quick update
2/9/09
So, so much has happened over the last 2 months I can't even begin to describe. This is just a short post with a crude video I recorded of my (new) guild downing Sarth with 3 Drakes - "the hardest encounter in 3.0.8"
Excuse random sounds/coughing you may hear in the video >.> Wegame apparently records sounds coming out of my mic.
A much more in-depth post coming hopefully later this week.
And again, sorry for the inactivity! Glad I'm getting things under control though.
Labels: dark iron, elumine, hunter, os3d, pve, raid, raiding, sartharion, shadow syndicate, ss, survival
Loot Rules + Aina in Northrend
12/31/08
Aina (Janishta) bashes heads with someone ("xxx") on AIM over loot rules.
xxx (2:09:09 AM): i think the whole dkp system is overrated and antiquated, but hey, it seems that some people still feel the need to hold fast to some aspects of the old 40 man raids
Janishta (2:09:22 AM): I support EPGP
Janishta (2:09:54 AM): I'd rather have a good group to raid with rather than QQing about how unfair the loot system is
xxx (2:09:57 AM): its a ghost of the 40 man days
Janishta (2:09:59 AM): at least it's not loot council or favoritism
Janishta (2:10:02 AM): I don't care.
Janishta (2:10:08 AM): I can't have everything
Janishta (2:10:13 AM): so I'm gonna pick what I value most.
xxx (2:11:15 AM): maybe someday you will understand, understand just what dkp can do to a guild
xxx (2:11:44 AM): and what it can do to people involved with it
Janishta (2:12:03 AM): I
Janishta (2:12:04 AM): have
Janishta (2:12:05 AM): been
Janishta (2:12:05 AM): in
Janishta (2:12:06 AM): many
Janishta (2:12:07 AM): guilds
Janishta (2:12:07 AM): with
Janishta (2:12:08 AM): many
Janishta (2:12:09 AM): different
Janishta (2:12:10 AM): loot
Janishta (2:12:10 AM): systems.
Janishta (2:12:14 AM): I
Janishta (2:12:15 AM): did
Janishta (2:12:15 AM): not
Janishta (2:12:16 AM): say
Janishta (2:12:17 AM): I support
Janishta (2:12:18 AM): dkp
Janishta (2:12:19 AM): .
xxx (2:14:22 AM): i just hope you do come to understand why I have my stance on DKP and all of its derivative looting and raid attendance systems
Janishta (2:14:55 AM): I don't know where you got the idea that I have any problem with you not liking DKP or JR's rules.
xxx (2:15:24 AM): its not about that
Janishta (2:15:28 AM): ...
xxx (2:16:34 AM): what I am saying is this, DKP and all similar forms of looting priority systems need to be retired, period
Janishta (2:16:51 AM): good luck making that happen.
xxx (2:17:54 AM): what I instead support is a probation period/ necessity system
Janishta (2:18:24 AM): necessity system?
xxx (2:19:03 AM): loot distribution would be based on main spec and comparison of raider's gear
Janishta (2:19:19 AM): Loot council without the theoretical bias.
xxx (2:19:44 AM): basically
Janishta (2:20:01 AM): Name the guild that made you decide this is the loot system of choice.
xxx (2:21:00 AM): the person with the weakest piece of gear vying for the upgrade gets the loot, of course this will hold true only if they have proven themselves productive in the guild
xxx (2:22:02 AM): no guild has actually run this system, ive just dealt with dkp, epgp, and many similar systems like it that have made me decide this is the best approach to things
Janishta (2:22:30 AM): Ideally yes
Janishta (2:23:35 AM): If you want to run a guild and keep tabs on who has actually put in the effort and deserves/needs the loot most, go ahead. You're going to get a shitton of grumbling from the players who attend every raid and did their heroics.
xxx (2:23:36 AM): the way this would work though is those vying for the piece of loot post what they are currently wearing in raid chat and the decision is made according to who would need the piece the most
Janishta (2:24:17 AM): Something called reality has made me stop being an idealist.
xxx (2:24:42 AM): dkp and crap like it desroys guilds, causes drama
Janishta (2:25:16 AM): It depends on the members too
xxx (2:25:24 AM): ive seen atleast 6 guilds ripped apart over arguing about dkp, epgp an similar systems
Janishta (2:25:33 AM): Then those guilds failed
Janishta (2:26:14 AM): You'd think there's a REASON why guilds still use DKP/EPGP systems. If it really sucked so much, wouldn't all the DKP/EPGP guilds be disbanded and people flocking to "new age" guilds that use your ideal system?
xxx (2:27:22 AM): as i said, theyre clinging to old methods that really have no place in the game since the raid groups were downsized
Janishta (2:27:50 AM): On the contrary I think the smaller raid sizes have helped keep them alive
xxx (2:27:55 AM): these systems were perfect for 40 man raids because of the sheer size of each raids
Janishta (2:27:57 AM): There's less people vying for loot
xxx (2:27:59 AM): raid*
Janishta (2:28:13 AM): It's not so "THE RULES" anymore
Janishta (2:30:15 AM): I'm not saying everyone, but in JR there exists something called the officer override in which an officer decides someone should get the loot instead of whoever has the most dkp. This is done openly in raid chat and only with good reason. It's usually backed and agreed upon by the majority of the guild
Janishta (2:30:22 AM): But for the most part
Janishta (2:30:25 AM): people aren't douches.
