Are you raiding?
by Elizabeth Harper 
Dec 12th 2006 at 4:15PM
Over the past few months, it seems as though all of the big raiding guilds -- both Alliance and Horde -- have disbanded on my server. For my part, I've watched each drama-filled guildsplosion while nodding to myself, thinking this to be an obvious result of the coming Burning Crusade expansion. By next month we'll all be jumping into playing Draenei or Blood Elves, or leveling our mains to 70. And would you rather spend four hours a night, as Zubon of Kill Ten Rats puts it, for a tiny chance at rolling on a desired item -- or would you rather just wait a few more weeks and pick up similar-quality gear as quest rewards and new instance drops?I know I stand firmly in the latter camp. The closer we've gotten to the expansion's release, the less I've bothered with my main. Why push forward into raid dungeons when I'll be replacing most of my gear in the leveling spree to come? So when I play, I play alts -- getting a new class to 60 just seems more useful than the slight chance of a minuscule improvement for my priest main seems right now. But what about you? Are you out there pushing through raid content? And if so, I must say I'm curious -- why?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Guilds, Instances, Expansions
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Shakina Dec 12th 2006 4:37PM
Regretfully, I am waiting a little more than I would like to admit, but I am still trying to help my guild with getting through instances as well. I am still searching for +crit gear for my rogue to better her damage. Sure it will be out of date in a few weeks, but I need something to help me grind to 70.
Kai Dec 12th 2006 4:43PM
What the hell is raiding for? Its for fun. Who cares if you work for 6 hours in a raid and finally get that item you wanted the day before BC hits and you replace it instantly.
Why were you raiding in the first place? Because you need gear? Because you're addicted to the game? If its any of these reasons you need to stop playing. If the reason you were raiding was for FUN then good job, you win the game.
I mean why do you "need" to improve your priest main? What is the purpose? Once again because you think you "need" items for the Epeen factor? You get loot as a side to having fun while you raid.
Raiding is for fun, not f*cking items. If you've stopped raiding because you're going to replace your gear soon, Then you my friend are an idiot.
Raid for the right reasons. Not for items. You're the reason guilds split up and have trouble. Lrn2Play.
jbob Dec 12th 2006 4:42PM
one other impact of the impending expansion is the drop in AH prices of high level mats and BOEs. In particular I see a lot of guild bank fire sales.
Now selling all MC mats and BOEs!! Get 'em while they are useful!!
Abulia Dec 12th 2006 4:54PM
Still raiding. Have a new priest alt (horde) and am seeing lots of new content for the first time. Will do the Ony chain and want to do Benediction, for example. That means BRD runs, etc.
Guild is doing more PvP, however, so any raiding has been in PUGs or smaller 5-mans.
Bendax Dec 13th 2006 9:50AM
/agree w/4
I think some people might be missing the point. Raiding is not always about the gear, for some guilds and people its about the accomplisment. My guild is trying to finish off Naxx prior to TBC not because we want the crappy T3 loot, but for the pride and accomplishment of having finished the most difficult dungeon in the game. If raiding is just about loot for you, then we are glad you stopped raiding and please go do something more worthwhile with your time. Its people like you that make raiding guilds look bad.
michel Dec 12th 2006 6:50PM
green items by quest in BC are NOT the same quality than t2 or t3 from raids.
yes you can find nice items but it's not on par with raids gears. for one thing : they lacks of resistance or damage bonus or crit score , for example.
Scott Dec 12th 2006 5:09PM
Couldn't agree more with Kai. If you're raiding for epeen drops, that's very sad. All the people who are raiding now are getting better at the nuances of their class, developing stronger connections in their raiding parties, and having more fun than Grindy McGrinderson. I've only got a few drops from Naxx, but it doesn't matter to me. The fun is in solving puzzles, beating challenges, and succeeding together with friends. Drops are merely a by-product of raid success.
Preebs Dec 12th 2006 5:19PM
I still need to get my main to level 60 :(
Ashley Dec 12th 2006 5:28PM
Ya, I still raid. So much fun too. Ya, I don't get gear all the time when I do but the real fun is when we (my guild) kills Rag or Ony for the 100th time lol. WoW is going to be even grater than it was before so don't freak out when guilds start losing it, it's because they're having a tough time trying to get ready for BC to come out and quickly getting tiered as high as possible to raid the lvl 70+ dungeons when the expansion comes out. You'll have fun again, trust me. Just wait.
P.S.- I'm a lvl 60 Shaman on Twisting Nether (Horde) Hesperia. Talk to me sometime. :D
Bunkai Dec 12th 2006 5:32PM
/UberAgree with post #3
I've been saying this to my guildmates for awhile now. I can't stand even the slightest argument over loot when raiding. It's obsurd that it could mean that much to anyone.
If you're a "hardcore" raider and your primary purpose to play the game is to get loot and be better than everyone else, you really need to step back and re-evaluate your life, because something somewhere else is not right.
Having a more powerful toon on WoW in no way makes you a better person in life than the guy running around with a handful of lvl 20 toons in white and green gear. If you think so, then you, my friend, are a loser.
Badonkadonk Dec 12th 2006 8:08PM
I'm not raiding. I'm not even farming honor. I'm skirmishing in the arena which is the most fun I've had since levelling up my main from 1-30 last fall. My guildies think I'm wasting my time but arena is a blast. I strongly suggest trying it if you are burnt out.
Luxicon Dec 12th 2006 5:49PM
Before Thanksgiving our guild has had Ony, MC, ZG and AQ20 on farm. We'd been working on both the first bosses in AQ40 and BWL (got razorgore down once at least). However after thanksgiving and to this day we haven't had 40 people on to attempt BWL and AQ again due to the holidays. Our guild decided not to recruit because of BC, and also not to push new raid encounters now or after the expansion. We know people will be busy with getting to 70 and making new chars. The new 10/20/25 man instances will be alot more fun. Instead, once we're 65 or so, we'll go visit AQ/BWL/Naxx just to see the content and have fun.
