WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com WoW Insider http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogobig.gif WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. View our terms of service here: http://legal.aol.com/terms-of-service/full-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[We have a Tabard: New kid in town]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/we-have-a-tabard-new-kid-in-town/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/we-have-a-tabard-new-kid-in-town/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/we-have-a-tabard-new-kid-in-town/#comments Looking for a guild? Well, you can join ours! We have a tabard and everything! Check back for Amanda Dean talking about guilds and guild leadership in We Have a Tabard.

So you've got goals for your guild, and you've been working very hard toward recruiting new members. One of your next big challenges is keeping them around. Turn over is a plague among beginning and middle-tier guilds. Sure, guild dynamics like raid rules and bank privileges play into who stays and who goes from your guild, but it is more important to help make someone feel a part of the team.

Think about your own experiences in joining guilds. Have you ever been in one where nobody seemed to talk to you, except to ask if you could make them a flask? What about the guild that shifts their raid times, and doesn't make it clear to all members. WoW is a social world and new guildies are subject to the same anomic forces that someone might feel during their first few weeks at a new job.

First things first. Let your new guildies in on your expectations. It's helpful to have guild policies posted permanently on a website so that they can quickly learn what to do and what not to do. Be firm, fair and consistent with enforcing these rules for new guildies as well as established guild members. For example, loot systems can be daunting at first. Have a clear explanation and be prepared to answer questions. You may consider appointing an established member to helping your rookies learn the ropes.

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We have a Tabard: New kid in town originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> building-guildscliquescomfortableexpectationsguideguide-to-officersguild-leaderguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipnew-membersofficer-quartersrecruitingrecruitmentrecruitswow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadership (Amanda Dean) Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We have a Tabard: I could teach you, but I'd have to charge]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/we-have-a-tabard-i-could-teach-you-but-id-have-to-charge/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/we-have-a-tabard-i-could-teach-you-but-id-have-to-charge/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/we-have-a-tabard-i-could-teach-you-but-id-have-to-charge/#comments Looking for a guild? Well, you can join ours! We have a tabard and everything! Check back for Amanda Dean talking about guilds and guild leadership in We Have a Tabard.

It's so nice to run a raid when everyone is up to snuff on their characters and can focus entirely on what their doing. Unfortunately there seems to be at least one person who is not at the top of their game. Either the healer that's standing in fires or the DPS that can't fight their way out of a paper bag. They're not bad people and they mean well, but they are better cheerleaders than raiders. What's a raid leader to do?

I like to help people out and give people a shot, but there's only so much that I can do. At some point I have to consider the needs of the other nine or people in the raid over the needs of the single player. I was leading ToC 10 with a Hunter pulling 1800 DPS and the entire raid averaging about 2700. We had a number of wipes, but low DPS was a contributing factor. I called out the DPS saying, "Guys, I really need to be seeing 3K DPS." The 1800 Hunter said, "I don't think Hunters can pull 3K DPS." I nearly fell out of my chair.

My first response is to try to offer quick suggestions for how to resolve an issue (this is considerably easier when it's a raid awareness problem rather than a role problem). I feel genuinely awful when I have to remove someone from a raid, but the raid environment is not where one should learn his or her class.

Continue reading We have a Tabard: I could teach you, but I'd have to charge

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We have a Tabard: I could teach you, but I'd have to charge originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> expectationguild-leaderguild-masterleadershipperseveranceraid-leaderreality-checkresourcestraining (Amanda Dean) Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We Have a Tabard: Strange bedfellows]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/we-have-a-tabard-strange-bedfellows/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/we-have-a-tabard-strange-bedfellows/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/we-have-a-tabard-strange-bedfellows/#comments
Looking for a guild? Well, you can join ours! We have a tabard and everything! Check back for Amanda Dean talking about guilds and guild leadership in We Have a Tabard.

For years Blizzard has claimed that there would be no chance for faction changes. They didn't use the word "never" but they did say there were no plans on doing it. Much has changed since the Blizzard/Activision Merger. Well, the time has come, and what has become of it. I honestly can't tell you if the impact has been good or bad, but there has certainly been an impact.

If I haven't mentioned before, I play Horde. The first night that transfers came out, a number of my friends and guildies swapped characters over from Alliance. Good to see an influx of variety, but much attention turned to leveling forgotten alts. I don't know anyone who has transferred from Horde to Alliance. Given a better opportunity, I'm sure there are plenty who would make the switch.

Faction changes have had an interesting effect on guild on my server. A number of raiders from the top guilds swapped factions and joined forces with the top guilds on the Alliance side. The Alliance guilds have always been front runners in progression and this move has served to make them stronger. That's excellent for them.

Continue reading We Have a Tabard: Strange bedfellows

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We Have a Tabard: Strange bedfellows originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> faction-changefaction-transferguild-consolidationguild-leaderleadershiprace-changeraid-leadertransfers (Amanda Dean) Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We Have a Tabard: Gone but not forgotten]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/27/we-have-a-tabard-gone-but-not-forgotten/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/27/we-have-a-tabard-gone-but-not-forgotten/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/27/we-have-a-tabard-gone-but-not-forgotten/#comments
Looking for a guild? Well, you can join ours! We have a tabard and everything! Check back for Amanda Dean talking about guilds and guild leadership in We Have a Tabard.

Over the last several weeks, we've talked about everything that guild leaders need to do to try to maintain peace, order, and progress amongst your ranks. I'm going to let the rest of your guild in on a little secret: it's like a job, except you don't get paid.

Theoretically it should be a job that your GMs and officers love. Your leadership has less flexibility when it comes to scheduling than rank and file members. When it comes to raiding or other activities, your leadership doesn't have the opportunity to slack off. They are working hard to make sure things run smoothly and to set a good example for their members.

Is it better to burn out than to fade away? I am currently on a wee bit of a leadership hiatus. After struggling to fill raids and going over the same fights countless times, I kind of snapped. I told my team I needed a break. I have to admit that while I feel a little bit guilty, it's been blissful. I've slept more, had fewer migraines, and generally enjoyed WoW more for the last couple of weeks than I have over the last several months. It won't last though.

