Raiding Challenges

I find myself in the middle of a series of GM/Raid Leader dilemmas. I’ve been working a lot lately and had some RL issues come up that have limited “real” play time to raids unless it’s my day off. I do log on every day to check in but haven’t even had the energy to run randoms most days I work. Needless to say this means when I log I am bombarded with whispers and NEEDS!


Healing Issues!

Raiding is not going badly but neither are we moving as fast as most of us would like. I’m sure many GMs and raiders can relate when I say that a fair amount of our issues stem from heals. The ones I’ve needed for progression haven’t always been available and some of the ones we counted on in Wrath are either gone, DPS, or struggling.

Right now I have one very, very good resto druid who has done well enough to hit the top 100 in world rankings on certain fights but (BUT!) she has a very needy husband (God, I loathe wow-couples!) which brings me to…

A pally healer who wants to tank or DPS - anything but heal - and is trying to persuade me that he has actually changed his mind (again) and wants nothing more than to be a healadin in raids…but he doesn’t. I know this, he knows this, his wife knows this. He is also one of those extremely annoying types who relentlessly whisper you when they get sat and feel that even though they haven’t put in the time or work that others have should be in on every raid. He also feels entitled to loot he hasn’t earned. Good times.

Another remarkably good resto druid who just went back to school and missed a week due to no computer…he is supposed to be back for raid tonight. Fingers crossed.

Another pally healer who does well and is much more low maintenance than the other but changed his main from a DK for Cata and is still learning the more subtle nuances of the class. He is also fire challenged at times which isn’t good for most Cata fights.

A shammie whose attendance got flakier and flakier before he finally left because it “wasn’t fun anymore”. ‘Nough said.

A priest who got a late start raiding (we knew well ahead of time that she just HAD to go to Hawaii) and is still searching for the right balance that will make her competitive in Cata. She’s doing tons of research but is feeling pretty beat up by the changes right now. (Don’t even get her started on Smite!)

And then there’s me. I’ve healed more in the short time Cata has been out than in the entire Wrath expansion but I’m needed as a tank and it’s much harder for me to effectively make in-fight calls while healing.

The light at the end of the tunnel right now is a 3rd resto druid (soon to be resto shammie perhaps?) who has returned to Heroic after being very disappointed by Horde grass. He is one of the best healers I’ve ever seen in any class he chooses but don’t tell him I said so or I’ll never hear the end of it.

So, this week I will be largely ignoring most advice on which specific healing classes I “should” have for fights and bringing in the best damn players I have on!


Ego Issues!

Another thorn in my side is the lack of accurate self evaluation that some raiders are capable of performing. I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about…raiders that think they are better than they actually are and won’t truly HEAR otherwise.

I have a lot respect for players that are still finding the right way to play their class/spec in Cata and are willing to respect, research, spend hours on training dummies, ask others for advice and understand completely that as much as I may like them personally and am happy to let them try out what they’ve been working on while we do farm bosses I can’t bring them in on a boss that is a DPS race or super healing intensive. These are the players that more likely than not whisper me first and offer to sit when they look at where they are for the night.

What I have a hell of a lot less respect for are the players that deny they stand in bad or make lame excuses for poor DPS or healing. I have logs and recount and watch the raid. I know what they are doing and not doing.

Most often these are the people that go all emo on me when I sit them and despite the number of times I’ve talked with them about performance and raid awareness issues they refuse to see they have a problem. And OMG do they like to send me whispers!!!

And don’t get me started on attendance…don’t tell me you were here on time when you weren’t. I track it. I know.

I know that this week, in order to make a big dent in progression and get back on top, I’m going to have to bring in the best raiders and only the best raiders for all but the easiest bosses just so I can be assured we are moving at top speed. My concern is this may lead to gquits and it will certainly lead to disappointment. I keep telling myself that we are a progression oriented raiding guild and we have to do what we have to do. Best case scenario…the ones that get sat that think they are all that may make a more honest evaluation of their performance. Yeah…not likely.


Second Group Issues!

The plan was to have two 10 man teams running by now so everyone who was interested in and capable of raiding would have a spot. It was a good plan. We liked the plan. The plan has not happened.

The person who was going to own the second group and raid lead is tied up with RL and wants to simply participate when it happens and no one else has stepped up to take ownership. We also really don’t have the healers for it at the moment and I’m not sure we even have enough DPS. So right now I have a few geared players with nowhere to go. I can’t possibly fit them all in the ongoing group and until someone steps up to run it and makes an assessment of what we need for it I don’t even know where to begin with recruiting. Yes, in theory, I could make that assessment myself but let’s go back to the first thing I stated about work and real life and time! Besides, if it’s going to be successful as an independent raid then it really needs to be built by that team.

Basically I’m at a loss for words right now when they ask me when it is starting. I have no idea. Anyone want to run a 10 man group?



So that’s the long overdue, very wordy explanation of what’s been going on in my world lately!

Self-awareness is a Beautiful Thing

Dear Guildies.

