WoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gifWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/WoW Insider ShowEvery week, the WoW Insider Show brings you news and views from the World of Warcraft and the site that covers it all, WoW Insider. We introduce a panel of rotating guests, including bloggers from WoW Insider and other WoW blogs, and many popular personalities from around the WoW community. From the live listener chat and polls during the show, to the emails direct from listeners (reach us at theshow@wow.com), right on to the "meat" of the show -- in-depth discussion of the most popular news and posts on WoW Insider -- the WoW Insider Show is a terrific source of news and entertainment about what's going on with Blizzard and their World of Warcraft. Listen live every Saturday at 3:30 pm Eastern on our Ustream page (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wow-insider-show) or subscribe to the feed and let us know what you think by reviewing the show right here in iTunes.Breakfast Topic: Why join a guild?http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/breakfast-topic-why-join-a-guild/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/breakfast-topic-why-join-a-guild/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/23/breakfast-topic-why-join-a-guild/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Breakfast Topic Why join a guild
There are lots of reasons to join a guild: it makes it easy to find groups and raids, you have guaranteed company while you're playing, and most importantly, guild perks. In case you've been living under a rock, guild perks give you great bonuses for guild membership based on your guild's level. Perks can boost the amount of experience, reputation, and honor you gain, make your hearthstone cooldown shorter, and even make flight paths go faster. So, really, the question seems to be why not join a guild?

The question's been asked on Reddit and it got me wondering why my own alt of choice (for the moment) is currently unguilded. It couldn't take much more than a polite request to jump on the guild bandwagon and get my hands on those yummy, yummy perks. It would stop the regular requests I get to join guilds (even if you've turned off guild requests, you do frequently get whispers) and it's not as though I'm in a demanding guild at the moment. And yet when I don't feel like doing much (or dealing with others), I hop on to my alt to solo for a while.

And what about you, fellow players? Are you guilded or unguilded?

WoW InsiderBreakfast Topic: Why join a guild? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 23 Mar 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionguildguild-perksguildsworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-guildwow-guild-perkswow-guildswow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topicsElizabeth HarperSat, 23 Mar 2013 08:00:00 ESTPoll: Do you use the in-game Guild Finder?http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/poll-do-you-use-the-in-game-guild-finder/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/poll-do-you-use-the-in-game-guild-finder/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/poll-do-you-use-the-in-game-guild-finder/#commentsFiled under: ,

Poll Do you use the ingame LFGuild

Joining a guild has always been a core aspect of World of Warcraft. How to choose the right style of guild can be an especially large hurdle to overcome for new players, but it's something we learn along the way. Players currently have a few resources at their disposal, whether it be the Blizzard Guild Recruitment forums, GuildOx, WoWProgress, or other tools. But there's an oft-forgotten in-game tool that was released back in patch 4.1. What about the in-game Guild Finder?

The options are a bit limited, and the listings depend on the effort put in by guild masters. Let's just say it's a neglected feature on a few fronts. I've used the Guild Finder before, when searching for a casual leveling guild on a new server. Outside of that, I stick to other tools when recruiting or looking for a new guild.

What about you -- do you ever use the in-game Guild Finder? What's your preferred resource for guild recruitment and discovery?

WoW InsiderPoll: Do you use the in-game Guild Finder? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>guildguild-finderguildspollpollsrecruitingrecruitmentKristin MarshallWed, 20 Mar 2013 14:00:00 ESTGuild leadership and guild levelinghttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/guild-leadership-and-guild-leveling/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/guild-leadership-and-guild-leveling/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/guild-leadership-and-guild-leveling/#commentsFiled under: ,

First off, this isn't one of those posts where I'm a detached observer with no first person experience with the problems of guild leadership. I'm an officer in a raiding 25 man guild, and recently I was the victim of a shakeup. Our Anne Stickney wrote about it for the site, so I won't dredge up the same material. Instead, what I will do is talk about what someone else experienced tonight, and what it has me thinking about: namely, that perhaps it's time that alternatives to the classic GM/officers style of guild leadership were made part of the game's set up. Sure, you can run your guild like a council, or even an anarcho-syndicalist commune if you would like, but said commune would still be a monarchy by the way Blizzard has designed the guild formation process.