Let me offer you a few suggestions to avoid getting to the place where I was:

Continue reading We Have a Tabard: Gone but not forgotten

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We Have a Tabard: Gone but not forgotten originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> delegateexpectationsguild-leaderguild-leadershipleadershipofficerpersonal-issuespersonal-problemsresponsibilitytime-off (Amanda Dean) Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We Have a Tabard: Ring the bell, school's back in]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/11/we-have-a-tabard-ring-the-bell-schools-back-in/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/11/we-have-a-tabard-ring-the-bell-schools-back-in/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/11/we-have-a-tabard-ring-the-bell-schools-back-in/#comments
Looking for a guild? Well, you can join ours! We have a tabard and everything! Check back for Amanda Dean talking about guilds and guild leadership in We Have a Tabard.

Drama is not the only issue to cause hardship among raiding guilds. We've seen guilds crumble and fall over new raid content. It seems we've come across another time-sensitive factor: the beginning of the school year. Guilds that have been blissfully progressing throughout the summer may be seeing their attendance plummet.

Remember folks, some things are more important than WoW. Education tops the list. It would be poor form to badger your scholastic members into raiding when they've got homework to do. Students also need a good night's sleep in order to perform successfully. This goes for college students as well as high schoolers, but they may have more flexibility in scheduling. In the end, WoW is just a video game and school affects the present and the future.

Continue reading We Have a Tabard: Ring the bell, school's back in

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We Have a Tabard: Ring the bell, school's back in originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> adults-onlyguild-leaderguild-leadershipmore-importantprioritiesraid-leaderraid-leadingraid-scheduleraid-timesrecruitingscheduleschoolsleepstudents (Amanda Dean) Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We Have a Tabard: It's not cheating if...]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/05/we-have-a-tabard-its-not-cheating-if/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/05/we-have-a-tabard-its-not-cheating-if/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/09/05/we-have-a-tabard-its-not-cheating-if/#comments
Looking for a guild? Well, you can join ours! We have a tabard and everything! Check back for Amanda Dean talking about guilds and guild leadership in We Have a Tabard.

As I've mentioned before I'm not totally against PUGging raids. I find its actually an excellent way to get to know people on the server and sometimes a handy recruiting tool. Depending on your guild rules, there are some raids to PUG and some raids to save your lockout for your guild.

I had a guildie today all distraught because he was saved to Naxx 10 helping a guildie out. He apologized profusely when someone was putting together a "Badge Run Blitz" but couldn't heal it. At this point Naxx 10 is like running an extended heroic with more gold and shards. We've progressed beyond it, so lockouts are fair game.

I get a wee bit crabbier when folks get locked out of our current progression. We're actually still working on Ulduar 10, and need to draw upon any available resources to move forward. Guildies can feel free to run Naxx, Vault, and Obsidian Sanctum to their heart's content. Usually when someone asks for my blessing to run with another group, I give it if they have to miss guild times or we're unable to get into the group.

Continue reading We Have a Tabard: It's not cheating if...

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We Have a Tabard: It's not cheating if... originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> badgescheatingguild-leaderguild-leadershiplock-outlock-outsraid-lockraid-lockoutraid-lockoutstrial-of-the-crusadertrial-of-the-grand-crusader (Amanda Dean) Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We Have a Tabard: Don't go away mad, just go away]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/08/29/we-have-a-tabard-dont-go-away-mad-just-go-away/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/08/29/we-have-a-tabard-dont-go-away-mad-just-go-away/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/08/29/we-have-a-tabard-dont-go-away-mad-just-go-away/#comments Looking for a guild? Well, you can join ours! We have a tabard and everything! Check back every Friday for Amanda Dean talking about guilds and guild leadership in We Have a Tabard.

The above video by Propostris and Gigi, while awesome, is not safe for work.

As I've mentioned before, building a guild can be very challenging. Recruiting and retention efforts are critical. Sometimes you find members, however, that may seem to fit in, but in the end they do not. You must strike a balance between having enough guilides to get things done and a team that works well together. Your guild rules and personal interactions help determine which members are valuable members of the team and who needs a /gkick.

I have found that having a lot of guild members is generally not better than having quality guild members. There are many ways in which guild members can not fit. Sometimes folks activity times do not mesh with the guild. It doesn't really do any good to have folks tagged up but stuck PUGging raids because they can't be there for raid times. This person may not need to be removed, but don't be surprised if he or she leaves to find a guild with raid times more suited to their play times.

Continue reading We Have a Tabard: Don't go away mad, just go away

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We Have a Tabard: Don't go away mad, just go away originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> gkickguild-fitguild-leaderguild-leadersguild-leadershipguild-mismatchleadershipnothing-but-a-gkickraid-leaderraid-leadingremoveserious-business (Amanda Dean) Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We have a Tabard: To 25-mans, and beyond!]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/08/21/we-have-a-tabard-to-25-mans-and-beyond/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/08/21/we-have-a-tabard-to-25-mans-and-beyond/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/08/21/we-have-a-tabard-to-25-mans-and-beyond/#comments Looking for a guild? Well, you can join ours! We have a tabard and everything! Check back every Friday for Amanda Dean talking about guilds and guild leadership in We Have a Tabard.

Founding and nurturing an up-and-coming raid guild can be quite a daunting task. We see it every day in trade chat <New Guild Name> is now recruiting players of all levels. "We're a fun, friendly guild that regularly raids 10-mans and is looking to build our 25-man team. We have a tabard, bank tabs, and Ventrilo. PST if you're interested." The bark is always the same, the only difference is the number of spelling errors. How do you gracefully move from 10 to 25-man content?

If that's your guild, first of all, congratulations on some early success in progress in getting to 10-man raids. When you're not quite there, you have a few options are a few options, all of which have their upsides and their downsides. You can pug into 25-man content, you can run guild raids and take pugs along, you can work with another guild, or you can be content with 10-man content. Let's take a moment to explore each of the options.

Continue reading We have a Tabard: To 25-mans, and beyond!

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We have a Tabard: To 25-mans, and beyond! originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 10-man10-man-progression25-mancontentfeaturesleaderleadershipmergeofficerprogressionpugpuggingraid-leaderraiders (Amanda Dean) Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We Have a Tabard: Hang up and raid]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/08/15/we-have-a-tabard-hang-up-and-raid/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/08/15/we-have-a-tabard-hang-up-and-raid/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/08/15/we-have-a-tabard-hang-up-and-raid/#comments Looking for a guild? Well, you can join ours! We have a tabard and everything! Check back every Friday for Amanda Dean talking about guilds ad guild leadership in We Have a Tabard.

