Guildwatch: It's not stealing, it's a ninja

For our part, we don't judge, we just report on all the guild drama, downed, and recruiting news from around the realms. If you've got some, feel free to send us a tip, anonymous as you'd like, at wowguildwatch@gmail.com. Whether it's a particularly interesting screenshot of chat (as above), or an all out hilarious forum thread, or just news that your guild has downed a boss they've never downed before, please let us know, and you can see it here next week.
DRAMA
- Ah yes, the mother of all loot issues: cliques. We're told that the officers of Tabula Rasa on Dragonblight had one such clique -- due to their DKP system, officers were able to gear up their alts even while the mains of non-officers needed gear. Then the guild even switched to a loot council, and you can guess what happened after that -- even more selfish loot distribution. It all comes out on the forums, of course, and you can see the echoes of the guild's rancor against their officers in this other bad PuG thread as well. Here's our question: if the officers were so bad at distributing loot, why did everybody stay with them? Can't do much of the endgame with a less-than-10-person clique.
- Eternals on EU Ghostlands is apparently a well-known wintrading guild (at least they were -- we wouldn't be surprised if they caught the banhammer the last time it came around). The accusations first sprung up here, but they solidified here, and even spawned a comic about the issue. Doubt that they're at fault? Let the GM of the guild tell you himself, when he drunkposts on the forums. The rest of the guild is having none of it, though: deny deny deny!
- We Band of Brothers on Baelgun-A has split up -- some members decided that loot was more important than friendship and left to form their own guild. Our tipster (no doubt a spurned WBoB-er) says that the Emancipation folks are not to be trusted: "they'll cry if they lose a roll on their tier 5 tokens." We'll need more detail than that. Meanwhile, WBoB plans to keep progressing and are recruiting on their site to fill the emptied slots.
- Prae Luna on EU Vashj is accused of doing some pretty bad things -- apparently when two girls left their guild, they were harrassed to no end, and a guild member even logged in to one of their accounts and cleaned it out (just another reason to never, ever share your account information). The news has earned the whole guild a bad rep in server chat, even though some of the guildies claim that it was only a few bad eggs. Minions still seems to be leading the charge against them anyway, so maybe this is more of a guild vs. guild situation than a few people stepping out of line. Can't we all just get along and play the game?
- Natural Order is stinking up the Steamwheedle Cartel forums with their drama -- their guild members can't seem to keep their issues to themselves, and their guildleader can't stop begging for attention. There is a bright side, though -- apparently the issue with Solasis (he accused of being a bad tank by the guild) got FRAPSed and there's video available.
- The forum post that explained this drama was lost to history unfortunately, but the vent recording that survived is funny enough (and NSFW) to post by itself. "Blizzard made it that way, take it up with them."
- Apparently All that Remains nabbed a lot of crap out of the guild bank of Just a Game, and they aren't giving it back. Seriously, stealing from a guild you leave? Just proves to us that you can't play well enough to get it yourself.
- We have no idea what's going on in this thread (someone is posting for someone else, but they're not actually posting anything?) , but our tipster says that Bladestorm is actually being felled by a classic case of romance drama -- Christi (a female officer) dumped her real-life boyfriend, who was also a guildie named Zaltann, because apparently he was having an e-lationship with someone else in the guild. Drama!
- Nocturnal needed a few more for their raid in SSC, so they invited a few folks from PS I LOVE YOU in, and look what happened. We're told that during the instance, the few PuGs purposely wiped the raid, and then showed up on the forums to brag about what they did.
- This is a weird one -- the folks on Arthas have gotten to know a player named Jadynn as kind of a pest -- he doesn't quite behave himself in terms of bragging about his own exploits and invading other guilds' spaces. But things get even weirder than that -- after someone else claims Jadynn is a great player, other server folk suspect he's alt-ing them, and the truth turns out to be extremely strange. Someone trolling for attention or just with some serious mental issues (or both)? You decide.
- Spectacular Death on Llane-A, which unabashedly bills itself as "the best casual retro raiding guild on Llane," (how many competitors do you really have?) cleared Zul'Gurub out, and one-shotted everything in there. Onyxia is on notice, and AQ20 and MC are ordered up as well. They're also recruiting: server transfers welcome, and they specifically want Mages, Druids, and Shammies right now. And they don't stray away from new content, either: Attumen was dropped recently.