The reason I bring this up is because of a tweet from Emberdione, who comments here frequently as well as writes on her own blog. It was a very familiar story - her GM had decided he was tired of WoW, and so instead of handing the guild over like a sane person he kicked everyone out. Since it was so familiar to my own recent story, it got me thinking. Why do we still have this one person at the top pyramid structure as the only option for guilds?

Continue reading Guild leadership and guild leveling

WoW InsiderGuild leadership and guild leveling originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>GMguild-leadershipguild-masterGuildsMatthew RossiFri, 08 Mar 2013 19:00:00 ESTWhat to do when your guild falls to pieceshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/what-to-do-when-your-guild-falls-to-pieces/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/what-to-do-when-your-guild-falls-to-pieces/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/what-to-do-when-your-guild-falls-to-pieces/#commentsFiled under: ,

What to do when your guild falls to pieces
Yesterday, my guild fell apart.

I logged into the game as usual, with the intent of clearing the holiday boss and then doing our usual Sunday raid. Instead, I was greeted by a whisper from my cohort in crime, the other rogue in my guild, who told me to join a random channel. Bewildered, I did so, only to find the rest of my guild in said channel. "Why did we make a channel?" I asked. "Because we don't have a guild anymore," she replied -- which was when I realized I was, in fact, completely guildless for the first time since somewhere in the middle of Burning Crusade. Our guild leader systematically kicked everyone out of the guild, shut the doors and called it a day.

Needless to say, it's been a hell of a weekend. My first thought was nonexistent, my second thought, oddly enough, was whether or not we'd ever had a guide on this particular situation on WoW Insider. I couldn't find one after peering through the archives, so I decided, after all the madness of yesterday had settled down, that I ought to write one.

So, from first-hand experience -- what do you do when your guild falls to pieces?

Continue reading What to do when your guild falls to pieces

WoW InsiderWhat to do when your guild falls to pieces originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsdramaguild-blowoutsguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguild-recruitment-forumsguilds-guideworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warcraft-guild-recruitmentworld-of-warcraft-guildswow-guild-managementwow-guildsAnne StickneyMon, 18 Feb 2013 17:00:00 ESTNew generation comes of age in record-holding long-time guildhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/new-generation-comes-of-age-in-record-holding-long-time-guild/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/new-generation-comes-of-age-in-record-holding-long-time-guild/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/new-generation-comes-of-age-in-record-holding-long-time-guild/#commentsFiled under: ,

New generation comes of age in recordholding longtime guild
You know your adults-only guild has built up a serious steamhead of history when you begin seeing an entirely new generation of applicants from within your own ranks. That's right, WoW players, you really are that old. This month marks the 17th anniversary of The Syndicate, the current Guinness world record holders for the longest continuously operating online gaming community.

"As our move into our 18th year as a community, internally we are starting to see the children of our members applying to join," writes Sean "Dragons" Stalzer, president and CEO of The Syndicate. "Said a different way, that means people who have only known MMORPGs similar to WoW or EQ or UO or Rift are heading off to college."

When we interviewed Dragons three years ago, we examined the group's massive size across multiple games, its unrivaled retention rate (an average loss of one to two people per year, for a 99.92% retention rate), and its own studio that turns out strategy guides for casual players and handles game and hardware consulting and testing for various game companies. That's a heady bouquet of achievements for a hardworking guild. Still, the group's anniversary this month makes waves in a much larger context -- a new era for MMO designers and fans alike.

"It matters because the MMOs of the past 17 years were created, in large part, by a community of developers who knew the world of BBS gaming via a modem... who played MUDs and MOOs... who, in the more senior levels, knew gaming before there were computers," Dragons writes. "We are just now reaching the point where the future programmers, designers, producers etc.. are heading off to college having never known a world without MMORPGS. Some of the core mechanics and concepts that shaped what 'success' is in the MMORPG world are things they have never experienced, and that isn't a bad thing. It means there is change coming to the MMO space."