I've been having a blast raiding since Ulduar was released. It's been a joy learning new fights and getting more and more bosses on farm. I understand that learning new fights in raid encounters takes time, but once a fight is on farm the only thing more annoying than healing preventable damage is wiping because someone wasn't paying attention.

Just like distracted driving can cost lives, distracted raiding can cause wipes. In most cases the time for tank and spank is over once you walk in the portal to a raid. The encounters require players to be prepared and on the ball. Not only should officers lead by example when it comes to raid awareness there are a number of things that can be done to improve attentiveness:

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We Have a Tabard: Hang up and raid originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> building-guildsfailbotfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-leaderguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershippreventable-damagepreventable-deathraid-leaderwipingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadership (Amanda Dean) Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We Have a Tabard: The green-eyed monster]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/07/31/we-have-a-tabard-the-green-eyed-monster/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/07/31/we-have-a-tabard-the-green-eyed-monster/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/07/31/we-have-a-tabard-the-green-eyed-monster/#comments
Congratulations! You've bested the bosses in 25-man Naxx and Kel'Thuzad is dead. You have one last trial to deal with: distributing loot. He drops Cape of the Unworthy Wizard, Betrayer of Humanity, Crown of the Lost Protector, and Crown of the Lost Vanquisher- and everybody wants a piece.

There's something "Lord of the Flies"-esque about the way that Blizzard drops loot and then allows players to decide who gets it. DKP, Loot Council, Biggest Upgrade, Two Token, simple rolls. Every system is flawed. Someone is going to walk away unhappy. For GMs/RLs I give you this advice: be fair, be consistent, and brace yourselves. Odds are good, someone is going to be unhappy and you're going to have to deal with it.

But this column isn't for GMs/RLs. Jealousy, the green eyed monster is one of the worst adversaries in WoW. Guilds have fallen apart over loot decisions and overall loot practices. In most cases leadership tries to be fair- with an eye on progression. A good GM doesn't play favorites when it comes to loot. With good leadership, you can count on decisions that strengthen the team as a whole.

Continue reading We Have a Tabard: The green-eyed monster

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We Have a Tabard: The green-eyed monster originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> building-guildsguideguild-leadershipguild-managementjealousyleadershiplootloot-distrubutionloot-ninjaloot-systemloot-whoreprogressionraid-guildwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-leadership (Amanda Dean) Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We have a tabard: Make it so]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/07/16/we-have-a-tabard-make-it-so/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/07/16/we-have-a-tabard-make-it-so/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/07/16/we-have-a-tabard-make-it-so/#comments
Warning: This guy is probably not someone you'd want as an officer. Nor is this video safe for work, small children, or anyone who is sensitive about cursing or animated depictions of sexual acts. But with that said, everyone and their grandmother has seen it, so enjoy.

Adding officers to your guild can help ease burdens on the Guild Master, and up efficiency within the guild. But poorly chosen or corrupt officers can do more harm than good within. Even before you select a cadre of officers, you should have an idea of what you'd like them to do for you. Let's take a look at the different types of officers you should consider having in your guild, and how they all interact with each other and your fellow guildies.

Class leaders are the first to come to mind. This type of authority should have a keen knowledge of the common specs and rotations for their class. They should be familiar with itemization for their charges and advocate for them in loot decisions.

Raid leaders are an absolute blessing for dungeon-crawling guilds. He or she can either be in charge of raiding as a whole or just fill in for the GM as needed. It is very helpful to assign an assistant Raid Leader to the Loot Master position so that the raid can continue with trash pulls as loot is distributed. Raid Leaders should be intimately familiar with the fights, and have enough patience to be able to explain them.

Continue reading We have a tabard: Make it so

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We have a tabard: Make it so originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> guildguild-leadershipguildsofficerofficer-typesofficerswow-guildswow-leadershipwow-officerwow-officer-typeswow-officers (Amanda Dean) Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[We Have a Tabard: A little help from my friends]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/06/19/we-have-a-tabard-a-little-help-from-my-friends/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/06/19/we-have-a-tabard-a-little-help-from-my-friends/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/06/19/we-have-a-tabard-a-little-help-from-my-friends/#comments The We Have a Tabard series is designed to help guild leaders, officers, members achieve their goals to maximize their cooperative experience.

I'm relatively new to leading a raiding guild. I've been working on building and training my team for about six months. I've been leading the recruiting and correcting members, managing raids, and in general trying to make my online family as functional as possible. It's a lot of work for one person, and no matter how much I love my guildies I have to admit that I am tired.

The best thing that I've ever done for myself and my guild is to ask for help. I have some great players in my guild that are well respected by other members and the server community. They have expertise in areas that do I do not. Probably most importantly they are less likely to mince words than I do and are willing to do what it takes to get the job done. Having some backup has helped some become more invested in the guild and has really lightened my load.

Choosing who to ask for help can be a tough call. It does little good to select only your favorites or your friends, if they are not successful leaders. Take several factors into account when selecting a council of officers:

Continue reading We Have a Tabard: A little help from my friends

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We Have a Tabard: A little help from my friends originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> building-guildsglgmgood-officersguideguide-to-officersguild-leaderguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguildiesguildsguilds-guideleadershipofficerofficer-traitsofficerstraitswow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadership (Amanda Dean) Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[From our readers: Guild Retention]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/from-our-readers-guild-retention/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/from-our-readers-guild-retention/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/from-our-readers-guild-retention/#comments We get lots of email from our readers trying to find their way though WoW. I'd like to take a moment to answer a question about membership retention. This also builds on a previous response regarding the trials and tribulations of starting a guild.

Hi I been reading your posts and listening to the podcast and you recently made a new guild. I have a guild with around 140 members and we do some raiding weekly but every time I log off, it seems that people start arguing, and drama just starts building up. I went away for a couple days and when I come back from my vacation, Alot of people have left the guild. Maybe 10-15 people. Now they are stealing my members and have made a new guild. Do you have tips on member retaining and stuff like that, would be cool if you can do a post on that kind of stuff and how you work that out, thanks

Hello reader,

Thank you for the email. One of the hardest things I've noticed about a guild is dealing with a certain amount of churn. Acceptance is the first step. People leave for all kinds of reasons. There will be those that come and go. The stronger you make your core, the stronger you make your guild.

