Guildwatch: When GMs go bad

Ah yes, the sinking feeling you get when you see that someone has ninja'ed your guild bank... and it's your guildmaster. Never a good thing, for the guildies, the GM, or the guild. Actually, it's a great thing for the GM -- they get to walk away with thousands of gold (and most of them, through some twisted logic, even think they deserve it). That's why I recommend you do what I do: pack all of your ingame stuff in a virtual mattress somewhere. Sure, your guild might not appreciate a lack of bank contributions, but at least it'll be safe, right?
The story of the picture above and much more drama, downed and recruiting news all in this week's GW. Click the link below to read on, and if you've got news for us (everything but recruiting, please -- we are uber full on that one lately), hit us up at guildwatch@wow.com.
The story of the picture above and much more drama, downed and recruiting news all in this week's GW. Click the link below to read on, and if you've got news for us (everything but recruiting, please -- we are uber full on that one lately), hit us up at guildwatch@wow.com.
DRAMA
- Apparently the guild that used to be Having Fun Yet on Moonrunner is in chaos -- the GL took a break from a little while ago, and left the guild in the hands of what she thought were two capable leaders. Not so much, though: we hear they broke away and tried to reform the guild under a new name, Resurgence. Which would be fine if you're just renaming the guild, but apparently not: they tried to "poach" members from the old guild, and even cleaned out the guild bank when they left. And now, to top it all off, we hear one of the members, named Zeuss, is advertising his guild as "doing all 10-man content." Including Ulduar, which our tipster tells us means they're PuGing a bunch of people and wiping a few times on the first boss. Ouch.
- The husband and wife leadership of Bloodline (formerly known as Exitium, on Anetheron's Horde side) abandoned the guild and transferred away without letting anyone know. The guild has been going through rough times and losing raiders, and we hear things were so bad that some of the guildies were having trouble getting into PuGs just from the name (which is why they renamed as Bloodline). Rumor has it they headed off to Aegwynn to join a guild there, so if anyone picked up a husband and wife duo of Mages, make sure they're drama-free.
- Rusty Musket and Made in China, both of Maeiv, broke apart within hours on the same night the other week -- apparently both guilds had their core raiding teams up and split to form their own guild, now known as Downtime in Paradise. As you might imagine, not everyone's happy, specifically not the people who were left in the respective guilds that broke up.
- And as if that wasn't enough for Maiev, Plan B also had their leadership up and ninja the guild bank before transferring off the server.
- If you think Reawaken on Staghelm is just going to get away with big progression in Ulduar without a fight, think again. There are all kinds of accusations flying around in there, from the hours they raid to their reasoning behind skipping Ignis. Page 3 gets really good, when a level 60 alt starts counting their hours up. We agree that raiding either 40 or 60 hours a week is a little much (doing anything but sleeping for that long per week should get you a salary, right?), but they downed the content, so why give them crap about it?
- Maintaining unofficial guild progression sites is serious business. Just ask the folks behind Skywall-Horde.com, who advertised on the guild forums for a little help, only to find out that someone had already been working on HordeofSkywall.com. And drama ensues. Surprisingly, it's really, really thick drama -- like pages and pages of TLDR arguments and screeds. Color us surprised -- usually it's only loot that brings on this kind of smouldering flame war. Who knew documenting guild progression was so very important?
- The picture above is of former Infection of Malorne's GM, Coz, hastily withdrawing lots and lots of valuables from the guild's bank. The guild has been on a decline lately and rather than try to fix things, Coz just decided to call it quits and without notice, took all he could carry. His three compadres, Gezeus, Boneskul, and Lumindemin, also got in on the action, and we hear they split more gear among themselves. Be on the lookout -- their former guildies certainly will be.
- Forum thread got deleted on this one, but Orion over on Galakrond was apparently disbanded early this month when the former GM also decided that, after a long absence, she was no longer in control of the guild. /gkicks went out for over 150 characters, and almost 10,000 gold in the guild bank went directly to her and her husband. A few leftover members and officers have reformed as Beginning's End, but it'll probably be a long road to refill all of that gold.
