Posts tagged naxxramas
Guild Drama #1 or How I Became The Boss
Jul 22nd
Funny how things work out. One minute you’re a happy little soldier in a very large raiding Guild, the next you’re GM of a very small but committed progression Guild.
So in this first episode of what I am now going to call Guild Drama I’ll explain how the hell it happened.
As I said, just a couple of weeks ago I was happily raiding Ulduar 10 and Naxx 25 with my Guild, Coffee. Things were pretty smooth. But then out of the blue the Guild Master decides to quit World of Warcraft.
He hands over the reins to a very competent but not particularly interested officer and things start to go down hill. This was not the fault of the new GM – he did a good job for the most part, but his choice of officers (and the sheer number of them – I became one just by asking in GChat!) was flawed and one of those officers began to recruit heavily. This had the effect of increasing the number of raids so as to destroy the usefulness of the Calendar and dilute the quality of raiders. Not to mention the utter disaster that became loot allocation.
My little 10-man Ulduar group had, however, been raiding together for a couple of years in another Guild. We only joined Coffee when it was clear that we weren’t going to progress beyond 10-man Naxx and at the time Coffee was well run and we did achieve our goal of clearing Naxx 25 and starting on Ulduar. So with all this drama and nonsense going on around us we became very insular and began discussing what to do.
I even volunteered to Coffee’s new GM to take over from him as he had expressed his unhappiness with the role. And from that moment of madness came a whirlwind weekend during which our Ulduar group, numbering around 15 people (for those days one or more of us isn’t available), quit Coffee and returned to our former Guild, held in reserve by our ALTs. And somehow through all this I ended up as Guild Master!
I’ll be honest, I’m nervous about the role, you hold a lot of people’s expectations in your hands as GM and I want to keep the majority happy. I know I can’t keep everyone happy and, as my Guild will tell you, I am not averse to upsetting people when it’s required. I intend to be firm but fair.
I also intend to maintain the integrity of our raid group (and future raid groups) by very careful recruitment and selection of officers and raid leaders. But maybe that’s another post for Guild Drama. Right now, I’m focussing on getting us up and running with sensible rules that suit the majority.
So it is goodbye to Special Forces(!) Inoperante of Coffee and hello to Guild Master Inoperante of GANK Inc. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Raiding
Jul 6th
Ulduar Raid
Let’s be quite clear. I love raiding. And perhaps not for the reason most people do – loot. No, I enjoy raiding for the complexities of getting 10 or 25 people who probably don’t know one another to work together to a common goal. To get certain individuals to do unique jobs while keeping an eye on up to 24 others.
It’s a challenge, fantastic stuff. I don’t raid lead. That would spoil the enjoyment for me. But I do raid assist. I know my DPS is good. I pick up tactics fast and I can explain them quickly and efficiently to those who may be struggling. Talk to them one on one and explain their bit of the fight, so they can concentrate on that.
Having said all that, the enjoyment of raiding goes out the window if:
- The raid leader is weak (stamping on loudmouth’s, loot whores and in-fighting – fast – is essential)
- More than 50% of the raid is inexperienced (explaining to that many doesn’t work – you have to wipe over and over before they get it)
- More than 50% of the raid is undergeared (not enough healing or DPS will stall your progress – no fun for anyone)
- Your loot distribution is unfair / biased (these people put in a lot of effort – DON’T piss them off, if they earned it, give it them)
Most of these issues can be avoided with good Guild management and raid group construction. Choose your raid leaders well and give them ranking positions in the Guild so it is clear who is in charge. Disperse your top players among two or more raid groups if you can, so you can gear up three less experienced people in 10-man raids, ready for 25-man raids where six or seven ‘lesser’ players can survive. Use a loot system that rewards effort but also ensures most of your raiders are gearing up at a relatively equal level. EP/GP with a bit of common sense is the best way I have found. But again, you need a strong raid leader (or loot master) to ensure this runs smoothly.
Finally, you really MUST make sure that you publicise your planned raids to as many of your Guild as possible and then be strong with those who sign up but fail to show. It’s a community game and the community has to work together. Throwing numbers at it won’t work – no point having a 200-strong Guild if only 10 people are prepared to commit to raids on a regular basis.
If your top players also want to form a closed raid of their own, blitzing through Naxxramas or trying Ulduar Hard Mode achievements then you should encourage that. Their experience will prove invaluable on other raids and their improved gear will make it that much easier for your less committed raiders to feel their way in.
Plus – it’s fun to do! I am attempting to commit to two nights a week in a 10-man Ulduar raid group of our best. Some nights it goes well, some nights not (and it DOES depend on how many ‘non-best’ we have to include on a given night).
My own Guild, Coffee on Ahn’Qiraj-EU, is going through a transitional period right now. Any and all tips on successful raiding (and Guild management) gratefully received!
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