Continue reading From our readers: Guild Retention

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From our readers: Guild Retention originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> churnconsistencyestablishestablishingglgmguildguild-churnguild-leaderguild-leadershipguild-masterguild-membershipleadermembershipretentionrulesturnover (Amanda Dean) Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: The end of big guilds]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/23/forum-post-of-the-day-the-end-of-big-guilds/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/23/forum-post-of-the-day-the-end-of-big-guilds/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/23/forum-post-of-the-day-the-end-of-big-guilds/#comments Oldmaveric of Azgalor posed the question on the General Discussion Forum: are Big guilds on their way out due to easy WoW? He suggested that easier content on 10 man raids and regular content nerfs has led to the breakdown of some of the top guilds and caused players to quit the game.

Savvage of Spinebreaker quickly responded that big guilds have their place, but "People can now play in closer more tightly-knit groups..." For many players, raiding offers sufficient challenge while being more enjoyable than it once was. The raiding experience is not only more accessible, but also more fun. Smaller guilds can afford to be more selective of the online personalities of their membership, while still being able to to make progress.

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Forum post of the day: The end of big guilds originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 23 May 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> big-guildsborecraftcasualguild-membersguild-membershiphard-modehardcorehardcore-vs-casualmembershipprogressionwaning (Amanda Dean) Sat, 23 May 2009 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[How do we start a guild?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/how-do-we-start-a-guild/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/how-do-we-start-a-guild/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/how-do-we-start-a-guild/#comments I'd like to take a moment to address another reader email. In this post I kind of skirt the direct issues of recruiting and establishing a guild bank. I offer my best advice on the absolute basics of starting a guild. Please ignore spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors in the reader's email, and direct all of your ire toward mine.

heya,

me and my friend want to start up our own to guild working towards raid progression. We have both done all pre 3.1 content on other characters on different servers and on moving to a new server have found it hard to find a guild that meets our needs/scheduale; thus we want to form our own guild. However neither of us has any experience in doing so, and would appreciate some tips on how best to start ie. how to recruit, how developed the guild bank needs to be etc

thanks

Before you get started making your guild, I'd like to let you in on a little secret. Some of the most painful experiences in my life include boiling the skin off the back of my right hand with scalding water from a steam iron (you wouldn't notice the scar unless I pointed it out, but even 22 years later I use it to tell left from right), the massive hangover I had on 1/1/2000- three days after I got my tongue pierced (and working a double shift), and starting a guild with a handful of friends. My best advice is that unless there is a real need for a guild, don't do it. You and your friend may want to look for a guild that meets your needs, our readers have posted many that are looking for members.

Continue reading How do we start a guild?

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How do we start a guild? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 18 May 2009 22:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> agonygrowing-painsguild-cultureguild-leaderguild-membersguildiesnecessitypainrecruiting (Amanda Dean) Mon, 18 May 2009 22:10:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[From our readers: Always a DPSer, never a tank]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/from-our-readers-always-a-dpser-never-a-tank/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/from-our-readers-always-a-dpser-never-a-tank/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/from-our-readers-always-a-dpser-never-a-tank/#comments We get a lot of email from our readers who are trying to improve their in-game experience. I'd like to take a moment to address a reader who's struggling to find or make the right guild. Beware of the following wall of text.

I started playing over a year ago. Never have been able to find a good guild. I'm a warrior tank. Love it. Even made a second just for fun. Trouble is, it seems all of the guilds that can do anything already have their tanks. I'm really sick of pugging Ulduar and getting stuck on kologarn cause either healers or the other tanks fail.

I started my own guild after my leaving my last guild because they refused to let me tank. I couldn't even roll on tank gear as fury when all of their tanks had all best in slots. But my guild is stuck with 36 level 80s who are never all on at the same time... and most of the ones that are on are under-geared or aren't skilled in the least bit. what's your advice?

Dear anonymous reader,

Sometimes starting your own guild is the answer, sometimes it's not. It takes time, patience, and vigilance to build a raid guild. Be sure to check out Scott Andrew's Officer's Quarters. He regularly addresses the ups and downs of guild leadership and offers practical advice on the challenges you may face.

Continue reading From our readers: Always a DPSer, never a tank

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From our readers: Always a DPSer, never a tank originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 18 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cooperationdpsguild-leaderguild-leadingguild-masterinterguild-cooperationprogressionraid-guildraid-leaderraid-leadingresponsibilityrolestank (Amanda Dean) Mon, 18 May 2009 11:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[From our readers: Is my Ulduar-clearing guild holding me back?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/from-our-readers-what-now/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/from-our-readers-what-now/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/from-our-readers-what-now/#comments 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.

Continue reading From our readers: Is my Ulduar-clearing guild holding me back?

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From our readers: Is my Ulduar-clearing guild holding me back? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 17 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> activitygeargoalsguild-mismatchhit-capitemizationlevel-80new-80new-raiderprogressionresources (Amanda Dean) Sun, 17 May 2009 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Be disciplined about healing meters]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/forum-post-of-the-day-be-disciplined-about-healing-meters/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/forum-post-of-the-day-be-disciplined-about-healing-meters/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/17/forum-post-of-the-day-be-disciplined-about-healing-meters/#comments Mellere of Wildhammer posted a brief lament about her guild leaders treatment of a Discipline Priest. The discipline priest was below a Retadin on HPS. Without understanding the role of mitigation as a healer, the Raid Leader told him to go holy to bring up his HPS. The OP expressed disappointment in the RL at this action.

Several responders posted that this is partly the fault of Blizzard as they don't take into account shielding and mitigation to healing scores in the combat log. Daerilla of Spirestone intimated that she did not want to see mitigation included in healing figures, because then people would take notice of how overpowered Disc Priests are in raids. There were some less-than-kind comments about the Raid Leader's competence.

