Seeing as how our guild has started growing and the need to at least post some information somewhere, I've decided to start another blog site to post Crazy Club guild information.
This site is intended for my own personal experiences with World of Warcraft and although I highly doubt that I have that many readers, I'm sure they'd rather not read about Crazy Club rules, recruiting, etc. So I'm moving the information to htttp://crazyclubarathor.blogspot.com.
Continue reading 'Crazy Club Information Moved'
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Return to Karazhan
After three weeks of repeatedly trying to get back to Karazhan we were finally successful in getting something together last night. I spent hours recruiting this week having several people join the guild and finally getting 15 level 70 toons in our guild. Yeah we're still small. We hope to keep it that way too.
If we can keep the guild to a minimum required to make it through Karazhan and slowly increase that number to accomodate 3 groups, then all of us can make it into the 25 man content without having to compete against each other for slots. It'll also help us be a tighter knit community with loyal players. This is something we are definitely shooting for. I don't know how some of the large raiding guilds handle it.
Two of our friends, Zeza and Latifah, were able to join us last night. Although they had to leave to prepare for their own guild's raid, we were able to down Attumen, Moroes, The Crone, Maiden, and Shade in the space of about 4 hours. Total of 11 Badges and I finally got my Libram of Souls Redeemed.
All in all a great night everyone!
[Edit: Forgot to mention that we almost wiped on Shade the final time. Everyone went down as he approached 1%. Finally, only one hunter and myself were available. I myself was low on HP and mana. I easily gained aggro at this point and in an act of utter desperation, while completely freaking out, I charged Shade hit Consecration and threw a Hammer of Wrath for the win!!! I couldn't stop laughing!] Continue reading 'Return to Karazhan'
If we can keep the guild to a minimum required to make it through Karazhan and slowly increase that number to accomodate 3 groups, then all of us can make it into the 25 man content without having to compete against each other for slots. It'll also help us be a tighter knit community with loyal players. This is something we are definitely shooting for. I don't know how some of the large raiding guilds handle it.
Two of our friends, Zeza and Latifah, were able to join us last night. Although they had to leave to prepare for their own guild's raid, we were able to down Attumen, Moroes, The Crone, Maiden, and Shade in the space of about 4 hours. Total of 11 Badges and I finally got my Libram of Souls Redeemed.
All in all a great night everyone!
[Edit: Forgot to mention that we almost wiped on Shade the final time. Everyone went down as he approached 1%. Finally, only one hunter and myself were available. I myself was low on HP and mana. I easily gained aggro at this point and in an act of utter desperation, while completely freaking out, I charged Shade hit Consecration and threw a Hammer of Wrath for the win!!! I couldn't stop laughing!] Continue reading 'Return to Karazhan'
Friday, April 25, 2008
Crazy Club: Recruiting Policy
Recruiting Policy
We are always on the lookout for potential new members for our guild. I firmly believe that the majority of those future members will come from contacts you make. Remember this is YOUR guild. Someone with rank doesn’t make them any more important in the guild than the newest Initiate. Although invitation rights are limited to the Officers, this is only to help control our numbers.
It’s going to be time consuming enough helping those not yet 70 to reach 70, gear up, run Kara, and still do all the other daily quests, heroic instances, etc. for our own needs. Inviting en masse will not be the solution now. However, if you strongly feel someone would be a great addition to our guild and don’t want to lose them to another, please let an Officer know.
Here is where those of us who set up the guild currently see the direction we’re headed. We want this guild to be a group of people and friends who enjoy hanging out, questing, raiding, and playing together. Large guilds have a tendency to have large turnover rates, due to drama, lack of opportunities raiding, etc. We’d rather have a small guild with loyal players and where everyone has an opportunity to do what they’d like to do while helping others do the same.
In general, we want to see as much end-game content as possible before the new expansion comes out, which supposedly is by the end of the year. Although seeing Black Temple and Mt. Hyjal are probably beyond our reach in that time frame, we are still shooting for it.
We eventually would like to get two Kara groups going and potentially a third. After Kara will come Zul’Aman and the 25 man raid content. In order to do that we’ll definitely need t least 30 people to raid the higher end content. We need to do this in controlled steps.
First, we’d like to gear up all current members to the point where they can run Kara with relative ease. At that time we’ll shift group make up around and recruit others to gear up while running two Kara groups or possibly three. During that time, we’ll also begin Zul’Aman for those that are ready. With each step we’ll increase our numbers until we’re finally ready for the 25 man content.
Here is the list of classes/specs we are actively recruiting:
We are always on the lookout for potential new members for our guild. I firmly believe that the majority of those future members will come from contacts you make. Remember this is YOUR guild. Someone with rank doesn’t make them any more important in the guild than the newest Initiate. Although invitation rights are limited to the Officers, this is only to help control our numbers.
It’s going to be time consuming enough helping those not yet 70 to reach 70, gear up, run Kara, and still do all the other daily quests, heroic instances, etc. for our own needs. Inviting en masse will not be the solution now. However, if you strongly feel someone would be a great addition to our guild and don’t want to lose them to another, please let an Officer know.
Here is where those of us who set up the guild currently see the direction we’re headed. We want this guild to be a group of people and friends who enjoy hanging out, questing, raiding, and playing together. Large guilds have a tendency to have large turnover rates, due to drama, lack of opportunities raiding, etc. We’d rather have a small guild with loyal players and where everyone has an opportunity to do what they’d like to do while helping others do the same.
In general, we want to see as much end-game content as possible before the new expansion comes out, which supposedly is by the end of the year. Although seeing Black Temple and Mt. Hyjal are probably beyond our reach in that time frame, we are still shooting for it.
We eventually would like to get two Kara groups going and potentially a third. After Kara will come Zul’Aman and the 25 man raid content. In order to do that we’ll definitely need t least 30 people to raid the higher end content. We need to do this in controlled steps.
First, we’d like to gear up all current members to the point where they can run Kara with relative ease. At that time we’ll shift group make up around and recruit others to gear up while running two Kara groups or possibly three. During that time, we’ll also begin Zul’Aman for those that are ready. With each step we’ll increase our numbers until we’re finally ready for the 25 man content.
Here is the list of classes/specs we are actively recruiting:
[04/25/2008: Currently not recruiting new members]Continue reading 'Crazy Club: Recruiting Policy'
Crazy Club: Raid Rules
Raid Rules
Before even going into the Raid Rules, I want to express my excitement that it appears we finally have enough people in the guild to really start raiding Kara. Please remember that several of us have Kara experience and are used to progressing with relative ease through the trash mobs. Only three weeks ago, at least four of us were privy to a group that downed the first 5 bosses in less than 3 hours. It would have been less except for 2 wipes on Moroes that were extremely stupid mistakes.
So for those of us with experience, please know and understand that we have several new people that have no Kara experience and are slightly undergeared or just barely there. Initial goings will more than likely be difficult, frustrating, and potentially costly in repairs, pots, buffs, etc. I not only ask for those with more experience to be patient, but I ask those of you that will find it more difficult to have patience with yourselves. We’re all in this together. We succeed together and we fail together.