Continue reading New generation comes of age in record-holding long-time guild

WoW InsiderNew generation comes of age in record-holding long-time guild originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dragonsguildslongevitysyndicatethe-syndicateLisa PoissoTue, 12 Feb 2013 18:00:00 ESTGuide to choosing the right style of guildhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/04/guide-to-choosing-the-right-style-of-guild/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/04/guide-to-choosing-the-right-style-of-guild/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/04/guide-to-choosing-the-right-style-of-guild/#commentsFiled under: ,

What type of guild is best for you DNP
Are you searching for a guild of "friendly, mature people" who "have fun" in either a "social" or "raiding" context? You're in luck! You'll find those terms in most guild recruitment ads for WoW's 10 million players worldwide. On second thought, that may be more than good luck; it's more like an avalanche of virtually identical guild profiles. Will those terms help you discern any meaningful distinctions between these groups of players? That's a lot of "friendly" people to sort through.

Many guilds are fairly easily described by their schedules and raid progressions (or their lack of either). More likely, though, the essence of your group -- the part that gives it its flavor and makes it stand apart from other guilds -- is somewhat trickier to describe. "Social," "casual," "raiding" ...These terms describe most guilds. And even terms that seem fairly self-explanatory at first glance can be problematic for players trying to evaluate a potential fit. "We're a dedicated roleplaying guild." OK, so what's the spin? One RP guild might maintain a military structure and campaign, while another plays out some very adult-themed interpersonal dramas -- definitely not interchangeable concepts!

Our experience is that player and guild drama becomes inevitable when members end up unhappily guilded in a group that doesn't truly fit. The Drama Mamas frequently get mail from players who find their guildmates nice enough but still have that itchy feeling that something just isn't clicking. The fit you want is probably out there, but the terminology and labeling for these guilds hasn't quite caught up yet.

What are you looking for in a guild? What sort of group will help you enjoy playing World of Warcraft? Let's figure it out -- and if you're looking for a particularly specialized type of guild, we've included a few niche group suggestions to kickstart your research.

Continue reading Guide to choosing the right style of guild

WoW InsiderGuide to choosing the right style of guild originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advicedramafeaturedfinding-a-guildguildguild-adviceguild-dramaguild-recruitmentguild-typesguildshow-to-find-a-guildplaying-wowrecruitmentwarcraft-advicewow-advicewow-dramawow-drama-guidewow-guildswow-player-guidewow-q-and-aLisa PoissoMon, 04 Feb 2013 13:00:00 ESTWhat's your guild's niche? Help players find your specialized grouphttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/14/whats-your-guilds-niche-help-players-find-your-specialized-gr/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/14/whats-your-guilds-niche-help-players-find-your-specialized-gr/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/14/whats-your-guilds-niche-help-players-find-your-specialized-gr/#commentsFiled under: ,

What's your guild's niche Help players find your specialized group
What is your guild all about? Many guilds are fairly easily described by their schedules and raid progressions (or their lack of either). More likely, though, the essence of your group -- the part that gives it its flavor and makes it stand apart from other guilds -- is somewhat trickier to describe. "Social," "casual," "raiding" ...These terms pretty much describe most guilds.

Even terms that seem fairly self-explanatory at first glance can be problematic for players trying to evaluate a potential fit. "We're a dedicated roleplaying guild." OK, so what's the spin? One RP guild might maintain a military structure and campaign, while another plays out some very adult-themed interpersonal dramas -- definitely not interchangeable concepts!

Our experience is that player and guild drama becomes inevitable when members end up unhappily guilded in a group that doesn't truly fit. The Drama Mamas frequently get mail from players who find their guildmates nice enough but still have that itchy feeling that something just isn't clicking. So as we prepare a guide to help players target the qualities they're looking for in a guild and figure out where to find them, we're turning to you for feedback plus a chance to let other players know about what your own guild's niche has to offer. Click past the break for more details on how to participate.

