People Hate Me

As the title suggests, I have many people on my server who are not my biggest fan. I have repeatedly made tanks leave randoms (I usually only start criticizing when I'm on my ret pally and know the healer, so if the tank leaves mid-pull I am able to finish tanking the fights... and I'm actually 4-0 for successful transitions after tanks try to screw us over). I generally do this by asking why a tank with a GS of over 6k with a healer in over 6k is single pulling each mob, and losing aggro to me even after I give him significant time to build a threat lead. On my hunter I find it hilarious when tanks want me to die because I pulled an extra pack or two for them with Misdirects... but they seem to forget that hunters don't die-we feign.

Now, I used to tank a LOT for randoms and such, and I have no personal issue at all with other people pulling stuff for me. My job is to tank, if people try to pull aggro I'm going to try to take it back. If they are really trying to kill themselves, they will. If they are pulling aggro and they know they can take a punch or two- it'll be fine. I just never understood the whole "IF YOU WANT TO PULL, WHY DON'T YOU TANK THEN???? RAGEEEEEE." (Also- If I pull aggro as a dpser and I die, I understand why I died. I'm ok with it even. Action--> Reaction. That's how it works)

All this being said, I used to care what people thought of me in game personally and of my guild's name. Over time I realized that I'm an awesome guy, and a great player. I like raiding and I don't mind being in the average pug. I look back at the reactions I get from our guild tag and I realized that our performance is what got us there, not how we treated people. This all being said, I do generally treat people well I just don't go out of my way like I used to, and I have found myself in situations where people telling me that me leaving a fail pug is making me look bad, it doesn't stop me anymore.

This also translates into our raids, as I no longer feel bad about not calling people out for their mishaps. I have failed at certain things as well, I usually try to call myself out (If someone doesn't beat me to it) and I want to fix what I have done wrong. If we don't call each other out, we can't get better. We have to realize as a group that we have a single goal to achieve and it is not personal when we try to fix the mistakes we make. If we have a weak link-it must get stronger or the chain will break.

Tying back to the beginning, I guess what I'm trying to say is that when I learned to not care about what people's perception of me is I enjoyed my game experience better and we found so much more success as a group. I don't want to become The Prince entirely but there are some effective things to learn from it.

I returned

So, I kind of (actually did) quit the game for a while. I had only started this blog a month prior to, but I realized that this blog was a part of me trying to find more fun in the game.

Well I started up a while back again. This time I came back ready to play on my own terms again (not attempting to be a business professional IRL AND a hardcore- 4 nights a week raider. It gets tough raiding 20 hours, and working 70 a week. I mean that leaves 78 for "everything else" as in... eating (8+ right there), drinking, hanging with friends, mindlessly doing things I like.). I instead enjoy the game as if I can't log in for a week or so at a time, that's life. If I can log in a bunch and I want to, I do it.

I also re-formed my original guild (which I run) and got back with my original crew (who are all awesome players who also have RL to tend to, and a massive raid schedule isn't what they want). Anyway, the idea is that we will be rocking our old raid schedule: Once a week, 5-6 hours.

Most people look at that and initially say "What can you do in 1 raid day a week??? and a fourth the time that most raiding guilds need??" Well I tell you this, sir: We can do everything we want. So far we are 6/6 in setting goals and achieving them (historically). This means I'll be playing cata (though I'll probably be MS ret, or switch entirely to the spriest) and dominating. This also means we may be looking for a body or two to help out.

Long story short, it's nice to see you again!

Raid times.

Latest bug from our GM- He wants us all to do as much as possible in 10mans... which are to be done OUTSIDE of scheduled raid times...

We are 3 nights a week, tuesday thru thursday, 3 and a half hours a night. AND HE'S BEEN HAVING US DO ToC25 INSTEAD OF SPLITTING RAID INTO MULTIPLE 10s.

This slightly annoys me being as I'm juggling 60+ hours at work a week, a girlfriend who I think is feeling neglected sometimes... and friends/family. I love raiding, but I mean it's been quite crazy lately.

Anywhoo, I realize that I just have to sit sometimes in these situations... That because of my schedule and life I won't be able to make every raid AND every 10man... And I know I'll pass on 10s because they want me in 25s... It's just irritating and all.