Janishta (2:30:38 AM): If someone really wants something
Janishta (2:30:46 AM): or a piece of loot is a HUGE upgrade for them
Janishta (2:30:55 AM): then hell we'll pass so he can get it
Janishta (2:31:27 AM): As to the issue of guild hoppers and new members
Janishta (2:31:40 AM): We've had a core group for quite a while.
Janishta (2:31:59 AM): Our ability to cooperate and not raise drama or be selfish over loot has been tested over time
Janishta (2:32:16 AM): people who don't fit in/don't meet our requirements either gquit or are kicked.
Janishta (2:32:38 AM): Those that do are welcomed rather quickly imo and no drama arises.
Janishta (2:32:54 AM): I don't think it's the -BEST- system but we have class leads
Janishta (2:33:04 AM): From what I'm aware of
Janishta (2:33:13 AM): within each class the members are pretty close-knit
Janishta (2:33:31 AM): There's competition between classes, ie hunters and rogues/dps warriors
Janishta (2:33:57 AM): but it's really just not worth raising drama about.
Janishta (2:34:16 AM): Nobody is "alone" in the guild
Janishta (2:34:28 AM): Every other raider is not "against you"
xxx (2:35:28 AM): ive just seen so many meltdowns over number based loot systems, thats all
xxx (2:37:17 AM): the drama has left a ver bad taste in my mouth regarding them
xxx (2:37:24 AM): very*
Janishta (2:38:07 AM): You've got your fixed notions so I'm not going to keep ranting to a deaf wall. It works for JR, it works for our members, it has worked, when it stops working we'll adopt a new system out of necessity. We can all have our own views on loot systems, although I still don't get why your person bad experiences should mean that all guilds that aren't ideallistic in your eyes should be condemned. It's like saying the "A B C D" grading system should go because it doesn't differentiate between someone who got a 100% and a 89.5% but does 89.5% and 89.4%. I've had my GPA fucked over by 0.1% in the past, and so have many people, but I highly doubt it's gonna be changed.
On another note! I am back. The last month and a half has been very interesting, starting with wide-eyed oogling at the pretty Northrend zones (I wasn't selected for the beta, so it was all new for me,) playing around on my Death Knight, then a heavy levelling crunch to get to 80. I didn't level very fast, but I paced myself and levelled at a steady pace. I hit 80 in about 10 days, just in time to snag some gold from my guild's levelling contest. I skipped Sholazaar Basin after getting very lucky with finding Loque, and finally hit 80 on my last few quests in Storm Peaks.I could write a guide on where to level, but there's tons of guides like that as it is. All I'll say is this -- start in either Borean Tundra or Howling Fjord, then go to Dragonblight, and then Grizzly Hills. After that it's up to you whether you want to go to Sholazaar (it's like Un'goro) or Zul'Drak. Icecrown and Storm Peaks are also up to you, depending on whether you like dark blue or light purple landscapes.
There are some pretty awesome storylines that you'll see in LK, one culminating in a very nice cinematic. Along with this comes something else in WotLK - changing non-instance zones. You'll notice this most prominently in Storm Peaks and the Shadow Vault in Icecrown. As you complete quests, the NPCs and in some places also the scenery change to reflect your progression in the "story." It led to some confusion when I tried to meet up with guildies at one of these zones and she hadn't completed the quests up to where I was yet, though.
Storm Peaks also introduces the second "enter this zone and change into something else" type concept in an xpac, the first being the Dragonmaw Orcs in Shadowmoon Valley. This time you turn into a giant blue warrior lady.
Just as I did shortly after hitting 70, a few days after I became 80, I attended my first raid. What can I say? It's Naxx. My gear has changed a lot, and I now have but one piece of non-80 loot remaining: my cloak. I have gone from BC colours (green, brown, gold, and red) to Black and Gold. Things are changing -- I may be getting a new title soon.
p.s. as a response to my previous post - things are improving, depending on how you look at it. My 10-man group isn't motivated enough to knock our heads against Malygos more than a few attempts a week, and lord knows we're not gonna down him this way. But on the other hand, my gear is pretty decent now and is almost up to pre-Ulduar standards. Lag has been raping many guilds that raid during our times in Naxx, slowing our progress. I'm on pretty smooth terms with everyone in the guild now, though, and the folks who put me on standby the first week of 10 mans are now thankful for my DPS.
