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.Officers' Quarters: The new burnouthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/officers-quarters-the-new-burnout/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/officers-quarters-the-new-burnout/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/officers-quarters-the-new-burnout/#commentsFiled under:

Item upgrade guy
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.

Mists has delivered new content faster than any WoW expansion to date. The days of waiting six months, eight months, or more between major patches seem like a bad memory now. With patch 5.3 likely to drop in the next few weeks, that will mean we've had an average of one patch about every three months in the wake of 5.0.

In years past, officers had to steel their guild for long lulls, which always seemed to land in summertime. They had to make backup plans to account for long absences from players who just couldn't stand to run the same raid one more time. Guilds who couldn't find replacements sometimes found themselves closing shop instead.

In 2013, that age seems far behind us. However, the accelerated content has brought with it a new kind of burnout instead, and it's one that officers and raid leaders should keep in mind as we move deeper into Mists.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: The new burnout

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: The new burnout originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsburnoutfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipnew-burnoutofficers-quartersraid-leadingraidingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 13 May 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: 5 tips for casual raiding in Mistshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/officers-quarters-5-tips-for-casual-raiding-in-mists/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/officers-quarters-5-tips-for-casual-raiding-in-mists/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/officers-quarters-5-tips-for-casual-raiding-in-mists/#commentsFiled under:

Officers' Quarters 5 tips for casual raiding in Mists MONDAY
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.

A few weeks ago I had a great chat with Mick from The Starting Zone podcast about casual raiding in Mists of Pandaria. We both agree that normal mode raids have become more difficult than in the last two expansions. The existence of LFR has emboldened Blizzard to tune normal more tightly than they have in recent years.

If you're in a casual raiding guild that is having trouble in normal mode, here are five tips on how to improve progression and morale without pushing your raiders to the breaking point.

1. Talk about your lack of progression. For an officer, silence is deadly to morale, both during raids and after. In that silence, you know that people are whispering to each other about what's going wrong, or griping about other players. Maybe they are just sitting there stunned and disappointed, unable to muster a coherent thought. In any case, it's bad.

It's up to the guild's leadership to break the silence. During the raid, talk about what's going wrong in a constructive way. Don't forget to talk about what's going right, too. Afterward, create a thread on your forums to debrief. Solicit suggestions and strategies. Encourage a dialogue. Let people vent a bit, if they have to. It helps relieve the pressure -- just be sure to moderate and make sure the discussion stays civil.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: 5 tips for casual raiding in Mists

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: 5 tips for casual raiding in Mists originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildscasual-raidingfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quarterspodcastraiding-in-mistsraiding-tipsstarting-zonewow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 06 May 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Roster cleanup pros and conshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/officers-quarters-roster-cleanup-pros-and-cons/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/officers-quarters-roster-cleanup-pros-and-cons/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/officers-quarters-roster-cleanup-pros-and-cons/#commentsFiled under:

Dwarf with a broom
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.

Guild rosters inevitably become bloated over time. They fill up with inactive players or throwaway alts that current members haven't dusted off for years. This week, a guild leader asks when is the right time to remove characters from the roster -- and whether we should even do it at all.

I run a casual guild. One of my officers puts it thus, "We're a raiding guild that acts casual." We have a decent roster and a great group of people, but we also have a lot of people who join, show up for awhile and then disappear. Some come back in six months and some, I have no idea if they are coming back or if they are gone for good.

I like my roster to reflect an active guild, which we are. My membership officer sent me a roster list and I'm in the process of going through it for names that haven't been played in over 6 months. We've been doing a purge like this for the last 3 years and, every time, there's always some consternation about removing names from the roster.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Roster cleanup pros and cons

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Roster cleanup pros and cons originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildscleaning-rosterfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguild-rosterguilds-guideinactive-membersleadershipofficers-quartersroster-cleanupwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Defeating the needieshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/officers-quarters-defeating-the-needies/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/officers-quarters-defeating-the-needies/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/officers-quarters-defeating-the-needies/#commentsFiled under:

Officers' Quarters Defeating the needies MONDAY
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.

We've all been there. You invite new people to your guild. They seem like they'll be a great addition to the roster. They ask for help and you gladly offer it. They ask for more and you give more. Then they promptly ride off into the sunset. This week, an officer wants to know how to avoid being the victim of these players.