Continue reading What's your guild's niche? Help players find your specialized group

WoW InsiderWhat's your guild's niche? Help players find your specialized group originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advicecasual-guilddramafeaturedguild-adviceguild-dramaguild-typesguildsleveling-guildnicheplaying-wowpvp-guildraiding-guildretro-raidingrp-guildsocial-guildtypes-of-guildswarcraft-advicewow-advicewow-dramawow-drama-guidewow-player-guidewow-q-and-aLisa PoissoMon, 14 Jan 2013 15:00:00 ESTWhat does community mean in World of Warcraft?http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/what-does-community-mean-in-world-of-warcraft/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/what-does-community-mean-in-world-of-warcraft/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/what-does-community-mean-in-world-of-warcraft/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

What does community mean in World of Warcraft
When I first started playing World of Warcraft, in late 2004 on the server Azjol-Nerub, I knew the people in the guild my wife introduced me to and that was about it. Via that guild, I eventually met people who brought me to another guild, one that raided fairly heavily. That guild moved to Norgannon, becoming one of its top raiding guilds up until the end of Wrath of the Lich King when it moved servers and factions, and I didn't go along for the ride. I instead moved to Cenarion Circle, then Sisters of Elune. In all of this, my sense of community in the game has always been very heavily guild focused.

This means that when people talk about having developed a sense of server community via pugging Stratholme or Shadow Labyrinth back in the day, they're talking about a game I never played. When I was pugging in early BC, before I started raiding again, I was miserable dealing with non-guildmates who often wouldn't listen, demanded a tank with more AoE than a warrior, refused to CC or refused to do so on the targets I asked, and were otherwise often awful. This isn't to say I didn't have any good pick up groups in those days, but if I wanted to get anything done I often had to wait for guild groups. One of the reasons I heralded the advent of the Dungeon Finder was that instead of bothering my guildies so I could get some runs in, I just queued up. No more "LF Tank and 2 CC for Shattered Halls, Paladin tank preferred" or whatever the flavor of the month is. Not that we were running Shattered Halls anymore by that point, of course.

Continue reading What does community mean in World of Warcraft?

WoW InsiderWhat does community mean in World of Warcraft? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>battletagCross-realmcross-realm-raidingdungeon-finderreal-idServer-CommunityServersMatthew RossiFri, 16 Nov 2012 16:00:00 ESTWorld of Warcraft's top 20 guild nameshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/11/02/top-20-guild-names/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/11/02/top-20-guild-names/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/11/02/top-20-guild-names/#commentsFiled under: ,

Top 20 guild names
Based on their database of 230,000 guilds, GuildOx has come up with the top 20 most popular guild names.

Interestingly there are no guild names that really run away with the list -- the most popular guild name only appears 62 times. One would have thought that there would have been names that'd appear hundreds of times, but according to the data that's not the case.

Also noteworthy is that none of the top names are offensive or jokes. This speaks well of the community at large. Here's GuildOx's results:

20. Prime -- 48
19. Requiem -- 49
18. Eclipse -- 50
17. Genesis -- 50
16. Exodus -- 50
15. Asylum -- 51
14. Defiance -- 51
13. Invictus -- 52
12. Relentless -- 52
11. Insidious -- 52

The rest of the list after the break!

Continue reading World of Warcraft's top 20 guild names

WoW InsiderWorld of Warcraft's top 20 guild names originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>guildguild-namesguild-oxguildstop-20-guild-namestop-guild-namesAdam HoliskyFri, 02 Nov 2012 12:00:00 ESTDrama Mamas: Of flirtations and gquitshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/10/08/drama-mamas-of-flirtations-and-gquits/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/10/08/drama-mamas-of-flirtations-and-gquits/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/10/08/drama-mamas-of-flirtations-and-gquits/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm.

This week's letter writer is busted.
Dear Drama Mamas,

I recently had a bit of a blow-up with a guild I used to be in that's really making me feel kinda crappy about myself...and I'm not really sure if it wasn't my fault.