Labels: dkp, epgp, Jolly Rogers, loot, raid, raiding, rules, wrath of the lich king
complications
11/26/08
why do I even put up with this shit?
So today I basically got hardcore stomped on by the people in charge. We were short a healer for Naxx10, so I asked a friend on my buddylist if she'd like to help heal. She comes, she heals. Guess what? The GM then says that I can't raid, because I logged on 17 minutes late... yesterday. I don't get any credit for helping refer my healer friend to the raid. To quote a friend's example, it's like inviting someone to a BT raid because the player has shadow resist cauldrons, and after everyone's looted SR potions, that person gets kicked because they're not needed any more.
Several people have been trying to tell me that hey, it's no big deal, as soon as there are enough people the guild will just do 25 mans instead -- a situation where DPS spots aren't so damn limited.
True, but that's not the point. I'm appalled and disgusted by how political and unreasoningly the raids and by extension the guild is being run. There was some shit that happened post-patch that caused a stir in the guild, but that has been seemingly forgotten -- or it's not mentioned, in any case. I have seen no improvements.
I consider myself a very loyal guildie and raider, and I always try my best to not screw up. But.. this time, I'm not going to accept this. I take pride in my own reputation and performance in WoW, and I will not stoop down to being a standby raider for trivialities that are really nothing but excuses. I will attempt to help further my guild's goals yes, but only if the guild has earned and continues to keep my respect. If they didn't want me in the raid from the start, why should I come begging for a spot later, when one of the other raiders has to go or they've finally admitted I do better DPS?
I don't want consolation. I won't listen to rebukes. This is a rant, pure and simple, and a raider's outcry against the shit that she sees going on around her.
p.s. I'm sorry for not posting any real blogs -- it has been hectic lately.
Labels: ethics, guild, Jolly Rogers, raiding, rant
Better than You
11/15/08
This is a rant.
As you all know, there are many different types of guilds on WoW. There are hardcore, high-end raiding guilds. There are mid-core high-end raiding guilds. There are casual raiding guilds. There are levelling guilds. There are PvP guilds. There are also guilds made of a group of close friends.
But what makes a guild a good guild? What makes a guild respected?
It certainly isn't just being the first/best at something. I haven't done an actual poll, but just keeping my ears open I've noticed that in general, people have a negative impression of the highest-progression raiding guilds on my server. I agree wholeheartedly - with high time-spent-playing requirements and gear requirements, it's hard for them not to come off as elitists. But lots of guilds have requirements.
This is where the second factor comes in: the players.
The way you act is an extension of the kinds of people a guild accepts in its ranks.
If every player I've met from a certain guild is elitist, quick to anger and talks trash? Well damn, guess what I think of your guild now.
Please people, if it's not worth it, stop dirtying other people's impressions of your precious high-end 1337 guilds. Thanks.
Labels: elitism, ethics, guild, rank, rant, respect
Unity & Change
11/7/08
WOTLK comes in less than a week!
I've been very busy and preoccupied lately with college apps, just staying up to date on things takes up most of my time hence new blog posts being few and far between.
Going back to the first sentence of this post -- I was really disappointed when I found out that I'd missed out on the chance to preorder a collector's edition of wotlk. My consolation is that I save 30-some dollars at the cost of a minipet.
I have unfortunately not been selected for wotlk beta. I have to wait til release to experience the new content, but on the flip side all my effort and enthusiasm will be poured into actual, live gameplay instead of on a beta server that will be wiped anyways.
I've already reserved a name for my DK -- hell, I've even started coming up with her biography already. >.>
...
The main reason I look forward to wotlk, however, is the promise of a change (be it good or bad) to the situation with Jolly Rogers. We've held up impressively in the face of expansionitis, maintaining 20+ raid attendance long after other guilds started slacking off. In the last week, however, it seems like we're finally falling prey to it too, among other things. Some of our raiders have left due to RL/financial issues, and another raider left because of drama that he started.
I've never been with a guild from beginning to end, but I've seen the fall of many guilds. Wotlk promises to spur some new action and hopefully prevent JR from stagnating.
Recent events, detailed on my art site, have caused a lot of unrest within the guild. I am as of now uncertain about my future in WoW - I definitely wish to continue raiding with familiar (and proven to be competent) faces however.
...
Today I left my guild on GuildWars. (Yes.. I play that too, just nowhere near as seriously as WoW) It was a very small guild, composed of mostly real life friends. Two members in particular made me sick, and today I just couldn't stomach it any longer.
(inc teenage rant. cover your eyes.)