As part of this mindset, all of us who go on the raid together will end it together. For those who are less geared, you may be asked to leave to allow another to come in. Once you start, unless there’s no hope of proceeding, we will continue together. You will not arbitrarily be asked to leave. Again, we succeed together and we fail together. Officers, this will be done in whispers to the person being asked.
Raid Schedule
Current designs for the raiding schedule are to raid Karazhan as often as possible until we have it on farm. This means that if we have enough people we will attempt to raid Kara every evening for at least a couple of hours. Most nights this will mean 1-2 bosses. On Friday evenings we will discuss raiding times for the weekend and adjust accordingly to accommodate the majority.
If a majority of the guild is prepared to raid Kara on any given day, but the group is not complete it will be up to those involved whether they wish to PUG the remaining slots. If your spot is filled because you are late, we will not dismiss a PUG member. Be on time!
On time means:
Groups will be selected based on the following criteria for Karazhan:
To illustrate this point, I will opt out of the Shade encounter for another given that Sollenni feels up to healing that encounter in my stead. There is no tanking on Shade and her tanking skills there will not be required. I still need a drop from him, but I’d rather someone with more of a need get a drop now and I can wait until later. Large upgrades benefit the group more than a minor upgrade for me.
Please keep this in mind when you are rolling for an upgrade that someone else may profit from a whole lot more. An additional 10 points of damage for you is a lot less effective for the group than having another get a 40 point increase. Remember if they get better, next week’s run is made a whole lot easier for you to get that upgrade or another. That said if you need it you will not be stopped from rolling on any item regardless if someone needs it more. See Loot Rules below.
Loot Rules
We do not currently use the DKP loot system. Once we get into 25 man raid content we may look at DKP. Fewer drops per person on the 25 man raid content may make it harder for you to get the gear you are looking for. As such, DKP may be fairer.
Currently we follow a system based on need. Need will be determined by Spec, Off-Spec, and Disenchant. Those whose item is clearly for their spec will be allowed to roll. Should none roll the need passes to those with off-spec capacity. Should everyone pass then the Loot Master will pass it to someone who can disenchant the item and everyone will roll for the shard or crystal. Continue reading 'Crazy Club: Raid Rules'
Before even going into the Raid Rules, I want to express my excitement that it appears we finally have enough people in the guild to really start raiding Kara. Please remember that several of us have Kara experience and are used to progressing with relative ease through the trash mobs. Only three weeks ago, at least four of us were privy to a group that downed the first 5 bosses in less than 3 hours. It would have been less except for 2 wipes on Moroes that were extremely stupid mistakes.
So for those of us with experience, please know and understand that we have several new people that have no Kara experience and are slightly undergeared or just barely there. Initial goings will more than likely be difficult, frustrating, and potentially costly in repairs, pots, buffs, etc. I not only ask for those with more experience to be patient, but I ask those of you that will find it more difficult to have patience with yourselves. We’re all in this together. We succeed together and we fail together.
As part of this mindset, all of us who go on the raid together will end it together. For those who are less geared, you may be asked to leave to allow another to come in. Once you start, unless there’s no hope of proceeding, we will continue together. You will not arbitrarily be asked to leave. Again, we succeed together and we fail together. Officers, this will be done in whispers to the person being asked.
Raid Schedule
Current designs for the raiding schedule are to raid Karazhan as often as possible until we have it on farm. This means that if we have enough people we will attempt to raid Kara every evening for at least a couple of hours. Most nights this will mean 1-2 bosses. On Friday evenings we will discuss raiding times for the weekend and adjust accordingly to accommodate the majority.
If a majority of the guild is prepared to raid Kara on any given day, but the group is not complete it will be up to those involved whether they wish to PUG the remaining slots. If your spot is filled because you are late, we will not dismiss a PUG member. Be on time!
On time means:
• When the raid is called for 6:00pm server time; be ready.Group Selection
• Have on hand a sufficient amount of elixirs, flasks, pots, food buffs, food/water (you never know when we might not have that mage handy), reagents (for whatever reason it appears that warlocks have the hardest time with this), etc. I carry 300 Symbol of Kings on me at the start of a raid. Overkill? Yes, but I’ve been in raids where 2-3 people die each pull and re-buffing after has gotten me down to 100 before. This is an extreme, but I’m ready for it. Know what you need and be prepared!
• If you aren’t sure you’ll be selected for tonight’s raid, be prepared as if you were.
• There will always be one reason or another someone’s slightly late. Help out by heading to the meeting stone a little early and begin summons.
• Being late could result in being replaced. Replacement will be based on whether or not another can fill the need of the group. Obviously we can’t replace a healer with a mage, or vice versa. See Group Selection below.
Groups will be selected based on the following criteria for Karazhan:
Currently we have only 2 tanks and 2 healers in the guild. This means that for each Kara run, we will be required and pretty much guaranteed to go. Because of the larger number of DPS in the guild, at times some of you may have to sit out. As we progress through Kara’s content and gear is acquired, we will ask you to volunteer to sit out on certain bosses you’ve already acquired gear for to allow another the chance to get a drop.• Tanks: 2
• Healers: 2
• CC: 2 for Karazhan. Because of the undead a combination of priests and hunters will be used.
• DPS: 4 – whenever possible this will consist of at least a warlock, warrior, and mage, but DPS is the most flexible here and therefore most important that you guys are on time.
To illustrate this point, I will opt out of the Shade encounter for another given that Sollenni feels up to healing that encounter in my stead. There is no tanking on Shade and her tanking skills there will not be required. I still need a drop from him, but I’d rather someone with more of a need get a drop now and I can wait until later. Large upgrades benefit the group more than a minor upgrade for me.
Please keep this in mind when you are rolling for an upgrade that someone else may profit from a whole lot more. An additional 10 points of damage for you is a lot less effective for the group than having another get a 40 point increase. Remember if they get better, next week’s run is made a whole lot easier for you to get that upgrade or another. That said if you need it you will not be stopped from rolling on any item regardless if someone needs it more. See Loot Rules below.
Loot Rules
We do not currently use the DKP loot system. Once we get into 25 man raid content we may look at DKP. Fewer drops per person on the 25 man raid content may make it harder for you to get the gear you are looking for. As such, DKP may be fairer.
Currently we follow a system based on need. Need will be determined by Spec, Off-Spec, and Disenchant. Those whose item is clearly for their spec will be allowed to roll. Should none roll the need passes to those with off-spec capacity. Should everyone pass then the Loot Master will pass it to someone who can disenchant the item and everyone will roll for the shard or crystal. Continue reading 'Crazy Club: Raid Rules'
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Constructive Criticism: The Raiding Guild and The Candidate
On March 5th, 2008 I posted a question on Blog Azeroth. The question was:
However, Matticus brought up the same topic today and I felt the need to respond. As I started to think about my response, all this crap started falling out of my head. Well, mom always said I had $#%! for brains. So head on over to Open Discussion: How Do You Improve Players Without Coming out as an Arrogant Jerk? and read Matt’s hypothetical situation, then come on back.
