Ailis in Hunterland

Warcraft is a global phenomenon.  Some may roll their eyes when they hear anything having to do with the game and yet others may immediately start regaling anyone who will listen with tales of raids, rewards and wipes.  WoW has permeated a vast majority of the facets of our culture and has become (intentionally or not) a standard by which other MMOs are measured, an ever-raising bar, and a game that millions of people complain about yet still play relentlessly.

If you ask any WoW player what the game is to them, you will get a wide variety of responses.  It’s a social medium, it’s a place to relax, it’s a place where I don’t have to be so shy, it’s an escape, it’s a challenge, it’s a place to keep in touch with long-distance friends, it’s a place to stretch my creative legs, etc.

The one phrase that will, however, incite some sort of reaction is: “It’s just a game.”

You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who can, with a straight face and total believability, say that and truly, honestly, sincerely mean it.

Monopoly is just a game.  Scrabble is just a game.

Now, I’m not saying that WoW is a new form of life itself (although some may see it as so) but it has transcended the phrase “just a game” into something more – even for the most casual of player.  There is an attachment that grows.  Even people who have left the game for one reason or another will have a story or two they will never forget.

I was thinking about this aspect of the game as I, my husband, and our friends build this guild and attempt to lead it in a fun and fair fashion.  Sometimes you have to, as a leader, take a few steps back and try to see how your guild members see the game.  It’s not just a game to them but what level are they on?  Having this knowledge or, at the very least, attempting to understand this knowledge helps tremendously when it comes time to ask your members to do or not do something.  How will they react if you ask them to save a certain Raid ID for a guild run and then the guild, due to unforeseen circumstances, doesn’t get to go?  Does any potentially negative reaction keep you from asking in the first place?

In our guild, no.  We ask, and then if something happens, we deal with it as best we can.  But some guild leaders may hesitate.  There is a fine line between playing WoW to have fun and playing WoW because your guild is a job.  Some leaders may not want to turn the guild into a job for any of their members – do this, this and that; but don’t do that, that or this – because they fear that they will be seen as dictatorial.

Honestly, you’re going to be seen that way by at least one person any time you make any rule that someone doesn’t agree with.  My advice?  Make your rules but keep them simple, succinct and easy to follow.  And keep the list to a minimum.

WoW is more than a game to most everyone who plays it, even on the smallest level.  As a guild leader, figuring out what level(s) your members are on is key in effectively and fairly running a guild; and making sure that you have the right members in your guild.

My big secret endeavor in WoW lately?

A 10-man raiding guild with some very close friends of mine.

Yes, I realize there are more guilds in WoW than there are stars in the sky and we don’t claim to be unique like a snowflake.  We do claim, however, to provide a laid-back, yet progressive raiding atmosphere sans political drama.

My husband, another married couple we know, and myself had been bouncing around the idea for a while now but had refrained due to the risk factor.  We were all in raiding guilds and were getting to raid but not without its share of heartache and frustration – most of it caused by guild politics.

Many of you have read my numerous posts on raiding and, therefore, have a pretty decent idea on my outlook towards it.  The great thing is, the others share my views.  This is also the reason the four of us lead the guild equally in a council fashion rather than having one guild leader.  This provides numerous checks and balances and a little more encompassing view of the guild and how it should progress since we all come from different WoW backgrounds.

First and foremost, raiding should be fun and the group should be filled with people you trust, enjoy and look forward to playing alongside.  When guilds start stepping in and organizing groups regardless of relationships, tolerance and then forbid people from raiding together, that goes too far.  There is a fine line that a lot of guilds walk and I don’t envy them for it.

The guild my husband and I were in most recently had a great outlook towards raiding and one that I heartily agreed with.  They are a very large, very old guild (created day 1 of the server opening) but all they schedule as far as guild-run raiding is two nights of 25-man.  That’s it.  10-man raiding is solely up to the discretion of anyone who wants to step up, be a raid leader, and form a group.  Consequently, you have a handful of 10-man groups that range in playstyle from the very hardcore hard mode group to the very casual, very laid-back, “we’re just here to blow up bosses and have some fun” groups and it’s that works.  If you try to start cramming skilled, “I want a challenge” raiders with more laid-back, “oh yeah killing that guy would be cool” raiders, you are bound to have major issues.

If any leaders from large guilds (150+ players) are reading this, this right here is a great stance to adopt if you haven’t already.  Yes, there will be some initial whining from children who are feeling left out.  This guild had issues with that at the beginning but they kept moving forward.  Ignore them long enough, they quit whining and either start their own group or leave the guild.  c’est la vie…

Back to my guild.

Yes, I love running 25-mans.  However, I enjoy the intimacy and simplicity of 10-mans far more.  You can build up a tight relationship with nine people a lot easier than you can 24 people.  Yes, it’s possible but not as easy and will never have the same level of intimacy.  25-mans fluctuate and rotate and undulate like an ever morphing organism while 10-mans have the capability to (and should) stay steadfast and unchanging raid after raid.  There is nothing better than walking into a new boss, everyone buffing without being asked, and the tank pulling without being told, and everyone knows their role, their place and what to do and you kill it.

So that’s the primary impetus behind this guild.  We want it to be focused on 10-man raiding, including hard modes.  We want it to be without political bullshit and jealous whining.  We want it to be small, intimate, laid back and fun.  We wanted to return to what brought us into this game in the first place – fun and stress relief.  We’re not looking to be number one or the best but we will not shy away from challenges or big repair bills.

The next question you’re asking?  Are we recruiting?

Why, yes we are, but selectively.

Here are some details:

Guild: Living Daylights

Realm: Stormrage-US PvE (EST time zone)

Raid Times: 10pm – 1am server time

Raid Days: Tuesday, Friday, Sunday

Website: http://living-daylights.net/ – You must register if you want to apply or even see more than half the website.  So register – we’ll be filling up the forums over time with vast amounts of useful information anyway. You must register with your main toon’s name (i.e. we need to be able to find you on the armory) or we will delete your account.  This is to protect us from spammers.

Progression Goals: We will be focusing primarily on Ulduar-10 with some ToC-10 and the new WG boss thrown in.  The plan will be to clear both on normal (non-hard mode) first then go back and work on Hard Mode/Heroic Mode until those are cleared.

Update: We are raiding ToC Normal, Onyxia and Vault on Tuesday nights with, currently, Icecrown Citadel on Fridays and Sundays.  We will return to Ulduar Hard Modes at some point in the future but, for now, we’re taking a break to tackle new content.  We may be moving to ToGC on Tuesday nights once we feel we’re ready.

Our Ideal Raider: We are NOT looking for people with rigid personalities, asshats, elitists, or those looking for handholding.  We did not make this guild to gear you up or teach you how to raid.  We expect you to know your class, your role and research boss fights and to not dick around.  We also would prefer you have a cool disposition, a decent maturity level, can take (and learn from) criticism, and can dish it as well as take it.  We are good friends – we have inside jokes, we make fun of each other.  We have fun.

So, there’s that.  If you are on our server or are transferring to our server, look up any of the Puppet Masters with any questions you may have.  At least one of us is online most of the time.

Happy raiding.

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.

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.