regular raiding times and raid achievements (if your guild goes for those) and raiding guilds are somewhat dependent on their core raiders staying so they strive to keep them happy.

With Cataclysm, a number of things are being implemented to reward guilds as a whole and to make their jobs a little bit easier.  There’s a new “Looking for Guild” interface (which needs more work, in my opinion, but it’s a start) and, combining that with cross-server instances, recruiting may be a bit easier than the myriad of Trade Chat and Guild Recruiting spam most people resort to.

Another big change, one we don’t know a ton about yet, is the Guild Heirloom system and the Guild-only recipes/loot/etc. system.  There is a lot of debate over these as people are afraid of large portions of what they own being bound to the guild.  In some cases, this could work – recipes, heirlooms perhaps.  However, any raid loot?  I, for one, hope this isn’t the case but we shall see as more information is revealed.

The biggest change coming for guilds is the Guild Talent system.  Through this system, the top 20 performers in a guild (or all members if your guild is less than 20) will earn achievement points for the guild through activities such as PvP, raiding, questing, titles, individual achievements, profession leveling, the sky is the limit.  At each level, the GM will be able to put a talent point into the Guild Talent tree and earn the guild rewards such as mass resurrection on a raid wipe, no reagents for mass buffs, lower repair costs, less durability damage, etc.

On the surface, this seems like a fantastic idea and I think it could be a lot of fun.  It promotes unity and teamwork – “We’re all working towards X talent because it will benefit everyone.”  This is wonderful.

However, and many have raised this point, will it be the end of smaller guilds?  Yes, there are a myriad of tiny guilds on every realm that really have no business being formed and would probably be much better off condensing into one big one or joining an already well-established guild.  There are, though, other small guilds – the mom and pop stores of our burgeoning economy – that are small but firmly grounded, filled with skilled people and are progressing slowly but fine.  Should they roll into the big corporations for the perks?  Will they be penalized for not having the volume to compete with the bigger guilds?  Will we see the death of small guilds through this system and the rise of mega guilds?

The other concern is for the individual player.  People come and go all the time.  Sometimes someone gquits in the heat of the moment, sometimes it’s a well-thought out leaving due to real life, a change in schedule or the simple desire to play with friends elsewhere be it another realm or another guild.  Should the individual be penalized for leaving the guild and joining a new one?  Should the guild be penalized for losing that member who contributed to the achievements?

In my opinion, you should only ever be in a guild because you want to be there – because you enjoy the people there and they add to your gameplay in a positive way.  If you are staying in your guild because you feel obligated to – “my 10-man would fail without me” or, with this system, because you are getting perks – “If I leave then my repair costs will go up again” then that guild isn’t right for you.  Period.

The concern with this system is that the achievements will make it harder to leave a guild, even if it’s for all the right reasons.  Will people just stay in their guild even though they hate it to get perks?  Maybe.  Lord knows that happens now in progression guilds with folks staying for the killing and the loot.

The changes coming for the guilds are massive and will, hopefully, cause a lot of guilds to reexamine their goals, overall structure and member base.  I also hope it causes people to take a good look at their guild and decide if this is the right place to invest their time and their contribution to the guild talent tree.  We may see a lot of pre-Cataclysm guild shuffling as people form up with folks they enjoy playing with, or, on a darker side, guilds they feel will earn and spend talent points the quickest.

Whatever the motivation, to the individual player I say this: Yes, WoW is more than a game in a lot of ways.  It’s a social avenue, a place to escape, a place to be someone or something you are not, or just a place to hang out with friends.  Whatever it is for you, make sure everything that is part of that experience, especially your guild, is something that is positive in every factor.  Make sure that you are with people you enjoy, a leadership you trust, and a style of play that suits you and your interests.  When you lose that, WoW becomes more about obligation, irritation and general mediocrity than the initial awe-inspiring game you first began playing months or even years ago.

Never lose that.

You hear it all the time “we are a hardcore raiding guild” or “I’m a casual raider” and, at some point, you have to stop and think about those terms.  What do “casual” and “hardcore” mean?

Take my husband and I for example.  We play WoW in our downtime, which, as people who own their own business, can be for many hours a day or none at all.  During the summer months when business is slow, we’re online much more often than, say, in the fall or winter when the large companies have money to spend before the end-of-the-year-budget is due.  When we raid, we are serious about what we’re doing and very much want to progress in a timely fashion.  I’m interested in hard modes but have yet to find a group to attempt them, but that’s not a huge deal.