Hi Scott

We're a friendly, mainly social guild with helpful officers and roster. We occassionaly meet some seemingly cool, nice people that I or the officers warm up to immediately, chatting in vent, etc. They might jump right in to be active in guild chat, and otherwise give every indication that they are mature, responsible and ethical. Every now and then I guess I'm too trusting, and extend help to some of these people in the form of time, guild bank items, and even gold, and then I log in and see they've left the guild without so much as a thank you. Mind you, some of these people have accepted some rather expensive help from us. So I've decided that no matter how nice you seem, or how much any of us may like you or know you, you will have to have been in the guild a certain amount of time before getting any bank items or money, etc. say, over a certain value maybe. I'm just not sure what the specifics on this rule should be, or what else we should do to protect ourselves from these kinds of people. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
pj

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Defeating the needies

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Defeating the needies originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguild-ranksguilds-guidehelpleadershipneediesofficers-quartersscamswow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Reworking a guild concepthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/officers-quarters-reworking-a-guild-concept/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/officers-quarters-reworking-a-guild-concept/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/officers-quarters-reworking-a-guild-concept/#commentsFiled under:

Officers' Quarters Reworking a guild concept MONDAY
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.

Ideas for unique guild concepts are hard to come by. This week, a guild leader who thought she had a winning formula finds out that no one is interested. Let's look at what she came up with and how we can rework her ideas to entice more recruits.

I have recently transferred from Nazgrel to the RP server of Moon Guard. I did this with a certain goal in mind, to establish an all Goblin Trade Guild. I have hit a crucial snag however and can't seem to generate any interest in my Guild idea. One major selling point of my Trade Guild would be that we would hold a monthly [Bazaar] in which other Guilds would be encouraged to join in and sell their wares along with us. Using [Gryphonheart Items] we would create an item catalog and haggle over prices. I was hoping that this would help revitalize the role play community. Nothing I have tried has worked to recruit Any suggestions?

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Reworking a guild concept

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Reworking a guild concept originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bazaarbuilding-guildscraftingcreating-a-guildfeaturedgoblinguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-buildingguild-conceptguild-creationguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quartersrecruitingRolePlayingrptradingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 15 Apr 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Charter pirateshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/officers-quarters-charter-pirates/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/officers-quarters-charter-pirates/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/officers-quarters-charter-pirates/#commentsFiled under:

A pirate fires cannons
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.

I never thought I'd be writing an OQ column about intellectual property, but here we are:

Hi Scott,

I'll make this short and to the point, because I'm honestly at the end of my rope with just how disrespectful, inconsiderate, and shady some folks who play this game are.

Without going into too much detail, we removed some folks from our guild a few weeks ago; they tried to poach our members and couldn't, so they ended up stealing our charter instead.

I found out because I noticed them advertising in trade chat, so I scoped their website out. Lo and behold, there were MY words I worked so dutifully on, for many hours, over the course of a few weeks, with my co-GM and other officers. This charter was the result of almost a year's worth of questions, concerns, comments, and experiences we all have shared since forming our guild, and to see another guild just blatantly rip it off was infuriating.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Charter pirates

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Charter pirates originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildschartercopyrightdramafeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-charterguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideintellectual propertyintellectual-propertyIntellectualPropertyleadershipofficers-quarterspoachingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 08 Apr 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: B teamedhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/officers-quarters-b-teamed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/officers-quarters-b-teamed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/01/officers-quarters-b-teamed/#commentsFiled under:

Gnome with paper airplane
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.

This week's email comes from a player whose guild recently made the always-difficult, always-drama-fueling decision to form an A team out of their raiders. Is creating an A team the right move? When you wind up on the B team, what's next?

Hi Scott,

I'm a member of a medium-sized guild that has been running two raid teams simultaneously up until recently. These teams weren't fixed; group composition was mixed up every week. I rather enjoyed that, as it meant that I got to play and interact with lots of different guild members, and there was little room for cliquishness.

However, the other day guild leadership announced that this was all going to change. Going forward, most of the officers will be in a fixed "progression team" while the rest of us will be left to our own devices. There should still be enough of us left to form a second team, but we'd pretty much have to make it work ourselves.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: B teamed

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: B teamed originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>a-teamb-teambuilding-guildsdramafeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quartersraidingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 01 Apr 2013 11:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: 5 arguments for guild hallshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/officers-quarters-5-arguments-for-guild-halls/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/officers-quarters-5-arguments-for-guild-halls/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/officers-quarters-5-arguments-for-guild-halls/#commentsFiled under:

What a guild hall might look like
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.

