Tuesday, March 8, 2011

I had PLANNED on writing about the epicness of tonights raid but...

Neither the epicness, NOR the raid actually got off the ground. Apparently six people is all it takes to bury a 25 man raid. Even on easy bosses like Magmaw or Omnotron, morale was low as was our replacements ability to heal/dps. I can't complain completely... Even though I had looked forward to breezing through all the way to Nef, then going to clear Bastion tomorrow with all night to work on Cho'gall, it was pleasant being able to level an alt and get in some play time with a real life friend who is hardly ever able to log on, I must say I am disappointed. Since my last successful guild, I've been hopping between several guilds (between two servers) trying to find the right balance between organized raiding with brutal consequences should you DARE log on five minutes late, and the casual "He hasn't logged on in two weeks, but no we shouldn't find a new main tank because he is my friend" leadership style that, let's be frank, gets you no where. I've played with friends. Many great! Some bad... What I've found is that in a tightly knit group of people it's hard to be able to build up the gut to confront someone who isn't pulling their weight. Whether it be raid awareness, little numbers on the meters, or raid attendance, for some reason we just aren't willing to come to terms with the fact that they are holding us back. Being obsessed on seeing content as quickly as I am able, this side of the spectrum was no good for me. I'll be honest the only thing holding me back from applying to one of those 'six nights a week hardcore' guilds was my desire to keep my full time job. I like money. It pays for food. It pays for WoW. And since my request to Red Bull for a full sponsorship as a full time raider has gone unanswered YET AGAIN I'm afraid I find myself in the two to three night a week raiding bracket. Don't get me wrong, my hopes that I would be accepted to the Vodka's of the WoW community are slim at best. But one can always dream, right? RIGHT??? But back to my current situation, which I am extremely pleased with don't get me wrong! I've had many a guild fall apart due to constant inactivity. Do I have confidence in our leadership? Yes. Do I have any worry that we will push forward on our next raid night with flasks in hand and full raid formed? None whatsoever! That still doesn't stop me from being a little bit bummed. Oh well. One can only move on doing what is expected of them. I shall play my class to my utmost ability! I shall min/max in every avenue I find that I am able! I shall make every raid time with enthusiasm and eagerness to KILL... errr... Politely defeat raid encounters... But for now? I shall check the prices of maelstrom crystals again...

Light be with you.
Vivianas

I suppose I should explain myself...

I have been raiding as a discipline priest for about as long as anyone has been allowed to raid as discipline. Most disc priests today are rerolled classes (such as myself) or pre-wrath holy priests taking advantage of an exciting new play style that has just recently become available. There is one thing that brings us together, however, and that is the ebb and flow of criticism and praise that we have been cursed with since our first steps into early Northrend raiding.

Never knowing when your peers will love you or hate you is enough to drive you insane with self consciousness, and sticking to your spec of choice could be considered an early warning sign of dementia. However we love to see those bubbles all over the room (who doesn't like playing with bubbles), and are willing to take on any curve ball blizzard can throw at us. When healing meters are being thrown around party/raid/guild chat and you are at the very bottom, it can be hard to be sure of (or defend) your usefulness in boss fights. Thankfully we are starting to see more understanding from other raiders, when it comes to HOW our healing is done.

The purpose of this blog is to rant and ramble, not only about the highs and lows of our role, but also the game and the lifestyle it demands. About friendships in-game and out, and how grating it can be trying to keep your close friends together. You know what, wait... I'm not going to try to outline what's to come because I don't know. Sure I'll talk about priests and bubbles and bosses, but... I'll be honest, after a few bloody maries I have no idea what I'll feel like talking about. I love to discuss so if at any point one of my blogs lights a fire in your fingers to type off a quick comment feel free to do so!

By the Light,
Vivianas