You see, there's this girl. The only other girl in the guild. Then there's this guy, who coddles her and showers her with items and compliments whenever she does anything correctly. It's very one-sided. She didn't ever return any of the guy's favors--or affections. Several other members of the guild had confessed to finding it annoying, but didn't do anything about it. I find the girl somewhat intimidating. She is decidedly more 'girly' than me on vent, but ingame seems to lack any sort of humor whatsoever. I found it difficult to even type to her ingame. I suppose she didn't like me very much either. Girl hostility or something.
Long story short, today she started putting up an attitude in guild chat and butting into a gameplay-related conversation that I was having with the guy who likes her, and I just decided screw it. I gained no joy from being in this small guild.
I have always, and will continue to, rely on my own skill as a gamer to earn my place in a society of gamers. When people cheat the system, it makes me mad. Simple as that. Since my early MapleStory days, noman has ever given me any sort of freebie or special treatment based on my gender. Even though I would actually become offended if I was patronized and made exceptions for, seeing others receive such help will always be a pet peeve of mine.
I am now looking for a new American server PvE-oriented guild on GW. I'm not picky about the faction, although I favor the Luxons ever so slightly more.
When shit's going on, something has to change.
Labels: Jolly Rogers, raiding, rant, wotlk, wrath of the lich king
Loot, Achievement, Effort, Guild, Guildmates, and Self
10/24/08
Wednesday we downed Council for the first time. Thursday, Illidan followed suit.
I had the foresight to run Wegame and film as much of our attempts as I could. I was unable to catch the entire fight, but I have uploaded a part of it. In it you can see my UI in all its glitchy (especially the minimap) boss mod-less glory, me nearly going OOM, and Illidan rape, Hunter-style. It's worth noting that our Hunter class lead respecced to Marksman, and was not one of the top two shown on Recount.
Many of our guild's officers went on a T6-DKP-spending-spree, screenshots were taken, and us raiders got a shiny new Black Temple achievement for our effort. We are now setting our sights on Sunwell, and while none of us are overconfident about our ability to get to Kil'jaeden before xpac, we expect to get at least a boss or two down in the following weeks.
Amidst all this progress and hubbub, however.. I've told myself to slow down and think through everything that's going on. Playing a game, raiding on WoW, seems so simple in concept. Yet it is inevitably political and cliquey.
Why do people raid?
The simplest answer is of course, to have fun. But what, then, brings a person joy? I have known through my journey from a newly turned 70 to a BT (and soon SW!) raider several players who raided purely for self gain. Then there are the others who raid because they want to "experience all the content" that they paid for when buying and subscribing to WoW. Some people just like to see results. Others yet, and these people I admire, are dedicated members of a guild and seek to help the guild as a whole become greater. I've heard the claim many times but I've usually found ulterior motives. Raiding with and for your guildmates is sort of different, the main purpose then being to make as many people happy as possible.
I have said this in various forums, but I would personally rank my own reasons for raiding to be 30% loot, 20% progression/experience, and 50% social relations.
--5 am, will add more later--
Labels: black temple, ethics, guild, Illidan, Jolly Rogers, loot, purpose, raiding
haste, crit, and AP
10/14/08
Given that 3.0 (and no Auto Shot clipping!?!) is coming out in about half a day, I did some offhanded DPS testing at Dr. Boom in Netherstorm. (Great ranged DPS testing spot, I tell ya.)
I was curious to see how my various items would perform.
I switched between the Blade of Harbringers and Legacy. Haste and crit versus AP.
As for my trinkets, I switched Bloodlust Brooch and Hourglass of the Unraveller. AP versus crit + proc.
For the purpose of my test I didn't use any cooldowns, and used Aspect of the Viper so that I could get more (accurate) data without factoring in imp.AoH. I banged away at the elite with my 3.2 rotation until I went OOM.
Try 1 - Haste and AP (30.18% crit, 1849 AP) - 678 DPS - 33% crit with steady, 24% crit with auto
Try 2 - Haste and crit + proc (31.63% crit, 1777 AP) - 734 DPS - 36%,29% - trinket only procced twice
Try 3 - AP and AP (28.69% crit, 1861 AP) - 695 DPS - 31%,23%
Try 4 - AP and crit + proc (30.14% crit, 1789 AP) - 668 DPS - 23%,27% - trinket only procced once
Conclusion - The faster I shoot, the more chances I have for crit hits, and the higher chance that I'll proc the Hourglass.
Now, I'm sure there's calculation nerds out there who would disprove this. I can already see a flaw - my crit percentages are hellishly inconsistant. Try 2, while yielding highest DPS, also gave highest crit%. Thus I can't tell if the higher DPS is due to that really being the best gear combination or whether it was just luck. The other 3 tries showed no significant difference in DPS.
Labels: 2.4, AP, crit, dps, haste, hunter, maxdps, stats, theorycraft
IGN: Elumine