Okay, so I was a casual member (i.e, not a raider) in a raiding guild with a female GM who has an....admirer, I'll call him B. B is a core raider who flirts openly and rather explicitly at times with GM (also a raider) over guild chat. GM does nothing to encourage it, but nothing to discourage it either, and as far as I know she's already in a relationship, and she and B live in different parts of the country. She added me to Real ID so we chatted and still do from time to time - I have no romantic interest in her whatsoever since I'm already in a relationship.

Continue reading Drama Mamas: Of flirtations and gquits

WoW InsiderDrama Mamas: Of flirtations and gquits originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advicedramadramatic-gquitfeaturedflirtationgquitguild-adviceguild-dramaplaying-wowpublic-dramawarcraft-advicewow-advicewow-dramawow-drama-guidewow-player-guidewow-q-and-aRobin TorresMon, 08 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST25 man raiding and the tolling of the bellhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/19/25-man-raiding-and-the-tolling-of-the-bell/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/19/25-man-raiding-and-the-tolling-of-the-bell/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/19/25-man-raiding-and-the-tolling-of-the-bell/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It is time to kill 25 man raiding
I have primarily run in 25 man raiding for the entirety of Cataclysm, and I raided all through Wrath of the Lich King and even Burning Crusade in 25 man raids. 25 man raiding is where I have the most fun. I like it for a variety of reasons. I enjoy having a wider selection of classes and specs available, I generally feel like a larger raid makes a fight feel more dramatic, I dislike how empty some raids feel with a smaller group. To me, a 10 man feels like a UBRS run. These are all personal reasons, I accept that they're not universal. I also wasn't impressed the few times I went into 10 man raids this expansion - the fights always seemed much easier, we blew through bosses we struggled with on 25, clearing 10 with undergeared alts due to the extremely forgiving space mechanics of raids like Firelands and Dragon Soul on 10 man.

So please understand, I am not a partisan of 10 man raiding. I don't like 10 mans. I find that their elevation to the top form of raiding was destructive to the game, to guilds, and to raiding itself. But they are and have been for some time the primary way that people raid. I hate 10 man raids. But the time has come to accept that we have killed the 25 man raid in all but name. It's not a question of should they be removed. They effectively have been removed. You see a lot of debate on what can be done to save the 25 man raid, and the developers have addressed the issue repeatedly in the Reddit AMA and Best Buy Q&A. But you'll notice that they address the issue by acknowledging it and highlighting the issues facing 25 man raids (difficulty of logistics, higher churn rates, higher recruitment needs, difficulty of encounter movement) but that no solutions are forthcoming.

Continue reading 25 man raiding and the tolling of the bell

WoW Insider25 man raiding and the tolling of the bell originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>10-man-raiding25-man-raiding25vs10raidingLockoutsRaid-loucoutsRaid-SizesRaidingMatthew RossiWed, 19 Sep 2012 19:00:00 ESTThe social aspect of WoWhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/the-social-aspect-of-wow/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/the-social-aspect-of-wow/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/the-social-aspect-of-wow/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The social aspect of WoW
I always remember sitting in Shattrath. Sometimes for hours, scrolling through trade, seeing the same messages over and over again. "LF1M Shadow Labyrinth, CC."

Every so often, the discussion comes back to how grouping tools are ruining World of Warcraft's social aspects. The arguments are usually the same, talking about how before the Dungeon Finder people had to have active guilds or set up groups via trade, how the servers had a sense of community, how you have to get out there and put groups together and make friends in order to play WoW, and how that's lost now. And whenever I see this argument, I remember sitting in Shattath, sometimes for hours, trying to get a group for Shadow Labyrinth.

People never really seem to remember those times when they're talking about this. Now, I've made a lot of friends in WoW over the years. Through server x-fers, through tiers of raiding, through old school days of dungeon running. I talk to a lot of these people to this day, and I've raided actively since the days of Molten Core. And yet, when people bemoan the tools that have been added to this game all I can remember is sitting in Shattrath, doing the "LFG Shadow Labyrinth" shuffle, looking at other people also looking for groups. Watching those groups demand that any new DPS have CC (warriors didn't) and that any new tank be an AoE god (warriors weren't) so they didn't have to use that CC they wanted you to have.