Continue reading Forum post of the day: Be disciplined about healing meters

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Forum post of the day: Be disciplined about healing meters originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 17 May 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> compositiondisc-priestdiscipline-priestguild leaderGuildLeaderhealershealinghealing-compositionhealing-metermeters (Amanda Dean) Sun, 17 May 2009 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Go blues!]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/forum-post-of-the-day-go-blues/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/forum-post-of-the-day-go-blues/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/forum-post-of-the-day-go-blues/#comments Snaboo of Greymane shouted out to the Blizzard posters on the forums. He appreciates that they are being customer focused and social. This elicited positive responses from a handful of blue posters, except Bornakk, who's still grumpy.

Some posters disagreed about the attention the blues pay to the community. That they are slow to respond to "serious" questions or that they seem disrespectful of players. Crygil pointed out that in many cases there are several threads on a particular subject. The blues try to address at least one of them, but aren't able to respond in all of the threads on a single topic.

Continue reading Forum post of the day: Go blues!

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Forum post of the day: Go blues! originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 16 May 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> appreciationblueblue-postblue-posterblue-postsbornakkcommunicationcommunitycommunity-managercrygildevelopmentmoderatornethaerathank-you (Amanda Dean) Sat, 16 May 2009 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[...is now recruiting]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/is-now-recruiting/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/is-now-recruiting/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/is-now-recruiting/#comments I've been reading the comments from some of our recent posts and realized that there is quite a bit of mismatch between players and guilds. There are casual players in hardcore guilds that find themselves being passed over in content. There are hardcore players in casual guilds that don't get to move on to things they want. Some players need a higher level of maturity.

There are usually a handful of guilds recruiting in the Guildwatch column, but I think, for today, we can do better. If your guild looking for more take a moment to comment with the nitty gritty. If you're interested in putting up a little advertisement take a moment to copy/paste and complete the following form:

Continue reading ...is now recruiting

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...is now recruiting originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 16 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> guild-watchguildslooking-for-moremembersmembershipmembership-driverecruitingrecruitment (Amanda Dean) Sat, 16 May 2009 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[What's your best BlizzCon memory?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/whats-your-best-blizzcon-memory/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/whats-your-best-blizzcon-memory/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/16/whats-your-best-blizzcon-memory/#comments Did you manage to get your tickets? I'm sure there will be plenty of folks who are returning to BlizzCon. I wasn't able to go but I followed WoW Insider's coverage of the event from the opening ceremonies to the final concert. It was an awesome time for fans to get insight on some of the behind the scenes aspects of WoW, including an art gallery, a sound panel, and an introduction to Ghostcrawler.

I have to admit that even with the massive amount of information on classes and mechanics, my favorite part was the goofy fan stuff. I love how some people really get into their costumes and dances. I think I missed out most by missing the WoW Insider meet up. It's amazing that real people get so into our favorite game franchises.

For those of you who went last year, or even were following along with me, what's the best BlizzCon memory that you carry with you?
BlizzCon 2009 is coming up on August 21st and 22nd! We've got all the latest news and information. At BlizzCon you can play the latest games, meet your guildmates, and ask the developers your questions. Plus, there's some great looking costumes.

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What's your best BlizzCon memory? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 16 May 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 2009-blizzconartart-galleryblizzard-blizzconblizzconblizzcon 2007blizzcon-09blizzcon-2008blizzcon-2009blizzcon-wowblizzcon2007conventioncostumedance-contestdancingdesignfanfanspeopleworld-of-warcraft-conventionwow-blizzconwow-convention (Amanda Dean) Sat, 16 May 2009 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Why did you /gquit]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/forum-post-of-the-day-why-did-you-gquit/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/forum-post-of-the-day-why-did-you-gquit/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/forum-post-of-the-day-why-did-you-gquit/#comments There are many different reasons for why we join guilds: to raid; to meet girls (well, not usually to meet girls). We also have numerous reasons why we quit guilds. I was kind of amazed by Oreooze of Dalaran's list of reasons for why he /gquit.

1. He wasn't congratulated on his achievements.
2. He doesn't trust people online.
3. He didn't get invited to raids.
4. He didn't want to get Ventrilo he prefers not to use voice chat.

It sounds to me that the OP was not terribly interested in being a part of a team. I have to admit, I would have a hard time inviting people to raids that absolutely refused to get into Vent. I'm sorry, my friend, but real time communication is very important to success in raids. It is positively infuriating when someone wipes a raid because they missed an important instruction. I'm sure that some guilds can get by raiding without voice chat, but it's very frustrating not to have 24 people who can listen in and work with the team.

Continue reading Forum post of the day: Why did you /gquit

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Forum post of the day: Why did you /gquit originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 14 May 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> achievementscongratulatecongratulationsgquitguildguild-dramaself-esteemventventrilo (Amanda Dean) Thu, 14 May 2009 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast topic: Your priority list]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/breakfast-topic-your-priority-list/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/breakfast-topic-your-priority-list/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/breakfast-topic-your-priority-list/#comments We got an email from a reader concerned with the amount of time he spends playing WoW. It seems to be negatively impacting his school and social lives. Most of us manage to balance out WoW time with our real life obligations, but there is a strong possibility that addiction can set in. I cannot stress enough the importance of balance.

I think that one of the keys to keeping both your WoW life and your real life balanced is by identifying your priority list. Every once in a while do a reality check and make sure you're keeping it in line. For me WoW sits somewhere between work and sleep (then again, I've never slept much). My guildies know that I will not be on on Friday nights, that's "sister time." I do play WoW when I'm on work trips, but I never go anywhere particularly exciting.

Continue reading Breakfast topic: Your priority list

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Breakfast topic: Your priority list originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 14 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> addictionadvicebalancecounselorobligationsprioritiespriority-listprofessional-helpreality-check (Amanda Dean) Thu, 14 May 2009 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Tank Haiku]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/forum-post-of-the-day-tank-haiku/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/forum-post-of-the-day-tank-haiku/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/forum-post-of-the-day-tank-haiku/#comments Kyleface of Garona started a thread in the tank forums on Tank Haiku. It seemed that some of the responders prefered to write Haikus abut how they don't like Haikus:

Nancee of Dark Iron submitted a Haiku on Death Knights:

Death and Decay time!
Missing the cower-in-fear!
Hit with the nerf bat...

Avanaco of Misha added in a two verse lament on druid tanking:

Q Q warrior
At least you have some proper
Itemization

Your items may suck
At least you don't have to wear
Hunter and rogue gear

There are a few other little gems in the thread. Take a moment to take a peek at it.

