Keepers of the Glade

GENERAL

1. Raid Leader is the commander of a raid: All instructions
   by the Raid Leader need to be followed. If you refuse to follow directions,
   you will be asked to leave the raid and TL’ed out. If you have questions
   or suggestions for the Raid Leader, please ask your Group Leader first
   as they may have the answer. If there is a need for more clarification,
   please let your Group Leader ask it from the Raid Leader.
2. Get the In-Game Maps: 98% of zones have maps available
   for the in-game mapping feature. Get the maps and know how to use them.
   There is little excuse for anyone to get lost. To get the maps, follow
   THIS LINK from the resources page.
3. Read the Forums: The website forums is our main source
   of news and information outside of game chat. It lists the Raids coming
   up and usually has special instructions posted there. Visit the forums;
   post there often; stay in touch. If you have problems with access, speak
   to an officer.
4. Group Leaders: Group leaders bear a higher level
   of responsibility on raids. Part of their duties will include managing
   their group buffs, relaying orders to group members, updating the Raid
   Leader of group status, and being field commander for their unit. If
   you do not think you are up for the responsibility, please let the Raid
   Leader know if they assign you as a GL.

COMMUNICATION

1. Raid channels – Everyone must get in the main
   chat channel before the raid begins. There's ALWAYS a main chat channel,
   a RAID channel, and a Heal channel. Other channels may be set up on
   an ad-hoc basis (like a pull or buff channel), so ask a guild member
   if you need to join any others.
   RAID channel: default /rsay
   Main chat channel: KOTG (everyone)
   Healer channel: KOTGHEAL (healers must join, others optional)

   These channels have uses:

• RAID channel (/rsay) is used for COMMAND calls
  only. Unless the ENTIRE raid will benefit from it, you should not
  send a tell to the main raid channel. The main channel is really for
  the raid leader, the main tank, and other key raid members (Loot Master,
  Main Healer, etc). If you want to joke or play around, use emotes
  and SAY or groupchat or...
• Main chat channel: KOTG – this channel is
  for general chatter during a raid. All attending the raid may speak
  in this channel. But please keep chatter to a minimum.
• Healer channel: KOTGHEAL – for main group
  healers, which will always be Clerics and usually Shaman+Druids. This
  channel will be for heal calls made during the raid, including CH
  rotations. Anyone else is welcome to join the channel, but the only
  ones speaking in it should be the healers.

2. Go LFG – Before a raid starts you should have
   /lfg ON and be at your keyboard ready to accept group invites. We will
   start the majority of our raids RIGHT ON TIME and if you're AFK you're
   increasing the chance of making us late.
3. Use the AFK tag – If you are AFK for ANY period
   of time, turn on AFK and include a note about how long you expect to
   be afk. Notify your group leader at a minimum. If you are a shaman,
   you should notify other shaman that you're afk and for how long. If
   you're a cleric, you should notify other clerics that they'll need to
   cover your heals. If you're a rogue, notify other rogues that they'll
   have to assist with lock picking and pulling. And so on.
4. Issues – Group leaders will handle all tells
   to the raid leader from a group. This will include informing the raid
   leader of problems in the group. i.e. Link deaths, lag issues or agro
   through a walls or any problem their group is having.
5. Questions? – If you aren’t sure about
   how/when/why to do something, ask someone instead of trying to figure
   it out or just slide by unnoticed, it will save you and possibly everyone
   else from the consequences of a bad decision. IF YOU AREN’T SURE
   ASK. One of the things that make an excellent player is not only knowing
   what to do, but knowing what to do when you DON’T know what to
   do. The worse thing that can happen if you ask a question is that you
   will be pelted with a hail of halflings or learn something.
6. Minimize the clutter – If you have a bunch
   of spam going to your main window, you will miss raid instructions.
   Set up your UI to minimize spam to your main chat window. You should
   not have ANY melee damage spam going to your main chat window. You should
   not have any spellcasting going to your main window (unless it's your
   own). You should also turn off the auction channel and anything else
   that could obscure the message.
7. Take it to tells – The majority of information
   that in the past would often flow through the raid channel didn't need
   to be there. Before you use ANY channel, consider whether your info
   could be conveyed in tells. Don't burden other people with information
   that is only intended for one person. The better we are at keeping extraneous
   information out of our raid channels, the more attentive we can be to
   the mobs around us, to player health bars, and to the really important
   stuff.

