Comments on: Alts and the Raider: An Officer’s Perspective http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/ Practical advice for World of Warcraft healers and leaders Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:13:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jezrael http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-17109 Jezrael Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:04:46 +0000 http://www.worldofmatticus.com/?p=3326#comment-17109 Alts in the raid can certainly cause tension. I know that I started feeling resentful back when we were raiding Gruuls and people started to bring in their alts to runs because they didn't want any more gear on their mains. I couldn't do the same having only one 70 at the time. These days we require players to pick one main who will be their raiding toon and only allow/request alts in extreme situations. I have my boomkin alt who has just dinged 79 and am looking forward to taking her through 10 man Naxx while my hunter main does the 25 man raiding. <abbr><em>Jezraels last blog post..<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DpsWeDeliver/~3/510148789/epic-flight-old-skool-style.html" rel="nofollow">Epic flight - old skool style</a></abbr></em> Alts in the raid can certainly cause tension. I know that I started feeling resentful back when we were raiding Gruuls and people started to bring in their alts to runs because they didn’t want any more gear on their mains. I couldn’t do the same having only one 70 at the time. These days we require players to pick one main who will be their raiding toon and only allow/request alts in extreme situations. I have my boomkin alt who has just dinged 79 and am looking forward to taking her through 10 man Naxx while my hunter main does the 25 man raiding.

Jezraels last blog post..Epic flight – old skool style

]]> By: Euripides http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-17039 Euripides Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:02:41 +0000 http://www.worldofmatticus.com/?p=3326#comment-17039 Well, my biggest competitor for hunter loot hit 80 on his paladin healer. He is now the only paladin healer in our guild. We needed to replace a healer who was unavailable for our raid night, and on his first night in Naxx, he soaked up no less than 6 pieces of excellent gear. He now has a very well geared hunter, and a much better geared healer... I'm not sure what this says about alts raiding, but I know we would have sharded those drops if he hadn't been there. Maybe the lesson here is that alts can be OK if they won't be competing with a main for gear... Well, my biggest competitor for hunter loot hit 80 on his paladin healer. He is now the only paladin healer in our guild. We needed to replace a healer who was unavailable for our raid night, and on his first night in Naxx, he soaked up no less than 6 pieces of excellent gear.

He now has a very well geared hunter, and a much better geared healer… I’m not sure what this says about alts raiding, but I know we would have sharded those drops if he hadn’t been there.

Maybe the lesson here is that alts can be OK if they won’t be competing with a main for gear…

]]> By: Lizarine http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-17018 Lizarine Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:59:16 +0000 http://www.worldofmatticus.com/?p=3326#comment-17018 Sydera, thanks for a very nice and useful post. i met guilds where the alts were allowed and guild where there were not. imo it s about what the guild is aiming for. 1) are you aiming for progress and raiding? then no alts pls, it ll only slow you down. what will you do with a cloth dps robe on an alt attending once a ...(fill in a time unit:P)? would that very same robe not have a faaar more sense on a raider that attends regurarly? ofc it would - so... not an difficult deal imo:-)) 2) are you aiming for just fun and you dont care about progress and you don t care the amount of wiping and time spent on bosses? then wohoooo:-)!!! gief alts!!!!! the alt vs main is a hot and high potential drama topic, so - be caferul :-)). with ppl who has grabbed all the possible gear and now they, amagaad surprise surprise, want to switch to an alt in blues, this can lead to a big conflict. that some ppl may leave after they are not allowed to switch (especially when they currently play a role a guild cant afford to miss atm), can happen too. i experienced that myself, it was not pleasant and i hope i wont have to deal with that soonish:-). <abbr><em>Lizarines last blog post..<a href="http://the.forsaken.name/2009/01/capping-with-rating/" rel="nofollow">Capping with rating</a></abbr></em> Sydera, thanks for a very nice and useful post.
i met guilds where the alts were allowed and guild where there were not.
imo it s about what the guild is aiming for.