A few weeks ago, a Twitter user named Quentin Charton asked Ghostcrawler whether WoW could eventually have guild housing. Ghostcrawler's reply was "We worry that guild housing is only content for the guild leaders."

If implemented properly, I think guild halls could be a home run for WoW. Here are five reasons why.

1. Guild leaders and officers deserve in-game rewards.

Ghostcrawler doesn't want to create content just for guild leaders. My question is, why not? Leading a guild is not easy. It requires making sacrifices, both in-game and in the real world, since it takes time and energy. Don't guild leaders and their officers deserve a few small in-game perks?

I agree that the entire guild hall experience shouldn't be for officers only. However, a guild hall could have a special place in it for officers. You could call it something simple like, say, off the top of my head . . . the "Officers' Quarters." This location would have a few small bonuses for them, like a flask vending machine you can use once a day (like Blingtron). Such a perk would be a welcome thank you to the players who make all the best group content in WoW happen.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: 5 arguments for guild halls

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: 5 arguments for guild halls originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-achievementsguild-hallsguild-housingguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguild-questsguilds-guidehousingleadershipofficers-quartersplayer-housingteamworkwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 25 Mar 2013 18:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Casual raiding's demise?http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/11/officers-quarters-casual-raidings-demise/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/11/officers-quarters-casual-raidings-demise/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/11/officers-quarters-casual-raidings-demise/#commentsFiled under:

Horridon smashes a raid to dust
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.

Cataclysm's introduction of the Raid Finder, or LFR, has certainly affected all levels of raiding. But will it eventually bring about the end of small, casual raiding guilds, as one officer fears? Or does it mean that he needs to change his approach?

Hey Scott,

I'm an officer in a small, casual raiding guild. By "casual" I mean we only raid two nights a week from 9-12, and typically we run a 10% nerf behind when it comes to clearing content.

Our niche has always been as a "friendly community that offers members the chance to experience content in a laid-back atmosphere." Here's my question . . . what do you see as the impact of LFR (and to a lesser extent, LFG) on casual raiding guilds such as ours?

Personally, I've always viewed it as a negative. LFR erodes the need for community in the game. Meanwhile, for the casual raiding guild, the biggest draw we can offer to players on our realms is our sense of "community".

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Casual raiding's demise?

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Casual raiding's demise? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildscasual-raidingfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguild-raidingguilds-guideleadershiplfrofficers-quartersraid-finderraidingrecruitingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 11 Mar 2013 16:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Beyond recruitinghttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/officers-quarters-beyond-recruiting/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/officers-quarters-beyond-recruiting/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/officers-quarters-beyond-recruiting/#commentsFiled under:

Recruits of the Twilight's Hammer
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.

If you create a guild with a very specific type of player in mind, keeping those players should be easy, right? As one guild leader found out, it's not as simple as it seems.

Hi Scott. ... I've got a guild of 50 people (10-30 people and their alts) and I seem to have hit a wall. I put posts up, I scour WoW Insider for ways to market my guild (thanks for the shoutout, drama mamas) and I try to keep things interesting but nobody ever signs on anymore. We've got a core group of about... oh I'd say 5-10 people who still sign on every few days. How in the hell are we supposed to be a guild for disabled people and friends of the disabled when nobody signs on?

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Beyond recruiting

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Beyond recruiting originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsdisabilitydisabledfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipmember-retentionofficers-quartersplayer-retentionrecruitingretentionwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 04 Mar 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Don't start from scratchhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/officers-quarters-dont-start-from-scratch/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/officers-quarters-dont-start-from-scratch/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/officers-quarters-dont-start-from-scratch/#commentsFiled under:

Officers' Quarters Don't start from scratch MONDAY
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.

Something in human nature relishes the concept of "starting from scratch." Is it the blank slate that excites us? Is it the opportunity to let go of the past and forge a new destiny for ourselves? Is it the joy of creating versus the tedium of maintaining?

In any event, I've received a lot of emails lately about this idea. Players have written me expressing a desire to create a new account or get a name change and then create a new guild on a new realm where they will be the guild leader. Usually it's a lone person or a duo.

To all of these people, my most sincere advice is this: don't.

And if you have no experience with leadership, especially don't.

First I will explain why this is a bad idea. Then, because I hate to discourage anyone from taking up a leadership role (the game always needs more of you), I will give a few words of advice about how you should approach it. Finally, I will offer an alternative that may work out better for you in the long run. Read on if you want to know!