- Spirit of Malorne on Onyxia-H has one-shotted Gruul on their very first attempt as a guild! Kara's cleared out, and Maggy himself is on notice for next time.
- Evolution on Fenris-A dropped Ritual of Souls a few weeks ago, and finished off Mother Shahraz last week. Grats!
- The Demi Gods of EU Daggerspine downed High King Maulgar for the first time. Grats! Gruul's on notice, and Kara and ZA are being farmed.
- The Firm of EU Emerald Dream downed Al'ar, and then we heard they deep fried him. That's good eatin'!
- The Defenders of Valhalla on Durotan-A downed Doomwalker. Leotheras the Blind was downed soon after, and we hear Rage is on notice. Go to!
- Midnight Coven on Elune-H dropped Hydross -- he went down like the sack of water he is. Leotheras is in trouble, too -- he nearly bit the dust on attempt number two.
- Redemption on Hydraxis-H downed Illidan Stormrage for a Horde second. Grats! It was also just days before their anniversary as a guild, so it was a good present for that as well.
- Eye Of The Storm on Bonechewer-A previously dropped Gorefiend and Archi in back-to-back attempts, and just recently took out Bloodboil, too. RoS and Mother are next -- we'll put RoS on notice for you.
- Novus Ordo on Blackwater Raiders downed Tidewalker and Fathom Lord. Nice job!
- Gravy Robbers on Nathrezim-H finished off Gruul's Lair with the help of Hellbound. They're recruiting up for group 3 in Karazhan and more raiders to roll through endgame, though they do enforce certain specs and gear.
- Synergy on Shattered Halls has done it again! After a long and thrilling battle, Magtheridon has fallen, marking the completion of T4. Several lucky raiders took home shiny new chest armor, and a couple even earned a title. Loot Reaver is pounding away in fear, and rumor has it that Lurker might even get a surprise visit or two in the near future. Woot!
- HongKong on Aman'thul-A downed Kael'thas! Apparently their offtank was cursed, because KT died right after he left the group. BT and Hyjal awaits!
- Devastate on Trollbane-A has downed High King Maulgar for the first time, on their first evening in Gruul's lair. Gruul got down to 16%, so he's on notice for next time.
- The Bit Players on Lothar-A continue on: this time, Kaz'rogal took his turn to go belly-up, with enough time left over for a first-look at Azgalor. They didn't get him down, but his days are numbered.
- Forget Your Sanity on Rexxar downs Rage Winterchill and Anetheron. Kaz'rogal on notice.
- Good Hard Gank on EU Tarren Mill-H have been rolling lately -- Zul'Jin, Magtheridon and Lurker have all dropped. They've suffered a bit of drama lately, so they're recruiting a Rogue, Mage, Resto Shammy and a Hunter, as well as Healers and a Boomkin all geared for SSC.
- Is Naughtier Than You of Gilneas is recruiting DPS to fill out a 25 man raid roster. They are looking for committed adults who like to have fun in a fairly laid back atmosphere. Please be 18+ and not easily offended -- they have fun, not drama.
- Omega on Echo Isles-A killed Kael after a mere six days of attempts! Rage Winterchill, Antheron, Najentus, Supremus and Shade have also felt their wrath. Right now, they're recruiting Shammies of the Elemental and/or Resto stripes -- exactly what I like to hear.
- A new guild called Semantics on Kael'Thas has been rolling through Karazhan lately, and they're planning to fill out a second group and move on to 25 mans. They're seeking all classes and specs, as long as you're a dedicated player interested in raiding in a laid back way. Look them up if you want to see some endgame before Wrath.
- Death and Destruction on Laughing Skull-H is taking all levels and classes for folks who are burnt out from the game and want to have some fun before the expansion comes out. They just started, but they're planning to focus on world PvP raids, occasional premade battlegrounds, and having some fun with old world content. Raiding and progression isn't the main goal -- they're just interested in having some new fun. Whisper ingame to join up.
- Colorful Metaphor on Malfurion-A is working on ZA and Mags, and would like more to round out their raiding team -- they have special need of tanks. They raid on weekends, but they put being social and fun above progression (since that'll come when you make sure it's fun for everybody).