- This is a good one -- Harmony just recently transferred to Deathwing, and they were met with some cynical glances when they got there. A few established guilds on the realm went looking at Armories, and they found out that though the guild claimed they had gotten all of 10-man Ulduar down, only one guildie had actually gotten there. Thus begins the drama, led by a few folks from Core Fusion, complaining that yet another transfer guild is bragging about something they can't do. But there's a twist: right around page 10, post 185, we hear that Harmony actually stepped into Ulduar-10, and one-shotted pretty much everything in there -- the whole instance down, including Yoggy, in about three hours. We don't even know if that's possible, but if it is, damn. Sure, Meshj seems like kind of an arrogant jerk, and we hate to fuel his smugness, but sorry, CF complainers, we do believe you got owned.
- OVERRAIDED (server?) has now downed 3 of 14 in Heroic Ulduar, making them the fifth-ranked Alliance guild for raid achievements on whatever server they're on. They're also recruiting: mature and dependable raiders with determination to push progression to the limits. Specifically seeking Shadow Priest and Resto Shaman.
- The Zug Initiative on Kael'thas, inspired by their cupcakes (featured a little while ago), finally managed to complete a full Naxx 10 clear as last week. Two shots at Saph and three at Kel'thuzad. Malygos next, and then Ulduar is on the horizon.
- Malleum Majorem on the Lightning's Blade server picked up a realm first Dwarfageddon achievement, and a realm second on the 10-man Shattered achievement. Congrats!
- Palladium on Quel'Thalas has cleared all the way to Thorim and should be clearing Ulduar this week if not already. They are also recruiting some DPS classes.
- A 10-man group from ULrebels on Uther-A downed Leviathan, Razorscale, Ignis, XT-002, Kologarn, Iron Council and Auriaya. Very nice -- it was almost everybody's first time in there, too.
- Mirrored Reasoning of Kargath downed Flame Leviathan and XT-002 Deconstructor. Nice job. We're putting Ignis on notice for next time.
- PFJ, a four person guild of family members on Terokkar, and Beowulfs Fang, a similar four person guild of their own family members, have been working on clearing Naxx 10 for a while now, and just recently they did it. Naxx down with eight people, featuring every member of two guilds. Awesome job.
- Mystery Men is a relatively new Horde guild on Perenolde that's already downed 7/10 in Ulduar (and probably more than that since they sent us an email). They're also recruiting for a second 10-man Ulduar group, and more to fill out the bigger raids.
- Pantheon on Steamwheedle Cartel-A has downed easy-mode Yogg-Saron. First in server. Hard modes are up next -- good luck!
- Knights of the Forgotten on Muradin is a family/casual guild that have been around for a little more than a year and a half. Just recently they headed into Naxx for the first time, and they were able to clear out the Arachnid Quarter. Big victory for a casual raiding guild. And they want to dedicate their run to Agglil, a guildie they recently lost in real life. They "will miss her terribly." /salute
- The Seventh Circle, of Malfurion-H, downed Yogg Saron Heroic for a server first kill. Grats!
- Coup de Grâce on Azjol-Nerub completed The Dedicated Few achievement, as well as a number of other tough achievements in Naxx. Next up, they're after The Undying.
- Remains of Light, a casual guild on Elune, went up to Kologarn in Ulduar, and then found Sarth pretty easy to do -- they finished off both versions pretty easily. With only 10 people. Pretty snazzy, taking down a Heroic with a normal group.
- Who Pulled (winner of this week's Best Guild Name award) on Aman'Thul has cleared the Siege Quarter in Ulduar. Iron Council is down as well and Kolo is up next. They're also seeking a Paladin healer.
- Rinascita is a brand-new guild on Twisting Nether-A that's dedicated to the idea that casual raiding can exist even into T8 content, and that progression raiding can be successful without drama or pressure. They're looking for skilled players interested in farming T7 content, progressing through T8, and doing so in a fair, fun atmosphere.
- Vanilla is a classic content Horde guild on Borean Tundra for players on level 60-capped accounts. They're in the process of forming a casual team of players for MC/BWL/Ony/World Dragons/ZG/AQ20&40 as well as the High Warlord PvP honor grind. All classes and specs welcome, but you must have a capped-at-60 account, which means no Blood Elves or Death Knights.
