Can’t Wait

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I’m 6 bars away from hitting level 90. Trying to get there as fast as I can so I can jump into heroics and do the cool level 90 stuff.  Woke up at 6 and just hit 90. Specced into Divine Star right away (you can see an image of it in action up there).

Can I tell you guys something?

I’m falling in love with this game all over again. Wish I could nail it down to one specific aspect to get really excited about, but I can’t because there’s so many things that I like. It’s not like there’s one really good part of the game that’s overpowering everything else. All the stuff that’s playable right now feels great – And it’s just the beta.

Can’t touch raids, heroics, pet battles, or PvP yet. But I’m just blown away by the other parts like the leveling, the questing, the atmosphere, and so forth. Haven’t been this enamoured with the game since Burning Crusade. Remember that feeling you got when you charged head strong into Nagrand and then looked up to see that belt streaking across the sky? I felt something similar walking into the   Valley of the Four Winds and just taking in the scenery (and the Brewery).

Mists doesn’t beat the story telling that SWTOR had. SWTOR spanked it when it came to the leveling and questing experience.

TERA and Guild Wars 2 are both way better looking games, of course. But there’s something appealing about the cartoony style of WoW. It started that way in 04 and it’s received upgrade after upgrade since then.

It’s like falling in love.

You have that goofy grin on your face while your head is tilted slightly to the side. Even though you can’t see it, there’s that little twinkle in your eye. Your mind can’t stop thinking about them and the different, fun activities available. You’re just super excited to be in that presence.

Not that I’d ever know what that’s like, of course.

I know a whole bunch of you guys quit. But give it another go when you can. It’s so easy to lose yourself in this world now.

Just Quit

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To any raider who is coasting along and simply not trying,

Just stop raiding.

Quit the game for a day. Quit the game for a week. Or quit the rest of the expansion. I don’t care how long it is, but just stop.

You are doing zero favours for your WoW family. They need you to be there and at your best. If you’re not at your best, then don’t even go in at all. You are making things worse.

I take great joy in playing my best. I’ll still use cooldowns even if I don’t have to. I’ll call for help even if it might not be necessary. I’ll do everything I can in my power to ensure we get that kill and move on because it’s what I like doing. It kills me when I find players aren’t trying. It feels like disrespect to me and to the standard. You want to make fun of and disrespect me? Sure, whatever. But you don’t disrespect the battle standard.

What motivates me isn’t the loot.

It isn’t the PvE scores on WoW progress, either.

It sure as heck isn’t the boss encounters.

What really gets me going is knowing that I can look at myself and look at everyone else and say “I tried my absolute best and didn’t hold back.”

When I get wind that someone wasn’t trying, I don’t get pissed. It’s the feeling of a hot air balloon being punctured. You start sinking to the ground second guessing everything. You second guess yourself to see if there was anything else you could’ve done. You second guess the people around you wondering if they’re really the people you thought they were.

I want to go into the hockey rink with someone who may have missed shooting on the goalie, but at least can say they took shots.

Remember high school PE class? When you were playing sports? There was always that one kid on the side who just didn’t participate. Then at the end, your team won and didn’t have to do laps around the track as punishment. And that kid who did absolutely nothing got a free ride. I don’t want to be that kid that just stood around on the field and joined in on the celebrations after the win. I want to be a part of the reason the celebration occurred.

At Stanley Park in the summer, we used to rent one of these multi-seater bikes. Naturally, I took the rear seat. There were moments we were pedalling around the park where I felt super bagged and wondering what was going on. I’d lean to the side and yell up “What’s going on over there? My legs feel like lead!” “Oh, we’re just enjoying the scenery, keep pedaling”. I never did get on those bikes with my parents again.

So if you’re just going through the motions, your heart isn’t there anymore, and you’re just not trying, do everyone else a favor.

Just quit.

Drawing the Line Between Training and Results

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Did you know dogs can identify smells thousands of times better than us humans? And the portion of their brain used in identifying and allocating scent is way more than what we use. It comes in handy during avalanche search and rescue operations. But even dogs can’t rely on pure senses to rescue people. They need to work with their handlers and train in a variety of situations. Training helps improve these skills so that they can get better at finding people.

Now let’s say your guild managed to pick up a new recruit. He’s a little under geared and is behind your main raid on a few encounters. One of the common reasons that I see for this is because their previous guild “held them back”.

Okay, understandable. It happens. It’s not uncommon for players to be in guilds that are behind where they think they should be in progression.

Regardless of that, they’re with your guild now and they need to be brought up to speed so that they can make solid contributions. One of the most agonizing moments for me is bringing in inexperienced players to an encounter that we have on farm. They claim they’ve read our strategies but still need a full explanation (which completely boggles my mind considering our strategies, placements, and all that are on the forums).

Best case scenario? Your new guy completely aces the encounter, fits right in, and helps your raid crush the boss.

Worst case scenario? They screw up their assignments, can’t seem to dodge a pillow for the life of ‘em, and don’t notice really slow forming pools under their feet causing wipe after wipe.

At what point do you go “That’s enough” and bring in the varsity? Your guild has to be able to hit that balance. On the one hand, newer players are going to need a minimum level of experience with the different aspects of the encounter. On the other hand, your veteran players are going to get understandable annoyed and irritated because they want to move on to bigger and fiercer bosses.