Continue reading The social aspect of WoW

WoW InsiderThe social aspect of WoW originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Dungeon-FinderRaid-FinderSocial-AspectSocializationSocietyWoW-SocializationMatthew RossiFri, 14 Sep 2012 16:00:00 ESTParagon switching to 10 man raiding in Mists of Pandariahttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/11/paragon-switching-to-10-man-raiding-in-mists-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/11/paragon-switching-to-10-man-raiding-in-mists-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/11/paragon-switching-to-10-man-raiding-in-mists-of-pandaria/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Even the mightiest among us are not immune to the decline of 25 man raiding. Paragon, who you may remember as one of the world's leading 25 man raiding guilds, is switching to a 10 man raid with the release of Mists of Pandaria. Reasons given include raider burnout during Dragon Soul, difficulty of recruiting players to fill those gaps (and I can attest to that one in a general sense, even far less progression oriented 25 mans are struggling to recruit right now) and player schedules changing.

It should be interesting to see how Paragon does as a 10 man in Mists of Pandaria. Some guilds thrive after the switch, others rebuild and re-enter 25 mans. I personally can't help but think this is a symptom of the gradual erosion of 25 man raiding, myself, but we'll see.

It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderParagon switching to 10 man raiding in Mists of Pandaria originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>10-man-raiding25-man-raidingMists-of-pandaria-raidingParagonMatthew RossiTue, 11 Sep 2012 19:00:00 ESTMentor Guilds for EU and US realms announcedhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/06/mentor-guilds-for-eu-and-us-realms-announced/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/06/mentor-guilds-for-eu-and-us-realms-announced/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/09/06/mentor-guilds-for-eu-and-us-realms-announced/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Back in July, Blizzard announced the Guild Mentoring Program, aimed at easing the process of connecting new players to guilds. Now, both the European and US servers have their initial mentoring guilds selected. These guilds will have their names temporarily changed to make finding them easier for new players, becoming Blizzard Mentor Horde or Blizzard Mentor Alliance for the duration of the program.

The Mentoring program is only available on the selected servers for now, so if you feel you're in need of mentor services, check the lists to see if they're available on your server. The program is specifically tailored for new and low level players to get an introduction to what being in a guild is all about, so if that's you, definitely check it out.

It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderMentor Guilds for EU and US realms announced originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>breakingguildguild-mentorguild-mentoringguildsMatthew RossiThu, 06 Sep 2012 19:00:00 ESTLimits on guild leveling and reputation removed in patch 5.0.4http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/29/limits-on-guild-leveling-and-reputation-removed-in-patch-5-0-4/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/29/limits-on-guild-leveling-and-reputation-removed-in-patch-5-0-4/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/29/limits-on-guild-leveling-and-reputation-removed-in-patch-5-0-4/#commentsFiled under: ,

Patch 504 guild experience and reputation changes ANY
Patch 5.0.4 appears to have made a major change to the way guilds level and the way characters earn guild reputation. The daily and weekly caps for guild leveling and guild reputation game have been removed entirely, allowing players to grind reputation and experience to their heart's content. With a Renowned Guild Tabard, my alt was gaining a whopping 367 guild reputation per quest turned in, making the grind to exalted a relatively quick one.

But there's more than just the cap removal. Apparently, the reputation and guild experience you gain is no longer limited by level, either -- which means that were I to make a new level 1 and slap on that tabard, I'd still be making 367 reputation per quest completed. Speaking of alts, my bank alt completed a couple of quests in Azshara just to test this theory. Not only did she get a sizeable reputation gain, but she also earned a whopping 60,000 guild experience per quest turned in.

This makes it much, much easier for guilds to level, whether you're part of a small friends and family guild or just wanting to level a guild for your bank alt. In either case, guilds should have a much easier time hitting level 25 before Mists officially launches in September.

