Guild Guidelines

Last updated 2024-08-28

Guild Expectations

Expectations for membership vary depending on the type of content members wish to engage in. Our goals and expectations are outlined below in order of increasing content difficulty.

Goals

Our primary goal is to create a welcoming environment in which players of all experience levels, backgrounds, and interests can come together to enjoy the aspect of the game they are currently interested in. Part of creating a welcoming environment means respecting the diversity of the guild members. It should go without saying that hate speech and intolerance of any kind are unacceptable in Desolate. We include in-game elitism in our list of unacceptable behaviors and attitudes.

Our secondary goal is to clear AOTC each raid season. This was the content our guild was founded on and we have many capable heroic players who are disinterested in mythic raiding. We aim to have AOTC on farm each season.

Our tertiary goal is to pursue more difficult content, particularly in the form of mythic raiding. Mythic raiding begins each season shortly after the guild attains AOTC. Our mythic raiding goal is always to do better than we did the previous season as we gradually work our way to cutting edge.

Additionally, we have several guild members who are interested in pushing mythic+ keys every season. These players often strive to be in the top 5 for their class on their server.

All Desolate Members

Every member of Desolate is expected to support the welcoming and cordial guild environment. At the very least, members should not detract from it. As a member, your social fit with the guild is more important than anything else. We are not concerned with how long you have played your class or how long you have played the game. We only care about how well you fit in. If you are a good fit, then you will find that guild members are generally supportive. Alternatively, if for whatever reason your personality, humor, attitude, or something else clashes with the guild, the officers will politely discuss it with you. We are pretty good about maintaining a no-drama guild and we would like to keep it that way.

Heroic Raiding

Members of Desolate who would like to engage in heroic raiding content are subject to additional expectations. Failure to consistently meet these expectations may result in being benched from the heroic raid team. If Desolate members are not interested in heroic raiding, the following expectations do not apply.

Heroic raids occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 8:00pm CST and 10:00pm CST.

  • Drama and friction should be discussed privately with an officer before or after raid. Do not bring it publicly to raid. We have a pretty cordial heroic raiding environment, it is rare that this needs to be enforced.
  • Each raider must designate their main class and spec by a designated time at the beginning of each season. Raiders are not allowed to switch mains unless approved by an officer. Heroic raiders can make requests to change mains, but should be aware that other means of gearing alts exist within the guild.
  • Item level requirements exist for each heroic raid season. These requirements are posted each season ahead of heroic raiding.
  • Heroic raiders are expected to have their gear fully gemmed and enchanted.
  • Heroic raiders are expected to bring personal consumables to raid, including flasks, runes, dps potions, and health/mana potions.
  • Feasts and cauldrons will be provided by the guild bank, supply permitting. Donations to the guild bank to support this supply are greatly appreciated, but are not mandatory.
  • Heroic raiders are expected to utilize their weekly vaults to achieve gear upgrades outside of raid. A minimum of 1 slot beyond what is attained from raiding is expected.
  • Sign-ups are posted each week in Discord. Heroic raiders are expected to indicate their attendance status via these sign-ups.
  • Regular attendance is expected. We understand life happens. Heroic raiders are expected to communicate with officers via the sign-up page if they cannot make it.
  • Unreliable attendance will at best result in heroic raiders being asked to pass high-priority loot to more reliable heroic raiders. At worst, unreliable attendance will result in being benched from the heroic raid.
  • Heroic raiders should be online and ready to raid 10-15 minutes before the raid's start time. Heroic raiders who are more than 30 minutes late will be counted as absent unless the tardiness was discussed with an officer.

Loot Rules for Heroic Raiding

Our approach to loot follows an honor system built around trust, integrity, and a group mindset. BoE items that drop during the first three weeks of raiding will be looted and sold by raid leadership to help supply feasts, repairs, and vantus runes for guild progression. We encourage all heroic raiders to know their best-in-slot (BiS) items and encourage them to pass/roll accordingly. The following loot rules apply to all Desolate heroic raids.

