Readme for Apps
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 7:24 pm
Here are some pointers on how to have a successful app period, and what is going to be expected of you.
The number one rule is: ask questions! Even if you think you know what's going on with any fight, asking reaffirms that you do know what you're doing. It also helps you to garner member feedback, which is how you will ultimately earn your tag and promotions. Build a rapport with members of your own class; they will be your mentors and peers that steer you throughout your app and beyond. Ask about your dps/healing/tanking and what you could do to improve. Questions show that you care!
App length. One of the first things you need to understand is that our application process is long. Quite long. It is long for a reason - the tag and subsequent promotions give you a sense of fulfillment, and give us the time to evaluate if we truly feel you are a good fit for the guild as *both* a person and player. We take our time with cutting apps, often giving players a handful of raids to prove themselves, or even improve their play if it is not up to standard. We observe for an extended period of time to see if attitudes and play are consistent or simply isolated incidents. As a result of these long evaluation periods, we have an extremely low gquit and gkick rate - the people that make it in are a mutual fit for the guild and earnestly want to be here, and not with any other guild. This is the model that has kept the guild going for over four years, and we don't intend to change it. It is up to you to accept this long app period and see it as a good thing with your future with DE, provided that you intend to stay.
Sponsor/mentor. While not required, it is recommended that you find an unofficial sponsor or mentor - basically someone who will answer your questions not only about raid encounters, but the habits and policies of the guild as well, and just someone who you will be comfortable talking to. An officer can serve as this person. Oftentimes it will be a member of the same class that you can use as a resource for improvement. This person ideally will vouch for you as a solid member and player and push for your tag and promotions, making your app period more fruitful and fulfilling.
Behavior. Mind your manners in and outside of raids. Stay out of blather in general chat, trade chat, etc; remain respectful in tells, party chat, battleground chat, and all other interactions with others on the server. Complaining, arguing, or not admitting to mistakes are surefire ways to rub the member base the wrong way. Refrain from flooding vent with non-raid related conversation - remember that vent is a raid tool first and a social tool second, so save the majority of banter for downtime or non-raid hours. Feel free to ask questions and discuss, but take caution when criticizing or making suggestions. Always remember that as an app, you are coming into an established community and you need adequate time to observe the interworkings of the guild before you try to go about changing things you don't fully understand. Feel free to comment on your experience if asked, but otherwise you should probably keep your previous tactics and strats to yourself as we try to tailor strategies to fit our guild. At the same time, feel free to be yourself, and have fun for god's sake - just be respectful while doing so and you shouldn't have any problems.
Attendance. If you are unable to attend a raid, it is a courtesy to post under the appropriate thread in the Schedule forum so that the officers know you will be absent. Extended or repeated absences without notifying an officer via PM, forum, or in-game tell reflects poorly on you and undoubtedly will prolong your application process.
Loot. Feel free to bid on whatever pieces that drop that you want. However, as an app, you have the lowest priority, meaning that all tagged people will get precedence for gear over you. You still earn full DKP for being in the raid just like everyone else, even while on-call (provided you follow the on-call guidelines). We expect that you understand that gear is earned through DKP and rank - it is not simply handed out. We expect you to be gracious and patient with loot; any sort of loot drama will reflect extremely poorly on you. Most of our members have disliked the loot policy as apps, but like it upon becoming members, as it rewards those who stay with the guild in the long term as opposed to those who only contribute in the present. It is easy to see that if you are motivated to stay with DE in the long term, you will be rewarded (loot-wise) in the end with priority on items (see other DKP related threads for more info, or ask an officer).
Gems/enchants. You are expected to gem and enchant your gear in a timely manner - ideally, within a day of obtaining a new piece of gear. Using the "correct" gems and cuts is paramount - it really will show how well you understand your class. If you aren't sure how to gem your gear, ask, or find out on your own through research.
Talents/playstyle. You are expected to know how to play your class - it's that simple. That means the uses of your abilities, rotations, etc should be optimized for whatever role you are doing - you should have a clear idea of when to use what and how. Your talent spec should make sense and not be missing any key talents, and it goes without saying that you should be fully specced for raiding. Testing new specs is fine and even encouraged, but regardless, they should be raiding specs. If you are lost as far as rotations, spell/skill usage, talent specs, gearing philosophy, etc is concerned, either research online yourself, or ask a member of your own class or an officer who can point you in the right direction.
