WeekEND Raid Group Scheduling

[NoCry]

To address certain comments:

1. The issue is not bio break it is more an issue of, bio break leading to soda break leading to I dont know what break - there is almost a viscious circle of liquids here.

2. The issue tends to "flow" (if you forgive the obvious pun) - from repair breaks.

Therefore; at the start of every raid we need to turn up fully repaired before invites are sent out - this will result in the group needing a repair at the same time. At the "repair" stop if someone needs a bio break then they call it.

And Van - you are only grouchy when Brighid is not there to keep you in line;)

[waz_here]

I updated my availability.  I get to play Saturday!  YAY!  I cancelled Sunday.

[Tecknik]

NoCry, last night at/during the meeting Milhouse, External and myself discussed some things that need to change with our Raid group if we want to stop having issues.

These are just my suggestions based on things that were discussed.  I'll let Van and Ex speak for themselves.

The number 1 issue we're having right now is getting enough people together to even be able to do the raid.  The solution seems to be that we need to put together a roster.  That roster needs to have all the people who are there week after week, and then anyone else who is reliable and would like to be on the list as an alternative.  There also needs to be punishments for those that signup, and then don't show up.  If you signup and don't show up, a place will not be held for you.  If you signup for Saturday and Sunday. but don't show up on Saturday, don't expect to raid Sunday.  If you're a "main" who signs up and then doesn't show up, expect to be listed as an "alternate" for the next weekend.

Issue number 2 is our time schedule. I've noticed that people are getting confused by the Raid Calendar.  The past few weeks, the start time has been off and that throws people for a loop.  As I told Adam on Saturday when he asked, our raid is always going to start at 3:00PM EDT/2:00PM CDT/FA and go until 6:00PM EDT/5:00PM CDT/FA.  That means we should be STARTING the raid at that time, which means people need to be there and ready before that time.  Our group should all be there and grouped up ready to go.  I realize I'm guilty of being late sometimes as well.  Van had a good idea for punishments for being late which I'll let him explain.

Issue number 3 is our loot rules.  That is to say, we don't really have any.  This leaves us open to one person walking out of a raid with all the loot for their class simply based on bad RNG.  Personally, I'm a fan of the weeknight group's loot distribution which is as follows:

Loot: Master Looter is set. Loot priority is given to those who need it (who don't currently have that piece of gear). Those who need it will /roll. Winner gets item. The winner is taken out of the loot rotation until everyone in their class wins a piece of gear (unless that person is the only one needing the item). Final Boss fights (Karagga and Soa) are excluded from this loot rotation. Final Boss fights are still based on need, but anyone can roll for it regardless of previous loot won.

Just a suggestion, and something that seems to work in a fair manner.  Also, once we've got a roster up, making a list of who needs what would help us to figure out what raids we should be doing which weeks.  I would love to be doing EC Story (or even Hard Mode), but it's just not going to work if we've still got people undergeared.  We need to make sure that everyone that will be on the roster is geared enough to do whatever raids we're doing that weekend.

That's all that comes to mind right now.  If I think of anything else, you can be damn sure I'll be posting it.  I encourage anyone else who has thoughts on anything I've said or anything of their own to add, to please do.

I'd really like for this raid group to work, and for everybody to have fun being a part of it.

[waz_here]

I know I was a regular for a while, then I had to drop out the past several weeks - and also this coming Saturday.  This is due to EXTREME circumstances with one of my children.  I am looking forward to life getting back to normal after this coming Saturday and being able to raid again!

[ExternalError]

These are all good points also we need to start actively managing the raid signups if we dont have enough sign ups by friday we need to start poking and proding people a bit.  

This also goes for if we have to many signups we need to basically have the raid organised by friday night.

Also we need to sort the time out the last few weeks the raid calender time has been wrong i have a theory on why so if you can have a talk with me nocry we can sort your settings out and that should sort it

I for one do not want to be stuck with doing KP and EV all the time but as it stands the best way for us to gear up our group and also progress into the new gear tier will be to do KP NM and EC story mode.

We also need to look at the list of people we have raiding with us and lock them down. I know of at least 2 that have been listed as alternates for the weeknight group that also raid with us.  Maybe we need to say if your an alternate and can attend our raid you should be a permanent for us.

these are just some suggestions and things that need a bit more organisation than we have currently have

[ExternalError]

I know I was a regular for a while, then I had to drop out the past several weeks - and also this coming Saturday.  This is due to EXTREME circumstances with one of my children.  I am looking forward to life getting back to normal after this coming Saturday and being able to raid again!

I don't think this was aimed at you at all, if its a known issue we can work around it its the people who make promises and then don't show up that's the big issue

For instance I will be unavailable this Saturday because it is a friends birthday unfortunatly I cant control the day his birthday lands but I wont sign up and not show up.  Also by me letting every one know we can start actively finding someone to step in for that day.

real life comes first after all

[NoCry]

How odd, I just penned a massive, and massively detailed response to each of Teck's points and it got lost in the internet!