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Don't start from scratch

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Don't start from scratch originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advicebuilding-guildscreating-a-guildfeaturedfounding-a-guildguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-creatingguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quartersrealm-transferrecruitingserver-transferwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 25 Feb 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Extinction eventhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/officers-quarters-extinction-event/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/officers-quarters-extinction-event/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/officers-quarters-extinction-event/#commentsFiled under:

Direhorns in patch 5.2
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.

For some raiding guilds, the last couple of weeks before a new patch is an opportunity to get those last normal or heroic encounters down, earn achievements, or farm for the last few items the raid team needs for the next tier. For others, they are a reminder of how little the guild has progressed. This reminder prompts raiders to weigh leaving the guild. This week's email comes from a raid leader facing this tough situation.

Hi Scott.

I've become Raid Leader of my old guild. Which, is driving me crazy.

This raid team has been through thick and thin, through multiple Gm's and having lost multiple strong raiders I came back to the guild to help them and to join the team as Raid Leader. I've been having a really tough time though. Progression is non-existent. We're stuck on Blade Lord due to a lack of strong dps players and the new people who show promise need to do Mogu'shan Vaults to get gear for Heart of Fear. The raiders who've been on the team since the start of this tier are bored and have had enough of no progression and Mogu'shan Vaults. They're mainly all thinking of leaving the guild and if so, it'll mean the end of this guild, which I love.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Extinction event

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Extinction event originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildscriticism-culturedramafeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quartersprogressionraid-leadingraidingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 18 Feb 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Faster leveling through briberyhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/11/officers-quarters-faster-leveling-through-bribery/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/11/officers-quarters-faster-leveling-through-bribery/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/11/officers-quarters-faster-leveling-through-bribery/#commentsFiled under:

Large treasure chest
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.

Rewards can be powerful motivators. But what is the right way to reward members for leveling the guild and earning guild achievements? This week, a new leader asks just that.

Hey Scott,

I'm a newly established guild leader with hopes of having a decently successful guild. You see I've had my hand in a handful of guilds ranging from the most casual to the semi hardcore and then in ranks ranging from your run of the mill raider to substitute guild leader. From what I noticed in my experience is that most guilds have tons and tons of members that either pvp or raid and it seems that only the few named personnel only show up to check raid times (if any) or to do the occasional battleground. What I want to accomplish with my newly establish guild is some sort of incentives for work towards achievements or overall leveling of the guild. My officers are just down right stumped and I am looking at you for a piece of advice maybe. I guess to sort of elaborate more on what our goals are is that I'm looking at just making a casual raid/pvp guild that not only rewards its players for achievements but for progress in leveling the guild. What do you suggest?

Sincerely,

Wet Behind the Ears GL

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Faster leveling through bribery

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Faster leveling through bribery originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-achievementsguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-levelingguild-levelsguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideincentivesleadershipofficers-quartersrewardswow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 11 Feb 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Backseat raidinghttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/04/officers-quarters-backseat-raiding/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/04/officers-quarters-backseat-raiding/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/04/officers-quarters-backseat-raiding/#commentsFiled under:

Two vrykul on a chopper
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.

Raid leading is never an easy role in the best of times. When players start to question your decisions and argue with your strategies, the job can take on a whole new dimension of hassle. That's the case in this week's email:

Recently drama erupted in my guild which I felt had been brewing for a while now. My fiancé and I joined a newly formed guild and it was known at the time, we went through with the GM how we were not a package deal and if one of us did not make the cut that we were okay with it. The only thing we requested was fair treatment.

Shortly before cataclysm I was asked to be an officer, due to some qualities I had shown during raids, namely not being afraid to speak up and ultimately voice who had made the mistake thus creating more accountability ... I took over raid leading and led the guild to a double digit us ranking according to Wowprogress.

During this time drama began to brew, two players one of which was new ... and one of which was a founding member started a campaign which I could clearly see to discredit and argue strats I had prepared as well as judgement calls I made on the fly, it all escalated when one of those wanted to argue the raid comp and then in turn that my fiancé should be the one sitting not the new mage who was a recruit (and dating one of the other core raiders) despite the logs showing that was not the case. The gm wanted me to do it to appease them and I refused, the raid ended up being called.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Backseat raiding

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Backseat raiding originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsdramafeaturedfilling-slotsguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quartersraid-leaderraid-leadershipraid-leadingraidingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 04 Feb 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Thundering up to 25http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/28/officers-quarters-thundering-up-to-25/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/28/officers-quarters-thundering-up-to-25/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/28/officers-quarters-thundering-up-to-25/#commentsFiled under:

Throne of thunder
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.

