Friday, July 31, 2009

The final S-a-S post

This is the last time that I'm going to post on this subject, so if you have any questions - this is the place to ask them. After this post it's all about focusing on 3.2 and staying on top of the charts.

The Beginning

About a year ago I transferred to The Scryers at the request of a friend who wanted to help out his sister-in-law's guild. I'd pretty much retired/quit WoW, as I couldn't find a raid guild that meet my times and needs, and I was pretty burnt out on the game. I was focusing on triathlons, and wasn't ready for a long term commitment.

It didn't take long for the bug to bite again, but it was a small nibble. I was helping guide some folks through the middle of BC content, at the end of BC, and I was enjoying the relaxed pace. I'd cleared the content already, so it wasn't like I was trying to push the end-game. WotLK was right around the corner, and I was actually enjoying leveling an alt or three. Times were good, and I was looking forward to a relaxed entry into Wrath raiding.

The great misunderstanding

I'm sure that I'm as much to blame for this as anyone else, but somewhere along the line the idea got into folks heads that I was on The Scryers forming a crack 10 man raid group. It may have been one of those "man wouldn't it be great" talks you have over a couple of drinks, but it wasn't my goal or intention. More and more players drifted over from Malygos looking for this 'elite team', but there was nothing to be found.

In truth I was still hiding, still reluctant to pick up the flag and run with it. I'd done my bit for King and Country, and I was tired of the infighting that comes with it. Then one day it happened. Two extraordinary players got together and hatched Sinners and Saints, and I was invited along for the ride.

The Plan

The way I understand it, seeing as I wasn't in on the leadership from the begining, was that S-a-S was formed to be "The Best" raid guild on The Scryers. Small numbers. Lightweight and mobile. No fancy loot rules, no rotating in players, and no compromises. We'd all suffered through "Picked Last" style raiding where we considered it a win to get Gruul down 3 months after TKE and SSC were toppled. We'd always been behind the curve, and this time we were going to lead the charge.

Gearing up was the first step. The group was formed from a mix of Malygos transfers, Veritas members, and folks picked up along the way. We charged headlong into Naxx, and began the long process of getting everyone geared and forming the cohesive mesh that is required for a small guild. Our goals were clearly outlined, and when I saw them, I knew I wanted to be a full member of this team.

Quite simply, the goals were as follows.

1) Lead the charge. We wanted to be clearing all content, and all hard modes, while the content was current. We'd already missed the boat on Naxx, but Ulduar was coming soon and that's where we wanted to shine.

2) No compromises. We'd BTDT with raiding with casual and bad players. We resolved to not be straddled with players that couldn't cut it, just because they were close to another player who was good. Wives that couldn't DPS, boyfriends that couldn't tank, cousins who DC'd when a phone call came in, or friends whe didn't understand the mechanics of the game. These players wouldn't be invited or carried - as you can't have a lot of dead weight in this environment.

3) Go big or go home. The moment we failed to meet these goals, we pull the plug and re-organize.

How it all went down

With 3.2 looming on the horizon, we felt like we 'might' be where we needed to be. Sarth 3D was dead, Malygos and Naxx were farmed, and we had a decent core. We'd lost a few of our best players to Naxx burnout, but we had hopes given our 3D kills. We hit Ulduar head on, and managed to eek out some great server firsts.

But there's where it fell apart.

Many players, including my best friend, had no real interest in continued wipe nights on hard modes. They felt like they had seen the content, and what was the point of pushing further (this isn't why Mini left - btw buddy, how's the little man?) and harder when there was minimal reward? Coordinating for hard modes took a toll on folks. They were insulted or hurt when they were asked to sit so we could optimize DPS/healing on an encounter. Players refused to admit they had connection problems "That wasn't a DC!", and there was a huge disparity between equally geared players and their DPS.

We made some changes to try and keep it together, but they ultimately failed. When we saw ourselves regressing, unable to even fill a raid with the core, we decided enough was enough. We pulled the plug, and we left - with new goals and new direction.

Some folks were left behind. A very, VERY, few players weren't included because we wanted to keep the team right at 10. This meant optimizing the group without sacrificing our requirements of great players. Call it what you want, elitist, whatever - but nobody here is complaining about the change.

Wrap-up

Long story short - we had a great run, but didn't get everything we wanted - in 10s or 25s. Our goal was Algalon dead by 3.2, and unless the patch is pushed back at least a week (GG Rage, GG), we won't get it. I'm sure we'll keep banging away at him - but our focus will definately shift to the new encounters.

I sincerely wish the best for those who weren't invited to join us on the ride, and to those who turned down our invitation to pursue their own goals. This is my last main post on the subject, so get your questions in now.

2 comments:

  1. you know what i'm pissed about man, because of you jerks i'm spoiled and now when i run with other people its just annoying >.< lol that was in jest in case you didnt notice ;) good luck on whatever server it is you went to <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. maybe now i can return to my true calling and tank some shit O.o

    ReplyDelete

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