Continue reading Forum post of the day: Tank Haiku

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Forum post of the day: Tank Haiku originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 12 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> haikulimerickpoemtanktanking (Amanda Dean) Tue, 12 May 2009 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Contemporary raiding and real-life obligations]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/09/contemporary-raiding-and-real-life-obligations/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/09/contemporary-raiding-and-real-life-obligations/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/09/contemporary-raiding-and-real-life-obligations/#comments An unidentified reader wrote to WoW Insider explaning that while he is in a raiding guild, his life schedule does not allow him to raid. He feels he's being left behind as groups ask for higher DPS.

What practical advice is there for progressing in the game while being a player with RL obligations?

First off, I'd like to tell you that you're not an outlier, there are many of players in similar situations. Nearly all WoW players have real life obligations including work, school, and families. The two most important things to work on are balance and realistic expectations.

It's easy to get suckered into playing too much WoW. To balance WoW with life, you need to determine how much time you can spend in game, while leaving plenty to meet your other responsibilities. If you can, try to schedule WoW at regular times, that way you build relationships with folks you play with often.

Continue reading Contemporary raiding and real-life obligations

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Contemporary raiding and real-life obligations originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 09 May 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> casualcommitmentlfglooking-for-grouplookingforgroupobligationsprogressprogressionpugpuggingpugsraid-pugreal-life (Amanda Dean) Sat, 09 May 2009 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Sorting out the BADS]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/09/forum-post-of-the-day-sorting-out-the-bads/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/09/forum-post-of-the-day-sorting-out-the-bads/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/09/forum-post-of-the-day-sorting-out-the-bads/#comments
Hi everyone, after a short hiatus for guild building and soul searching I'm back to writing on the WoW Insider team. Despite growth in my guild I still find myself picking up folks for heroics and some raids. I've had some good experiences and some terrible ones.

Abberforth of Shadow Council offered up a "Basic Assumption and Discernment System. this handy, though tongue-in-cheek guide to selecting members for a PUG. He uses simple assumptions in a players initial presentation of self to determine if a player is a good candidate for invitation. These guidlines warn players to be cautious of Elves, Death Knights, and folks with untypable or unintelligible names.

Remember that this guide is for amusement only. There are several other factors that go into good PUG players- like do they run into Nexus when you invite them for Occulus?


Continue reading Forum post of the day: Sorting out the BADS

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Forum post of the day: Sorting out the BADS originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 09 May 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> BADspick-up-grouppick-up-groupsPUGpug-systemPuggingscreeningsystem (Amanda Dean) Sat, 09 May 2009 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast topic: The impossible achievements]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/09/breakfast-topic-the-impossible-achievements/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/09/breakfast-topic-the-impossible-achievements/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/05/09/breakfast-topic-the-impossible-achievements/#comments Every evening there's a guy on my server who spams looking for group for an "experienced" group to do the Less-rabi and Make it Count Heroic Dungeon achievements. This has been going on for weeks now. I kind of feel bad for the guy. Some of the dungeon achievements are harder than others, but these have clearly been a pain for him. He really wants the Glory of the Hero achievement, and I hate the Occulus enough that I really can't bring myself to help him.

I never hear him complaining about the achievements being difficult, he just keeps at it. It's actually quite admirable. My guild has a few overachievers in it. We usually do the best we can to lend them a hand, but they seem to grind endlessly to earn their points.

I don't usually go off in search of achievements, but there's one I just can't seem to get. Since I'm playing Druid it seems appropriate to get the Guardian of Cenarius title/achievement. The problem is not that it's difficult, but since my character was created after WotLK was released, I have no Cenarian Circle rep to speak of. I find it hard to make the time to go back to the old world and grind rep while still working on endgame progression.

What's your elusive achievement?

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Breakfast topic: The impossible achievements originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 09 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> achievement-pointsglory-of-the-heroheroic-dungeonheroic-dungeon-achievementocculusoverachieverpersistancesuggestions (Amanda Dean) Sat, 09 May 2009 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Great idea, poor implementation]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/13/forum-post-of-the-day-great-idea-poor-implementation/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/13/forum-post-of-the-day-great-idea-poor-implementation/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/13/forum-post-of-the-day-great-idea-poor-implementation/#comments I'm still moderately excited for dual specs on my level 80 characters, it should be handy for switching between raids/instances and dailies. Cvarto of Proudmore began a thread about poor implementation about only allowing level 80 characters to use this feature. He fears that players will level as a single spec and have to relearn the other options for their class once they hit level 80.

GC's reasoning is that MMOs are overwhelming for new players to learn without working with two specializations. Cvarto contends that it still more difficult to learn a completely new aspect of the game, such as tanking, at level 80. I'd like to add that most players have little patience for inexperienced tanks and healers at max level.

Continue reading Forum post of the day: Great idea, poor implementation

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Forum post of the day: Great idea, poor implementation originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> buildbuildsdual-specghostcrawlermechanicsrespec-costsspecspecs (Amanda Dean) Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:21:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Raid timers (poll)]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/07/forum-post-of-the-day-raid-timers-poll/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/07/forum-post-of-the-day-raid-timers-poll/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/07/forum-post-of-the-day-raid-timers-poll/#comments Today's forum post of the day serves a dual purpose: it brings up issues with raid timers and it demonstrates how not to make friends and influence people on the forums. Our hot-headed friend Phearing of Silver Hand is a mighty bit miffed that he zoned into a 10-man Vault run only to find that there were no mobs there. He was saved to the instance, and thus does not get another shot at it until the raid timer resets.

Nubbyzor of Whisperwind quickly pointed out that if the raid leader is saved to the instance you join their raid ID. This has happened since the dawn of raid timers. People have been mislead into joining raids in progress and cannot get a second shot at a heroic if their group is under par. Heroics aren't really a big deal, if your group fails, you can try again tomorrow. It's lame, but it's only one day. The week-long timer on raids makes this a little bit harder to swallow.

