Dark Clouds Gather

[Tal]

The part, in particular, about IA forcing players to do things, is what really got me.  I'd be happy to go into details, perhaps privately, but you are way off base if you think the leadership ever pushes anyone to do anything - particularly stuff they don't want to do or have a moral problem with.  If anything, our leadership needs to be more hardheaded not less

But there is also the gentle insinuation that we are 1. elitist jerks (not to be confused with the actual guild, cool name) or 2. "easy mode" for practically every encounter in the game.[right][snapback]84387[/snapback][/right]

Honestly the message that the Lurkers and CA folks are getting is that we aren't good enough. That we have folks making mistakes that even applicants to IA doesn't make on their tryouts. The implication is that we've been held up to inspection and found wanting. A group of clowns compared to IA's lion tamers. That is some of what folks are responding to here. We're still in that exciting discovery phase of these encounters that guilds like IA can drop without sweat. We really don't need to be demeaned for being behind the curve. I should at this point make it clear that I'm not accusing you doing any of these things just showing you where some of our frustration.

Can you fill up a raid with outsiders?  Sure.  But what it does is introduce another delay.  It's more people that need to be brought up to speed, more people that need to download ventrilo and log on, more people that need to learn where to stand, what to do, how to react, when to move... etc, etc.  It slows things rather than makes it quicker.  And it does introduce drama - perhaps not today, but eventually down the road.

The advantage of raiding under a single tag is that you are one cohesive unit and everyone has a feel for how everyone else plays.  You all know eachother, know everyone's playing styles, know everyone's role and you can trust that they know theirs.  You don't have to check, for example, if that extra tagalong rogue is stabbing the firelord instead of the lavaspawn.  You can just trust that it will happen, and that makes runs smoother, faster, less frustrating and a whole lot more fun.  Especially when you pull two firelords and an ancient core hound that fears [right][snapback]84387[/snapback][/right]

I would venture that having everyone under the IA guild tag hasn't necessarily saved them from drama. You might think that the guild is insular but you would be surprised what those of us on the outside hear about. Drama is inherent in social endeavours like this. What matters is how it is dealt with.

I can't speak for any others but I had fun last night. Even with the wipes, almost wipes and "mistakes" it was fun to be there and learning. Plus as an added bonus I actually got to swing my weapon consistently! :D

In closing cheers to the folks at IA - you're on the cutting edge of content and having fun. I wish you all the best in that endeavour. :)