Truly, I am probably most annoyed at the inefficiencies they are ran at. Among our guild we have a TON of gear, and a lot of geared alts. Almost every raider has one, or sometimes more geared enough alts to keep up in ICC10. Now, what simply baffles me is that in each group it seems like we have a few mains, a few alts, and a random friend of someones or something... This is great and all in gearing purposes... but then people get all hot and angry over the fact that the 10s aren't making progress... I don't get why we don't make one raid a super-duper stacked out the ass raid who is going to lay down the law to ICC and all of arthas' minions. Then the second set would be almost as stellar... followed by groups that will have more and more alts in them. Instead it is just "we'll be running 3 10 mans this week. Here are the days and times. Please reply"

Yet, I digress. I left my guild that I ran for a reason. I want organization and all, but I refuse to be the one to step up and take the reigns. Being as such I really can't criticize too much...

Or can I?

LFG Anger

I have to say, This post by ferarro made me think of just the other day in a heroic Gundrak.



I zone in (as tank ofc, becuase I don't like waiting!) where I start putting on my tank set and buff the whole party. I throw up a readycheck (as party lead) and everyone is ready but the healer. I hate to say it, but I was actually in a threat set and knew without the dps, I could still live and be just fine. So naturally I pull, even though the priest said no to a readycheck and had half mana. (I actually assumed he'd do what I do in that situation, sit and keep drinking, as he just clearly stated to me"NO, I AM NOT READY") Where he starts flipping out in chat calling me a baddie asking if I saw the readycheck I threw up!!



Now we kill the first three bosses with me just silently pulling and self-healing as much as I need becuase he thinks somehow it is a smart move to NOT heal your tank. His friend in the run is pulling a whopping 1.2k dps, and decides to thunderfuck mobs I'm tanking. I would have said something being as I was annoyed with the guy about his leet dps... but one of the other dpsers is pulling under him at 1.1k and I wasn't about to be a super-ass.



So instead I calmly type out that either he thunderfucked while not glyphed (which is bad for raiding anyway) or the Boomkin hit typhoon(who was talented in it), I didn't know who did it, but it wasn't real cool, please refrain from this. The healer takes this as "RAWR YOU ARE INSULTING MY GUILDIE AND YOU MADE ME ANGRY B4" So he claims I don't get any more heals. The DK (who is pulling 4k =D) is like Come on... were so close to the end and won't have to talk to eachother.



Here's where I do something out of my element:

Usually I would succumb to nerdrage and just unleash fury upon this poor soul (no really, I can get brutal) becuase lets face it... Most of the people who get angry right from the get-go will end up much much more angry after talking to me. I'm not the greatest, but I'm pretty good at utilizing logic in making my points, which I have found most wow players understand when I walk them through it, yet can't do on their own... I'm also very hurtful if I want to be... ALL THIS ASIDE, because I actually chose to NOT do this! Is that I deleted the mean comments I already had typed out (no really) and filled it with simply this:



TUR:"Hey man, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I was just trying to be helpful as I know not everything is explained and many tanks would get angry at that sort of action, luckily I'm not one of them =D"



BH(Baddie healer):"Well most healers would be pissed if they said no to a readycheck and their tank rushes in."



TUR:"I'm sorry about that, but really I knew what I was pulling and that I could keep myself, and the whole group up against 3 trash mobs. If I pull on a no to a readycheck, I expect my healer to be afk filming a porno, making coffee, or curing cancer, clearly."



DK:(randomly interjects):"This group isn't that bad and were looking at the last boss, lets just kill him and go our merry way."



TUR:"Shhh, didn't you know that all DKs are bad? Jeez, try showing up on recount sometime, baddie."



*Tur pops DP and barrels into the boss, waiting for a 5stack of SoCorr to pop wings and AP trinket and unload on the wittle bossie. All the while taking nothing for damage."



The boss dies



BH:"Hey man, you really are a good tank, take care!"



Moral of the story for me... I was actually nice when things got heated and the guy didn't end up being unreasonable for once(I mean he acknoweledged how awesome I am... He has to be at least awake to the world then!)!! Hallelujiah!

Weather EDIT: And other crap.

Weather rant inc.

Stupid blizzard (real snow falling, accumulating a lot on the ground) making my holiday plans change and all. I like plans, you sir are the driving force that makes my parents decide they want me to leave town a day early with them and possibly get stuck out of town... SWEET, not like I had work to do today that I'll just skimp out on... and It'll magically get done. No worries.

Other news- The ICC encounters in 25. Now that I've had 3+ weeks in there (and no Saurfang25 kill yet) I can say with all honesty that raid makeup is much more dependent than bringing skilled players... sometimes. Most of the bosses to me seem like idiotchecks and controlled burst dps checks (while they are being tanked and the heals keep everyone up... but still, those are necessary to all fights).