I’d like to address Matt’s questions from two viewpoints: the viewpoint of the raiding guild and the viewpoint of the recruit. Since I’m inspired by Matt’s hypothetical situation, I’ll approach it with the healer in mind, but this can be just as easily applied to any class or spec.
There are several things during the recruiting process that need to be addressed up front from the guild’s perspective:
Know Where You Stand
Make sure that your candidate knows where your guild stands with regards to expectations and that the guild members know the same in return. This is where I see a problem occurs with the average raider.
Raiders wants results and they want results now. They feel that everyone in the group should be at their level or greater. They deserve to be able to down the boss with minimal wiping and frustration. Yet they often forget that they were once in the same boat and more importantly in this case they need that healer to achieve their goals. If they offend the healer, especially without a potential backup, when will they get to go back?
Is it not better to suffer through some frustration hoping to help this new guy out, keep him loyal, and move on? Or is the here and now just so important as to not look to the future? I’m not saying you should have to wait months or even weeks for the person to figure it out. Just set those goals and expectations so all are aware of the time frame. Amazing how much a person can put up with if they see the light at the end of the tunnel.
This is why it is so important to ensure that the guild members understand potential issues with new recruits and that they are on board with assisting in helping and retaining those recruits. It’s for the good of the guild as a whole and that’s often forgotten.
If you have specific gear requirements, make it known up front. If they don’t meet it, but you still believe they’re a prime candidate, give them the support on being able to get whatever they need. Give them a timeframe in which you expect this to be done. Let others know so they can assist in speeding up the process.
Discuss healer smarts with them. Ask them what they would do given certain situations. This one’s difficult, but try to come up with more specific situations than what’s the healing priority? Everyone knows it’s the tank first. Please forgive my example as I only went to Gruul’s for the first time last night in the middle of a raid that lost a healer. Didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing. And no, this isn’t a personal example. I was on the main tank.
As a pally healer, situational awareness is difficult for me. I have to stand still to cast any of my healing spells and my eyes are glued to the health bars of all those around me and in crisis situations it can sometimes be hard to see that AOE that I’m standing in. It’s easy to lose sight of when the tank moves and where I need to be to stay in range. I’m only getting better at this as I learn what damage my fellow raiders are capable of sustaining so I can look away for a time and through repeatedly doing the boss fight over and over. I’m not sure there’s any good way to train someone for this other than through repetition, but make the importance of this known. Suggest watching online videos of the boss fights to help them at least know what goes on and what they need to look for.
Know When to Offer Advice/Criticism
The number one reason I’ve experienced in losing potentially great guild members is criticizing during an actual raid or instance. Its human nature to bring up questions about what happened or who was to blame for that last wipe. DON’T DO IT!! Make sure your raiders are aware that they should keep their collective mouths shut!
Let the leaders handle the situation. Don’t let anyone say “we wiped a second time because THE hunter didn’t re-ice trap the add AGAIN!”, hypothetically speaking of course. (/thinking “Granted we could have killed her the second time.”) Instead let the leader say “We let ice trap break leading to a wipe.” In a statement like this we avoid the accusatory nature of the first statement which singles someone out and instead places the blame collectively on the entire group. Everyone knows who let the ice trap break. Everyone knows who’s at fault. No one needs to point it out. Unless the one responsible is a total tool, they know it too. In a 25 man raid there’s even more anonymity and potentially less embarrassment for that person, if it’s kept general. Just remember this is teamwork. We succeed together, we fail together!
So when do we offer advice/criticism? After the raid, away from others. Nothing boils my blood faster than to be asked during an encounter “What’s your bonus healing at?” At times, it’s been because they were amazed, but more often than not I believe it to be a question regarding my healing abilities and the inability of others to accept any blame for what lead up to that wipe. At these times I have to struggle to remain calm or my decision making becomes impaired.
Know How to Offer Advice/Criticism
Leaders take notes during the raid, talk to the person one on one after the raid. Start off by asking them how they felt about the raid? Don’t ask them what they felt they did wrong. Let them do that on their own. You’ll be amazed at how much more open they’ll be if they have the opportunity to point out what they felt they did wrong before you did. Most people are more critical of themselves than you ever will be. Don’t necessarily disagree with them on their self-criticism, especially if it’s regarding important items. Often people will criticize themselves about trivial matters. This is the tool you’ll use to help them stay on the path to improvement. More importantly, this is when you offer advice. I say advice because at this point it will feel more like advice than criticism.
If you end up with someone that doesn’t point out some of the things they did wrong or shifts all blame to others, then you know you probably have someone you don’t necessarily want to group with anyway as they’ll never be accountable for anything. At this point, it’s entirely up to you on how you want to handle criticizing them and whether you even want to continue the trial period.
Matticus, you also answered your own question as to how to offer advice. Explain the why. During a raid, especially a fast moving one, there’s no time to explain the why. In Common Courtesy: Sleeping with the Dodo I explained a situation in which a Raid Leader didn’t explain the why of a particular situation until those who didn’t listen experienced the why. He pointed it out condescendingly and mockingly earning absolutely no respect from those of us within the group. He expected us to do what he said, when he said, with no explanation.
The problem with the example I gave was no one knew this guy. We had no reason to trust that he was the authoritative figure for Kara that he claimed to be. There was no trust built there yet. Did it matter that he did in fact know what he was talking about? No. He handled it incorrectly. He did have the time to explain before the first pull, just refused to do so. His answer was “Just do it!” He then handled the explanation afterwards unprofessionally.
People are not lemmings. We do not like to blindly follow anyone. Only those we trust will we agree to follow blindly as required, but even then we eventually expect some sort of explanation afterwards. Whether that explanation comes in finding out the hard way or having it explained verbally doesn’t matter. Knowing the why behind something gives us the reassurance that whatever we are doing is not in vain. There is a purpose behind our actions. It is important. We are needed. We fear that which we do not understand. [Edit: I believe this is a quote from someone, but can’t find it on the web.]
With regards to offering advice on specs? I don’t know the answer. Just make sure you know what you are talking about. Being criticized by the mage who doesn’t know how to control his aggro for not being able to keep the raid properly healed because he doesn’t understand the first thing about pally healing only frustrates the paladin and makes the mage look stupid to anybody that does understand. This is why I’m very careful to criticize another for their spec or class and keep my mouth shut. Make sure you know what you are talking about. Granted if that warlock is #8 on the damage meter in Kara, only beating the two healers, in full epic gear and according to Be Imba!report out gears everyone except the main tank and one DPS warrior, AND spec’d Affliction? You might have an obvious problem you can complain about. (*cough, cough. Totally hypothetical, of course.)
