Raid Etiquette

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SleezeR
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Raid Etiquette

Post by SleezeR »

Although much of the information here is out of date due to our new raiding system it is nonetheless a useful and entertaining guide on how you should act while raiding. Obviously there is no -DKP anymore, but if you annoy the people you raid with then you many not be invited back.

Greentitch


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So, you are planning to venture into the dark, deep cave that is WoW raiding? Be not too hasty to make such a decision, the path to complete raid preparation is not a short one (infact, it's a very short one), nor is it easy (infact, it's downright simple). But before we start, here's a few other threads that you might find useful:
Required Programs and Addons

Before you even plan to raid, make sure you have all the required programs and addons installed, configured and have the basic ability to use them.
  • TeamSpeak - A voice-comm program. The connection details can be found in the guild info tab in game.

    If you need a bit more information on how to configure TeamSpeak check the Required Mods/Setup page. Note that you do not need to be able to talk on TeamSpeak or even own a microphone, but you do need to have the program installed, running and connected before the start of the raid so that you can hear the raidleader(s). As soon as you've got this working perfectly, you're ready to partake to the next step of the quest to raiding perfection!
  • oRA2 / CTRA - These raid interface addons can drastically improve your raiding performance. They add new shiny features to the raiding experience and allow the raid leaders to run the raid more smoothly! Which one you install is entirely up to you, but only install one - installing both could have unexpected results. Ensure that once installed you check regularly for updates, especially after a patch, or you may find they stop working or cause error messages. You must have one of these addons installed, running and up-to-date before the start of the raid.
And that was all the required programs and addons; that wasn't too much now was it?


Recommended addons

These addons are recommended and do not need to be installed, but you may find they help make your raiding experience more successful. Of course, people who tend to have high latency or a low framerate will not benefit by slowing things down further with more addons.
  • DeadlyBossMods - This addon helps simplify boss fights by providing clear warnings and timers for the various phases and abilities you'll encounter. For more information on exactly what benefits it brings have a read of the website.
  • Omen / KTM - Both of these are threatmeters, but of course you should not install both - one will be plenty. It's debatable whether Omen is better than KTM or whether KTM can beat the crap out of Omen, but they'll both show your current threat in relation to the boss and tank. So watch it if you're a DPSer!
  • Decursive - Helps with removing curses, poisons, diseases and so on from the raid.
So, that's about all the recommended addons I can think off right now. I'm sure there are plenty more but you should really try and play around a bit with various UI setups and see what works best for you. For a more complete list of recommended addons check out the sticky post on the Mods & UI Discussion forum.


Signing Up To Raids

When all that is done you're about ready to start signing up to raids. As you should all be aware, raid signups are done via our DKP site. Let's take a closer look at the signing process.

Our general raiding schedule is:
  • Wednesday 20.30 – 00.00 Server Time
  • Thursday 20.30 – 00.00 Server Time
  • Friday 20.30 – 00.30 Server Time
  • Saturday 14.30 – 18.30 Server Time
  • Sunday 14.30 – 18.30 Server Time
Chances are we'll have a raid on Saturday and Sunday evening as well, and possibly even Monday or Tuesday. If we are it'll be on the Raid Planner. If it's not on there please don't spam guildchat asking for a raid.

It's important to note that the times stated on the Raid Planner are UK time, not Server time. This is stated quite clearly on the Planner on every raid. You must add one hour to the times stated to get the Server time.

When signing to a raid you have three different options "Sign Up", "Not Sure" and "Unsign". Here's what each of those options means:
  • Sign Up - I am 100% certain that I will be online and free at the Invite Time and can stay in the raid until the Finish Time.
  • Not Sure - I am not 100% certain that I will be online and free at the Invite Time, or I cannot stay in the raid until the Finish Time. I have given my reasons in the notes section.
  • Unsign - I am 100% sure that I will not be available for this raid.
It is very important that you choose the correct option. If you choose "Sign Up" it is expected that you will be available for invites at the Invite Time and will stay in the raid until the Finish Time - you will be penalised if you don't show up or leave early. If you're not sure whether or not you'll be available, or if you won't be able to stay until the stated "Finish Time" for any reason you should sign as "Not Sure" and enter your reasons in the notes section.