I go after any and all achievements I can.  He spends his time honing skills and researching his hunter, tweaking and fine-tuning everything he can within the available gear he has to work with at any given moment.

So, are we hardcore or casual?

When we left our previous guild, I spent a few days researching several guilds on our server.  I looked at the top guilds and picked a few random ones from a list – usually going by names that jumped out at me.  I even looked up guilds on other servers for a little while.

After reading through countless forum stickies on guild policies and raiding policies, my definition of hardcore is simply this: When new content is released, you make it your top priority to clear it first and you immediately attempt any and all hard modes.

So, wait, if you don’t clear it first, you aren’t hardcore?

That’s not what I said – if you, at any time, whether or not you meet this goal, make it a priority to attain realm firsts, world firsts, or any other firsts, I consider you hardcore.  If you immediately go into hard modes after clearing the instance quickly, I consider you hardcore.  Everything else can very much fall under the heading of casual.

So, what does casual mean, then?

Casual does not mean unskilled or undisciplined.  It can, but I believe there are many levels of casual when it comes to raiding and many people immediately assume “loose and undisciplined” when they hear the word casual.  This can be the case, but not always.  When you hear that a guild only raids 2-3 days a week, most people nod and think casual.

I would consider the top five guilds on my server hardcore.  They vie for the realm firsts and all have their hard mode drakes from either 10 or 25 man.  They are the best geared players on the server.  All of them only raid about 3 days a week for only about 4 hours each day.

Most “casual” guilds I know raid 4-6 days a week for 4+ hours each day and don’t even see half the content.

After finding this out, I came to realize that raiders that think of themselves and their guild as “casual” adopt a “meh” or restricted attitude towards progression half the time.  Or, even if they are serious about raiding, they think that because they are considered “casual” that they aren’t supposed to progress faster or in a more disciplined fashion.  They figure that this is just the way things are.  Standards are a bit more lax, rules are “meant to be broken” and a night beating heads against one particular boss for the third week in a row is simply seen as the status quo.  ”We’re casual so therefore we don’t move as quickly and sometimes struggle more.”  Any attempt to address this is sometimes seen as “trying to be too hardcore.”

Does it really have to be that way, though?

I firmly believe a guild can call themselves a casual raiding guild and still clear content in a timely manner.  It’s about maximizing the time spent and holding your raiders to a  standard.  Most of us who raid have real lives and families so we can only raid 2-3 nights a week for a few hours.  What you do in that 6 or so hours a week is what’s important, no matter the label you put on yourself or your group.

During the summer, it’s harder to maintain standards and the same rate of progression due to attendance problems.  This is especially true for guilds that focus primarily on 25 man raiding.  This is where, in my opinion, your 10 mans have a chance to really boost morale for the guild.  Those who know me well know that I am a very strong supporter of dedicated 10 man groups.  I realize it’s hard to have the same 25 people week in and week out but it is infinitely easier (and needed) in a 10 man.  In a lot of ways, you just simply cannot progress as well if you’re constantly juggling people.  A 10 man is a much more intimate raiding environment and, with time, you come to learn your raidmates’ styles and it makes your team that much stronger.  The most efficient 10 mans I’ve seen (other than the aforementioned top five hardcore guilds) are ones that have been together through several installments of content and can walk into new content with only one thing to do – learn the new content.  Not learn the new content and these 3 new people that were shuffled into the group.

Successful 10 mans such as these in the summer lulls can help even the most casual of guilds when frustration and burnout are at their peak.  And a dedicated 10 man group or two does not mean you are hardcore.  You can very much be as casual as you want and still have a smart and organized view of raiding.

Basically, you can call yourself “casual” and still maintain standards and discipline in your raiding.  Doing so doesn’t mean you are hardcore – it means you are being smart with the time you have allotted to get through content.  Asking that your raiders maintain a certain level of DPS or coming to raids repaired, with flasks, and having read up on the boss fights isn’t hardcore.  It’s using your time wisely and making sure that money spent in enormous repair bills will be worth it as you systematically take down boss after boss.  Having standards and discipline also doesn’t mean you don’t have fun with each other.  My closest friends in this game are raiders with a set of simple, easy to follow standards that make raiding a little less stressful and a lot of fun.

The best way I’ve seen it put was in a forum post on MMO-Champion:

Being casual doesn’t make you a bad player, and people confuse bad with casual. Casual just means you can’t play as much as someone who raids hardcore or semi hardcore can. Casual players might be AMAZING, great players.. but they just don’t have the time to devote themselves to raiding 4 hours, 3-4 days a week. But if they could, maybe they would be amazing hardcore players. Bad players are the ones who raid hardcore and can’t kill bosses.. but people seem to take the word casual a bit wrongly.

