Category Archives: Guilds

And Yet I’ve Got a Good Feeling About This

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As you all know, I made the most painful transition two days ago:

Character Transfer

Call me a traitor to the Horde if you wish, but for the last several weeks I felt that my fellow Hordies betrayed me, albeit not in a backstabbed-me-betrayed kind of way, but more of a you-let-me-down kind of way. What the heck was I supposed to do, stick it out for a million and a half more wipes while we scrambled to get reliable peeps? I knew the writing was on the wall when highly skilled puggies started refusing to raid with us, hell, didn’t want to do anything with our raid group. (“Bitches couldn’t down normal Elegon even if you decked them out in Heroic Elite gear,” said one, um, bitchy player.)

Plus: 1) I couldn’t bear to be in a guild where there were hardly any people online unless they planned to raid, and 2) One particularly mouthy guildie (Cloudrunner’s almost-namesake, that’s your clue) was getting on my nerves that I knew if I stayed longer, I would have blown a gasket and said something cruel on guild chat and I didn’t want to cause any guild drama.  Bla bla bla, yadda yadda yadda.

At the end of the day, it all boiled down to me being frustrated, so I left. I still feel a bit guilty for not saying a proper goodbye to my Raid Leader and GM; after all, they were very kind to me and I liked them a lot. But I figured it’s best to leave quietly rather than make a big production out of it. One friend said – jokingly, of course – that I could have left a note saying, It’s been fun, it’s been a blast / But raiding with you guys has been a pain in the ass. Nah, I don’t believe in adding insult to injury…or burning bridges.

Now moving on…

I customized my Human chick to mirror some of Cloudrunner’s features — dark blue hair, semi-stern expression — so I’d still be reminded of him. But now I have to get used to having T & A, not to mention child-bearing hips and a strange need to purchase some Spanx.

Missing him and dealing with new curves aside, I feel welcome in this guild where my hunter has been in for more than a year. They recently celebrated their fourth anniversary (FOURTH!) and they just keep growing and growing and downing current and old content with gusto and PvPing the hell out of the Horde. I have yet to be in a raid group but it’s nice to see that there are open raids for all. There are at least 20 people online each day, and on raid nights, attendance shoots up to around 50. You’d be hard pressed to feel lonely in this guild!

Yesterday, I did old Cataclysm raids which my GM organized on a whim. We half-assed our way through Heroic Bastion of Twilight and Heroic Blackwing Descent, and I had fun.

I had fun.

Gee, I haven’t said that in a long time.

Speaking about my GM, I have to say that, out of all the GMs I’ve had, this is one guy I privately hero-worship. I even wrote a post about him last year listing why I thought he was “da man”. And there’s something else about this guy: he makes me want to behave. I kid you not, he has this calming effect on me and his leadership makes me want to be a better player and person. He makes me want to stay for the long haul,too. Conversely, other GMs send me fleeing.

Fleeing

I don’t expect to be part of his alpha team soon, nor do I expect his raid leaders to just take me in and guarantee me a spot every week. I know I got to pay my dues first, prove what I can bring to the table, and show them I’m a reliable player. Other players would groan at the thought of starting from scratch again, but you know what? This is one transition where I am more than willing to work twice as hard to market myself as a team player. I’m in a happy place now (God, I hope I just didn’t jinx myself!) and I’ve got a good feeling about all this.

Next post: introducing my freshly-castrated DK and the inspiration behind her new name.

A One-Way Ticket to New Opportunities

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I’ve made my decision: I’ll be moving to another realm — my hunter’s server, to be exact. I was promised by my significant other that he’ll take care of it soon; I just don’t know exactly when. All I know is that Blizzard/Activision is going to be $55 richer ($25 for the realm transfer, $30 for the faction change).

Yes, I’m going Alliance. And it’s breaking my heart. I’ve been mainly Horde since Day One of playing World of Warcraft, and I love my Blood Elf Death Knight so much, but recent frustrations have constrained me to take this option.

