It’s easy for people like Spyrot and myself to forget that not everyone is fully versed in how to keep their raid spot. It seems like a simple concept but it has become clear in the past week that there are guys around both Ironwall and Stonewrought teams who have been unaware that if they can’t attend then someone else must step in and if their substitute does well, they are likely to stay in the team.
As I say, this is a straightforward concept and although most people should be well aware of this, if this info helps even one more person to understand the concept then it’s been worth my writing about it.
Your Raid Leader has an extremely difficult and demanding job in trying to pull together the team while also having to know the encounters inside-out as well as being able to slot the right players into the right tactical roles for progression boss fights. You as a raider only have to know your own class and understand the fight mechanics that apply to you and be able to communicate with the team when required.
Central to all of this is the assumption that you’re actually there for the raid. The Raid Leader might have his perfect team list of players for a particular raid but the moment he finds out that someone can’t make it online, his job is turned upside down and he then must rush around searching for a substitute.
Nobody can deny that this is just a game and that real life issues crop up. We all have them, Spyrot’s internet and power have been known to suspiciously die right on raid time leaving the team without a Raid Leader. I have been known to mysteriously disappear into ‘work’ when I never work Thursdays of course! We all have stuff to deal with and the onus is on us as individuals to manage that as best we can. If something does crop up then we really should speak to the Raid Leader (or at least someone who will relay the message) as soon as possible so that he can try to rush around for a replacement. This stuff happens and we can all understand it’s just a fact of life.
The substitute who comes in has to immediately take someone’s place and do their best if they intend to be considered for a regular raid spot. It must be remembered that the likelihood is that the player who is ready and available to the Raid Leader in that moment of need, will likely be highly regarded as a saviour and if they do well then it would be absolutely wrong for the Raid Leader to then dump them afterwards in favour of the raider who jeopardised the raid by being unavailable at the previous scheduled gathering.
The reasons for your inability to attend a raid really does not matter since this is a fantasy world which can in no way compete with what can happen in your personal life. That’s the beauty of this game, because if someone cannot attend a raid then it’s of no emotional concern to a Raid Leader who needs to fill your spot, it just needs to get it done and the game rolls along without you. If you appear online and just ignore your raid team’s attempts to bring you into the team then don’t ever expect to be welcomed back in.
Don’t get me wrong with my apparent cold and calculated approach to a raid team’s attendance. I more than anyone can fully understand and empathise with people who can’t always log into the game when they wish they could, but I am simply spelling it out that no matter what nastiness goes on in the outside world, the show must go on. Every year on the Dambusters anniversary day this guild celebrates our community past and present. At the very beginning of the day’s events, we march from Northshire Abbey in Elwynn Forest in memory of Dambusters we have lost along the way. People come and go and that day is for us to remember our old friends who have disappeared or simply just gone elsewhere. Who knows what happened to some ex-Dambusters, real life could have taken it’s grip and they may never play again. Whatever the circumstances may be surrounding a former member’s estrangement from the guild, whether they fell out with us, changed faction or even passed away! in my eyes they will always be a Dambuster and we will be here flying that guild standard in their memory.
Same thing happens when a raider can’t make it, the team will soldier on and make you proud in your absence. It’s up to you to fight your way back in and help create that competition for places that keeps everyone in the team operating at their nervous best 🙂
You should be excited about the prospect of pushing your way back into contention for a raid spot by showing that although you couldn’t make the previous raid night, you’re gonna be ready and willing IF you are needed for the next run. If you are not required then you should carry on working on your character or maybe another character until your raid leader needs you again. If this arrangement doesn’t suit you then it might be time to find a new team because at the end of the day, we are all here to have fun and play the game to enjoy the experience. If you find yourself benched week after week then you either need to work harder, check to see if the team needs you on another class/role or consider either spending time doing something else or even finding a new guild. The last thing I want is an unhappy player spitting feathers around the guild. It’s happened before and I quickly recognise the symptoms and stamp any such behaviour out, believe me.
Raiders must keep in mind the guild they are in. The Dambusters is more than just a raid team and petty raider squabbles often meet with my more abrupt mannerisms. Be respectful of the team and hold your head high if you find yourself surplus to requirements for a time. Remember that the very next week, there could be an opening and if you’ve burned your bridges with the Raid Leader then you could find yourself overlooked when previously you might only have missed a week’s lockout and returned straight to the team if you had kept your cool.
A Raid Leader is the toughest job in the game so please make life as easy as possible on these guys and try to remember that there’s so much more to this game and this guild than raiding 🙂
/Salute
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.