When Dignitas started raiding Karazhan during the Fall of 2007, it was an incredibly painful and rewarding experience for those of us that were doing it… We spent I don’t know how many weeks getting 2 or 3 bosses down over a couple of nights. Spending well over 8 hours a week and hundreds of gold during these attempts on repairs, buffs and various other needed items. When we were able to consistently get Attumen, Moroes and Maiden down it was a divine moment for us. It took us weeks if not months of us trying to beat those bosses to actually pass them, but during that time, we geared up, we learned the fights and we learned about ourselves and our fellow raid members.

The original raiders in Dignitas worked like crazy to do heroics for gear when we started, not only that, but back then you needed higher reputation to even get into the Heroics, meaning you spent more time in instances learning how to play your class in a group environment. I hate using this as an example, but just recently we had a hunter in Karazhan who wasn’t even aware how to “Misdirect” yet not a few weeks earlier that same hunter posted on the forums how upset they were that we were thinking of putting certain requirements to even go into Karazhan and that they prided themselves on how well they played their class. This doesn’t mean that this hunter is a bad person or player… it means that they have not had and/or taken the opportunity to run instances. This is particularly true in guilds such as ours as most of our players are adults with kids, jobs and a mortgage, meaning that their available block of time to play can be limited and they can’t always commit a block of 2+ hours to run an instance but they might be able to set aside 60 or 90 minutes to grind.

The fact that people don’t need to get attuned anymore for Karazhan means that as soon as people hit 70, they want to go in, forgetting that by skipping that all important gearing up step, they are not helping the group overall. A bad thing about Karazhan is that people see it as “This is where I need to get my gear from!”… They couldn’t be more wrong, first they need to get some good blues which will get them geared to do “Heroics”, running the “Heroics” will get them better gear AND badges letting them purchase even better gear, which in turn will get them geared for Karazhan. And most importantly of all, it will teach them the very important roles they need to fill in those groups.

I’m in the process of leveling my third toon to level 70, she’s presently level 67. While I hate to admit it, I’m using a guide to level her up… Her whole grind from 1 to 60 was done almost entirely using the guide but when I hit Outlands at level 60, I made a point of hitting as many of the level appropriate dungeons as possible. Not for loot but to figure out how an Elemental Shaman works with the other classes in instances. I still use the guide, but whenever I can I make sure to try my best to get groups together to run instance.

Now, I could grind to 70 and dive into Karazhan as soon as I get there. I have the advantage of knowing all the boss and trash fights but that wouldn’t be fair to my guildmates as while my knowledge of the instances itself is advanced I want to make sure that I bring everything I can to my 9 friends. As such, you can be sure that my shaman will be keyed before she steps foot into Karazhan.

Kharpern

1. You have to work.

What? I thought this was a game? Well it still is but you need to do a lot of research and study all the fights. Not only will you need to know the fights but what every class on the game can do.

Having a level 70 from all classes give you a mayor advantage but you won’t have the time to do that is you start leading unless you don’t work and you don’t have family or friends. So the only choice you have left is to study what classes can do, when they can do it and how.

You must be prepared not only for boss encounters but also for trash pulls. What can be shackled, cheeped, enslaved, vanished or trapped. You must study how groups work together. Do you put a Shaman on the tank group or on the melee group? What totems a shaman can use and a long etcetera.

You will spend more time reading strategies and watching videos than actually playing some times, especially when you are progressing in the end game.

2. Some people will hate you.

Why? Don’t they see you are trying to do your best to help them progress and get better gear?

Yes. Some will see that and appreciate it. But others will see you as the guy who gets to go to all raids. Like the guy who thinks he knows more than the others. Like the guy who organizes raids and always bring his pals before the others.

A good raid leader must have human qualities and not only be good at leading.

Some people will prefer a total prick that is always pushing and the minimum mistake you make then you are out and replace by another. Others will prefer someone that listen to them, ask for advices, recognize when he/she made a mistake but he knows how to lead fast and take decisions.

But no one will like a leader that don’t know what the hell is going on and never take a decision.