Consumables. The use of consumables in raid is expected. DPS classes should be using partial consumables for farm content to speed up trash clearing and farm bosses. Healers with mana problems should use the necessary buffs and/or mana potion timers to eliminate any mana problems and still maximize healing. Tanks should be maximizing survivability in any situation where a fast death is possible. Top consumables (best food/flask/elixirs) are expected for any non-farm kill attempts. You should not expect DE to provide you with any consumables, such as flasks or potions.
Preparation. As a general rule, you should be informed about all raid encounters that DE downs or attempts in any given week. There is plenty of information available online through guides, videos, forums, or any other medium. You should know the basics, such as the boss abilities, basic fight mechanics, dangerous/safe places to stand, etc. However, you should *not* assume that DE uses the same strategies that you are used to seeing (wait... DE does *what* on Lethon? :P); it is up to you to fill in the gaps and ask questions so that you are informed enough to fulfill your role in the fight.
Mods and gear. It is highly, highly recommended that you download either BigWigs or DeadlyBossMods for boss timers and other generally helpful tools. Omen is essentially required for tanks and dps classes. All mods can be found at your addon site of choice (scan for viruses/trojans first!). Make sure your Windows Update and virus scans occur during non-raid hours. Many things in WLK involve either pet bars or vehicles, so you should know exactly how your UI handles both a pet and a vehicle and be prepared to use either. There are other gear, mod, and preparation requirements for specific fights as will be detailed below as they become necessary:
Malygos: If you lack experience with this fight, familiarize yourself with the drake by practicing on the quest Aces High!, available in Coldarra. The drake you will receive during phase 3 of the encounter is the same as in this quest and you need to be well-versed in the drake's abilities (although you will not be using all of them like you do in this quest - this is where you need to ask questions!).
Hodir: Make sure you have Projected Textures turned on (Video > Effects > check Projected Textures in the bottom right corner) - this will allow you to see the exact area where the icicles fall and make them much easier to dodge.
In short: if you take anything away from this, know that we are looking for a mutual fit - we want DE to be everything you're looking for in a guild, and we want you to be everything DE wants as a member. These guidelines take care of the latter - it's up to you to decide if DE is the right guild for you. None of this is intended to scare or intimidate you - it simply exists to guide you (and us!) towards happy times.
Best of luck, and remember that this guild is made of people who went through this exact same app process. So have fun, and hopefully DE can be the right home for you!
Last updated: 5/17/09 by Kalyn
The number one rule is: ask questions! Even if you think you know what's going on with any fight, asking reaffirms that you do know what you're doing. It also helps you to garner member feedback, which is how you will ultimately earn your tag and promotions. Build a rapport with members of your own class; they will be your mentors and peers that steer you throughout your app and beyond. Ask about your dps/healing/tanking and what you could do to improve. Questions show that you care!
App length. One of the first things you need to understand is that our application process is long. Quite long. It is long for a reason - the tag and subsequent promotions give you a sense of fulfillment, and give us the time to evaluate if we truly feel you are a good fit for the guild as *both* a person and player. We take our time with cutting apps, often giving players a handful of raids to prove themselves, or even improve their play if it is not up to standard. We observe for an extended period of time to see if attitudes and play are consistent or simply isolated incidents. As a result of these long evaluation periods, we have an extremely low gquit and gkick rate - the people that make it in are a mutual fit for the guild and earnestly want to be here, and not with any other guild. This is the model that has kept the guild going for over four years, and we don't intend to change it. It is up to you to accept this long app period and see it as a good thing with your future with DE, provided that you intend to stay.
Sponsor/mentor. While not required, it is recommended that you find an unofficial sponsor or mentor - basically someone who will answer your questions not only about raid encounters, but the habits and policies of the guild as well, and just someone who you will be comfortable talking to. An officer can serve as this person. Oftentimes it will be a member of the same class that you can use as a resource for improvement. This person ideally will vouch for you as a solid member and player and push for your tag and promotions, making your app period more fruitful and fulfilling.
Behavior. Mind your manners in and outside of raids. Stay out of blather in general chat, trade chat, etc; remain respectful in tells, party chat, battleground chat, and all other interactions with others on the server. Complaining, arguing, or not admitting to mistakes are surefire ways to rub the member base the wrong way. Refrain from flooding vent with non-raid related conversation - remember that vent is a raid tool first and a social tool second, so save the majority of banter for downtime or non-raid hours. Feel free to ask questions and discuss, but take caution when criticizing or making suggestions. Always remember that as an app, you are coming into an established community and you need adequate time to observe the interworkings of the guild before you try to go about changing things you don't fully understand. Feel free to comment on your experience if asked, but otherwise you should probably keep your previous tactics and strats to yourself as we try to tailor strategies to fit our guild. At the same time, feel free to be yourself, and have fun for god's sake - just be respectful while doing so and you shouldn't have any problems.