With your example Matticus, you stated:
You started out great giving him a sense of worth. You even said that you’re in a tough bind, which conveys the sense that hey I’m getting pressure from above. This helps ease the person from taking it personally. Won’t stop it, but makes it easier. Don’t say “Why should I take you? You’re useless to me.” I read this somewhat as a joke, but I’ve read some of your other Bob posts.
It’s amazing how you can change the tone of a statement and still have the sense of urgency just by altering the way you say something. Say things like “Help me out here. I’ve noticed you’re spec’d x. What if you spec’d y?” By including them on the “improvements” you haven’t dictated to them what to do. They are included and feel their opinion is important. Again, goes back to this trust issue. You can always say “Hey, let’s try it and see if it works better for you. If it doesn’t, I’ll pay the respec costs.” A minor gesture for anyone raiding, but also gives the person a feeling they have an out.
Know When to Cut Your Losses
There are times when you will come across candidates that are the greatest people in the world, people you just love being around, but just aren’t going to cut it based on your guild’s needs and expectations. Knowing when to cut your losses with these people can be very difficult. You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but you also can’t spend any more time trying to help the guy out. Know when to say when.
You may find that you want to keep them in the guild as a reserve, but make it clear that is what they are there for. However your guild might handle it, deal with it appropriately. Avoid making promises that may never come to fruition.
Regardless of the type of candidate you have, try to end it on as positive a note as possible. You never know when you’ll run into this guy again. Perhaps in the future he’ll end up with a guild that can help him out and eventually he’ll learn what he needs to learn. It’d be a shame to have burned a bridge there. Try to keep the door open for future possibilities, but treat it like a Band-Aid and remove it as quickly and painlessly as possible. Don’t drag it out!
The Recruit
Know Where You Stand
What is it that you’re looking for? Are you looking for a guild that raids on particular nights? Are you looking for a guild to grow with or a guild that’s almost maxed out? Do you want to be helped along? Do you want to be one of those that does the helping? Basically, what’s important for you?
I’ve seen people come and go because they thought they could get a free ride through raids. I’ve seen people come and go because they thought they were so good that they’d outshine all the rest. There are any number of reasons as to why someone joins a new raiding guild. Make it easier on yourself and the recruiting guild by knowing exactly where you stand and where you want to be.
Find out what the goals of the recruiting guild are and see how closely they match up to your own. Be honest with yourself. I’ve had friends join horrible guilds because of the content they could do, only to complain to me and be miserable the entire time. They made their choice. It was more important to go after that upgrade than it was being miserable in a guild they couldn’t have cared less about. There are guilds out there that will match your goals. Be patient.
Know When to Accept Advice/Criticism
This may sound like an odd comment, but this is very important. Hopefully you will not be criticized during a raid or encounter. Hopefully this will be done on the side as time permits elsewhere, so both parties can fully address the issue without having to shorten anything due to time constraints. That said, it is going to happen.
If you are offered advice or criticized during a raid, don’t fight back. You don’t have to accept it, just put it to the side. Take things said during raids with a grain of salt. Emotions could be running high. Things might be said that aren’t thought out and with other information may not have been said or thought at all. Adjust as necessary, but don’t feel you have to blatantly accept all criticism during those heated encounters.
Not accepting the criticism is not the same as fighting back. Push it to the side. Don’t retaliate!
Know How to Accept Advice/Criticism
This is difficult for most people. I can attest that I am one of them. Try to remember one general rule. If you’re being offered advice away from the mob mentality and the raid, you’re probably thought of as being of value. Take it so. If you weren’t worth the time, you’d be brushed off and no one would say anything.
Remember the raiders want you to succeed as much as you do. It doesn’t always sound like it, but it’s true. If you succeed, they succeed. If you fail, they fail.
At times you’ll be accused unfairly, it’s going to happen. Listen to it calmly. If you have a counter argument, present it to the person after they have had the chance to explain their side. If you don’t you’re going to end up in a heated exchange as each side tries to fully explain their side of the argument.
Make sure you present any counter argument by knowing your stuff. Don’t shift blame! Even if it wasn’t entirely your fault, but there was something you could have done better, accept the responsibility for your part. I cannot stress this enough! Nothing aggravates the leader trying to help you faster than you attempting to divert all blame to others, even if it’s later found out you were entirely not at fault. You shift blame and you’ll be labeled as one who never accepts accountability and not a team player. Let the leaders deal with the others. Accept your part and their advice on what to do and move on. The next time when you do your part, it will be painfully obvious that you did all you could and leaders can more fully address the problem elsewhere.
Know When to Cut Your Losses
Knowing when to cut your losses is also tricky from the candidate’s side. There are websites out there dedicated to tracking your movements. Good guilds will know if you’re a guild jumper or not and that’s a label you don’t want following you around. However, there are times when things just do not work out. Guilds may want to keep you, but their goals don’t match yours.
Decide what’s important to you and move on, whether by staying or leaving. Don’t let things drag out thinking they will get better. Do something about it. Talk to your leaders. If they are unresponsive, get out. They obviously aren’t worried about your needs. Only you can determine when you should leave, but always leave on as positive a note as possible. You’ll run across these people again whether in this guild or another. Don’t burn a bridge! There may be millions of accounts out there, but it’s amazing how you keep running into the same people over and over.
Conclusion
Matticus pointed out that without the healers his guild is effectively paralyzed. He is aware of their limitations with respect to gear, specs, and experience. That said it needs to be made perfectly clear to all those involved that there is a huge possibility that they will not succeed over the next couple of weeks and the whining and complaining need to be kept quiet. This is for the good of the guild. Negativity directed towards anyone will only drive people away and healers perhaps more than most. There always seems to be a shortage of healers and even more so of effective healers and we know it. We’re a commodity and we know you need us more than we need you. Terrible attitude to have by the way, healers! I’ve been guilty of it in the past too, but that’s a selfish attitude that causes groups to fall apart.
By taking these healers on you’ve essentially agreed that you know their weaknesses and are willing to work with them to improve. You seem to have two options before you. Do you come on strong risking the possibility of offending them and driving them away only to start all over with someone else in a never-ending cycle? Or do you coddle and reassure them giving them warm and fuzzies so as not to tread on any toes and potentially lose them only to continue down a frustrating and fruitless never-ending cycle of failure? Neither one seems appealing and neither one is the answer. Finding the happy medium is the struggle.
In summary, whether recruiting or being recruited remember to:
Question: How does one go about giving constructive advice to others about their gear, talents, skills, spells, class, or any other aspect of the game? How do you handle giving someone advice who “knows-it-all”?At the time this was a real issue for me and a large concern. I eagerly awaited responses from fellow bloggers, but to this day not one person has responded to that question. Well, I guess I can’t blame anyone. I suppose they don’t know the answer any better than I.
