Raid leaders

One of the most under appreciated jobs in the game has to be one of raid leadership. How hard can that be you say? Well as an ex-raid leader let me say its not a picnic. Raiders sometimes dont see the big picture and just think a raid leader is there to get the group together and put out ready checks. Its not as simple as that not only is that involve but also (and not limited to) getting boss information, keeping track of raiders, loot distribution, answering questions, hearing complains, and on and on it goes. Its one of those things that can make you want to pull your hair out ( seems sometimes some of our raid leaders feel like that).

Raid leaders get frustrated it seems because after posting many strategies, posting videos, and as up to date information people still go into a new encounter not knowing anything and asking questions. Even when questions are answered it seems that the raid leaders are repeating themselves because someone was not paying attention or people were talking in vent over the raid leaders and information got confusing.

Its not only that but it can get nutty for raid leaders getting whispers trying to answer them and also keep doing either (tanking, dps or heals up). Then comes the loot distribution. The mother of all problems there people whispering asking for time forgetting to bid or roll or whatever method the guild uses.

In the end it can be truly so frustrating that it makes you want to pull your hair out (right ony ;p)

So next time you are raiding and it seems to be going slow just think about all that the raid leaders are putting up with and thank them afterward for a job well done.

NOTANKITIS - Someone call the CDC!!!

I am a tank. All three of my 80's , warrior /pally /dk , all tank. I like being the tank and setting the pace for the group , knowing the fights , and generally being out front of the group , starting the encounters till we defeat the instance.

However , the new Random Group Finder has left me a new malady I call , NOTANKITIS. Sometimes I just would rather beat me head on the wall than to endure the constant series of bad PUG people in the Random LFG now. Here is a short list of my favorites (see if yours is on there)

1. "GOGOGOGOGOGOGO" - typed in party chat from one or many dps - like seriously that is gonna make me pull faster??



2. The DPS that typed the above line decides to pull for you because you are not moving fast enough. Personally my rule is if you pull it , you tank it.



3. They don't know that LOS means Line of Sight. This is my fav on my warrior whose AoE threat is not as strong as the others so I use LoS alot to get things where I want them.



4. DK's in 52/0/18 spec thinking they can throw up Frost Presence and tank FTW.



5. Checking out the players for enchants and gems and seeing empty sockets. Love that one.

Now granted I don't normally get upset or even drop group. I know that everyone has to start somewhere and I like to take a chance at potentially teaching someone a thing or two to leave the virtual world of WoW a better place than when I got there , so I have a pretty thick skin.

However when the wipes start happening like say on the 1st boss of PoS because no one thinks to LoS the boss and drop the debuff on them , or they fail to see the big hunk of saronite headed their way repeatedly , then I start to think about dropping group and just farming till my next dungeon CD is up.

I would rather endure a 10 -15 minute DPS queue for a random where all I have to do is kill whatever I see , than to have the shorter queues as a tank and deal with the above. In fact , I am more inclined to not use the queue unless I have a known healer /dps with me to make sure the run goes better. This causes another problem you see called ORLYIMNOTATANKITIS.

This disease (yes it is a disease!!!) is where you have a person queuing up as a tank/dps when in reality they are not specced to tank nor do they have the gear to tank , they just want the faster queue times. (See above in point #4 ). Now you have a group sitting around playing "Who's the tank??" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ekLO8BwxwE) This creates a vicious cycle or requeing and blame storming and just generally ruins your day.

So the next time you are queued up as dps and you get into your random , give the tank a break , be the pro player you can be , and make the run a smooth one.

Achievements Anyone?

This guild does not focus on 10 mans. It is usually an off night thing. The 10 mans are posted on a volunteer type basis. People sign up in the appropriate forum thread and the group takes off from there. As a result, our 10 man rankings and achievements are just, well pathetic. Lord Soth, the guild leader, decided we would make some effort to change that.

In our Off Night Fiascos thread, he posted an "achievement whore run". It peaked allot of interest. Our 10 mans have been filling up on the weekends since ICC released. His agenda this past Monday was to start small- OS3D, Malygos 6 Minute Kill, and we actually ended up completing Nax as well. We gathered a fair amount of achievements during the process, missing the Undying due to the bear tank being color blind (ok he's not really but he missed the giant swirl under his feet on KT).

All in all, we spent 4 hours running through old content. Personally, I gathered a few new achievements, and others gathered even more. It was fast. No one was complaining about a wipe here in old content as we all were a bit rusty. It makes me look forward to next week and to see what Soth has in store for his "achievement whores".