Lately Blizzard has been moving toward making 25-man raids more rewarding again. They've already done so in Asia. Elsewhere, they are trying something new with Thunderforged items, which will drop more frequently in larger raids. Time will tell if this is enough to save 25s. In the meantime, some guilds, like the one in the email below, are thinking about making the leap from 10s.

Hello Scott!

Very long time reader - first time writer! I love this blog - you have given some really awesome advice, and now I'm looking for some myself, oh wise one!

I'm a GL of a 10 man raiding guild. I've seen guilds fall apart around me, and I've seen guilds hold strong through the past 6 months. I'm proud to say that my 2 year old guild is doing fantastic.

So, what's the problem? We're doing perhaps a little *too* well. We've been getting applicants without having been actively recruiting. We've brought in some great members. We rarely turn applicants away - if they seem like a great fit, we work with them to give them the opportunity to raid with us. We run two 10-man groups, but with new members coming in that want to raid, we're having to sit people.

Now there are rumblings and whispers about running 25s.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Thundering up to 25

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Thundering up to 25 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>25-man25-man-raidingbuilding-guildsfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershiplootloot-systemsofficers-quarterspatch-5.2Raid-Sizeraidingthunderforgedwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 28 Jan 2013 13:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: 7 tips for becoming an officerhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/21/officers-quarters-7-tips-for-becoming-an-officer/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/21/officers-quarters-7-tips-for-becoming-an-officer/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/21/officers-quarters-7-tips-for-becoming-an-officer/#commentsFiled under:

Guild rank UI
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.

So you've been reading Officers' Quarters for years and you're curious about this whole leadership thing, but you don't know how to go about getting the attention of the existing officers. This week, a player follows up on a previous OQ column to ask how she can get promoted. I've got seven pieces of advice for her, but first, the email:

Hey there Scott!

Awhile ago, I wrote you about starting my own guild with a few family members, and you advised me to stay in my current guild and work my way up to officer.

After reading your advice, I have a few follow-up questions.

My main concern is how to go about becoming an officer. I don't want to necessarily just blurt out "hey, I wanna be an officer", because if I were the GL, I'd think that the person who said that was demanding the position. However, if I don't say anything, how will the GL know I'm interested?

Like I said, I know I'm not owed anything. I really love the guild I'm in and have lots of ways I'd like to see the guild improve. Any advice you can give would be great.

Thanks,
Guilded Warrior

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: 7 tips for becoming an officer

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: 7 tips for becoming an officer originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>becoming-an-officerbuilding-guildsfeaturedgetting-promotedguideguide-to-officersguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguild-ranksguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quarterspromotionswow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 21 Jan 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: All star teamhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/14/officers-quarters-all-star-team/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/14/officers-quarters-all-star-team/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/14/officers-quarters-all-star-team/#commentsFiled under:

All the faction leaders
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.

This week, a raid leader faces a difficult decision: stay with his current guild or join the hottest raid team on the realm. (FYI, this email is from mid November so adjust your progression expectations accordingly.)

Hello, I am in a conundrum and require some help.

I am a Raid Leader for a guild, and have been since early Dragon Soul for this guild (2 years in total). our team has always gotten content down, just took a long while to due so, usually to low numbers and unskilled players and poor attendance. We have been progressing through Mogu'Shan Vaults and Heart of Fear with some pace, just getting Zor'lok and Will of the Emperor this Thursday on Normal. Now i am one to play to the utmost caliber, pushing the limits of my class (Blood DK) with both mitigation and damage, even ranking on all bosses killed aside from Elegon.

Now here's where my issue is, a guild on the server that was just recently formed and stomped 6/6 MSV and 4/6 HoF in 1 week has asked me to tank for them.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: All star team

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: All star team originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>all-starall-star-teambuilding-guildsfeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quarterspoachingraidingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 14 Jan 2013 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: An overhealing interventionhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/07/officers-quarters-an-overhealing-intervention/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/07/officers-quarters-an-overhealing-intervention/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/07/officers-quarters-an-overhealing-intervention/#commentsFiled under:

A worgen casts a heal
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.