1) are you aiming for progress and raiding?
then no alts pls, it ll only slow you down. what will you do with a cloth dps robe on an alt attending once a …(fill in a time unit:P)? would that very same robe not have a faaar more sense on a raider that attends regurarly? ofc it would – so… not an difficult deal imo:-))

2) are you aiming for just fun and you dont care about progress and you don t care the amount of wiping and time spent on bosses?
then wohoooo:-)!!! gief alts!!!!!

the alt vs main is a hot and high potential drama topic, so – be caferul :-) ). with ppl who has grabbed all the possible gear and now they, amagaad surprise surprise, want to switch to an alt in blues, this can lead to a big conflict. that some ppl may leave after they are not allowed to switch (especially when they currently play a role a guild cant afford to miss atm), can happen too.
i experienced that myself, it was not pleasant and i hope i wont have to deal with that soonish:-).

Lizarines last blog post..Capping with rating

]]> By: Dae http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-16969 Dae Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:14:50 +0000 http://www.worldofmatticus.com/?p=3326#comment-16969 I usually pug raids for my druid tank alt. But I've gotten her geared enough now through my own hard work than I'm starting to get asked to tank ten mans for the guild. My priest still goes along for the 25 mans, of course, but it's nice to be able to fill another role when the guild needs it. I usually pug raids for my druid tank alt. But I’ve gotten her geared enough now through my own hard work than I’m starting to get asked to tank ten mans for the guild. My priest still goes along for the 25 mans, of course, but it’s nice to be able to fill another role when the guild needs it.

]]> By: GoW http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-16872 GoW Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:06:05 +0000 http://www.worldofmatticus.com/?p=3326#comment-16872 I love candid, nitty-gritty articles on guild leadership and mechanics, and this article is one of the best I've read in a while. The hard-won lessons are especially good to read. It's funny how a long, incorrect-and-likely-painful period with that guild's previous system can be summed up so well in a paragraph or two. Anyway, this post is awesome, I'm bookmarking it. <abbr><em>GoWs last blog post..<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GroupsOfWords/~3/510982796/" rel="nofollow">Ghostcrawler is Awesome</a></abbr></em> I love candid, nitty-gritty articles on guild leadership and mechanics, and this article is one of the best I’ve read in a while. The hard-won lessons are especially good to read. It’s funny how a long, incorrect-and-likely-painful period with that guild’s previous system can be summed up so well in a paragraph or two. Anyway, this post is awesome, I’m bookmarking it.

GoWs last blog post..Ghostcrawler is Awesome

]]> By: Zusterke http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-16845 Zusterke Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:34:11 +0000 http://www.worldofmatticus.com/?p=3326#comment-16845 I agree. My guild's Kara farms were slower when we were raiding T5 than our first Kara clear. Reason: green geared noob alts. Kara runs were becomming tougher progression runs than our true progression runs. Our solution: make alt-permitted and alt forbidden raids. The problem didn't fade entirely though. For some reason all DPS made DPS alts to such a degree it can almost be classified as obstinate. As result the whole alting business was starting to wear on the group: nobody wanted to do content runs with their mains anymore and all critical roles were 'surprisingly' absent. Luckily we haven't hit this problem in WotLK yet. I agree. My guild’s Kara farms were slower when we were raiding T5 than our first Kara clear.
Reason: green geared noob alts. Kara runs were becomming tougher progression runs than our true progression runs.
Our solution: make alt-permitted and alt forbidden raids.

The problem didn’t fade entirely though. For some reason all DPS made DPS alts to such a degree it can almost be classified as obstinate. As result the whole alting business was starting to wear on the group: nobody wanted to do content runs with their mains anymore and all critical roles were ‘surprisingly’ absent.

Luckily we haven’t hit this problem in WotLK yet.

]]> By: Copra http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-16841 Copra Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:13:25 +0000 http://www.worldofmatticus.com/?p=3326#comment-16841 I'm the bad apple, then. I'm levelling and playing my two main toons as mains, both of them. One being protection warrior, another holy priest. While the warrior is currently at higher level, the healer is closer to my heart: however, switching from tank to heal is no problem to me. Knowing the both ends of the crap chute surely helps to understand the comments which I get from others, while in either end myself... Though I don't see myself raiding anytime soon. Or late. Copra PS. Yes, Feral is the fastest to level: feral heals all instances at least up to Sunken Temple with relative ease, as well as fills the spot of Tank and DPS, as long as you remember to carry proper gear with you. Feral is the most versatile levelling class you could think of. <abbr><em>Copras last blog post..<a href="http://bullcopra.blogspot.com/2009/01/addition-to-last-post.html" rel="nofollow">Addition to last post</a></abbr></em> I’m the bad apple, then. I’m levelling and playing my two main toons as mains, both of them. One being protection warrior, another holy priest. While the warrior is currently at higher level, the healer is closer to my heart: however, switching from tank to heal is no problem to me. Knowing the both ends of the crap chute surely helps to understand the comments which I get from others, while in either end myself…

Though I don’t see myself raiding anytime soon. Or late.