Sailing into uncharted waters

Ahoy to all my NQG mateys and anyone else who reads this blog!!! My name is Lineshot and I am a recent server transfer from Fenris. (I know , i know its the South Park server)

Anytime you answer a recruiting post from another guild off server , you always wonder if it will work out , if the picture they paint is accurate , and if you are just going to waste $50 potentially.

If you have these doubts like I did with this transfer then let me tell you , NQG is the real deal!!!

This is the guild I had wished to find upon first joining WoW. They have a wealth of information on the website and it is used and maintained daily. They are serious about raiding but not to the point of "OMGWTF did you die on the 1st try on the new boss and wipe the raid for GFTO L2P!!!!" serious. They have players with depth in many types of fields , ie theorycrafting , UI tweaking , and others, and they actually SHARE the knowledge and don't expect you to learn it by osmosis.

I know I am pumping up the guild I am in currently but I feel that I have found my WoW home and as with anything you do and work it , you take pride in it and want to show it off.

Even after joining a new guild you start the next uncharted voyage - going on your 1st raid with them!!!!!(Zoinks!!!!)

My first raid with NQG was to come in for Festergut (the kill referenced in Ony's last blog post). Having only done Festergut on 10's and as DPS , coming in to tank on 25's seemed like I was stepping into the shark tank with 20lbs of fresh meat strapped to my back.

Having done my homework the night before I had my DG/DS macro ready and I had gone over my duties in the fight:

1. Taunt boss at the proper time.


2. Pew Pew boss till the other tank taunted


3. Listen for the call on vent of AM (Aura Mastery) falling off and pop my DG/DS macro


4. HoS myself and dps the boss till time to tank again.

It took a couple of wipes but we downed him and got our loot. I felt relieved because I did not mess up and did my job. (Whew!!!)

We moved onto Rotface and the intensity just reached out and smacked me in nads!!! What do you mean I have to kite these ooze thingy's and not melee them??? Oh because they hit me for 20K plus on plate??? What do you mean the room floods in a random pattern and I have to try and avoid it???

Seriously who decided to make the offtank feel like an oppressed labour in a sweatshop?? (Ghostcrawler promised me a pony and I am still waiting for that too)

This is one fight where the offtank has his hands full. After a couple of days worth of attempts , we finally downed him on 25's . This fight truly tested everyone in the raid and at times I felt the pressure of the whole fight on my shoulders but ultimately it rested on all the raiders to do their jobs as well.

In closing let me say that I have charted my course to this new guild and server and arrived with expectations that have been met and exceeded.Now I look to help them stay the course of progression raiding and together chart our path in WoW.

WoW Lore

As a foreign player I love reading quest and actually hearing the animations of the game. It not only helps me learn the english language but also learn more about the history of the game. World of Warcraft has by far a very rich story. Wanting to learn more of the lore i began searching the internet for sites that explain it with more detail. I found out that there are actually books with short stories of some major events and important characters in the game. I will give a quick overview of the first book i recommend and will try not to provide any spoilers on the way.

The first book is called The Warcraft Archive and it consist of four great short stories on the lore of Warcarft. I actually had to order it from London since in Spain they did not carry it. But i'm sure you can get it at a major bookstore chain or order it online.

The first story is called Day of the Dragon and its about an adventure with Rhonin which is the current leader of the Kirin Tor and can be located in Dalaran. This first story is one to wet your appetite and will truly reveal the depth that Blizzard put into their character and their past and what makes them tick.

The second story is called Lord of the Clans and is by far an awesome story. Its about the rise of the Warchief Thrall. From birth to his rising in the horde this story has it all, action, adventure, even some emotional parts that may get some readers choked up. It is a very interesting story and a must read for any avid WoW player.

The third is called The Last Guardian and is about Medivh. Its basically a history about Karazhan and about how one of the greatest spellcaster handles that responsibility and what absolute power can do to one person. There are some interesting parts to the story but it takes a while to get going with a lot of pauses so I will suggest to just give it time it does get good and gives great information on the history of Azeroth.

Lastly is the final short story called Of blood and honor. This is a story about Tirion Fordring. Not know him? you will after this story. Its by far a great example to not judge a book by its cover. Its a relatively short story compare to the rest of the book but one that really puts a lot of information and leaves you thinking afterwards.

Well there you have it my first recommendation if you have any please feel free to drop a line.
Happy Gaming.