Attendance. If you are unable to attend a raid, it is a courtesy to post under the appropriate thread in the Schedule forum so that the officers know you will be absent. Extended or repeated absences without notifying an officer via PM, forum, or in-game tell reflects poorly on you and undoubtedly will prolong your application process.
Loot. Feel free to bid on whatever pieces that drop that you want. However, as an app, you have the lowest priority, meaning that all tagged people will get precedence for gear over you. You still earn full DKP for being in the raid just like everyone else, even while on-call (provided you follow the on-call guidelines). We expect that you understand that gear is earned through DKP and rank - it is not simply handed out. We expect you to be gracious and patient with loot; any sort of loot drama will reflect extremely poorly on you. Most of our members have disliked the loot policy as apps, but like it upon becoming members, as it rewards those who stay with the guild in the long term as opposed to those who only contribute in the present. It is easy to see that if you are motivated to stay with DE in the long term, you will be rewarded (loot-wise) in the end with priority on items (see other DKP related threads for more info, or ask an officer).
Gems/enchants. You are expected to gem and enchant your gear in a timely manner - ideally, within a day of obtaining a new piece of gear. Using the "correct" gems and cuts is paramount - it really will show how well you understand your class. If you aren't sure how to gem your gear, ask, or find out on your own through research.
Talents/playstyle. You are expected to know how to play your class - it's that simple. That means the uses of your abilities, rotations, etc should be optimized for whatever role you are doing - you should have a clear idea of when to use what and how. Your talent spec should make sense and not be missing any key talents, and it goes without saying that you should be fully specced for raiding. Testing new specs is fine and even encouraged, but regardless, they should be raiding specs. If you are lost as far as rotations, spell/skill usage, talent specs, gearing philosophy, etc is concerned, either research online yourself, or ask a member of your own class or an officer who can point you in the right direction.
Consumables. The use of consumables in raid is expected. DPS classes should be using partial consumables for farm content to speed up trash clearing and farm bosses. Healers with mana problems should use the necessary buffs and/or mana potion timers to eliminate any mana problems and still maximize healing. Tanks should be maximizing survivability in any situation where a fast death is possible. Top consumables (best food/flask/elixirs) are expected for any non-farm kill attempts. You should not expect DE to provide you with any consumables, such as flasks or potions.
Preparation. As a general rule, you should be informed about all raid encounters that DE downs or attempts in any given week. There is plenty of information available online through guides, videos, forums, or any other medium. You should know the basics, such as the boss abilities, basic fight mechanics, dangerous/safe places to stand, etc. However, you should *not* assume that DE uses the same strategies that you are used to seeing (wait... DE does *what* on Lethon? :P); it is up to you to fill in the gaps and ask questions so that you are informed enough to fulfill your role in the fight.
Mods and gear. It is highly, highly recommended that you download either BigWigs or DeadlyBossMods for boss timers and other generally helpful tools. Omen is essentially required for tanks and dps classes. All mods can be found at your addon site of choice (scan for viruses/trojans first!). Make sure your Windows Update and virus scans occur during non-raid hours. Many things in WLK involve either pet bars or vehicles, so you should know exactly how your UI handles both a pet and a vehicle and be prepared to use either. There are other gear, mod, and preparation requirements for specific fights as will be detailed below as they become necessary:
Malygos: If you lack experience with this fight, familiarize yourself with the drake by practicing on the quest Aces High!, available in Coldarra. The drake you will receive during phase 3 of the encounter is the same as in this quest and you need to be well-versed in the drake's abilities (although you will not be using all of them like you do in this quest - this is where you need to ask questions!).
Hodir: Make sure you have Projected Textures turned on (Video > Effects > check Projected Textures in the bottom right corner) - this will allow you to see the exact area where the icicles fall and make them much easier to dodge.
In short: if you take anything away from this, know that we are looking for a mutual fit - we want DE to be everything you're looking for in a guild, and we want you to be everything DE wants as a member. These guidelines take care of the latter - it's up to you to decide if DE is the right guild for you. None of this is intended to scare or intimidate you - it simply exists to guide you (and us!) towards happy times.
Best of luck, and remember that this guild is made of people who went through this exact same app process. So have fun, and hopefully DE can be the right home for you!
Last updated: 5/17/09 by Kalyn