Heroic is about to go through some very interesting changes when it comes to competition for raid spots. Frankly, I’m thrilled and can’t wait. Because I care and want the best for my guild I thought I would take a few minutes to enlighten you on some of the things that go through my mind when making raid spot decisions. These decisions, when made properly, lessen the likelihood that the Raid Bitch will come out to play.

In addition to checking for the Stupid Debuff there are many factors in deciding who is a core raider, who is an acceptable raider, and who is (or should be) on their way to a happy new home elsewhere. Obviously I can say performance and attendance are the two biggest things to help me make that decision but I do factor in all sorts of things you may not think I notice when it comes to what comes out of your mouth.

For the raider the completely lacking in self-awareness here are a few things to think about whether you are in my guild or moving on to another guild:


When raid invites go out do you:

A. Accept the invite, park yourself at the instance, grab a drink or whatever you need to do, and wait for the direction to zone in?

B. Tell the raid leader you need a few more minutes to finish your fishing daily but you are ready to go as soon as that’s done?

C. Tell the raid leader you’re going to squeeze in a quick OS3D but you’ll let them know when you’re ready? *



When raid invites go out are you:

A. Online, on your main, de-grouped, ready to accept?

B. Late?

C. On an alt in another guild’s raid? **



When placed on stand-by on a regular raid night do you:

A. Gracefully zone out and either stay in raid or in vent and keep yourself occupied ready to come in when needed?

B. Whisper the raid leader repeatedly listing all the gear you need off the next several bosses (or the entire instance including hard modes both 10 and 25 in some cases) and complaining that it’s not fair because you didn’t get the trinket last week?

C. Have a hissy fit, tell the raid leader you’ll see them next Tuesday, and log off?

D. /Gquit?



When you are placed on stand-by for a progression fight do you:

A. Honestly assess your current gear/performance/attendance, look at the raid composition, comprehend that there are only 25 spots in a 25 man raid and realize that the raid leader is doing what she feels is best and there is probably a very good reason for that fact that you are sitting?

B. Whine about how you needed the badges and possible upgrades without quite grasping the fact that because you need those things you really shouldn’t be in this particular fight since there are raiders on that are better prepared for the content?

C. /Gquit and bash the guild in trade chat?



When talking about your current spec do you:

A. Fully explain why you are talented, gemmed, etc. the way you are and back it up with facts and numbers?

B. Explain that you copied it from a player who out DPSed you in VOA?

C. Say that your friend put in your talent points for you and “they are totally good at playing this class”? ***



When you screw up and wipe the raid do you:

A. Look at combat logs and know what happened, own up to errors you made, and apologize?

B. Blame lag?

C. Blame the healers?

D. Blame the tanks?

E. Blame the hunter?

F. DC and fake a power outage?



When you screw up repeatedly on the same exact freaking thing to the point where we name the error after you for all future raids in which anyone does the same stupid thing do you:

A. Understand why you are on stand-by and work to improve your performance?

B. Blame lag?

C. Send the GM many pages of in-game mail complaining about how you are being unfairly picked on?

D. /Gquit and bash the guild in trade chat?



When you are placed in a raid with another raider of comparable gear, the same talents, and very similar experience and you are out healed, tanked, or DPSed by them do you:

A. Hit the websites for theory crafting and tips to see if there’s something you missed and ask the other raider what their secret is and pick up a few things to try?

B. Talk to your class leader and ask for advice?

C. Blame your gear anyways?

D. Blame lag?

E. This never happens to you because you don’t run a damage meter because you don’t think meters are important since it’s just a game and you play it to have fun and you can’t understand why we are having trouble on the boss and keep hitting the enrage timer and the only reason you showed up tonight was because you want the trinket that drops and since you are such a fantastic human being and raider you’re certain it will be given to you even though you only show up on Tuesdays. ****



When the GM tells you that you need to stop talking because you are making an ass out of yourself by demonstrating you do not know your own class, another class, a fight, your audience for perverted sexual comments, or by digging the hole that your mouth got you into deeper and deeper and you can tell by the tone of her voice that you had best chill out for a while do you:

A. Stop talking?

B. Start explaining why you were saying what you were saying thereby digging that hole of shame deeper?

C. Argue and insist that you are right even though you have no clue why…you are just convinced you are indeed right?

D. Whisper the GM for the next two hours explaining in great detail how it was not your fault that you upset someone/were wrong/didn’t understand what “stop talking” really meant?

E. /Gquit and bash the guild in trade chat?


The answers to these and many more questions go through my head as I assemble raids. Now you know and can prepare accordingly and save us all much grief.



Sincerely,

Your Positively Giddy with Anticipation GM, Lark




* Seriously? And then you complain you don’t get in a full raid? Seriously?!?!

** Yeah…that one got some strong encouragement to move his main to the alt’s guild…in the form of a /gkick.

***I’d really like to meet this friend. I’m sure we could have a very entertaining conversation. Very.

****Yes, yes you are a special snowflake in so many ways. Good luck next week when there’s competition for that raid spot you sort of filled.