Festergut - ICC 25

This guy took us a bit to figure out. He's a DPS/Gear check as well as an execution check. We struggled at the start to figure out the right compositions, the correct execution, and then, of course, to up our dps.

The first kill came with using 2 range groups and a central melee/healer group. We ran with only 5 healers- utilizing the Aura Mastery buff, with the DS/DG Combination that you can gain with a pally tank. The five minute enrage timer is a pain - but doable. It takes work, and everyone on the same page for popping hero and what not.

The week we went in without having a pally tank- instead, we had our normal (and awesome) warrior tank and a bear tank. Last week, we ran with 5 healers, and this week we ran with 6. But the difference is, the dps brought it. Execution was flawless, it was a very clean kill, and running the extra healer. It was a great night. It also goes to show you, understanding the mechanics and being comfortable with the fight is a solid course of action to increase raid DPS.

Our own attempts we learned it takes 3 ranged on 10 man, and 7 minimum on 25. This is to prevent the vile gas from hitting melee and what ranged are stacked in the melee. Gas spores on melee had to run between his feet slightly so that the tanks got inoculation.

Raid Composition versus Raid Core

Ask any guild leader or raid leader how hard it can be to keep a twenty five man raid core full, to factor in enough leeway to allow real life to occur, yet keep the raid moving. It’s a daunting job. Currently progression content (ICC) is full of situations where max DPS has to be achieved, lots of fight mechanics (which Blizzard loves to reuse in new and twisted environments), and less healers gave to perform to higher levels. Having a limited number of raid slots on your raiding roster is the only way to accommodate such a goal, but it brings in other factors as well.

How many raid slots is enough? That’s really a hard question to answer, and dependent on each guild’s attendance policy. It also doesn’t factor in how fast a guild can usually fill the opening or if you have members that tend to have real life occur more often than others. For this guild, we put a cap on our raiding core of thirty five raid slots. This means we will not exceed that number of slots. At one point, we had a cap of thirty raid slots, but due to the number of couples we have in this guild and a few rotating schedules, the cap is set at thirty five core slots.

In any given twenty five man raid instance, you generally have no more than two to three tanks, six to seven healers, with the remaining slots a myriad of ranged and melee DPS. For ICC, this has usually been one Main Tank, two Off Tanks with DPS Dual Specs, six healers –with one having a DPS Off Spec, leaving sixteen raid slots for DPS Main Specs. With a ratio of 12% tanks, 24% healers, with the remaining 64% being raid DPS, it stands to reason the bench is going to be smaller for the healers and tanks. If you take the percentages and apply them to our thirty five core slots, you end up with a max of four tanks/off tanks, eight healers, and twenty-two DPS members leaving one slot open to float.

With these percentages, it stands to reason that DPS will sit more often than a healer or tank. But it also stands to reason, these things happen too. The only resolution we can offer is track attendance, and track the bench – in an attempt to keep rotation as fair as possible. Each guild has to handle their bench in a way their guild leadership sees fit. For us, we rotate. Occasionally volunteers happen, but composition has to come first – as it is detrimental to raid success, offering buffs and specific strengths needed for the fights ahead. Occasionally, poor performance that needs to be improved may cause rotation or the person to sit. The issue is brought up to the individual on a personal level, with officers present, and will either be addressed and corrected, or the person will move to a casual rank until improvement can be made.

Some guilds do not rotate. They will try a new person out, and make their core compete for raid slots. Some guilds aren’t organized at all. They just expect people to show up, and they often have a slow start time. It’s not the way this guild operates. No one is above the rules, but what you have to keep in mind, is that you cannot raid with twenty-two DPS slots filled, and all tanks/healers sitting – composition is always paramount, and it is why the EPGP system continues to grow with the guild and be amended to accomplish the right objectives.

Anal Tendencies – Toilet Paper Anyone?

All too often I hear this.. "you have anal tendencies" Yup, that's right. I do. I organize, I plan, I strategize, and I make sure the raid goes on and the guild survives another day, another patch, so on and so forth. To raid in 25 man content, it means you need 25 people – with the right balance of tanks/healers/ dps – this section split even more dependent upon the encounter, such as x number of melee and y number of ranged- online, at the same time, at the same place, and ready to go. Factor this with people on different continents, different countries, different time zones, and scheduling can really be a nightmare. Throw in the occasional wrench of "Sorry, it's 'Significant Other's' birthday" , "Timmy has a softball game" or "Mandatory overtime" and then you watch twenty something people meet for nothing- or PUG (attempt to even) the remaining slots to complete the raid- with the hopes that they are competent.