However, Matticus brought up the same topic today and I felt the need to respond. As I started to think about my response, all this crap started falling out of my head. Well, mom always said I had $#%! for brains. So head on over to Open Discussion: How Do You Improve Players Without Coming out as an Arrogant Jerk? and read Matt’s hypothetical situation, then come on back.
I’d like to address Matt’s questions from two viewpoints: the viewpoint of the raiding guild and the viewpoint of the recruit. Since I’m inspired by Matt’s hypothetical situation, I’ll approach it with the healer in mind, but this can be just as easily applied to any class or spec.
There are several things during the recruiting process that need to be addressed up front from the guild’s perspective:
Know where you standThere are several things during the recruiting process that need to be addressed up front from the candidate’s perspective:
Know when to offer advice/criticism
Know how to offer advice/criticism
Know when to cut your losses
Know where you standThe Raiding Guild
Know when to accept advice/criticism
Know how to accept advice/criticism
Know when to cut your losses
Know Where You Stand
Make sure that your candidate knows where your guild stands with regards to expectations and that the guild members know the same in return. This is where I see a problem occurs with the average raider.
Raiders wants results and they want results now. They feel that everyone in the group should be at their level or greater. They deserve to be able to down the boss with minimal wiping and frustration. Yet they often forget that they were once in the same boat and more importantly in this case they need that healer to achieve their goals. If they offend the healer, especially without a potential backup, when will they get to go back?
Is it not better to suffer through some frustration hoping to help this new guy out, keep him loyal, and move on? Or is the here and now just so important as to not look to the future? I’m not saying you should have to wait months or even weeks for the person to figure it out. Just set those goals and expectations so all are aware of the time frame. Amazing how much a person can put up with if they see the light at the end of the tunnel.
This is why it is so important to ensure that the guild members understand potential issues with new recruits and that they are on board with assisting in helping and retaining those recruits. It’s for the good of the guild as a whole and that’s often forgotten.
If you have specific gear requirements, make it known up front. If they don’t meet it, but you still believe they’re a prime candidate, give them the support on being able to get whatever they need. Give them a timeframe in which you expect this to be done. Let others know so they can assist in speeding up the process.
Discuss healer smarts with them. Ask them what they would do given certain situations. This one’s difficult, but try to come up with more specific situations than what’s the healing priority? Everyone knows it’s the tank first. Please forgive my example as I only went to Gruul’s for the first time last night in the middle of a raid that lost a healer. Didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing. And no, this isn’t a personal example. I was on the main tank.
Take for example, having one main tank and two off-tanks at Gruul. You’re assigned to one of the off-tanks and told to assist the main tank should he get low. One healer is assigned to raid heals only and to assist tanks as necessary. You have the mana to spare. Ten raiders are at 50% or less after an AOE attack. Your tank is at 90%, the main tank is at 75%. What do you do?The answers may vary here depending on your own expectations. Is it important that he trust the raid healer to get to those 10 or should he assist? Assist the main tank? Conserve the mana? Spend it? There might not be a right answer, but the way in which the person answers usually gives you an indication of how well they will do. Someone who beats around the bush is indecisive and better to have someone who makes the wrong decision than have someone who can’t make one at all.
As a pally healer, situational awareness is difficult for me. I have to stand still to cast any of my healing spells and my eyes are glued to the health bars of all those around me and in crisis situations it can sometimes be hard to see that AOE that I’m standing in. It’s easy to lose sight of when the tank moves and where I need to be to stay in range. I’m only getting better at this as I learn what damage my fellow raiders are capable of sustaining so I can look away for a time and through repeatedly doing the boss fight over and over. I’m not sure there’s any good way to train someone for this other than through repetition, but make the importance of this known. Suggest watching online videos of the boss fights to help them at least know what goes on and what they need to look for.
Know When to Offer Advice/Criticism
The number one reason I’ve experienced in losing potentially great guild members is criticizing during an actual raid or instance. Its human nature to bring up questions about what happened or who was to blame for that last wipe. DON’T DO IT!! Make sure your raiders are aware that they should keep their collective mouths shut!
Let the leaders handle the situation. Don’t let anyone say “we wiped a second time because THE hunter didn’t re-ice trap the add AGAIN!”, hypothetically speaking of course. (/thinking “Granted we could have killed her the second time.”) Instead let the leader say “We let ice trap break leading to a wipe.” In a statement like this we avoid the accusatory nature of the first statement which singles someone out and instead places the blame collectively on the entire group. Everyone knows who let the ice trap break. Everyone knows who’s at fault. No one needs to point it out. Unless the one responsible is a total tool, they know it too. In a 25 man raid there’s even more anonymity and potentially less embarrassment for that person, if it’s kept general. Just remember this is teamwork. We succeed together, we fail together!
So when do we offer advice/criticism? After the raid, away from others. Nothing boils my blood faster than to be asked during an encounter “What’s your bonus healing at?” At times, it’s been because they were amazed, but more often than not I believe it to be a question regarding my healing abilities and the inability of others to accept any blame for what lead up to that wipe. At these times I have to struggle to remain calm or my decision making becomes impaired.
Know How to Offer Advice/Criticism
Leaders take notes during the raid, talk to the person one on one after the raid. Start off by asking them how they felt about the raid? Don’t ask them what they felt they did wrong. Let them do that on their own. You’ll be amazed at how much more open they’ll be if they have the opportunity to point out what they felt they did wrong before you did. Most people are more critical of themselves than you ever will be. Don’t necessarily disagree with them on their self-criticism, especially if it’s regarding important items. Often people will criticize themselves about trivial matters. This is the tool you’ll use to help them stay on the path to improvement. More importantly, this is when you offer advice. I say advice because at this point it will feel more like advice than criticism.
If you end up with someone that doesn’t point out some of the things they did wrong or shifts all blame to others, then you know you probably have someone you don’t necessarily want to group with anyway as they’ll never be accountable for anything. At this point, it’s entirely up to you on how you want to handle criticizing them and whether you even want to continue the trial period.
Matticus, you also answered your own question as to how to offer advice. Explain the why. During a raid, especially a fast moving one, there’s no time to explain the why. In Common Courtesy: Sleeping with the Dodo I explained a situation in which a Raid Leader didn’t explain the why of a particular situation until those who didn’t listen experienced the why. He pointed it out condescendingly and mockingly earning absolutely no respect from those of us within the group. He expected us to do what he said, when he said, with no explanation.
The problem with the example I gave was no one knew this guy. We had no reason to trust that he was the authoritative figure for Kara that he claimed to be. There was no trust built there yet. Did it matter that he did in fact know what he was talking about? No. He handled it incorrectly. He did have the time to explain before the first pull, just refused to do so. His answer was “Just do it!” He then handled the explanation afterwards unprofessionally.
People are not lemmings. We do not like to blindly follow anyone. Only those we trust will we agree to follow blindly as required, but even then we eventually expect some sort of explanation afterwards. Whether that explanation comes in finding out the hard way or having it explained verbally doesn’t matter. Knowing the why behind something gives us the reassurance that whatever we are doing is not in vain. There is a purpose behind our actions. It is important. We are needed. We fear that which we do not understand. [Edit: I believe this is a quote from someone, but can’t find it on the web.]