- Clan Braggadocio on Dark Iron is recruiting devoted raiders who can raid on Thursday and Saturday nights. They've cleared 25-man Naxx, EoE, and OS and have a core group who are committed to progressing through Ulduar. They're filling in spaces, so they have no problem running the current raid content if you need a little help gearing up, so long as you're going to be there for Ulduar.
- Dissolute on Bonechewer-H is looking for mature players to fill out a second 10-man Ulduar group and start working on the 25-man roster. They have quite a few experienced players already, so please have some experience before you apply. Most DPS and Healer classes welcome, but anyone worth bringing on will be considered.
- Bloodthrust Clan on EU Shadowsong-H is recruiting. They took down 6 bosses in Ulduar-10 in the first week, and the Heroic raid is quickly catching up. They go out on a three night Heroic raiding schedule with normal raids on off-nights.
- Perseverance of Area 52-H is recruiting all classes for all 25 man content.
- Balanced on EU Auchindoun is a semi-hardcore raiding guild looking for more to start in on Heroic Ulduar. They've cleared out all T7 content so far, and are anxious to get started on the latest endgame. Ret and Holy Paladins, Shadow and Holy Priests, and Resto Shamans and Druids are sought.
- The Scarlet Champions on Baelgun-H is recruiting late night raiders. Raids start at 10pm server (Pacific) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. They have two 10 man farm teams and want to build a reliable 25 man group as well. DPS is needed mainly, but exceptions will be made if called for.
- Nocturne (Moon Guard-H) is recruiting a few lucky folks to fill out the Ulduar ranks. They're looking for three great DPS and "an amazing healer."
- Pacifist on Auchindoun-H is a raiding guild seeking a few more core raiders to finish off Ulduar. They'd like one more OT (who can switch DPS if needed), and a good healer or two, though DPS can come too if they're worth it.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Guilds, Humor, Raiding, Guildwatch, Bosses
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
ToyChristopher May 13th 2009 11:45AM
I don't understand the point of guild banks. They just seem like a source of trouble.
Clevins May 13th 2009 12:18PM
This. Blizzard implemented banks and then never fine tuned them to deal with the issues that arose. GM ninjas are preventable... make withdrawals over a certain value require 1-2 others' signoff. No, that won't help if the officers are in on it too, but it will prevent the solo ninja GM. Obvious... so why hasn't it been done?
AmbellynVerlynne May 14th 2009 2:36AM
Andy, what's in it for you? :> I dunno, but I think getting Vezax down and fairly good YS progress is quite good for 7 days of raiding with undergeared people, but I dunno where you place your standards.
60hours May 14th 2009 3:32AM
The irony of it all is that Harmonymembers are now asking CF about tips on how to handle the different phases of Yogg :)
The "CF complainers" didn't get owned, they were correct about the "typo" in the first post. Harmony did however prove that they did have at least 1 member with prior experience to boost the rest of the 10 man through Ulduar (Yeah ok, I'll admit it was probably a decent group as well ;)
Andy places his standards exactly where he sees fit!
Raigar May 13th 2009 12:54PM
Hrm. I love how things get blown out of proprotion, y'know? I was in Exitium, an IRL friend and me transferred to Anetheron in...I'll say February 07. Maybe. I'd have to check. As soon as I logged in, I got picked up in Exitium. And honestly, it was the best guild I was in. The thing was, when Lich King rolled around, and we decided to start progressing and making a name for ourselves. We picked up a lot of people that y'know, seemed like good players. But we're really just jerks in the long run. We sifted out, kicked, put these people in there place, etc. To make raiding, y'know, a fun experience instead of just a stressful one.
Some people saw fit to change that, we had one lovely Paladin who was a loot-whore, but y'know, I could deal with that. So what if I was a tank too, he needed gear too. But alas, things start going bad and he stops raiding with us almost completely. Then when he finally decided to leave, he changed everyone's guild notes to something rude/offensive.