Patch 5.2: The Thunder King is likely to go live in as little as two weeks. While I normally welcome news of a new patch, new raids, new this and that, the (un)official announcement of 5.2 leaves me feeling a bit crestfallen. There are 16 bosses in this tier, and I have downed only five with my raid group, and here come more bosses for me to worry about. Yeah, a sorry five bosses on normal. And how long has this current patch been out?

I’m not a hard core raider, but I love to raid AND  I like downing bosses with efficient people who share my raiding ethic. But after MoP went live, I saw my original raid group — the ones with whom I downed Heroic: Madness of Deathwing at the tail end of Cataclysm– fall apart and since then I would find myself in a raid group comprised of people who were either very talented or very inept. And if there’s one factor that can kill my enthusiasm for raiding, it’s inconsistency.

Someone asked me, “why invest in another realm/faction transfer? Why don’t you just join another Horde guild on your current server?”

I did consider that option, but you see, I am tired. I am tired of moving to another guild where I would be navigating uncharted waters, only to find myself in another dead-end situation or worse, stuck with a bunch of assholes. This time, I want to play it safe and go for the tried-and-tested. My Alliance hunter is in a very well-established, very highly-regarded raiding guild in her realm (an Alliance-dominated one), her GM runs his guild like a pro without being an elitist jerk, they have a good number of raid teams and they get things done (like, ya know, they’ve downed 16/16 and are now working on heroics). That said, I have to shake my head at the irony I’ve been in the last year or so — my neglected alt ensconced in one of the top guilds in one of the top 40 US servers, and there was my beloved main bouncing from one dying guild/realm to another and being held back by the inconsistencies of others. But that’s MY fault — I chose to stick it out and give it one more shot….and another…and another, until my S.O. himself flipped a wig and asked me when the hell I would wake up and smell the poo-stained one-ply toilet paper, short of asking me, “doesn’t your ass hurt from all that wiping?”

And yes, yes it does, hun. Why do you think I’m switching “brands”?

Wish me luck on this move, as this is going to be the last major one I’ll be making. It’s make-or-break for my progression, my sanity and my wallet.

One More Shot: A New Beginning

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I’m turning into a softie. Or maybe I’m just tired of guild hopping. I returned to the guild I left just a few days ago. The GM and I had an earnest conversation about my concerns, and he promised to take care of them as well as do his best to meet my conditions, namely:

1. I want us to be known as a nice, easy-to-get-along-with guild and not a bunch of trollish asshats.

2. I don’t want to hear any more politically insensitive remarks, the most callous among them pertaining to  mental and developmental challenges. One more Downs Syndrome joke and you can kiss my ass goodbye.

3. I want the guild to succeed and hope to see more support for our raid group.

I have to give him plenty of credit for being quite the gentleman and not dismissing my views as “women’s premenstrual crap.” So all’s well that ends well (I hope).

I hadn’t been feeling optimistic since moving to Turalyon, especially after a shaky start with the first few guilds I joined, but now that things are falling into place bit by bit, I’m beginning to see the sunshine coming in through the cracks. I also came out of my shell tonight by volunteering for an old-school Firelands raid and met more nice people in the process.

A new month approaches. Here’s to giving it all another shot!

I Left Because…

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…I didn’t want to be associated with someone who:

- calls a well-meaning, helpful holy paladin (a puggie who was decked in heroic gear and was a healing beast) a “cunt muffin” for giving advice

- cracks sweeping statements about female WoW players

- makes Downs Syndrome jokes.

By the way, yours truly – a proud female WoW player who didn’t appreciate your misogynistic remarks – outdps’d you by a wide margin on the Spine and Madness fights.

You DPS like a sissy girl, bud.

Guild Invite Addon: That Awkward Moment When…

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Bloodsoed was tanking a random on his guildless warrior (the one that didn’t leave Exodar) when…

Ducelet - Recruit Addon

LMAO!!!

Psycho bitch put him on ignore just milliseconds before he had a change of heart and decided he’d accept the invitation to wreak havoc in her guild be one of her gold-generating peons.