With regards to offering advice on specs? I don’t know the answer. Just make sure you know what you are talking about. Being criticized by the mage who doesn’t know how to control his aggro for not being able to keep the raid properly healed because he doesn’t understand the first thing about pally healing only frustrates the paladin and makes the mage look stupid to anybody that does understand. This is why I’m very careful to criticize another for their spec or class and keep my mouth shut. Make sure you know what you are talking about. Granted if that warlock is #8 on the damage meter in Kara, only beating the two healers, in full epic gear and according to Be Imba!report out gears everyone except the main tank and one DPS warrior, AND spec’d Affliction? You might have an obvious problem you can complain about. (*cough, cough. Totally hypothetical, of course.)
With your example Matticus, you stated:
"Bob, you know, you’re an excellent healer. You do what you’re told and heal who you’re asked to heal. You’ve been a tremendous service to the Guild. But I’m in a tough bind here. I can only let in 7 healers at a time and you don’t exactly supply a lot of options for yourself. You’re specced Spirit without the Improved Spirit. You also don’t have Circle of Healing. Why should I take you? You’re useless to me. Give me a reason to take you. I want to take you in, I really do. But when I weigh you against the other potential classes, it looks quite grim."
You started out great giving him a sense of worth. You even said that you’re in a tough bind, which conveys the sense that hey I’m getting pressure from above. This helps ease the person from taking it personally. Won’t stop it, but makes it easier. Don’t say “Why should I take you? You’re useless to me.” I read this somewhat as a joke, but I’ve read some of your other Bob posts.
It’s amazing how you can change the tone of a statement and still have the sense of urgency just by altering the way you say something. Say things like “Help me out here. I’ve noticed you’re spec’d x. What if you spec’d y?” By including them on the “improvements” you haven’t dictated to them what to do. They are included and feel their opinion is important. Again, goes back to this trust issue. You can always say “Hey, let’s try it and see if it works better for you. If it doesn’t, I’ll pay the respec costs.” A minor gesture for anyone raiding, but also gives the person a feeling they have an out.
Know When to Cut Your Losses
There are times when you will come across candidates that are the greatest people in the world, people you just love being around, but just aren’t going to cut it based on your guild’s needs and expectations. Knowing when to cut your losses with these people can be very difficult. You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but you also can’t spend any more time trying to help the guy out. Know when to say when.
You may find that you want to keep them in the guild as a reserve, but make it clear that is what they are there for. However your guild might handle it, deal with it appropriately. Avoid making promises that may never come to fruition.
Regardless of the type of candidate you have, try to end it on as positive a note as possible. You never know when you’ll run into this guy again. Perhaps in the future he’ll end up with a guild that can help him out and eventually he’ll learn what he needs to learn. It’d be a shame to have burned a bridge there. Try to keep the door open for future possibilities, but treat it like a Band-Aid and remove it as quickly and painlessly as possible. Don’t drag it out!
The Recruit
Know Where You Stand
What is it that you’re looking for? Are you looking for a guild that raids on particular nights? Are you looking for a guild to grow with or a guild that’s almost maxed out? Do you want to be helped along? Do you want to be one of those that does the helping? Basically, what’s important for you?
I’ve seen people come and go because they thought they could get a free ride through raids. I’ve seen people come and go because they thought they were so good that they’d outshine all the rest. There are any number of reasons as to why someone joins a new raiding guild. Make it easier on yourself and the recruiting guild by knowing exactly where you stand and where you want to be.
Find out what the goals of the recruiting guild are and see how closely they match up to your own. Be honest with yourself. I’ve had friends join horrible guilds because of the content they could do, only to complain to me and be miserable the entire time. They made their choice. It was more important to go after that upgrade than it was being miserable in a guild they couldn’t have cared less about. There are guilds out there that will match your goals. Be patient.
Know When to Accept Advice/Criticism
This may sound like an odd comment, but this is very important. Hopefully you will not be criticized during a raid or encounter. Hopefully this will be done on the side as time permits elsewhere, so both parties can fully address the issue without having to shorten anything due to time constraints. That said, it is going to happen.
If you are offered advice or criticized during a raid, don’t fight back. You don’t have to accept it, just put it to the side. Take things said during raids with a grain of salt. Emotions could be running high. Things might be said that aren’t thought out and with other information may not have been said or thought at all. Adjust as necessary, but don’t feel you have to blatantly accept all criticism during those heated encounters.
Not accepting the criticism is not the same as fighting back. Push it to the side. Don’t retaliate!
Know How to Accept Advice/Criticism
This is difficult for most people. I can attest that I am one of them. Try to remember one general rule. If you’re being offered advice away from the mob mentality and the raid, you’re probably thought of as being of value. Take it so. If you weren’t worth the time, you’d be brushed off and no one would say anything.
Remember the raiders want you to succeed as much as you do. It doesn’t always sound like it, but it’s true. If you succeed, they succeed. If you fail, they fail.
At times you’ll be accused unfairly, it’s going to happen. Listen to it calmly. If you have a counter argument, present it to the person after they have had the chance to explain their side. If you don’t you’re going to end up in a heated exchange as each side tries to fully explain their side of the argument.
Make sure you present any counter argument by knowing your stuff. Don’t shift blame! Even if it wasn’t entirely your fault, but there was something you could have done better, accept the responsibility for your part. I cannot stress this enough! Nothing aggravates the leader trying to help you faster than you attempting to divert all blame to others, even if it’s later found out you were entirely not at fault. You shift blame and you’ll be labeled as one who never accepts accountability and not a team player. Let the leaders deal with the others. Accept your part and their advice on what to do and move on. The next time when you do your part, it will be painfully obvious that you did all you could and leaders can more fully address the problem elsewhere.
Know When to Cut Your Losses
Knowing when to cut your losses is also tricky from the candidate’s side. There are websites out there dedicated to tracking your movements. Good guilds will know if you’re a guild jumper or not and that’s a label you don’t want following you around. However, there are times when things just do not work out. Guilds may want to keep you, but their goals don’t match yours.
Decide what’s important to you and move on, whether by staying or leaving. Don’t let things drag out thinking they will get better. Do something about it. Talk to your leaders. If they are unresponsive, get out. They obviously aren’t worried about your needs. Only you can determine when you should leave, but always leave on as positive a note as possible. You’ll run across these people again whether in this guild or another. Don’t burn a bridge! There may be millions of accounts out there, but it’s amazing how you keep running into the same people over and over.
Conclusion
Matticus pointed out that without the healers his guild is effectively paralyzed. He is aware of their limitations with respect to gear, specs, and experience. That said it needs to be made perfectly clear to all those involved that there is a huge possibility that they will not succeed over the next couple of weeks and the whining and complaining need to be kept quiet. This is for the good of the guild. Negativity directed towards anyone will only drive people away and healers perhaps more than most. There always seems to be a shortage of healers and even more so of effective healers and we know it. We’re a commodity and we know you need us more than we need you. Terrible attitude to have by the way, healers! I’ve been guilty of it in the past too, but that’s a selfish attitude that causes groups to fall apart.