Everyone who has made a battleground knows what a “turtle” is. And BGs are huge raids with no leader. As a raid leader you must learn to listen to everyone and ask for feedback. Don’t think that because you are a raid leader you know more than them. But at one point everyone in there is waiting for you to take action and decide what’s best for the team. And don’t go afk every time you want or need to read a strategy because you have no clue what’s going on. If you are a raid leader, know that they are counting on you, but still some will hate you.

3. When something goes wrong most of the times is your fault.

Why? Because you are responsible for what’s going on. You are the one selecting your team. Is true that in occasions you have no choice to bring people that is not prepare. And even if you know already that the group won’t be able to progress too far you must at least try to make a good run and have fun in there.

If you make mistakes recognize them. Don’t blame others for what you don’t know.

Organize your team in the best possible way and make fast decisions.
Don’t put yourself on the best group so you can out dps everyone else or have better mana regen. If you do that is because there is a good reason to do it.

Learn when to call it. Don’t wait till everyone inside is tired and start to hate or blame each other. Before that start to happen just call it. Thanks everyone in there for coming and stop it.

There is nothing worse than a raid leader who keeps pushing when everyone else knows that the group is not working. Again, if that happen is your fault. You could have avoid that choosing a better team or if you didn’t had a choice then let them know in advance that you guys are there to see what happen, have fun but don’t give them too much expectations.

4. You may burn out fast or stop enjoying the game.

All the previews reasons lead also to this one. If you don’t have the time that requires being ready to lead a group, sooner or later you will burn out. If that happen is not the end of the world. Take some time off and if you really like been a raid leader and manage to free some time for it, and then come back latter more relaxed and ready to start again.

But if you are not enjoying the game anymore then stop doing it. Let others lead and start playing and doing what you like and enjoy. In my case, I like and enjoy been a raid leader. But that’s because I like spending more time reading than playing. I can read anywhere I want but I can’t play everywhere. I like studying strategies and how other classes works. I enjoy it. That may be the only reason why I keep playing this game.

If you enjoy more playing the game than reading then don’t be a raid leader. Well actually you must enjoy both.

5. This reason is the same first reason why you don’t start playing WoW. It’s too addictive.

Once you start leading you may hate it or love it. If you hate it then quit now. But if you love it the rewards are amazing.

No, I’m not talking about gold rewards. As a matter of fact you will need to do more dailies and farming than before because raids can be very expensive. In average, especially on progression raids you may spend 300g on repairs, potions and elixirs. And that’s when everything goes well.

And you must live by example. You can’t be a raid leader if you don’t have all your gear enchanted, have good gems and every time you go inside the raid don’t pop-up very good and expensive elixirs and good food. You can’t ask others to do what you don’t do.

But if you are a good raid leader then you will enjoy the advantages.

You will be the first to go to new encounters. Most of the times get first choice in loot, unless you are like me and are always passing. And people will recognize your efforts. And don’t forget that watching all your friends or teammates get better gear and enjoy your raids is the best reward you can have. And that’s why it can be so addictive.

If you have never play WoW here is a little description:

WoW is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG)…
As with other MMORPGs, people control a character avatar within a persistent game world, exploring the landscape, fighting monsters, performing quests, building skills, and interacting with NPCs, as well as other players. The game rewards success with in-game money, items, experience and reputation, all of which in turn allow players to improve their skill and power…

more at Wikipedia

1. Is a very addictive game:

Don’t get me wrong I love to play WoW. I think is a fantastic game. But if you are playing to avoid your reality, believe me that you will be successful and that’s not a good thing.You must learn to have a balance on your life. You must continue to live your life outside WoW.

See WoW as just a game and nothing more. You will probably make new friends but don’t forget your real life friends. Spend time with your family and kids. Keep your work; after all you have to pay to play right? But there are a a huge amount of players that become some obsess with this game that they start losing their partners, works and it can be destroy lives.So if you can’t manage to keep the balance on your life between a hobby, just a game and the things that are really important, then don’t play.

WoW can be a very time consuming game if you let it.