- Throw Stone is a guild on Dark Iron that focuses mainly on world PvP -- they help players find groups for world PvP without fishing around in trade. If you're level 60 or up and have an epic land mount, join the troops and help them put the war back in Warcraft.
- Legio Fidelis (Scarlet Crusade-A) is currently recruiting for T6 content. They're looking for talented mature players -- especially healers and tanks -- to come and begin conquering Hyjal and BT. They raid hard three days a week and are committed to progression, so come ready to fight.
- Wicked Sensations on Silver Hand is looking for mature and fun raiders. They have Kara on farm and are working on ZA and moving up into 25 man raiding.
- Kindred on Cenarius-A is recruiting for some casual, non-DKP raiding. Kara's been cleared, ZA has been started, and all classes and specs are welcome to join up, as long as you're mature (21+) and fun-loving.
- Eternal Guardians (Frostmane-A) has cleared Tier 4 and is headed for T5 with a vengeance. They're looking for all classes, with an emphasis on Healers and DPS, with raids 3-5 days a week.
- Knights of the Legion on EU Draenor has killed Vashj and is recruiting a Holy Priest, Shadow Priest, Warlock, a Resto Shaman and a Holy Pally for three raids a week. KT is on the menu first, and then onward and upward -- please be 18+ and decently geared.
Maybe by next week we'll hear about more progress from around the realms. Until then, happy raiding!
Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, Guilds, Odds and ends, Instances, Humor, Raiding






Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Extremitus Jun 25th 2008 3:56AM
:( I wrote you with good progress.
Reprised here: Good Hard Gank (Tarren Mill EU Horde) had an eventful fortnight downing Zul'Jin and Magtheridon, then going to SSC for the first time and getting Lurker down. Had a little dramaspat that resulted in 5 people leaving, and our current recruitment status is we're actively looking for melee DPS, a Boomkin, an Ele shaman and a couple of healers. Anyone else can feel free to apply though, as long as you have a good attitude and you've got decent enough gear. Applys to www.thatguys.co.uk/goodhardgank
Tiago Jun 25th 2008 5:39AM
Flawed analogy is flawed.
WoW, unlike real life, allows you to set permissions, so that the person is allowed to enter the house, sit on the chair, eat and not allowed to touch your silverware or anything else.
WoW even allows you to say "This guy can get 2 beers out of the refrigerator, but no more than that."
While it was a low thing to do, and might be actionable by a GM, it was not stealing, just abusing trust.
Extremitus Jun 25th 2008 6:49AM
Did you mean to reply to the comment below by any chance :)
Balius Jun 25th 2008 4:05AM
I agree that it isn't stealing to take valuable items from the guild bank and leave. It's reprehensible, underhanded, and poor sportsmanship, but it isn't stealing.
If you give someone access to the guild bank, and you don't have to, you're effectively saying that you trust their judgment in regards to fair use. By giving them access, the items they had access to became communal property, and the fact that those people chose to use the items in a way that the guild didn't like is no more stealing than if they had done something to help the guild out with them. You gave them the items, you placed your trust in their use of those items, and it turns out that your trust was misplaced. That doesn't make it theft. They didn't do anything they weren't given permission to do.
Extremitus Jun 25th 2008 4:21AM
That's a pretty good point actually. If you had been stockpiling herbs to make mana pots and then got up one day to find a "helpful" alchemist had turned all your Dreaming Glory into Earthen Elixir, the dude didn't steal it, just misused it.
morlog Jun 25th 2008 4:37AM
In the same sense, if you invite someone over for dinner, you are giving them access to your home.
If they walk off with the silverware and maybe a TV or two it isn't stealing. In fact, you have only your own poor judgement to blame?
grofer Jun 25th 2008 6:48AM
If you equate actions in a computer game with actual crimes are you merely misguided or actually an idiot?
rick gregory Jun 25th 2008 1:50PM
Sure it's stealing. Stealing is taking something that isn't yours. QED.
