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.