By taking these healers on you’ve essentially agreed that you know their weaknesses and are willing to work with them to improve. You seem to have two options before you. Do you come on strong risking the possibility of offending them and driving them away only to start all over with someone else in a never-ending cycle? Or do you coddle and reassure them giving them warm and fuzzies so as not to tread on any toes and potentially lose them only to continue down a frustrating and fruitless never-ending cycle of failure? Neither one seems appealing and neither one is the answer. Finding the happy medium is the struggle.
In summary, whether recruiting or being recruited remember to:
Know where you standHave fun and good luck! Continue reading 'Constructive Criticism: The Raiding Guild and The Candidate'
Know when to accept/offer advice/criticism
Know how to accept/offer advice/criticism
Know when to cut your losses
Monday, April 21, 2008
Journal Entry: Kyrilean's and Maedchen's Weekend
Finally hit exalted with Shattered Sun yesterday! I did this by completing 4-5 of the daily quests. I then bought my new healing necklace which I’m excited about. Not a huge upgrade on the heals side, but the mp5 upgrade is great!
So now I’m exalted, I feel little desire to continue these daily quests. As I’m fairly broke for a 70 in epic gear, I will do the easier ones just to keep my gold supply increasing. I probably won’t bother with the quests requiring drops as I cannot stand it when the drop rate is low. I have better things to do with my time.
I spent most of my weekend playing my priest Maedchen. It’s been a long time since I’ve played any of my alts and it was very refreshing. I’ve devoted a lot of time with Kyrilean and it’s great, but repetitive daily quests and heroic instances are starting to take their toll. So Maedchen got a little time this weekend.
Maedchen started out level 18 when I started on Friday and hit level 21 by Sunday evening. I must say that leveling a shadow priest is much easier than leveling a protection pally. Granted I had little to no idea what I was doing with specs and gear back then. I have a simple understanding now. Not much of an upgrade in knowledge, but a little is better than none.
I must say that Darkshore is perhaps one of the worst designed areas in my opinion. I completed most of the quests before deciding I was finished. I hate the design, the quests, and the running from one end to the other constantly and I was using QuestHelper! For future alts I will have to settle for being barely on speaking terms with the Night Elves.
Kyrilean did see some play time though. On Sunday, three of us 70 pallies grouped with two lower level warlocks who hadn’t run Ramparts yet. In fact, one hadn’t even been to Outland yet. They had quests so we took them to get some better gear and finish their quests. After Ramps we ran Blood Furnace too for more quests.
In recent posts I’ve complained about my attitude changing towards the game. It was extremely refreshing to play to have fun and help a few people out. Making everything about me and my next piece of gear was definitely taking its toll. Not going to say I’m not going to Kara this week as we arrange a group and hitting up the heroics for badge loot, but the focus has been redirected.
Getting to know some of the new guildies was great fun! Watching how they play and getting to know how to group is absolutely necessary for preparing to set this guild up for raiding Karazhan and other instances. I’m positive that we’re going to get there and soon.
My only concern with those I ran with is inexperience. I have absolutely no idea how to play a warlock. I haven’t even rolled an alt for one. That said I can give no advice on how to spec, play, or treat a warlock. These initial 5 man instances are crucial to learning how to interact with a group and to learn your role. The further we move into raiding, the more specialized the job becomes, and the more critical understanding your role within the group is.
The other part of the concern is running lower levels through these instances with the gear and abilities that I and others have. Some of us are so overgeared for the regular instances that we can 2-man them. It makes it difficult to learn exactly how to react in given situations when you have someone so overgeared that you will never wipe. In fact, only one warlock died once the whole night. The only others to die were their voidwalkers.
Well I suppose I shouldn’t be too concerned. There are many instances that I ran only once or not at all but have run in heroics many times. Granted not the best place to learn, but it is doable given patient people which I know our guild has.
So overall a great weekend! I had a lot of fun and look forward to helping a few of the guildies level and/or gear up in preparation for Karazhan! Continue reading 'Journal Entry: Kyrilean's and Maedchen's Weekend'
So now I’m exalted, I feel little desire to continue these daily quests. As I’m fairly broke for a 70 in epic gear, I will do the easier ones just to keep my gold supply increasing. I probably won’t bother with the quests requiring drops as I cannot stand it when the drop rate is low. I have better things to do with my time.
I spent most of my weekend playing my priest Maedchen. It’s been a long time since I’ve played any of my alts and it was very refreshing. I’ve devoted a lot of time with Kyrilean and it’s great, but repetitive daily quests and heroic instances are starting to take their toll. So Maedchen got a little time this weekend.
Maedchen started out level 18 when I started on Friday and hit level 21 by Sunday evening. I must say that leveling a shadow priest is much easier than leveling a protection pally. Granted I had little to no idea what I was doing with specs and gear back then. I have a simple understanding now. Not much of an upgrade in knowledge, but a little is better than none.
I must say that Darkshore is perhaps one of the worst designed areas in my opinion. I completed most of the quests before deciding I was finished. I hate the design, the quests, and the running from one end to the other constantly and I was using QuestHelper! For future alts I will have to settle for being barely on speaking terms with the Night Elves.
Kyrilean did see some play time though. On Sunday, three of us 70 pallies grouped with two lower level warlocks who hadn’t run Ramparts yet. In fact, one hadn’t even been to Outland yet. They had quests so we took them to get some better gear and finish their quests. After Ramps we ran Blood Furnace too for more quests.
In recent posts I’ve complained about my attitude changing towards the game. It was extremely refreshing to play to have fun and help a few people out. Making everything about me and my next piece of gear was definitely taking its toll. Not going to say I’m not going to Kara this week as we arrange a group and hitting up the heroics for badge loot, but the focus has been redirected.
Getting to know some of the new guildies was great fun! Watching how they play and getting to know how to group is absolutely necessary for preparing to set this guild up for raiding Karazhan and other instances. I’m positive that we’re going to get there and soon.
My only concern with those I ran with is inexperience. I have absolutely no idea how to play a warlock. I haven’t even rolled an alt for one. That said I can give no advice on how to spec, play, or treat a warlock. These initial 5 man instances are crucial to learning how to interact with a group and to learn your role. The further we move into raiding, the more specialized the job becomes, and the more critical understanding your role within the group is.
The other part of the concern is running lower levels through these instances with the gear and abilities that I and others have. Some of us are so overgeared for the regular instances that we can 2-man them. It makes it difficult to learn exactly how to react in given situations when you have someone so overgeared that you will never wipe. In fact, only one warlock died once the whole night. The only others to die were their voidwalkers.