In my opinion, this is not what a guild should really be comprised of- at least, this guild is not based on that type of loose principal. This guild is about having scheduled runs, set raid days, and a roster that can allow life to happen. Respect- if you say you are going to be there, you are- this is a basic concept, and something not all guilds hold true to- this one does. Consistency –if you don't have the same core group, you aren't going to get anywhere- think to 3.2 content and Yogg, or any of the hard modes. Expectations –the most successful organizations have set expectations and requirements, and this guild is not any different. We have our core values, our expectations, and the rules are pretty much drawn out. The exceptions rarely exist – and everyone should know what is going on. Do mistakes happen? Absolutely, but this is an adult guild, and we can say, hey- this shouldn't have happened, and we'll try to ensure it doesn't again.

Our raid roster has 35 slots. I have a co-founder of this guild MIA, not included in those slots, because the raid will move on. Composition will be met. I've met some outstanding, wonderful, and unique individuals. I seen all types of World of Warcraft players come and go, from the hardcore to the complete utter inexperienced want to be raider that bit off more than they expected. In the end, while I have enjoyed/loathed/debated so many types of personalities, it really doesn't matter. What does matter is the commitment to the unit- the guild- the raiding core- to fill those slots and ensure raids are happening as scheduled, efficiently, with competent people. This means I am always looking ahead, because real life happens- your roster and needs today, will most probably not be your needs tomorrow or even by this afternoon. Recruiting people, at least solid players that fit well with the expectations of the guild- it's living, breathing, atmosphere- can take time. Sometimes it doesn't. If you know you are losing people, with content popping on a bi-weekly basis, you know you have to replace them quickly. Time is not a luxury on progression- and the responsibility to stay on track and with the right composition is out of necessity for survival. It goes hand in hand with consistency, and begs the question why would you gear someone for the upcoming content, when you know they will not be there to help the guild through it?

It isn't personal. It's about ensuring a group of like minded individuals have the necessary tools to move forward. Shit can hit the fan- you can find yourself calling raids, because your roster no longer supports your raiding goals. That's when you are happy you have someone like me- who keeps the toilet paper handy, and the raid moving. Timing is not always my choice- you have to work with what you have, when you have it, forever looking ahead. In all of this, know that what I do is and has always been in the best interest (at least as I've seen it) for the guild. I have never tried to ruin the game for someone, or force responsibility on someone who did not want it. The positions have been always volunteered, but in anyone that has held one, be careful of what you ask for. It's much easier watching an organization run from the outside, then to be on the inside making it run smoothly- because things are rarely ever as smooth as it seems.

PuGs – so cute, so painful

The changes with patch 3.3 to the LFG system have had, in my opinion, one of the strongest impacts on World of Warcraft as most players know it. Not only is it a lot easier to group, but you can chain run instances/heroics all day. It's easy to farm badges, get gear, and either complete instances quickly, or wipe your way through them.

The nice thing about this is that it works for all levels of characters. Not only do you get experience for grouping, but you get an item in your Satchel of Helpful Goods. The downside is you either have really experienced / knowledgeable players or you have people who just do not know how to group, or behave decently in that type of scenario. All of these things factor in with the wonderful ancient places most people haven't seen in at least a year or better, unless you've been experimenting with recruit a friend.

For the experienced (and geared) mains, this can be intimidating. Addons, such as gearscore, are commonplace to see how well geared people are. This method of evaluation has never been a true test of skill. It's right there with the "link your achievement" mentality. I've gotten groups where the tank charges off, leaves the healer and promptly gets killed- all this for asking for mana, after chain pulling the first 5 areas and groups of mobs (not to mention, letting some mob beat on me a bit). You find great people to group with too. They are quiet, competent, and efficient. They really don't "need" anything other than a badge/money/mat run. Occasionally you get the azzhat in the group- all I can say is thank god for ignore. I give it a few attempts at being social – and if people are just rude/belligerent, I bail. That's complete honesty there. I just leave- it's not worth an argument with some pixels of a person I don't know and seriously doubt I will run with ever again. I've learned as I have become quite the "PUG" person, that with pugs come a bit less responsibility. I feel bad if I let you die, but hey, at least it's not coming out of my guildmate's pocket for the repair bill.

The pet- completely worth it for me, and I'll probably work on this achievement on my priest (as I start running heroics to gear her). I will work my way through learning to heal on a priest again, and probably go ahead and get a DPS dual spec for versatility.