However, this is all my opinion based on my observations.  I’m curious to know what you guys think.  What’s your definition of hardcore and casual?

This post is really directed more for guild raid leaders – the people that herd roughly the same beetles each week.  PuG raid leaders can benefit from the following advice, but you are a completely different species entirely.  My only tiny thing I would say to you guys is let folks roll for loot on their main spec, especially if you asked them to forego their main spec for their second spec so you could complete your raid group.  Letting the druid roll on the kitty legs even though you asked her to come as a tree is no skin off your nose, especially since you wear plate.  If someone is in LFG under two categories, inquire as to which is their main spec, ask if they would mind switching, and assure them they can roll main if they so desire.

Takes 45 seconds.

Trust me.

For the guild raid leaders, whether you’re a veteran raid leader or someone thrust into (or volunteered for) the position, you’re in a very thankless job.  You get to make the calls, decide what boss is next; you have to know what you’re doing (or pretend to anyway) and you get to deal with the asshats.  But it can have its perks and exciting moments.  Guild first kills feel a teeny bit more “yours” when you’re the raid leader and a good night free of drama and loaded with kills makes you feel accomplished.  A good raid leader may not always be well-liked but they are respected, get the job done, and keep the group moving forward.

I’ve learned a few things from my time in the hot seat and time spent observing many different raid leaders and various styles.  Some of this might be a little “duh” for some of you but, hey, grain of salt, okay?

1. Research the Bosses

Duh, Ailis.  Actually you’d be surprised at how many raid leaders don’t research the boss strats.  There are many sites out there dedicated to providing strats, ideas, do’s and don’ts and tips for pretty much every raid boss in the game at the moment.  However, go a step further and ask that everyone in your raid research the boss strats as well.  Post what bosses you want to blow up in your guild’s forums and ask that everyone prepare by looking up at least those specific ones.  Then, at raid when you’re giving out assignments, assume everyone did and speak as such.

“I will call out the injections.  Monkeenutz will be MT.  Lolwut will be on adds.”  *ready check*

You’ll find out real quick who didn’t research the strat.

When you and your raid are prepared with at least a basic knowledge of the fight, it cuts out a lot of the time wasted explaining the fight and everyones role.  I’ve been in some runs where they don’t even ask – they just pull and you either know it or you don’t.  And, should you die to something stupid, you are told.

Repeatedly.

2. Set a Goal in Progression Content

Having a plan for the night shows your raid that you put some thought into the evening.  Tell them what time the raid will stop (if you don’t have a stop time already) and what you would like to accomplish by that point.  If you’re doing multiple bosses or attempting hard modes, set a limit on the number of tries but be flexible.  If you say you’re giving FL+4 five tries but you get him to 2% on the fifth try, be prepared to give it a good ole sixth.

Setting goals gives your raiders a sense of structure and a tangible end point they can focus on.  ”Okay, we’re going to get through Thorim by midnight, not skipping Razor and Ignis, and pick it up with Mimiron on Thursday.”  Quick, simple, easily definable goal and no question as to where you want the group to be by stopping time.

3. Delegate

Being a raid leader means you can tell other people what to do.  But this doesn’t always mean bossing them around.  It means giving out some very key assignments.  For me, I usually put my main tank in charge of his/her own duties plus that of any off tanks (s)he has in the raid.  I also ask the main tank to set the pace of the raid by keeping an eye on healer mana.  75% or higher means pull is coming.  I will also assign one healer to be “in charge” of the other healers and handle healing assignments.  Also, I am rarely master looter – I will give that responsibility to someone else that I trust to abide by the guild loot rules.

By spreading out responsibility, it gives you the ability to focus on the raid performance as a whole and evaluate the team and how it’s progressing.  You can also deal with any drama that creeps up without having to worry about loot taking too long because you’re in tell-hell about what so’n’so did during the last trash pull.

4. Be Vocal

If you are extremely shy or, for some other reason, don’t like talking in vent, I’m sorry but you probably shouldn’t be a raid leader.  You have got to communicate with your raid.  Show them you’re serious about it, have fun with them, be vocal with them at all times.  If you don’t, someone else will and will probably end up taking over your raid.  The more you demonstrate that you’re focused on the raid, the goals, the game-plan and are happy to have everyone there, the more your raid will take you seriously as a raid leader and listen to you more and more often.