[Thanks to Matt for the tip!]
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderLimits on guild leveling and reputation removed in patch 5.0.4 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>breakingexperienceexperience-grindguild-experienceguild-levelingguild-levelsguild-reputationmists-of-pandariapatch-5.0.4renowned-guild-tabardreputationreputation-grindAnne StickneyWed, 29 Aug 2012 16:00:00 ESTDrama Mamas: The prodigal GM returnshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/27/drama-mamas-the-prodigal-gm-returns/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/27/drama-mamas-the-prodigal-gm-returns/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/27/drama-mamas-the-prodigal-gm-returns/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm.

Actions. Consequences. Drama.
Hello Drama Mamas,

When I joined over two years ago, our 25-man raiding guild used a 2-headed GM system. Of course, only one had the guild controls, but they would pass things back and forth at times and had equal say in policy. Over a year ago, one of them, the creator of the guild left the game due to some heavy real life issues. Guild control was passed to the other, and another co-GM was assigned. We were told often that the old GM would be returning soon, but none of us ever heard from him.

Continue reading Drama Mamas: The prodigal GM returns

WoW InsiderDrama Mamas: The prodigal GM returns originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>absentee-gmadvicedramafeaturedGMguild-adviceguild-dramaguild-leadershipplaying-wowprodigal-gmwarcraft-advicewow-advicewow-dramawow-drama-guidewow-player-guidewow-q-and-aRobin TorresMon, 27 Aug 2012 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: A closed guild opens its gateshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/13/officers-quarters-a-closed-guild-opens-its-gates/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/13/officers-quarters-a-closed-guild-opens-its-gates/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/13/officers-quarters-a-closed-guild-opens-its-gates/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Gates of Uldum
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook, available from No Starch Press.

This week's email presents an interesting case: The leaders of a guild that hasn't recruited anyone in four years want to open up its roster again. And one of them just might have stumbled on a brilliant recruiting pitch!

Dear Scott:

Recently I was promoted to a pseudo-Guild Lead (I have all the power but not the title). Not a Co-GL, a pseudo-GL. The founders of the guild are still keeping all of their power and titles of GL and Co-GL, but they aren't as active anymore and want the guild to go in a different direction. So below them and slightly to the left is me, the pseudo leader, trying to take the guild in this new direction while at the same time bring back a lot of our current members.

Now to explain. About mid Wrath a lot of the guild members transferred their mains to a different guild in hopes of getting better gear ... Things got worse early Cata. I'm not sure what it was like on other servers, but on my server and in randoms there was a lot of bullying and people just being mean. And I'm not talking about the everyday mean you can encounter online, I mean guild members were brought to tears because of the harassment and haven't played since. About 80% of the guild dropped off. I'll be honest, because of the harassment I faced, I haven't done a heroic or raid since.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: A closed guild opens its gates

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: A closed guild opens its gates originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quarterswow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 13 Aug 2012 12:00:00 ESTDrama Mamas: Problem guildie vs. inassertive GMhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/drama-mamas-problem-guildie-vs-inassertive/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/drama-mamas-problem-guildie-vs-inassertive/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/08/06/drama-mamas-problem-guildie-vs-inassertive/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm.

Brownie points to the person who can concoct a connection between the above video and this week's letter. I failed. I was just in the mood for the song.

Dear Drama Mamas,

I've been thinking of writing for some time, and have reached the tipping point. There is one obnoxious and rude guy in guild who ruins the fun for the overwhelming majority of the rest of us. He curses, bullies, and complains nearly constantly in guild chat in what has to be intentionally improper English (since still spells his class incorrectly after years of playing), and yells loud obscenities in vent if he doesn't win a drop. He shows a lack of respect for everyone (and our time) by coming to raids woefully unprepared (like tanking in an alt group without an offspec so he has to be MT, without gems or enchants and improperly specced, while not knowing what he needs to do in his new role and not knowing his own abilities) and causing us to spend hours on wipes and not be able to complete the run. The GM is stuck in a place where she's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't, because if he doesn't come he makes things even more miserable for everyone. No one is sure why she puts up with him, because he's been rude and very inappropriate to her as well.