Time to roll a few guildless alts on Exodar just for shits and giggles.  :D

Why I Respect My Hunter’s GM

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Pardon the cheesy third-grade essay-like title, but I can’t think of another straightforward way of saying that, yup, I respect my other toon’s GM a lot and here’s why:

Last night, I logged on my been-inactive-for-too-long alliance hunter and joined an all-guild heroic ICC 25-man run to help our GM finally get his Shadowmourne.  Now before I go any further, I would like to mention the ironic situations my two oldest toons find themselves in: my most beloved, active and hyperachieving character, Cloudrunner, is forever struggling to find a guild that meets his needs and matches his dedication and work ethic. My often-neglected hunter (the former troll Anhur and now a waggling Draenei chick) is in a semi-hardcore raiding guild that is 6/8 in Heroic Dragon Soul, has four active raiding teams, at least a dozen people on during unholy hours of the day (and that number trebles during raid times) and a packed weekly raiding calendar that covers both current and old school content – and people show up! Yet I choose to forgo all these wonderful opportunities in favor of playing my Death Knight whom I love too much to bench for good. Sigh. In the meantime, I’m checking out guilds for him while he’s still licking his wounds from his last great disappointment on Exodar.

But I digress. Let me go back to my original topic.

We went to ICC – it was a fresh run – and my GM got his Shadowmourne after the Saurfang fight. Given my experience with previous legendary runs where the raid would end mid-way because so-and-so on the quest got the items he needed, I braced myself for the announcement that would call the raid off since our mission was accomplished, plus it was past 10:30 PM.

Instead, he said, “We’re finishing the run for those who still don’t have the Light of Dawn title. To those who already have it, please stay for your guildies. Let’s get them their achievements.”

Whoa, talk about totally unselfish, honorable and caring! And the most breathtaking part was how everybody willingly stayed and gave 100% of themselves to the fight, even if with their ilevel 400+ gear, they could have half-assed their efforts and called it a night. Clearly, that GM had the respect of all and sundry because he truly is a caring and dedicated leader.

But that’s not the only reason my guildies and I admire my GM so much. Here are several more of his qualities that I wish were present in others:

1. He is a man of his word. If he says he will help you, he will make good on his promise, no matter how trivial a request (like needing something from Black Temple for transmog) or something colossal (like For the Alliance). If he knows you’re on a legendary quest, he will see to it that you will get it, even if the guild already has the achievement. He believes everyone deserves a legendary and not just his close pals.

2.He doesn’t take shit from douchebags. if you’re being a dick, you get kicked out. And yes, he kicks you when you’re online! Now that is a man with BALLS.

3. He is fair but firm. He listens to both sides but in the end he makes his own conclusions and decisions and he sticks to them! Don’t agree with him? Either you put up or shut up..or it’s gkick!

4. He is not afraid to enforce his own rules. One of his ironclad rules is that you MUST be on Vent, and he doesn’t care if you know the fights or it’s just an old school raid. Coordination is sacred to him. Don’t wanna get on vent? Fine, it’s your funeral, man. I’ve seen him kick both guildies and puggies alike for stubbornly refusing to get on Vent after the first warning. Now that is a man with COJONES.

5. He doesn’t allow last minute or belated rolls. I’ve experienced winning loot only for it to be taken away from me just because some other person realized too late (like 3 minutes after I received the loot) that he could use that item, and then proceeds to roll a higher number than mine. But my GM’s take on that scenario is this: you snooze, you lose your roll. Plain and simple.

6. He knows that if he tries to please everyone, the guild will be overrun by demanding brats. In other words, he knows when to say ‘no’.

7. He doesn’t tolerate time-wasters. Nothing gets his goat more than a raid member who asks for last-minute gems and enchants 30 seconds before the first pull. /kick

8. He keeps everyone in the loop. He holds frequent guild meetings, posts important announcements on guild chat and the guild website, and makes time to privately chat with people who wish to voice their concerns discreetly.

9. He and his officers make sure that there are activities to suit every member. Whether you’re hard core or casual, there’s always something for you in the calendar. All you have to do is sign up! An active guild is a happy guild, and vice versa.