I'm glad i'm in such a great friendly guild that isn't stressful and has made the right decisions regarding BC. It's going to change gameplay alot, and I know we'll all have fun doing it.
Tim Dec 12th 2006 5:52PM
Raiding MC is not fun. At all. It's one of the most uninteresting borefests in any game, and I'm thrilled to see the last of it. I don't know a single person who enjoys playing MC!
alrighty Dec 12th 2006 5:58PM
#3 holy shit ....now thats pretty cut dry and simple.
That is pathetic mr.Blogger
You quit cause you see no point of improving to slightly better gear...just wow.
Never mind about the guildies who may want to keep raiding. Your priest is only needed to keep people alive...
God forbid you keep playing in raids to help others. That would be considered a taboo to not think about yourself.
Jackass. I cant stand folks like you.
Benjamin Dec 12th 2006 6:29PM
I agree with the blogger actually.
If you are having a ton of fun with raiding and still want to do it then that's your call but some of us have been doing it a long long time and are bored with the same old thing. And I'm sorry but I've been in 3 major raiding guilds and every week there was SOME sort of argument about loot going on. That sort of grates on you after awhile. I just don't care at this point. I'm also of the opinion that these people saying things like "what about helping other people raid! Think of them!" are probably way more greedy than someone saying they just want to give up on it. They arent continuing to raid just because they want to help others nor was that their intention in the first place. They want to be able to brag and get the loot or at least the vast majority of them do.
I can't wait for the 10-25 man raid instances... so much easier to weed out asshats like that when you only need half the people. I can't wait to get to raid with 10-25 people whose company I actually enjoy.
alrighty Dec 12th 2006 6:52PM
"what about helping other people raid! Think of them!" are probably way more greedy
Bullshit Benjamin
I have seen Scholo more than I can count in my 50 days play time. I still go with my friends or new members.
Why? Cause Im helpfull. And I enjoy hanging with people.I like seeing others Woot with joy when we drag them through something for there first time.
Greedy...bullshit I am far from it.
Ive gone as far as farming DAILY for two weeks in another mmorpg helping over 40 people I estimate getting a level cap increase item In FFXI online.
Why? I gained nothing for these efforts in material aspect. I gained friends. I watched people flip out in joy cause of myself and 4 other dedicated high levels who want to help others.
Why is it so hard to believe that there are people out there who are NOT selfish and enjoy helping others?
I am one of them. And the entire point of MMORPG is to enjoy the game with other people. Well I do that ..and I do it often.
So you may be a guy in tier 2 or 3...from your post you seem pretty cold towards your guildies too. And selfish. Nature of the beast of Raiding in wow I guess.
Well I refuse to be "that" type of person. Ill continue to help nubs.. or others accomplish tough things ... Having a good time rubs off...so does being very happy. And I am happy to see friends having a blast and gladly participate in an old instance as long as my group is having fun.
Sad to see this is Raid mentality. Im so glad I won't be in a guild like that. MC ony BWL Aq40 ..I may never see. I probably will never see it if all people give a crap about is LOOT LOOT LOOT....what ever happend to content..defeating a challenge...simply having simple fun with friends. Did that just go out the window after the 20th raid?
It's pathetic if you ask me. And really I meet way more people like you Benjamin that are bitter about raiding.
Sounds like your guild lost the entire concept of enjoying the game and focused way too hard on loot.
Do you guys even have fun around eachother?
wideruled Dec 12th 2006 7:16PM
Our guild still raids. Has high attendance too. We just downed nef last night for the first time (subsequently the server too) and it was amazing. We are doing it for the challenge, and for a very small part the gear. We may push into aq40 or naxx next. We will still be running the large raids in BC as well for the encounters and the fun of it. Kinda like going on a naked weaponless deadmines run. Make a race of it, first person to finish and with the best loot wins. :D
T2 and T3 wont be replaced immediately. From reports in the beta t2 lasts till the mid 60s and tier3 all the way up to 70. Some of the naxx stuff you wont replace till tier 4/5 anyway.
Only bad part is we got a judgment BP from our first Nef kill. we got ownt :D
Just some thoughts
Benjamin Dec 12th 2006 7:29PM
I think you missed the point of my comment and I'm not going to get into a tit for tat with you on it as this isn't the place for it. I'll just say I'm more like you than you seem to think.
Its just that 95% of the raiders I and my friends have been around have cared for nothing but getting themselves some gear. They do nothing to help progress, no mat farming... nothing. But when people get frustrated and want a break they are always the first to say "OMG think of the guild!" They are hypocrits.
That was the basic point of what I was saying. If it came out wrong, I appologize.
CT Dec 12th 2006 7:27PM
I raid for epics yah so what? I raid for the enjoyment of getting those epics that many can't get... Is raiding fun? not particullary. Is seeing new bosses, seeing progression, seeing us kill a challange fun, fuck ya. Thats exactly why I don't like whats happaning to alot of guilds now. Naxx were about 3 bosses down from where we were. Its frustrating tring to kill a boss that before patch was dead in very few attempts, now it takes a day or two. But hopefully its just a relearning process.
Ed (Grek) Dec 13th 2006 3:24AM
Yea my guild still raids we just got MC on farm and we are about to head into BWL. My guild of course raids for the fun of it and we are all about progression. I raid for the fun of it and the challenge of course. Gear is a small part to raiding to us and we see it as a bonus if u end up gettin gear. Im sure the guild will still continue to raid BWL once the expansion is out not for the gear but for the satisfaction of downing nef.
ed :p
Grek, Bronzebeard, The LateNite Crew