Raiding Etiquette

Although we are not a raiding guild we have begun doing  a few raids (old and new content) , flex’s  etc ~ so….

 

Hey everyone,

This should be a clear guide for what to do if you want to raid.

 

1. Signing Up For Raids

If you want to raid, it’s a good idea to sign up. If you sign up, you’re expected to show up (unless you sign up as tentative) and stay online for the duration of the raid (usually 2-3 hours). If you sign up and can’t make it, then please let someone know beforehand, it helps a lot. Signing up does not guarantee you’ll be chosen to raid, it simply means that you plan to be online and ready at the time the invites go out. Once a full group is established, there will be a time to opt-out if others are available.

Also, please only sign up with the specific character you wish to raid with.

 

2. Be Prepared

You should always try to read boss strategies or watch videos before raids until you’re familiar with the fights. Some feel it is unnecessary because someone can always explain the fight. Explaining the fight and seeing the fight are entirely different. It isn’t that you can’t succeed by having it explained to you, but the explanations make a lot more sense when you’ve at least seen it once.

The YouTube channels “http://www.youtube.com/user/ZAMOfficial“, and “http://www.youtube.com/user/FatbossTV” have good videos for strategies.

 

Turn up equipped. This includes gems, enchants, flasks/elixirs, potions, scrolls, food, reagents, and being repaired. Buy anything you need ahead of time and not at the time of invites. Having to track down repairs, go to the AH, or run to your bank “really quick” takes longer than you think.

A good idea is to have a “raiding bag”. Keep a bag with an appropriate amount of food, flasks, reagents, off spec gear, etc. in your bank and switch it out right before invites.

 

If you want to go to a raid, you should plan ahead and make sure that you are not tied up with something when invites go out. A good rule of thumb is if you can’t finish up with what you’re doing 15 minutes before invite, don’t do it.

There will always be people who need summons to the stone and the first couple of people there should begin summoning once the group is established. It is a good idea to be at the stone at the time of invite. Do not wait for summons! First, it will impress the raid leaders that you are always ready. Second, you help get the raid going by doing the summoning.

 

3. During the Raid

First and foremost, normal guild rules apply – be polite and considerate to others, even if they just caused a wipe.

Secondly, as many people as possible should be on Mumble, particularly the raid leader.  The raid leader may need to explain the fight and give instructions during the fight, and it’s hard to do that while you’re on the boss.

 

Nothing is more frustrating to a raid leader than someone who doesn’t pay attention. When raid leaders speak you must listen. Pay attention! If you didn’t understand/hear the first time, ask for further clarification quickly.

An example of this is the Grand Widow Faerlina fight in Naxx. It seems that every time this fight is explained to new dps, at least one of those dps will kill the adds early because they didn’t hear they weren’t supposed to.

 

There’s a time and a place for screwing around in a raid. Joking around, goofing off, etc. during trash pulls or between pulls is usually perfectly acceptable. During and immediately before boss fights is not.

It’s because we need the channels clear to give orders as things progress. It’s hard to tell someone to get out of the fire, cast a battle-rez, pick up the mob that got away, or switch dps targets when people are chattering away.

 

If a raiding session goes on long, the raid leader will call for periodic breaks. If a raid leader hasn’t called a break, then don’t go AFK.

There are times when you will have to go AFK; someone’s at the door, phone calls, one child cracked another upside the head with a lightsaber, wife aggro, and the house is on fire are all legitimate reasons to go AFK. But there is an etiquette to AFK as well.

 

First, when announcing you need to go AFK, give a reason. I’m not asking for your personal history or disgusting details like “I have explosive diarrhea”. I just need a legitimate reason for why you’re going. No reason at all makes it difficult to predict when you’ll be back.

Second, when announcing you need to go AFK, give a realistic time frame. “brb” is not a time frame! “one sec” is not a time frame! Give a realistic amount of time. It’s amazing how many “brb”s turn into 20 minute AFKs.

Third, you need to understand that if you are going to go AFK longer than 5 minutes, you absolutely must let the raid know so they can decide whether to replace you or take a break. Flasks, elixirs, food buffs, and other buffs are burning! You’re wasting valuable time and it isn’t just 5 minutes. It’s 5 minutes multiplied by the number of people in the raid!

 

4. Wiping

Wiping is a normal (and often frustrating) part of raiding. You should expect to wipe at least once in every raid. You’d be surprised how often a top progression raiding guild will wipe per boss (personally I’ve seen 20+ wipes on one boss when Ulduar came out). This might make the raid longer than was originally intended, so please let the raid leader know beforehand if you cannot stay past the allocated time (usually 2-3 hours).

When a wipe happens, this is what you should do:

• Run back. Healers need mana too, and it is just easier all round.
• Group together, it makes buffing a lot easier.
• Eat the feast or your preferred food
• Buff
• Discuss the cause of the wipe.
• Everyone ask yourself ‘What can I do better?’. It doesn’t matter if you are carrying the raid, if there is something you can do better, then do it.
• If you caused the wipe, fess up. It makes it much easer for the raid leader. Either say what you are going to do next time, or ask for assistance.
• If someone did not do their role, call it, but be polite. If you are frustrated, you should whisper someone else (probably the raid leader).
• Everyone pay attention to how to prevent the wipe.

5. Winning!

Smell the roses. Enjoy the moment! Congratulate the group, and congratulate anyone who specifically showed improvement.

Allow others to enjoy the moment. If someone wants the screenshot, give it to them.

 

 

 

So hopefully that is a clear guide for anyone wanting to raid. If you disagree or have any issues with the above, please comment down below.

Thanks heaps!

Vil and Bill