10. HE SHOWS UP FOR HIS OWN RAIDS! ‘Nuff said.

Well, It’s Been Fun

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Disclaimer: I’m not leaving World of Warcraft. I’m staying in the lovely albeit chaotic world that is Azeroth. But many things happened recently in my virtual home and in real life that is making me sing…



For starters, I’m more than 10,000 miles away from my real-life home. I ventured into new territory to check out possibilities and a new chapter in my life which I hope will lead to happily ever after. But I’m jumping the gun here.

Being away from home and getting a feel of my new environment also meant time away from WoW for more than one week, which surprisingly did not turn me into a rabid, acid-tripping, flesh-eating quasi-zombie aching to get her WoW fix. I am amazingly serene, happy and hopeful. I missed playing my Death Knight, sure, but I didn’t long to play the game. I surprised myself how easily I shrugged off the need to log in and do the usual grind. I’m a changed person.

But I wasn’t the only one who changed during my absence. Judging from the events (and non-events) that took (did not take) place while I was away, it looked like I both missed and didn’t miss a lot. People got kicked, raids didn’t happen, Diablo 3 continued to amuse and distract many players, one key member quit and there’s an underlying current that I can’t quite put a finger on but which I won’t waste time dwelling on.

Bloodsoed and I know all too well the symptoms – they spell the death knell for any guild. We’ve been in this game – and a number of guilds – long enough to know the difference between a dry spell and drought. Dry spells are occasional lulls when raiders (whether casual or hardcore) take breaks to do other things then come back refreshed and recharged and ready to faceroll the content. It’s a drought when even the key people don’t have the enthusiasm, stamina, will, discipline and dedication to keep things going – even when there is still so much to do! – and make that switch from involvement to detachment. When words are no longer being said (unless you press for something, but which I don’t really care to do anymore), you know it’s time to make your graceful exit, if not now, then eventually.

WoW is a game that’s getting long in the tooth, and Mists of Pandaria looks to be Blizzard’s last card to keep subscribers interested. But it’s dismaying how many players lost interest too early in this expansion. Blizzard may see it as a dry spell but I personally see it as something else. And no, I’m not one of those people who are quick to put the blame on so-called culprits like Dungeon and Raid Finder, nerfs, lack of content, Ghostcrawler, et cetera. There’s a shitload of things to do in this game. Personally, I don’t blame WoW itself. I put most of the blame on the selfish players who, after getting what they wanted, chucked guild spirit out the window and went their merry way.

It’s true you can’t force people to play the game anymore. But in the same vein, you can’t expect your comrades to remain loyal and dedicated if that person feels like he is the last man standing in the warzone. Kinda hard to one-man Deathwing, ya know.

In the old days, I would have ranted up a storm and drawn nasty pictures, but I’m enjoying real life too much to cry over the equivalent of spilled milk. I’m taking this as a sign that it’s time to go through another transition in the same way I went through a major transition in real life. Out with the old, in with the new. There’s a lot to look forward to. Stop clinging to the past. The glory days are over and your fellow soldiers in the trenches are tired. So go find a new trench. Then keep doing what you love best and eventually things will fall into place. One day, you will be well rewarded.

Guildies That Give Me Pause

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My behavior in World of Warcraft is a reflection of how I am in real life. I am not one of those Jekyll and Hyde people who lose their manners and consideration for others and raise hell in the game. I bring my real life work ethic even into the virtual world by being self-sufficient; you will never see me ask or beg for anything for free, let alone steal. And paying the same 15 dollars like everyone else does is not something I assume automatically entitles me to everything, including a raid spot. In some cases, I will have to pay my dues (ESPECIALLY when it comes to raid spots). It may be just a game but I know that real life manners and principles must be brought to Azeroth to ensure a harmonious existence. Simply put, I know that I have to be nice and I expect my guildies to accord me and everyone else in the guild a modicum of respect.

