high five epat

My UI doesn't look too much different from Warion's.  Bartender just didn't feel right to me.

Gotta love Warion sometimes. 

Even on intense, Illidari Council Hamfist nights, we've never yelled at people (ok, maybe at Auto and the cave-in).  I don't know where all this yelling is coming from, because it sure as hell isn't coming from Atar.  Atar yells with hugs and daffodils.

Fun is equal parts progress and enjoyment balanced with good people and pride.  We can be intense and demanding, yet still have fun.  We just wiped for three hours straight on Council tonight, once because of a very stupid thing I did (note: stay away from the exploding blood elf).  And, like always, we went back and said "Ok, what did we do wrong and how can we do better?"

What sends me into a white hot nerd-rage aren't people that mess up.  We all fuck up.  It's people that go into this half-assed.  We're well beyond the point of explaining the benefits of flasks and food to raiders.  If that's something that needs an essay and a heart-to-heart... well, maybe raiding isn't for those people.

Atar and I were just talking about how "inclusive" Downfall is.  Compared to a lot of upper-echelon raiding guilds that are very cliquish and pride themselves on NOT letting anyone besides the most elite in, we take the opposite approach and bring in a lot of good people.  Where we deviate drastically from "casual" guilds is that there comes a point where we ask people to make the decision between playing WoW and raiding.  These are very different things.

When they make that huge step into raiding, it's time to put up or shut up.  The moment they make the choice to step into end game, we immediately demand more from them and hold them to a higher standard.  We openly recruit noobs because some have the potential to work hard and become something more in WoW.  Others don't. 

One of my favorite ex-noobs is Warion.  Though he has the spelling skills of an encephilatic lemur, he worked his butt off on healing technique and mods and macros.  He's been dependable and frequently burns 20+ pots a night and absolutely rocks the meters.  But he used to suck. Oh god, did he used to suck.  I spent ten minutes one night trying to explain to him on vent how to drag a macro onto his action bars.  But he got better and he stepped up.

Does he have as much or more fun in this newer, more "intense" environment?  I like to think so.  Has his definition of "fun" changed as we've all raided and watched our expectations of each other grow? Absolutely.  

By not being all hardcore i meant chill with the yelling, I in no way contradicted my beliefs.  Yes people should come with things and what not, but if they dont, then let the meters and the wipes speak for them.  Its sad to see things come to the point of people getting yelled at for video game issues.  If somebody doesnt bring pots or flasks, or food, talk to them in private, before/after raid or on another day and calmly explain why having those materials benifits them and the raid whole.  Figure out why they didnt have them to begin with.  I didnt have food one night because I logged in straight from class and felt likea douche bag for not having everything, so i decided that if i have something going on that is going to push my time i will get my items earlier in the day/week.  As dar as "fancying" myself on anything, well you don't know me that well.  I don't pride myself on anything, and for the most part only talk to people i feel close to.  But when some of the guys are feeling like the raid is becomming more work and less fun, then I feel its something that should be brought to attention.  I am not in the wrong for bringing up a point that is valid.  I'm not telling anyone not to listen the raid leaders, I am not saying anything negative, or attacking Ataraxia.  I know how hard he has worked to bring things to where they are, I have loyaly been by his side since his first days of Happy pants, and will continue to do so.  I am just bringing up the point that some of us feel like we are losing the sence of how cool and awesome it is to Actually be at Kael in the light of getting to Hyjal/BT.  Personally I would love to see Hyjal, more so than BT even, but I am just happy being in TK getting my face kicked in by one of Kaels weapons, or by Giant Kael even.  I love doing that fight, wipe or not.

2) Referencing me to a drug using hippy..is insulting and rude at best.  When I said we need to relax a little, I didnt mean come in and run around clueless as how to "play the game" as it were.  I am simply stating that when we wipe, instead of getting pissed lets just calmly look at went wrong and discuss this.  Its been a long time since i heard say after a wipe "OKay person A what happened with you" or "Group B how did mob C seem to wipe you guys...okay well lets try this instead, that sound good....MAN I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS, THIS IS FUN, LETS DOWN THIS GUY WE GOT HIM" with his little atar laugh.  I personally miss that huge sence of optimism that he had.  Thats one of the reasons i stayed with him, he was always up beat about things.  And Atar if your reading this, which I hope you are, I am not, NOT, saying your a bad raid leader at all right now.  I appreciate what you have done for us, and i can't even phathom how stressing things can be, but recently you haven't been as upbeat as you use to be.  Seriously man, if your getting stressed about running this thing, let us know, maybe you can work something out with some of the more regular LF1 guys to help organize things with you.  I want to raid with you and still have you say "Alright we wiped, lets figure it..okay I"M EXCITED LETS DOWN THIS GUY!"...that type of raid leading is such a different style from the usual bickering and in-fighting that happens in guilds.

3) My first paragraph dooms failure...how does going into a raid and feeling like you accomplished something dooming something to failure?  If anything seeing where you started and where you are now would encourage you to to go farther than you expected. I could point at anyone in Downfall, Oblivion, Eternity, and garuntee if I asked them if they expected their characters to be where they are now when they started out, they would all say no, and I bet with each feeling of achievemt, they had the morale to push foward beyond the goals they set for themselves.

