Project Lore

Can I Be The Right Baby?

I've brought up my humble little guild a few times in the past.  We've had our fair share of issues, but most of them have pertained to getting a raid going, let alone completing it.  After some hardwork from the leaders, a few weeks of gear farming for new members and a fresh batch of core raiders, the guild is back on track and finally in Ulduar.  We've come a long way from scrapping together 10-man Naxxramas raids earlier in the year, but we are still a very much a casual guild, at least by my standards.  Casual or not, all guilds have their share of drama, and lately it has been surrounding the object of endless bickering, purpalz.

If there is anything that can instill a sense of hatred among guildmates, for no other reason than favor from the RNG, it is loot.  Interesting and new encounters get players into raiding, but it is the off chance at a new piece of shiny armor, or a pointy new piece of metal, that keeps many of us coming back week after week.  Insert some unskilled, unknown or otherwise "undeserving" players into the mix and you have all the ingredients for Drama Soup.  Add a healthy dose of PUG to the recipe and you have yourself the chunkiest Drama Stew since the creation of The Real Housewives franchise.  This is exactly what has been happening in Warriors of Faith lately.

I haven't raided in almost two weeks, but previous to my E3 sabbatical we had a few nights that our heroic Naxxramas outings were filled in with PUGs.  Some of the pick-ups were old friends or friends of guildies, so they were known to the group.  Others were entire strangers, unfamiliar with our flavor of raiding, discussion and joking.  All of which tend to be various forms of toilet humor and other unprintable topics.  Don't get me wrong, PUGs and everyone in the raid deserves a shot at the gear they helped create, but it irks me when some stranger picks up a piece of loot I have been after since our first clear.  To make matters worse there is currently no restriction in my guild of how much loot any single player can take in a run, assuming the rules of the last raid I attended still stand.  That is what really cooks my goose.

My last heroic Naxxramas clear saw a pair of PUGs pick up not one, not two, but five pieces of gear!  As I said, I am all for giving our saviors (this is what they were since the raid would have been delayed, possibly even canceled, without them) their just dessert, but is it too much to ask for a limit?  Sure, they saved our bacon, but the raid was still a guild run (20 or more guildies), not a PUG group.

I never PUG full raids so I am not sure what the norm is.  Would imposing a limit of two class-based items or a single multi-class item be too far?  How about a lower max roll for PUGs?  If there is no restrictions to what an unfamiliar face can obtain, thus making everyone's chance exactly the same, then why should members even bother with a guild run when they could run a raid at their leisure with the same chance at loot?  Think about it.  In my opinion gearing up members is what a guild run is for.  PUGers are enticed by these oppurtunites for the fast clear, easy emblems and, naturally, a shot at some - often unwanted - loot.

What do the PUGers out there think about limits?  How about other guilds who fill their ranks with the helpful populace?  Does anyone place restrictions on what a PUG can roll on?  Do you force them to roll lower (such as /random 75), fight over the scraps (unwanted loot), or pay them off with gold if they win a roll?  Or are they simply privileged to be a part of such an amazing guild, even if it is just temporary?

A limited loot solution surely isn't perfect, would cause loot and scoot syndrome, and a lower chance at winning would upset people from the start, but keeping guild members happy should be job #1 for the guild.