Start out the raid by going over your plan for the night, a quick rundown of loot rules if there’s anyone new in the raid, ask if there are any questions, check buffs and get everyone going.  When you wipe, be the first one to ask (as politely and diplomatically as you can) “What went wrong?” and vocally work with your raiders to address the situation.  Sitting there in party chat, officer chat or whispers dealing with an issue while vent is dead silent will only make for uneasy and somewhat impatient raiders.

If you, like me, assign heal leads and tank leads, ask them give out their assignments to their healers/tanks in vent for the raid to hear.  It’s good for the tanks to know who’s healing them and it’s good for the DPS to know when the tanks may be switching targets on some fights.  Even if no one cares who is doing what, you’re covered anyway.

Again, it’s all about structure and perception.  The more you show you care and are serious, the more your raiders will care and get serious.

5. Encourage Out loud – Admonish in Whispers

This is a hard one to tackle but it’s very, very important.  If someone blows up the DPS charts, a quick “great job” in vent will go a long way.  Raiders like pats on the back.  It makes them feel like you were paying attention to them.  If you one-shot a particularly hard boss, some sort of verbal applause is always appreciated.  Cookies, gold stars, blue ribbons, raiders eat them up because, to some extent (large or small) they are there for themselves and to show off.  It may just be a little showing off, but it’s there and acknowledgement of an excellent job of subtly showing off is a good thing.

If someone screws up, is being a jerk or is just not getting it, don’t yell at them in vent unless it’s a last resort.  And I mean Last. Resort.  Nothing will make a raid awkward quicker than a raid leader bitching someone out in vent.  Take it to tells, and, if you have to, shoot a quick message to your MT asking them to keep going while you deal with this.  Letting the MT be the pace setter really helps in these situations.

This is more for 25 man groups.  In a 10 man, this may or may not apply.  If your group is such that yelling at each other in vent is how you roll then go for it.  But in a 25 man situation, keeping it behind the scenes is usually a safer practice.

6. Know Your Teams and Their Classes

Know your raiders both as players and as their class.  Pay attention to their play-styles as much as you can – their strengths and weaknesses.  Do they suck on trash but shine on the boss?  Do they do better with AoE tanking than they do with Single Target tanking?  Do they seem much more at ease healing the raid than healing the tank?

Also, if you play one particular role to the exclusion of the others – always just a tank, just ranged, just melee or just healing – have a basic understanding of what each role does in each fight.  Melee stays away from X and focuses on Y.  Ranged blows up X and then deals with Y if Melee is too slow.  The tanks switch whenever this buff stacks to three.

Finally, have at least a basic understanding of how each class/spec works.  What buffs can they provide and is everyone buffed correctly?  Nothing is more annoying than an Enhancement Shaman asking every ten seconds for Might instead of Wisdom.  What are some of their more important skills?  What unique things do they bring to the raid – totems, hots, aoe, etc.  However, never tell your raiders how to play their class.  I do not care how much, if any, experience you have playing that particular class – if it is not the class you are leading the raid with, don’t pretend to be an expert.  Nothing is more condescending than listening to someone tell another class how to do their job.  If you have advice or want to make sure a specific something is being done on this specific boss (Tremor Totem on Auriaya, for instance) a quick question in vent is all it takes.

7. Change the Scenery

Burnout will creep up quickly especially when you’ve hit a roadblock on a particularly difficult piece of the new content.  As a raid leader, even though you are just as frustrated and tired as the rest of the group, you have to keep a positive attitude.  However, acknowledging the frustration and burnout is a simple as suggesting an alternative raid for the night or an achievement you’ve never done.  There are several fun, yet challenging, ones out there that may provide a bit of relief from the same 40g wipe try after try after try.  Go do something else then come back to it.  You’d be amazed at how much more refreshed everyone feels after running off to down Sartharion really fast then coming back to Mimiron.

8. Be Flexible

Even though you come in with a plan, be flexible and adaptable to changes in the plan.  Even though you watched a particular video on Tankspot, be prepared for someone to have an alternative idea.  Even though you didn’t want to do FL+4, everyone is feeling really optimistic about it and wants to give it a shot anyway.  Remember, you’re raiding as a team – you are a unit with a leader but, as that leader, you need to listen to your raiders and what they want to do as well.  It’s all about finding what works best, what your limits are, where your chemistry lies.