Let's look at Marrowgar, the positining? I could do it blindfolded. Literally. It's called DBM. It screams when you are in coldflame, or impaled, bone storm. The only thing it doesn't tell you is not to be near your tank... But I have devised a plan that will solve this issue for all dps and heals. (non-tanks)
1. Target Marrowgar
2. See which way he is facing
3. Do not stand in front of him
4. ??
5. Profit.

Deathwhisper, DnD fail is fail. 'nuff said. Sheep/cyclone/CC the MC'd buddys of yours. Melee kill their mobs, ranged get theirs. Put enuf deeps on the boss to just whale away. When she comes active, kill her. Oh, and when a boss casts something, and we have 36 melee on the boss, how in hell is it not interrupted? And we have shamans, and mages, and who knows what else that can interrupt.

FC. Ummmmmm so someone started it up early on us last time... and we still beat it... without anyone dying... really. That. Hard. Pretty sure we could 2-3 heal it with good tank heals on the opposite boat.

Saurfang. Yeah, in theory the boss is not that hard. In practice, apparently not everyone kites literally everything in their life with a mentalitiy that you should never stop moving. Frequently it is noted of me that I never stop moving in raids unless I have to stand and deliver (HL bombs, spriesting). As a tank even I jump... a lot. This comes from years of playing many first person shooters where hitting a moving target is just harder (duh?). Also, if something is in your face owning you, wtf are you standing there trying to own it for? Pshh, slap a ho down, and move back killing from your maximum range. I was leveling with a friend once, and she complained to me that I kite literaly EVERYTHING. Well, why not? I mastered the jump shot on my level 29 hunter already. Why you ask? (Don't even dare ask what a jump shot is you terribad hunter) Becuase it is the most effective way to kite and continue deepsing as well.

Anywhoo, I'm not trying to rag on people, just miffed that not everyone thinks like I do... becuase clearly I am awesome.

EDIT: Such planning on my part. What started as a weather rant turned into a spew my thoughts around.

ICC, Arthas, and who knows what else!

Lately with time at work being so high and full weekends of work consuming my life, I found that the crawling pace of ICC releases is actually helping me out. With the release of Ulduar, and previous to that with Naxx there was so much pressure to clear because we were able to. This allows you to go as far as your raid is capable of and choosing when to stop. Now that blizzard decided that they would control the flow of raiding by only releasing the easy content one step at a time, the challenge in ICC just isn’t there for me.

I really do enjoy the new scenery and the new fights, yet at the same time I find it difficult to get really enthusiastic about content that everyone *should* be downing.

After re-reading that proclamation I realize that it can come off as very elitist and in the same tones as the “Why is everyone allowed to raid and see the content I deserve to see after all my hard work” but I really don’t mean it in that sense. I love the accessibility that blizzard gave to all players into the endgame. When I first started playing I mentioned casually one time to a person that I really enjoyed Wow. He claimed that after he reached level cap there didn’t seem to be a whole lot to do except raid. At the time he was playing (vanilla) it really did take a long time to gear up to actually contribute, then you are looking at being a dpser in a 40-man? Let’s pretend for a moment they even HAD recount (they didn’t). You have no idea who is doing well, and who is afking for anything they like. The content isn’t challenging except for the fact that the raid coordination and leadership. (Think of the nightmare that was Thaddius for 40 people. Granted it was high enough up in progression that any guild that got there had enough people committed to actually paying attention… but still… It was bad enough when we were pugging it before Uld.)

Back on topic, the accessibility that blizz has tossed out for raiding is awesome. The logic that they design uber-awesome content (like AQ or Sunwell) that not very many people were able to experience is not really logical. It’s like James Cameron being like “Avatar is teh sex, and you can’t watch it unless you are a well known movie critic. I realize I dumped a massive amount of money into this, it’s extremely popular, received amazing reviews, but unfortunately you all have not watched all my other movies leading up to it so you do not deserve to even be in it’s very presence. You are not 1337.”

That just makes no sense. I want Icecrown to be the pinnacle of raiding, I want the Arthas fight to be just phenomenal. Anything else would be a letdown. We all played WC3 (assumption here) and no one got irate when everyone was able to beat the game!! It had amazing story and the story comes to a close here. It is 100% logical for most people to get to the Arthas fight and to see it. The self-nerfing raid instance is what will assist this as well.

Here’s to hoping it cracks up to everything we want it to be!