Guest Article: Raids & Raid Guilds by Narcissisa

So you’ve freed the Frogloks – Venekor and Varanak have nothing on you. So you’ve cured the plague, and shown T’Haen how you like to rock and roll. Vox, Nagalik, Kra’Thuk, Fist; you’ve popped ‘em like coca-cola bottles on a hot summer day – and yet, there’s still a triple-upped four group encounter that no one has been able to pull off.

The popularity of the monster will hit you full force – you’ll hear about it immediately, if only hours after you’ve stepped off the Island of Refuge and landed in Castleview. The faction guilds know it as well as the raid guilds, and it’s as infectious as the “stfus” you get in Ventrilo during a raid. What is it? No. Not Godking, not Ghagan, and definitely not Terrorantula.

Egotistical Jarhead, Epic x4.

If you haven’t already read it, the Lore’s pretty interesting. It’s player written, and loyal to the ever-changing ever-questing world of the game we love so much. Briefly: Once, long ago, the heroes of Norrath joined together in elite bands, emanating more and more arrogance, until the reputation of excellence transformed itself into an unbreakable, indestructible standing of intolerable conceit.

Sure – you raiders know what I’m talking about. No, we don’t go AFK on the docks with all of our Fabled gear and 60-plat carpet by chance. There’s a reason why our names go on forever, Madam Narcissisa Omg`Hihowareyouim-
greatthanks, Hero of Kugup. [Super Guild Here]

At the same time, though, we saved your pet toad Charlie, and it’s because of them you don’t cough at your group members, although I’m sure you really did look spectacular in that shade of green. The arrogant reputations raid guilds have developed are now a source for ignorant prejudice, when that initial egotism has worn off months ago. It still surprises me how much hate people have for a guild they don’t even know. Despite the horrible /play time we’ve all accumulated, a game is still a game.

Raid guilds are still guilds. Members are still just members. Hackneyed perception needs to allow for the realization that maybe, they might have just gone AFK in East Freeport on accident. Besides – aren’t you glad you can pull the tarantulas in Sinking Sands in peace now? Man, Terrorantula’s Venomous Cloud really does bite.

On the other hand, Raid Guilds aren’t always aware of the role they possess in a server’s community. As a server-transfer myself, I was completely oblivious to the status of the guild I joined on my new server, Befallen. On my first day, I got comments like, “Oh, I know what kind of player YOU are,” Whoa, man. Don’t get your greaves in a twist.

There’s the bad. There’s the ugly. Here’s the good:

On my new home server, I’ve seen the more influential guilds really create excitement over some of the new aspects of the game. Shadowed Strife, a raid guild on Befallen, hosted a Best of the Best tournament to kick off the new Player-verses-Player capabilities in Desert of Flames. Tier 5 fabled loot and money was rewarded to the top players in the group and single categories, and while being under-populated, it was a lot of fun to see the community come together like that.

Without further ado, I present to you the top 10 ways to transform your raid into a truly… exciting encounter. (Directly from yours truly. These are guaranteed to work- I didn’t get into the top raid guilds on server for not knowing my stuff.)

1. Going AFK after pull tests your group members’ ability to adapt to changes! They need the practice.

2. Nothing to get your raid psyched like screeching the Star-Spangled-Banner over the raid leader’s instructions. Besides – you know what to do, right?

3. If you don’t target the main assist, you won’t have to beat down on the same mob! Be unique.

4. Rez-bot classes like to feel important, too! Stay in for AE and give them a chance to really shine. To further this advice, if you’re calling AE, it’s best to just put in a ten-second variation.

5. The sound effects are so much cooler on auto-attack if you use a weapon the mob is immune to. Prefer a “duh!” to a “wha-chuck” any day.

6. Help your main tank- pull the mobs for them! You don’t even have to announce it, you don’t want to look like you’re showing him up.

7. When near other mobs and fighting, it’s just more effective to use true AEs. There’s no such thing as an add anyway – just faster pulls.

8. If you die in an instance, it means you’re incompetent. Reviving outside of the zone will announce to your guild how you feel without even having to say it. Quick communication in these things is always key.

9. Contribute! If you see a clicky, CLICK IT! You’ll find out later what it does!

10. People appreciate fast looting. Run up to the chest and show everyone how to be on their toes. For some super-speed, you can even disable the “okay to loot no-trade” box!

Omgbye2ugghhlfgpstplzkthnx.
Narcissisa of Fallen
On the Befallen Server.