Vyndree, Guilds, and Content

[Floxt]

the only time that i have ever really enjoyed being in a guild, was when game progression/goals weren't decided by being in them. i played asheron's call for years, and the guild system was totally different. it was actually more like being in a gang, to be honest. your guild tag decided who you would attack and wouldn't attack, and breaking the rules had repurcussions. this is in fact game drama, but it was "intentional." you could progress though the entire game on your own, or with all of your friends. didn't really matter either way.

the only guild that i have really enjoyed in wow was with real life friends. we didn't progress that far, but it was more fun and you didn't have to worry about being betrayed by your friendly guildmates. there are just too many opportunities for faceless morons to screw you over for purple pixels in raid guilds.

[Quix]

I was a member of a pretty hardcore PVP guild from other games (U.O., SHadowbane). I firmly believe that this guild was killed by WOW raiding Setup & loot mechanics.

After 3 years of WoW Most of the guys are still playing,ostensibly because they are waiting for the next big PVP game, but hardly talk to each other anymore.

It was sad to watch online friendships that had lasted for 5+ years across 3 different games fall apart in the 1st 3 months of wow.

[Vyndree]

I'm curious, did your guild leader/raid leader ask you to respec enchancement or was that something you decided on yourself? (didnt seem clear in your blog)

I was specifically asked to gear myself up as much as possible for enhancement for Tuesday's raid on the previous Thursday.

I have never been remotely interested in enhancement prior to being asked to gear for it. Which is why the only items I had were kara boots that someone looted to me instead of d/e'ing on accident, the offhand from ZA since it dropped and our fury warrior had been farming it for weeks (fun to put in the "do not trade" window), and the decapitator... because it's always fun to throw an axe at something.

[aetherg]

Ideally you gear out the undergeared tank, sure. But, 99% of the time, the geared tank is going to get pissed off that a new scrub who's only come to two raids just got the one item that he's been waiting 2 months for. And he isn't entirely unreasonable in doing so. Who knows whether the new guy will even stay with the guild? Maybe he's just showing up for the first couple of weeks, then he's going to go casual? You never know; all you know is that one tank has been to every raid, and really supported the guild (hence having a ton of DKP), and one hasn't.

DKP isn't used because it's the best way to gear out a raid; everyone recognizes that it isn't. It's used to promote the idea of participation = loot. It makes life much easier (drama-wise) for the officers who are volunteering a lot of time and effort, and get absolutely nothing in exchange.

[Gadzooks]

Hello, first time post, long time lurker, battle scarred WOW Forums MB defender...

Honestly, guild drama is one of the main reasons I'm multiboxing. I'm only dual boxing right now, but later in the year I want to expand, with 5 being my goal. I was in a guild on Dragonblight from the first couple of months of the game being released (I forget when, but I met them in an Uldaman pug), up until last January, when it finally gasped it's last. I felt like I'd lost a family, when that happened. We were a VERY casual guild, and if you wanted to raid, you could leave, and come back when you wanted. We had a guild alliance that got us to MC, too.

After that, I tried a few guilds with a couple of friends from that guild, and I just have to say, most guilds are either real life friends, and as a newbie you feel like a total fifth wheel, or it's constant drama and the MT leaving and fighting and bickering and endless politics. I play this game to relax, not mimic work!

So I pvped for a while, really got into it, got pretty good too, but then felt that same bad attitudes creeping into BGs - the same constant complaining, whining, politics, being insulted when we lost, being insulted for trying to win...I just snapped, and did'nt play for 2 weeks.

I thought it over, and gave it one more try. I had a couple of alts I wanted to level, so I decided to MB.


I'm hooked. I don't have to pug, I have my OWN guild, thankyewverymuch* (best 20 gold I ever spent), and I'm enjoying the game like i did when it first came out. Forget guilds, they're just either glorified pugs that fall apart when the epics stop flowing, or they're cliques that most of time you don't want anything to do with anyway. Now I log on, close the chat window, and play, stress free...well, except when my druid and mage get pwned by those fricking oozes in The Hinterlands. I mean, WTF, they're made of JELLO, but they hit like a truck!


*This is for Vyndree - the guild is called "Cake Or Death" - that might give you a BIG hint who I am.

[Kel]

Just read Vyndree's blog and that is despicable treatment from a guild (and guild leader).

As to the guild/raiding situation as a whole in wow I have hope that it's not all bad. I do think that the large numbers of players needed cause issues, at the same time I think the feel of 25 man content is more intense than 10 man content (I don't pine for the 40 man days though as at my level of raiding that was probably at least 10-15 slackers each raid, now it's more like 3-5).

I'm an officer in a fairly casual raiding guild (SSC and TK 3 nights a week) and it's hard sometimes to balance the dedication needed in raids to actually make progress whilst keeping it 'fun' for people. That being said I like to think that we're a lot more understanding with people's feelings and the effort they put into raids (I'd never treat anyone how Vyndree was treated there).

I enjoy all aspects of the PVE part of the game, but I don't think I'd ever be a 'hardcore' raider. I like 25 mans for the challenge and sense of achievement, but for just plain having fun and relaxing I much prefer 5 man instances.