From our readers: Is my Ulduar-clearing guild holding me back?
by Amanda Dean 
May 17th 2009 at 4:00PM
I'd like to take a minute to address the concerns of one of our readers. Since my return to WoW Insider, I've been focusing on sanity, progression, and congruence. Dear WoW Insider:
I need help, and I figure between me and that guy in the last Breakfast Topic, I'd have more than a good chance of you guys having suggestions to my current dilemma.
I'm fairly new to WoW, having started in December 2008, after a long stint on FFXI. I was glad I made the move, and I haven't looked back. I toyed with a few classes before settling on a blood elf rogue. I zoomed through classic, Burning Crusade and have now made Northrend my home.
I hit 80 a couple of months ago, and although many guilds have offered for me to join along the way, I always replied that my brother's guild was going to take me in as soon as I turned 80. I've been with them on a few heroics and even saw the inside of Sunwell as my first raid ever, although I must confess all that left me feeling a little bit bewildered as I didn't really know what was happening most of the time. I was constantly asking for help, asking where I should stand and what not. While most of the guild was really nice and understanding (and still are), I'm feeling a little bit out of my depth. Most of the guild members are very experienced, as you can imagine. Some of them are on their second or third alts clearing Naxxramas, and most of the guild are working on Ulduar progression.
I guess my question is whether I have perhaps joined a guild that's a bit too advanced for me. I keep wondering if my gear's up to scratch, or even if it is, what content I should be aiming to clear. I would love to do more heroics, see the inside of different dungeons, but I don't think the interests of most guild members are in line with mine. If you can help this poor newbie rogue out, I'd greatly appreciate it. Is my guild holding me back?
Cheers,
Wil
Hi Wil,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us. It sounds like you need a little bit of guidance. Without looking at your armory profile, I can't tell you where your gear is. I would like to point out, however, that gear is not the only factor in being a great endgame WoW player.
The first thing you should do is learn your class inside and out. This means spending some time outside of game to do your research. There are many great websites that can help you find the right spec, and teach you about rotation. Be sure to keep up with changes to your class and other mechanics. Bookmarks sites that you find useful and be sure to revisit them, but make sure the advice that you're getting is timely.
Consider the flexibility you will need as situations change, and what you and your class bring to an instance or a raid. You may even ask a more progressed Rogue to mentor you.
Learn what gear stats you should be looking for. For most DPSers in my guild I encourage hit rating above all other stats. Attack power is great, but unless you are hit capped, you will find yourself missing things very forcefully. Once you've determined the stats that you're looking for, make a list of the gear that you need. Start by picking up regular instance and heroic gear and then consider raiding.
Your DPS is an indicator of what content you should be running. If you're pulling around 1000 DPS you're probably best off in regular instances. While there is no absolute minimum requirement for DPS in heroics, 1500 is about what it takes to pull your weight. Many groups will accept 1800 for Naxx 10 and 2000 for Naxx 25. Gearing up through Naxx will prepare you for further raid progression. Learn to walk before you try to run.
Your brother's guild may be the right place for your brother, but not necessarily the right place for you. Ask yourself if you meet the guild's needs, and the guild meets yours. It doesn't sound like you're nearly ready for Ulduar. If they are not running heroics and older raid content, you may never be able to catch up. It's possible that you need to make a change. Consider goals, progression, activity times, composition, and general membership.
For love, for honor, for pony,
mandy
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Tips, Fan stuff, Guilds, Raiding
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Knob May 17th 2009 4:11PM
Is the topic title reversed?
Malkavos May 17th 2009 4:14PM
No.
Tumleren May 17th 2009 4:21PM
Back me holding clearing-Ulduar guild my is?
No, don't think so.
Unless you're chinese and speak Engrish, then this might actually make sense
Kakistocracy May 17th 2009 5:00PM
Knob, the idea behind the title is that the rogue may be being held back by the guild being too advanced, such that they aren't equipped to provide for the needs of someone who is learning to raid (beyond speedily gearing the person, I would imagine). Personally, I would see that as "Not helping enough" over "Holding back" (and maybe I also missed the point), but if one assumes a standard rate of development, and identifies disparate factors between the standard and the substandard, then I guess I could see those factoring being said to be holding back the development of the individual. So then it just comes down to where you assign the standard.
Manic Soul May 17th 2009 5:33PM
Poor Knob...that's what a public school education does to you.
Yaikage May 17th 2009 6:29PM
That and sometimes you learn better with people your own skill level, it's fine grouping with vets and experts every now and then, but you can't always learn unless you make mistakes that someone else can't cover up for or see others make.
Aedilhild May 17th 2009 10:43PM
I understood what you meant, Knob. The title makes sense in the context of a value judgment (i.e., self-betterment), rather than performance standards; in which case the player would be holding back his guild.
Knob May 18th 2009 9:07AM
To explain to the thick ones that didn't get my point (Tumleren and Manic Soul), I was asking if the title was meant to be "Am I holding my Ulduar-clearing guild back?"
But then again, I'm sure you were happy enough to post something that didnt' draw the ire of the rest of the community. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to contribute something meaningful to the world some day.
thevitruvianman May 18th 2009 11:25AM
There must be other Brits on this site that find Knob's name hilarious, especially the manner in which people keep referring to him.
bonch May 17th 2009 6:20PM
Just what the game needs. Yet another blood elf rogue. Is it any surprise he's into Final Fantasy?
ToyChristopher May 17th 2009 5:18PM
The game he came from ff11 is actually pretty difficult and definately not as casual friendly as WoW. Considering that he though to ask this question I think WoW could use more blood elf rogues just like him.
Manic Soul May 17th 2009 5:38PM
I don't know...is it any surprise that yet another WoW player has a sh**ty, elitist comment to make about someone playing another game or having different tastes in classes?
bonch May 17th 2009 5:43PM
@Manic Soul
I barely play anymore. The game jumped the shark when WotLK came out. I just log in and do dailies while the majority of the population levels blood elf paladins, rogues, and priests.
Manic Soul May 17th 2009 5:49PM
Sounds like a waste of money if you don't even enjoy it and just do dailies. Still doesn't give you room to sh*t talk anyone for making a preference like that, though.
But, I hear you about Wrath not being great - I liked Vanilla and BC more.
Mihn May 17th 2009 6:07PM
Stuff it! Hater.
AyaJulia May 18th 2009 7:43AM
It's been said before, but I thought I'd hammer in the point a little more....
Final Fantasy XI is about the least casual-friendly game that I've played or otherwise personally seen. Getting a class to the level cap in that game takes about two months if you're pretty speedy about it, up to a year if you choose an unpopular class or try to play in blocks of time less than 4-6 hours. It's a Japanese game, and the Japanese value of patience permeates every bit of that game. At its worst, some parts of their endgame involves world boss spawns that can pop anywhere from three to seven DAYS apart. The economy is utter crap, to the point where even buying a good piece of equipment from auction can take a solid month of farming. The playerbase is also particularly elitist, as there is one right way and a LOT of wrong ways to gear and play each class; there is no room to be a beautiful or unique snowflake unless you want a game-destroying bad reputation.
A Final Fantasy XI player is someone you want in your guild. If they were even a little successful in that game, they have a dedication far above and beyond most native WoW players.
(Before anyone pounces me, I like WoW better, even though I played FFXI long enough to build up an extremely respectable character. I'm not starting a which-game-is-better argument here. Because apparently, I'm a troll. Who knew?)
Kylenne May 18th 2009 12:08PM
@AyaJulia:
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. FFXI was my first MMO (though I played MUDs for years and years before that). Your average huntard on WoW wouldn't even make it to levelcap on FFXI. They wouldn't have the patience for it. More importantly, FFXI is almost entirely based around partying, it's probably the least solo-friendly MMO in existence. If you want to get anywhere, you are pretty much forced to group from like, 10 onwards. And, like you said, the endgame is just brutal.
I know I sound biased, but any WoW raiding guild would be lucky to have an FFXI alum in their ranks. The type of mentality it takes to be a successful endgame player on FFXI translates beautifully into raiding on WoW.
-- a formerly RDM/WHM and sometimes RDM/NIN of Midgardsormr!
offday May 17th 2009 4:17PM
Level 80 in 5 months? Is that fast or am I just slow?
Karilyn May 17th 2009 4:29PM
Slow.
I'm pretty sure with all the buffs to EXP gain, that reaching level 80 should be doable without much effort within 2 months.
Manroth May 17th 2009 4:43PM
I got to 80 in 3 months, without the recruit-a-friend bonus..