It's ALSO an abuse of trust. If we're friends and you go on vacation but need your pet looked after yo might give me a key so I can do that. You trust me. If i take you TV, DVDs and laptop... that's not stealing?
rugus Jun 25th 2008 4:27AM
Not exactly: it's like inviting some friends to your house for your birthday. While you're dancing, one of your friends empties the fridge and goes away, leaving your party with no-food and no-drinks.
The fact that you "trust" him does not mean he can do *whatever* he want.
Arioch Jun 25th 2008 4:58AM
Guild banks have permissions, not only for withdrawal rights but also the amount per day one can withdraw. The only reason to give someone withdrawal access to your guild bank is so that he can withdraw items. If you don't trust him to withdraw items, then you shouldn't give him access. You're effectively giving him these items. It's certainly rude to withdraw items from a guild bank and then run, but you can't "steal" something that's been given to you. Honestly, if you give a new guildie full access to your bank, and he empties it and then quits the guild... you certainly have a right to be angry... but you can really only blame yourself.
There is another issue I've encountered with this, though... mainly with my alts that have been invited to small guilds... and it's that people think that if they invite you to their guild and give you access to their bank, they seem to think that this is some sort of bribe that will force you to stay with their guild forever, and if you leave, they have a fit. I was leveling an alt and got a random invite to a guild (as you often do), and I kept that character in the guild for a while, and did my best to help out other folks in the guild who were also leveling. Eventually I was given access to the bank, and I withdrew a few items for use in leveling, and also deposited some, just like a normal guild member would. About a week later I left the guild (my character had reached 70, it was a lame guild with no one on, and I went to look for a "real" guild), and I received frantic hate mail from the guild master, accusing me of being a thief and taking things that "didn't belong to me." Which was, of course, utterly ridiculous... I was a guild member... once I was given access to them, the bank items belonged as much to me as to any other guild memeber. I took no more than any other normal guild member, and added some things of my own. Once I had been given withdrawal access, in this case there were no limitations on daily withdrawal... if I had been a nefarious character, I could have emptied the entire bank.
ZekeGrimsblade Jun 25th 2008 12:45PM
Just because it's sitting on my counter does NOT mean I "Gave" it to him. It's stealing. Period.
Richard@Home Jun 25th 2008 4:35AM
The Firm's kill of Al'ar was another successful co-op with Shadow Nemesis. Gratz to the raiders who are powering through the content in record time.
Photo of the fry-up: http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s303/Hoovy616/Solariankill.jpg
Cud, GL of
Richard@Home Jun 25th 2008 4:36AM
of The Firm, obviously... serves me right for trying to angle brackets around the guild name :-/
Vogel Jun 25th 2008 4:49AM
Vogelsang from TF here.
I was going to post here myself the Al'ar kill and all the Magheridon and up kills (Mag, 5/6 SSC, 3/4 TK and 2/5 MH, DLK) are all the results of the succesful coop between The Firm and Shadow Nemesis - neither of us would be here without the others.
So if you can please change that post we'll be very grateful, the SN guys are great guys and deserve all the covering they can get. Thanks.
Vogelsang, TF
Tridus Jun 25th 2008 5:45AM
Dark Fist on Argent Dawn killed Illidan. Someone forgot to mail it in.
Thorn Jun 25th 2008 6:21AM
It's summer for most of the WoW players. Lots of people basically go AFK for the summer while they're back home from college, or take a vacation, or whatever. So it's no surprise that guilds are recruiting and progressing less. Add in the upcoming expansion and the lack of new content until then, and the result is that endgame PvE is fairly dead for the next few months, except for guilds in (or nearly in) Sunwell.
Lars Petersson Jun 26th 2008 6:55AM
^^ This
It happens every year when the summer holiday season starts...
Guilds just need to chill and perhaps try to get some alts/new peeps geared up...
Elmo Jun 25th 2008 6:43AM
it's Summer slow down.
the weather gets better and people get outside more.
sleepyfox Jun 25th 2008 7:55AM
Summer, holidays, barbecues, girls in bikinis, plus AoC = guilds go social and raid teams break up. Draenor has seen several of it's raiding guilds go social, and the remainder are recruiting madly from a dwindling pool of resources...
Oldbear Jun 25th 2008 3:26PM
It's hard to sit at your computer when its 28C outside, cold beer in the fridge and a long weekend coming up...