Raid codex -
Updated May 2023
We are a social guild that raids, not a dedicated raiding guild. This means raiding is optional; we have no mandatory attendance, no 'skill trials' and so on. Anyone who wants to raid is welcome to sign up, with a couple of caveats that will be covered below. As a social guild our overriding goal is to have fun, so signing up for a raid should be with the intention of having fun together whatever the progress may be. If we kill a lot and progress fast that's great, but if we progress slower that's also fine as long as we have fun in the process. It's important to remember this core value. We all make mistakes - be prepared for that to happen and don't yell at anyone.
We are not a Mythic raid guild. We use the flexible size system and typically start in Normal before progressing into Heroic. This lets us raid without having to leave anyone out, whether we have 12 signups on a night or 24.
1. Raid Nights and Signups
We typically have 2 raids per week, with signups on the ingame calendar:
-Thursday 20:00 to 23:00 (server time)
-Monday 20:00 to 23:00 (server time)
Note: Sometimes these days might change if there's a specific reason for a switch, but those are the usual slots.
Invites will start 10-15 minutes early so we can all get in and be ready to start on time. If you're going to be late you can let us know on Discord. If you know in advance that you'll need to leave early that's fine, just let the raid leader know. Similarly if you're getting tired or not feeling well (headaches happen!) it's perfectly ok if you need to leave before the end. You can usually also join a raid after it's started, as long as there's space. We're flexible in that regard
Raids might be cancelled to let people make other plans if signups are really low so do try to sign up in advance! You can also say on Discord if you'll be there, if you can't access the calendar to sign. If needed we will aim to cancel on the morning of the raid day to give plenty of notice.
2. Main Character vs Alts
We ask that everyone tries to pick a main character to sign up with for consistency. If you're not enjoying your class and want to switch to something else that's fine, though it's best to check with the raid leader first (eg. It'd be tricky if 6 people all decided they want to tank!).
Although we try to focus on Mains we know it can be beneficial having alts available, especially for covering key roles like tanks/healers. For instance, if you prefer to focus on playing a dps Main but you have a different alt you'd be happy to use if extra healing is needed that's absolutely fine - in fact it's encouraged! There can also be opportunities to help gear key alts during reclears. If you're in any doubt when it comes to alt use, just contact the raid leader.
Despite the flexible size we are still limited to 2 tanks and need sufficient healing. There are likely to be times where someone is asked to play a different role or class in order for the raid to work - we might be social but 5 tanks and 0 healers wouldn't be ideal!
3. Requirements to Raid
There are very few requirements to join, the main thing is to turn up with a positive attitude. There are really only a few key points:
- Item Level. Raids will usually have a minimum ilvl on the calendar. This is typically set quite liberally and is purely to prevent people being way too low to survive mechanics. There might be slightly tighter ilvl set when working on end bosses but this is generally only an issue for someone returning late into a patch and needing to catch up. If you've been actively playing this is pretty much never an issue. Just ask the raid leader if you're close or not sure. At the start of the raid it might be set around 15-20 ilvl below what drops.
- Discord Communication. It is important for everyone to be on Discord for voice comms. It's ok if you can't speak as long as you can hear clearly. That said we do ask that you're not using separate comms at the same time - it's not fine for a group to have guild Discord muted while chatting together exclusively elsewhere. We raid as a guild group, not separate sub groups.
- Gear Enchants/Gems. We might not be pushing for the Race to World First but that doesn't mean we can't still arrive prepared. Try to have your gear fully gemmed/enchanted before joining a raid, it all adds up!
4. Looting
This varies expansion to expansion as Blizzard change system but currently we just use the simple ingame Need/Greed system. If an item drops and you need it as a wearable upgrade, hit Need. The only thing we ask is that you try to know if you actually do need an item before rolling on it - don't Need and then plan to figure out if it's useful the next day, as that would take it away from someone else. If you do win an item and then realise you don't need it, let us know asap before you equip it so we can redistribute. The bottom line is try to respect everyone else and be sensible with Needs.
5. Addons, Videos etc.
Some people find a lot of addons useful, others don't. The main addon that's highly encouraged is a boss mod (usually DBM) to help a lot with timers and alerts. Anything else is pretty much personal preference - we don't enforce weak auras, though many find them handy. GTFO can also be handy for alerts for bad stuff.
If you're not sure which addons might help and want to explore more options just ask, we have guildies quite familiar with addons who'd be happy to help.
It isn't essential to watch videos before a new raid. If you like to do that, that's great, but we know that many people enjoy going in and seeing things themselves without spoilers so it's fine to start a raid without knowing tactics as long as you're prepared to learn as you go
6. Damage Meters, Logs and Sims
One thing we ask is not to link damage/healing meters. If you use meters for your own reference and you've topped dps that's awesome but they're not to be used in any kind of negative way. Don't link meters to show how far ahead of others you are, or to show how far behind someone else might be. On the same note, please don't private message people to say they're doing things wrong - if you think someone might need a pointer you can let the raid leader know.
Similarly our raid logs are for reference and personal use if desired. It's great if someone wants to look through their logs to see if anything can be improved or to learn from, but they're not to be used for showing anyone else's performance in a negative light.
What we do encourage is if you want to see if the logs can help you but you don't fully understand looking through them yourself you can always ask for help. Someone will be more than happy to help you go through your logs
if you want and ask for it but it's not mandatory. The same thing for sims and talents - if you want any help simming options you can ask if you want!
7. If in doubt...
If in doubt, ask the raid leader or any other officer. We're here to help