Copra

PS. Yes, Feral is the fastest to level: feral heals all instances at least up to Sunken Temple with relative ease, as well as fills the spot of Tank and DPS, as long as you remember to carry proper gear with you. Feral is the most versatile levelling class you could think of.

Copras last blog post..Addition to last post

]]> By: PTD http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-16837 PTD Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:04:39 +0000 http://www.worldofmatticus.com/?p=3326#comment-16837 Excellent post, Sydera. There is very little quite as disheartening as seeing someone's alt take a spot I wanted with my main. This is especially damaging to the more casual players (like myself), since I/we have so little playtime as it is. On content that is in heavy farm status, I can understand. I can also understand the use of alts to fill out a roster if you're coming up short. But if someone's main is getting benched to get someone else's alt in, something is wrong. In that case, why even have the person in the guild? Why even let them get to first base? Just be up front: "We won't take you except as an absolute last resort." I wish more people were more honest with people in game, rather than not inviting them to groups, or whispering about what a bad player they are. But...I digress. Great post, Syd, I really enjoyed it. <abbr><em>PTDs last blog post..<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/PartTimeDruid/~3/503573973/" rel="nofollow">The Philosophy of Loot Systems</a></abbr></em> Excellent post, Sydera. There is very little quite as disheartening as seeing someone’s alt take a spot I wanted with my main. This is especially damaging to the more casual players (like myself), since I/we have so little playtime as it is.

On content that is in heavy farm status, I can understand. I can also understand the use of alts to fill out a roster if you’re coming up short. But if someone’s main is getting benched to get someone else’s alt in, something is wrong. In that case, why even have the person in the guild? Why even let them get to first base? Just be up front: “We won’t take you except as an absolute last resort.” I wish more people were more honest with people in game, rather than not inviting them to groups, or whispering about what a bad player they are.

But…I digress. Great post, Syd, I really enjoyed it.

PTDs last blog post..The Philosophy of Loot Systems

]]> By: Joel’s Scattered Thoughts » Blog Archive » Alts and the Raider: An Officer’s Perspective http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-16833 Joel’s Scattered Thoughts » Blog Archive » Alts and the Raider: An Officer’s Perspective Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:34:57 +0000 http://www.worldofmatticus.com/?p=3326#comment-16833 [...] at World of Matticus discusses Alts and the Raider: An Officer’s Perspective.  We just went through some of this entering Naxx.  It hadn’t been a big deal [...] [...] at World of Matticus discusses Alts and the Raider: An Officer’s Perspective.  We just went through some of this entering Naxx.  It hadn’t been a big deal [...]

]]> By: Stupid Mage http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2009/01/13/alts-and-the-raider-an-officers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-16831 Stupid Mage Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:11:28 +0000 http://www.worldofmatticus.com/?p=3326#comment-16831 I had no idea that this was such a sensitive issue. I didn't expect there to be a solid "no, never" answer to having alts in a raid. Most of you are quite adamant about it too. But I guess I can understand it. We brought on board a Warrior who was supposed to be one of our tanks but spec'd Fury so he could level. He rolled a dps class so he could farm and preferred the easier killing. We supported this until our main tank quit the guild and we needed him to step up. He totally failed. Then left the guild because we "weren't progressing fast enough". I had no idea that this was such a sensitive issue.

I didn’t expect there to be a solid “no, never” answer to having alts in a raid. Most of you are quite adamant about it too.

But I guess I can understand it. We brought on board a Warrior who was supposed to be one of our tanks but spec’d Fury so he could level. He rolled a dps class so he could farm and preferred the easier killing. We supported this until our main tank quit the guild and we needed him to step up. He totally failed. Then left the guild because we “weren’t progressing fast enough”.

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