Danger Of Folks Going Solo

So the beloved WoW blogger Greedy Goblin wrote a post at the end of last month talking about how players don't really need to join a decent guild to get gear any more. Instead, it could be beneficial for many folks to simply /gquit and start PuGing (Pick-up Grouping) with others, so long as everyone in these so-called 'independent' raids play competently.

I totally agree with him.


Moreover, this is a prime time for guild leaders to start reconsidering their position in the WoW community. Do you call your fine establishment a 'raiding guild' but are still stuck in Naxxramas? Then you're not a raiding guild. You are a social guild that holds the odd expedition into a glorified heroic dungeon. That may sound a little harsh, but I can guarantee it's exactly what your members are thinking.

How is any of this relevant?

Instances are getting easier. If you're running nine other people through Naxx' every night while cracking the whip and screaming down your mic on TeamSpeak, people are going to start quitting. No one has to put up with that sort of crap when they can go solo, join a PuG and make more personal progress in one night than your guild did in weeks. Unless you're raiding Ulduar, lay off pressuring your subordinates into doing better. Give them the freedom to join other groups if the opportunity comes up. Hell, if members are getting badges then they're getting better gear - gear that can be used to further your guild's advancement.

Always be aware of changing attitudes and shift your guild's direction accordingly. I know role-playing guilds have started raiding now because it's so easy. If you're all, 'OMG GUYIZ THATS THE FRIFTENNNTH BILLION THYME WE'VE WIPPED ON SPIDER QUARTER IM GONNA KILL YOU ALL AND EAT YOUR BRAINS AND SHIT THEM OUT AND SEND THEM TO YR MOMMA!' then people aren't going to stand for it. Obviously your class-combination composition is off and it's your job (or your raid leader's) to fix it. Acting like giant arachnids (or sentient fungi, or uber-charged Deathknights etcetera) are the biggest deal in the world is just going to lose you friends, especially as there's PuGs clearing this sort of content while half the raiders are stoned.

As I've said many times before, folks will stick around even if your raiding isn't up to scratch, so long as they hold a social attachment to the guild. However, if there's no emotional investment there (probably down to you being a raging douchebag) then your members will do what any sane person would: They'll add all the buddies they have in the guild to their friends list and quit. Blizzard has empowered the individual with the addition of badges and us guild leaders no longer hold influence over peeps because we offer fair loot distribution and regular raiding. We must offer a deeper and more fulfilling experience. At the very least, keep /gchat clean of idiocy and spam so members can raid in peace on their own.

In summary:

• People are now more willing to raid solo more than ever.

• Stop pushing for results if you haven't got any for a long time and give members the freedom to go off and do their own thang.

• Once people have badge loot, then consider taking on Ulduar as a guild.

[No real image credits this week; I screen-grabbed from GG's blog.]

On The Gear Myth

I've been reading a lot of the Greedy Goblin recently. It's a fantastic World of Warcraft blog run by a certain popular writer. From what I can decipher, the site started out as a money-making guide but has developed into a place to highlight the social faux pas most WoW players carry out on a daily basis.


A recent reoccurring topic is that of gear. Our new friend Mr Goblin believes that gear is overrated. For months I've told you that gear is important but attitude should always take priority. Gevlon's successful 10-man run on Ulduar with nothing but blues and buffs furthers my own argument. Gear (or lack thereof) has become the root of a psychological mindfuck since Wrath was released. It's possible to take on Naxxramas in level 80 greens but no raid leader in their right mind would let you try it. Why not?

Well if you ask any of these raiders, they'll claim being under-equipped will drag the entire team down. This isn't necessarily true. The first time I ran Naxx' successfully I was barely able to complete heroics. This isn't Burning Crusade and the top loot is simply no longer required to participate in raids. Instead, good gear represents something. It says you're willing to commit time and effort into attaining the very best for your character. To some it's a big, glowing sign which points at your head and reads 'I AM NOT A SLACKER!'. The same goes for achievements and how they symbolise experience. However, both of these aspects have workarounds for the cunning, from linking weapons you see from /inspecting in Dalaran to utilising crafty addons. Many people should have realised these methods of evaluation are downright outdated. It's laziness on the part of a group or guild recruiter to simply demand links to stuff and not think beyond that. This ridiculous trend continues and unfortunately will do so into the next expansion.


Gear is a paradox. Person A may be undergeared for the instance but they'll try twice as hard to compensate for that. Person B may be overgeared and believes the dungeon or raid is below their skill level. They don't try as hard as Person A and therefore risk undermining the entire run. How many people do you know who believe themselves to be competently geared and yet can't even clear Old Kingdom on heroic mode? Compare this with Gevlon's successful Ulduar group where everyone was undergeared by 50% but put in 150% effort.

I'm not saying one highly-publicised example of overcoming the odds reflects the playerbase at large. Only a fool would suggest we all rush out and take on instances wearing absurdly bad armour. At the end of the day gear matters because it allows you and I to make more mistakes. When I tank I like to give the healers a safety net by having a large pool of HP. If they miss an opportunity to top-up my health there's less chance I'm going to be one-shotted. This is simple logic and remains the key reason why all of us should still appreciate gear. It's just important to bare in mind that owning epics isn't the be-all and end-all of raiding. As guild leaders it's our imperative to remember that skill is always going to be more important than seeking out idiots with achievements.


In summary:

• Don't underestimate the skill of your players.

• Better to bring along the guy with skill and passion than the bloke with apathy and gear.

• A combination of a great attitude and good gear is what you should aim for.

[Image props go to both the Greedy Goblin and Ixobelle!]