That being said, make it clear that you expect your raiders to be flexible, too.  The strats we have for a lot of the bosses are because some group went in there and tried a few really crazy things, made something up, it worked and someone who was paying attention wrote it down and posted it somewhere.  That does not mean it is the only way.  It may be the way most people do it – it may be one of the only ways that it actually works, but that doesn’t preclude you and your raiders from trying something new.  Ask your raiders to think outside the box and outside their own limits.  Come up with your own strategies sometimes.

9. Maintain Discipline

This one is another hard one.  Yes, your raiders pay money to play the game and, therefore, are “technically” entitled to do whatever the hell they want.  In a raid situation, where you’re supposed to be moving as a team, that only goes so far.  Don’t let your raiders tell you what to do.  Don’t let them treat the raid like an afterthought or “something to do” tonight.  Don’t put up with extended afk’s or impromptu logging out.  I have written on the subject of how raiders should act during raids (even somewhat sarcastically…) and it’s up to you, as the raid leader, to enforce the raiding guidelines that you maintain and that your guild maintains.  Again, enforce them vocally.

It is inevitable, especially in 25-man raids, you will have at least one asshat, one person who complains about such and such rule and how it isn’t fair, one person who ignores the whole “be repaired and bring your own consumables” rule, one person who afk’s for 20 minutes without telling anyone, one person who tries to take over the raid or bosses everyone around.

Be firm in your discipline and adhere to your rules.  Structure gives your raid a sense of organization and less chaos in the hectic frenzy of downing a new boss.

10. Remember, it’s a Game for Some, a Hobby for Others, and a Job for the Crazy Ones

There will be all levels of players in your raid at times from the very casual to the very hardcore and it’s up to you to find a balance and to know which general direction your raid is leaning towards.  It’s also up to you to figure out (if you haven’t already) which category you fit into.  If you’re more of a casual player but find your raid group is leaning towards the more hardcore, then maybe leading smaller raids or non-progression raids is more suited to your tastes.  If you’re more hardcore and your raid group is more casual, first find out if it’s just a lack of enthusiasm and discipline and then decide if it’s the group you want to be raid leading after all.

Raid leading can be very stressful, disheartening and hard.  A lot of things are your fault either directly or indirectly or actually not at all.

It’s also very rewarding and can be a lot of fun and give you a great sense of accomplishment and success.  When you hit that point where the group is cohesive and focused and is plowing through content and finishes the raid feeling good about the events and not really minding the repair bill so much, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

Remember, raiding is a team effort.  If your whole team isn’t there with you, it’s time to figure out how to make that happen.

*Ailis peeks out the window and sighs a little at the torrential downpour.  She turns back to her lap, where she resumes cleaning a pair of new boots….which look more like legwarmers for cows.  A creak causes her to start up, hands beginning to glow with elemental energy.  Upon seeing you, she relaxes, smiles and gestures to a chair.*

Come on in.  Sorry, I’m still trying to get the last bit of frozen dragon yuck off these boots.  Can’t show off new loot if there’s still some boss on it, now can I?

So, today we’re going to talk about being a raid leader.  It’s, generally, a thankless job that the same 1-3 people do week after week and run after run.  Some people fall into the position because they happen to be the most knowledgeable at the time.  Some people are elected into it.  Some people take it on because they love being in charge.  Whatever the reason, most of you may have had the wonderfully exhausting experience of leading a raid.  You know the highs of getting your group through an especially hard boss and seeing the looks of glee on their faces when the piece of armor or weapon they’ve been toiling after drops.  You also know the frustrating lows of slamming your head against a boss attempt after attempt and feeling like all of Naxxramas is pointing and laughing at you.

If you have never led a raid, I heartily encourage you to do so for at least 3 nights in a row.  That will, hopefully, give you experience in some of the best parts and some of the worst parts of raid leading and, in the end, make you a little more sympathetic to what they go through.

*She plucks a shiny gem from a bowl on the table and begins to patiently afix it to the slot on the side of the left boot, the corners of her mouth twitching with concentration.  Satisfied, she smiles and holds them up to the light, where small rainbows dance off the gem and splash across the wall.*

I love being a jewelcrafter…

Anyway, as a raid member, there are few things your raid leaders would really like you to keep in mind.

Your raid leader, if they take their job seriously, has done extensive research on boss fights.  