PREPARATION

1. BE ON TIME! – Raid start times are when we
   expect you to be there. Don’t be on time, be early. Be at the
   raid rally point by the time of the raid. Once at rally point turn on
   looking for group flag! You should have water, food and spell components
   you need before arriving. When the raid time rolls around, groups and
   buffing will start, and we will be moving or fighting within 30 minutes.
2. Buffing – Group buffers will be assigned before
   the raid starts and will be announced. Pay attention to the buff list.
   (this should be a hot keyed list) Group leaders ONLY will request group
   buffs, and should be via tells. If you have a NEED for an individual
   (single target) buff, send a tell to that individual buff-caster. Assist
   Tanks should have a hot-key made for haste and other battle critical
   buffs that may be required during a fight. Always ask for buffs by name:
   not “cleric buffs pls”, but instead “Group Virtue,
   Group Symbol pls”. Know your buffs before asking; it will make
   the life of your buffer easier.
3. Bring a ‘Raid Pack’ – Items you
   should attempt bring on a raid: resist gear, gate potions (mandatory
   for melees), shrink potions or minimizing device, invis potions (if
   you cant cast invis yourself), EB item, and components (peridots, tiny
   coffins). These are items you should start stocking up on and bringing
   to all raids. With the exception of a gate potion for melees, these
   items are optional…for now.
4. Shrink – EVERYONE should endeavor to be shrunk
   during a raid. Some encounters require it, and most run smoother with
   it. Start buying shrink potions OR get a minimizing device.

RAID TIME

1. Know your tank order – Raid Leader sets this
   order, and will periodically remind us during the raid. Remember the
   list or jot it down. Everyone should have at least the first two tanks
   on the order hotkeyed for assists. If you're a melee, you'll want to
   make sure you understand which mobs are being off-tanked and which are
   being main-tanked.
2. Assist – This should be second nature to us,
   but unfortunately still has to be worked on. Never attack a mob unless
   the MA tank asks you to attack it. Never! If a mob seems to be ripping
   on a caster, then you can and should taunt it using damage-less spells
   (no dots, just debuffs). You should have a hotkey set up that says "/assist
   maintank" (no quotes). Attack NOTHING without using this hotkey,
   and only attack after the MA tank calls for the attack. Assist Tanks:
   Please keep your assist message short, and in ALL CAPS.
3. Off-Tanking – Unless specified by the Raid
   Leader, additional MOBs coming on pulls that CANNOT BE MEZZED will be
   off-tanked. Off-tanking is where an additional MOB is engaged ONLY by
   the next Assist tank on the list, while the rest of the raid concentrates
   on the primary MOB engaged by the MA tank. Further adds will in turn
   be singly engaged by the next Assist tank(s) on the list. When the first
   MOB dies, the raid will /assist the next Assist tank till that MOB is
   dead, and so on with the remaining engaged MOB’s.
4. AFK and LD – See above about AFK, but just
   to reiterate: put up the AFK tag, tell your Group Leader, and /follow
   a group member. LD’s, we know they happen, but only the Group
   Leader should announce it in channels. When you come back from an LD,
   immediately put up your LFG tag, send a tell to your group leader for
   re-invite, rejoin raid channels, shrink, and let others of your same
   class that you are back and ready for duty.
5. Positioning – Nobody should be between the
   MA tank and the puller. Usually there will be an invisible line with
   the MA tank at the head of that line, do not pass it unless you are
   the puller or main Healer. When engaging a mob, nobody but the MA tank
   should be in front of the mob. Usually, only rogues should be directly
   behind a mob. That leaves the sides for all other melee to engage the
   mob. The only exceptions to this will be in corner tanking situations,
   where only the MA is in front of the mob, and all others are behind
   him. Watch the pushing of mobs, and be ready to switch sides when the
   MA tank calls for it.
6. Moving – The Raid Leader or main Puller(if
   assigned) will make calls to move. First a ready call will be made,
   “Groups ready for MOVE?” Group Leaders should respond with,
   “Group # Ready”. When Raid Leader confirms all groups are
   ready, then the, “ALL MOVE” call will be made. Caps are
   important for his call, and it perhaps should be hotkeyed by the Raid
   Leader. Only after seeing the ALL MOVE call made should you move from
   camp. Group Leaders need to make sure their groups are ready to move
   before confirming ready. Moves should be made in short hops to make
   sure nobody is left behind and nobody gets lost.
7. Camping Clerics – in cases where a wipe-out
   is almost certain, the clerics should be camped ASAP. The Raid Leader
   or Raid second should make the call to “CAMP CLERICS!” When
   this call is made, clerics will attempt to camp out. Everyone else should
   engage the mob in the attempt to keep agro off of camping clerics. After
   a cleric camps out, the “ALL CAMP” should be called. Then
   the rest of the raid can try to camp out if possible. Note: Camp Clerics
   does not mean EVAC or Gate. “EVAC” is a separate command
   that the Raid Leader will call only in special cases.
8. Hold Calls – any player may request a hold
   on action, moves, or pulls during a raid, but such requests should go
   thru your Group Leader. Group Leaders can call for a hold of activity
   at any time. Please do not abuse this privilege and make hold calls
   based on non critical reasons.
9. Loot – There will be a Loot Master assigned
   for a raid. The Loot Master will determine methods for looting. Nobody
   should be looting ANYTHING unless pre-authorized by the Loot Master
   or specifically told to loot.
10. Pets – Raid Leader will determine whether pets
    are allowed or not. When at camp, idle pets should be placed on ‘Guard
    Here’ status to prevent agro problems.