I’ve joined a good number of guilds since I started playing this game. I’ve encountered many different guild personalities – the joker, the sensitive soul, the sweet type, the brash mofo, the horny toad…stereotypes that may very well exist in every guild. I am normally welcoming to all new faces that join but there are certain people who give me pause. They’re not necessarily the people who do extreme things like steal or cuss or troll on Trade. On the contrary, they’re not…what’s the word…blatant. They actually APPEAR well behaved, but that’s what makes them devious. They appear okay then the next thing you know they’re poisoning the guild or stabbing you in the back or both.

Stab in the Back

In my older posts, I talked about my horrid experience with my last guild which was a disaster in every sense of the word. My last week there was spent pulling out one knife after another from my back. And those knives were the handiwork of guildies who turned out to be wolves in sheep’s clothing. If I were to use the daytime soap stereotype on them, they’d be the best friend who slept with your significant other or the business partner who, one day, decided to be bad and dramatically oust you from the boardroom.

Just how do you spot a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing-type guildie? There’s no foolproof method I can recommend; I just go with my gut instinct and my gut is usually right. Here are examples of behavioral patterns and traits that make me wary:

1. When a guildie asks for guild bank access and he’s been in the guild for only a few days.

2. When a female guildie leads a high-ranking guildie on, seduces him into giving her a raid spot, an expensive item (*cough Vial of the Sands *cough), and every freebie under the sun…then dumps him once she’s gotten what she could squeeze out of him AND proceeds to sniff out another male guildie she can victimize into becoming her Sugar Daddy. Chicks like that give the rest of the female population in WoW a bad name. I could dedicate an entire post about this personality that capitalizes on her feminine wiles.

3. When a guildie who isn’t even part of the core group throws a hissy-fit behind our backs and has the nerve to chastise the GM for not being on top of the situation. Seriously, you just joined the guild and you think we owe you a raid spot? Ever heard of paying your dues first? Probably not. Go f*ck yourself.

4. When a guildie hits level 85 and asks for free BoE gear. So you actually expect us to give you valor boots and bracers and crafted items right off the bat and we don’t even know you that well? Who’s to say you won’t g-quit after you’ve gotten the goodies? I’d feel more confident and fulfilled wiring money to some random Nigerian dude; at least I’ll get a 55% share of the $22 million some deposed despot left unclaimed in a bank.

5. When a guildie tries too hard to ingratiate himself with everybody. I just can’t quite put a finger on this one; this is where gut instinct comes into play. He or she looks nice, acts nice, talks nice but there is something “off” about that person. My gut instinct proved me right when one ex-guildie – deemed as one of the most pleasant members around – organized an impromptu continuation of Throne of the Four Winds, leaving out half of the people in the original group. What added to the cringe factor was that this guy claimed he hero-worshipped me, thought I was such an awesome Death Knight and that he modeled his own DK after me, bla bla bla. Yeah, sure, Brutus, go ahead and butter me up some more. Don’t forget to replace the butter knife with a steak knife before you butter my back. Or would you rather use a cleaver?

6. When a new guildie invites his own friends over to the guild and they turn out to be colossal self-entitled brats. You know what they say about the company you keep…

7. When a guildie keeps charging his repairs to the guild vault, yes, even that measly 2 silver repair bill.

8. When a guildie tries to look important by announcing on Vent that he would like to have a word with the GM in private in another channel (and does this a LOT). Gee, why not just whisper him instead? Like we would be soooo intrigued and interested to know what you two could be discussing.  /eyeroll

9. When a new guildie asks what he or she can do to get promoted to officer or raid leader soon. Nice to know you’re the ambitious type.

10. When a guildie I barely know asks a  lot of personal questions. My paranoid side suspects that person is gathering info he can use against me someday. Some of the most invasive questions were about my family, finances, and fetishes. Do you seriously need to know that I have a fetish for donkey shows? Oops. TMI.  /end sarcasm

I know it may seem that I have trust issues in this game but after everything I’ve experienced, I think I have every right to be wary and guarded.

Author Stephen M.R. Covey said in an interview that trusting the people around us is a balancing act. The more we lead out with trust, extend trust and start with trust, the greater the outcomes. We can’t operate an organization if there is always a high level of distrust.