If the Guild is planning to have two different raids at the same time, use "Sign Up" for your preferred raid and "Not Sure" for your second choice. Do not use "Sign Up" for both raids.

If you expect to have to leave a raid early always notify the Raid Leader when you're invited, even if you mentioned it in your raid note. Start looking for a suitable replacement half an hour in advance of the time you expect to leave and make sure that your replacement is heading towards the raid entrance in time to replace you. Try and time this so that the swap over is not done during boss fight attempts or other inconvenient times.

So let's keep it short and simple:
  • Sign Up: You can stay for the whole raid
  • Not Sure: You cannot stay for the whole raid or are not certain if you can make it
  • Unsign: You will simply not be present
Also, make sure you select the correct character from the dropdown menu when signing. Do not sign with one character and expect to be able to raid with another! It is not the same! Finally, if you know you're going to have a lousy internet connection during the raid please do not sign up. Having someone disconnecting constantly isn't a great thing and can easily cause unnecessary wipes.


Consumables and Reagents

The day approaches of your raid, so let's take a look what stock you should buy.

Reagents and consumables are the bread and butter of every raid. If someone fails to bring enough mana potions or resurrection reagents it could be a certain wipe, and keeping the entire raid waiting while you hearthstone back to a city to pick these things up is not going to make the rest of the raid very happy with you.

As a simple rule of thumb, use this:
  • All classes should bring 10 or more Super Health Potions
  • Mana-based classes should bring 10 or more Super Mana Potions
  • DPS classes should bring 20 or more Heavy Netherweave Bandages
  • Classes that use reagents should bring enough to comfortably last the entire raid
  • Don't forget to bring other consumables such as food, potions, flasks, etc
  • Remember that it's always better to have too many consumables than too few
A more detailed list of exactly what consumables and reagents are required for each class can be found here.


Repairs

Always be fully repaired when you start a raid. Fully repaired means all items on 100% durability, so double-check this before you start making your way to the raid entrance.

You must also have enough gold on you to repair yourself fully at least once during the raid. Gold is a requirement for raiding - if you don't have enough for your own repairs you are not fully prepared for the raid! Daily quests should give you more than enough gold to cover your repair costs.

If the raid wipes enough times that repairs are required a repair bot will be summoned. If this happens everyone must repair, even if your armour is not completely broken. Repair using the bot and remember that the newer model of repair bot sells reagents so restock when you have the chance.

If you die more frequently than the rest of the raid your equipment may become broken while everyone else is still fine. If this happens inform the Raid Leader - do not hearthstone to repair! They will tell you what to do and may summon a repair bot to prevent the raid from being delayed by your inability to stay alive.


"The Unwritten Rules" - Now Written

The Guild has one written rule - Don't Be A Dick. But there are plenty of unwritten rules that should be common sense. In case you can't work them out yourself, here are some pointers:
  • Don't overDPS - you won't get any healing, healers prefer a dead DPS to a dead tank
  • Don't let a friend play your account - we invited you to the raid, not your friend
  • Use a fucking Push-to-Talk button on TS - we don't want to hear your breathing and echoes

Raid Behaviour - Before The Raid

Remember: raiding is not something you do alone. It involves loads of organization, patience and teamwork. Behaving appropriately during raids makes everything smoother - behaving like a jerk will only piss everyone else off.