  • Loots rolls will be classified as the following:
    • Need Rolls are reserved for main spec only
    • Greed Rolls are reserved for off spec rolls
    • Transmog Rolls are reserved for... transmog.
    • Pass items if you do not want them for need, greed, or transmog.
  • To help facilitate these loot guidelines, raiders are expected to understand what items are considered "Best in Slot" for their Main-Spec and roll accordingly.
  • Items on the rarer loot tables will not be reserved unless deemed necessary by guild leadership.
  • Raiders are expected to be conscientious and level-headed about the loot they do and do not receive. Concerns about loot hoarding should be directed to an officer so that they can be dealt with by guild leadership.

Required Addons

  • DBM or Big Wigs
  • WeakAuras
  • Method Raid Tools (officers only)
  • Raid Notes (officers only)

Mythic Raiding

Mythic raid requirements are similar to heroic raid requirements, but leadership will be much more restrictive to the roster requirements. Mythic raiding is only available to members of Desolate who are also heroic raiders. If you are a heroic raider and are not interested in mythic raiding, the following additional expectations do not apply.

  • Mythic raiders are required to attend 90% of regularly scheduled (Tues/Thurs) normal and heroic raids.
  • Mythic raiders are required to attend 90% of regularly scheduled (Tues/Thurs) mythic raids.
  • Mythic raiders are required to be fully gemmed and enchanted at the start of each mythic raid, including belts.
  • Mythic raiders are required to use flasks, potions, runes, and food.
  • Mythic raiders are required to know their Best in Slot (BiS) for optimized loot distribution.
  • Mythic raiders are expected to parse at least greens on every fight (both heroic and mythic logs). Failure to do so may result in replacement on the mythic raid roster (spots in heroic raids and AOTC are more secure).
  • Mythic raiders are expected to understand fights and do mechanics. Mechanics are priority over dps/hps throughput. Proper execution of mechanics + minimal of green parses is where you want to be. Green parses with poor execution of mechanics is bad. Proper execution of mechanics without green parses is better, but still bad. Both are required for mythic raiding.
  • Mythic raiders must understand that mythic raiding is a group mindset, not an individual one. This is distributed to all elements of progress, including loot distribution.
  • Mythic raiders must understand that you will be called out for failed mechanics. It isn't personal, mythic raiding simply requires everyone to be on top of their game.

Q: Do I have to participate in mythic raiding if I'm a heroic raider in the guild?
A: No. Being a part of the mythic raiding team is optional. We will still prioritize getting everyone AOTC first. If you wish to stop raiding after AOTC, that is perfectly acceptable and will not affect your spot going into subsequent seasons.

Q: How do I apply to be a part of the mythic raiding team?
A: Indicate as much in your application and/or tell an officer. We have a separate roster for mythic raiders. All qualification expectations above apply.

Q: If I want to mythic raid, can I?
A: If you meet all of the expectations above (including those set for members), we will add you to the roster. This roster will be competitive as the guild grows. If this is something you're interested in, it will require ongoing effort to be excellent at your class.

Q: So you're saying there is a bench?
A: Yes. Just because you're on the roster does not mean you are in the raid. Again, mythic raiding is a group mentality. It isn't personal; we will take what we need to progress.

Q: When does mythic raiding begin?
A: Each season we will begin transitioning into mythic raiding shortly after we finish heroic and get AOTC.

Q: Do you continue to raid heroic after we clear it and get AOTC?
A: Heroic raids will become once a week before being replaced entirely by mythic raiding. Alt raids are frequently scheduled for Fridays and will be a heroic option for anyone wishing to continue to raid heroic.

Q: So if I just want to be a heroic raider, I can stop attending after we switch entirely to mythic raiding?
A: Yes. We will repeat the normal -> heroic -> mythic cycle in each subsequent season, so you are welcome to return to get AOTC in each new raid.

Q: How will loot be handled in mythic raiding?
A: Mythic raiders are expected to know their BiS, and BiS will get priority rolls. Officers may occasionally intervene to distribute loot if we must, but we prefer not to do this. Remember: group mentality.