Advantages of training and gearing

Your recruits will get the exposure, experience, and gear they need to help your raid make a difference on the encounters that matter (such as the hard mode ones that they’re working on). The logic is that their skill gap between your current raiders and new players will narrow until they’re almost the same.

Raider frustration from wiping

Maybe they’re a slow learner. It’s been proven to me time and time again that not every player is going to pan out. New players have hit their skill ceiling and just aren’t able to improve anymore no matter how hard you try or what accommodations  are made.

Guild’s on the clock, right? Have to get going and kill some bosses!

Either way, a line needs to be drawn.

How do you find that balance?

One suggestion would be to set a hard limit on either attempts or time spent. If it’s clear they’re not getting it or you’re really pressured for time, then you can scale those conditions down to something that’s more suitable.

But, you do need to consider that the player being brought in isn’t the main cause of wipes for the guild.

It’s one thing to say that you’ve hit the 6 minute mark on heroic Ultraxion and the new player’s DPS is right at the bottom of the meters. It’s something else entirely when they’re able to dodge ice walls and survive longer than most of your raid during a wipe. If you’re going to sit them, do it for the right reasons.

Question: Deciding Upon Disagreements

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Have you ever been dragged into a discussion between two players? You’re being asked for your opinion or to side with someone, but you just can’t really bring it in you to actually care about it.

Other than flipping a coin, how would you decide and resolve a disagreement when you just don’t give a damn?

“Seriously? You’re asking me to decide which one’s better and could take on the other? Star Trek or Star Wars?”

How to Get What You Want From Your Guild

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See that image up there? That is one annoyed looking cat. Looks as if someone took away his toy or threatened him with a bath. That’s the same look I exhibit when someone comes complaining to me.

But hey, it comes with the guild leader territory.

Listening to complaints. It probably takes up around 15% of communications.

(Actually, file that post idea away. “Percentage of matters that occupy guild leader time”). 

Most of the time, it’s just hot hair or someone wants to get something off their chest. Generally, complainers aren’t really taken seriously. But y’know? Every so often, there’s a legitimately dissatisfied player.

If you really want to lodge a solid complaint, you need to identify if what you want is an actual change or you just want to vent.

Too often in guilds, players are exposed to people complaining about something.

Maybe it’s someone’s performance.

It could be their lack of attendance.

Perhaps the raid just takes too long to get going.

You know, if you’re looking to secure some kind of change in policy or the way things are done, then effective complaining is called for. If it’s for the second reason (emotional comfort), then really, all you’re looking for is someone to listen to you.

My advice? If you’re going to complain because you want something done differently, figure out exactly what your end game is. The most ineffective complaint is the one where there’s no objective.

What is the end result of your complaint?

Here’s some examples:

  • Consistent faster pulls
  • Less off-topic discussion during raid
  • More booze during break

Once you figure out the outcome, identify the person capable of delivering it. You don’t harass the Warrior if you don’t have any food or water, right?
If I’m on the receiving end of a complaint, I instinctively put up walls because I know what’s coming. Being conscious of this, when I’m lodging a complaint to others (a legitimate one, mind you), I make an effort to be calm and polite.*

Ask yourself this.

Are you looking for results or the satisfaction of being right?

* My friends have picked up on this. When they notice I‘m super extra nice, they immediately get suspicious.

When following through with your complaint, start off with a cushion. This is a statement that prevents your target from feeling that they’re being attacked. Follow it up the meat and potatoes which contains the concern that you want resolved. Then finalize it with a statement proving that you’re not crazy or insane. You want that statement to prove that you are a reasonable person who would greatly benefit from the assistance.

Here’s a fictitious example:

Problem: Concerned about excess, off-topic chatter during a raid.
Solution: Additional focus on the encounters that matter

“Hey Jarvis,

I appreciate the hard work and energy you expend running the raid. Our raid group is an energetic and talkative bunch of players. Can we get them to tone it down during progression boss encounters? The raid would proceed much smoother and efficiently allowing us to get out earlier and awarding everyone precious relaxation time.

Bonus: They get to socialize in a less pressured environment.”

Signed,
Buster

Let’s break it down.

I appreciate the hard work and energy you expend running the raid.

Jarvis is the raid leader. This guy puts up with just about everything and is the linchpin. He might not get too many pats on the back but this is your way of recognizing the little things he’s doing.

Our raid group is an energetic and talkative bunch of players.

You’re reframing and putting a positive spin on the problem. The raid tends to discuss stuff that’s not relevant to what’s going on. This could be due to excess energy or a lack of focus. But, hey, you don’t really know the root cause. Maybe they’re just hyper from all the gummy bears.

Can we get them to tone it down during progression encounters?

Now we’re getting to what you really want. For the sake of your sanity and to prevent yourself from verbally destroying someone, you’re asking the boss if he can do something to calm players down. Maybe all they need is a firm reminder. Who knows? You don’t care how it’s done as long as it’s done. I will add that it’s a nice touch to offer a solution or two that you feel might work.

The raid would proceed much smoother and efficiently allowing us to get out earlier and awarding everyone precious relaxation time.

This is where you appeal to the rewards section. As my uncle Lawrence Reciprocicus always asks when someone calls on him for a favor, “What’s in it for me?”

You want to offer something mutually beneficial that your target would appreciate. In this case, a smoother raid and an earlier clear time.

Now the next time you feel the urge to throttle someone or want to stab a pen through your raid’s eyes, consider voicing your concerns to your leaders first. You gotta do it with discipline and serenity! Violence is never the answer!