Continue reading Drama Mamas: Problem guildie vs. inassertive GM

WoW InsiderDrama Mamas: Problem guildie vs. inassertive GM originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advicedramafeaturedguild-adviceguild-dramaguild-leadershipplaying-wowproblem-guildiewarcraft-advicewow-advicewow-dramawow-drama-guidewow-player-guidewow-q-and-aRobin TorresMon, 06 Aug 2012 17:00:00 ESTDrama Mamas: Guildie vs. guildie at the Auction Househttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/07/02/drama-mamas-guildie-vs-guildie-at-the-auction-house/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/07/02/drama-mamas-guildie-vs-guildie-at-the-auction-house/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/07/02/drama-mamas-guildie-vs-guildie-at-the-auction-house/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm.

I don't think we've had Auction House drama before. How delicious interesting.
Hello ladies

I have played WoW on and off since vanilla, but I always seem to return at the tail end of an expansion. I came back this time 3 months ago and decided to start fresh- new server, new faction, new toons. I have alot to prepare for the release of MoP like this but I thought I was doing pretty well.

I joined a really great guild who has an unwritten rule that we don't undercut others on the AH, and alot of the members go as far as waiting until others have sold their items before listing the same thing. As such we're all pretty open with our gold making 'secrets' with each other.

I have a friend who, like me, has two gathering professions on his main, which are also the same as mine. He was complaining that nothing was selling well anymore this late in Cata, so I shared with him a few of the things I gather and sell, my main money maker was something I specifically told him sells a little slow but does sell, so don't get carried away putting too much on the AH at once. Very quickly I found he was flooding the AH with what I suggested to him, undercutting me by 10-20g each time and soon enough things were selling for less than half of what they were before. I pointed out to him, again, he does not need to flood and undercut so much, but he did not listen.

Continue reading Drama Mamas: Guildie vs. guildie at the Auction House

WoW InsiderDrama Mamas: Guildie vs. guildie at the Auction House originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>adviceah-pvpauction-houseauction-house-pvpdramafarm-stalkingfarmingfeaturedguild-adviceguild-dramaplaying-wowwarcraft-advicewow-advicewow-dramawow-drama-guidewow-player-guidewow-q-and-aRobin TorresMon, 02 Jul 2012 13:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: 9 warning signs that your raid leader is badhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/06/25/officers-quarters-9-warning-signs-that-your-raid-leader-is-bad/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/06/25/officers-quarters-9-warning-signs-that-your-raid-leader-is-bad/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/06/25/officers-quarters-9-warning-signs-that-your-raid-leader-is-bad/#commentsFiled under: ,

A raid wipes to the Lich King
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook, available from No Starch Press.

A good raid leader is the heart and soul of a successful raiding guild. Guilds have been made and broken by these stalwart, savvy, and thick-skinned individuals. A great raid leader is a truly special asset that all guilds seek but few are lucky enough to find.

The rest have to settle for whomever is willing. Unfortunately, while willingness can be difficult to find in and of itself, the role requires so much more than that. Those who fail at it often do so in spectacular fashion. Others are less obvious in their failure, and their raiders suffer for years as a result. How can you tell your raid leader isn't managing the job very well? Read on.

(Also, before I start the list, I want to note that every single item here is drawn from a real example. I've either experienced it personally or I've read about it in emails from you. This column was actually inspired by an email from RBG Leader. Thanks!)

1. Your raid leader is quiet in Vent. A raid leader needs to be the most vocal person on a raid team. He or she has to coordinate mechanics, explain guild-specific strategies, call out for cooldowns and battle rezzes, warn the raid of impending special abilities, get on people's case when they're consistently messing up the same thing, announce breaks, request suggestions, etc., etc., etc. It's not a role for the shy.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: 9 warning signs that your raid leader is bad

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: 9 warning signs that your raid leader is bad originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsdramafeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quartersraid-leaderraid-leadershipraid-leadingraidingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 25 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST