17.6.11

An Accusatory Slash and Five Harsh Letters

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop. - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I posted a month ago about the difficulties that Shadowgarde was going through as this tier of raiding winds down. I'm sorry to say that things haven't gotten any better.

Since that post I feel like I've tried everything I could think of to get my guild raiding again. I attempted to recruit and organize a new raid team, which proved only marginally successful. We did manage to get a few raids off the ground by utilizing a fairly random cross-section of PUGers as getting guild members to show up was near impossible. The results were not quite disastrous, but hardly high-end progression. I really felt like we were spinning our wheels and sliding backwards.

Short of cattle-prods or cash bribes, I don't really know what else to do to get people motivated and raiding again. Shadowgarde has always been a casual and social guild that raided, but it seems as though almost all of the core group of raiders have drifted away from the game or from raiding to other things, so staying is not an ideal situation for someone who still has the Progression Bug. Moving my main to a more active raiding guild was the logical choice, rather than trying to turn a guild into something it's not.

However, I am glad that I decided to try to get raiding back on track. I feel like it would have been discourteous to sneak out in the middle of the night when our raiding stumbled without at least giving it a solid effort to turn it around.

Typing /gquit felt decidedly harder than I thought it would. That slash at the front of the word seemed very accusatory, and the five letters that followed it have a nasty, unsavoury look about them.

END OF AN ERA
"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way." - Dr. Seuss
I admit that I've been quietly shopping for a new raiding guild since I wrote Unfamiliar Waters, just in case things didn't work out. Even before writing it I had started paying attention to the Guild Recruitment spam in Trade Chat again, and I had been checking out the odd guild website but not really finding anything that really intrigued me enough to put in an application.

However, the real impetus to actually make the move was when my good friend and Shadowgarde guildie mentioned to me that he was thinking of finding a more active raiding guild as well. Having some support really kicked things into high gear, and two days, one Mumble interview and one exceptionally smooth run through five of the Blackwing Descent bosses, I am now a member of Mountain Top


Mountain Top is a new guild created by a couple of people that I've come to know from the WoW Twitter community: Gniesha and Mylindara. I approached Gniesha (who is a regular reader and commenter of Battle Medic and Dear Dwarfling, a blogger, and a very flirty Twitterer) about her new guild and before long, we were in their Mumble channel chatting away like old friends. These folks seem like a lot of fun to be around, and seemed to be genuinely excited about having me come on board, which fells really great.
"We will stomp to the top with the wind in our teeth." - George Mallory, English mountaineer who died climbing Mount Everest.
One of the nice things about joining a newly formed guild is the opportunity to get in on the ground floor. While it seems as if Mountain Top's goals and attitudes are compatible with my own, there is a much greater chance to have an influence on the direction of a new guild than there would be if I joined up with a large guild that already had their culture, policies and attitudes established for a long time. This new guild will evolve and grow as it establishes itself, and I get to be there from the beginning (well, practically, they started two weeks ago) to see where it goes and perhaps nudge it's direction now and then with a suggestion or two. That's almost as exciting as starting my own guild, but without all the paperwork and ulcers.

A POTENTIAL CATCH

If there is one thing that I'm worried about, it's that their raiding schedule is not yet set. When my guidie and I talked about leaving Shadowgarde, we made a pact that no matter where we went, we would go together. His schedule is even more hectic and uncertain than my own, so finding a raiding guild that will not only welcome both of us together, has the attitude and skill we are looking for, and yet still works for both of our schedules is a daunting challenge. Time will tell all, but I'm hoping Mountain Top is that guild.

Mountain Top

9 comments:

  1. I've had to leave a couple of guilds in my time and I swear it's the hardest thing in the world. I hope you find your new home in Mountain Top :)

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  2. I'm so sorry to hear about the issues you've been having with Shadowgarde, Fannon. And, like I've been saying, I'm GOING to transfer to your server... whenever that might be.

    But, nonetheless, I hope Mountain Top will be a great home for you! Also, if you can, give them a recommendation for me to join! /nudge Fannon, /nudge Fannon... /wink Fannon, /wink Fannon.

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  3. I think I'm blushing. As for the raiding schedule, I believe that the progression nights will be Wednesday and Thursday, starting between 8 and 8:30 server time. Of course, there will be the GNR nights and RBGs and JFA other nights. The goal is to have something to do every night so that the members that are online but who aren't part of the main raid team are still included.

    Also, kittens.

    ...

    Mountain Top!
    Hrrrgggh!

    Have you seen that video yet?

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  4. As for the /gquit
    It's hard. I know it's really hard. I'd been unhappy with my guild since the end of Wrath, but I was too scared to quit and find myself a new place because of all the friends I had still.
    I had 9 toons in the old guild, and Mylindara had 9 or 10. Kicking all those alts out and leaving ourselves was probably one of the hardest things we've had to do in this game. I was in that guild for about 2 and a half years, Myl nearly as long.
    But I'm happy we did it, and I hope you have a great time with us in Mountain Top :3

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  5. No matter how hard it is to leave a guild, I think it's better to part company on good terms than a.) linger until you resent being unhappy, or b.) try to herd cats until all the cats are pissed off. So good luck in your new guild! :)

    In most cases where guilds just don't seem to be able to get people motivated for raiding, I think it's best not to push. Not unless an issue like "The raid intimidates the hell out of everybody" can be identified. When it's just a general sense of "Nobody seems to want to just now", I think there are usually individual reasons for it and some of them having nothing to do with the game itself. If you make some attempts to get people going and it doesn't happen, moving on to where you can raid is better than pushing people who don't want to be pushed.

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  6. Yea man, I know what you mean. It was VERY hard to come to the decision to leave our last guild and even harder one for me to decide to get back into managing a guild.

    We do welcome you with Open Arms man and I hope that we are the home that you are looking for.

    Also, I think I'm gonna start blogging again. :D

    MOUNTAIN TOP...UGGGGHHHHHH

    Myl

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  7. Relucant Raider: You're not kidding. It feels like a betrayal. I've done it a few times now and it just never gets any easier.

    Lamesu: The only issue I had with SG was the fact that no one seemed interested in raiding any longer. I love the people in SG, and it's been a great home for me for the past year.

    Gnieshykins: If you think you're blushing now, just wait until I get comfortable in gchat. I am a notorious flirt. :)

    And aren't you a Dog girl, not a kitty chick? Remind me to post some pictures of my Beagles on the forums for you to squee over.

    I'm enjoying the guild so far! You all have been particularly welcoming (especially Nano, who comes off as a cross between a cruise ship social director and a serial killer who smiles all the time. It's been great fun. :)

    Middle of the Forest: Thank you!

    Glorwynn: Thank you for commenting! A very dwarfish tip a' the hat to ya, dearie. Here's a nice fuzzy blanket for you. :)

    I don't think I was trying to push people into doing something they hadn't done before; there are/were a lot of raiders in SG, and the guild has a solid history of progression raiding. I simply didn't feel right about leaving at the first sign of trouble without at least attempting to see if I could turn it around. From a completely selfish point of view, I had a lot of time and effort invested in SG, and leaving those great people just because I wasn't getting the bosses down without at least trying something didn't sit well with me.

    As it is, I left on good terms (I think), and I know that I still have lots of friends (and a few alts) in SG. No bridges were burned, no drama. It doesn't make for good blog material, really. :)

    Mylindara: You should start blogging again! Thank you for the welcome! The guild has been a really good fit so far, so I'm thrilled to be here.

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  8. I am totally a dog person, but I do have a soft spot for kittens.

    THEY'RE SO FUZZY.

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