Before the invites
  • Look at the Raid Planner for the Invite and Start times - you should not need to ask when the raid will start. If you signed up you should already know and if you didn't sign up it's unlikely that you'll be joining the raid anyway.
  • Don't spam guildchat asking about the raid - invites will happen as soon as the Officers have sorted out who is going to be invited and not before.
  • Do not private message an Officer asking about the raid - Officers are busy enough to organising the raid, harrassing them will only lower your chances of getting an invite.
Invite time
  • When the officers report that it's time for invites you should immediately leave any group you're in and get ready to be invited.
  • Be sure that you're fully repaired and have restocked your consumables and reagents as outlined above.
  • Do not wait for a summon, start making your own way to the appropriate raid instance. It is not always possible to summon everyone to the instance so if you fail to make your way there you may be replaced.
  • If you fail to be online or are AFK or busy at the invite time you will probably lose your raid spot.
Please note signing as "Sure" does not guarantee you a raid slot. Raid slots are decided by a complicated method including the balancing of roles/classes and the use of rolls and ranks. This is not an instant process and, especially with 25-man raids, it can take some time. The Officers ask you to be patient and observe that the more time they spend answering questions the longer it will take. It may also annoy the Officer, putting your spot in the raid in jeopardy.


Raid Behaviour - During The Raid

Congratulations, you are raiding. But always remember rule #1 of the guild: Don't Be A Dick.

Behaviour towards players

The players you play the game with are not just unknown gamers from a galaxy far, far away. They are your Guildies and deserve all the respect you can give them. Each and every one enjoys the game to his or her own level and is willing to help the Guild progress. But that doesn't mean that one cannot be irritated at someone else. If you manage to wipe the raid by doing something stupid, people are bound to be rather upset. Always apologise if you cause a wipe.

Behaviour towards gameplay

All of the raid instances require skilled teamwork in order for them to be cleared. This means that everyone does as they are told. Follow the kill order as stated by the Raid Leader. Do not break Crowd Control before the tank does it, even if it is the only mob left! Do not loot corpses while in combat or whilst other players are dead. If the raid wipes listen to the Raid Leader carefully about whether you should corpse run. If told to corpse run please do it quickly - do not go AFK and do not expect summons or resurrections. Likewise, if you are told not to corpse run please don't as it can cause problems with resurrections. You are free to comment on the raid tactics and to give advice and suggestions to other players regarding playstyle, but beware that giving advice is not the same thing as being a know-it-all.

Behaviour towards the Raid Leader

The Raid Leaders donate their time and effort to lead raids. Being a Raid Leader is far more difficult and stressful than joining a raid run by someone else. Do not harass them by whispering them or asking what you're supposed to be doing. If you have any questions regarding the raid ask it in /raid or ask your Class Lead or any other experienced player from your class what you're supposed to do. If you need to go AFK first consider if we are able to continue without you. Going AFK directly before or during boss attempts is not allowed and will result in severe DKP penalties or your removal from the raid. Also consider how long you need to be AFK for. Do not expect to be allowed to go AFK for more then a few minutes - keeping the entire raid waiting while you walk the dog is simply not acceptable. Get your chores done before the raid starts. If you need to nip away for a few seconds, for example to answer the phone, inform your Class Lead or the Raid Leader – this is especially important if you are expected to do an important function on the next few groups such as tanking or crowd control.

Looting

First of all, as previously mentioned, you should never loot a corpse in combat. On bosses, wait for the Raid Leader or Master Looter to loot the corpse - never loot while someone is dead or disconnected. Loot distribution is done by DKP - you can find the DKP rules and more information here. If you want to bid on an item you must type your bid in /raid. Never Need or Greed on any Epics, Rares or patterns unless specifically told to do so by the Raid Leader or Master Looter - if you want the item then wait for bids, if you don't want the item then Pass. You can Greed on most uncommons (green items).

Raid over

Be sure to act politely and thank the raidleader for the raid. Mages should organise a Portal and remain in the raid group until everyone has used it.


Final Words

There, Padawan, if you've read this all through and comprehend everything, you're ready to start raiding. Enjoy the PvE aspect of WoW and remember: Take all things in moderation, even World of Warcraft!
- Sleezer the Student at Faculty of Arts, Leuven! Status: broke.
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Commando
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Post by Commando »

Many thanks to Sleezer for an excellent raiding and etiquette guide. :)
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Commando, Scytale, Leto, Yueh, Thufir, Chani
Greentitch
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Post by Greentitch »

And to Commando for having mad forum formatting skillz! :)
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