They’ve watched videos, read strats, looked up how other guilds did it, what the group composition was like, any tricks or tips available, and anything else they can get their hands on to get their group through the ordeal at hand.  They aren’t running into this blind (at least, they shouldn’t be).  That said, if they ask you to do something that may sound a little odd to you like “Don’t pop your Spirit Wolves” or “Cast Aspect of the Pack after the mini-bosses go down” or “Stand right here and don’t move” it’s because they have a really good reason for it and would really appreciate it if you’d do it at least once before protesting.  Nothing is more aggravating than reading about a trick that’s worked in numerous other guilds and having the person you ask to do said trick argue with you over vent.  Inevitably the raid leader has to resort to “Just do it because I said so” which makes them come across as a power-hungry jerk and makes the rest of vent get really uncomfortably quiet.  Bad situation all around.

Group composition is a very delicate situation.  

The raid leader has to look at what they’re up against, who is online that is geared properly, and what they have at their disposal.  For example, Kel’Thuzad is a very melee-unfriendly fight due to the ice blocks.  If the group has enough melee, any slots that open up during the course of the run will most likely go to ranged or heals no matter if there were other melee online first.  It’s the bad luck of the roll sometimes and raid leaders loathe having to make that decision.  Guild members aren’t just pixels on the screen – there are friendships developed and, just like any friendship, you never want to do anything that hurts that.  That’s when the whole “it’s business, not personal” comes into play.  If you were online first but someone else who signed on after you gets pulled into the raid, don’t get all upset please.  It wasn’t anything personal against you, it’s a decision made based on what is needed at the time.  Trust me, your graciousness in handling a situation like that will make a great impression on your raid leader and will serve you well in the future.

Do your best to be prepared for the raid.  

It is so frustrating for a raid leader to ask their raiders to read one article a day or two before the raid and then walk into Naxx and find out 4 out of the 24 other folks actually read it.  Bring your flasks, pots, and other consumables.  For god’s sake, repair.  And make sure you don’t have any unenchanted gear or empty gem slots.  You hurt not only the raid by not being prepared but yourself as well since you aren’t performing at your full potential.  If your guild sets raiding minimums or certain requirements to raid, do your best to not only meet them but exceed them, especially if you are an officer or hold any other position with some modicum of power.  Set an example for the rest of your raiders by sitting yourself out of raids if you don’t meet minimums.

Don’t be that guy in vent.

If you, because of your schedule, pug a lot of raids and can’t run with your guild during their scheduled raiding times, then chances are you have downed a boss your guild hasn’t.  Bravo to you.  If you have ideas, tips, tricks or any other advice to give, get with the raid leader before the raid and talk to them in private.  Don’t sit on vent during the guild’s run and, in the middle of the fight or after the fourth attempt where people are frustrated, pipe up with “Well all you have to do is this.”  That really doesn’t help.  As much as you’re meaning to be helpful and lend your hard-earned, very viable advice, it comes across as a little snotty with an air of “Wow, you guys can’t just do X or Y?  Holy crap you guys are lame.”  In order to keep from unintentionally sounding that way, talk to the raid leader beforehand or after the run is called and offer your advice in a constructive, friendly, non-condescending manner.  Your raid leader will thank you for it.

It’s over when I say it’s over.

At the end of the night, be it a pre-determined hard and fast stop time or some other reason, if your raid leader calls the raid, don’t argue.  Just don’t do it at all.  I don’t care that you’re wide awake from the 8 cups of coffee you had during the run or you just need one more emblem to get a shiny new trinket or this guy just might drop that fancy new dagger you’ve been after, don’t argue with a call.  Your raid leader will call a raid based on a variety of factors such as what time it is, what the run has accomplished, the situations of 24 other raiders’ families, jobs, and/or school, the fact that several of the raiders come from odd time zones and a number of other reasons.  They aren’t calling it to piss you off or keep you from progressing.  Just simply hold the grumbles to yourself, thank the raid leader for leading, congratulate people on their loot, make your availability known if it isn’t already and go on your merry way.  Naxx, OS, EoE or whatever isn’t going to vanish overnight.  Blizzard isn’t going to remove all raiding from the game if you don’t do it right this very second.  That’s not the last run you’ll ever get to do in the entirety of raiding history.  You’ll have another shot.  Calm down, it’s not the end of the world.  And, for elune’s sake, don’t undermine raid leader by asking for a vote.

That all said, there are bad raid leaders out there – people who haven’t done their homework, think it’s no big deal, don’t follow through or make sound decisions.  If you run into someone like that, bring it up with an officer or your guild leader in private.  Don’t make a big, public deal about it or cause a lot of drama.  Remember, tact, graciousness and maturity go a helluva long way with your guild leadership.

*Ailis straps on her new boots, buckling buckles and situating them just right above her hooves.*

Now that I have that out of my system, I have a lunch date at the Eventide with a very hot night elf…