Do NOT make the mistake in believing that it was the GM's fault for Exitium/Bloodline's demise. And I can rest assure that the information you have posted about that guild is wrong. Exitium had a good run, we saw good people come and go, but we saw way too many bad people come and stay.
Oh. And just so you know. The whole watch out for a duo of mages and make sure they were drama-free. That made me lol so hard.
conjur May 13th 2009 2:32PM
OMG.....I"M FAMOUS.
Kezren May 13th 2009 3:05PM
While the basic premise of the complaint against Exitium/Bloodline is not faulty (there was PLENTY of drama which was related to the GMs) blaming everything on the GMs is not quite right. As a former officer in the guild (before they transferred) here is my take on it: the husband (who is now apparently famous) was a nice guy who had a bit of an ego problem (but who doesn't in WoW?). His philosophy on the guild was that he was in charge and what he said was the law. He wanted Exitium/Bloodline to be a hardcore raiding guild, the problem was that Anetheron is a very small server with too many raiding guilds and not enough people. At one point about 12 people left to start a new guild, which the GM did not like, especially when they started trying to recruit people from Exitium/Bloodline. It got to the point where anyone in Exitium/Bloodline who ran with the other guild didn't get invited to our raids or got kicked. After this happened to a couple of friends of mine, I started getting annoyed.
His wife (the co-GM) was nice enough too, but caster loot that dropped was always considered her's, no matter who won it. The final straw, and the reason I left for another server (this was before their transfer) was when I won a piece of loot and in vent for the next couple of days it was referred to as "the loot I lost" by the co-GM.
TL;DNR - Not solely the GM's fault. They are for the most part good people and I wish them luck on their new server. They did contribute to the drama, but no more than anyone else did.
Birdfall May 13th 2009 3:19PM
You didn't try to sugarcoat facts, nor did you lambast people for less than pristine behavior. Solid summary.
Cadychan May 13th 2009 3:22PM
lol! I got confused in the 'Downed' portion when they mentioned 'Over Raided.' That's my guild, but we're super-casual, so when I saw 'they downed so-and-so' I was like 'wut?' XD
Vlladamir May 13th 2009 8:05PM
Yeah Birdfall, I was all of the above in Exitium. I mean every guild has its drama but none so in fault of the GM's. No more than their due. The Husband only spoke up when he had to, and only bothers to get on people when they deserve it, and Kezren is a dumbass cause the wife almost never stole loot from other casters, in fact she allowed me to have sevral peices, and gave several others to people with less gear. Just saying.
Kezren May 13th 2009 8:55PM
Vllad, I never said or implied that she stole loot from anyone, and if that is how you read it I am sorry. She never did. What I meant was that it was lame that other people who got gear were never really congratulated by the co-GM because it seemed like she saw it as a opportunity for her to get gear. Even when she passed for someone else to get gear, which did happen often, vent and officer chat got to hear about someone else getting a piece that she wanted.
And when I said that I wished everyone involved in the guild luck, I meant it. Congrats on your Ulduar progression.
Lichbane May 13th 2009 11:18PM
We had that happen .... and then we found out that our GM had been hacked!!
Good thing Blizz came to the rescue and all is good with the world again.
Shuro May 13th 2009 10:13PM
The time plan B was disbanded ( some hacker hacked GM and stole shit then disbanded it)
my guild(Fatality) fell apart also.they merged with another guild leaving most behind, planed it all behind our backs then left.
cerement May 14th 2009 12:21AM
Your guild bank got looted by a Game Master (GM)? Or do you mean, perhaps, that it got looted by your Guild Leader (GL)? After all, rather serious accusing a Blizz GM of looting your guild bank ...
tokensmoke45 Dec 1st 2009 3:59AM
well,this is odd now that im a new member of exitium on mal`ganis i see no drama what so ever so i honestly have to say the people who made a "big deal" out of whatever situation is a bunch of retards its ok i understand your mad because they didnt invite you :(. sad right i think not maybe if you didnt suck at life or fail at a game you would actually be fun to have around..But thats me just thinkin outside the box.onwards to my point.*QUES DRAMATIC MUSIC* dont be mad at the fact you suck just /gquit then unistall WoW its that easy then you wont suck so much balls at a game.