Expectations for Casual Raiding

Gentle readers, Crusader Manners is in the middle of a GM election. She is running against that pesky "None of the Above," but she working very hard to make sure that she is ready for the eventuality that she does not lose.

So today's post is something of an experiment. Crusader Manners is not a big fan of rules, per se. Rules imply external enforcement, which is unpleasant. She likes expectations, which require self-enforcement. So she has formulated the following expectations for casual raiding which should ease stress and increase performance, but she is soliciting feedback.

Expectations for Casual Raiding

1. We will have what we need. We will be in the right spec, wearing the right gear. We will be fully repaired. We will have our own potions, flasks, and elixirs. We will bring the proper reagents. We will have vendor food and drink in case there is no mage.
2. We will be on time. This means that we may have to log on before the posted raid time to make sure we have everything taken care of.
3. We will be gracious. If we have been on a raid already this week and someone else has not, we will consider making room for them.
4. We will be honest. If, in the analysis, we do not have the right gear or performance for a particular raid, we will voluntarily pass for a reserved spot on a less demanding one.
5. We will be prepared. We will read the wiki pages and watch the strategy videos in preparation for a raid. We will consider printing them out or taking notes so we have them at hand.
6. We will be awesome. We will be not raid while intoxicated, as this is not fair to the group. We will not cuss each other out during fights (we can take our fingers off the button and cuss away). We will offer constructive criticism.

As always, you may send your questions to crusader_manners@incendiaeternus.net for polite and sometimes timely answers.

General Guidelines for Understanding Death

Crusader Manners has noticed that when there is a death in the party, people are fond of assigning blame for that death. It is extremely rude to tell someone else they are at fault for your death when they are not, so keep the following helpful general rules of thumb in mind.

• If the tank dies, it is the healer's fault.
• If the healer dies, it is the tank's fault.
• If the DPS dies, it is their own fault.

Stay in range of the healer. Don't pull aggro off the tank, or before the tank is ready. And don't blame anyone else for your own mistakes.

How to Behave in a Random Group

• Wait a minute. When you get started running the instance, people might need a few seconds. Many healers do not hang around all the time in their healing gear and spec. Some people have discovered that wearing junk gear is a good way not to end up in HoR and need to put on the good stuff. Everyone might like to eat. Quickly confirm everyone's readiness before beginning.
  
• Everyone defers to the tank. It doesn't matter who the party leader is. DPS and healers should wait until the tank is ready to pull. They should stand where the tank indicates. And if the tank says they don't want to do an achievement, then that achievement isn't happening. Further, DPS should make a point to target what the tank is focusing on. Your death is your own fault if you don't.
• The tank defers to the healer. This means that the tank needs to keep an eye on the healer's mana and the chat pane. It is the tank's responsibility to make sure they aren't pulling while the healer is low on mana.
• Be polite. "Please," and "thank you," are important! Put them before and after every request. A polite party member is less likely to be kicked when they make a mistake than a rude one.
• Don't demand or nag. If you need something, ask for it once. If you think that your request got missed, it's okay to ask a second time, but no more than that.
• Don't cuss in party chat. It may not be a big deal for you, or in your house, but not everybody playing appreciates your profound obscenity. Again, a polite member is less likely to get kicked than a rude one.
• Don't be selfish. Only need things you need for your main set, and agreed upon items for your off-set. Nobody cares about your off-off-set. Do not hit need on orbs - unless you are using them to make an item for your main set, you don't actually need them any more than anyone else does. If someone asks to need an item for their off-set, let them. "Might use sometimes" should still trump "going to sell that to a vendor." Also remember that an instance is not a competitive event, it is a cooperative one. You don't win unless everyone else does.
  
• Don't quit. Unless you've agreed as a party to give up, dropping group is really rude. It sends the message that you don't value the time of others very much. If you think you will need to quit, warn or explain first. Example: "My mom hates it when I put her off. I may have to go," or "If we wipe one more time, I will not be able to afford this repair bill. I can't do this anymore."