Anyway, once again:

Roster - our hardcore is as follows: me, ex, van, brig, teck, longboard, jess, likwid. Brighid - you dont need to say anything,  you have a spot whenever your life allows it. Could anyone else who thinks they should be in raid group 3 (or who wants to, new people perhaps!!) please let me know... Adam, if you can firm up your time committment then you would of course be more than welcome;)

The more astute/ observant of you will note that I have not listed the good (and rather sexeh sounding) Mr Kaplin in our ranks. Sadly he has decided to unsub from the game and leave FA before his sub expires. I spoke with him at length before and after his decision took effect and it is simply a question of falling out of love with the game first and then, sadly, with FA. Obviously he will be really missed from our group, not least for his voice, but he was rather handy as a dps too! I wanted to let you know this Saturday and pass on his message in person to the awesomeness that is raid group 3. That being said, I think the batton must pass to myself and Ex to sexy up your saturday evenings with our sophisticated and debonaire musings...

On the question of a roster Jess, Lik - you guys have a lot of splendid things going on, could you shoot me a PM and let me know if you stlil want to form part of the permanent roster?

Timing/ Organisation. Guys, it is the same time each day of the weekend and the same time as it has always been. The issues with the calender stem from the fact (I think) that on average I am travelling between 3 countries every 2 weeks and apart from never really knowing what the time is (why should I when I am on call all day every day!!) I tend to not have a clue what timezone I am in or where my computer thinks it is... That being said, I have it sorted now so lets chalk this down to user error, or an attempt to keep you on your toes!

Dropping out late in the day - in my book real life takes priority, by that I mean your boss calling you into a meeting, or indeed a different country, with no warning, errant children or spouses and home emergencies. Real life is not signing up on a monday, turning to tentative on a thursday then cancelling on a saturday...

Gear - loot - Good point Teck, I was actually the victim of no rules for about 2 or 3 months but did not want to say anything when, (A) I was the master organisation the raid and (B) it would have looked like I wanted to change the rules for my own selfish reasons! Now that I am well geared however.... you are dead right, my suggestion was going to be that you rolled until you got something you needed then, the same class person who needs something too gets their pop etc, etc. Anyway, to be discussed.

I think i covered everything you raised apart from "punishment" not going to happen guys, at least not like that, we will slowly ostrazise the offending member(s) and they will soon learn the error of their ways;)

Questions, comments, queries?

p.s. I will pass on Kap's message to you, please lets not turn this thread into an OMG he left one (from his farewell message you will more than appreciate that he did not want that!!)

[Tecknik]

I know I was a regular for a while, then I had to drop out the past several weeks - and also this coming Saturday.  This is due to EXTREME circumstances with one of my children.  I am looking forward to life getting back to normal after this coming Saturday and being able to raid again!

I don't think this was aimed at you at all, if its a known issue we can work around it its the people who make promises and then don't show up that's the big issue

For instance I will be unavailable this Saturday because it is a friends birthday unfortunatly I can't control the day his birthday lands but I won't sign up and not show up.  Also by me letting every one know we can start actively finding someone to step in for that day.

real life comes first after all

Exactly, External.  Real life always comes first.  This was in no way aimed at any one person, especially not you, Brighid.  You've always let us know ahead of time if you couldn't make it, and marked yourself as "Cancelled" on the Raid Calendar.

I agree about actively managing the raid calendar.  I'd say by at least 24 hours in advance of the raid, we should have a grasp on who is available, tentative, cancelled, etc so that we know what we have and what we need.  That gives us plenty of time to put out requests to the "alternates" or TextPlus messages guild-wide.

Before we start looking at alternates of the weeknight group, we should see what we've got as far as people who are available on the weekend during our time slot.  I feel like there are enough people in this guild that want to raid without having to dig into another group's alternates.

[Longboard]

I do want to apologize for the couple of times I have been late in the past. Unfortunately to keep the family happy, I get stuck being late to avoid massive "waggro". I envy those who's wife or girlfriend participates with them in SWTOR, its a breath of fresh air.

[waz_here]

<Longboard>

[likwidtek]

I think Jess and I are for sure part of the core team but our availability this past month has been a little spotty.  Life happens.    I think things are calming down a bit though.  We love raiding with you guys and if we ever can't come it's simply because we have commitments in real life.

We'll never sign up and no show though.  That's not cool.  I think there was one exception the other week where we didn't sign up on the calendar but there was a miscommunication in the thread about us being able to come or not.  

I'm all for us switching it to a if you get a piece of raid gear on the non end bosses that you pass until everyone gets at least one piece.  I think that's totally fair personally.  I usually do my best to do this anyway just out of courtesy.  Did you guys want to do something like this for the raid group?

[likwidtek]

I will say though that the weekend of June 2nd I'm pretty sure Jess, myself, Milhouse and waz_here won't be making it for Raid.

[waz_here]

Heh.  Yeah, buddy.

[NoCry]

chop chop people!!

[likwidtek]

done ya slave driver!