Healing can be a tricky thing to evaluate, but crazy overhealing combined with mana problems makes for an easy diagnosis. This week, an officer wonders how she can approach the problem in a guild where constructive criticism isn't always welcome.

Hi Scott:

I am an officer and raid healer in a casual raiding guild that has a 10-man team attempting current content. We aren't progressing fast ... but everyone feels good about where we are.

Except for me.

Don't get me wrong. I am never frustrated with the group as a whole for our attempts. Most of us are parents with full time jobs and there are only a few who have the time to even hit VP cap during the week. Some are (rightfully) terrified of LFR. But almost everyone gives 110 percent.

My issue is with my co-healer, who handles tank healing. This person is a good sport and a good player. They contribute to raid materials, are always willing to help gear folks, and they are always at raid on time and ready - three big wins in any officer's book. The issue is that they are a really bad healer. They are constantly overhealing encounters by 20 to 60 percent of total healing and are out of mana before the encounter is half over - after cooldowns. They are always on the top of the healing charts, but their effective healing (total healing minus overhealing) is way low.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: An overhealing intervention

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: An overhealing intervention originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsdramafeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guidehealershealingleadershipofficers-quartersraid-healingraidingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 07 Jan 2013 15:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: 3 resolutions to improve your guild in 2013http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/31/officers-quarters-3-resolutions-to-improve-your-guild-in-2013/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/31/officers-quarters-3-resolutions-to-improve-your-guild-in-2013/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/31/officers-quarters-3-resolutions-to-improve-your-guild-in-2013/#commentsFiled under:

Fireworks
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.

If your guild has been struggling during the last weeks of 2012, now is the time to take steps that ensure a better 2013. Here are three ways you could get the New Year started off right.

1. Add fresh blood to the officer ranks.

Are your current officers pushing themselves too hard? Or are they doing barely anything at all? If so, then it's high time you took a look at what needs to be done around the guild and who's actually doing it. You may have some lame-duck officers who shouldn't be officers anymore, and some hard-working regular members who deserve a promotion.

Adding new officers -- and/or culling useless ones -- can energize your leadership corps. Having more hands to man the ship can spread the work around and ease burnout symptoms. New officers also means new ideas that can spark new guild activities or better approaches to old ones. New officers can also inject some much-needed enthusiasm as they seek to make their mark and prove to the vets that they are worthy of the rank. If your guild has been stagnating lately, a new officer or two can liven things up.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: 3 resolutions to improve your guild in 2013

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: 3 resolutions to improve your guild in 2013 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 31 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>building-guildsfeaturedfunguideguide-to-officersguild-activitiesguild-adviceguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficer-rolesofficers-quarterspromoting-officerspromotionsrecruitingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 31 Dec 2012 12:00:00 ESTOfficers' Quarters: Three questions from a raid leaderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/24/officers-quarters-three-questions-from-a-raid-leader/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/24/officers-quarters-three-questions-from-a-raid-leader/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/24/officers-quarters-three-questions-from-a-raid-leader/#commentsFiled under:

Officers' Quarters Three questions about raid leadership
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.

Today's email comes from a raid leader with three different questions regarding raid comps, bank mats, and problem raiders. Let's jump right into it!

Hello Scott,

I am currently a high officer in a a new 25 raiding guild, MT and fairly new raid leader. ... Recently, after a pug for MV, 4 new raiders decided to join our roster, enabling for us to have a full raid group. The issue comes then, in to parts:

Since the problems we've had finding raiders, we were "forced" to take those 4 new guild mates, making a core group not as efficient due to lack of variety, therefore buffs, abilities, cooldowns, etc. How inconvenient truely is this composition with repeated classes?

Furthermore, I would ask you for advice on how to encourage members to contribute with mats, Golden Lotus for example, to the gbank such as other raiding comodities?

Nevertheless, the main reason I was willing to write to you, is the fact that we have two of those new raiders too close-minded.

Continue reading Officers' Quarters: Three questions from a raid leader

WoW InsiderOfficers' Quarters: Three questions from a raid leader originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 24 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advicebank-matsbuilding-guildsdramafeaturedguideguide-to-officersguild-adviceguild-bankguild-leadershipguild-managementguild-officersguilds-guideleadershipofficers-quartersRaid-Compraid-compositionraid-leaderraid-leadershipraidingwow-guidewow-guild-managementwow-guildswow-leadershipScott AndrewsMon, 24 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST