Shedding Light on Successful Raiding! /o/
Hello Global forums! /o/ As the leader of Popotoes Anonymous raid group on Diabolos server, I set out to improve my ability to lead. I decided that one of the more effective ways to do this would be to go to the leaders of our server's top groups and coax all of the dirty secrets out of them. Please allow me to share my journey with all of you. \o\
Each leader was asked a number of questions. Here are the questions as well as their responses:
Question #1
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicanor Palazzo
Does your group consider you to be the sole leader or do your members generally share the leadership role?
Rolanberry Knights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-in my group, we are pretty non-hierarchical. We all have our duties and we all contribute in our own ways. ie. One member handles scheduling, another handles callouts.
-so the leadership role is shared between us
Diabolos Reign
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-sage and i are the leaders, if people need something they come to both or one of us and then we discuss it
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-when it comes to small decisions me and velani handle it
-stuff like scheduling and other shit
-when it comes to like..."drama" or problems between other people
-me and velani are the 1s that deal with that too
-we try not to bring any1 else into it
Morningstar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-I am the set leader for my group
Seraphic Kingdom
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-I’m the leader of my group, I general see the leader as responsible for filling gaps and keeping the group organized and aligned. This means that if there are members who excel or have an interest in doing some leadership activates such as recruitment, building strats, discussing errors or under performance, going over logs, going over past attempt videos, scheduling, organizing loot, ex..
Then they have the power to do as long as they do it in a way that satisfies the results we require from them. If any of these responsibilities are lacking in our group then I’ll deal with them regardless if I’m skilled at them or not. This can sometimes mean I delegate the work as well if I’m limited by time, you can never be in a situation where some leadership responsibilities are missing in your group, even if they are done poorly its better than nothing.
So to answer your question I’m the leader of my group, if the players I’m with fulfill all the responsibilities I have as a leader then I really just have to worry about keeping members aligned and my own personal performance. If no one wanted those responsibilities at all, then all of them would fall onto me and they wouldn’t be shared. I’ve experienced both before, sharing responsibilities is definitely my preference if you can setup a group where players will take that pressure off of you.
No Bully
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleigh Presty
-I'm the dictator
Question #2
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicanor Palazzo
As a high end raid group, in what ways do you expect your individual members to prepare for raid nights?
Rolanberry Knights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-come ready to have fun!
-of course, things like food and pots should be ready beforehand
-and during progression, being familiar with the mechanics of a fight is also ideal
-(by watching videos or talking with people who have cleared)
-though some of us go in blind for the first night of a new floor
-after the first night, the members are expected to study each phase as we progress
Diabolos Reign
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-by buying food and pots and be willing to use them every pull
(when asked if his expectations included brushing up on content)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-to an extent, generally we take a quick glance over any information that's currently out about the fight but the majority of us learn by doing so its better for us to experience first hand
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-show up on time...if they are gonna be late i expect some kind of message beforehand so we know
-depending on the night we going
-our raid time varies
-so like tonight its a long raid night
-so i expect every1 to have enuff food and pots to last at least 4 hours
-its annoying when we are in the middle of a lockout and some1 says "i need pots backout"
-because we only go 12 hours a week compared to the other groups that are clearing a8s atm
-absolutely
-expect every1
-to give 100% attention
-its so annoying when ppls mind are drifting and they not paying attention
Morningstar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-Usually, my group actually has constant communication between raids on skype. I expect each person to have read any strat discussions and any diagrams/charts I drew up and posted so when I bring it up during raid, everyone is on the same page. For difficult parts of prog fights, i usually refer my group to twitch vod / ytube videos and I do expect them to watch these videos. Typically my members are very good about this and I dont really have to worry about there preparation :D
(when asked if his expectations included potions and food)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-yes, I expect each member to use food always (even during farm), and use pots always too. I also offer to make these for free if they need a handout.
-use pots always * during prog
Seraphic Kingdom
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-For high end raiding, I expect we use all advantages given to us that can reduce overall time commitments. This would be stuff like: Gear up from sources outside of raid like lore, crafted gear, alex nm, or primals.. The group can assit with this stuff but it doesn't require the whole static. So I expect everyone to put some time into the more casual content to gear up during progression. As well I expect the uses of guides and kill videos, trying there best to fully understand the fight and their roll and ask questions when they are ensure of how to get through a fight. Stuff like this is critical or raiding / fights can take too long and you will reach a point where players will get bored and burn-out
(when asked if his expectations included potions and food)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-ya, that's right, I don't expect everyone to buy the 100% best... but they should use something.. I forgot to mention this :P
-I always say use some sort of pot no matter what you doing.. there version of the pots that you can buy off a vendor really cheap hehe... but for raiding we try to use at least x-pots
-HQ x-pots
No Bully
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleigh Presty
-Pots, food. If we're in progression everyone has to have seen any clear videos. People generally theorycraft and talk about raid outside of raid time so it comes naturally.
Question #3
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicanor Palazzo
When learning new content, do your members work together and/or separately during their down time to improve on mechanics and/or fight synergies? If so, is this expected of them or simply an indicator of their diligence?
Rolanberry Knights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-we work closely together when learning the new mechanics by discussing them both during and outside of raid time
-and to improve on fights we've already completed
(when asked if this is expected of them or a sign of diligence)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-mm a bit of both
-while we're progressing, people are usually good about taking their own time to solidify their understanding of a fight. That being said, there are definitely individuals who put in an increased amount of effort so they can help the group as a whole navigate difficult mechanics/phases
-though on the topic of diligence, it really depends on what your vision is for the group
-since my group is midcore, we do expect a reasonable level of diligence from each member; however, it's totally normal for there to be motivational differences - in any group! As long as the members perform in line with the expectations set out for them, all is well.
Diabolos Reign
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-between raids? we discuss some things in our group text during the day but generally we only discuss raids during/before/after raids
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-most of the time we usualy talk during raid hours
-but like..half of us
-usualy will look stuff up on certain mechanics
-and we have a grouptext app we use
-when ppl think something will help us out
-people post it on their
-and we discuss alot of our shit on the app
-since pretty much all of us
-are working
-until raid
-so most of our raid discussing out of raid hours is done in the app
-and yeah every1 puts a pretty nice effort into it
-we discuss what other groups do and so on
-but we dont really talk about that in game lol
-cuz most of the time every1 is just handling their own business
-making food....gil...w/e
Morningstar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-Usually its me, vivi, or knight who are analyzing videos for strats, making charts, and posting videos. I only expect the rest of the group to read/analyze what we post. I don't expect everyone to have input but I always try to goad everyone in the group to give opinions by asking them how they feel about the strats during raid. Some members can be shy about that but thats fine with me as long as they are on the same page with the rest of the group. During raid, if anyone is struggling with certain with mechanics, I always ask if they need help figuring out what to do; and the group usually brainstorms together to figure out better strats if needed on the fly.
(when asked if any out of raid practice is involved)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-Our practice usually just comes from raiding as much as we can and putting in the hours. We expect and trust that our players have there rotations 100% down for dummy fights. For fights that require more tweaking, our dps are good enough to adjust on there own without much supervision. Healing rotations / and tank cd rotations are practiced and hammered out during raid as well. Me and Knight typically talk about this during raid. Our healers, typically type this out to themselves as well. We talk about everything with everyone else in the group listening so that everyone knows what we are doing and can have input if they want. Thats how we practice fights.
Seraphic Kingdom
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-Generally my saying is strat and planning should happen out of raid. So ya we tend to talk a lot about strats outside of raid... leave messages in our discord channel and people check and express there opinion if they have one. During Raid I try to avoid looking things up or making major changes.. as the discussion can sometimes take a long time... as well during raid you feel rushed and may make impulsive strat changes. This is why I believe talking about strats is best done when your calm and don't feel rushed.
So ya I very much promote the discussion between each other about strats/ fight synergies/mechanics/speed kill strats/alternative strats all that stuff, when we are not raiding.
(when asked if this is something that his members do on their own)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-most do, its a requirement to be in the group I'm running so if they don't I ask them why they are not doing it and see if we can work it out... or others assist and do it for them. However, always a risk of being removed from the group if you have others doing your work for you or you refuse to meet the requirements established before the tier started.
No Bully
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleigh Presty
-The DPS generally do their own thing since it's pretty personal and it's hard to tell someone who's intimate with their rotations and what's needed of them to do their max DPS, how to do their job. The healers/tanks often have to make their changes with each other since it goes beyond just a higher parse, it changes the situation.
-If people stopped giving a crap it better be because it's all figured out to our satisfaction, near the end of the raid cycle, or because they're quitting the game. We don't like people who just show up for raid and expect us to be stagnant and just clear, that's too boring for a game with 4 real fights every 6 months.
Question #4
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicanor Palazzo
Please consider the weakest member of your group for a moment. If possible, can you describe for me what makes an acceptable weakest member?
Rolanberry Knights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-In all honesty, I think when leaders consider something like this, they would benefit from taking a more improvement-oriented approach rather than a weakness one. ie. How can improve on this mechanic? Can we handle this differently to boost overall DPS (even if it means we're slave-driving our healers)? Let's do it!
-If we can do something differently to make us succeed as a group, then in my mind, that makes poor performances acceptable
-it's only when we can't improve or succeed that it becomes a problem
-or if theyre not willing to improve
-of course, that is within the midcore expectations we have set out for ourselves
(when asked what 'midcore' expectations look like in his opinion)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-good question!
-I guess I will list them to be clear!
--reasonable overall group dps (enough to clear the fight)
--relatively quick to learn mechanics
--patience (especially for the members with higher expectations or those who learn faster)
--willingness to improve and take criticism
--respectfulness towards your fellow raid members and other raid groups
-though the last thing should go without saying :D
-ah and
--not being late to raid too often
-though we are pretty laidback when it comes to attendance; if someone has an event or most of us are busy one day, we drop a raid night
-that's where the patience comes in
-because not everyone is always willing to lose a night :3
-in a midcore group, there can sometimes be very large gaps in the expectations people set for themselves. the people with higher expectations need to be mindful of their teammates who might not be as invested or else there can be tension.
Diabolos Reign
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-someone who may be behind in dps is the easiest example to think of, and generally as long as they are willing to improve and show the effort/willingness and DO actually improve then there's no issue
-if theres a "weakest" member and they continue to be the weakest without trying, then there's no place for them
-everyone should always try and improve
(when asked where his group draws the line on skill)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-its definantly a group choice, its something all of us would discuss including the person who isnt improving to give them a timeframe of improvement and if its not met then they would be removed
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-the way our group is now
-every1 is pretty much on the same boat
-but i guess
-the way we work
-thats only an issue if a person is new to a group
-to our group*
-we um
-when it comes to like 1 individual person
-thats causing problems with progression
-thats something me and velani will talk about between just the 2 of us at first
-but if it drags on for like..2-3 weeks
-then its something we bring up to the group
-including the person whos at fault
-cuz when we decide to replace people
-its not a decision me and velani make alone
-we only replace some1 if the entire group wants too as well
-and if the person if having a hard time with dps
-or mechanics
-or whatever is causing problems
-if their attitude is spot ono
-they are just a good person
-easy to get along with
-they listen to calls
-then we throw em a bone
-and give em a longer chance
-to improve
-but if it never comes
-then we tell them they have 2 go
-we've done it b4
-some1 was just not doing what we needed
-and we gave him like a week notice
-and when the time came
-he wasnt mad
-we just went our ways
-thats how our bard was when we first got him
-his dps was just low when he first joined
-but the dude was so happy go luvky
-spunky attitude
-hes fuckin hilarious
-so we kept him
-and he got alot better
-he carries his own now just fine
-while still crushing inso with the jokes
Morningstar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-When it comes to my raid group. I always try to get everyone to remember that they are actually in a group and not playing an individual/solo game. We are only as strong as our weakest member. We try our best individually to clear fights but ultimately everyone must learn the fight to clear. As long as everyone is content with the level of progression that is happening then the weakest member is acceptable but if not, then we try our best to help them. If the weakest link, can continue to have a good attitude, take criticism/advice, and show they are trying/determined to improve then that makes him acceptable and I would expect the rest of the team to see that and accept it.
Seraphic Kingdom
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-well... I'd say the weakest member who is still meeting all the requirements to be in the group is perfect when they acknowledge that they have to put the most effort and work extra hard to keep up. They never have the option to be lazy... eventually the idea is they move to not being the weakest member as long as they keep at it. It's also on the group to support them and be understand. Generally there shouldn't be a large gap between your best and worst player so it shouldn't matter overall. If the gap is very large.. it could mean the member isn't the weakest member... more so the member is an invalid member and isn't a fit for the group... I think of those things as different... one situation I have remove a member.. in another... the member needs a bit more attention and understanding.. and is has less wiggle room to ask for favors.
-It's important to know the difference between the 2 is... you don't remove you weakest member if they meet the requirements you setup or things will unravel
No Bully
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleigh Presty
-Too hard to answer
Question #5
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicanor Palazzo
Do your members try to bond as a group outside of raid? If so, what kind of content or activities do you do together? Is this expected of your members or simply a by-product of raiding as a team?
Rolanberry Knights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-this is something I try to do!
-for example, we have a static spreadsheet where we have things like our roster and secondaries, our victory pics with the dates, random pics and gifs that the members post for fun (eg we have a page solely dedicated to pictures of Corgis - ty Areal Tonberry), and we used to track our best dps until fflogs became a thing.
-I'm also trying to organize a movie night to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Rolanberry Knights.
-some of us play league together, and we also have a static skype group where we chat every day
-discussing live letters at 4am
-we are also secretly conspiring to cook our only potato
(when asked if this is expected or just a by-product of raiding together)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-by-product
-in the beginning we didn't do much together outside of raid but over time this kind of thing has been happening more often
-I think winning together in savage really brings ppl together
-if it's done in a reasonable amount of time
Diabolos Reign
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-we all talk to/interact with each other outside of raids, the majority of the group has been together for 1 year + and 3 of us have been here since the start of the game almost. as far as what we do outside of raid pretty much all of us play other games together like dark souls, h1z1, basically co-op and multiplayer games
(when asked if this is expected or just a by-product of raiding together)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-i mean most of us play together, some of us just show up to raid and then sometimes in game to knock out expert roulette or something, but no i don't feel like it impacts the group at all
-someone who wants to do their own thing can, it's their choice. not going to force someone to do something they don't want to do
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-ppl in our group have been together since first coil
-and we do play other games with eachother as well
-so yeah we all are pretty good friends
-thats the way it needs 2 be ..for me anyway
-i dont raid to get the best gear anymore
-i raid to play with the homies
-and have a good time
-and its easy to have a good time
-with these guys
(when asked if this is expected or just a by-product of raiding together)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-ummm
-not really lol...id rather let people just do their own thing..but if we are all playing ff and like..doing diadem or some gay shit
-then yeah my static are the first ppl i ask
-for like an expert
-or something
-but most of they just doin their own thing
Morningstar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-absolutely, since we raid so much together its hard to not hang out after raid and talk about random stuff. We also try to make time to play other games but we play this so much lol
-we do expert roulette races after raids (split the group in half and go). we try to organize raids with other raid groups for fun. when i had more time back in fcob/scob we would do movie nights with just the raid group + friends.
(when asked if this is expected or just a by-product of raiding together)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-I believe this is a by-product of raiding as a team for so long. I've never had to tell anyone they are too anti-social lol. maybe I've been lucky in recruitment but I believe raiding and succeeding together creates a strong bond amongst members.
-even when my group had some quieter players. they would still hang out, be helpful, and down to just listen and particapate when anything fun was going on.
Seraphic Kingdom
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-mmm sometimes, it depends... I believe its totally healthy to not be friends with people in your static as long as you respect them... so ya some our members do... others have their own set of friends or keep to themselfs
-i so pros and cons to it
-i personally like members not spending too much time with each other out of raid... because its easy to get into arguments when things get too personal
-as well its healthy for raids to help new players / play others outside of your static for perspective... helps them understand areas they are weak on and they are just use to how their group operates
-raiders *
-i think we always here about situations where raiders go into 4mans and have a VERY specific way they expect another role to operate... i those are raiders to tend to spend too much time within their inner circle :P
No Bully
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleigh Presty
-Some of us play games outside of FF14, like Diablo and Path of Exile. We're always on Skype and there's not a night that goes by without 50+ messages, usually Rero posting memes. I'd say we're pretty comfy with each other.
(when asked if this is expected or just a by-product of raiding together)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleigh Presty
-Just a byproduct. It's an MMO, and this isn't a militatant establishment; if you wanna play games with us a few hours a night and then have some alone time, that's none of our business. I would not require anything of anyone beyond just playing the game enough that we don't feel you're an outsider to the group.
Question #6
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicanor Palazzo
Do you take the time and resources to help meet your members needs? Such as difficulty with mechanics, skill rotations, or gearing up? If so, do you feel it is your responsibility as a leader or something you do as a bonus?
Rolanberry Knights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-yup we do!
-that was pretty much answered in my other posts :D
-basically
-ppl put in the time to help out the other members
-:)
(when asked if he feels that this is his responsibility as a member of the group)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-hmmm depends on the type of need!
-ahh
-then in that case, our group expects its members to learn optimal rotations and gear sets on their own, but for mechanics, we discuss as a group
-there isn't any individual that is responsible for teaching all the mechanics but there are certainly members who contribute more in that regard
Diabolos Reign
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-sure we do, if we don't help them then it only slows or stops progression, so the -help should be given
(when asked if he feels that this is his responsibility as a leader of the group)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-i think everyone in the group has helped one another at this point
-not just the leaders
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-when it comes to mechanics and gear
-yeah
-we all try to help eachother as much as we can
-but rotations
-i feel like thats something an individual needs 2 work on themselves
-if they really really having trouble
-then we talk about doing things differently to help them adjust
-but for the most poart
-part*
-people just dont like to be told how to play
-if that kind of conversation starts up
-some1 might get pissed
-cuz they take it as an insult
-so i personaly try to avoid that
(when asked if he feels that this is his responsibility as a leader of the group)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-like
-k
-for example
-new raid tier drops
-new crafting gear available
-ill go out of my way to help ppl get mats they need to get better entry gear
-if they want it
-ill make people food
-ill buy ppl potions
-ill waste my time gathering for them
-even tho it makes me wanna die
-if any1 asks me for help
-with anything
-then i say
-98% of the time
-ill say yes to them
-but if they come at me with some bullshit like "lemme borrow 10mil"
-then they get roasted
Morningstar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-I always make myself available to help people. I always tell everyone to skype me anytime and I'll answer when I can. Also, if i notice anyone who does need help, I always ask them privately if they need help. I believe as a raid leader you should be the most available/approachable person in the group. The raid leader should be very perceptive to problems and be the first person to lend a hand.
Seraphic Kingdom
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-ya, its ive always set aside time to do that stuff. I think its super important to always be available to help out static members with anything related to raiding
(when asked if he feels that this is his responsibility as a leader of the group)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-i think its something that just helps everything run smoother... but i wouldn't say its my responsibility.... I'd like anyone in the group to do the same thing or even outside of the group in some cases.
No Bully
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleigh Presty
-In progression everything's relevant. If someone's messing up, yeah I will try to alter the strategy around their failures, whether that's how we handle the mechanic or just going over what others did in a video (often cross-referenced with multiple clear videos if available).
Rotations, I generally try to keep myself out of other player's rotations, I may have everything to 60 but there is a LOT you can't know unless you do the fights yourself as a class.
Gearing up is a group thing for progression. Gotta handle the crafted portion; we do sells of content to help with that, I tried to make sure no one's poor come 2.2, 2.4, or 3.2. After that it's mostly who gets the oil/sand/tomestone equivalents, which is a group activity. After that I leave everyone be, everyone's driven enough.
Question #7
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicanor Palazzo
How do you handle interpersonal issues between members?
Rolanberry Knights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-funnily enough, the one thing that people ask me the most was "Did I seem too aggressive in raid today?"
-it's probably because we have 3 Canadians in group :P
-but as I said, there is a certain level of respect that the members should have for each other
-and it's nice for the group to have someone whom they can discuss those things with if something feels off
-to address the issues, it's almost always done with open discussions. it's been effective so far!
-well, disclaimer~! the people in our group are pretty nice
-so the issues are not big to start out with
Diabolos Reign
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-such as the issues between one member and another? i'll talk to each of them individually and then together and if it still can't be solved then i just tell them to keep it out of raid
-we've had about 0 drama for a while now, besides the usual "progression" stuff
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-l0l welp
-that happened last raid tier
-some1 took an item that was meant for some1 else
-and..he just quit the group
-but um
-if 2 ppl are butting heads
-then we try to keep the situation calm while we still raiding
-happened like a week ago too
-2 dps started 2 get a little antsy
-so i talked 2 1
-and velani talked 2 the other
-after we finished raiding
-they cool now so
-but uh
-that kinda shit
-when 2 ppl are like
-attacking eachother
-thats a no go
-not dealin with that shit
-so right when it seems to be getting a little hot
-me or velani will try to just kill the tension asap
-then we pull em to the side to see wtf is wrong and why they being bitches
-from personal exp
-if u leave ppl like that
-they just keep goin and goin
-and it eventualy spreads 2 other ppl
-cuz they will start to talk with an attidue to every1
-not just the first guy
-cuz they already heated
Morningstar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-unfortunately this has happened in my group before. ultimately, i decided to talk to each person privately and discuss how they were feeling about the situation. Eventually, I decided that the drama was too much and the two people had such differing mentalities that it couldn't work out so we replaced one person. Ultimately, problems like these need to be talked about in private between the parties invovled so some sort of resolution or understanding can be determined. I think the worse thing to do is try to ignore issues like these and I see this happen a lot in many groups.
Seraphic Kingdom
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-well I tend to ensure everything we do is public, transparent and open... everyone gets a say.... so it helps prevent broken telephone / talking behind backs... however it can lead to more distractions
-personally prefer everything just being in the open though. Get problems dealt with asap
No Bully
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleigh Presty
-It depends on the severity. If it's something pretty heated, we might have to back out of the instance and address it. If it's something light in raid, it's more like, "Settle down ladies," but we generally don't have spats because most of us respect one another. If it's an argument post-raid, something unrelated to the game or perhaps related to the game but just a pointless discussion on what's better or how to do something and I don't care either way, I'll just let it be. We're adults and as I mentioned before, this isn't a militant establishment.
Question #8
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicanor Palazzo
You don't have to tell me specifics if you believe it puts you ahead of the competition, but does your team do anything special that you feel the majority of other groups don't do? If so, are you willing to share anything specific?
Rolanberry Knights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-hmmm
-yes!
-err not ahead of the competition but
-hmmm
-pls LOL
-well since we're both smn, putting the healer in the caster jail in A7S is always fun :D
-do it! it's a great way to improve raid dps ;D
-(raid dps is my friendly way of saying personal dps ;DDDD)
-but it also helps raid dps :P
Diabolos Reign
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-not really, we just do what we think is natural during the times we do raid and try and have fun when we don't raid
-at least for us i know talking shit to each other leads to fun raid nights, and that generally is when our progression is highest
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-l0l dude
-we casual as fuck
-we dont give a shit
-we dont try to beat any1 else
-we just go on our own time
-and just try to enjoy it
-we started midas savage a week and a half later
-then every1 else
-the only thing we do
-like if other groups are streaming
-sometimes we stop by and take a peek
-and if we like what we see
-we try to use their strats
-thieves baby
Morningstar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-Nope, thats my secret. ;)
Seraphic Kingdom
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-hmmm, id say its.. we don't put a lot of preasure on the small things and focus our time on the big wins..
So small things to me would be stuff like how to get the best parse or ... whats the meta comp... or meta strat.... We generally seek whats best for us and our group... and move to put our energy into removing big blockers that prevent the kill of a fight... rather then removing things that make us look less elite.. those kind of things can be removed later .. post-progression imo.
No Bully
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleigh Presty
-We comp whore, that's a part of it. We switched to DRK early in A3S progression and it's been strong ever since, we switch our BRD/MCH and SMN/BLM to whatever's hot at the moment, and if for some reason MNK would come back into the meta we'd get that going too. The other two big groups on our server, they stick with their PLD/BRD/SMN mains for every fight. Power to them and all for sticking with their guns but it's way harder to clear with less time and gear than with the stronger comps.
We also schedule our raid times more than the other two top groups. We don't do it on purpose to beat other groups, we just have more free time as a whole. If we raided less and the other groups raided more, our clear times could be drastically closer for all I know.
Question #9
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicanor Palazzo
Is there anything that you as the head of your group would like to say to other raid leaders to help them improve?
Rolanberry Knights
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miren Nephreia
-halfway through raid, encourage your members to get up and walk around/stretch a little!
-it can do wonders for attention
Diabolos Reign
Quote:
Originally Posted by Velani Vena
-all i can really say is keeping drama out of the group keeps the group together, trying to do stuff with each other outside of raid also helps the group bond, doing things like that keeps focus/progression higher than constant yelling at each other
-least in my opinion
Quote:
Originally Posted by Formina Sage
-hmm
-i guess
-uhhh
-fml
-um
-SHIT MUST THINK OF SOMETHING EDGY
-dam l0l
-im thinking about it
-and like
-idk i feel like
-im not really some1 that can help any1 improve
-cuz the way i do things
-is just kinda like
-bleh w/e
-just here to have fun
-IDK MAN
-im not edgy enuff to think of a closing statement
Morningstar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rygar West
-Figure out the pace you want to progress in this game. Look at your group. Ask yourself if they can progress at this pace. If not, ask yourself if you are content with this and if not do something about it. :D
Seraphic Kingdom
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ark Kyubi
-hmmm set realistic expectations and avoid being jealous of groups ahead you. Try to promote a healthy relationship with other groups. They will come to your aid when you most need it.
-ahead of you *
No Bully
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sleigh Presty
-Comp whore you plebs
I hope that this post was enjoyable and informative! /o/ For anyone interested, here are the full transcripts of our conversations:
Miren Nephreia Interview Transcript
Velani Vena Interview Transcript
Formina Sage Interview Transcript
Rygar West Interview Transcript
Ark Kyubi Interview Transcript
Sleigh Presty Interview Transcript
Have a wonderful time adventuring! /o/ Thanks for reading! \o\ Take care! /o/
~Nican
\o\ Special Thanks /o/
Miren Nephreia
Velani Vena
Formina Sage
Rygar West
Sleigh Presty
Ark Kyubi
Dev Nbolo
Boomboom Bang
Renavi Silenas
Lore Valerian
Karen Yaeger
Falkner Tynan
Super Kami'guru
Unclean Love
Gesthar Taylin
Zack Faire