 As for you wanting names of people i have conversed with..well I am not privy to realese that information.  Maybe they are afraid of being raid or gkicked for mentioning concerns.  Personally I am not afraid of that scenario.  I dont want to be gkick or raidkicked but if it happens then i will converse my time on other things..such as the nature of the beast.  I like downfall, and I like many of the people here.  over the 1+ years i have been in this guild I have met some really outstanding people (not players but people, who i can talk to about non related things) and I would like to still be involved with these people as much as I can allow myself, but i don't feel like I am doing wrong by expressing concern of the direction of things.  I didnt flag anyone for being a bad person, I havent once made a statement that claimed that certain people shouldnt be leading raids, I havent flat out said well if things arent fixed right away then i quit.  All i brought up is that the raid setting is more tense than it use to be and it would be nice for things to have that familiar friendly feeling it had in kara..IDK maybe its because we are constantly replacing people on a weekly basis, that we dont have that sence of group unity, that is causing tension, or if its poor atar constantly having to explain the boss strats every night to 24 other people just so 3-5 new guys know what to do.  IDK, I do know;however; people are getting shorter fuses..so to speak, and its sad.  I do like my fellow raiders, everyone in FL1M is special to me in someway, and I am proud to contribute to the rapid progression of this raid(hell i even went swords for them..and for those who don't know me...I am a dagger rogue at heart..darkspeed will tell ya).  I want to see these guys hit Hyjal and drop archimonde, I would be excited to see us Down Illidan before the expan...oh wait that won't come out till 2017..I will be excited to be there when LF1M downs Illidan before the Holidays (more reasonable goal i assume) and have gares ninja loot the warglaives.  I have defended this guild so many times against verbal attacks from other guilds...and When DF had beef with my friend Andy, i tried to peacefully dissolve the situation so both parties can be at peace.  I am not out to get anyone, I dont want downfall to become a kara only guild.  I am proud of our progression, I just want to see everyone not as tensed up on things...thats it, and i will hold to my belief that there is nothing wrong in wanting a less tense atmosphere.

Atar:Honostly..even though we joke about, it was unnerving when you yelled "this is not a game" to capt..Frustration for a dumb wipe noted, it still wasn't something I would expect to hear from you...  Idon't think less of you for it, i'm just taken shock to it bro..I guess in the end I am speaking more out of concern, than anger or frustration...I just don't want to see raid tearing drama build up, and i think most raid drama issues usually have a more hidden reason.

Well at this point I think i have lost anyone's attention..which is okay, because its 1am and I need to get my daughter a bottle.

Keep me or kick me for this is your decision, In the end I want whats best for LF1M but in terms of progressing and atmosphere.

Hope to be Downing some Hard to Pronounce bosses with you guys.

-Jeff-

PS: Atar I'm sorry for not being around wednesday night, I have programming class till 10:30pm (our coast) so for the next 7 weeks I am only avail thurs..sat 

Live Every Moment, Seize Everyday

once again..game not work, bad nights happen, chill

Live Every Moment, Seize Everyday

Tonight, lets keep vent clear, and focus on the task at hand.  Lets have fun, but don't think that your vent mike has to be active to have fun in raid.

I'm going to be the voice of opposition here.  I think everyone is taking this whole thing a bit far.  Yes Atar you want to see kael die, and have the raid progress, and thats a good goal.  Yes in order for bosses to die the raid should bring things to boost self and party improvement, and so forth, but calling the raid because 5 people for whatever reason forgot something, seems to be going to the extreme.  I really believe in the light of seeing Hyjal and BT some our raiders, and leaders class/raid whatever, have focused so much on the next big thing that they forgot the reason we are even here.  This is suppose to be fun, it is after all a video game, thats it.  The Kael Fight in my opinion is a very interesting and fun 1.  I go in everytime to what i'm suppose to and whether we wipe 1000 times, or down him only to epics nobody wants drop, I still leave that night happy because I enjoyed my time in there. 

Yes everyone please please bring your stuff, the guild is running out of marks to provide free flasks, so bring 2 please, even if you dont use the second one, thats 1 less you need in the future, bring food, and pots, and whatever else you want and or need.  Come with your raid gear on, because it is far superior to the welfare pvp epic gear.  Come with a clean head, and focused.  What i mean by focused is not no blinking deep concentrating type focus, i mean the stay awake and don't take any drousy meds that make your screen look weird focus.  But most of all come with the mentality that wipe or kill have a good time.  Do what your class/spec is suppose to do, and do it to the best of your ability.  Its and old chliche but you will feel accomplished if you know you tried your best and failed in the eyes of others, than to cut the corners.  I think before the pull everyone should drop vent, take 2 minutes of silence, to relax, unwind, and look around. WE are in TK, this was the END GAME instance Pre-2.1.  Yes we all want to see Hyjal and BT but don't let the end result blind you to where you ARE, to what you HAVE accomplished already. "Life is about doing the process, not the result".  Serioulsy, Everyone, chill out a just a little, please, we are just here to have a good time with some friends, dont forget thats how we started.  We should be laughing and learning from our mistakes, not ridiculing and scolding.  I said my piece, that is all

Live Every Moment, Seize Everyday

I really hope people show up with their raiding hats on tonight.  I do not want a repeat of Thursday.  Know your shit and focus on what you're doing.  DPS has to pick it up.  Spec to whatever makes you do the most damage, read the forums at EJ.com , or someting to improve your preformance. 

I am really really thinking about calling raid period if everyone doesn't have a flask tonight. I'm tired of 20 people putting forth the effort to come prepared, and then there are 5 people that don't bring a flask and  food.  BRING WHAT IS ASKED OF YOU!!!!   THAT MEANS 2 FLASKS, BUFF FOOD, WEAPON OILS, MANA/HEALTH POTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come focused.  Kael needs to die. 

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet drunken raiding = tha winz!

Bringing puter Fro?  Liquor + Raid is always a fun time...lol

i'll prolly be here. I turn  30 on this day so i make no promises yet.   more than likely i'll be here though