Well I suppose I shouldn’t be too concerned. There are many instances that I ran only once or not at all but have run in heroics many times. Granted not the best place to learn, but it is doable given patient people which I know our guild has.
So overall a great weekend! I had a lot of fun and look forward to helping a few of the guildies level and/or gear up in preparation for Karazhan! Continue reading 'Journal Entry: Kyrilean's and Maedchen's Weekend'
Friday, April 18, 2008
Crazy Club Information
Welcome to Crazy Club!
Since we don't have an actual website, I'll use my blog site to post some guild information here. Please take the time to read through this. It's not that long.
General Rules
1) Have fun! Remember everyone's definition of fun is different and that's OK. Just remember that others might see it differently.
2) Be considerate! Everyone will be at a different level in skill, gear, and ability. Sollenni may be the "Great and Powerful Oz!" of our group, but she's no more important than the player that just started learning to play WoW last week.
3) Contribute! Don't expect to receive a free handout and ride through every quest you have. We all will help, but help is expected in return. Everyone has things they need to do and the Level 70s can't be expected to help someone every step of the way.
4) Loyalty! We want to create a tight knit group of people who enjoy playing together. We hope to grow the guild enough to run 25 man instances. We're not looking to have hundreds of people. There will be no limit to those who would like to join, but smaller numbers creates a more together atmosphere.
5) Honesty! To help create loyalty, please be open and honest with your fellow guild officers. Bring concerns and questions up to them. We hope this will aid in avoiding guild drama which is bound to happen from time to time. If you are affected or involved with guild drama, please remember that everyone has a bad day and approach it with an open mind.
Add-Ons
Please download and utilize the following add-ons. These can be found on various sites, but I generally use Curse.com:
1) Omen Threat Meter or Omen2 - KLH was compatible before 2.4. I haven't looked to see if it is anymore. If it is, please feel free to use it. I personally have never used KLH. This is only required if you will be running instances or raids. Anyone not familiar with this add-on should still install it and become familiar with how to use it.
2) Group Calendar - We will use this for help in setting up raids, instances, quest help, and other things we see fit.
For those that will be raiding, I highly recommend downloading Deadly Boss Mods. This add-on will give you warnings in the boss fights and it is definitely handy in preparing for potential wipes. If not that one, find another.
Preparing for Karazhan
Currently we are just getting started in building our guild. At last count I believe we potentially have 6 people that can commit to a regular raiding schedule. We have a few more people that can get to 70 probably within the next few weeks with our assistance. By the end of the week, we should have 9 total 70s, not including level 70 alts.
Some of you need more gear to get to Karazhan. Please use Be Imba! to assist you in tweaking your toon. This site is useful in helping you prepare for Karazhan.
Also use the Armory to look for potential upgrades to your gear. Look for quest items and attainable instance items first. Use the calendar to help set up a run for you. Please look for interim gear. We all know we want gear that's outside our reach. Getting the interim gear even if it's a small upgrade will help you get there.
I've finally maxed my enchanting. I do not have every enchant, but will be willing to enchant most level 70s gear. If you've not obtained level 70, I'll give you some of the cheaper enchants. You'll probably be getting an upgrade soon, so best not to use the mats on the expensive enchants. But remember, even a crappy enchant is better than nothing. Enchant your gear!
And finally we need a holy priest and could definitely use a rogue. Although we would love to find one that is already geared, since we need to upgrade some of you and potentially level some of you to get into Kara, feel free to suggest anyone that is close to 70 and we will help them get ready with you.
Remember although there may be ranks in this guild like any other, it is YOUR GUILD! No one stands above anyone else. We all contribute whether we're the worst Healer, best DPS, or mediocre Tank. We succeed together and we fail together, but we're together!
Continue reading 'Crazy Club Information'
Since we don't have an actual website, I'll use my blog site to post some guild information here. Please take the time to read through this. It's not that long.
General Rules
1) Have fun! Remember everyone's definition of fun is different and that's OK. Just remember that others might see it differently.
2) Be considerate! Everyone will be at a different level in skill, gear, and ability. Sollenni may be the "Great and Powerful Oz!" of our group, but she's no more important than the player that just started learning to play WoW last week.
3) Contribute! Don't expect to receive a free handout and ride through every quest you have. We all will help, but help is expected in return. Everyone has things they need to do and the Level 70s can't be expected to help someone every step of the way.
4) Loyalty! We want to create a tight knit group of people who enjoy playing together. We hope to grow the guild enough to run 25 man instances. We're not looking to have hundreds of people. There will be no limit to those who would like to join, but smaller numbers creates a more together atmosphere.
5) Honesty! To help create loyalty, please be open and honest with your fellow guild officers. Bring concerns and questions up to them. We hope this will aid in avoiding guild drama which is bound to happen from time to time. If you are affected or involved with guild drama, please remember that everyone has a bad day and approach it with an open mind.
Add-Ons
Please download and utilize the following add-ons. These can be found on various sites, but I generally use Curse.com:
1) Omen Threat Meter or Omen2 - KLH was compatible before 2.4. I haven't looked to see if it is anymore. If it is, please feel free to use it. I personally have never used KLH. This is only required if you will be running instances or raids. Anyone not familiar with this add-on should still install it and become familiar with how to use it.
2) Group Calendar - We will use this for help in setting up raids, instances, quest help, and other things we see fit.
For those that will be raiding, I highly recommend downloading Deadly Boss Mods. This add-on will give you warnings in the boss fights and it is definitely handy in preparing for potential wipes. If not that one, find another.
Preparing for Karazhan
Currently we are just getting started in building our guild. At last count I believe we potentially have 6 people that can commit to a regular raiding schedule. We have a few more people that can get to 70 probably within the next few weeks with our assistance. By the end of the week, we should have 9 total 70s, not including level 70 alts.
Some of you need more gear to get to Karazhan. Please use Be Imba! to assist you in tweaking your toon. This site is useful in helping you prepare for Karazhan.
Also use the Armory to look for potential upgrades to your gear. Look for quest items and attainable instance items first. Use the calendar to help set up a run for you. Please look for interim gear. We all know we want gear that's outside our reach. Getting the interim gear even if it's a small upgrade will help you get there.
I've finally maxed my enchanting. I do not have every enchant, but will be willing to enchant most level 70s gear. If you've not obtained level 70, I'll give you some of the cheaper enchants. You'll probably be getting an upgrade soon, so best not to use the mats on the expensive enchants. But remember, even a crappy enchant is better than nothing. Enchant your gear!
And finally we need a holy priest and could definitely use a rogue. Although we would love to find one that is already geared, since we need to upgrade some of you and potentially level some of you to get into Kara, feel free to suggest anyone that is close to 70 and we will help them get ready with you.
Remember although there may be ranks in this guild like any other, it is YOUR GUILD! No one stands above anyone else. We all contribute whether we're the worst Healer, best DPS, or mediocre Tank. We succeed together and we fail together, but we're together!
Continue reading 'Crazy Club Information'
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