2. Lots of annoying kids:

If you decide to play. Welcome. The first thing you will find when questing and exploring is a very annoying general chat window and you will start to wonder:
- what the heck is that? Who are this people? Well that’s everyone on your server most of the time saying nothing important.
- What are they talking? Noob? LF1M? Whant to but +8 AGI? What?
- Am I surrounded by kids? Yes you are. Not everyone is a kid but is hard to find some people to have adult conversations.

Once you start progressing in the game you will receive tons of invitations to join a guild. Go ahead and join one you like. I bet that is not going to be neither the first one nor the last one. But you will start to learn another aspect of the game.

This is a social game. You will interact with other players all the time. Actually that’s a good thing but watch out and don’t let the first impressions let you down because most of the times they will. Keep looking and sooner or later you will find some more mature and adult players.

3. You have to pay:

As with any other game you must have a computer, buy the game and play. But to play WoW you have to pay every month for your subscription. Is not just a game but a service you are paying. You payment allow Blizzard not only to be very rich but also provide the game with new releases. You will learn very fast what patches are.If you have a good computer with an amazing video card you will experience a very nice looking game. Amazing landscape and creatures. But you can still play WoW on your old computer. I played for a long time with an old video card with only 32MB of RAM. Outch, I know.

4. It can be very complex:

I had a friend the other day at home and he had never see the game before. I was leading a 25 man raid. He was next to me watching and hearing everyone on Ventrilo.

For him it was like watching a hockey game with players using a dime instead of a puck and hearing a conversation between Thomas A. Sebeok and Umberto Eco about pragmatic semiotics.Not only you will have to learn to play the game but also you will need to learn another language, statistic information, mathematics, strategy and after all that, some players will still call you a Noob.

5. Is a very addictive game and time consuming:

Did I mention this already? Well, I have to repeat it then. Don’t do it if you don’t know how to manage your time and your life.

So where do I start?

Actually a better question may be what are you looking here? If you find this place probably you are a member of my Guild Dignitas. If not, then I’m flatter and hope that in the future you may find something interesting on these pages.

If you are here to find some Hunter advices then there is plenty of amazing website that talk about hunters, mine included. You can go and visit my World of Esk page and watch some videos I’ve made, leave some comments and maybe encourage me to make more. You never know, if you are a hunter you may even learn something or better yet, maybe teach me something. I’m always open to learn some tricks and in days I learn something new, I’m a happy toon. You see, that’s my avatar speaking again. Ok no more hunter stuff here.

What I really want to talk about is Raids and Guilds. Hard Core Guilds and Casual Guilds. I will try to put some guides to help raid leaders. You won’t find strategy guides for raid bosses, there are plenty of them, but maybe some strategies that can help raid leaders be more effective. Maybe also how to survive in a world that can be very intimidating when you make your first steps. And no, I’m not talking about raids, I’m talking about Guilds, well actually that can apply to both.

I must warn you first that English is not my mother tongue language. Well, you probably already notice that. But speaking 3 languages is not easy so if once in a while you see by mistake a French or Spanish word, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Actually, writing this new blog is my way to learn how to better write in English. Don’t be shy, if you see an error and would like to help me out, just let me know about it. I love to learn and I’m not afraid of making mistakes.

On this blog you may find some other bloggers. Kharpern is one very good friend that I hope will start writing any day soon in here. And every member of Dignitas that want to share something can also do it. Hey, they don’t even have to be members of Dignitas. In WoW we are all playing together and I’ve seen some amazing players, blogers and people in there that if they have something to say and want to say it here they are welcome, as long they are not offensive.

After all, I’m doing this to improve my English, so one day I’m able to insult someone without bad words and in a very polite way.

Happy hunting…

Humm, should I sing as my avatar or myself? After all I want a human approach right? Well…

Max (aka: Eskordok)

I’m having some problems with the website display on IE. On Firefox looks great but on IE it seems that the main page is move to the left. So if you can use Firefox, is better anyway.
No idea how does it looks like on Safari or any other Mac browser so give me some feedback if you have one.

Another thing. Don’t know if you notice but most of the images on the post can be click so you see the image bigger. Sometimes it allow you to se several images, notice the arrows on the bottom once the image is open.