Duane has returned this week and to be honest he is wearing my patience down. For my newer readers, he is not a real person, he is merely a character I have created to represent "my typical guildmate". This post contains not one incident but two!
Duane#1 is an old time guildy, he has a history of declaring himself as a wannabe raider but also has a history of changing his main, random afks, turning up late having to leave mid way through the raid and has been generally unreliable. Our progression team is also looking for a hunter and Duane decided he wanted to try out. Exhumed has 2 raid teams and we always start people off in the lesser progressed raids so we can get a look at them and give them a chance to gear up before we let them into the progression team. Duane started his trial by turning up 10 minutes late, then taking afks and left early. He then repeated this the next raid and in the 3rd one he was 10 mins late again so I replaced him and told him I wasn't going to accept him into the progress team, at which point he decided to realm transfer the hunter to find a raid team that was compatible with his available times.
Yesterday we were short a man for our 2nd team run and were facing Megaera with 2 healers and average DPS. This meant we were looking for a really good DPS or a 3rd healer and Duane shouts up in /g saying he'd like to join on his DK who was in PVP gear and an average ilvl of 483. I told him we needed someone with much better gear or a healer. After 30 minutes of trying to fiond the right person, we made the decision to cancel the raid. Just after this I got had the following conversation with Duane:
Duane: not raiding?Me: No, cant get a team capable of taking down MegaeraDuane: now kids back at school im capable of being here more now gearing up dk atm bored of hunterMe: How long before you're bored of that?Duane: wont be I get the impression tht u guys are not my greatest fans?Me: It is not that but you have a history of changing your mind, getting bored with toons and when joining raids disappearing mid way through when we raid we need someone we can depend on to turn up, do a good job and not keep other people waiting around
Duane: only wen kids on holidays its hard for me to find time u must understand tht. but normally all i need is 2 mins at 8:30 to put kids to bed and thts it, u will see i will prove myselfMe: That I understand completely, but as a raid leader I can't be pissing 8 people off to accommodate 1 persons RL needsDuane: true tht but 2 mins at 8:30 is all i will need ever, i have alot more time play with intference nowMe: But if that is in the middle of a rid that isn't good enoughDuane: so u wont accept 2 mins at 8:30 to put my kids to bed? so im really not gonna get a chance to raid here really then?Me: No, because it interupts the flow of a raid we have a scheduled raid break at 2130 UK if you're wanting a break before that we would have to take a break 30 mins in to the raid. We have a set raid time because it fits the lifestyle of most guild members, many like myself are here because of that. Sadly we cannot make things fit for everyoneDuane: totally cool, I messed it up for myself really
Shortly after the conversation ended he /gquit and logged off. It saddens me to lose guildmates but to be honest losing someone that can't accept that the guild can't be shaped to their personal circumstances at everyone else's loss is something I can live with.
Then today Duane#2, a recent recruit to Exhumed who has signed up for a few RBGs and a raid once (if my memory serves me right. /w me and the conversation was:
Then today Duane#2, a recent recruit to Exhumed who has signed up for a few RBGs and a raid once (if my memory serves me right. /w me and the conversation was:
Duane: what is the min ilvl for the 2nd raid team? really need to start gearing upMe: With Siege coming this weekit is 520ishDuane: for 2nd team?Me: Well 1st and 2nd team will be doing same content so ilevel is the sameDuane: im sitting on 480 and no more drops from lfr but i cant get that from LFR apparently, been looking on boss lootsMe: You could have been signing up for the Sun/Mon runs and spending your valor on the 522 gear from the rep vendorsDuane: i have been but dont have enough valor atm for another peiceMe: You have not signed for many runs otherwise as a healer you would have got in the teamDuane: i have been and for pvp BG's also been on the website alotMe: And if you valor capped each week and had been running 4x ToT lfr you would have better than 480 ilevelDuane: im unlucky with drops if they drop at all,i have [Contender's Wyrmhide Leggings]+ [Hurricane Belt]+2x trinkets pulling my ilvl down thats allMe: You have killed Jonrokh x1, Horridonx1 and Councilx2 in ToT lfr on Duane. That means you have not tried to gear up