“Don’t go the other extreme,” he says. “Just because you can’t trust someone, you can’t trust anyone. Don’t let the fact that you couldn’t trust someone before affect you now and your ability to trust anyone. Yes, too much trust will get you burned, but not enough trust and you lose possibilities and foreclose on options.”

Obviously, Stephen M. R. Covey has never played World of Warcraft.

When Guildies Go Greedy

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If Daffy Duck were a WoW player, he’d be called the biggest, most self-entitled piece of ninja shit in the game.

But Daffy Duck is still adorable in my books, whereas I can’t say the same thing about a certain someone.

Just to be clear, I’m not calling this dude a ninja, but I am calling him a self-entitled piece of shit. I’ve been observing his behavior for the longest time and there were a number of  things I gleaned about him:

1. If a BoE drops, he will outright ask you if he could have it for his alt. Guy has zero concept that you just might happen to have an alt who could use it as well. If you say no, he’ll demand to know the toon’s name and level (probably to check in the Armory if you’re telling the truth). If you let him have it for a PRICE, good luck in dunning the money from him.

2. He will ask for enchants without providing mats. I am partly to blame for this as I have been giving free enchants to guildies to help them out. Since he and I became close friends, he thought that my giving him a couple of free enchants was license to ask for more free enchants. Worse, he thought it was also license to volunteer my services to other people. “Hey, Cloudrunner can enchant that for you for free!” Yeah, the hell I can.

3.When Majordomo Staghelm dropped the Mantle of the Fiery Protector and he lost the roll on it, the dude shat a brick and his blood pressure must have shot up to Biblical proportions. He mistakenly whispered me asking for the shoulder token, when that message was meant for the other dude who won it FAIR and SQUARE. My own blood pressure shot up and I whispered the winner of the token, “DO NOT FUCKING GIVE HIM THE TOKEN!”  I found out he kept badgering the winner until we got to Ragnaros. Talk about having the tenacity – and the built – of a bulldog. But nah, the other dude did not surrender it to him, thank God!

4. Give him your hand, and he will want the entire arm plus probably your genitalia. Then when you’ve have had enough of his abusing your generosity and start saying “no” to him, he resorts to ignoring you (unless it’s to ask if you have any extra Volatiles, and no, he ain’t gonna pay for them).

5. Phat lootz aside, this guy has been acting like a jerk to players from other servers in random heroics. He doesn’t hesitate to belittle them if he thinks they’re not tanking, healing or dealing enough damage. Instead of giving unsolicited advice in a courteous manner, he insults them and tells them to leave. His behavior makes so embarrassed to be associated with him.

It never fails to disgust me when friends you’ve helped and supported suddenly turn into greedy, selfish little turds. Seriously, how can one stomach wrecking friendships all for the sake of pixelized prizes? I know WoW is only a game, but there are flesh and blood people behind all characters who deserve a modicum of respect. We need not lose all breeding, social graces and consideration when things sometimes don’t go our way. Lost on a roll? That’s okay, you will get another chance. You can’t get a free enchant this time? It’s high time you start farming for mats! You didn’t get promoted by the GM? Have a look at your attitude and performance and check for areas that need improvement.

Speaking of promotions, becoming anything higher than Member rank was never one of my burning ambitions in WoW. But this dude had his sights set on becoming Raid Leader and officer when he joined this guild, and he’s done everything possible to ingratiate himself with the powers that be…only to fail because of his attitude.

And to add insult to (his) injury, my GM promoted me to Raider position. Don’t ask me why; I can only surmise that it’s because I. Know. How. To. Behave. I don’t suck up to leaders. I don’t mooch stuff from the guild bank. i come to raids prepared and with a boatload of feasts. I don’t say anything on Trade chat that would shame the guild. And I don’t insult struggling players still in the painful throes of a learning curve.

We had our good times, dude. But your attitude blows monkey balls. So I won’t be talking to you too. I hope you never become Raid Leader, because if you pull a Daffy Duck stunt in the raid I will personally stomp you into the ground until you find yourself in China.