Continue reading Forum post of the day: Raid timers (poll)

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Forum post of the day: Raid timers (poll) originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> friendsheroicheroic-instanceheroicslocklock-outslocked-outlockoutraid-timerraid-timerstroll (Amanda Dean) Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Friends in low places]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/forum-post-of-the-day-friends-in-low-places/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/forum-post-of-the-day-friends-in-low-places/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/forum-post-of-the-day-friends-in-low-places/#comments How much can you determine about someone from their guild tag? Andrys of Arathor believes that she should be able to rely on someone's performance based on the guild they're in. She's disappointed that she invited a low DPS player because of a guild tag. She then checked the armory profile to see that the player was ranked 8 in the guild, presumably a friends and family rank. The post finished with "Boot your friends."

I've been watching this thread for a couple of days, and am surprised it hasn't gotten more attention. Klepsacovic of Zul'jin pointed out that guild ranks are listed on the armory, and the OP should have checked there. Some people are in the habit of checking the armory for any potential groupmates? I am not, then again, I don't check guild tag either when PUGging. To me bad players can come in many flavors, tanks that don't pay attention to mana, low DPS that are not interested in constructive feedback, loot ninjas, unpleasant people, and anyone who refuses to follow directions or kill order.

Continue reading Forum post of the day: Friends in low places

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Forum post of the day: Friends in low places originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> familyfriendsfriends-and-familyguild-rankpugtagtagging (Amanda Dean) Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Tick Tock]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/02/forum-post-of-the-day-tick-tock/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/02/forum-post-of-the-day-tick-tock/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/02/02/forum-post-of-the-day-tick-tock/#comments
I knew I couldn't be the only quirky person in WoW. Talonhunter of EU-Tarren Mill's thread on the general forums helps me feel a little bit better. He asked what people's "ticks" are, citing "Every time I engage a mob, I strafe a few steps to either side," and "When I have done a brief dismount, to gather something or likewise, I always run a few steps before I get back on my mount again."

There are some things that seem odd, but actually appear to be common. Some examples include jumping when charging or when summoning a flying mount, obsession with repairing gear, and checking out what every linked item looks like. I have some of the habits mentioned in the thread, and a few others:

Continue reading Forum post of the day: Tick Tock

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Forum post of the day: Tick Tock originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> appearancegearjumpjumpingquirksrepairritualsticks (Amanda Dean) Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Life Tap dancing]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/forum-post-of-the-day-life-tap-dancing/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/forum-post-of-the-day-life-tap-dancing/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/forum-post-of-the-day-life-tap-dancing/#comments Breaking news: a few people still play Warlock and many of them still drive healers crazy. Bravely posting on a Level 1 Alt, Suepah of Wildhammer posed the question, "Why do healers care if I life tap to 10% or so?" She says that even if she taps down when the tank is pulling, she uses a bandage and stays out of the way of the mobs.

Timing is a major key, life tapping while the tank is pulling draws attention away from the task at hand. It also draws away from the healer's mana. My healer gets very frustrated when a Lock takes over his mana pool. To the point where he wanted to take a third rogue instead of a Warlock in a PUG. Life Tap is a cool ability in extended combat situations, but Warlocks can eat or drink at the end of a fight just like any other class.

Continue reading Forum post of the day: Life Tap dancing

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Forum post of the day: Life Tap dancing originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> dpsdpss-faulthealers-faulthealingLife-tappugtankingtanks-fault (Amanda Dean) Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: The tank surplus]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/23/forum-post-of-the-day-the-tank-surplus/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/23/forum-post-of-the-day-the-tank-surplus/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/23/forum-post-of-the-day-the-tank-surplus/#comments "Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels."
- Faith Whittlesey

Kazug of EU-Defias Brotherhood is afraid that he will never be able to take on the role of main taink against Heroic Malygos. He pointed out that although tanks are relatively scarce in five man instances, there is fierce competetion for tanking slots in 25 mans. One out of five players must be a tank in five mans, whereas only one in twenty-five can be main tank in a raid. He feels that only the best of the best, the ones with the most time as he defines it, are able to take on the role of main tank.

Other tanks are left taking out the trash on single-tank fights. Several posters echoed Kazug's sentiment. Despite a dedication to tanking, they're relegated to the roll of picking up adds in most fights. Others indicated that their guilds rotate MTs or even have tanks roll off for main tanking responsibilities. For some guilds the MT is the MT and that's all there is to it.

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Forum post of the day: The tank surplus originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> main-tankMToff-tankOTrolesspotlighttanktank-surplus (Amanda Dean) Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Don't be bothered by bugs]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/forum-post-of-the-day-dont-be-bothered-by-bugs/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/forum-post-of-the-day-dont-be-bothered-by-bugs/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/forum-post-of-the-day-dont-be-bothered-by-bugs/#comments I don't really need to tell you that WoW has been a little rocky since patch 3.0.8 launched. The forums are filled with players who are angry and threatening to cancel their accounts. There are some that think we need to give a Blizz a break.

Snagger of Quel'dorei pointed out that there are risks involved in launching new programming. The PTR cannot quite grasp the effect of millions of users. I've experienced bugs in new software releases in many areas. Everything from the Windows XP security bug in service pack three to software developed for my employer that regularly crashes the computer. We come up with work-arounds and the the developers work to resolve the issue. What we're experiencing is not unique to WoW. If you're missing out on your favorite WoW activity, try something else: run battlegrounds, work on reputation, help some lowbies, roll a healer.

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Forum post of the day: Don't be bothered by bugs originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> beta-testdevelopmentglitchpatch-3.0.8patch-3.0.8-bugsptrreleasesoftware-developmenttestwhen-its-ready (Amanda Dean) Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast topic: Of Newbies and n00bs]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/breakfast-topic-of-newbies-and-n00bs/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/breakfast-topic-of-newbies-and-n00bs/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/22/breakfast-topic-of-newbies-and-n00bs/#comments Amazingly enough, there are still many new players coming into the game that need some tutoring. I consider myself to be downright patient. If someone asks for help or advice, I'm there. If I don't have the answer, I point them to one of the many WoW resources that will assist them. At one point in time we were all rookies, and many of us still have many nuances of the game to pick up. I love to watch people learn and grow.

Bear in mind that WoW has a variable learning curve based on familiarity with MMORPGs, time spent playing, coaches, and aptitude. There comes a time though, when folks should be pretty self-sufficient. The argument "I'm new" no longer holds water. For example, it goes without saying that hunters should always check their ammo supplies before going into instances and in general, clothies should let the tank pull.