Duane: hmmmm, deffo run more LFR than thatMe: with only 4 boss kills you cant claim to be unluckyDuane: iv deffo ran LFR more times than that, im missing some achi also that i should have from running all the bosses in LFR, I'll run LFR this week, the reset is tomorrowMe: Well you'll still be a long way off the min level. We'll probably run a flex raid Monday that you could joinDuane: okMe: Ideally you'd need to be close to 500 but depending on who signs it won't be a major problem if you're a bit underDuane: i will try and gear as much as i canMe: and sign up for the raids on the calendar, you should also gem and enchant your gearDuane: i am working on it, my JC is 600 but my enchant is 450+Me: You're not working on it, nothing is gemmed or enachantedDuane: so im working on itMe: The AH has all the stuff and there are JC and enchanters in the guild that will do the enchants and cuts for free if you give them the matsDuane:Duane is busy fighting against Looking For Raid - Megaera (100%, 25/25 people alive)
Duane#2 actually upset me more than Duane#1, because I can't stand being lied to, His gear is shown below as grabbed by Mr Robot, and currently sits at ilevel 480, unenchanted and ungemmed:
His raid experience is also far from awe inspiring (see below), and with a total of 4 boss kills in Throne of Thunder LFR I'd hardly call getting no loot unlucky.
So, the guy has put in zero effort and is now expecting a spot in our Siege of Orgrimmar raids. Call me mean but I really can't see the point in carrying people through content when they're simply too lazy to help themselves. Although as you'll see at the end, he did get off his ass and go straight into LFR, although it is too little too late I fear.
Is this typical of my guild? No thankfully, but I think it is typical of the entitled casual that the game encourages now by throwing loot around like sweeties and these guys just don't realise the impact gear has on their performance. Sure if you're a world first raider type you probably could compete in such gear and if I'm missing out on a player of that calibre, I'll regret it when I find out he's moving to Method or Paragon next month.This all reminds me of an excellent parody by Sharm.......
Am I being mean? If you think I am I'd love to hear how you would deal with the situation.
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Do I think you are mean? Not really. I think you're a bit elitist and need to get over that.
ReplyDeleteConsider what will happen with either Duane. If he/she can't find a spot they want to play in, they'll leave the game. And really that hurts you, the player that stays with the game more than it hurts them. Ever wonder why every patch seems to be getting smaller? It is because the loss of players means a loss of income for Blizz, which then means that ATVI is less willing to sign off on larger investments.
Sure, you don't have to save every casual, but you should not be going out of your way to make them feel bad. What I would have said to the second Duane is that I simply feel that LFR is a better fit for that player now. Tell them they'd see the same content by and far, and that if he/she wants, you'll re-evaluate in a month or two. IF they question that, then kindly but gently remind them that they should respect your decision and then reiterate the first.
For the first Duane, well, IMO, I think the problem is with any player that would put virtual entertainment over anything that happens IRL, but you have the right to play with whom you want, so a similar thing, explain that LFR is a better fit for the player, blah blah blah, and that perhaps the player should find a friends and family guild that does flex or can better deal with that kind of player.
I would caution you that I feel that hardcore raider player is a dying breed for several reasons. The older players have more commitments than before, which means they're less and less likely to be able to spend the time to be hardcore in any game. And the younger players have much more to do, and are quite frankly wired differently, and as such they're less likely to want to.
I would think that eventually you'll have to bend your play style (or stop playing), but the question is whether that will come before you have IRL commitments of your own...
Thanks for the comment. Duane#1 was already running LFR and wants more than that, something I should have added in the original post.
DeleteAlso something I freely admit to is having elitist tendencies and one of the things that has irked me for the past few years is the removal of effort required to achieve things in the game. A good example is the 496 gear that falls from mobs on the timeless isle. Bring back the old method of having to run old content to get into new, it is called progression.
What we are seeing now is like a Sunday League soccer player demanding to be able to play in the World Cup Finals simply because he plays as many games a week as the professional player, forgetting that the skill level and training regimes are worlds apart.