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Breakfast topic: Of Newbies and n00bs originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> competencelearning-curven00bnewbnewbienoobnuancespatienceresourcesrookierookie-mistakes (Amanda Dean) Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Stunted stuns]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/19/forum-post-of-the-day-stunted-stuns/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/19/forum-post-of-the-day-stunted-stuns/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/19/forum-post-of-the-day-stunted-stuns/#comments
Badeggplant of Hyjal is frustrated that Starfall will lose its random-proc stun effect from Celestial Focus in patch 3.0.8. In her eyes this removes the utility of the spell and makes it a poor use of mana with a long cool down. She believes that the damage from the spell should be increased to replace the missing stun.

What's interesting about this thread was Ghostcrawler's response. Blizzard is working to remove random proc stuns, such as this one, but also mentioned that Blackout will soon be on the blacklist. He claims that Blizzard is "waging a war" against random stun effects. Many are concerned that Impact will also be impacted.


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Forum post of the day: Stunted stuns originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blackoutghostcrawlerimpactnerfrandomrandom-procrngstarfallstarfall-nerfstun (Amanda Dean) Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast topic: Poaching]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/19/breakfast-topic-poaching/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/19/breakfast-topic-poaching/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/19/breakfast-topic-poaching/#comments I'm working on growing our little guild. I've met with some success. I don't spam trade chat to advertise our guild bank, vent, website or or smokin' hot tabard (all of which we have). I like to get to know people a bit before I bring them into the fold. The best way that I know how to do that is to run instances with them.

Since we're small, I PUG a lot, so I'm introduced to many players. I'm looking for folks that are both good at what they do and would be a good fit for what we've established. I've found that many times people pug because even though they're in a guild they can't seem to get the assistance that they need. I find that some are actively looking for a change and others just generally enjoy the experience grouping with my comrades.

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Breakfast topic: Poaching originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> groupguild-recruitmentpoachpoachingpugrecruitmentsmall-guild (Amanda Dean) Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast topic: Bunk in my trunk]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/17/breakfast-topic-bunk-in-my-trunk/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/17/breakfast-topic-bunk-in-my-trunk/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/17/breakfast-topic-bunk-in-my-trunk/#comments I'm sure we've all had someone dash ahead of us when we're out gathering to take our mining node, our herb, or even our skin. It's frustrating when it's a member of the opposite faction who does this. On a PvP server, you might kill them, on a PvE server, your only recourse is a /rude. It's more annoying when it's a member of your own faction and you can't even kill them. Ultimately the same is also true of Daily Quests and some quest mobs. Whenever recourse's are scarce, bad blood settles in.

I have never seen a quest that brings out the worst in players than "Junk in My Trunk" in Utgarde Pinnacle. For this quest you must gather items laying around the instance. There are not enough for a full group on the quest to pick therm up on the same run, so many people jockey to be the first to get their junk. The first time I ran that instance I was amazed at how greedy people would be. The tank would pull but the healer was off picking up a silver bar or a bauble. You guessed it, wipefest.


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Breakfast topic: Bunk in my trunk originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> gankjunk-in-my-trunkninjapugpuggingselfishselfishnessteamutgarde-pinnaclewipe (Amanda Dean) Sat, 17 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Forum post of the day: Serious business decisions]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/forum-post-of-the-day-serious-business-decisions/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/forum-post-of-the-day-serious-business-decisions/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/forum-post-of-the-day-serious-business-decisions/#comments WoW has changed considerably over the years, often for the better and sometimes for the worse. Better and worse are, of course, a matter of perspective. Slovotsky of Turalyon is getting fed up with people complaining about the easing of raids. He's confident that Blizzard made the choice to lower the difficulty on raids because more of the player base can now have a chance to experience them. He disagrees that casual players have ruined the game. Familiarity may also lead to boredom. Some of the guilds that have progressed through Naxx have already done so either in the Pre-BC era or on the PTR.

As some pointed out, Blizzard is a for-profit business. The company's job is to sell a product, not to rule with a heavy hand or coddle the incompetent. The switch to an inclusive raiding environment was most likely a marketing decision. Caydence of Draka drove this point home, to rebut the argument that players will quit WoW because it's easier. It is simply a better business decision for Blizzard to alienate the "hardcore" players who make up a small minority. She suggested that the subscriber base has grown with each ease in difficulty.

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Forum post of the day: Serious business decisions originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> boredombusinesscasualhardcorehardcore-casualmodelmoneynubopplayer-baseprofit (Amanda Dean) Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast topic: Why didn't you tell me...?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/06/breakfast-topic-why-didnt-you-tell-me/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/06/breakfast-topic-why-didnt-you-tell-me/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2009/01/06/breakfast-topic-why-didnt-you-tell-me/#comments Every time we log into WoW, we find ourselves greeted with trivial, non-helpful bits of information. We learn quite a bit on our own and sometimes from helpful players. These little gems do little to actually help learn the nuances of the game. There have been countless times I've been taken by surprise, causing wasted time and sometimes costly repair bills. Here are some of the things I had to learn on my own, the hard way, that I wish someone would have told me:

* You don't have to wait for a portal, summon, or level 74 to get to Dalaran. Battle ports* work just fine, but you do have to get connecting flight points to make it useful.
* If you wait until 74 to go to Dalaran, don't run there to get the flight point. There is a quest that takes you there. If you do run to the Crystal Song Forest to get there you, will find yourself looking forlornly at a teleportation device that is no help to you at all.
* On the subject of teleportation, If you're Horde, you should really save the Goblin Transponder that you use to port from Booty Bay to Gnomeregan. It can help for raiding Ironforge.
* Beware of the Animal Blood debuff in Borean Tundra. You will be killed on sight if you go into the D.E.H.T.A. Encampment if you have that debuff. It took me two deaths to figure out why I couldn't turn my quests in.
* I'm relatively new to tanking, until about a month ago I clicked to set my marks. I had no idea that you can hotkey your lucky charms.

I'm sure there are still many nuances of the game I still don't know. Share your wisdom, what's something you wish you'd been told?

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Breakfast topic: Why didn't you tell me...? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> battle-portconfusionghetto-hearthhelpfulhelpful-hinthinthintslearnlearningsplash-screenwisdom (Amanda Dean) Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider